The Biographical encyclopaedia of Kentucky of the dead and living men of the nineteenth century, Part 134

Author: Armstrong, J. M., & company, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Cincinnati, J. M. Armstrong
Number of Pages: 946

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RANSFORD, BENJAMIN, Retired Merchant and Tobacco Manufacturer, was born December I, 1819, in Cumberland County, Virginia. His family is of English origin, his great-grandfa- ther being the first to emigrate to America, set- tling probably at Jamestown, Virginia. The family subsequently removed to Buckingham County, where his father, Benjamin Bransford, was born, who afterwards removed to Cumberland County, where he married Miss Lucy Hatcher, daughter of an old Vir- ginian family, and was a planter by occupation. Ben- jamin and Lucy Bransford raised a large family of children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest. His ancestors on both sides were long resi- dents in, and respectably connected with the first fami- lies of, Virginia. His education was acquired in the common-schools; and, rejecting his father's offer, to pursue a collegiate course, he left Virginia and came to Kentucky, with the view of engaging in the tobacco business. His cousin, W. H. Bransford, had erected a tobacco factory at Owensboro, in the Spring of 1838, and there he joined him, bringing from Virginia a num- ber of experienced stemmers. He actively assisted in the management of the establishment until the factory was destroyed by fire, in 1850. He then accepted a sal- aried position with H. Kerr & Co., in the same business ; in the Fall of 1852, he took charge of the factory of J. A. Dunlap & Co., remaining until 1856, when he formed a partnership with Samuel W. Wing, with the purpose of carrying on a general dry-goods and tobacco business ; he managing the tobacco interests of the firm. In 1862, he embarked in the tobacco trade on his own account, continuing with energy and success until the year 1873, when he retired to private life. His career as a business man has been one of great credit to himself; and, during his long connection with the tobacco business, he wit- nessed great development in the trade, there being at the time of his arrival in Owensboro but one factory in opera- tion, where there are now nineteen, and in this growth he bore a prominent part. In 1872, he was elected Mayor of Owensboro, discharging the duties of that office with great credit and acceptability. At various times he has served as a member of the Town Council ; was instrumental in organizing the Ohio Telegraph Com- pany, and was its only president during its existence; was a member of the first Board of Directors of the Evansville, Owensboro, and Nashville Railroad, and in various ways has been conspicuous in developing the growth of Owensboro and surrounding country. At the beginning of the civil war, when the schools of Owens- boro were in a sadly demoralized condition, he founded Bransford Female Institute, and, at an expense to him- self of about thirty-five thousand dollars, built the in- stitution, and kept it in successful operation for six years. In politics, he remained with the old Whig party

till its final dissolution, and was actively interested in the election of Gen. Harrison, in 1840; but, after the commencement of the civil war, he identified himself with the Democratic party, and, while sympathizing with the South, took no active part in the rebellion. He is connected with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and has always been prominently interested in all enterprises looking to the substantial benefits of the community. IIis life has been characterized by great liberality, integrity, and public enterprise ; deservedly meriting and receiving the confidence and esteem of the community, of which he has long been a valuable mem- ber. Mr. Bransford was married, in 1846, to Mary E. Athey, a native of Louisville, whose parents removed to Daviess County in 1844. They have raised a large family of children.

ACKLIN, ALEXANDER WALKER, Farmer and Manufacturer, was born May 7, 1799, on the waters of North Elkhorn, in the north- eastern part of Franklin County, Kentucky. His father, Hugh Macklin, was a native of Ireland, and, emigrating to this country when quite young, first settled in Virginia; afterwards, re- moving to Kentucky, settled in Franklin County, where he died, in 1831, at an advanced age. Alexander Walker Macklin received an ordinary English educa- tion, such as was then afforded by the country schools, and, when quite young, learned the carpenter trade in Frankfort. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked at his trade for several years, and, in 1825, married Miss Jane Macklin, and moved to Woodford County, where he rented a farm on Glen's Creek, and remained there several years, a great part of the time engaged in teaching a country school, when he returned to his native county, and bought a small farm. About that time he was elected constable of his district, which office he filled for years. He soon began trading in various ways, with great success, and, having accumu- lated considerable property, sold his small farm and bought a large tract of land, in Franklin County, on South Elkhorn, to which he removed in 1836. He now commenced trading on a large scale, and, in connection with Philip and Jacob Swigert, of Frankfort, under the name of Macklin & Co., he began the manufacture of hemp bagging and rope, shipping their goods to New Orleans for sale. In 1840, this firm was dissolved, and he built a large factory on his own land, at the forks of Elkhorn, for the manufacture of bagging and rope on his own account, in which he continued, with great success, up to the time of his death, owning nearly all the slaves, to the number of one hundred and twenty, employed upon his farm and in his factories. In the

