USA > Kentucky > Henderson County > History of Henderson County, Kentucky > Part 74
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PROF. J. MAURICE BACH was born near Interlacken, Swit- zerland, in the year 1854, and, when quite young, came to America with his parents and settled in Ohio. A writer has said of him: " His musical instinct, especially for the piano forte, betrayed itself from his early childhood. His parents were ever ready with willing hands and open heart to assist him, and immediately secured the best obtainable teachers that could be found. His progress at once was so marvelous that, at twelve years of age, he assisted at charitable con- certs for home institutions, etc. After some years of arduous study and 'a successful provincial concert tour, his young heart yearned for a higher plane upon which he could develop his musical powers. He, in consequence, returned to Europe, where he entered the Stern Con- servatory of Music at Berlin, also receiving private tuition from the celebrated teachers, Jean Voght and Ehrlich, thence under the perso- nal tuition of Riedel and Reinecke at Leipzig. In 1873, '74, he made successful concert tours alone, and also in connection with other com- panies, through the southern parts of Germany and his native coun- try, Switzerland, receiving general plaudits everywhere. He again resumed his studies at Leipzig, but finally came to America, where he gave many piano recitals of extraordinary merit, especially in his own State. He has on many occasions been associated with concert com- panies. Organized the Tiffin Philharmonic Society (vocal), of which he was musical director for four years. Of late years his chief success has been in the vocation of teaching the art of piano-forte playing. It
J. M. BACH.
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may be added here that he is an admirable organist and has always commanded a good position in that capacity." During the year 1883 Prof. Bach removed to and settled in Henderson, having accepted the position of organist of the First Presbyterian Church. He soon be- came identified with the musical interest of the city, and was not long in impressing his eminent qualifications as teacher and artist upon the lovers of music with whom he came in contact. He here met his life's fate in the person of Miss M. Henrietta Stoltz, a lady of the highest culture, and rare teacher of vocal and instrumental music, whom he married in 1884. Mrs. Bach was educated under Dr. F. Ziegfeld, of Chicago and L. A. Phelps; pupil of Garcia, in Paris, and Lamperti, Milan, Italy. She has been signally successful in her teaching and has shown herself a master of her chosen profession. How happily blended those two lives are and what a pleasing co-incident that they should have met in Henderson. Truly it can be said of them "Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one." Prof. Bach, since September, 1886, has been Professor and Director of the Musical Department of the Henderson Female Seminary, and, by his strict attention to duty and rapid development of his pupils, has secured a large and remunerative patronage. He is assisted by his wife, and the two together are unsurpassed in the art of teaching.
JOSHUA GUNN STAPLES, son of Joshua Staples and Elmira J. Jeffries, both of Virginia, was born March 27th, 1840, in Henderson County. He received his education from the common schools of the county, and, at an early age, entered a printing office to learn the art of type-setting. He followed this life with an assiduity of purpose that soon brought him ample means for his own support. Several years after- wards,he, in connection with A. J. Speidel,purchased the Henderson Re- porter and became its publishers and editors for fifteen years. The Re- porter was a leading Democratic paper and took a lively and active part in all of the political campaigns anterior to and during the war. So Demo- cratic was it, that, at one time during the war, its publishers were com. pelled to cease publication for a time, but it again blossomed out in the fullness of its former glory, and became a power. Mr. Staples was a hard-working, painstaking man of business, and, by economy and close application to his work, laid up a very snug little bank account. In 1877 or '78, he sold his interest to William A. Miller, purchased him- self a farm, and removed to the country. March, 1866, he married Miss Harriet E. Grigsby, by whom he had four children, two of whom are living. Mrs. Staples died in 1873. In March 1876, Mr. Staples married his second wife, Miss Lizzie Lockett, daughter of David P.
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and Lucinda Lockett, and unto them have been born five children, two of whom are dead. Mrs. Staples is a lady of high character, and thoroughly domestic. For twenty-five years Mr. Staples has been a member of the Baptist Church, and for perhaps that number of years a member of the Masonic Fraternity. He is the owner of one hundred and twenty-five acres of the finest Henderson County land, and is a remarkably successful farmer. He recently sold his interest in the saddlery and harness business in this city, to his brother-in-law, Joseph K. Lockett, and is now devoting himself to his farming inter- est and making money.
