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Cheatham County TN Archives Biographies.....Nave, John J. 1860 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
JOHN J. NAVE, of Ashland City, Tennessee, a lawyer by profession and a former
representative in the Tennessee state legislature, is by character and abilities
one of Cheatham county's most capable and prominent men. He was born in Fannin
county, Texas, January 3, 1860, but while not a native of Tennessee he has spent
almost his whole life in this state and is a descendant of two of the very early
pioneer families of middle Tennessee. Josephus Nave and Eliza A. (Balthrop)
Nave, his parents, were both born in Robertson county, Tennessee, the former in
1832 and the latter in 1839. The father went to Texas in 1856 and resided in
that state fifteen years, during which time he served the Confederate cause
nearly three and a half years during the Civil war as a member of a Texas
company. He was a blacksmith by trade and also followed farming. In 1871 he
returned with his family to Tennessee, locating first in his native county of
Robertson but removing from thence in 1874 to Cheatham county, where he spent
the remainder of his life, passing away on November 11, 1907. He was a
blacksmith at Pleasant View, Cheatham county, for a number of years, but later
in his career he bought the flour mill at Henrietta, the same county, and was
its owner and proprietor at the time of his death. He was a son of Joel Nave, a
Virginian by birth, who came to Tennessee when a boy with his parents. The
latter spent his industrial career as a farmer and blacksmith in Robertson
county and was accounted a successful man for his day. Eliza A. Balthrop Nave,
the mother of John J., is a daughter of John Balthrop, who was born in North
Carolina and came to Tennessee at a very early day, locating in Dickson county.
Mrs. Nave, a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, is yet living and
resides with our subject.
John J. Nave was the second of eight children born to these parents and is
one of seven now living. His early childhood was spent in Texas, but the most of
his school years were passed in Cheatham county, Tennessee, where he acquired
his education in the village school of Pleasant View. Having finally decided on
the legal profession as his line of useful endeavor he prepared for it by
reading law under W. K. McAlester and George E. Sea at Ashland City and was
admitted to the bar in 1891. He at once began the practice of law at Ashland
City, where he has since continued alone except for a short period during which
he was associated with J. C. Wilson. He is now admitted to practice in all the
courts and during the twenty years or more of his professional labors he has
built up a representative clientage and a lucrative practice in his community.
In 1887 Mr. Nave was joined in marriage to Miss Jeraldine Heathman, daughter
of James Heathman, who was born in Montgomery county, Tennessee, and who was
there engaged as a farmer and cabinet worker. Mr. and Mrs. Nave have one son,
James J. Nave, Jr., who is now attending school. Mrs. Nave is a member of the
Presbyterian church, while Mr. Nave is affiliated with the Christian
denomination. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order United
American Mechanics, and has filled all of the executive offices in the local
lodge of each of these orders. Politically he is a Democrat and in 1903 served
as a member of the Tennessee state legislature. While identified with that body
he served as a member of the agricultural committee, the corporations committee
and of other important committees and all of these duties he carried out in
accord with his inflexible sincerity of conviction and purpose, making his
public service one of usefulness to his state and of credit and honor to himself
and those he represented. Each step upward on the ladder of success Mr. Nave has
made by dint of his own persevering effort, for he started absolutely at the
bottom of the ladder with but those resources within himself upon which to rely.
The position he has attained as a successful lawyer and as a prominent and
esteemed citizen is the reward of his own merit and represents his own true worth.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/cheatham/bios/nave312nbs.txt
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Cheatham County TN Archives Biographies.....Harper, Samuel L. 1865 -
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
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Author: Will T. Hale
SAMUEL L. HARPER. The present clerk of the Cheatham county court is Samuel L.
Harper, one of the alert, resourceful and worthy native sons of Tennessee who
before he assumed official duties gave ample evidence of an agriculturist and
business man that he knew the secrets of success. The same efficiency has marked
his services in different official capacities. Mr. Harper was born June 29,
1865, in Cheatham county in the same house in which his grandmother, Elizabeth
Williams Harper, was born in 1820, and both by paternal and maternal descent he
represents families that were established in Tennessee early in the last
century. His parents, Christopher A. and Louisa (McCormack) Harper, were both
born in Cheatham county, Tennessee, the former on March 7, 1845, and the latter
on January 16, 1842. Christopher A. Harper is a farmer by occupation and has
been quite successful in a business way. Politically he is a Democrat and has
served twelve years as a justice of the peace in Cheatham county. Both he and
his wife are members of the Christian church. His parents were John H. and
Elizabeth (Williams) Harper, the former of whom was horn in Halifax county,
North Carolina, January 16, 1806, while the latter, as previously mentioned, was
born in Cheatham county, Tennessee, in 1820. John H. Harper came from North
Carolina to Tennessee in 1827 with an ox team and settled in Cheatham county,
where the remainder of his life was spent as a shoemaker and farmer. He became a
man of substance and was the owner of a large farm. Joseph McCormack, the
maternal grandfather of our subject was born in Buckingham county, Virginia,
December 6, 1812, and came to Tennessee as a young man, settling on a farm in
this section of the state and continuing his residence thereon until his death.
His wife was Susan Darr as a maiden and was born in Germany, January 4, 1809.
Samuel L. Harper is the eldest of a family of nine children and is one of
seven now living. He was reared a farmer boy and received his education in the
common schools of Cheatham county and at the Pleasant View high school. Taking
up farming as his own occupation he began with practically nothing in the way of
capital, but he applied brains as well as brawn to his endeavors and today is
the owner of two good farms and is also a stockholder in the Cheatham County
Bank at Ashland City. He continued to be actively engaged in agriculture until
1896, when he was elected constable. After six years' service in that capacity
he was elected sheriff of Cheatham county and served in that office six years.
By appointment he then took up the duties of fire marshal for the state of
Tennessee, serving two years. He was then elected clerk of the Cheatham county
court in 1910 and is now filling that office.
On November 12, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Harper and Miss Mary
J. Sadler, daughter of Sanford and Rebecca (Henson) Sadler, natives of Virginia
and Kentucky who moved into Tennessee and resided in this state until their
deaths. Mr. Sadler was a farmer by occupation and was a Confederate veteran of
the Civil war. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Harper have been born four children,
viz.: Wiley V. Harper, who is now traveling for The American Tobacco Co.; Cora
C., who married C. F. Felts and resides in Ashland City; and Varna A. and
Vinson, both of whom are attending school. Mrs. Harper is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church, South. Mr. Harper is affiliated fraternally with the
Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias,
and has "passed the chairs" in the local lodge of each of these orders. In
political views and allegiance he is a Democrat. Since he left the farm Mr.
Harper and his family have resided in Ashland City.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/cheatham/bios/harper311nbs.txt
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Cheatham County TN Archives Biographies.....Duke, Philip H. 1874 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
PHILIP H. DUKE, an able lawyer of Ashland City, Tennessee, is a native of
Tennessee and is of that type of citizen which recognizes the responsibility to
himself and to his state for the most useful and worthy endeavor. He made
careful educatonal preparation, both liberal and technical, for one of the most
difficult of professions and in the decade or more of his legal practice he has
endeavored with no mean degree of success to realize his own high ideals of a
useful life, being now recognized as one of the foremost members of the Cheatham
county bar.
Born August 12, 1874, in Cheatham county, Tennessee, he is a son of John M.
Duke and Henrietta (Gupton) Duke, the former of whom was born in Robertson
county, this state, in. 1835, while the latter was born in Cheatham county in
1850 and passed away there in 1886. While young John M. Duke accompanied his
parents from Robertson county to Cheatham county, but in 1856 went to Texas, in
which state he remained until 1865. He served four years in defense of the
Southern cause during the Civil war, first as second lieutenant of a company of
Texas rangers in the command of Col. W. P. Lane, and then later as second
lieutenant of S. J. Richardson's company, also of the Texas troops. At the close
of the war he returned to Cheatham county, Tennessee and entered the mercantile
business at the village of Henrietta, where he continued in that line until
1882, when he removed to Ashland City and engaged in the hardware and
undertaking business. He has now been identified with that business thirty
years, has been successful and is one of the best known and respected business
men of Cheatham county. In political views he is a Democrat and in religious
faith and church membership both he and his wife were identified with the
Methodist Episcopal denomination. The latter was a daughter of Robert Gupton, a
native of Cheatham county and a son of Abner Gupton, who came to Cheatham county
in 1808 from North Carolina. Abner Gupton, who was the owner of a body of 7,000
acres of land in this section and held over 300 slaves, was one of the
wealthiest men of this county. His estate was in litigation in the courts of
this state from 1858 to 1877. The Gupton family was originally of Irish lineage.
