Biographies, Adair County KY; William J. CALLISON         1851-

Date Submitted: 13-Nov-2001
Source: Kentucky; A History of the State; J.H. Battle, W.H. Perrin, &
G.C. Kniffin; 4th edition, 1887

William J. CALLISON is the second of seven children born to James and Mary L.
(MILLER) CALLISON, and was born 07-Mar-1851. James CALLISON, a native of
Adair County, was born Sept-1826 and his life-long occupation has been
farming, in which he has been successful, owning and cultivating at present
300 and 400 acres of land. He was united in matrimony to Miss Louisa MILLER
on 03-Mar-1847, the sixth of a family of eight children born to Nathan and
Rachael (VANNOY) MILLER, natives of Adair County. The names of the children
born to the marriage are George L.; Annie V., wife of James BUTLER; Bruce M.;
Elizabeth R.; Mattie B., wife of T.T. TUPMAN; Mary L.; and William J., all of
whom except George L. are living. Mr. CALLISON and wife are both members of
the Christian Church and are living at their farm near Columbia. Joseph
CALLISON, grandfather of William J. CALLISON, was a farmer and in moderate
circumstances, dying in 1830, in the sixtieth year of his age. He was a
native of VA and was a veteran of the war of 1812, and immigrated to Adair
County KY while yet a young man in the early part of this century. He owned
and cultivated his own farm of about 500 acres, which he bought in the woods.
His first marriage, about 1792, occurred in VA to a Miss DAWSON, and they
were the parents of nine children: Josiah, Robert, Gilmer, William, Dawson,
Charity (SMITH), Susan (STARK), Polly (BROWNING), and Mary, of whom Robert
alone is living. The second marriage, about 1825, was to Miss Elizabeth
MILLER, a native of PA, and this marriage occurred in Adair County. They were
the parents of five children: James; Margaret, wife of James A. BROWNING;
Charles; Phoebe; and Martha, wife of John D. MOURNING, all of whom are living
except Martha who died in 1883. Joseph CALLISON departed this life in 1830
and his widow, who was born in 1794, died in 1865. William CALLISON received
a good English education in the common schools of Adair County, of which he
is a native, and the Presbyterian High School of Columbia. After leaving
school in Feb-1873, he began selling goods in a dry goods store in Columbia,
which he continued until September of the same year when he, in partnership
with his brother G. L. CALLISON, embarked in the grocery business. This they
carried on successfully about one year when they embarked in the drug
business. This they carried on from 1874 until 06-Sept-1883 when G. L.
CALLISON died, and W. J. CALLISON bought his interest in the business, which
he has since carried on in his own name. (On) 01-Jan-1874 he was united in
marriage to Miss Laura E. ROBINSON, the third of four sons and four daughters
born to William N. and Sallie C. (STONE) ROBINSON, natives of Adair County KY.
Their home has been gladdened by four children: Montie S., Carry Lee, Lula
Belle and James ROBINSON, all of whom are living. Mr. and Mrs. CALLISON are
both members of the Columbia Christian Church, of which he is one of the
deacons. Mr. CALLISON is also a Mason and in politics is a stanch member of
the Democratic Party. He carries a large stock of drugs,and a stock of
jewelry and patent medicines, books, and an assortment of general merchandise
which he values at $3,500. He enjoys a large trade and is one of the leading
merchants of the county, and is also one of the firm of BLANDFORD & CALLISON,
dealers in commercial fertilizer, farmers' implements, machinery, etc., which
was first to introduce into this county the Homestead Fertilizer and Deering
Twine Binder. Their sales on fertilizer began in 1882 on a very small scale
selling from fifteen to twenty barrels per annum, but have increased to 1,500
to 2,000 barrels in 1885 and 1886, giving perfect satisfaction to the farmers
by increasing their crop from fifty to one hundred per cent.

Surnames: BLANDFORD, BROWNING, BUTLER, CALLISON, DAWSON, MILLER, MOURNING,
ROBINSON, SMITH, STARK, STONE, TUPMAN, VANNOY

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