Biographies R
Jesse H. Reno
J.H. Reno was born in Muhlenberg County, April 25, 1817, and is the sixth of seven children (three boys and two girls living) born to Lewis and Sallie (Kincheloe) Reno, natives of Culpepper County, Va., of French and Scotch-Irish descent, respectively.
The grandfather of our subject, Lewis Reno, is said to have been born in France. The original name is Renault. The grandfather kept a hotel in Virginia, and in 1790 moved to Nelson County, Ky. About ten years later he came to Muhlenberg County and settled near Kincheloe's Bluff on Green River, where he entered several hundred acres of land, on which he lived the rest of his days.
The grandfather William Kincehloe had several sons in the Revolution; he was a native of Virginia, and moved to Nelson County about 1790, where he died. The family moved to different parts of the State, mostly to Muhlenberg County. Gen. Kincheloe died on the way to Tippecanoe under Gen. Shelby, in Ohio, during the war of 1812; he lived in Muhlenberg County.
J.H. Reno was reared on a farm until seventeen, and received a fair common school education. At seventeen he commenced as salesman for Edward Rumsey, of Greenville. Four years later he commenced selling in his own name in Greenville, which he continued until elected clerk of the county court in 1854, which position he filled for twelve years.
In 1866, he engaged in the dry goods business, which he followed until 1872; in 1874, was appointed collector of internal revenue for Second Kentucky District which office he filled twenty-nine months. In 1880, he located in Central City, where he has been engaged in the general merchandise business ever since. In December, 1883, he was appointed deputy collector by E. Farley.
In the fall of 1861, he was quartermaster for Eleventh Kentucky; in December was transferred to the Fifth Division, as quartermaster; in March, 1862, resigned and returned home.
J.H. Reno was married February 27, 1842, to Fannie Young of Muhlenberg County, a daughter of Benjamin S. and Fannie (Wickliffe) Young of Virginia; to themwere born one child. Mrs. Reno died in June, 1843, a member of the Baptist Church, and Mr. Reno married, December 6, 1846, Harriet M. Elliott, of Muhlenberg County, a native of Ohio County, and a daughter of Richard and Eliza (Rumsey) Elliott. Ten children were born to this union, four living: Jane, wife of Lewis Martin Morleyand, of Missouri; Agnes (Offett); Jessie (Murray), residing in Louisville, and Edward.
Mr. Reno's second wife died December 31, 1866, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and he next married, November 11, 1868, Mary P. Martin of Bowling Green, a daughter of W.P. and Susan (Bayly) Payne, natives of Mason County, Ky., and Stafford County, Va., respectively. Her father was of Scotch-Irish origin. Mr. and Mrs. Reno are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Christian Church, respectively. Mr. Reno is a Mason.
Source: Battle, J.H., W.H. Perrin, and G.C. Kniffen. Kentucky: A History of the State. Louisville, KY: F.A. Battey, 1885. Pages 918-919.
Updated July 9, 2018