Dale County AlArchives Biographies.....Weed, John H. January 12 1823 - living in 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 19, 2004, 11:38 am Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) JOHN H. WEED, merchant and cotton buyer of Ariosta, Ala., was born in Abbeville district, S. C., January 12th, 1823. The Weed family was founded in New York state at an early clay by Reuben Weed, great-grandfather of our subject, who came from England and who took an active part in the Revolutionary war. The succeeding generations of the family drifted toward the south and it is now represented in nearly all the southern states. The maternal grandfather of John H. Weed, William Buck, came from Ireland in the seventeenth century and settled in South Carolina. Here his daughter, Mary Buck, married John Weed, Sr., who was born in Abbeville district, April 2d, 1792, where he was married in 1813. He turned his attention to farming and pursued that occupation through-out his life. In 1826 he moved to Gwinnett county, Ga., remaining there until 1853, when he moved to Chattahoochee county, Ga., from which place he moved to Alabama in 1870, making his home with John H. for a time, and then went to Texas, where he died in 1883. Early in life he united with the Presbyterian church, but later he joined the Anti-missionary Baptist. Politically he was always a democrat and cast his first vote for James Madison for president. The mother of John H. Weed was born in Abbeville district, S. C., in 1796, married in her seventeenth year, and was the mother of nine children, seven of whom reached maturity, and five of whom still survive, three sons and two daughters. Like her husband she was a Presbyterian in early life, and also like him united with the Anti-missionary Baptist. Her death occurred in 1873. John H. Weed grew to manhood on the farm, and upon arriving at maturity engaged as a farm hand at $6 per month; afterward he rented a farm and engaged in farming on his own account. At the end of four years he purchased a small tract of land in Gwinnett county, Ga., upon which he lived seven years. He then moved to Chattohoochee county, Ga., bought a farm and lived upon it until the fall of 1855, when he moved with his family to Alabama, settled in Dale county, near where the village of Ariosta now stands. His first purchase in Dale county was of 210 acres, and soon afterward he bought 200 acres more, and now owns about 800 acres. In 1888, in connection with James M. Williams, he engaged in a general mercantile business at Dean Station, now Charlton, Ala. In 1890 they erected a large and commodious building at Ariosto, on the Alabama Midland raliroad, and put in a $10,000 stock and are now doing a business of from $50,000 to $60,000 per annum. The firm also buys cotton and does a general shipping and mercantile business. Mr. Weed was married June 13th, 1844, to Miss Phebe Jones, daughter of William Jones of Georgia. She was born in Gwinnett county, Ga., June 17, 1824, and was married in her nineteenth year, and was the mother of seven children, all of whom reached maturity. William W. died in the Confederate service. Elizabeth J., wife of Mr. Williams, partner of our subject. John N. married Miss Nancy Grimmer; he is a successful farmer in Dale county. George T., who married Miss Susan Barnes, is also a successful farmer. Mary C., married James C. Barnes, a prominent farmer of Dale county. Samuel L. is a practicing physician at Ariosta. Melissa A. married James J. Barnes, and died March 6th, 1890. John H. Weed enlisted in the Confederate service in 1862, in company E, Fifty-third Alabama mounted infantry, and served until the end of the war and was engaged in many battles and skirmishes. He was wounded at the battle of Athens, Ala., from the effect of which he has never fully recovered. He cast his first vote for president in 1844 for James K. Polk. He has ever since voted the straight democratic ticket. He was made a Mason in 1865, was appointed junior deacon in 1866, and was elected senior warden in 1867, and in 1869 was elected master of Clopton lodge, No. 171, in which position he has served up to the present time. He is now a member of Landmark chapter, No. 71. He was made a royal arch Mason in 1868 and has served as king most of his time. He was made council Mason in 1872. He has served as justice of the peace and county commissioner. John H. Weed became a member of the Universalist church, together with his wife, in 1875. In the spring of 1890 Mrs. Weed was confined to her bed with an attack of typhoid fever, from the effects of which she never recovered. She died the 5th day of June, 1890. Mr. Weed was appointed by the state executive committee one of the four men to reorganize the democratic party of Dale county. He has served on many committees and delegations, and has been identified with the development of the material and moral interests of Dale county all the time of his residence therein. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 841-843 Published by Brant & Fuller (1893) Madison, WI This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb