History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 98

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1013

USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 98

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JOHNSON VAUGHAN.

THOMAS HERRIN.

JOHNSON VAUGHAN.

Johnson Vaughan was born Feb. 4, 1782. The follow- ing brief biographical sketch is from a gentleman who knew him intimately from 1836 till his death, April 6, 1871. He says he found him to be a man of strong constitution and vigorous and intelligent mind. He was by trade a brick- mason, and built the first brick house erected in Nashville. His honesty in the performance of his contracts brought him plenty of work, and he was enabled to accumulate con- siderable wealth, possessing the rare accomplishment of knowing how to take care of it. He invested it in lands and negroes principally, finally abandoning his trade and becoming a most successful farmer, making money and buy- ing land in both Davidson and Williamson Counties. When he started in Tennessee his entire stock in trade consisted of an old gray mare and a trowel, yet we hesitate not to say that had it not been for the war, in which he lost heavily, he would have been one of the richest men in Davidson County ; notwithstanding, when he died, he left all his chil- dren, twenty in number, in independent circumstances.

Johnson Vaughan was a strictly honest and most punctual man, and nearly a lifelong member of the Church of Christ. He was hospitable almost to a fault, and his success in life was mainly attributable to his strict honesty.

THOMAS HERRIN.

Thomas Herrin, the subject of this sketch, is the son of Henry Herrin and Mary Haines, and was born in Robertson Co., Tenn., on the 16th day of May, 1817. Mr. Herrin is of Irish extraction, his grandfather, Elisha Herrin, having emigrated from Ireland when a young man and settled in

Indiana, where Henry Herrin was born and lived until the time of the Creek war, when he enlisted in the service and rendered valuable aid to his country in the conflict that ensued. At the close of the war he settled in Robertson County, and pursued the vocation of agriculture until the time of his death. Thomas Herrin was thus reared a farmer, and when a youth worked as a farm-hand at five dollars per month, and used the proceeds in acquiring the rudiments of an education. At an early age he went to Henry Co., Tenn., where he remained until thirty-three years of age, when he married Elizabeth Vaughan, daughter of Johnson Vaughan, on Dec. 17, 1848. Mr. Herrin, soon after his marriage, removed to Williamson Co., Tenn., and worked on his father-in-law's farm until 1856. He then purchased the farm on which he at present resides, and by dint of untiring energy and persistent labor has succeeded in amassing a competence. He is now quite a large farmer, besides owning an interest in Horn's Mineral Springs, in Wilson County, and being a stockholder in the Harding Turnpike Company, of which he is a director. He is also president of the Granny White Turnpike Company.

In politics he was formerly a Whig, but is now, and has been for many years, a Democrat. Both himself and wife are members of the Christian Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Herrin have adopted and reared seven children, one of whom (Mrs. Winfred) is now married and is the mother of two beautiful children. Four out of the seven are still living with their foster-parents.

Mr. Herrin is in every sense a worthy man. He has always been a progressive man, as is evidenced by the in- terest he has taken in securing good county roads and other local improvements. He has lived a quiet, unostentatious life, never seeking the distinction of public office or political honors; but the results of his life may be summed up in one word,-success.

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CIVIL DISTRICTS.

the Franklin road crosses the Williamson county-line at Brentwood, and runs westward with said line to the old road called the Lower Franklin road, or Natchez Tract ; thence with said old road northwest to the gap on Seuggs' or John's land, where the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad passes from the waters of Richland Creek to Harpeth Waters; thence northwest with the dividing ridge to the top of the hill above the second gate on the Hardin or Richland turnpike-road above Maj. Graham's; thence northeast along the Richland turnpike to the old line of District Number Ten, near Frank McGavock's; thence castward with said old line to the Franklin turnpike, be- tween John Thompson's and Joseph Vaulx's; and thence with Franklin turnpike southward to the place of begin- ning. The voting-place was located at Barnes'.

This district is so surrounded by churches as to have need for none of its own. Among its carly men were Robert Bradford, Esq., who was prominent about 1825, and Mr. Philip Shute, one of the carly justices of the peace for the district.

Quarries of Beasley limestone, which abound in this district, have been slightly worked, and many of the finest buildings in Nashville are ornamented by fronts of this material. Prominent among these is the Methodist Pub- lishing House, built in 1873.

The following named persons were assessed for taxes in this district in 1816: Henry Barnes, William Banks, Joseph Coldwell, William Goodloe, William Goode, Thomas Har- ding, F. B. Sappington.

