Nashville Tennessee Genealogy – Page 4 of 5

Biography of Benjamin B. Harris

Benjamin B. Harris, attorney at law, City Clerk of San Bernardino, and treasurer of the Society of California Pioneers-of San Bernardino County, was born in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1824. When seventeen years of age he went to Nashville, Tennessee, and was there educated, graduating at Nashville University in 1845; studied law in a private office in that State, and was admitted to the bar of Tennessee. In 1847 he went to Panola County, Texas, expecting to remain there permanently, but the climate being malarious he suffered with liver troubles, which necessitated a change in his purposes. After the discovery … Read more

Descendants of William Sumner of Dorchester, MA

The Sumner family, to which the late Mrs. George Barstow Stetson belonged, is an old and prominent family of New England, descended from one William Sumner, who was born at Bicester, England, in 1605, son of Roger Sumner, of Bicester, Oxfordshire, and his wife Joane (Franklin).

William Sumner, the only child of Roger and Joane, married Oct. 22, 1625, Mary West, and they came to America with their four children in 1636, locating at Dorchester, Mass. He was made a freeman of the Colony May 17, 1637, and held many offices of importance, being selectman for nearly a quarter of a century. He was deputy from Dorchester to the General Court for eight years. He died Dec. 9. 1688, surviving his wife, who died June 7, 1676. Both are buried at Dorchester.

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

Slave Narrative of Julia Casey

Person Interviewed: Julia Casey Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Tennessee Place of Residence: 811 9th Avenue, So., Nashville, Tennessee I wuz bawn in West Tennessee en wuz six y’ars ole w’en war broke out. Mah Missis wuz Miss Jennie McCullough en she ma’ried Eldridge Casey. Mah Missis’s mammy wuz a widder en she gib me, mah mammy, man sistah Violet, mah two br’ers Andrew en Alfred ter Miss Jennie fer a wed’un gif’. Missis Jennie en Marster Eldridge brung us ter Nashville ‘fore de war sta’ted. Mah Missis wuz good ter us. I’se bin w’ll tuk keer ob, plenty … Read more

Shawnee Tribe

Formerly a leading tribe of South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. By reason of the indefinite character of their name, their wandering habits, their connection with other tribes, and because of their interior position away from the traveled routes of early days, the Shawnee were long a stumbling block in the way of investigators.

Biographical Sketch of Romulus E. Culver

Romulus E. Culver, attorney at law of St. Joseph, Missouri, was born in Plattsburg, this state, on the 12th of January, 1865, his parents being William L. and Augusta V. (McMichael) Culver. He acquired his education, after completing his public school course, in Central College at Fayette, Missouri, where he won his Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1885, and in Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee, where the LL. B. degree was conferred upon him in 1887. Through the intervening period, covering more than a third of a century, he has continuously engaged in the practice of law and has won … Read more

Slave Narrative of Laura Ramsey Parker

Person Interviewed: Laura Ramsey Parker Location: Nashville, Tennessee Age: 87 Place of Residence: 715 Hay St., Nashville, Tennessee Occupation: Chambermaid, Housekeeper “I’se 87 y’ars ole. Wuz bawn in slavery. Wuz freed w’en de slavery stopped. Mack Ramsey wuz mah marster en he wuz sho good ter his slaves. He treated dem as human bein’s. W’en he turned his slaves ‘loose he gib dem no money, but gib dem lands, clothin’ en food ’til dey could brang in dere fust crop. Mah daddy rented a strip ob land ’til he wuz able ter buy de place. He lived on de same … 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 Middleton L. Perry, M. D.

Middleton L. Perry, M. D. Among the men of Kansas who are carrying on the highly important work of caring for the afflicted and irresponsible members of society, one of the best known is Dr. Middleton L. Perry, superintendent of the State Hospital for Epilepties, at Parsons. Doctor Perry was born at Lancaster, Dallas County, Texas, August 15, 1868, and is a son of Middleton and Ellen (Ellis) Perry. The family is of English extraction and settled during colonial times in Virginia, where the grandfather of Doctor Perry, Franklin Perry, was born. He was a farmer by vocation and in … Read more

Biography of E.Y. Salmon, M.D.

E. Y. Salmon, M. D., was born in the “Palmetto State,” on the 26th of June, 1830. His father, William H. Salmon, was a physician and immigrated to Alabama in 1833, and afterward removed to Texas in 1863, where he died. He was identified with public interest in Alabama, and held the office of clerk, for twenty four years. The mother died in Texas at an advanced age. Our subject was reared in Alabama, and resided with his parents until nineteen years of age. He volunteered to serve in the Mexican war in 1846, but peace was declared before he … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Barnett

Interviewer: Mrs. Rosa B. Ingram Person Interviewed: Lizzie Barnett Location: Conway, Arkansas Age: 100? “Yes; I was born a slave. My old mammy was a slave before me. She was owned by my old Miss, Fanny Pennington, of Nashville, Tennessee. I was born on a plantation near there. She is dead now. I shore did love Miss Fanny. “Did you have any brothers and sisters, Aunt Liz.?” “Why, law yes, honey, my mammy and Miss Fanny raised dey chillun together. Three each, and we was jes’ like brothers and sisters, all played in de same yard. No, we did not eat together. Dey … Read more

