Houston-Stewart-Davidson County TN Archives Biographies.....McAskill, Thomas Anderson 1852 - ************************************************ 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 27, 2005, 12:07 am Author: Will T. Hale THOMAS ANDERSON McASKILL. Erin has unquestionably experienced the benefits accruing to a town as a result of the qualities of enterprise, vigor and public spiritedness in her citizens, and the life of Thomas Anderson McAskill has been an example of this order in this town for many years. In his sixty years of life thus far he has ever shown a valid reason for his existence, and has always borne unflinchingly his share in the civic duty and responsibility. His life has embodied the true spirit of service, which means so much in the world today as it has in all times, and his influence and energies have always been contributed to useful ends. He was born in Houston, then Stewart, county, on October 10, 1852, and was the oldest of the five children of his parents, Kenneth and Isabella (Wilson) McAskill. The father was born in North Carolina on November 1, 1824, and the mother on November 2, 1829. They were married in Stewart county in 1850, and their five children are all living today. Kenneth McAskill was the son of Malcolm, a native of Scotland, who came to America at the age of sixteen and located in North Carolina, where he married Polly MCCaskill and reared a family. They came to Tennessee in 1828 and located in what was then Stewart county, but is now Houston county. Here he farmed and*also plied his trade, which was that of a tailor, and he died in 1863 when he was seventy-five years old. Kenneth, his son, and the father of the subject, was the fourth child in a family of ten. As previously mentioned, Kenneth McAskill married Isabel Wilson, of whom it may be said that she was a daughter of James Wilson, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, her grandfather having been born in Ireland. James Wilson was a native of North Carolina and a farmer by occupation. Besides the subject, Kenneth and Isabelle McAskill were the parents of the following children: Daniel R., a resident of Carroll county; Emma, the wife of J. A. Askew, of Houston county; Kenneth, living in Danville; and David H., also of Danville. Thomas Anderson McAskill was educated in the public schools of Houston county and in Bethel College at McKenzie, Tennessee. After completing his college course he engaged in teaching school in Humphreys county, and continued in that work for a number of years. It is a significant fact in the consideration of his ambition and his splendid mental and physical energy that he carried on farming operations in connection with his teaching for some years, also conducting a store at Magnolia, in this county. These enterprises all had a favorable termination and continued until he came to Erin in 1905, here purchasing the plant of the Houston County News, and becoming its editor and owner. He was well qualified for the duties he thus assumed and the policy pursued was always for the best interests of the people. This is the oldest paper of the county, founded in 1875 by General Broaddus. It is Democratic in its policy, popular with the people of Houston county, enjoying a wide circulation in this section of the state. By virtue of his superior qualifications and his popularity Mr. McAskill was elected magistrate of District No. 1 and continued in the office through seventeen consecutive years. In 1900 and 1901 he was chairman of the county court, the incumbent of that office being familiarly known as the county judge. He has given the most worthy service in a public way, and as the editor and publisher of the only newspaper appearing in Houston county, his influence is widespread and powerful. In addition to his publishing interests, Mr. McAskill owns a store at Stewart which his son Milton manages for him. Mr. McAskill is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, as is also his wife, and he is a member of Erin Lodge No. 382 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Emerald Lodge No. 58 of the Knights of Pythias. In 1877 Mr. McAskill was united in marriage with Miss Julia V. Wilson, a daughter of David C. Wilson of Houston county, and they have five children: Milton H., manager of his father's mercantile interests in Stewart; Thomas Anderson, Jr.; Olive J., the wife of C. P. Nelson, of Arkansas; L. L., living in Paris; and Therman W., a student and living at home. 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/houston/bios/mcaskill246nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/tnfiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb