USA > Tennessee > Monroe County > Sweetwater > History of Sweetwater Valley > Part 12
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The latter part of the war he resided with his son, J. H. Patton, of Sweetwater. He died there June 28, 1864. He was buried at Mount Lebanon Cemetery. His re- mains were removed and reinterred in the Wiley Pat- ton lot in the old Sweetwater Cemetery.
His wife, Jane Cunnyngham Patton, was born Feb- ruary 9, 1798, and died October 28, 1857. Her remains lie in the old Presbyterian Cemetery at Philadelphia. They were both members of the Presbyterian church.
The children of William Patton and Jane Patton were eight :
(1) John Elbert, (2) James Harvey, (3) Elizabeth Ann, (4) Margaret Jane, (5) Alvin, (6) William H, (7) Wiley, (8) Thomas Wilkerson.
(1) J. E. Patton was b. July 22, 1824, d. February 23, 1852. Buried at cemetery at Philadelphia. He was never married.
(2) J. H. Patton was b. February 11, 1826; d. Au- gust 2, 1894. He was married to Margaret A. McSpad- den, of New Market. Jefferson County. Tenn. She was b. October 3, 1836. She d. May 10, 1884.
In the latter part of 1853 or early in 1854 he came from his father's farm to Sweetwater. He formed a partnership in a general merchandise business with his cousin, John W. Goddard, who had been in business at Philadelphia. Mr. Patton purchased from I. T. Lenoir a lot on the corner of Depot Street and Wright's Alley, across the alley from the site now occupied by Guthrie, Bradley & Jones. In the old plan of the town, gotten up by I. T. Lenoir and as laid off by him, the street on
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the west part of the depot square was always called De- pot Street and the street on the other side of the rail- road opposite was Railroad Street and it was always written so in the early deeds to the town lots. Since then I have noticed in some of the deeds of late years to lots on Depot Street that street is called Railroad Street, and sometimes Main Street. I note this fact so that hereafter confusion in names and titles may be pre- vented.
In the fall of 1859 Wiley Patton, a brother of Har- vey, bought out J. W. Goddard and became a partner of his brother J. H. The style of the firm was changed from Goddard and Patton to J. H. Patton & Brother, and this partnership continued until 1880. Mr. Patton and his wife first lived in a building back of his store, then in a residence next to where Mrs. Julia Stilman now resides, afterward in the house where William Patton, his son, now lives (1916).
His business affairs were various and he was emi- nently successful. He owned a quarter section of land one and a half miles west of Sweetwater. He occupied many positions of trust. He was elder in the Presby- terian Church at Sweetwater for fifteen years. He was secretary of the Sweetwater lodge F. & A. M. for more than that time. It was an exceedingly rare thing that he ever made a mistake in his accounts either in his personal business or in his offices of trust. Although not physically very strong he managed to transact a great amount of business. He was always known as a fine collector of debts due the lodge, the church or him- self. Yet I have never known of his suing anybody or having a law suit or giving offense for asking for the payment of a debt. How this was accomplished I never understood.
He was always one of the moving spirits in his church and in all school affairs. He was particularly influential because of the confidence of the entire com- munity in his good judgment and correctness. He was naturally very conservative and opposed change unless he was thoroughly convinced that the change would be greatly beneficial. However if he was out voted or any- thing was determined in opposition to his wishes, he gen-
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erally strove for its success as much as if he had been in favor of it.
The married life of himself and his wife was an ideal one. He could not possibly have accomplished what he did in his varied business affairs had his wife been almost any other woman. They reared such a fam- ily of children as few people have ever been blessed with.
The children of J. H. Patton and Margaret Patton were :
1. Emma, b. October -, 1860. Married R. A. Tedford May 12, 1897. He was a druggist at Maryville, Tenn. He died in March, 1907.
