Francis Taliaferro Helm
1790-1873
Information comes from the family files
at the Campbell County Historical Society
Francis Taliaferro Helm, the first
mayor of Newport, was born Oct 1790 at Green Level, Caroline County, Virginia
and was the son of Capt. William Helm, of Caroline
County, Va., an officer in the Revolutionary army, and the owner of large
estates in Virginia, among which were "Greenlevel", "Epsom" and "Blenham".
Francis was first a midshipman in the navy, then exchanged into the army, and
commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Thirteenth Infantry, in the War of 1812.
commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Thirteenth Infantry, in the War of 1812.
While in the army he carried a challenge to fight a duel to Major Carney, who
declined to fight his principal, and Mr. Helm took his place, and was so
seriously wounded in the hip as to cripple him and incapacitate him from
military service; he then resigned.
In 1815 in Steuben County, New York, he married Sarah Bankhead McKinney Carney, daughter of Major John T. Carney, an officer who served under Gen. Lafayette, and enjoyed his personal friendship. Francis and Sarah settled in Newport in 1818.
Citizens of Newport gained the right to choose
trustees through annual elections in 1818. But it wasn't until an 1834 amendment to the town
charter created the office of mayor, which was also elective on a yearly basis
and established the ward system. He served as mayor 1834-38 and again
1839-45.
Children of Francis Taliaferro Helm and Sarah Bankhead McKinney Carney
1.
Charles John Helm-born
at Hornellsville, Steuben Co., NY June 20, 1817; m-Louisa Whistler 1854, died
26 Feb 1868 in Havana Cuba; buried in Newport Cemetery in Southgate
2.
Algernon Francis Helm-b-1819 in Newport; m-Lucy Winston Payne 8 Oct 1839 in
Sangamon, Illinois; d-in Labelle Missouri 1888-1900
3. Hubbard Dozier Helm
b-21 Feb 1821 Newport, m-Elisabeth Stanton Tarvin in 1845; d-15 Sep 1885 in
Cincinnati; br-Evergreen Cemetery
7. Matilda Taliaferro Helm-born 1826 in Newport; m-Thomas D Ford 15 Oct 1844 in
Newport;
d-18 Apr 1898 in St Louis, Missouri; br-Bellefontaine Cemetery in St Louis
6. James Taylor Helm b-1833 in Newport; d-12 Jan 1903 in Louisville; br-Cave
Hill Cemetery
William Helm b-1836 in Newport; last listed in a Civil War
draft in Missouri
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Children of Charles John Helm and Louisa Whistler
1. Charles John Helm
b-11 Oct 1855 in St Thomas West Indies; d-19 Sep 1903 in Highlands; br-18 Nov in
Evergreen; m-Anna Mannville Webster July 1876
2. Louisa Helm b-31 Oct 1864 in Havana Cuba
2. William Whistler Helm b-2 Sep 1867 in Niagara Town Canada; d-29 Sep 1906 in
North Carolina; br-2 Oct in Evergreen
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Children of Algernon Francis Helm and Lucy Winston Payne (1817-1881)
John McKinney Helm b-July
1841 in Newport; died in Missouri
Annie Helm b-1847 in Newport
James Helm
b-1849 in Newport
Keturah Helm b-1855 in Newport
Andrew Jackson Helm b-13
Dec 1854 in Newport; d-12 Jan 1926 in Pittsburg Kansas; br-Highland Park
Cemetery; m-Nettie Zimmerman
*******
Children of Matilda Taliaferro Helm and Thomas D Ford (1815-1896)
Keturah Moss Ford b-17 Aug
1845 in Monroe Co Missouri; d-20 June 1910 in St Louis; br-Bellefontaine
Cemetery in St Louis; m-William Davie
Sarah Ford b-1854 in St Louis Missouri
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On January 1, 1823, Helm and James B Taliaferro rented the Grant & Company in Salt Works in Grants Lick. They mortgaged to the company "two yoke of oxen; one red one, a black one, a red one with white face with horn off, and the other a red one. Also one red cow, one blind brown horse called Sampson and also another small brown horse called Dugout." He was also an amateur scientist who reputedly spent a small fortune trying to perfect a perpetual motion machine.
Newport's lyceum, a hall for presenting public lectures or other adult education, also accumulated a library. The town's lyceum dated from March 1832. A dozen leading citizens including Helm donated books, manuscripts and funds for its operation.
One of the responsibilities of Mayor Helm was dealing with the city's sense of manly demeanor that considered dueling as an appropriate response for serious affronts to oneself. Families sent their young sons to Mayor Helm to be instructed in the etiquette of issuing and accepting challenges. Helm was a daily reminder that dueling thrived in his community, for he hobbled along the wooden sidewalks with an ominous, crippled gait that he had earned in an affair of honor. Having once been second to a man who did not promptly appear at the designated moment, Helm took his principal's places, as the code demanded, and was shot by a bullet that lamed him for life.
He was the city of
Newport postmaster for many years. His wife Sarah died Dec 26, 1871 in
Louisville. Francis died in St. Louis in 1873 while on a visit
to his daughter, Matilda Helm Ford.