October 27, 1904
Sketch of Early Settlers and Their Descendants.

The Neal family have been influential citizens of this neighborhood for many years. There are but few of the name at present in these parts but their descendants are numerous, being some of the-foremost people in this vicinity. Charles Neal came from Virginia. He is buried in the graveyard at this place. His wife is buried at Bunker Hill. He was the father of John, Matthias, Isaac, Wiley, Mrs. Mary Wells, Mrs. Allen Pitts, and Mrs. Nancy Westmoreland. John was born in 1797, and died August 14, 1878. He married Miss Sandal Abernathy. She was born in Brunswick County, Virginia, July .6, 1789, and died August 11, 7854. Henry, William and Mary were the children by this marriage. Henry was the husband of Miss Sarah Ann Neal, who is living at the age of 77 years. He was born November 6, 1825, and died July 26, 1854. They had three children, all are now dead. Isaac Henry died in Arkansas when 19 years old. Mrs. E. F. Aymett deceased; Mrs. Golightly deceased; were the other two. Dr. R. E. Aymett married Mrs. Golightly's only daughter, Annie. Their children, Leonard J., Allen, Rachel E., and Urban are the sixth generation of Charles Neal. Mary Neal married Dr. W. E. Lancaster. John Neal's second wife was a Miss Jackson. One child, Martha, was born by this union. She married Henry Butler and lives in Pulaski. Matthias Neal moved to Texas in 1846. He married Pauline Caruthers. She was living a few years ago at the age of about 90 years. She was a remarkable woman. Even at that age she wrote with her own hand a very beautiful letter, forming the letters in the old style, evenly. Their only son died in early life. One daughter married a Walpole, the other a Captain Moore. A son of Captain Moore is a leading lawyer of Paris, Texas, and has been State Senator. Isaac Neal was an old bachelor. Wiley Neal had several children. One girl married a Black, another married a Bradley, another a Johnson. David now lives at Vinta. Dr. George was killed at Ft. Donelson during the war. Dr. Wiley, I think, is living in Lawrence County. Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Ken McKnight were twin sisters. They are living at the advanced age of about eighty years. Mrs. Mary Wells was born May 6, 1801, and died March 6, 1859. Mrs. Nancy Westmoreland wife of Laban, was the mother of T. J. and Dr. Monroe (notice of whom has already been made). Several of her sons were doctors. Dr. Lum died in Arkansas. Dr. Pomp died a few years ago in Alabama. Dr. Jerome lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. Field died in Texas. Marshall died in Colorado. Hawkins died near Elkmont, Alabama. John Neal lived once where Dr. Lancaster lives, also a Mrs. Whitney lived at that place in time. John Neal lived on the ridge in a log cabin where Henry Butler's house now stands, moving there in 1846. One Sunday morning a large turkey gobbler strolled into the yard. Mr. Neal got his flint-lock to shoot it but the powder in the powder pan was damp. He took sight of the turkey while his wife touched the powder with a live coal. When the smoke cleared away the turkey was there with a bullet through its head.

Esquire Killman Daniel lived at that place before Mr. Neal. He owned a pet bear, which he had captured, that he kept fastened to a tree in the yard and wild bears would visit bruin at night. Esquire Daniel moved to Ocolona, Mississippi, about 1846. He had two children. Margie married a Buchanan. She and a soldier who fell sick and died while stopping with Mr. Neal, are buried on the Butler place. William Daniel married a sister of General George Gordon, a noted lawyer of Memphis.

