Mayors of Nashville 1806 – 2015

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Mayors of Nashville

An act to incorporate the town was passed by the Legislature September 11, 1806. It as made the duty of the sheriff of Davidson County to hold an election at the court house on the 1st of October, in each and every year, for the purpose of electing a Mayor and six Aldermen for the town. The day of election was changed to the first Monday in October each year, on Oct. 9, 1806.

Mayor	Party	Notes
Joseph Coleman Elected 1806, 1807 and 1808	Jeffersonian Republican	Joseph Coleman was elected the first mayor of Nashville in 1806 and served until 1809. Mayor Coleman died at Huntsville AL on Feb. 8, 1819. His widow was Mrs. Ann Coleman.
Benjamin J. Bradford Elected 1809 and 1810	Jeffersonian Republican	Benjamin Bradford was born in Ky about 1772, son of John and Polly Bradford. He served as Mayor, 1809-1811.
William Tait 1811-1813	Jeffersonian Republican	According to his will William Tait was a native of North Britain. His wife was named Margaret. He served as Mayor, 1811-1814. William Tait died on February 3, 1816 of the “cold plague”, probably a form of influenza. His obit appeared in The Nashville Whig Feb. 7, 1816.
Joseph Thorpe Elliston Elected 1814, 1815 and 1816	Jeffersonian Republican	Joseph Thorpe Elliston was born Dec. 15, 1779, in Culpeper Co., VA, son of Robert and Elizabeth Thorpe Elliston. In August of 1800 he was married to Louisa Mullen who died in 1815. In 1817 he married Mrs. Elizabeth Odom Blackman of Sumner Co., TN. He and his first wife Louisa were the parents of six children. the youngest being William Robert Elliston born in 1815. He served as Mayor, 1814-1817. Mayor Elliston died Nov. 10, 1856. He was originally buried in Nashville City Cemetery next to his first wife Louisa. They were both later re-interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Stephen Cantrell, Jr. Elected 1817	Jeffersonian Republican	Stephen Cantrell, Jr. was born in Sumner Co., TN, on March 10, 1783, son of Stephen Cantrell, Sr. and his wife, Mary Blakemore. He was married to Juliet Ann Deadrick Wendel in Nashville on Jan. 15, 1807. He served as Mayor, 1817-1818. Mayor Cantrell died at his plantation on the Arkansas River on Sept. 5, 1854.
Felix Robertson Elected 1818	Jeffersonian Republican	Felix Robertson was born January 11, 1781, the first white male child to be born in what is now the city of Nashville. He was the sixth child of James and Charlotte (Reeves) Robertson. He was married to Lydia Waters on October 9, 1808. They were parents of James Waters, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Elnora Reeves, John E. Beck, Felix (died as infant), and Felix Randolph. He served as Mayor, 1818-1819. In the fall of 1825, as president of the Texas Association, a colonization project, Felix Robertson led a party of thirty men to Texas to explore Robert Leftwich’sqv grant. The party established a permanent camp at the mouth of Little River, and on February 1, 1826, began surveying along Cow Bayou and the Brazos River. They returned to Tennessee in April of that year. Although surveys made by this group were never recognized officially, the detailed knowledge of the country that theyacquired led eventually to the founding of Robertson’s colony. Mayor Robertson died on July 10, 1865. He is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
Thomas Crutcher Elected 1819	Jeffersonian Republican	Thomas Crutcher was born in Va. February 18, 1760. He served as Mayor, 1819-1820. He died March 8, 1844. His obituary did not mention any survivors. Mayor Crutcher is buried in Nashville City Cemetery
James Condon Elected 1820	Jeffersonian Republican	James Condon was born about 1767. He was married Nov. 8, 1811 to Barbara Rains, daughter of Capt. John and Christiana Rains. Children Elizabeth Adams Condon, James Jr., Francis, Mary, and Christine. He served as Mayor, 1820-1821. James Condon died August 30, 1837 in his 70th year. His place of burial is unknown.
John Patton Erwin Elected 1821	Whig	John Patton Erwin was born Jan. 8, 1795 in Wilkes Co., NC, a son of Col. Andrew and Jane Patton Erwin. He was married to Fanny L. Williams. He served as Mayor, 1821-1822. Mayor Erwin died Aug. 27, 1857 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
Robert Brownlee Currey Elected 1822 and 1823	Jeffersonian Republican	Robert Brownlee Currey was born about 1774. He was married Feb. 4, 1792 to Jane Gray Owen. Children: Richard O., Algernon B. (d. 1815, 7 months old), Robert B. (b. 1817, d. 1860), William Hume (b. 1818, d. 1831), Algernon S., Washington J., John, and Elizabeth Jane. He served as Mayor, 1822-1824. Mayor Currey died on December 8, 1848 at his residence near Nashville.
Randal McGavock Elected 1824	Jeffersonian Republican	Randal McGavock was born June 20, 1766 in Rockbridge Co., Va., a son of James McGavock, Sr. and Mary (Cloyd) McGavock. He was married to Sarah Dougherty Rodgers, in Nashvile in February of 1811. A daughter, Elizabeth was married in 1840 to Gen. William G. Harding. Other children were James R., William, John, unnamed infant son, Mary Cloyd and an unnamed infant daughter.He served as Mayor, 1824-1825. Mayor McGavock died in Sept. of 1843.
Wilkins F. Tannehill Elected 1825 and 1826	Whig	Wilkins Tannehill was born on March 2, 1787 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, son of Josiah and Margaret (Wilkins) Tannehill. He was married in Lexington, Ky. to Eliza Dewees in 1810. He served as Mayor, 1825-1827. He died June 2, 1858 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
