USA > Ohio > Memoirs of the lower Ohio valley, personal and genealogical : with portraits, Volume II > Part 18
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JOSEPH JOHN TYNER (deceased), late a well known cooper, carpenter and farmer of Livingston county, Ky., was born in Cheatham county, Tenn., Feb. 4, 1822, his parents being Memory and Eliz- abeth (Everett) Tyner, both natives of Virginia. Memory Tyner died in Mis- sissippi and his wife in Illinois, They were blessed with a family of five chil- dren, all deceased except Martha. Joseph J. Tyner was about eight years of age when his father died, and he was reared J. J. TYNER. by a Mr. George Wilson of Tennessee. He received a common school education and began life as a farmer. About the close of the Civil war he came to Livingston county, where he lived the rest of his life. In the meantime he had learned the trades of carpenter and cooper, and after coming to Livingston county he worked at these occupations with such success that he soon acquired a competency sufficiently large to enable him to retire from active business. He lived a retired life for many years. In politics he was an ardent Dem- ocrat, having an abiding faith in the prin- ciples of that party. In 1892 he married Miss Adeliah Jane Clark, who was born in Roane county, Tenn., Aug. 29, 1849, and with her parents, G. M. and H. G. (Grim- mett) Clark, immigrated to Kentucky when she was but three years of age. Her mother was a daughter of Joseph and Fannie Grim- mett, mentioned elsewhere in this work. G. M. Clark was a son of John and Sarah (Stevens) Clark, both born in Virginia, MRS. J. J. TYNER. and died in Roane county, Tenn. The father of John Clark was an Englishman, who came to this country at a very early day, settling first in Virginia and removing later to Sevier county, Tenn. G. M. Clark was a blacksmith by trade and a Democrat in his political views. When he first came to Kentucky in 1852 he settled in Crittenden county, but in 1868 removed to Livingston county, where he died Oct. 13, 1875, aged fifty-three years. His wife died in 1893, aged sixty-eight. They had ten children: Ruth Caroline, Samuel Grimmett, deceased; Adeliah Jane, Martha Livonia, Philip
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Andrew, Sarah Frances, deceased; John Stevens, Isaac Willie, a law- yer and editor of the Livingston Democrat; Charles Tollifaro, a Bap- tist minister; and one who died in infancy. Mr. Clark and his wife were Baptists, as were all their children, Mrs. Tyner having been a member of that church for thirty-eight years.
AARON LINDLEY CHARLES, a re- tired farmer of Tylene, Ky., was born in Tennessee, Sept. 19, 1841. He is the son of John and Amy (Lindley) Charles, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of North Carolina. John was the son of Richard and Martha (Beyford) Charles, both natives of Tennessee. Rich- ard was a local Methodist minister. He and his wife died in Tennessee. The maternal grandfather of the subject was Joshua Lindley, a native of North Car- olina, who came to Tennessee about 1835, where he lived the rest of his life. His wife was Nellie Lindley, who died in Texas at the advanced age of ninety-two years. John Charles was a wheelwright by trade, a Democrat in politics and for fifty years a member of the Methodist church. He and his wife had five children, two of whom are living. His first wife died in 1856. He then mar- ried Mrs. Sarah E. Gains, by whom he had four children, three still living. Mr. Charles died in Livingston county, Ky., where he had resided since 1851. When ten years old Aaron L. Charles moved with his parents to Crittenden county, Ky. In 1858 he removed to Livingston county, where he has since lived. He now lives a retired life at Tylene, enjoying the fruits of his thrift and industry. He has been the owner of 300 acres of the best land in the county, which alone places him in easy circumstances. He is a Democrat, a Granger and a member of the Methodist Church South. On March 28, 1867, he married Miss Ellen Frances Bunton, the daughter of James and Mary Ann (Owen) Bunton. Her father was a native of Tennessee and her mother of London, England, whence she came with her mother, Mary (Trotter) Owen, when sixteen years old, to the United States, settling in Livingston county, Ky., where she died in 1884. Mary Ann Bunton had four children by her first marriage, two of whom are yet living. She was married a second time, to Jesse Bun- ton, a brother of her first husband, and had seven sons by this mar-
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riage, of whom three are living. Two of her sons were physicians. Henry Wallace Bunton and his brother, J. W., were both ministers of the Methodist Church South. Mary E., the sister of Mrs. Charles, is now a widow, residing at Tylene. Mrs. Charles has another brother, Dr. Fred Bunton, a physician, living in Caldwell county, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Charles have eight children, six of whom are living. They are W. E., Laura A., M. B., F. F., Ella and Lola. Mary Ann and Gideon Berry are dead.