Five children were born to John M. and Henrietta (Gupton) Duke and of this
family but two are now living: Philip H., of this review, and John T., now
associated in business with his father.
Philip H. Duke received his earlier education in the public schools of
Cheatham county and later continued his literary studies in the Peabody Normal
College and the University of Nashville, from which latter institution he was
graduated as a Bachelor of Arts. He then entered Cumberland University to
prepare for his chosen profession and was graduated from its law department in
1900. Beginning the practice of law at Ashland City, he was associated with R.
S. Turner until the latter's death in 1909, since when he has conducted his
professional labors alone. Admitted to practice before all the courts, he has
enjoyed a very successful and remunerative business and is now attorney for the
Tennessee Central Railway Company. Politically he is a Democrat and at one time
was a candidate for the office of district attorney general. He has been
superintendent of public instruction in Cheatham county since 1899, and in a.
business way is a director of the Cheatham County Bank. Fraternally he is
affiliated with: the blue lodge and chapter of the Masonic order, with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. In church
membership he is identified with the Methodist Episcopal denomination, while
Mrs. Duke is a member of the Missionary Baptist church. The latter was Miss
Victoria Chambers, of Huntington, West Virginia, prior to her marriage to Mr.
Duke in 1909. They have two children, Allan J. and Edna R.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/cheatham/bios/duke310nbs.txt
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Cheatham-Montgomery-Perry County TN Archives Biographies.....Baggett, Henry S. 1877 - 1913
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb(a)gmail.com November 13, 2005, 9:59 pm
Author: Will T. Hale
HENRY S. BAGGETT. A citizen who stood high in the confidence and esteem of
his fellow men in Cheatham county, Tennessee, was Henry S. Baggett, sheriff of
this county and one of the younger, energetic and capable native sons of this
commonwealth who first as an agriculturist and then later in public service
established a record for efficiency and as an enterprising and energetic worker
for progress.
Mr. Baggett was born in Montgomery county, Tennessee, November 11, 1877, a
son of Henry Baggett and Florence V. (Stack) Baggett. The father, born in
Montgomery county, Tennessee in 1858, has remained a life-long resident of that
county and is one of its successful agriculturists, as was his father, Henry
Baggett, who was born in North Carolina and came to Tennessee with his parents
when but a boy. Florence V. (Stack) Baggett, the mother, was born in Cheatham
county, Tennessee in February, 1861, a daughter of Samuel Stack, who also was a
native of Cheatham county and was one of its most prominent farmers. Both
parents of our subject are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the
father is a Democrat in political views.
Of seventeen children born to their union, Henry S. was second in order of
birth of whom fourteen are now living. He grew up on the paternal farm in
Montgomery county and received his educational discipline-in the common schools
of that locality. He very naturally took up the vocation to which he had been
reared and continued to be identified with agriculture until his death in
Cheatham county, whither he removed from Montgomery county about 1901 and where
he continued to own a farm. He first entered public service as a constable and
after serving four years in that capacity he served a similar period as deputy
sheriff. In 1912, as a Democrat he was elected sheriff of Cheatham county and
had but recently entered upon the duties of that office. He always gave his
political allegiance to the Democratic party, and fraternally was identified
with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In 1902 Mr. Baggett was joined in marriage to Miss Myrtle Frey, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. William Frey, who are farmer citizens of Cheatham county. To this
union have been born five children, named: Clemie, Tula May, Samuel Wilford,
Effie and Grace, the eldest three of whom are now attending school. Mr. Baggett
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as is also his widow, who now
resides in Ashland City. Mr. Baggett died February 10, 1913.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/cheatham/bios/baggett309nbs.txt
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Cheatham-Hickman-Perry County TN Archives Biographies.....Pickard, Peter P. 1845 -
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
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Author: Will T. Hale
PETER P. PICKARD stands in the front rank of Tennessee's best citizenship and
is well known throughout the state through his different official services,
having served three terms, or from 1883 to 1889, as comptroller of this state
and having been supervisor of the census in the sixth congressional district of
Tennessee in 1900. He is also well known in the banking circles of Tennessee and
gave Ashland City its first bank, of which he has been cashier and active
manager since its organization in 1901. As the promoter of this and various
other enterprises that have had a directed and important bearing upon the
development and progress not only of his immediate community but also of the
state, and by his sterling citizenship in every other respect he well deserves
to be given recognition as one of the Tennesseeans who have been builders and
supporters of the commonwealth during the last half century.
The Pickard family is of French descent and originated on American soil with
Peter Pickard, the grandfather of Peter P., who was a native of France and came
here at the time Lafayette and his French soldiers came to assist in winning
American independence. He settled in North Carolina, where he passed the
remainder of his days and where he reared his family. Green Pickard, his son,
came from his native state of North Carolina to Tennessee in 1825 and settled in
Hickman county in that year. By occupation he was a farmer but at the time of
his death in 1854 he was engaged in the meat business in Huntsville, Alabama. He
wedded Mary Chambliss, who was born in North Carolina in 1806, a daughter of
Jesse Chambliss, who was a native and a life-long resident of North Carolina. To
Green and Mary (Chambliss) Pickard were born thirteen children, of which family
Peter P. was tenth in order of birth and is one of three yet living. Both
parents were Primitive Baptists in religious faith and the father was a loyal
Democrat in political allegiance. The mother passed to eternal rest in 1876.
Peter P. Pickard was born in Hickman county, Tennessee on October 1, 1845, and
was but fifteen years of age when the Civil war opened. Youth that he was, he
promptly enlisted in the Confederate army as a member of Frank Maney's battery
of artillery, with which he served until 1864, or until wounded while
sharpshooting at Rocky Race Ridge, near Dalton, Georgia. At the battle of Fort
Donelson during the earlier part of his service, however, he was among the
Confederates captured and was detained as a prisoner seven months. After his
discharge from the Atlanta hospital to which he had been taken when wounded he
went to Marion, Alabama, where he remained until the close of the war. In 1865
he came to Perry county, Tennessee, where two years later, or in 1867, he was
married to Julia Britt, whose father, William O. Britt, was a resident of Perry
county and one of the prominent men of Tennessee. He became wealthy as a peanut
dealer and shipper and at his death left a large estate. In 1883, as a Democrat,
Mr. Pickard was elected comptroller of Tennessee, to which important office he
was twice re-elected, serving from 1883 to 1889. He made a great record in this
official service, his work being marked by accuracy and exhibiting that zealous
and watchful care that resulted in a great saving for the state and that
permitted it to cancel many of its debts. He being a member of state funding
board took active part in funding the state's indebtedness. In 1900 he was made
supervisor of the census in the sixth congressional district of this state.
Following that service, he came to Ashland City in 1901 and organized the
Ashland City Bank & Trust Company, of which he has been cashier from that time
to the present and which was the first institution of its kind in Ashland City.
It has a capital of $25,000, a surplus of $25,000, with deposits averaging
$75,000. The bank has taken a very important place in the commercial life of
that section and has been a decided success from the time it opened its doors to
the present. As a public official Mr. Pickard's service was marked for
intelligence and efficiency and as a business man the same qualities together
with the most progressive spirit, have characterized his activities. He is at
present in line for high political preferment, as the following letter will
illustrate:
Hon. William G. MeAdoo,
Secretary of the Treasury,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Secretary:
I take the liberty of writing this letter endorsing and urging the
appointment of Colonel P. P. Pickard of Tennessee, who will be an applicant for
the position of Register of the Treasury.
Colonel Pickard represents the finest brand of citizenship and Democracy
within our state. From the standpoint of competency, intellectuality, character,
physical vigor and public esteem and confidence, he is in every way deserving of
the honor of this appointment.
Colonel Pickard is a one-armed Confederate soldier who served with great
distinction in Maney's Battery, Cheatham's Division. His arm was lost at Rocky
Pace Ridge, near Dalton, Georgia, while he was acting as a sharpshooter, and in
the initial engagement resisting Sherman's march to the sea. He was a private
soldier in the Confederate army.
From 1883 to 1889, during the two administrations of Gen. William B. Bate and
the first administration of Robert L. Taylor as governors of Tennessee, Colonel
Pickard held the office of state comptroller. In addition to this Colonel
Pickard was director of the federal census in this (the "Hermitage")
congressional district, in 1900.
While the aid and efforts of Colonel Pickard in securing the election of
President Wilson were to my knowledge as disinterested as they could be, it is
but fair to him for me to say that during the recent presidential campaign, when
I acted at your suggestion as finance committeeman from Middle Tennessee,
Colonel Pickard gave liberally of his means, and was of more aid to me than
almost any other man in this division of the state.