Felix Robertson Elected 1827 and 1828	not given	Felix Robertson was born January 11, 1781, the first white male child to be born in what is now the city of Nashville. He was the sixth child of James and Charlotte (Reeves) Robertson. He was married to Lydia Waters on October 9, 1808. They were parents of James Waters, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Elnora Reeves, John E. Beck, Felix (died as infant), and Felix Randolph. He served as Mayor, 1818-1819 and 1826-1828. In the fall of 1825, as president of the Texas Association, a colonization project, Felix Robertson led a party of thirty men to Texas to explore Robert Leftwich’s grant. The party established a permanent camp at the mouth of Little River, and on February 1, 1826, began surveying along Cow Bayou and the Brazos River. They returned to Tennessee in April of that year. Although surveys made by this group were never recognized officially, the detailed knowledge of the country that they acquired led eventually to the founding of Robertson’s colony. Mayor Robertson died on July 10, 1865. He is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
William Armstrong Elected 1829, 1830, 1831 and 1832	Jeffersonian Republican	William Armstrong was born about 1795, son of Col. James Armstrong and Susan (Wells) Armstrong. He was married in Davidson Co. on July 1, 1823 to Nancy Irwin. Children were Mary Elizabeth, James Trooper, David Irwin, Margaret, Susan Wells, Nancy Irwin, and Francis Armstrong. Mayor Armstrong was in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. He served as Mayor, 1829-1833. He died June 12, 1847 at his plantation in the Choctaw Nation and was buried at Fort Coffee.
John Meredith Bass Elected 1833	Whig-Unionist	John Meredith Bass was born January 19, 1804, son of Peter Bass. He was married in Davidson Co. on January 7, 1829 to Malvinia C. Grundy, daughter of the the Honorable Felix Grundy. They were parents of Dr. M. J. Bass, Margaret, Sallie, Malvina Grundy, Mary, Felicia, John. He served as Mayor, 1833-1834. John M. Bass died in 1878. He and his wife are buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
John Patton Erwin Elected 1834	Whig	John Patton Erwin was born Jan. 8, 1795 in Wilkes Co., NC, a son of Col. Andrew and Jane Patton Erwin. He was married to Fanny L. Williams. They were parents of Ellen, Mary Caroline, Rebecca and Amelia. He served as Mayor, 1834-1835. Mayor Erwin died Aug. 27, 1857 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
William Nichol Elected 1835 and 1836	Whig Democrat	William Nichol was born Feb. 12, 1800 in Abingdon, Va., son of Josiah and Eleanor (Ryburn) Nichol. He came with his parents, to live in Nashville when he was a small boy. Mr. Nichol was a respected business man and was president of the Bank of Tennessee. He was married on Sept. 17, 1809 to Julia Margaret Lytle of Rutherford Co., Tn. They were parents of Josiah II, William Lytle, Eleanor Ryburn, Margaret, Ann Lytle, Charles Alexander, Julia, James Edgar, Jane F., Harry D. and Lizzie B. Nichol. He lived with his family at Belair on Lebanon Rd. from 1835 until his death. He served as Mayor, 1835-1837. Mayor Nichol died November 23, 1878 and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Henry Hollingsworth Elected 1837 and 1838	Democrat	Henry Hollingsworth was born in Nelson County, VA on August 18, 1808, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Hollingsworth. He moved to Nashville as young boy with his parents. He served on year in the Seminole campaigns in Florida after enlisting in the Army. In 1837 he was married to Eliza O’Brien. She died in 1839. He was married a second time to a widow, Mrs. Anna Bell Dozier Stump. He served as Mayor, 1837-1839. Mayor Hollingsworth died January 24, 1855.
Charles Clay Trabue Elected 1839 and 1840	Whig	Charles Clay Trabue was born in Woodford Ky., August 27, 1798, son of Edward and Jane Clay Trabue. He came to Nashville in 1818. He was married to Agnes Green Woods on July 5, 1820. They were parents of 9 children, the first being James Walker Woods who died as a child. He served as Mayor, 1839-1841. Mayor Trabue died on November 24, 1851.
Samuel Van Dyke Stout Elected 1841	Whig-Democrat	Samuel Van Dyke Stout was born on April 18, 1786, at Red Stone Fort, Pennsylvania, son of Abraham Stout and Jane (Pettit) Stout. He lived throughout his childhood in Ky. and came to Nashville in 1811. He was married to Catherine Tannehill on October 12, 1813 in Nashville. They were parents of Margaret Jane, Ira Abraham, Josiah W., Charles C., Samuel H., and Catherine. He served as Mayor, 1841-1842. Mayor Stout died in 1850 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
Thomas B. Coleman Elected 1842	–	Thomas B. Coleman was born about 1795, son of Joseph and Ann M. Coleman. He was married to Margaret Stewart. They were parents of Thomas, Leroy, James and Mary J. Coleman. He served as Mayor, 1842-1843. Mayor Coleman died in December of 1848 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
Powhaten Woolridge Maxey Elected 1843 and 1844	Whig-Unionist	Powhaten Woolridge Maxey was born May 7, 1810. He was married on October 18, 1832 to Julia Hobbs. They were parents of six children. He served as Mayor, 1843-1845. Mayor Maxey died on August 8, 1876 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
John Hugh Smith Elected 1845	Whig-Unionist	John Hugh Smith was born in 1819, in Nashville. He was a son of John H. and Maria (Combs) Smith. There has been no evidence found that Mayor Smith ever married. He served as Mayor, 1844-1846. Mayor Smith died on July 7, 1870 in Nashville, TN. He is buried at Mt. Olivet.
John A. Goodlett Elected 1846	–	John A. Goodlett was a son of Dr. Adam G. Goodlett and his wife Charlotte. His siblings were Michael C. Goodlett, George W. Goodlett, James Goodlett and William Goodlett. No record has been found of Mayor Goodlett having been married. He served as Mayor, 1846-1847.
Alexander Allison Elected 1847 and 1848	–	Alexander Allison was born about 1799. He was married in Wilson Co., to Madeline T. Alcorn. He served as Mayor, 1847-1849. He died on November 3, 1862 and is buried in the Nashville City Cemetery.
