The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
Biographical Sketches, Shelby County TN
Transcribed by Helen Rowland
J Surnames
C. E. JACKSON, M.D., was born in Fayette County, Tenn., in 1844 and is the son of James D. and Frances (Wright) Jackson, natives of Virginia and Massachusetts respectively. The father was a farmer and a school-teacher. He took great interest in temperance, which subject he often lectured upon. He died in Fayette County in 1847 and the mother followed him in 1885. Our subject was educated principally in Fayette County and began reading medicine in 1867. In 1868 he entered the University of Louisville and graduated in 1870, after which he at once located in Shelby County and in 1875 moved to the village of Capleville where he soon commanded a good practice. In 1863 he enlisted in the Confederate Army in the Seventh Tennessee Regiment, Forrest'’ cavalry, where he remained till the close of the war. In 1874 he married Emma Rivers, of Tipton County, and a daughter of T. M. and E. C. (Tuggle) Rivers, both natives of Virginia. To our subject and wife were born five children, four of whom are living. One died in 1877. Dr. Jackson is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the K. of H.
Benjamin W. JETER, farmer of Shelby County, is a son of Eliott and Polly (Harris) Jeter, both born, reared and married in Virginia, but came to Haywood County in 1835 where they passed the residue of their days engaged in tilling the soil. In their family were eight children, three of whom are living. The mother died in 1837 and after her death the father married Frances Burroughs of Virginia by whom he had two children. In 1876 the father died, being ninety-seven years of age. Of the first family our subject was the seventh child. He was born in Bedford County, Va., August 18, 1824, reared on a farm and received a rather limited education. At the age of twenty-one he commenced the carpenter’s trade, at which he worked nearly fourteen years. In 1854 he married Harriet D. Walker and they had one son (deceased). After the death of his first wife Mr. Jeter married Sarah M. Bucey, of Fayette County, and this union resulted in the birth of seven children, three of whom are living. Having farmed in Haywood County till 1881 he came to Shelby County and settled on the place where he now resides, which consists of 822 acres. As a farmer he has met with extraordinary success; having started with nothing he has made all his property by his own efforts. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church as was also his first wife, his present wife being a Methodist. In politics he was a Whig formerly, but is now a Democrat.
C. O. JOHNSON, division freight agent of the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham; Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis; Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf, and Kansas City, Clinton & Springfield Railroads, is the son of Samuel C. and Mary V. (Orrick) Johnson, both natives of Pennsylvania and of English descent. Father and mother were married in Philadelphia, where the father figured prominently as a stock broker and afterward as president of the Pennsylvania & Western Railroad. In their family were three children—two sons and one daughter. The other son, William P. Johnson, is now master mechanic of the Potomac, Fredericksburg & Piedmont Railroad with headquarters at Fredericksburg, Va. Both parents were Episcopalians. Our subject is a member of the Catholic Church. The father died in November, 1886. The mother is still living in Philadelphia. Grandfather Samuel C. Johnson was one of thirteen survivors in 1885 in Pennsylvania of the war of 1812. Our subject was born in Philadelphia, August 13, 1852, received his early education in that city and subsequently took a collegiate course. He commenced his career as a railroad man, in 1871, as civil engineer on preliminary survey for the Texas & Pacific Railroad, and in the fall of the same year entered the general office of the International Railrod, Hearne, Tex., under H. M. Hoxie, superintendent. He remained with the International & Great Northern Railroad system several years in various positions of clerk in auditor'’ and general freight departments and as station agent at prominent frontier points. He was afterward connected with the Morgans, Louisiana & Texas; New Orleans & Mobile; Louisville & Nashville; Mexican Central, and Natchez, Jackson & Columbus Railroads. With the latter he filled the position of general freight and passenger agent and auditor, and organized their through system of freight and ticket rates and accounts. He also filled several important positions with the Southern Express Company, and had entire charge of their business in Memphis during the yellow fever epidemic of 1879. In 1883 he resigned his connection with the Natchez, Jackson & Columbus Railroad to accept his present position. In 1873 he married Miss Bertha Meyer, of New Orleans, by whom he has four children—one son and three daughters.