2. Madge, b. June 3, 1863; d. June 28, 1908.
3. Alice, b. January 28, 1867.
These three sisters were educated mostly by Mrs. H. M. Cooke at Sweetwater. Alice was m. to J. A. Magill on January 11, 1894. James Alexander Magill was b. August 20, 1865. He was the son of Aurelius N. and Jane L. Wilson Magill. Died on Lookout Mountain on July 10, 1899. He was cashier of the Bank of Sweetwater from November, 1886, till January 5, 1897. He resigned the office on account of ill health. He organized the Mascot Knitting Mills at Sweetwater. He was a re- markable business man of his age. He was president of the Y. M. C. A., superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday-school, and on May 1, 1897, he and W. G. Bogart were ordained deacons in the Presbyterian church.
Alice P. married (second) Rev. Wm. Bartlett, of Mary- ville, Tenn. He is the son of the late P. M. Bartlett, who at the time of his death was president of Maryville College. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett now (1916) reside in Chattanooga.
4. William, b. June 29, 1872. Educated at Sweetwater. When a young man went to Dalton, Ga., as an employee of the Crown Cotton Mills of which his father was presi- dent. He married Francis McCuthen Bitting, daughter of John H. Bitting, of Dalton, Ga., on November 19, 1896, and they came to Sweetwater in that same month. They live in the J. H. Patton house, on Mayes Avenue, the third built by him in Sweetwater.
He is president of the Mascot Hosiery Mills.
5. James Patton, b. December 28, 1874. Educated at Sweetwater College under J. L. Bachman, D. D. He
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married Bessie, second daughter of J. L. Bachman, on January 16, 1902. They reside on Mayes Avenue, Sweet- water. He is secretary and treasurer of the Mascot Hosiery Mills. In 1915 was chairman of the Monroe County Road Commission. James and Bessie Patton have one son, James Harvey, III, b. February 27, 1903.
(3) Elizabeth Ann Patton was born the 12th of Sep- tember, 1828. She married B. M. Porter. He was born in McMinn County, January 14, 1831. After their mar- riage they resided in Knoxville for a short while and then in October, 1876, moved to Weatherford, Texas. They both died and were buried there. They had five children (1) Jane Amelia, (2) Boyd, (3) Benjamin Franklin, (4) William Harvey, (5) Maggie Elizabeth. Jane Amelia was married to O. K. Kidwell. Their post- office is at Weatherford, Texas.
(4) Margaret Jane Patton was the fourth child of William Patton. She married A. H. Murray. They re- sided for many years in Sweetwater and vicinity. They reared a family. They moved to Ash Grove, Mo., exact date not known. They both died there.
(5) Alvin Patton died in infancy.
(6) William H. Patton was born in 1834. He moved to Texas two or three years before the Civil War. He joined the Texas Rangers and served throughout the war with them. A short time after his return home to De- catur, Texas, he died. He was never married.
(7) Wiley Patton was born in Monroe County on his father's farm on April 3, 1836. He clerked for S. J. Rowan a part of the year 1859; in the fall of this year he went into partnership with his brother, J. H. Patton. He joined the Confederate army January 2, 1862. He sur- rendered at Vicksburg, Miss., and was paroled. After his return from the war, he resumed business with his brother, J. H. Patton, and continued as his partner until 1880. On November 21, 1867, he was married to Julia A. Holston. She was born November 26, 1839, and died No- vember 6, 1880. They had two children. Margaret Cun- ningham, born in Sweetwater 22nd of December, 1868, and died in Atlanta, Ga., on August 18, 1887.
(2) Ethel May. She was born July 27, 1875, in Sweet- water. Her residence is Weatherford, Texas. Married W. H. Arnett.
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Wiley Patton was married the second time to Mrs. Sal- lie P. M. Taylor on the 1st day of February, 1887. She was born in Williamson County, Tenn., in 1852. He died at San Antonio, Texas, in 1915.
(8) Thomas Wilkerson Patton was the youngest of the children. He was born in 1838 or 1839. I went to the same school he did in the old log schoolhouse near the town of Sweetwater in 1856. There was so much ex- citement in the presidential political race that year that the scholars in the school, male and female, used to di- vide off in their games according to politics, the Whigs against the Democrats. Tom Patton was the largest scholar amongst the Whigs and Eagleton Ramsey the oldest of the Democrats. There was much rivalry, but so far as I remember, it was all good humored.