John McCormick Lea Elected 1849	Whig-Unionist	John McCormack Lea was born in Knoxville, TN, December 25, 1818, son of Luke and Susan Wells (McCormack)Lea. He was a graduate of the University of Nashville. Lea was lawyer, a circuit judge and a served as vice-president of American National Bank. He served as president of the Board of Trustees of the University of Nashville and he also served as President of the Tennessee Historical Society. He was married in Memphis, Tn, in 1843 to Elizabeth Overton. They were parents of Overton, Robert B. and Luke Lea. Mayor Lea was a member of First Presbyterian Church. He served as Mayor, 1849-1850. He died in Monteagle, Grundy Co., Tn., on September 21, 1903 and is buried at Mt. Olivet
John Hugh Smith Elected 1850, 1851 and 1852	Whig-Unionist	John Hugh Smith was born in 1819, in Nashville. He was a son of John H. and Maria (Combs) Smith. There has been no evidence found that Mayor Smith was married. He served as Mayor, 1850-1853. Mayor Smith died on July 7, 1870 in Nashville, TN. He is buried at Mt. Olivet.
Williamson Hartley Horn Elected 1853	Whig	Williamson Hartley Horn was born in Lynchburg, VA on July 15, 1799, son of Frederick Horn and Clarisa (Hartley) Horn. He was married on February 2, 1817 to Nancy Carpenter in Davidson Co., TN. Children were Caroline (Dascum), Ed. H., Richard H., Fletcher. W., Charles. F. and Nancy C. Horn (Price). He served as Mayor, 1853-1854. Mayor Horn died March 8, 1870 and is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
William B. Shapard Elected 1854	–	William Booker Shapard was born on November 5, 1797 in Caswell Co., Va. He was married in Nashville to Margery Childress on December 8, 1825. They were parents of Maggie, Ellen, Mary Eliza, Henry C., and W. B. Jr. He was elected as Mayor in 1854 Shapard served only 3 days. He was declared ineligible because he was not a qualified voter. Robert Bell Castleman was appointed to serve the remainder of his term. Mayor Shapard died on January 19, 1870 and is buried in Nashville City Cemtery.
Robert Bell Castleman Elected 1855	Whig	Robert Bell Castleman was born in Davidson Co., December 9, 1808. He was a son of Andrew and Margaret (Ewing) Castleman. He was married Dec. 18, 1845 to Annie Elizabeth Wood. Children: Betty Kay, Sue and James W. Castleman. He served as Mayor, 1854-1856. Mayor Castleman died July 29, 1886 and was buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
Andrew Anderson Elected 1856	–	Andrew Anderson was born about 1796 in New Jersey. He was married first to Eliza Woodruff, August 30, 1828 in Lexington KY. Three children, Frances E. Rachel A. and Andrew O. He married second in Nashville to Mrs. Mary Ann (Todd) Morgan, widow of John N. Morgan, January 24, 1855. He served as Mayor, 1856-1857. Mayor Anderson died April 15, 1867 and was buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
John Alexander McEwen Elected 1857	–	John Alexander McEwen was born in 1822, probably in Fayetteville, Lincoln Co., TN, son of Robert Houston McEwen and Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McEwen. He was married on October 19, 1848 to Elina J. Frierson, in Maury Co., TN. He served as Mayor, 1857-1858. Mayor McEwen died in 1859.
Randal William McGavock Elected 1858	Democrat	Randal William Mc Gavock was born August 10, 1826, son of Jacob and Louisa Caroline (Grundy) McGavock. He was married on August 23, 1855 to Seraphina Deery. He served as Mayor, 1858-1859. Mayor McGavock was killed in battle near Raymond, Mississippi, on May 12, 1863 while serving as Lt. Colonel of the 10th Tennessee C.S.A. He is buried in the family vault at Mt Olivet.
Samuel Newton Hollingsworth Elected 1859	Opposition	Samuel Newton Hollingsworth was born February 9, 1825, in KY. He was married to Martha Gray in Montgomery County, TN on October 3, 1849. He served as Mayor, 1859-1860. Mayor Hollingsworth died in 1861 a few weeks after his oldest child, son Gray Hollingsworth was accidentally killed.
Richard Boone Cheatham Served 1860, to April 1862	Democrat	Richard Boone Cheatham was born December 8, 1824 in Robertson Co., TN, son of Richard and Susan (Saunders) Cheatham. He was married to Frances Ann Bugg and they were parents of Lizzie, Mary Ready, Foster Lee, Katherine, Anna Lou, Hillman and Frances Bugg Cheatham. He served as Mayor, 1860-1862. Mayor Cheatham died in Nashville, May 7, 1877 and is buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
John Hugh Smith Served April 1862, to October 1, 1865	Whig-Unionist	John Hugh Smith was born in 1819, in Nashville. He was a son of John H. and Maria (Combs) Smith. There has been no evidence found that Mayor Smith ever married. He served as Mayor, 1862-1865. Mayor Smith died on July 7, 1870 in Nashville, TN. He is buried at Mt. Olivet.
William Matt Brown Elected 1865-1867	Whig-Democrat	-William Matt Brown was born September 15, 1815 in Franklin Co., Ky. In 1844, he married Miss Mary Jane Morton. They were parents of 8 children, 4 of whom died infancy. The surviving 4 were: William Matt, Jr., Mrs. Carrie Rather, Mary Ellis Brown and Jeannie Brown. He served as Mayor, 1865-1867. He died September 12, 1885 at his residence on South Summer Street in Nashville. Believing that the election in 1867 was fraudulent, Mayor Brown left office under protest, being literally forced from the courthouse by armed federal soldiers, declaring “I want it understood, gentlemen, that I yield to the bayonet and that alone.”
Augustus E. Alden 1867-1869	Radical – Republican	Augustus E. Alden was born in Augustus, Maine, in 1837, son of Col. Darius Alden and his first wife, Caroline Nickerson. He was married to Amanda Sparling of Washington, D. C. on October 19, 1871. They had no children. He served as Mayor, 1867-1869. Augustus Alden died april 23, 1886 in Seattle, Washington.
