DEKALB COUNTY, TN 1860 FEDERAL CENSUS http://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/xtn/dekalb/1860/ Copyright (c) 2008 by Don Robbins VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV USGENWEB (US-CENSUS) NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================== NON-Std Formatting by USGenWeb Census Project® File Manager, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Prepared by Donald Robbins Transcription aid by Betty Hawley Checked by D. K. Robbins December 21, 2008 Census Sheet's Format ------------------------------- Census Sheet Header Information ------------------------------- Each Census Sheet consists of 40 lines. The Header information contains a place for the Date of entry, Post Office, The County Name (DeKalb) and the name of the recorder of the information. ------------------------------- Census Sheet Detail information ------------------------------- Column 1 - Dwelling - houses numbered in the order of visitation Column 2 - Families, numbered in the order of visitation Column 3 - The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1860 was in this family Column 4 - Age Column 5 - Sex Column 6 - Color, White, Black or Mulatto or Indian Column 7 - Profession, Occupation or Trade of each person, male and female, over 15 years of age Column 8 - Value of Real Estate Column 9 - Value of Personal Estate Column 10 - Place of Birth, Naming the State, Territory, or Country Column 11 - Married within the year Column 12 - Attended School within the year Column 13 - Person over 20 who could not read or write Column 14 - Whether deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict In the interest of getting the information transcribed to an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, some adjustments were made in the format of the transcription. A new line was created, which contains the Page Number and Line Number that the information was transcribed from. The Surname is in Caps, along with the date of the census page, the census district, the Post Office, and the information from Column 1 and Column 2. The information from Columns 11, 12, 13 was encoded following the Column 10 information, Place of Birth. The encoding is: M, for married within the year, S, for attending school within the year, and I, for illiterate for a check in Column 13 for persons over 20 who could not read or write. The information from Column 14 is added, as is, to the person's line. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The information for the 1860 Census for DeKalb County consists of 241 pages. The information for DeKalb County is on Microfilm Reel M653-1247 COUNTS The Dwellings in DeKalb County are numbered from 1 to 1714 There are 1702 families in this grouping. Number of White Males 5068 Number of White Females 5066 Number of Black Males 3 Number of Black Females 4 Number of Mulatto Males 9 Number of Mulatto Females 8 Number of Students 2341 Number of Illiterates 1806 Number of Married 142 in the last year Number of twins 36 PLACES OF BIRTH Tennessee 8389 North Carolina 447 Virginia 333 South Carolina 108 Kentucky 74 Georgia 41 Missouri 22 Maryland 18 Illinois 16 Pennsylvania 13 Ohio 12 Miss 4 Ireland 3 Indiana 2 NY 2 Germany 2 Unk 1 Engl. 1 Mass 1 OCCUPATIONS Alphabetically appt BS 1 appt CA 1 appt CM 1 appt WW 1 appt 2 artist 1 Bapt Min 2 Basket Maker 1 Black Smith 39 Book Seller 2 Brick Layer 2 Brick Mason 2 Butcher 1 clerk circuit court 1 clerk 14 C. P. Min 1 C.