This was made the Eleventh School District. It has three school-houses, and sustains four schools,-two white, with seventy-three enrolled, and two colored, with ninety- three enrolled. The school population of the district is five hundred and forty-six. The directors for 1879-80 are George Mayfield, C. B. Chickering, and M. C. Car- penter.

In this district lived many years ago "Granny White," a respected and famous old lady, who kept the only house of entertainment between Nashville and Franklin, a noted place in the early settlement of the country ; the friend of Thomas II. Benton, to whom he several times alluded in his speeches in the Senate.

This place, as well as the adjoining place, on which Thomas H. Benton lived, is now owned by Hon. John M. Lea.

DISTRICT NUMBER WELVE.

A small piece was taken from District Number Twelve, on the redistricting of the county in 1859, and joined to District Number Twenty-five. The boundaries were then made as follows: Beginning on the south bank of Cum- berland River, where the east boundary of the land pur- chased by Mark R. Cockrill, of Dr. Hudson, strikes said river, and running thence south with the line of that land to the Charlotte turnpike-road, along said road westward to Richland Creek, up Richland Creek to the Hardin, or Richland turnpike-road ; thence with that road to the top of the ridge, above the second toll-gate on that road ; thence with the dividing and old district-line northwestward to the Charlotte turnpike-road, between F. P. Sullivan's and

Davidson's toll-gate; thence with the Charlotte road west- ward to the Cheatham county-line, near Stranger's; thence north with the county-line to the fork of the creek Samuel Garland lives on, near Joseph Russell's; thence up the creek to the old bridge on Pond Creek road; thence with that road to the dividing ridge between Jordan Abernathy and the old McBride place; thence east with the meanders of said ridge to the old Smith and Nicholson line; thence east with said line to the Cumberland River ; thence up said river to the place of beginning. Ilillsboro' was made the voting precinct of the district.

Near the centre, south of Bell's Bend, is Gower's chapel. William E. Watkins was an early settler and justice of the peace. Samuel B. Davidson was one of the most promi- nent early citizens of the district, and is still remembered as a man of leading qualities. Thomas Molloy was an early settler, coming as early as 1792.

The following-named persons were assessed for taxes in what is now District Number Twelve in 1816 : Daniel A. Dunham, James Donnelly, Thomas Dillahunty, Thomas Finney and heirs, William Gower, Martin Greer, Robert Hewitt, John and Giles Harding, Ezekiel Inman, John Larkin, Sr., John McGough, James McNeely, William Nothern, Philip Pipkin, John Pugh, Robert Thomas, Johnston Vaughan, Joseph Erwin.

This, one of the original school districts, has four school- houses, and sustains four white schools and one colored one. The enrolled attendance is, white, one hundred and sixty- eight; colored, fifty-six. The school population for the year 1879-80 was four hundred and nine. L. D. Gower, H. C. Davidson, and Z. T. Jordan are district school directors.

DISTRICT NUMBER THIRTEEN.

The line of this district, established by the commissioners in 1859, begins at the crossing of Cedar Street, with the west boundary of the corporation of Nashville, and runs out with Cedar Street and Charlotte turnpike-road to Mark Cockrill's (southeast corner of his Hudson tract of land), and thence north with his east boundary of that land to Cumberland River; thence up Cumberland River to the corporation-line of Nashville, and thence around with the corporation-line to the place of beginning. The voting pre- cinct was established at Biddle's shop.

Among the prominent and early residents of the district might be mentioned William Shelton, Elijah Nicholson, and John Donelson, who lived here in 1792. John Wal- ker, an early settler, was assessed for taxes here in 1816.

The popular race-grounds of the Nashville Blood Horse Association are in this district, adjoining Burns' Island, on the Cumberland River.

School District Number Thirteen includes the whole dis- trict, and contained, in 1880, two thousand three hundred and forty-six resident school-children. There are three graded schools in the district, one of which is for colored pupils. Seven white and six colored teachers are employed in these. There are besides two white common schools. The number of pupils enrolled is, white, four hundred and fifty-seven ; colored, five hundred and one. There are five school houses in the district. The school directors for the

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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

year ending in 1880 were John Leonard, J. H. Burns, and M. McDonald.

DISTRICT NUMBER FOURTEEN.

