E. H. Marshall in his History of Obion County, TN wrote that Jacob PALMER and family from North Carolina located in Union City in 1839 and settled upon the site which afterwards became school property. He obtained an option on 200 acres of land and built a log house, hewed from native timbers and chinked with clay, with two rooms 18 feet square and a passage between them, a stick and clay chimney at each end with immense fire places – the type of homes common with pioneers.

A Jacob PALMER, with children of comparable ages, was in the 1830 Census of Buncombe Co., NC listed next door to a James Lowry. Then Jacob was the only PALMER in the 1840 Census of Obion County and was listed as:

 1 Male   0-5 yrs.    1 Female 15-20 yrs.
 2 Males  5-10 yrs.   1 Female 40-50 yrs
 2 Males 10-15 yrs.
 1 Male  15-20 yrs.
 3 Males 20-30 yrs.
 1 Male  50-60 yrs.

Mr. Marshall also said that the first railroad station agent was Jacob M. PALMER. In the 1860 Census of Obion County, my great grandfather, James Lowry PALMER, who was probably a son of Jacob, listed his occupation as Railroad Agent.

James Lowry PALMER was born Jan. 1820 in North Carolina, married in Obion County 11 Jan. 1842 to Mary Jane EVANS, daughter of Benjamin EVANS.

Their children were: Robert A.; Henry Clay, b. c.1845; Elizabeth R., b 11 Dec 1848, 1/m. 26 Dec 1872 Samuel J. VEATCH, 2/m 03 Sep 1880 Eugene DILLIHUNT; Julius L., b. 26 Mar 1850, d. 23 Nov. 1887, m.04 Feb 1880 Rachel GREY; Mary Belle, m. 01 Dec 1868 J. W. SCOTT; James A., b. 29 Feb. c.1854,1m Fannie NEAL, 2m 16 Sep 1883 Ellen TANNER; Kate L.; Charles G., b. 26 Mar. 1859; George Beauregard (Gent), b.14 Apr 1861, d.25 Mar 1931, m.17 Sep 1883 Georgia Serena LUTON; Josephine S., b.07 Oct 1863, d.13 Jan 1913, m.22 Aug 1883 Nicholas Howard LUTON (brother of Georgia Serena) Sterling Price, b.11 Dec 1865, d.03 Mar 1953, 1m 11 Sep 1888 Mattie NEWCOMB, 2m 16 Dec 1902 Ruby Lee McWHERTER.

James Lowry PALMER posted various bonds for elected officials, became a Justice of the Peace resigning in Aug. 1862.

No Civil War record has been found for James Lowry PALMER but one descendant had what was said to have been his uniform and family tradition was that he served in the war transporting supplies to or from VA.

Obion County troops were apparently stationed for sometime in Columbus, KY. James Lowry PALMER abandoned his family soon after his youngest child, Sterling Price, was born in 1865. James Lowry later married circa 1877, probably after his first wife had died, a woman 25 years younger than he, Virginia HANCOCK from Columbus, KY. Family tradition was that they married somewhere enroute to Europe where both Virginia and James Lowry went to study music. They returned to live in Columbus, KY where James Lowry was a Police Judge, taught voice and Virginia taught music.

Virginia died between 1905-1908 and James Lowry PALMER returned to Union City to live with his daughter, Serena, who cared for him until his death, circa 1913. He is said to have been buried in Shady Grove Cemetery with a wooden marker.

Note: see also the biography for Benjamin Evans (James Palmer’s father-in-law)