Notes On The Cardwells & Hollans

Author Unknown - About 1939

John Cardwell came from Knoxville, Tenn., about 1825. He first settled in Harlan County where his son Thomas P. Cardwell, Sr., was born in 1829. He brought his family to Breathitt about 1830 John Cardwell was associated with Thomas Sewell, assisting in the operation of Sewell's stores of which he had several. (Sewell purchased timber extensively, later moving to Clay's Ferry, Fayette County, where he died). John Cardwell and his wife had several children, 6 sons and 3 daughters. He died in 1876 and was buried in the cemetery, then situated on what is part of High- land Avenue and a part of lees College Campus. Mr. John Cardwell's body was exhumed and moved to Marcum Heights Cemetery and reinterred there about 1889, for at this time the street was under course of being changed from the hollow to higher ground. Thomas P. Cardwell Sr., (the son born in Harlan Co.) married a Miss Ellen South, daughter of Jeremiah South (father of Breathitt Co.) Thomas P. Cardwell, Sr., was elected Representative to the Kentucky Legislature from Breathitt and...serving 1863-65. He was elected to the State Senate from the district of which Breathitt County formed a part, serving 1865-69. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives, Kentucky State Legislature, serving 1871-73. Thomas P. Cardwell, Sr., and his wife, Ellen(South) Cardwell had Thomas P. Cardwell, Jr., is their son. He served in the U.S. Army, 2nd Lieutenant, 4th Kentucky Infantry, full volunteer regiment, 1898-1900. He was elected City Police Judge of Jackson, serving 1902-11. Lieutenant Caldwell, or better known as Judge Caldwell, is a large real estate owner and operator. He has never married, but he, together with his mother, till her death, reared the youngest daughter, a posthumous child, of his sister, Cordelia (Cardwell) Cox. Doctor Braxton D. Cox, her husband, was assassinated in 1902 while on his way home about 9 o'clock at night walking down the hillside of Court St. He was considered "a physician of more than ordinary merit."

The Cox's had 2 sons and 3 daughters. One son, Edward Greendorf, was a graduate of the Louisville Pharmacy department of Louisville University. He volunteered with the Kentucky National Guards and served with the U.S. Army in Mexico 1910-17. He was transferred to Co. K, 148th Infantry (Ohio) 37th Division, commissioned a 2nd lieutenant, transferred to the 5th Division and saw much service overseas during the World War. One daughter still lives in Jackson, married here. The youngest child, posthumous, was educated by her uncle, Judge Thomas P. Cardwell, Jr., also lives in Jackson, a clerk in the First National Bank. Her grandmother died in 1914 when Miss B. Cox was 12 years old.

Among the other sons of John Cardwell were: John W. Cardwell, elected Circuit Court Judge, serving 1874-1878, and re-elected to the same office, serving 1882-1886. John W. Cardwell's son, E.B. Cardwell, was elected and served as Circuit Judge about 1914 (?).

Daniel Cardwell, son of John Cardwell, serves as Captain of Co. G, Three Forks Battalion, near the close of the Civil War, with the Union Army.

Charles O. Cardwell, eldest son of Thomas P. Cardwell, Sr., practiced law. He was elected Breathitt Co. Judge 1888. He was elected Breathitt Co. Attorney, 1900. He moved to Wolfe Co. and later moved out west to Oklahoma. He died there. He was married to Miss Margaret Combs. His brother E.B. had married her sister in 1887.

Jerry Cardwell, another son of Thomas P. Cardwell, Sr., was convicted, sentenced and served time in the Kentucky Penitentiary for the shooting of...during the Hargis-Cockrell feud. He returned to Breathitt living here till his death a few years ago. He was considered a good citizen during the latter years of his life. He married a few years previous to his death.

Jeremiah (Jerry) Cardwell, a brother of former City Police Judge T.P. Cardwell, Main St., Jackson, was sentenced to two years for the fatal shooting of Tide Hargis and the late Judge James (Jim) Hargis. (Feudal fame). He was pardoned before serving any time by former Gov. Bradley, a relative of the family through the Souths. Jerry's mother was a South.

Five Brothers, Levi, Richard, Clarke, David and Eli Hollan, came from North Carolina to what is now a part of Breathitt County, in 1850. Eli continued his journey into Jackson County, then a little later he moved out to Oklahoma, settling there. Richard, Clarke and David moved out into the State of Arkansas, a short time later.

Levi settled at Juan, between Mill Creek and Canoe in the Middle Fork of Kentucky River section. He was a farmer, but made shoes for the family's needs, too. He married a Miss Ella Couch. One of his children, Alfred, when eighteen years old in 1887, married a Miss Pauline Howard, age twenty. He bought a small piece of land at the mouth of Turkey Creek, cleared it for cultivation and built a two room cabin where the family lived. Alfred cleared one acre of land for Alfred Gamble, a neighbor, in payment for a solid walnut, flat topped table 4 x 5 feet. This table became the dining table of Alfred Hollan. His wife cooked their food in a skillet over a fireplace. His first wife bore him eleven children and his second wife five. He was a farmer and merchant. He was deceased December 4,1938. The property owned by Alfred Hollan has passed out of the family, except for the Hollan cemetery reserved in the deed. During 1937, at a family reunion, Alfred Hollan said, "Let's buy more land adjoining the cemetery enough to bury all the Hollans." They did so. In this cemetery are two of the early rock covered graves. These graves two or two and one half feet, standing about the same height above the ground; then across the top, tightly fitted lies another stone.

This would keep the wolves and other wild animals from disturbing the dead. The early Court 'Records show that a bounty was paid by the Court for Wolf scalps, 1840-41. The people also believed the rock would keep the dead preserved better when the loose soil would settle on the graves.

Among Alfred's children, one son, Arch C. Hollan served in the United States Army in time of peace, served during the Spanish-American War, altogether about five years, during which he saw service in the Phillipine Islands. Later on he went to Panama, serving there about 1914-1917. He is in a Government hospital, Washington, D. C., his recovery being doubtful.

John S. Hollan, another son of Alfred's first family of children, is the current postmaster of Jackson, Breathitt County. Mr. Hollan has the distinction of being the first postmaster appointed in the State of Kentucky by President Roosevelt, 1933.

Mr. John S. Hollan represented in the Legislature, Breathitt and Lee Counties 1928-1929; Breathitt County Treasurer 1930-1933, during the time his wife, Mrs. Nell (Turner) Hollan, served as County Court Clerk of Breathitt 1930-34. Mr. Hollan served as Breathitt County Chairman for the Democratic party 1925-35.

Patrick, another brother, served as deputy sheriff in Perry County 14 years, living there. Alfred Jr., another brother was on the city police service, Hazard, 1921-22, being killed in the performance of duty. Three sisters, married and two have families, living in Jackson.

Mr. John S. Hollan, Postmaster (1939), is the present owner of the original Jett farm.