Colonel Pickard's friends have made up their minds to urge his appointment to
the position of Register of the Treasury, and he is not in a position to decline
to permit them to do so.
Any recognition that the claim of Colonel Pickard can receive at the hands of
the President, or at your hands, will be absolutely deserved and a source of
great gratification to a vast number of our best citizens, irrespective of party
affiliations; and his appointment to this position will be satisfactory and
pleasing to a great majority of Democrats in Tennessee.
Yours very truly.
K. T. McConnico.
Fraternally Mr. Pickard is affiliated with the Knights of Honor, and both he
and Mrs. Pickard are valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South.
Six children have been born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Pickard and are as
follows: Willie, who married J. H. Sladen and resides at Waverly, Tennessee;
Mary Elizabeth, who became the wife of C. H. Harris and resides at Paducah,
Kentucky; Obed, a resident of Ashland City, Tennessee; Nixon, whose home is at
Cumberland City, Tennessee, and who is cashier of the Cumberland City Bank;
Edward, a resident of Nashville, and a telegraph operator there; and Taval,
paying teller in the Cumberland Valley National Bank at Nashville.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/cheatham/bios/pickard308nbs.txt
This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/tnfiles/
File size: 8.1 Kb
Davidson County TN Archives Biographies.....Thruston, Gates P. 1835 - 1912
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb(a)gmail.com November 13, 2005, 9:54 pm
Author: Will T. Hale
GENERAL GATES P. THRUSTON. A distinguished figure in the history of Tennessee
and that of the nation was General Thruston, who left an indelible impress upon
the history of his time, as a soldier, lawyer, archaeologist, author and man of
affairs, and whose character was the positive expression of a strong and noble
nature. He was a man of high intellectual and professional attainments and his
angle of influence ever widened in beneficence until he was summoned to the life
eternal, at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday morning, December 9,
1912. He honored the state of his adoption through his character and exalted
services and there is all of consistency in according in this volume a definite
tribute to the man and his memory. He was a gallant officer of the Union in the
Civil war and after the close of this great conflict he maintained his home in
Nashville until he passed to his reward, secure in the love and high esteem of
all who knew him or were familiar with his distinguished career.
Though a scion of an old and patrician Southern family, Gen. Gates Phillips
Thruston claimed the Buckeye state as the place of his nativity. He was born at
Dayton, the metropolis and judicial center of Montgomery county, Ohio, on the
11th of June, 1835, and thus was seventy-seven years of age at the time of his
demise. His genealogy shows strains of English, Scotch, French and Dutch origin,
and a number of his ancestors attained to distinction in connection with the
history of American affairs. The original American progenitors of the Thruston
family came from England and established their home in Virginia in 1666, and the
family name became closely identified with the civic and industrial development
of that historic old commonwealth. One of his ancestors, Col. Charles Mynn
Thruston, was a gallant officer of Virginia patriot troops in the War of the
Revolution, and of a later generation was his son Judge Buckner Thruston, who
served as United States senator from Kentucky and later as a federal judge of
the District of Columbia, an incumbency which he retained for the long period of
thirty-six years. The parents of General Thruston were Robert Alexander Thruston
and Marianna (Phillips) Thruston. The former was a son of Judge Buckner
Thruston, and the latter a daughter of Horatio G. Phillips and Eliza (Houston)
Phillips. The maiden name of the paternal grandmother was Jeanette January.
Robert A. Thruston became a prominent member of the bar of the state of Ohio, a
member of the legislature and was a citizen of prominence and influence in that
commonwealth, where both he and his wife continued to reside until their death.
General Thruston was afforded excellent educational advantages in his youth
and throughout his life he continued a deep and appreciative student and reader.
As valedictorian of his class he was graduated in Miami University, at Oxford,
Ohio, in 1855, and on this occasion he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Many years later his alma mater, in 1903, conferred upon him the honorary and
distinguished degree of Litterarum Humaniorum Doctor, in recognition of his
valuable archaeological research and high achievement in literature. In
preparation for his chosen profession he entered the Cincinnati Law School, at
Cincinnati, Ohio, and in this excellent institution he was graduated as a member
of the class of 1859 and with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He had scarcely
entered upon the practice of his profession when he was moved to subordinate all
personal interests to tender his service in defense of the Union. At the very
inception of the Civil war he enlisted in the First Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in
which he was forthwith commissioned captain of his company, the command being
assigned to the Army of Cumberland. He was with his regiment in the battle of
Shiloh and many other of the most important and sanguinary battles marking the
progress of the long and weary conflict, and he specially distinguished himself
in action at Chickamauga, in the battle of Murfreesboro and the engagement at
Stone's River. The following incident is related in Ridley's "Battles and
Sketches of the Army of Tennessee:" "By way of parenthesis, let me give give you
a pointer of the prowess of our Southern cavalry, inadvertently praised by
General Rosecrans himself, in the shape of a beautiful tribute to one of his
officers who evidently saved the ammunition train of the Federal army from the
holocaust of Wednesday's fight. Capt. G. P. Thruston met Captain Thompson, of
General Rosecrans' staff, and told him to inform the General that the ammunition
train of the right wing, seventy-five wagons, had been brought by him across the
country in safety and was at the command of the army then and there. The staff
officer, excited by the unexpected news, hastened to tell the commander, for all
at headquarters had until then given up the ammunition as lost to the army in
the disaster to the right wing, Wednesday, believing it to have been gobbled up
by the hordes of Confederate riders in the rear. General Rosecrans, with staff,
dashed down to where the captain stood, with the query, '"Where is the man who
said that the ammunition train was saved?' Thruston said: 'I am the man.' 'Who
are you?' was the next question. 'G. P. Thruston, First Ohio Infantry.' 'Had you
charge of the train and guard?' 'I had sir.' 'What is you rank?' 'Captain.'
'Well, sir, consider yourself promoted for gallantry to the rank of major.' "
Continuing, the article says: "General McCook, it seems, was so impressed at
Captain Thruston's rescue of his ordnance train twice from our calvary that he
had him made chief of staff of the Twentieth Army Corps, with the rank of
lieutenant colonel, and Thruston, it is said, was showered from the war
department with praise for his services and with two commissions in one day.
With this high honor crowning his military effort, the former captain grew to be
a brigadier general."
In the battle of Chickamauga, General Thruston was entrusted with the
carrying of valuable papers and communications, and during his service in the
war was regarded as specially capable and trustworthy, as shown by the
promotions which he received. At Stone River he was promoted for gallantry, and
soon afterward he was appointed major on the staff of the adjutant general. His
commission as lieutenant colonel was given on the 1st of November, 1863, and on
the 13th of March, 1865, he was brevetted brigadier general, "for faithful and
meritorious services during the war, and particularly at the battles of Stone
River and Chickamauga." At this time also he was appointed judge advocate of the
Army of the Cumberland, on the staff of General Thomas, with whom he was on duty
in the battles around Atlanta, Georgia, and he continued to serve as judge
advocate until the close of the war, having been honorably mustered out on the
19th of December, 1865. From an appreciative article which appeared in the
Nashville Banner at the time of General Thruston's death are taken the following
extracts, which are well worthy of perpetuation in this more enduring form:
"A Federal officer, locating in Nashville when there was more or less
bitterness manifest, General Thruston conducted himself in such a manner that he
endeared himself to the hearts of all with whom he came in contact. He built up
a splendid practice in his chosen profession, the law, and leaves a handsome
estate. He was a public-spirited citizen and one who devoted his energies toward
the betterment of the state and the city in which he lived. He was identified
with various historical and commercial associations and had collected many rare
specimens of archaeological interest. He was vice-president of the Tennessee
Historical Society, president of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, and
a member of the Cumberland River Commission. He was at one time a valued member
of the Nashville Board of Education, chairman of the board of trustees of
Watkins Institute, and took a great interest in the work of the Humane
Commission, of which he was a member for many years.
"During the Tennessee Centennial. Exposition General Thruston rendered
valuable service to the state as chairman of the department of history and
antiquities. His collection of Indian antiquities and minerals, donated to
Vanderbilt University, is among the most prized possessions of that institution.
Since retiring from the active practice of his profession General Thruston had
been in the habit of spending his summers at Beersheba Springs, in Grundy
county, where he had & splendid summer home, while his winters were spent at his
residence at 318 Sixth avenue, North, in Nashville, where his death occurred, as
a direct result of an attack of pneumonia."
Immediately after the close of his services in the Civil war General Thruston
had established his home in Nashville, where he wedded one of the city's fair
daughters only two days after receiving his honorable discharge from the army.