John Meredith Bass 1869	Whig-Unionist	John Meredith Bass was born January 19, 1804, son of Peter Bass. He was married in Davidson Co. on January 7, 1829 to Malvinia C. Grundy, daughter of the the Honorable Felix Grundy. John M. Bass died in 1878. children were Dr. M. J. Bass, Margaret, Sallie, M. L.(female), Mary, Felicia, John. Bass, who was elected mayor of Nashville in 1833 and served until 1834, was appointed Receiver of Nashville on June 26 1869, with full power over financial interests of the city by Chancellor Charles Smith of Gallatin. He served until the regular municipal election on Sept. 25, 1869.
Kindred Jenkins Morris 1869-1871	Democrat	Kindred Jenkins Morris was born in December 1819 in Davidson Co. He served for thirty-three years as a senior member of the firm of Morris and Stratton. He was married to Jane. They were parents of Walter M. Morris. He served as Mayor, 1869-1871. Mayor Morris died in 1884.
Thomas A. Kercheval 1871-1874	Republican	Thomas A. Kercheval was born in Maury Co., TN, on January 16, 1837, son of Thomas and Mary M. (Kennedy) Kercheval. He was married to Alice Gardner Bryan on October 11, 1874 in Davidson Co., TN. They were parent of three sons, two of whom died in infancy. The surviving son was Thomas A. Kercheval, Jr. Mayor Kercheval was a member of the Episcopal Church. He served as Mayor, 1871-1874. Mayor Kercheval died March 22, 1915, and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Morton Boyte Howell 1874-1875	Democrat	Morton Boyte Howell was born in 1834, son of Robert Crawford and Mary Ann Morton (Toy) Howell. He was married in Virginia to Isabelle Elliott. They were parents of four children, Sue, Alfred, Morton and a boy who died young. He married second on June 10, 1869, Pattie A. Curd who died soon after. He married third, on November 3, 1870 to Betty C. Curd, sister to Pattie. He had ten children from his third marriage, eight of whom lived to adulthood: Pattie Curd, Mary Toy, Elizabeth, Robert Boyte, Annie Haiden, Margaret, Joseph Toy and Rachel Howell. He served as Mayor, 1874-1875.
Thomas A. Kercheval 1875-1883	Republican	Thomas A. Kercheval was born in Maury Co., TN, on January 16, 1837, son of Thomas and Mary M. (Kennedy) Kercheval. He was married to Alice Gardner Bryan on October 11, 1874 in Davidson Co., TN. They were parent of three sons, two of whom died in infancy. The surviving son was Thomas A. Kercheval, Jr. Mayor Kercheval was a member of the Episcopal Church. He served as Mayor, first from 1872-1873 and later 1875-1883. Mayor Kercheval died March 22, 1915, and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Claiborne Hooper Phillips 1883-1886	Democrat	Claiborne Hooper Phillips was born in 1847, son of William and Sarah (Hooper) Phillips. He was married on July 8, 1869 to Mary C. Gentry. They were parents of William Walter, Ida Gentry and C. H. Phillips, Jr. He served as Mayor, 1883-1886. In 1884 the term for Mayor changed from 1 to 2 years. Mayor Phillips died on September 10, 1886 near Britton, Dakota, while on a hunting trip. He was accidently shot by his friend James K. Rains, a Nashville businessman.
Thomas A. Kercheval 1886-1888	Republican	Thomas A. Kercheval was born in Maury Co., TN, on January 16, 1837, son of Thomas and Mary M. (Kennedy)Kercheval. He was married to Alice Gardner Bryan on October 11, 1874 in Davidson Co., TN. They were parent sof three sons, two of whom died in infancy. The surviving son was Thomas A. Kercheval, Jr. Mayor Kercheval was a member of the Episcopal Church. After serving as Mayor 1872-1873 and 1875-1883, Kercheval was elected again in 1886 and resigned as mayor in 1888 to join the Board of Public Works. The remainder of his term was filled by Charles Pickney McCarver. Mayor Kercheval died March 22, 1915, and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Charles Pickney McCarver 1888-1890	Democrat	Charles Pickney McCarver was born in 1851 in Jackson Co, Tn, son of L. A. McCarver. He was married to Narcissa Hickman in April of 1878 in Davidson County. They were parents of Charles Pickney McCarver and Jennie McCarver Puryear. He served as Mayor, 1888-1890. On October 24, 1890, Mayor McCarver resigned from the Mayor’s office. Mayor McCarver died September 28, 1892.
William Litterer 1890-1891	Democrat	William Litterer was born in Germany on August 24, 1834, son of Professor Charles A. Litterer, an instructor at the University of Heidelberg. Mayor Litterer’s brother was Charles A. Litterer of Nashville. Mayor Litterer came to the United States in 1847 with his parents and settled in Nashville in 1855. Litterer became Mayor pro tem on the resignation of Mayor McCarver in October of 1890. On Feb. 10 1891 he was elected Mayor, to complete the unexpired term of McCarver. He served as Mayor, 1890-1891. Mayor Litterer died in December of 1917 and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.
George Blackmore Guild 1891-1895	Democrat	George Blackmore Guild was born April 8, 1834 in Sumner Co., TN, son of Judge Josephus Conn Guild and Catherine (Blackmore) Guild. He was married March 5, 1861 to Georgia Thompson. They were of five children: George M., Maria (Westbrook), Jo Conn, William and one other name not known. George Guild was elected Mayor on October 8, 1891 and again on October 12, 1893. Mayor Guild died in Virginia, April 21, 1917 and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.
William Marshall McCarthey 1895-1897	Amercian Protective Association	William Marshall McCarthy was born about 1841 in Georgia. On the 1880 census he is listed with his wife Hettie and daughters, Mollie, Madeline, Hettie, Lillie, Ordalia and Maggie and sons Willie and Henry. McCarthy was elected Mayor on October 3, 1895. Mayor McCarthy died 0n September 13, 1899 and is buried at Mt Olivet.
Richard Houston Dudley 1897-1900	Democrat	Richard Houston Dudley was born in Bedford Co., TN in July of 1836. He was married to Mattie Rose of Rutherford Co., TN in Sept., 1865. She died soon after and he married second Mary E. Beasley of Rutherford Co., on April 4, 1868, who died in 1907. He had no children. He served in the Army of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. He elected Mayor on October 4, 1897.
