USA > Ohio > Memoirs of the lower Ohio valley, personal and genealogical : with portraits, Volume II > Part 5
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which he graduated from Wabash college, at Crawfordsville, in the class of 1897. He then spent a year at Yale university and in 1899 entered the Kentucky school of Medicine and graduated as valedic- torian of his class in 1902. During the summers of 1901 and 1902 he studied in Europe, notably in England, Ireland and Germany, holding a position at the time under his uncle, Harry Walters, as inspector of cavalry horses for the Boer war. He also took instruc- tion in the celebrated medical schools of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Upon receiving his degree he engaged in hospital work in the United States marine hospitals, and was thus employed until Jan. I, 1904, when he located at Henderson, where he has done well in establish- ing himself in practice and has demonstrated his success in the treat- ment of disease. Politically Doctor Wilson is a Democrat, but he is not an active politician. In fraternal circles he is well known, being a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias, and the Improved Order of Red Men. On Oct. 14, 1903, he led to the altar Miss Lulu Mullins, a native of Covington, Ky., and a highly accomplished young lady, having graduated in 1902 from the Bartholomew-Clifton school of Cincinnati.
HENRY P. BARRET, tobacco exporter, of Henderson, Ky., was born in that city Sept. 2, 1865, his parents being James R. and Lucy F. (Stites) Barret (see sketch of James R. Barret). He was edu- cated at the Central university, Danville, Ky., where he attended from 1880 to 1883. He then worked for the well known tobacco firm of John H. Barret & Co. for five years, and in 1888 embarked in business for himself as an exporter of tobacco. He first estab- lished himself at Roberts' Station, but went from there to Owens- boro, where he continued in business for several years. He then opened large rehandling establishments at Wickliffe and Providence, and it is said he now handles as much tobacco as any other individual buyer in the world, if not more. Mr. Barret's success in his line is due to the fact that he keeps in close touch with his business, studies the market conditions, and is always to be relied on to carry out his agreements. He owns 2,500 acres of fine land and is reputed to be one of the wealthiest men in the county. Mr. Barret is a prominent Mason, being a thirty-second degree member of the Scottish Rite and a Knight Templar. On Oct. 20, 1904, he was elected Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. In 1901 he was united in marriage to Miss Marian Worsham, a native of California and a daughter of A. J. Worsham, now of Henderson.
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WALTER BRASHEAR, a contractor and builder, of Henderson, Ky., was born in that city April 28, 1867. He is a son of Barack and Sarah Brashear, both native Kentuckians, and a great-grandson of that Capt. Richard Brashear who was with Gen. George Rogers Clarke in the con- quest of the Northwest, and who served with distinction in the Revolutionary war. At the close of the war he received a cap- tain's allotment of seven sections of land in Clark county, Ind., which can be seen in the "Original book of surveys" in the clerk's office at Jeffersonville. He married Lucy Phelps, it being the first marriage in Louisville. She survived him, being ninety-one years of age at death. Captain Brashear came to Kentucky in the days of Daniel Boone and located near Shepherdsville, where he owned a large tract of land. There his son Richard, the grandfather of Walter, was born and reared, and there passed his whole life, being a prominent farmer and an influential citizen. Barack Brashear became a contractor and builder on reaching manhood, and was for some time located in Louisville. About 1840 he came to Henderson, where he carried on the same business until his death in 1887. He was an enthusiastic Odd Fellow and was one of the charter members of Henderson lodge. He was politically a Democrat. His wife died in 1875. During her life she was a devoted member of the Baptist church. They had eight children, only three of whom are now liv- ing. Robert is a wholesale paper dealer in St. Louis, Mo .; Ella is the wife of S. W. Gibson, of Corydon, Ky .; and Walter is the sub- ject of this sketch. He received a common school education, learned the business of his father, and at the age of twenty years commenced contracting for himself. Today he is one of the best known contract- ors in the Lower Ohio Valley. He has built several court houses in Kentucky ; done a large amount of government work at Jefferson- ville, Ind., and has erected buildings of various kinds in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Alabama. Mr. Brashear is a Democrat in his political views, served as a member of the city council in 1896-97, and though always willing to do what he can to further the interests of his party, he can scarcely be called a poli- tician. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and with his wife belongs to the Baptist church. He was married in 1892 to
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Maude, daughter of Monroe and Jennie Johnson, of Henderson, and has had three children. Jennie died in infancy ; Walter, Jr., is five years of age, and Sarah is still in her first year.
