History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 99

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 99

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Among those taxed in 1816 in what is now District Number Nineteen were William E. Beck, William Carroll, Thomas Folkes, John Frazier, William Hill, I. Metcalfe, Samuel Neely, Alexander Walker, William Ray, Nicholas Raymond.

This became the Nineteenth School District on the organ- ization of the county for schools. A portion was afterwards set aside to form, in connection with contiguous parts of the Twentieth and Twenty-second Civil Districts, a new school district numbered twenty-six. In the Nineteenth School District there were two white and two colored schools, having enrolled in 1878-79, respectively, seventy and eighty-four pupils, and attending at four school-houses.

The entire school population of the Nineteenth School District in 1880 was three hundred and fifty-eight. J. Sloan, Dr. W. Goodrich, and A. B. Ford were school direc- tors in 1880. The Twenty-sixth School District contains one hundred and forty-six children, of whom, in 1878-79, forty-three were enrolled in the white school, and fifty-seven in the colored school. The trustees of this district for 1880 were W. J. Campbell, J. C. Willis, and T. J. Kemper.

The United States National Cemetery occupies a broken piece of ground among the hills in the south part, on both sides of the railroad. This ground is well kept and forms a most beautiful park. The soldiers buried here were gathered from the surrounding battle-fields, where they fell in the late civil war.

On the 25th of September, 1870, a Presbyterian Sab- bath-school was organized in a large and spacious room over

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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

C. E. Woodruff's store at Madison Station. On Jan. 8, 1871, Rev. James H. McNeilly, chairman of the mission- ary committee of the Nashville Presbytery, with C. N. Ordway and D. P. Rankin, elders, met and organized in the same room a Presbyterian Church, composed of twenty- four members, with officers as follows : S. S. Hall and Alex- ander Baker, Elders; C. E. Woodruff, Deacon. The name chosen was Madison Presbyterian Church. Soon after the organization of the church the ministerial services of Rev. Alexander Cowan were secured as stated supply two Sabbaths in the month, and continued as such up to the spring of 1874. In the month of April, 1875, Rev. C. L. Ewing was installed pastor of the church for two Sabbaths in the month, and continued as such until April 25, 1879, when Rev. B. F. Thompson commenced preaching as stated supply, and continued for several months, but resigned to accept an appointment as missionary to Brazil. Rev. W. E. Carr preached several times for the church during the spring of 1880, and a call was placed in his hands to be- come its pastor for two Sabbaths in the month, but he declined to accept on account of ill health. The number of members at this time is fifty-one, and the officers are Alexander Baker, S. S. Hall, and William Williams, Elders ; J. A. Hall, E. E. HIall, and William Taylor, Deacons. A neat and commodious church edifice was erected on a beau- tiful eminence near the station, and dedicated in the year 1872, costing three thousand two hundred dollars, since which time the services of the church and Sunday-school have been held there.

DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY.

District Number Twenty was one of the original dis- triets. Its boundary-lines, as established by the commis- sioners in 1859, begin at the mouth of Mansker's Creek, and run up that stream and with the Sumner county-line to the Robertson county-line; thence around to the south- west with the county-line and a high ridge to the old dry fork of Sycamore Creek ; down that creek to a point near J. C. Prickett's ; thence southward, passing with a ridge east of Prickett's and east of Thomas Haley's, Sumner T. Fryer's, and W. H. Jenkins', and crossing the hollow a little east of Jonas Shivers' house, crossing a ridge and passing cast of George W. Campbell's house; thence a little south of east to the fork of Dry Creek above E. Cunning- ham's; thence down Dry Creek to the Cumberland River; and thence up that river to the place of beginning. 'The polling-place for the district was fixed at Goodlettsville, where the first post-office was opened. There was another opened at Edgefield Junction on the opening of the railroad, and a third at Baker's Station.

Enoch P. Connell and John C. Bowers were early magistrates.

Among those assessed for taxes in 1816, in what is now District Number Twenty, were Pembroke, Thomas, Jacob, and Robert Cartwright, Enoch Cunningham, Adam Clem- ent, George and William Campbell, William, John, and Thomas Cole, Nicholas Cross, John Camp, John Congo, Abraham Echols, Daniel Frazer, William Grizard, James Gulliford, Jesse Glasgow, William Hackney, Ann Hope, Oliver Johnston, E. Logue, John Pirtle, Reuben Payne,

Josiah and George Purvy, Dempsey Powell, Ann Randle, Thomas Ragan, Lemuel Tinnon, George and Samuel L. Wharton, Elmore Walker, David Dunn, Paul Desmukes, and Thomas Davis.

