Daviess County, Kentucky - Biographical sketches (6 of 8 so headed), 1883

Biographical sketches

Abram Balee was born 'in Louisville, Ky., July 15, 1836, and lived there till 1838, when he went to Hancock County and lived a short time, and then came to Daviess County, where he is engaged in farming. He owns seventy-five .acres three miles southeast of Grissom's Landing, valued at $15 or $20 per acre. He was married June 6, 1861, to Bettie West, who died April 2, 1870, leaving one child - Emma, born March 7, 1864. Nov. 12, 1873, he married Mrs. Susan Chatham, a native of Hardin County, Ky., born Nov. 24, 1842. They have two children - Mary J., born Sept. 16, 1879, and William C, Aug. 20, 1882. Mr. Balee is a member of the Baptist and his wife of the M. S. church. He is a member of Owensboro Lodge, A. F. & A. M. His father was in the war of 1812.

Jonas A. Birk (deceased), a German by birth, and one of the representative citizens of the county, was born in the city of Weisbaden, the Duchy of Nassau, Aug. 4, 1814. His parents were Nicholas and Elizabeth (Ritzel) Birk. There were five children in the family, the youngest being Jonas A., whose birth occurred four months before his father's death. He was reared in Weisbaden and there received his education, going to school between the ages of six and fourteen years. When fourteen years of age he left school and began work at the shoemaker's trade. After serving an apprenticesiiip of four years he worked as a journeyman two years more'at the same business. At the age of twenty he was obliged to enter the German army. He served one whole year and one month .each of two succeeding years; the remainder of his term of service he was absent on furlough and hard to work in his native town, where also his regiment was stationed. When in his twenty-third year his discharge from the army was purchased by his aunt, and shortly afterward, in November, 1836, he was married to Elizabeth Carilon. She was born in the village of Wehrheim, in the Duchy of Nassau, about thirty miles from Weisbaden, June 28, 1814. Her mother was of German and her father of French descent. The latter died when Elizabeth, the youngest child, was quite young. After his marriage, with a capital of $400, a sum received of his mother, Mr. Birk embarked in business as a shoemaker, and was so engaged for two years in Weisbaden. Meeting with poor success in business Mr. Birk determined to emigrate to America, strongly against the wishes of his mother and friends. He Ifeft Weisbaden with money in his possession amounting to $260. Meeting with difliculty in leaving the Duchy of Nas- Digitized by Microsoft® san aad having his wife and one cliild with him, after paying his passage across the Atlantic he found his means about exhausted and he landed in New York City with $2 in his pocket.. Mr. Birk set foot on American soil June 7, 1838. After paying for his supper and breakfast his means were gone and he was thrown on his own resources for support. He immediately hunted work which he found in the course of a few hours, and by hard work was soon placed where he could support his family. While in New York he received low wages, but during his residence there of a year and one month he managed to save $100. A sister who had come to America in 1832 was residing at Faliston, Beaver Co., Fenn., and Mr. Birk left New York and established himself in business at that place. He continued here iu business fourteen yearSj having a shop and working a number of hands, which resulted saecessfnlly to himself. He finally sold out, and in May, 1851, settled in Clover Port, Breckinridge Co., Ky., where he carried on business successfully for over six years. Intent on going onto a farm, he, after looking about, bought 355 acres of land lying along the Graen Biver, part of which is now occupied by the site of Birk City. Ii^ the fall of the same year he brought his &mily and settled on this land. It was then a perfect wilderness and no settlement ha4 been made within a mile. No clearing was visible, and the first tree cut down was where the old mill now stands, since converted into a distillery and tobacco house. A log cabin had been erected previous to the coming of the family, in which they foqnd shelter. A mill was built and work begun of improving the land. Mr. Birk brought with him to Daviess County $5,000 which was invested in the mill, and the purchase money of the'land amounted to $3,000 more. Various misfortunes followed: his stock died from sickness, cash could not be obtained for lumber, and heavy expenses were all the while accumulating on his hands, and in a couple of years Mr. Birk found himself involved in serious financial difficulties. In these circumstances he learned who were his friends. Some men stood bravely by him while others were ready to offer no accommodation whatever. Mr. Birk struggled along through his difficulties, striving by erery means within his power to reach a position where he could better command his resources. But no man ever breathed the taint of dishonor upon his character, or thought of him otherwise than an honest and honorable man as doing the best for his family and the development and growth of the country. Mr. Birk sufiered heavily during the war by d«preda- tions by rebel guerrillas andTFnion soldiers who occupied the country around him. He struggled hard amid these troubles in the constant strain to find some way out of the difiBculties till at length the daylight appeared. In 1866 he received $2,000 for his tobacco crop, and the corn crop of the succeeding year amounted to $2,000 more. This set Mr. Birk on his feet again. He was soon entirely relieved of his difficulties, and his way since lias been one of prosperity. He owned over 450 acres of land and was in good financial circumstances. He was a warm Democrat and is the founder of the town which bears his name. His death occurred in October, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Birk were the parents of seven children - Cecilia, the oldest daughter, married Peter Rarick and died in Owensboro, in September, 1873; the oldest son, Ferdinand J. Birk, married Rena Smith and is now l)ne of the prominent merchants of Ow^ensboro; Amelia C. , married Josiah Gardner and died Feb. 7, 1866; Chas. E. Birk, married Ruth Lendrum; Lewis P., married Mary Newman (the two latter are prominent merchants of Birk City) ; Frank E. and Geo. W. constitute the remainder of Mr. Birk's family.

