Presented by Tom H. Rogan, Esq., to the Hawkins County Court on July 21, 1980

Judge Howe, Hawkins County Commissioners, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Our purpose at this meeting is to pay tribute to the many lawyers of Hawkins County who have passed on. We present members of the Bar are here to participate in a dedication ceremony for those of our profession who have died.

We have endeavored to compile a list of all deceased Hawkins County lawyers, and have caused to be prepared a Memorial Plaque on which are engraved the names of our past lawyers. The list is probably not complete, and we would ask any interested persons to examine the plaque and advise some member of the present Bar of Hawkins County of any omissions. We have not, of course, intentionally forgotten anyone.

Hawkins County, since its establishment in 1786, has had many fine lawyers, a number of whom became fine jurists – among our Judges were Judge Hugh Kyle, Judge Hal Portrum, Judge Winfield Hale, Judge J. O. Phillips, Jr., and Judge J. Mayes.

We cannot talk about all of our past lawyers individually. I will read then some quotations about the first individual whose name appears on the plaque, and I would suggest that many Hawkins County lawyers who succeeded him in time also succeeded to many of his fine qualifications and characteristics – the first name, and one of the first practicing attorneys in Hawkins County, is John A. McKinney.

John Augustine McKinney was the youngest of five brothers and was born in Colerain, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1781, emigrated to the United States in 1800, was finely educated. As an additional preparation for his chosen profession, after landing in Philadelphia he took a course of medicine under the celebrated Dr. Rush, who was a partner of his brother, Dr. Archibald McKinney. He began the practice of law about 1807 and soon took a leading position. He came to Jonesborough, Tennessee, on legal business for parties in Philadelphia, was pleased with the country, and decided to remain.

At Greeneville, Tennessee, he met Miss Eliza (Elizabeth) Ayer, of Alna, Maine, who was visiting her sister, Mrs. Susan Coffin, wife of Dr. Charles Coffin, a noted divine and teacher, and at that time President of Greeneville College.

John and Eliza Ayer were married about 1809 and moved to Rogersville, Tennessee. In 1810-1817 he bought from Richard Mitchell about 1,000 acres of land. His fine taste, the liberal expenditure of money made of it a beautiful home. His home was a generous, open one. He was interested in everything that assisted in building up the religious, educational, and material welfare of the country. He was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church. His home was frequented and often crowded with ministers, teachers, and others who found there a hearty welcome, a generous sympathizer and a delightful resting place. The home is still known (1913) as the McKinney “place.”

He tried cases in Hawkins, Hancock, Sullivan, Washington, Greene, Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, and Union Counties. He was appointed U.S. District Attorney by President John Quincy Adams and was chosen to represent his County in the State Constitutional Convention in 1834.

Goodspeed, in his History of Tennessee says, “His great success was due to his thorough knowledge of the law, his energy, perserverance, and his incorruptible integrity.” Temple says, in his History of Tennessee, that, at that time, he was considered one of the two greatest lawyers of Tennessee and that, of the two, McKinney was considered the greater.

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From Biographical Directory 1796 – 1969 (to 1861)

John Augustine McKinney	1781 – 1845
Nicholas Fain	1782 – 1849
Orville Thomas Caldwell Bradley	1794 – 1845
George Rutledge Powel	1807 – 1873
Peter Parsons	—–
Samuel Powel	—–
Samuel Powel	1821 – 1902
Joseph Brown Heiskell	1823 – 1913
John Fletcher White	1824 – 1901
James White	1828 – 1897
Pleasant Miller	(Lived in Rogersville from 1796 – 1800)
John Netherland	1808 – 1887

 

From 1834 Directory

Michael McCann	Admitted 1823
Sterling Cocke	—–
Dicks Alexander	1790 – 1875

 

From Directory of 1860-61

William O. Winston	—–
Orville Bradley1	—–
Joseph Huffmaster	1784 – 1824
Powel and Fulkerson2	—–
Shields & Sevier	—–

 

From Directory of 1891

S. L. Chestnutt	—–
W. N. Clarkson	—–
Ellis Cocke	—–
F. M. Fulkerson2	—–
W. P. Gillenwaters	—–
U. G. Jarvis	—–
Kyle & McDermott3	—–
George A. Smith	—–

 

From Directory of 1906-07

A. T. Bowen	—–
J. W. Brown	—–
S. L. Chestnutt4	—–
Huffmaster & Margraves5	1874-1955 (Margraves)
J. 0. Phillips, Sr.	—–
S. F. Powel4	1853-1929
George A. Smith4	—–
George A. Wolf	—–

 

Hawkins County Attorneys I Can Remember

Hobart Moneyhun	—–
C. H. Richardson	—–
R. C. Coleman	—–
John A. Thompson	—–
C. F. Lauderback6	—–
W. B. Hale, Sr.	—–
Judge Hal Portrum	1884 – 1949
Eastman Portrum	—–
J. O. Phillips, Jr.	—–
Edward Hyder	—–
Oscar Seal7	1900 – 1955
James L. Lauderback6	—–
Oscar Lawson7	—–
Tom Summers7	1883 – 1946
Jay Mayes	—–
Ben Testerman	—–

 

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Footnotes

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¹ Same as Orville listed in 1796-1969 (to 1891) Biographic Directory.
² Probably Samuel Powel and F. M. Fulkerson.
³ Probably Judge Hugh G. Kyle.
⁴ Also listed in 1891 Directory.
⁵ A. D. Huffmaster and C. W. Margraves.
⁶ Brothers — no college education but passed the Tennessee Bar.
⁷ Had Law Degrees but never practiced law.