The first physician of whom much is known was Dr. Hall, who located at O’Connors, White County, and practiced successfully for a number of years in the early twenties. Some years later Dr. Throckmorton was the leading physician of this county. He began the practice about 1828.  He was the father of a young man who left White County for Texas, becoming Governor of that State and a United States Senator, since which time the name “Throckmorton” has been well known throughout the United States.  Then came Dr. Madison Fisk, who was quite a successful physician, and the father of Adison Fisk, who was quite prominent here, and is now a prominent citizen of Arkansas; Theopholis Fisk and Willard Fisk,  both prominent physicians in their time in Texas.  Dr. M.Y. Brockett, Dr. William Renshaw, Dr. Absolom Johnson, Dr. Thomas Snodgrass, Dr. Jesse Barnes, Dr. Lightburn, and Dr. J.H. Snodgrass complete the names of the leading physicians before the war, Dr. Mack Snodgrass being the only survivor.  Dr. J.W. Sawyer, Dr. Frank Murray (brother of Thomas and John Murray), and Dr. C.K. Mausey are other physicians who practiced in Sparta about the close of the war.

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Dr. M. Anderson – practiced medicine in Sparta for a number of years, and moved to Texas about 1884.

Dr. W.J. Breeding – was born on February 1, 19=870, and is a son of Esq. Scott Breeding, of the Eleventh District.  He graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Tennessee in 1893.  Not being satisfied with this education and desiring to excel in all things, he concluded to take a post-graduate course in Vanderbilt University in 1895. After three years of successful practice in White County, in order to better equip himself for his profession, he took another post-graduate course in the New York Polyclinic Institute in 1898.  He was later married to Miss Lula Johnson, and is actively engaged in the practice of his profession.  He lives at Taylors, and also has an office at Pleasant Hill. He is president of the Upper Cumberland Medical Society and is considered one of our most successful physicians and surgeons.

 

Dr. I.L. Davis – who lives at Darkey Springs, does a large practice in that end of the county, and is a very successful physician.  He is a prominent Mason and a member of the White County Medical Society.

Dr. W.S. Findlay – was born at Abingdon, Va., on September 16, 1828, and graduated at Emory and Henry College in 1850, receiving the degree of Master of Arts.  In 1853 he graduated in the University of Pennsylvania, Medical Department.  During the war he was assistant surgeon in the Forty-third Tennessee Regiment.  At the close of the war he moved his family from Sequatchie Valley to Sparta, and entered the practice of medicine.  Besides being a successful physician, Dr. Findlay, has been very active in fraternal orders and church and Sunday school work.  He is an Odd Fellow, and has represented the Sparta lodge in the Grand Lodge ten years.  He now occupies a place of high distinction in the Masonic Lodge, being Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Chapter of Tennessee, and he is also president of the Masonic Veteran Association of Tennessee. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is founder of Findlay’s Chapel.  He is a prominent Knight of Honor, and has been financial reporter of the Sparta lodge since 1882.  He is enjoying good health and the esteem of his neighbors.

Dr. S.E. Gaines – is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Medical Department, and has gradually forged to the front as a leading member o his profession.  He was educated in the schools of White County, and read medicine under Dr. J.H. Snodgrass.  He is a nephew of Dr. W.B. Cummings, who was one o the leading physicians of this section for many years after the war.  Dr. Gaines is a member of the different medical societies, and takes great interest in the literature and practice of his profession.  He married Miss Baker in 1891, and they have one child.  He and Dr. Snodgrass have recently erected commodious and well-appointed offices on Bridge street.  He is a pension examiner and county health physician.  He very successfully handled the contagion of smallpox of a year ago and the epidemic of scarlet fever of the present year, and the County Court highly commended his work.

Dr. D.R. Gist — One of our older physician, who has been in the practice of medicine in this county for a number of years, is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.  He is a son of the late Benjamin Gist.  Besides being a successful physician, Dr. Gist has been connected with the drug business for a number of years, with slight intermission.  He and his son have recently completed an elegant brick business house, the lower floor of which will be a drug store, and he will have his offices on the second floor.  Dr. Gist keeps abreast with this profession, is a member of the White County Medical Society and the Upper Cumberland Medical Society, and is frequently called upon to contribute papers to these societies, which are very instructive to the profession.  He is the local physician of the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway.  His wife was a Miss England, and they have four children.

 

Dr. J.T. Moore – of Algood, is one of the most successful physicians of Putnam County.  He is a White County boy, and is a son of T.F. Moore, of Sparta.  He is a graduate of the Medical Department of the University of Tennessee.

Dr. A.F. Richards – was born in White County in 1866, being a son of Daniel R. Richards, deceased.  Dr. Richards was educated in this county, and taught school for a number of years, obtaining in this manner a sufficient amount of money to defray the expenses of his medical education.  He attended the University of Tennessee, Medical Department, at Nashville, graduating in 1892.  Until 1895 he was located at Bon Air, going then to New York to take a post-graduate course in the New York Polyclinic Institute.  Returning to Sparta, he began the practice of medicine, making a specialty of diseases of the eye, ear, and throat, but doing a general practice, in which he has gained a great reputation. In 1895, he was married to Miss Fannie Argo, and has one child. Dr. Richards is a member of the Christian Church, a member of the Sparta Board of Aldermen, and is a progressive citizen.  His experience in surgery and medicine has been very successful.

