History of Tennessee Collections – Page 5 of 9

Biographical Sketch of W. A. Marshall

W. A. Marshall, furniture dealer, and present mayor of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1842, and is the son of J. W. and Nancy T. (Neal) Marshall, natives of Prince Edwards County, Virginia. Reared on the farm of his parents; our subject received his education at the neighboring schools. At the age of thirteen he came with his parents to Tullahoma, and entered his father’s store, remaining until the opening of the late war. He then enlisted in Company B (Confederate), of Turney’s First Regiment of Tennessee Infantry. After the war he returned home, working at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. A. Clark

W. A. Clark, farmer of Coffee County, was born June 17, 1830, in Lebanon. His father, Joshua Clark, was born June 5, 1806, in Maryland, and came to Kentucky early and finally to Lebanon in 1828, engaging at contracting and farming until 1847, since then he has been devoted to the latter. His mother, Sarah (Allen) Clark, daughter of “Billy” Allen, of Lebanon, was born February 14, 1807, in Tennessee. Our subject is of Scotch-Irish descent. Having learned the mechanic’s trade, he left his father’s farm when nineteen and worked at his trade until 1865, since when he has been … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas H. Parks

Thomas H. Parks, of the firm of Parks, Taylor & Co., of Lynchburg, Tennessee, is a son of Ambrose Lee and Eleanor E. (Watts) Parks. The father was born in North Carolina. After his marriage he moved to Missouri, where he resided until 1846, and then came to Lynchburg, Tennessee, where he was engaged the wheelwright and wagon making business. Both parents died in 1850. Thomas H. was born in Missouri October 19, 1840, being but nine years old when his parents died. He made his home with an uncle in Alexander County, North Carolina, until seventeen years old. In … Read more

Biographical Sketch of T. G. Bailey

The firm of Billingsley & Bailey was formed November 4, 1885, by S. A. Billingsley & T. G. Bailey. The senior member of firm is a native of Bledsoe County, Tenn., born October 31, 1856, and was reared in his native county. His father was a farmer. Our subject engaged in merchandising for two years at Spencer, Tennesse, before coming here. February 1884, he went to Mulberry and there engaged in teaching, being principal of the schools at that place until June 4, 1886, when he resigned. December 16, 1885, he married Jennie Sugg, of Cyruston, Lincoln Co., Tennessee. The … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Stokely Jacobs

Stokely Jacobs, a well-known planter of Coffee County, Tennessee, was born there February 26, 1840 (ancestors mentioned in biography of A. Jacobs). Our subject, after completing his education, was engaged in agriculture chiefly. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate Company G, Seventeenth Regiment Tennessee Infantry. He occupied various positions in Hardee’s corps, and took part in the battles of Rock Castle, Perryville, Murfreesboro and Petersburg, where he was captured and sent as prisoner to Point Lookout and Elmira, New York, paroled in 1865, he returned home, and after the close of the war began farming. Entering the store of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Smith Newton

Smith Newton, a merchant of Tiptonville, Tennessee is the son of John and Sarah (Box) Newton. His parents were born and raised in west Tennessee, and by their marriage had one son and one daughter. After his father’s death, his mother married Mr. Henry Walker. Smith Newton was born in Obion County, Tennessee March 12, 1840. In the beginning of the civil war he enlisted in the Confederate Army in the Fifteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers, and served until the close of the war being in a number of battles and escaping without being wounded. After the war he came to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S.E.H. Dance, M.D.

S. E. H. Dance, M. D., the leading physician of Lynchburg, Tennessee, was born March 30, 1834, son of Stephen M. and Sarah (Smith) Dance, born in Virginia and North Carolina, and died in 1853 and 1862, respectively, they came to Lincoln County about 1826. The father was a farmer of ordinary means and a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject spent his boyhood days on a farm and at the time of his father’s death was attending Emory and Henry College, Virginia. He returned home and began the study of medicine and attended one course of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S.A. Billingsley

The firm of Billingsley & Bailey was formed November 4, 1885, by S. A. Billingsley & T. G. Bailey. The senior member of firm is a native of Bledsoe County, Tenn., born October 31, 1856, and was reared in his native county. His father was a farmer. Our subject engaged in merchandising for two years at Spencer, Tennessee, before coming here. February 1884, he went to Mulberry and there engaged in teaching, being principal of the schools at that place until June 4, 1886, when he resigned. December 16, 1885, he married Jennie Sugg, of Cyruston, Lincoln Co., Tennessee. The … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S. J. McLemore

S. J. McLemore, a pioneer of Tullahoma, was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee, December 29, 1822, and is the son of S. J. and Martha (Whitaker) McLemore, natives of North Carolina. The father died in 1825 and the mother in 1880. Our subject reared on the farm, remained there until his marriage to Margaret J. Ward in 1841, when he removed to Nashville and entered the produce business. In 1851 he came to Tullahoma. He sold goods until the civil war and after the close of the same entered the livery business. In 1876 he began merchandising, continuing at that … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S. J. Crockett

S. J. Crockett, farmer in Coffee County was born June 9, 1809, in Georgia. His father, John, a native of South Carolina and pioneer of Tennessee in 1812, was born February 29, 1780, and died March 9, 1859. He was of Irish descent. His mother, Mary (Cowan) Crockett, was born November 7, 1779, in Georgia, and died in 1857. Leaving the farm when of age, after four years in general merchandising at Hillsboro, he began his career of farming. He was collecting officer for a time. March 15, 1835, he married Amelia Austell, born February 4, 1817, in South Carolina, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S. H. Wood, M.D.

