Todd County KY

Biographical Sketch of John F. Snadon

JOHN F. SNADON is a resident of Hadensville Precinct, and lives upon the farm where he was born October 22, 1826. His parents, George and Sallie (Cross) Snadon were natives of Rockingham County, Va.; came to Todd County in 1822, and settled upon the farm where John F. Snadon now resides. The property originally consisted of some 900 acres, but has since been reduced to 570 acres by the sale of a part of its area. Here Mr. Snadon lives as a gentleman farmer, employing some four to eight hands. The Snadon mansion is a typical Southern home of culture … Read more

Biography of Samuel Chesnut

THE CHESNUT FAMILY. Among the prominent families who early immigrated to Todd County in the pioneer days, may justly be mentioned the one appearing at the head of this brief sketch. Near the beginning of the present century the widow Chesnut removed from North Carolina to Todd. County, Ky., and settled on the Elk Fork of Red River. With her came her sons, Samuel, James, John and Alexander. They were zealous members of the old Seceder Church. Of these sons, Samuel, born in North Carolina, 1793, was a valiant soldier in the war of 1812, and died in 1866. His … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert J. Foster

J. ROBERT FOSTER was born October 12, 1819, near Oak Grove, Christian Co., Ky., and while young removed with his parents to Todd County, Ky., where he grew to manhood and at present resides. His father, John Foster, was born January 8, 1785, in South Carolina, and died 1873. His wife, Elizabeth (Hill), was born 1781, and died in 1863. They were married in 1809, and the union was blessed with four sons and four daughters. The parents were both acceptable members of the Baptist Church. Subject was married September, 1840, to Maria, daughter of John and Mary Waugh, both … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Paul H. Salmon

PAUL H. SALMON was born September 25, 1814, in South Carolina. His parents are George and Elizabeth (West) Salmon, the father a native of Virginia, the mother of Maryland. The father was a teacher, merchant and farmer. He died in Marshall County, Miss., in 1865, aged eighty-seven. The mother died in South Carolina in 1829. Paul H. came to this county in 1844. Six years previous he had been engaged in the cotton mills. He sold goods in Elkton six years, and in 1850 he came to the farm on which he now resides. After the death of his father-in-law, … Read more

Biography of Jr. Benjamin T. Perkins

BENJAMIN T. PERKINS, JR., lawyer, was born September 12, 1846, in Todd County, Ky. The family is of English origin, and was among the early emigrants from the mother country, who took up their residence in Virginia. They remained in Virginia but a short time, when, following the general drift of the population westward, they found themselves in the wilds of Kentucky. His grandfather came to Kentucky some time prior to the year 1800. His son, Benjamin T. Perkins, Sr., and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Todd County, in 1818, became a prominent lawyer, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Melville C. Hunter

MELVILLE C. HUNTER, Trenton, Ky., is a native of Robinson County, Tenn., where he was born July 9, 1838, and removed to Todd County, Ky., in 1848, and has since retained his residence here. He is the son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Moody) Hunter; the former died in 1848, and the latter in 1849, in Montgomery County, Tenn. Their off-spring are: Melville C., as above, Virginia (Carnall), Medora (Gossitt) and Benjamin F. Hunter. October 23, 1861, Mr. Melville C. Hunter was married to Miss Izetta, daughter of Thomas and Fannie (Stout) McQuary, of Todd County, Ky., and to them have … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel McGehee

SAMUEL McGEHEE was born in 1826, in Louisa County, Va.; he, with his two brothers John and Thomas, alone remains of a family of nine children born to Dillard and Elizabeth (Tally) McGehee. The father was a soldier in the war of 1812; he afterward engaged in farming, and died July 18, 1853, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother died July 9, 1874, between sixty and seventy years of age. Samuel began at the age of twenty-two for himself, without pecuniary assistance, and by his energetic, industry has amassed a fine competency. He is a farmer, and owns … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry R. Rudd

HENRY R. RUDD was born July 15, 1842, in Todd County; he is a son of Richard and Lavina (Francis) Rudd, who are natives of Kentucky, and now living in this precinct. Henry R. enlisted in 1861, in Company F, Twenty-fifth United States Kentucky Infantry. This regiment was afterward consolidated with the Seventeenth Infantry; he was then transferred to Company D. After serving eighteen months he was discharged on account of sickness caused by exposure and from the effects of which he has suffered more or less since, which is gradually impairing his health, and leaves him in poor hope … Read more

Biography of Hazel G. Petrie

HAZEL G. PETRIE, (some of the family spell the name Petree, others as above, which is the original and correct orthography), is a descendant of Peter Petrie, who was born in Scotland, of Scotch-Presbyterian parents. When in his seventh year, Peter attended a school taught by a Presbyterian minister, somewhat distinguished for his rigid enforcement of the rules. For some real or fancied infringement of the rules of the school, the Scotch schoolmaster chastised Peter, who fled for refuge to his mother, who, unfortunately for Peter, was of the same stern stock as the schoolmaster. She accordingly administered a second … Read more

Biography of Dr. Walter B. Jefferson

DR. WALTER B. JEFFERSON is a son of Isham R. and Sarah A. (Mansfield) Jefferson, who came separately to Todd County in 1833, from Abermarle County, Va. The father was a native of that county, and was there reared by his uncle, Thomas Jefferson, the famous author of the Declaration of Independence, and third Chief Executive of the United States, Isham’s father, Randolph Jefferson, being the youngest brother of the President. The father of our subject married first a Miss Henderson, and afterward a Miss Peyton. He located, on coming to Todd County, upon a farm in Jesup’s Grove, removing … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Seymour H. Perkins

