John LaRue Helm (July 4, 1802 – September 8, 1867) was the 18th and 24th governor of the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky, although his service in that office totaled less than fourteen months.

In 1838, his sole bid for federal office ended in defeat when his opponent, Willis Green, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

He invested thousands of dollars of his own money in the project and convinced residents along the line's main route to buy stock in the company.

Although he openly opposed secession during the American Civil War, federal military forces labeled Helm a Confederate sympathizer.

In September 1862, he was arrested for this alleged sympathy, but Governor James F. Robinson recognized him as he was being transported to a prison in Louisville and had him released.

After the war Helm identified with the Democratic Party, and in 1865, Hardin County voters returned him to the state senate.

Despite his failing health, Helm made a vigorous canvass of the state and won the general election.

He was too weak to travel to Frankfort for his inauguration, so state officials administered the oath of office at his home on September 3, 1867.

[4][12] One of his sons, Benjamin Hardin Helm, was a Confederate general in the Civil War and was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga.

In response, the Kentucky General Assembly passed an act that granted debtors a grace period of two years in repaying their debts unless their creditors would accept payment in the devalued notes of the Bank of the Commonwealth.

[13] Throughout 1825, Helm made speeches and distributed pamphlets in Hardin and surrounding counties, espousing the Old Court position.

[14] Helm won the election, and at the age of twenty-four became one of the youngest members to serve in the Kentucky General Assembly.

[16] Helm made his only run for federal office in 1838 and was defeated by Willis Green for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.

[21] Governor Crittenden resigned on July 31, 1850, to accept President Millard Fillmore's appointment as attorney general, and Helm ascended to the governorship.

[14] He called for spending on internal improvements and for raising judges' salaries to attract more qualified jurists to the bench.

[23] The previous president had been forced out of that position after a disagreement with Louisville's board of aldermen, and construction of the line had almost been abandoned.

[24] Helm worked diligently to convince residents along the line's main route of the economic benefits it would bring.

[14][25] Rising labor costs and troubles transporting materials raised expenses far above the projected budget, and at one point Helm personally redeemed $20,000 ($680,000 as of 2025) of the company's bonds.

[26] The company's fortunes improved in 1857 when the city of Louisville provided $300,000 ($9.81 million as of 2025) in financial aid and the line was completed on October 18, 1859.

[28] By the time the line was finished, there were public calls from inside and outside the company for Helm to resign, mostly because of his support for a proposed Memphis branch of the railroad.

[30] Supporters believed the branch would economically help both Louisville and Memphis and would lessen their dependence on trade along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

[1][9] Helm was an outspoken opponent of secession, but also denounced the election of Abraham Lincoln and his use of military force to subdue the southern states.

[9] Because Helm did not condemn his son, Benjamin, for joining the Confederate Army, federal authorities classified him as a southern sympathizer.

Nevertheless, federal soldiers repeatedly entered his home, encouraging his slaves to abandon him, and consuming or destroying his crops.

By chance, Kentucky governor James F. Robinson recognized Helm in the group and negotiated with General Jeremiah Boyle to have him released.

[39] On January 29, 1867, Helm introduced legislation to organize a meeting in Louisville to rally support for President Andrew Johnson and his efforts to restore the Union.