Notable Men of Tennessee, Volume I
Judge John Allison, Editor
Atlanta, Ga., Southern Historical Assoc., 1905

Pages 335-336

WILLIAM H. GARDNER, a real estate dealer, of Union City, Tenn., and a prominent citizen of Obion county, was born in Weakley county of that state, Nov. 24, 1840. His parents were Alfred and Mary A. (Stovall) Gardner, both natives of Robertson county, Tenn., where the father was a successful farmer and the first sheriff of Weakley county. He was a contemporary and personal acquaintance of Davy Crockett and a brother of Hon. John A. Gardner, who once opposed William T. Haskell for Congress, and whose son-in-law, William P. Caldwell, was chairman of the committee of the state senate to settle the Evans-Turney gubernatorial contest. Alfred Gardner died in 1882, at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife in 1893, at the age of seventy-three. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church for over sixty years, and he, although a man of high moral ideals, a reader of the Bible, and a constant attendant at church, was a member of no religious denomination. They had seven children, five of whom are yet living. William H. Gardner graduated from the University of Virginia in the class of 1859. In 1861 he entered the Confederate service, as first lieutenant of Company H, Ninth Tennessee regular infantry. After serving for some time on detached duty, he took the camp fever and was for a year in the hospital. Upon being discharged from the hospital, it was two years more before he fully regained his strength and rejoined his regiment. From that time until the close of the war he was on detached duty, being paroled at Vicksburg on final surrender. Soon after the war, he located at Hickman, Ky., where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1878, when he came to Union City and engaged in manufacturing. In this line he was successful until the destruction of his factory by fire, in 1889, since which time he has been interested in real estate operations in Western Tennessee. Ever since becoming a resident of Union City he has been active in promoting the material interests of the municipality. For more than twenty years he has been continuously a member of the city government, except two years he served as mayor. Mr. Gardner was married, in 1863, to Miss Mary Ella Dozier, a native of Mississippi, and to this marriage were born five children: William A., Russell E., Fred D., Metta A. and Carrie Lee. The wife and mother fell a victim to the great yellow fever epidemic of 1878, and some time afterward the three boys went to St. Louis, where they have acquired prominent positions in the business world, William A. being at the head of the mercantile house of W. A. Gardner & Co.; Russell E., owner of the Banner Buggy Company, one of the largest vehicle manufactories in the country, and Fred D., the proprietor of the largest coffin factory in that city. The first married Julia Steiner, a member of one of the leading St. Louis families, and they have two children, Albert and Robert. The second married Miss Annie Cathey, of Union City, and their children are Elsie, Russell, Fred and Rodgers. Fred married Jeannette Vosbourg, of St. Louis, and their two children are William and Dozier. Metta A. lives in St. Louis and is the widow of Mr. Travis. Carrie Lee is now Mrs. John J. Reeves, of Hally, Ark., and the mother of two children, Russell and John J. In January, 1880, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage to Mrs. Jennie White, widow of Capt. Finis White, of Paris, Tenn., a distinguished soldier of the Confederate army. To this marriage have been born three children: Mamie, Bessie and Nora, all at home with their parents. Mrs. Gardner has one daughter by her former marriage, now Mrs. Fannie Hunsaker, wife of S. G. Hunsaker, cashier of the Banner Buggy Company, above referred to. Mr. Gardner is a prominent Mason, being a member of the lodge and chapter, and the three sons in St. Louis are all Knights Templars. Mr. Gardner is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his wife is a Baptist.