Wiley Patton says that he (Thomas) joined the Con- federate army and was either killed or died during the war. He (Wiley P.), wrote me that he did not know his (Tom P.'s) history. He was not with him during the war.
THE CUNNYNGHAM-PICKELS.
In the old family Bible of Jonathan Pickel he states that his parents were Christian Pickel and Katherine Pickel, formerly Pophanberg, and that they came from Germany. Entries are found showing that: Jonathan Pickel was born February 5, 1790. He died on Septem- ber 20, 1854. His wife Betsy Cunnyngham was born March 17, 1796, and died July 12, 1877. The date of their marriage I think is not stated. It probably oc- curred in 1819. They are buried in the cemetery at County Line. They were the parents of nine children : One. Rufus M., b. July 10, 1820; d. April 23, 1878.
Second. James Harvey, b. April 10, 1822; d. April 28, 1895.
Third. Jno. H., b. August 2, 1824; d.
Fourth. Hugh Cunnyngham, b. October 28, 1826; d.
Fifth. Jane Cunnyngham, b. September 3, 1828.
Sixth. L. Mitchell, b. August 30, 1830. L. M. P. m. Nancy Lowry, daughter of James L. on Eastanallee. They went first to Missouri, then to Boulder, Col. Both
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dead. Children: Robert, Emma, Emmett, Carrie and Jane. Live at Boulder.
Seventh. Margaret S., b. November 23, 1832; m. H. B. Pennington, whom see.
Eighth. Sara M., b. August 8, 1836.
Ninth. Samuel Wilkerson, b. August 13, 1838.
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One. Rufus M. Pickel was married to Emmeline Lot- speich, July 5, 1839. Rev. Ira Falls, officiating. She was born February 4, 1821, in Green County, Tenn. They moved first to Henry County, Mo. Afterwards they settled near Ottumwa, Ia.
He was a merchant and a farmer. He was a member of Board of Prisons for Henry County, Mo. He was collector of internal revenue from 1862-1867.
In 1871 or 1872 he moved to Ottumwa, Ia., and died there April 23, 1878. He died of dropsy. They were the parents of eleven children, only three of whom are now (1913) living. They are :
(1) Hugh Marion Pickel, b. December 23, 1841. Re- sides at Des Moines, Iowa.
(2) Maria Sophia Pickel, b. July 1, 1857. She mar- ried Jacob Pickle on - Their Post-office is Davenport, Washington.
(3) Emma Etter Pickel, b. November 25, 1858. She married Thos. H. Pickel. They reside at Ottumwa, Ia.
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Second. James Harvey P. was married to Mary Jane Crump Browder, daughter of William and Elizabeth Browder on September 11, 1845. She was born May 17, 1827, and died April 25, 1872.
1 He was a farmer and resided three and a half miles 'west of Sweetwater. He met with an accident while 'plowing in the field. This accident caused internal in- juries from which he died April 28, 1895. Although 73 years old at the time of his death he was very vigorous, and in the natural course of events he bade fair to live many years. He possessed in a large degree the Cun- nyngham strenuousness of opinion, the Pickel industry
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and in his home, the Browder hospitality. He especial- ly resented being dictated to. He was a zealous worker in the Methodist church and the Masonic Lodge. He understood music well and enjoyed conducting singing at the church and camp meeting. He preferred the square note system of where each note in the octave was represented by a different shaped character. The pitch was regulated by a tuning fork. He did not look with favor on instrumental music in church. Being a man of a large family and a good citizen he took great in- terest in schools, and the cause of education generally.
He was a Union man during the Civil War and was a deputy marshal under Captain S. P. Evans in 1865. Although an efficient officer, there was no complaint made that he used his office unkindly, or subjected those arrested to indignities. In most cases he read the warrant to the party and told him to report at Knox -- ville. These were political not whiskey cases.
