History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 10

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680

USA > Ohio > History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II > Part 10

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Mrs. Elizabeth Young is the widow of Mr. Theodore W. Young, who was born in Lexington in 1818. When he was a young man he came to Louisville. He was a tanner by trade and began thetanning business on Pennsylvania run, in Jeffer- son county. This he followed up to the time of his marriage to Miss Pendergrass in 1831. He then settled on the old Pendergrass farm, where he lived until the time of his death, in 1875. Mrs. Young is the daughter of Mr. Jesse Pender- grass, and granddaughter of Colonel James F. Moore, of Salt Licks fame. Her brother, Com- modore Pendergrass, died while in command of the navy yard at Philadelphia during the Rebel- lion. Her grandfather, Garrett Pendergrass, was killed by Indians at Harrodsburg when on his way to Louisville in the year 1777. Mr. and Mrs. Young were blessed with a family of nine children, four of whom are married and citizens of Jefferson county and the city of Louisville.

Mr. Alexander Heatley was born in Scotland in 1806. In the year 1837 he emigrated to Louisville, where he lived for a short time, after which he acted as overseer for Mr. Cocke, near the city. He was married in 1836 to Miss Jenette Cockburn, of Dundee, Scotland. Mrs. Heatley died in 1871, leaving three chil- dren, two daughters and one son. The latter is dead. One daughter is at home, the other, Mrs. Mitchell, in Mississippi. Mr. Heatley now lives on his farm on the Shepardsville pike, south of the city of Louisville.

Mrs. Martha Farman was born in Madison county, Kentucky, in the year 1840. She is the daughter of Mr. James Logsdon, who. came to Jefferson county in 1850, and made it his home up to the time of his death, which occurred in August, 1875. His wife, Matilda, followed him about four years later. Mrs. Farman is the wife of Mr. F. L. Farman. They have a family of four children: Matilda, Emma, Ella, and Annie.

HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

Ann Eliza Brooks is the only daughter of Isaac and Catharine Brooks. Mr. Brooks was born in Pennsylvania in 1798, and came with his father to Bullitt county, Kentucky, when but a boy. He was married in 1823 to Miss Catharine Fry, then in her eighteenth year. Mr. Brooks died of consumption in 1844, Mrs. Brooks surviving him thirty-five years. They left, besides the subject of this sketch, two sons, the eldest of whom, Shepard W., is a citizen of Bullitt county; the other, James B., lives in Kansas.

Mr. Edmund G. Minor was born in Nelson county, Kentucky, March 7, 1827. He is a son of Major Spence Minor, a soldier of 1812, who came to Kentucky with his father from Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1797. His mother was Miss Mary Guthrie, a daughter of General Adam Guthrie, who was a soldier against the Indians, and came to Louisville at a very early day. Mr. Minor has been twice married-in 1851 to Miss Sarah Stone, and in 1854 to Miss Mary Wagley, who was born October 13, 1833. She is the daughter of George and Eliza Wagley, of Frank- fort. They have seven children. Mr. Minor's business is that of a farmer, although he was marshal of the chancery court in 1880, and has been deputy since 1875.

Mrs. Susan G. Heafer is the widow of Mr. George W. Heafer, who was born in Abottstown, Pennsylvania, in 1791. In 1812 he emigrated to Kentucky, stopping at Louisville, where he lived until 1829. In 1823 he removed to his farm near Newburg post-office, where he lived until the time of his death, which occurred in July, 1877. He was married in 1827 to Miss Susan G. Shiveley, a daughter of one of Jeffer- , son county's earliest settlers-Philip Shiveley. They had two children, one son and one daugh- ter. The son, George R. C. Heafer, was mar- ried to Miss Julia Jones, of Jefferson county. Both he and his wife are dead, leaving a family of three children. The daughter is Mrs. Joseph Hite, of the same county, and has nine children. Mrs Heafer is now in her seventy-third year and still lives on the old homestead.

Mr. William K. Cotton was born in Indiana in 1805. In 1826 he came to Kentucky, first liv- ing in Spencer county, where he remained until his removal to Louisville in 1853. In 1860 he bought the John Seabolt farm on Fern creek, nine miles from the city. He was married in 1828

to Miss Lydia McGee, a daughter of Patrick McGee, of Spencer county. They had two chil- dren, a son, Dr. J. P., and a daughter, Trajetta, wife of Mr. Lyman Parks, who died in 1880. Mr. Cotton died in 1878; his wife in 1879. Dr. James P. Cotton was born in Jeffer- son county, Kentucky, in 1829. He graduated at the Louisville university in the class of 1853 and 1854. He practiced his profession until he arrived at his thirtieth year, since which time he has been engaged upon his estate in fruit farming on a large scale.