SEYMOUR H. PERKINS, of the business firm of S. H. Perkins & Co., Elkton, Ky., is a son of Judge B. T. Perkins, Sr., and was born November 7, 1844, in Elkton. He was reared in his native village, which has ever been his permanent home. In 1861 he enlisted as a member of Company F., Twenty-fifth Kentucky Infantry, and in the organization of the company was elected to the commission of Second Lieutenant. He shared in the service of his regiment until shortly after the battle of Shiloh, when, on the account of loss of health, he resigned his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Coleman Jordan

COLEMAN JORDAN was born November 21, 1812, in Halifax County, Va. In 1829 he came to the neighborhood of Bowling Green, Ky.; soon after removed to Todd County, where he has since resided, and for many years engaged at the carpenter trade, also farming. He was married, in 1846, to Lucy H. Terry. She was born in 1826 in Tennessee. Eight children have been born to this union: Elizabeth, Granville C. A., Tabithe, Maria, Coleman E., Robert, Dixie and Lucy J. His three sons are carrying on the carpenter trade-Granville C. A., Coleman E. and Robert.

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin F. Carneal

BENJAMIN F. CARNEAL was born in Todd County, November 16, 1855; his parents are Joseph S. and Lucinda A. (Shemwell) Car-heal, both natives of Kentucky. The father was a farmer, and served nine months in the Twenty-fifth Kentucky Regiment, United States Army, during the late war; he had the measles while in the army, and never recovered; his death was caused from that disease; his death occurred June 11, 1883; he was a member of the Baptist Church. The mother is still living at the age of sixty-eight, and makes her home with her son Benjamin. She is a member … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas S. Mimms

THOMAS S. MIMMS was born April 1, 1839, in Todd County; he is a son of William T. and Parthenia A. Kimbrough, daughter of Capt. Thomas B. Kimbrough, who was one of the earliest settlers of this county. The father was born March 23, 1815, in Christian, now Todd County; he died April 18, 1861. The mother was born December 28, 1817, also in this county. This lady died April 3, 1881. Our subject was married September 16, 1862, to Bell L. Taliaferro, of this county, by whom he has four children-one son and three daughters. They are members of … Read more

A Kentucky Barren

The name popularly applied to the region embraced within the limits of Barren, Warren, Simpson, Logan, and the lower part of Todd, Christian and Trigg Counties, is very misleading to the modern ear. To the pioneers of the early part of this century, impressed by the stern experiences of frontier life, it meant a land ” where every prospect pleases” the eye only to dupe the understanding. They had been brought up in a timbered country, and had been educated to believe that it was necessary not only to their comfort but to their very existence. They had an exaggerated … Read more

Biographical Sketch of N. B. Riley

N. B. RILEY was born in Logan County, Ky., September 14, 1841, and is a son of John and Mary (Murphy) Riley. The parents were natives of South Carolina, and came to Cumberland County in an early day. In 1841 they moved to Logan County; there the father died in 1882, the mother in 1857. Our subject was the youngest of eight children; his education was received in the common schools of the county; he remained at home until twenty-six, and then, commencing life for him-self, settled down on the home farm. In 1872 he came to Todd County and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Willis B. Reeves

WILLIS B. REEVES is a son of Willis L. Reeves and Margaret Edwards. They had four children: Willis B., Haden E. (now in Texas) and two who died in childhood. Willis B. Reeves was born near Elkton, Ky., June 19, 1835, and was reared and educated here, which has been his permanent home since. In early life he began the study of law with Hon. F. M. Bristow and H. G. Petrie, was admitted to practice, which combined with agriculture, has occupied his time. He has served Todd County in the capacity of County Attorney, and two terms as Judge … Read more

Biographical Sketch of R. H. Coleman

R. H. COLEMAN was born in Dinwiddie County, Va., on July 24, 1840, and is a son of Edmund N. and Eliza (Watkins) Coleman. The parents were both natives of Virginia, the father being born there on September 29, 1797; the mother on October 17, 1798; the former was of Irish descent, the mother of Welsh. When subject was about eighteen months old the parents came to Logan County, Ky. They lived there only one year, and then came to this county; here they settled on the farm now owned by subject, and here the father died on April 28, … Read more

Biography of Dr. Augustus Lewis

DR. AUGUSTUS LEWIS was born May. 15, 1839, in Trigg County, Ky. His parents were Leonard and Lydia (Withers) Lewis. The father was a native of Virginia; born July 4, 1796. He was a farmer and taught in public schools for thirty years. He came to Kentucky in 1818, and cast the first Republican vote over cast in Muhlenburg County. It was for Gen. Fremont, in 1856. His death occurred October 13, 1881. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South since 1848. The mother was a native of Kentucky; born December 15, 1815; she is still living … Read more

Biography of J. M. Simpson

J. M. SIMPSON is a son of Peyton and Jane (Waugh) Simpson; the former was a son of William and Nancy (Hawley) Simpson, the grand-parents of our subject. William Simpson was born December 3, 1769, and died June 9, 1854. His wife Nancy was born June 19, 1785, the time of her death is not known. Both she and her husband were natives of Virginia. Peyton Simpson, the father of J. M. was born September 22, 1799, in Virginia. In youth he learned the cooper’s trade and followed it for many years. On November 23, 1828, he started over the … Read more