History of Tennessee Collections – Page 4 of 9

Biography of Col. J.H. Blackburn

Col. J. H. Blackburn, attorney at law and solicitor of claims, was born in 1842 near Liberty, Tenn. He is the third of eight living children of William and Ann (Hayes) Blackburn, the former born in 1808 in South Carolina, and the latter in 1820 in Wilson County, Tenn. The father, when a during man, located near the present college home, Wilson County, where he afterward married. In 1846 he came to Liberty, and continued farming on his farm lately bought, and since 1885 he has lived in Dowelltown, in feeble age. For fourteen years before the war he was … Read more

Biography of Benjamin F. Beckham

Benjamin F. Beckham, a prominent farmer of Madrid Bend, is the son of Alexander F. and Mary (Watson) Beckham. The father was born in Virginia in 1828, moved when young to Gibson County, Tennessee, and then to Hickman, Kentucky, then to Mills Point. He married Miss Watson in 1848. They had eight children, only three now living. Mrs. Beckham belongs to the Methodist Church. Mr. Beckham was a merchant and farmed also upon an extensive scale. In politics he was a democrat. Mr. Beckham was the victim of one of the greatest outrages ever perpetrated. It was known that he … Read more

Biography of Arthur Forbes Eastwood

Arthur Forbes Eastwood, sheriff of Lake County, Tennessee, is the son of William J. and Susan C. (Bigham) Eastwood. His father was born in North Carolina in 1820 and his mother in Carroll County, Tennessee in the same year. They were married in New Madrid County (since called Pemiscot County), Missouri. They had five sons and one daughter, and both belonged to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Eastwood was a democrat, taking an active part in politics. He died December 3, 1852. Mrs. Eastwood afterward married Captain S. B. Kelley and she died August 22, 1870. Our subject is … Read more

Biography of Alvin Avant

Alvin Avant, Attorney at Law, of Smithville, was born in Dekalb County in 1856, a son of William C. and Nancy (Williams) Avant. The father is of French descent, Born in 1822 in Dekalb County. His father, Benjamin Avant, was a native of Virginia, who immigrated to Dekalb County at an early date. William C. married and settled in the Twelfth District of his native county, where he is a prosperous and respected farmer and possessor of 300 acres of valuable land. His wife was also born in Dekalb County, of English descent. She is now sixty-two years of age. … Read more

Biography of A.P. Smith

A. P. Smith, attorney at law and farmer, of Temperance Hall, was born March 23, 1855, where he now resides. He is the youngest of nine children of Nicholas and Penelope (Summers) Smith. His father was born December 2, 1801, in North Carolina, and when a small boy moved to Wilson County, Tenn. He purchased the farm where our subject now resides in 1844, which then included the land now covered by the town. The only cultivated spot of this extensive tract was a small orchard. He soon built a two-story house, in the upper story of which the ” … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wyatt Mooring

Wyatt Mooring, a farmer and stock raiser, has been a resident of Lake County for thirty years, and he is the son of Wyatt and Martha (Needham) Mooring, who were both natives of North Carolina; their families moved to Madison County, Tennessee where they first met and afterward married. In 1856 they moved to what is now Lake County, and lived until their death; they had nine children, six still living. In 1870 Mrs. Mooring died, and he married Kate S. Craig by whom he had one child. Mr. Mooring and both of his wives were Methodists; he was a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Moss

William Moss is a son of Eli and Dicie (Brock) Moss, who were born and reared and married in the Palmetto State. They came to Tennessee in 1822 and located in McMinn County where they spent the remainder of their days. The father died in 1844 and the mother in 1874. The father was a democrat, a farmer and a member of the Christian Church. His wife was a Missionary Baptist and became the mother of four sons and four daughters. William Moss was born in McMinn, Colorado in 1826. He was raised on a farm, received a common school … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William M. Fariss

William M. Fariss, M. D., a leading citizen and physician of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was born in Franklin County, Tennessee, April 22, 1834, and is the son of William and Martha (Clardy) Fariss, natives of South Carolina. The father died in 1861 and the mother in 1874. Both were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Our subject was brought up on the farm and attended the public schools. In 1854 he began the study of medicine at Winchester, with Dr. Wallace Estill as preceptor. Later he attended several courses of lectures, and in March 1858 graduated from the medical department of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William L. Norton

William L. Norton, postmaster and a prominent citizen of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was born in Bedford County, Tennessee, November 27, 1839, and is the son of Dr. William Norton, a native of North Carolina, who was born March 2, 1801, and is the oldest physician with a radius of a hundred miles of Tullahoma. He came to Tennessee, and at an early date, a pioneer of Bedford County. He makes his home with his son, our subject. Mr. Norton was reared in Bedford County and acquired his education in the common schools. He worked on the farm until his twenty eighth … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William J. Wynn

William J. Wynn, a retired farmer of Lake County, is the son of Ezekiel and Lucy (Threadgill) Wynn. His father was born in Virginia, and when a young man moved to North Carolina, where he married Miss Threadgill. In 1830 they moved to Wayne County, Tennessee, and in a few years to Obion County. They had eleven children, four sons and seven daughters. Mrs. Wynn was a Methodist; Mr. Wynn in politics a Whig. He devoted most of his time to farming, and was a good mechanic. He died in 1850, and his wife in 1862. His ancestors were of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Harper

