Blount County AlArchives Biographies.....Byars, W. G. 1826 - after 1893
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 13, 2004, 3:11 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    W. G. BYARS, one of the old landmarks and prominent business men of Blount
Springs, was born in Blount county, in 1826, a son of Jonas and Sarah (Davis)
Byars. The parents were natives of South Carolina, - the mother from Greenville
district and the father from Spartanburg district - who came to Alabama in 1818,
settling in what is now Blount county. Jonas Byars was one of the trustees to
whom the deed was made when the court house was built in Blountsville; he also
served as commissioner of Blount county about twelve years and was tax collector
and justice of the peace for many years longer. He opened up a farm in beat 1,
and raised a large family. He was a son of William and Elizabeth (Bedford)
Byars. The grandfather was an early settler of South Carolina. The grandmother
was a native of New Jersey, and the town of Elizabeth, N. J., was named in her
honor. Her brother was a politician of note and served in the legislature of New
Jersey, in early days. Mrs. Sarah Byars' father, Benjamin Davis, was a soldier
in the war of 1812, and was a carpenter by trade. W. G. Byars was reared on the
old homestead farm in Blount county, and attended school in the old pioneer log
school house, with its dirt and stick chimney, puncheon seats, etc., and would
attend only a short time after the crop was "laid by." His father being poor,
and with a large family and an invalid wife, the young man was compelled to
remain at home and help in the farm work. Jonas Byars built the first cabin at
Blount Springs. W. G. Byars grew to manhood on the old farm and in 1854 married
Mary Thomas, daughter of William J. and Nancy (Baker) Thomas, early settlers of
Jefferson county, Ala. To this union have been born eight children, four still
living - Travis M., William E., Mary A., and H. H. The oldest son is a minister
of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, to which the parents belong; William
is a partner with his father in the mercantile business, and H. H. is a
physician of Perryville, Ala. Mr. Byars has served one and one-half terms as
commissioner of Blount county and twelve years as justice of the peace in Blount
Springs. He also served as postmaster of Blount Springs under Grover Cleveland,
and is one of the leading business men of the county. Mr. Byars and son are
proprietors of Blount Springs hotel, a noted watering place.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 502

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