William Jackson Worthington

William Jackson Worthington
William Jackson Worthington
26th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
	In office; December 10, 1895 – December 12, 1899
Governor	William O. Bradley
Preceded by	Mitchell Cary Alford
Succeeded by	John Marshall
Member of the; Kentucky House of Representatives
	In office; January 1, 1902 – January 1, 1906
Preceded by	Benjamine F. Meadows
Succeeded by	C. W. G. Hannah
Constituency	99th district
	In office; August 3, 1885 – August 1, 1887
Preceded by	John T. King
Succeeded by	W. J. A. Rardin
Constituency	Greenup County
Member of the Kentucky Senate; from the 32nd district
	In office; August 7, 1865 – August 2, 1869
Preceded by	Martin P. Marshall
Succeeded by	K. F. Prichard
Personal details
Born	November 9, 1833; Cambria County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	May 22, 1914 (aged 80); Boyd County, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Unconditional Union (1865); Republican
Spouse(s)	Catherine Steele (d. 1889); Lucy York
Children	7
Residence(s)	Greenup County, Kentucky, U.S.

William Jackson Worthington (November 9, 1833 – May 22, 1914) served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, was a state senator, and served as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under Governor William O. Bradley from 1895 to 1899.^[1] He was born in Pennsylvania and died in Boyd County, Kentucky.

Early life

Worthington was born near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but spent his childhood in Ohio. He came to Kentucky with his parents as a teenager, and served in the 22nd Kentucky Infantry Regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was commissioned captain of the Company B of the regiment, and was later promoted to the ranks of major and lieutenant colonel. Worthington was present during the Siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Cumberland Gap. He was under the command of Ambrose Burnside during the Red River Campaign and at the Capture of New Orleans.

After the conflict's end, Colonel Worthington returned to his home in Greenup County, Kentucky and purchased a furnace in the Hanging Rock Iron Field. He was actively involved in the iron business for about fifteen years.

Career

Worthington was prominent and influential in local affairs during his lifetime. He served one term as county judge of Greenup, Kentucky.

In 1895 he was elected lieutenant governor of the state.^[2] In 1896, Worthington pardoned one of the axe murderers involved in a horrific attack on a family of African Americans (Blyew v. United States). Worthington granted the pardon due to doubts over the evidence used to convict the man.^[3]

Worthington served several terms in the General Assembly before and after his tenure as lieutenant governor. In 1865, he was elected as a member of the Unconditional Union Party to the 32nd Senate district, which comprised Boyd, Carter, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties. In 1885, he was elected to represent Greenup County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He was later reelected to the house in 1901 and 1903.

Legacy

The city of Worthington, Kentucky was named after Worthington, being built by his daughters upon land inherited from the Colonel.

References

^ "Index to Politicians: Worthington". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
^ A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians, Volume 3, by E. Polk Johnson (1912)
^ "The Solicitor General in Historical Context". www.justice.gov. 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2023-06-23.

Political offices
Preceded by Mitchell Cary Alford	Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky 1895–1899	Succeeded by John Marshall

[1] "Index to Politicians: Worthington". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2007-03-06.

[2] A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians, Volume 3, by E. Polk Johnson (1912)

[3] "The Solicitor General in Historical Context". www.justice.gov. 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2023-06-23.

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