WILLIS BRYANT CHAMPION, a merchant of Pinckneyville, Ky., was born near Green's Ferry, or Vicksburg, in Liv- ingston county of that state, March 31, 1858. He is a son of James Mansfield and Sallie Ann (Brown) Champion, the former a native of Livingston county, born near Salem, and the latter born near Bal- timore, Md. The paternal great-grand- father, Willis Champion, was born and reared in North Carolina, married in that state, and came to Kentucky in 1812, set- tling near the old Salem church, where he and his wife both died and are buried in that old church yard. His son, Willis, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was about ten years old when the family came to Kentucky. He grew to man- hood in Livingston county, married Vinecia Hardin, and both passed their whole lives in the county, he dying Aug. 7, 1876, and she in August, 1869. On the maternal side the grandparents were Peter and Maria (Smullen) Brown, who came from Maryland and settled near Green's Ferry, where both died. James M. Champion, the father, was educated in the common schools, was a farmer by occupation and in the agitation just preceding the Civil war was a firm Union man. He was a member of the Baptist church for many years before his death, which occurred in 1867. He and his wife had two children, Willis B. and Maria Alice. The mother and sister now live with the subject at Pinckneyville, the former being a member of the same church to which her husband formerly belonged. Willis B. Champion received a common school education and at the age of sixteen years was stricken with paralysis. That was in July, 1874. In October, in company with his mother and sister, he started for California to regain his health, leaving Kentucky on the 13th of the month and
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arriving at Soledad, one hundred and fifty miles south of San Fran- cisco, on the 29th. He soon regained sufficient strength to go to work and began cutting wood for some of the ranchers. Later he was employed in the livery business and then with the Godshaw & Brianstein Company, butchers, of San Francisco, where he worked his way up to $120 a month. On July 22, 1876, they left California and on August 6 reached Birdsville, Ky., where Mr. Champion went to work on a farm for Sidney J. Mitchell. For two years he worked at saw-milling and farming on a little farm formerly owned by his father. In January, 1881, he sold this farm and bought a tract of land near Cedar Grove, where he engaged in farming until ยท 1890. He then engaged in getting out staves, rail- road ties and lumber and continued in this line until 1897, being in the employ of the Powell, Lord Tie Company until 1893 and after that time with the Ayer & Lord Tie Company until 1897. In 1895 he engaged in the mercantile business at Kuttawa, where he had gone in 1892, and also had a branch store at Dover, Tenn. The Dover establishment was discontinued in 1898, and the business removed to Pinckneyville, where he has ever since carried on a successful business. In May, 1899, he removed his family to Pinckneyville, though he still conducted the store at Kuttawa until January, 1900. He then started a store at Vicksburg, or Green's Ferry, but removed it to Sheridan in the month of March, 1904, where it is still running as a branch. He is still interested in getting out railroad ties, and is also the owner of a $5,000 farm and of 250 acres on the river at Pinckneyville and runs it in connection with his other pursuits. In the panic of 1893 he lost over $4,000, taking everything he had except about one thousand dol- lars, so that all he has has been practically accumulated since then. But Mr. Champion is not easily discouraged. He has worked for as little as twenty-five cents a day and knows what it is to be without the luxuries of life, though he is now a well-to-do man owing to his untiring industry and correct judgment. Politically he is a Democrat and while he takes an interest in public questions he can hardly be classed as a politician. He has been twice married; first on June 6, 1892, to Rosa Forest Hardin, of Livingston county, and after her death he married, on Feb. 4, 1903, Miss May Hurley, of Pinckney- ville. By his first wife he had three children: May and Maud, twins, born Feb. 17, 1894, the former dying on May 20, 1894, and the latter only five days later; and Willis Elbert, who died in infancy. His first wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which he also belongs, and his present wife is a Missionary Baptist.
