Carroll County GaArchives Biographies.....SIMONTON, ABNER A 1849 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Elizabeth Robertson lrober@plantationcable.net July 27, 2004, 2:23 pm

Author: S. EMMETT LUCAS, JR
ABNER A.SIMONTON, miller and cotton gin operator, Carrollton, Carroll Co., 
Ga., son of Albert and Mary (Reed) Simonton, was born in Alabama in 1849. His 
paternal grandparents, Abner and Nancy (Bailey) Simonton, were of Scotch-Irish 
ancestry and came to America before the revolutionary war. They first settled 
in Virginia, then moved to North Carolina, and finally, in 1805, came to 
Georgia in ox carts, and settled in the woods in Greene county encountering 
and suffering all the dangers incident to pioneer life. His maternal 
grandparents, James and Rebecca (Duke) Reed, were also early settlers. Mr. 
Reed was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. Simonton's father was born in 
Greene county in 1809, and died in 1859. Mr. Simonton was partly educated in 
the "old field" log school house, common in that day, with its dirt floor, 
slab seats, great fireplace in a chimney built of sticks and stiff mud, and 
square holes cut through the sides to let in the light. He began life after 
the war without a dollar, but full of energy and enterprise, and went to work 
to make a living and a competency. In 1873 he had the courage to go heavily in 
debt for an outfit for a corn mill, cotton gin and saw mill. To the corn mill 
machinery were added mills for making flour. His energy and determination were 
exemplified by his working in his mills, sawing lumber, grinding and ginning, 
oftentimes far into the night. His financially independent circumstances today 
amply attest his success. Besides of beautiful home in the outskirts of 
Carrollton, surrounded by a fine tract of land, he has a large plantation on 
the river, with fine water power, where his
	Mills are located. More than sixty years ago this power was utilized. 
In Septemb	er 1830, corn mill machinery was put in operation here, and 
ground corn for t	he Indians; and in 1848 machinery for grinding wheat 
was added. With the ravages of war these went down, but the energy and 
progressive spirit of 	Simonton have replaced them-the machinery improved and 
increased. In 1887 he had the misfortune to have his dwelling, tenement houses 
and outhouses, all except  his mills, miller's house and smithy-destroyed by a 
cyclone, but they have all been restored, and he now rejoices in being in 
better condition than ever before, and proudly contemplates and enjoys the 
reward of his enterprise and labor. Mr. Simonton was married in 1878 to Miss 
Margaret Johnston, born in Catoosa county, Ga., in 1850, daughter of William 
H. and Susan (Adams)Johnston, who came to Georgia from North Carolina.  Five 
children have blessed this union:  Cora M., Susan R., Albert A., Margaret E., 
and William J.  Mr. Johnston, Mrs. Simonton’s father, came to Catoosa county 
in October 1846 as a pioneer Presbyterian minister, having consecrated himself 
to the Master’s cause.  Mr. Simonton is a master Mason and himself and his 
wife are members of the Presbyterian church.



Additional Comments:
From the Book, Memoirs of Georgia, Historical and Biographical Sketches, 
published in 1896

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