Calhoun County, Georgia Biographies

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Calhoun County, Georgia Biographies

JESSE EDWARD MERCER was born in Webster county, Ga., Oct. 30, 1860, and is the son of William H. Mercer, a prominent farmer of that county. He was given a common school education, and when quite a youth took service with his uncle, Capt. Philip E. Boyd, an extensive merchant and farmer of Leary, Ga. He was editor of the "Calhoun County Courier" for several years ; at the same time was county surveyor at the age of twenty-one, and also conducted a lumber mill. He then sold his newspaper and milling interests and entered the mercantile business, which he subsequently disposed of and became the agent of the Central railroad at Leary, as well as the agent of the Southern Express company, and at the same time held the office of postmaster. Mr. Mercer came very near securing an appointment at West Point Military academy, and during his career as a journalist narrowly missed a duel with H. M. McIntosh of the "Albany News and Advertiser" over the public printing of Baker county. He represented his county in the first road congress held in the state. He is now serving a term in the state senate from the Ninth district, and at the same time is deputy revenue collector, with headquarters at Brunswick. In the senate he is chairman of the public road committee, and brought himself into considerable prominence by introducing a bill for the employment of the convict force of the state on the public roads and in swamp drainage. Mr. Mercer was married Nov. 25, 1885, to Miss Dora Colley, daughter of Judge John Colley, one of the pioneers of Calhoun county. She has borne him six children, only one of which is living. Mr. Mercer is a master Mason. He is what may be correctly called a self-made man, full of energy, self-assertive, possessing a large fund of general information secured by assiduous application, which demonstrates itself in both his writings and his conversation. Being but thirty-five, with all of his energies well in hand, the public will learn to know Mr. Mercer better as he grows older. He is, indeed, a rising man. [Source: "Memoirs of Georgia", The Southern Historical Association, 1895 - Transcribed by K. Torp]

D. MURRAY, farmer, Dawson, Terrell Co., Ga., son of Moses W. and Eliza B. (Warnock) Murray, was born in Charleston district, S. C., in 1828. His grandfather, Rev. Moses Murray, was a local Methodist preacher, was born and raised in Charleston district, where he planted and preached all his life, and died there at an advanced age in 1838. His wife, Margaret (Bunch) Murray, was of Dutch descent, was also born in Charleston district, and survived her husband many years. She was a very devoted member of the Methodist church, and was a regular attendant at the camp meetings held yearly at Providence camp ground, near Charleston, where they had a tent.
To them six children were born: Ann, married Rev. John Bunch of the South Carolina conference, who died in Florida at the advanced age of ninety years, having been blind many years before her death; Moses W., father of our subject; Lovick Pierce, who went to Louisiana and farmed in early life, then returned to Georgia, and after farming awhile engaged in milling. He finally settled near Norcross, Gwinnett Co., leaving a good estate and a widow, who is still living; Dilla, deceased wife of John Durr, who came to Georgia and farmed awhile, then moved back to South Carolina, where she died; Margaret, deceased wife of John S. Wimberly, farmer and wheelwright, Calhoun county, Ga.; Mary Ann, married Joseph Inabnett and came to Georgia and settled in Baker county, where she died. Mr. Murray's father was the second child and oldest son of the family, and was born in Charleston district, S. C, in 1800, where he was raised and given a common school education. When attaining manhood he married Eliza B. Warnock, born in Charleston, only daughter of Gabriel Warnock, a native of England. His wife was left a widow with three sons and one daughter (the mother of our subject). The sons were: John, who died in Calhoun county, Ga.; S. C., who died near the old home place; Joseph, who was a prominent Methodist minister, lived to be quite old before he died.

In 1843 Mr Murray's father moved with his family to Georgia, by wagon, and settled on land in Baker county, now included in Calhoun county, on which he lived until 1872, when he died. He furnished a substitute during the Cherokee Indian trouble. In politics he was a whig, but took no active part as a partisan, devoting his time and attention to his farm and family. He was an active and exemplary member of the Methodist church, of which he was a steward, and a class leader from early manhood. His wife was also a devoted member of the same church, and died in 1878. They were the parents of eight children: James R. N., who died with pneumonia in 1861; W. D., the subject of this sketch; Elizabeth M., deceased wife of Dr. Walter T. Murchison, Arlington, Calhoun Co., Ga.; Mary, in Florida, widow of John Murchison; Moses H., died near Albany, Ga., March n, 1894; Sarah, Mrs. L. M. Leonard, Terrell county; S. T. C., Cochran, Pulaski Co., Ga.; and Dorothy Selatha, Mrs. Larkin Johnson, Terrell county. Mr. Murray received his boyhood schooling in South Carolina, an interesting incident of which was, that one of his teachers, Peter Eggleston, an old Englishman, was also a teacher of his father. Although only a youth, he was mustered into the South Carolina militia before he left the state. He received some schooling after coming to Georgia. What he lacked in educational advantages when growing up he has largely supplied by close observation and practical life-experience. On reaching maturity he began fanning for himself in Baker county.
During the latter part of the civil war he served in Wheeler's cavalry, participated in the battle of July 22, 1864, in other fights, and skirmishes around Atlanta, in Wheeler's raid in Tennessee, covering Johnson's retreat, and at Aiken, S. C. He is an old-time democrat, and cast his first vote for George W. Towns for governor of Georgia. Although taking an active part in politics he never aspired to office, but served many years as a justice of the peace. In 1894 he was elected to represent his district in the general assembly.
Mr. Murray when twenty-four years of age married Miss Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Bryant Jones, a prominent Early county farmer. She was born in Florida in 1833, and when she was a little girl her parents moved to Early county. They have no children, but have twin boys, nephews, sons of Moses H. Murray, whom they received into their family in 1875, when they were eleven months old. Mr. Murray is a master Mason, and has presided as worshipful master of his lodge. Mrs. Murray and family are exemplary members of the Methodist church. [Source: "Memoirs of Georgia", The Southern Historical Association, 1895 - Transcribed by K. Torp]