James Marshall Head 1900-1904	Democrat	James Marshall Head, Jr. was born in Sumner County, TN on July 25, 1855, son of James Marshall and Berthenia P. (Branham) Head. He was married to Mary C. Cherry of Nashville, on June 30, 1885. They were parents of James Marshall Head III, Mrs. Ned Conway, and Mrs. Charles Brooks. James M. Head was an attorney, a graduate of the Law Department of Harvard University. He was elected Mayor in October 1899. Mayor Head died in Boston, Mass. on March 31, 1930.
Albert Smiley Williams 1904-1906	Democrat	Albert Smiley Williams was born in Davidson Co., Tn., on November 15, 1849, son of William and Patience (Turner) Williams. He was married to Amanda Rear on December 3, 1879. They were parents of four children, Albert, Beryl (Mrs. Stanley Horn), and two children who died in childhood. He served as Mayor of Nashville, 1904-1906. He also served as Mayor of Edgefield 1876-77. Mayor Williams died in 1924.
Thomas Owen Morris 1906-1908	Democrat	Thomas Owen Morris was born in Sumner Co., TN on August 2, 1845. He was a son of Henry B. and Cornelia (Willis) Morris. He was married in Nashville on May 27, 1866 to Mary Snow. They were parents of Henry Snow, Edwin Lanier, Thomas Owen, Jr., Kitty and Kendrick J. Morris. He served as Mayor, 1906-1908. Mayor Morris died in Nashville on November 8, 1924 and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
James Stephens Brown 1908-1909	Democrat	James Stephens Brown was married to Madeline Pattie McComb on November 6, 1895. Children: James S. Brown Jr., Worthington Brown, Mrs. C. K. Radford. James Brown was a Naval Officer in the Spanish American War. He served as Mayor, 1908-1909. Mayor Brown died in 1947 at his home in Memphis. He is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Hilary Ewing Howse 1909-1915	Democrat	Hilary Ewing House was born in Rutherford County, on January 25, 1866, son of Lycurgus and Mary Lousie (Bell) Howse. He was married in June of 1914 to Jennie May Wheeler. They had no children. Hilary Howse was mayor from 1909-1915 and again from 1924-1938. In 1915 he and several of the city commissioners were removed from office and the city was placed in Receivership. Mayor Howse died on January 2, 1938.
Robert Vaughan, Reciever 1915 Park Marshall, Commissioner 1915	–	On July 27, 1915 the City of Nashville was placed in Receivership by Chancellor John Allison. Mayor Howse and several commissioners were suspended. Chancellor Allison appointed Robert Vaughn as Receiver. The remaining Commissioners were Marshall, Stainback and Alexander. As senior commissioner Park Marshall was selected to preside over the Commission in the absence of a Mayor. Vaughan and Marshall shared mayoral duties until Robert Ewing was elected Mayor later in the year.
Robert Ewing 1915-1917	Democrat	Robert Ewing was born on Aug. 10, 1849 in Nashville, TN. He was married on March 28, 1876 to Miss Harriet Hoyt. they were parents of thirteen children: Mary, Alice, Robert, Jr., Thomas Hoyt, Andrew, William Cooper, Harold, Lillian, Louise, Norris, Esmond, Harriet Hoyt and Rebecca Ewing. He served as Mayor, 1915-1917. Mayor Ewing died Oct. 23, 1932 in Nashville and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
William Gupton 1917-1921	Democrat	William Gupton was born at Bowling Green, KY, September 17, 1870, son of Alexander and Florence Drucilla Gupton. He was married on February 12, 1890 to Daisy Dean Mason. They were parents of four children: Will Ed, Henry, Pearl Dean (Loser) and Annie Lee (Ansley). The term of office of Mayor was changed to 4 years in 1917. He served as Mayor, 1917-1921.
Felix Zollicoffer Wilson 1921-1922	Democrat	Felix Zollicoffer Wilson was born in Davidson Co., Tn., on December 27, 1866, son of James Hazzard and Virginia (Zollicoffer) Wilson. He was married to Mary Pendergast in 1888. They were parents of Felix Mizell Wilson , Evelyn Wilson and two other daughters. He served on the City Council in 1902 and again in 1943. He became County Register in 1945. Mayor Wilson was elected as Mayor in May of 1921 by the sity council, after the council had voted to suspend Mayor William Gupton. Mayor Wilson was voted out of office by the city council in Nov. of 1922. Mayor Wilson died on February 12, 1950.
William Percy Sharpe 1922-1924	Democrat	William Percy Sharpe was born in Anderson, SC in 1871, son of. He was married to Julia Margaret Nichol. They were parents of William Percy Sharpe, Jr. and a daughter. Percy Sharpe was elected by the city council to replace ousted Mayor Felix Wilson. He served as Mayor, 1922-1924. Mayor Sharpe died in Madison, Davidson Co., TN on November 13, 1942. He is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Hilary Ewing Howse 1924-1938	Democrat	Hilary Ewing House was born in Rutherford County, on January 25, 1866, son of Lycurgus and Mary Lousie (Bell) Howse. He was married in June of 1914 to Jennie May Wheeler. They had no children. Hilary Howse was mayor from 1909-1915 and again from 1924-1938. Mayor Howse was still in the office as mayor when he died on January 2, 1938.
Thomas Leon Cummings 1938-1951	Democrat	Thomas Leon Cummings was born May 1, 1891 in Centertown, Warren County, TN. He was a son of William Martin and Mary Josephine (Brewer) Cummings. He was married on Nov. 17, 1915 to Ella Lee Connell of White House, TN. Their children were: Thomas Leon Cummings, Jr. and Mrs. Clem Schonoff. He served as Mayor, 1938-1951. Mayor Cummings died March 29, 1968 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Raphael Benjamin West 1951-1963	Democrat	Raphael Benjamin West was born in Columbia, Maury Co., Tn., on March 31, 1911, son of James Watt and Martha Melissa (Wilson) West. When Ben West was 3 years old his parents moved to Flat Rock, now known as the Woodbine community of Davidson Co. He was married on August 31, 1935 to Mary Humes Meadors. They were parents of two sons, Jay and Ben. Mayor Ben West died November 20, 1974. He served as Mayor, 1951-1963. He is buried in Nashville City Cemetery.

