History of Tennessee Collections – Page 6 of 9

Biographical Sketch of Prof. H.L.W. Gross

Prof. H. L. W. Gross, Principal of the Masonic Normal School, Alexandria, and the associate principal, Prof. James L. Boon, are well and favorably known throughout the country. Prof. Gross is the son of Milton and Clara P. C. (Lincoln) Gross , and a native of White County. The father was of German descent, Born in Sullivan County, Tenn., and a son of Jacob Gross, a native of North Carolina and pioneer settler of Sullivan County, where he was engaged in farming and gunsmithing. He died about 1880. His widow, who is ninety-five years of age, enjoys the best of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Parks, Rufus B.

Rufus B. Parks, clerk and master of the Chancery Court of Moore County, Tennessee, is one of four children born to Allen W. and Fannie (Miller) Parks, natives of North Carolina, born in 1797 and 1802, respectively. They took up their abode permanently in Tennessee in 1826. The father was a farmer, merchant, and in latter days kept hotel, and was magistrate a number of years. He died November 18, 1884, and the mother January 6, 1877. Rufus B. was born May 5, 1827, near Lynchburg, and received a good practical education. For about four or five years after attaining … Read more

Biographical Sketch of P. H. McBride, M. D.

P. H. McBride, M. D., a well-known physician of Coffee County, was born in that county, December 27, 1825. He is the son of William S. and Milly (Conwell) McBride, the former born at Lynchburg, Va., and the latter born at Abbeyville, S. C. in 1801. They died in 1879 and 1877 respectively in Coffee County, where he was a farmer. Our subject, one of ten children, after his school life ended, was for two years a blacksmith. Serving in the Mexican war for over a year, he fought at Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. Returning to Coffee County he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of P. Davis

P. Davis, clerk and master of the Chancery Court of Lake County, is the son of James and Rebecea (Dalton) Davis. His parents were born in North Carolina, his father in 1803, and his mother July 4, 1811. They were married in 1841, and had five children, two boys and three girls. Our subject and two sisters are the only ones living. Mr. Davis’ mother belonged to the Methodist Church. His father was an old line Whig, and died September 9, 1859, his mother living until January 24, 1885. Mr. Davis is of English ancestry, born in Obion County January … Read more

Biographical Sketch of N.M. Brown

N. M. Brown, of Brown & Donnell, Millers, was born in Dekalb County in 1856, the youngest son of six children of Isaiah and Rachel A. (Wood) Brown, both natives of Virginia. The father, of Dutch origin, was born in 1818 and died in 1885. He was the son of John Brown, a tanner. Isaiah was reared and married in his native State, and in 1854 removed to Dekalb County, Tenn., Where he worked at his trade as cooper. The mother, born in 1823, is still living with our subject and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. C. J. Lyon

Mrs. C. J. Lyon, wife of the late T. B. Lyon of Coffee County, was born February 10, 1829, and daughter of James and Jane Mason, the former born August 3, 1789, in North Carolina, and the latter July 2, 1800, in South Carolina. The father’s father came to Tennessee in 1780, living on Stone River, and in Bedford County. He died May 26, 1863. Jane Mason’s parents came to Bedford County, in 1800; one was of Dutch and the other of Irish descent. Our subject, one of seven children, married Joseph Tillman, September 17, 1850. He was born February … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mr. F. H. Griffin

Mr. F. H. Griffin, a farmer of the Fourth District of Lake County, is the son of John T. and Miriam (Bailey) Griffin. The father was born in North Carolina October 12, 1803 and his mother in Madison County, Alabama in 1805. They were married in Madison County Alabama in January 1826, and had eight children, only two of them living to be grown: our subject and Martha J., who was born January 11, 1829, and married Mr. J. S. Williams, of Lake County, Tennessee, where she died in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Griffin were devout members of the Christian … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Milton Donaldson

Milton Donaldson (deceased), the largest capitalist of Lake County, was a native of Alabama, but spent part of his youth in Nashville. After moving to Donaldson’s Point, Missouri, he married Theresa Baird. Mr. Donaldson was a self made man. When he married he had nothing, and by hard work and good management he accumulated an estate worth $150,000. He had but one son, who died in childhood. He was a democrat in politics. Mrs. Donaldson was a Methodist. In 1877 Mr. Donaldson left his home one afternoon to look after his stock. While absent a villain by the name of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of M.N. Parkes

M. N. Parkes is one of the ten children born to the union of Martin L. and Susan B. (Smith) Parkes. The father was born in North Carolina in 1793, and immigrated to what is now Moore County, Tennessee, in 1818, where he lived the balance of big life. The country then was dense forests and canebrakes. He was a blacksmith and a farmer, and was a man of simple means. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church, and was a soldier in the war of 1812, being a lieutenant and also a recruiting officer. He died in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of L. D. Hickerson, Jr.