CHARLES G. HENSON, one of the oldest and best known residents of Hen- derson, Ky., was born in the city of Evans- ville, Ind., Aug. 4, 1830. His parents were both born in England. His paternal grandfather came to this country in 1816 and located first at Georgetown, D. C. Two years later the father of Mr. Hen- son came to Evansville, Ind., where he was married in 1820. He and his wife cele- brated their golden wedding there in 1870. Two years later he died and she followed him in 1882. During his life his father was a contractor and builder. In early life he was a Whig and was later a Republican. Both parents were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in which the father was an elder for fifty years. They had a large family, only three of whom are now living. Charles G. Henson received a common school education and after leaving school learned the carpenters' trade, which occupation he followed in Evansville until 1853, when he came to Henderson, where he con- tinued to work at it until 1860. He then became interested in photography and followed that business until 1878, since which time he has been engaged in the real estate business. He now lives practically retired from active affairs, looking after the rentals of his houses, of which he owns several, both in Henderson and Evansville. Mr. Henson is seventy-four years old and is hale and hearty for one of his age. He laconically attributes his good health to the fact that he "never aspired to office." He has been a great student of music, especially vocal music, and was for over thirty years the musical director of the Presbyterian church. During most of that time his first wife, who was also proficient in music, was a member of the choir. Mr. Henson has been twice married. His first wife was. Miss Frances A. Tileston, of Evansville, to whom he was married in 1853. His second marriage was in 1890 to Martha L., daughter of J. M. and Nancy L. (Calvert) Higgins, of Caldwell county. Nancy Calvert was a granddaughter of Spencer Calvert, who served in the Revolu- tionary war, came to Kentucky in the time of Daniel Boone, returned
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to Maryland, where he married, and then came back to Kentucky and there passed the rest of his life. His father, who was also named Spencer, was a relative of Lord Baltimore, and came with him to the United States. J. M. Higgins was born Dec. 15, 1822, and died Jan. 28, 1899. He was a very successful and prominent citizen of Princeton, though he suffered financially by the war. Three children born to Mr. Henson died in infancy.
HARRISON WILSON (deceased), who in his day was a well known citizen of Henderson county, Ky., was born in Union county of that state and died near Henderson in 1869. He was a son of Am- brose Wilson, whose father came from Illinois to Kentucky at an early date, and there the family for several generations were tillers of the soil. Harrison Wilson grew to manhood in Union county. In 1859 he was married to Miss Phoebe E. Taylor, of Henderson, a daughter of Brooking and Ann (Gale) Taylor, both of whom were natives of Virginia. Brooking Taylor and his wife came to Ken- tucky in pioneer times, settling first in Franklin county, and in 1848 came to Henderson, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Harrison Wilson was a man who pursued "the even tenor of his way" under all circumstances, doing his duty as he saw it with- out regard to the consequences. In his political affiliations he was a Democrat of the Jacksonian school, firm in his convictions concern- ing questions of public policy, and yet of such a temperament that he readily commanded the respect and friendship of his political op- ponents. He and his wife were both members of the Baptist church and were consistent practitioners of the tenets of their religious faith in their daily conduct. They had a family of five children: Sophro- nia is deceased; William A. is a banker at Kansas City, Mo .; Sally E., Mary G., and Phoebe T. still live at home. The daughters were all well educated and Mary has taught school. The three sisters have a cozy home in the city of Henderson where they live in the enjoyment of each other's companionship and the respect and friend- ship of their neighbors and acquaintances.
CHARLES L. KING, farmer, merchant and banker, of Corydon, Ky., was born in the county where he now resides, March 12, 1838. His parents, James H. and Caroline (Brinkley) King, both natives of Virginia, were married in that state and came to Kentucky about 1824, locating first in Union but two years later coming to Hender- son county. The father bought a tract of wild land about five miles
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southeast of Corydon, cleared a farm and built a whipsaw mill and an old fashioned buhr grist mill. In 1856 he sold out there and removed to Hickman county, where he followed the milling business until his death in 1864. His wife died the previous year. He was a stanch Union man and opposed to secession but died before he saw the Union arms victorious in the Civil war. He and his wife were both mem- bers of the Christian church and were widely known for their deeds of Christian charity. They had a family of ten children, viz .: George W., now a resident of Sebree; John M., died at the age of twenty-two years; Mary J., wife of J. L. Luttrell of Hickman ; James, deceased; Charles L., the subject of this sketch; Martha, who married a man named Buckman and now deceased; Alexander, re- siding at Sturgis, in Union county; Edward, a resident of Corydon ; Sarah, now dead, was the wife of C. E. Harness, manager of the Anchor roller mills at Corydon; Harbart A., associated with Charles L. in business at Corydon.