As a former Federal officer and an adopted citizen of Tennessee, the general
proved most influential in fighting and mitigating the evils of the so-called
"reconstruction" in this state, and his attitude at this period did much to gain
him the love and esteem of the citizens of this part of Tennessee. He soon built
up a large and lucrative practice in his profession, but in 1878, owing to an
accident that had impaired his health to an appreciable extent, he retired from
active practice and passed two years in travel, both in Europe and America, and
in this tour he was accompanied by his wife. On his return to Nashville he
accepted the presidency of the State Insurance Company, and later he became a
director in several other important educational and business concerns, so that
the later years of his life were devoted largely to the public service and to
the supervision of his capitalistic and real-estate interests.
General Thruston was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science, and honorary member of the Missouri Historical Society, a
corresponding member of the New York and Philadelphia Archaeological Societies
and also Numismatic Societies; was for many years vice president of the
Tennessee Historical Society, of which he was president at the time of his
death, and was a trustee of the University of Nashville. He was likewise a
trustee of the Carnegie Library in his home city, and of the Ladies' Hermitage
Association, through which is maintained the old home of President Andrew
Jackson as a national .place of historic interest; he was vice president of the
United Charities of Nashville; served as president of the Society of the Army of
the Cumberland from 1906 until his death; and was actively affiliated with the
Grand Army of the Republic. The general was the author of a most valuable work
entitled "The Antiquities of Tennessee and the Adjoining States," the same
having been published in 1890, and he was a frequent contributor to scientific
magazines and other periodicals, especially on army and archaeological topics.
He was long and actively identified with the various departments of the work of
the First Presbyterian church of Nashville and was a trustee of the same till
the close of his long and useful life, which in all its relations, significantly
attested, the truth of the saying that "The bravest are the tenderest; the
loving are the daring." Of broad intellectual grasp, he had naught of bigotry or
intolerance, and he placed true valuations upon men, with the result that he was
always courteous, kindly and considerate. His home life was ideal, and only one
child survives to perpetuate the family name.
On the 21st of December, 1865, General Thruston was united in marriage to
Miss Ida Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, a representative citizen of
Nashville at that time. The general had here formed the acquaintance of his wife
while serving as a Union officer, and she was his cherished and devoted
companion for nearly thirty years, the gracious ties having been severed when
she passed to the life eternal, in July, 1893. She was survived by one son,
Gates Phillips Thruston, Jr., and this fine young man preceded his father to
eternal rest by only three months, his death having occurred in September, 1912,
his loss being a source of poignant grief to the general. The son was one of the
representative members of the Nashville bar at the time of his death. In
September, 1894, was solemnized the marriage of General Thruston to Miss Fannie
Dorman, daughter of K. Dorman, of Nashville, and she passed away in 1911. She is
survived by one son, Charles Mynn Thurston, a lad of about thirteen years at the
time of this writing, in 1913. General Thruston is survived by an only sister,
Mrs. George W. Houk, who came from Dayton, Ohio, to reside with him after the
death of his second wife. The other surviving members of the immediate family
are a half-brother, Houston Lowe, of Dayton, Ohio; Mrs. Charles Newbold, of
Washington, D. C.; Mrs. E. Fowler Stoddard, of Dayton, Ohio; and Mrs. Thomas P.
Gaddis, of Dayton, Ohio.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Montgomery County TN Archives Biographies.....Childers, Geacey 1860 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
GENERAL GEACEY CHILDERS. There are many points which render consistent a
special recognition of General Childers in this publication. He is a scion of
old and distinguished Southern families and both paternal and maternal ancestors
established homes in America in the early colonial days, representatives of each
having been found enrolled as valiant soldiers in the War of the Revolution, as
well as in the earlier colonial wars. The war between the states found other
representatives as loyal soldiers of the Confederacy, and General Childers
himself has well upheld the military prestige of the family name through his
effective service as an officer in the Spanish-American war, and the subsequent
Philippine insurrection in the Philippine Islands, in connection with which he
was colonel of the First Tennessee Infantry, U. S. V., in the Philippine
Islands. He had previously been an officer in the Tennessee National Guards, and
is now on its retired list, with the rank of brigadier-general. He was a member
of the city council for five years and is one of the representative business men
and honored and progressive citizens of the fine little city in which he
maintains his home and in which his interests are centered.
General Childers was born in Lyon county, Kentucky, on the 4th of July, 1860,
and is the son of Rev. James Francis William Childers and Lucy (Gracey)
Childers, the former of whom was born in Logan county, that state, in 1828, and
the latter of whom was born at Eddyville, Lyon county, Kentucky, in 1840, their
marriage having been solemnized in the year 1857. They became the parents of two
sons and four daughters, all of whom are living except the elder son. The
paternal grandparents of General Childers were William C. and Elizabeth Orndorff
(Miller) Childers, and the maternal grandparents were Mathew and Maria (Tilford)
Gracey, both families having been founded in Kentucky in an early day and both
having been prominently identified with the industrial and civic development of
the fine old Bluegrass state, where William C. Childers became an extensive
planter, in Logan county, and where he was a man of considerable wealth and
influence.
In private schools in his native state Gen. Gracey Childers was afforded
excellent educational advantages in his boyhood, and thereafter he continued his
studies for several years in Stewart College now known as the Southwestern
Presbyterian University, at Clarksville, Tennessee, his present place of
residence. At the age of seventeen years he assumed a clerical position with the
firm of F. P. Gracey & Bro. of Clarksville, the members of this firm being his
uncles on the maternal side. This firm was at that time general agents for the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad, as well as wharf-boat proprietors, owners and
agents for Cumberland River Steamboat Lines, grain dealers, and commission
merchants. In these varied lines of enterprise the business is still
successfully continued. General Childers has been a member of the firm since
1896, under the title of F. P. Gracey & Bro. The other interested principals are
Julien F. Gracey and H. M. Perry, and this old and reputable concern has long
controlled a large and prosperous business.
In 1880 General Childers became a member of the Clarksville City Guards, and
in 1888 when the National Guards State of Tennessee was organized General
Childers was elected and commissioned lieutenant colonel of the First Tennessee
Infantry, N. G. S. T., a position of which he was the incumbent at the time of
the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. With his command he promptly enlisted
in, and with the regiment was mustered into, the United States service as the
First Tennessee Infantry, U. S. V. At the time of his mustering General Childers
was lieutenant colonel of his regiment, and as such he went with his command to
the Philippine Islands, where, upon the death of Col. W. C. Smith, he was
promoted to succeed the latter as colonel in command of his regiment. The First
Tennessee saw much arduous service in the Islands of Luzon, Panay, and Cebu, and
in the campaign General Childers made a gallant record as an able and gallant
officer. He returned with his regiment to the United States in November, 1899,
and with the command was mustered out, at San Francisco, California, in
November, 1899, the last Southern regiment to be mustered out after the close of
active hostilities in the Philippines. The valiant service of the regiment was
recognized by congress in the issue of medals of honor to its members.
Official Service Record: Year
Lieutenant colonel, First Tennessee Infantry, N. G. S. T 1888
Colonel and inspector, Rifle Practice, First Brigade, N. G. S. T. 1895
Lieutenant colonel, First Tennessee Infantry, N. G. S. T 1897
Lieutenant colonel, First Tennessee Infantry, U. S. V 1898
Colonel, First Tennessee Infantry, U. S. V 1899
Brigadier-general, N. G. S. T., retired 1910
General Childers commanded a regiment during active campaigns in the Islands
of Luzon, Panay, and Cebu, Philippine Islands; battle of Manila, Luzon, February
5, 1899; battle and capture of Iloilo, Panay, February 11, 1899, and numerous
minor engagements and expeditions on the Island of Panay; volunteered with his
regiment and commanded on a five day expedition into the mountains of Cebu, in
which the command captured seven mountain forts and a number of entrenched
places, September 21-25, 1899. Commanded a special force in Tennessee during
years of 1908 and 1909; retired from the service with rank of brigadier-general,
N. G. S. T., 1910. His continued interest in his old comrades in arms is
signified by his membership in the Spanish-American War Veterans Association,
and he is also identified with the Sons of the American Revolution, the Military
Order of Foreign Wars, and the Army of the Philippines. Liberal and
public-spirited in a marked degree, General Childers is ever ready to lend his
co-operation in the furtherance of measures and enterprises tending to advance
the material and civic prosperity of his home city and state; his political
allegiance is given unreservedly to the Democratic party. He represented the
second ward of Clarksville in the city council for five years, and was chairman
of its important finance committee.
On the 14th of November, 1900, was solemnized the marriage of General
Childers to Miss Jane Gray Glenn, the accomplished daughter of James L. and Ella
(Poindexter) Glenn, of Clarksville, and the one child of this union is a fine
little son, James Glenn Childers, who was born on the 2d of November, 1904.
