Etowah County AlArchives Biographies.....Hughes, Joseph R. 1842 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 January 11, 2012, 11:22 pm

Source: See below
Author: Smith & De Land, publishers

  JOSEPH R. HUGHES was born at Gadsden March 14, 1842, and is a son of Gabriel
and Asenath D. (Young) Hughes, natives of Haywood, Lincoln County, N. C.

  The senior Mr. Hughes migrated to Georgia in early life. There, in 1832, was
married, and in 1838 came to Alabama, lie located near Jacksonville, in Calhoun
County, and in 1840 moved to Double Springs, near Gadsden, and in 1845, with his
associates, James Hughes and John S. Morgan, founded the now thriving city of
Gadsden. He died in March, 1886; his wife died in 1885. He was one of the first
postmasters at Gadsden, then known as Double Springs. It seems that he made his
home where now stands the town of Atalla from 1857 up to the time of his death.
He was a prominent Mason, and his wife a consistent member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. The Hughes family, after coming to America, settled first in
Pennsylvania, removing thence to the Carolina. This branch of the Young family
are of German descent.

  The subject of this sketch lived on his father's farm until the year 1857. He
was attending school in April, 1862, when he entered the Confederate Army as a
member of Company G, Forty-eighth Alabama, and with that regiment participated
in the Seven Days' Fight around Richmond, at Manassas, where he was slightly
wounded, and at Sharpesburg. In October, 1862, he was, on account of failing
health, honorably discharged; came home, and in November following joined
Tracy's Brigade as chief clerk of the Commissary Department, under Major
Hollingsworth. He was in the memorable siege of Vicksburg; was present at the
surrender of General Pemberton, on Fourth of July, 1863, and, being paroled,
joined his command at Missionary Ridge, in September, 1863. He was afterward in
the campaigns of Dalton and Atlanta; at the battle of Jonesboro; was with Hood
in his raid into Tennessee, and all the battles from Nashville to North
Carolina, where he surrendered with Johnston.

  Returning home, he entered a dry goods establishment as clerk, and in a short
time moved to Cherokee County, where he was deputy in the Circuit Clerk's
office. He came to Gadsden, and on December 14, 1867, was married to Mary E.
Davis, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Adams) Davis of this place.

  Mr. Hughes built the Exchange Hotel, and was its first proprietor; erected the
first steam flour mill at Gadsden, and was in the milling business until 1874,
when he was eleeted Clerk of the Circuit Court of Etowah County. He was
re-elected Clerk in 1880, and since 1886 has been engaged in the real estate
business. He owns a large number of acres of land; gives some attention to
agriculture; is interested in the new Gadsden Hotel, and is also secretary of
the Gadsden Real Estate Company.

  Aside from the office of Clerk of the Court he has been several times a member
of the City Council. He is an extensive owner of mineral lands, and is more or
less identified with the leading industries of the booming town of Gadsden.

  The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Hughes is a
Knight of Honor and a staunch Democrat.

  Their three sons are named William F., Robert G. and Preston M.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART IV.
MONOGRAPHS OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA,
TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF MANY OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVE PEOPLE.


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