HomeBiographiesBUFORD, Frank G.

FRANK G. BUFORD was born near where he now lives December 13,1851, son of Hon. Thomas Buford, who was also born in Giles County, Tenn. He was the first president of what was formerly known as the Nashville & Decatur Railway, and was a member of the Tennessee General Assembly for a number of years. He was one of the most prominent men of Giles County at the time of his death, which occurred here in 1860. The Buford family is of English origin. The paternal grandfather of our subject was an extensive landowner. Our subject is the fourth of seven children born to his parents. His mother, Mary Ann (Gordon) Buford, was a daughter of Thomas K. Gordon. Our subject was educated at the common schools and at the Washington and Lee University, in Virginia. He graduated from this institution in l878, and after returning home engaged in teaching school for some years, Later he turned his attention to farming and stock raising. Since 1876 he has been engaged in the breeding of trotting and pacing horses, but now gives his undivided attention to the breeding of pacing horses. He owns the famous pacer, “Tom Hal,” sire of “Little Brown Jug,” who has made the three fastest straight heats of any horse in America; time, 2:11 3/4, 2:11 3/4, and 2:12 1/2. Among the famous sires that have been at Rockdale Farm are “Almont, Jr.,” 2:29, sire of “Annie W.,” 2:20; “Prince Pulaski,” sire of “Mattie Hunter, ” 2:12 3/4; Gen. Hardee, sire of “Thunder,” 2:22 3/4, and Buford’s “Tom Hal.” Mr. Buford is making a success in breeding pacing horses, and deserves the credit of being the first man in the United States to give his whole attention to and make a specialty of breeding pacers. In 1879 Mr. Buford married Lavina Childress, of this county, and by her has one child, AmandaMrs. Buford died in 1884. Our subject is a Democrat and one of the leading stockmen of Tennessee. (Goodspeed’s History of Giles County, 1886)

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