The first member of the Hawes family who settled here was Mr. Peter Hawes, who was born in Maryland, and came to Jefferson county, Kentucky, at a very early day, settling on Floyd's fork. His son, Benjamin, was born in 1793 and died in 1869. Benjamin left a family of eight children-Isaac W., James, Benjamin, Jessie R., Peter, Harrison, and Mrs. Kyser.

Mrs. Mary A. Johnson is the widow of Mr. William M. Johnson, who was born in Scott county, Kentucky, in 1818, and died in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were married in 1842, her maiden name being Seabolt. They were blessed with a family of six children, all of whom are married.

Mr. William P. Welch was born on Pennsyl- vania run, in Jefferson county, Kentucky, August 7, 1797. His father, Andrew Welch, emigrated to that settlement about one hundred years ago. He had married, before leaving Pennsylvania, Miss Eleanor Patterson. He left a family of eight children, of which William is the only sur- viving member. William was married, in 1848, to Mrs. Elizabeth J. Cunningham, a daughter of Mr. Elijah Applegate, of Jefferson county. They have had one child, Eliza Eleanor, who married Thomas B. Craig, and died in July, 1880. Mr. Welch remembers early incidents very well, and well remembers being in Louisville before there were any pavements in the city.

The first representative of the Robb family in Kentucky was Mr. James Robb, who came to Mud Creek, Jefferson county, from Penn- sylvania. He was originally from Kentucky. He left eleven children, all of whom settled in Indiana excepting Henry, who spent most of his eventful life of eighty-three years in Jefferson county, Kentucky. He was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1778, and was twice married. His first

HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

wife was Miss Elizabeth Standiford, by whom he had one child. After her death, and in the year 1846, he was married to Mrs. Maria Montgomery, a daughter of Mr. William Pierson, of Jefferson county. By this marriage he had two sons, Henry D., and James P. Mr. Robb's younger days were spent in the salt business, he being for many years superintendent of the famous Brook's Salt Works. The elder son, Henry D., was married in 1871 to Miss Joetta Brooks, daughter of S. M. Brooks, of Bullitt county. They have three children : Vir- gie R., Edith Pearl and Henry D. Although so young a man, Hon. Henry Robb has represent- ed the people of his district in the Legislature and filled many offices with honor to himself and to those he represented. He is one of the rising men, with the greater part of his threescore years and ten yet before him.

GENERAL BIOGRAPHIES,

B. S. ALDERSON.

B. S. Alderson, one of the successful farmers of the county, was born near Richmond, Virginia, April 3, 1815. When he was about a year old a colony of his relatives, including his father, John A. Alderson, moved to Maury county, Tennes- see. When sixteen he went to Natchez, Missis- sippi, where for about eight years he was operat- ing in stocks, trading and bartering with who- ever would sell or buy. He next went to New Orleans and took a one-third interest in a pro- duce house in that city, and became the agent of the house on the road.

In 1848 he came to Louisville, where he man- aged the Hotel de Rein as proprietor for a period of five years. A tornado swept him out, and about thirty-one years ago he purchased the West Wood farm, where he has since resided.

February 4, 1843, he married Nancy Seebolt, a daughter of George S. Seebolt, an old resident of the county, who was born about 1787, in Montgomery county, on the 25th of December of that year. He was a prominent man among the Indians. His father, George S. Seebolt,

moved upon the waters of Chenoweth run. He had been in Louisville six years previous to this, with his family, and entered a large tract of land, commonly known as the Phelps tract, but during his absence other parties came in and settled upon it. It not being in the mind of Mr. Seebolt to remove them he hunted up other waters near Jeffersontown, as the main object in that day was to get near some permanent stream of water. Mr. Alderson is the father of seven children, of whom four are living. Mr. Alder- son's farm consists of two hundred acres of good land, about two miles west of Jeffersontown, and is under a very high state of cultivation, as is shown by the cleanly condition of fences, rows, and fields, as well as the good repair in which the buildings are kept. Mr. Alderson has an ab- horrence of debt, it being a rule with him to discharge his dues to others with exactness.

