Thomas Patrick Carothers

 

From the Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, published by the John M Gresman Company, Chicago-Philadelphia 1896

THOMAS PATRICK CAROTHERS of Newport, a prominent attorney and Democratic politican, son of Robert Barr and Elisabeth (Abbott) Carothers, was born in Campbell County March 30, 1857.  His father Robert Barr Carothers is a native of Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, who came to Kentucky in 1856, locating in Campbell County-which has been his place of residence ever since-and is not actively engaged in contracting for and building water works.  He is a Republican of liberal views and a man of superior intelligence and business ability.

Patrick F Carothers (grandfather) was born in Huntington County, Pennsylvania in 1802 and lived in Dayton, Ohio where he was a railroad master mechanic and a man of great strength of character and something of a Democratic politician, being greatly devoted to the interests of his party.  He died in Dayton, Ohio in 1880.  The progenitor of the Carothers family in America came from Scotland about one hundred and fifty years ago.

Elisabeth Abbott Carothers (mother) is a native of Covington and was born before that part of Kenton was taken from Campbell County.  Her ancestors came from England more than two hundred years ago.  Her father Thomas Helm Abbott was born in Mason and reared in Campbell county, where he was a prosperous farmer and a prominent member of the Baptist Church.  He died in 1892 at the age of eighty-eight years.

Thomas P Carothers was educated in the public schools of Newport and Cincinnati and after leaving school was engaged in business with his father for several years.  He then attended the Cincinnati Law School from which he graduated in May 1878.  He at once began the practice of law in Newport and soon built up a large general practice to which he is earnestly devoted.

He was a member of the state legislator in 1883-4; was elected city attorney in 1891 and 1892 and again in 1894 and 1895.  He has always taken quite an active interest in local and state politics, serving his time as a member of the Democratic state central committee; was for several terms chairman of the Campbell County Democratic executive committee and was a delegate to a Democratic state convention before he was twenty-one years of age.

He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, belongs to Robert Burns Lodge No 163, Free and Accepted Masons and member of the Kentucky Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Mr. Carothers was married in 1866 to Caroline Butler Powell, daughter of Charles Powell of Louisville and the have two daughters:  Mary Belle and Caroline Thomas.  Mrs. Carothers is a member of the distinguished Butler family of Carrolton, of whom Gen William O Butler was the most conspicuous.
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History Of Kentucky by Judge Charles Kerr,  1922 Vol. III, Page 423
 

Thomas Patrick Carothers who has practiced law at Newport over forty years, has been called "the unofficial historian of Campbell County. Matters of history and literature in general have found in him a sympathetic student and his diligent pen has helped conserve many valuable facts and traditions from the corroding influence of time.

Mr. Carothers was born in the Highland District of Campbell County, March 30, 1857, son of Robert Barr and Elizabeth (Abbot) Carothers. His ancestors were in the American Colonies before the Revolution.  His great-great-grandfather, James Carothers came to this country as a soldier in a Scotch regiment to take part in the French and Indian war. He remained in the colonies, settling in Pennsylvania, and afterwards joined the Continental forces in the Revolutionary war and rose to the rank of colonel of a detached regiment defending the border against British and Indians.

One of Mr. Carothers' maternal ancestors came to Kentucky with Henderson.  He was one of the settlers dispossessed and protesting to the Virginia Legislature.  This ancestor was Major Meredith Helm, of the distinguished Helm family of Virginia and Kentucky. Elizabeth, a daughter of Major Meredith Helm, was married to Dr. Peter Abbot who came to Kentucky from New England. They were married at Washington in Mason County, and, in 1806 removed to Campbell County where Doctor Abbot died of the cholera in 1832.

The grandfather of Thomas P. Carothers was an inventor and manufacturer of farm implements. His genius contrived and perfected many useful implements still regarded as standard, though he apparently lacked the impulse of pecuniary ambition and never patented his designs and improvements.

Robert Barr Carothers, who died September 2, 1917, was a general contractor, engaged briefly in the building of waterworks plants for municipalities. At the time of his retirement because of age he had been a, party to the building of more plants than any other contractor then in business. Elizabeth (Abbot) Carothers is still living (1922).  In advanced years and her gentle cultured and loving manner draws old and young, to her.  Her weekly visitors comprise a goodly company who seek to pay homage to this lady of the old school traditions, keeping in touch by memory with the life of a past generation and equally alert to the topics of the day.

Thomas Patrick Carothers grew up in Campbell County and was admitted to the bar of Newport January 5, 1877.  He graduated from the law school at Cincinnati College in May, 1878 and in a professional career of more than four decades has achieved success beyond the ordinary and has a high standing in professional circles both at home and abroad.  His brother Dr. Robert Carothers, has earned distinction as a physician and was president in 1921 of the Ohio State Medical Association.

December 8, 1886 Mr. Carothers married Caroline Butler Powell of Carroll County, Kentucky.  Mrs. Carothers represents the noted Butler and Powell families of Revolutionary stock. Her great-great-grandfathers, Col. Levin Powell,  was the first member of Congress from the Loudoun district of Virginia, her great-grandfather, Capt. Percival Butler was the first adjutant-general of Kentucky, Mr. and Mrs. Carothers have two living children.  The daughter, Carolina is the wife of Major Joseph Taylor Clement, US Army, who made a distinguished record in France.  The son, Richard Butler Carothers, was a graduate of the Iowa State College of Agriculture and married Harriet Byrnes Spinks.

Politically, Mr. Carothers is a democrat and as a nominee of that party has been a member of the Kentucky Legislature, served twice as city attorney from Newport, and has been a member of the school board of Newport under the commission plan of government.  He is a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Newport and has served as vestryman.

He is a past master of Robert Burns Lodge of Masons.  For a number of years Mr. Carothers was a member and for two terms president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Folk Lore Society.   While a member he read a number of papers on various subjects connected with Kentucky Mountain People, attracted attention and has been printed in numerous papers and read before other societies several times.  Mr. Carothers has also written many chapters of local history.

Note: Thomas died May 24, 1924.