District Number Fourteen was formed in 1859, to in- clude all that remained in Davidson County of the orig- inal Fourteenth and Fifteenth Districts, and was bounded as follows : Beginning on the Williamson county-line, where the Lower Franklin or Natchez Trace-road crosses that line, and runs westward with the county-line to the Cheatham county-line, on the waters of South Harpeth ; thence north- ward with that line to the Charlotte road, near the Strange place; thence eastward with the Charlotte road and the line of the Twelfth District to a point between Davidson's toll-gate and F. P. Sullivan's; thence with the dividing ridge southward to the Richland turnpike above the second toll-gate, and continuing with the dividing ridge to where the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad passes through a gap of that ridge; thence with the Lower Franklin or Old Natchez Trace-road to the place of beginning. Greer's shop was fixed upon as the polling-place for the district.

There is a Christian church in the south corner on Har- peth River, Pleasant Grove church on Richland pike, Povi- dence Church at Reynolds' mill, and Liberty Grove church near Newsom's Station, on Buffalo Creek, where there is also a post-office. News Station and Bello View post-offices are both in this district.

Among the early men of prominence were John Davis and Martin Forehand.

In 1791, Robert Edmondson was a prominent man, and magistrate for the district. There were taxed in 1816, within the limits of this district and west of the Harpeth River, the following-named persons : Thomas and Zachariah Allen, James and Ifugh Allison, Andrew Boyd, Newsom Barham, Samuel Bryan, L. Barker, James Bird, Moses and Lewis Balding (win ?), Jeremiah Baxter, Leonard Burnett, Samuel Carroll, Benjamin Cox, Andrew Caldwell, W. Champ, Henry and Huston Cooper, John E. Clark, John Connor, William, James, and Silas Dillahunty, John, Thomas, Henry, and Lewis Demoss, Samuel Dennis, Ezekiel Douglass, Lewis Dunn, William and Jeremiah Ellis, New- ton and Levin Edney, Robert and William B. Evans, John and Arthur Exum, T. Fulgin, Aaron Franklin, William Fassell, William Fowler, John Goodwin, Isaac, Greenbury, and George Greer, James and Anthony Gillum, John D. Garrett, Elisha Garland, William Henry, John Herbison, Francis and John Hartgraves, John Harwood, George and Jep. Hooper, James, Francis, and George Hodge, John Hannah, William Harris, John Johns, Dempsey, John, Jarvis, and Isaac Jones, John and Daniel Joslin, Thomas M. Jefferson, Jonathan Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Sr., Moses Knight, David Keen, Obedience Lewis, George Lile, Thomas Levi, Henry Mellwain, Edward Mobley, Rencher McDaniel, William, Francis, Balam, Eldridge, and Nicholas Newsom, William Nelson, Butler and Corbin Noles, R. C. Napier, Benjamin Pritchard, R. Phipps, George Pierce, Benjamin Pack, James Richison, William Reach, William, George, and James Reeves, David and William Renn, Jesse Reynolds, George Roper, Gus and Henry Rape, Robert Shannon, Robert Shaw, William Scott, Aquillo

Suggs, John W. and Thomas J. Thornton, Samuel and Allen Thompson, William Winstead, William Williamson, Thomas Westbrooks.

This district was organized as the Fourteenth School District. In the year 1878-79 there were five white schools taught, with an enrolled attendance of two hun- dred and forty-seven pupils, and two colored schools, num- bering seventy-two pupils. The school population of the district in 1880 was five hundred and forty-seven. The school directors are M. N. Brown, N. M. Morton, and J. B. Linton.

DISTRICT NUMBER FIFTEEN.

The line fixed by the commissioners in 1859 begins at the crossing of the Murfreesboro' turnpike-road over Mill Creek, and runs down Mill Creek to its mouth ; then down Cumberland River to the corporation line of Nashville ; thence with the corporation-line south to the Murfreesboro' turnpike; and thence with the Murfreesboro' turnpike to the place of beginning. J. J. Corley's was selected as the polling-place for the district.

The absence of churches is only an indication that the inhabitants of this district transferred their liberal support to those of surrounding districts, at which many of them hold membership. Thomas Allison was for many years in the early days of the county a prominent resident in this district. William Herrin, Esq., was a neighbor of his in the days when magistrates were appointed for life, and was a prominent man. David Hays lived here as early as 1791.

The following persons were assessed for taxes on lands included in this district in 1816 : Bennett and John Black- man, Robert Champ, John Johnston, Henry Queesenbery, George Ridley, John Rains, Sr., Thomas Thompson, John Overton, Esq.

District Number Fifteen was made a school district under the new law, and two white schools and one colored school opened. The population is small, but the schools are fairly sustained. The enrolled scholarship for the year 1878-79 was ninety white and eighty-eight colored pupils. The dis- trict has three school-houses. In 1880 there were two hundred and ninety-five school-children in the district. C. H. Goodlett, B. F. Lester, and John H. Anderson are school directors.