S. H. Wood, M. D., a physician of Hillsboro, was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, November 13, 1824. His parents, Thomas and Susan (Baldridge) Wood, are natives of Orange County, N. C., immigrating to Tennessee about 1806. A blacksmith by trade the elder Wood moved to Hickman County, Kentucky, in 1827, remaining there to the close of his life in 1837. Reared on the farm, our subject began the study of medicine in 1844, and before beginning to practice in Bradyville, Tennessee, attended Louisville University. Since 1866 he has had successful practice at his present home. He married Elizabeth Lyon, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert Watson

Robert Watson, or “Uncle Bob,” as he is familiarly called by his friends, was born in Madison County, Tennessee, December 28, 1829, and was raised in that county. He was married to Miss Frances A. Burrus September 8, 1853; she was born in Madison County, July 20, 1828, and by their marriage they had three children, one son and two daughters, only one of them survives the wife of H. M. Peacock. Mrs. Watson was not a member of any church. She died September 28, 1877, and since then Mr. Watson has made his home with his son-in-law, Mr. Peacock. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert T. Webb

Robert T. Webb, trustee and magistrate of Lake County, is a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Taylor) Webb, who were born in North Carolina and Kentucky. The father came to Humphreys County, Tennessee, when young, and while there went across to Kentucky, where he married. They soon after located in Gibson County, and a short time after in Crockett County, when the father died. He had been married previous to his union with Miss Taylor, and by his first wife, became the father of six children. His second wife bore him three children, our subject being the only one living. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert T. Parks

Robert T. Parks, a merchant of Lake County, is the son of John L. and Malinda (Crafton) Parks. Both of his parents were natives of middle Tennessee, where they were married. They soon after settled in Giles County and lived there until 1852, when they moved to Gibson County, and nine years later to what is now Lake County. They had thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters. They belonged to the Christian Church. In early life he was a teamster, but on coming to the western district gave his attention to farming. He died during the war and his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert A. Lewis

Robert A. Lewis (deceased) was a prominent farmer of Lake County, and was born in 1833, in Fulton County, Kentucky; his father was Major R. N. Lewis. Our subject had good educational advantages. In 1855 he married Mary Donaldson, who was born January 24, 1834 in New Madrid County, Missouri at Donaldson’s Point. She is the daughter of Andrew J. and Kate (Baird) Donaldson. Her father was born at Athens, Alabama, but was raised at Nashville, Tennessee, her mother at Chattanooga. Soon after they married they went to Missouri and remained until 1844 when they came to Lake County. Mr. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. James S. Ervin

Reverend James S. Ervin, merchant, and a native of what was then Lincoln, but is now Moore County, Tennessee, was born April 4, 1832, and is a son of James S. and Jemimah (Merrill) Ervin. The parents were natives of North Carolina, and immigrated to this county in 1816 and 1818, respectively. The father was an industrious farmer, and died November 7, 1881; the mother followed November 9 of the same year. Our subject remained with his parents until eighteen years of age, when he married Catherine Womack, November 7, 1849, a native of Bedford County. The fruits of this … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Reuben Cates

Reuben A. Cates, the fourth child of John and Susan (Box) Cates, was born December 3, l837, in Lake County, was raised on a farm and was well educated. After the country schools he went to the college at McKenzie, and then attended a commercial college at Keokuk, Iowa; after this he went to Texas for a while and then returned to Tennessee. In 1881 he married Lula Craig, who was born January 23, 1863, and they have two children: Opal and John O. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Cates belong to any church. In politics he is a democrat. Soon … Read more

Biographical Sketch of R.F. Jones

R. F. Jones, merchant, was born in 1857, in Alexandria, Dekalb County, Tenn., one of three children of Jas. And Martha P. (West) Jones, the former, probably of English origin, and born near Alexandria about 1825, and the latter of like ancestry, and born in the same vicinity about 1835. The father was engaged in merchandising the most of his married life at Alexandria. At the battle of Chickamauga he received a shot from which he died in a few hours. The mother died near Alexandria in 1884. Educated at Alexandria and Liberty, our subject began clerking in 1874 for … Read more

Biographical Sketch of R. H. Richardson

R. H. Richardson, merchant and a prominent citizen of Tullahoma, was born in Bradford County, Tennessee, in November 1846, the son of Thomas E. Richardson, whose death occurred in Coffee County in 1850. When our subject was about six months old his parents moved to Coffee County, settling near Duck River in the Fourteenth District, where he was reared and attended the free schools. He finished his education at Manchester College. January 1, 1868, he came to Tullahoma and entered a store as clerk, and in 1878 began business for himself, and has since conducted a successful general store. He … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Prof. J.L. Boon

Prof. J. L. Boon was born two and a half miles north of Alexandria, in Smithville County, in 1855. He is the fifth of nine children of Jas. N. and Sarah (Barry) Boon. The father was of English descent, one of the same families as the Kentucky pioneer, Daniel Boone. Jas. N. was born in Wilson County in 1817. He was raised and educated mostly in Smith County. By close application to study, he was enabled to enter the teacher’s profession, which he followed in connection with farming. He was one of the most efficient and successful educators of that … Read more