&M. of C.C. 1 Cabinent Maker 5 Carpenter 40 Carriage Maker 3 Chair Maker 1 Civil Officer 2 Clerk County Court 1 Coach Painter 2 Congressman 1 Constable 1 Cooper 2 Day Laborer 1 Domestic 221 Druggist 2 Engineer 1 Farmer 1282 Grocer 12 Gun Smith & Jailor 1 Harness Maker 2 Hatter 1 Hotel Keeper 2 House Keeper 2 Laborer 231 Law student 1 Law Student 1 Lawyer 11 Lawyer* 1 Lumber dlr 1 midwife 2 Mail Carrier 1 Manager of Road 1 Manufacturer 1 Marketing 8 Mechanic 2 Mechanic* 1 Merchant 22 Merchant* 2 Meth Min 6 Miller 11 Officer 1 peddler 1 Painter 3 Physician 16 Poor House Kpr 1 Potter 2 Pres Min 1 Proprieter of Mill 1 retired Merchant 1 Registrar 1 Saddler 16 Saddler* 1 Saddleress 1 Sawyer 3 Seamstress 3 Sheriff 1 Sheriff* 1 Shoe Maker 19 Speculator 1 Stage Driver 3 Stiller 1 Stone Cutter 1 Stone Mason 8 Tailor 2 Tanner 4 Taylor 3 Teacher 19 Tinner 1 Tobacconist 1 Trader 2 Wagoner 1 Weaver 1 Well Digger 1 Wheel Wright 27 OCCUPATIONS by frequency Farmer 1286 Laborer 231 Domestic 221 Carpenter 40 Black Smith 39 Wheel Wright 27 Merchant 24 Shoe Maker 19 Teacher 19 Physician 16 Saddler 16 clerk 14 Grocer 12 Lawyer 12 Miller 11 Marketing 8 Stone Mason 8 Meth Min 6 Cabinent Maker 5 Tanner 4 Carriage Maker 3 Mechanic 3 Painter 3 Sawyer 3 Seamstress 3 Stage Driver 3 Taylor 3 appt 2 Bapt Min 2 Book Seller 2 Brick Layer 2 Brick Mason 2 Civil Officer 2 Cooper 2 Coach Painter 2 Druggist 2 Harness Maker 2 Hotel Keeper 2 House Keeper 2 midwife 2 Potter 2 Tailor 2 Trader 2 appt BS 1 appt CA 1 appt CM 1 appt WW 1 artist 1 Basket Maker 1 Butcher 1 clerk circuit court 1 C. P. Min 1 C.&M. of C.C. 1 Chair Maker 1 Clerk County Court 1 Congressman 1 Constable 1 Day Laborer 1 Engineer 1 Gun Smith & Jailor 1 Hatter 1 Law student 1 Law Student 1 Lumber dlr 1 Mail Carrier 1 Manager of Road 1 Manufacturer 1 Officer 1 peddler 1 Poor House Kpr 1 Pres Min 1 Proprieter of Mill 1 retired Merchant 1 Registrar 1 Saddler* 1 Saddleress 1 Sheriff 1 Sheriff* 1 Speculator 1 Stiller 1 Stone Cutter 1 Tinner 1 Tobacconist 1 Wagoner 1 Weaver 1 Well Digger 1 OTHER adopted 1 bound boy 15 bound girl 2 child 1 cripple 1 Farmer pauper 1 gentleman 1 governess 2 grand-daughter 1 hired girl 7 hired 1 old maid 25 orphan 2 pauper 1 single girl 1 sister 2 stepson 1 student 13 Teacher pauper 1 twin 36 widow 48 INFIRMITIES blind 3 deaf & dumb 4 dumb 1 Farmer insane 1 idiotic 21 insane (grief) 1 insane 4 Laborer idiotic 1 Laborer insane 2 Wheel Wright blind 1 Wheel Wright insane (grief) 1 Transcriber's notes: The census taker in DeKalb County was: James M. Lee at P224-27 Some of the occupations have a * after them. This means, in addition to the occupation, the person was also a farmer. This is the best county we have done, from legibility of the hand writing, to noting vacancies in dwellings, to noting relations-ships. Also this county is the home to one of Tennessee's members of congress. He is Wm B. Stokes at P007-04 in Dist 1. History of Dekalb County The greater portion of Dekalb County lies on the Highland Rim, the remainder in the central basin and the valleys. The Highlands occupy the eastern and northern parts of the county, and the surface is gently undulating. The western part of the county lies in the central basin, and embraces several valleys of considerable size and of great agricultural value, separated from each other by ranges of hills. The valley of Caney Fork begins below the falls between White and Warren Counties, near the southeast corner of Dekalb, is very narrow at the upper end, but gradually widens to the average width of three-quarters of a mile. Its length is about thirty miles. The valley of Smith Fork extends through the western part of the county, from north to south, and has an average width of one mile and is about fifteen miles in length. Each of the tributaries of Smith Fork have valleys of their own. The lands of these valleys are rich, and produce large crops of wheat, corn, oats, hay, potatoes and other cereals. The cap rock of the highlands is siliceous and calcareous. Layers of flinty chert are found in many places, resting on beds of yellow clay. The underlying strata are hard siliceous limestone, and the soils found here are not fertile, the best highland lands being found on the hillsides and along the streams. Underlying the valleys and extending about half-way up the hills is found the limestone common to all parts of the central basin. On the east side of Caney Fork, near the White County line, are found beds of rich iron ore, extending over a space of several miles. The same ore exists on the west side of the stream, though not as extensive. Magnetic iron ore is also supposed to exist in various parts of the county. The black shale