Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904,
pp 538-540 [Graves]

     JOHN A. WASHAM, a prosperous farmer near Mayfield, Graves
county, Kentucky, is a representative citizen of the county and
state.  He is a native Kentuckian, and has lived in the state all
his life.  Beginning his career with an abundance of nothing but
strength of body and purpose to succeed, he has progressed with the
years, and can now claim a fair and creditable amount of success in
his special line of endeavor.  He has lived consistently with his
ideas of right, and has given his best efforts to the accomplishment
of his ideals and the duties which came to his lot.  Family, home,
his farm, citizenship and religious, educational and social affairs
have each received their due share of attention and effort, and the
result is a well rounded individual and a man esteemed wherever
known.
     Mr. Washam's grandfather, Peter Washam, was born in the state
of Virginia, whence he removed to Marshall county, Kentucky, where
his son Isaac was born, and where the latter has made his home all
his life, being a substantial and well known farmer of that
vicinity.  For sixteen years he was a magistrate in the eighth
district of Marshall county, and was also deputy clerk of the
county.  During the Civil war he espoused the side of the Union, and
in 1862 enlisted in the Fifteenth Kentucky Cavalry and served during
the remainder of the war.  He was once taken prisoner, and was
confined in Fort Hyman.  He has been a Republican in politics, and
he and his wife are members of the Methodist church.  He married
Mary P. Ray, who was also born in Marshall county, and was a
daughter of Hix J. Ray, a native of North Carolina and of English
descent.  She is deceased, but her husband still enjoys fair health
at the age of sixty-five years.  They had a family of twelve
children: Willis A.; William O.; Lucella M., wife of John Mathewsis;
John A.; James B.; Thomas K.; Benjamin C.; Fayett H.; Mary F.,
deceased, wife of D. Reed; Annie E., wife of Nelson Owens; and twins
that died in infancy.
     John A. Washam was born in Marshall county, Kentucky, August 3,
1862, and after his early training and schooling he started out to
make farming his life work.  He has been steadily engaged in this
line of enterprise all his life, and from nothing, through his good
management, hard work and thrift, has become the owner of a fine
farm of eighty-six acres on the Wadeborough road, two and a half
miles from Mayfield.
     Mr. Washam is a Republican in politics, and he and his wife are
members of the Methodist church.  October 21, 1885, he married Miss
Susan Smith, who was born in Marshall county, Kentucky, and is a
daughter of James K. P. and Elizabeth (Lyles) Smith, who were both
born in Marshall county, and are still living, in Graves county.,
the former aged fifty-eight years and the latter fifty-nine.. 
Martin Lyles was the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Washam, and
Rachael Wyatt Lyles, her paternal grandmother, was born in North
Carolina, and at the age of six years moved to Marshall county, and
is still living at the age of seventy-three, making her home with
her son.  Mrs. Washam is one of thirteen children, as follows: John
W., Susan C., Thomas W., Nancy A., Mary E., Tina E., Ellword A.
(deceased), Henry E., Nina H. (deceased), Hardin L. and Mont E.
(twins), Kirk (deceased), and Early L.  Mr. and Mrs. Washam have had
the following children: Weslie C. (deceased), Carrie M., Clemie A.,
James C., Omer F., and Ransom B.

Washam Ray Mathewsis Reed Owens Smith Lyles
=
VA Marshall-KY NC

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/graves/washam.ja.txt