The Blair Family has, since the very earliest settlement of East Tennessee, been prominent in its history, and still has many representatives in Loudon and the surrounding counties. These are all descendants of John Blair, a soldier at King's Mountain, and a pioneer from South Carolina to Washington County, Tenn., where he died in 1819. His family of six sons and four daughters -- Hugh, John, James, William, Thomas, Samuel, Jane, Mary, Martha and Rachel -- came from Washington County to the present site of Loudon about 1790, and soon after, what was long known as Blair's Ferry was established. Hugh, the eldest of this family, was a cripple, who never married, and always made his home with his brother James. But little is known of the four daughters and of the second and sixth named sons. James was born in 1777, and married Jane Carmichael, a member of another pioneer East Tennessee family. They remained in the vicinity of Blair's Ferry, where they accumulated considerable poperty (sic) and many slaves. They raised five sons and two daughters, and had two infant daughters, deceased. William, the fourth mentioned above, married Sarah Simmons, who died in 1849, six years after his own death. Four sons and six daughters were reared by them. The fifth named above Thomas, remained in Blair's Ferry a short time, and went to Indiana. John, the eldest of James Blair's family, was born July 19, 1800, and married Elizabeth Johnston in 1827. He then located on the farm now owned by his son, Dr. J. L. Blair. He was an officer in the State militia, and was for many years a justice of the peace. His death occurred January 18, 1858, his wife having preceeded him November 14, 1845. Dr. J. L. Blair is the eldest of five sons and five daughters, and of three survivors of these, himself, Dr. Hugh A., of Wilson County, and Martha A., now Mrs. George W. St. John, of Washington County. Dr. J. L. was born in 1828, and 1853 married Margaret L. Barkley, a native of Jonesboro. Of their two sons and three daughters, two of the latter are deceased, as is the mother also, who died January 5, 1871. In 1872 the Doctor married Mrs. Lucy A. Osborn (nee George), a native of Blount County, to whom two sons and four daughters have been born. The Doctor was educated chiefly at Hiwassee College, and in 1852 attended the Union Medical College, of New York, since which time he has practiced in this locality. Returning now to the James Blair family, we will mention Wiley, who was born in Loudon in 1813, and married Mary M. Johnston, rearing a family of three sons and two daughters, one of whom, Rachel E. C., is now deceased. The other daughter, Laura J., is the wife of William R. Blair, of this county. James M., W. W. and H. E. F. are the sons, the first of whom, James M. was born in 1844, since which time he has lived in this vicinity. W. W. was born in 1851 and married Frankie M. Browder; they have three daughters. H. E. F. was born in 1854 and married Martha K. Eldridge. They have two sons and two daughters. William, the fourth named son of John Blair, had four sons and six daughters; the first of these, John, was born in Loudon (then Roane) County, in 1808, and married Mary C. Edwards, a native of Virginia, to whom one son, William R. (a prominent farmer of Loudon County) and one daughter, Sarah J. (now the wife John Hall, of Loudon County,) were born. John Blair and wife died in 1875 and 1880, respectively. Of the other children of William Blair, Vincent and Hugh reside in Texas, and Elizabeth, now a widow of Andrew Allen, resides in Loudon County. The rest are deceased. 

    C. T. P. Davis, a farmer, was born October 14, 1811, in Greene County, Tenn., and when eleven years old his father moved to a farm, where he has since resided. He is the youngest of five children of Jonathan and Sarah (Crosby) Davis, born and reared in Virginia, but married in Greene County. Nathan Davis, the grandfather, commanded a company during the Revolution, and about 1781 became one of the leading farmers of Greene County. Uriah Crosby, the maternal grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and a prominent farmer of Greene County. Their ancestors are of Welsh-English stock. The father was an active, old line Whig, and when the Legislature met at Murfreesboro, was appointed justice, serving for many years, and eventually assisting in establishing the boundary of Monroe County. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He made his home with his father until the latter's death, in 1854, when his sister kept house for him until his marriage. July 22, 1873, he married Amanda E., daughter of James and Mary (Scott) Griffiths, natives of Blount County, and residents of the same until the former's death, June 2, 1870, since when the latter has lived with her daughter, Mrs. Davis. Our subject's children are Charlie H. and Sarah N. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church forty-five years, while his wife is a Presbyterian. Our subject is a Master Mason, and Republican, first voting for the Whig candidate, in 1836. From March, 1848, he served as justice for eighteen years, and was the first to advocate and aid in establishing the Monroe County Infirmary. After Loudon County was established, he served most successfully as chairman of the county court for one year, and also assisted in establishing an infirmary in this county, and in clearing the county of debt. He began with twenty acres , but now owns 2,200 acres of fine land, on which are deposits of iron and silver ore. His grandfather, Nathan, was a brother of the grandfather of Jefferson Davis. Mrs. Davis is a third cousin of Samuel Houston. Our subject is an able man, and a most efficient officer. 

