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

Surnames Biography O'Bryan Bourland Sisk Harrison Meaders REV. JOHN O'BRYAN was born April 4, 1828, in Hopkins County, Ky. He is a son of Redick and Elizabeth (Bourland) O'Bryan. The father was born May 22, 1792, in North Carolina. In 1810 the family immigrated to Hopkins County, Ky.; he died September, 1881, aged eighty-eight. The mother was born in South Carolina, December 9, l796. At the age of four years she came with her parents to Hopkins County, where she died in 1866. These parents were life-long and devoted members of the United Baptist Church, having united themselves with this body in 1811. Our subject was reared on his father's farm. At the age of twenty-three, he bought 136 acres of land on Richland Creek which he afterward improved and where be lived for over thirty years; in 1882 he came to Dawson, having exchanged his farm for property here; he owns the Dawson House and four other dwellings, and is engaged in the furniture business at this point. Mr. O'Byran is a Baptist Minister and since the age of twenty-six has been engaged in preaching. The past twenty-five years he has had charge of the Richland Church; he also has charge of the Harmony Church at Dawson, and one in Webster County. He was married December 4, 1850, to Louisa J. Sisk, of Hopkins County; this union was blessed with nine children - five sons and four daughters. Mrs. O'Bryan died September 26, 1876, aged forty-five. Mr. O'Bryan's second marriage was April 9, 1878, to Mary A. Sisk, widow of Lee Harrison, and to this union have been born two children - one son and one daughter. Mrs. O'Bryan has one daughter by her former marriage, Mrs. J. D. Meaders. Offutt Wright Kinnett S. W. OFFUTT was born March 4, 1838, in Christian County, Ky. He is a son of John M. and Nancy (Wright) Offutt, both parents born in Richmond, Va. The father was brought by his parents to Fayette County, Ky., in 1792. He died in Hopkins County, September 15, 1862, at the advanced age of Ninety-eight years. He followed the carpenter's trade, and assisted in erecting many of the buildings in Madisonville. The mother died in 1878, aged seventy-three. Our subject, at the age of twenty-one, bought a farm containing 214 acres, located three and one-half miles south of Madisonville. This farm he has since owned. Rich veins of coal run through this land, and for the past twenty years Mr. Offutt has furnished coal to the mills and other places from his land. He has never sought or held an office beyond that of jailer, which he now holds, having been elected in 1882. He was married May 1, 1862, to Miss R. A. Kinnett, of Marion County, Ky. Six children have blessed this union - four sons and two daughters. His father served in the war of 1812, and immigrated to Hopkins County in 1838. Oliver Hyeatt Canady JOHN W. OLIVER, Hopkins County, was born in Anderson County, Ky., October 30, 1845, and is the seventh in a family of thirteen children born to James B. and Mary A. (Hyeatt) Oliver, natives of Anderson County, Ky., and of Irish and English descent, respectively. James B. Oliver was educated and married in his native county, where he was, for many years, engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1857 he came to Hopkins County, Ky., bought a farm near Nebo, and engaged in farming until his death in November, 1875, in his sixty-third year. He and wife were members of the Christian Church. John W. Oliver, when twenty years old, went to work at the carpenter's trade, which he followed eight or nine years, after which he went to the Indian Territory, where be farmed one year. He then returned to Kentucky and farmed the homestead two years. In the spring of 1878 be opened a grocery store at Manitou, where be remained about eighteen months. He then moved the store to a point near the Hopkins County fair grounds, about one mile west of Madisonville, where he still continues business, having a fair trade. He was married September 28, 1879, to Miss Theresia Canady, a native of Hopkins County, Ky. Three children have blessed their union, two of whom - both daughters-are living. In politics Mr. Oliver is a Democrat. Orr Boring Laffoon Gordon McGary W. D. ORR, county attorney of Hopkins County, was born September 28, 1856, in Webster County, Ky. He is a son of Judge L. D. Orr, of the same county. In 1872 our subject came to Madisonville, and entered Prof. Boring's select school, where he remained four years. In July, 1877, he commenced the study of law with Laffoon & Gordon, was admitted to the bar in October, 1878, since which time he has been engaged in the practice of his profession. In the spring of 1880 he was elected city attorney, of Madisonville, and re-elected in 1881. In August 1882, he was elected county attorney, which office he has since creditably filled. Mr. Orr was married in 1880 to Miss Annie G. McGary, of Madisonville. One daughter has blessed this union. Mr. Orr was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1884, representing the Second Congressional District of Kentucky. Outlaw Whitfield Rodgers Whitfield DR. JOHN J. OUTLAW was born March 5, 1829, in Duplin County, N. C. He is a son of Louis and Elizabeth (Whitfield) Outlaw, natives of the same State. In 1847, the family immigrated to Hopkins County, Ky. The father, when in his native State, was engaged in merchandising, also in farming. He first settled two miles north of Nortonville, but after remaining two years, moved to a point one mile south of the village; there he died July 19, 1859, aged seventy-one. The mother was born December 2, 1795; she died in August, 1876. Dr. Outlaw received a good literary education in youth, after which he entered big father's store as clerk, since which time he has been identified in merchandising and dentistry; the latter profession he has followed the last twenty years; is thoroughly skilled in all details pertaining to the profession, which is a safe guarantee that all work intrusted to him will receive skillful attention; twelve years of this time he rode as deputy sheriff and constable. In 1880 he, with his brother, Needham H., established a general store at Nortonville, which they have since successfully managed, and are doing a business of about $10,000 a year. Their parents had a family of thirteen children, six of whom are living, viz.: Louis, Joseph, Caroline (now Mrs. Rodgers), Narcissa (now Mrs. Whitfield), John J. and Needham H. Dr. Outlaw was married December 4, 1878, to Jertie Whitfield, of Tennessee; they have one son. Needham H. Outlaw was married, April 20, 1880, to Georgia A. Whitfield, of Tennessee. The Doctor is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and L O. O. F. Needham H. is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.