JOSEPH CLORE, the subject of this sketch, was born in Pewee Valley, Oldham County, Kentucky, on the tenth day of June, 1806. His parents were both Virginians and came to Kentucky prior to or about 1800. They both died in Kentucky, the father in 1814, the mother in 1859. Mrs. Clore, mother of our subject, was Miss Mat- tie Fields, daughter of Daniel Fields, and was born near Danville, in 1814. She and Mr. Clore married January 27th, 1830, and have had thirteen children, ten of whom are living. Josephine Rebecca married Joel Yeager ; Bettie married, first, James E. Ricketts, and, secondly, N. S. Glore ; F. Lafayette married Miss Mattie Shirley, Lillie married T. E. Fields, J. O. Clore married Miss Emma Pilkington, Anna mar- ried Samuel Posey, Donna married Chas. Nosworthy, Ella and W. Hall are unmarried. Those who have departed this life are Miller, Maggie and Kate. For a number of years Mr. Clore, in addition to farming, operated a saw mill at Pewee Valley. In 1856, in partner- ship with a Mr. Shrader, he built a large saw mill in Henderson, and in the fall of 1857 removed with his family to this place. A short time subsequent to his removal, he purchased Mr. Shrader's interest and became the sole owner of the mill. A few years after coming to Hen- derson, he built his present handsome residence, and has continued to reside therein to this day. Mr. Clore, during his entire life in Hen- derson, has been an untiring worker, and has carried on his large business with less ostentation than most men not half so busily em- ployed. He is a remarkably quiet man, and no one outside of his immediate family would ever know of what he has done and is doing, unless by chance they should see for themselves or engage him at his place of business in conversation. He is seldom seen from his mill, and while there, in conjunction with his boys, is more or less engaged in pushing his business. For years past he had been a heavy con- sumer of logs, and, perhaps, one of the largest handlers of lumber in the West. His mill is one of the largest and best, being supplied with
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the latest and finest machinery. Several years ago he associated with himself in the business his three sons, L. F., J. O. and W. H. Clore, under the firm name of Joseph Clore & Sons. They have at this time seven acres of ground stacked with valuable lumber. In addition to the mill, is a planing mill of large capacity, and capable of doing all kinds of wood work. Thus, then, after many years of hard toil the old gentleman finds himself the possessor of a handsome fortune, a large and paying business and a family of happy children and grandchildren surrounding him to comfort his old age. For fifty years Mr. Clore has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, yet at this time, owing to his age and defective hearing, he seidom attends services. His faithful help-mate through life is yet living, and is one of the no- blest of women, devotedly attached to her home, her children and her church.
JOHN DAVID ROBARDS was born in Henderson County, on the second day of November, 1831, on a farm five miles southeast of Robards Station. The difficulties attending an education, which the early settlers found in that particular section of the county still existed, for no schools were to be foun I nearer than from five to ten miles from the homestead. In the year 1840, a school was established at Pleasant Valley, a few miles off, which his sisters attended. Dur- ing this time, his father, George Robards, had become the head of a large family of children, and was necessarily compelled to exert every energy possessed by himself and sons to secure, an annual income suf- ficient for their support, and to meet the necessary expenses incident to farming and opening up a wild country. Mr. Robards was an in- dulgent parent, yet he recognized the necessity of hard work, and lamented the situation which surrounded him. He wanted to do for his children, but his pecuniary condition, coupled with- the primitive and comparative advantageless surroundings, rendered it necessary for him to exercise the most rigid self-denials, which he regretted more than anyone else. The subject of this sketch was required to work in the fields during the spring and summer months, and to handle the ax in clearing up new ground in the fall, winter and early spring months. So determined was he upon acquiring a foresight into the primary branches, he studied with his sisters during leisure hours and most frequently in the cornfield ; while his horse was resting, he would sit down and ponder over his arithmetic, and disputes often arose be- tween himself and brothers while ploughing alongside, as to the cor- rect solution of some arithmetical sum, and then and there they would halt until the difficulty was correctly and satisfactorily determined
