Cabell, Joseph B.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Cabell, Joseph B., was born in Henderson, Ky., May 3, 1862, and is a son of Robert B. Cabell, a native of Virginia, who moved to Kentucky at an early day and became a planter, owning several farms in Henderson county. He died when 66 years old. Robert was a son of Joseph, also a native of Virginia, who settled in Kentucky and was also a planter. Joseph B. Cabell, the subject of this sketch, is the youngest in a family of 9 children, 4 of whom are deceased, Mr. Cabell being the only son living. He was educated in the public schools of Henderson. At 14 years of age, on account of his father's death he was thrown on his own resources. He was clerk in the postoffice at Henderson; taught school; was employed by the L. & N. R. R. as clerk in the freight office, and under Cleveland's first administration was appointed railway postal clerk from Nashville to St. Louis. After about 6 months he became chief clerk of the railway mail service at Louisville and in about 8 months was called to Washington, D. C., and made assistant superintendent of the railway mail service of the United States. He held this position until Harrison was elected, when he resigned. He arranged for the interchange of mails with Mexico in 1888. After his resignation from the railway mail service he became agent for the Ohio Valley R. R., now the Illinois Central, at Henderson, and after about 1 year he went to Memphis, Tenn., as traveling agent for the Blue and Canada Southern Fast Freight lines, remaining with them for 1 year and then becoming agent for the Interstate Dispatch Fast Freight line, which position he occupied for 5 years. Following this for a period of 10 years he was Southern freight agent for the Baltimore & Ohio, Continental line and Central States Dispatch at Memphis, having charge of all Southern territory. He came to New Orleans as traffic manager for the Mexican American Steamship Co. and was later traffic manager and vice-president of the Philadelphia & Gulf Steamship Co. In 1907 he established a forwarding agency in New Orleans, a business which grew rapidly into large proportions and in 1911 he gave up his connections with other companies to devote his entire time to his own increasing personal business. He is permanently located in New Orleans, having a fine home at 366 Walnut street. In 1908 he married Miss Electra Boyle of Memphis, where she was born, reared and educated. He is a member of the Masonic order, Court of Honor, Scottish Rite Mason, past potentate Shrine A. A. O. N. M. S., and also belongs to the B. P. O. E., Hoo Hoos and Woodmen of the World. He is a Democrat in politics and belongs to the Boston club. Mrs. Cabell is a member of the Episcopal church.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), p. 81. Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.