General Childers holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and
his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church, both being prominent and
popular figures in the representative social activities of their home community.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Humphreys-Dickson County TN Archives Biographies.....Taylor, Samuel W. 1858 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
SAMUEL W. TAYLOR. Among the capitalists of McEwen, Tennessee, Mr. S. W.
Taylor stands foremost, his interests including the industries of lumber
dealing, milling, electric lighting and others, in addition to a prominent share
in the banking business of the place. Mr. Taylor represents one of the old
families of the state and county. His grandfather, Drew Taylor, a native of
North Carolina, was one of the oldest pioneers of Humphreys county, where he
owned a very large estate. His property, in District 14, was still in the hands
of his heirs until about three years ago. He was the owner of slaves and
conducted extensive agricultural operations. His large family of sons and
daughters included Andrew Jackson Taylor, who was educated in the schools of
Humphreys county, who inherited five hundred acres of his father's property and
who chose farming as his life-work. He too was a slave owner and Confederate,
but because of defective eyesight did not qualify for army service. He was,
however, an enthusiastic Democrat, supporting his party in all extremities. His
fraternally social affiliation was with the Free and Accepted Masons. He married
Miss Louisa Bibb of Dickson county and they became the parents of eleven
children, five of whom are yet living. Mrs. Monnie Adcock, of Dickson county;
Mrs. S. J. Clark, of McEwen; Mrs. N. L. Thedford, of McEwen county; and Mrs.
Betty Tidwell are the sisters of S. W. Taylor, he being fourth in order of
birth. He was born on the family homestead on Hurricane Creek, in District 14,
Humphreys county, on June 25, 1858.
The parents of S. W. Taylor secured for him the privilege of tutelage in the
private school of Shiloh, Tennessee, taught by the well-known Prof. Charles
McHenry. Thus prepared, he devoted eight years to the profession of instructing
the young in subjects of general knowledge. At the close of his pedagogical
period he entered the business world, which has ever since been the arena of his
various endeavors.
The first enterprise with which Mr. Taylor identified himself was the
saw-mill business, in connection with which the production of staves was a very
important feature. In this venture he combined forces in 1890 with Mr. J. A.
Turner, a record of whose life appears on other pages of this publication.
Together they own three mills of extensive capacity and in addition to these
they own several other smaller mills. In 1902 he purchased the McEwen Mill
Company plant, which still operates under its former name, but under Mr.
Taylor's management. It had formerly been the property of Judge J. M. McAdoo, H.
Thomas, E. Cowen and J. M. Choat. These gentlemen were gradually bought out by
the enterprising Mr. Taylor, who in 1892 took over Mr. Thomas' share and in 1893
purchased the remainder, thus becoming sole proprietor of the McEwen Mill
Company holdings. This mill is one of a hundred barrels' capacity, its leading-
brand of flour being the Primrosea full fifty per cent patent flour. Mr. Taylor
also owns a grist mill with a capacity of four hundred bushels, making both
bolted and unbolted meal.
Next to his milling interests, in industrial lines, we note Mr. Taylor's
ownership of the McEwen Bottling Company, which had been owned formerly by
himself and three partners, namely, T. H. McWilliams, M. J. Brennan and E. H.
Dick. After it had been for four years in the hands of this firm, Mr. Taylor
bought the interests of his partners. This plant prepares soft drinks, its
capacity being two hundred and fifty dozen per day. It is still successfully
operating.
Yet another business was assumed by this capable proprietor, when in 1909
occurred the failure of L. D. Baker. The McEwen Lighting Plant, of which he had
had charge, was purchased by S. W. Taylor, who now manages it in connection with
his flour mill, thus securing an economy in the power required and furnishing
first-class light for the city streets, for institutions and for the homes of
McEwen.
That S. W. Taylor is an important figure in financial circles of this section
goes without saying. He is both a stockholder and director in the Citizens'
National Bank of Waverly; and he holds the same important relations to the
McEwen Bank.
Mr. Taylor is the head of an attractive family. On January 13, 1899, he was
united in marriage to Miss Florence Moody, daughter of Judge J. M. Moody, of
whom detailed account is given elsewhere in these volumes. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor
have welcomed three children into their home. The eldest is Robert Landon
Taylor; the second, little Belle Louise, was destined to eternal childhood, for
her short earthly life closed on February 28, 1910, at the age of eight years,
eight months and two days; the youngest child of the family is Jewel Moody
Taylor, who is now, at this writing, seven years old.
The church membership of the Taylor family is in the Methodist Episcopal
church, South. Mr. Taylor is a member of the board of stewards of the McEwen
church and also of the district board of this denomination. He is connected with
numerous secret societies of mutual benefit and social recreation, including the
following: The Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, in McEwen Lodge No. 525, and
also Chapter No. 137 of the same place; the Knights of Pythias, at McEwen; the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the same place; and the Woodmen of the
World, also at McEwen. Mr. Taylor is a loyal Democrat, often active in his
party's affairs, having served on various committees, having been chairman of
the executive committee of Humphreys county and having many times served as a
delegate to political conventions. All in all, he is not only a success in every
line of activity he has attempted, but he has become one of McEwen's
indispensable men.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Obion County TN Archives Biographies.....Rainey, Albert J. 1882 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
ALBERT J. RAINEY. Among the enterprising young business men of Obion county,
who have been the architect of their own fortunes and owe their present success
in life entirely to their own efforts, A. J. Rainey, of Union City, holds a
prominent position. His career substantially supports the statement that
industry, ambition and perseverance will eventually bring success, and this is
true in any of the walks of life. Mr. Rainey bears the added distinction of
being a native son of Union City, and was born here in 1882, a son of R. W. and
Amanda Elizabeth (Johnson) Rainey, both of Tennessee, and the first of their
five children. On the maternal side, his grandfather was Andrew Jackson Johnson.
He was a native of Virginia, and was there married to a Miss Lasister.
A. J. Rainey received his education in the common schools of Union City,
after leaving which he secured a position delivering groceries for a Mr. William
Stone of this city. His faithfulness to duty, industrious habits and efforts in
his employer's interests soon won him promotion to the position of clerk, and
his services were later further recognized by his being taken into the firm as a
partner. The business steadily grew under the young man's able management of
affairs, and when Mr. Stone was ready to retire from activities he sold his
interest to Mr. Rainey, who since that time has conducted the business alone. He
has been sole owner of this establishment since 1910, and has succeeded in
building up a flourishing trade, numbering among his customers some of the most
representative families of the city. A large stock of staple and fancy
groceries, including everything handled by a first-class grocery, are displayed
in an attractive and sanitary manner, and Mr. Rainey's evident desire to please
his customers, his unfailing courtesy, and his unique and modern ideas have put
the business on a sound foundation, and given him a place of independence among
the substantial citizens of his native city. Mr. Rainey's success has been no
mere matter of chance; it is but the result of strict adherence to business,
well-directed effort and constant integrity, and the reputation he bears in
business circles speaks eloquently for his honorable business methods. He takes
a good citizen's interest in all matters that affect his community, but has
found no time from his business duties to enter the public field as a seeker for
political preferment. His commercial activities have satisfied his ambitions,
and he has preferred home life to membership in organizations of a social
nature, although he is popular among his acquaintances, and has numerous warm
friends in Union City.
On July 29, 1911, Mr. Rainey was united in marriage with Miss Grace Harris,
the estimable daughter of Anselm Harris, of Union City, and to this union there
has been born one son, Albert Jackson, Jr.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Obion-Lake County TN Archives Biographies.....Burdick, John C. 1850 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
JOHN C. BURDICK. Commercialism is one of the principal foundation stones of a
nation's success and prosperity. To the men who have built up the great trading
marts of the nation, state, or of even the smaller districts, great commendation
is due, not only for the personal success they have achieved but also for the
part they have taken in advancing the commercial prestige of their community.
Among the representatives of this class of men in Tennessee is John C. Burdick,
of Union City, who is not only recognized as one of the substantial and
progressive business men of that place but holds other prominent relations to
society.
He was born in Illinois, October 10, 1850, and spent his boyhood there to the
age of fourteen, receiving in the meantime such advantages for education as the
common schools of the community and period afforded. At fourteen years of age he
went to Iowa, and from thence a year later to Colorado. That was in 1865, but
after a short time there he returned to his old home in Illinois, remaining
there until 1870. In that year, a young man of twenty, he came to Tennessee and
first located at Tiptonville, Lake county, where he embarked in the fish and
game business on a small scale, but shortly removed to Union City, where he has
now been engaged in his line of business about forty years. He was then a young
man, alert, resourceful and enterprising, with a naturally shrewd business
acumen to guide him in his undertaking, and from that day to this he has climbed
steadily upward toward a firm financial standing and to a position of prominence
among the business men of Obion county. Beginning in a modest way, he gradually
developed the business and finally became both a retail and wholesale dealer.
