Biogaphies, Knox County, Kentucky Genealogy Trails

Kentucky Genealogy and History
Knox County, Kentucky Genealogy Trails

Biographies

ADAMS, George Madison
(1837—1920)

ADAMS, George Madison, (nephew of Green Adams), a Representative from Kentucky; born in Barbourville, Knox County, Ky., December 20, 1837; received private instruction from his father and attended Centre College, Danville, Ky.; studied law; clerk of the circuit court of Knox County, Ky., 1859-1861; during the Civil War raised a company of volunteers and was captain of Company H, Seventh Regiment, Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, from 1861 to 1863; in 1864 was commissioned paymaster with the rank of major; elected as a Democrat to the Fortieth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1867-March 3, 1875); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress; elected Clerk of the House of Representatives December 6, 1875, during the Forty-fourth Congress, and served until the commencement of the Forty-seventh Congress, December 5, 1881; appointed register of the Kentucky land office by Gov. J. Proctor Knott and served from 1884 to 1887; appointed secretary of state for Kentucky by Gov. Simon B. Buckner and served from 1887 to 1891; appointed State railroad commissioner in 1891; appointed United States pension agent at Louisville by President Cleveland and served from 1894 to 1898; after retirement resided at Winchester, Clark County, Ky., until his death April 6, 1920; interment in Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Ky.

[Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present, contributed by A. Newell]

James D. Black. Barbourville, judicial center and principal city of Knox County, claims as its most distinguished citizen, James Dixon Black, former governor of Kentucky, and foremost in connection with civic and business affairs in his home city and native county. He has secure vantage ground as one of the representative members of the Kentucky bar and at Barbourville he is president of the National Bank of John A. Black.

James Dixon Black was born on the old homestead farm of his father, nine miles east of Barbourville, Knox County, on Big Richland Creek, and the date of his nativity was September 24, 1849. On this farm his father, John C. Black, died in the year 1876, his birth having occurred in South Carolina, in 18o4. Alexander Black, grandfather of the ex-governor of Kentucky, was. a native of Ireland, of Scotch-Irish lineage, and was reared and educated in his native land, whence, shortly after his marriage, he immigrated with his young wife to America and established his residence in South Carolina, where he continued his association with farm industry until his removal to the eastern part of Tennessee, whence he came as a pioneer into Knox County, Kentucky, when his son John C. was a boy. He instituted the reclamation and development of what became one of the finest farm estates of this county, was influential in public affairs and general community life and was a commanding figure in connection with early stages of civic and material development and progress in Knox County, where he continued to reside, as an honored pioneer citizen, until the time of his death.

John C. Black was reared to manhood in Knox County, where in all of the relations of life he wielded benignant influence during the course of a signally active and useful career. He became one of the most extensive and successful exponents of farm enterprise in this county, was originafly a whig and later a republican in politics, and the only office in' which he consented to serve was that of justice of the peace, of which he continued the incumbent several years. In Clay County, this state, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Clarissa Jones, who was there born in the year 18o7, and whose death occurred on the old Black homestead farm, nine miles east of Barbourville, in 1862. Of the children the eldest was Permelia, who was born in 1827, and who became the wife of Hiram Jones, the closing period of their lives having been passed on their home farm, in Laurel County; Isaac J., who was born in the year 182o, was a farmer one mile east of Barbourville at the time of his death, and his was the distinction of having been a captain in a Kentucky regiment that gave valiant service in defense of the Union in the Civil war; Samuel, who was born in 1831, likewise became a prosperous representative of farm enterprise and he was a resident of Richmond, Madison County, at the time of his death, in 1919; Alexander, who was born in 1832, is a retired farmer residing at Richmond; Rhoda, born in 1834, the widow of Nathan McBee, and resides in Laurel County, where her husband was a representative farmer; David, born in 1836, was a substantial farmer of Madison County at the time of his death, in 1916; Isabella, born in 1838, died at Barbourville, and her husband, John Brogan, is now engaged in the banking business at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; John A., .born in 1842, resides at Barbourville, where he was formerly a leading merchant and where he became the most influential factor in reorganizing the private banking business founded by John A. Black into what is now the National Bank of John A. Black, of which he became the first president, a capacity in which he served a number of years, since which he has lived virtually retired; Hiram was a prosperous farmer in Knox County at the time of his death; Alabama became the wife of William Hopper and died in Laurel County, where her husband is still actively engaged in farm enterprise; James D., of this review, is the youngest of the children.

Knox County's native son who was destined to become governor of this great commonwealth, gained his early education in the rural schools and a subscription school maintained at Barbourville. Thereafter he completed a course in Tusculum College, situated four miles east of Greenville, Tennessee, in which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1872 and with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. It was a fitting recognition which his alma mater accorded to him many years later, when, in 1911, Tusculum College conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, he having marked the intervening years with substantial and distinguished service and achievement.

