City: Memphis
GASTON, John, business man; born near Bordeau, in South France, in 1828; at age of twelve years he left the farm and went to Paris, where an uncle kept a small hotel and restaurant; later he became steward on an ocean steamer and crossed the Atlantic many times; he finally setteld in New York, where for two years he was in the service of Delmonico; in 1851 he went to California, after a short time he returned to New York, and the following year went to Washington, and from there to Florida as steward of a hotel at Apalachicola; next he became a steward of a hotel at Macon, Ga., and later took a position at Atlanta; shortly after the civil war broke out he entered the Confederate army, and served on detail duty until the close of hostilities; during the war he lost all he had accumulated, and in 1865 went to Memphis, and in 1867 he opened a restaurant at that place, later opened a small hotel; although retired from acitve life he is still proprietor of the Gaston hotel; married twice, his first wife was Julia T. MEIER; member of business Men’s Club, Industrial League, and Episcopal church.