Mayors of Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County

Mayor	Party	Notes
Clifton Beverly Briley 1963-1975	Democrat	Clifton Beverly Briley was born January 11, 1914, son Of Clifton Weaver Briley and Willie Whithorne Vaughan Briley. He married Dorothy Gordon. Two children, C. Beverly Briley, Jr. and Diane Briley Easterling. Beverly Briley served in the U. S, Navy during world War II. He was elected as the first Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville in 1963 and served as Mayor until 1975. Mayor Beverly Briley died September 14, 1980.
Richard Harmon Fulton 1975-1987	Democrat	Richard Harmon Fulton was born January 27, 1927, son of Lyle Houston Fulton, Sr., and Labina Plummer Fulton. Married first to Jewell Simpson. Four children, Richard, Michael, Barry, Donna, Linda. Married second to Sandra Ford Fleischer. Mayor Fulton served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He represented Tennessee in the United States Congress. He served as Mayor, 1975-1987.
William Hill Boner 1987-1991	Democrat	Born February 14, 1945 in Nashville, TN, son of Dorris E. and Martha Mae Barbour Boner. Married first to Susan Gilliland, second to Barbara _____, third to Betty Fowlkes, fourth to Traci Peel, fifth to Carol Lienhart. Mayor Boner has four children. He served as Mayor, 1987-1991.
Philip Norman Bredesen, Jr. 1991-1999	Democrat	Born November 21, 1943 in Oceanport, NJ, son of Philip Norman Bredesen, Sr. and Norma Walborn Bredesen. He Married Andrea Conte. One child, son Benjamin, born in 1980. He served as Mayor, 1991-1999.
William P. Purcell, Jr. 1999-2007	Democrat	Born October 25, 1953 in Philadelphia, PA, son of William P., Jr., and Mary L. Hamilton Purcell. He married Debbie Miller, daughter of William P. and Evelyn Sigler Miller. One child, daughter Jesse, born in 1988. He was elected Mayor in 1999.
Karl Foster Dean 2007- 2015	Democrat	Born September 20, 1955

