Goodspeed's Biographies Goodspeed's History of Greene County -- 1887

James B. Lyon

James B. Lyon, editor of the Greeneville Democrat and one of the leading young citizens of Greeneville, was born in Greene County. Tenn., March 10, 1856, and is the son of J. B. R. Lyon, a sketch of whom appears above. When but seven years of age the subject of this sketch entered his father's office to learn the printer's trade, even before he had learned the alphabet and strange as it may appear, the young printer was able to set up as much as a column of type before he knew one letter of the alphabet from another. After working in the printing office for nine years, he, at the age of sixteen years, entered Tusculum College, in Greene County, and attended that institution for three years. He next removed to Knoxville, and for about nine months worked with daily papers of that city, and then located at Newport, Cocke County, and got out the first three Issues of the Newport Sentinel. After being connected with the Whitesburg Times he, on May 1, 1879, established the Greeneville Democrat, and has continued the publication of that paper with success up to the present. It having now over 1,900 subscribers weekly. When established the paper had only five columns. After eighteen months had elapsed the prosperity necessitated an enlargement, and an additional column was attached, and thirteen months later another column was added, making it now seven columns, all home print.

Our subject was married October 6, 1875, to Tennie Dobson, who was born in Greene County, Tenn., August 12, 1857, and is the daughter of Rev. J. B. Dobson, D. D., one of the oldest and most noted ministers of East Tennessee. To this union four boys have been born, the eldest of whom is deceased.

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