He attended Princeton college and married Miss Annie Dorsey. Charles L. King was associated with his father in business from the time he left school until 1863. He then engaged in the mercantile business at Hickman, for about a year, when he removed to Mount Vernon, Ind., and conducted a store there until after the war, when he went to Cairo, Il1. In 1866 he returned to Hickman and remained there until the following year, when he came to Corydon. At that time he had the only store in the place and in 1876 he erected the largest building for mercantile purposes in the town. In 1878 he and his brother formed a partner- ship under the firm name of C. L. & H. A. King, which still exists. In 1894 the Corydon deposit bank was organized with a capital of $25,000 and C. L. King was elected president, which office he has held ever since. In addition to his banking and mercantile interests Mr. King is the owner of a thousand acres of fine land, and is one of the progressive farmers of his section of the state. His farm is especially noted for its fine, full-blooded Hereford cattle, of which he makes a specialty in the way of stock raising. While Mr. King is entitled to be called a public spirited citizen, and one who takes an interest in public affairs generally, he belongs to no political party, preferring the exercise of his suffrage according to his own convic- tions. He was married in 1864 to Mrs. Sarah Sheffer, nee Powell, a daughter of Harrison A. Powell, and to this union there were born the following children: Annie Lee, now the wife of Ben. T. Davis, a lawyer of Hickman; Ada, wife of V. G. Conway, a farmer of Hickman county ; Maud, widow of Dr. W. B. Cook and now lives
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with her father; Harbart L., a graduate of Central university, of Dan- ville, Ky., with the degree of LL.B., was admitted to the bar Sept. 5, 1904, and has begun practice at Corydon. The mother of these children died on March 28, 1902. During her life she was a devoted member of the Christian church, and her widowed husband still holds his membership in that denomination.
ELIJAH SELLERS, a well known farmer, living four miles from Henderson, Ky., and one of the heaviest taxpayers in the county, was born in Henderson county, Oct. 15, 1824, his parents being Isham and Lydia (Barr) Sellers, both natives of North Carolina. Soon after his marriage Isham Sellers came with his wife on horseback to the wilds of Kentucky, carrying their household effects on pack horses, and began life in true pioneer fashion. The clapboards that formed the roof of their log cabin were fastened on with wooden pegs, as nails in that day were a luxury hardly to be thought of for such purposes. There this couple lived until their deaths, rearing a large family of children. He was a member of the old Baptist church and his wife was a Methodist. Elijah Sellers received such an education as the public schools of that day afforded and at the age of twenty-one bought 154 acres of wild land on credit and com- menced life for himself by building a log cabin in the wilderness. He cleared a farm and in 1849 was married to Minerva Osborn, daugh- ter of Randolph Osborn, one of the pioneer settlers of Henderson county. To this marriage there were born ten children, viz .: Orrie Belle, now Mrs. Andrew Thornberry of Webster county, Ky .; Frances, now dead, was the wife of A. D. Milton; Jane, now Mrs. Jack Milton ; Isham J., a farmer of Henderson county ; Annie, widow of Joseph Hargiss; Robert Lee and Randolph, both farmers in Henderson county; Addie, wife of William Mitchison, a farmer of Henderson county ; Elijah, Jr., and Rufus, both occupying farms near the old homestead. At one time Mr. Sellers owned 2,500 acres of land. After giving each of his ten children a good farm he has about 800 acres left. Since 1879 he has lived in his present loca- tion, where he has one of the finest brick farm-houses in the county. While he has conducted a general farming business he has given a great deal of attention to tobacco, which has been one of his principal crops. After the death of his first wife he was married to Mrs. Mary Poor, nee Norris. She too passed away and he was married to his third and present wife, Mrs. Mary A. Vogle, whose maiden name was Rockencamp. His first wife was a member of the Methodist
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church; his present wife is a Lutheran; and he belongs to the Epis- copal church. In his political opinions Mr. Sellers has always been a Democrat, though he has never been a seeker after office nor an active politician. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and in earlier years was a regular attendant at the lodge meetings. Besides his farming interests he is a stockholder in the Planters' bank.
