George W. Landram

George W. Landram, of Smithland, Ky., clerk of the Livingston county court, was born in that county July 6, 1859. He is the son of Hubbard and Clara E. (Barlow) Landram, the former a native of Culpeper county, Va., and the latter of Hawesville, Ky. Hubbard Landram, after operating a gold mine in Virginia for nine years, came to Livingston county, Ky., in 1840, where he resided until his death in 1877. He was an engineer and was in chief control as such for two years at White’s old furnace in Livingston county until the furnace ceased operation. He was also a blacksmith, a farmer and a slaveholder. In religious matters he was identified with the Baptist church. He married his first wife, Mahala Darnell, in Virginia and to this union were born two sons who grew to manhood. They were William, a soldier in the Confederate army, who died in Camp Douglas, at the age of seventeen years, and Joseph L., a carpenter, who died in Texas in 1886. He married the second time in Kentucky and had a family of five children: two died in infancy; Agnes died at the age of four years, and Hubbard at the age of three; the subject of this sketch being the only one now living. The mother of these children died in 1879, and was interred beside her husband in the old “Landram” cemetery on the Smithland and Dover road, ten miles from Smithland. George W. Landram was reared on a farm and in the blacksmith shop, and what little education he received was obtained in the public schools of the county, and one five months’ term in “Hambleton” college at Elizabethtown, Hardin county, Ky., where he was under the care of Prof. J. W. Heagan. He learned the trade of wagonmaker and blacksmith. Under Cleveland’s first administration he was appointed to an office in the internal revenue service at Owensboro, Ky. When Mr. Cleveland was elected the second time, Mr. Landram received the appointment of postmaster at Grand Rivers, Ky., which place he filled until August, 1897. During his term as postmaster he served as railroad agent for the Illinois Central and as express agent for the American and Southern Express Companies. Prior to this time he had suffered the loss of three fingers from his right hand, in a saw mill accident, and in 1892 he lost his left arm from blood poisoning; in spite of these terrible misfortunes he with a single finger and thumb discharged all the duties of these various positions, without aid or assistance from any one else. In 1897 he was nominated and elected on the Democratic ticket as clerk of the Livingston county court, and moved to Smithland in November, of that year. In 1901 he was renominated and re-elected to the same office. In addition to holding the office of county court clerk, he was, in 1904, at the April term of the Livingston circuit court, appointed by Judge J. F. Gordon as master commissioner and receiver of said court. During all the years, from 1898 to 1904, except the year 1901, he has been the chairman of the Livingston county Democratic campaign committee. He is a member of Smithland Lodge, No. 138, Free and Accepted Masons, and a member of the First Baptist church of Grand Rivers, Ky. In 1879 he married Miss Rebecca A. Driskill of Livingston county. Five children were born to this union: Clarence R, now an ensign in the United States navy; Ora Evelyn, assistant music teacher in the South Carolina Coeducational Institute; Lula A. G., wife of V. D. Presnell, a merchant of Smithland, Ky., and the mother of Bemadette; Beulah Ethel, who died in infancy, and Andrew Hudnall. After the death of his first wife in 1888, Mr. Landram married Miss Dora A. Mitchusson of Livingston county. Five children have been born to this marriage ; Hubbard J.; John Lawson; Anna Blanche; Ellis Coleman, and George Wheeler. Notwithstanding the fact that time, from a physical standpoint, has dealt rather heavily with Mr. Landram, he looks upon the bright side of the picture of life, and stands as a living example to the young men of the age, that “Where there is a will there is a way.” He pushes along the road of life as though he was blest with all the hands and arms that are given to any man, and never grumbles or complains of his misfortunes. He is greeted daily by many, who assure him that if they were in his place they would give way to despondency and discouragement, but he does not look at matters in that light. He has many friends in the county and state, and also has many enemies, who take, great delight in abusing him, but he is never disconcerted by them, and gives no attention to their criticisms; he says life is too short to allow your enemies to disturb you, but enjoy the confidence of your friends and leave your enemies to take care of themselves.

Source: Memoirs of the Lower Ohio Valley, Federal Publishing Company, Madison, Wis., 1905 Courtesy of the Daviess County Bicentennial Committee