Subjects of Perrin, Battle & Kniffin 1885 Biographies
From: Kentucky, A History of the State. Perrin, Battle & Kniffin. 2nd ed.,
1885, Webster Co.
BENJAMIN JENINGS was born in what is now Webster County, Ky., October 10,
1825, and is one of eight children born to Louis and Nancy (Martin)
Jenings, natives of Virginia and North Carolina, and of Irish and English
descent. When only a small boy Louis Jenings was brought by his parents to
Caldwell County, KY. There his father, James Jenings, who had served under
Gen. Washington, participated in the battles of Lexington, Bunker Hill, and
many others, located a military grant and improved a farm, upon which he
resided until his death. After attaining his majority, Louis came to what
is now Webster County, where he bought a partially improved farm near
Providence, upon which he resided until 1860, after which he made his home
with his children until his death, October 9, 1865, in his eighty-fifth
year. Benjamin Jenings was employed on his father's farm until he was
sixteen years old, when he was employed as a laborer on a farm for several
years. He then bought a partially improved place two miles west of
Providence, upon which he still resides. He was married in 1850 to Miss
Elizabeth Howard, a native of Webster County, Ky. They have no children.
Mrs. Jenings is a devoted member of the United Baptist Church. Mr. Jenings
is a member of the I.O.O.F., and an earnest advocate of temperance. In
politics he is a Democrat.
WILLIAM HALL JENKINS was born November 23, 1853, at Salubria Springs,
Christian Co., Ky., and in 1858 was taken by his parents to Hopkins County.
His father, Rev. Dr. Warren L. Jenkins, a native of Hardin County, Ky., was
born in 1811, removed with his parents in 1825, to Montgomery County, Ill.;
was a member of the Illinois conference, a legislator in Wisconsin, a
pioneer at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; next lived in Huntsville, Ala., then went to
California in 1850; settled in Sumner Co., Tenn., in 1851, and then in
Hopkins County, Ky., in 1858, where he died in 1875. He was a brilliant
man, an erudite scholar, made his mark wherever he lived, and was
extensively lamented in death. He was the son of Jehu Jenkins, a native of
Pennsylvania, who married Hannah Buzan, of Hardin County Ky., in 1804, and
died at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1859, at the age of seventy-five years. Dr.
Warren L. first married Elizabeth A. Killingsworth, of Montgomery County,
Ill., to whom were born Laura A. (Lander), Celeste I., Ellen L. and Thomas
B. His second wife was Miss Thankful, daughter of Gen. William and Mary
(Alexander) Hall, of Sumner County, Tenn., and from this union sprang the
subject of this sketch. Gen. Hall was a pioneer Indian fighter in
Tennessee, where his father and two brothers were killed by the savages.
He was governor of the State and a member of congress. Our subject
married, April 23, 1874, to Miss Mary E., daughter of James D. and Mary A.
Couch, of Webster County (born February 29, 1852), and to them have been
born Mary T., Ellen D., William H., Jr., and Thomas S. Our subject is
engaged in farming, and acting as insurance agent. He is a member of the
A.F.& A.M., a Methodist and a Democrat.
J.A. JUSTICE, Webster County, was born February 24, 1846, in Robertson
County, Tenn., a son of Jack A. and Susan (Ficer) Justice, natives of the
same county. The father was engaged in farming and trading, and died in
1854, aged thirty-three. The mother is still living in her native State.
Our subject at the age of seventeen, hired out on a farm, where he remained
one year, and from his earnings was enabled to attend school; he continued
at farm work in the summer, and attended school, after which he took up the
study of medicine, under the preceptorship of Dr. J.T.W. Davis, of
Robertson County; after a year's study, the profession became distasteful
and he again returned to farming and trading for a year; he then engaged in
merchant milling for about two years, after which merchandising was added
to the business. Two years later he sold out his interest in the mill, and
continued merchandising. February 4, 1875, he came to his present
locality, and opened a small store, which he has increased into a large and
flourishing business, carrying a stock of from $8,000 to $10,000. Mr.
Justice was appointed postmaster in 1877, which office he still holds. He
was married in the spring of 1868, to Miss Elizabeth T. Walker, of Cheatham
County, Tenn.; one bright daughter gladdens their home. Mr. Justice, by
strict attention to business, has risen to be one of the wealthiest and
most respected men in the county.
LEWIS KORB, Webster county, born in Bavaria, March 7, 1837, is a son of
Lewis and Rachael (Krever) Korb, and is of German descent. His paternal
grandfather was a school teacher in the employ of the Bavarian government.
When subject was quite young, his parents left their native country and
came to America, and for a time stopped at New Orleans. From there they
moved to Cincinnati, Ohio; thence to Ripley County, Ind., where our subject
lived and farmed until 1869, when he came to Webster County, Ky., settled
at Slaughtersville, and engaged in the milling business. In 1880 he came
to Sebree, where he continued the milling business, and has been very
successful. The mill, which was erected in 1881, has a capacity of
twenty-five barrels of flour per day, and cost about $5,000. In 1884 Mr.
Korb discovered the Chalybeate Spring on his premises. This spring has
already attained quite a reputation, and is becoming famous for the
medicinal qualities of its waters. The water has been analyzed by E.S.
Wayne, a Cincinnati chemist, and found to contain: Carbonate of iron 2.774;
sulphate of lime, .072; carbonate of lime, 1.213; carbonate of magnesia
.045; carbonate of sodium .280; total 4.384. Mr. Korb was married in 1858
to Miss Louisa Snyder, of Ripley County, Ind. They have five children:
Louisa R., Anna B., Lizzie, Jacob J., and Allie. Mr. Korb is a Democrat
and is now police judge of Sebree. Mr. and Mrs. Korb are members of the
Lutheran Church.
W.C. LISMAN was born in Hopkins County, now Webster County, Ky., on Deer
Creek, and is a son of John and Martha (Cavanah) Lisman. The father was
born in Indiana in 1795, and at the age of fifteen years moved to Henderson
County, Ky., where he followed the blacksmith's trade for about nine years,
after which he removed to Hopkins County. There he carried on his trade
until forced to abandon it on account of old age. He died in Henderson
County in 1866. Subject's mother was born in North Carolina in 1800 and
died in 1866. W.C. Lisman came to his present location when about twenty
years old, and opened a blacksmith shop which he ran about three years,
when he was forced to give up the trade on account of ill health. He then
bought seventy acres of land and engaged in farming. He has kept adding to
his possessions, and has owned as high as 800 acres of land. He now owns
about 600 acres, about one-half of which is fenced. He began life with
nothing, and by his own energy and close attention to business has placed
himself in comfortable circumstances. He was married, in March, 1841, to
Mary Rice, of this county. Eleven children have blessed this union, of
whom eight are now living - four sons and four daughters. Mr. and Mrs.
Lisman are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which he
became a member as early as 1844.
JOHN P. McGAW was born in Carroll County, Miss., Mary 15, 1860 to John R.
and Martha A. (Boothe) McGaw, natives of South Carolina and Mississippi,
and of Irish and English descent, respectively. John R., at the age of
thirteen, moved with his parents to Mississippi, where he was afterward
married, and where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1871. He
then came to Webster County, Ky, where he bought a farm, on which he
resided until his death in 1878. He served for some two years in one of
the Mississippi regiments, Confederate service, during the late civil war,
participating in several of the leading battles. He was, at the time of
his death, a magistrate. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and of
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. John P. McGaw still resides on the
home place with his mother, and now owns part of the farm. He has held the
position of school trustee, and is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church. He is yet unmarried, and in politics, is a Democrat.
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