Dr. William E. Lancaster was a native of South Carolina, and a direct descendant of Daniel Boone, his mother being a Boone. The family claim to belong to the lineage of the Lancasters of England who are mentioned in the War of the Roses. They are undoubtedly the scions of this illustrious name. They retain the old pronunciation of the name. Dr. Lancaster, when seventeen years old, came to this County with William May, a kinsman. They settled above Pulaski on the Columbia Turnpike near Pigeon Roost Creek. Dr. Lancaster taught school for several years. Major J. B. Stacy, Esquire, William Alexander and Mrs. Wales (nee Phillips) went to school to him. He gave Major Joe a trouncing whenever the young fellow deserved it. He was associated with Dr. Fields and studied medicine under him. He clerked in a drug store. He clerked awhile in a dry goods house. One day a very poor man wanted to buy a shirt on credit and Dr. Lancaster sold it to him. The proprietor of the store wanted to know why he credited such a worthless looking fellow. Dr. Lancaster said he would pay for it if Joe Childers did not. Mr. Childers was the man who bought the shirt. Dr. Lancaster attended lectures at Louisville, Cincinatti and Jefferson College, at Philadelphia. His sons have notes he took while at college, which are lucid, succinct and ample. He practiced medicine in Giles County for about sixty years. He was a man of charity and did many deeds of love and sympathy. He had a retentative memory and a fine intellect. He was well versed in equity and jurisprudence. He wrote a will which Governor John C. Brown was employed to.set aside but when the will was examined, he said that it was sheet-anchor in strength and he could not touch it. When Governor Brown later wrote one of his lawbooks he inserted the form of this will verbatim as a legal pattern. Dr. Lancaster died in 1900, aged eighty six years. His wife died several years before. They had eight children, six of whom are still living. Mattie died when a young lady. John Earl died when an infant. William Henrv ("Bud") is a merchant at this place. Alonzo J. ("Hoss") and George Washington ("Judge") are doctors. Miss Desmonia Boone and Miss Ella live with their brothers. Mrs. M. E. Butler, of Pulaski, is the other daughter. Her children - Misses Mamie and Pearl and Ruby, twins - are the only living grandchildren of Dr. Lancaster.

George Washington Oliver was born July 2, 1767, and died December 25, 1833. His wife, (nee Ann Wilson) was born February 3, 1772, and died October 15, 1865. He came from North Carolina to this place about eighty six years ago. He was a camper for several years. He had two sons. William H. was born February 16, 1813, in Williamson County, North Carolina, and, when four years of age, came to this place with his father. He married Sarah Ann Wilson. She was born July 2, 1830, and died May 26, 1867. Eight children, four boys and four girls, were born of them. Only two are alive. George Jefferson was born June 29, 1847, and died August 12, 1870. Nancy Caroline died when young. Fountain Pitts died when an infant. Felix Zebulum died early. Charlotte Sonorah married Honorable E. P. Harwell. She died December 25, 1886. Miss Ann Eliza lives with her brother, William M. Oliver. Mr. Oliver married Miss Katherine McConnico the second time. Three sons were born of this marriage. Only one, John H. Oliver, lives. George Garner and an infant died. Mr. Oliver died November 4, 1881. His widow married W. H. Aymett and is living. Mr. Oliver built the old homeplace where J. H. Oliver lives. The floor in this house is ash and is about one hundred years old. It was taken out of a house on the place. Mr. Oliver was a camper at the campmeetings. The other son of G. W. Oliver was Ananias and was known as Major Oliver. He also came from North Carolina. He died in 1866. His son, Van, was killed in an altercation at Mongomery, Alabama.

Major Oliver served in the Indian Wars of 1812-14.

Major Oliver married Nancy Harwell, a daughter of Raleigh Harwell. Mendoza, a daughter, married, first, Felix McKnight, second, Arch Young, and third, her first cousin, Marlon Marks. Pauline died when a young woman. Erastus is dead. America married Walker W. Winstead, now living in Nashville. J. Phillips Oliver lives in Nashville. Hester Ann ("Babe") married Dr. Winstead of Williamson County, a brother of Walker W. Winstead. Walker W. Winstead, a shoe merchant on Church Street, Nashville, is a son of America Oliver Winstead. He married Bettie Rucker, of Rutherford County. They have two children, Marguerite, aged about 17 years, and Walter aged about 12 years.

