Butler County AlArchives Biographies.....Sims, John M. February 1 1850 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 14, 2004, 2:25 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
     JOHN M. SIMS. - Conspicuous among the leading business men of Georgiana, is
John M. Sims, who, for a number of years, has been at the head of the mercantile
trade in Butler county. His father, M. R. Sims, was a native of Georgia, born
about the year 1827, and was by occupation a mechanic and also carried on
merchandising for a considerable period. He served for a number of years as
clerk of the court of Dale county, Ala., and was a man prominent in local
affairs, of liberal education and excellent private character. His wife, Frances
B. Bottoms, whom he married in Barbour county, Ala., about the year 1842, bore
him five children, namely: James M., Georgiana, Ala.; Mark W., died at Selma
during the war; Mary Ann, wife of Thomas E. Atkinson; John M. and one that died
in infancy, unnamed. The mother of these children died at Midway, Barbour
county, in 1852, and the father followed her to the grave, dying in 1867. John
M. Sims was, born on the first day of February, 1850, at the town of Midway,
Ala., and received his educational training in the common schools, which he
attended at intervals until his twenty-first year. On attaining his majority, he
embarked in merchandising at the town of Georgiana, in partnership with U. C.
Vinson, and the firm thus formed continued with very flattering success for a
period of four years, when it was dissolved. Mr. Vinson retiring, and Mr. Sims
engaging in business alone. He conducted his second store from the fall of 1875
until 1879, at which time he became associated in the trade with U. C. Vinson
and James Sims, under the firm name of Sims Bros. & Vinson, and was thus
identified about one year, when he sold out his interests and retired from the
partnership. In 1880, he again embarked in the mercantile trade, but a little
over a year afterward, owing to the poor crops of 1881, was forced to dispose of
his stock at a sacrifice and retire from commercial pursuits for a season. From
that time until 1886, he was not engaged in any kind of active business, but the
latter year again embarked in merchandising and has since continued the same
with a most encouraging success, being now one of the most extensive dealers in
Georgiana, and having much more than a local reputation in commercial circles
outside of Butler county, and beyond the limits of his state. His stock, which
consists of all articles demanded by the general trade, is very carefully
selected and represents a capital of over $10,000, and the annual business,
which is constantly increasing, aggregates in the neighborhood of $110,000. Mr.
Sims is also interested in agricultural pursuits, and owns a fine plantation of
300 acres four miles south of Georgiana, upon which are some of the finest
improvements to be found in this part of the state. Mr. Sims and Miss Mary,
daughter of James Adams, were married in Georgiana, September 17, 1872, and to
their union have been born three children: Louis J., Exa, and John M., aged
fourteen, four and two years, respectively. Mr. Sims is one of the progressive
and enterprising citizens of Butler county, fully alive to all movements having
for their object the public welfare, and possesses, in a marked degree, the
confidence of the people of his community. Politically a democrat, he is not a
partisan in the sense of seeking office, although frequently importuned by his
fellow citizens to present his name for political preferment. He is a member of
the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Georgiana lodge, No. 285, in which he holds
the office of junior warden, and also belongs to lodge No. 2844, K. of H. He and
wife are members of the Baptist church.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 578-579

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