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BY JAMES FR. SAUNDERS, Number 8. The family of the Owens, is one of the most respectable, in our county. Caleb Owen, the ancestor, was mar ried to Mary Neighbors, in South Carolina. He moved to Madison county, Als., in 1813. Hantaville (which had first been named Twick enham) was a very small place. He moved thence to Tuscaloosa in 1818, which was then a mere germ of a town, and afterwards to Jefferson co I judge he was a man who “ordered his household aright,” for amongst all his descendants, I have not found one, who was not a worthy member of so ciety. He had three sons who were merchants in our county—Isaac N., Allen G., and Franklin C. Owen. ISAAC N. OWEN came to Moulton in August, 1821, when quite a young gmal. At first he was clerk for James Elliott, but af terwards went into business on his own account. He was of fine judg ment, and unswerving integrity; and won the esteem and confidence of the people in a remarkable degree. His manner was dignified and somewhat reserved, except in company with his intimate friends. In person he was tall, fully six feet sand spare, but broad across the shoulders. His age was dark and his complexion sallow. In a few years he found himself in a condition to marry, and won the hand of Miss Martha Craddock, a very small, beautiful, and well educated daughter of Pleasant Craddock. He kept one of the best Hotels in Nashb ville, for a long time, and his chil dren had the advantage of the best schools, and his daughters were high ly accomplished. Ioe. B. Wallace, Esq., having married the oldest daughter, Caroline, in Nashville, and settled in Moulton, Mr. Craddock sold his property in Nashville, purchased a farm East of Moulton, and moved his family also. Mrs. Craddock was an excellent lady, and suffered the most excruciating tortures, from rheu matism, for many years before her death. Not long afterwards her hus band followed her, and I think none of the family are now living except Mrs. Owen, and my old Tennessee school-mate, John Craddock. Col. Owen, during his long career as a merchant, had his troubles, but they never diminished the confidence of the people; and he was able at all times to support his family in com fort, and have his children well edu cated. He had no taste for public life, although he was decided Whig in his opinions; but in 1834 a nomina tion for the Legislature was thrust upon him, and he was elected by a large majority. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and one of the pillars of it; but he had no bitter sec tarian feelings towards other denom inations. In short, he was a man of liberal and enlarged views. He had moved with his son-in-law, Mr. Har ris, to Nashville, and his sudden death this spring deeply affected this community. A good man had fallen, who had been influential in hhis church, had raised his family well, and was dear to hie friends, some of whom had known him “through sunshine and storm,” for more than half a cen tury. He left children so follows: 1. Ma ry, who married Thomas ©. Sale (son of Rev. Alex. Sale). He died about 1852. His daughter Anna was mar ried to John Phelan, Esq., and after living at Courtland for some years, they have removed to Chattanooga; and Mrs. Sale went with them. His son, William Franklin went to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and commenced the practice of Law, in company with two young men from our county— Simpson Harrie and William Gallo way. The firm became prominent, and was doing a good business, when the late wor b out, “Mr. Owen became Captain, not in the course of things, was taken prisoner, and was confined for two years at Johnson’s Island. He died year or two,after his return home. 3. Martha, who married Capt. Isaac M. Jaokeon. They live on Cotaco river, in Morgan county. 4. Louisa Ligon, who mar ried Mr. Daniel Johnson of Mississip pi. 5. Harriet Perkins, the young est, who married Andrew J. He 8, long a merchant of Maniton and son of Nashville. Woe will notice him a Mss. Owen (like thic jis mw member of the Church, sod is a gentleman of singu lar amiability and courtesy, and much respected by all who know him. He was m nt, for many years, in Moulton, and since 1875 tis here the Clerk of the Chancery Court. He has three children, Nennie, who married W. H. Hicks, of Henderson, Ky. Frank ©., who conducts a mercantile for Gen. Wheeler, and Patty, an accomplished daughter, unmarried. The third son of Caleb Owen, was Franklin C . who was a merchant for many years yu and had a assoter integrity. He mar ine daughter