Thomas J. Childreaa, born Feb. 26, 1817, in Halifax County, Va., is a son of Fleming and Elizabeth (Boyd) Childress., In 1839 Fleming Childress moved from Yirginia to Spencer Oonnty, Ind., where he remained till his death. Both he and his wife died in 1845. They had a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters. Thomas J. Childress was reared in Virginia, and in 1837 went to Spencer County, Ind. The most of his education was received in North Carolina, near the Virginia line. He was married Dec. 7, 1839, to Hannah Arnold, who was born in War. rick County, Ind., Sept. 5, 1818, a daughter of Joseph Arnold. After his marriage Mr. Childress went to farming in Spencer County, and remained there till 1843, when he moved to Daviess County, Ky. He first settled in Lower Town Precinct, and during the winter of 1850 moved into Oakford Precinct, and bought the farm where he now lives, containing 206 acres, situated on the Ohio River. Mr. C. has resided on this place since that time, and is one of the oldest settlers in the precinct. In 1861 he united with the Methodist Episcopal church, South. He is Trustee of the church, and has also been a Steward in the church for fifteen or twenty years. Mr. and Mrs. Childress have two children - James L. and Kate, wife of James Williams. They have lost six children, one son and five danghers. Politically he has always been a Dem-

Frank F. Conway^ the present (jtticient and popular Circuit Clerk of Daviess County, was born in the county Nov. 22, 1837. His father was a native of Virginia, and came to Daviess County the year previous to Mr. Conway's birth. The Conway family settled in Orange County when Virginia was yet a colony of Great Britain. Mr. Conway's father, whose name was also Frank F. Conway, was born in Orange County, Va., about the year 1805. In 1832 he was married to Bettie Brooke, whose family was also connected with the early settlement of Virginia. She was born in Fauquier County. After this marriage Mr. and Mrs. Conway lived for three years in Albemarle County, a short distance from Charlottesville, at the seat of the University of Virginia, where Mr. Conway established himself as a practicing physician. In 1836 they came to Daviess County, and settled at once in the upper part of the county, in what is known as the Beach Woods, where Mr. Conway's father practiced medicine and at the same time carried on farming. Here, in November, 1837, Frank F. Conway, the second of a family of six children, was born. His early education was received at the ^country schools near his father's home. When he was eleven years old his father died. At an early age he was sent to school at New Albany, Ind., where he was a student for two or three years at Anderson Collegiate Institute. He resolved upon adopting his father's profession, and in 1856 went to Louisville with the purpose of pursuing the study of medicine. He attended medical lectures in that city and graduated in the spring of 1859. Mr. Conway returned to Daviess County and began practice at Oakford, where he soon firmly established himself as a physician. In September, 1860, he was married to Emma Hampton, a native of Franklin County, Ky. Her ancestors were from Virginia, early settlers of Franklin County. Mr. Conway practiced medicine at Oakford for about fourteen years. He then relinquished the profession on account of failing health. In August, 1874, he was elected Circuit Clerk of Daviess County, having been nominated for that position by the regular Democratic County Convention. This oflSce he is now filling. In his political faith he has always adhered to the principles of the Democratic party, whose policy he has always been active in advocating and supporting. His first vote for President was cast for John C. Breckinridge, the candidate of the Southern wing of the Democratic party.

