(1) Name: James L. DODGE
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Birth: May 17, 1867
Death: October 17, 1933 Age: 66
Father: David M. DODGE (1832-1903)
Mother: Rebecca KENNEY (1835-1914)

Misc. Notes
Note--It is speculation at this juncture that this James L. Dodge is the same as listed in the Scott Family Genealogy (p. 103).

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS, E. Polk Johnson, three volumes, Lewis Publishing Co., New York & Chicago, 1912. Common version, Vol. III, pp. 1184-86. [Full page photograph of Mr. Dodge included with bio.] [Bourbon County]

James L. Dodge - On the old homestead estate which was the place of his nativity and which is eligibly located about three miles east of Paris, Bourbon county, Mr. Dodge is found as one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county, where, both as a loyal and progressive citizen and as a reliable and substantial business man, he is well upholding the prestige of a name that has been identified with the annals of Kentucky history for four generations.

On his present fine homestead James L. Dodge was ushered into the world on the 17th of May, 1869, and is a son of David M. and Rebecca J. (Kenny) Dodge, both of whom were likewise natives of this county where the former was born on the 1st of August, 1832, and the latter on the 24th of August, 1835. David M. Dodge was a son of Edwin M. and Elizabeth (Seamands) Dodge, natives respectively of Clark and Bourbon counties, this state. Edwin M. Dodge, was a son of David and Dorcas (Mills) Dodge, the former of whom was the founder of the family in Kentucky, whence he came from Pennsylvania in the pioneer days and established his home in Clark County, where he continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. The ancestors of David Dodge are as follows: His father was Isaac, son of Eli, son of Josiah, son of Josiah, son of John, son of Richard, who was the founder of the Dodge family in America. He appeared in Salem, Massachusetts in 1638. He reared a large family of children and many of his descendants are now to be found in various parts of the old Blue Grass commonwealth, as well as in other sections of the Union. Mrs. Elizabeth (Seamands) Dodge, paternal grandmother of James L. Dodge of this review, was a daughter of Manson Seamands, who served as major of a Kentucky regiment in the war of 1812 and who died in 1856; the maiden name of his wife was Newton.

Edwin M. Dodge was born in Clark county, Kentucky, about the year 1811 and was there reared to maturity under the conditions and influences of the pioneer epoch. As a young man he removed to Bourbon county and located in North Middletown precinct, where was solemnized his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Seamands. There he continued his identification with farming and stock-growing until his death, which occurred about the year 1836, and his widow subsequently became the wife of Kinzea Stone. They continued to reside in Bourbon county until their death.

David M. Dodge remained with his mother and stepfather until he had attained to the age of twenty years, and in the meanwhile he duly availed himself of the advantages of the common schools of the locality and period, the while he contributed his quota to the work and management of the home farm. In February, 1852, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Adeline Fretwell, daughter of Pascal and Maria (Hildreth) Fretwell, both of whom were representatives of old Virginia families. Mr. Adeline Dodge died in 1860, and of her four children Bettie is now the only one living; she is the widow of William Wood and resides in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.

The three deceased children were Mary D., Edwin M. and William P. On the 22d of May, 1861, David M. Dodge contracted a second marriage, having then been united in the bonds of wedlock to Miss Rebecca J. Kenney, daughter of Victor M. and Catherine A. (Rogers) Kenney, both of whom were born and reared in Bourbon county. Victor M. Kenney was a son of James Kenney, who was born in Virginia, where he was reared to adult age and whence he came when a young man to Kentucky, numbering himself among the pioneers of Bourbon county. His first wife, the mother of Victor M., born the maiden name of Margaret Johnson, and after her death he contracted a second marriage. Mrs. Catherine A. (Rogers) Kenny was a daughter of Thomas and Rebecca (Spahr) Rogers, who were numbered among the early and honored pioneers of Bourbon county.

