Cannon County TN

Biography of B. B. Melton

B. B. MELTON. Since the year 1851 Mr. Melton has been a resident of Christian County, and he is one of the best-known and much esteemed citizens of this section. It is a pleasure to chronicle the history of a man whose life has been one of honor and usefulness and although he is now in his seventy-fifth year, time has dealt leniently with him, and he is in the enjoyment of comparatively good health. Like many other citizens of the county, he is a native of Tennessee, born in Cannon County, August 12, 1820, to the marriage of Jacob … Read more

Biography of Richard S. Holt

RICHARD S. HOLT. It is a pleasure to write the biography of a man of unusual personal merit-the possessor of a combination of gifts so comprehensive that happiness and success in any enterprise is bound to follow the application of his qualities to the solution of almost any reasonable problem in life. It is an unwritten law that the secret of success in life in all individual cases is the common property or heritage of all unfortunates of the human race. It is therefore eminently proper for the historian or delineator of character to review the lives of those individuals … Read more

Biography of Simeon Ashley

Simeon Ashley, clerk of Coffee county Circuit court, and a prominent citizen of Manchester, was born March 8, 1830, near Beech Grove, Tennessee. He is the son of William and Mary (Weaver) Ashley, of English and Scotch descent respectively – the former born in South Carolina, Lawrence District, February 14, 1789, and the latter, in North Carolina in 1790. Their parents came to Tennessee in early days, and the maternal father was a companion of James K. Polk’s father in the then far west. After the marriage of the elder Ashley, in about 1812, they made Beech Grove their permanent … Read more

Cannon County, Tennessee Cemetery Transcriptions

Tennessee Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the Tennessee county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. Patton Cemetery (hosted at Cannon County, Tennessee Tombstone Transcription Project) Gunter-Grizzle Cemetery (transcribed by Rie Ogasawara-Estes) Pleasant Ridge Church of Christ Cemetery (hosted at Interment)  

Biography of G. W. Nokes

G. W. NOKES. It matters little what vocation a man selects as his life occupation so long as it is an honorable one. If he is an honest, upright man, courteous in his intercourse with his fellowmen and possessed of the average amount of energy and business sagacity, he is bound to make his business a financial success. Because the subject of this sketch is possessed of all these requirements, is the chief reason that he has succeeded; because he is above the average in point of natural business qualifications, is the reason he today stands among the best merchants … Read more

Biography of W.G. Bratten

W. G. Bratten, Farmer, was born in 1823, in Smith County (now Dekalb), the oldest of two sons of Henry and Nancy (Givan) Bratton, The former of Irish origin, born in Maryland about 1798, and the latter of Scotch origin, born in the same State about the same year. The mother’s parents came when she was a year old to Nashville by boat after reaching the Ohio River, and where three weeks in cutting a road to Liberty, which was named by her father in honor of their old home in Maryland, as he was something of a leader in … Read more

Biography of Lewis R. Pumphrey

LEWIS R. PUMPHREY, of the well-known firm of Pumphrey & Cantrell, general merchants and cotton dealers, of Lead Hill, Arkansas, was born in Cannon County, Tennessee, in 1839, to the marriage of Thomas and Margaret (Holt) Pumphrey, also natives of Tennessee. The parents were reared and married in their native State, and about 1839 moved by wagon to Ozark County, Missouri, where they were among the first settlers. There they resided for six or seven years and then moved to Fulton County, Arkansas, where Mr. Pumphrey died soon after. Mrs. Pumphrey then moved to what is now Boone County, Arkansas, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hon. John M. James

Hon. John M. James, a native of Cannon County, Tennessee, born in 1816. His father, William James, was a native of North Carolina, and died May 20, 1840. His mother, Clara (Smith) James, was born in Suffolk, Virginia. His great-grandfather was one of Lord Baltimore’s colonists in Maryland, and his grandfather emigrated to North Carolina. Our subject is the next to the youngest of a family of seven children. He was married March 14, 1837, to Elizabeth LeMay, of North Carolina. She was of French origin. Two years after his marriage he moved to Arkansas, where in 1842 his wife … Read more