On the formation of school districts, a small portion of this district was joined with parts of Civil Districts Nine- teen and Twenty-two to form the Twenty-sixth School Dis- trict. The. remainder was organized into School District Number Nineteen. It contains five school-houses, and has three white and two colored schools. The attendance at these in the year ending 1879 was two hundred and nineteen white and seventy-one colored pupils. The school popula- tisn of the Twentieth School District was five hundred and seventeen in 1880, besides which a portion of the one hundred and forty-six in the joint district were of this civil district. The directors for 1880 were William Linton, Wesley Drake, and A. K. Goodlett.

DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-ONE.

District Number Twenty-one, one of the original dis- tricts, was confirmed by the county commissioners in 1859, with the following boundaries : " Begins at the mouth of Page's Branch and runs up the same to the Louisville Branch turnpike-road; with said road to the lane between W. D. Phillips' and Mrs. C. Bell's; thence west, passing through said lane to a point on the road above Jefferson Wag- goner's mill ; thence westward to the dividing ridge between Coffman's Hollow and Hunter's on Sugar Fork of White's Creek, east of Thomas Byrn's; thence down White's Creek to the bridge over the same for Buena Vista turnpike-road near Young's shop; thence with said turnpike to Cumber- land River, and thence up the river to the beginning." Ewing's school-house was made the place for holding elec- tions. They were changed to the brick church some years later. There is a church on Ewing's Creek, and Love's chapel above, on the same stream.

Charles W. Moorman and Claiborne Y. Hooper were justices and leading men in 1828. They were both de- scendants of early settlers.

Thomas Talbot, one of the pioneers, who received a life- appointment as magistrate under the old law, settled in this district as early as 1791, on the place now partially occupied by the fine residence of Mr. - Bang, former editor of the Banner. He came from Bedford Co., Va., in 1785, and was a justice in 1791. IIe died in 1831, leaving fifty-one descendants.

The following persons were assessed for taxes in 1816: David Hunter, John Bacchus, Joel Beaver, Barnabas Bails.

This district comprises School District Number Twenty- one and a part of School District Number Twenty-eight. This latter district is formed of contiguous portions of Civil Districts Eighteen, Nineteen, and Twenty-one, and was formed in October, 1879, with one school of forty scholars. It contained one hundred and thirty-four school-children in 1880, who were then under the administration of Peter Tamble, A. J. Crump, and John Taylor, directors. There are four schools in the Twenty-first District, of which, in 1878-79, the three white had an attendance of one hun- dred and ninc, and the colored school twenty-seven. The school population of the school district in 1880 was two

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Comes yarbrough

JAMES YARBROUGH was born in Warren Co., N. C., May 23, 1804. His father came to Tennessee and settled on White's Creek, in Davidson County, in 1806, when James was scarcely two years of age.

In the month of February, 1823, James was married to Margaret Coffman. Of this union there were born nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity ; of this number only two are now living,-Mrs. William D. Robertson, who resides on White's Creek, amid the scenes of her early childhood, and James H. Yarbrough, one of Nashville's worthy citizens. Mr. Yarbrough was a man of indomitable energy, and his necessity caused him to be economical. He was one of the best farmers in the county. He commenced life poor, but when he died, in 1861, he left fifty thousand dollars to his family.

His educational advantages were limited; nevertheless

he was a close student,- a student of men and things. He was well informed on the current events of the day, -a man of close observation. He was also a very practical man; his neighbors found in him a good counselor, and were greatly pleased by his wise judg- ment.

In 1842 he was elected magistrate of the Twenty-first District, and served two terms. Under the old militia law of Tennessee, he filled the various offices from cor- poral to major of his regiment.

In all his public ministrations and trusts, he was efficient and true to the confidence imposed in him.

He was a worthy member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and was truly a Christian gentleman.

He was a true and noble citizen, an affectionate husband, a kind and loving father, and an honest man.

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GEORGE A. NELSON is a lineal descendant of the first American emigrant who settled in the State of Virginia many years before the Revolutionary war, where he followed the occupation of a farmer and reared a large family of children, one of them named Joseph Nelson, whose son Thomas was the father of the subject of this sketch. The entire family of Nelsons have been successful farmers in the State of Virginia and the County of Fauquier, where four generations lived, and where three of them were buried. Here George A. was born, May 14, 1807. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Green, a native of Fauquier County also. The family con- sisted of eight children, of whom George A. is the eldest. Thomas and wife were members of the Baptist Church. He was for a short time a soldier in the war of 1812, and died about the year 1835.