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JOHN WILLIAM PENN, a prominent farmer residing near Salem, Ky., was born in Coffee county, Tenn., Sept. 15, 1847. He is the son of Thomas and Hulda Cawkins (Stewart) Penn, the former a native of Georgia and the latter of Tennessee. Thomas was the son of John D. and Jane (Deney) Penn, both natives of Virginia. He died in Georgia and his wife in Tennessee. He was a blacksmith and wagonmaker. The maternal grandfather of John W. Penn was John Stewart, a native of Tennessee. At the close of the Civil war Thomas Penn became a Democrat, having been a Whig prior to that time. He and his wife had six children, of whom three are yet living. The mother died on Lookout Mountain, Ga., in 1858, and he then mar- ried Miss Jane Arnold, by whom he had four children, three still liv- ing. John W. Penn was reared on a farm, was educated in the com- mon schools of his county and at Hillsboro, Tenn., after which he learned the carpenter trade and settled in Livingston county, Ky., in 1873, where he has resided ever since. Mr. Penn is also interested in farming. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. In 1873 he married Miss Margaret A. Kirk, of Crittenden county, which marriage has been blessed with nine children: Maud Allie, Fred H., Annie F., Myrtle Leoda, Ellen E., Pearl May, Orlena, Paulina and Ida Bell. Of these Orlena and Paulina are twins. All are living except Ellen E. Maud Allie, the oldest child, is married to George A. Simpson, a farmer; Fred H. married Miss L. Sunderland; Annie F. is the wife of E. C. Brasher, a farmer, and all three live in Crittenden county. Mr. Penn enlisted in Company G, Twenty-fourth Tennessee, of Cheat- ham's division, in 1863 and served until the close of the war.
CHARLES R. STEVENS, farmer and manager of fire-clay mines, Salem, Ky., was born in Princeton, Ky., Sept. 27, 1844. He is the son of Herrington and Mahala B. (Stemmons) Stevens, the former a native of Caldwell county and the latter of Logan county, both in Kentucky. Herrington's father was one of the pioneer settlers of Cald- well county, Ky. Herrington Stevens received his education in the public schools and Princeton college, Princeton, Ky., and devoted his whole life to the ministry. He and his wife had six children. Of this number four are still living. He was a Whig in politics and died Sept. 25, 1856. His wife survived him many years, dying July 2, 1872. Charles R. Stevens came with his parents when only four years old to Crittenden county, Ky. In 1874 he removed to Livingston county, where he has engaged in farming, being the owner of 350 acres of land near Salem. He has made Salem his home for the past II-13
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fifteen years. In 1903 the Stevens-Tunnell fire-clay mines were opened and operated by the Western Clay and Mining Company of Kewanee, Ill. Mr. Stevens discovered these mines and has been the agent of the company for three years. While attending to this work he does not neglect his farming interests. He is a stock-holder and director of the Salem National bank. In politics he is a Democrat. He served one term as justice of the peace in Crittenden county, and has been nominated by his party for the fourth time as justice of the peace in Livingston county, where a nomination is equivalent to an election. Mr. Stevens is a Royal Arch Mason and worshipful master of Salem lodge, No. 81, Free and Accepted Masons. On Dec. 17, 1871, he married Miss Martha C. Tyner, a daughter of Thomas R. Tyner, an early settler of Livingston county, who died in 1888. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have had three children: Mary Burton, now Mrs. C. W. Mitchell of Salem; Myra T. and John H., the last-named a mer- chant of Salem. The parents are members of the Methodist Church South. W. C. Tyner, a brother of Mrs. Charles R. Stevens, was born in Montgomery county, Tenn., Oct. 28, 1843. He was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools of Salem; owns and manages a farm of 240 acres two miles east of the town; pays especial atten- tion to stock raising, a business in which he is remarkably successful; is a Democrat, a Mason and a member of the Methodist Church South. On Sept. 16, 1868, he married Miss Josephine Hodge, the daughter of A. B. Hodge, of Crittenden county, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Tyner have been blessed with three children: Blanche, Felix and Jesse.
O. C. LASHER, of Smithland, Ky., editor of the Livingston County Banner, was born in that county, near Carrsville, Nov. II, 1874, and is the son of W. B. and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Lasher, both natives of Perry county, Ind. W. B. Lasher came to Hampton, Liv- ingston county, in 1873, where he resided, following the business of farming. He was a member of the Democratic party, and his wife was an active member of the Methodist church. They had eight children, all of whom are still living. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Abraham Lasher, settled in Perry county, Ind., where he followed the occupation of farming. A strong Democrat, he served his county as sheriff for one term. The maternal grand- father, Henry Rhodes, a native of Perry county, Ind., removed to Liv- ingston county, Ky., in 1873. He followed farming and flat-boating, carrying hoop poles and other products as far south as New Orleans.
