Coffee County TN

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 G. S. Deakins

G. S. Deakins, farmer, of the Thirteenth District of Coffee County, Tennessee, was born in Marion County (now Sequatchie) Tennessee, in 1832, and is the son of William and Sarah (Richards) Deakins, natives of Tennessee. The father died in 1848 and the mother in 1836. Both were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Reared on the farm with a common school education, he also attended Burritt College at Spencer, Tennessee, and later, Emory and Henry College of Virginia. Having entered the law school of Lebanon (Tennessee) University in 1860, the civil war caused him to enter the confederate service, in … 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 E. A. Call

E. A. Call, farmer and miller, of Coffee County, was born in Lincoln County March 6 1825. His parents, Daniel H. and Nancy (Hinkle) Call, natives of Roan County, N.C., came to Tennessee about 1822, and began farming and distilling. He built the first steam distillery in Coffee County, continuing until about 1848 in the business. Our subject, one of nine children, entered the distillery at sixteen, and continued successfully for thirty-six years. November 9, 1850, he married Susan Timmins, of Lincoln County, by whom he had nine children. She died June 19, 1877. October 7, 1879, he married Francis … Read more

Biography of Robert M. Hancock

ROBERT M. HANCOCK. It is a pleasure and a privilege to record the character and enterprise of men of business who have made their own way in life, and no more efficient man could have been found for the office of circuit and county clerk than Robert M. Hancock. He is keenly alive to his responsibilities, fulfills them in the most prompt and thorough manner, and even his political enemies have come to understand that he is the “right man in the right place.” He owes his nativity to Coffee County, Tennessee, where he was born February 11, 1847, a … Read more

Biography of Lewis B. Morgan

Lewis B. Morgan, lawyer and chairman of the county court, was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1834. He is the son of Smith and Abigail (Alexander) Morgan, natives of Tennessee. The former was born in 1806, and the latter in 1809. They are now residents of Fayetteville, Tennessee, and are members of the Baptist Church. Until his seventeenth year our subject lived with his parents on the farm, and then learned the blacksmithing trade, following that, together with farming for a number of years. In 1856 he went to Kansas with a company of 365 men, joining them at … 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

Biography of I.C. Stone

I. C. Stone, is of English, Irish and Scotch descent. His ancestors settled in the colony of North Carolina. Their descendants mainly kept pace with the tide of immigration to the new States and Territories. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Stone, probably of English, and Scotch origin, married Miss Sally Corder,of Scotch family, about 1789 in North Carolina on the waters of the Yadkins River, and not long after settled in Tennessee, where the father, C. H. Stone, was born December 22, 1796. The maternal grandfather, Joseph Allison, supposed to be partly of English and known to be partly of Irish … 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 B.S. Stroud

B. S. Stroud, a prominent citizen of Manchester, and register of Coffee County, was born in Warren County, Tennessee, February 14, 1854. He is the son of B. S. and Nancy (Winton) Stroud, the former born in 1825 in Warren County, and the latter February 2, 1826, in Coffee County. Their deaths occurred October 12, 1853, and June 4, 1869, respectively. After their marriage, about 1844, the elder Stroud was farming and shipping and trading in livestock. He was politically a Whig. Our subject, one of four children, was educated at Manchester College, under Rev. W. D. Carnes. After four … Read more

Biography of W. P. Hickerson, Jr.

W. P. Hickerson, Jr., was born in Manchester, October 20, 1850, the son of Judge William P. and Mary S. (Martin) Hickerson, both of Scotch-Irish descent. The father, born in North Carolina, November 26, 1816, went when a child to Tennessee, and began life as a dry goods clerk at Manchester, and afterward read law under Colonel Charles L. Ready of Murfreesboro, and for a number of years was the leading lawyer of that section. For sixteen years he was judge of the Fifth District, and was appointed by Governor Marks as a judge of the State Arbitration Court. As … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. S. Moore

J. S. Moore, chancery court clerk and master in Coffee County, was born August 24, 1837, in Wilson County. He is the oldest son of Alfred and Elizabeth P. Moore, the former born in 1802, in Tennessee, and died in Manchester in May 1862. The father of Alfred M. was a native of North Carolina. Our subject, living on the farm until twenty years of age, engaged then in merchandising until the war. Soon after enlisting in Company K, Twenty fourth Tennessee Infantry, he was attacked by fever, but on his recovery entered Douglass’ battalion, with which he served until … 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 D. E. Mead

D. E. Mead, merchant of Hillsboro, was born September 7, 1839, at Greenville, N. Y. His father, W. R. Mead, was born about 1798 and died in 1879, in Vermont. His grandfather, Adolphus, was in the Revolution. Liddie (Colwell) Mead, his mother, was born about 1800 in Virginia, and died in 1882 in New York. Living on his father’s farm until twenty-two years of age, he began business at Logansport, Inc., but was soon commissioned sutler under General Rosecrans. After the war he engaged in merchandising at Tullahoma until 1866, when he began his present occupation. He has served almost … 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 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

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

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 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 A. W. Booth, M. D.

A. W. Booth, M. D., a prominent citizen and leading physician of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was born in Bedford County, Tennessee, in 1858, and is the son of J. B. and Elizebeth (Vannoy) Booth. Our subject was reared on the farm, and educated in the public schools. In 1879 he began the study of medicine, and graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1881. The same year he began practicing in his native county, but soon removed to Tullahoma, where he has since lived and succeeded in building up one of the best practices in the town. October 29, 1884, he was married … Read more