Thomas-Calhoun-Coffee County GaArchives Biographies.....Isler, James N. 1874 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2004, 1:35 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 856-858

   JAMES N. ISLER, M. D. Both as a physician and an enterprising business man,
Dr. Isler has taken a prominent part in the improvement and development of the
town of Meigs and its environs during the last fifteen years. It is due to the
work and influence of such citizens that Southwest Georgia owes its rapid
material progress of recent years.

   James N. Isler has spent most of his life in this section of the state. Born
on a farm in Calhoun county on the 21st of July, 1874, he was a son of Becton
Isler, who was born in the same county in 1844. The grandfather, John Isler, was
a native, it is thought, of Wilkinson county, this state, and a descendant of
Swiss ancestors. The name is found in different states of the Union, sometimes
being spelled Izler. The grandfather moved from Wilkinson county to Baker county
during the early forties and settled in that part now included in Calhoun
county. He bought land and devoted the rest of his career to the clearing and
tilling of the soil. For many years after his settlement no railroads had
penetrated into Southwest Georgia, and the farmers had to market their products
at the river or gulf ports many miles away. It was a pioneer epoch in this
region, when deer, turkeys and all kinds of game were plentiful. Calhoun county
was the home of the grandfather until his death. He married a Miss Bailey.

   Becton Isler (the father), though not sixteen years old when the war broke
out, enlisted in a Georgia regiment, was for a time assigned to duty in guarding
the magazines at Macon, and then took the field with his regiment and served
until the end of the war. He then bought land in his native county and has ever
since been identified with the agricultural interests of that locality. He was
thrice married, and the maiden name of his first wife and the mother of the
doctor, was Elizabeth Smith. Of her four children, one died in infancy and the
others are named Judge Becton, James Nathaniel and Naomi Elizabeth. From the
third marriage there are four children living: Guery Beaton, Louie, Jesse M. S.
and Elsie.

   Doctor Isler was reared and educated in his native county of Calhoun,
attending the common schools and then the high school at Leary. His
determination to study medicine was adopted at an early age and he began his
reading when seventeen with Dr. W. R. Terry at Leary. In the fall of 1894 he
entered the Southern Medical College at Atlanta, where he was graduated M. D.
with the class of 1897. He chose for his residence and place of practice the
city of Meigs, which had then had several years of slow growth. After two years
he was induced to remove to Pearson in Coffee county, where he remained three
years, and then returned to Meigs, which has been his home ever since. He enjoys
a large practice, and is one of the most popular and successful physicians in
Thomas county. Dr. Isler was married at Pearson in 1902 to Miss Lena, daughter
of Louis and Phoebe (Simmons) Holtzendorff.

   His part in the advancement of modern improvements and in civic and social
affairs is not less important than his work in his profession. Realizing the
need of the modern facilities of telephone service, a few years ago he
established the Meigs Telephone Company, of which he is now sole owner. The
service was at first confined to a small area about Meigs, but has been since
extended to Mitchell and Grady counties, and in 1912 his system was established
at Ochlochnee. In 1905 the doctor started a drug store in Meigs, and has since
conducted one of the well appointed stores of the county. He is a stockholder in
the Bank of Meigs.

   Doctor Isler is a charter member, past master and was first junior warden of
the Meigs Masonic Lodge, No. 459, F. & A. M., and is affiliated also with Pelham
Chapter, R. A. M., and Crusader Commandery, K. T., at Bainbridge. His other
fraternal associations include membership with the John B. Gordon Lodge, No.
163, K. of P., at Pelham, of which he is a charter member; member and past grand
of Meigs Lodge, No. 241, I. 0. 0. F., and is one of the charter members; and
past council, commander and camp physician of Meigs Camp, No. 157, W. 0. W., and
also one of the organizers. As a Democrat he has never taken any part in
practical politics, but has done his duty as a voter and good citizen.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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