ROBERT T. HICKMAN, farmer and hardware dealer, of Henderson, Ky., is of Scotch descent, the first of the family to come to America, settling in Virginia. In 1809 James Hickman, the great-grand- father of Robert, came from Winchester, Va., with his family of seven sons and one daughter, and passed the remainder of his life in Shelby county, Ky., in the imme- diate vicinity of Shelbyville. Joseph Hick- man, one of the seven sons and the grand- father of Robert, married Elizabeth Tol- bert, daughter of one of the pioneers of that section, who came from Maryland. In 1832 they went to Shelby county, Ill., and there both died some years later. One of their sons was James W. Hickman, the father of the subject of this sketch. He was born in Shelby county, Ky., Aug. 8, 1813, there grew to manhood and learned the blacksmiths' trade, which he followed for over forty years. More than half of that period he had a shop in Shelbyville. In 1866 he came to Henderson county, where he rented and managed a farm, though he continued to work at his trade. In early life he was an ardent Whig, but after the downfall of that party he became a Democrat. He is still living with his son Robert, hale and hearty, at the age of ninety-two years. While living at Shelbyville he frequently went to Louisville, and remembers when that city was but little more than a village. He married Lucy G. Eubank, who was born in Clark county, Ky., March 21, 1821, and died March 20, 1891, lacking one day of having reached her three score and ten years. For many years they both belonged to the Methodist Epis- copal church together, and he still retains his membership in that denomination. They had five children: Harriet E., Mary Alice, Claude Thomas, Robert T. and Harry Buckner. Harriet married J. B. Marshall, and both she and her husband are dead; Mary died at the age of sixteen years; Claude is a dentist in Henderson, and
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Harry died in infancy. Robert T. Hickman was born at Shelbyville, Ky., Nov. 16, 1854. He received a common school education and at the age of twenty-two years went to Vanderburg county, Ind., where he rented a farm and conducted it successfully for two years. He then employed teams and was engaged in railroad construction for a time, after which he went on the road as a sewing machine salesman, and was later employed in the same capacity with the Dayton Hedge Fence Company. In 1886 he located on his present farm, where he has continued to live ever since. Mr. Hickman is one of the most scientific and progressive farmers in Western Ken- tucky. In addition to his own farm he rents quite extensively and carries on a general farming business, though he makes a specialty of apples. In this line his orchard products are the equal of any in the country. His house and barn are said to be the best equipped and most modern of any in the county. A gasoline engine supplies water to every room in the house and for watering stock in the barn. Of the three automobiles in the county he is the owner of one, and is the only farmer in the county to own one of these modern vehicles. On Nov. 1, 1904, in connection with J. H. and H. P. Alves, he organized the Alves & Hickman Hardware Company, which does a general hardware and agricultural implement business. He makes his daily trips from his country home to his place of business in Henderson in his automobile. Mr. Hickman is a Democrat in his political views, is a member of the Tribe of Ben Hur, and of the Presbyterian church. He has never married.
THOMAS B. BOOK (deceased), a native of Henderson, county, Ky., was born Aug. 5, 1858, and died Feb. 28, 1899. He was a son of James R. and Bennette Book, who were pioneers of Kentucky, his father being one of the foremost farmers of his neighborhood in his day. Thomas was reared on the farm and received his education in the public schools. When he was but eighteen years of age he went to Henderson, where he engaged in business for a short time, but soon tired of city life and returned to the farm. In 1880 he bought a tract of 60 acres on Frog Island, in Henderson county, and com- menced farming on his own account. Shortly afterward he sold his place to a good advantage and bought a large farm near the city of Henderson. This farm he sold in 1894 and bought 98 acres, to which he soon after added 43 acres more, and it is upon this farm that his widow now lives. Mr. Book was married on Oct. 25, 1881, to Miss Julia Lockett, a daughter of Thomas J., and Martha J.