of Col. Benj. Harris, of Resesll’s Valley, who was one of its first settlers there. He surveyed and speculated in lands a great deal. He and the Gilobrietes of our county were great friends, and were partners at Saod sslee. Col. Harris became quite wealthy. He was the brother of Nehemish Harris of our county. Mr. Frank Owen was greatly respect ed by all who knew him. His only son, Benjamin L., married Mies Wat son, the daughter of a planter in Eas tern Miss., and lives a few miles south west of Moulton. Mr. Edmond P. Anderson, another merchant, was raised in Camberland county, Va. He married Adelaide Deckard, of Abingdon, Va., and mov ed to Moulton in 1823. Their oldest son, James M., was born 30th July, 1824, . After a few years, this family moved to Winchester, Tenn., where Mr. Anderson died, at the early age of 27, leaving his widow with two sons, the one we have mentioned and Edmond P. Jan. @dl. James M. first settled at Rusk, Cherokee county, Texas, where he practiced law until 1866, when he went to the flourishing city of Wasco. His attention, I am informed, has been, almost exclusive ly devoted to his profession, eschew ing politics and office, never having departed from the rule but twice; he was in the secession convention of 1860, and the Legislature of 1878. He has the reputation of being one of the foremost lawyers of the State, and an able Legislator. He was the law partner of Senator Coke, when he was elected Governor of Texas. The Col. came in 1850 to see the place of his nativity, from which I infer that he, is 8 men of sentiment. We hope he will come again. If he should, we will confer on him “the freedom of the city,” and give him a welcome, as a son of f Lawrence, suitable to his merits. David and Ambrose Hunter, and James M. Mionis—all merchants— came from the same section of East Tennessee. David and Ambrose did business as partnore, for some years, and made independent livings. Da vid, the elder brother, was rather un der the average height, but strongly built. He married Maria, daughter of Capt. Wm. Leotoh, but she died a few years after, without issue. David was a man of fine business capacity. In addition to his merchandize, he turned a penny by horse trading. I might have forgotten this, but for an accident which happened to me, when I lived at Moulton. I purchased from David a match of horses. Some little time afterwards, one Sunday morn ing, my boy who been copper color the day before, came in nearly as white as a sheet. ‘“What’s the mat ter, Billy?” He answered: “Why, Sir, Wesb and me was having a little race to see which horse was the swift est, when my horse frowed me clean over a stump—and I sit on my hip up on a root—and I'm most ded, Sir.” Says I, “go and lie down and get your name to rob it with camphor.” But Billy still lingered, and at length said “And the horse, he’s died too, Sir.” “The———, you say?” ‘Yes, Sir, he stump his toe and fell wid his body in the stump, and broke his neck amack off.” And so it was. I never com plained of David, for he did’nt guar antee that the horses’ head was hard er than a seasoned stump. David married for his second wife a widow named Green, and from that time commenced moving about,and it was said that he moved so often that he wore out the tenons of his bed steade, so that they would’nt stand up. I never could find out where he “lit” at last. Ambrose Hunoter was a tall, well proportioned man,not a good mer chant and citizen. His circumstances had improved very much since he came to this county, and he naturally felt it; but he could not get clear of the East Tennessee drawyl to his pro nunciation. His friend Minnis had the same infirmity, but was much the sharpest man of the two, and always was delighted to have a joke on his friends. He askd that “Ambrose one night was attacked, with a pain in the top of his head and raining down in to his brain. He made out to stand it until daylight, when Dr. Glover was tent for in great haste. The Dr. removed a scratch, which Ambrose wore on the top of his head, escured by small alips of cloth, pasted his sead, wheeled a large cockroach made his escape. He had been fesd ing the paste, and by way of varie ty, taking a mouthful of the flesh— and this was the sum of his brain fo and after her death had an interest in the salt works in W. and I think he moved there, married of Mrs. Gragett, a worthy on who should receive more Spe cial notice. Maj Jobe Gragett had been the contractor for the erection of the Pub lic buildings, and after completing them built one of the largest log ho tels L ever saw. It