The children of J. H. and Sarah Pickel were eight in number. Their names were:
1. William Wilkerson.
2. Jonathan Asbury.
3. James Mitchell.
4. Elizabeth Ann.
5. Samuel Jefferson.
6. Sarah Jane.
7. Hester Ella.
8. Ada Baxter.
1. William W. was born September 5, 1846, and died August 15, 1913. He attended school at the Union Insti- tute, now Baptist College, under Professors Ragsdale, Leyburn and Muller.
When a young man he learned the tinner's trade un- der Matt Carter at Sweetwater, and was with him until Mr. Carter's death. Working at his trade when a young man he got a fall from which he lay unconscious for sev- eral weeks and it was thought he would not recover, but a fine constitution brought him through. His death re- sulted from a fall of like nature. He never hesitated to go where his work called him and sometimes took chances which he should not have taken. He lost as
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few days from work in his business as any man that ever lived in Sweetwater. The taking of a holiday was ‘almost unknown to him.
Although Wilkerson, his middle name, which ran through the Cunnynghams, the Pattons, the Goddards and the Pickels was a Methodist name, W. W. joined the Presbyterian Church in 1876 and was a faithful member. (Thos. Wilkerson was a noted Methodist preacher in Sevier County in early times.)
William Pickel resided all his life in the First Civil District of Monroe County, and since about 1870 until his death in the town of Sweetwater. He was at the 'time of his death the oldest resident of the First Civil District, having lived in it all of his life 67 years.
On April 24, 1878, he was married to Nancy Ann Cook, daughter of Adolphus M. Cook. She was born March 15, 1857. She still (1915) resides in Sweetwater. Their children were ten, viz:
(1) Frances Elizabeth, b. February 10, 1879. She married Robt. W. Johnston, June 28, 1911. He lives on Fork Creek. He is the son of Jno. H. and Sarah Gaines Johnston.
(2) Maude Ella, b. October 9, 1881.
(3) James Adolphus Pickel, b. January 21, 1883. He 1 was married to Miss Annie Reece, October 12, 1910. They have one son, James Reece Pickel, b. -
(4) Chas. Bates Pickel, b. February 10, 1885.
(5) Dora Pearl, b. February 5, 1887. She was mar- ried to Chas. N. Hulvey, June 8, 1909. Their children are: Frances Elizabeth (Dec.) Chas. Newton, Jr., b. Col. Chas. N. Hulvey is president of T. M. In- stitute (1915).
(6) William Hugh, b. March 2, 1889.
(7) Mary Alice, b. July 23, 1891, d. October 22, 1893,
(8) Robt. Lynn, b. February 28, 1894.
(9) Nellie May, b. February 8, 1897.
(10) Nancy Louise, b. August 28, 1900.
2. Jonathan Asbury Pickel, second son of J. H. Pickel, was born July 22, 1848; d. August 16, 1900. He married Sallie A. Thompson, May 26, 1875, who was born in Franklin County, Va., April 15, 1852. Died June 3, 1907. Both are interred in Westview cemetery. They moved
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to Pilot Point, Texas, in August, 1881, and spent several years here, returning to Sweetwater, and lived here un- til their death. John, as he was usually called, took a great pride in raising fruit, vegetables and melons. When he was a boy thirteen or fourteen years old, in try- ing to protect his melon patch from Federal soldiers, he was shot through the body and came near dying from the wound. His pluck and determination to get well were all that saved him. After this occurrence no one ever again tried to steal his watermelons.
The children of Jonathan and Sallie Pickel are:
(1) Emma B., b. November 30, 1876, at Sweetwater, Tenn. Married Wm. Moser in November, 1899. They live in Chattanooga, Tenn.
(2) Berta May, b. in Sweetwater, January 20, 1879. Died at Pilot Point, Texas, September 12, 1881.
(3) James Samuel, b. September 25, 1882.
(4) Janey Lee, b. at Sweetwater, Tenn., October 26, 1886. She was married to B. A. Boone, October 26, 1911. Residence, Chattanooga.
(5) Edith Lillian, b. November 25, 1888, at Sweet- water, Tenn.