After his graduation in the college mentioned above Mr. Black returned to Knox County, and here he gave two years of effective service as a teacher in the public schools. In the meanwhile he gave much attention to the study of law, and that he made definite progress in the absorption and assimilation of the science of jurisprudence is indicated by the fact that in August, 1874, he was duly admitted to the bar of his native state. Depending upon no fortuitious influence, he proved his ability by successful work in his chosen profession, and for many years he has maintained a place of acknowledged leadership as a member of the bar of Eastern Kentucky. His practice, which has been of representative order, has involved his appearance in connection with many civil and criminal cases of major importance, and he has extended his practice into the Supreme Court of Kentucky and the Federal courts of the state. The building in which he maintains his law offices, at the corner of Main and High streets in Barbourville, is a two-story brick block that is owned by him, and in his extensive practice he is now the senior member of the firm of Black, Black & Owens, in which his associates are his only son, Pit- zer D. Black, and his son-in-law, H. H. Owens.

Mr. Black has long been a leader in the councils and campaign activties of the democratic party in Southeastern Kentucky, and in 1875, shortly after he had attained to an age that made him eligible for such office, he was elected representative of Knox and Whitley counties in the lower house of the Kentucky Legislature, in which he gave effective service during the session of the Centennial year, 1876, and proved himself a resourceful working member of the House and of the various committees to which he was assigned. In 1884-5 he served as commissioner of the common schools of Knox County, and his versatility has been shown not only in his work as a public official and able lawyer, but also in his vital loyalty and liberality as a citizen. In 1911-12 he officiated as president of Union College, and during the latter year he was first assistant attorney general of Kentucky. He became, in 1915, the democratic candidate for lieutenant governor of Kentucky, to which office he was duly elected and in which he served until 1919. As lieutenant governor he presided over three full sessions of the State Senate and during one impeachment trial before that body. In May, 1919, by virtue of existing conditions, he became governor of the state, and in this high office he continued his executive service, with characteristic high sense of stewardship and with marked discrimination and circumspection, until the inauguration of Governor Morrow, in December, 1919, when he resigned the reins of government to the present chief executive of the state. During his brief regime as governor he punctiliously directed all routine affairs of the office and looked at all times to the safeguarding of the interests of the state and its people, in which connection it is to be noted that, though there were many importunities, he consented to pardon but very few criminals, his judgment as a lawyer of profound learning and long experience and his fine sense of justice causing him to avoid the executive clemency that the merits of cases presented to him did not fully authorize. Upon retiring from the office of governor he served during 192o as chief prohibition inspector of Kentucky. Since that time he has given his attention to his law business, and he finds constant demands for his interposition in advisor capacity and as counsel in connection with important interests and law cases. Among his real-estate holdings are his fine home property, at the corner of Main and High streets in the city of Barbourville, and 2.ooo acres of coal land and other mineral land, in Whitley, Bell and Knox counties. The year 1921 marks the third consecutive year of Mr. Black's service as president of the National Bank of John A. Black, which had its inception in a private bank established many years ago by his brother, John A., its incorporation as a national bank, under the present title, having occurred April 18, 1914. Judge W. R. Marsee and J. S. Miller are vice presidents of the institution, and W. R. Lay is its cashier. The bank has a capital stock of $3o,ooo; its surplus fund and undivided profits aggregate $5o.ooo, and its deposits are fully $85o,ooo. Mr. Black is a director of the Barbourville Cemetery Company. He has been a close and appreciative student of the history and teachings of the Masonic fraternity and is one of its prominent and honored representatives in his native state. His ancient-craft affiliation rs with Mountain Lodge, No. 187, Free & Accepted Masons, at Barbourville, and he has served seven different times as master of this lodge, besides which he had the distinction of serving in 188') as grand master of the Kentucky Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons. His capitular membership is in Barbourville Chapter, No. 137, Royal Arch Masons, of which he has twice served as high priest. At London, Laurel County, he is affiliated with the council of Royal & Select Masters, and his York Rite circle is completed by his affiliation with Ryan Commandery, No. 17, Knights Templars, at Danville. In the City of Louisville he holds membership in Kosair Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He and his wife are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Black was Lieutenant-Governor of Kentucky at the time when the United States became involved actively in the World war, and with characteristic loyalty he gave his aid in the forwarding and supporting of the various war activities in his native state, in which connection he made many patriotic speeches in Knox County and other counties of eastern Kentucky. He wielded much influence in furthering the campaigns in support of the government war-bond issues, savings stamps, Red Cross work, etc., and made his personal subscriptions touch hard upon the limit of his available resources.

In December, 1875, at Barbourville, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Black to Miss Mary Janette Pitzer, daughter of the late T. J. and Mary (Glass) Pitzer, who .were residents of Barbourville at the time of thei, death, Mr. Pitzer haying come to Kentucky from his native state of Virginia and having for many years been a leading merchant at Barbourville. Pitzer D., eldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Black, was born in the year 1881, was graduated in Centre College, at Danville, Kentucky, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and thereafter he attended the law department of the University of Virginia. Since his admission to the bar he has been actively associated with his father in the practice of law at Barbourville. Miss Gertrude D. Black remains at the parental home and is a graduate of the Woman's College at Danville, Kentucky, from which she received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Georgia is the wife of H. H. Owens, the third member of the representative law firm of Black, Black & Owens. Mrs. Owens likewise received from the Woman's College at Danville the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The family is one of prominence in the representative social life of Barbourville and Knox County, and the former governor has commanding place in the esteem of the people of not only his native county, but also of the state in general, for his ability and achievement mark him as one of Kentucky's distinguished citizen.

[Source: History of Kentucky by Charles Kerr 1922, contributed by Brenda Wiesner]