Ms. Adams:
I infer that George Washington Cavitt was born around 1830 and was first
married 1850 - 1855. I suggest you look for Cavitts in the U S Census
for 1830 in Henry County, Tennessee. In 1835, Benton County was created
from Henry and Humphreys so you should check both Henry and Benton County
in 1840 and subsequent censuses. Look for variant spellings of Cavitt.
Incidentally, prior to 1850, only the given name of the head of the
family is listed, but from 1850 onward, census data identifies all free
persons in the household by name and gives their birthplace.
Paris is the county seat of Henry County. Henry is adjoined on the
southeast by Benton County (Tennessee has no Bentley County). Both
counties are bounded on the east by the Tennessee River. Boats and
barges once moved great quantities of farm produce down the Tennessee to
the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky, and down the Ohio to the Mississippi
River at Cairo, Illinois, then on downstream to southern markets. Henry
or Benton counties would be a logical place for a boat builder to live.
Good Luck,
JKBryan