Nelson County, Kentucky
JAMES B. ATHERTON was born October 23, 1825, in Hardin, now LaRue County, the first of four sons and one daughter born to John S. and Maria (Beeler) Atherton. John S. Atherton was born in 1804 in LaRue County, was a farmer and slave-holder, and died in 1840. He was the son of Peter and Elizabeth (Whitehead) Atherton, who came to Kentucky from Virginia as early as 1790 or 1795, bringing twenty-five or thirty slaves. Peter Atherton was of English descent, was a Whig, was under Wayne in the Indian wars, served as magistrate, and died about 1844, aged seventy-two years. Mrs Maria Atherton was born in Nelson County and was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Weaver) Beeler. John was a son of Christopher Beeler, who was of German origin, was a farmer, and came to Kentucky from Maryland. James B. Atherton was reared a farmer and at twenty-one years of age began business for himself. For three years he ran a carding machine, then resumed farming, and in 1865, entered in mercantile business, which he followed twelve years, and then went back to farming. During the late war he was three months in the Government employ watching bridges. He now lives retired at Nelsonville.
