BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 215
County. He purchased the Shotwell and Morehead mine and
interested Eastern capitalists in forming the Ohio Valley Coal
and Mining Company, of which he became president and general
manager. He contributed liberally to all civic and educational
enterprises in DeKoven and was a zealous church worker, being
a deacon of the First Baptist Church.
In 1885 he moved to Henderson, where, as president of the
Ohio Valley Railroad, he directed the building of the first rail- ‘
road to traverse Union County. As a civic leader as well as rail-
road builder and mining proprietor, Dr. Kelsey exerted great
influence in Union County. When he left DeKoven he placed the
Ohio Valley Coal and Mining Company under the management of
Samuel P. Sturgis. For several years he was also president of the
Central Trust and Savings Company of Evansville, Indiana,
where he moved in 1889. After the I. C. R. R. absorbed the O. V. _
R. R. about 1900 he moved to New York City and became a pro-
moter of various enterprises. Later he became associated with
G. C. Babcock in the wire-bound box business, being the manager
of plants in Norfolk, Virginia, South Bend, Indiana, and Evans-
ton, Illinois, when he died at the latter place.
WALTER JOHN KERN (1872-1929), business man and pro- ·
moter, was mayor of Sturgis for eight years. He was born in _
Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attended public school. His lirst work
was that of messenger boy, and his steady climb up the ladder
of success follows the pattern of an Horatio Alger plot. He next
became an oilice boy with the Edison Light Company and when
he left this company he was chief engineer. In 1892 he became ‘
chief engineer for the Maysville, Ohio, Light and Water Com-
pany, and in the fall of 1894 he became engineer both for the
Owensboro, Kentucky, Electric Light Company and the City of
Owensboro. He held both positions until 1903 when he started
in business as a contractor and dealer in electrical supplies. He "
moved to Sturgis in 1911 and built an ice plant, operating it in
connection with the Economy Steam Laundry, which he also
built.
Mr. Kern also took a deep interest in agriculture. In 1924 he
began the operation of the "Hillcrest Orchards," two miles north
of Sturgis on US 60. Products of this orchard won many prizes
at State and county fairs. These enterprises are now under the
management of his heirs.