George A. Nelson was reared on the farm, and early learned the cardinal principles of true genuine success. He purchased a farm about 1828 or 1830, which he sold in the year 1853 at a handsome profit,

and in November of that year came to Tennessee and settled in Davidson County, where he has since continued to reside. He has long since retired from active life, and now lives with his only son, Oscar F. In politics he was formerly a Clay Whig, but of late takes but little interest in political affairs. He was captain of a company of State militia for several years before his settlement in Davidson County. Since coming here he has been elected school com- missioner. He was married to Margaret Seleeman in the year 1831, and had four children,-Elizabeth (deceased), Oscar F., George F. (deceased), and Arthur (deceased). Oscar F. is married and has eight children. He is a successful farmer in the Eighteenth District.

Mrs. George A. Nelson died Oct. 20, 1856.

Capt. Nelson is well spoken of by his neighbors as a good citizen and an honest man. He is well ad- vanced in years, is hale and hearty, and spends his time for the most part in thinking of the pleasant associations of gone-by days.

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CIVIL DISTRICTS.

hundred and forty-one. T. A. Harris, John D. Vaughan, and J. H. Jackson were then school directors. The dis- trict has four school-houses.

DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-TWO.

District Number Twenty-two is one of the original dis- tricts. The boundary-line established in 1859 begins at a point on Sycamore Creek a little above John C. Puck- ett's, and runs down that creek and with the Robertson county-line to a point between Asa Adcock and Wilker- son's old burnt steam-mill ; thence southward with a ridge and passing between Loggin's Spring and the house of M. A. Newland ; thence southward with the dividing ridge be- tween Clay Lick and Earthman's Fork of White's Creek ; then passing west of Mrs. Adkinson's house to White's Creek, below Manschall's mill; thence eastward with a ridge between Hunter's, on Sugar Fork, and Coffman's Hollow, passing north of Jefferson Waggoner's mill and through the lane between W. D. Phillips and Mrs. C. Bell to the Louisville Branch turnpike-road ; thence with that road northeast to Dry Creek, near E. Cunningham's house ; thence up Dry Creek to the old line between the Twentieth and Twenty-second Districts; and thence northward, pass- ing east of G. W. Campbell's, Thomas Ilaley's, Jonas Shivers', and John C. Puckett's, to the place of beginning. July 2, 1860, a portion of Robertson County was annexed to this district. This includes all the land cast of a line beginning at a point on Sycamore Creek, near Wilkinson's burnt steam-mill, and following the road by Warren's Pond north to Samuel Smiles', and to the east of his land until it intersects with the Williamson county-line. In 1860 the elections were ordered to be held at Cool Spring.

There is a church at that place and another at Beach Grove, both Methodist Episcopal ; a third, at Mount Her- mon, is Cumberland Presbyterian. The lower room of the Cool Spring church is occupied as a school-room.

Napoleon B. Willis has for many years been a prominent citizen and a magistrate of the district. Gilbert Marshall, father of Dr. Marshall, now above eighty years of age, is the oldest resident of the district and an early settler. David Ralston and John Cloyd were prominent men and descendants of pioncer families.

The post-offices are White's Creek and Ridge Post.

The following persons were assessed for land-taxes in 1816: George Fry, Henry Bonner, Elihu S. Hall, Jacob Dickinson, Sr.

The greater part of this civil district is included in the Twenty-second School District. This contains four school- houses, and maintains three white schools and one colored one. The attendance for the year 1878-79 was one hun- dred and eighteen white and forty-seven colored pupils. The enrollment of the district for 1880 included two hun- dred and seventy-seven school-children. The directors for 1880 were J. C. Helums, N. J. Cummins, and A. T. Shaw. A portion of this district is included with parts of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Civil Districts to form the Twenty-sixth School District, which contained a white school of forty-three and a colored school of fifty-seven members in 1878-79, and had one hundred and forty-six resident children in 1880.

DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-THREE.

District Number Twenty-three was slightly changed in its boundaries established in 1859. These lines begin on the north bank of the Cumberland River at Buena Vista Ferry, and run out with the Buena Vista turnpike-road to White's Creek ; up White's Creek to the mouth of Dry Fork ; up Dry Fork, and crossing the ridge with the road to Mayo's mill; thence to the three forks of Little Mar- row-bone Creck ; thence southward so as to strike the di- viding ridge between the waters of Eaton's and Sulphur Creeks ; thence with said ridge, passing between Edmund Hyde's old place and Burcher's store to Cumberland River near Ilyde's wood-yard ; and thence up the river to the place of beginning.