In 1856 David M. Dodge established his home on the farm now owned by his son James L., of this sketch, and as before stated, the place is located about three miles east of the thriving little city of Paris, on the Paris and North Middletown turnpike. He here gave the best of his splendid energies to the development and improvement of his property, and the tangible results of his efforts remain patent to all. He was a man of impregnable integrity in all the relations of life, was endowed with strong mentality and good judgment, and he was numbered among the best known and most highly esteemed citizens of his native county, where his death occurred, on his old homestead, on the 10th of April, 1903. He was a stanch Democrat in his political proclivities and his religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church. He did not hedge himself in with more personal aggrandizement but was liberal and progressive in his civic attitude. His second wife, Mrs. Rebecca J. (Kenney) Dodge, who survives him and remains on the old homestead, bore him four children, concerning whom the following brief record is entered: Martha V. is the wife of Charles G. Blakely, of Topeka, Kansas; David M. died when about 34 years of age; James L., is the immediate subject of this review; and Victor K. is an interested principal of the Phoenix Motor Car Company, of Lexington, this state, where he maintains his residence.

James L. Dodge was reared to maturity on the old homestead which is his present place of abode and which was likewise that of his nativity, and after availing himself of the advantages of the district school he continued his higher academic studies in the Garth Institute, at Paris, this county. He has never severed his allegiance to the great productive industry under whose influences he was reared and he is now the owner of the old homestead, to which he has added until his landed estate comprises 803 acres. The spacious residence and other buildings on the place are of the best type and this is recognized as one of the many fine farms that have given Bourbon county such distinctive prestige. As a young man Mr. Dodge began to devote special attention to the breeding and training of fine trotting and pacing horses, in which connection he gained precedence as one of the leading horsemen in the section which has ever represented his home. He still continues to own and handle a few high-grade horses and has never abated his love for the horse, but since the death of his father he has confined his energies more especially to diversified agriculture and to the raising of high-grade live stock, besides which he deals somewhat extensively in the same, making large shipments each years.

He is one of the progressive and wide awake citizens of Bourbon county, ever ready to give his influence and aid in support of measures and enterprises advanced for the general good of the community, and while he has had naught of aspiration for public office he is found aligned as a stanch supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, in whose faith he was reared. He is a member of the Presbyterian church.

On the 10th of December 1890, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Dodge to Miss Lucy H. Williams, who was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, on the 20th of September, 1869, and who was a daughter of John J. and Elizabeth (Stone) Williams. Of this union were born two children, one of whom died in infancy; the surviving child, Edgar W., was born on the 25th of November 1893. Mrs. Dodge was summoned to the life eternal on the 17th of July, 1905, secure in the affectionate regard of all who had come within the sphere of her gracious influence.


Spouses
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1: Lucy H. WILLIAMS
Death: July 17, 1905
Father: John J. WILLIAMS
Mother: Elizabeth STONE
Marriage: December 10, 1890 Harrison County, Kentucky

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2: Mary Mitchell WOODFORD
Birth: February 9, 1886
Death: August 5, 1957 Age: 71
Father: Benjamin WOODFORD (1856-1940)
Mother: Alice BROOKS (1858-1925)
Marriage: December 23, 1914
Children: Alice Brooks (1916-)

(2) Name: Mattie V. DODGE
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Father: David M. DODGE (1832-1903)
Mother: Rebecca KENNEY (1835-1914)

Misc. Notes
Kansas and Kansans, Volume 3
On October 30, 1894, Mr. Blakely married Miss Mattie Victor Kenney Dodge, of Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, and a daughter of David M. and Rebecca (Kenney) Dodge. She is of an old southern family on both sides. Her father was a successful planter and a lover and breeder of standard bred trotting horses. Among horses he raised and owned was Gail Hamilton, who took the three-year-old record of the Grand Circuit races of 1902. He is also owner of Lemonade, the most famous brood mare of Kentucky of her time. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Blakely are Charles G., Victor Kenney and James Mills, the last being now deceased.


Spouses
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1: BLAKLEY
Children: Charles G.
Victor Kenney
James Mills