    Dr. R. P. Eaton, a prominent farmer and successful practitioner, was born in 1835, in Jefferson County, where he was reared and educated. About 1856 he began the study of medicine, moving in 1858 within the present limits of Loudon County, and in 1865 to his present home, where he has enjoyed a lucrative practice. He began, a poor man, with $4 and little property, but has, by care and application, acquired his present home of 600 fine acres. He represented Knox and Roane Counties in the State Senate, in 1967-68, and at present is one of the board of trustees of the State University. November 13, 1859, he married his present wife. They have had two sons and five daughters. The Eaton family is of Scotch-Irish origin, and came to this State from Pennsylvania. The paternal grandfather, Robert D., was a captain, under Jackson, in the war of 1812. He and his wife died in Anderson County. Andrew C., the father, was born in Grainger County, in 1804, and married Susan M. Donaldson, of Jefferson County. Their decease occurred in 1878 and 1880 respectively. Our subject and Ellen C., now Mrs. Boyd (a widow), of this county, are their only children. 

    J. P. Freeman, a farmer in the Eleventh District, was born in March, 1844, in Roane County, addition to Loudon County. He is the youngest of six children of James and Achsa (Pouder) Freeman. The father was born and raised in Roane County. He commanded Company D, Fourth Tennessee Infantry, in the Mexican war. He was a son of John and Susan (Davis) Freeman. Mr. and Mrs. John Freeman were born and raised in Virginia, and Mrs. Freeman came with her parents to Tennessee in 1812, and Mr. Freeman came to Tennessee some time before that. He served Roane County for many years as County Judge. James Freeman died shortly after he came out of the Mexican war, from a disease contacted while he was in the service. Mrs. Freeman is making her home with her son, J. P. Freeman. J. P. Freemen received his education in the common schools of Roane County. When seventeen years old he enlisted in Company I, First Tennessee Infantry of the Federal Army, and served until the fall of 1864. He was sergeant of his company. He was offered the captaincy of his company, and also of a cavalry company, but on account of ill health would not accept. He was thrown upon his own resources when seventeen years old, a poor man, and what he is now worth, was accumulated by his own industry and good management. He now owns 370 acres of land on the Tennessee River, two and one-half miles north of Loudon. He was married in 1868, to Alice E. Malloy. By this union one child was born -- Alice, now Mrs. Kollock. Mrs. Freeman died in 1869. He was married in 1872 to Mrs. Littleton, nee Miss Harvey. By this union seven children have been born: James H., Emerson J., Joseph W., Achsa, Robert S., Frances and Hester. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman are members of the Missionary Baptish Church. Mr. Freeman is assistant clerk. He is independent in politics and cast his first presidential vote for Samuel J. Tilden. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. 

    G. W. Hardin, a farmer, was born in 1833, in Knox County, where he continued to live until the fall of 1858. He then traveled through several of the Western States, and located near Springfield, Mo. He returned to Knox County, in March, 1860, and, in 1862, enlisted in Company F, Twenty-sixth Tennessee Infantry (Confederate), and served until he surrendered with Johnston's army. He had an arm shot off at Atlanta, and, with the exception of the time he lay in the hospital because of wounds, engaged in all the actions in which his company took part. Farming has been his occupation. July 30, 1861, he married Julia C. Winton, a daughter of John W. and Eliza (Browder) Winton, natives of what is now Loudon County. Their children were Oscar J. and Lula B. (deceased). Mrs. Hardin is a Methodist of the Southern Branch. Our subject is a Democrat and first voted for Buchanan. He is the third of eight children, of Joseph and A. (Calloway) Hardin, the former spending his whole life in Knox County, and the latter a native of Ashe County, N. C., and form her sixteenth year a resident of Knox County. The father was a colonel of militia. Our subject now owns a fine farm of 700 acres, well cultivated, and located on the Union railroad, four miles east of Lenoirs.

