Todd County KY

Biographical Sketch of P. O. Duffy

P. O. DUFFY was born September 10, 1837, in Hartsville, Tenn. He is a son of Francis and Permelia (Parker) Duffy. In 1845 he came with his parents to Todd County and was raised on his father’s farm, where he remained until the age of sixteen years. He then secured employment as clerk in the store of Taylor & Duffy, and remained with this firm about one year, after which his father opened a store and he began then to clerk for him. They carried on the business until the death of his father, which occurred May 2, 1858. The … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John W. Murphy

JOHN W. MURPHY was born August 26, 1846, in Todd County, Ky. His parents are William and Nancy (Shelton) Murphy, both natives of this State and still living. The father is a member of the Baptist and the mother of the Christian Church. The mother was previously married to Joseph Allison, who departed this life in November, 1836. By him she had four children. Our subject began for himself at the age of twenty-one. His start was one horse. Farming has always been his business. He is now comfortably situated and owns 100 acres of land located one mile from … Read more

Todd County, Kentucky Geological Speculations

No geological survey has been made of Todd County, and the State work is of such a general nature as to forbid the gathering of anything approaching a particular review of the geological features of this county from its pages. A brief general review is all that can be attempted in the time and space assigned to this topic here. The geological formations of Kentucky, in common with those of the other Western States, generally belong to that great system which extends from the Alleghanies on the east across the Mississippi and to the Rocky Mountains on the west. Throughout … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George W. Jesup

GEORGE W. JESUP. The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch is one of the active, energetic and naturally intelligent citizens of Todd County, Ky. He is a native of Fayette County, in this State, where he was born February 10, 1823, and in 1829 removed with his parents to Todd County, where he has since resided. His father, Col. Samuel B. Jesup, was born in Orange County, Va.; immigrated to Kentucky in 1793; was a gallant soldier in the war of 1812; was once a member of the House of Representatives, and eight years a member … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Elijah N. Jones

ELIJAH N. JONES, a prominent and enterprising citizen of Todd County, was born October 26, 1837, in Fairview District, Todd County, Ky. He is the second of thirteen children-five boys and eight girls-ten still living, born to Isaac H. and Anna (Wilkins) Jones, natives of Indiana and Todd County, Ky., respectively, the mother of Irish descent. Subject’s early advantages for an education were poor; he attended school about two years in all. He was reared on the farm and lived with his parents till his marriage on December 23, 1858, to Miss Harriet A. Lindsey, of Todd County, daughter of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of F. H. Sears

F. H. SEARS was born December 25, 1814, in Todd County, and on this farm. He is the son of William and Susan M. (Howks) Sears. The father was born on the Potomac River, Va., in 1779; he died May 28, 1852. He came to Logan County, Ky., with his parents in 1792. There he was married, and in February, 1804, came to this farm. He died May 28, 1852. The mother was born in Frederickstown, Md.; her death occurred April 19, 1867, aged seventy-one. Our subject was born and reared on this farm, which he owns, consisting of 222 … 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

Todd County, Kentucky Census Records

1790 Todd County, Kentucky Census Records Free 1790 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – 14 Days Free Hosted at Census Guide 1800 U.S. Census Guide 1800 Todd County, Kentucky Census Records Free 1800 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – 14 Days Free Hosted at Census Guide 1800 U.S. Census Guide 1810 Todd County, Kentucky Census Records Free 1810 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – 14 Days Free Hosted at Census Guide 1810 U.S. Census Guide 1820 Todd County, Kentucky Census Records Free 1820 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. B. M. Trabue

DR. B. M. TRABUE was born at Columbia, Adair Co., Ky., June 3, 1827, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (McDowell) Trabue. Our subject’s grandparents made their escape from France, and coming to this country settled on Staten Island. They lived there some years, and then with the other early pioneers came to this State. The grandfather was captured by the Indians, but afterward escaped, and lived here until a good old age. The father was a mechanic, but did not follow his trade very much. He paid most of his attention to farming and milling. Our subject … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles E. Tandy

CHARLES E. TANDY, one of Todd County’s young and enter-prising farmers and stock-breeders, was born November 12, 1860, in Todd County, Ky. He is a son of Dr. N. M. and Margaret J. (Jesup) Tandy. The latter was a daughter of Col. Samuel B. Jesup, born November, 1792, died August, 1866, and Catherine Jesup, born March 1795, died July, 1870. Subject’s father was born 1810, died July, 1881; his mother born 1819, died August, 1877. Parents were natives of Christian and Todd Counties respectively. Our subject received more than an ordinary education, having attended Fairview and Olmstead Academies two years … Read more