FRANK S. DRAVO,

proprietor of the Diamond Fruit farm, of Jeffer- sontown precinct, is of French descent, but was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, August 13, 1829. He is the fourth of ten chil- dren of Michael Dravo, also a native of Penn- sylvania, his father being born in France. Mr. Dravo has a good education-receiving first a good primary education, afterwards graduating from Alleghany college, Pennsylvania. Upon leaving school he became associated with his father and brothers in the coal trade at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under the firm name of Dravo & Sons. In 1856 he came to Louisville, Kentucky, where he had charge of a branch of the coal business of J. T. and F. S. Dravo, which he carried on successfully until 1860, when he sold his interest in this enterprise, and became from that time on extensively engaged in farm- ing. Besides the Diamond Fruit farm he owns several other large tracts of land in the vicinity of his home. He has the largest fruit farm in Jefferson county, consisting of thousands of apple, peach, pear, and other kinds of trees. His grounds of the manor place are arranged with a view to utility and beauty, and his home is one of the most attractive and handsomely arranged in the county or State.

On February 3, 1857, he married Margaret F.

.- |

P. S. Alderson

Mis B. S. Alderson.

HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

Seabolt, the youngest child of Jacob Seabolt, a well known resident of the county. By this wife he had two children-A. B. and George M. This wife died February 3, 1878.

On January 1, 1880, he married Anna Seabolt, daughter of John Seabolt.

Mr. Dravo is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Jeffersontown, and is a gentleman whose integrity and real worth give him the esteem of all.

COLONEL NOAH CARTWRIGHT,

of Fern Creek, was born March 14, 1833, in Highland county, Ohio. His father, William A. Cartwright, was a native of Maryland. He was born in 1792 or 1793, came to Kentucky where he was raised to manhood, then married, and moved to Pike county, Ohio. He was in the War of 1812, and fought in the battle of the Thames under General Harrison. He was a cousin of Rev. Peter Cartwright, and, like him, devoted his life to the ministry-having during that time built two churches on his own account, and preached the gospel fully sixty years before he died. About the year 1816 he married Sarah Stilwell, of New Jersey, and by this union had ten children, all dead now but Mary Ann, Peter, Job, Noah, and Elizabeth. Noah, the subject of this sketch, spent his youth on a farm, and when twenty years of age began the profession of teaching. He afterwards attended South Salem academy, but after being there but one year was elected an associate professor by the directors of that institution. After remaining here one ·year and a half he determined to complete his studies, and according to this purpose en- tered Miami university in 1856, and was put into the junior class. He graduated in the spring of 1858, an honor to himself and to the institution, having attained an average in scholar- ship during that time of 99.96, and one of 100 on punctuality, making a general average of 99.98.

After graduating he came to Kentucky, and in 1 860 became identified as principal of the Ma- sonic Seminary in Columbus. The usual suc- cess heretofore experienced attended him in this enterprise. Teaching had been selected as his chosen profession, and he entered into the work

with his usual energy, embarking with capital to the full extent of his financial ability. Un- fortunately the war broke out soon after this time, and Mr. Cartwright was obliged to leave his adopted town by order of those who opposed the Union cause, and in so doing lost all his earthly possessions. He was, however, under the necessity of entering the Confederate army, · which he did for a time, doing picket duty in the meanwhile. He came to Fern village, in April, 1861, and immediately went to work and raised a company, and, with Bryant Williams as lieutenant, entered the Union army. Being ordered out of the State when Buckner made his raid, he was first marched to Bowling Green, then to Nashville, to Huntsville, and back on Buell's retreat and was engaged in the battle of Perryville, where twenty-nine of his company were killed and wounded ; he was at the battles of Stone river, Chickamauga, Murfrees- boro, and other places. At Chickamauga he was an officer of the Fourteenth Army corps. At Stone river he was promoted to major, and in July was promoted to the lieutenant colonelcy of the regiment. He also served for a time as inspector of commissary stores, and was also in attendance on court martials fo» a time. After the battle of Chickamauga he was detailed to take one hundred wagons into the Confederate coun- try and get the same filled with corn. After this hazardous service was performed he resigned his commission and returned home. Colonel Cart- wright had seen hard service in the war. He lost a finger in battle, had the heel of his boot shot off, holes shot in his sleeve, and his rubber can- teen badly perforated with bullets, but received no further injury. His health gave way-rheu- matism being the immediate cause of his resig- nation.

After returning home he resumed farming and also teaching, directing his energies in that pro- fession in the school of Jefferson county, and has held the office of county examiner since 1876. In 1880 he completed the building of his large and elegant residence, a structure beautiful in appearance and designed by himself, and lives with his family in the enjoyment of a comfort- able home.

HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

ELIAS DORSEY.

