History of Caldwell County Kentucky United States of America

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Willis Benson Machen Biography

Willis Benson Machen, senator, was born in Caldwell county, Ky., April 5, 1810; son of Henry and Nancy (Tarrant) Machen. He was a student at Cumberland college, Princeton, Ky., and settled in Eddyville, Ky., where he engaged in farming. He was married to Margaret A., daughter of Chittenden and granddaughter of Col. Matthew Lyon. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention, 1849-50; a state senator, 1854-55; and a state representative, 1856-57 and 1860-61. He was a representative from Kentucky in the 1st and 2d Confederate congresses, February, 1862, to April, 1865. He was appointed U.S. senator by Governor Leslie to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Garrett Davis in 1872, and took his seat, Dec. 2, 1872, serving out the term of Senator Davis which expired March 3, 1873. He then resumed farming. In the Democratic national convention at Baltimore, July 9, 1872, his name was presented by the delegates from Kentucky for the nomination for Vice-President of the United States and in the election in 1873 he received one electoral vote for the office. He was made a member of the Kentucky railroad commission in 1880 and served the full term. He was joint owner of several iron furnaces in Lyon county and it was at one of his furnaces that William Kelly invented the process of making steel rails. He died in Eddyville, Lyon county, Ky., Sept. 29, 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Caldwell County Kentucky

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