John C. C. Mayo
Encyclopedia
John Caldwell Calhoun Mayo (September 16, 1864 - May 11, 1914) was an American
entrepreneur, educator, and politician.
in 1870 from Pike County, Kentucky
where they established their home in Paintsville
. Mayo attended subscription schools until he entered as a prep into Kentucky Wesleyan College
in Millersburg
. He graduated class of 1879 and began teaching school in Paintsville at the age of 22. While attending college, Mayo had realized the potential of coal
and other mineral deposits in the Big Sandy Valley.
in eastern Kentucky using his paltry teaching salary. He would in turn sell the land or the rights to the land to eastern iron
and coal companies at a considerable profit, while convincing them to invest in exploration and mining
of the region. As he continued to buy and sell options on land and minerals, he eventually became a partner, agent or representative for many of the large firms.
of Kentucky, and having in 1904 acquired Varina Farms
, the Powhatan Plantation in Mayo's ancestral Virginia, he decided to build a mansion which would rival those he had seen. So plans were expanded for a classic revival mansion with forty rooms. Construction broke ground in a swampy area. The construction crews filled in the swampy area and then went to work on building the foundation for the estate. Sandstone used in the foundation was mined from his father's farm on the other side of Paint Creek. The stones were then transported from the farm across a distance of three-quarters of a mile by an overhead tram. The stone columns surrounding the exterior of the mansion were each transported through Paint Creek during dry periods on sleds pulled by twenty-oxen teams. The masonry for the mansion was performed by Italian
stonemasons
from Cincinnati
. Originally, light was to be provided in the mansion by using carbide gas, but near the end of construction, Paintsville received electrical service. The plans for the mansion were changed to include electrical wiring. The mansion was also designed to include running water, by pumping water from a well to a cistern and then to the house as required. Rain water from the gutters went into the cistern
and in turn to the house also. Construction of the mansion was completed in December 1912 with costs in excess of $250,000 ($5,218,361 after being adjusted for inflation). Mayo Mansion is recognized as a registered historic place in Kentucky.
. He is the only eastern Kentuckian to ever be a member of the Democratic National Committee.
In 1913, Mayo went on a three month tour of Europe
, including London
and other foreign capitals. This tour was a trip of both business and pleasure. On August 20, he returned to Paintsville. An elaborate reception was given by John E. Buckingham, a close friend of Mayo. Citizens from all over the area went to welcome back "Johnson County's most prominent resident". Unknown to the guests at the reception, Mayo was already suffering from Bright's Disease
. It was soon released to the public that Mayo was ill.
Originally, the newspapers reported that Mayo had pneumonia
and was resting at his mansion. Mayo didn't stay resting for long. A week later, Mayo conducted business as usual, but citizens of Paintsville could tell he was seriously ill.
Specialists were soon called in from Cincinnati
. Mayo had been experiencing periods of unconsciousness according to reports. Bright's Disease had attacked the function of the liver, but news reports were still hopeful for a quick recovery. On March 1, 1914, Mayo was taken by special train to the Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, where an entire floor was occupied.
Bulletins were issued almost daily on Mayo's condition, often conflicting. In late April, Mayo was finally moved to the Waldorf Astoria
in New York City
where another group of specialists were in wait to care for him. On May 9, it was announced that Mayo had developed peritonitis
. He died two days later, on May 11, 1914 at the Waldorf Astoria.
Nearly 5,000 people attended his funeral on May 14, 1914. Funeral services were held at what is now known as Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church
, the same church that Mayo had built just across the street from his mansion and to which Andrew Carnegie had donated the pipe organ. The governor of the Commonwealth, James B. McCreary
, brought a delegation of state officials to Mayo's funeral. Senator
C. W. Watson and Representative
C. B. Slemp represented the U.S. Congress. Citizens of Johnson County held a vigil
at the train station until the train carrying Mayo's body pulled into the terminal. Mayo's body was transported to Mayo Mansion to lie in state. From the announcement of Mayo's death on May 11, until after the funeral, all of the towns businesses and banks were closed.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entrepreneur, educator, and politician.
Early life
Mayo was born in Gulnare, Kentucky to Thomas Jefferson Mayo and Mary E. Leslie Mayo. His family moved to Johnson County, KentuckyJohnson County, Kentucky
Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1843. As of 2000, the population was 23,445. Its county seat is Paintsville...
in 1870 from Pike County, Kentucky
Pike County, Kentucky
Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 65,024. Its county seat is Pikeville. Pike is Kentucky's largest county in terms of land area. Pike County is the 11th largest county in Kentucky in terms of population preceded by Bullitt County and...
where they established their home in Paintsville
Paintsville, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile...
. Mayo attended subscription schools until he entered as a prep into Kentucky Wesleyan College
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...
in Millersburg
Millersburg, Kentucky
Millersburg is a city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 842 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Millersburg is located at ....