William Harper, one of the oldest men in Lake County, is the son of John and Elizabeth (Weaver) Harper; they were both probably born in Pennsylvania; they married, and made their home in Kentucky. They had three sons, but one of them living; they both belonged to the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Harper was a farmer, and in politics a Whig. Mrs. Harper lived to be sixty five years old, and he was eighty seven; his ancestors were Dutch. William Harper was born June 10, 1807, in Woodford County, Kentucky At the age of sixteen, he accepted a position as salesman … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William C. Peacock

William C. Peacock, clerk of the circuit court of Lake County, and member of the firm of C. M. Peacock & Son, was born January 21, 1863, in Lake County, and was the son of C. M. and Ann (Brock) Peacock. He was raised on the farm and when sixteen entered the Kentucky Military Institute and graduated there in 1881. During this time he had been salesman for M. Ambery of Tiptonville. He taught school for a while after graduating then returned to the mercantile business as salesman. In 1883 his father bought out Mr. Ambery and gave him a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Alwood

William Alwood, a prominent citizen of Manchester, Tennessee, was born September 22, 1850, in Fulton County, Ohio. He is the son of Levi S. and Delilah (McQuillin) Alwood – the former of Scotch descent, born in Ohio October 9, 1826, the latter of Irish descent and born June 22, 1830, in Ohio. The elder Alwood was married in 1848; engaged in farming and he came to Tennessee in 1873, his permanent home. He is a republican and in sympathy with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is a member. After completing his academic studies he was employed on … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William A.J. Davis

William A. J. Davis, farmer, is the son of J. J. and Ann (Harry) Davis. The father was born in 1807 in Marion District, South Carolina; the mother in Marlborough District, South Carolina in 1809. They were married in 1825 and soon after moved to Mobile, Alabama. They had ten children, four boys and six girls, six of them now living. In 1831 they moved from Alabama to Hickman County, Kentucky, and in 1847 to Obion County, Tennessee Mr. Davis was a farmer, and with his wife he belonged to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was a Democrat, taking an … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William A. Sims M.D.

William A. Sims, M. D. is a son of William and Julia (Cooke) Sims, who are Tennesseans, born in 1826 and 1833 respectively. They were married in west Tennessee and immediately located in Crockett County where they have since resided. Of eight children born to them five are living, four sons and one daughter. Three of the sons are physicians and one is a teacher, though all have taught school. Both parents and all the children are members of the Christian Church. Dr. William A. Sims was born January 15, 1857 in Crockett County. His early education was quite limited … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Will A. Vick

Will A. Vick, editor of Liberty Herald, born in 1864, at Liberty, is the eldest of three surviving children of William and Sarah A. (West) Vick. The father was born in 1824 in Smith (now Dekalb) County. He has been a merchant of Liberty since the age of nineteen. The mother was born in 1829 at Liberty, where she died in 1881. Our subject received his early education at the Masonic Academy of his native place, and later attended the Vanderbilt University, of Nashville. At the age of twenty he became a member of the firm of William Vick & … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wilburn Hiles

Wilburn Hiles, one of the substantial farmers of the Fifth District of Coffee County, Tennessee, was born in Bedford County, Tennessee, July 30, 1826. He is the son of Joseph Hiles, a native of North Carolina, who was born in 1796, and immigrated to Tennessee in early days. Our subject, brought up on the farm, attended the common schools. He was engaged in merchandising at Flat Creek, Bedford County, when he entered the service of the Confederacy, and was detailed to raise stock and grain for the Southern Army. Later he became a member of Norman’s battalion, and at the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Washington L. Alexander

Washington L. Alexander, a farmer of Lake County, Tennessee, is the son of Samuel B. and Mary (Slone) Alexander. His parents were both born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the father in 1794 and the mother in 1797. They married and lived in that state until 1826, when they moved to Missouri, from there to middle Tennessee and then to Mississippi, but soon returned to Tennessee, locating near Trenton, Gibson County. They had ten children, and were members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Alexander was a Whig before the war, and a republican afterward, and for many years was a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. T. Lawrence

W. T. Lawrence, deputy sheriff of Coffee County, and a prominent citizen living near Beech Grove, Tennessee, was born October 22, 1847, in Coffee County. He is the son of John H. and Tabitha H. (Blankenship) the former born in 1812 (died in 1858) in Tennessee, and the latter born in 1810 in Virginia, and living in Coffee County. The father was a farmer, politically a democrat, and belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject, one of nine children, received his education chiefly at Beech Hill Academy, when soon after his father’s death the care of the estate was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. Ramsey

W. Ramsey, a farmer of Coffee County, was born April 3, 1823, in Warren County. Samuel and Pollie (Strowd) Ramsey, his parents, lived in Warren County. The elder, Mrs. Ramsey’s father, was one of the first settlers of that county. Our subject is of English and Irish descent. November 30, 1852, he married Rachel Parker, by whom he had four children. She was a member of the Christian Church and died March 5, 1862. August 5, 1865, he married Ellen Norton, daughter of J. M. and Mary (Wilkinson) Norton of Coffee County. They have one child. Our subject taught school, … Read more