NATIVE SKULLBONIANS PROMINENT CITIZENS
Transcribed by Dixie Lea Wright

Skullbone road men.

William Goodman appointed overseer on road from Rutherfords fork to Carroll
county line. Road hands working were: John Waldrop, Jim Waldrop, John Connell,
William Gribbs, John Gribbs, Johnson Gribbs, Gilbert Gribbs, Doctor Gribbs, Ben
Carroll, Legitt Fisher, Tom Williams and Simon Thetford. Jesse Flippin, William
Gribbs, Jonathan Gribbs, Patterson Crockett, appointed to mark out a road
beginning where the Carroll county road crosses Rutherfords fork Obion, running
from there to Carroll county line, the nearest and best way in a direction to
Christmasville in Carroll county and make a report to next term of
court......1825 Gibson County records. John Drewry, Richard Drury, William
Goodman appointed a man to run a road from Jackson to Dresden, commencing where
south line of Gibson county crossed meridian line of the 9th and 10th districts,
then on best ground so as to intersect the road now out from Dresden to near
John Drury. 1828.....Venire....Felix Parker, John Fly, Henry Capps, William
Reed, William Holmes, John Drury, Pat Crockett, Richard C. Drury, Ken Mayo,
Drury Forman... Gibson County records. SKULLBONIAN GOVERNOR The "Stone" family
was a pioneer family of the 15th district of southern Skullbonia. A descendant
thereof, John Marshall Stone, became one of the best beloved Governors of the
state of Mississippi.
------------By Mrs. Rebecca Jones, Gann Historian.

SKULLBONIAN UNITED STATES JUDGE

Judge J. Allen Mount was born April 24, 1863 (?) in the Skullbone Community,
near Ft. Pleasant Baptist Church, a son of James Matthias Mount and wife Sarah
Ann Flippen, Mount. He received his B. A. degree at Union University, Jackson,
1891. He left the profession of teaching and in 1909 moved to Corpus Christi,
Texas, to manage the Corpus Christi Steamship Company. In 1913, he was
appointed Deputy Clerk of the United States District Court, Southern District
of Texas, in charge of the Corpus Christi Division, and in 1915, he was
appointed United States Commissioner for the same court, holding that dual
position until June 30, 1950, when he voluntarily retired from office, having
been in the U.S. Government services continually for 37 years. He married
Louella Bobbitt, of Dyer, Tennessee, on January 27, 1895. He was active in
Masonry and in the Missionary Baptist Church, in which he was a deacon. His
parents were early members of the Mt. Pleasant Church near Skullbone village.
SKULLBONE REPRESENTATIVE Gibson County had a Republican Representative to the
Tennessee State Legislature in 1867. His name was Jesse E. McNair and he was
born, reared and lived in the Village of Skullbone, on the first rise toward
Skullbone from Shades' bridge, where Hulon Cates lived in 1960. He was the most
handsome man in the country. But, after he got that political job at Nashville,
he became such a vain, self-conceited, 10-cent snob that everybody turned
against him. He lasted only one term. Even his Republican buddies wouldn't
have anything to do with him and he couldn't have been elected dog-catcher any
more.
--------------"Bill" Reid and Roy Whicker.

SKULLBONIA FURNISHED FLOTORIAL REPRESENTATIVE.

Harry Williamson, locally known by many as the "Mayor of Holly Leaf" (Gibson
County, Tennessee) was Flotorial Representative of three counties, namely:
Carroll, Henry and Weakley counties, serving in the Tennessee General Assembly
or Legislature in 1918. A short biographical sketch of Hon. Harry Williamson
follows.---

