Judge Wilhite Carpenter

This is one of the recollections written by Wallace A. McKay and published in The Pioneer-News. Follow the "Recollections" link above to find others of his writings.

---

The Pioneer-News, May 19, 1933, pages 1-2

The writer has many pleasant memories of Judge Wilhite Carpenter who was for many years one of the first citizens of Bullitt County.

He was the first County Court judge the writer remembers and was always a very enterprising and public spirited man and a most estimable citizen Judge Carpenter was a farmer, land-owner, merchant, trader, and politician and was fairly successful in all these avocations. He come from an old pioneer family of Bullitt County and was self-educated, never having gone beyond a course in the Common Schools. In early manhood he became addicted to the reading habit, and in this way acquired a great deal of information on a variety of subjects. He was especially proficient in horticulture and farming and was quite a student of animal diseases and quite well known as an amateur veterinarian. In addition to his other acquirements he had a very fair knowledge of the law, and while not a regular member of the Bar, he often wrote deeds, wills and contracts, and became quite proficient in this character of legal work.

Judge Carpenter lived for many years at Salt River Station a short distance across the old road near the end of the Railroad Bridge which led to the old ford across Salt River years before the present wagon and foot bridge was constructed.

He had one son who died in early manhood and two attractive daughters who were given more educational advantages than many other girls in the neighborhood-- the Judge having always been in a very comfortable financial condition. His eldest daughter, Bettie Carpenter, married Mr. Willian Barrickman, Sr, of Harrod's Creek, Jefferson County, a prominent and prosperous farmer who raised a large and interesting family, included among which was Mr. Wilhite Barrickman, who was one of the founders of the Jeffersonian at Jeffersontown, Kentucky, and who is now the Executive Secretary of the Board of Trade at Dallas, Texas. There was another son William Barrickman, who is in the U. S. Postal service, and several daughters who are the wives of well known citizens of Jefferson County.

Judge Carpenter's younger daughter, Rhoda Carpenter, became the wife of Mr. Oscar McCarty, a prominent and respected citizen of Louisville, who also raised a large family. His son, Oscar McCarty, Jr., has been a leader in Boy Scout work in Kentucky for years.

Judge Carpenter as a Deputy Sheriff in early life and also County Assessor. When in the prime of life, he was elected County Judge and re-elected several times. When about fifty years of age, while Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner was Governor, he was elected a member of the State Senate from the district composed of the Counties of Hardin, Meade, and Bullitt, and was a very active and influential member. During his last year in the Senate he was appointed by the Governor one of the three commissioners to construct a branch Penitentiary at Eddyville, in which position he rendered invaluable services to the public, and saved the State thousands of dollars in the letting of contracts for this work, and by his vigilance and watchfulness in looking after the work as it progressed. The contractor and the Senator disagreed from the start by reason of Carpenter's insistence upon a strict compliance with the contract.

While the work was in progress, Judge Carpenter had a big row with General H. B. Lyon of Eddyville, one of the other commissioners, which attracted the attention of the entire state. The trouble arose through a difference of opinion respecting the materials and workmanship on the job. And after the Board was deadlocked for weeks the differences had to be investigated by the Governor, who sided with Senator Carpenter. The Governor afterwards publicly commended Carpenter for his splendid work on the Commission and his courage and vigilance in looking after the State's interests.

After Carpenter retired from public life, he was again engaged in merchandising at Salt River, and when he was about seventy-two years of age he was killed in his own store upon the discharge of a gun he had set up the night before as a trap to shoot burglars who had been burglarizing his store in recent weeks. His tragic death was a great shock to the State and caused wide spread sorrow and mourning in Bullitt and the adjoining counties. There is no question but what Judge Wilhite Carpenter was a man of fine character and sterling honesty. He did not know how to play the political game and refused to do so while acting as one of the Commissioners on the Eddyville Penitentiary project.

He was generous and forgiving and warm-hearted and was known to have favored many poor people, both black and white, in acts of benevolence and charity. He was always very active and energetic and although somewhat impulsive and at times hot-tempered, he was, all in all, "a man among men" and a citizen whom Bullitt County was really proud of. He will long be held in the affectionate memory of those fortunate enough to have been within the chosen circle of his friends. He was a hard fighter and in his many battles he gave his enemies no quarter, but he was true, loyal, and devoted to his friends, who followed him with unrelenting zeal and devotion throughout his long and interesting public career.

W. A. M.

---

If you, the reader, have an interest in any particular part of our county history, and wish to contribute to this effort, use the form on our Contact Us page to send us your comments about this, or any Bullitt County History page. We welcome your comments and suggestions. If you feel that we have misspoken at any point, please feel free to point this out to us.