Early Stewart Countians (pre-1925): Bits and Pieces of Lives
in the Past
(Listed in alphabetical order...please feel free to add to our information!)
Biographical information is also
available in the Family Gateway part of the home
page.
Choose the letter the surname
you are looking for begins with. Good luck!
Abernathy, Dr.: Of Stribling, he served the Leatherwood community in the
early 1900's.
Allen, William: One of four magistrates who organized the county in 1804.
Allentharpe, Hannible: Settled in area later known as Tharpe after the
Civil War. He went into the mercantile business and the town of Tharpe sprang
up around this venture. His name was later shortened to Ham Tharpe.
Bass, Jethro: First postmaster of Bass in 1846. Area later known as
Model.
Bayer, Professor Julius H.: Headed the Cumberland City Academy
established in 1893.
Bell, John: Well known Tennessee politician who owned a house in the Bear Spring
community at one time. He was a candidate for U.S. President in 1860, and was
an owner of iron industry property. The area of Bellwood is named for him and
his wife, Jane Erwin Yeatman Bell.
Bennett, Mason: Received the first license to operate a ferry in Dover in
1804.
Boyt (Boyd), Samuel: Early settler in Fort Henry community area, arriving
in 1795 from North Carolina.
Boyd, William M.: Became first postmaster of new town of Model in 1887.
Brake, Rev. Henry Clark Sr.: 1815-1880, early minister.
Brake, Rev. Henry Clark Jr.: 1846-1929, minister. Wife Nancy A. Winters
was descended of Caleb and Moses Winters, early settlers in middle Tennessee
arriving 1775-1779, traveling with Captain James Robertson.
Brandon, Christopher: One of earliest settlers, settling in Saline
Creek-Tobacco Port area. Keelboat man, flatboat master, hunter. Son of George
Brandon. B1791, d1881.
Brandon, Colonel Nathan: Son of Christopher. Confederate veteran,
lawyer. Donated land for Old Dover Cemetery. Served as representative for
Stewart County, beginning in 1866 and serving for three terms, then serving as
state senator for three terms. His sons Morris and William became lawyers.
Morris founded the law firm of Brandon, Hansel, Ware, Smith, and Crenshaw in
Georgia.
Bumpus, Andrew Jackson: Purchased the long-standng mill site in the 1850s that would become known as Bumpus Mills. He was also the first postmaster.
Chapman, Samuel: Bowling Green, later known as Cumberland City, was
established on this man's land in 1784 or 1785.
Clinton, Thomas: One of four magistrates who organized the county in
1804.
Crockett, C.W.: grandson of Davy Crockett who became owner of the
newspaper following J. P. Flood and renamed it the Dover Courier.
Curl, William: Elected sheriff at first session of court in March, 1804.
Coppedge, Alexander: Taught at school in Dover in 1826.
Crow, Dr. Charles Robertson: 1876-1967. Son of Dr. I. Crow. Practiced
medicine in Stewart County beginning about 1900.
Crow, Dr. Isaac Franklin: 1841-1912. Confederate veteran. Practiced
medicine in Stewart County beginning about 1872.
Dennis, Sgt. Judson W.: Casualty of WW I, from the Tip Top area. Brother
of Thomas Milton Dennis, son of Minnie Dunlap Dennis Murphey. Descendent of
Samuel Benjamin Dennis, early settler from Maryland in Stewart Co. Co. L, 119th
Infantry. B1892, D1918.
Dinkins, Robert and Rebecca:
The Dinkins arrived from Anson County, North Carolina about 1808, with
the father being Rev. War veteran Joshua Dinkins. They were prosperous farmers and
slave traders. Robert Dinkins donated land for a church and a school.
Downs, Benjamin: Elected Ranger at first session of court in March, 1804.
Eiley, Richard: Union soldier from the Indian Mound area.
Ferrell, John: Opened a school in Dover in 1806.
Fitzhugh, Pinkney P.: 1853-1939. Son of James Young Fitzhugh. Extensive
land owner. Donated land for the building of Trinity Church. Owned a tie yard
known as Fitzhugh's Landing on the Cumberland River Served three terms in the
House of Representatives. One of his last acts as State Representative, in August 1920, was to vote in favor of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote.
Fitzhugh, James Young: 1817-1898; Free Will Baptist minister.