underlies the siliceous rocks of the highlands, cropping out on the sides of the hills facing Caney Fork Valley and the basin, but is not valuable. In caves and rock houses are found copperas and alum. The shale also yields mineral oils, in some instances amounting to forty gallons to the ton. The black shale is the source of sulphur springs, of which there are several on the table-land. Caney Fork, Smith Fork and Pine, Fall, Hurricane, Eagle, Holmes, Dry and Mine Lick Creeks are the principal streams of the county, some of which afford splendid water power. Caney Fork is navigable for small steamboats at certain seasons of the year. Two miles below the county seat, on Fall Creek, is a fall of over ninety feet, which presents a rare bit of natural scenery, a view of which may be found in the state department of this work. The timber of the county is abundant, and embraces hickory, walnut, poplar, oak, gum, maple, and other valuable species. The settlement of Dekalb County dates back to the year 1779, at which time Adam Dale settled on Smith Fork, in the immediate neighborhood of the present town of Liberty. Dale was a Marylander in search of a home, and was attracted to Tennessee by the abundance of cheap land, and to the above locality by the fertile land and healthy climate. Being satisfied with the outlook he at once sent work back to his friends in the East, and two years later a colony of forty families, composed of his relatives, friends and acquaintances, left Maryland to join the pioneer in his frontier home. The colony came down the Ohio River, up the Cumberland to Nashville, and from that point made their way overland to the Dale settlement in wagons. There were no roads in those days and the journey from Nashville required several weeks' time, passages for the teams having to be cut as they went along, the forests and canebrakes being impenetrable. Reaching Smith Fork they settled in and around what is now Liberty, and being of a hardy, industrious nature, were in an incredibly short time comfortably housed and domiciled. Among those who composed the colony were William and John Dale, Thomas West, William and George Givens, Thomas Whaley, Josiah Duncan, James and William Bratton, Henry Burton, The Walks, Fruits and others. Between 1800 and 1820 many new comers settled in various parts of the county, among whom were Jesse Allen, Allan Johnson, Martin Phillips, Britton Johnson, James Lockhart, John Martin, James Davis, Giles Driver, I. H. Hayes, Tobe Martin, John Robinson, George, Samuel H. and John Allen, John C. Kennedy, Milton Ward, John Wooldridge, John Frazier, David Taylor, Nicholas Smith, D. League, John Maynor, Henry Cameron, P. G. Magness, Zachariah Lafever, Jacob and Abraham Overall, Robin Forester, Ruben Evans, Matthew Selleers, James Powell, James Tubb, Jack Reynolds, Reddick Driver, Thomas Given, William Boyd, Thomas Duncan, Thomas Durham, David and William Adcock, William Floyd, Hezekiah Bowers, James Powell, John Vantrees, Jonathan and Stewart Dorse, E. Turner, James Goodner, Wm. Grandstaff, Thomas Simpson, William Wright, Benjamin Garrison, Anderson Pickett, Isaac Jones, James Jones and Edmund Turner, Sr. Adam Dale erected the first mill, which was a log, water-power corn-mill, on Smith Fork, near Liberty, built in 1800. The patronage of the mill came from the immediate Dale settlement, for the benefit of which it was established. Other early mills of the county were those of Leonard Fite, at Big Springs, on Smith Fork; Jesse Allen, on Eagle Creek; Thomas Durham and Abraham Farrington, on Pine Creek; James Lick, on Cane Creek, and Nicholas Smith, on Smith Fork. In connection with Allen's mill was a cotton-gin and distillery, probably the first established in the county. The same gentleman also established and operated for a number of years an iron forge on Pine Creek, the ore being secured in the neighboring mountains. Between 1805 and 1815 the settlers would make frequent trips to New Orleans in keelboats, taking to market furs, produce, etc., and returning with salt, which would be sold in the