Geneva County AlArchives Biographies.....Reynolds, Frank L. January 18 1855 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 26, 2004, 11:18 am

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   FRANK L. REYNOLDS, merchant of Geneva, Geneva county, Ala., was born in
Montgomery county, Ala., January 18, 1855. He is a son of William and Nancy
(Johnnson) Reynolds, the former of whom was a native of Darlington district, S.
C., born about 1815. In 1830 his parents moved to Alabama, settling in
Montgomery twenty-five miles south of the present city of Montgomery, on what is
now known as the "old pike road." Here William Reynolds accumulated a large
estate and many negroes, freeing 300 of them at the close of the war. He was at
one time one of Montgomery county's most extensive planters, the Reynolds
family, of whom there were some ten children, brothers and sisters of Willam,
owning eight miles square of land. He remained a farmer all his life, his death
occurring in 1889. Politically he was a true southern democrat, of the Alexander
H. Stephens class, opposing secession as long as it was of any use to do so. His
wife, Miss Nancy Johnson, was a native of Mississippi, and was born in 1820, but
grew to womanhood in Alabama, her parents having moved to the latter state when
she was a child. She was married in her nineteenth year, and now is the mother
of eleven children, nine of whom survive. She has nearly all her life been a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Frank L. Reynolds grew to
manhood on his father's farm, and though he had good school advantages, became
dissatisfied with his surroundings, and ran away from home at the age of
seventeen years. In 1874 he found his way to Geneva, and out of his earnings
saved enough money to allow himself a few months' schooling at Mary Esther, Fla.
Then by hard study at odd times and at home nights, he managed to secure
sufficient learning to enable him to teach school. After following the
profession of a teacher for some time he secured a position as a clerk in a
store owned by R. W. Donald, of Geneva, retained the position two years, saved
his money, and in 1878 opened a small business for himself at Geneva, his stock
of goods consisting of general merchandise. Ever since that time he has been in
business in Geneva. He now carries on business in his own building, and carries
a stock of from $2,000 to $3,000, his annual sales amounting to about $20,000.
He was married June 24, 1879, to Miss Cassandra Campbell, daughter of the Rev.
Samuel Campbell, who was born in Rockbridge county, Va., April 10, 1807. He
pursued his college course in Washington and Lee university, in his native
county. His theological course he pursued at Princton college. His mother was a
sister of the celebrated Archibald Alexander, of Virginia. In the early part of
his ministry he preached several years at Brandon, Miss., and during eleven
years he had charge of a church at Natural Bridge, Va. During the latter part of
his ministry he was appointed a missionary to the Indians, in the vicinity, of
and including, Geneva, Ala. He spent his life in the service of the old school
Presbyterian church. He was married to Miss Jane E. Orbison, like himself a
native of Rockbridge county, Va. She was educated at the Ann Smith academy, at
Lexington, Va., and became a teacher in the school, teaching mathematics, French
and Latin. She was married at the age of twenty-one, and became the mother of
eleven children, only three of whom now survive. She survives her husband, who
died April 12, 1863, and after his death she owned and operated the ferry across
the Choctawhatchee river at Geneva, doing the manual labor with her own hands
for many years. During her lifetime she was a teacher in five different states,
and took great interest in young people and the Sunday school. Many a poor child
received gratis its early training at her hands. She was a woman of great force
of character, and took great interest in the progress of humanity. Her death
occurred in 1883. The wife of Frank L. Reynolds was born in Rockbridge county,
Va., and came to Alabama with her parents, who at first settled in Coffee
county, where she grew to womanhood and received her education. After attending
the common schools of Coffee county she attended the Talladega college one year,
and then took a three months' course at Mrs. Caldwell's school, at Rome, Ga. She
also attended for several months George Newton's college at Knox Hill, Fla. She
is a lady of literary tastes, and has taught school some ten years. She is also
a contributor to the daily press, and is an active and zealous worker for the
church. She was married in her twenty-second year, and is the mother of three
children, viz.: Augusta L.; Samuel G., deceased, and Lucy H. She is a member of
the Presbyterian church. Mr. Reynolds has been a merchant for a number of years.
He has taken special interest in the growth and development of the county, and
has by judicious management accumulated a large amount of property, both real
and personal. He owns a fine residence in the city of Geneva, and is widely
known as one of the most public-spirited and useful citizens of the county.




Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 1040-1041
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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