After doing his elementary school work at Flippin School house in the 15th
district, he worked his way through Laneview by doing the laundry,(washing) for
the boys in the dormitory and began teaching in a one-room rural school known as
"Cross Eye". Represented the Floterial district of Carroll, Henry and Weakley
counties in the 1913 Tennessee Legislature, after which he served as Deputy
Clerk and Mastery of Chancery Court of Huntingdon. Back into teaching, he was
Principal of the schools at Malesus and Bemis, in Madison county, and did YMCA
work during World War I, at Pacolate, S. C. and Danville, Virginia. Graduated
from Peabody College at Nashville in 1924 (?), then served as Principal of
schools at Whiteville and Colliersville, and Superintendant of the Hugh Special
School District at Hughes, Arkansas. Served as Superintendant of the Tennessee
Industrial School at Nashville during the first Browning Administration and
after leaving that position bought the Carroll County Democrat at Huntingdon,
and later the McKenzie Banner at McKenzie. After ten years as newspaper editor
and publisher, during which time he won the University of Tennessee and State
Press Association award for best editorials of any weekly newspaper, in 1941,
and after serving as USO director during Worl War II, he served for a number of
years in the State Department of Education. Now retired, he is doing free lance
writing at Starkville, Miss. where he now lives in 1960.

----- SKULLBONIA DIPLOMAT AND TROUBLE-SHOOTER---

Robert Eli Dowland, son of Jesse Grant Dowland and wife Frances Godard, Dowland,
is a native of Skullbone Community and was born and reared near Mt. Pleasant
Baptist Church, of which they are members. He got his education at Skullbone,
Bradford and Memphis College. In the military service of World War II, he was
stationed at Casablanca, Morocco, and was connected with a Hotel where President
Roosevelt, some Senators and high-ranking officers stayed. He made valuable
contacts there and later went into "Uncle Sams' Foreign Service", in which he
served as U.S. Vice Consul and in other capacities in several Consulates over
the world, including Beirut, Lebanon, Dharan, Saudi-Arabia, Damascus, Syria,
Casablanca, Morocco, Trijillo, Dominican Republic, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and
Brisbane, Australia, where he married Valerie Meyers. In 1960, he resigned this
Government position to accent a position with the Golden Peacock Industries of
Paris, Tennessee, as chief of Foreign Sales Production. He is somewhat of a
linguist and orator, speaking several languages, including Portuguese and Arabic.

-----SKULLBONE WEALTHY FARMER----

Kermit Cates, son of "Bob" and Flora Cates, native of Skullbone, is one of the
most scientific, successful and wealthy farmers of Gibson County. Although
still fairly young in 1960, he has already accumulated around a thousand acres
of good land in Gibson and Weakley counties. He has much modern farming
machinery, including corn pickers and cotton pickers. His farm operations
include several residences and furnishes work for many farm lands. He is a
"dirt farmer", not an "agriculturist". He works, himself, and sees that all
employees work. He had his own repair shop. filling station and handles
fertilizer. His specialty is cotton. He plants more acres in cotton and
produces more bales than anyone else in his section of the county. Mr. Cates is
a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and taken a keen interest in Church and
Community affairs.

------SKULLBONE CATTLE BREEDER---
George Butler, of Holly Leaf, was a wealthy farmer and cattle breeder. His
bulls were rated among the finest in the country. He was an active member of
the Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church.

------THE SKULLBONE "HOLT' FAMILY---

Some of Skullbones' early settlers were the Holt families. Captain Carroll
Holt was a "Union" soldier. He was a great politician and served as Postmaster
at Dresden. Esquire Perry Holt served as magistrate for 24 years. Newt Holt
was a good lawyer. Although he never attended law college, his foxy
intelligence, native ability and technique, enabled him to defeat some of the
best law school graduates. The Holt family also had one extra able preacher,
Rev. Audie Holt.
-----Roy Whicker.

-----SKULLBONIAN WEALTHY FARMER-----

Elijah Parker, native of the Skullbone community accumulated hundreds of acres
of some of the best land in Gibson county. he moved southwest, nearer Trenton.
He had a son named Leonard, who had a son named James Elijah Parker.

--------SKULLBONIAN CATTLE DEALER TYCOON----

James Monroe McCaleb, son of Cicero McCaleb, is a native of the Skullbone
community, who later moved to Bradford and became a big cattle dealer during the
20th century. His large operations are not confined to Tennessee. From
Mississippi, alone, his purchases run into the hundreds of thousands of cattle
over the years, and into millions of dollars.

------SKULLBONIAN CHAIN SUPERMARKET MAN---

George William Crocker, who lived within one mile of Idlewild, was a son of V.
E. Crocker. He got his education at Idlewild High School and at Memphis State.
Later on he went to Los Angeles and studied law. He has run chain stores since
about 1945 and owns several other SuperMarkets in Riverside, California.