His trade has now reached large proportions and he is realizing gratifying
returns from a business that represents years of persistent and energetic
endeavor upon his part. He deals in fish, oysters and game, with shipments
extending to sixteen different states and reaching as far east as New York. In
1912 alone there was shipped from his establishment one million pounds of fish,
while in game, principally ducks, his sales are confined to Tennessee, as the
game laws of this state forbid their shipment outside of its borders. His plant
covers a space 50 by 150 feet and is a veritable hive of industry. His principal
supply of fish comes from Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. What part of his native
business ability may be due to inheritance from Yankee ancestors may not be
definitely stated, but certain it is that he has displayed the shrewdness
attributed to that people and has developed opportunity into one of the thriving
business concerns of Union City.
The parents of Mr. Burdick are Timothy and Ellen (Akin) Burdick, both natives
of Vermont, and o± their twelve children J. C. is second in order of birth. On
March 9, 1890, Mr. Burdick was happily married to Miss Mary S. Robinson, born in
Indiana in 1864. They have two children: John C. and Ellen C. Mr. and Mrs.
Burdick are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Union City, of
which Mr. Burdick formerly officiated as a steward. He is a prominent figure in
the fraternal circles of Union City, being a member of the Knights of Pythias,
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. He has "passed all the chairs" in the
local lodge of each of these orders and by his pleasing, social ways is a
popular member of their gatherings. In political views he is aligned with the
Progressive party. He was formerly a Republican and was chairman of the county
committee, also of the ninth congressional committee, and a member of the state
committee, and was a member of the board of aldermen of Union City for several
years.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/obion/bios/burdick303nbs.txt
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Davidson-Bedford County TN Archives Biographies.....Tillman, Abram Martin 1863 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
ABRAM MARTIN TILLMAN. The present United States district attorney for the
Middle Tennessee district, Abram Martin Tillman, is one of the ablest
representatives of the bar of the state and has been a member of the Federal and
State bars for the last twenty-five years.
Mr. Tillman is a native of Bedford county, this state, where he was born on
September 8, 1863, a son of Lewis and Mary Catherine (Davidson) Tillman. The
family is of English and Scotch-Irish descent.
Near Shelbyville, Tennessee, where he spent most of his childhood, Mr.
Tillman attended the private and public schools and was later graduated from the
Winchester Normal, Winchester, Tennessee. He attended the law department of the
Columbian, now the George Washington University, at Washington, D. C., from
which he graduated in 1886, taking both graduate and post graduate courses, and
was admitted to the Tennessee bar at Shelbyville the same year. He soon acquired
a reputation for careful and successful handling of cases, and has always
enjoyed a high place in his profession. In 1887 he formed a partnership with his
brother George N. Tillman, at Nashville, and such partnership continued until in
1898 when President McKinley appointed him for his first term as United States
district attorney. He was reappointed by President Roosevelt in 1902 and 1906
and in 1910 by President Taft. His record has been an able one, and he has
successfully managed many very important cases during his incumbency of said
office.
Mr. Tillman is a member of the Hermitage Club, and of the Golf and County
Club. He has been secretary and a member of the board of trustees for the
Columbia Military Academy since its establishment. Mr. Tillman was married on
November 28, 1894, to Miss Sarah Clayton Ford, of Nashville, a daughter of Ben
C. and Stella (Pope) Ford. Mr. and Mrs. Tillman have two daughters, viz: Miss
Louise C. and Kathleen. In politics, Mr. Tillman has always been a Republican.
He is at the head of the law firm of Tillman & McCall of Nashville, Tennessee.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Obion-Dyer County TN Archives Biographies.....Dahnke, Fred 1875 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
FRED DAHNKE, secretary and treasurer of the Union City Ice & Coal Company,
Union City, Tennessee, was born in Nashville, Illinois, in 1875, and is a
brother of George Dahnke, of whom biographical record is made on another page of
this work.
Mr. Dahnke received his schooling in his native town. In his early 'teens he
came to Union City, Tennessee, and from 1889 to 1894 was connected with the
Dahnke Cafe of this city, referred to in the personal sketch of his brother.
Then he took charge of the Dahnke Cafe at Fulton, Kentucky, where he remained up
to 1898, and from whence he went to Dyersburg, Tennessee, where also the Dahnkes
ran a cafe, of which he took charge, and where he remained up to 1900. Then
returning to Union City, he resumed work in the cafe here. He had charge of this
place until 1906, when he succeeded his deceased brother, Henry Dahnke, as
secretary and treasurer of the Union City Ice & Coal Company. This ice and coal
business was established in 1895 by Messrs. George and Henry Dahkne, who by
strict business methods built up a trade second to none in northwestern
Tennessee, the immediate credit for the success of the enterprise being due to
the individual supervision of Henry Dahnke, who confined his energies to
promoting the business and placing it on a paying and solid financial basis. It
is now one of the most up-to-date ice and coal companies in this part of the
state, manufacturing pure distilled ice and dealing in Bon Air and other leading
coals. The firm is incorporated and its officers are as follows: George Dahnke,
president and general manager, and F. Dahnke, secretary and treasurer.
October 5, 1911, Fred Dahnke was united in marriage with Mrs. Irene Watson
Dahnke, the widow of his brother Henry. Mrs. Dahnke has two children by her
former husband, namely: Henry and Fred.
The fraternal orders with which Mr. Dahnke is affiliated are the F. & A. M.,
K. of P. and B. P. O. E.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Obion County TN Archives Biographies.....Walker, J. R. 1875 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
J. R. WALKER, one of the leading merchants of Union City, Tennessee, was born
in the neighboring state of Arkansas, in 1875, son of George A. and H. C.
(Walker) Walker, he being the third in order of birth in their family of eight
children. George A. Walker was a prosperous farmer and leading citizen of his
community, and it was on the home farm that J. R. Walker was reared. In 1891, at
the age of sixteen, he came over into Tennessee and took up his residence in
Obion county. Here his time was occupied in agricultural pursuits until 1906,
when he turned his attention to the grocery business, with which he was
identified in Union City for two years. At the end of that time he moved to New
Mexico, where he engaged in the same line of business. Tennessee had its
attractions, however, and after several years spent in New Mexico, Mr. Walker
returned to Union City and again became connected with the business activities
of this place as a grocer. He occupies the old Goodwin Bros.' store, of which he
is part owner. This store room is forty by eighty feet, and is well stocked with
the best and freshest goods in both the line of groceries and meats. As general
manager of the business, Mr. Walker is meeting with that success which is due
his energetic well-directed efforts
Mr. Walker was married in 1896 to Miss Lulu V. Goodwin, daughter of John L.
Goodwin.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Obion County TN Archives Biographies.....Buie, J. R. Walker 1875 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
J. R. WALKER, one of the leading merchants of Union City, Tennessee, was born
in the neighboring state of Arkansas, in 1875, son of George A. and H. C.
(Walker) Walker, he being the third in order of birth in their family of eight
children. George A. Walker was a prosperous farmer and leading citizen of his
community, and it was on the home farm that J. R. Walker was reared. In 1891, at
the age of sixteen, he came over into Tennessee and took up his residence in
Obion county. Here his time was occupied in agricultural pursuits until 1906,
when he turned his attention to the grocery business, with which he was
identified in Union City for two years. At the end of that time he moved to New
Mexico, where he engaged in the same line of business. Tennessee had its
attractions, however, and after several years spent in New Mexico, Mr. Walker
returned to Union City and again became connected with the business activities
of this place as a grocer. He occupies the old Goodwin Bros.' store, of which he
is part owner. This store room is forty by eighty feet, and is well stocked with
the best and freshest goods in both the line of groceries and meats. As general
manager of the business, Mr. Walker is meeting with that success which is due
his energetic well-directed efforts
Mr. Walker was married in 1896 to Miss Lulu V. Goodwin, daughter of John L.
Goodwin.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Pickett-Robertson County TN Archives Biographies.....Buie, Walton J. 1872 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
WALTON J. BUIE. Education and financial assistance are very important factors
in achieving success in the business world of today, where every faculty must be
brought into play, but they are not the main elements. Persistency and
determination figure much more prominently and a man possessed of these
qualities is bound to win a fair amount of success. Walton J. Buie, whose name
forms the caption for this article, earned his own education and during the
latter years of his life he has climbed to a high place on the ladder of
achievement. He is one of Green Brier's most prominent citizens and at the
present time, in 1912, is cashier of the Bank of Green Brier, one of the most
substantial and reliable financial institutions in Robertson county.