3. James Mitchell Pickel. He was born November 17, 1850. He went to Pilot Point, Texas in -. Married Nannie. E. Murray at that place, May 16, 1888. He is a merchant.
4. Elizabeth Anne was born January 6, 1853. She married Robert H. Locke, of Meigs County, September 4, 1879. Died March -, 1909.
5. Sarah Jane, b. March 16, 1857.
6. Samuel Jefferson, b. April 5, 1855. Died February 12, 1911. Married Susan, daughter of Chas. Cannon, He was a merchant at Sweetwater. Chil- dren. Samuel J. b. (2).
7. Hester Ella was born August 31, 1859. She mar- ried Hon. Frank P. Dickey December 20, 1883. She died Dickey was a farmer in Pond Creek Valley. He and his wife were members of the M. E. Church, South. Dickey married a second time, Martha Washington Suddarth, of Harriman, November 20,
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1907. One son, Franklin Pierce, was born to them No- vember 4, 1908. They live at Harriman, Tenn.
8. Ada Baxter was born November 16, 1861. Married Frank L. Harmon of Germantown, Ky., on February 21, 1883. Their children are: Ethel, George, May and Ralph.
JOHN FINE.
From inscriptions on tomb stones we find that John Fine was born January 1, 1781, and died January 26, 1857. His wife, Nancy was born November 10, 1782, and died February 18, 1859; both arriving at the advanced age of more than 76 years.
It is very probable that they came here from Cocke County ; they at least were originally from there. They came to this valley as soon as the Hiwassee District was open for settlement. The church records of Baptist Church on Sweetwater, show that they both helped to organize on Fork Creek what was afterward called the Baptist Church on Sweetwater, on the first Saturday in June, 1820. As has been stated heretofore this valley was not open to settlement till that year. The records also show that before the building of this meeting house the members met at the residence of John Fine on the first Saturday in August, 1821. It was the house above the springs where the city waterworks now get their supply. He paid for his land and obtained a grant, No. 686, from the State, dated September 7, 1827, and de- scribed as being the southwest quarter of section 34. township 2, range 1, east of the basis line. It corners in the road leading west to Pond Creek at the northwest corner of Mrs. Love's property. It runs thence south one-half mile (160 rods) and the same distance west, north and east to the beginning. The part on which the old house now (1914) stands is owned by the Charles Cannon heirs. The present Fair Ground is also on the tract.
In the days of the stage line the Fine house was a stage stand and stopping place. The stage road from Phila- delphia to Athens went by there, the location of which was never much changed until the year 1913. Also the road from Madisonville west to Pond Creek Valley ran by there, leading almost straight from the Ramsey
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(Waren) lane through the woods to the creek crossing near the house. The road from the McCroskey neigh- borhood on Fork Creek to the west took a turn at the Heiskell lane, led by the house and thence to Pond Creek. Thus from its natural location and the good ac- commodations obtained there by travelers, it was a well known stopping place. John Fine and his wife had been married and had a considerable family, when they came to Sweetwater Valley. They were in the prime and vigor of life, possessed of property and intelligence and con- sequently were an influential family. I have not found out the maiden name of Mrs. Fine. Mr. Fine was evi- dently interested in the cause of education, as the school- house was located one-fourth of a mile south of his house on his land. This schoolhouse was built some time pre- vious to 1834; for early in that year Baptist meetings are recorded to have been held in the Fine schoolhouse. The branch church here had authority to receive mem- bers for the old Sweetwater church. In the settlement of church difficulties and misunderstandings between neighbors John Fine was often called on to arbitrate. His fairness and sense of justice must have been gen- erally recognized. His name sometimes occurs in he Circuit Court records on the jury lists. It was custom- ary in the forties to summon men of the highest char- acter and intelligence for that service. To be a juryman was then a badge of honor and it was not considered good citizenship to try to get relieved without some valid excuse.
There was until some years ago a Fine family burying ground, in which thirteen of the family were interred. This was situated on a hill north of the house. It was enclosed with a stone wall. The bodies there were re- moved and re-interred in West View Cemetery.
