Manchester Tennessee

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

Biography of P.C. Isbell

P. C. Isbell. His parents were both born in Warren County, Kentucky. His father was of English descent; his mother of German and a granddaughter of Frederick Stump, an early settler in Davidson County, Tennessee. He was born in Warren County, Kentucky. His father moved to Jackson County, Missouri, when he was a small boy, where he grew up in the dark backwoods and never attended school. He had a fine working education. His mother taught him to spell, read, and write and a few rules in arithmetic, what she knew. He mastered Webster’s “blue back.” and then engaged as … Read more

Slave Narrative of Ann Matthews

Person Interviewed: Ann Matthews Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Murfreesboro, Tennessee Place of Residence: 719 9th Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee “I wuz bawn in Murfreesboro on Stones River. I dunno how ole I ez en hit meks me ‘shamed ter tell peeple dat, but mah mammy would hit me in de mouth w’en I’d ax how ole I wuz. She say I wuz jes’ tryin’ ter be grown.” “Mah mammy’s name wuz Frankie en mah daddy wuz Henry Ken Kannon. Don’ member much ’bout mah mammy ‘cept she wuz a sho’t fat Indian ‘oman wid a turrible tempah. She … Read more

Biographical Sketch of F. N. Miller

F. N. Miller, editor of the Manchester Times and a prominent citizen of Manchester, was born at Port Hudson, Louisiana, December 5, 1853, the son of Albert and Delilah (Saunders) Miller, the former born October 18, 1822, in Indiana, and the latter May 1, 1832, in Kentucky, and still living in Port Hudson, Louisiana. The parents were married about 1846. In 1861 the elder Miller enlisted in the Confederate Company E. twenty first Mississippi Regiment Infantry, and was killed in the battle of Chickamauga in 1863. He was a successful brick mason. Our subject is the third of five children, … 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

Old Stone Fort

Old Stone Fort is one of the most beautiful Native American archaeological sites. When the Scottish, Ulster Scots and English settlers first arrived in eastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia, they discovered a continuous chain composed of hundreds of fieldstone structures on the mountain and hill tops between Manchester, TN and Stone Mountain, GA. Some were merely piles of stones that archaeologists call cairns. Others formed small cylinders. Others were small rings. Still others were complex combinations of concentric rings with some perpendicular walls. At least two appeared to be walled villages. The Cherokees, who had moved into the region during … 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

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 J. C. Winton

J. C. Winton, a well-known citizen of Manchester, was born in Coffee County, Tennessee on July 16, 1856. He is the son of John and Martha (Layne) Winton, both natives of Tennessee, the latter born about 1830. Engaged in mercantile trade at Hillstore before marriage, the elder Winton then became a successful farmer. He was a democrat. Our subject, after receiving a good education, was engaged in farming, when in 1880 he entered the firm of Wooton & Hickerson, Manchester, which two years later became Wooton & Winton, our subject owning a third interest. They do a business of about … 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

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 William Alwood

William Alwood, a prominent citizen of Manchester, Tennessee, was born September 22, 1850, in Fulton County, Ohio. He is the son of Levi S. and Delilah (McQuillin) Alwood – the former of Scotch descent, born in Ohio October 9, 1826, the latter of Irish descent and born June 22, 1830, in Ohio. The elder Alwood was married in 1848; engaged in farming and he came to Tennessee in 1873, his permanent home. He is a republican and in sympathy with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is a member. After completing his academic studies he was employed on … 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 J. D. Wooton, M. D.

J. D. Wooton, M. D., a leading physician of Manchester, was born in Warren County, Tennessee, April 5, 1840. He is the son of Jonathan and Nancy (Hampton) Wooton, the former born in 1792, in North Carolina, and died in Warren County, in 1877; the latter born in 1802, in Kentucky, and died in February 1886. The elder Wooton was a farmer, a soldier of the Revolution, and a consistent member of the Christian Church, while in political faith he was a Whig. His wife, a near relative of General Wade Hampton, was a member of the Baptist Church. Our … Read more

Biographical Sketch of G. R. Crane

G. R. Crane, druggist and a prominent young citizen of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was born in Manchester, Tennessee, November 26, 1858, the son of Dr. William and M. A. (Alexander) Crane. At the age of two years he with his parents came to Tullahoma, which has since been his home. He acquired his education in the public schools, and has added much thereto by his practical experience. He began life for himself when but fifteen years of age as a clerk. At the age of twenty-one he began in the produce business, and continued in this for one year, when he … Read more

Biography of Euclid Waterhouse Smartt, Jr.

Euclid Waterhouse Smartt, Jr., of Muskogee, whose varied interests and activities have ever maintained a well balanced character, while his recognition of the duties and obligations of life have made him a valued citizen through his business enterprise and through his cooperation in many projects for the public good, was born in Viola, Warren county, Tennessee, December 29, 1878, on the home farm of his parents E. W. and Nannie Elizabeth (Davis) Smartt. He completed his literary education in the Viola Normal School at Viola, Tennessee, in the year 1899 and became a law student in the office and under … Read more