The Kirk Family of Fayette County, Ohio

Thomas Kirk, farmer, is a son of James Kirkpatrick, who came to this county, in 1812, from Virginia. The original name, as spelled by our subject's grandfather, was Kilpatrick. Thomas was born in this county, December 5, 1813, where he was reared, and married to Miss Elizabeth Parret, daughter of John Parret, a pioneer of this county.

Mr, Kirk remembers when this part of the county was comparatively a wilderness. His first school house was built of logs, with paper windows, and luncheon floor and seats. The church services were then held in private houses, school houses, and in groves, as they had no church houses. He has a farm of four hundred acres, well improved, situated six and a half miles northwest of Washington. Had a family of twelve children: Madison S., Amanda J., Rayborn, Charity, Augustus, Eddie, James, George XL, Alice, Ward, Dora, and William. George and Alice are deceased. Mrs. Kirk and three daughters are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Samuel McKillip, farmer, is a son of Talley McKillip, and was born on the farm where he now lives. He was married, January 5, 1873, to Miss Martha Johnson, daughter of D. D. Johnson, of Greene County who has borne him three children: Wilbert, Emma L., and May, all living.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Mr. Kirk was once a member of the Odd-fellows lodge at Washington, but withdrew for the purpose of uniting with the lodge at Jeffersonville, and as yet has neglected to do so. He is a member of one of the pioneer families. Politically, he is a Democrat. He firmly resolved never to sit on a jury with a negro, and he has kept the resolution. Shortly after the close of the war, he was chosen as a juror in the county court. Seeing two negroes in the box, he positively refused to serve. Judge Steele told him that he could not excuse him on those grounds; and said that he must abide by the law, wliich was imprisonment. Attorney Richard Harrison, of Columbus, said the penalty might be made a fine, which was done, and Mr. Kirk paid the fine and left the court. He has refused to accept a county or township office. Was once elected supervisor, but rather than serve, paid the tine.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

MADISON S. KIRK.

Madison S. Kirk, farmer, is a son of Thomas Kirk, whose biography appears in this work. He was born in this township, June 15, 1834, and was married, March 31, 1863, to Miss Agnes Collier, of Greenfield. Three children are the result of this union: Minnie J., Jennie N., and Bertha L, The latter died at the early age of two years and seven months. Our subject served one year in Company H, both 0. V. I., and came home without a wound, having passed through several heavy battles. His brother Kayborn served one year in the same company, and enlisted for one hundred days in the Ohio National Guard, and was taken prisoner at Cynthiana, Kentucky.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

TRAINE C. KIRK.

One of the oldest families in the county is the Kirk family, who came here nearly one hundred years ago. James Kirk, the first of the family to locate in Fayette county, married Nancy Smith in Rockingham county, Virginia, and located on Paint creek, in Paint township, about 181 1, a rear after this county was organized. Thomas Kirk and wife reared a family of twelve children, Madison, Mrs. Jane Stanley, Rabum, Mrs. Charity Sellers, Augustus P., James S., Addie, Ward B., Henry, Alice, William and Dora.

Menry Kirk, the father of Traine C, of this record, was born in a log cabin on paint creek June 23, 1821, and died in the same room in which he was born after a long and useful life in this county. He is now buried at Washington (\ H. Henry Kirk was a man of strong convictions and a Democrat of the Southern school. He firmly resolved never to sit on a jury with a negro, and kept that resolution throughout his whole life. At one time he was chosen as a jurist, but when he saw that there were already two negroes accepted for jury service he refused to serve. The judge told him that he could not excuse him on such grounds and that he must abide by the law or be imprisoned. One of the attorneys said the penalty might he made a fine and, upon the judge so deciding, Mr. Kirk paid his fine and left the court rather than sit in the jury with a negro. He also refused to accept a county or township office and upon being elected supervisor at one time paid a fine rather than serve. Henry Kirk and wife reared a family of six children, Mrs. Florence Marshall, Traine C, James E., Georgiana. Willard H. and Lucy P. Georgiana is a teacher in the Jeffersonville schools; Willard H. married Lillian Creamer and has one daughter, Adelaide; Lucy P. is the wife of A. C. Carr. Elmira Parrett, the wife of Henry Kirk, and the mother of these six children above mentioned, was the daughter of George Parrett.

Traine C. Kirk was born November 24, 1862, on the old Kirk farm, two and one-half miles south of Jeflfersonville. He was born in the same house where his father was born in 1821. He attended the Smith school in his home neighborhood and later the Roebuck and Walnut Ridge schools. He then attended the high school at Jeffersonville, after which he spent one year in Valparaiso University, at Aalparaiso, Indiana. He began farming for himself at the age of thirty on rented land and a few years later bought his present farm of one hundred and three acres on the Welt road near Jeffersonville. The farm is highly improved and he has always kept it in a high state of productivity by scientific crop rotation and commercial fertilizers. The farm is known throughout the county as the Poplar Grove farm, the name being chosen by his two sons.

Mr. Kirk was married May 26, 1896, to Nora P. Eichelberger, the daughter of G. M. and Hannah (Coyner) Eichelberger, and to this union have been born two sons, Willard C. and Grayson L.

The Republican party claims the support of Mr. Kirk, but he has never been active in political matters. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Jeffersonville and a trustee of that denomination. He

Google and his family have been prominent in all church and Sunday school work for several years. In fact, they actively identify themselves with all worthy movements which have for their end the betterment of the community in any way.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.