Memphis Tennessee

Slave Narrative of Emma Grisham

Person Interviewed: Emma Grisham Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Residence: 1118 Jefferson St., Nashville, Tennessee Age: 90s “I wuz bawn in Nashville. I’se up in 90 y’ars, but I tell dem I’se still young. I lived on Gallatin Pike long ‘fore de war, an uster se’d de soldiers ride by.” “Mah marsters name wuz Wm. Penn Harding. Mah daddy wuz sold at Sparta, Tennessee ‘fore I wuz bawn en Marster Harding bought ‘im. Mah mammy erready ‘longed ter de Hardings.” “I don’ member much ’bout slavery I wuz small, but I know I wore a leetle ole slip wid two … Read more

Biography of Charles W. Vowell, M. D.

Dr. Charles W. Vowell, a leading representative of the medical fraternity of Washington County, has followed his profession in Porum since 1906 and his pronounced ability has won for him an extensive practice. He was born in Collinsville, Grayson County, Texas, in January, 1870, and is a son of James J. and Josephine (Choate) Vowell, both of whom were natives of Missouri. The father was a veteran of the Civil war, serving for three years with a Missouri regiment as a member of the Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee. He devoted his life to the occupation of farming … Read more

Slave Narrative of Maria S. Clemments (Clements)

Old Slave

Slave Narrative of Maria S. Clements of DeValls Bluff, Arkansas. Maria was born in Lincoln County, Georgia and was the slave of Frances Sutton there. At the time of the interview, Maria was approximately 85-90 years old.

Biography of Nathan Adams Gibson

Nathan Adams Gibson has been an active representative of the legal fraternity in Muskogee for the past twenty-eight years and has been accorded an extensive and gratifying clientage. He is a native of Stanton, Tennessee, and a son of James K. and Rosa S. Gibson, the former a banker. His preliminary education was supplemented by study in Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tennessee, which institution conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1888 and that of LL. B. on the completion of a law course in 1890. In the latter year he was admitted to the bar at … Read more

Biography of Walter S. Ezell

Walter S. Ezell. Contributing to the prestige of the City of Wichita as an educational center are a number of well ordered business and technical institutions, and prominent among the number is the Wichita Telegraph College, which was founded in the spring of 1912 by its present owner and manager, Walter S. Ezell, who as a mere boy had manifested a distinct predilection for the art of telegraphy and who contrived to pass much of his time in the telegraph office of the railway station of which his father was agent in the City of Memphis, Tennessee. As an expert … Read more

Biography of Robert Wray Brooks

For twenty-seven years Robert Wray Brooks has been identified with the wholesale paper trade of St. Louis and has developed an extensive business under the name of the Brooks Paper Company, of which he is the president. Studying closely every phase of the trade, actuated in all that he undertakes by a progressive spirit and by firm determination that enables him to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in his path, he has made steady progress toward the goal of success and is now controlling extensive and important commercial interests. Tennessee numbers him among her native sons. He was born in … Read more

Biography of Dr. J. E. Andrews

DR. J. E. ANDREWS. Of late years it has been discovered that the profession of dentistry has been practiced from the earliest ages, but the knowledge of this science has become so perfected that it is now an art. One of the ablest exponents of this branch of human endeavor is Dr. J. E. Andrews, who is the only prominent practicing dentist of Harrison, in which city he has a well-appointed office and a large and lucrative clientele. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, November 16, 1862. His father, W.H. Andrews, having been a North Carolinian, born in 1827 or … Read more

Conley, A. B. – Obituary

La Grande, Union County, Oregon A. B. Conley, Pioneer of County, Called Beyond Another pioneer of the Grande Ronde valley answered the last call Sunday when death claimed Archie Bird Conley, of La Grande and former resident of Cove. Mr. Conley, one of the outstanding pioneers of this county, spent a long and useful life, having an important hand in the development of the county to its present stage. The deceased was 88 years, one month and eleven days of age and on January 4th, he and his wife celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. A few days before their daughter … Read more

Biography of William A. Harris

William A. Harris, attorney-at-law and a member of the firm of Harris & Gregg, was born in 1854, in Tennessee. He was educated in the schools of that State; studied law in Memphis with Colonel George Gantt and W. W. McDowell, both distinguished members of the Tennessee bar, and was admitted to practice at the remarkably early age of nineteen. On attaining his majority, after two years of practice in his own state, he came to California, and located in San Bernardino in 1875, and has practiced his profession here ever since, excepting two years spent in Leadville, Colorado, where … Read more

Oliver, Henry William – Obituary

Henry Oliver Dies At Milton Home Henry William Oliver, 85, a former school teacher and Seventh Day Adventist minister in Wallowa County, passed away Monday, Feb., 23: at his home in Milton following a long illness. He had resided in Milton for about ten years and had lived in Oregon since 1884. Mr. Oliver was born near Memphis, Tenn., on Aug. 10, 1863. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon from the Adventist church in Milton and burial was in the College Place cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Jessie Oliver at the home; two sons, J. Paul Oliver … Read more

Chickasaw Tribe

Chickasaw Indians. An important Muskhogean tribe, closely related to the Choctaw in language and customs, although the two tribes were mutually hostile. Aside from tradition, the earliest habitat traceable for the Chickasaw is north Mississippi. Their villages in the 18th century centered about Pontotoc and Union counties, where the headwaters of the Tombigbee meet those of Yazoo river and its affluent, the Tallahatchie, about where the De Soto narratives place them in 1540, under the name Chicaza. Their main landing place on the Mississippi was at Chickasaw Bluffs, now the site of Memphis, Tennessee, whence a trail more than 160 … Read more

Biography of John Daniel Bewley, M. D.