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same year, in partnership with W. F. Ferguson, he bought a large tract of land in Arkansas, and com- menced cotton-planting, which, for want of his personal attention, was not a success. In 1846, he bought prop- erty near Frankfort, on the Kentucky river, on which he built a large slaughter-house, in which he was joined, in 1850, by his second son, George B. Macklin. This business was carried on, largely and successfully, under the name of A. W. Macklin & Son, .during the remain- der of his life, the products, to a very great extent, being shipped to New York for foreign markets, and to Cuba by way of New Orleans. As opportunity offered, he continually added to his landed estate, until, at the time of his death, he owned twelve hundred acres of the finest land in that region, which was divided among his children. In 1844, he commenced to erect a large merchant and custom flouring-mill on his land on the Elkhorn, which he completed soon after, and put into successful operation, with the capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels per day, being the only water-power mill in the country that could be operated during the entire year. In this enterprise he was joined by his oldest son, Benoni Macklin, who, at the age of twenty, took entire control of the mill, leaving his father, as in other cases, to manage the financial interests. In this mill he made many improvements, until it is now probably the most complete water flouring-mill in Kentucky. At his death, this valuable property went by gift to his son Benoni; and, at his death, in 1867, became the property of his child and only daughter, who was then only seven years old. He had long had in view the building of a cut- stone mill-dam on the South Elkhorn, which should last as long as the stone of which it was built, and be an ornament to his industry and energy. In 1863, he be- gan quarrying and preparing the stone; and, in the Fall of that year, completed the finest and most durable piece of. work of that kind to be found, at least in Ken- tucky. He was a man of great energy and industry, and possessed of will and perseverance which could not be overcome by ordinary obstacles. He was somewhat delicate in constitution, and, during the last years of his life, suffered from poor health, although he rarely failed in attention to his complicated business, and even in his last sickness was confined to his room only five days. He was elected by the Bank of Kentucky, located at Louisville-being one of the oldest and most prosperous banks, from its formation until the present time-to the very responsible position of one of its directors for the branch at Frankfort, to which position he was annually elected until his death. He took no very active part in politics, but was decided in his opinions, being a mem- ber of the old Whig party until its dissolution; and, upon the breaking out of the rebellion, his sympathies were with the South. In religion, he was an ardent member of the Baptist Church, which he joined in 1825,

remaining a pillar of his Church throughout his life, and hardly ever missing one of its meetings. He ac- cumulated a large fortune, amounting to several hundred thousand dollars, which was divided equally among his seven children, after paying his indebtedness. He also made a donation of eight thousand dollars, for the pur- pose of educating young men for the ministry, to the Georgetown College, under the control of the Baptist denomination; that sum was paid into the hands of the trustees of the college by his executors. He raised seven children-three sons and four daughters-all of whom reached majority, and six of whom are now liv- ing. His second son, George B. Macklin, is now largely engaged as a commission and coal merchant, at Frank- fort. Mr. Macklin died December 5, 1863, and his re- mains lie in the grave-yard near his former residence, five miles east of Frankfort. He survived his two sisters several years; and his brother, John Macklin, died in 1865. He was a man of fine personal habits, an advo- cate of temperance, and a patron of all worthy causes in his community; and was, throughout his life, one of the most active, intelligent, useful, and successful busi- ness men of the country.

