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1814
February 4. William S. Culbertson, Samuel's father, is
born in New Market, Pennsylvania.
1840
February 19. W S Culbertson marries
Eliza Vance
(born 1822) of Corydon, IN. They will eventually have
eight
children including Samuel Culberson, their youngest.
1863
William Stuart Culbertson begins to build a
magnificent mansion
in New Albany, Indiana. It is completed about 1869.
1864
August 15. Samuel Alexander Culbertson is born in
New Albany, IN to William Stuart Culbertson and Eliza Vance
Culbertson
1865
January 3. Eliza Culbertson, Sam's mother, dies of typhoid pneumonia,
leaving 5 motherless children ages 6mo to 18 years
October 26: Louise Craig, Samuel's future wife, is
born in Pewee Valley, KY.
1867
January 10. Sam's father remarries
Cornelia Warner Eggleston, a
widow from Evansville, IN. Together they will have
two children. Cornelia was
born August 27, 1832 in Pennyan, NY.
1870
January 21. Sam's father buys the property next door to
his mansion, known as "the Whitehill tract" from John B and Reunia B
Whitstandley.
1880
October 18, Cornelia Culbertson, Sam's stepmother, dies
1884
July 14. Sam is elected cashier of the First National
Bank in New Albany, thus one of the youngest cashiers of any bank it's
size in the country. He held that position at least until 1892.
(or early 1885) William S Culbertson marries widow
Rebecca Keith Spears Young of Paris,
KY. The couple honeymoons with a five month grand tour of Europe.
1886
April 6. Sam
Culbertson marries Louise Craig at the bride's home,
Edgewood, in
Pewee Valley. Like Sam's father & his new wife, the couple honeymoons in
Europe.
May-December. Construction of a
new home for Sam
and Louise in New Albany next to father William on the land purchased in
1870. It was a wedding
present from the father to the newlyweds, though father keeps ownership
of the property. They move in that
winter.
1887
August 27. Born Saturday morning, to the wife of
Mr. S. A. Culbertson, Cashier of First National Bank, a son.
(From the New Albany Ledger, Monday, 29 August 1887).
This son is named
William Stuart Culbertson after his grandfather.
1888
June. Son Louis is born to Sam and Louise. He dies
in infancy.
1890
April 18. Son,
Alexander Craig Culbertson is born
to Sam and Louise.
1892
June 25. William S Culbertson, Samuel's father, dies.
June 29. Probation of William S Culbertson's last will
and testament.
That year Sam becomes president of the First National
Bank of New Albany and is president of the New Albany Fair Association
1894
May 10-11. Samuel performs at the New Albany Opera House
the role of Lord Pish Tush in the Gilbert & Sullivan opera, The Mikado
to good reviews.
Early June. "Mr. Samuel A. Culbertson, President of the
First National Bank of this city, has been elected a director of the
Union Trust Company, Indianapolis." (From the New Albany
Ledger, Saturday, 9 June 1894)
1896
March 6. Newspaper announces that Sam purchases land on
Louisville's fashionable Third Avenue. A mansion is to be
constructed on the site.
December 3. Sam deeds his old home and property in New
Albany to Dr. John Hazelwood.
1897
Winter (possibly late December 1896): Sam, Louise and the two boys move into
their new home in time to entertain for the 23rd running of the Kentucky
Derby.
1898
Early November. The Culbertson's
host and entertain
General Henry W Lawton, the, famed Indian fighter and "Hero of El Caney" He happens to be
married to Mrs. Culbertson's sister.
1899
Two Little Knights of Kentucky is published. Samuel's
sons are the models for namesakes of the book.
December 16.
General Lawton is killed in
in the Battle of San Mateo in
the Philippines, which causes great consternation in the Culbertson
household. Mrs. Culbertson's sister's husband is the only American
general to fall in battle during the Spanish American War. The man
who captured the Apache chief Geronimo in 1886 is mortally wounded by a
sharpshooter under the command of a Philippine insurgent general named
Licerio Geronimo.
