Davidson County TN Archives Biographies.....Lyon, Aurelius Augustine 
************************************************

Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm

************************************************



File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com October 25, 2005, 4:26 am

Author: Will T. Hale

   AURELIUS AUGUSTINE LYON, M. D. No history of Tennessee would be complete if

it failed to chronicle the undertakings and accomplishments of the Lyon family,

pioneer settlers and eminent citizens of this, state.



   James A. Lyon, father of the subject of this review, was born in Washington

county, April 19, 1814, and spent a long and peaceful life, passing away at a

ripe old age, May 19, 1882. He was a minister in the Presbyterian church, South,

and was the third moderator of the general assembly of this church. Adelaide

Eliza (Deaderick) Lyon, born in Hawkins county, Tennessee, December 9, 1817,

proved an able and willing helpmate to her husband in his church work. Her death

occurred in 1907 at Murfreesboro.



   James A. Lyon moved to Columbus, Mississippi, in the early forties. In 1847

he made an extensive tour through Europe, and, upon his return, settled in St.

Louis, Missouri, where he remained six years, and then returned to Mississippi.

Eight children were born to this, couple of whom Dr. A. A. Lyon was the eldest.



   The paternal grandparents of Aurelius Augustine were Ezekiel and Mary (Adair)

Lyon, Virginians. Mrs. Lyon was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was descended from

families long noted for their courageous men and noble women. On the Lyon side

of the family the descent is Welsh and the union of a member of this family with

a scion of the eminent Adairs was most auspicious. At the time of their marriage

they were pioneer settlers in Tennessee. Dr. Lyon's maternal grandparents were

David A. and Adelaide E. (Jackson) Deaderick, the former of German, the latter

of direct Irish descent.



   Aurelius Augustine Lyon passed his early youth in Mississippi where he was

prepared for college. His first collegiate work was done in Washington College,

Tennessee, after which he took a course at Princeton,, graduating in 1859. He

then entered the St. Louis Medical College, now incorporated into the medical

department of Washington University, from which he secured the degree of Doctor

of Medicine in 1861. Anxious as he naturally was to begin the practice of his

chosen profession, the quality of his patriotism was proven by the fact that he

thrust aside all ambition for personal advancement and enlisted in the

Confederate army, serving bravely until the last gun was fired. His period of

service extended from the date of his enlistment in September, 1861, to the

surrender at Appomattox in 1865. On March 3,1862, he was commissioned assistant

surgeon, and in January, 1863, he received his surgeon's commission. That he

served most creditably was attested by the fact that he was made brigade surgeon

early in 1865.



   After the close of the war, Dr. Lyon located once more in Mississippi,

practicing in Columbus and vicinity until April, 1875, when he removed to

Shreveport, Louisiana. After all these strenuous years of army service, followed

by unremitting toil in the interest of suffering humanity, it is not surprising

to learn that Dr. Lyon found that his health was beginning to give way under the

continued strain. He had no idea, however, of permanently retiring from active

service. He however returned to his native state to recuperate his health. After

this object had been attained he decided to remain in Nashville-mainly for the

educational advantages afforded his children.



   After Dr. Lyon's recovery from his very protracted season of inability, he

retired from the active practice of his profession and accepted an appointment

as register of the Middle District (Tenn.) Land Office. Later the various land

districts of the state (six in number) were abolished and their several offices

were consolidated into one land office for the entire state under the control of

a land commissioner. To this office Dr. Lyon was advanced and is at present

incumbent.



   Politically Dr. Lyon is a Democrat. By religious faith he is a Presbyterian

and he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is also vice president of the

Tennessee Historical Society.



   On December 16, 1874, Dr. Lyon was united in marriage to Miss Susan L.

Winter, a daughter of William H. Winter, a prominent cotton planter of Grenada,

Mississippi. It was no surprise when the young man, whose birth, breeding and

professional success entitled him to aspire to the hand of the best in the land,

selected for his wife a true daughter of the South, Miss Winter having been born

in Mississippi, June 29, 1849.



   To Dr. and Mrs, Lyon were born five children, the eldest of whom, Aurelius

Augustine Lyon, in emulation of his father, took a thorough educational course,

graduating from the Presbyterian University of Clarksville, Tennessee. He is now

principal of a public school in Birmingham, Alabama.



   William Winter Lyon, named for his maternal grandsire, is in the fire

insurance business in Nashville. The third son, James A. Lyon, is also a

resident of Nashville. The only daughter, Adelaide Lyon, is a graduate of

Vanderbilt University with the degrees of A. B. and A. M. and is a teacher of

English and history in the Nashville high school. Elwyn Lyon died at the age of

seventeen years.



   To the worth and enterprise of such public-spirited citizens as Dr. Aurelius

Augustine Lyon, is due much of the prosperity of Tennessee.



Additional Comments:
From:



A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in

commerce, industry and modern activities

by Will T. Hale

Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co.,  1913





File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/davidson/bios/lyon168nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/tnfiles/

File size: 6.0 Kb