settlements at as high a price as $10 per bushel. The voyagers were embarked on Caney Fork, floating into the Cumberland River, then the Ohio and into the Mississippi. From four to five months were required to make the trip to New Orleans and return. The principal mills of the county at present are as follows: Brown Bros. & Donnell's steam flour mill, at Alexandria; J. H. Overall's steam flour, meal and saw-mill, and Hale Bros.' water-power grist-mill, at Liberty; Allen T. wright's steam woolen-mill, at Dowelltown, and W. T. Robinson's steam grist-mill, at Dowelltown, and T. H. W. Richardson's, Wash. Reynolds', James Oakley's, W. G. Crowley's, John Bone's and James Kelton's grist-mills in various parts of the county. Dekalb County is bounded on the north by the counties of Smith and Putnam, east by Putnam and white, south by Warren and Cannon, and west by Cannon and Wilson. The county was established by act of the Legislature passed in 1837, the territory for the new county being cut off from the counties of White, Warren, Cannon, Wilson and Jackson. The act creating and naming the county is as follows: Be it enacted by the General Assembly that a new county be and is hereby established of parts of White, Warren, Wilson, Cannon and Jackson, to be called DeKalb, in honor of Baron De Kalb, the friend of American liberty, who fell at the battle of Camden in the Revolutionary war. The act also provided for the holding of the first sessions of the different courts at the house of Bernard Richardson, on the bank of Fall Creek, one Quarter of a mile east from the present county seat, and for the appointment of a committee to locate a permanent seat of justice, lay out a town and sell the lots of the same, and with the money derived from the sale, erect the necessary public buildings. The county was formally organized at Richardson's house in March, 1838. A committee composed of Joseph Clark, Thomas Allen, Joseph Banks, Watson Cantrell and Thomas Durham, was appointed to select a site for a permanent seat of justice and erect a courthouse and jail. Of the commissioners, Joseph Clark is still living. A site was selected on the land of Bernard Richardson, who donated fifty acres of the same to the county, which was at once surveyed and laid off into lots and the same sold at public sale, and the town named Smithville in honor of John S. Bryan, who was known as and called Smith. A log courthouse and jail were at once erected, which stood and were used until about 1840, when the buildings of the present were erected. The courthouse is a square, brick building, two-story in height, and cost about $6,000. It is out of repair, and a new house will soon be a necessity. The jail is also a brick building, and cost about $2,500. The population of the county in 1840 was 5,868; in 1850 it was 8,016; in 1860 it was 10,573; in 1870 it was 11,425; in 1880 it was 14,000 and in 1886 about 15,000. In 1886 the voting population was about 3,000, of which about 1,800 were Democrats and 1,2000 Republicans. In 1870 there were 182,726 acres assessed for taxation in the county, valued at $1,510,563, and the total valuation of assessed taxable property amounted to $1,960,031. In 1886 the number of acres assessed was 192,704, valued at $1,192,315, while the total valuation of assessed property amounted to $1,408,775; the tax agregate for 1886 shows taxes assessed in the county as follows: State $4,226.32 1/2; county, $4,226.32 1/2; school, #3,521.93 3/4 poor, $704.38 3/4; highway, $1,127.02; Poll, $1,450. The live stock of the county in 1870 amounted to 3,390 head of horses and mules, 3,885 head of cattle, 11,473 head of sheep, and 20,999 head of hogs. In 1886 the estimated live stock amounted to 5,000 head of horses and mules, 11,000 head of cattle, 7,100 head of sheep, and 2,800 head of hogs. In 1870 the cereal products of the county amounted to 81,412 bushel of wheat, 486,823 bushels of corn, 32,250 bushels of oats, and 1,492 bushels of rye. In 1886 the estimated products were 76,000 bushels of wheat, 863,200 bushels of corn, 21,200 bushels of oats, and 4,000 