    C. M. Hotchkiss was born in 1802, in what is now Loudon County. He is the third of six children of Jared and Betsey (Knight) Hotchkiss. Jared Hotchkiss was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, and immigrated to Tennessee about 1801. He was a tailor by trade, and during the Revolutionary war assisted in making clothing for the soldiers. He was widely known, and a highly respected citizen. He kept tavern for many years on the Knoxville & Kingston Road. Mr. and Mrs. Jared Hotchkiss were of English descent. Mrs. Hotchkiss was born and raised in New Glasgow, Va. where she married. After his father's death, in 1838, C. M. Hotchkiss was married in 1838 to Sallie Ann Wyly, a daughter of Harris and Artemus (Taylor) Wyly. Mr. and Mrs. Wyly were born and raised in Virginia, and at a very early day moved to Alabama, where Mrs. Hotchkiss was born in 1811. Mr. Wyly moved his family to Blount County, in 1829. He followed merchandising from the time he became twenty years old until his death in 1841. He served his district as justice of the peace for many years, giving entire satisfaction. Mr. Wyly was of Irish and Mrs. Wyly of English descent. To Mr. and Mrs. Hotchkiss six children have been born: Louisa, now Mrs. Lauderdale; Isabella, who first married John Anderson, and after his death she married John Hill; Salle, now Mrs. Johnson; Betsey, deceased; Artemus, deceased; Claiborne, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hotchkiss are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Hotchkiss has been a deacon in the church since 1832. He is a Democrat in politics and cast his first presidential ticket for a Democratic candidate in 1824. He is a very enthusiastic Christian worker, and a very successful farm manager.

    W. E. Huff, a farmer and citizen of Loudon County, was born October 14, 1842, and is a grandson of John Huff, who was a native of Virginia, and married Mary Yates, a member of a prominent Virginia family. They reared most of their family of three sons and six daughters, in Virginia, then located near the mouth of the Sweetwater, within the present limits of Loudon County. He was agent for the King Salt Works, of Virginia, many years, and died in 1830; his widow afterward lived with the children till her death in this vicinity about 1850. Some of the children moved to Texas, some to Missouri, and others to Kentucky; James H., now of Whitfield County, Ga., near the Tennessee State line, being the only survivor. William Yates Huff, one of the sons of John and Mary Huff, and the father of our subject, was born in Virginia in 1809, and in youth came with his parents to this vicinity, and remained at home till the age of maturity, then married Keziah Tunnell, and located on a farm and followed agricultural pursuits as his general occupation the balance of his life. He served as a Roane County official fourteen years and at the time of his death in 1870 was chairman of the Loudon County Court. His wife (our subject's mother) was a great-granddaughter of William Tunnell, of Spottsylvania County, Va., whose youngest son, Stephen, (grandfather of our subject's mother), was born in 1754 or 1755, near Fredericksburg, Va., and married Keziah Money in 1776, and later located near Jonesboro, Tenn., from where he moved to Sequatchie Valley in 1804, thence to Monroe County, Ky., in 1808, and died there in 1828. William Tunnel (father of subject's mother and grandfather of our subject) was born in 1780, and was the second of eleven children born to Stephen and Keziah Tunnell. He was among the first settlers of the Hiwassee Purchase, and entered the land now owned by Loudon's old citizen, T. J. Mason, where he lived, and died in 1846. He (William Tunnell) reared a large family, our subject's mother, Keziah, being the eldest. Her death occurred in 1866. Two sons and six daughters formed the family of William Yates Huff, our subject being the youngest son and fifth child. In 1876 our subject married Rachel A. Johnston, who was born and reared on the farm where they now reside, which contains 325 acres. Mr. Huff also owns another tract in the county. To the above marriage six children have been born, three now deceased. 

    J. B. Jackson, a farmer, was born in Roane County, Tenn., in 1830. The grandfather left Virginia and became a permanent resident of Washington County, Tenn. Josiah J. Jackson, the father, was born in that county, Christmas day, 1800, and grew to manhood on the farm, living with his mother and step-father. He married Mary Browder, a native of North Carolina, who had come in childhood to Tennessee, where they located at the site of Lenoir's, Loudon County. Josiah continued farming in Roane County after his marriage, then for seven years lived in Monroe County, and finally moved to Blount County, where he died January 17, 1877, and his wife November 5, 1886, at eighty-eight years of age. Our subject remained with his parents until thirty years old, and then married Sarah Keen, a native of Loudon, formerly a part of Blount County. He then followed farming, Their children were Susanna Frances (deceased), Adria R., Lee, William Keen and Jose H.