-------SKULLBONIAN OIL TYCOON-----

Leonard McCollum, a native of Skullbone community, went to Texas and worked up
to be President of the Continental Oil Company, of Texas, the second biggest in
the country.

-------JOHN DAVID McCARTNEY----
Was born at Bunker Hill, 1 mile west of Belews' Chapel, in the 17th District, on
October 10, 1899. He married, at 18, to Corean Lettie Lloyd, of the same
neighborhood. At 19, left farm and began running grist mill and feed store at
Bradford at 5th door north of postoffice, Nov. 12, 1918. Started with one clerk,
Tim Michael, free delivery of feed, flour, etc. Gross first year only $15,000.00
and for five or six years, maintained business through agent, bit worked for
"Ford & Boone" two months in a year to obtain experience, for 7 years---finally
succeeds, then in the fruit business, adding this to other business, about 1935.
Started out with one truck--Gross at the end of first combined business
approximately $100,000.00. About 1936, added Grocery business to Mill and Fruit.
Approximate gross at end of first year of combined about $150,000.00. At 1937,
at which time was operating 3 trucks, 3 employed at beginning 1938. In 1939
added long distance hauling of produce, fruits and vegetables. Now five trucks
$200.000.00. in 1942, became a national distributor using 5 trucks, gradually
increased to 1947, when bought and sold over $1,000,000.00. Now have 31 trucks,
still over $1,000,000.00 a year. Might as well try to interview an employee on
a production line--like Ponzi--financial wizard, may be down today-- up tomorrow.
But, today he is "sitting on top of the world".

------DR. E. STARNES WALKER, NATIVE OF SKULLBONIA---

Out in Kansas City, Missouri, people who have long been associated with the
Veterans hospital, will tell you about Dr. E. Starnes Walker, who for over 30
years has been a doctor at this little institution, and what they say is good.
To oldtimers of Skullbonia, he is "Elbert" Walker, and grew up on a farm in the
15th Civil District. After absorbing the education available at old Flippins'
school house, Elbert attended High School at Bradford, and then did his medical
work at Vanderbilt University at Nashville. After graduation, he practiced for a
time at Milan and Bradford, and them went to the Veterans' Hospital at Kansas
City. He tried to retire last year, but couldn't quite make it, and is still
doing part time work at a clinic there in Kansas City. Occasionally, Dr. Walker
comes back to Skullbonia for a barbeque or a Chicken "Brile".---By Hon. Harry
Williamson, "Mayor of Holly Leaf".

----SKULLBONIAN HOTEL OPERATOR---

C Reid Dowland, a native and a resident of Skullbone village, was farmhand,
street car conductor, Railway Postal Clerk, now retired therefrom, has some
hotels and is dabbling in local history as a hobby.

--------WILBURN E. DOWLAND...HISTORY SKULLBONE, TENNESSEE. (OLD DOWLAND FARM)

At one time on Henry Dowlands' farm, land sold for 10¢ an acre. There was an old
'Water Mill" on this farm, on Dowland Creek, and people came from far and near
on horse back to get their corn meal ground for meal. There was a general shop
on this farm that made home made coffins, every kind of plows, saws and tools
were also made on this farm. There was a road that ran from Mt. Pleasant Church
to Mitts' Ford, where they used to baptize a long time ago. There was also
landings for boats here at Mitts wash hole farm at the mouth of Dowlands' creek.
There is a tree on this farm that is around one hundred and fifty years old,
Timothy Dowlands' wifes brother topped this tree when it was very small. On this
farm there was a tannery and there were home made shoes made. They first tanned
the leather and they had forms to fir the leather and made pegs of walnut to put
them together. They had grease lamps and used them for their means of lighting.
They had looms to make their own clothes and made them. Signed...Wilburn E.
Dowland A great-grandson of Henry Dowland. NOTE...Captain Isaac Mathis an in-law
was manager of the Henry Dowland shop. He married Matilda S. Dowland.

This must have been written by Mr. Dowland about 1945. Original copy held with
Dowland history records.