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

Surnames Biography Reddick Coleman Neel Parish JAMES T. REDDICK, M.D., Hopkins County, was born in Sumner County, Tenn., February 15, 1859, and is a son of James W. and Mary W. (Parish) Reddick, the former a native of Sumner and the latter of Bedford County, Tenn.; both were of English descent. James W. Reddick was educated in his native county, where he yet resides, and there he has been engaged most of his life in agricultural pursuits and stock raising. In early life, however, he taught school for several years. He married in Hopkins County, Ky., but immediately returned to Tennessee. Both he and his wife are members of the Primitive Baptist Church, in which he has been a regularly ordained minister for the past eight years, and during that time he has been exclusively engaged in preaching and teaching. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. James T. Reddick was employed on his father's farm until he was nineteen years old. He then commenced the study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. William H. Neel, of Sumner County, Tenn., and graduated with high honors from the medical department of the University of Tennessee, with the class of 1879-80. He received four special prizes for excellence in different branches, and also the second faculty prize for excellence in all branches. In March, 1880, he came to White Plains, where he has since practiced his profession with excellent success. The Doctor is local surgeon for the Chesapeake, Ohio & Southwestern Railway; secretary of the Hopkins County Medical Society, and a member of the county board of health. He was married October 5, 1881, to Miss Willie C. Coleman, a native of Muhlenburgh County, Ky. She was reared and educated, however, mainly in the city of Louisville. One daughter has blessed this union--Beulah M. The Doctor is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having held various official positions in his lodge, Orphan's Friend, No. 523, and is now W. M. In politics he is a Democrat, and is one of the representative professional men, as well as one of the most respected citizens of the county and district. Riggin Daves Whanger ABRUM A. RIGGIN was born in Morgan County, Ill., October 31, 1856, and is the seventh in a family of ten children born to James C. and Susan Riggin, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Kentucky, and of English and German descent, respectively. James C. Riggin, early in life, learned the gun and blacksmith trades. He followed the former trade for only a short time, and has since given his attention to the blacksmith trade. In 1870 he came to Madisonville, Ky., where he remained four or five years. He then returned to Sangamon County, Ill., where he now resides. He is, and has been from early manhood, a devoted member and minister of the Baptist Church. Abrum A. Riggin, at the age of fourteen, began the blacksmith trade with his father. After attaining his majority he followed his trade as a journeyman in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky for a number of years. In 1882, he, in company with W. T. Daves, opened a large wagon factory at Madisonville, Ky., under the firm name of Riggin & Daves. Their factory is one of the largest of the kind in Hopkins County; their work is all hand-made and of superior quality, and they are having an extensive and flourishing trade. Mr. Riggin was married December 22, 1881, to Miss Leota Whanger, a native of Hopkins County, Ky. They have one son--Jasher T. Mr. and Mrs. Riggin are devoted members of the Baptist Church. He is a member of the K. of H. In politics he is a Democrat. Roberts Alexander Davis Sisk THOMAS D. ROBERTS was born in Wales, September 22, 1849, and is the eldest child in a family of thirteen children born to Thomas and Mary (Davis) Roberts, both of whom were natives of Wales. Thomas Roberts received a good classical education, and graduated with high honors from the University of Llandaff, Wales. He afterward graduated from the College of Veterinary Surgery, Paris, France. He then returned to Wales, where he practiced his profession until his death in 1872, in his sixtieth year. He was a member of the Church of England and of a secret order known as "Iverites." Our subject, Thomas D. Roberts, received a liberal common school education in his native land, where he was employed in coal mining until 1867, when he immigrated to the United States, first settling at Plymouth, Penn., where he followed mining for ten months; he then went to Mahanoy City, Penn., where he mined for about ten months; then removed to Alabama, where he was employed at the Cahaba coal fields for two years. In September, 1872, he came to Earlington, Hopkins County, Ky., where he was employed by the Diamond and St. Bernard coal companies until May, 1873, when he assisted in opening the Hecla coal mine near the same place, of which mine he has since been engineer and foreman. He was married in October, 1874, to Miss Elizabeth Alexander, a native of Christian County, Ky., who died in March, 1876. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Roberts' second marriage was in October, 1877, to Miss Georgia Sisk, a native of Hopkins County, Ky. Three children bless their union, two of whom, both daughters, are living. Mr. Roberts is a member of the I.O.O.F.; A.F. & A.M.; R.A.M., R.S M., and A.O.U.W. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. Rogers Porter Tapp JOSEPH L. ROGERS was born in Nebo, Hopkins County, Ky., July 19, 1861, and is a son of Reuben and Martha (Porter) Rogers, natives of Logan County, Ky., and of English descent. Reuben Rogers was first married in his native county, where for about two years he was engaged in farming, and afterward about four years in shipping horses and mules to the Southern markets. In 1857 he came to Hopkins County, Ky., and bought a farm about a mile east of Nebo, where he resided some two or three years. He then moved to Nebo, where he engaged in general merchandising and the tobacco business, and also ran a hotel for many years. Soon after the war he gave up the hotel, but ran the other business till 1869, when he removed to Kansas, where he resided, with the exception of one year, until his death. He was for a short time lieutenant in the Federal cavalry service during the late civil war. He was three times married, our subject being the only surviving child by the second marriage. Joseph L. after his father's death, lived with his grandmother, Rogers, in Logan County, Ky., and managed her farm until he attained his majority; he then bought a farm one mile and a half southwest of Nebo, where he now lives, and where he is successfully engaged in farming. He was married November 29, 1881, to Miss M. V. Tapp, a native of Hopkins County, Ky. They have one daughter--Ada L. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. He is a Republican. Ross Collins Dade Demmett DR. W. S. ROSS was born in Union County, Ky., June 16, 1829. He is a son of W. S. and Ellen (Dade) Ross. The father was born in Bladensburg, Md., was reared in Chambersburg, Penn., and immigrated to Union County, Ky., in 1821; here he engaged in agricultural pursuits; he died in July, 1861, aged sixty-two years. The mother was born in Montgomery County, Md.; she died in February, 1865, aged sixty-eight. Dr. Ross was reared on his father's farm. At the age of twenty-one he engaged in merchandising, and continued about two years, after which he took up the study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. J. D. Collins; two years later he attended the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in February, 1858. He then came to Madisonville, where he engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1862, he was commissioned surgeon of the Eighth Kentucky Cavalry, and served about eight months, when he resigned on account of physical disability. He then returned to Madisonville, where he continued the practice of his profession until January, 1874, when he removed to Evansville, and practiced until September, 1881, when he returned to Madisonville, where he has since resided. He is a member of the Evansville Medical Society, Vanderburg Medical Society, Tri-States Medical Society, and Hopkins County Medical Society; he is also a member of the Board of Health and American Public Health Association. The Doctor is the inventor of a number of surgical appliances and instruments. He was married July 16, 1861, to Sarah H. Demmett, of Mason County, Ky.; this union has been blessed with four children, three of whom are living: William P., James B. and Maria C. The Doctor is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Rutherford Page Sisk WILLIAM S. RUTHERFORD, Hopkins County, was born in Logan County, Ky., August 31, 1834, and is one of twelve children born to William and Martha (Page) Rutherford, natives of the "Old Dominion", and of German and Scotch descent, respectively. William Rutherford, subject's father, when about sixteen years old, in 1811, moved with his parents to Logan County, Ky., where his father was an early settler. There he afterward married and engaged in farming until 1845, when he removed to Christian County, Ky., where he ran a hotel in connection with farming for five years. He then removed to Marion, Crittenden County, where he kept a hotel for several years. He died in March, 1862, in his sixty-fifth year. He and his wife were members of the Christian Church. Mrs. Martha Rutherford is still living in Crittenden County, in her eighty-sixth year. William S., when sixteen years old, engaged as a salesman in a dry goods and grocery store at Marion, where he remained five years. In 1855 he came to Madisonville, Ky., where he was appointed postmaster and opened a book store, which business he continued for one year. He then entered a dry goods store at the same place, as clerk, and after two years became a partner in the business. At the breaking out of the late war he sold the business and farmed for one year, after which he returned to Madisonville, where he was employed as a salesman for various firms until September 1865, when he came to Nebo and engaged in the dry goods business here for five years, when his store and almost his entire stock were destroyed by fire. His dwelling house had been burned only a few months before. After these calamities he was employed as a salesman for three years. He then engaged in farming, and has since followed that occupation. He is now engaged in the hotel business in connection with farming. He was for eight years justice of the peace for Nebo District. He was married February 15, 1866, to Miss Minerva L. Sisk, a native of Hopkins County, Ky. Five children have blessed their union, four of whom, two sons and two daughters, are living. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford are members of the Christian Church. He is a member of both the subordinate lodge and the encampment of the I.O.O.F., having passed all the chairs. He is a Democrat.