Capt William L. Bromley, postmaster and early citizen of Waynesboro,Tenn, was born in Wayne County June 26, 1827, and is one of seven children born to the marriage of John Bromley and Edith Hurst, natives respectively, of Virginia and North Carolina. John Bromley, grandfather of our subject, located in Wayne County in 1818, having located in Giles County the previous year. His son John, married and reared his family in Wayne County, and followed a farmer’s life, being one of the successful agriculturists of his day. He died in the Third District July 26, 1850. The mother lived until March 30, 1884, having attained her seventy-seventh year. William L. spent his early days on his father’s farm, and secured but limited education in the primitive subscription schools of his day. At the age of twenty-two he began tilling the soil on his own responsibility, and continued that occupation until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in the Confederate Army, Company I, First Tennessee Cavalry. In 1862 he was chosen captain of Company F, Ninth Tennessee Battalion of cavalry, and served in this capacity until the close of the war. He resumed farming, but in 1869 engaged in the general merchandise business as clerk at Flat Woods postoffice. In February, 1876, he came to Waynesboro, where he has since been successfully engaged in the general merchandise business. The firm is composed of himself and R. C. Martin. In October, 1885, he was made postmaster of Waynesboro, and has been a competent and highly satisfactory office-holder. The captain is an unswerving Democrat in politics, and is a Royal Arch Mason.
Category Archives: GoodspeedBiography
Boyd, George W
George W. Boyd, druggist of Waynesboro, Tenn., was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, December 9, 1857, son of George W. Boyd, Sr., and came to Wayne County, Tenn., with his parents in 1868. He secured a fair education chiefly by his own efforts and afterward clerked in his fathers store. In May, 1883, he came to Waynesboro and engaged in the drug business in company with H. A. Helton. In November, 1885, his brother, Frank Boyd, took Mr. Helton’s place in the firm. They keep a stock of drugs and groceries, and control a large share of the trade, in his line, in town and country. They also have the agency for the Domestic sewing machine at this place. He is a Democrat.
Boyd, Frank
Frank Boyd, attorney at law, of Waynesboro, Tenn., was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, on the 30th of July, 1859, being a son of George W. and Ann E. (Songer) Boyd, who were Virginians. The father came to Wayne County, Tenn., in 1808, and located at Wayne Furnace, of which he was superintendent until the business there was suspended. Frank prepared himself for teaching and worked at intervals on the farm in this county. He taught in this and Shelby Counties until 1879. In the meantime he begun the study of law, and afterward studied under the direction of Howell E. Jackson in the winter of 1879 and spring of 1880. In September 1880, he entered the Lebanon law School, from which he graduated in 1881. In August of the same year he came to Waynesboro and engaged in practicing, continuing the same good success to the present. In November, 1885, he became identified with the drug business of the county, becoming a partner in the same with his brother, George W., at Waynesboro. Mr. Boyd is a Democrat and is a candidate for the attorney-generalship of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. May 22, 1883, he married Laura E., the daughter of A. T. Hassell. Mr. Boyd is one of the rising young lawyers of Wayne County, and a reliable and enterprising young man.
Biffle, Jonathan Frank
Jonathan Frank Biffle was born in Wayne County, Tenn., in 1849, His father Jonathan Biffle, was a Tennessean, a farmer, and when a young man was deputy Sheriff of Wayne County. He served in the Ninth Tennessee Regiment in the late war, under Jake Biffle, and was captured in 1864, while at home on furlough, and taken to Rock Island, Ill., where he was retained a prisoner until his death, January 23, 1864. He left a wife and three children to mourn his loss. His widow, Eliza A. (Hardin) Biffle, married George Walker, of Tennessee, and died July 14, 1885. Our subject, after his death, resided with his mother until her second marriage, when she left, giving him possession of the home-farm. He afterward inherited a portion of this farm, and purchased the remainder, in all consisting of 350 acres of fairly improved land. His principal products are corn, small grain and peanuts. Besides this, he owns sixty-four acres of land below his present farm, and a two-thirds interest in 183 acres of timber land. In 1877 he and Mary Clendennin united their fortunes. She a Tennessean by birth, born 1858, daughter of Joseph and Bettie Clendennin. Mr. and Mrs. Biffle have four children: Joe., Jonathan A. (who died 1881) Nettie E. (who died in1883) and John W. Mr. Biffle is a Democrat.
Berry, William J.
William J. Berry, retail dealer in liquors at Clifton, Tenn., is a son of Joseph G. Berry, whose sketch appears in this work. He was born in Wayne County, Tenn., February 16, 1858, and was reared and educated in the county. In 1876 he engaged in his present business in Waynesboro, and remained there till 1881, when he removed his business to Clifton. He has met success in his undertakings, and conducts a strictly first-class saloon. He keeps a fine stock of pure whiskies, wines, beer, ect. October 23, 1877, he married Lou Dora Ramsey. They have two children: Joseph C. and Ralph M. Mr. Berry is a stanch Republican, and was city recorder of Clifton two terms.
Berry, Joseph G.
