McNAIRY COUNTY, TN - BIOGRAPHIES - The Graham Family ============================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping, with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic Pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Douglas H. Prather douglas-memphis@worldnet.att.net =============================================================== McNairy County Independent, March 14, 1924 The Graham Family Mention was made in an interesting article recently, giving the history of the Houston family, of the fact that one of the family, Archibald Houston, lived about where J. B. Graham now lives. This is just beyond the college building from the town of Selmer. At that time nearly or more than eighty years ago, one of his near neighbors was John Graham. He lived just beyond where the residence of Daniel Tull is situated, and one of the rooms to the old house now stands. It is occupied by Uncle Joe Pratt. The room that now stands is an old-fashioned one of logs, "chink and daub." This old home was on the east side of the old Purdy and Pocahontas road, afterwards known as the old Purdy and Bolivar road, and it was also known as the stage road. The father of John Graham was Daniel Graham, and they were natives of South Carolina coming to this county about the year of the Alamo massacre, in 1836. They settled somewhere near the place now occupied by old "Aunt Nan" Lipford, moving later to the place above referred to. This old Graham place was settled by John Graham. He married Margaret McKee, cousin of Andrew McKee, one of the old sheriffs of the county, and also a cousin of Aaron Sanders. These old people reared a large family, Their children being Amanda, who married Jim Simpson, Clemintine, who Married Somers Moore; John D., who died in the Federal army at Bolivar: Eliza, who married Lanson Woods; Randolph, who died in the Federal army at Memphis; C. G. Graham; C. C. Graham; Rebecca, who married Tom Simpson; A. T. Graham; W. K. Graham. John Graham died in 1872, and his wife in 1878, both of them being the first ones to be buried in the old cemetery, just east and south of Oak Hill cemetery. The son John D., is also buried in that old cemetery. These graves and those of others of the old settlers of this part of the county are in that old burying ground. When the place was settled Purdy was the nearest town, and it was only a few years old. Nath McAfee, George Clark, and Bill Allen were the drivers of the old stage coaches. The nearest school house was called Possum Trot, and it was situated just west of the Simpson branch, on the old Purdy and Pocahontas road. The old teachers then were Josiah Hipps, father of T. A. Hipps, and Leander Seacrease, of North Carolina, and John Coleman, an uncle of J. D. A. Coleman. The old preachers then were Revs. Henry Cook, Presbyterian, Jim Lane, Bill Richards and Aaron Sanders. Services were held at Possum Trot School house and at New Bethel. The old mills were the Pharr, Dickens and McCullar water mills. The neighbors were few and scattered when John Graham lived where Jo Pratt now lives. There was Arch Houston, who lived near the college, Wm. Reynolds, father of J. T. Reynolds, who lived at the old Simpson place, W. H. Simpson, who lived Where C. A. Morphis now lives, Solomon Stiles, who lived where C. C. Graham now lives, and Bill Reid, and the McCullars, living across Cypress. In those days there was nothing where now stands the town of Selmer except weeds, and maybe an occasional opening where some thrifty settler had cleared a place to pitch a little crop. There was no railroad then, and not for many years after that, the first one being the old Memphis and Charleston a few years before the war, and later the Mobile & Ohio, immediately before the war. About the time of the settlement of this place by John Graham, Uncle Jimmie Warren was deputy sheriff in this district, later becoming the sheriff of the county, and as such was the tax collector for the county. In the neighborhood during the days of the early settlement of this place Mr. Graham had as neighbors the McCullar family. The father and mother of this large and interesting family were natives of Ireland. During the American Revolution, Alexander McCullar, Sr., was a soldier. He had five sons, John, who married Katherine McGee, David, who married Eliza Haden, Alexander, who married Hannah Box, Isaac, who married Sophia Lewis, and Willliam, who married Sarah Lewis. His daughters were Peggy, who married Alexander McCullar, her cousin, Polly who married Mathew Marshal, and Jennie, who married John Woods. Not very far from the home of this old settler lived the Ferguson family in the second district. These people were substantial citizens, and descended from the Col. Ferguson, of King's Mountain, of the revolution. The oldest of this family was Joshua Ferguson, who was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was in the battle of Horse Shoe Bend, and at New Orleans during the battle of the eight of January, 1815, but not in the battle. This old settler died in the second district, and was about eighty five years of age. His death was about 1872, the time of the death of John Graham. He was buried in the old Sulphur Springs burying ground. Around the life of this old man is woven the ever interesting and romantic history of the Indian, with whom he once lived, and with whose life he was familiar. That we may gather an idea of the sweep of years, we are reminded that the youngest in that large family of John Graham is now what we call old. Few of the children survive, but the decedents of this pioneer family are numerous. Some of them, among the number being Columbus Graham, and his brother, A. L. Graham, who live in this county, while others reside in different sections of the country. As you travel the road from Selmer to Bethel Springs, you can see the old house, and as you observe it, situated as it is to the left and south of the Mississippi Valley Highway, and on a slight elevation, you are reminded that it, and the many others like it, that have withstood the ravages of time, are mute reminders of another day and another people. The above article was written many years ago, and published in the Independent. Columbus, Alvin and Will Graham, mentioned as survivors of John graham, the pioneer are all dead, and the old house of logs, was torn down fifteen yeas ago, and highway No. 64 passes right through the old Graham place. C. L. McCullar of Ramer is the last living child of the old McCullar family, and death has taken from the walks of men all of the persons whose names appear in the above interesting article.