Charles C. Young, a well known and enterprising merchant of Sparta, was born in this town February 25, 1845. He is the son of William M. and Matilda (Wallace) Young. His parents were married December 1, 1842. Mr. Young’s father was of Scotch descent and was born in Jackson County October 23, 1807, and died in White County November 13, 1862. His mother was born in White County, November 5, 1822. She is still living and a resident of Fayetteville, Tenn. The grandfather of Mr. Young came from North Carolina at an early date and settled in Jackson County, and filled the office of high sheriff of that county for fourteen years, and was then in the Legislature for two sessions. At the age of eighteen Mr. Young’s father, after spending his boyhood days on the farm, went to Nashville and served apprenticeship at the tanning business three years, after which he came to White County and with his small earnings established a tannery near Sparta and continued in the business about ten years. In the meantime he married a daughter of Woodson P. White. At different times before the war he was cashier of the Sparta branch of the Bank of Tennessee, of which he was a stockholder. Mr. Young received a liberal education in his native county, and at the age of fifteen entered the mercantile business as a salesman for the firm of D. P. & J. C. Shackleford at Fayetteville, Tenn., and remained one year. In the spring of 1861 he made an effort to join the Confederate States Army but was rejected on account of his age In the fall of the same year he made the second attempt to join the army and was successful. He enlisted in the Forty-first Tennessee Regiment Infantry, and remained until the close of the war. He was twice captured, first at Fort Donelson, and kept a prisoner eight months at Camp Morton, Ind.; was exchanged at Vicksburg, and captured the second time at Franklin, Tenn., being wounded twice during the engagement, and unable to retreat with the army was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, and remained a prisoner eight months again. He returned home in the spring of 1865, after an absence of nearly four years, and engaged in farming. Beginning in 1870 he followed tanning in Putnam County three years and then farmed three years. In 1876 be came to White County with about $1,000 cash, and established a store of general merchandise at Sparta. In 1882 he formed the partnership of Young & Dryer, doing a good business for two years. At the close of 1884 he bought out his partner and has since conducted the business alone. The firm does a business of about $20,000 a year. Besides owning and controlling the above business, Mr. Young owns three dwellings and one-half interest in the business house he now occupies. On June 19, 1872, he married Miss Nettie C. Burton, a cultured lady who was educated at the McMinnville Female College; she was born in Putnam County, May 12, 1846. To this union were born four children: Stephen H., born September 13, 1874; Mary E., born December 25, 1876; Minnie L., born December 22, 1879, and one other. Mr. Young is a Democrat, while he and his wife are members of tbe Christian Church.

Source:   Goodspeed Pub. Co. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of the Counties of White, Warren, Coffee, DeKalb, and Cannon, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, Etc., Etc. Nashville: Goodspeed Pub. Co, 1887.