Oakfoed Pkecinot

L. A. Crinnian, M. Z?., was born in Allegheny County, Pa., April 6, 1839. His parents, James and Ann (O' Riley) Crinnian, were natives of Ireland. They were married in 1806, and in 1807 came to America, locating in Pennsylvania. L. A. was the tenth of their eleven children. He was educated in Pennsylvania and graduated from Duff's Commercial College, Pittsburg, in 1857. In 1859 he came to Kentucky, and taught school in Marion County till 1861. when he enlisted in the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry; was in the two days' siege at Perryville, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, and with General Kilpatrick in all his engagements. He served till the close of the war. After his return home he went to Grenada, Miss., where he raised cotton two years. In the winter of 1869 he went to Missouri, near Kansas City, and rented a farm, remaining there till 1869. He then came to Kentucky and began the study of medicine, graduating from the Louisville Medical College in the spring of 1873. He went to Kansas City and practiced medicine a year, returning to Kentucky in the spring of 1874, and locating at West Louisville, Daviess County, where he taught school ten months. He then came to Grissom's Landing, where he has since been practicing his profession. Feb. 3, 1881, he married Lide Mattingly. She died June 20, 1882, leaving two sons (twins).

John Oaw was born in Washington County, Ky., Oct. 31, 1824. His father, Wm. Gaw, was a native of Ireland, born in 1770, and came to the United States in 1798. He lived at Philadelphia, clerking in store for a year, when he went out with a party of surveyors into the-State of Ohio and helped to survey the State. He was a highly educated man and a fine surveyor. From Ohio he went to Louisville; remained there a short time, and then went to Washington County and taught school a number of years. He was married in Washington County, Ky., to Ellen Yates, a native of Maryland, whose father moved from that State to Washington County, Ky. They reared but one son, John Gaw, who is the only representative of his father's family. They had other children, but tliey all died in childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Gaw died at the residence of their son in Shelby County, 111., in 1852, Mrs. Gaw in the spring and he in the fall of that year. John Gaw was reared in Washington County, Ky., and lived with his parents till he was married. He was educated at the common schools in Washington County. He was married in 1847 to Eliza Mattingly, who was born and reared in Nelson County, daughter of Geo. Mattingly. After he was married he rented a farm for nearly three years, and in 1849 moved to Shelby County, 111., and bought some timbered land. In the fall of 1854 he moved to Daviess County, Ky., located near Grissom's Landing, and in the spring of 1858 bought his present place, containing 150 acres. In 1878 he built his present grocery store. He began buying tobacco in 1873 and bought steadily, with the exception of two years, up to 1881. He was reared in the Catholic faith, and in the building of the Catholic church at Barnard Hill took an active part; was one of the projectors of it and a large contributor in raising the necessary funds. His wife died in the fall of 1863. She was the mother of six children, only two of whom are living - Madison and J. N. Mr. Gaw was married again in the spring of 1866 to Hulda Heady, who was born in Nelson County, near Bloomfield, a daughter of John Heady. They have three children - Sadie, John Edward and James William. They have lost four children, who died in childhood. Politically Mr. Gaw has always been a Democrat.

