JOHN G. ORR was born in Beith, County Ayr, Scotland, April 19, 1855. His father, William Orr, was a merchant in the town of Beith, which occupation he followed all his life, and died in 1881, aged sixty-eight years. Agnes Orr, subject's mother, is a daughter of David Longwell, an extensive coal miner of Scotland, and is still living in his native country. Mr. and Mrs. Orr reared a family of seven children, whose names are as follows: Robert, David, Jessie, Jane (deceased), John G., Agnes and Mary. The subject of this sketch attended the schools of his native town until the age of fourteen, when he entered the high school of Glasgow, where he remained for a period of two years, making rapid progress in his studies in the meantime. After leaving school he entered his father's office as clerk, which position he held until 1874, when he came to America, in company with his brother, David, coming direct to Princeton, Ky., where he engaged in the tobacco business, and where he has since resided. Mr. Orr is one of the leading tobacco buyers in Caldwell County, having a large stemmery in Princeton, and a branch house on the Cumberland River, in Lyon County. He has been very successful in his operations, handling upon an average 1,500,000 pounds of tobacco, annually. October 12, 1882, he married Miss Willie James, daughter of William and Mary(Collins) James, of Princeton. One child has been born to this union, William James. Mr. and Mrs Orr are active members of the Presbyterian Church.
Source: J. H. Battle, W. H. Perrin, & G. C. Kniffin. Kentucky. A History of the State. Louisville, KY, Chicago, IL: Battey, 1885. Pages 710-711.