James W. Snodgrass

This bio is from "History of Kentucky" by William Elsey Connelley and E.M. Coulter, PHD, in 5 volumes printed in 1922. From Vol. 4

James W. Snodgrass is a Harrison Co. farmer and banker who began his independent career without a dollar above his individual earnings, and has made the years give him accumulating prosperity and influence in the community where he has spent practically all his life.

Mr. Snodgrass was born near Antioch Mills in Harrison County, June 1, 1856, a son of Harvey and Eliza (Curran) Snodgrass. On both sides he represents a family established in this part of Kentucky in pioneer times. His father was born near Cynthiana, January 25, 1818, and his mother on March 10, 1823. After their marriage his parents settled on a farm on the Leesburg Pike, 3 miles southwest of Cynthiana, but spent the greater number of their years at Claysville, though both of them died in Cynthiana. Both were good church members and the father was a republican who had to his credit 3 years of service in the Union army. Of 8 children, three are still living: Elizabeth, wife of John Huls, T.A. Snodgrass, a farmer in Southern Missouri and James W.

James W. Snodgrass grew up at Claysville, attended the common schools there, and his early labors were a contribution to the operation of the home farm. At the age of 21, he started out for himself as a day and month wage earner, and gradually he got together a little capital and on Feb. 20, 1882, he opened a stock of general merchandise at Claysville. He was a merchant there for 20 years and through that business laid the foundation of his independent fortune. While a merchant Mr. Snodgrass bought 200 acres of as good soil as can be found in Harrison County and he still owns that farm, though his active business interests are in Cynthiana, where he is a constructive leader in commercial affairs and is a director and vice president of the Farmers National Bank. He is also a stockholder in the Independent Tobacco Warehouse of Cynthiana.

On April 1, 1885, Mr. Snodgrass married Mrs. Mollie (Moore) Hitch. They have 2 children: Mamie D., who finished her education in the college at Richmond and is the wife of John R. Allen, living on her father's farm, and J. Will, who had a high school and business college education and is a bookkeeper in the Farmers National Bank of Cynthiana. Mr. Snodgrass is a past grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is also a member of the Encampment and has sat in the Grand Lodge. He and Mrs. Snodgrass are members of the Rebekahs, and in politics he is a democrat

James married Mary Moore on 01 Apr 1885 in Harrison Co., KY. (Mary Moore was born in 1858 in KY ¹.)