Dennis Partridge

Courts and Bar of Todd County, Kentucky

Under the Constitution of 1799, there were three inferior courts, the Circuit Court, the County Court and the single Magistrate. The first was the same as at present, though in the scarcity of lawyers, the fashion was to travel the circuit, the Judge leading and the bar following as escort. Hopkinsville, Elkton, Russellville and Greenville were the principal points to which the practice of the time led the leading lawyers of the Todd County bar. The County Court was the great local arbiter of county interests, and was composed of a “competent number” of justices appointed from the county at … Read more

Courtship and Marriage

Attending church had other merits to the young gallants of long ago than vigorous preaching. It was quite the thing if a young man had the means to escort his lady to church on horse back. The less fortunate walked and then ” went home ” with his girl after services. On such occasions it was no uncommon thing after getting out of sight of the church for the young lady to remove her morocco slippers and fine stockings and walk home with her escort barefooted. If Kennedy is to be trusted ” the general custom was to see your … Read more

Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Todd County, Kentucky

The Presbyterian Church was hardly second in its appearance in Kentucky. In 1796 James Mc-Gready, a Presbyterian minister, settled in Logan County and took charge of three congregations-Little Muddy, Gaspar River and Red River, the latter being situated near the line separating Kentucky and Tennessee. Mr. McGready- was a native of Pennsylvania, but commenced his ministry in North Carolina, where he inveighed with great earnestness against slavery and formalism. On this account he became offensive to the church and immigrated to Kentucky, where his severity and earnestness had a different effect, and gave the initial impulse to what became the … Read more

Daysville, Todd County, Kentucky

On the Russellville road, five miles east of Elkton, the town of Daysville was first inaugurated as early as 1833. In a very early day a man by the name of Day had a store there, and the little village was named after him. A Mr. Knight also had a store there about the same time Day was there. T. B. Bailey was about the next to do business there, followed by Lewis & Luck. At present the place has about 100 inhabitants, with two stores, one of which is kept by W. F. Cole, the ‘ other by J. … Read more

Benjamin Helm Bristow

Besides its contributions to the file of either army, Todd County claims the nativity of two of the leaders in this contest, who according to the ” eternal fitness of things ” were arrayed on either side. On the side of the Union was Benjamin Helm Bristow. He is second in a family of four children, and was born at Elkton, Ky., in July, 1832. After gaining the rudiments of an education here, he was placed at an early age in Jefferson College, at Cannonsburg, Penn. After completing the course of study prescribed by this institution he returned to Elkton, … Read more

Biographies of Todd County, Kentucky

The following biographies are hosted on AccessGenealogy and represent individuals who resided in Todd County, Kentucky prior to the 1920’s. Adams, R. N. Anderson, F. L. Arnold, Lycurgus H. Bailey, D. L. Barksdale, William H. Bartlett, Joseph W., Dr. Bass, R. F. Bearden, William R. Beazley, Thomas Bell, John F. Bell, William M. Bellamy, R. D. Bivin, John Brown Bradshaw, Robert Brown, Elijah C. Brown, M. D., Col. Brumfield, Charles C. Buckley, William O. Buie, William E. Butler, Benjamin B. Byars, Alexander T., Sr. Byars, F. M. Camp, Thomas J. Carneal, Benjamin F. Cathcart, Enoch J. Chesnut, Franklin M. Chesnut, … Read more

Bivinsville Precinct, Todd County, Kentucky

FEW studies are more interesting to mankind than that of the past experiences, deeds, thoughts and trials of the human race. The civilised man and the untutored savage alike desire to know the deeds and lives of their ancestors, and strive to perpetuate their story. National patriotism and literary pride have prompted many in all time to preserve the annals of particular people, but narrow prejudices and selfish interest have too often availed to suppress the truth or distort facts. It is the aim of the present writer to collect and prepare in a presentable and readable form some of … Read more

The Civil War

The war which opened the vast area of Texas to the expansion of slavery proved a costly but vain experiment, and the cry for ” more room ” was soon heard as urgent as before. There was no expedient by which the issue which was fast hurrying on could be evaded. The tastes and habits of the people made national politics an absorbing topic, and while nothing here contributed to disturb the unanimity of sentiment, the popular sympathy was not wholly with either of the pre-dominant political factions. Todd County was unanimously opposed to emancipation, a firm supporter of the … Read more

Act of Legislature

The text of the act is as follows : SECTION 1. Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That from and after the first day of April next, all that part of said counties of Logan and Christian, contained in the following boundary, to wit: Beginning on the Tennessee State line, at the present corner of the counties of Logan and Christian, on said State line; thence on a straight line to the Muhlenberg County line, two miles east of the present corner of said counties of Logan and Christian, on said Muhlenberg County line; … Read more

Amusements

The early sports were allied to useful occupations. Quiltings, wool-pickings and spinning-bees were made up by the women, when the afternoon was given to work and the night to games, the young men coming in to share the entertainment and escort the girls home. House-raisings, log-rollings and husking-bees were occasions when the men after a hard day’s work would spend, the evening with the young women invited in. As society developed, however, the times showed “smart signs of wickedness ” in place of these earlier amusements. Horse racing, shooting matches, raffling and dancing came in to disturb the staid people … Read more