Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904,
pp 785-786 [Caldwell]

     R. U. KEVIL, one of the native sons of Caldwell county,
Kentucky, has been a prominent citizen, farmer and business man of
the same for a number of years, and few enjoy a better reputation
for ability and general popularity than he.  He was born on a farm
August 28, 1845, and represents one of the oldest families in the
county.  His great-grandfather, of Scotch descent, came from North
Carolina to Kentucky as a pioneer, when all the country was wild and
abounding with Indians and wild animals.  His son Thomas was born in
North Carolina and was but a child when he was brought to Caldwell
county.  He was a farmer by occupation, and died on the farm on
which he had been reared.
     James E. Kevil, the father of R. U. Kevil, was born in Caldwell
county about 1822, and passed all his life there, living to the age
of seventy-six years.  He married Nancy Bell, who was born in
Ireland and came to America with her mother when sixteen years old. 
She is still living at the age of seventy-eight years, and has been
the mother of ten children, eight sons and two daughters, all of
whom reached their majority and seven are still living.
     R. U. Kevil, the second child and son, was reared on the home
farm, where he was taught the value of independent and honest toil,
and received a common school education.  He remained at home until
his marriage on July 19, 1865, when Miss Laura Holloway became his
wife.  She was born in Lyon county, Kentucky, a daughter of Robert
and Catherine (Boyd) Holloway, and was reared in her native county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Kevil have six children: J. R.; Alva, wife of W. H.
Patrick, of Evansville, Indiana; Laban; Catherine, wife of Charles
S. Thomas, a prominent business man of Chicago; Birdie, wife of
George Pettit, Jr., of Princeton; and J. U., of Franklin, Indiana.
     After his marriage Mr. Kevil located on a farm in Caldwell
county, and afterward bought the old homestead, where he was engaged
in farming and stock-raising.  At the same time he was interested in
milling, having built a mill in Trigg county in 1871 and owning a
share in it.  He sold this in 1875, and bought an interest in the
Banner mill in Princeton.  He disposed of this in 1883 and then
purchased the Princeton Roller Mills, which he has been successfully
conducting ever since.  He tore down the old mill in 1885 and
rebuilt an entirely new and modern plant, equipped with all up-to-date
contrivances and machinery, and to show how progressive he is
he again remodeled and rebuilt in 1895, having now a mill of two
hundred barrels' daily capacity and perfect in all its departments. 
It is the largest mill in the county, and has a large trade in all
directions.  Mr. Kevil has a farm in Ballard county, Kentucky, on
which a town has been established and named Kevil in his honor.  It
is located on the Illinois Central Railroad, and is a growing place. 
He also owns a plantation of seven hundred acres on the Illinois
Central in Tallahatchie county, Mississippi, and in Caldwell county
has a fine farm of two hundred and sixty-eight acres, one of the
finest in the county.  All this indicates how successful he has been
in his business operations, and it is the more credible because he
has won it all by his won efforts, studious attention to business
and good and diligent management.
     Mr. Kevil has been a life-long Democrat, and was a private
soldier under General Forrest during the war of the Rebellion.  He
is a prominent Royal Arch Mason, and in every relation that he has
with society in general is influential and progressive and held in
universal esteem.  The Kevils have resided in this part of Kentucky
for over a hundred years and they are well known all over western
Kentucky.

Kevil Bell Holloway Boyd Patrick Thomas Pettit
=
Scotland NC Ireland Lyon-KY IN IL Ballard-KY Tallahatchie-MS

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/caldwell/kevil.ru.txt