Thomas H. Latimer was born in Sumner County, Tenn., on the 4^th of January, 1844, and is one of six surviving members of a family of eleven children born to John and Harriet (Underwood) Latimer, who were born, reared and married in the same county and State in which our subject was born. In 1850 they came to Obion County and located on part of our subject’s present farm near Union City. Here they died in 1880 and 1881, father and mother respectively. Our subject remained with his parents until the commencement of the war, when he enlisted in the Thirty-third Tennessee Infantry, remaining with the same until he was captured at Missionary Ridge, whence he was taken to Rock Island, Ill., and retained until near the time of the general surrender. In 1871 he married Sarah J. Joyner, who was born in Sumner County, Tenn. She is a daughter of Binum and Tinin Joyner, who are both deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Latimer nine children were born seven of whom are living – two daughter and five sons. In 1882 Mr. Latimer came into possession of his present farm of 230 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Latimer are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and he is a member of the F. & A. M.

Daniel A. Latimer is an enterprising farmer of Obion County, Tenn., and owns 100 acres of land, having come into possession of the same in 1855. He was born in Sumner County, Tenn., July 30, 1832, and is one of eleven children, seven living, born to the marriage of Thomas Latimer and Nancy Webb. The father was born in Tennessee in 1810, and the mother in Virginia. She came to Tennessee when young and married and lived in Sumner County until 1852, when they removed to Obion County, locating near the home of our subject. They are among the old pioneer citizens of the county and have been married fifty-five or fifty-six years. After attaining his majority our subject began doing for himself and taught several terms of school in the county. December 6, 1854, he lead to the hymeneal alter, Fredonia H. Zarecoe, who was born in Sumner County, and it the mother of three children: Alice, Anna and Ora. During the late war Mr. Latimer joined the Second Tennessee Cavalry in 1864, and served with the same until January 1865, when the regiment was disbanded and he returned home. He and family are worthy members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Andrew Jackson Lawson’s birth occurred in Smith County, Tenn., September 12, 1836, son of Horace and Tabitha (Alexander) Lawson, and is of English-Irish descent. His father was born in the “Blue-grass State” in 1800, and his mother in Sumner County, Tenn., in 1810. The Lawson family came from Maryland to Kentucky, thence to Smith County, Tenn., thence to Obion County in 1850, and here Horace Lawson died in 1883. Andrew J. was one of twelve children and was reared on a farm, and after attending the common schools, entered Bethel College in Carroll County. In 1860 he began reading law in the office of Roulhac & Lauderdale, and later attended Lebanon Law School. In 1861 he enlisted in Company E, First Kentucky Regiment, and after it was disbanded at Richmond, Va., in July, 1862, he came west and joined Henderson’s scouts, of Forrest’s cavalry, with which command he served till paroled May 14, 1865. He then began practicing law in Union City, in partnership with Capt. D. D. Bell; but since 1869, has been engaged in farming. In the fall of 1884 he removed to Union City, and there now resides. March 16, 1865, witnessed his marriage to Mary R. Dunn, of Mississippi, born in 1840. They have two daughters: Mary R. and Rebecca V.    Mr. Lawson is a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Jefferson Davis. He made the race three different times for the State Legislature as a radical State credit man. His wife died of cholera in 1873 and in 1876 he married Mary A. Batte, of Giles County, who is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

George W. Layne, justice of the peace, was born December 24, 1825, in Williamson County, Tennessee, and is the son of Thomas and Catherine (Utley) Layne, who were born in Virginia in 1786 and 1782 and died in 1858 and March 4, 1881, respectively. Our subjects grandfather, William Layne, was a Revolutionary soldier, and the family came to Williamson County, Tenn., in 1811. Thomas Layne was a soldier under Gen. Jackson, when the battle of New Orleans was fought between Jackson and Packenham, and for his services at the time received three land warrants, and after his death his widow drew a pension of $96 annually up to her death. George W. Layne, our subject, was one of twelve children, and received the education and rearing of the average farmer’s boy. He began doing for himself by teaching school two years, and then superintended a farm for ten years. In 1865 he engaged in the mercantile business, which he continued in Williamson County until 1870. A year later he came to Union City, and here has since resided. He is a Democrat and was elected justice of the peace in 1873, and has held the office to the present time. He is a director of the bank of Union City and is secretary and treasurer of the Union City School Board, and has been chairman of the county court for three years. October 28, 1862, he married Martha A. Holland, who was born on the 9^th of November, 1845. The following are their children: Max, who was born in Nolensville, Tenn., October 28, 1865; Alice, born in Nashville November 9, 1864, and died at Nolensville October 28, 1865; Thomas F., born in Nolensville December 28, 1865, and died in Union City August 4, 1873; Martha M., born in Nolensville November 10, 1870 and George W., Jr., who was born in Union City September 6, 1874. Mr. Layne, his wife, son Max and daughter Martha M. are members of the Christian Church, and he is a Mason.

H. G. LeFils, proprietor of the Brackin House, Union City, Tenn., was born in south east Arkansas, April 4, 1853, son of Armand and Sarah A. (Carmichael) LeFils, and is of French-Irish descent. The father was born in McIntosh County, Ga., in 1816, and died in Hamburg, Ark., in 1870. He was a prominent man of his day, being a member of the Georgia Legislature, and held many positions of trust. Our subject’s mother was born in Fairfield, Pickens co., Ala., in 1835. Our subject is the eldest of three surviving members of a family of eight children. He was educated in Arkansas and at the Covington schools in Tipton County, Tenn. In 1870 he went to Paris, Tenn., and there began learning the printing business in the office of the Weekly Intelligencer. In 1875 he was mayor of Paris. In January, 1886, he came to Union City and took charge of the Brackin House. May 6, 1880, he married Lelia Sharp, of Paris, born in 1860, daughter of S. W. Sharp, who was a leading lawyer of Humboldt, Tenn., and died there in 1875. He was born in Rutherford County in 1823, and a son of Col. Edwin Sharp, a native of North Carolina. Mrs. LeFils’ mother, Frances (Cowan) Sharp, was born in 1835 and died in 1877. Our subject and wife have two children: Nellie Porter and Samuel Armand. Mr. LeFils and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and he is an ardent Democrat and takes much interest in the success of his party. He is a Mason, Paris Lodge, No. 108.

