History of Shelby County Kentucky United States of America

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James Cameron Allen, representative, was born in Shelby county, Ky., Jan. 29, 1822; son of Benjamin and Margaret (Youell) Allen; grandson of John and Margaret (Youell) Allen, and a descendent of William Youell of Augusta county, Va., a Revolutionary soldier in the war for independence. His father was of Irish and his mother of Scotch origin. He was educated in the common schools, studied law, and was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1843. He was prosecuting attorney of the 7th judicial district of Indiana, 1846-'48; removed to Palestine, Ill., in 1848; was a representative in the state legislature, 1850 and 1851, and served as representative in the 33d and 34th congresses, 1853-'57, his seat in the 34th congress being unsuccessfully contested. He was clerk of the house for the 35th congress and again a representative from Illinois in the 38th congress, 1863-'65, having been elected from the state at large. He served as judge of the circuit and appellate court, 1873-79.

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

Joshua Flood Cook, educator, was born in Shelby county, Ky., Jan. 14, 1834; son of W. F. and Lucy (Flood) Cook; grandson of Abram Cook and of Joshua Flood, and a descendant of Dr. Jeffrey Bordurant, and of the Flood and Jones families of Virginia. His grandfather, Abram Cook, was a Baptist clergyman, born in Virginia, who labored in one Kentucky community for fifty years. Joshua was graduated at Georgetown college in 1858, and was ordained a Baptist minister in the same year. In 1859 he was elected president of the New Liberty female college, which position he held until September, 1861, when he went south and remained there until the close of the civil war. On his return to Kentucky in 1865 he became pastor of a Baptist church at Eminence, Ky., and in September, 1866, was elected president of La Grange college, Mo. He raised the money for its completion, finished its buildings, paid its debt, and successfully conducted the institution thirty years, being made president for life after twenty years' continuous service. In 1896 he retired from the presidency of La Grange college and was immediately elected president of Webb City college. He received the degree of LL. D. from Baylor university in 1874.

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

Thomas Theodore Crittenden, governor of Missouri, was born in Shelby county, Ky., Jan. 2, 1834; son of Henry and Anna Maria (Allen) Crittenden; and grandson of Maj. John Crittenden; and of Col. John Allen. He was graduated from Centre college in 1855, studied law in Frankfort, Ky., and practised his profession for a number of years in Lexington, Ky., and in Warrensburg, Mo. During the civil war he entered the Union army and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the 7th Missouri cavalry. He was elected a representative in the 45th congress, 1873-75, and in 1881 was elected governor of Missouri by the largest Democratic majority that had ever been east in that state. He served in the executive office until 1885 and was instrumental in the pursuit and destruction of the notorious Jesse James gang of outlaws. On April 5, 1893, he was appointed by President Cleveland consul-general at Mexico. He was married to Carrie W. Jackson of Frankfort, Ky., Nov. 13, 1856. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the University of Missouri in 1884.

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

History of Shelby County Kentucky

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