Walton J. Buie was born in Robertson county, Tennessee, October 1, 1872, and
he is a son of John F. and Mary D. (Hinkle) Buie, the former of whom was born in
Davidson county, this state, in 1851, and the latter of whom is a native of
Robertson county, where her birth occurred in 1852. John F. Buie grew to manhood
in Davidson and Wilson counties and he is now engaged in agricultural pursuits
on a finely improved farm in the vicinity of Green Brier, Robertson county. He
and his wife reared a family of seven children, all of whom are living, in 1913.
They are members of the Missionary Baptist church and he is a Democrat in his
political convictions. He is a son of Washington and Catherine (Donaldson) Buie,
the former of whom was a gunsmith and farmer in Davidson county, where he died
in 1853, when John F. was a child of but two years of age. Jackson Hinkle, the
maternal grandfather of the subject of this review, was a native of Robertson
county, Tennessee, and here he was a farmer and chairmaker; he died at the age
of eighty-seven years.
In the public schools of Green Brier Walter J. Buie completed his early
educational training. For two years he was a student in-the medical department
of the University of Tennessee and for ten years before and after attending
college he taught school in Robertson county. In 1879 he settled on the home
farm, in the work and management of which he assisted his father for the ensuing
three years, at the end of which he entered a general store at Green Brier as
clerk and bookkeeper. January 15, 1910, he entered the Bank of Green Brier as
assistant cashier and bookkeeper and he continued the incumbent of those
positions until August 15, 1912, when he was elected cashier of the bank. This
institution is capitalized with a stock of $10,000, has a surplus of $6,500 and
deposits amounting to $60,000. In addition to his work as cashier of the Green
Brier Bank, Mr. Buie devotes some attention to the life and fire insurance
business. He is a Democrat in politics and is serving Green Brier as justice of
the peace.
In March, 1900, Mr. Buie was united in marriage to Miss Ella Sneed, a
daughter of Philip Sneed, who is engaged in farming operations near Cedar Hill,
Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Buie have three children: Annie May, Ruth and Alma Dean.
In their religious faith the Buies are devout members of the Missionary Baptist
church and they are popular in connection with the best social affairs of their
home community.
In a fraternal way Mr. Buie is affiliated with the Junior Order of United
American Mechanics, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, in which latter two organizations he has passed through all the
official chairs.
Additional Comments:
From:
A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in
commerce, industry and modern activities
by Will T. Hale
Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913
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Robertson County TN Archives Biographies.....Cook, George T. 1862 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
GEORGE T. COOK. Springfield's prosperous tobacco dealer, George T. Cook, has
since 1896 been a resident of this city. He is a son of A. J. and Eva (Burgett)
Cook, both natives of Tennessee. The former was a son of Robert Cook, a native
of North Carolina; the latter was a daughter of William Burgett, a farmer and
early settler of Robertson county. Robert Cook was also engaged in agricultural
activities, throughout his entire life and was successful in that line of
effort. A. J., father of George T., spent four years in western Kentucky, but
spent the residue of his life in this county, where he purchased rural property.
He was a member of the Masonic order and of the Baptist church, the last being
also the church home of his wife. Eight children were born to them, of whom six
are yet living. Of these George T. Cook was the fourth. The place of his
nativity was Baggettsville, Tennessee, and the date of his birth May 8, 1862.
The wholesome influences of country life surrounded George Cook's childhood
and the intellectual material necessary for comprehending life's practical
situations he obtained in the rural schools. His earliest interests were those
of the farm and these he continued until well advanced in the years of his
earlier maturity. His experience had been such as to make him a reliable
connoisseur in tobacco, and with that as a background he embarked in the tobacco
business with Springfield as his commercial center.
In this work Mr. Cook has been extremely successful. He does business under
the titles of several concerns, including that of G. T. Cook & Company. He also
has business interests in connection with the 0. G. Sprouse Company of
Springfield. Altogether his various commercial operations demonstrate his
excellent ability in this line. Mr. Cook is a Democrat of loyal principles.
The home of Mr. Cook was founded in 1885. Mrs. Cook was formerly Miss Leota
Sprouse, a daughter of G. H. Sprouse, who was long a resident of Robertson
county, and was a successful farmer and who was a Civil war veteran, serving
under General John H. Morgan. Four children came to grace the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Cook and all have been reared to a creditable maturity. Nina, the eldest,
became Mrs. Jesse Cohea and resides in Springfield. Foster Cook, also a citizen
of Springfield, is engaged in the feed business. Oka Cook became Mrs. O. Homer
Ellis, wife of a well-known bookkeeper of Springfield. Miss Caroline Cook
resides at home. Each member of this estimable family well fulfills his or her
part in life. Their moral and religious influence are lent to the church
organization of the Baptists.
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Robertson-Montgomery County TN Archives Biographies.....Stratton, Henry T. (Jr.) 1878 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
HENRY T. STRATTON, JR. A leading member of financial circles in Springfield
is Henry Thomas Stratton, cashier of the Springfield National Bank, with which
his father was also prominently connected. The families of Hopkins, Helm and
Stratton are represented by Henry Stratton, whose maternal grandfather was Asa
Hopkins, once an eminent citizen of Robertson county, where he was a storekeeper
and gauger; and whose paternal grandparents were Thomas J. and Fannie (Helm)
Stratton, early settlers of Lebanon, Tennessee, where the former was for forty
years a banker. The Hopkins and Stratton families were united by the marriage of
Jennie Hopkins (1853-1882) and H. T. Stratton (1849-1909), who became the
parents of H. T. Stratton, Jr.
It will be of special interest to devote a paragraph of this sketch to the
career of the elder H. T. Stratton, whose activities pointed the way for those
of his son, the special subject of this review. H. T. Stratton, Sr., was a
native of Lebanon and a university graduate. His banking interests in
Springfield began with his assisting to organize a financial institution known
as the People's Bank, which was conducted as a state bank from 1887 until 1902,
being in the last-named year converted into a national bank. It was capitalized
at $100,000 with an annual profit of $100,000 and average deposits of $500,000.
H. T. Stratton, Sr., served as its first vice-president and his very active
efficiency led to his being accorded the management of the bank. He was a
staunch Democrat and was fraternally connected with the Masonic and Pythian orders.
The son and namesake of this well-known banker was born on July 12, 1878, in
Robertson county, Tennessee, and as H. T. Stratton, Junior, has made a prominent
place for himself in the financial world which had been honored by the service
of his father and paternal grandfather. Young Stratton was educated in the
schools at Springfield and Franklin and early evinced his taste for his
inherited vocation. He was but seventeen years of age when he became connected
with banking affairs, to which he has ever since continued his allegiance. In
1903 he was made cashier of the bank, which he still serves in the same capacity.
Like his father, Mr. Stratton is a member of the fraternal organization of
the Knights of Pythias. He is also affiliated with the Free and Accepted Masons
and with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, having served the
last-named order as its chancellor-commander. Mr. Stratton is a Democrat in
politics. Both the State and American Banking Associations enroll him as an
influential member.
The marriage of Mr. Stratton occurred on September 28, 1910, at which time
Miss Ruth Atkins, of Port Royal, Montgomery county, became Mrs. H. T. Stratton.
She is a daughter of J. W. Atkins, a well-to-do agriculturist of the locality
mentioned. Mr. and Mrs. Stratton hold an enviable place in the esteem of
Springfield's residents and those of adjacent communities.
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Robertson County TN Archives Biographies.....Murphey, Samuel O. 1872 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
CAPT. SAMUEL O. MURPHEY. An active, wide-awake journalist, S. O. Murphey,
editor and publisher of the Springfield Herald, is devoting his time and
energies to make his paper bright and readable, and above all, clean and
reliable. A son of Robert H. Murphey, he was born January 5, 1872, in
Springfield, which has always been his home. He comes of pioneer stock, his
paternal grandfather, George Murphey, having migrated from Virginia to Tennessee
at an early day. Settling in Robertson county, he took up land from the
government, and was there resident during the remainder of his life.
Robert H. Murphey was a life-long resident of Robertson county, his birth
occurring in 1814, and his death in 1881. Soon after the breaking out of the
Civil war he offered his services to the Confederate government, enlisting in
the Thirtieth Tennessee Regiment, of which he was subsequently commissioned
lieutenant colonel, and fought most valiantly in many engagements of importance.
