LAKE COUNTY TN - GOODSPEED - The Biographies of Lake County A - C ********************************************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jane N. Powell ********************************************************************************************************** GOODSPEED HISTORY OF TENNESSEE 1887 Not responsible for typos and errors. Please check the original Goodspeed before adding to your genealogical record as absolute proof --- and then remember that the family only told what that wanted the public to know. Washington L. Alexander, a farmer of Lake County, Tenn., is the son of Samuel B. and Mary (Slone) Alexander. His parents were both born in Mecklenburg County, N. C., the father in 1794 and the mother in 1797. They married and lived in that State until 1826, when they moved to Missouri, from there to Middle Tennessee and then to Mississippi, but soon returned to Tennessee, locating near Trenton, Gibson County. They had ten children, and were members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Alexander was a Whig before the war, and a Republican afterward, and for many years was a magistrate. Mrs. Alexander died in 1867, and he then married Mrs. Martha Hassell; they had no children and he died in 1876. Our subject, W. L. Alexander, was born December 6, 1832, on the field where the battle of Shiloh was fought. He received a good education and taught school for ten years. After having clerked in a store for awhile he was then in the commission business for three years. In 1866 he married Jennie Wall, and they had five sons and three daughters. She died in 1884, and the same year he married Mrs. Virginia Mooney, who had three children by a former marriage. They have one child. His first wife was a Cumberland Presybterian, his second a Missionary Baptist. Mr. Alexander has resided in Lake County for eight years and has been a magistrate during that time. In politics he is a Democrat. Since his marriage he has been farming very successfully, owning 400 acres of good land. He has thoroughly identified himself with the interests of Lake County, and has become one of her most useful citizens. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John D. Arnett, one of the leading merchants and substantial business men of Tiptonville, is the son of George W. and Lorinda (Rogers) Arnett. Both parents were natives of Hamilton County, Tenn.; the father was born in 1822 and the mother in 1823. They married in that county and moved to Arkansas, and from there moved to Lake County four years ago, where they have since made their home with John Arnett, our subject. They had seven children-four girls and three boys. Mr. and Mrs. Arnett both belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. During the Florida war Mr. Arnett served as a soldier, his father being a major in the war. He is a strong Democrat, and most of his life has been a merchant, but of late years has been farming. Mr. and Mrs. Arnett are both living now. Our subject was of Scotch-Irish descent on both the father's and mother's side, was born in Hamilton County October 10, 1842; he had good school advantages, and in 1856 attended within a year of graduation the Cumberland University, and after the war closed graduated there in 1867, then entered the law department and graduated in 1869. In 1872 he married Mattie Moore, born in Hernando, Miss., in 1844, and they had two children: Geo. M. and William. Mr. Arnett is a Democrat, and with his wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He owns the largest store and stock of goods in Tiptonville, besides a cotton-gin and 800 acres of land. For fourteen years he has been in business in Tiptonville, and is now one of he substantial, successful business men of the place and for twelve years has filled the office of circuit court clerk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Levi Bates, one of the industrious farmers of Lake County, is the son of William and Eliza B. (Jackson) Bates. His parents were born in Buckingham, England. They had eleven children-three boys and eight girls; they were both members of the Missionary Baptist Church. His father owned 150 acres of land and was a farmer, and was guardian of the parish in which he lived. While still in the prime of life, he was walking by a brook, when the bank gave away, and he received a fall, dying from the effect of the injuries sustained. Mrs. Bates still lives in England, her native country, being one hundred and two years old, and was never known to have a spell of sickness. Mr. Levi Bates' ancestors, as far back as known, were English. Only himself and one sister came to this country. He was born March 6, 1825, in the same shire as his parents, was raised on the farm and received a limited education. When eighteen he went to live with his sister, who was an extensive milliner in Louten. There he met Eliza Green, who was an apprentice at his sister's, and afterward married her, in 1845. Soon after this he was superintendent of the farm of the Marquis of Abercorn, and three years later he engaged in the dairy business in London. In l868 he came to America, and bought the Girard House, in Chicago, which he managed until 1871, when the great fire of that date swept away all he had. Mr. Bates then went to Memphis and commenced a dairy, but not liking the business moved to Lake County in 1874, and engaged in farming, but in 1883 his house was again destroyed by fire, leaving him without anything; but undaunted by misfortune he bravely went to work and now owns 376 acres of good land, and in connection with his farming deals in grain. Mr. and Mrs. Bates have two children: Anna and Eliza. In politics he is a Democrat; he has been in Lake County twelve years, and is a good citizen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benjamin F. Beckham, a prominent farmer of Madrid Bend, is the son of Alexander F. and Mary (Watson) Beckham. The father was born in Virginia in 1828, moved when young to Gibson County, Tenn., and then to Hickman, Ky., then to Mills