The beautiful cemetery of Mount Olivet, and, joining it towards Nashville, the Calvary Cemetery, are both located in this district, on the south side of the Lebanon pike, where they occupy one of the most beautiful locations in the county.

DISTRICT NUMBER SIXTEEN.

District Number Sixteen was formed from a part of old District Number Four in 1859. The boundary-line then drawn begins at Stuart's Ferry over Stone's River, and runs eastward with the old Lebanon road to Page's line, then northeast and south to intersect that road and include Thomas B. Page's residence; thence with the said road, passing New Hope, to J. H. Hagan's burnt mill; thence east to the Wilson county-line; thence southward with the county-line to the southwest corner of Wilson County;

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J. A. HARWOOD.

MRS J. A. HARWOOD.

RES. OF JAMES A. HARWOOD. 7 MILES SOUTH EAST OF NASHVILLE TENN.

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JAMES JOHNSON.

James Johnson, son of Allen and Mary Johnson, was born in Virginia in 1797, and died in District 18, on the place where his daughter Sarah now re- sides, April 28, 1863, aged sixty-six years.

His father, Allen Johnson, was a brickmaker, and settled in Rutherford Co., Tenn., at an early day, and removed thence to Williamson County, where he died of cholera. In this beautiful region of country he pursued the life of a farmer.

James Johnson came to Tennessee with his parents, and resided in Rutherford and Williamson Counties till he settled in Nashville, about 1840. He was a school-teacher in early life, and as such met with great success.

He married Frances Nolen, daughter of William and Sarah Nolen, April 11, 1820. Of this union there were born five children,-W. A., Mary D. (deceased), Sarah L., Martha Ann, and David D. (deceased).

W. A. married Mary Griffin, of Virginia, and is now a merchant in New Orleans.

Mary D. married Dempsey Weaver (a history of whom may be seen elsewhere). She died at the early age of eighteen, leaving one daughter, now Mrs. Frances Woolwine, of Nashville.

Sarah L. is a maiden lady, still residing on the old homestead.

Martha Ann married Hiram Vaughn; has five children, and lives in District 18.

James Johnson was a cotton merchant in Nolens- ville for many years; and when he settled in Nash- ville he formed a partnership with Messrs. Rabou & Price. Upon the failure of this firm he became a copartner of Col. A. W. Johnson and Dempsey Weaver. He continued in business on Market Street till the war, when his health failed. He died April 28, 1863.

In politics he was a lifelong Democrat, and his feelings and opinions were opposed to the war.

He and his wife were members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, of which he was a liberal supporter. In his daily life he was a man kind to his family, hospitable to the stranger, and generous to the poor. In a word, he was an honest man, that "noblest work of God." He died leaving to his family the precious legacy of a good name. His wife died June 29, 1878, and both lie buried in the old cemetery of Nashville. United in life, in death they were not parted.

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COL. JAMES L. GREER.

Col. James L. Greer is the second son of Green- berry Greer, who was born in North Carolina, Sept. 15, 1764. His parents were Joseph and Ann Greer. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and came to Davidson Co., Tenn., at an early date in the county's history, when the beautiful valleys now dot- ted with fertile farms and handsome residences were a dense wilderness inhabited by wild beasts and wilder savages.

Before his death he had become a prosperous and extensive farmer, owning a farm of seven hundred acres of valuable land, and reared a large family of children. On this farm James L. Greer was born Nov. 25, 1806, and there were spent the days of his childhood and youth. When he had attained the age of manhood, and availed himself of such means of information and education as were attain- able here in those primitive days,'he married, on April 16, 1829, Miss Hannah Dillahunty, and com- menced life as a farmer in his native county. They had four children,-Green B., who died at the age of twenty years; Silas, who married Susan Bledsoe, has now two children, and is residing on the old Greer homestead, and engaged in merchandising ;

John T., who married Josephine Dillahunty, and has one son ; and James L., who married Delilah Dilla- hunty, is a farmer, and has four children,-two sons and two daughters. All are residing in the Four- teenth District, Davidson County. Mrs. Hannah Greer died June 2, 1849.

Sept. 20, 1849, Mr. Greer married his second wife, Miss Luzaney P. De Moss, daughter of Thomas De Moss, who with his father was an early settler in Davidson County. Mr. Greer lived the life of a quiet, unostentatious farmer, never entering the mael- strom of politics or seeking office; but that he was a successful farmer may be shown by the fact that he owned some twenty-three hundred acres of valuable land. He was for many years colonel of the State militia.