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His wife, Brunetta (Spencer) Rhodes, was born in Perry county, Ind., and is still living. O. C. Lasher was reared near Carrsville until six- teen years of age, when he moved to Hampton with his parents. He was educated at Hampton academy and the Southern normal of Bowling Green, Ky., receiving the degree of B. S. from the latter institution in 1899. One year later he graduated from the Bowling Green Business college. From 1892 to 1899 he taught in the Liv- ingston county schools; came to Smithland in 1900 and served as county superintendent of schools for one year, having been appointed to that office. Here he began the study of law in the office of Bush & Grassham, and three years later was admitted to the bar, attor- neys J. M. Morton and Henry Hughes being the examiners. For eighteen months he was associated with Rid Reed in publishing the Livingston County Banner, and Jan. I, 1904, became sole proprietor of said paper. Mr. Lasher is a Democrat in politics, and holds mem- bership with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Knights of the Maccabees. For one year he taught the science and business branches in the Bardstown county educational college.
CHARLES C. GRASSHAM, one of the most prominent young lawyers of Western Kentucky, was born in Salem, Ky., Nov. 20, 1871. He is the son of Montgomery Grassham, a sketch of whose life will be found elsewhere in this work. Charles C. was educated in part at Salem, after which he attended McCulley's school at Madisonville, Ky., finishing at the Na- tional normal university of Lebanon, O. For five years he was engaged in teaching, beginning at the unusually early age of fifteen. While teaching he read law, and at the age of twenty years entered the office of Capt. J. W. Bush and John K. Hendrick of Smithland, Ky. On Oct. 8, 1891, he was admitted to the bar at Smithland, where he soon enjoyed a successful and lucrative practice. Since 1896 he has been associated with Capt. J. W. Bush, his father-in-law. Mr. Grassham in his practice repre- sents the following corporations: The Illinois Central Railroad Com- pany, the Hillman Land and Iron Company, the Eagle Fluorspar Com- pany, the American Lead and Zinc Company. The Western Clay and Mining Company, the Pittsburg Fluorspar Mining and Manufacturing
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Company and the Ayer & Lord Tie Company. In politics Mr. Grass- ham is affiliated with the Democratic party. He has served as elec- tion commissioner of Livingston county, as assistant elector of the First congressional district of Kentucky in 1900, and as elector of the same district in the campaign of 1904. He is now serving as aid- de-camp on Governor Beckham's staff with the rank of colonel. He is an Elk in the Paducah lodge and an entered apprentice Mason in the Smithland lodge. On Aug. 19, 1896, he married Miss Corrie Bush, daughter of his law partner, Capt. J. W. Bush. To this mar- riage two children have been born: Roscoe Bush Grassham, who died Nov. 21, 1900, and Pauline Bush Grassham, who was born Jan. 29, 1900. After a residence of fifteen years in Smithland, Mr. Grass- ham has just moved to Paducah, Ky., where he will no doubt extend his practice so auspiciously begun at Smithland. Few young lawyers of his experience can boast of such a wide practice as he enjoys.
WILLIAM I. CLARKE, lawyer, was born in Dycusburg, Crittenden county, Ky., Sept. 17, 1862. He is the son of George Madison Clarke, mentioned else- where in this work. He received his early training in the common schools of Liv- ingston county, Salem academy and the National normal institute of Madisonville, Ky. On June 4, 1891, he graduated from the Cumberland university of Lebanon, Tenn., with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and was admitted to the practice of law in the States of Tennessee and Ken- tucky in the same year. He has been actively engaged in the practice of law at Smithland ever since. For one year he was in partnership with C. C. Grassham, when, until Jan. 1, 1905, he practiced alone. Then the firm of Clarke & Hendrick was formed, composed of Mr. Clarke and Alfred Grayot Hendrick. Mr. Clarke takes an active interest in the politics of his county. In 1894 he resigned the office of police judge of Smithland to take that of county attorney of Livingston county, which position he held until 1898. In 1898 he was appointed master commissioner of the Livingston circuit court, which position he held till 1904. In 1897-98-99, also in 1904, he was editor and publisher of the Livingston Banner. In 1905 he and Frederick Cowper established the Livingston Democrat.
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He is a member of the Baptist church and takes an active part in all church work, being clerk, superintendent of the Sunday school and secretary of the church building committee. At present he is serving as chairman of the Democratic county committee. On Nov. 27, 1895, he married Miss Emma J. Weldon of Livingston county, daughter of William and Sarah (Lloyd) Weldon, one of the pioneer settlers of Livingston county, who died at Pinckneyville, Ky., in 1896. He is survived by his widow, now eighty-one years old. William I. Clarke and his wife have two children: Carter Weldon, born Oct. 20, 1896, and Mildred Ferguson, born Aug. 21, 1903.