A. Hebard was born in Henderson County, Ky,, Aug. 5, 1832, the son of Charles and Elizabeth (Durffee) Hebard. His father was a native of Connecticut, born Dec. 18, 1796, and came to Kentucky in 1819. His mother was a native cf New York and came to Kentucky in 1820. There was a family of eight children, only four of whom grew to maturity - Harriet, Bathsheba (now Mrs. Conrad Helpler), Augustus and Leonard. His mother died March 30, 1840, and his father Oct. 9, 1861. April 10, 1835, his parents came to Daviess County, and settled on what was then known as the McFarland and Griffith land. Mr. Hebard worked on the farm till he was twenty years of age, and then went to learn the carpenter's trade. In 1859 he was overseer of the Stott farm, and in 1860 rented a farm. He then returned to his father's farm, where he remained till 1868, when he traded his interest in the homestead for the farm where he now lives. He was married April 15, 1859, to Eliza J. Neel. Five sons have been born to them, only two now living. Mr. Hebard joined the Masonic fraternity in 1878. He has been a member of the Baptist church since 1863.

Aaron Shelby Hiks, born March 27, 1839, in Henderson County, Ky., near Hebbardsville. His father, Beiij. Lee Hiks, was born near Perry ville, Mercer Co., Ky., July 8, 1798. He moved to Henderson County with his parents, in 1804, where he has always made it his home. He was married to Miss Sarah Griffin, a native of Henderson Countv, by whom lie had two children, only one of whom is living. T. ,H. Hiks is a resident of Daviess Connty, Ourdsville Precinct. After the death of hie wife, Benj. Hikj was married again to Miss Sarah C. Junior, in 1835. She died Oct. 20, 1871, at age of sixty-three years. She was the mother of thirteen children, of whom four are now living - Aaron S., Samuel A., Judith (wife of G. K. Negley, residing in Henderson County), Sarah E. (wife of Peter Kasey, residing in Breckinridge County, Ky.). Mr. Hiks is still living in Henderson County, on the homestead farm, aged nearly eighty-five years. He was an old line Whig and a personal friend to Henry Clay. He voted for John Bell in 1860, and since the close of the war has been a member of the Eepublican party. Aaron Shelby Hiks was reared in Henderson County and made his father's house his home till the breaking out of the war. He enlisted in the Federal army, in Company K, Twenty-fifth Kentucky Infantry. He was mastered into service at Henderson, Ky., Sept. 27, 1861, and was mustered out of service at Louisville, Ky., Jan. 23, 1865. The first engagement was at Fort Donelson. He was afterward in the battles ol Shiloh, Mission Ridge, Chickamanga, Eesaca, New Hope Church, Peach-Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Franklin, and several smaller battles and skirmishes. April 13, 1862, the Twenty -fifth and Seventeenth Kentucky Infantries were consolidated, and afterward known as the Seventeenth Kentucky. In October, 1862, Mr. Hiks was promoted to Second Lieutenant of Company K, and July 4, 1863, was promoted to First Lientenant of Company D. After the war he came home and remained on the farm till October, 1869. He was appointed Storekeeper iu revenue service, on Oct. 3, 1869, and stationed at different dislilleries in the second collectoral district of Kentucky. In March, 1877, he was appointed Storekeeper and Ganger, and remained on daty for two years and one month. In April, 1879, he was appointed Ganger, and continued in the capacity till Nor. 1, 1879, when he resigned his position and accepted that of Superintendent in the distillery of T. J. Monarch, at Grissom's Landing, Daviess County, and from this date has had entire management of the working of this large distillery. Mr. Hiks was married Nov. 15, 1877, to Miss Mary E. Ewing, a native of Daviess County, daughter of S.E. Ewing, Sr. They have had three children, only one of whom is now living - Bessie May, who was born Match 7, 1882. The other two children died in infancy. In 1857, Mr. Hike united

William J. Krugar was born in Hamburg, Germany, March 1, 1820, and came to America in 1855. He landed in New York, May 7, and remained there four days; then went to what is row Humboldt City, Kan., on Mill Creek, and remained three months. In the fall of 1855 he moved to Clover port, Ky., and remained two years, working at the bricklaj'er's trade. In 1857 became to Daviess County and bought a farm of 138 acres, in Oakford Precinct. He was married in Germany in 1845, to Mary Frimiller, who was born in 1823. They have seven children - Sophia, Mary, Hannah, Frederica, Louisa, William and Louis. Mr. Krugar belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. South. Politically he is a Democrat.