Joseph G. Berry, a well known citizen of Clifton, Tenn., was born in Hardin County January 22, 1834, son of William and Sarah (Weatherford) Berry, who were born in Georgia and East Tennessee, respectively. The father came to Tennessee with his mother when a boy, and located and afterward married in Hardin County. He died in 1868. Joseph G. was three years of age when his parents came to Wayne County. He was raised on a farm, and in the fall of 1862 enlisted in the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry, United States Army, and was promoted to captain of Company H, and served two years. At the close of the war he engaged in Mercantile business at Waynesboro, and there remained until 1880, when he removed to Clifton, and conducted the hotel at that place very successfully for three years. Since that time he has been connected with the liquor business, farming, and also keeps a hostelry for the traveling public. In 1854 he married Elmyra J. Cypert, who became the mother of the following family: William J., Ada (widow of Isaac H. Old), and Joanna. Mr. Berry is a Republican, and has been a Mason since 1855, and also belongs to the K. of H.
Bell, William L.
William L. Bell was born in Wayne County in 1844, son of William R. and Elizabeth (Burns) Bell, who were born in North Carolina and Tennessee , respectively. The father came to Tennessee when a young man, and was a tanner by trade, and in connection with this followed farming. He was a Whig in politics and died in Wayne County in 1863. His wife died in 1844. The father was married four times, his first wife being a Miss Alexander; the second, our subject’s mother; the third, Adeline Stockard, and the fourth, Jane Meredith. Our subject was reared on a farm, and at the death of his mother was cared for by by his grandmother. From fifteen until nineteen years of age he resided with an uncle. He enlisted in the Confederate service, and served until the close of the war. He was in many of the principal battles, but was never wounded. He returned home in February, 1865. Shortly after his return he married Martha C. Whitaker, daughter of James and Delphia Whitaker. She was born in Tennessee in 1840, and is the mother of six children: Conly, (deceased), Elizabeth, Samuel, William H., Whittorne and Charles (deceased). Our subject farmed two years on rented land after his marriage, and in 1868, purchased his present farm of 340 acres. He is a Democrat, and held the office of deputy sheriff three years, giving good satisfaction.
Barnett, John M.
John M. Barnett first saw the light of day in Wayne County, Tenn., in 1834. His parents, John M. and Lovina (Poag) Barnett, were born in Georgia and South Carolina, respectively, and came to Tennessee at an early day and when quite young. The father was a farmer by occupation but also practiced medicine and preached the gospel, being a minister of the Christian Church. He was a Whig and died in Wayne County, in 1834, followed by his wife in 1864. Our subject has always resided on the farm where he was born. It consists of 164 acres of fairly improved land in a good state of cultivation, the principal productions being corn, small grain and stock. In 1859, he was united in marriage to Caroline Skillern, daughter of Anderson and Polly (Spring) Skillern Mrs. Barnett was born in 1833 and died in 1863, having borne two children Joseph B. (who died in 1861), and Sarah C. In 1865 Mr. Barnett married Lillie A. Thompson, who was born in 1842, daughter of Jackson and Mary Thompson. This wife died in 1873, leaving one child, Martha J. In 1877 MR. Barnett took for his third wife Senith Welch, daughter of James and Senith Welch. She was born in 1835, and is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Our subject belongs to the Christian Church and is a Republican in Politics.
Adams, David R.
David R. Adams, a pioneer of Wayne County, Tenn., was born October 17, 1813, son of William and Unity Adams, who were married in their native State (South Carolina), and soon immigrated to Tennessee, where the father farmed and lived for many years. The mother died here December 9, 1832, and six years later the father moved to Missouri, where he died about 1850. He was a Whig in politics. David R. lived with his father until twenty-three years of age, when he united his fortunes with those of Eliza Woodward, a Tennessean, born in 1819, and daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Biven) Woodward. To them were born seven children: Martha E.(deceased), William J., Elizabeth A. (deceased), Wiley H., Unity J., George S. and John F. After his marriage Mr. Adams farmed a few years and then moved to Mississippi, but not being satisfied, remained only a few months, when he returned to Tennessee. He resided in different parts of the county until 1852, when he purchased his present farm of 113 acres. The land is in a good state of cultivation and fairly well improved. When Mr. Adams first moved to Wayne County it was very sparsely settled. He is a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church, and has has always been a Republican in politics. He is strictly temperate, and has always evaded lawsuits, never being sued or having to sue but one man in the whole course of his life.
Transcribed by Fred Murtishaw.
Source: Goodspeed’s history of TN (Wayne County, pp. 763-777, 849-889). Goodspeed, 1886.
Acklin, Thomas F.
Thomas F. Acklin is one of the firm of Mays & Acklin, liverymen of Clifton. They established their business April 1, 1886, and keep a full and excellent line of vehicles, the best in town or county. They deal quite extensively in horses and mules, and in connection, in January, 1885, established a retail liquor store, which they have conducted with fair success up to the present time. Thomas F. Acklin is a son of Cleaburn and Martha (McCreley) Acklin. who were born in Tennessee and North Carolina respectively. Thomas F. is a native of Wayne County, born May 15, 1845, and was reared to manhood on a farm. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861, and served in Company F, Forty-eighth Tennessee Infantry for over three years, and in the Twentieth Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry the remainder of the war. From the time of his return home until December, 1882, he tilled the soil, and at the latter date he came to Clifton and has since been engaged in the livery business. Previous to this he kept a hotel in Saltillo for some time. In 1871 he united his fortunes with those of Sarah M. Nunley, and two children have blessed their union: Tempie and James. Mr. Acklin is a Democrat and one of the eminent business men of Clifton.
Transcribed by Fred Murtishaw.
Source: Goodspeed’s history of TN (Wayne County, pp. 763-777, 849-889). Goodspeed, 1886.