G. W. JONES & Co. are drug jobbers of Memphis. This house was established in 1854, by G. W. Jones, a native of Petersburg, Va., who came to Memphis in 1850, where for some time he was a member of the firm of Means & Co., also of Ward & Jones, druggists. In 1860 A. J. White was admitted to the firm, remaining until about 1865, when he went out and Mr. Jones was again sole proprietor. The trade was at first retail, but finally merged into a wholesale house. Mr. Jones was for many years the leading druggist of Memphis, and an esteemed and enterprising man, also a prominent member of the I.O.O.F. After his death, which occurred in 1877, his wife and heirs continued the business, admitting Messrs. Van Vleet and G. C. Harbin in 1880. January, 1885, Mrs. Jones died, and April of the same year, the firm was reorganized with George C. Harbin, James A. Matthews and H. W. Leath. The trade is now exclusively wholesale, and amounts to about $350,000 annually. George C. Harbin is a native of Lexington, Ky., where he was engaged in the same line of business, until his removal to Memphis in 1850, since which time he has been closely associated with the commercial interests of Memphis. In 1853 he married Juliet M. Grant, a daughter of Dr. George R. Grant. To their union eight children were born, four of whom are still living. The mother is dead. James A. Matthews is a native of Somerville, Tenn., where he resided until the beginning of the war, when he moved across the line to Mississippi, near Colliersville, and in 1868 he came to Memphis. He accepted a position as clerk with Walker Bros. until 1870. He then entered into the drug business at Colliersville, remaining there three years, at which time he returned to Memphis, obaining a situation with Schoolfield, Hanauer & Co. He worked for them until 1879, and then with J. T. Ferguson & Co. In March, 1882, he embarked in general merchandise business at Little Rock, where he continued until the formation of the present firm. In 1882 he wedded Ella, daughter of G. W. Jones. Mr. Matthews is a K. of H. and R.A. H. W. Leath is a native of Memphis, and grandson of Col. James T. Leath. In 1870 Mr. Leath went to Vermont, where he finished his education, afterward engaging in business for four years in New York, and later in Denver, Col. He returned to his native city in April, 1885, and the same year was united in marriage to Miss Carrie, daughter of G. W. Jones.
R. L. JONES, of the firm of English & Jones, dealers in staple and fancy groceries, dry goods, etc., is a native of Shelby County, Tenn., and established his business in Brunswick in 1866. In February, 1862, he enlisted in the Confederate service, in Company C, Fifty-first Tennessee Regiment Infantry, and remained in service until wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, which rendered him unfit for duty the remainder of the war. He is a son of Stephen and Nancy (Griffin) Jones, both natives of Virginia. In their family were eight children, six of whom are now living. The father took for his second wife Rebecca Thompson, and their union resulted in the birth of two children. He came to this county about 1826, and passed the residue of his days here. He died in 1886 and was eighty-five years of age. In 1871 our subject married Luella Griffin of Fayette County, Tenn., and the daughter of George W. and Ann E. Griffin. This union resulted in the birth of ten children, one of whom died in 1878 of yellow fever. Mr. Jones is a member of the K. of H.
Prof. Wharton Stewart JONES, principal of the Memphis Institute, is the son of Elder S. E. Jones, known during his life as a distinguished preacher in the Christian Church, and of Mrs. C. S. Jones (nee Stewart) sister of the illustrious Lieut.-Gen. A. P. Stewart, Confederate Southern Army. Prof. Jones was born September 14, 1849, near Nashville, Tenn. His early education was received at Minerva College, of which his renowned father was president, and was completed at Kentucky University. He graduated in 1873, as first honor man of a large class, delivering on that occasion the Greek salutatory. Inheriting as he does from both parents superior mental qualities, which have been directed and strengthened by training in the best schools, he is well qualified for the position he holds. From 1875 until 1881 he was principal of Bourbon College, Paris, Ky. Coming to Memphis in 1881 he established the Memphis Institute, which has grown from two teachers to five, and with a constantly increasing patronage. He is not only a man of pure moral character, but is a working Christian. He is an enthusiastic teacher, thoroughly up in all that pertains to his profession. He is a man of broad and liberal culture, and of great force of character. His school is known as one of the best private institutions in the South. He is a mason of high rank, a Knight Templar, and an active member of the Chickasaw Guards.
N. M. JONES, president of the First National Bank, of the Memphis Gas Light Company, and the Peters & Sawrie Company, and director of the Citizens’ Water Company, and member of the coal firm of Brown & Jones—is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and was born June 9, 1836. The coal firm of Brown & Jones was established in 1865 by our subject and W. H. Brown, but upon the death of the latter his sons succeeded him and the new firm retained the old name. Their business extends along the Mississippi River from Cairo to New Orleans and gives employment to several hundred employees, over twenty tugs and towboats and a large number of barges. Our subject was reared and educated in his native State, and resided at Youngstown until he came to this city in 1865. His father was a brick-mason and contractor, and a native of Ireland, while the mother was a native of Youngstown, Ohio. In 1858 our subject married Miss Ann Pollock, a native of Pennsylvania, who presented her husband with two children—one boy and one girl—both of whom are still living, but the mother died August 12, 1885. Mr. Jones is one of the solid business men of Memphis.