1900
Mrs. Lawton moves to Louisville with her children, takes a house around
the corner at
1511 S. Fourth St.
Rebecca K. Culbertson, Samuel's stepmother, moves into a
home on Third Avenue (#1508)
in Louisville while her own new mansion is being constructed.
1901
Mrs. Lawton moves to Pewee Valley where she has built a
new home, "The Beeches,"
with funds from a national subscription made up of donations by
schoolchildren. Annie Fellows Johnston publishes "The
Little Colonel's Holidays" and the story is set largely in our
Old Louisville neighborhood and Mrs. Lawton's 1900 home here.
Rebecca K. Culbertson, Samuel's stepmother, moves into
her new mansion on 4th Avenue (#1469)
in Louisville where she will live until her death in 1924. This
house is just behind Samuel's home and down the alley a short way.
She and Samuel remain close friends throughout her life.
1902
Samuel is president of Louisville's prestigious Pendennis Club
1902-1903
1910
November 9. Samuel's son William marries Effie Bagnell.
Marriage ends in divorce in February 1920.
1915
Sam begins his own brokerage business
1917
Sam's son Craig reputed to be the 2nd person from
Louisville to enlist for service in WWI.
1918
Oct. 11. Sam enlists in the Army as a Private
at age 54
Nov. 11 World War I ends, soon ending Sam's military
service.
1919
Samuel is on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky
Jockey Club (Churchill Downs). Serves until 1928, when he becomes
president.
1923
April. Samuel's son William is vice-president of the
Louisville Packard Motor Co.
1927
April. Samuel's son William marries Theresa Lee White.
It is a second marriage for both of them.
1928
March 24. Samuel is elected President of Churchill Downs, serves 1928-1937
Summer. The family on
vacation at Narragansett.
1931
Conceives the Kentucky Derby Garland of Roses and
commissions florist Edith Walker for its design.
1932
Kentucky Derby winner Burgoo King receives the first
Garland of Roses
1935
February 12. Samuel's son William dies of
pneumonia at his home in Los Angeles, where he had been living for 3
years. Samuel flew to Los Angeles the same day. William was
survived by wife Paula.
Buried at Cave Hill on Feb 18. William had no children. Samuel's
son Craig is living in New York.
1937
Samuel becomes Chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs
& Latonia Jockey Club. Serves until his death in late 1948.
1938
September 10. Sam's wife Louise dies at their summer home at
Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts.
Buried at Cave Hill on Sept. 13.
1948
December 10. Was working at his office at the Kentucky Home
Life Building in apparent good health
December 11. Dies at home of a heart attack, age 86. Funeral
held at home followed by
burial at Cave Hill on December 13.
General
Republican
Presbyterian, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Warren Memorial
Presbyterian Church
Director of the Columbia and Fidelity Trust Company
Director of the Citizens Union National Bank
Director of the Federal Chemical Company
Director of the
J.B. Speed Art Museum
Financier, Broker & Capitalist
Clubs
Louisville, KY:
Pendennis Club
Louisville, KY: Salmagundi Club
New York City: Brook Club
New York City:
Tennis & Racquet Club
Manchester, MA:
Essex Country Club
Samuel
A Culbertson Timeline
Main
timeline
Genealogy
Samuel's father:
William S Culbertson
of New Albany, IN and his three wives:
Eliza Vance Culbertson
Cornelia Culbertson
Rebecca Keith Culbertson
William S Culbertson Mansion, New Albany, IN
Children
of William Stuart Culbertson
About Samuel and his family:
1886 Wedding of Samuel A Culbertson / Louise
Craig
Louise Craig Culbertson, wife of Samuel A.
Culbertson
Samuel & Louise Culbertson's 1st house 1886
Telegram from Mrs. Sam Culbertson to the War Dept 1899
1918: Samuel Culbertson enlists in the army
Culbertson Family vacationing at Narragansett,
1928
Churchill Downs years
