Anderson County

Anderson County, the 82nd in order of formation, was organized in 1827, out of parts of Franklin, Mercer, and Washington; and named after one of the most brilliant young men of Kentucky, Richard Clough Anderson, Jr., then recently deceased. It is situated in the middle portion of the state, and is bounded on the north by Franklin County, east by the Kentucky River, which separates it from Woodford, south by Mercer and Washington, and west by Spencer County. It is well watered by Salt River (which has many tine mills and good water power); by its tributaries, Crooked, Fox, Stoney, and Hammond creeks; and by Kentucky River and its tributaries, Bailey's run, Little Benson, and Gilbert's creek. The surface is generally rolling, some portions level, rich, and very productive; the hills grow fine tobacco and grasses. Cattle and hogs, wheat, corn, and whiskey, are the leading articles of production and export. In the county are thirteen distilleries, which have manufactured in a year 4,000 barrels of old-fashioned, sour-mash, handmade, copper-distilled whisky, of very fine quality.

Lawrenceburg, population 400, is the county seat, 14 miles from Frankfort and 20 from Harrodsburg, on the turnpike road uniting them; has a substantial court-house, built at a cost of $18,000, in 1861, the old one, with many of the county records, having been burned in 1860; it has a banking-house, a steam flouring mill, and 4 churches, Reformed or Christian, Methodist, Baptist, and a colored or African church established by the Freedmen's Bureau in its palmy days.
Rough-and-Ready is 4 miles from Lawrenceburg, on turnpike to Frankfort, population 160;
Camdenville, on Salt River, 8 miles west of Lawrenceburg, population 75;
Johnsonville, near the Washington County line, population 75;
Van Buren, 18 miles west of Lawrenceburg, on Salt River, population 30; and
Ripyville, 3½ miles south of Lawrenceburg, population 30.

Members of the Legislature from Anderson County, since 1851.

Senate
Wm. H. McBrayer, 1859-63.

House of Representatives Jos. H. D. McKee, 1859-61;
Vincent Ash, 1861-63, but expelled August 19, 1862, for "joining Morgan's rebel band," and succeeded by John Draffin, 1862-63, and 1865-67;
John L. McGinnis, 1863-65;
J. Hall Yowell, 1867-69; Dr. Landon Carter, 1869-71; Wm. F. Bond, 1871-73; Wm. Neal, 1873-75.

Lawrenceburg was established in 1820, and called after Capt. James Lawrence, U. S. Navy, whose last words on board the Chesapeake were "Don't give up the ship." It was first settled by an old Dutchman named Coffman. When his good wife first heard of his death (he was killed by the Indians), she exclaimed in the bitterness of her affliction, "I always told my old man that those savage Indians would kill him, and I'd rather lost my best cow at the pail than my old man."

Richard Clough Anderson, Jr., (in honor of whom the county of Anderson was named,) was born at Louisville, in the then district of Kentucky, on the 4th day of August, 1788. His father was Richard C. Anderson, Sr., who served with great gallantry, as an officer, throughout the revolutionary war, at the conclusion of which he was a lieutenant colonel. His mother was Elizabeth Clark, a sister of the celebrated General George Rogers Clark.

