Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 5th ed., 
1887, Franklin Co.

HIRAM BERRY was born in Fayette County, Penn., January 16, 1821.  His
father, Joseph Berry, removed from Chester County, Penn., to Fayette
County, Penn., about the year 1800, where he pursued the occupation of a
farmer.  He wife was Catherine Robison, who bore him a family of ten
children, of whom eight lived to years of maturity.  Hiram Berry enjoyed
the benefits of an ordinary common school education only, and at an
early age learned the trade of a carpenter, an occupation which he 
engaged in for twenty-three years.  In 1844 he left Pennsylvania and 
located in Cincinnati for a short time. From there he went to New 
Orleans by boat, and, returning located in 1845 at Madison, Ind.  On May
14, 1846, he married Eleanor S. Humes, of Madison, who was born in 
Fayette County, Ky., and in 1848 removed to Frankfort, Ky., where he has
ever since resided.  During the war he engaged in the business of 
supplying the Federal Government with stock and in trading on his own 
account.  After the war he embarked in the cotton business, in which he 
remained until 1866.  He then engaged in the wholesale liquor and 
distilling business with the late W. A. Gaines and E. H. Taylor, Jr., 
under the firm name of Gaines, Berry & Co., and did an extensive 
business for several years.  The said firm originated the now famous 
brand of whiskey, know as the "Old Crow".  The firm of Gaines, Berry & 
Co. was succeeded by the firm of W. A. Gaines & Co., which firm was
composed of W. A. Gaines, Hiram Berry and E. H. Taylor, Jr., of
Kentucky, and Sherman Paris, Marshall J. Allen and Frank S. Stevens, of 
New York.  They erected the Hermitage distillery in 1868, and enjoyed a 
large trade for their fine brands of whiskeys in all sections of the 
United States.  By careful and judicious business management they have 
become the largest producers of fine "sour mash" whiskeys in the world. 
The firm of W. A. Gaines & Co., as first constituted, has continued, 
with slight modifications, up to the present time.  In 1870 E. H. 
Taylor, Jr., withdrew from the firm, and, in 1872, W. A. Gaines died; 
Sherman Paris withdrew from the firm in 1882, Geo. H. Allen, of New 
York, being admitted into the firm at Mr. Taylor's retirement, and Edson
Bradley, Jr. of New York, when Mr. Paris retired.  In February, 1887, 
the firm of W. A. Gaines & Co. was made into a joint stock company, 
under the same name and style, with a paid up capital of $600,000, and 
composed of the following officers: Marshall J. Allen, president; Hiram 
Berry, vice-president; Edson Bradley, Jr., second vice-president; George
F. Berry, secretary; William E. Bradley, treasurer.  Besides being 
largely interested in the distilling business, Mr. Berry has other 
interests in this as well as other States, owning considerable real
estate in and near Frankfort, Ky., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Abilene,
Tex., and being a large stockholder in the St. Helen's Land, Coal & Iron
Company, of Frankfort, Ky., which company has large tracts of valuable 
timber and mineral lands in Lee County, Ky.  The capital stock of the 
company is $1,000,000, and he is also largely interested in the National
Bank of Kansas, Kansas City, Mo.  In all his business relations Mr. 
Berry has always manifested the strictest integrity, and he is 
recognized as one of the old representative citizens of Frankfort.  He 
has always been a liberal contributor to religious and other worthy 
objects, and in kindness to the poor and deeds of charity and generosity
is not exceeded by any of his neighbors.  He is a Republican in National
politics, but otherwise is independent, and casts his vote in local 
matters as he thinks will be the best for the community and State.  His 
first wife died October 7, 1879.  Of the nine children born to marriage,
Alice became the wife of J. T. Orbison, of Fort Wayne, Ind, whom she 
survives; Helen died in infancy; Emma married Thomas Rodman, Jr., and 
died, leaving three children; James W. is a druggist at Chattanooga, 
Tenn.; George F. is a secretary of W. A. Gaines & Co.; Edward R. died 
July 20, 1882, aged twenty-three years; Florence is the wife of Capt. 
William L. Cannon, of New Orleans; and Annie and Charles Taylor Berry 
died young.  Mr. Berry was united to his present wife, November 15, 
1881.  She was Miss Clarinda J. Cunningham, a native of Bourbon County, 
Ky., and daughter of Arthur B. and Elizabeth Cunningham, formerly of 
Baltimore, Md. 

Berry Humes Gaines Taylor Paris Allen Stevens Bradley Orbison Rodman
Cannon Cunningham Robison
=
Fayette-PA Chester-PA Fayette-KY Lee-KY Bourbon-KY MD NY TN TX OH LA IN
MO

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/franklin/berry.h.txt