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In this way he became quite proficient in primary, and even interme- diate mathematics. His thirst for information grew as he learned, and continued to seek knowledge from his sisters, and by his own exertions he qualified himself to enter school. At the age of twenty- four years, his father gave him a horse, which he sold for one hundred dollars, and with this pitiful sum went to Madisonville and entered Professor Boring's school, where he applied himself with an earnest- ness which soon won the sympathy and favor of his teacher. He had but the sum of one hundred and sixty dollars. Professor Boring was particularly kind to him, extending to him credit for the tuition and other pecuniary credits necessary during the scholastic year. He bent every energy, studying day and night, and during the term ot six months mastered arithmetic, gained a good understanding of algebra, trigonometry, surveying, and English grammar. Returning to his home, he soon organized a small neighborhood school, studying him- self all the time with more earnestness than any pupil under him, and continued teaching and studying until 1856, when he was appointed by D. N. Walden, Surveyor of Henderson County, deputy surveyor. He continued in office under Walden to the time he resigned in 1859, and then served under Charles Dixon, until his death in 1860, when he was appointed surveyor of the county until an election could be held. An election being ordered, Mr. Robards became a candidate on the Democratic ticket against Robert S. Eastin, who had announced himself a candidate of the opposition party. The election resulted in Eastin's being elected. Mr. Robards then gave up official life and settled on a farm near Robards' Station. During his deputyship, by the exercise of the closest economy, and the keenest foresight in land . speculation, he amassed a competency sufficient to serve him in enter- ing into active business. No young man was ever more industrious, persevering, studious, or accumulating than was he, and as an evi- dence of it, we shall see before this brief biography is concluded. On the twenty-first day of June, 1857, Mr. Robards married Mrs. Julia A. Hart, nee Walker, daughter of Alonzo Walker, a highly respected and intelligent farmer. She died August, 1883, leaving two children, Frank Hart and Edwin T. Robards. In 1867, with the same keen foresight, he built the first frame store house (in fact the first house built), at what is known as Robards' Station. In this building he carried on a general merchandising business, selling annually from twenty to forty thousand dollars worth of goods. In 1868 he built the first tobacco stemmery at Robard Station ; this was a rough and hurriedly built affair of small capacity, and built along side of the rail-
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road track. In 1873 he tore down this building and replaced it by another, a better and more commodious house, one hundred and twenty feet long, by seventy feet wide, three stories high. A co-partnership was formed with R. W. Bodine and Dr. N. A. Kitchell, which con- tinued up to the year 1878, when it was dissolved by mutual consent. This firm did an annual business from fifty to ninety thousand dollars. On the eleventh of June, 1874, a hurricane passed over Robards Station, leveling to the ground his large fine tobacco stemmery, con- taining at the time from one hundred and sixty to two hundred hogs- heads of tobacco. Fortunately the tobacco was in loose order and very little of it was damaged ; on the contrary, it was secured from the debris, rehandled and brought the firm more money, and clear profit, than any crop handled during the partnership. The building was erected again on the same foundation, and occupied during the same year, 1874. In 1872 Mr. Robards moved into the City of Hender- son and soon purchased the handsome residence he yet owns on Sec- ond Street. In early life he joined the Christian Church, and has ever been a conservative, active and working layman. To him and one or two others, is due, perhaps, the honor of remodeling, and the com- pletion of the beautiful church edifice, which now stands on the corner of Green and Washington, a monument to denominational lib- erality. In 1882 he was mainly instrumental in the organization of the Henderson, Zion and Hebardsville Gravel Road Company, and at its organization was elected President, which office he held for some time with credit to himself and good to the company. During the early part of this year he, assisted by his means in the organization of the Planter's National Bank, and at the first election by the stock- holders, was made a director. During the fall of 1882, a large tobacco stemmery, owned by him, and located on Alvasia Street, near Fern- wood Cemetery was burned; since that time, to-wit: on the twenty- second day of January, 1883, he and Dr. N. A. Kitchell filed articles of incorporation and organized the Robards-Kitchell Manufacturing Company, with a paid up capital of fifteen thousand dollars. On the fifth day of February, 1884, Mr. Robards married, in the City of Lou- isville, Mrs. Mary Stewart, a lady of high character and noble chris- tian graces. They take life easy in their cozy home, their cup of hap- piness being as full as the heart could wish.
