Graves County

Graves County was the 75th of the counties of the state, formed in 1823, out of part of Hickman County, and named in honor of Capt. Benjamin Graves. It is situated in the south west part of the state, in the "Jackson's Purchase;" and is bounded north by McCracken, east by Callaway and Marshall, south by the Tennessee state line, and west by Ballard and Hickman counties. Its staple products are corn, tobacco, and livestock.

Towns
Mayfield, the seat of justice, is on the Paducah and Gulf railroad, 26 miles from the Ohio River at Paducah, 253 from Louisville by railroad, and 284 from Frankfort; is a place of considerable business; has grown from 44 inhabitants in 1830, to 779 in 1870.
The other towns are small, Farmington, Feliciana, Ducdom; the latter is divided in half by the Tennessee state line.

Members of the Legislature from Graves County

Senate
John Eaker, 1848-51;
J. D. Landrum, 1863-67;
H. S. Hale, 1871-75.

House of Representatives
Richard L. Mayes. 1836, '45;
John Worthan, 1840, '41;
Jos. R. E. Wilkinson, 1842, '43;
John Eaker, 1844, '47;
John A. Board, 1846;
Wm. M. Cargill, 1848;
Alex. H. Willingham, 1849, '51-53, '53-55, '66;
John W. Cook, 1850, '59-61;
Lucien Anderson, 1855-57;
Samuel F. Morse, 1857-59;
A. R. Boon, 1861-63, expelled Dec. 21, 1861, "because directly or indirectly connected with, and giving aid and comfort to, the Confederate army, repudiating and acting against the Government of the United States and the commonwealth of Kentucky," succeeded by Richard Neel, 1862-63;
E. W. Smith, 1863-65;
Wm. Beadles, 1865-67, resigned 1866;
Wm. C. Clarke, 1868-69;
Ervin Anderson, 1869-71;
T. J. Jones, 1871-73;
James D. Watson, 1873-75.


Major Benjamin Graves, in honor of whom this County received its name, was a native of Virginia, and immigrated to Kentucky when quite young. He resided in Fayette County, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was an amiable, shrewd, and intelligent man, and represented Fayette County for several years in the legislature of the state. In 1812, when war was declared by the United States against Great Britain, he was among the first to volunteer his services in defense of his country's rights. He received the appointment of Major in Colonel Lewis' regiment, and proved himself an active, vigilant, and gallant officer. He was killed in the ever memorable battle of Raisin, where his blood mingled with much of the best blood of Kentucky.


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