Slave Narrative of Andy Odell

Person Interviewed: Andy Odell Location: Nashville, Tennessee PLace of Birth: Spring Hill, Tennessee Age: 96 Place of Residence: 1313 Pearl Street, Nashville, Tennessee “I wuz bawn east ob Spring Hill, Tennessee. I dunno in w’at y’ar, but I wuz a ful’ grown man w’en I wuz freed. (This will make him about 96 years old.). I wuz an onlies’ chile en I nebber knowed mah daddy. Mah mammy wuz sold ‘way fum me. She ma’ied a man named Brown en dey had seven chillun.” “At fust I ‘longed ter Marster Jim Caruthers. W’en his daughter ma’ied Fount Odell, I wuz … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sylvia Watkins

Person Interviewed: Sylvia Watkins Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Bedford County TN Age: 91 Place of Residence: 411 14th Avenue N., Nashville, Tennessee I’se said ter be 91 y’ars ole. I wuz young w’en de War wuz goin’ on. I wuz bawn in Bedford County. Mah mammy wuz named Mariah. She had six chillun by mah daddy en three by her fust husband. Mah missis wuz named Emily Hatchet en de young missises wuz Mittie en Bettie, dey wuz twins. We had good clothes ter w’ar en w’en we went ter de table hit wuz loaded wid good food … Read more

Genealogy of the Lewis family in America

Free: Genealogy of the Lewis family in America, from the middle of the seventeenth century down to the present time. Download the full manuscript. About the middle of the seventeenth century four brothers of the Lewis family left Wales, viz.: Samuel, went to Portugal; nothing more is known of him; William, married a Miss McClelland, and died in Ireland, leaving only one son, Andrew; General Robert, died in Gloucester county, Va. ; and John, died in Hanover county, Va. It is Andrews descendants who are featured in the manuscript.

Governor Houston at His Trading Post on the Verdigris

In February, 1828, the vanguard of Creek immigrants arrived at the Creek Agency on the Verdigris, in charge of Colonel Brearley, and they and the following members of the McIntosh party were located on a section of land that the Government promised in the treaty of 1826 to purchase for them. By the treaty of May 6, 1828, the Government assigned the Cherokee a great tract of land, to which they at once began to remove from their homes in Arkansas. The movement had been under way for some months when there appeared among the Indians the remarkable figure of Samuel Houston. The biographers of Houston have told the world next to nothing of his sojourn of three or four years in the Indian country, an interesting period when he was changing the entire course of his life and preparing for the part he was to play in the drama of Texas.

Slave Narrative of Rachel Gaines

Person Interviewed: Rachel Gaines Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Residence: 1025 10th Ave. N., Nashville, Tennessee Age: 95-100 “Lawdy! I’se dunno how ole I ez. B’leeves I’se ’round 95 ter 100 y’ars. De fust thing I members ez I wuz tuk in a waggin ter Trenton, Kentucky en sold ter Dr. Bainbridge Dickerson jest lak dey sold cows en hosses. Mah sistah wuz sold in de same way at Bowling Green, Kentucky ter ‘nuther Marster.” “I wuz sold only one time in mah life en dat wuz w’en Marster Dickinson bought me. Atter freedum wuz ‘clared de Marster tole all … Read more

Biography of Robert Britton Buford

The present mayor of Eufaula, Dr. Robert Britton Buford, was for ten years engaged in the practice of dentistry here and he is now, in connection with his official duties, active in the conduct of the Indian Journal, of which paper he is editor and proprietor. A native of Texas, he was born in Sulphur Springs, on the 23d of April, 1879, a son of John C. and Elizabeth (Askew) Buford, the former a native of Texas and the latter of Georgia. On attaining manhood the father engaged in farming on his own account in Texas and he was active … Read more

Slave Narrative of H. H. Edmunds

Interviewer: Albert Strope Person Interviewed: Rev. H. H. Edmunds Location: Elkhart, Indiana Place of Birth: Lynchburg, Virginia Date of Birth: 1859 Place of Residence: 403 West Hickory Street Elkhart, Indiana Albert Strope, Field Worker Federal Writers’ Project St. Joseph County-District #1 Mishawaka, Indiana EX-SLAVE REV. H.H. EDMUNDS 403 West Hickory Street Elkhart, Indiana Rev. H.H. Edmunds has resided at 403 West Hickory Street in Elkhart for the past ten years. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1859, he lived there for several years. Later he was taken to Mississippi by his master, and finally to Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived until … Read more

Biography of Charles D. Post

Charles D. Post on, whose name is thoroughly identified with the early history of Arizona, and to whom we have had occasion to refer to heretofore, and will, in future volumes record his further activities, was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, April 20th, 1825. He was left motherless when twelve years of age, and soon thereafter was placed in the County Clerk’s office, where he served an apprenticeship of seven years. He was in the office of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, at Nashville, for the next three years, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. Upon … Read more

Biography of Joel B. Smith

Joel B. Smith, a pioneer of Tullahoma, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, September 12, 1829, and is the son of Joel M. and Charlotte (Bateman) Smith. The father was a native of North Carolina, born in 1797, and died in 1861. He was treasurer of Nashville, and United States pension agent, appointed to that office by President Van Buren. He was also proprietor of the Nashville Union, the pioneer newspaper of the capital city. The mother was also born in Nashville in 1805, the daughter of Henry Bateman, an early settler of Nashville. She died in 1876. Both were members … Read more