Biography of James Estes

JAMES ESTES. This intelligent man of affairs keeps abreast of the times and is a successful tiller of the soil of Marion County, Arkansas He was born in Cannon County, Tennessee, July 10, 1839, a son of John and Charlotte (Elkins) Estes, and grandson of Gilbert Estes, who came to this country from England and participated in the Revolutionary War, being killed in the battle of Horse Shoe Bend. One of his sons was in the War of 1812 under Gen. Jackson. Mrs. Malinda Thomas is the only one of that family now living, and she has attained the age … Read more

Biography of B. M. Estes

B. M. ESTES. There is no branch of commerce in the United States or elsewhere that is of more importance and enters more intimately into the interests of a locality than the selling of general merchandise, and this important calling is that in which Mr. Estes is engaged. He is a member of the firm of Estes & Cawdrey, of Eros, Arkansas, which connection was made in November 1893. Mr. Estes was born at Woodbury, Tennessee, September 23, 1844, being one of twelve children born to John M. and Charlotte (Elkins) Estes, the former of whom was a native of … 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

Biography of W. Q. Seawel

This gentleman has for years devoted his attention to mercantile pursuits, is a practical, experienced man, thoroughly conversant with the business in all its branches, and his establishment is a most reliable one at which to deal. He was born in Cannon County, Tennessee, January 3, 1844, and since 1869 has been a resident of Yellville, whither he came from Buffalo City, Arkansas, where he had located in 1867. His parents were Francis M. and Anna E. (Bates ) Seawel, who were born, reared and married in Tennessee. They removed to Arkansas in 1856, and here the father engaged in … Read more

Biography of J.L. Colvert

J. L. Colvert, retired merchant, was born in 1828 in Culpeper County, Va., the son of William I. and Harriett (Weedon) Colvert. The father, born in the same county in 1791, was a farmer and a soldier in the war of 1812, on duty in his native State. In 1828 he came to Warren County, Tenn., Thence to Alabama for a few years, and about 1840 returned to Cannon County, Tenn. He finally settled in Dekalb County in 1848 and bought a home of 150 acres, where he lived the greater part of his life. He died in Nashville in … Read more

Biography of Dr. C. B. Elkins

DR. C. B. ELKINS. The noble profession of medicine affords to the student in that science a never-ending source of investigation and experiment. New remedies are constantly being discovered, steady progress is being made in surgery and new diseases are presenting themselves under varying forms of civilization. In the noble army of workers in this great field may be found the name of Dr. C. B. Elkins, who, since 1888, has resided in Ozark, Christian County, Missouri. He came from Cannon County, Tennessee, in 1870, and with his father settled in Christian County about three miles from Ozark. There his … Read more

Biography of Pat Geraty

Pat Geraty, a merchant of Dowelltown, was born in 1832 at Castle Bar, County Mio, Ireland. He is one of six surviving children of a family of nine born to John and Catherine (Conway) Geraghty. The father was born in 1795, same place where Pat first saw the light. Early in life he was a carpenter, afterward a farmer. He died about 1880, in the vicinity in which he had always lived. The mother was born about 1798, in the same county, at Clare, and died in 1883. Our subject was educated in the common schools of his childhood’s home … Read more

Biography of Nathaniel Estes

NATHANIEL ESTES. This gentleman is prominently connected with the farming and mining interests of Marion County, Arkansas, and he has justly earned the reputation of being one of the most enterprising and progressive men of the section. He was born in Cannon County, Tennessee, November 8, 1847, a son of John Estes, a history of whom may be found in the sketch of James Estes. Nathaniel Estes came to Arkansas at an early period with his parents and has resided here since he was one year old. His early days were spent in attending school in Yellville, but the last … Read more