CUMBERLAND COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES

Courtesy Barren’s Black Roots Volume 3, Michelle Gorin Burris, Gorin Genealogical Publishing, (c) May 1993 and shown originally in The Jubilee History and Biographical Sketches of Liberty Association, G. R. Ford, Times Publishing Company of Smiths Grove, KY, 1916.

“Leslie L. Rowe was born April 9, 1881, at Amandaville, Ky., in Cumberland county. He professed a hope in Christ when about thirteen years of age and joined the Waterview Baptist Church and is at present a member of the same church. He finished school at Roger Williams University, in Nashville, Tenn., and also finished from the Normal Department of the Glasgow Normal. He has taught in public schools nineteen years, having taught in Cumberland, Barren and Hart Counties. He is at present principal of the Glasgow Norrmal and Theological Institute. He was principal of the Burkesville Graded School in 1911-12. His aim is to be engaged in religious and educational work so long as he lives. Cora L. Rowe was born January 10, 1888, in Hart County, Kentucky. She is the daughter of Peter and Suzie Smith. She professed religion at the age of twelve years and joined Little Blue Spring Church, and is still a member of that church. On November 22, 1906, she was married to Prof. L. L. Rowe. She was secretary of her church four years before her marriage and has been secretary for the last three years. She has taught in the public schools of Hart county since 1911, and expected to be engaged in some kind of religious and education work as long as she lives.”

“Rev. George W. Samples was born September 12, 1851 and died Tuesday afternoon, August 15, 1905, in Leslie, Cumberland county, Ky. He was the father of 6 daughters and 3 sons. He began his ministry on Saturday before the third Lord’s day in April 1878. He was pastor of churches in Cumberland, Metcalfe and Hart Counties and was pastor of Baptist churches 28 years in all. Rev. Samples was born a slave and throughout his entire life was held in high esteem by all classes of people. He was the highest and best respected colored man in all the sections of the country where he lived and held his race as if by magnetic bonds. Three churches now stand as a monument in Cumberland county to his faithful and active life and it was through his effort that a large number of churches in different sections of the country were rebuilt. A very large concourse of sorrowing friends gathered at Burkesville cemetery and laid his body to rest. It was a pathetic testimony of the one who had been their temporal and spiritual guide for a quarter of a century.”