bushels of rye. Dekalb County is without railroads, the nearest one being the Lebanon branch of the Nashville, Chattannooga & St. Louis Railway,but has the next best thing, i.e., a splendid turnpike, leading from Lebanon, Wilson County, to Smithville, the county seat, upon which the towns and villages of the county are situated, and over which a daily mail and passenger stage is run, affording good transportation, express and nail facilities; at intervals of five miles toll-gates are situated, the income of which is ample to keep the pike and bridges in excellent repair. While the other highways of the county are poor in comparison with the pike, they afford good travel during the spring, summer and fall months. There are no bridges in the county of importance off the pike, there being no necessity for them, as the streams are fordable at almost any season of the year. On Monday, March 5, 1838, James Goodner, Jonathan C. Doss, Lemuel Moore, Reuben Evans, Joseph Turney, Thomas Simpson, John Martin, Watson Cantrell, David Fisher, William Scott, Samuel Strong, Henry Burton, Martin Phillips, John Frazier, Joel Cheatham, Jonathan Fuston, Peter Reynolds and James Batey, all holding commissions as justices for Dekalb County, met at the house of Bernard Richardson, on Fall Creek, and organized the county court by electing Lemuel Moore, chairman. The several county officers produced their certificates of election, qualified and entered upon the discharge of their respective duties, and the wheels of the Government were set in motion. The court continued to meet at Richardson's house until the completion of the log courthouse. The circuit court of Dekalb County was also organized at Richardson's, the first session being held on the second Monday in August, 1838, over which Judge A. J. Marchbanks presided. The chancery court was organized at the courthouse in Smithville in March, 1844, by Chancellor B. L. Ridley. Among the first lawyers of Dekalb County were Jonathan L. Farrar, M. M. Brien, W. W. Wade, Sr., J. J. Ford, John H. Savage and Monroe Savage. The lawyers who have practiced since the war, and are at present members of the bar of the county are as follows, in about the order given, some of whom are not at present residents of the County: John H. Savage, M. M. Brien, Robert Cantrell, James A. Nesmith, Robt. C. Nesmith, W. W. Wade, Jr. , T. M. Wade, J. S. Gibble, W. B. Stokes, B. M. Webb, B. G. Adcock, J. T, Holis, B. M. Cantrell, John B. Robinson, A. Arant, R. M. Magness, P. T. Showers, Joseph Clark, Will T. Hale, D. O. Williams, J. J. Ford and J. W. Batts. The following is a list of the county officers who have served from the organization of the county: County Court clerks: Pleasant M. Wade, William Lawrence, Washington Isbell, M. T. Martin, G. W. Eastham, P. G. Magness, E. J. Evans, Z. P. Lee and H. K. Allen, present incumbent. Circuit court clerks: David Fite, William J. Given, J. B. Gibbs, J. T. Holis, W. T. Haskins, T. M. Christian and T. W. Shields, present incumbent. Clerk and masters: Thomas Whaley, Washington Isbell, J. T. Hallin, John P. Robertson, W. W. Wade and M. A. Crowley, present incumbent. Sheriffs: Pleasant A. Thomason, James McGuire, E. W. Taylor, John W. Dearman, J. Y. Stewart, John Hallum, W. L. Hathaway, C. Hill, J. H. Blackburn, M. F. Doss, C. S. Frazier, B. M. Merritt, H. S. Gill and S. P. Maxwell, present incumbent. Registers: Daniel Coggin, W. I. Isbell, David Fite, J. H. Haynes, John K. Bain, M. H. McHarner, Judson Dale, J. C. Kennedy, J. B. Attwell, John Harrison, B. M. Cantrell, E. W. Taylor and John G. Evans, present incumbent. Dekalb County has furnished her full quota of soldiers for all wars since organization, sending a full company, under command of Capt. John F. Goodner, to the war between the United States and Mexico, under the second call for volunteers, the company being mustered into service in 1847 in the Third Tennessee Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, and during the civil war between the North and South furnished a number of companies to both the Northern and