Willis Benson Machen
| Willis Benson Machen | |
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Official Congressional portrait
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United States Senator from Kentucky |
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In office September 27, 1872 – March 3, 1873 |
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| Preceded by | Garrett Davis |
| Succeeded by | Thomas C. McCreery |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
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In office 1856–1860 |
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| Member of the Kentucky Senate | |
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In office 1854 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 10, 1810 Caldwell County, Kentucky |
| Died | September 29, 1893 (aged 83) Hopkinsville, Kentucky |
| Resting place | Riverview Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret A. Lyon Eliza W. Dobbins Theresa Mims |
| Relations | Son-in-law of Chittenden Lyon Grandfather of Zelda Fitzgerald |
| Residence | Mineral Mount |
| Alma mater | Cumberland College |
| Occupation | Farmer, Iron worker |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Methodist |
Willis Benson Machen (April 10, 1810 – September 29, 1893) was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
Willis B. Machen was born the son of Henry and Nancy (Tarrant) Machen on April 10, 1810 in Caldwell County, Kentucky (now Lyon County, Kentucky). He attended the common schools of the area and became a farmer. Machen attended Cumberland College in Princeton, and then engaged in agricultural pursuits near Eddyville.
In addition to farming, Machen worked at the Livingston iron forge. Soon, he and a partner opened their own business, but it failed and nearly led Machen to financial ruin. Eventually, he was able to repay his debts, and he began building turnpikes. An injury forced him to abandon that course as well, so he turned to the practice of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1844 and quickly built up a large clientele.
Machen married Margaret A. Lyon, daughter of U.S. Representative Chittenden Lyon and granddaughter of U.S. Representative Colonel Matthew Lyon.
Machen was delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1849, was a member of the Kentucky Senate in 1854, and was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1856 and 1860.
When a group of secessionist Kentuckians formed a Confederate government for the state, the Kentucky Confederate legislative council elected Machen as its president. Machen represented Kentucky's 1st congressional district in the First Confederate Congress, serving on the Accounts and Ways and Means Committees. He was re-elected to the Second Confederate Congress and worked in the quartermaster and commissary departments. In total, he served in the Confederate Congress from February 22, 1862 until its dissolution in April 1865.
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