Elias Dorsey, brother of Leaven Lawrence Dorsey, was born in Maryland in 1797; and when a mere youth came with his father to Jefferson county, where the family settled. Mr. Dorsey experienced the many inconveniences of living in a sparsely settled country, but he grew up to manhood, possessing many valuable traits be- longing to good citizenship, and became not only a thorough business man but very influen- tial. He was always a Democrat, and in view of his unflinching political qualifications, his friends at one time forced him upon the ticket as a candidate for the State Legislature, against the wishes of himself and of his family. He was defeated by a small plurality, which ended his political career. He was a successful farmer, as the proprietorship of the valuable Eden stock farm would of itself suggest. There were in this one tract of land eight hundred acres, the same afterwards owned by Elias and L. L. Dor- sey, his two sons. Mr. Dorsey was married twice. His first wife, Miss Sallie Booker, was married to him when he was quite young. They reared a family of thirteen children, of whom all grew to maturity save one, who died in youth. The eldest never married and died at the age of twenty-seven. Another son also died when about twenty-five years old, unmarried.

Mr. Dorsey, after the death of Mrs. Sally Dor- sey, his second wife, went to Illinois, then a wil- derness almost, and purchased a large tract of land consisting of twenty thousand acres, where he lived until he died. His body was brought back and placed in the cemetery at Louisville.

Mr. L. L. Dorsey, Jr., his son, now living on the Bardstown pike near the city, was born Feb- ruary 17, 1819. About the year 1845 he mar- ried Miss Lydia Phillips, and lived until recently on the Eden stock farm. He has lately pur- chased the magnificent house and farm above mentioned, where. he will spend the remainder of his days in the enjoyment of a retired life. Mr. L. L. Dorsey, with but a single exception, has been one of the largest stock raisers in the country. He devoted much of his time to this calling both before and since the late war.

JOHN F. GARR.

John F. Garr, of Cane Run precinct, an early settler and prominent citizen of the county, was born February 24, 1806, in Spottsylvania county, Virginia. He is a descendant of Abraham Garr, of German parentage, who with his brothers John and Andrew emigrated to America and settled on large tracts of land in Spottsylvania county previous to the time of the Revolutionary war. These brothers in course of time separated, and their descendants are found in most of the States from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They were of marked traits of character, long lived and prolific, and have indelibly impressed their habits of thrift and economy upon each of their succeeding generations. John Garr, son of Abraham and grandfather of John F. Garr, moved to Madison county, Virginia, when a young man, and settled upon a beautiful rolling tract of land on Robinson river, a branch of the Rappahannock near the mountains of the Blue Ridge. He was an early settler of this county, and was the first owner of a corn and hominy mill. He lived prior to the struggle for inde- pendence, and died comparatively a young man, his death being caused by a horse throwing him violently against a tree. He was the father of six sons: Lawrence, Abraham, John, Aaron, Felix, and Benjamin; and three daughters ---- Mrs. Rosa Wayman, Mrs. Peggie House (Mr. Moses House, her husband, was killed in the battle of Tippecanoe), Mrs. Dina Cook, and Mrs. Susan Garr. He purchased land near Danville, Kentucky, where Lawrence and John settled. Abraham moved to Indiana; Rosa Wayman died in Kenton county, Kentucky, on Sulphur creek ; Benjamin died on Bear Grass near Chenoweth run; Susan also died near Louisville; Aaron, the father of John F. Garr, came to Kentucky in 1835 and settled on a tract of two hundred and twenty acres of land near Anchorage, the same being now owned by Simeon L. Garr, his youngest son. This land was purchased of John Downey. Aaron Garr had three sons : John F., Mark F., deceased, a citizen of California, and S. L. Garr, president · of the board of commissioners of the Central Kentucky Lunatic asylum.

John F. Garr received his education in a term of twelve months' school under the professor-

S. L. Gaan

John D. Sans

HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

ship of Tacket, who was proprietor and principal of a seminary in Virginia. In 1832 he set out for Jefferson county, Kentucky, in company with Jacob Garr, his father's cousin, who married his aunt Susan Garr, and after a four weeks' ride in a little two-horse wagon reached his destina- tion, selecting the farm he still owns and on which he has since that time resided. This land was purchased of a Mr. Morris, who owned some sixteen hundred acres in this immediate vicinity at that time, and was the original of this farm. Mr. Garr found his land covered with timber, beech, walnut and poplar predominat- ing, which had to be cleared, off to make ready for the cultivation of the soil. Being of a hardy character and already inured to hardships, he shouldered his axe and its ringing sound was heard until sufficient space of ground was made ready for the plow. Wood at that time was the only fuel used in the stove and fire-place, and it was cut into suitable length for that purpose, hauled to the village and sold at prices then ranging from two to four dollars per cord. Soon after his arrival he earnestly set himself at work to build a house, and one now visit- ing his present large, commodious and sub- stantial habitation would little think it was erected fifty years since. The poplar logs, then so abundant, were shaped and saddled and afterwards the whole structure was neatly weath- erboarded, giving it the appearance of a large frame house-better than brick, being warmer in winter and more comfortable in summer. The work of cutting this timber, hewing the logs, and fashioning the house, was done by Mr. Garr himself.