RIMES, OWEN W., was born July 7, 1799, in Fayette County, Kentucky. His father, Chas. Grimes, was one of the wealthiest men of that county, owning four fine farms, a grist-mill and

saw-mill. Owen W. Grimes passed his early boyhood in working upon his father's farms and in his mills; serving faithfully day and night, accord- ing to his father's will and command. When sixteen years old, he entered Transylvania University, at Lex- ington, where, six years later, he graduated with honor. Among his classmates were some of the subsequently most distinguished and learned men of the State: Col. James Taylor, of Newport; Manlius V. Thompson, Lieutenant-Governor of the State of Kentucky (now deceased) ; Charles S. Morehead, Governor of the State; and Judge Wm. Bodley and Judge Bullock, now emi- nent lawyers of the city of Louisville; in all, the class of that year numbered forty-seven. He then stud- ied law two years in the office of Robert Wickliffe, and was admitted to the bar. He married speedily, and went to farming in Jessamine County, at which he remained one year. Moving to the Olympian Springs, in Bath County, he took charge of a hotel; and, for five years, during every Summer, had from three to five hundred Southerners as his guests. He then re- moved to St. Louis, Missouri ; keeping, first, a fashion- able Summer hotel, and afterwards, for two years, the Missouri Hotel. He then removed to Lexington, Ken- tucky, and became the proprietor of the Broadway

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Hotel. From Lexington, he went to Frankfort, where he kept the Mansion House one year. In 1847, he re- moved to Paducah, and was five years landlord of the Marshall House, now known as the Richmond House. At the breaking out of the rebellion, his interests were of such a character as to be greatly affected thereby ; and, at its close, he found himself broken up in fortune. In 1874, he was appointed State Librarian, and ful- filled the duties of that office for two years; being pro- nounced, by the lawyers and judiciary of the State generally, the best librarian the State ever had. At present, seventy-seven years of age, but hale and hearty, he lives in peaceful ease at the residence of Samuel F. Merrill, his son-in-law, who is interested with the firm of Buckner & Terrell, tobacco dealers, at Paducah, Ken- tucky. This firm does, perhaps, as large a business as any in the State, buying, in 1875, fourteen thousand hogs- heads of tobacco. While keeping the Missouri Hotel, at St. Louis, Mr. Grimes invented a reaping-machine, the model of which he showed to one McCormick, a tran- sient guest, who took advantage of this secret to obtain a patent of the machine in his own name. While first at Paducah, Mr. Grimes induced the citizens to have the telegraph extended from Cairo to Paducah, and sub- sequently from Paducah to Nashville. In doing this, two large rivers were spanned, the engineers in charge stretching the wires across the rivers upon supporters, which the steamers and drift-wood soon made away with. In this dilemma he urged a method which was found on trial practicable and successful, namely, to lay the wires upon the bottom of the river. He was thus, to some degree, the father of submarine telegraphy, for when, two years later, Cyrus W. Field and others were about laying two telegraph wires across the ocean, and failed therein, because the wires would not work, Mr. Grimes sent Mr. Field a model of his plans, and re- ceived in reply a letter from Mr. Field, stating that he had submitted his (Grimes's) plans and model to his as- sociates, and that the same had been approved and ac- cepted, and he (Mr. Grimes) would hear from them. But he never did hear from them, other than the gen- eral news that the third wire was fully successful. Mr. Grimes, when twenty-three years old, was married to Eliza Matson, of Bourbon County, Kentucky, and has four children, all living and married: Rebecca J., his oldest daughter, married James Moore, of Moore, Jen- kins & Co., of New York, prominent wholesale grocers ; Mary married Samuel F. Merrill, of Paducah; Margaret is the widow of the late Judge Murry, of Paducah ; and James Thomas Grimes, his only son, is a farmer near Paducah, and married to Agnes, daughter of Alfred Boyd, brother of Hon. Lynn Boyd, Speaker of the United States Congress from 1851 to 1856, once elected Lieutenant-Governor, held many public positions, and was one of the most able and brilliant men of the State.

TKINSON, GEORGE, Retired Merchant, was born in May, 1793, in Ireland. He emigrated to this country, in 1801, with his uncles, John and Edward Cunningham, in whose employ he remained as a clerk, in Richmond, Virginia, until 1817. In that year, he removed to Ken- tucky, and located at Henderson, where he began to trade in tobacco, and is said to have been the first man in the West who ever stemmed tobacco for the English markets; was engaged in that business and general merchandising, with great success, until 1856, when he retired to one of his farms near Henderson, and has since devoted himself to their cultivation. He has several fine tracts of land in Union and Henderson Counties. He established an extensive reputation among business men, and has been known as one of the most upright, discerning, and successful business men of the country. For over fifty years, he has been intimately connected with all the valuable interests of Henderson and the surrounding country. He located at Henderson when it was but a village, and the surrounding country, to a great extent, wild and unimproved, and has been throughout his life, actively identified with its material and social growth and prosperity. In politics he always took a lively interest, and originally belonged to the Whig party, and even yet never fails to vote and keep himself well informed on the events of the day, although he never sought political office. He is an active mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church ; has been characterized for his fine habits and the moral force of his character, and, after an unusually long, industrious, and valuable career, still walks with a firm step, and displays great mental and physical preservation. Mr. Atkinson was married, in 1819, to Miss Mary Dixon, sister of Hon. Archibald Dixon. Two children from this marriage now live. She died, in 1842, and, in 1844, he married Lucy Ann Gale, daughter of Maj. Edmund Holloway, by whom he had two children, one of whom is living. His children, by his first marriage, are : John C. Atkin- son, Mayor of Henderson; and Mrs. Blanton Duncan, of Louisville. Edward Atkinson, the son of his second wife, is now a farmer of Henderson County.

