H. B. Brodess

Who was H. B. Brodess?

Henry Bishop Brodess was the first mayor of Ashland, Kentucky. Before being elected, he was a local judge, and published an outspoken anti-slavery newspaper called the American Union.

In 1860, Brodess was a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

On May 14, 1861, in Ashland, a meeting of citizens was held in Central Park to recruit members for the Ashland Home Guard, an organization formed for "the defense and protection of our families and homes" from guerrilla raiders. The Home Guard had at the time of the meeting a roster of 31 members. Forty new members took an oath of allegiance to the state and nation at that time. Brodess was among them.

Starting around November 15, 1862, Brodess served as a first lieutenant in Company A of the Fourteenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. He tendered his own resignation and was honorably discharged on November 17, 1862.

In 1876, Brodess was elected mayor of Ashland, and a city council replaced to former town board. Mayor Brodess was elected for another two year term in 1878, and again in 1880, but died in office. John Means was appointed to serve the remainder of his term.

In 1912, his wife, Mary, claimed that, after his discharge, he was not paid travel pay, and she attempted to bring the case against the United States. On February 12 of that year it was decided that the claim was neither a legal nor equitable one, and any payment rested in the bounty of Congress