William C. Collier, a prominent merchant of Charlotte, was the eldest of eight children born to the marriage of John C. Collier and Mary Clemments. John C. Collier was a English descent and was born in Virginia. When young he came to Tennessee, where he married the mother, who was of Scotch descent. The father was an attorney at law and died in Charlotte, in 1869, where he lived for fifty years. The mother died in 1843. At the age of eighteen years our subject engaged as clerk in a store, and in 1846 succeeded his employer and has continued the business till the present, except a short time during the war. He also owns 250 acres of land. He was married, in 1853, to Louisa B. Woodward, the fruits of this union being nine children, three of whom died in infancy and six now living, viz.: John E., William C., James G., Nancy C., Mary E. and Sallie B. Himself, wife and eldest daughter are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was a Whig in politics before the war, but is now a Democrat and one of the eldest citizens of the county, his birth having been March 8, 1818, at Clarksville, Tenn. Christopher C. Collier, brother of the above, was born in Dickson County. At the age of twenty-two he began clerking and continued till 1865, with the exception of four years’ service in Company C, Forty-ninth Tennessee Volunteers, Confederate States Army. He has been merchandising ever since 1865, and has been successful. Politically he is like his brother. Both these gentlemen are recognized as good and substantial citizens of Dickson County.