The children of Jno. and Nancy Fine were: John, Polly, Abraham, Sarah, Mahala, Minerva, Martha, and Nancy.
One. John, date of birth not known. He may or may not have been the oldest child. He enlisted in the Mexi- can war, fought through it, and on his return from Mexi- co took sick on board of a ship in the Gulf. He died and his body was consigned to the waves. This was probably_ in the year 1847, but the date is not known.
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Two. Polly was born November 25, 1803. Died Jan- uary 29, 1857. (Unmarried).
Three. Abraham, married Mary S. Haralson July 3, 1838. They moved to Missouri. History not known.
Four. Sarah was born November 29, 1809. Died De- cember 25, 1870. She was married to Dr. Ira L. Hill, on April 5; 1832. He was born November 18, 1804. He died July 31, 1843. He lived in Sevier County. He was a physician. Their children were :
1. Mary M., b. in 1834. She died in Brownsville, Neb., in October, 1884. She married Jos. Marshall Owen, Au- gust 28, 1849. (See history of Owen family).
2. John was born in Sevier County, July 15, 1838. He moved to Sweetwater with his mother in the year, 1844 -not long after the death of Dr. Hill. She lived near the Fine residence on the hill above the spring. He married Isabelle Hotchkiss, daughter of Claiborne Hotchkiss, on January 17, 1871. They resided in Loudon County. He was a farmer. Isabella Hotchkiss was born in Roane (now Loudon County) April 16, 1848. She died Jan- uary 8, 1902. John Hill died November 1, 1889, in Lou- don County, and was buried in the New Providence graveyard.
They were the parents of eight children: Four girls and four boys :
(1) Sallie Abbott, age 43, Mineral Wells, Texas.
(2) C. H. Hill, age 41, Loudon, Tenn.
(3) Jno. W. Hill (age not given). Died in Texas.
(4) T. W. Hill, age 35, Loudon, Tenn.
(5) Mary Brazeal, died at the age of 32, in Loudon, Tenn.
(6) Ella Smith, age 28, Lenoir City.
(7) Sam Hill, age 25, Chattanooga.
(8)
This information was gotten from one of the family, I think C. H. Hill, in 1914. And the ages given refer to that date. He only speaks of three girls, Sallie, Mary and Ella, in listing the names.
3. Oliver Hazard Perry Hill was born in Sevier Coun- ty July 15, 1840. During the Civil War, in 1861, he en- listed -. Capt. Jno. A. Rowans, Co. of 43rd Reg., C. S. A. He was wounded at Chickamauga, on September
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HISTORY OF SWEETWATER VALLEY
21, 1863. The lower portion of one arm was amputated and he was disabled from further service. On Novem- ber 7, 1867, he married Mary Carter, daughter of Jno. Carter. She was one of 25 children .. They settled near Lenoirs, Tenn. He was a farmer. He died March 23, 1911. She died -, (1914). They left children as fol- lows :
(1) Sarah Fine, b. December 13, 1868. Married Jno. Heffner of Lenoir City
(2) Ira Lee, b. November 10, 1870. Married Kate Miller -, 1897.
(3) John W., b. October 15, 1872. Died October 11, 1889.
(4) Ambrose Parnell, b. August 15, 1874. St. Paul, Minn., is his address.
(5) Nancy Lucinda, b. April 1, 1877. Died in 1878.
(6) Martha E., b. June 8, 1879. Married Geo. O'Neal of Lenoir City, February 20, 1891. Their children are Levi, Paul, Cecil and Agnes.
(7) Marion M., b. September 17, 1883.
1, 2 and 3 of the Hill children, Mary, John and Perry, were all born in Sevier County, as to Ira, the fourth child, probably in Sweetwater Valley in 1844. He went to Minneapolis, Minn., after the Civil War and died there, not many years since. Not known to me whether he had a family or not. Mrs. Hill was married a second time to Welcome Beard, on December 29, 1859.
Five. Mahala was born February 18, 1814. She was married to N. G. Walker of Mo. She died at the Fine residence while on a visit there on February 8, 1859.
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