History of Shelbyville, (Shelby County) Kentucky United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Shelbyville, (Shelby County) Kentucky, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

James Armstrong, naval officer, was born at Shelbyville, Ky., Jan. 17, 1794. He entered the U.S. navy as midshipman on the Frolic in 1809, which was captured by the British in 1814. He was promoted lieutenant April 27, 1816; commander, March 3, 1825, and captain, Sept. 4, 1841. He became commander of the East India squadron in 1855; participated in the capture of the Chinese forts near Canton in 1857, and commanded the navy yard at Pensacola, Fla., in 1861, which he surrendered. He was promoted commodore and placed on the retired list, April 4, 1867. He died Aug. 25, 1868.

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

Rockwood Giddngs, educator, was born in New Hampshire, Aug. 8, 1812. He was graduated from Waterville college, Waterville, Maine, in 1833, and then removed to Virginia, where he began the study of medicine. He settled in Warsaw, Ky., and completed his medical studies, but abandoned that profession for theology and was ordained to the Baptist ministry in 1835, becoming pastor of the Baptist church in Shelbyville, Ky. He was elected president of Georgetown college, Ky., in 1838, which was at that time without a faculty or an endowment. He speedily organized the institution with a full corps of professors and gathered into it a number of students. Within eight months he raised an endowment of $80,000 in notes, and in an attempt to collect half of that sum for immediate use, he travelled long distances, preaching as he went. Under the strain his delicate constitution gave way while he was preaching and he died at Shelbyville, Ky., Oct. 29, 1839.

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