- K - KENNEDY, Hiram Raliegh - Physician and farmer, was born September 30, 1852 in Lauderdale County; son of Enoch Riley and Louise Jane (Chisholm) Kennedy, the former a North Carolinian, a farmer and a miller; grandson of John Chisholm, of Green Hill, a captain in Jackson's Army at the battle of New Orleans, where he was severely wounded. He was educated in the country schools of Lauderdale COunty; and at the State normal college, at Florence; and was graduated at the University of Louisville, M.D. 1880. He engaged in the practice of medicine in 1880 at Green Hill; and is also a farmer and miller. He was elected to the state legislature, 1890-1891, 1892-1893; and to the State senate 1900. He is a Democrat and a Methodist. Married; December 9, 1880 near Green Hill, to Mary Elizabeth Brotherick, daughter of Benjamin I. Hill. Children: 1. Oscar Yandell; 2. Edgar Leslie; 3. Eva Estella; 4. Reba Louisa; 5. Hiram Raliegh. Residence; Green Hill. From History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography Vol 3 By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen KENNEDY, John Spinks, of Lauderdale, is a native of Alabama, and was educated at LaGrange College. He studied law, and, when young, was elected a Representative in the Legislature, in 1841, and served again in 1842, after which he engaged more earnestly in the practice of the law. In 1847, he was a Repre sentative, and was elected Solicitor of the Florence Circuit, and was reflected in 1851 and in 1855. From early life, Mr. Kennedy evinced good judgment in forming, and energy and perseverance in the prosecution of, his plans. Withal he possessed the faculty too much wanting in young men, of husbanding and using their means profitably. Following this dictate of prudence, he has been led on to independence and use fulness as a manufacturer. Before the war he had engaged largely in this pursuit in North- Alabama. During that period, when the Federal troops invaded that portion of the State, he became a refugee, and made his abode at Tuskaloosa, where, in connection with other gentlemen, he controlled the cotton factory in that place. Since then, he has built a factory a few miles from Tuska loosa, which is appropriately called Kennedalean establishment likely to exert no little influence in advancing the interest of the surrounding country. In his history and success he is a striking example of what may be reached by persevering industry and frugality. Much to his credit, he is liberal and public-spirited in the application of his means. Perhaps this is a proper occasion for the indulgence of a few thoughts, intended chiefly for young men. In the fortunes of Mr. Kennedy it is seen what may be accomplished by good manage ment, from early youth. When he came to the Legislature, in 1841, he, no doubt, marked out for himself a bright career in the public service. It required considerable nerve to change the Constitution, so as to legalize biennial sessions of the Legislature 1 , and to reduce the quota of Senators and Representatives as pre viously fixed bylaw. Yet he offered resolutions for this purpose, which passed the House, but were defeated in the Senate. His proposition, however, in regard to biennial sessions afterward became engrafted on the Constitution, where it remained until that instrument became a prey to the misfortunes which fell upon the South in 1865, as the results of the war. His experience in Legis lative halls* and in the judicial tribunals, no doubt satisfied his curiosity, without perhaps surfeiting his manly ambition ; and he, therefore, directed his mind to other pursuits as likely to confer a better reward. Hence, he became a manufacturer of cotton goods, and was probably the first lawyer in Alabama who abandoned his profession, and all political preferment, to engage in this laudable work. Now, he has &finandal influence felt and recognized by the public, constituting him, by way of preeminence, a man of the solid doss, while hundreds and thousands of young men still linger on the threshold of the learned professions, or in comparative idle ness, who might profitably emulate the example of Mr. Kennedy, and at once secure their own fortunes and the prosperity of their native South. Let the voice be heard and respected. Reminiscences of Public Men in Alabama 1872 KEYES, Wade - also resides in this county, but is a native of Limestone. His father, Gen. Keyes, was a planter, and merchant at Mooresville, where the son was born in 1821. His mother was a Miss Rutledge of Tennessee. Educated at Lagrange College and the University of Virginia, he read law under the eye of Judge Coleman in Athens, and in Lexington, Kentucky* After a tour in Europe, he located in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1844. While there he wrote a volume on contingent remainders, and another on the practice hi chancery. In 1851 he removed to Montgomery, this State. At the session of the general assembly in 1853 he was elected chancellor of the southern division, over Messrs Bugbee of Montgomery, and Sterling G. Cato of Barbour. He filled this station with marked ability for six years. In 1861 he was appointed assistant attorney general of the Confederate States, and held the position during the existence of that government He resumed tho duties of his profession at the close of tho war in Montgomery, but came to reside in this county in 1867, and an office in Florence. Chancellor Keyes is justly admired for a profound knowledge of law, and for the dignity and impartiality with which he presided as a judicial officer. His attainments as a scholar are shown hi the ease and clearness of his writings, which are restricted to professional subjects, and are valued by the members of the bar. He married a daughter of Gen. George Whitfield of Florida. Alabama - Her Resources and History by Willis Brewer 1872 KILBURN, James Sterling - business man and legislator, was born March 3, 1862, in Lauderdale County; son of Russell Marion and Martha Beckwith (Martin) Kilburn, the former of Lawrence County, Tenn., the latter of Florence; grandson of Amos Kilburn and of John M. Martin, of Florence. He is of Irish ancestry. He was educated in the schools of Lauderdale County. He is in the real estate business, and was one of the representatives from Lauderdaie County in the legislature of 1911. He is a Democrat; Methodist: Elk; and a Knight of Pythias. Married, February 14, 1895 to Tommie, daughter of Thomas W. and Susan (Tldwell) White, of Florence. Residenoe: Florence. KIRKMAN, Samuel, was born at Florence, Ala., in 1832, and was educated at the common schools, primarily, graduating from Harvard University when eighteen years of age, the youngest man to enter the senior class from common schools. Leaving Harvard, he returned to Florence and clerked in the store of his father two years; going thence to St. Louis, where he established a commission house, under the style and firm name of Kirkman & Luke. At the end of eight years he returned to Florence, and at Tuscaloosa, in 1861, invested $20,000 in a cotton factory. It was destroyed in I860 by Wilson's Cavalry, and with it Two bales of cotton. For the succeeding six or seven years he purchased cotton at Florence for Eastern dealers, and discovered thereat such facility that he was employed regularly thereafter by one of the largest cotton houses in the United States as an expert cotton crop statistician, the only man employed in such specialty in the United States. Mr. Kirkman's parents were Thomas and Elizabeth (McCulloch) Kirkman, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Tennessee. The senior Mr. Kirkman came to Florence in 1821; here carried on the dry goods business for upward of forty years, and died in 1804 at the age of sixty-four years. He reared five sons to manhood, four of whom served in the Confederate Army during the late war. Mr. Kirkman was a polished gentleman of the old school, a careful, systematic, business man, and enjoyed the confidence and respect of the community. He gave particular attention to the education of his children, and placed them in the front rank of social respectability. Samuel Kirkman was probably one of the youngest men that ever graduated from Harvard, and is today regarded as one of the shrewdest businessmen jn Northern Alabama. He was married at Nashville, Tenn., in 1858, to a daughter of Mr. James Woods. She died in 1865, leaving two daughters, the eldest now the accomplished wife of -Mr. Emmet O'Neal, a brilliant young attorney at Florence. Mr. Kirkman has been for fifteen years a director in the Female Synodical College of Florence. Source: Northern Alabama Historical & Biographical by T.A. DeLand and A. Davis Smith 1888 Birmingham AL