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Killed in the Cumberland Settlements at Nashborough, 1780

 Some years back I submitted a transcription of the will of Jonathan Jennings to Mike Slate and Kathy Lauder, to be published in their Nashville Historical Newsletter. I wrote a brief bit, to explain who Jennings was and a little of the story of his family. I am going to borrow from that story on the Nashville Historical Newsletter and tell the story of finding the will.

   Jonathan Jennings and his family were among the group of pioneers who journeyed with the John Donelson flotilla to the Cumberland Settlements arriving at Fort Nashborough on April 24, 1780. 

 Jonathan Jennings, Sr. was killed by Indians in July or August of 1780, according to J. G. M. Ramsey in his Annals of Tennessee.  Jennings left a will which is undated.  The document was written after he arrived on the Cumberland.  The will was witnessed by James Robertson, William Fletcher and Zachariah White.  In July of 1784, the will was presented to the court of Davidson County and proven on the oaths of James Robertson and William Fletcher.  The will had also been witnessed by Zachariah White who was killed near Fort Nashborough at the Battle of the Bluffs in April of 1781.   The signatures of Jennings, Robertson and White can be verified through comparison with the signatures of the same on the Cumberland Compact which was signed in May of 1780.

 Following is a transcript of the will;

            In the name of God Amen I Jonathan Jennings of

            North Carolina on Cumberland River having this day

            Received several wounds from the Indians and calling

            to mind the mortality of my Body do make and Or-

            dain this to be my last will Testament        And first

            of all I give and recommend my soul to God that

            gave it and my body to be disposed of at the

            Discretion of my executors  And as touching my

            Worldly affairs I dispose of them in manner fol-

            lowing Viz

Item     I give and bequeath to my It is my Desire that

            my Estate be Equally divided between my Wife my

            sons William, Edmond, Elizabeth Haranor, Mary

            Aggy, Anne, & Susannah all but such a part as shall be

            hereafter disposed of

Item     I give and bequeath to my son Jonathan who was Scalped

            by Indians and rendered incapable of getting his living

            a Negrow girl Milla & her increase who is to remain with my beloved

            wife till my son comes of age

            Also a Choice Rifle Gun & a Horse and Saddle    Item I

            give my beloved wife Four Choice Cows and Caves (calves)

            The Wards Milla and her increase and the Ward Jonathan

            being interlined      I devise that my Loveing Wife and my

            son Edmond be Executrix  & Exectutor of this my last Will & Testament

            Signed Sealed & Published in Presents

                                                                                                Jonathan Jenings

          of                                                                                

            Zach White

            Js. Robertson

            William Fletcher

I will never forget the day, in the winter of 2001, when I came across the last will and testament of Jonathan Jennings. Linda Center and I, employees of Metro Nashville Archives at the time, were placing loose records into boxes for transport, to a new facility in Green Hills. The archives had been located in the old Mt. Zeno school building, on Elm Hill Pike, since the mid 1980’s. A need for more space resulted in moving the public operations to the former Green Hills Library. A new library had been built in that community and the old building was empty. Moving is always a challenge and moving hundreds of volumes of old record books, thousands of negatives and photographs, and hundreds of boxes of loose records was quite a job. The Archives for Nashville and Davidson County was a part of the public library. The Metro Archivist, Ken Fieth, was given a timeline, by the library administration, for moving. Between the three of us, we moved every one, of the thousands of loose papers, marriage licenses, wills, court records, title search files, negatives, photographs and small collections that had been donated by individuals, all very fragile and each one important in telling the story of the history of Nashville.

 In the middle of all this packing and moving, I found a stack of old papers on a table in the processing room at Elm Hill Pike. As I went through them, I realized they were original wills of old citizens who had died in Davidson County before 1800. Near the top of the stack was a paper that was very old. I read the first sentence,

“In the name of God Amen I Jonathan Jennings of North Carolina on Cumberland River having this day Received several wounds from the Indians and calling to mind the mortality of my Body do make and Ordain this to be my last will & Testament”

 The words made the hair on my neck rise. I knew the name, Jonathan Jennings, and remembered that he was one of the pioneers that came by boat from Watauga, with John Donelson, in 1780. The destination was the Cumberland country, in what is now Middle Tennessee. Another group, led by James Robertson, was coming overland. They planned to begin a new settlement, near the place called French Lick. There is no better place to be when you make an exciting historic discovery, than in an archives. I ran to the shelf where the local history books were kept and pulled out a thin volume, titled Three pioneer Tennessee documents: Donelson’s Journal. Cumberland compact. Minutes of Cumberland Court. Inside this little book is a transcription of the Journal of John Donelson. I thumbed through until I found Jennings mentioned, on March 8, 1780,

 Wednesday 8th …Indians, to our astonishment, appeared immediately over us on the opposite cliffs, and commenced firing down upon us, which occasioned a precipitate retreat to the boats. We immediately moved off, the Indians lining the bluffs along continued their fire from the heights on our boats below, without doing any other injury than wounding four slightly. Jenning’s boat is missing.