Southern Armies. The Confederate companies was as follows: Capt. John F. Goodner's company of the Twenty-fourth Tennessee Regiment of Infantry, raised at Alexandria in April, 1861; Capt. R. D. Allison's company of the Sixteenth Tennessee Regiment of Infantry (of which regiment Capt. Allison was elected Colonel, and Boob Savage, of his company, elected major), organized at Alexandria in 1861; Capts. J. S. Reece's and R. V. Wright's companies of Allison's Battalion of cavalry, raised at Alexandria by Col. Allison in 1862; Capt. Robert Cantrell's company of the Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment of Infantry, raised at Smithville in 1861; Capt. John Peck's company of the Forty-fourth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry, and Capt. Perry Adcock's company of the same regiment, both raised at Smithville in 1862. The Federal companies were as follows: Three companies of the Fifth Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry, organized at Nashville in 1862, of which W. B. Stokes, of Liberty, was elected Colonel, they being Company A, captain, J. H. Blackburn; Company B, captain, S. Waters, and Company K, captain, E. W. Bass . Six companies of the Fourth Regiment of Tennessee Mounted Infantry were organized at Liberty in 1864, of which J. H. Blackburn was elected colonel, they being Company D, captain, Martin E. Quinn; Company E, captain, McAdoo Vanatta; company F, captain, William L. Hathaway; Company G, captain, James P. Paty; Company H, captain, John T. Thomas, and Company I, captain, John Simpson. Of the First Regiment of Tennessee Mounted Infantry, organized at Carthage in 1864, one company, commanded by Andrew J. Garrison. It is estimated that from 150 to 200 soldiers went from Dekalb County into other regiments, they going in squads, of which there was no record kept. For history of above regiments and companies see Confederate and Federal military chapters in state department of this volume. Smithville, the county seat, is situated on the Lebanon and Smithville pike, eighteen miles from Alexandria, and has a population of about 800. The town was founded in 1838 by the commissioners appointed by the county court to locate a permanent seat of justice. W. W. Wade, Sr., Samuel Chandler and P. M. Wade were the first merchants. Following, in the order given, the merchants were P. G. Magness, John L. Dearman, George Beckwith, J. Y. Stewart, S. B. Whaley and Elijah Whaley. Dr. G. W. Eastham was the first hotel-keeper, and he was succeeded in turn by James Ervin and Bernard Richardson. In 1846 a stock company erected a frame hotel building, which is now conducted by Joseph Bozarth. The other hotel is conducted by Mrs. N. G. Tyra. The present business of Smithville is as follows: R. B. West, G. R. Smith& Son, Smith Bros., Black & Bond, T. B. Potter, S. D. Blankenship, all general Merchandise; W. B. Foster, C. Parker, Groceries; Hooper & Bros., Hardware; D. S. Harrison, F. Z. Webb, drugs; A. L. Foster, saddles and harness; R. B. West and E. J. Evans, Livery stables. Among the early physicians of Smithville were Drs. G. W. Eastman; Charles Schurer, J. C. Buckley, -- Barnes, J. C. Cox, and E. Tubb. Those of the present are Drs. J. Z. Webb, P. W. Eaton, M. L. Wilson and James Womack. The early schools of Smithville were of little consequence, and of them there is no record. In 1842 a brick building was erected and Fulton Academy established. This school was a very good one, and continued intil 1883, when it was succeeded by Pure Fountain College, for which a large three-story brick building was erected, at a cost of $12,000. Prof. T. B. Kelley has charge of the college at present, and is meeting with success. The first church erected was a brick, put up in 1848 by the Methodists. A frame building was erected in its place in 1856, and is in use at present. The next church was the Baptist, erected in 1858, the next the Christian, erected in 1873, and the next the Cumberland Presbyterian, erected in 1886. Before the Methodist Church was built log houses were used for churches. Alexandria, is