RICHARD DIGMAN was born in the City of Louisville, April 1st, 1835. After having received a good education for young men of that time, and, enjoying the advantages of city life, he entered, as apprentice to Milton Calehan, for three years in the stemmery,depart
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ment of a cigar and chewing tobacco manufactory. At the age of seventeen, his term of apprentice having expired, he fancied he would like the trade of brick mason and placed himself under an artisan both competent and willing to assist him. It was not long before he received journeyman wages, and, in the summer of 1854, came to Henderson to assist Mr. Weaver in building Von Kaff's tobacco stem- mery in the Town of Cairo. Upon the completion of this factory, he returned to Louisville, where he remained until the spring of 1858 , when he again came to Henderson, and, during that year and 1859 and 1860, alternated between Henderson and Louisville. In 1861 he joined the Kentucky State Guards, and, in September of that year, in company with the National Blues, went into camp at Glascow, Ken- tucky. After camping there three weeks, the company moved to Cave City, where, by unanimous consent, it was attached to Colonel Joe Lewis' Confederate Regiment. A short time after this, sixty-five or seventy men, of which number Mr. Digman was one, representing twenty-one different counties, organized what was known as Buckner's Bodyguard. This company was taken by Buckner to Fort Donelson, and, before the surrender, made its escape with General N. B. Forrest. It then became a part of General A. S. Johnson's command, and, at the battle of Shiloh, acted as escort to General Hardee, and, during the engagement, in company with a regiment of Texas Rangers, made one of the most desperate charges known to have been made during the whole war. This company was composed of the best men of the army, and, as an evidence of it, when the company roll was called at Shiloh, only one man out of the seventy failed to respond to his name, and he because he had no horse. At the evacuation of Corinth, this command fell back to Tupello, Mississippi, and was there transferred to John Morgan's command ; came into Kentucky as the vanguard of Kirby Smith ; fought several battles, and, in the fight at Richmond, had the honor of taking in Metcalf's Cavalry, a most magnificently mounted and finely equipped body of men. At Lexington they joined General Morgan and fell back with him to Knoxville, where they reported to Buckner, who had been exchanged, and who gave them an honorable discharge from the service, and this was the last of the " BUCKNER GUARDS."
After spending a few days with relatives at Wartrace, Tennessee, Mr. Digman joined Colonel D. Howard Smith's Regiment, of Morgan's Command, marched through Kentucky, crossed the Ohio on the Morgan raid, and was captured by the Home Guards at Ew- ington, forty miles beyond Portsmouth, Ohio. He was taken from
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
there to Camp Morton, and from there to Camp Douglass, Chicago, where he remained for eighteen long months. On the tenth day of March, 1865, near the close of the war, he was sent on to Richmond for exchange, was placed in a parole camp at Amherst Court House, and was there at the time of General Lee's surrender. After the sur render he walked from there to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was fortunate in getting railroad transportation to Chattanooga and Nash- ville. At Nashville he met a company of Louisville Federal soldiers, in whose ranks were a number of his old-time friends. They laid aside all past differences, received him as of old, dressed him up in an elegant suit, furnished him with all the money he wanted, purchased a first-class ticket to Louisville for him and sent him on as a gentle- man. He went to work at his trade and remained in Louisville up to the fourth day of July, 1866, when he came to Henderson and settled down.
On the fourteenth day of July, 1870, Mr. Digman married Miss Mollie B. Jeffries,a very handsome and intelligent young lady,half sister of Major J. Shannon and Richard Blackwell, with whom he has lived in marital felicity to this day. They have two beautiful daughters to add to the brightness and cheerfulness of their happy home, A prouder or more noble soul than Dick Digman does not live. His friendship is as true as his courage, and that characteristic is indisputable. Mr. Digman has taken all of the Masonic degrees, including the Knights Templar.
Since the above was written, Mrs. Digman and one daughter have departed this life.
COLONEL ELIAS D. POWELL is the son of Captain Lazarus Powell, who removed from North Carolina to Kentucky in 1800, settling in a part of Logan, now Simpson County, where he remained two years. In 1803 he removed to Henderson County, and at once settled on a part of the beautiful farm known as Meadow Hill, one mile this side of Smith Mills. The old homestead originally composed one-half of Meadow Hill, of five hundred and eleven acres. Captain Powell, in addition to this valuable body of land, purchased large tracts contain- ing many thousands of acres in the lower part of the county, known as Walnut Bottom, where he had large negro quarters and great num- bers of hogs and cattle. He prided himselt upon his fine stock and was known to own the best blooded horses in Kentucky at that time. Captain Powell married four times and raised a large number of children, Governor L. W. Powell being among the oldest; the sub- ject of this sketch being the youngest. Colonel Powell was born Feb-
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ruary 1st, 1837, at Meadow Hill. His early education was gained in Henderson, and afterwards was a student of St. Joseph's Academy, Bardstown, During the year 1855 he attended Transylvania College, Lexington, where he studied law in a class with Judge Mike Owsley, late a candidate for the office of Governor, and other celebrities. Col. Powell, at the death of his father, April, 1869, inherited the old home- stead as a portion of his share of the estate, and since that time has added to it two hundred and fifty acres of land equally as valuable. On the twenty-fourth day of October, 1861, he married Miss Bettie Beverly, a great belle of Henderson society and a lady of many social graces. The fruits of this marriage is two children, Miss Bessie, a bright and handsome daughter, and Beverly, a promising young man. At the close of the war Colonel Powell was worried in mind as to how he should utilize his large landed estate. He was not willing to give up his old home, and still unwilling to wear himself out growing crops with the uncertain labor then at the command of the farmer. He first put down several hundred acres of Meadow Hill in the grasses, and baled hay, grazed, fed and shipped cattle. During this time he con- tracted rheumatism to such an alarming extent as to compel him to give up that life.