Captured at the siege of Fort Donelson, he was imprisoned for a year, and his
health became so seriously impaired that his army service was afterwards very
limited. Returning home, he resumed his duties as county clerk of Robertson
county, to which he had been previously chosen, and served in that position for
thirty consecutive years. During his earlier life he was identified with the
Whig party, but after the close of the Civil war he became one of the
influential members of the Democratic party. Prominent in Masonic circles, he
was a member of Western Star Lodge No. 9, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
Masons. Religiously he belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church, South, while
his wife was a member of the Christian church.
The maiden name of the wife of Robert H. Murphey was Ann E. Braden. She was
born in Springfield, Tennessee, in 1840, and died in the same city August 22,
1910. She was of New England ancestry, her father, D. P. Braden, having come
from there to Robertson county, Tennessee, when a young man, and settling in
Springfield, where he served as the first postmaster, and where he gained
prominence in fraternal circles, at the time of his death having been the oldest
Mason in the state. To R. H. Murphey and wife six children were born, as
follows: Cora A., wife of R E. Polk, of Hampton Station; Lizzie M., wife of W.
I. Sadler, of Robertson county; Minnie, wife of J. R. Posey, a banker in
Alvarado, Texas; Georgia, wife of J. T. Featherston, of Earlington, Kentucky;
Braden, of Nashville, is connected with the Nashville Banner, and S. O., with
whom this sketch is chiefly concerned.
Having received his educational training in the city schools of Springfield,
S. O. Murphey entered a publishing office, where he mastered the mechanical
details of the printer's trade, and acquired a genuine love for journalism. In
1895 he established the Springfield Leader, now the Robertson County News, which
he managed successfully until the breaking out of the Spanish-American war, in
1898. Enlisting then in Company K, First Tennessee Regiment, he served as
captain of the company until honorably discharged after two years' duty, one of
which was in the Philippine Islands, rendering excellent service as a gallant
soldier. Buying the Springfield Herald in 1902, Captain Murphey has met with
eminent success as its editor and manager, the circulation of the paper, which
upholds the principles of the Democratic party, having largely increased, its
list of subscribers containing upwards of two thousand names. In connection with
his newspaper work, Captain Murphey also does job printing, his patronage in
that line being extensive.
Mr. Murphey married, December 6, 1892, Miss Annie Allen, a daughter of
William Allen, who was born in Wilson county, Tennessee, but for the past thirty
years has been engaged in the mercantile business at Springfield. Mr. and Mrs.
Murphey are the parents of three children, namely: Allene B.; S. O., Jr.; and
Anne Braden. Politically Captain Murphey is a steadfast Democrat, active in
party ranks. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order
of Masons, and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Religiously he belongs
to the Christian church.
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Robertson-Montgomery County TN Archives Biographies.....Davis, Duncan E. 1858 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
DUNCAN E. DAVIS, M. D. In the forefront of Springfield's substantial
middle-aged citizens, we note Dr. D. E. Davis, who as a representative of
medical science has served his city for nearly a quarter-century. The blended
lines of typical Southern families contributed to the origin of Dr. Davis, whose
career has done credit to his ancestry. His paternal grandfather was Isaac
Davis, a native of Mississippi; his maternal grandfather was Benjamin Herring of
Montgomery county, Tennessee, and his maternal grandmother, Rachel Whitfield, a
native of Virginia. His father, Jeff Davis, born in Mississippi, was well known
as a Mason, a Baptist and a Democrat. Financially ruined by the events of the
Civil war, his death in 1868 left practically penniless his wife Anna Herring
Davisand their twelve children, of whom Duncan E. Davis, was the eleventh. He
was born near Clarksville, on April 7, 1858.
Life therefore presented all the aspects of a stern struggle with an adverse
fate, for the boy Duncan Davis. But he took hold of its opportunities with a
strong hand and a steady will, gathering force from his meagre surroundings and
purposive knowledge from the country schools which constituted his earlier
educational advantages. He prepared himself for entrance to the medical college
of Vanderbilt University, that noble institution which has turned out so many
large-minded men of professional acumen. In 1888 he completed his course in
medicine and his degree was conferred upon him.
In that same year, Dr. Davis began his professional career in Springfield,
where he has won the confidence of countless numbers of the residents of the
city and its community. This has ever since been his home and the field of his
medical practice, with the exception of seven years which he spent in balmy
Florida. Dr. Davis is notably unassuming in manner and his abilities are far in
excess of his claims for himself. He keeps abreast of the times in medical
literature and in the deliberations of organized bodies of medical scientists.
Both the Robertson County Medical Society and the Tennessee Medical Society are
of especial interest to him. He is the vice-president of the former association
and will serve as its next president.
Being a representative Southerner, Dr. Davis is an unswerving Democrat and is
interested in political affairs to such extent as is possible in connection with
his heavy professional duties. His religious affiliation is with the Baptist
denomination and he is a valued supporter of the local organization of that
church. Mrs. Davis remains loyal to her inheritance of the Methodist Episcopal
connection.
The doctor's wife was formerly Miss Katie Ogburn. She is a daughter of Samuel
G. Ogburn, whose useful and interesting career is elsewhere reviewed in these
pages. It was on October 24, 1889, that she became Mrs. Duncan E. Davis. One son
has been reared by the doctor and his wife. Luther E. Davis was born March 10th,
1890, and is now engaged as bookkeeper for the electric light plant of Springfield.
Dr. Davis is an admirable example of the self-made man who has carved for
himself every step he has taken in his upward climb, to success. Both he and the
five other surviving members of his father's family of children can testify that
being left an orphan and penniless is not the worst fate that can befall a human
being. Strength of mind and character can overcome all such obstaclesa fact
which is clearly demonstrated in the life of Duncan E. Davis.
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Robertson County TN Archives Biographies.....Phillips, Middleton M. 1873 -
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Author: Will T. Hale
MIDDLETON M. PHILLIPS. Painstaking, capable and eminently efficient.
Middleton M. Phillips, superintendent of the schools of Springfield, is
performing the duties devolving upon him in this capacity so wisely,
conscientiously, and so thoroughly as to win the approval of all concerned. A
son of Marion Phillips, he was born January 12, 1873, in Alpharetta, Georgia,
the descendant of an old and respected family. His paternal grandfather, Allen
Phillips, was born, reared and educated in Georgia. Enlisting for service during
the war between the states, he died, about 1863, from disease contracted in the
army.
Marion Phillips was born and brought up in Milton county, Georgia, his birth
occurring in 1850. Left fatherless when a young boy, he had but little
opportunity for acquiring an education, his advantages being exceedingly limited
on account of the Civil war. While yet young he turned his attention to the
tilling of the soil, and is now one of the successful agriculturists of
Chamblee, Georgia. He is a man of sterling worth, a Democrat in polities, and a
member of the Primitive Baptist church. He married Frances Tucker, who was born
in 1848, in Milton county, Georgia, a daughter of Willis Tucker, a life-long
farmer in Georgia. To them three children were born, as follows: Middleton M.,
William Madison, a farmer in Arlington, Georgia; and Frances Elizabeth, wife of
John W. Spence, who is engaged in farming at Chamblee, Georgia.
As a boy and youth, Middleton M. Phillips attended the public schools of
Milton county, Georgia, where, from 1893 utnil 1897, he taught in the country
schools. Going then to Dahlonega, Georgia, he further advanced his studies at
the Agricultural College, preparing himself for entry to the Peabody College, in
Nashville, Tennessee, from which he was graduated with the class of 1898. In
1901 Mr. Phillips received the degree of A. B. at the University of Nashville,
and immediately began his career as an educator, serving one year as principal
of schools at Pontotoc, Mississippi, and the following year being similarly
employed at Blue Ridge, Georgia. Coming from there to Tennessee, Mr. Phillips
had charge of the Hall-Moody Institute at Martin for a year, after which he was
principal of the schools at Itta Bena, Mississippi, for five consecutive years.
Accepting then the responsible office of superintendent of the schools at
Springfield, Tennessee, Mr. Phillips has filled the position ably and
satisfactorily, and is now serving his fourth term. He has under his supervision
ten white teachers and three colored ones, all of whom are faithfully assisting
him in his efforts to make the Springfield schools the best in the county. Mr.
Phillips is also interested in agriculture, having a good farm of two hundred
acres in the vicinity of Memphis, Tennessee.
Mr. Phillips married, June 28, 1904, Kate J. McCulley, a daughter of Dr. J.
M. McCulley, a physician, who was successfully engaged in the practice of his
profession at Oakland, Tennessee, until his death, while yet in manhood's prime.
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have one child, James M. Phillips, born in 1907.
Politically Mr. Phillips is a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to Greenwood
Lodge No. 135, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, in Greenwood,
Mississippi. Religiously he is a communicant of the Baptist church, and Mrs.
Phillips is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South.
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