Lebanon Tennessee

Biography of R.C. Nesmith

R. C. Nesmith, attorney at law of Smithville, was born in Dekalb County in 1837, a son of William A. and Elizabeth M. (McDowell) Nesmith. The father is of Scotch- Irish decent, born in 1799, in York District, South Carolina. In 1809 with his father, William Nesmith, immigrated to Blount County, E. Tenn. A year later they went to northern Alabama, where for a number of years they lived among the Cherokee Indians. In 1824 he came to Dekalb County, and three years later married. He settled in the Nineteenth district, where he engaged in wagon making and farming. There … Read more

Biography of Charles Baird Stark

Charles Baird Stark, one of the ablest lawyers of Missouri, whose ability is combined with a high sense of duty and professional honor, was born in Springfield, Robertson county, Tennessee, June 13, 1854. He is a son of Joseph Carter Stark, and a grandson of John Stark, who was born in Virginia and removed to Tennessee in 1812. He was a planter and was the only one of a line of Starks that was not a lawyer, back to a John Stark, who was admitted to the bar, in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1665. In the possession of Charles B. Stark, … Read more

Biography of Rev. Joseph Franklin Thompson

Rev. Joseph Franklin Thompson, librarian of the Carnegie Library at Tahlequah and superannuated minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, having been retired since 1906, was born May 21, 1841, near Maysville, Arkansas, in what was then the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. His parents, both of whom are deceased, were James Allen and Martha (Lynch) Thompson, the former a native of South Carolina and the latter a native of Virginia and a member of an old Cherokee family there. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were married in Georgia and came to Beattie’s Prairie in 1838, with a detachment of Cherokees under … 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

Biography of Hon. J.J. Ford

Hon. J. J. Ford, attorney at law, was born in Dekalb (then Smith) County November 22, 1822. He is one of ten children of Daniel and Mary (Fite) Ford, the former of Irish origin. The father, born about 1794 in South Carolina, was the son of Daniel Ford, Sr., of Virginia, who became one of the earliest settlers of Tennessee, when Daniel, Jr., was but a small boy. He settled in Smith County near what is now Temperance Hall, where he remained until his death. With ordinary education in his youth, Daniel, Jr., married about 1818 and spent his life … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George W. Cross

George W. Cross, a prominent lawyer of Manchester, Tennessee, was born in Anderson County August 31, 1849. He is the son of William and Jane (Black) Cross, both of English descent and natives of Anderson County. The former, born in 1810, is still living; the latter, born about 1820, died February 26, 1885. Married in 1836 the elder Cross-engaged in farming. He is a democrat, and sympathizes with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of which his wife was a member. Our subject, the fifth of eight children, was educated chiefly at Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee, and the military school of … Read more

Biography of Hon. Philetus Averitt

In the Weekly Capital, published in Boise, June 17, 1899, appeared the following sketch of him whose name introduces this article. “Hon. Philetus Averitt was born in Mayfield, Kentucky, thirty-one years ago. He was educated at Bethel College and Cumberland University, and practiced law in his native town for one year. Six years ago he came to St. Anthony, Idaho, and commenced the practice of his profession. In a few years he has built up a first-class practice, and is recognized as an able and painstaking member of the legal profession. In 1896 Mr. Averitt gave his splendid abilities to … 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

Biography of Thomas Murray Pierce

Thomas Murray Pierce, a man of splendid professional qualifications and of high social standing in St. Louis, is practicing at the bar as a member of the firm of Jourdan, Rassieur & Pierce and is also vice president and general counsel of the Terminal Railway Association, of which at one time he served as president. He was born in Union City, Tennessee, July 18, 1877. His father, Rice A. Pierce. also a native of that state, is a representative of an old Tennessee family of Welsh lineage that was founded in America by Rice Pierce, who came to the new … Read more

Biography of Eugene Sloan Adkins

Eugene Sloan Adkins, organizer and promoter of the Adkins Hay & Feed Company of Muskogee, is also identified with other important business interests of the state, whereby he has won classification with the representative merchants of Oklahoma. His plans have always been carefully defined and promptly executed and his energy has enabled him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles in his path. Mr. Adkins was born in Choteau, Oklahoma, March 26, 1896, and is a son of Moses E. and Hattie (Sloan) Adkins. The father is deceased. Eugene S. Adkins obtained a public school education, completing a course in the … Read more

Biography of Hon. John B. Robinson

Hon. John B. Robinson, attorney at law of Smithville, is a native of Dekalb County; was born in 1835. His parents were Alexander and Rachel (Barnes) Robinson. The father was of English descent, born in Cumberland County, Va., about 1804. He came to Tennessee in 1824, locating in Smith (now Dekalb) County. Two years later he settled in the Fourth District. He taught school several sessions and then married. He was surveyor of the county a number of years. He owned 150 acres of fine land at the time of his death in 1867. His wife was born in Dekalb … Read more

Biography of Frank Lee

From the year which brought statehood to Oklahoma, Frank Lee has been a member of the Muskogee bar and is regarded as one of the strong and eminent representatives of the profession in this part of the state. He has engaged in the practice of law altogether for thirty-five years and his professional career has been marked by continuous progress and constantly developing power. Born in Stockwell, Indiana, December 9, 1864, he is a son of Captain Smith Lee, who served with the Boys in Blue in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company I, Eleventh Indiana Cavalry. After … Read more

Biography of H.D. Foust

H. D. Foust, of Foust & Jones, carriage manufacturers at Alexandria, was born in Wilson County in 1845, a son of William E. and Betsey (Luster) Foust. The father, born in Wilson County about 1818, was the son of William Foust, a native of Germany. William E. was married in 1844, and was all his life a blacksmith and carriage manufacturer in his native county. He was sheriff of the county four terms. The mother was born in the same county about 1829, and both were members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Educated at Lebanon, our subject at fifteen entered … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph Martin Lynch

(See Grant and Adair)-Joseph Martin Lynch, born July 30, 1881, educated in Male Seminary and Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee, graduating from the Law Department of the latter, but refused to take the Tennessee bar examination because Negroes were included in the class. Elected Register of Deeds of Adair County, September 17, 1807. He married Hazel Capitola Mason. He served for several years as attorney for the Interior Department and on November 8, 1919, refused the appointment of Register of the United States Treasury, because it would be impossible for him to take his aged father from his home and friends … Read more

Biography of Hon. J. J. Smith

Hon. J. J. Smith, an able representative of the Miami bar, who has here practiced his profession since 1915, is specializing in criminal law, in which branch of jurisprudence he has been very successful, and he has also done effective service for the public good as a member of the state senate. He was born June 23, 1889, near Ranger, in Eastland county, Texas, upon the farm of his parents, Benjamin F. and Catherine (Simpson) Smith, the latter also a native of that section of the Lone Star state, while the former was born in Madison county, North Carolina. While … Read more