RUNDY, HON. FELIX, Lawyer, was born September II, 1777, in Berkeley County, Vir- ginia. His father was a native of England; settled in Virginia when it was a British prov- ince ; removed to Pennsylvania, settling at " Old Fort," now Brownsville; in 1780, removed to Kentucky, settling in Washington County, and suffered, with his family, in the dangers and hardships incident to the times; he died while the subject of this sketch was young. Felix Grundy was educated under the

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supervision of his mother, who used every means in her reach to satisfy his desires for a liberal education. He attended Bardstown Academy under the celebrated Dr. Priestly, and had among his classmates, John Rowan, Pope, Harrison, Allen, Daviess, and others afterwards distinguished in the State. He was the seventh son of his parents in regular order; and, probably from the old whim on this point, was destined by his parents for the medical profession ; but, early evincing great talent for public speaking, and, overcoming his excellent mother's inclinations, studied law, completing his professional preparations under George Nicholas, one of the first lawyers of the West; entered into practice at Spring- field, in Washington County; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1799; distinguished him- self as a debater; favored the Circuit Court system in the State; was elected to the Legislature from Wash- ington County, in 1800; was re-elected, in 1802; in 1804, was sent to the Legislature from Nelson County ; was re-elected; brought forward his plan for a Circuit Court persistently, until he saw its establishment, and was acknowledged as its founder in the State; in 1802, had his celebrated debate with Henry Clay, on his mo- tion to repeal the charter for the Insurance or Banking Company of Lexington; December 10, 1806, became a judge of the Court of Appeals, the supreme court of the State; in the following Spring, became chief-justice of that court, by the appointment of Chief-Justice Todd to the Supreme Bench of the United States; resigned, in 1807, to follow the more lucrative and active duties of his profession; at that time, removed to Nashville, Ten- nessee, and soon rose to the first rank in his profession; excelled as a criminal lawyer, being unsurpassed for twenty years in his State; his services being in grcat demand, also, in several adjoining States; in 1811, was elected to Congress; served on the Committee of Foreign Relations, and favored war with Great Britain; sup- ported the Administration through that struggle; for a time, returned to private life; in 1819, was elected to the Tennessee Legislature; was several times re-elected ; "was appointed, with William L. Brown, a commissioncr to the Kentucky Legislature, to negotiate with that body as to the difficulty then existing concerning the bound- ary line between the two States; was highly success- ful in his mission; introduced some important measures into the statutes of Tennessee; was elected United States Senator, in 1829; was re-elected in 1833, serving in that body until 1838; in the latter year, became Attorney- General of the United States, under Martin Van Buren; resigned, in 1840; was again elected to the United States Senate, but did not take his seat. In politics, he was a Democrat, and was one of the most able lawyers in the Western country. He died, December 12, 1840, at Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Grundy married a Miss Rodgers, of Greene County, Kentucky, while he was

residing at Springfield. He was a man of medium height, and heavily built; was an attractive conversa- sionalist, and was a man of unaffected and agreeable manners.