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Lockett, old and honored residents of Kentucky. The father of Thomas J. Lockett was Capt. Francis Lockett, of Virginia, who set- tled in Kentucky . in an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Book had two children. Annie, born March 3, 1885, is now the wife of J. N. Sites of Henderson. Their marriage occurred June 2, 1904. Lockett R., born Dec. 7, 1891, lives on the farm with his mother. Both parents were members of the Baptist church, to which Mrs. Book still belongs and is a regular attendant. He was a Democrat in his politi- cal affiliations, though he never was an aspirant for public office. Since his death his widow manages the farm and has one of the coziest country homes in Henderson county.
STRACHAN BARRET, manager of the Henderson, Ky., plants of the Imperial Tobacco Company, of Kentucky (incorporated), was born near that city, July 8, 1856. He is a son of William T. and Bettie (Towles) Barret, the former a native of Louisa county, Va., and the latter of Henderson county, Ky. (For the early his- tory of the Barret and Towles families see the sketches of John H. Barret, deceased, and Walter A. Towles.) William T. Barret came to Kentucky in 1840. For several years he was engaged in the tobacco trade, after which he followed the vocations of pork packer and wholesale grocer, and was also the owner of a large farm in the county. His brother, Alexander B., died in 1861, leaving an estate of over three millions of dollars, and he was named as one of the executors, his brother, John H., being the other. In the settlement of this large estate he displayed good judgment and a high order of ability, as no lawsuits nor ill will among the legatees resulted. Politically he was a Democrat of the Jackson school; was a promi- nent member of the Free and Accepted Masons; and both he and his wife belonged to the Episcopal church. He died in 1897, and his widow now makes her home with her son Strachan. They had four children : Thomas T., Strachan, Bettie T., and Alexander B. Thomas is a farmer in Henderson county, president of the society of equity and a member of the Democratic committee; Strachan is the subject of this sketch; Bettie married Fred L. Eldridge, now vice-president of the Knickerbocker Trust Company of New York; Alexander is one of the Johnston, Barret Wholesale Dry Goods Com- pany, of Los Angeles, Cal. After leaving school Strachan Barret became interested in the tobacco trade, with which he has ever since been connected. The company he now represents had five estab- lishments in operation during the year 1904. The plants at Hen-
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derson handle most of the tobacco in the city, the annual product running from five million to six million pounds, all export goods. Mr. Barret is a director in the Planters' State bank, of Henderson, and owns a fine farm of nearly three hundred acres, upon which he resides, and which receives a portion of his time and attention. He is especially interested in raising Oxford Down sheep and fine cattle. The farm is the one settled by his grandfather Towles in an early day. In his political affiliations he has followed in the footsteps of his worthy sire and allied himself with the Democratic party. So, in. choosing his religious associations, he has adopted the faith of his parents and belongs to the Episcopal church, of which his wife is also a member. Mr. Barret was married, Dec. 3, 1884, to Miss Maggie Rudy, daughter of John and Margaret Rudy, old residents of Henderson county, where her grandfather, John Rudy, was one of the pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Barret have four children: Strachan, now a student at the Kentucky. military institute, where he holds the rank of lieu- tenant; Thomas T .; John R .; and Heyward R.
ELIJAH SELLERS, Jr., one of the enterprising and successful young men of Henderson county, Ky., was born in that county, April 10, 1875. He is a son of Elijah Sellers, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. During his boyhood he attended the public schools, where he received his primary education. In 1888-89 he went to the West Kentucky college, in 1891 he entered the Louisville school of pharmacy and graduated the following year. Upon leaving school he embarked in the drug business at Sturgis, in Union county, where he remained for five years, after which he was for three years in Corydon and two years in Hender- son. In 1902 his father gave him one hundred and fifty acres of land from the old homestead and since then he has been engaged in farming and stock raising. He carries on a general farming busi- ness, but inclines to the buying and feeding of stock as a specialty. In this line of work he has displayed good judgment and has been quite successful. In his political views Mr. Sellers is a Democrat and takes a laudable interest in all questions of public policy, particularly those of a local nature. On Dec. 10, 1902, Mr. Sellers was united in marriage to Miss Maude, daughter of Walter and Rena Lockett. Her father is one of the substantial farmers of Henderson county. Mr. and Mrs. Sellers are both members of the Second Presbyterian church of Henderson.
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