the largest town of the county, with a population of about 900, is on the Lebanon and Smithville pike, half way between the two places (eighteen miles from each), and was founded about 1815, by ---- Alexanderia who named the town after his native town in Virginia. A charter of incorporation was secured in 1846, and the town was incorporated until 1879, when the charter was surrendered and the four mile temperance law given authority and force, in order to close out saloons. Among the early merchants were Joshua Coffee, ---- Alexandria, Samuel Young, Church Anderson, Jacob Fite, James Goodner, William Floyd, J. D. Wheeler, Bone & Bros., Thomas Crompton, Reece & Ford, Turner Bros., Wheeler & Jones, John F. Moore, S. W. Pearce, Lawrence & Ray, William Geltford, L. D. Fite, J. D. Beard, and Beard & Goodner, all of whom were in business prior to the war. During the latter part of the war the only firm in business was that of Dexter Buck, J. M. Beard, Stokes & Wood, Edward Turner & Bros., Dinges & Lincoln, Hurd & Co., Bridges & Smith, George Evans, and M. F. Doss. Between 1870 and 1880: Dinges & Co., Rutland & Goodner, S. W. McClelland, Ray & Zergin, John Jost, John Garrison, Edwards & Rutland, and L. Tubb. The merchants of the present are as follows: Dinges & Co., Rutland & Goodner, S. W. McClelland, general merchandise; J. W. King, Edwards & Rutland, and Gould & Newman, drugs; Tubb & Schure, hardware and groceries; John Jost, confectionery; John Garrison, fancy groceries; L. Tubb, dry goods; Batts & Garrison and H. C. Flippin, Undertakers; D. W. Dingess, livery stable, and B. F. Bell, hotel. The early physicians of Alexandria down to the war were as follows in the order given: Drs. John Overall, George Gray, ---- Dougherty, William Sales, Cornelius Sales, William and Richard Blyth, T. J. Sneed, T. F. Evart, and T. J. Sneed, Jr. Since the war: C. L. Barton, O. D. Williams, T. A. Gould and Thomas Davis. Present: O. D. Williams, T. A. Gould, and Thomas Davis. The first school was taught by John Collins in a frame house. The first building erected expressly for a school was a frame, about 1840. The Masonic Academy was next, in 1856, and in 1858 T. M. Lawrence college was erected, the latter two being in operation at present. In about 1820 the Methodists erected a log church, and in 1835 the same denomination erected a frame church, and in 1885 put up their present handsome frame church. In 1835 the Christians erected a frame church, and the present frame church of that denomination was built in 1851. In 1881 the Cumberland Presbyterians erected a frame building, which they use at present. There is a Baptist organization but no building. The Alexandria Patriot, a weekly paper, was established in 1860 by W. H. Mott , which was published until 1861, when it suspended. In 1882 the Alexandria Enterprise was established by J. W. Newman, and published for about two years. Liberty, situated on the pike, seven miles from Alexandria, has a population of about 500, and was founded in about 1800 by Adam Dale, and names in honor of the founder's home in Maryland. The first house was built by William Givens. ---- Walk was the first merchant, and was followed by Fite & Duncan, ---- Young, Moore & price, Benjamin Bloyds, Joshua Bratton, and Leonard Moore, all of whom were in business before the late war. Since the war, Eli Vick, Fate Hale, Overall & Hale, Columbus Vick, and Elija Bratton were the merchants, and at present the business is conducted by the following firms: Hale & Son, William Vick & Son, and James Pritchett, General merchandise; D. D. Overall, drugs, etc.; James Pritchett, hotel. The Liberty Herald, the only newspaper published in Dekalb County, was established April 1, 1886, by Will A. Vick. The Herald is a neat and newsy weekly, well edited and extensively patronized. A power press for the Herald is among the probabilities of the near future. One of the first, if not the first, school taught in Liberty was that taught by --- Gay, at a very early date, in a log house. Other schools were taught afterward, but all were of an inferior