J. C. AKIN, proprietor of the Evans
Hotel, was born July 2, 1827, in Granville County, N. C. His father,
Thomas Akin, moved with his family from North Carolina to Maury County,
Tenn., about 1830, and lived there till his death. He was a farmer
and raised a large family. The genial subject of this sketch was
reared on a farm. He came to Shelbyville in 1854, married and engaged
in mercantile trade for a short time. He then farmed till 1857, having
bought a farm near Shelbyville. He then removed to McMinnville, Warren
Co., Tenn., and engaged in the grocery business there a short time, and
then at farming till the war, in the meantime having bought two farms and
stocked them. During the was he was in the drug business till early
in 1865. He then went to Maury County and raised a crop of cotton;
thence he returned to McMinnville, and remained till 1878, when he again
moved to Shelbyville, and for six years ran the Barksdale House.
Since then he has been running the Evans Hotel, the only first-class hotel
in the city. He also runs a fruit evaporator in Shelbyville.
He was married, September 18, 1854, to Mrs. America Lane, the widow of
Robert Lane, of Marshall county. Her father was Isaac Holman, who
was once a member of the Legislature. Mr. Akin and wife have been
members of the Missionary Baptist Church for many years, and are among
the leading members of the church at Shelbyville. Mr. Akin has been
chairman and treasurer of the executive board of the Duck River Baptist
Association for many years, and at one time was president of the Baptist
Sunday-school Association, and of the Bedford County Sunday-school Association.
He is a member of the K. of H. Politically he was merely an old-line
Whig, but is now a conservative Democrat. He is justly regarded as
an enterprising and influential citizen of the county, who has always taken
special and active interest in all charitable, religious and moral enterprises.
The wife was the mother of four children by her former marriage, two of
whom are now living.
D. M. ALFORD, publisher of the Bedford
County Times, was born November 30, 1861, and is the son of A. J. and
Margaret (Russell) Alford, both of whom are natives of Lincoln County,
Tenn., though now living in Shelbyville, Tenn. Our subject is a practical
printer, and as such has filled responsible positions on the Fayetteville
Express, Shelbyville Gazette, Chattanooga Times and
Murfreesboro News. In February, 1886, he engaged with William Russell
in the publication of the Bedford County of Times, which
paper he is a publisher, and has succeeded in building up a good newspaper.
JOHN H. ALLEN, superintendent of
public instruction of Bedford County, was born November 19, 1848, son of
William and Elizabeth (Ray) Allen. The parents were born in 1824
and 1827, respectively. The ancestors of our subject emigrated from
Smith County, Tenn., to Illinois, and after remaining there some time move
to Bedford County, where our subject was born. William Allen was a tiller
of the soil and the father of five children - four of whom were reared
to maturity. These are Isaac S., Sarah, James E., and John H.
The father was a pious member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South,
and a respected citizen of the county in which he lived. His death,
which occurred in 1874, was universally regretted by all who knew him.
Since the death of her husband Mrs. Allen has been living with the subject
of this sketch. She is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South. Our subject, at the age of nineteen, left the farm and, having
had the advantage of a good English education, chose school-teaching as
his profession. He has given the best of satisfaction where he has
taught, and is considered quite a success as an educator. In 1885
he was elected superintendent of public schools of Bedford County, and
by his energy and untiring zeal has done much to further the advancement
of the schools of the county. November 10, 1881, he married Miss
Susan E. Hobbs, and two children have bless this union: Lora V. and
Ewitt P. Mr. Allen is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South,
of which he has been a steward for eight or ten years.
A. E. ATKINSON was born in Marshall
County, Tenn., January 23, 1817. His father, John Atkinson, was born
in Virginia about 1774, and first married a Miss Dunn, who bore him seven
children. His second wife was Nancy McClaren, and our subject is
the fourth of their eight children. John Atkinson came to Tennessee
about 1800, and was one of the first pioneers of the country, and was elected
magistrate soon after his arrival. There being no other magistrate
in the county, he was obliged to swear himself into office and held the
position until his death in 1829, with the exception of one year, when
he was a member of the State Legislature. He also served as chairman
of the county court several terms. Our subject has been a school-teacher
for thirty-five or thirty-six years, teaching twelve months in the year
a portion of the time. He also farmed, and June 5, 1838, he wedded Elizabeth
C. Stem, and the following children are the result of their union:
F. M., Mary A., (Mrs. A. S. Turrentine), Christina C. (Mrs. W. H. Clark),
W. E. and J. R. Mrs. Atkinson died November 2, 1867, a worthy member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Atkinson married his second
wife, Jane Edwards, April 6, 1870. Mr. Atkinson has a fair education,
which he has obtained manly through his own exertions. Up to the
date of the late war he was an old-line Whig. Since that time he
has been a Democrat.