Fitzhugh, Scott Preston: 1888-1956. Son of Pinkney Preston Fitzhugh.
Served as state senator from Shelby Co., Memphis lawyer, Speaker of the House.
Responsible for passage of a bill for building of bridge over the Tennessee
River, this being named the Scott Fitzhugh Bridge.
Flood, J. P.: A "carpet-bagger" arriving in Dover during the Civil War from
the North. He was postmaster and established the newspaper, the Dover Record, until he was indicted in 1877 for stealing pension checks from the mail.
Gatlin, Ephraim: One of first settlers in this area near Lake Barkley.
Arrived around 1800 from North Carolina with nine brothers. The Gatlin Point
area was named for him and later known as Brandon Springs.
Gillahan, Fred A.: Casualty of WW I.
Gorham, R.E.: First principal of the new Dover high school in 1917.
Haggard, William: The first mill on Hickman Creek about 1800 is
attributed to this man.
Hays, Robert: Received one thousand acres from the state of North Carolina
in the 1780s, on Saline Creek at the mouth of Hays Fork, named for him.
None listed....please share
with us!
Jackson, Henry: Donated land in 1868 for the building of the Pleasant
Hill School, located between Mossy Run Creek and Blue Creek.
Jackson, Robert: Bought 640 acres in 1820 from John Donelson by cutting
cord wood for steamboats. The Jackson Landing community located near Bumpus
Mills on the Cumberland River is named for him.
Joiner, C.W.: Along with William Martin, began a tobacco prizing
warehouse in the Big Rock area in 1905.
Kendall, Peter: A legislator from Stewart County who built a dam on
Dick's Fork of North Cross Creek about 1820, and owned the first mill there.
Lahiff, John: Union soldier from Indian Mound area. His parents came from
County Clare, Ireland, attracted by the iron industry. John became a doctor.
Lane, H.M.: Confederate veteran.
Lawrence, J.L.: County's first school superintendent elected under new
1873 public school law.
Lawrence, James R.: A teacher and preacher in the Indian Mound community
about 1864.
Lewis, George: Confederate soldier from Indian Mound area.
Lewis, Rufus: Confederate soldier from Indian Mound area.
Lewis, William C.: Veteran of War of 1812, Captain.
Lewis, William T.: Confederate veteran.
Lory, John H.: An Englishman sent during the 1890's by the Cumberland
River Land Company (owned by board of directors in London, England) to oversee
the company's business. He lived in a fine house in the Bear Spring area
complete with running water, bathroom, tennis court, guest house, valet and
servants, something unheard of in this area at the time.
Lyons, Douglas: WW I casualty from the Fort Henry community.
Mann, John: Confederate soldier from Indian Mound area, died 1863.
Martin, George: Organization of the county took place March 12, 1804 at
his home near Bald Rock on the Cumberland River.
Martin, William: Along with C.W. Joiner, began a tobacco prizing
warehouse in Big Rock area in 1915.
McDougal, Professor: Established a male and female academy in Dover in
1840.
McElroy, George: A school superintendent during the 1890's.
McHood, John Robert: World War I veteran.
McNairy, Nathaniel: Elected Solicitor for the county at first session of
court in March, 1804.
Nelson, Robert: His land was purchased in 1805 for the purpose of
establishing a county seat for Stewart County. The town was initially to
be called Monroe, but quickly changed to Dover.
O'Brien, Mike: Commissioned to carve the figure of a bear on the Bear
Spring furnace stack after 1873.
Parker, Cigmarion: Located in TnGenWeb Archives.
Parker, Nathan: Deeded one and a half acres in 1819 for the building of
Cub Creek Church.
Petty, George: One of four magistrates who organized the county in 1804.
Built the first log house in the new town of Dover near the river bank. The
road to his house became known as Petty Street.
Powers, Dr. George L.: Practiced dentistry in Cumberland City about 1902.
Later became Dean of the College of Dentistry, Baylor University in Dallas,
Texas.
Rice, "General" James W.: A school superintendent during the 1890's, son of "Judge" James E. Rice. He was a State Senator from Stewart County who voted in August 1920 against the 19th Amendment to allow women the right to vote.
Rogers, D. M.: County agent from February 1, 1919 to June 30, 1919.
Rorie, Asa: Confederate soldier from Indian Mound area. Died 1865.