. He graduated class of 1879 and began teaching school in Paintsville at the age of 22. While attending college, Mayo had realized the potential of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and other mineral deposits in the Big Sandy Valley.
Rise to wealth
During his teaching tenure, Mayo began to buy land and mineral rightsMineral rights
- Mineral estate :Ownership of mineral rights is an estate in real property. Technically it is known as a mineral estate and often referred to as mineral rights...
in eastern Kentucky using his paltry teaching salary. He would in turn sell the land or the rights to the land to eastern iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and coal companies at a considerable profit, while convincing them to invest in exploration and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of the region. As he continued to buy and sell options on land and minerals, he eventually became a partner, agent or representative for many of the large firms.
Mayo Mansion
By 1905, Mayo had amassed enough wealth to build a larger home in Paintsville. He had married Alice Jane Meek and they now had two children, John C.C. 2nd and Mary Margaret. Mayo had originally planned a modest twenty room house, but following trips to the Bluegrass regionBluegrass region
The Bluegrass Region is a geographic region in the state of Kentucky, United States. It occupies the northern part of the state and since European settlement has contained a majority of the state's population and its largest cities....
of Kentucky, and having in 1904 acquired Varina Farms
Varina Farms
Varina Farms, also known as Varina Plantation or Varina Farms Plantation or "Varina on the James", is a plantation established by John Rolfe on the James River about 40 miles upstream from the first settlement at Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, and across the river from Sir Thomas Dale's 1611...
, the Powhatan Plantation in Mayo's ancestral Virginia, he decided to build a mansion which would rival those he had seen. So plans were expanded for a classic revival mansion with forty rooms. Construction broke ground in a swampy area. The construction crews filled in the swampy area and then went to work on building the foundation for the estate. Sandstone used in the foundation was mined from his father's farm on the other side of Paint Creek. The stones were then transported from the farm across a distance of three-quarters of a mile by an overhead tram. The stone columns surrounding the exterior of the mansion were each transported through Paint Creek during dry periods on sleds pulled by twenty-oxen teams. The masonry for the mansion was performed by Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
stonemasons
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
from Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Originally, light was to be provided in the mansion by using carbide gas, but near the end of construction, Paintsville received electrical service. The plans for the mansion were changed to include electrical wiring. The mansion was also designed to include running water, by pumping water from a well to a cistern and then to the house as required. Rain water from the gutters went into the cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
and in turn to the house also. Construction of the mansion was completed in December 1912 with costs in excess of $250,000 ($5,218,361 after being adjusted for inflation). Mayo Mansion is recognized as a registered historic place in Kentucky.
Politics
Mayo was a millionaire by 1910, and he was already exerting political influence. He used portions of his wealth to help elect governors and congressmen. He also contributed heavily to the presidential campaign of Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
. He is the only eastern Kentuckian to ever be a member of the Democratic National Committee.
Death
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, including London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and other foreign capitals. This tour was a trip of both business and pleasure. On August 20, he returned to Paintsville. An elaborate reception was given by John E. Buckingham, a close friend of Mayo. Citizens from all over the area went to welcome back "Johnson County's most prominent resident". Unknown to the guests at the reception, Mayo was already suffering from Bright's Disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
. It was soon released to the public that Mayo was ill.
Originally, the newspapers reported that Mayo had pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and was resting at his mansion. Mayo didn't stay resting for long. A week later, Mayo conducted business as usual, but citizens of Paintsville could tell he was seriously ill.
Specialists were soon called in from Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Mayo had been experiencing periods of unconsciousness according to reports. Bright's Disease had attacked the function of the liver, but news reports were still hopeful for a quick recovery. On March 1, 1914, Mayo was taken by special train to the Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, where an entire floor was occupied.
Bulletins were issued almost daily on Mayo's condition, often conflicting. In late April, Mayo was finally moved to the Waldorf Astoria
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where another group of specialists were in wait to care for him. On May 9, it was announced that Mayo had developed peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
. He died two days later, on May 11, 1914 at the Waldorf Astoria.
Nearly 5,000 people attended his funeral on May 14, 1914. Funeral services were held at what is now known as Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church
Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church (Paintsville, Kentucky)
Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church is a historic church located at 325 Third Street, Paintsville, Kentucky, United States. On January 26, 1989 the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
, the same church that Mayo had built just across the street from his mansion and to which Andrew Carnegie had donated the pipe organ. The governor of the Commonwealth, James B. McCreary
James B. McCreary
James Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...
, brought a delegation of state officials to Mayo's funeral. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
C. W. Watson and Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
C. B. Slemp represented the U.S. Congress. Citizens of Johnson County held a vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
at the train station until the train carrying Mayo's body pulled into the terminal. Mayo's body was transported to Mayo Mansion to lie in state. From the announcement of Mayo's death on May 11, until after the funeral, all of the towns businesses and banks were closed.