Jan. 6, 1862, on petition of Catherine Stump, James Gingry, E. P. Graves, Z. M. H. Carney, C. H. Manlove, Th. Bysor, and I. M. Mayo, it was ordered by the court that the line between District Twenty four and this district be so altered as to include the petitioners in the Twenty- third District, by changing the line to extend up White's Creek to the mouth of Earthman's Creek ; up Earthman's Creek to Thomas Bysor's line; thence following that line west to the dividing ridge between Earthman's and Dry Fork, by said ridge to the head of Little Marrow-bone ; thence with the dividing ridge between that stream and Earthman's Creek to the Big and Little Marrow-bone di- vide, following the ridge to the Cheatham county-line; thence by the county-line to Little Marrow-bone Creek, which it follows up to the Three Forks. William I. Drake's was made the polling-place for the district in 1860.

The first settler in this district was Thomas Eaton, who settled on the present Dr. Jordan place, about two hundred yards below the famous lick where occurred many exciting adventures of the early settlers. Thomas Hickman, of Dis- trict Number Twenty-five, was for some time his only neigh- bor. Among the first settlers were the families of Jesse Smith, Lewis Williams, and William R. Drake. Henry Holt, Esq., is the oldest man now living in the district.

Simpkins chapel (Methodist Episcopal and Cumberland Presbyterian), Holt's chapel (Methodist Episcopal and old Zion Free-Will Baptist), and present voting precinct are the old churches of the district. Eaton's Creek post-office is at H. C. Hyde's store, where is the chief settlement, two churches, and half a mile below T. H. Young's store.

William S. Drake and David Abernathy were the first justices of this district under the new law appointing for six years.

The following-named persons were assessed for land-taxes in this district in 1816 : Beal Bosley, Roland Cato, James Dean, John and Jonathan Drake, John B. Dillard, Absa- lom Hooper, Nathan G. Hail, Thomas and Robert Eaton, Balser Hoffman, Jordan Hyde, Joseph Love, John Lucas, James Marshall, Isaac Newland, Robert Patterson, Thomas Parker, David Ralston, William Shaw, Samuel Shannon, Frederick and Christopher Stump, Francis, George, Samuel, Robert, and Thomas Taylor, Rachel and Simon Williams, John Wilson.

This district was organized as School District Number Twenty-three when the free-school law went into effect. It contains four school-houses, and has three white schools and

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HISTORY OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE.

one colored one. The attendance for the year 1878-79 was one hundred and sixty-two white and seventy-three colored pupils. There were three hundred and seventy school-chil- dren living in the district in 1880. The school directors for that year were Wilson Stevens, G. B. Stewart, and W. D. Simpkins.

DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR.

District Number Twenty-Four was divided in 1859, and part of the old district of that number taken to form the present Twenty-Fifth District. Its boundary as estab- lished at that date began at the mouth of Dry Fork of White's Creek, which it followed up, and crossing the ridge with the road to Mayo's Mill ran to the three forks of Little Marrow-bone Creek ; thence down stream to the Cheatham county-line; thence northward with the county- line to the Robertson county-line on Sycamore Creek ; thence up that creek to a point between Wilkerson's old burnt steam-mill and Asa Adcock's; thence southward with a ridge passing between Loggin's Spring and the place where M. A. Newland lives, so as to strike the dividing ridge between Clay Lick and Earthman's Fork of White's Creek, and passing west of Mrs. Adkerson's house to White's Creek below Marshall's mill ; thence down White's 'Creek to the place of beginning.

July 2, 1860, it was ordered by the court that all that land recently taken from Robertson County and lying west of a line " beginning at a point on Sycamore Creek near Wilkinson's burnt steam-mill, and running north with the road by Warren's Pond to Samuel Smiley's, including said Smiley," be annexed to this district.

Jan. 6, 1862, a part was taken off and annexed to Dis- trict Number Three, and changing the line to run as fol- lows : To extend up White's Creek to the mouth of Earth- man's Creek and up that stream to Thomas Bysor's north line; thence on that line west to the dividing ridge between Earthman's and Dry Fork, and by that ridge to the head of Little Marrow-bone; thence with the dividing ridge between that stream and Earthman's Creek to the Big and Little Marrow-bone divide, and following that ridge to the Cheatham county-line; thence by the county-line to Little Marrow-bone Creek, which it follows up to the Three Forks. It was ordered in 1860 that Dismuke's tanyard be the polling place of the district.

