Masterful storyteller, farmer moved to Boyle County

Published 8:17 pm Friday, February 15, 2019

J. Perkins Ingram was a prominent farmer in the Marcellus community of Boyle County from 1918 to 1925 after he moved his family from Wayne County to Boyle.

Better known as J.P. Ingram, he was familiar with many old Danville families prior to his move, according to articles in The Advocate-Messenger archives.

James Perkins Ingram’s grandchildren, from left, Guy, Lillian, Kathryn and Raymond, at their Wayne County farm before the family moved to Danville. Photo courtesy of Guy Ingram

“He was a wonderful storyteller and knew a lot of folklore. It was not unusual for him to be surrounded by a large crowd of friends, who loved to listen to him delineate his stories, all of which he told in a masterly manner.”

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He was a native of Wayne County and “was a member of one of the state’s most splendid families. His family was originally from Virginia and were among the pioneers who invaded Wayne, the Blue Grass county of the Mountains of Kentucky before the Indians had left the region.”

Raised wheat and tobacco

Ingram grew tobacco and wheat and also raised and sold mules.

Ingram was elected chairman of the Burley Tobacco Growers Association in Boyle County in February 1925.

He was called “One of the most ardent pool men in the state and has been an ardent leader in the movement from the very start.”

“The association received 565,000,000 pounds of tobacco from its members in 1921, 1922 and 1923 and paid an average advance of 18 cents per hundred.”

Ingram had “proved to be the most successful wheat grower in this section.” He developed a mixture of different species of grain to get a better yield.

“C.K. Poindexter, the threshing machine man, finished threshing 20 acres of wheat for Ingram. The crop averaged a little over 34 bushels to the acre, which is the largest yield so far reported in Central Kentucky area this year.

“A majority of the crops that have been threshed so far average about 15 bushels to the acre.

“Last fall, he sowed a mixture of five different varieties together and then planted the mixture with the above results.

James Perkins Ingram poses with his new calf. Photo courtesy of Guy Ingram

“Poindexter, who has much experience in wheat growing, says that to get the best yield it is necessary to mix different species of the grain. In threshing he has been noticing for several years that mixed wheat turns out better.”

Ingram was appointed as one of four storekeepers and gaugers in the Danville Internal Revenue District. He also was a member of the Boyle County Fair Association board in 1909.

Died in 1925

Ingram died July 18, 1925, at the age of 76. His wife, Martha Frances Cowan was born in 1848, and died Sept. 11, 1923. Both are buried in Bellevue Cemetery.

They belonged to The Presbyterian Church. Survivors were a son, James Perry of Danville, and four grandchildren: Raymond, Lillian, Guy and Katherine.