Biographies, Adair County KY; Dr. William BLAIR 1841- Submission Date: 13-Nov-2001 Source: "Kentucky: A History of the State" by J.H. Battle, W.H. Perrin & G.C. Kniffin, 4th edition, 1887. May be found on Kentucky Biographies Project WILLIAM BLAIR, M.D., a native of Russell County KY was born 24-Sept-1841. His father, BURTON BLAIR, who was born in North Carolina in 1813, was brought to Russell (County) in infancy where he remained during life. He was a man in moderate circumstances, owning and cultivating his own farm. He married Miss ELIZABETH RIPPETOE, a daughter of WILLIAM RIPPETOE, whose wife before marriage was Miss ELIZABETH VINCENT. The names of the children born to BURTON and ELIZABETH BLAIR are EMELINE (wife of MATTHEW Y. LEACH), ALBERT, WILLIAM, SAMANTHA (deceased wife of CHRISTOPHER C. LAWLESS), ELIZABETH (deceased wife of JOHN LOVELACE), MARTHA (wife of ROBERT ANDERSON), Nancy (wife of RUBIN LAWLESS), HARRISON, SARAH JANE (wife of JOHN CRIDER), AMANDA C. (died in infancy) and JAMES T. The death of BURTON BLAIR occurred 09-July-1875; his widow is still living in the sixty-eighth year of her age. JAMES BLAIR, grandfather of Dr. BLAIR, was a native of North Carolina, a farmer, and immigrated to Russell County, where he resided the remainder of his life. He married Miss NANCY DAY, of North Carolina. JAMES BLAIR's father was a veteran of the American Revolution. Dr. BLAIR in youth received a good common-school education, and is more than ordinarily well posted in literature. He also has an archaeological cabinet and some geological specimens. His early life until twenty years of age was spent on his father's farm, when, 02-Oct-1861, he enlisted in Company B, Thirteenth Kentucky Infantry (Federal Volunteer Service). He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Hough's Ferry (TN), Campbell's Station (TN), the siege of Knoxville, Rocky Face Ridge and Resaca, where he was disabled from further service, though not discharged until Jan-1865, when his company was dismissed from the service. As a result of the wound received at Resaca, the Doctor lost a part of the radius of his right forearm. When he returned home, he commenced to attend school, and taught and attended alternately for four years. He then began to read medicine under Dr. J.M. WOLFORD of Russell County and, in the winter of 1874-75, attended a course of lectures at the University of Louisville, graduating in the spring of 1875. He then returned home and continued the practice of his profession which he had begun before he went to college. He married Miss SARAH A. McKINLEY, daughter of MICHAEL G. and RACHEL (GRIDER) McKINLEY 12-Aug-1869; both were natives of Russell County. He has had born to him seven children: LAURA A., LAWRENCE C., MELVIN E., VIANTHA, FROSIA E., ALETHA M. and BELVA E., all living. Dr. and Mrs. BLAIR are both members of the Separate Baptist Church. The Doctor settled at his present location, Glenville, Adair County, in 1869, and it at that time consisted of a house and seven acres; he has enlarged it to eighty-eight acres. Dr. BLAIR has a large and lucrative practice, besides which he cultivates his farm. Surnames: BLAIR, CRIDER, DAY, GRIDER, LAWLESS, LEACH, LOVELACE, McKINLEY, RIPPETOE, VINCENT, WOLFORD *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Commercial entities must ask for and receive permission from submittor before downloading. ***********************************************************************