JAMES MAURICE THOMPSON
James Maurice Thompson, born in Indiana in 1844, and for a long time a resident of Georgia, stands in the front rank of the men of letters who have made this state their home. After serving four years in the Confederate army, he opened a law office at Calhoun. His first contributions appeared in "The Ladies' Home Gazette," and "Scott's Monthly," two popular Atlanta publications, and their scholarship and graceful style attracted the favorable attention of the reading public. Some years after the war he returned to his native state, Indiana, where he has since held the office of state geologist, and has devoted himself in his leisure hours to literature. He is a member of the New York "Independent's" staff, but finds time to write for numerous magazines and weeklies. Despite his fondness for a literary career, he is a man of affairs, with good business judgment, and makes no secret of the fact that he desires to reap substantial rewards rather than fame. He is a lover of science and an enthusiastic student of nature. Among his works are Hoosier Mosaics, Songs of Fair Weather, The Witchery of Archery, At Love's Extremes, A Tallahassee Girl, By-Ways and Bird Notes, A Fortnight of Folly, and a half dozen others of less note, to say nothing of his scores of short stories. Law, geology, and literature, together with judicious investments, have made Mr. Thompson a wealthy man, and among his neighbors he is regarded as a far-seeing man of business, whose judgment and predictions are worthy of the highest respect. With so many professions and occupations, and with his pen so constantly employed, it is natural that his style should be very unequal, and characterized by so much variety that it is difficult to describe or classify it. In one book he writes in the dry and colorless fashion of a veteran scientist, while in another he displays the vivacity of a society novelist. His short stories are also of very unequal merit, and the sensational character of some of them makes it evident that they were written at an early period of his life, before his tastes and his style had felt the influence of a mature intellect. It is confidently expected by his admirers that some of his best work will be given to the world in the years to come, as he is now at his best, with no adverse conditions to hamper his genius. [Source: "Memoirs of Georgia", The Southern Historical Association, 1895 - Transcribed by K. Torp]
CLARENCE H. MARTIN
Martin, Clarence H., one of the successful and popular members of the bar of Irwin county, is engaged in the practice of his profession in Ocilla, where he is also the incumbent of the office of city recorder. He was born in Edison, Calhoun county, Ga., April 6, 1875, a son of Rev. John W. and Emma (Hendry) Martin, the former born in Bethel, March 10, 1850, and the latter in Cuthbert, Randolph county, Ga., Sept. 21, 1852. The father is a prominent clergyman of the Missionary Baptist church. His father is also a Baptist minister and is now eighty-seven years of age, and the mother is also living, aged eighty-six years. This venerable couple became the parents of six sons and seven daughters, all living except one daughter, Mrs. Esther Pope, who died in Texas, about fifteen years ago, and one son, Riley, who was robbed and murdered, near Bainbridge, Ga., about thirty years ago. The mother of the subject of this sketch is a daughter of Alexander B. Hendry, who was judge of the inferior court of Randolph county and was also a loyal soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, as was likewise his son Marion. Rev. John W. and Emma (Hendry) Martin have six sons and one daughter. Clarence H. Martin was afforded the advantages of Cuthbert military college, after leaving which he entered the law department of the University of Georgia, where he was graduated June 16, 1897, at the age of twenty-two years, duly receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws and was admitted to the bar of his native state. Since that time he has been continuously engaged in the practice of his profession in Ocilla, where he has met with marked success. He makes a specialty of commercial law and is attorney for several large corporations. He is a stanch Democrat in his political proclivities and is rendering efficient service as city recorder. He and his wife are prominent members of the Missionary Baptist church and for several years he was clerk and superintendent of the Sunday school of the church in Ocilla. He is a Master Mason and is keeper of records and seals and also master of finance in the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias. On Nov. 7, 1900, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Sarah L. Goethe, daughter of Dr. John E. and Susie (Lambert) Goethe, of Ocilla, and they have two children – Robert L. and Emma Sue.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Kim Mohler)

Geer, William I., is engaged in the practice of law at Colquitt, and is one of the representative members of the Miller county bar. He was born in Calhoun county, Ga., July 28, 1872, and is a son of Peter Franklin Marion Geer and Mary E. (Blocker) Geer, the former of whom was born in the state of New York and the latter in South Carolina. The father was an able physician, and served as surgeon in the Confederate army during the Civil War, after which he resumed the active practice of his profession at Bluffton, Ga., where he died in 1884. William I. Geer attended school at Dawson and Fort Gaines, Ga., and supplemented this discipline by a course of study in Mercer university in the city of Macon. He read law in the office of Judge Bush, of Colquitt; in 1898 was admitted to the bar of Early county, and has been engaged in the active practice of his profession in Colquitt since that time. He was associated in practice with Judge Bush for one year, since which time he has conducted an individual professional business. He is a staunch adherent of the Democratic party, and in 1901 was appointed county solicitor, by Governor Candler. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World. Mr. Geer married Miss Ada Dancer, daughter of William R. and Marry J. (Clifton) Dancer of Colquitt. Mr. Dancer held the office of ordinary of Miller county at the time of his death, and was one of the prominent and honored citizens of the county.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Marilyn Clore)