N. M. Newman was born Feb. 27, 1834, in Breckinridge County, Ky. His father, James H. Newman, son of Richard and Delia (Lane) Newman, was born in Prince "William County, Va., in 1804, and came to Kentucky in 1828. He married Adline, daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Maxey, of Hawesville, Hancock Co,, Ky. Mr. Maxey represented Breckinridge County in the State Legislature for several terms, when it embraced both Hancock and Breckinridge counties. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Newman had a family of seven children - Elizabeth, wife of C. W. R. Cobb, of Ohio County, Ky.; Richard L., who married Sallie, daughter of David C. Miller, of Hancock County; N. M. , the subject of this sketch; George A., who was drowned near Memphis at the time of the burning of the steamer Rainbow, in 1855; Mary A., wife of A. G.Newman; William H., who married Kate, granddaughter of David Miller, and Obediah. Nathaniel M. was the third child. He lived with his parents till nineteen years of age, when, Sept. 22, 1853, he married Sarah F., daughter of John and Mary Haynes, and granddaughter of Henry Haynes, and settled on a farm joining liis father's, where he lived till 1868, when he sold out and moved to Birk City, Daviess County, and taught school five months. May 20, 1868, his wife died, aged thirty three years. They had a family of six children, only three now living - John H., Albert and Belle. Mary A., born Sept. 12, 1855, died July 9, 1878; Eugenia M., born March 11, 1863, died Oct. 7, 1880; William H., born May 14, 1868, died Aug. 28, 1870. From 1869 to 1875 he was engaged in buying tobacco. In 1875 he sold his property and moved on to the George Riley farm. Dec. 20, 1879, he moved to the Bradshaw farm, where he still lives. Feb. 16, 1869, he mar- ried Mattie Haynes, sister of his iirst wife. She died Jan 7, 1876, leavinij two children - Oscar H., born Dec. 26, 1870, and Virginia H., born April 7, 1874. July 16, 1878, Mr. Newman married Mrs. Kate L. Cheatham, widow of William Cheatham, and daughter of W. A. Bradshaw. In August, 1862, Mr. Newman enlisted in Company H, Tenth Kentucky Confederate Cavalry, and was elected Second Lieutenant. He served six months, and on account of failing eye-sight and a spinal affection, he returned home. He was nearly blind for three years. He has been Justice of the Peace since 1870, with the exception of three months. Politically he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Baptist church.

Peter E . (y Bryan -vi&s born in Marion County, Ky., July 14 1827. When twenty-two years of age he moved to Meade County, and ten years later moved back to Marion County. He came to Daviess County in the fall of 1869. In 1879 he bought a farm of sixty-nine acres seven miles west of Oweneboro, where he still resides, of William Wilhite. He was married in 1847 to Susan Speak, a native of Meade County, Ky., born March 2, 18^7. Eight children have been born to them, six now living - John W., Alonzo R., Mary M., Elizabeth A., Stephen F. and M. M. In October, 1861, Mr. O'Bryan enlisted in Company 6, Tenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, and served as Orderly Sergeant one year, when he was discharged on account of a trouble with his eyes. During his service in the army he kept and still has a diary of each day's transactions. In 1852 Mr. O'Bryan was Assessor of Meade County.' He was elected Major of a battalion of State militia while in Marion County. He is a member of the Catholic church.

