Submitted by Eddy Clark, coded by Jane Norton Powell
Louis Oppenheimer, merchant of Trenton, is a son of Meyer
Oppenheimer, who came from
Germany to the United States in 1848, landing at New Orleans. Two years later he removed to
Cincinnati, Ohio, where he married Rosa Loeb, also a native of Germany, and
followed clerking
in mercantile establishments for some time. He engaged in the business in Greenville, Ohio, and
later in Hickman, Ky., and between the years 1850 and 1860 came to Trenton, Tenn., and
opened a small mercantile store in partnership with his brother, Morris
Oppenheimer. He
became sole proprietor after two years, and increased the business, from time to time, until he
now has one of the largest and best establishments of the kind in Gibson County. Since 1876 he
has lived retired from active business life, his son, Louis, being manager. He was reared and
educated in the county, and for some years acted as traveling salesman for New York and
Cincinnati wholesale houses, and was a book-keeper in Cincinnati for some time. In 1871 he
married Emma Smiley, daughter of the late Dr. A. H.
Smiley. [See sketch.] They have four
children: Nellie S., Henry, Ernest T. and Anna Rosa. Mr. Oppenheimer is a conservative
Democrat, and is a member of the Masonic, I. 0. 0. F. and K. of P. fraternities.
James H. Orr is a resident of the Twenty-first District, of Gibson County,
Tenn., and was born
in Rutherford County, on the 19th of March, 1815, son of Robert and Nancy
Orr, natives of
North Carolina. Our subject was educated in the common schools, and moved to Gibson County
in 1841, settling on his home farm of ninety-six acres of desirable and well improved land. The
principal products are corn, wheat, cotton and oats. Mr. Orr started in life with but little capital,
but now has a fair competency and a good home. He was married to Frances M.
Barker,
December 6, 1836, and by her became the father of eleven children, seven sons and four
daughters: Alexander G., William E., Martha E., James D., Elizabeth F., Stephen R., Francis M.,
Daniel F., Mary S., Samuel N. and Sarah M. Mrs. Orr died December 2, 1858,
and Mr. Orr was
married to Mrs. Amanda C. Grier, September 15, 1858, daughter of Gilford
and Margaret
Browning, of Gibson County. For his third wife Mr. Orr took Mrs. Nancy C.
Matthews,
daughter of Crawford and Sarah Edwards. They were married March 19,
1878. This wife died
January 14, 1885. He married his fourth wife, Mrs. Harriet Black, June 16,
1886. Her parents,
James and Nancy Wilson, were residents of McNairy County, Tenn. The Orr
family are
members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Orr is a Democrat and a member of
the F. & A. M.
Nathaniel W. Overall is a son of Nase and Amelia H. (Davis)
Overall, and was born in 1823.
He resided on a farm with his parents until twenty-one years of age, and at the age of twenty-two
became a traveling minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church for nine years. In 1856 he
located on his farm. In 1847 he was united in marriage to Martha A. Kelley,
daughter of C. T.
and Nancy (Wilkins) Kelley. She was born in this State in 1828, and became
the mother of
eleven children, four of whom are dead, Her death occurred September 5, 1871. December 24,
1872, Mr. Overall was united in marriage to Malvina E. McKenzie, daughter of
Jeremiah H. and
Anna (Gantt) McKenzie. She is a Tennessean, born in 1829. Mr. Overall's
farm consists of
155 acres of well improved land on which he raises corn, cotton and small grain. His wife is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and he has taken one degree in Masonry. He
has always been a stanch Democrat in politics. His father and mother were born in Tennessee
and Kentucky respectively. The father was a farmer and was for many years a local preacher in
the Methodist Church. He died in 1862, and his wife in 1876. Their family consisted of eight
children.
Franklin A. Overall, M. D., was born in Rutherford County, Tenn., June
13, 1852; son of Rev.
Nathaniel W. and Martha A. Overall, natives of Tennessee. Our subject was
brought to Gibson
County when small, and was here reared on a farm. He attended the common schools and in
1870 began the study of medicine with Dr. E. R. Vaughn, and in 1873 entered
the medical
department of the University of Nashville, and is a graduate from it, and the Vanderbilt Medical
College. Since 1875 he has resided in this vicinity and has been prosperous both professionally
and financially. In 1876 he was married to Ada A. McKenzie, who died in
1882, leaving two
children: Walter V. and Millie F. Dr. Overall took for his second wife Emmory
C. Maxwell,
and one child has blessed their union - Mary M. Dr. Overall is a Democrat and
has been
secretary and treasurer of the Gibson County Medical Society since its organization.
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