L. D. Hickerson, Jr., a prominent and progressive young citizen of Tullahoma, and cashier of the First National Bank of that place, was born five miles east of there January 13, 1861. He is the son of L. D. Hickerson, Sr., president of the above bank, whose father, John Hickerson, originally of North Carolina, founded one of the oldest and most respected families in this portion of the state. Our subject was reared in Tullahoma, and, after attending the public schools, took a course at Burritt College, Spencer, Tennessee, and later took a complete course at Goodman’s Business College at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John N. Sullivan

John N. Sullivan, farmer, was born November 2, 1838, in Moore County, and is one of ten children born to Dempsey and Naoma (Neece) Sullivan. The parents were both born in this county in 1811 and 1812, respectively, the father being of Scotch Irish descent. He was a farmer, although he also engaged in the mercantile business for a few years in Lincoln County, and dealt largely in stock from 1845 to 1855. The mother died September 1884. The father is still living, a hale, hearty man of seventy five. John N. remained with his parents until the war, when … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John H. Taylor

John H. Taylor was born in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, February 26, 1801, and, is the only living member of a family of seven children of Woody B. and Nancy (Seay) Taylor, who were born and married in the “Palmetto State,” and moved to Georgia, and in 1809 to Tennessee. At that time the country was covered with canebrake, and Lynchburg contained only two log cabins. Woody B. Taylor died in 1840, and the mother in 1846. John H. resided with his parents until July 18, 1826, when he wedded Elizabeth Ford, who was born in South Carolina and has since … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John H. Ashley

John H. Ashley, High Sheriff of Coffee County, and a prominent citizen of Manchester, was born in Rutherford County, June 13, 1848. He is the son of W. F. and Lidia A. (Mankin), both natives of Tennessee and of English descent; the former was born near Beech Grove in 1822 and died November 5, 1878; the latter, still living, was born in Rutherford County in 1822. The elder Ashley was a farmer and a sound democrat. Our subject was the oldest of seven children; received his academic education at Beech Grove Academy chiefly, and for sixteen years successfully pursued agriculture. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John E. Gore

John E. Gore, farmer, of Moore County, was born in April, 1826, in Bedford County, Tenn., and is a son of Amos and Mary A. (Cowser) Gore. The parents were both natives of South Carolina, and came to Bedford County in the early settlement of the county. Our subject left the parental roof at the age of eighteen, and in 1844 went to Mississippi, where he remained three years engaged in farming and boating. He then came home and bought a small farm in this county (then Franklin County). In September 1849, he was united in marriage to Jane Cunningham, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John D. Arnett

John D. Arnett, one of the leading merchants and substantial business men of Tiptonville, is the son of George W. and Lorinda (Rogers) Arnett. Both parents were natives of Hamilton County, Tennessee; the father was born in 1822 and the mother in 1823. They married in that county and moved to Arkansas, and from there moved to Lake County four years ago, where they have since made their home with John Arnett, our subject. They had seven children, four girls and three boys. Mr. and Mrs. Arnett both belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. During the Florida war Mr. Arnett … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John B. Carroll

John B. Carroll, proprietor of the St. James Hotel, member of the firm of Carroll Bros. & Co., and one of the energetic and prominent young citizens of Tullahoma, was born July 4, 1855, in Coffee County, Tennessee. His father, H. W. Carroll, born in 1826, and his mother, Mary (Walker) Carroll, born in 1824, were both natives of Coffee County. His mother died in 1876. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. His father is still living, and is one of the most prominent farmers of the county. Our subject was reared on his parents’ farm, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James W. Tipton

James W. Tipton, a leading farmer and stock trader, of Lake County, is the son of Rev. Joshua and Rebecca A. (Rider) Tipton. The father was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1817, and the mother in the same county in 1819. They married and lived in Wilson County until 1843, when they moved to Carroll County, and in 1845 to what is now Lake County, where they remained until they died. They had ten children, six sons and four daughters. Both belonged to the Methodist Church. While living in Obion County, he was deputy sheriff, and when Lake County … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James T. Quarels

James T. Quarels was born in Wilson County in 1836, the fourth of seven children of William and Eliza (Hopkins) Quarels, both of whom were natives of Virginia, where they were married about 1835. They came to Tennessee, locating in Wilson County, where the remainder of their lives was spent in farming. The father died about 1844, the mother in 1881, both esteemed members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Our subject was educated in the country schools of his native county. About his twentieth year he married a native of Dekalb County, Miss Caroline, daughter of Jonathan and Priscilla … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James H. Rutledge

James H. Rutledge, merchant, and a prominent young citizen of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee, November 13, 1855, and is the son of Samuel Rutledge, a native of North Carolina. Our subject was reared on the farm, receiving his education in the public schools. In 1876 he began farming in his native county, and continued until 1882, when he came to Tullahoma, and with his brother, R. F. Rutledge, engaged in the grocery business; they have since added clothing, furnishing goods, and a boot and shoe stock. Mr. Rutledge was married in 1876 to Ida Roughton, a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James F. Ward

James F. Ward, member of the livery firm of Ward Brothers, of Tullahoma, was born in Moore County, Tennessee in 1859, and is the son of Noah Ward, a native of Moore County. Reared on the farm of his parents, near Lynchburg, Tennessee, our subject attended the public schools of the neighborhood. At the age of eighteen he began for himself, and came to Tullahoma in 1880, where he worked at different occupations until 1885, when, with his brother, R. H. Ward, he purchased the livery stable, which they are now conducting. Politically he is a democrat, and is regarded … Read more