Dr. Fletcher Oliver, deceased, was another son. Mrs. Rebecca Oliver, his widow, and daughters, Misses Dora and Virginia, live in Pulaski, Clanton, a son, is dead. Swan and Hawkins are sons. Melvin, another son of Major Oliver, was killed at Shelton Hill, near Corinth, Mississippi, in April, 1862. W. M. Oliver owns a little rocking chair which his father possessed when a baby. The old man used it to rest his head in when he took a nap, in his closing days. The chair is strong and well preserved and is bottomed with hickory bark. John H. Oliver has a very old folding table which belonged to his father. Mrs. W. M. Oliver has a plaited, hand-made straw hat, which was made by her great grandfather, Nathan Bass. It is made of wheat straw with a high top and varnished. It is sewn with waxed flax thread. It looks well and without close examination one would think it a bought hat at the stores of today.

W. M. Oliver has two children - Collins aged about twelve years and Mary Will aged about eight years. J. H. Oliver has four boys, all small.

Alfred Houze came from Brunswick County, Virginia, to this place. He was a respected citizen of this section, a useful member of the church, and a substantial farmer. He married Miss Caroline McKnight. Ten children were born to them - five boys and five girls. All of the boys and three of the girls are living. W. M. ("Bud"), John M. ("Trip"), Felix H. ("Speck"), R. L. ("Blade"), and Charlie are the boys. Mrs. F. M. Bass, of Bunker Hill, Mrs. Williams, of Decatur, Alabama, and Miss Lula are the girls.

Mr. Houze died ten years ago, aged 73 years. His widow lives at the old homeplace where she has lived for fifty six years. She is seventy eight years old. "Bud" and Charlie are the only two of the boys who married. Misses Mary, Nola, Lois and Lucile and Marvin, Garland and Alfred are the children of "Bud". Mrs. Tom Odneal, Mrs. John Morris, Misses Blanche, Minnie, Etta, Jeffie and Dewitt Bass are F. M. Bass's children. Mrs. Carrie Preston, Elmer and three small boys are the children of Mrs. Williams.

Willis Worley, son of Gabriel Worley, one of a large family, was born in Williamson County in 1818. He came with his father and settled on Bradshaw. Mr. Worley, Sr., was in affluent circumstances and owned a large farm and many slaves. Mr. Worley, Jr., moved near Pisgah in 1874. He married a Miss Wood the first time. Seven children were born of this union, to wit; R. Winfield, John, W. M., George W., W. Pinson, Chattie, who married a man named Jackson, and Martha, who married a Pack. The widow of R. W. Worley lives at Bradshaw. Their children are Virgil, who married Miss Mildred Abernathy, and has a little daughter named Lucile; Birdie L., who married W. H. Bell, and lives in Pulaski; L. Brown, who married Miss Leila Young, and Talmage. Mrs. Will Winford and Miss Colie Worley are the children of W. M. George W. went to West Tennessee and lives at Elbridge. He has four children - Marvin, Ethel, who married a Galloway, Mamie, and Sallie. Bonnie, Lula, Sallie, Ruby, Willis and Van are the children of W. P. They live in Pulaski. Mrs. Pack lives in Texas. Mrs. Jackson lives in California. Mr. Worley married Margaret,Hamlin for the second time. Five boys and four girls were born of this marriage. P. Vic is married and lives at Young. He has no children. Henry Clay lives near this place. He married a daughter of Esquire R. L. Culps. His children are; Neil, Lee (Dead), Arnold, Henry, Ollie, Willie, Lake, Hudson, Birdie and Louise. Daniel A. is dead. He married Jennie McCormick. W. Flournoy, Flautt, Lacie and Gertrude, are his children. Robert L. is married and has several children. Sallie died when young. Fannie married William Harwell. They have three children - Horace, Sadie and a baby girl. Maggie married a Mr. Doss. Sullie A. married Joe Ayers. They have a son named Grady. Tully married Mary Lou Wright. He has a little girl named Ruby. In 1872 Willis Worley represented Giles County in the lower house of the Legislature. He bought $10.00 worth of Lottery Tickets in the Kentucky Lottery Association and in 1874 he drew a prize of $50,000. He died of Typhoid Fever a few years ago and is buried in Pulaski.

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