was two stories high, had four rooms on each floor, and wide halls. It stood on the Haat side of the street, leading South from the 5. W. corner of the square. When the Major died his widow had nothing but this house, and decided to keep a Hotel. She as well is es pecially, by the lawyers, from other Sueties. Here olden time could be seen the first Clay with his eagle eye,—and McKinley with his pewter eye, but no full of metaphysics, that he caused George Coulter, in his agony,to exclain, “If your honor please, Col. McKinley would have us ‘believe that you was an ‘ides’ and was an ‘idee’ and we were all ‘idees’ together,”—and the fiery Cooper who after a long career, has no abatement of his natural force and fire;and Bil ly Martin, who from an East Tenessee schol Master, raised himself to the Bar, and thus educated two brothers who became Governors of Alabama. But where am I going? But Mrs. Gengett had a heavy burden upon her in the support of her family and keep ing her three daughters, in the social position, formerly held by her family. The Terma of Court, in which only she had any income, were so short and the vacations (in which she made nothing) were so long, that the good lady was sometimes greatly decreased. But she was a faithful Presbyterian, and a devoted mother, and she hero ically maintained the conflict with poverty. She “made every edge cut,” and once when she moved her wood pile, which had been for years in the street, she utilized the rich mound by extending her fence round it and making a fine crop of onions. This will, doubtless, excite wonder in the minds of many people, but it must be kept in mind that in those days we had only town constables, but now we have marshalls, with that one of office, and in a case like this not only the onions but the fefice around them, would have been forfeited, “pro bono publico.” In this conflict the poor widow was helped by her son Ben. When he got large enough to water the lawyer's horses, he drew to his aid stealy all the boys in town. When mounted, dare-back, Capt. Ben would not lead his squadron the nearest way to the water, but the gay crowd would can ter South for more than half a mile. The mothers in town were in arms, and many a boy who wore white panta, which bore Ben’s signet, got ‘‘desse” when he returned home. Ben got to be a stout boy, and then in the long vacations, he would go out to the woods, with an ox cart, and cut and bring home a supply of wood; but one strange thing was that Ben always rode the steer bare back. He seemed to be invulnerable. As he grew stronger, he did all the rough work of the family. The girl's were pretty and genteel. The eldest, Ma lonia, married Parker Aiszander, who had a plantation on the Tom Bigbés; Margaret married Ambrose Hunter, and Iantha was courted by James M. Minois, who had a very good living. Iantha was tall, slender, and so deli cate that her friends earnestly advis ed her not to marry; but she dissent ed, and was stout in maintaining her ground. The result proved that she was right, for sake had ten children. The girls having been provided for the old lady, at length, hung up her arms in the Temple of Pesce. And, Ben—what about Ben? Poor fellow! during all these years of dragery and labor for others, he had been forgot ten, and bie education neglected. Had his mind grown as his body, he would have been a prodigy of intellect. When he was fully grown, straightered out, he measured, largely, over six feet. Ben went off to Mies., and engaged in manual labor for a support, and I have never heard of him but once. When war was declared with Mexico my nephew, the late Capt. Joel T. Parrick, of the Jeff Davis rifles, wrote informing me of his departure. I an swered at once, advising him in form ing his mess to include some who were inured to labor. On his return from Mexico he informed me that he invited Ben Grugett into his mess, and owed his life to that fact; for he fell sick, and he pursed him like a brother—and moreover made a splen did soldier. For my part I give him, more honor for the noble manner in which he sustained his widowed moth er and helpless sisters, than I would bed he gained a Colonel’s plume in that campaign. I omitted to mention, in this connection, that Mr. Minnig moved his family to Aberdeen, many years ago. So my next I will treat of the Judg es and Clerks, of the Circuit Court, in old times,
Newspaper Details
Moulton Advertiser
Moulton, Alabama, US
Thu, Jun 10, 1880
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 22 Jan 2026
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