Dr. Heber JONES, physician of Memphis, Tenn., is a native of Phillips County, Ark., born November 11, 1848, and is one of a family of six children born to the union of John T. and S. E. (McEwen) Jones. The father was born in Virginia in 1813, and educated at the University of Virginia. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in early manhood. In 1833 he moved to Arkansas, where he has since resided. Soon after moving to the State was elected circuit court judge and held that honorable position until the war. Since that event he has been engaged in farming. He is a man widely known and a much respected citizen. The mother was a native of Nashville, Tenn. Our subject received his early education at home under a private tutor previous to the war. He afterward attended the “Nottingham Academy” at Somerville, Tenn., and then completed his literary course at the University of Virginia. In 1869 he graduated from the medical department of the same institution and then spent three years in the study of medicine in the hospitals of London and on the European Continent. In 1872 the Doctor came to Memphis, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his chosen profession. In 1873 he married Valeria Wooten, a native of Holly Springs and the daughter of John W. and Mary Wooten.
Philip B. JONES, secretary of the Vanderbilt Mutual Insurance Company, was born in Henderson County, Ky., May 13, 1840, and is the son of William S. and Elizabeth S. (Barbour) Jones, both parents being natives of Kentucky. The father was an extensive tobacco dealer in Kentucky and afterward an extensive cotton dealer here until his death, in 1858. In 1852 our subject was brought by his parents to Memphis, and here was given a good high-school education. Upon the breaking out of the war he left school and enlisted as a private under Gen. Morgan with whom he served throughout the war. He was promoted to captain, and later to adjutant of the regiment, and served thus until his capture with his regiment at Buffington’s Island, Ohio. He was then held in Federal prisons until the close of the war. He then returned to Memphis and engaged in the hardware business as an employee and continued thus until 1875, when he assisted in organizing the Clerks’ Building and Savings Association, of which he was made secretary, and has since officiated in this capacity. He also followed bookkeeping from 1882 to 1885, and in November of the latter year accepted the position of secretary of the Vanderbilt Mutual Insurance Company, and is yet discharging the duties of that important position. In November, 1865, he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza G. Garth, a native of Todd County, Ky., and to this union there are living three sons and one daughter. Mr. Jones is a Democrat, is a Mason, a member of the K. of P., and himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
George S. JORDAN, surveyor of Shelby County, was born in Richmond, Va., October 22, 1835, and is the son of Rix and Sarah A. (Banks) Jordan, both natives of the Old Dominion. George S. was reared to manhood in his native State and was liberally educated at Hampton Military Institute, near Fortress Monroe. He then followed the profession of teaching and in 1859 came to Shelby County. When the war broke out in 1861 he enlisted in Company H, Thirteenth Tennessee Regiment, Confederate States Army, as brevet second lieutenant, but three months later resigned on account of ill health. In 1863 he entered Forrest’s cavalry and served first as private and later in the quartermaster’s department of the Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry until the close of the war, acting part of the time as quartermaster of Neely’s brigade. After the war he engaged in civil engineering and was engaged in 1881 and 1882 in the relocation and the construction of the Memphis, Selma & Holly Springs Railroad. In 1883 he was elected surveyor of the county, and in 1886 he was re-elected. In May, 1886, he was appointed by the United States Government superintendent of the construction of the customs house, Memphis, to complete the work left unfinished by the sudden death of Col. S. L. Fremont. His education and training eminently fit him for his responsible position. In 1860 he was united in marriage with Miss Sallie F. Cole, of Shelby County. They have three living children—two sons and one daughter. He is a Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a member of the K. of H. and A.O.U.W., and himself and wife are Methodists.
Richard D. JORDAN, an able attorney at Memphis, is the son of Rix and Sarah A. (Banks) Jordan. The father was born in Virginia and of English parentage, his parents being natives of the Isle of Wight. The mother was also born in Virginia, and a daughter of Richard G. Banks, a noted attorney of that State. Our subject is one of four children, two sons and two daughters; the other son, G. S. Jordan, is mentioned elsewhere in these pages. Previous to his marriage with our subject’s mother, the father had married and reared one son, Alfred B. (deceased), who was an eminent physician of Georgia. Both parents were members and active workers in the St. John’s Episcopal Church, of Hampton, one of the oldest and most noted churches in America, its bricks being brought from England. In 1848 the mother died, and in 1857 the father followed her. Our subject was born October 7, 1846, in Essex County, Va., and when young was taken to Hampton, where he received a thorough education in the Hampton Military Institute. He there learned to love and respect the United States Government, but the war came on, his State seceded, his dearest friends espoused the Southern cause, and into the whirlpool of secession he was swept. In 1861 he volunteered in Company G, First Virginia Infantry, and served until the close of the war. He was wounded at Seven Pines, also at Gettysburg, and again at Five Forks. At the close of the war he taught school at Raleigh, Tenn., and studied law in the meantime. He afterward read under some of the most noted attorneys of Memphis, and in 1869 was admitted to the bar. Since that time he has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession, and has held the position of county attorney for four years. In 1880 he was elected president of the board of education, which position he still holds. In 1872 he married Bettie Crawford, a native of Vicksburg, Miss., born 1855. To this union three children were born: Louise C., Laura B. and Elvin. Mr. Jordan is a K. of H., member of the Tennessee Club, and also a member of the Chickasaw Guards Club. Both he and wife are members of the Episcopal Church.