Vallandingham.C..Grant.BIOS


Souvenir Edition, The Williamstown Courier, Williamstown, Ky, May 30, 1901,
reprinted September 19, 1981 by the Grant County KY Historical Society.

C. VALLANDINGHAM has been prominent in county affairs for a quarter of a
century. He is a Grant County boy and and his native heath was the section
of country Gardnersville and Flingsville.  His father was William
Vallandingham, one of Grant County's best pioneer citizens.  His mother
was Parthena (Medcalf) Vallandingham.  "Lum" as his best friends call him,
was born on a farm May 12, 1845.  He grew to manhood on the old home
farm, attending school in winter and laboring on the farm in season. After
finishing his common school education he attended the high school at
Crittenden and Independence, then under the charge of one of the most
scholarly and perfect educators of that day--Professor Jones.

Beginning life as country boys usually do, as a schoolteacher, in
1871 he united in marriage with Miss Mollie Ratcliffe, daughter of Robert
Ratcliffe.  Two children have blessed this union--Fred, the Assistant
Postmaster at Williamstown, and Miss Katherine, a charming young lady.

In 1876 Mr. Vallandingham was elected Sheriff of Grant County,
defeating the regular Democratic nominee for the first time since the War
of the Rebellion.  He was re-elected in 1879 and served the county as a
faithful official in that capacity for four years. For several years and
until quite recently Mr. Vallandingham was the Chairman of the Republican
Executive Committee of Grant County, and managed the party's fight in this
part of the country.  He is a vigilant, successful and able manager of
political affairs, and did much to build the Republican party up to its
present strong proportion in Grant County.  Once he has been nominated by
his party for office since his election as Sheriff. He made the race for
Representative as the Republican nominee against the Hon. John T. McClure
in 1889.  In 1896 he was sent as a delegate by the Republicans of the
Sixth Congressional District to the Chicago convention that nominated
William McKinley.

In business in recent years Mr. Vallandingham has been very active.
For many years he was one of the largest rehandlers of tobacco in this part
of the State; more recently he operated a large flouring mill in
Williamstown.  At present Mr. Vallandingham is Deputy Collector for the
Sixth District, his territory until recently embracing most of the counties
in this part of the State.  Mr. Vallandingham is a clever, agreeable
gentleman and has many warm friends.




Submitted by: WRFC71A@prodigy.com (MRS BEULAH A FRANKS)
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997