Point. He married Miss Watson in 1848. They had eight children, only three now living. Mrs. Beckham belongs to the Methodist Church. Mr. Beckham was a merchant and farmed also upon an extensive scale. In politics he was a Democrat. Mr. Beckham was the victim of one of the greatest outrages ever perpetrated. It was known that he often had large sums of money at his house, and in 1863, while the Federal forces were stationed on Island No. 10, a squad of seventeen negroes and white soldiers went to his house, ostensibly to secure a colored child belonging to a negro woman on the island, but in reality to rob Mr. Beckham; and to make sure of getting it, they murdered Mr. Beckham and his aged father and four of his children. Mrs. Beckham and the other three children were away from home and thus escaped the horrible fate of the others. After murdering six of the family - in order to conceal their dastardly work - the fiends sunk their victims in the river. Some eye-witnesses of this cruel murder barely escaped with their lives. In 1869 Mrs. Beckham married J. A. Burnum, who died in 1873. She now lives in Union City, Tenn. After the murdered members of the family had been buried twenty-one years in the Bend, they were removed to the cemetery at Union City. Mr. Beckham's grand-uncle was major at Harper's Ferry at the time of John Brown's insurrection, and was the third man killed. Our subject, B. F. Beckham, was born July 24, 1850, in Lake County. He had few educational advantages when a boy, but later attended school at Henderson, Ky. When only seventeen he commenced farming for himself, and in 1871 married Sue Hardy, a daughter of William Hardy, who was born May 1, 1854. They have three children: Allie, Harry M. and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Beckham are members of the Christian Church; he is a Mason and a Democrat and owns three tracts of land, 815 acres of it being considered the best in the county. He has many friends and the confidence of all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anderson Cates (deceased) was born November 9, 1810, in Orange County, N. C. While young he had few opportunities for educating himself and when only ten years old he left his mother and went to Louisiana. After remaining there some years he lived alternately in Mississippi and Tennessee until 1836, when he came to what is now Lake County. In 1850 he married Susan Box, who was born November 19, 1827, in Decatur County, Tenn., and they had six sons and three daughters; six of the children are now living. Mrs. Cates was a Methodist. Mr. Cates was a farmer, and by nature a quiet unassuming man; a Democrat in politics. When quite a boy he depended upon his own exertions, he worked for one man for five years for his board and clothes, as he thought, but at the end of that time the merchant told him he thought it was time he was "doing something in return for his clothes." ln order to make full recompense for the little he received he toiled on for three years longer for him, and throughout his life he had this strict sense of justice and the determination to succeed; he owned a farm of 456 acres. In 1868 he died, leaving behind him a record that his wife and children can treasure with pride. Since his death his wife has managed the farm herself. She is the daughter of Joseph and Siney (Harris) Box, natives of Decatur County. They moved to Lake County in 1834; her mother died in l845, her father in 1863. The family biographies of the Cateses and Boxes are intimately connected with the early history of the western district, and deserve honorable mention in its pages. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Council P. Cates, a substantial farmer of Lake County, is the son of John A. and Susan (Box) Cates; he was born February 6,1855, in what is now Lake County; was raised on a farm, and had the best educational advantages the State afforded, having completed his education at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. After leaving college he was for a while salesman at James Cronan's store, but it was soon closed, and he commenced farming, but in a short time sold out and went to Texas, and after staying a year there he returned to Lake County. In 1878 he married Auna E. Darnall, born February 16, 1852, and they have two sons and two daughters. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Cates belong to any church. In politics he is a Democrat. For three years he has been a member of the county court, and was elected to fill out an unexpired term as sheriff; he is now school commissioner. A short time after his marriage Mr. Cates settled on the farm where he now lives; he has 160 acres of the finest land in the county, and is soliciting agent of The Mississippi Valley Transportation Company. He has been a resident of Lake County for thirty years, and is well known as an expert in bird hunting; he owns one of the finest guns in the country, and is without a rival as a marksman. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuben A. Cates, the fourth child of John and Susan (Box) Cates, was born December 3, l837, in Lake County, was raised on a farm and was well educated. After the country schools he went to the college at McKenzie, and then attended a commercial college at Keokuk, Iowa; after this he went to Texas for a while and then returned to Tennessee. In 1881 he married Lula Craig, who was born January 23, 1863, and they have two children: Opal and John 0. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Cates belong to any church. In politics he is a Democrat. Soon after he married, Mr. Cates commenced farming, owning 775 acres of land. Like his brother, Council, he is exceedingly fond of hunting, the two, being recognized as the finest marksmen in the country, and every year they spend from two to five weeks on the lake hunting and fishing, and he also takes a great interest in baseball, being a member of the Star Club at Tiptonville. Mr. Cates has lived in Lake County for eighteen years, and has many friends.