This house was erected just previous to his marriage, which occurred in the year 1834, his wife being Miss Lucy Yager, daughter of Jesse Yager of Oldham county, a prominent pioneer of Kentucky, and whose native State was Vir- ginia. This marriage has been blest with four children. Mrs. Elizabeth Miller, the oldest, is a resident cf Williamsburg, Indiana. Thomas B., the oldest son, is also married. His wife was Miss Bettie J. Speer, daughter of James Speer, for- merly sheriff of Oldham county, Kentucky. He resides in Louisville. The two youngest, James Polk and Simeon L., are unmarried. Mr. Garr is a quiet, unostentatious man, and cares little for political preferments. He was, however,

sent by voters of his county to the State Legisla- ture, where he officiated as a member of the lower house during the first sitting of the Legis- lature under the new constitution. Mr. Garr is wholly a domestic man, has been successful in business, is a good citizen and a man whom his church, his neighbors and the citizens generally have reason to be proud of.

The three sons, T. B., J. P., and S. L. Garr, are very extensively engaged in the manufacture of the Mahogany Navy, a very fine quality of tobacco. They operate under the firm name of the Garr Brothers, 610-616 Hancock street. Their Eagle Tobacco works are extensive, hav- ing a capacity of three thousand pounds per day. They run a force of seventy-five men. Their building is a large three-story brick ; was for- merly owned by Samuel Richardson, who used it as a woolen mill. It was purchased of J. S. Willett by the Garr Brothers in 1872, and by them enlarged to its present size.

S. L. GARR,

President of the Board of Commissioners of Central Kentucky Lunatic Asylum and proprie- tor of the valuable Southern Hope Nurseries, Anchorage, was born in Madison county, Vir- ginia, October 5, 1815. His father, Aaron Garr, was a native of Virginia and an extensive farmer. He came with his family to Jefferson county, Kentucky, in 1835, and died in 1844 at seventy- two years of age. He was a plain man, made no ostentatious showing, and lived many years a worthy member of the Baptist church. His oldest son, John F. Gair, a farmer living a short distance east of Louisville, was a member of the State Legislature in 1857. Mark F. Garr, another son, now dead, lived in California.

Mr. S. L. Garr, the subject of this sketch, re- ceived a good education in the common and public schools of his native county, afterwards, completing his course in the University of Bloomington, Indiana.

In 1837 he became united in matrimony to Miss Eliza Yager, daughter of Jesse Yager, an old and prominent settler of Oldham county, Kentucky. By this marriage he became the father of three children, the oldest, Mrs. Laura Virginia Gaines, a resident of Jefferson county ;

HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

Preslie Neville Garr, captain of a company in the Confederate service, was a young man of more than ordinary nerve and bravery, and was promoted from the ranks to the captaincy of his company, the position held in 1864, when he was killed; he was leading his command in per- son when making a grand charge on the enemy. The youngest son, William O. Butler Garr is also dead.

Mr. Garr was married to his second wife, Miss Eliza R. Farnsley, in 1852. She was the daugh- ter of the well known and extensive farmer, Alexander Farnsley, below Louisville. The issue ot this marriage was one child, Erasmus D. Garr, who died when four years of age.

Mr. Garr has identified himself, in a public spirited way, with the interests of his country- men in politics, by his prominence in matters of public concern, and by his service of seventeen years as chairman of the county Dem- ocratic committee, and by the unflagging interest taken in the Central Kentucky Lunatic Asylum. His superior judgment and good sense have always commended him to positions of honor and responsibility, but with a feeling akin to a repugnance for office has with but few excep- tions acceded to the wishes of his friends. In 1856 he was nominated by the Democratic party as a candidate for the Kentucky State Legisla- ture, but was defeated. He has been frequently solicited by the Governor of the State to serve the public interest in various capacities, but invari- ably declined. His interest in the promotion of the Central Lunatic asylum will leave him a record in the history of that institution as one of its founders, and for many years during its early existence as its warmest supporter.

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History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 10

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co. Number of Pages: 680

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680