class, and it was not until about 1870 that a good school was established. At that time a substantial two-story brick house was erected and the Masonic Normal School founded, which is in successful operation at the present. Salem Baptist Church was erected in 1810, being the first church built at Liberty. This denomination erected a new frame house in 1849, and a third frame house in 1880. The other church of Liberty is the Methodist, the original house being erected in 1825 and the present one in 1869. Dowelltown, two miles from Liberty, on the pike, has a population of about 300, with a good frame Methodist Church, built in 1880, and a frame schoolhouse erected in 1885. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - THE STORY TELLERS We are the chosen. My feelings are, in each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know, and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do? It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That, is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones. Author unknown The 1860 Census or Lots of Questions Answered The 1860 Census lists a dwelling number and family number and each sheet lists the county as well as town and post office name. Questions answered on the 1860 census include, name, age and sex of each individual; color, occupation, value of real and personal property; birthplace, whether married within the year (m.y.), whether attended school, can read or write and the date of the enumeration. Also included are boxes to indicate if an individual was a pauper or convict. Here is an article published in 1859 about the upcoming 1860 census: Friday September 23, 1859 Weekly Star THE NEXT CENSUS The year 1860 is the time appointed for taking the eighth census of the United States. From having been originally a simple enumeration's of persons, this Federal census has grown to be a decennial register of the number of inhabitants and their occupation, religious denominations & c, and also a statement of the commerce, manufacturers, arts and industry, and the wealth of the nation. The collection of these statistics has hitherto been attended with immense labor and difficulty. The inquiries of the census takers have not only been baffled by the stupidity and perverseness and ignorance of many to whom they were addressed; but it has been impossible to obtain accurate information upon important subjects because the parties; who alone are presumed capable of imparting it, have never taken the trouble to inform themselves. It often occurs that, in the absence of the head of a family no other member of it is able to give the information required; for instance as to the ages of the different members or it, or the amount of land in cultivation, the number of negroes and their ages, the quantity and value of horses, mules and oxen, etc., or of farming implements or farm products. In town and country similar difficulties are continually met with by the marshals appointed to collect these statistics, and the census is consequently returned incomplete. It is probably that while care will be observed to prevent any frauds or excess in the publication of the next census, it will be ordered by Congress to be taken so as to include all the most important items of information in regard to the progress of our population and our country. In view of this contingency the Nashville News very sensibly suggest that each farmer, this fall , as he gathers his crops, shall keep something like an accurate account of the quality and value of the same; and if he will take the trouble to make out a statement of the names and ages of his family; the number and ages of his servants, the number and value of his horses and mules; the number of bales of cotton, barrels of corn, bushels of wheat, oats, rye, barley, potatoes, etc., and leave it in some place where any member of the family, who may be at home when the deputy marshal shall call, can readily get hold of it, it will save time to all concerned, and very greatly assist to make the census return perfect, complete and satisfactory.