Mr. Anderson was sent at an early age to Virginia for his education; and after being graduated at William and Mary College, studied law under Judge Tucker. Upon his return tu Kentucky he commenced the practice of his profession; and, possessing all the qualities, intellectual, moral and social, necessary to insure success, soon took a high stand at the bar, as an able counsellor, and as an eloquent advocate. His popular talents would not permit him long to devote himself to private pursuits. The solicitations of friends and a natural ambition, drew him, in a very short time, into the service of the public. He commenced his career, as a politician, in the popular branch of the State legislature, in which he served several years, with distinguished credit to himself, and with the marked approbation of his constituents. He was accordingly elected to congress, in 1817, by a handsome majority over his opponent, the old incumbent. In congress he continued four years, during which time he participated in the splendid debates of that most interesting period, with an ability and success, which reflected no slight honor on his character as an orator and a statesman. His reported speeches, during this period, are admirable for their terseness, beauty of arrangement, closeness of argument, and unambitious elegance of diction; but they now lack the charm of that distinct and melodious elocution, that graceful and manly and persuasive manner, which gave interest and attractiveness to their delivery. In 1823, declining a re-election to congress, under the belief that his services were more needed in the councils of his own State, than in those of the nation, he again entered the State legislature, and was chosen speaker of the House of Representatives. The duties of this office he discharged, in that most excited period of our State history, with a courtesy, propriety, discretion and ability that caused him to be regarded, by many of that day, as the perfect model of a presiding officer. This was the origin of the angry controversy existing between the old and new court parties, to the former of which Mr. Anderson belonged. In January, 1823, Mr. Anderson was appointed, by President Monroe, the first minister plenipotentiary to the Republic of Colombia. Upon his arrival at Bogota, the capital, with his family, he was received with every demonstration of honor and respect. He resided there but a very short time, before he came to be regarded, by the authorities of the republic, rather as a friend and counsellor than as a stranger. His intercourse with the principal officers of state, was of the most agreeable and confidential character. In 1824 he negotiated the treaty between the two republics, which was ratified among the last acts of President Monroe's administration. In 1825 he lost his wife, an admirable and estimable lady, to whom he was most tenderly attached. This loss induced him to return home for a short time, in order to place his children, two daughters and a son, with his friends in Kentucky. In October of that year, he revisited Bogota, accompanied by his brother, now Captain Robert Anderson of the U. S. Army, and remained until July, 1826, when he was instructed by President Adams to repair to Porto Bello, to join Mr. Sergeant, who had been appointed together with himself, an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the congress to be assembled at Panama. On his way to Carthagena, his intended place of embarkation, he fell sick at Turbaco, a small village some twelve miles distant from that city, where, on the 24th day of July, his disease terminated in death. He was succeeded in his mission to Colombia, by the late ex-president of the United States, General William H. Harrison.

Thus prematurely ended a brilliant career of usefulness and honor, and of still higher promise, the writer of this slight sketch heard one of the most distinguished men of our country declare, that Mr. Anderson's death alone in all probability, prevented his reaching the highest office in the Union. A brief but discriminating notice by the editor, in the National Intelligencer, of August 29th, 1826, renders the following just tribute to his worth and memory. "The United States in general, and his native State of Kentucky in particular, have sustained a great loss in the death of this distinguished gentleman. On his former visit to Colombia he lost his excellent wife, which bereavement he did not long survive. "Mr. Anderson was one of the most amiable of men, and most discreet of politicians. A career of a few years in congress disclosed his valuable qualities. He possessed in an eminent degree, a clear discriminating mind, combined with the most conciliatory and persuasive address, the effect of which has often been seen on the floor of the house of representatives, and afterwards on that of the popular branch of the legislature of Kentucky, in the midst of the greatest contentions, like oil stilling the agitated waves of the ocean. In this point of his character, it is sufficient praise to say, he nearly resembled the late lamented William Lowndes. In brief, without offence be it said, the country could not boast a better man than Richard C. Anderson."

Mr. Anderson was so actively engaged in professional and political pursuits that he had but little leisure for literature. He was fondly addicted, however, to reading, and devoted most of his spare time to books, principally of biography and history. His writings are few, but those few are characterized by strong sense, sober reasoning and sagacious insight. He was the author of the article in the North American Review, for October, 1826, on the constitution of Colombia, an article well worthy of perusal for its general excellence, as well as for the statesman-like suggestions it contains, relative to our own constitution. He was also engaged on a larger work, upon the political institutions and history of Colombia, the completion of which was unfortunately frustrated by his untimely death. Besides these, a fragmentary journal, of the last few years of his life still exists, possessing great interest, from the judicious observations upon books, and the shrewd remarks upon men and events, with which it is interspersed. In making an estimate of the character of Mr. Anderson, in his public and private relations, it may be truly said of him, that while in private life he was without a vice, in his public career he was equally without a reproach.


Source: History of Kentucky, Volume II, by Lewis Collins, Published by Collins & Company,
Covington, Kentucky, 1874

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