Kilburne, James H.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Among the professional men of St. Francisville, one who has worked his way to a recognized position in his calling is James H. Kilbourne. junior member of the law firm of Lawrason & Kilbourne, and who has been in practice since 1909. During this time he has found time from his professional duties to engage in politics and to till several positions of public trust with ability and conscientiousness, and has thereby strengthened his hold upon public confidence.

Mr. Kilbourne was born at St. Francisville, January 11, 1884, and is a son or Dr. James and Emma (Holcombe) Kilbourne, and a member of a family which came from Scotland to Litchfield, Connecticut, during Colonial days. His great-grandfather was James Kilbourne, a native of Connecticut, who moved to Mississippi, became an extensive planter, and died near Raymond in that state. Judge J. G. Kilbourne, the grandfather of James H. Kilbourne, was born near Raymond, Mississippi, and died at Clinton, East Feliciana Parish. He was a young man when he came to this locality for the practice of law, but soon made a name for himself in his profession and arose to a high place at the Louisiana bar, in addition to which he served for a number of years as parish judge. During the war between the states he fought valiantly under the banner of the Confederacy and arose to the rank of captain. Judge Kilbourne married a Miss Perkins, who was born in East Feliciana Parish, and died at Clinton, this state.

Dr. James Kilbourne, who resides at St. Francisville, was born in East FelicianaParish, and graduated from Centenary College, Jackson, following which he practiced medicine at St. Francisville for a period of ten years. Subsequently he spent a like period in East Feliciana Parish and then returned to St. Francisville, where he has continued to be located in the practice of his calling. He is one of the leading men of medicine of his community and formerly served as coroner of West Feliciana Parish. Politically he is a democrat and fraternally a Mason, while his religious connection is with the St. Francisville Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in which he is a member of the Board of Stewards. Doctor Kilbourne married Miss Emma Holcombe, who was born at Jackson, and died at St. Francisville in October, 1906. They became the parents of five children, as follows: Hal H., of Omnton, district attorney of the Twenty-fourth Judicial District of Louisiana; James H.; Almena, the wife of Raymond C. Carpenter, a merchant of Arcola, Tangipahoa Parish; Armstead R., a merchant and farmer of Wakefield, West Feliciana Parish; and Annie, the wife of Willian P. Craddock, of St. Francisville, who is an employe in the land department of a large oil company in Texas.

James H. Kilbourne attended the public schools and Centenary College, Jackson, following which he enrolled as a student at Louisiana State University, completing his academic course in 1905 with the degree of Civil Engineer. During this period he became a member of the Kappa Alpha Greek letter fraternity.

He followed the vocation of civil engineering at Memphis, Tennessee, and in Arkansas and Louisiana until 1909, when he was admitted to the bar, having spent his spare hours in reading law at the various places his occupation had led him, He at once took up his residence at St. Francisville, where he has since had a constantly growing clientele as a member of the firm of Lawrason & Kilbourne, his associate being Judge S. McC. [sic] Lawrason. Their well-appointed offices are situated opposite the Court House. Mr. Kilbourne has been identified with numerous important cases, his success in which has given him something more than a local reputation. Politically a democrat, he has been a strong influence in his party and for eight years was secretary of the West Feliciana Parish Democratic Committee. He served one term as mayor of St. Francisville, and is now a member of the Board of Aldermen and secretary and treasurer of the town, in addition to holding a commission as a notary public. His religions faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and fraternally he belongs to Bayou Sara Camp No. 483, Woodmen of the World. He has various interests, and in addition to being a director in the Bank of Commerce of St. Francisville, is the owner of a comfortable and attractive residence situated on Ferdinand Street. Mr. Kilbourne is unmarried.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 95-96, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.