He died Aug. 5, 1869, and was buried in the old De Moss Cemetery by the side of his first wife.

His second wife is now living on the old home- stead, an excellent farm, of which there are six or seven hundred acres in a high state of cultivation.

Mrs. Greer inserts this portrait and biography in the county's history as a tribute of love and respect to the memory of her husband.

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CIVIL DISTRICTS.

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thence southeast with that county-line and the Rutherford county-line to Stone's River, and down Stone's River to the place of beginning.

On petition of John Hart, the dividing-line between Districts Four and Sixteen was so changed, Jan. 8, 1861, as to " run and extend from the point where it digresscs" at Thomas B. Page's, north of the residence of Elizabeth Hunt, and extending thence to New Hope church. Gilpin Hallum's was chosen as the polling-place.

Phillips church is in the south part, east of Stone's River and near the east line of the county. New Hope church is in the north end of the district.

Stewart's Ferry, at which is the post-office of that name, was an early point of settlement by Mr. Stewart, from whom it takes its name. William Greer and Lewis Dunn were early magistrates of the district. James Robertson repre- sented the district as justice of the peace in 1791.

The following persons were assessed for taxes in this dis- trict in 1816: William Hall, James and Eleazer Hamilton, John Thompson.

This is the Sixteenth School District. It maintains three white schools with an aggregate attendance of eighty-one scholars, and a colored school of which the attendance in 1878-79 was thirty. The total number of residents of school age in 1880 was one hundred and thirty-five. There are three school houses. W. J. Chandler, John Scaborn, and J. H. Eskridge were school directors for the year 1879-80.

DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHTEEN.

District Number Eighteen was formed in 1859 from one-half of the old Eighteenth District. Its boundary-line begins on the Cumberland River where the line between N. Hobson and the late John I'. Shelby's lands strikes that river, and runs north with their line to the line of W. Finn and W. M. Cook ; thence west to the White's Creek turn- pike; thence out with said road to the Brick Church turn- pike; with the Brick Church turnpike to Page's Branch ; up Page's Branch to the Louisville Branch turnpike ; with the Louisville Branch road to Taylor's Gap; thence eastward with Capt. John Wilson's north boundary-line, and with the north boundary-line of the Clemons or Ryan tract ; thence with the north boundary of the Iredale tract to Craighead's spring-branch ; then down that branch, passing Love's old mill, to the Cumberland River; and thence down the river to the place of beginning. District store was made the voting-place of the district.

The churches are Lindsley's chapel, Hobson's chapel, in the south part, near the Edgefield line, and Trinity, on the Louisville turnpike.

Among the more prominent and carlier settlers were the families of John McGavock and John IIobson, both of whom were leading men and members of the old " Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace." Adam Lynn was an early settler, and was a magistrate in 1791.

The following persons were taxed in this district in 1816: John, George, and William L. Boyd, Andrew Hynes, Greenwood, Zachariah, and Morgan Payne, Jones Reed, James Love.

A portion of this district was taken to form School Dis-

tricts Numbers Nineteen and Twenty-eight, with parts of the Twentieth, Twenty-second, Eighteenth, and Twenty-first Districts. The Twenty-eighth was formed in October, 1879.

The main part of this civil district became a school dis- trict of the same number on the formation of districts under the free-school law. Two schools were organized, one for cach race. The white school numbered fifty-five in 1878-79, the colored school fifty. They each have a school-house. The entire enrollment of the district for the year 1880 was five hundred and twenty children. J. B. Love, A. W. Webber, and H. F. Banks were school direc- tors for 1879-80.

DISTRICT NUMBER NINETEEN.

District Number Nineteen, one of the original districts, begins at the mouth of Craighead or Love's spring-branch, on Cumberland River, and runs up that branch to the north boundary of the Iredale tract; thence westward with the north boundary of the Iredale, Clemons, and Wilson tracts to Taylor's Gap; thence with the Louisville branch turnpike to Dry Creek, near Enoch Cunningham's; thence down Dry Creek to Cumberland River, and thence down the river to the place of beginning. It was ordered that the polling-place be established at "Scraggs."

New Bethel church is in the north corner of the dis- trict, near Dry Creek. The post-office is Madison, on the Louisville, Nashville and Great Southern Railroad. Reu- ben Payne, Edmund Goodrich, John Kirkpatrick's, and the Iredale, Clemmons, and Wilson families were among the carly settlers.

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History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 98

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1013

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1013