Kentucky: A History of the State Perrin, Battle & Kniffin 2nd ed., 1885, Hopkins Co. Home Page

Surnames Biography Laffoon Henson Morgan Parker POLK LAFFOON was born October 24, 1844, in Hopkins County, Ky. He is a son of John B. and Susan E. (Henson) Laffoon, natives of North and South Carolina, respectively. His father came to Hopkins County in 1801, and engaged in agricultural pursuits; he represented the county in the legislature in the session of 1851 and 1852, he being the first representative after the adoption of the new constitution; he died September 23, 1873, at the age of eighty-four; the mother died in 1863 at the age of forty-nine. Our subject was reared on his father’s farm and received a good literary education in youth. At the breaking out of the war be entered the service as second lieutenant Company I, Eighth Kentucky Confederate States army. At the battle of Fort Donelson be was taken prisoner; seven months after he was exchanged; he then became a member of Morgan's command, and was again captured during the Ohio raid, and held a prisoner until the end of the war, after which be returned to Hopkins County and taught school two years; he then took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1867, having followed this profession since. He is recognized as one of the leading attorneys of the county and State. Mr. Laffoon was elected in 1884 to represent the Second Congressional District of Kentucky in the forty-ninth congress. He was married in 1869 to Miss Hattie E. Parker, of Hopkins County; two sons and two daughters have blessed this union, He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, I. O. O. F and K. of H. Langley Weir Doxcy Young Frost JOHN H. LANGLEY, Hopkins County, was born in Henderson County, Ky., November 23, 1826, and is the second of five children born to Walter C. and Hannah E. (Weir) (Doxcy) Langley, the former a native of the "Old Dominion," and the latter of Tennessee, and of English descent. Walter C. Langley was first married to a Miss Young and then to our subject’s mother, in his native State, and for many years kept a tavern at Petersburg, Va. About 1810 he removed to Henderson County, Ky., where he bought military lands five miles east of the city of Henderson, and improved a farm upon which be resided until his death in 1835, in about his fifty-fifth year. The grandfather of our subject, William Weir, was a veteran of the Revolutionary war, having served throughout until its close. Our subject, after his father's death, made his home near Nebo with his uncle, Absalom Weir, who was a veteran in the war of 1812, until he attained his majority. He then bought a farm near Madisonville, where he followed farming about two years; then moved back in the Nebo section and farmed for nineteen years, and in 1873 he sold his farm and removed to Nebo, where be engaged in the tobacco stemming business which he has since followed. He is doing an extensive business, handling on an average, about 300,000 pounds of leaf and strip tobacco every year; he also owns a farm near Nebo. He is now and has been for the past ten years deputy county clerk. He was married April 23, 1850, to Miss Agnes E. Frost, a native of Tennessee. Seven children have blessed their union, six of whom - four sons and two daughters - are yet living. Mr. and Mrs. Langley are members of the Christian Church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity; in politics be is a Democrat. Lovan Willson Gamlin JAMES D. W. LOVAN was born October 23, 1838, in Hopkins County, and on the farm where he now lives. He is a son of Gabriel G. and Forancies (Willson) Lovan. The father was born in North Carolina. He came to this farm in 1827, then an unbroken forest. He died in 1867, aged sixty-six. The mother was born in Fayette County, Ky. She died in 1876, aged seventy-one. Our subject was reared on this farm, which he now owns, and which consists of 366 acres, and which he has recently improved with a very comfortable residence. He has long been engaged in handling tobacco, and has followed the gunsmith's trade in connection with agricultural pursuits. Mr. Lovan was married, in 1883, to Oeller Gamlin, who was born in Hopkins County. Lovan Foley Fugate JOHN W. LOVAN was born November 22, 1828, in Hopkins County, Ky. He is a son of R. P. and Talitha (Foley) Lovan, both parents born in this county. The father died in July, 1858, aged fifty-two; the mother is now living at Morton's Gap. Our subject was reared on his father's farm and attended the schools of the neighborhood. At the age of nineteen he commenced farming on rented land, and six years later bought a farm of 190 acres. He continued at this business until 1871, when he moved to Morton's Gap and established a general merchandise business, which he has since continued. When on his farm he served as magistrate. He was married December 16, 1847, to Nancy A. Fugate, of Hopkins County. This union has been blessed with four children - two sons and two daughters - by whom they have twenty-three grandchildren living. Mr. and Mrs. Lovan are exemplary members of the Baptist Church. Lunsford Cozash [sic] Mitchell J. H. LUNSFORD was born March 23, 1834, in Person County, N. C. He is a son of Alexander and Naria (Cozash) Lunsford, both parents natives of the same county and State. In 1836 the family immigrated to Hopkins County, and engaged in farming. The father died in 1864, aged sixty-five. The mother died in 1867, aged fifty-nine. Our subject was reared on his father’s farm, and at the age of twenty-one his father gave him a small farm. He now owns seven farms, which include about 1,600 acres; also a flouring-mill and a number of business houses and other property in town, and all of this valuable property he has acquired by strict attention to business and constant work. He is also engaged in live-stock, owning at present 100 head of cattle, 400 sheep, 300 hogs, etc. Mr. Lunsford was married January 14, 1864, to Anna Mitchell, of Hopkins County. This union has been blessed with three children - two sons and one daughter. William A., the oldest son, graduated in the winter of 1884.