ALFRED GRAYOT HENDRICK, of the law firm of Clarke & Hendrick, of Smithland, Ky., was born in that city, May 2, 1878. In an early day his grandparents, William and Susan (Bennett) Hendrick, came from North Carolina to Kentucky, settling first in Logan county, but after a short residence there moved to Todd county. John K. Hendrick, a son of this couple, and the father of Alfred G., was born in North Carolina in 1851. He was reared in Logan and Todd counties; received his primary education in the common schools, after which he was under the private instruction of Professor Shields for a time and then attended Bethel college at Russellville. Upon leaving college he went to Crittenden county, where he engaged in teaching in the public schools and also served some time as deputy sheriff. He then came to Livingston county, read law with his uncle, Judge Caswell Bennett, and was admitted to the bar. Shortly after his admission he formed a partnership with Capt. J. W. Bush and practiced for several years. He then served two terms as county attorney, one term in the state senate, and in 1894 was elected to Congress from the First district of Ken- tucky. After retiring from Congress he opened a law office in Paducah and has practiced there ever since. In 1877 he was mar- ried to Miss Louise, daughter of A. A. and Mary (Hunt) Grayot, of Livingston county. Her father was born in France, was a phar- macist, a prominent Free Mason, and was for many years post- master at Smithland, where he died. Hon. John K. Hendrick and his wife have had the following children: Alfred G., the subject of this sketch; William R., a real estate man of Paducah; Cavit, deceased ; Harry D., and Nellie. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is always active in furthering the interests of the Democratic party. Alfred G. Hendrick was reared in Smithland, received his
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elementary education in the public schools there, and attended the high school department of the Washington, D. C., schools, while his father was in Congress. When the family returned to Ken- tucky he took the teacher's course and fitted himself for that pro- fession. For three years he was a successful teacher, when he laid aside that calling to take up the study of law. After reading for a year in the office of his father and J. C. Hodge he took a course in law and English at the Washington and Lee university at Lexing- ton, Va. Immediately after leaving college he was admitted to prac- tice in Calloway county, Kentucky, by an examination in open court under Judge Thomas P. Cook, the examination being conducted by Wells & Wells. Since his admission Mr. Hendrick has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. The firm of Clarke & Hendrick was formed in January, 1905, and is composed of two of the most brilliant and energetic young men in Western Kentucky. Both are close students of everything pertaining to their chosen calling and fitted by nature and training for successful law- yers. Those who know them best predict for the firm a bright future. In politics Mr. Hendrick is a Democrat, as his father and grandfather before him were, and takes an active part in the work of his party, now holding the position of secretary of the county central committee. In religious matters he is quite liberal and is not identified with any church organization.
WILLIAM FREDERICK COWPER, a successful lawyer of Smithland, Ky., was born in Livingston county, of that state, Dec. 8, 1875. He is the son of Richard Ballard Cowper, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work; was reared on a farm and received his common school education in the Smithland schools. In 1895 he graduated from Bethel college. After graduating he taught school for two years and served as deputy sheriff under his father for one year. He began the study of law in the office of John K. Hendrick, and was admitted to the bar in December, 1898; soon built up a lucrative practice, which he continues to enjoy ; is a Demo- crat, a Baptist and holds membership in Smithland Lodge, No. 138, Free and Accepted Masons. At the early age of twenty-four years he was elected police judge of Smithland. In June, 1898, he mar- ried Miss Flora Seyster, daughter of Capt. J. V. Seyster, a brief mention of whom appears in connection with this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Cowper have two interesting children, named Esther and William Frederick. Together with Mr. W. I. Clarke Mr. Cowper
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owns and edits the Livingston Democrat, a paper established by these gentlemen at the beginning of the present year. Mr. Cowper is now serving as a member of the Democratic county committee.
Capt. J. V. Seyster, the father-in-law of the subject of this sketch, was born in Livingston county Aug. 2, 1823, and was there reared and educated. He is the son of David and Rebecca (Evans) Seyster, who came from Virginia to Kentucky about the year 1820, settling in Livingston county. Captain Seyster was for many years engaged in river navigation, working himself up from cabin boy to captain of a steamer. Later he took up the mercantile business and followed it for ten years, at the same time acting as agent of the Cairo Packet Line.
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