Biography of Baxter C. Porter

BAXTER C. PORTER is a son of the Rev. Thomas Porter, an early Presbyterian minister of Hopkins and Todd Counties, who was born in Virginia, May 12, 1788. Thomas Porter came in childhood to Logan County, Ky., where he attained his manhood, and where in June, 1808, he married Nancy Lawrence, who before her death in December-, 1831, bore him three children, none of whom are residents of Todd County. In February, 1833, he married Jane H. Lawrence, a sister of his deceased wife. This union resulted ‘ in the birth of three children, B. C. Porter being the youngest. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William R. Link

WILLIAM R. LINK is an extensive farmer in Elkton Precinct, in which he was born. His parents, William and Martha (Bradshaw) Link, were born, reared and married in Virginia, from whence they came to Todd County, Ky. They improved a farm a short distance south of Elk-ton, where William Link died many years ago. Their family consisted of six children: John B., Fannie (wife of Robert Bradshaw), Leathy, William R., Martha (deceased) and Winfield. William R. and his brother, Winfield, now own and occupy the old Ephraim Porter farm, consisting of 480 acres of desirable land, and constituting one of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jo Linebaugh

JO LINEBAUGH was born January 12, 1823, in Logan County, Ky.; he is the son of Thomas and Ann (Owings) Linebaugh. The father was a native of Pennsylvania; he died in 1854, aged seventy. The mother was born in Maryland; she died in 1868, aged seventy-three. Our subject was raised on his father’s farm; he continued to follow farming until 1877, when he came to Guthrie and opened a drug store, which, after running a few years, he sold out and engaged in the grocery and liquor business, which he still continues. Mr. Linebaugh was married in 1847 to Miss … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George E. Garth

GEORGE E. GARTH was born December 4, 1839, at the old Garth homestead, in Todd County, Ky., where he grew to manhood. His father, William Anderson Garth,- was a native of Albemarle County, Va., where he was born in 1796. He removed to Todd County, Ky., in 1810, where he died in 1843. He was the son of Elijah Garth, of Virginia, who was born in Albemarle County in 1773, and died here in 1816. By his fearless activity he rescued many lives at the burning of the theater in Richmond, Va. His father, Thomas Garth, was of Scotch descent. … Read more

Biography of Andrew Norton Moore

ANDREW NEWTON MOORE. The worthy subject of this sketch was born June 2, 1840, on the family homestead, where he now resides, in Todd County, Ky. His father, John Moore, was born in 1799, in Augusta County, Va.; after the death of his wife, removed to Tennessee, remained there one year, and then came to Todd County, Ky., about 1808, where he died in 1882. He was the son of David Moore, Jr., a Virginian, who purchased this tract of land in 1804, and died here in 1826, at the age of sixty-two years. David, Jr.’s wife was Jennie McClung. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William C. McGehee

WILLIAM C. McGEHEE, merchant and farmer, was born November 9, 1844, in Todd County; his parents were John and Julia A. (Penileton) McGehee, natives of Virginia. The father is living in this county, and engaged in farming; the mother died June, 1879. Our subject began for himself on the farm at the age of twenty-one; he worked two years on his mother-in-law’s farm, and attended land of his own also; he lived at Bivinsville one year, and came to his present location in 1869; he owns 156 acres of land where he now resides; he keeps a store of dry … 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.

Early Educational Interests in Todd County, Kentucky

Under the social influence described in these pages it will be easily understood that popular education must be attended by many difficulties. Its value and importance were certainly under-rated by all classes, and it gained a foothold in Kentucky only through the strenuous exertions of a far-sighted few. Education was at first entirely in the hands of the church, which established seminaries at various points, primarily for the preparation of the clergy for ministerial work, but which were at once accepted by the wealthy portion of the church membership as a convenient means to give their children such accomplishments as … Read more

Biography of Dr. Virgil T. Shelton

DR. VIRGIL T. SHELTON, practicing physician in Kirkmansville, Ky., was born November 7, 1836, in Todd County, Ky. His parents are Crispin and Polly B. (Dodd) Shelton. His father is a native of Kentucky and a resident of Todd County since his seventh year. He is now a farmer, of robust health, in his seventy-seventh year. Dr. Shelton’s mother is still living at the age of sixty-six years, with powers of mind and body well preserved. These parents had seven children, five of whom are now living. His brothers, W. Ira and W. Bell, are practicing, physicians. Two brothers are … Read more

Biography of Egbert Garth

EGBERT GARTH. In 1812 Elijah Garth came from Albemarle County, Va., to Kentucky, and made settlement near Trenton, in Todd County, on a farm now occupied by Webster C. Garth, and which he had but fairly begun to develop, when (in 1815) he died. He was twice married, first to Miss Fretwell, and second to Miss Elizabeth Wait, and as the result of each union, had four children. None of these are now living, but among their immediate descendants are some of the most worthy families of Todd County. Paschal L. was a son of Elijah Garth, and was born … Read more