HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY KENTUCKY, by Robert Peter, ed. by William H. 
Perrin, O. L. Baskin Co., Chicago, 1882.  Reprinted by Southern 
Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1979.
Page 554
JOHN R. ALLEN, lawyer, Lexington, was born at Keokuk, Iowa, in the year 
1858, and when but a child was taken to Memphis, Tenn., where he received 
his preparatory education.
He attended the Kentucky Military Institute during the session of 1872-73, 
and the Virginia Military Institute in 1873-74.
At the age of seventeen, he graduated from the Southwestern University, 
of Clarksville, Tenn., and the following year entered Kentucky University, 
from the law department, of which he graduated with the class of 1876-77, 
and being admitted to the bar in 1878, became the partner of R. A. Buckner, 
with whom he has since been associated in practice. 
He was on of the originators of the Lexington guards, and a Lieutenant in 
that corps.
He was elected Major of the Third Battalion Kentucky State Guards in the 
spring of 1881, and on May 23, of the same year, was commissioned by 
Gov. Blackburn.
Allen Buckner Blackburn
=
Keokuk-IA Memphis-Shelby-TN Clarksville-Montgomery-TN

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/fayette/allen.jr.txt