A History of Kentucky, Embracing Gleanings, Reminiscences, Antiquities, Natural Curiosities, Statistics, and Biographical Sketches of Pioneers, Soldiers, Jurists, Lawyers, Statesmen, Divines, Mechanics, Farmers, Merchants, and other leading men of all occupations and pursuits by William B. Allen, Bradley & Gilbert, Louisville, Ky., 1872. Reprinted 1967 by the Green County Historical Society. pp. 347-348. Green County. John Emerson was admitted to the bar at the August Court. He was one of the earliest settlers of the town, being there the year before Greensburg was laid off and established as the county-seat. He was raised to some mechanical art, but never followed it in Kentucky. He studied law after he came to Greensburg. He emigrated from Pennsylvania in company with his brother-in-law, John Johnson, who was one of the first justices of the peace for Green County. Mr. Emerson was a man of good natural sense, and possessed of considerable wit. His education was quite limited, writing a poor hand, and reading badly. He was voluble, however, as a speaker, and spoke with intense animation and rapidity - never appeared at a loss for words to express his ideas. When he became greatly enlisted in a cause, or rather under the excitement of his feelings, while speaking, his face would redden and his mouth froth, and his gesticulations became vehement. He was an advocate rather than a special pleader; for the latter he, for the most part, relied upon those who were engaged on the same side of the cause with him. He was a man of great goodness of heart and benevolence of feeling. He was a great friend to the poor, and would do anything in his power to alleviate their distress or to calm their afflictions. He abominated misers, usurers, hard masters, and cruelty in any form. As a lawyer, he never prosecuted in any case. When employed, it was always for the defense. If the criminal was too poor to give a fee, he was certain to volunteer in his behalf. He had a great desire for office, especially a seat in the Legislature. He was a standing candidate for the Legislature for a period of nearly thirty years, except on one occasion when a candidate for Governor. In that period he was elected to the House of Representatives five or six times; but never two years in succession. One year he would get but few votes; another year his majority would be overwhelming. For the office of Governor he obtained very few votes. He was one of the earliest justices of the county, and held that place until by seniority he became entitled to the sheriffality of the county under the Consititution, but for some reason was not permitted to qualify. In 1795 Mr. Emerson was dismissed from the bar of the Quarter-Session Court, and the year following from the bar of the County Court, but for what cause cannot be ascertained from the record. At the May Court, 1801, however, the records show that he was re-admitted, and that he continued to practice until his removal from Greensburg. About the year 1826, being quite old, he removed to Burksville, Cumberland County, where nearly all his children then resided. At this place, a few years afterward, he died of cancer. Emerson Johnson = PA Burksville-Cumberland-KY http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/green/emerson.j.txt