 

Dr. J.H. Snodgrass – was born in White County in 1836, and was the son of James Snodgrass, who was an extensive farmer and quite prominent in politics in his day.  Dr. Snodgrass began the practice of medicine in 1855, and has been in the active practice ever since.  During the war he was surgeon of the Twenty-fifth Tennessee Regiment.  He returned to White County after the war, and from that day to this he has been in constant practice in White County, having ridden more miles horseback than almost any other physician in the State.  He is acquainted with more people than almost any man in this section, and is well acquainted with every bypath and hog trail in the county.  He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Medical Department, and is an ex-president of the White County Medical Society.  He has been very successful as a physician, and has done more charity practice perhaps than any physician in the State.  He married a daughter of H.L. Carrick, to which union were born four children.  He has his residence in West Sparta and his office in Sparta.

 

Dr. H.P. Smith – for many years a leading physician of White County, was born in North Carolina in 1827, and was educated at Oxford.  He read medicine at Murfreesboro, Tenn., with Dr. James Wendel.  In the year 1854 he moved to Mississippi and took charge of Harry Hill’s farms, consisting of five plantations and five hundred negroes.  He did the practice on this farm for three years.  In the year 1859 he returned to White County and began the practice of medicine, also being interested in the mercantile business.  He afterwards ran a tannery at Cave.  He moved to Doyle, where he did a large practice for a number of years.  He was the father of Dr. R.E. Lee Smith, a successful physician, of Doyle Station, and Mrs. John D. Stewart, of Nashville.  He was an Odd Fellow and a Mason, and took great interest in these orders.  He was a charter member of White Encampment, Onward Lodge, No. 194, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a member of the Christian Church.  He was the preceptor of quite a number of young doctors, among them being Drs. Sam Denton, Bob Hill, Charles Hill, W.B. Young, Tom Richards, D.R. Gist, Charles Simpson,  Joe Smith, and R.E. Lee Smith.  He died on the last day of October 1886.

Dr. R.E. Smith – was born in Van Buren County in 1864 and was a son of Dr. Henry P. Smith.  He was reared in White County near Doyle Station, where he located after completing his medical education, and he is now in the successful practice of his profession.  He was educated at Burritt College and graduated at the University of Tennessee, Medical Department, about fifteen years ago.  Returning home, he was married to Miss Bettie Taylor, and they have four children.  He is an Odd Fellow, a Mason, a Democrat, and a member of the Christian Church.  He was an elegant home at Doyle Station, a good practice, and is also interested in a thriving mercantile and drug business.  He is a member of the Pension Examining Board, and is an officer in the Upper Cumberland Medical Society and the White County Medical Society.

Dr. E.G. Sullivan – is located near Amanda. He has been a very successful physician for a number of years. For the past year or so he has been in bad health, which has crippled his usual activity in the practice of his profession.

Dr. W.B. Young – was born in Henry County in 1865, and is a son of the late Oliver F. Young.  Dr. Young was a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Medical Department, in 1888, and was the valedictorian of his class.  He was associated for some time with Drs. Paul F. and Duncan Eve.  Burritt College conferred on him the degree of A.M.  He took a post-graduate course at Vanderbilt University, and in 1895 graduated at the Polyclinic Institute, of New York.  Dr. Young has fourteen years been physician to the Bon Air Coal, Land and Lumber Company.  He has been kept very busy with the demands of the population of that city, which forced him to abandon the chair he held the Medical Department of the University of the South, at Sewanee, as professor of gynecology, a position which he filled with marked distinction for about four years. He did more than any other man to organize the Upper Cumberland Medical Society, and was its president.  He is very active, energetic, and successful in his profession, and stands very high with the officials of the Bon Air Coal, Land and Lumber Company.  His wife is the daughter of R. Hill, president of the First National Bank, of Sparta, and they have one child.  Dr. Young has invested liberally in the upbuilding of Sparta, and, with J.N. Walling, built the Walling & Young block of business houses on the Public Square, which block is a credit to Sparta and White County.  He is a stockholder in the First National Bank, of Sparta.

There are other successful physicans in White County, prominent among them being Dr. Baker and Dr. Brock, who have given many years to their profession, and who are highly esteemed as citizens and physicians.  Dr. William Barton and Dr. John Martin practiced medicine in this county since the Civil War.  Dr. W.B. Cummings, who was mentioned above, is perhaps as well known and well remembered as any physician since the war.

The medical profession of White County, like all other professions here, has kept abreast of any in the State.  White County has the best medical society of any county in the State. It has held regular meetings for the past eighteen years, and nearly all the physicians of the county have been members and regular attendants.  By the many excellent papers presented by the members and the discussion thereof the physicians have been quickened and enlightened in their profession.  They have successfully combated the most aggravating forms of malignant diseases.  The members of the profession have been uniformly charitable, intelligent, and ethical.  We have never heard of a single instance of unprofessional conduct upon the part of any White County physician.

Among the prominent physicians who were reared in White County are: Dr. Charles Simpson, of Waxachie, Texas; Dr. William McManus of Chattanooga; Dr. Hudson of Smithville, Dr. Clay Crowder, of Arkansas; Dr. Carnes, of Texas; Dr. Hamp Fancher, company physician for the coal company at Isolene; Dr. Hudson, of DeKalb County; Dr. Hill, of Coal Creek; Dr. Sevier Snodgrass, of West, Texas; and many others, all prominent.

Dr. V.B. Webb, of Walling, has for years been active in the practice of medicine.  He is a first-rate physician and an influential citizen.  Dr. William Johnson is a prominent young physician at Bon Air, associated with Dr. Young.

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Source: 1902 Souvenir Supplement of the Sparta Expositor Newspaper, pgs 21-23. The biographical profiles are listed on this page in alphabetical order; they are not listed in alphabetical order in the supplement issue. Contributed by Taneya Koonce.