JOSEPH WILLIAM EAKINS, son of John and Sally (KING)EAKINS, was born in the year 1840, in County of Henderson, and was educated in schools of Henderson and at Franklin Collage, near Nashville, Tennessee. His life has been devoted to agriculture pursuits, and to-day he is the possessor of one of the best regulated farms in the country, lying a mile or more below Geneva, on the Smith's Mills Road. He grows tobacco, corn, wheat and grass, and deals largely in stock. He is strictly a buisness man, bringing to bear at all times a well defined and well matured system of thought and action, that enable him not only to meet the demands made upon him, but to lay by a handsome interest for the so-callled rainy gay. He is a reader, fond of books, and a writer, is well known by local writers as one well up in all he under takes. On the twenty- fifth day of June, 1867, Mr EAKINS married Miss SALLIE POWELL, of this county, a most estimable and loving wife, who gave to him as the fruits of the union six children, Willie King, Sallie, Bettie, Joe Barnett, Mary and Robert Donald. Mary the youngest daughter, died when she was only four months old. His happy household, a bright blooming family of children. shedding a halo of sunshine around the parental head.
Mr EAKINS joined the Confederate army when quite young at Camp Coleman in Uniontown. He was captured at Morganfield, Union County, October 21st, 1862, brought a prisoner to Henderson, and there released. He is a man of positive character, but liberal in his views, and humane in disposition. His attachments are strong, yet, he is firm in the right as he holds it, and nothing can swerve him. He is personaily popular in his neighborhood, so much s that he has been called upon oftentimes to serve his percinct in the capacity of magistate. He has done simply as a duty he felt he owed as a citizen, and not as a seeker. As an official he has always been looked upon and regarded as one of the safest and most painstaking. His term of service dates from 1879, and continues to this day. He was never a member of the church, yet he holds to the faith handed down by the Saints. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. and also of the Knights of Pythias. HISTORY of HENDERSON CO, KENTUCKY page 684 685