Fayette COUNTY, TN 1860 FEDERAL CENSUS http://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/xtn/fayette/1860/ Copyright (c) 2010 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 FAYETTE COUNTY, TN 1860 FEDERAL CENSUS TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Prepared by Donald Robbins Transcription aid by Betty Hawley Checked by D. K. Robbins December 9, 2009 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 (Fayette) 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 Fayette County consists of 232 pages. The information for Fayette County is on Microfilm Reel M653-1248 COUNTS The Dwellings in Fayette County are numbered from 1 to 1577 There are 1577 families in this grouping. Number of White Males 4601 Number of White Females 4605 Number of Black Males 14 Number of Black Females 14 Number of Students 1554 Number of Illiterates 19 Number of Married 120 in the last year PLACES OF BIRTH Tennessee 5953 North Carolina 1141 Virginia 706 Ireland 26 Alabama 245 South Carolina 208 Miss 207 Georgia 66 Kentucky 66 Germany 40 NY 37 Arkansas 24 Indiana 19 Mass 19 Maryland 13 Ohio 10 Pennsylvania 9 Missouri 8 Engl 7 France 5 Conneticut 4 Scot 3 Illinois 2 NJ 2 Vermont 1 Cuba 1 Wales 1 Europe 1 OCCUPATIONS by name agent 2 artist 4 Black Smith 14 Boarding House 1 Book Keeper 1 Bookkeeper 2 Brick Mason 4 clerk 23 Cabinent Shop 1 Carpenter 13 Carriage Maker 8 Carriage Trimmer 1 Cashier Bank 1 Cnty Ckt Clrk 2 College Pres 1 Conductor RR 1 Conductor 1 Constable 3 Constable* 1 Cooper 1 Dancing Teacher 1 Depot Agent 4 Depot Master 1 Ditcher 2 Doctor 3 Driver 1 Druggist 4 editor 2 Engineer 2 Episc Min 1 Episcopal Min 1 Farmer 485 Gin Maker 1 Gin Manu 1 Grocer 15 Hair Dresser1 1 House Keeper 2 Ice Cream Salon 1 Iron Foundry 1 Jailor 1 Jewler 1 Landlady 6 Law Student 6 Lawyer 13 Livery 5 Mail Carrier 1 Manager 1 Mantua Maker 7 Matron 1 MD * 1 MD student 1 MD 22 MD&LLord 1 MD* 7 Mechanic 1 Mechanic* 1 Meth Min 28 overseer 61 printer 1 Painter 5 Planter 2 Plasterer 1 Poor House Kpr 1 Post Master 2 Preacher* 1 Pres Min 1 Principal of Schl 1 Printer 2 RR Station Master 1 RR Supt 1 RR 2 Saddler 6 Seamstress 3 Shoe Maker 6 Shoemaker 1 Stone Cutter 1 Tailor 6 Teacher* 25 Tinner 2 Tobacco Factory 1 Watch Maker 4 Wheel Wright 1 Wheelwright 8 INFIRMITIES deaf & dumb 1 idiotic 3 lunatic 1 pauper 4 OCCUPATIONS by frequencies Farmer 485 overseer 61 Teacher* 25 Meth Min 28 clerk 23 MD 22 MD&LLord 1 MD* 7 MD * 1 MD student 1 Doctor 3 Grocer 15 Black Smith 14 Carpenter 13 Lawyer 13 Wheelwright 9 Carriage Maker 8 Mantua Maker 7 Landlady 6 Law Student 6 Saddler 6 Shoe Maker 6 Tailor 6 Livery 5 Painter 5 artist 4 Depot Agent 4 Brick Mason 4 Druggist 4 Watch Maker 4 Constable 3 Seamstress 3 agent 2 Bookkeeper 2 Cnty Ckt Clrk 2 Ditcher 2 editor 2 Engineer 2 House Keeper 2 Planter 2 Post Master 2 Printer 2 RR 2 Tinner 2 Boarding House 1 Book Keeper 1 Cabinent Shop 1 Carriage Trimmer 1 Cashier Bank 1 College Pres 1 Conductor RR 1 Conductor 1 Constable* 1 Cooper 1 Dancing Teacher 1 Depot Master 1 Driver 1 Episc Min 1 Episcopal Min 1 Gin Maker 1 Gin Manu 1 Hair Dresser1 1 Ice Cream Salon 1 Iron Foundry 1 Jailor 1 Jewler 1 Mail Carrier 1 Manager 1 Matron 1 Mechanic 1 Mechanic* 1 printer 1 Plasterer 1 Poor House Kpr 1 Preacher* 1 Pres Min 1 Principal of Schl 1 RR Station Master 1 RR Supt 1 Shoemaker 1 Stone Cutter 1 Tobacco Factory 1 Transcriber's notes: The census taker in Fayette County was: E. T. TAPPAN at P004-27 Some of the occupations have a * after them. This means, in addition to the occupation, the person was also a farmer. This county is by far the wealthiest one we have done. King Cotton! Also, the number 2 occupation was overseer . FAYETTE COUNTY HISTORY The Tennessee General Assembly established Fayette County on September 29, 1824, and named it in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, French general and statesman. The county seat, Somerville, was named to honor Lieutenant Robert Somerville, hero of the battle of Tohopeka in Alabama. The first court proceedings took place at the home of Robert G. Thornton on the banks of the North Fork of the Wolf River on December 6, 1824. Settlement began in the area as early as 1820, and by 1826 there were enough residents for the incorporation of the two oldest towns, Somerville and LaGrange. In both towns restored antebellum homes symbolize the wealth and culture of the plantation period. The entire town of LaGrange, named for Lafayette's ancestral home, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Today