'ANTRILL, CAPT. JAMES EDWARDS, Law- yer, son of Edward F. and Susan E. Cantrill, was born June 20, 1839, in Bourbon County, Ken- tucky. The ancestors of this distinguished mem- ber of the bar were natives of the Common- wealth of Virginia, from which they emigrated at an early day ; his grandfather settling in Bourbon County, Kentucky. His father was a farmer in this fertile region of the State, and is still living, being a resident of Jes- samine County. He married Miss Susan Edwards; six children were born unto them-this subject being the second child. He attended a common-school in the neighborhood of his home, until about sixteen years of age. He then entered Georgetown College, graduating at that institution in the year of 1858. After leaving college, he commenced the study of law, in the office of Mr. Polk, in a class consisting of Rev. J. C. Morris, of Louisville; Hon. J. R. Ward, of Cynthiana; William R. Webb, and two or three others. Leaving this class, he was admitted to practice law by Judges Stites and Duvall, and entered upon his profession, in 1859, at the age of twenty years, in St. Louis, Missouri, remaining there in the pursuit of his calling until the breaking out of the war, in 1861. Upon the opening of hostilities, he immediately returned to his native State, and, espous- ing the Confederate cause, at once joined the army. En- listing under Col. Humphrey Marshall in West Virginia, about the time when Generals Bragg and Kirby Smith were invading the State, he succeeded in raising a com- pany, and with it joined the Fifth Kentucky Cavalry, D. Howard Smith's regiment, Buford's Brigade. He parti- cipated in the Kentucky campaign of that Summer and Fall, taking an active part in the terrible battles of Perry- ville and Stone River, besides being in several minor engagements. After these battles, Bragg fell back to Tullahoma, Tennessee, and Rosecrans took position at Murfreesboro ; these positions being retained by the two generals for the remainder of the Winter. About this time, Captain Cantrill was detailed with a company for scouting service, at the front of Gen. Bragg's army. He served faithfully in this arduous and dangerous duty during that Winter; never, in all that time, sleeping within the picket lines. In the ensuing Spring, his regiment was assigned to Gen. John H. Morgan's com- mand; he serving with that general until his death, except a short period while a prisoner of war. He was in the vicinity of Greenville when the daring Gen. John Morgan was killed. He also participated in the West Virginia campaign, with Gen. Breckinridge. At

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the close of the war he returned to his home, to take in that county, to try his fortunes in the more exciting up the pursuits of civil life. Resuming the practice of his profession, in January, 1866, he was soon recognized as one of the most successful members of the George- town bar. He soon obtained an extensive and lucrative practice, embracing many of the most important cases arising in Scott County. Among the many prominent cases in which he has taken part may be mentioned the celebrated Glass Will Case, in which he was engaged as principal counsel for the defendants; the suit being decided in favor of his clients. He has also success- fully conducted a considerable number of criminal cases. He is a life-long Democrat. He was elected to the Kentucky Legislature in August, 1867, and served cred- itably in that body. He is a Mason of high standing; also a member of the Knights Templar, and Grand Jun- ior Warden of the Grand Commandery of Kentucky. He was married, January 5, 1869, to Miss Jennie Moore, the accomplished daughter of the late Chilton C. Moore, of Fayette County, Kentucky. They have one child, James Campbell Cantrill. Captain Cantrill is in the prime of life, and a man of superb physique, standing six feet two inches in height, and well propor- tioned. He is known as a ready and forcible speaker, on public occasions, and also as a writer of merit; and stands high as a citizen, and professionally.

URPHY, JOHN SANDERS, Banker and Farmer, was born October 6, 1814, in Wayne County, Kentucky. His father, William Mur- phy, was a native of the Commonwealth of Virginia, having been born, and passed his youth, in the county of Rockingham of that State. He came to Kentucky at an early day, settling in Wayne County, where he followed the occupation of a farmer until his death, at the ripe old age of seventy- two years. John was born, and brought through his tender years, upon his father's farm in Wayne County. Owing to the very poor educational facilities in his vicinity in those early times, he was obliged to com- mence his career in life with but a very limited store of knowledge. His learning, therefore, was necessarily confined to the plain rudimentary branches, and the study of these could only be pursued in the spare time snatched from the more pressing duties of the farm. When he had reached the age of eighteen, he was bound as an apprentice, for three years, to a tanner, re- ceiving as his compensation for his services the bare necessaries of life-his food and raiment. After being released from his apprenticeship, he followed the tan- ning business, for a short time, in Monticello, Wayne County. In 1840, thinking he could benefit himself by the change, he resolved to leave the tanning business,

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The Biographical encyclopaedia of Kentucky of the dead and living men of the nineteenth century, Part 134

Author: Armstrong, J. M., & company, pub Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Cincinnati, J. M. Armstrong Number of Pages: 946

Author: Armstrong, J. M., & company, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Cincinnati, J. M. Armstrong
Number of Pages: 946