 We have now passed through the Whirl. The river widens with a placid & gentle current. And all of the Company appears to be in safety except the family of Jonathan Jennings, whose boat ran on a large rock projecting out from the northern shore and partly immersed in water immediately at the Whirl, where we are compelled to leave them perhaps to be slaughtered by there merciless enemies.

 Friday 10th This morning about four o\’clock, we were surprised by the cries of help poor Jennings at some distance in the rear. He had discovered us by our fires, and came up in the most wretched condition.

 And the hair on the back of my neck rose a little higher. I continued to pull books and search for mention of Jennings. Several of the books reported the perils of the Jennings family. As the flotilla was fired on by Indians who were along the shore, Jennings boat became stuck on a rock, protruding out into the swift current. All of the boats were carried away, leaving the Jennings boat behind. Jennings son, Jonathan Jennings, Jr., and a young male passenger, a male slave and a female slave, along with Jennings wife, began to throw items from the boat to lighten the load. Indians along the shore began to shoot at those on the boat. Jennings returned fire, and his son, the passenger, and the male slave, and Mrs. Jennings went into the water, in an attempt to loosen the boat from the rocks. It worked, but Mrs. Jennings was nearly lost when the boat started to move. The men in the water started swimming to shore as the boat was pulled away by the current. The slave went under, but Jennings Jr., and the passenger made it to shore, took a canoe the Indians had left there and went down the river. This account from Edward Albright’s, Early History of Middle Tennessee, tells the story of what happened to the men.

 The two young men who deserted the boat were met on their way down the river by five canoes full of Native American Indians. By the latter they were taken prisoners and carried back to one of the Chickamauga towns. There young Jennings was knocked down by the savages who were about to take his life, when a friendly trader by the name of Rogers came up and ransomed him with goods and trinkets. He was afterwards restored to his relatives at the French Lick settlement. The other captive was killed and his body burned.

 Jonathan Jennings daughter, Elizabeth, was aboard the boat. Her husband, Ephraim Peyton, had taken the overland route to the Cumberland Settlements, with James Robertson. Elizabeth had given birth the day before the attack. In the confusion during the attack her baby was killed. There are reports that say the baby was accidently thrown overboard with the family’s belonging and was found to be missing after the boat had escaped down the river.

 The Jennings boat arrived with the flotilla, at the Bluff Station, on April 24, 1780. On May 1st the Cumberland Compact was signed by the pioneers and Jennings was among the signers. Sometime between his arrival at the bluffs in late April and midsummer, Jonathan Jennings, Jr., was brought to the settlement by the trader Rogers who had saved him. He had been scalped, but was alive and recovered. Jennings Jr., later married and was the father of a number of children.
One of the last books consulted was that day, was The Annals of Tennessee, by J. G. M. Ramsey. Ramsey writes of Jennings death,

 Soon afterwards, in July or August [1780], a party of Indians, believed to be Delawares, killed Jonathan Jennings, at the point of the first island above Nashville.

 Jennings last will and testament was not dated. The will appears to be written by the hand of Zachariah White. The document was witnessed by James Robertson, William Fletcher and Zachariah White. In July of 1784, the will was presented to the court of Davidson County and proven on the oaths of James Robertson and William Fletcher. The signatures of Jennings, Robertson and White, can be found and compared, with their signatures on the Cumberland Compact, signed in May of 1780. It was not the first will probated in the county court. That honor falls to James Leeper, who was killed in the Battle of the Bluffs in April of 1781, eight months after the death of Jennings. The court was not established in Davidson County for several years after Jennings death. The folds in the paper, on which the will was written, are evidence of it having been carried for some time, perhaps in a leather wallet belonging to James Robertson. It has been speculated that the stains across the paper, may be blood from Jennings wound.

 Time seemed to stop as I read the will and looked for information about the Jennings family. Holding the paper in my hand, written more than 220 years before, looking at the tattered edges and the stains, thinking about the tragedy of the family, for a moment transported me, to another place, to another time. I have often said that by the time I had finished reading, I felt as though I had an electric charge running through me and that my hair must have been standing on end. The will of Jennings was not unknown, and was easily accessed by anyone at the archives. Had it been the first will recorded, by the Davidson County Clerk, it might have been examined more closely, at an earlier time. The story of the Jennings family, and their troubles, has been told in numerous accounts by many historians and was already known by those who studied the history of the area. On that day, having the will of Jennings at hand, and realizing how early it had been written, brought new significance to the paper. Pulling together the accounts of the family as they journeyed to Nashville, the scalping and survival of Jennings, Jr., the loss of the grandchild during the attack on the boat, and Jennings death, all occurring within a few months, told an amazing story. What had been just another historical paper, filed with many others, at the archives, is now known to be, the oldest document owned by Metro Nashville Government. The Cumberland Compact, older by a few months, belongs to the Tennessee State Library and Archives.