Nashville Tennessee

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

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

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 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

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 Prof. T. B. Kelly

Prof. T. B. Kelly, A. M., LL. B., president of Pure Fountain College, Smithville, was born in Columbia, Maury Co., Tenn., in 1852. His parents were Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Hardwicke) Kelly. The father was of Irish descent, born March 9, 1810, in Dickson County, Tenn., where his father, Thomas Kelly located after emigrating from Ireland, about 1800. Thomas J. married in 1838, and about 1844 moved to Columbia, where he established a queens ware store, which he managed successfully until the year of his death, 1861. His first wife was of French extraction, born in 1817, in Buckingham County, … 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

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

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

Biographical Sketch of Milton Donaldson

Milton Donaldson (deceased), the largest capitalist of Lake County, was a native of Alabama, but spent part of his youth in Nashville. After moving to Donaldson’s Point, Missouri, he married Theresa Baird. Mr. Donaldson was a self made man. When he married he had nothing, and by hard work and good management he accumulated an estate worth $150,000. He had but one son, who died in childhood. He was a democrat in politics. Mrs. Donaldson was a Methodist. In 1877 Mr. Donaldson left his home one afternoon to look after his stock. While absent a villain by the name of … 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

Biography of L. L. Rowland, M.D.

L.L. ROWLAND, M.D. – L.L. Rowland, M.D., LL. D., F.R.S., was born at Nashville, Tennessee, September 17, 1831, and came with his father, Judge Jeremiah Rowland, across the plains to Oregon in 1844. He dutifully remained and helped at home on the old Donation land claim, North Yamhill, until the day he was twenty-one, when he entered the district school with the ambition and hope of finally finishing, if possible, a full classical course of education in some Eastern university. By working somewhat successfully in the California gold mines in 1849 and 1851, giving his father for his time half … 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