The churches are Forest Grove and Garrett's chapel, Methodist Episcopal, Oakland, Free-Will Baptist, and the old Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal church, now abandoned and falling into decay. A German church has been re- cently built for the accommodation of the more recent set- tlers of that nationality. A Mr. Waggoner was one of the first settlers in the district. Among the most promi- nent citizens of the carly part of the present century were Jonathan Garrett and Daniel Brice, Esqs.

The following persons paid taxes on lands in this district in 1816: Moses Cavert, Jacob and John Cagle, Samuel. Crockett, Richard Champ, John Devus, John Franks, Michael Gleaves, Thomas Hail, Jacob Hunter, Benjamin Hyde, Micajah Morris, George Raimer, Robert Vick.

The Twenty-fourth School District, which is comprised

in this civil district, was not reported for the last year, and cannot, therefore, be mentioned in detail. It contains three school-houses, in each of which schools are kept. In 1880 there were three hundred and eighty-three school-children reported as residing within the district by the school direct- ors, W. L. Earthman, Kindred Reasoner, and James E. Carney.

DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE.

District Number Twenty-five was formed in 1859 from a part of the old District Number Twenty-four, and a small piece of the old Twelfth District. Its original boundary- line begins at a point on Little Marrow-bone Creek, where the Cheatham county-line crosses that stream, and runs in a southwest course, crossing the Cumberland River and following the county-line to the fork of the creek near Joe Russell's; thence with the line of the Twelfth District to the Cumberland River; thence up the river to a point near Hyde's wood-yard, at the neck of White's Bend; thence passing northward between Burche's store and E. Hyde's old place, and with the dividing ridge between the waters of Sulphur and Eaton's Creek to the three forks of Marrow-bone Creek ; thence down said creek to the be- ginning.

Hickman's Ferry, three-fourths of a mile from the old Hickman's place, was fixed upon as the place for holding the district elections.

The oldest resident is Mr. Willoughby Dozier. White's Bend post-office is at Hickman's Ferry, where there are two stores, kept by H. L .. Abernathy and William Hyde, R. C. Meadows and S. C. Williams' blacksmith- and wagon-shops, several dwellings, and the African church. At the old Hickman place, three-fourths of a mile distant, is the Cumberland Grange church, a house fifty by one hundred and twenty feet in size, which was built by the Patrons of Husbandry in 1875. The organization is now extinct in the district. The building is occupied for reli- gious worship by the Methodist Episcopal, Free-Will Bap- tist, Presbyterian, and Christian denominations on alternate Sundays. The land occupied was deeded by William Hyde, Esq., to the four denominations jointly. There are also Lipscomb's Christian chapel and a Baptist church in Bell's Bend. Among the first settlers in this part of the county was Thomas Hickman, of this district. Thomas W. Sherron and Wilson Crockett were early justices of the peace.

The following-named persons paid taxes on lands in this district in 1816 : James Duren, Jesse Garland, Sr., Elisha and William E. Gower, Mishack Hail, William Levy, John Lovell, Benjamin Pack, Sr., Thomas Pierce, James Russell, Sr., William and Thomas Russell, Ezekiel Smith, Bennett Searcy.

This district was organized as School District Number Twenty-five. It contains four white schools, at which the attendance in the year 1878-79 was fifty-four pupils, and two colored schools with thirty-three pupils the same year. In 1880 the school population was three hundred and fifty- one. W. F. Bang, W. S. Higgins, and S. B. Howlett were school directors for 1879-80.

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BIOGRAPHIES.

J. GEORGE HARRIS.

Jeremiah George Harris was born at Groton, in New London Co., Conn., on the 23d of October, 1809. He is descended from two old English families who came to the shores of New England about the time that Governor Win- throp located his colony of Massachusetts Bay, in 1630. It was in that year that Christopher Avery, with his young son, James, came from Salisbury, England, and settled out on the pitch of Cape Ann, now Gloucester; and two years afterwards Walter Harris came over from Salop County, with his family, and settled at Weymouth, on the west side of the bay. These moved to the then far West in 1650, and settled at the mouth of the river Thames, in Connec- ticut, where New London and Groton are now situated, and their descendants have resided there in great numbers for the last two.hundred and thirty years.

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History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 99

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