R. H. Elliston

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The full title of the booklet is: The History of Grant County, State of Kentucky, as compiled by Robert H. Elliston, and read by him on the fourth day of July, 1876.

It's author, Robert H. Elliston spent 2 years at the University of Kentucky, and one year at college in Lebanon, Ohio. He began reading law, but before he finished, was elected Grant County Court Clerk, at the age of 21.  After leaving office, he and his father bought out the hardware and undertaking business of one J. W. Mount.  R. H. Elliston ran the hardware business, and his grandson, one O. P. Elliston, eventually ran the undertaking business.

Besides being County Court Clerk, he served as a State Senator from  his district, went to the Baptist Church, belonged to the Masons and the Knights of Pythias, was one of the organizers of the Bank of Williamstown, was an organizer and President of the Grant County Building, Savings and Loan, organized the Williamstown and Owenton Telephone and Telegraph Co, was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Williamstown Free Graded School and was said to be "an omnivorous reader and a connoisseur of good books and fine literature."

R. H. Elliston read this history at the 1876 Independence Day celebration.  The original was printed in the Sentinel Office, in Williamstown, by E. H. Ever in 1876.  The booklet was reprinted by the Grant County News in it's issue of November 23, 1951.

We've tried to reproduce it exactly as we found it, but we have added a few sub-headings to break it up.