Edmund C. Pendleton was born in Albemarle County, Va., April 26, 1815, a son of James G. and Mary E. Pendleton. When he was six years old his parents moved to Licking County, O. He attended school there till fourteen years of age when he was sent back to Virginia and entered the University at Charlottesville, Albemarle County. lie being a weakly child his parents contemplated making a lawyer of him, and accordingly he took up that branch of study and graduated in law in 1833. He then entered the Florida war and served till be was wounded. As soon as he recovered sufficiently he was detailed by the Government to go to Cuba and Jamaica and buy bloodhounds for the purpose of trailing the Indians. Although very little has been recorded in history of this act it actually took place. After the war he returned to Virginia and attended several courses of lectures on phrenology by Dr. Spersem. He then went to Scotland with Dr. Spersem and attended lectures there under him and Dr. Gall, who, with Dr. Spersem, originated phrenology. While in Scotland he attended two courses of lectures on law at the Glasgow University, graduating in 1835. la 1835 he went to Vienna and attended two courses in law at Gratt's University, graduating in the spring of 1836. He then returned to the United States and took up the study of civil engineering, at Cincinnati. While engaged in this business he contracted chronic rheumatism, which drew up his right leg at the knee and compelled him to use crutches. Not being able to continue civil engineering he commenced teaching school, and taught in different places in Kentucky till 1848. His health failing on account of his sedentary life, his physician advised a more active business, and accordingly in the fall of 1848 he bought the farm where he now lives. Steadily his health improved until he was entirely recovered. He has 200 acres of fine land, which is now well cultivated. Mr. Pendleton was married in 1840, in Shelby County, Ky., to Martha Seay. She died Nov. 12, 1872, aged fifty-two years, leaving five children - George T., married Elizabeth Houseworth; Jamie G., married Belle Masters; Will J., married Minnie Masters; Flora G., wife of Louis Wahl, and John M. April 17, 1874, Mr. Pendleton married Mrs. Mary A. Kincheloe, widow of R. P. Kincheloe, a native of Breckinridge County, Ky., born June 28, 1817. Mr. Pendleton has been a member of the Baptist church since twelve years of age.

C. B. Priest, born Jan. 6, 1832, is a son of John H. and Isabella (Grigsby) Priest, his father a native of North Carolina, born May 10, 1793, and his mother a native of Daviess County, born Dec. 12, 1800. In 1832 his parents moved to Henderson County, where his father died July 3, 1851. There was a family of eleven children, the following lived to maturity - Joseph M., Marcus A., Frances (Mrs. David Boswell), Decius, Sallie (Mrs. C. B. Duncan), Cortez R., Fernando, Epamanondus and John. C. K. remained with his mother two years after his father's death, when, Nov. 18, 1853, he married Margaret Jones, and went to live with his father-in-law, remaining there three years. At that time his father's estate was settled and he moved on to his portion and lived till September, 1859. He then sold his land and moved back to his father-in-law's, where he remained tillDecember, 1860.

Oakfoed Peeoinct

In 1861 he was Deputy SheriflF of Henderson County. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Company A, Tenth Confederate Cavalry. His company was attached to Morgan's command. July 27, 1863, he was captured, and remained a prisoner till Jan. 6, 1864. Mrs. Priest died Aug. 20, 1859, leaving three sons - John T., Stephen W. , and Charles A. Sept. 13, 1864, Mr. Priest married Mrs. Melvina Shroeder. They have one son - Edgar. In 1873 he bought the farm of 237 acres, which was settled by a. Mr. Holt, where he now lives.

W. E. Purdy was born in Daviess County, Ky., Sept. 29, 1852. He received his-early education in this county and attended St. Mary's College, Marion County, eighteen months. He owns fifty acres of good land half a mile southeast of Grissom's Landing. He was elected Constable of Oakford Precinct in 1880, and is the present incumbent. He has his life insured for $2,000 in the National Insurance Company. He was married Nov. 5, 1878, to Ella Shefier, a native of Union County, Ky., born Sept. 28, 1859. They have one child - William McFarland, born March 7, 1882. Mr. Purdy is a member of the Methodist church, and Mrs. Purdy of the Baptist.