Escambia County AlArchives Biographies.....Padgett, James M. January 16 1861 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 22, 2004, 11:40 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   JAMES M. PADGETT, the leading merchant of Escambia county, was born January
16, 1861, in the county of Conecuh, Ala., and is the only son of Samuel and
Calline Padgett. Samuel Padgett, a farmer by occupation, is also a native of
Conecuh county, and dates his birth from the year 1843. He married in 1860, when
but eighteen years of age, Calline Bransford, at the time but sixteen, by which
union he became the father of one child, James M. The young wife and mother died
in 1862, and several years later Mr. Padgett contracted a matrimonial alliance
with Sarah Beasley, of Conecuh county, who has borne him the following children:
John Wesley, Mollie, Thursy, Alice and C. S., all living but the first named.
Mr. and Mrs Padgett now live in Hico, Tex., to which state they removed in 1876.
Samuel Padgett's father, also named Samuel, was a native of Georgia, a planter
and stock dealer, and for many years a well-to-do citizen of Escambia county.
James M. Padgett spent his early years amid the arduous duties of the farm, and
at intervals attended such schools as the county afforded, but did not acquire a
very thorough education. At the early age of sixteen he left the parental roof,
and with but $2.50 which he could call his own, embarked in life for himself as
a farm hand in Texas, at the insignificant salary of $10 per month. After a year
of such labor, he concluded to return to his old home in Alabama, and carrying
this desire into effect, in 1879, lived for some time thereafter with his
grandfather, in Conecuh county, where he farmed until the latter's death.
Inheriting a small amount of money and farm stock from his grandfather's estate,
he continued farming the place till the following year, when he entered a school
taught by J. B. F. Watts, at Evergreen, Fla., in which he pursued his studies
for a period of ten months. In October, 1881, he took service with the
mercantile firm of Rosenfield Bros., at Evergreen, Ala., with whom he remained
until January, 1882, without compensation for the purpose of becoming familiar
with the business. By this means he obtained a good practical knowledge of the
mercantile trade, and being a live, energetic clerk, his firm employed him for
the succeeding year at a salary of $150 a year and his board. He continued in
the employ of Rosenfield Bros. until August, 1884, at which time, in partnership
with a former schoolmate, S. L. Witherington, under the firm name of
Witherington & Padgett, he embarked in general merchandising at the town of
Evergreen, where he continued with very gratifying success until October, 1885,
when he disposed of his interest and retired from the firm. For some time after
selling out he was engaged in Rosenfield Bros.' employ as clerk, but in. August,
1887, he effected a partnership with R. Rosenfield, under the firm name of J. M.
Padgett & Co., and opened a business house in Brewton, of which he subsequently
became sole proprietor. Mr. Padgett, with many others, suffered severely by the
great fire which almost devastated Brewton in July, 1888, and, to add to his
misfortune, one of the companies in which he carried insurance on his stock
proved fraudulent, thus entailing upon him a very serious loss, from the effects
of which he did not succeed in recovering for some time. With a capital of $750,
and a well-formed determination to succeed, Mr. Padgett again entered the
business field, and, after selling goods for some time alone, became associated
with E. M. Lovelace, which partnership continued until November, 1890. In that
year Mr. Padgett purchased his partner's interest, since which time his success
has been all that he could have reasonably desired, being at this time the
proprietor of the largest mercantile establishment in the county, representing a
capital of over $18,000, and doing a yearly business of $60,000. He carries on a
whole-sale and retail trade in all kinds of general merchandise, occupies two
large and commodious brick buildings, and is classed among the solid men of the
county. Mr. Padgett was married March 25, 1885, in Ever-green, Ala., to Mollie,
daughter of Y. M. Rabb. They have three children, Ruth, Samuel Young and Sadie.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 987-988
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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