Transcribed from Goodspeed’s History of  Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketches of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, etc., etc. (Chicago and Nashville:  The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887), pp. 962-987.  See footnote below for on-line access.

Columbus A. MEE, a prominent citizen and planter of Bradley County, was born February 24, 1827, in Rhea County, East Tenn., a son of John and Sallie J. (McELWEE) MEE. The parents were of English and Scotch descent. The father was born October 16, 1798, and was married February 12, 1824, in Roane County. After spending several years in Rhea and Roane Counties they located in Bradley County in 1836, and there passed the remainder of their lives. They were among the early white settlers, the inhabitants being Cherokee Indians. Mr. MEE was an enterprising man. His chief occupation was farming. He was a Whig. He died, where our subject now resides, December 23, 1876. The mother was born in Knox County, August 19, 1803, and died December 17, 1876. Both were members of the Christian Church. The maternal grandfather was a gallant soldier of the Revolutionary war, and took part in the capture of King’s Mountain, N. C. Joseph MEE (our subject’s grandfather) was born in Virginia, and died in Bradley County; he was the son of Joseph MEE, who came from England with his father, and died in Hawkins County. Our subject is the second of six children. He received a thorough education, and attended the university at Knoxville. He worked with his father until he was twenty-four years of age. About 1854 he entered the profession of civil engineering on the East Tennessee & Georgia Railroad, and for twenty-five years gave his attention to this business. He was in the meantime chief engineer and superintendent of several roads to wit: the E.T. & V.; K. & K.; E. T. & W. N. C., and also superintendent of the M. & L. In 1869 he retired from the business, and began farming, to which he has since devoted himself, and is one of the most successful agriculturists in the county. He has a handsome and commodious brick residence on the farm, and owns 1,400 acres of good land in Bradley County. December 18, 1876, he married Miss Francis R. an accomplished daughter of Col. Joseph TUCKER, of Cleveland. Mrs. MEE was born in Bradley County August 29, 1842. Both are consistent and respected members of the Christian Church. Mr. MEE is a stanch Democrat, and a worthy, enterprising citizen.

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This biography was transcribed by Sherry Pollard. We thank her for transcribing all the Goodspeed’s biographical sketches.

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