Coming to Miami in 1916, Dr. John Daniel Bewley has thoroughly demonstrated his ability as a physician and surgeon and his professional labors have been attended with a gratifying measure of success. He was born in Dover, Pope County, Arkansas, March 25, 1874, of the marriage of Benjamin V. and Triphenia (West) Bewley, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Arkansas. Her father was a major in the Mexican war and was stationed at old Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. Prior to the Civil war he retired from the United States army and made his home in Arkansas … Read more

Fairchild, Lewis – Obituary

Mr. G.T. Fairchild received the sad news last Friday evening that his son, Lewis, had died at 6:45 that morning in a hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Mr. Fairchild left Wallowa a few days before Christmas for a visit to his old home in Tenn. He stopped a few days in Colorado and got as far on his way as Memphis. No details have been received of his death but it is supposed that he was taken ill enroute and was taken to the hospital where he died. He was a very jovial young man and had many friends through out … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S. E. Ray

S. E. Ray, dealer in dry and fancy goods, boots and shoes, etc., Charleston; was born near Montpelier, Vt., Aug. 5, 1833; in early childhood, he accompanied his parents to Geauga Co. (now Lake), Ohio; there, his father resided until his death, and his mother still resides there; at about the age of 20 years, Mr. Ray went to La Fayette, Ind., and engaged as a traveling salesman for Luce Brothers in the stationery business; and, after remaining with them four years, went to Chicago, and for about six years traveled for the well-known stationery house of Culver, Page, Hoyne … Read more

Biography of Samuel Sharpe Davis

In considering those among Rock Island’s citizens whose activities have been directed toward developing that city’s industries, and whose foresight has been rewarded in a most substantial manner, one’s mind instinctively turns to the subject of our present sketch, Samuel Sharpe Davis. He was born February 1, 1858, at Covington, Kentucky, his parents being John, B. and Anna E. (Sharpe) Davis. To this couple three children were born: Thomas B., Samuel S. and Mary. The parents were of Scotch-Irish origin. Thomas Bodley Davis, the paternal grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania. In early life he moved to Kentucky, and for … Read more

Biography of Jeremiah L. Seitz

Jeremiah L. Seitz is one of the pioneers of McPherson County. He came to Kansas a short time after the close of the Civil war, in which he had served as one of the youngest volunteers on the Union side. As a homesteader, farmer, public official and business man he had played a worthy and influential role in McPherson County since pioneer days. He is still active and had a good business as a collecting agent and auctioneer. Mr. Seitz was born April 16, 1847, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, son of Jacob and Barbara (Shellebarger) Seitz. His parents were natives of … Read more

Biography of Ward Smith

Ward Smith, secretary of the Hunter-Robinson Milling & Grain Company and manager of the grain department, was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee, May 22, 1888. His father, Dr. J. Crittenden Smith, was a native of Columbia, Tennessee, and is now in business in Chicago. His father, Dr. T. C. Smith, is still living in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. He and his immediate ancestors in the two preceding generations were physicians. The Smith family comes of English lineage. J. Crittenden Smith was united in marriage to Ella Ward, a daughter of John H. Ward, a wholesale furniture dealer of Nashville, Tennessee. He came … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jenny Greer

Person Interviewed: Jenny Greer Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Florence, Alabama Age: 84 Place of Residence: 706 Overton Street, Nashville, Tennessee “Am 84 y’ars ole en wuz bawn in Florence, Alabama, ’bout seben miles fum town. Wuz bawn on de Collier plantashun en Marster en Missis wuz James en Jeanette Collier. Mah daddy en mammy wuz named Nelson en Jane Collier. I wuz named atter one ob mah Missis’ daughters. Our family wuz neber sold er divided.” “I’se bin ma’ied once. Ma’ied Neeley Greer. Thank de Lawd I aint got no chilluns. Chilluns ez so bad now I can’t … Read more

McKenzie, Huela Van Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Huela Van McKenzie, 79, of Baker City, died Dec. 27, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. A memorial service will be scheduled later. Huela was born on Feb. 11, 1926, at Plant City, Fla., to Hulon and Gladys Hamilton Van. After graduating from high school, she attended Florida Southern College at Lakeland, Fla., where she studied music. In June 1948, she married Robert McKenzie at Memphis, Tenn. They moved to Pendleton in 1950. She was a housewife and the mother of five children. Huela later worked in Portland as a receptionist at Physicians and … Read more

Biography of Capt. George M. Jones

Capt. Jones is the son of Henry F. and Mary (Waller) Jones, and was born in Shelby county, Tennessee, Oct. 19th, 1836.His father is still living there, aged eighty-one. His mother died in l856. George M. grew up on the farm, receiving his education at the common schools of the county where he lived. At the age of seventeen he went to Memphis, Tenn., and sold dry goods for the firm of Cossitt, Hill & Talmadge. He remained with them something over three years, receiving for his first year’s service, $75.00 and board; for the second, $100.00, and the third, … Read more