JOHN W. LEWIS

JOHN W. LEWIS, Ohio County, was born November 17, 1817, in Jefferson County, Ky.; removed with his parents to Meade County, where he was raised. His father, Lieut. Henry Lewis, one of a family of twelve sons and two daughters, a native of Culpeper County, Va., was a soldier in the war of 1812; removed to Kentucky about 1816, and died in Meade County in 1845. He was the son of Capt. William Lewis, a Revolutionary soldier, who died in Culpeper County, Va., in 1845, at the age of eighty-four years. He was of Welsh extraction. Henry married Nancy, daughter of John and Elizabeth Nail, of Washington County, Ky.; she died in 1846; their union resulted in the birth of John W., Catherine A. (Nail), Linda G. (Ditto), Sarah M. (Foreman), Emily (Lewis), Nancy A. (Compton), and James S.  John W. Lewis has been twice married; first, March 2, 1847, to Omacinda J., daughter of William and Elizabeth (McFarland) Field, of Ohio County, born in 1835; died August 4, 1864, and to them were born Joshua F., Thomas L., Nancy E. (Coffey), and Henry W. July 17, 1866, Mr. Lewis married Beatrice, daughter of Willis and Louisa (McFarland) Field, of Daviess County; she was born in 1848 and to their union was born one son — John G. In 1837 Mr. Lewis commenced clerking in Hartford, and in 1839 entered into partnership with his employer in the mercantile business, in which he continued until 1848, and in 1861 he became a cashier of the Hartford Branch of the People's Bank of Kentucky, which was superseded by the National Banking System in 1865. He then again embarked in the mercantile business, which he continued for a period of ten years, and in 1876 located in Rosine, where he and his sons are now engaged in the milling business. He lost thirteen slaves by the late war, and in 1873 suffered heavily by the general depreciation of property. He has been for forty years a member of the Masonic fraternity, and was many times master of the lodge. In politics he is identified with the Democratic party.

Source: J. H. BATTLE, W H. PERRIN, & G. C. KNIFFIN 1895

Note:  Mr. John William Lewis died 3 Feb 1897 in Ohio County and is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Hartford.

WHITE MAN AND NEGRO ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED

Hartford Herald

June 26, 1912

WHITE MAN AND NEGRO

ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED

In Rough River Near Palo

Heavily Loaded Skiff

Overturned.

As the result of the capsizing of a skiff on Rough river, near what was formerly Palo, this county, on Mr. Joe Maiden's farm, Charles Lewis, white, a fisherman and trapper, and Sam Jackson, colored, a laborer, were drowned. The accident occurred about 11 o'clock Friday morning, and the body of the white man was recovered about an hour later, while that of the negro was found Sunday evening by Mr. J. Y. Hagerman.

The men were members of a camping party from Whitesville (Daviess County), who had intended spending the week on Rough river, the negro being taken along as a camp cook. On reaching the river, Lewis, R. E. Knox, the druggist at Whitesville, and the negro loaded a part of the camp outfit in a skiff and started across the river, which is about seventy-five feet wide at that point, and very deep.

When near the middle of the stream, the heavy load of the boat caused it to capsize, and the three men were thrown into the water. It was known that Lewis was an expert swimmer, but he went down with the skiff and was not seen again until his body was recovered. Dr. M. A. McDonald, who was standing on the bank of the river, called to Knox and the negro, telling them to hold on to a large box that was floating by the skiff.

Both of the men caught the box, but the negro a moment later turned it loose, and shortly after disappeared beneath the surface of the water. Dr. McDonald, still calling to Knox to hold to the box, jumped into the river and swimming out to the box, managed to push it ashore, along with Mr. Knox.

Mr. Knox was unable to swim, but Lewis, who was drowned, had spent a great deal of time on the river and was regarded as an excellent swimmer. Lewis was a man about sixty years of age and had lived at Whitesville for the past ten years. During the first of his stay there he was a painter, but had recently been spending most of his time hunting, trapping and fishing.