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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY
Judge Charles Kerr, Editor
By William Elsey Connelley
Author of "Eastern Kentucky Papers"
and
E. M. Coulter, Ph.D.
Department of History, University of Georgia
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In Five Volumes
Vol. III
---
The American Historical Society
Chicago and New York
1922
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ROBERT LEE
McFERRON is offering a
valuable contribution to the industrial and
commercial activities of his native county
through his well ordered operations as a
farmer and dealer in and manufacturer of
lumber at Mount Vernon, the county seat.
He was born on a farm near Pine Hill,
Rockcastle County, Feb. 22, 1872. His
grandfather, John McFerron became a
pioneer farmer in Pulaski County, Kentucky,
and there remained until about ten years
prior to his death, this closing decade of
his life having been spent in Rockcastle
County, where he died in the year 1889.
His widow here continued to maintain her
home until she too was summoned to the life
eternal, her death having occurred in1903.
Her maiden name was Lovina Cotton,
and she was born near Knoxville, Tennessee,
in 1815, so that she was nearly ninety years
of age at the time of her death.
Robert L. McFerron is the son of Alfred H.
and Susan (Thompson) McFerron, who now
reside at Mount Vermon, where the father has
lived since retiring from his farm in 1915.
Alfred H. McFerron was born in
Pulaski County, Kentucky, in 1844, and was
there reared and educated. As a young
man he removed to Rockcastle County and
became one of the first operators of coal
mines in the vicinity of Pine Hill. He
developed one of the fine farm properties of
that section of the county, and continued
his residence upon this well improved
homestead until his removal to Mount Vernon
in 1915. He has given unqualified
allegiance to the republican party, and
though he served a short time as justice of
the peace he has had no desire for public
office or special political activity.
He served as a soldier of the Union during
eighteen months of the Civil war. Both
he and his wife have long been earnest
members of the Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. McFerron was born Aug. 24, 1853, in
the State of North Carolina, was six years
old at the time of her parents' removal to
Whitley County, Kentucky, and about three
years later removal was made to the Pine
Hill district of Rockcastle County, where
she was reared to adult age and where her
marriage occurred. Of the children
Robert L., of this sketch, is the
eldest; Fannie is the wife of W.
J. Childress, M. D., and they reside at
Hustonville, Lincoln County; Georgia,
who remains at the parental home, has been
for a quarter of a century a successful and
popular teacher in the schools of Rockcastle
County; Nell became the wife of J.
C. Coleman, who is a locomotive
engineer, residing at Louisville, in which
city her death occurred in April, 1920;
Mattie is the wife of E. B. Cox,
a merchant at Mount Vernon; Jesse
maintains his home at Ehren, Florida,,, and
is a mechanic by vocation; John D.
is, in 1821, superintendent of schools at
Fort Myers, Florida; Henry is
employed as a railroad switchman and resides
in the City of Louisville; Fred is a
skilled electrician and resides in the city
of Cleveland, Ohio; Rose is the widow
of John Carne and resides at Berea,
Kentucky; Ray is an electrician by
vocation and is a resident of Rochester,
Pennsylvania; Christine is a
successful teacher in the public schools at
Fort Myers, Florida.
The public-school discipline of Robert L. McFerron
was effectively suplemented by a course in
an academy at Williamsburg, Kentucky, in
which institution he continued his studies
until he was twenty-two years of age.
Thereafter he was engaged in the general
merchandise business at Mount Vernon,
besides owning and operating a saw mill, and
managing a farm. In 1902 he was
appointed deputy sheriff of his native
county, in which capacity he served until he
became sheriff, on the first Monday in
January, 1906, his election to this office
having occurred in November of the preceding
year. He sold his mercantile business
in 1901, but has continued his successful
operating of the saw mill and farm.
His four years' administration as sheriff
was most vigorous and effective, and since
his retirement from office he has given his
attention to his substantial business
interests, which now include the operation
of a saw mill, planing mill and grist mill
and the general dealing in lumber and
building materials of all kinds. His
mill property is situated on Main Street at
Mount Vernon, and he has secure place as one
of the representative business men and most
loyal and progressive citizens of the vital
county seat of Rockcastle County.
Mr. McFerron is found aligned as a staunch
advocate of the principles and policies of
the republican party, and has been
influential in its councils and campaign
activities in Rockcastle County. In
November, 1919, he was given further
evidence of the high estimate placed upon
him in his election as representative of his
native county and of Laurel County in the
Lower House of the State Legislature.
In the legislative assembly of 1920 he
proved an effective working member and was a
champion of progressive legislature.
He was made chairman of the committee on
normal schools served as a member of the
road committee and was assigned to other
important committees. He was specially
active in the furthering of legislation in
favor of the good-roads movement in the
state, and to this service he gave much
attention.
Mr. McFerron is affiliated with Ashland Lodge
No. 640, Free and Accepted Masons; Mount
Vernon Chapter No. 140, Royal Arch Masons;
Mount Vernon Lodge No. 320, Independent
Order of Odd Fellows; and Mount Vernon
Council of the Junior Order United American
Mechanics. Both he and his wife hold
membership in the Presbyterian Church in
their home city. He was a liberal
supporter of the various local war
activities in Rockcastle County during the
period of the nation's participation in the
World war, and his influence was potent in
the furtherance of the drives in support of
the Government war loans, Red Cross work,
etc., the while his individual subscriptions
were in consonance with his financial means.
At Mount Vernon, on the 25th of January, 1906, was
solemnized the marriage of Mr. McFerron
to Miss Vinnie R. Adams, daughter of
the late J. T. and Fannie (Miller) Adams,
both of whom died at Mount Vernon, were the
father had been a leading merchant.
Mr. and Mrs. McFerron have six children:
Fannie, William T., Ruth, John, Augustus
and Susie. All except the
two youngest children are attending the
public schools of Mount Vernon.
Source: History of Kentucky, Judge
Charles Kerr, Editor - By William Elsey
Connelley & E. M. Coulter, Vol. III of Five
Volumes - Published by The American
Historical Society, Chicago & New York -
1922 - Page 32 |
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