Rorie, Hezekiah: Early settler and slave owner in Indian Mound area by
1837.
Rorie, William: Confederate soldier from Indian Mound area.
Ross, Nellie Tayloe: married William Bradford Ross of Dover, daughter of James Tayloe
whose family had come from Stewart County. She became
the nation's first woman governor, in Wyoming, when her husband died in office.
Rushing, Grady: WW I casualty from Fort Henry community.
Satterwhite, George: Owned the first automobile to arrive in Dover in
1903. Satterwhite lived in Erin.
Scarborough, Dr. James Henry: b1833. Served Stewart Co. as druggist and
doctor. Aided Confederate medical units.
Scarborough, Samuel Deberry: Confederate veteran.
Shaw, Thomas: First Worshipful Master of the Lineport Lodge in 1851.
Shelby, O.M.: County agent from July 21, 1917 to January 31, 1919.
Sills, Mitchell: WW I casualty, from Fort Henry community.
Smith, James: Elected Trustee at first session of court in March, 1804.
Smith, Samuel: Elected clerk at first session of court in March, 1804.
Smith, Washington: Union soldier from the Indian Mound area.
Stacker, George: Confederate veteran.
Stewart, Duncan: One of the earliest settlers who owned vast tracts of
land in the area. Eventually, by bargaining with other early pioneers, he
disposed of all of his lands. Stewart County was named for this early settler.
Stone, Dr. R.A.: Doctor in Indian Mound area in mid 1800's. A deed from
him to H.A. Fitzhugh is available in another database at this site.
Summers, L.C.: Built the first store in the Throckmorton community about
1873.
Tagert, James: Settled at the site of Bowling Green (later known as
Cumberland City) in 1784-1785.
Tayloe, James: Born in 1832 in Stewart County, father of Nellie Tayloe
Ross, who became the nation's first woman governor, in Wyoming.
Thomas, W.T.: One of the founders of the Cumberland City Academy. When
the school closed in 1914, his wife donated the property to the Methodist
Conference and W. T. Thomas School was established. Later the property reverted
to Mrs. Thomas, and she then turned it over to the Stewart County Board of
Education.
Thornton, Yancy: Elected Revenue Commissioner at first session of court
in March, 1804.
Tippit, John: Mill owner in the Indian Mound area in mid 1800's.
Tippit, Marion: Son of John and Lucy, died in Yankee prison camp during
the Civil War. Marion was from the Indian Mound area.
Walton, Polk: Union soldier from the Indian Mound area.
Weaks, James P.: Became the first owner and operator of an automobile
garage in the county in 1915.
Wells, Hayden and Uriah: Uriah was given land for his services during the
Revolutionary War and gave this land to Hayden. The Well's Creek area is named
for one or both of these men.
Wells, William Harrison: William Harrison Wells was born in 1806 in
Stewart County, Tennessee. William was the son of David Sloan Wells. David
Wells and his younger brother Martin Wells served with the Tennessee Volunteers
under General Jackson in 1814.
David's dad, and William's granddad was Martin Wells, Senior, who moved
to Stewart County in 1796 from New Hanover County, North Carolina. They were
farmers, first; and in Tennessee, they got more than they bargained for! All
these men lived for a period of time in the vicinity of Wells Creek, which was
their home. Martin Wells, Sr. is probably buried around there.
Later in time, some of the Wells men moved west of the Tennessee River,
then later to Arkansas where William was elected first County Judge of Drew
County; and to Texas, where Martin Wells Jr fought for Texas Independence from
Mexico (and helped win it).
Williams, James: First merchant in Indian Mound in 1818.
Williams, Joshua: One of four magistrates who organized the county in
1804.
Woods, Joseph: Along with Robert Woods and Thomas Yeatman, he acquired
18400 acres in Stewart County to form the Cumberland Iron Works. The first
furnace about eight miles east of Dover was erected in 1820.
Woods, Robert: Along with Joseph Woods and Thomas Yeatman, he acquired
18400 acres in Stewart County to form the Cumberland Iron Works. The first
furnace, about eight miles east of Dover, was erected in 1820.
Yeatman, Thomas: Along with Robert and Joseph Woods, he acquired 18400
acres in Stewart County to form the Cumberland Iron Works. The first furnace,
about eight miles east of Dover, was erected in 1820.
