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

S. J. R. Stephens

S. J. R. Stephens, senior member of B. F. Stephens Bros., of the Greeneville Woolen Mills, is the superintendent of the weaving department. The mills were first established at Birdsbridge in 1879, and afterward moved to Greeneville by the present firm. They are the largest between Knoxville and the Virginia line, and have a capacity of 150 pounds of yarn, and 500 yards of jeans cloth per day, though a general variety of goods is manufactured. Twenty-two of the best looms and thirty-five hands are employed, and they do an annual business of about $75,000.

Our subject was born in 1849, in Greene County, and was educated in Tusculum College. He began flour-milling and taking out iron ore from the furnace near Birdsbridge, then after a year on the farm, he and his brothers established their business.

In 1864 he married Florence, daughter of Andrew Bowers. They have had four children.

B. F. Stephens, the second member, and superintendent of the spinning department, was born in 1856, and educated at Mosheim Station, and then entered the flouring-mill and woolen-mills, removing to Greeneville in 1884. In 1878 he married Josephine, daughter of J. B. Bird. They have one child.

Fox Stephens, junior member and bookkeeper, was born in 1858, and was educated at Mosheim College, at Blue Springs, and began with his brothers on leaving school. In 1879, he married Josephine, daughter of Thomas N. Brooks.

Samuel L., and Mary J. (Farnsworth) Stephens, the parents, were born--the former in Pennsylvania in 1805, and the latter in Greene County, Tenn., in 1820. The father was the son of John Stephens, a native of Germany, who came to Pennsylvania about 1809 or 1810. He was a farmer and blacksmith, and a Lutheran. He died in 1874. The mother, a daughter of Thomas Farnsworth, is also a Lutheran, and lives with the junior member of this firm, Fox Stephens.

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