there are nine incorporated towns in the county: Braden, Gallaway, LaGrange, Moscow, Oakland, Piperton, Rossville, Somerville, and Williston. Religious zeal soon prompted the organization of the county's churches. Somerville's First Presbyterian Church dates to 1829. Immanuel Parish in LaGrange, established in 1832, is the oldest Episcopal church in West Tennessee. Nineteenth-century camp meetings live on at Joyner's Campground, where annual services are held each July in the open-air tabernacle built in 1893. Historically, the economy of Fayette County has been based on agricultural production, principally cotton and corn. Large plantations and small farms supported the gins that were located in every town and many of the smaller crossroads communities. However, recent years have witnessed agricultural diversification, with soybeans becoming an important cash crop, followed by beef cattle, dairying, and egg production. Slaves worked pre-Civil War plantations. Following the war, many former slaves remained in the county, with most employed as tenant farmers and sharecroppers. The county's African Americans constituted a majority of the population until the 1980 census. During the 1960s and 1970s, civil rights activists worked for voter registration and school integration. They established two tent cities to accommodate black residents who sought refuge following their eviction from their tenant farms after attempting to register to vote. Today, Fayette County public schools and faculties are fully integrated in seven elementary schools, a comprehensive high school, and a vocational school. J. B. Summers and Joseph Martin each served long terms as county superintendent of schools. The only African American to serve in this role was Dr. Warner Dickerson, who ably guided the schools in the late 1980s. Three private academies also hold classes in the county. The fields of Fayette County have favored the activities of sports enthusiasts and environmentalists. Wolf River, which meanders across the southern part of the county, is widely recognized by outdoor enthusiasts as a unique natural treasure. In 1995 conservationists aided the State of Tennessee in acquiring a vast forest area filled with cypress-studded swamps bordering the river near LaGrange. As a result of their efforts, visitors now enjoy the beauty of the Wolf River Wildlife Management Area and the Ghost River State Natural Area. Herb Parsons Lake was named in honor of Herb Parsons, a world champion Winchester rifle exhibition shooter. The best-known outdoors event of the county is the National Field Trials for bird dogs, which has been held annually since 1903 on the historic Ames Plantation in southeast Fayette County. In the 1960s Troxel Manufacturing Company located a factory at Moscow, and most towns have developed one or more industrial parks to lure new companies. Historically, manufacturers have had excellent transportation facilities in Fayette County. The first railroad chartered by the State of Tennessee, the LaGrange-Memphis Railroad, was to be built in Fayette County in 1835. The LaGrange-Memphis Railroad later became the Memphis and Charleston Railroad before being incorporated into the Southern Railway system. Today, the Norfolk-Southern Railway traverses the southern portion of the county. In addition, the modern Fayette County Airport is equipped with a 3,500-foot runway with NBD approach and an automated weather observation system. Politically, the county traditionally voted Democratic until recent years, when votes shifted to the Republican Party in statewide and national elections while retaining a Democratic majority in local county offices. During the 1940s the county was embroiled in the States' Rights (Dixiecrat) movement. Charles Stainback, veteran Somerville lawyer, served as state chairman; Somerville was the host to the statewide convention in 1948. The best-known Fayette politician is John Shelton Wilder, Democrat from Longtown, who was first elected to the state Senate in 1959 and has served continuously in that office since 1966. He has established a record-breaking tenure, acting as Speaker of the Senate and lieutenant governor for fourteen consecutive terms. Although Fayette County remains a rural, agricultural area, it is now in a period of transition as it faces the suburban sprawl from nearby Memphis. Its population in 2000 stood at 28,806. Dorothy Morton, Moscow - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - 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.