Colonel Powell had always a great taste for horticulture, and had read many very valuable works on that interesting branch, and the more he saw and studied the more he became convinced that this climate, temperature and condition was eminently suited for successfully cul- tivating the leading fruits of the country. He determined to under- take it at all hazards, and, in 1860, planted an orchard of the " Red Crab." Every year since he has added to it, as he could arrange his land, and as a result he has to-day one hundred acres of land devoted to apple trees and interspersed with the " Wild Goose Plum," certainly one of the finest varieties known to fruit growers. In addition to, this, he has endless numbers of pear, peach, apricot and nectarine which bear handsomely every year. Colonel Powell can now sit in his home, located upon a most beautiful hill of imposing prominence, and at one sight take in hundreds of acres of trees freighted with the most lucious and taste-tempting fruits known to fruit growers. He is culti. vating several hundred pecan trees in what he calls his black flats, several hundred black walnut, and as many black locusts, the latter of which he intends using for posts. The Colonel, even at this early date, has an abundance of pecans and walnuts for his family use, and in the course of a few years will gather a sufficiency to supply the county. The success attending Colonel Powell's venture has been won-
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derful. In 1882, as a result of his labor, he sold in St. Louis, Chicago, Louisville and Cincinnati four hundred barrels of crab cider, fourteen hundred barrels of apples and not less than one thousand dollars worth of plums. His cider netted him ten dollars per barrel, amounting to $4,000; thus the net profits of his crop sold out- side of Henderson County, netted him the round sum of six thous- and three hundred dollars. Colonel Powell now prides himself upon being the owner and the proprietor of the largest, handsomest, and finest improved fruit farm in the State of Kentucky. His fruit is known in all the markets, and is much sought after. No one is more pleased to know the happy and solid condition of the Colonel than the writer. He deserves all that he has won. He is a man of noble impulses, true as steel, a friend to mankind, and unflinchingly coura- geous in all the grand and enobling characteristics of life.
JAMES HENRY POWELL was born in Henderson County on the eighth day of April, 1839, and is the eldest son of Senator Laza- rus W. Powell, deceased. Mr. Powell was sent to the best private schools of Henderson, and then to the Sayer Institute, at Frankfort, where he remained for five years. He was then sent to the Univer- sity of Virginia, where he remained three years, and, in 1859, grad- uated. Returning to his home, he commenced the study of law in his father's office, and very soon thereafter stood a successful examination and received a license to practice. On the twenty-first day of Octo- ber, 1862, he married Miss Mary Ann Alves, second daughter of Robert A. and Mary (Gayle) Alves, a thoroughly domestic and highly esteemed lady, and unto them have been born six children-Robert A., Lazarus W., Henry J., John Stevenson, Hattie Jennings and Wil- liam Gayle. Lazarus W. married two years since Miss Kittie Wal- bridge, of Henderson, and they have one child. A few years subse- quent to his marriage, the subject of this sketch entered the lecture field, at first confining himself to the subject of temperance, and win- ning golden opinions wherever he lectured. Subsequently he enlarged his field, and added to his repertoire several themes of literary merit, as well as others of decided humor. Mr. Powell lectured in a great part of the United States and Canada, and received most favorable notice from the leading newspapers of both countries. He closed his lecture life as agent of the Lee Monument Association, under the authority of the Governor of Virginia. Mr. Powell, upon his return home, again applied himself to the law. He served two terms as City Prosecuting Attorney, and was then elected County Attorney, serving two terms. In 1880 he was elected Commonwealth Attorney, and, at
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