Thomas H. C. Lownsbrough was born in Albany, N. Y., April 15, 1836, and is the fifth of six children born to Thomas and Sarah (McDougall) Lownsbrough, of English and Scotch descent respectively. Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. April 11, 1798. He was a stock dealer, and followed that occupation until his death, September 10, 1854. His mother was born in Burlington, Vt., Jun 4, 1799, and died in York State June 2, 1844. Our subject was reared in Henrietta, N. Y., and learned the shoe-maker’s trade at Lockport, N. Y. He traveled through the various states of the North as a journeyman cobbler. He finally reached Nashville, Tenn., December 2, 1859, and has since been a citizen of the State. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in Company C, Seventh Tennessee Infantry, under Col. Robert Hatton, and was at Seven Pines, Richmond, the Second Manassas, Harper’s Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and various other skirmishes. He served through the entire war, and was paroled at Danville, Va.  He was married, February 21, 1867, to Martha A. Preuett, who bore him five children – three now living: John C, Annie M. and Lucille P., born August 12, 1869, July 12, 1872, and August 18, 1880, respectively. Mrs. Lownsbrough was born in 1843, and died at Woodland Mills November 24, 1883. January 11, 1885, Mr. Lownsbrough married Mary J. Preuett, sister of his first wife. He has been postmaster at Woodland Mills since July 1, 1879. He is a railroad and southern express agent. He is a Democrat and a member of the Masonic fraternity.

Socrates Lovelace is the youngest of three children and was born in Weakley County, Tenn., on the 10^th of May, 1848. His parents, James and Mary B. (Gay) Lovelace, were born in Virginia and North Carolina, in 1800 and 1812, respectively. After reaching man’s estate, James Lovelace came to Tennessee, where he taught school for a number of years. He was married in the State of his adoption and settled in Weakley County, where he reared his family. He died April 15, 1860. The mother is yet residing on the old homestead, but is in quite feeble health. Socrates Lovelace was educated in the common schools and has made farming and carpentering his chief business in life and owns 120 acres of land. May 27, 1868, he married Belle Alexander, daughter of Jesse Alexander, who was born and reared in the Palmetto State. He was the father of twenty-one children, by two wives, all but two living to maturity. He was born in 1788, and died in November, 1870. To Mr. and Mrs. Lovelace were born the following family: Cora Ellen, born March 9, 1869; Jesse J., born June 20, 1872 and died January 12, 1873; Claudie Ray, born May 20, 1874, and died May 16, 1885; Annie Bell, born March 13, 1879, and died February 9, 1885; Bryant Holland, born January 22, 1883, and died August 12, 1883, and one child who died in infancy. Mrs. Lovelace was born in Henry County, Tenn., October 16, 1844, and she and her husband are members of the Primitive Baptist Church. Mr. Lovelace is a Democrat and a member of the K. of H.   Elias Gay, our subject’s grandfather, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and rendered valuable service to his county.

Sol. Love, a prominent and highly respected farmer, was born in Chatham County, N. C., January 28, 1817, being one of a pair of twins, which was the last birth in a family of eleven children, of June 21, 1885 (Dunn) Love. Both parents were born in Wake County, N. C., and there were reared, educated and married. They resided in Chatham County at the time of the mother’s death, Jan 31, 1817. The father continued to reside in the last name county until a few years before his death, when he moved to Halifax County, Va., and died there about 1854 June 21, 1885Love, our subject, resided under the paternal roof until eighteen years of age, when he began farming for himself. When twenty-four years of age he moved to Weakley County, Tenn., and died in Missouri, before the late was. To our subject and his wife, thirteen children were born, nine of whom are still living: Volney A., William A., Robert B., James Candis, Susan E., Nancy V., Mexicanis and Sallie. Mrs. Love was born in Henry County, Tenn., May 2, 1826. Mr. Love is a Democrat and has served as constable of his district for sixteen years. Mr. Love began life with little or no capital, but by energy and perseverance is now the owner of 130 acres of good land.

James Luton, farmer and engineer, was born in Maury County, Tenn., in 1832, and is one of three children born to James and Anna (Stone) Luton. The father was born in North Carlina, and came to Sumner County, Tenn., when a young man, and there married Miss Stone, a native of that county. With the exception of one year spent in Maury County, they resided in Obion County unil (sic) 1849, then moved to Nashville, where the remained until the breaking out of the war, then moved to Robertson County, where the father died in 1872, and the mother in 1881. At the age of sixteen James Luton learned the carpenter’s trade in Nashville, and followed that occupation until 1861, when he joined the Thirtieth Tennessee Infantry and served until the fall of Fort Donelson, when he was taken to Camp Butler and held a prisoner seven months. He was exchanged at Vicksburg and rejoined his old regiment, serving until his discharge, owing to poor health. He was married in 1851 to Mary Ann Meadors, of Davidson County, and their union was blessed with eleven children, eight now living. In 1868 Mr. Luton came to Obion County, locating on his farm of 65 acres near Union City. On this farm are several Indian mounds, from which he has obtained a number of curious relics.