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

Rufus J. Kidwell

Rufus J. Kidwell, was born four miles north of Greeneville on the waters of Roaring Fork of Lick Creek, Greene County, on April 2,1825, and is the son of Elijah and Polly (Hankins) Kidwell.

The father was born in Greene County in 1802 and was the son of Joshua Kidwell, who was born in the valley of Virginia, and was the son of a native of Wales, England. Joshua, the grandfather, came to Tennessee in about 1787, and settled in Greene County, of which he was one of the pioneers; coming when there were but few white men here and the country was overrun with Indians. He and a brother were engaged in the Indian campaigns, and the latter was killed in the assault upon the Indians at Lookout Mountain. Elijah, the father, was a farmer and carpenter and carried on the two vocations jointly, making a success of both. He was an industrious and energetic man; though well known and highly esteemed, he never entered public life nor ever held a county office, being of a retiring disposition, and never asking for office. While at work erecting the residence in which H. D. Maloney now resides on Chucky River, he contracted a fever from which he died on August 28, 1842. The mother was born in New Jersery in 1798, and was the daughter of William Hankins, who was a native of Scotland. He immigrated to Tennessee at the close of the Revolutionary war, and settled in Greene County on Roaring Fork of Lick Creek. She was a pious Christian lady, and died in 1862. She was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. A peculiarity of the grandparents of our subject was, that each lived and died on their original farms and the same are in the possession of their children.

Our subject was raised on the farm, and attended school at the common schools of the county, and finished his education at a private or subscription school taught by Thomas B. Jarnagin, of Jefferson County, who was educated at Tusculum College. At the age of nineteen years his health failed him, and he learned the saddler's trade under Joshua C. Lane of Greeneville, serving an apprenticeship of three years. After learning the trade he located at Springvale, near the bend of Chucky, in Jefferson (now Hamblen) County, and engaged in tanning and manufacturing leather into saddles, boots, shoes, etc.

In November, 1856, he removed to Russellville, and engaged in merchandising and sold goods over two years, and then opened a large tannery on the Barton farm, about half-way between Russellville and Morristown, and conducted that establishment during the progress of the late war. He is a sympathizer of the Federal government, but did not enlist in the war. He gave freely of his goods to the poor of both sides, refusing in no instance to respond to the calls of the people for leather. At the close of the war he removed to Morristown, and in connection with D. Morris and others in merchandising, tanning and manufacturing leather, remained at that place until August 1875.

He then removed to Rogersville, Tenn., and for four years was connected with the Rogersville Female Institute, and educated his daughters at that school. He then located on a farm, nearly two and one-half miles west of Rogersville, followed farming until 1882, and then removed to Warrensburg, engaged in merchandising, and has continued up to the present, meeting with much success. He carries a general stock of merchandise of about $4,000, and does about $12,000 of business annually.

He was united in marriage at Springvale, Tenn., on October 28, 1851, to Emma McFarland, who was born at the above place, July 1, 1830, and is the daughter of Col. Robert McFarland, a son of Robert McFarland, Sr., and a sister of Robert McFarland, who was one of the supreme judges of Tennessee. To this union eight children have been born, all of whom are living and grown. Robert G., the oldest son, is railroading In Texas, with headquarters at Fort Worth, and Charles E. is engaged with his father in merchandising. Florence, the eldest daughter, is the wife of W. J. McSween, a lawyer of Newport, Cocke County, Tenn., and the other daughters are at home. Both our subject and wife and all his children are members of the Presbyterian Church.

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