JAMES F. INGRAM was born March 26, 1835, in Princeton, Caldwell Co. He is a son of George J. and Mary (Martin) Ingram, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Muhlenburgh County, Ky. George J. Ingram was born in 1802, and came to Kentucky with his parents when quite a small boy, settling in Logan County, where he lived until about 1825 or 1826, at which time he moved to Caldwell County and located at Princeton. He was a tailor, and worked at his trade in Princeton for a number of years, but later in life purchased a farm four miles from the town, on which he lived for a period of sixteen years, dying in 1879. Mrs. Ingram, subject's mother, was a daughter of Hudson Martin, an early settler of Muhlenburgh County. She died in 1874, aged sixty-eight or seventy years. Mr. and Mrs. Ingram were the parents of thirteen children, only four of whom are living: James F., Charles H., George Felix and Elizabeth, wife of W. H. Carter. Our subject at the age of fourteen years was apprenticed to C. T. Dabney, saddler, for three years. In 1852 he joined a company of gold-seekers from northwest Missouri, and went to California, where he remained two years, returning to Princeton in 1854. A short time afterward he went to Garrettsburg, Christian County, where he worked at his trade some months, and later came back to Princeton, and engaged with his former employer, remaining with him several years. He was elected marshal of Princeton in 1859, and served until 1861, when he commenced farming, which he continued until 1863. In the latter year he moved to Princeton and effected a partnership with Mr. Dabney in the saddlery business. He subsequently purchased his partner's interest, and continued the business until 1875, at which time he engaged with Charles Ratcliffe in the general hardware and saddlery business, which he continued until 1881, when he disposed of his city business, and purchased his present farm, one mile east of Princeton, on which he has since resided. He was married January 19, 1859, to Mary R., daughter of John and Sarah Teear. This union has been blessed with the following children: Joseph Allen, Sarah F., John (deceased), Mary E., James, Annie Laura, Lena, infant deceased, and Charles Owen. Mr. Ingram is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and votes with the Democratic party. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Source: J. H. Battle, W. H. Perrin, & G. C. Kniffin. Kentucky. A History of the State. Louisville, KY, Chicago, IL: Battey, 1885. Page 702.