James Guthrie (1792-1869)

James Guthrie, born near Bloomfield, was a railroad promoter, lawyer, statesman, and financier who became a noted leader in both resource development and politics. At age 28, Governor Adair appointed him Commonwealth's Attorney. He represented Jefferson County and Louisville in the General Assembly from 1827 to 1840, where he promoted legislation for the Bank of Kentucky and framed its charter. Guthrie served as president of the Kentucky Constitutional Convention in 1849, as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Pierce from 1853 to 1857, and in the U.S. Senate from 1865 to 1868. A strong advocate of railroad construction, he served as president of the L&N and, during the Civil War, was a conservative Unionist who placed the railroad in service of the U.S. government.

Bloomfield, Kentucky · United States