Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Volume I and Volume II, Lewis
Publishing Company, 1904, pp. 48-52.  Carlisle Co.

JUDGE ARNOLD T. HOBBS

     Judge Arnold Thomas Hobbs, who is now serving upon the bench of
Carlisle county, and is a distinguished citizen of this part of the
state, has directed his activity into various channels which have
proved of benefit to the community at large and at the same time have
advanced his individual interests.  As a member of the medical
fraternity, as a merchant and as an agriculturist, he became well
known to the people of this locality, and wherever known he has won
the confidence, good will and friendship of those with whom he has
been associated.
     Judge Hobbs is a native of Carlisle county, his birth having
occurred November 22, 1849, upon a farm on the Graves county line.
His parents were George S. and Julia Ann (Stephens) Hobbs.  The Hobbs
family is of English lineage, and was established in America at an
early epoch in the development of this country.  George Hobbs and his
wife, the grandparents of the Judge, were natives of North Carolina,
and in pioneer times removed to Carroll county, Tennessee, and there
the grandmother died.  Soon afterward the grandfather removed to
western Kentucky.  In the meantime George S. Hobbs, the Judge's
father, had been born in Carroll county, and was about six years of
age when his father came to this state, the family settling on the
farm in Carlisle county which later became the birthplace of our
subject.  The grandfather was afterward again married, his second wife
being a daughter of Garrett Willingham, one of the honored pioneer
settlers of Carlisle county.  By his second marriage he had no
children, and those born of his first union were:  Moody Kirby,
deceased, was a farmer of Carlisle and in honor of his middle name was
named the town of Kirbyton, which was located on his farm;  Ann
Mariah, deceased, was the wife of Green Rowland, who lived and died in
the vicinity of Kirbyton; George S., father of our subject; Rebecca
Jane, deceased, married Aaron Green, moved to Texas and there she and
her husband died; and Charles Carr and Louis Parsons, who died in
early life.
     George Hobbs was a typical representative of the prominent
families of North Carolina in ante-bellum days, and devoted his life
to agricultural pursuits throughout his business career.  He was not
long permitted to enjoy his new home in Kentucky, however, for he died
shortly after his arrival here.
     George S. Hobbs was reared in Carlisle county to farm life, and
throughout the period of his business career was connected with that
pursuit.  He witnessed much of the development and improvement of this
county through several decades, for the family was established here at
a comparatively early period.  After arriving at years of maturity he
married Miss Julia Ann Stephens, who was born in Nelson county,
Kentucky, February 9, 1826, a daughter of Abraham and Lucretia
(Seibert) Stephens.  Her mother was of Scotch descent.  Her father was
born in Virginia, and at an early day they came to Carlisle county,
casting in their lot with the pioneer settlers, to whom the county is
indebted for much of its present progress and prosperity, for they
laid broad and deep the foundation upon which the later-day
advancement has been builded.  George S. Hobbs continued to engage in
farming until his death, which occurred on the 16th of February, 1862.
His widow still survives him and is now living in Carlisle county.
Both were members of the Missionary Baptist church, and Mr. Hobbs was
a Democrat in his political affiliations.  He possessed good business
ability, and in the control of his affairs met with creditable and
gratifying success.  After the death of her first husband Mrs. Hobbs
was again married, in 1863, becoming the wife of Bethel A. Slayden,
who was also a farmer and who died in 1894.  By her first marriage she
became the mother of seven children:  Sarah Frances, who is the widow
of E.S. Weldon, of Clay county, Texas; Lucretia Elizabeth, the wife of
Martin James, of Carlisle county, Kentucky; Arnold Thomas; Columbus
Haywood, of Dallas, Texas; Louisa Angeline, the deceased wife of S.W.
Peery, of Carlisle county; Julia Ann, the wife of Bascom Wright, of
Graves county, Kentucky; and Mary Judson, the wife of L.B. Bean, of
California.  To Mr. and Mrs. Slayden were born two children, Robert
Lee, who is now deceased; and Mineola, the wife of Robert L. Ashbrook,
of Indian Territory.
     Upon the home farm Judge Hobbs was reared, and pursued his
education in Milburn Academy, in Carlisle county.  In 1868 he taught
his first term of school, and following the profession through several
terms he was enabled to meet the expenses of his own academical
course.  In 1870 he went to Texas, where he engaged in teaching for a
few months, and then became connected with the cattle industry as a
cowboy and as a dealer in cattle.  After three years spent in the Lone
Star state he returned to Kentucky and took up the study of medicine
under the direction of Dr. W.D. Senter and R.T. Hocker, of Carlisle
county, and in the winter of 1873-74 he attended a course of lectures
in the medical department of the University of Tennessee, at
Nashville.  In 1874-75 he attended Bellevue Medical College, New York,
and graduated from that institution in the spring of 1875, located at
Lowes, Graves county, Kentucky, and entered upon his professional
career, in partnership with his former preceptor, Dr. R.T. Hocker.
There he remained until the fall of 1880, when he removed to
Arlington, Kentucky.  In 1887 he retired from the active practice of
medicine and turned his attention to merchandising, which he followed
for a time in Arlington.  Later he further extended the field of his
labors by engaging in agricultural pursuits, and for ten years prior
to his election to the bench he successfully followed the occupation
to which he was reared.
    Since August, 1902, Judge Hobbs has made his home in Bardwell.  He
is a stanch Democrat in politics and is recognized as one of the
leaders of the party in this locality.  In 1893 he was elected to
represent his district, composed of Ballard and Carlisle counties, in
the general assembly and served in the house for one term, leaving the
impress of his individuality and patriotic spirit upon the legislation
enacted during that period.  In 1901 he was chosen county judge of
Carlisle county, and the following year took his place upon the bench,
where he is now serving most acceptably, his decisions being fair and
impartial, unbiased by personal prejudice or favor.
     In 1876 was celebrated the marriage of Judge Hobbs and Miss Mary
F. Peck, who was born upon a farm near Lowes, Graves county, Kentucky.
Their children are Mary Emma, who died at the age of eight years, and
Thomas Herbert and Carl Haywood, who are now in school.  The parents
are members of the Missionary Baptist church, with which the Judge
united in 1876.  He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows.  In whatever relation of life we find him - in the public
service, in political circles, in professional or business life or in
social relations - he is always the same honorable and honored
gentleman, whose worth well merits the high regard which is uniformly
given him.

Hobbs Stephens Willingham Rowland Green Seibert Slayden Weldon James 
Haywood Peery Wright Bean Ashbrook Senter Hocker Peck
=
Graves-KY NC Carroll-TN Nelson-KY VA Clay-TX Dallas-TX CA 
Davidson-TN NY Ballard-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/carlisle/hobbs.at.txt