The Savannah Biographies is a collection of unedited biographies written by history students of Armstrong Atlantic State University. The papers were written between 1975 and the spring term of 1994 for Dr. Roger K. Warlick's Historical Methods course. These papers contain biographies of 19th and 20th century Savannahians - ordinary people from all walks of life who in some small way contributed to the history of the city of Savannah.
Below are the Savannah Biographies that have been digitized after receiving permission of the student biographer. The original and complete set of biographies is housed in 25 bound volumes in the Florence Powell Minis Room of Lane Library. Subject Index to the collection provides a complete list of the biographies.
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Bishop Elliot
Rick Smith
He was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, on August 31, 1806, oldest son of Stephen and Esther Habersham Elliott. The family moved to Charleston shortly after Stephen's birth. At sixteen he attended Harvard University for one year. He finished his education at South Carolina College graduating in 1825. He thereafter studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1827. In 1828 Elliott married Mary Gibbes Barnwell. He began his law practice in Charleston, then moved back to Beau fort sometime before 1833. In the early 1830 1 s moved by the new evangelical spirit of the Episcopal Church and a need to rejuvenate his spiritual life, Elliott along with six other men from the same law office gave up the practice of law for the ministry.
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Burrel L. Boulineau
John DeLorma
Georgia Burrel Lathrop Boulineau was born in Georgia on April 12, 1831. His parents were Augustus Boulineau, native of Havre, France and Mary Ann Kemp, a native of Savannah, Georgia. He was baptized at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist when he was four years old. He was an employee of the Central Railroand during the 1860’s and 1870’s in Savannah, GA. Burrel L Boulineau married twice and had a total of eleven children. He left Savannah around 1879 and probably moved to Liberty County, GA. He died September 24, 1903 and is buried in Flemington Cemetery in Liberty County.
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Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar: Southern Gentleman and Owner of the Slave Ship Wanderer
Ana L. Prieto
Charles A. L. Lamar was not only a prominent Southern gentleman, but a capable businessman. He gained notoriety in Savannah not only because of his connection with the slave ship wanderer, but because of his fiery and passionate disposition, which oftentimes got him into difficult situations. He was a Colonel in the Confederate Army and was one of the last casualties of the tragic war.
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Charles e. Middleton: A Free Person of Color (1810-1883)
James C. Waldrop
Charles E. Middleton was born a "free person of color" between the years 1810 and 1812 in Savannah, Georgia. The first record of the future carpenter and pattern maker (a designer of patterns for machinery and carpentry) dates from January 1823, and places him in the household of C. G. Middleton, a "keeper of the Oyster House", who resided at 18 Green Ward. According to this record his mother was named $arah and his three sisters were Ann, Sarah, and Ellary. The name Charles E. Middleton does not appear with that of the family in later censuses. However, one can assume Charles to have grown up in this household and, when he was able to fend for himself to have taken up the tools of the carpenter and ventured forth on his own. The next record of Charles E. Middleton appears in 1835 and places him at a York Street address, employed as a carpenter with R.W. Pooler as his legal guardian. Charles' religious affiliation cannot be determined during this time. However, the names of his sisters, the recorded baptismals of his children and his' dubious Baltimore origin, may lend support to his having been raised a Catholic. He apparently remained at this York Street address until 1840, when he moved to (¼) lot 31 Warren Ward (415 - 417 East Congress Street) where he and his future wife, Charlotte, established their household in 1841.
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Charles Harris
Donald Senterfitt
Charles Harris, a native of England, was born in 1772. He received his early education in France and immigrated to the United States in 1788 at the age of sixteen. He located in Savannah, Georgia and studied for the profession of law under Samuel Stirk, a noted attorney and political figure. Harris opened his own practice in 1793 and quickly attained legal reputation; representing at least one case before the US Supreme Court. In December of 1798 he married Cathrine McCauley McIntosh, daughter of Revolutionary War hero General Lachlan McIntosh. He was elected Savannah city Alderman in 1801, beginning a long and notable civic career, which included terms with the Board of Health; the city Exchange and city PoorHouse and Hospital Boards of Trustees; numerous chairs of aldermanic and society committees; and three terms as mayor. He was twice elected to the Judgeship of the Eastern (GA) Circuit, declining both times. He was also offered a seat on the US Senate in 1809 only decline. A devoted family man, he fathered two children; neither of whom apparently survived him. The death of his beloved wife in 1815 was deeply felt and in combination with his own ill health led to gradual semi-retirement. His death in 1827 was noted with sincere regret by many and a sense of loss by most of his fellow citizens. A street in Savannah and a county of Georgia are named in his honour. Most certainly among the prominent men of his time he was accorded by some to be the ablest lawyer of his day.
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Cord Asendorf January 27, 1858 to January 6, 1944
Ron Horton
Cord Asendorf, a prominent Savannahian and German immigrant, will long be remembered for his Victorian house at 1921 Bull Street. Cord, who became successful in the grocery business was also very ingenious in his real estate dealings.
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Cornelia M. Millen: A Brief Biography
Ashley A. Barnwell
The object of this research was to find as much information as possible on the subject in the space of seven weeks. Thus, the work found here is incomplete to say the least. Much more research would be necessary to get the whole picture; however, this work does provide a glimpse of Cornelia Marston Millen which would otherwise not be found, Miss Millen was the subject of this research. The information found here relates primarily to her life but also includes information on her immediate family members. The research for this paper was done in Savannah, Georgia. The major information sources were the Georgia Historical Society, Chatham County Courthouse, and Laurel Grove Cemetery.
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Daniel G. Philbrick: Steamboat Captain
Charles C. Ferris
Daniel Philbrick, born in New Hampshire in 1800, grew up in the North. In the 1820's he married Mary Ann King of New Jersey: the couple had a single daughter, Rachel Jennie. The Philbricks moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 18J2. By 1836 Daniel was employed as a steamboat captain, carrying goods and passengers on a route which included Augusta, Savannah and Charleston. In 1842 the family came to Savannah, and by 1849 Daniel had acquired real estate and built a spacious home on Washington Square. Both he and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church, and Mary Ann was particularly active in church affairs. Daniel remained a steamboat captain until 1863, when he sold his real estate, realizing a substantial profit, and probably retired. He died in 1B73, his wife in 1886. Their daughter, a writer of modest talent, never married, and so there are no descendants.
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Daniel Robertson
Kathleen Robertson
Daniel Robertson was born on August 7, 1807 in Dingwall, Scotland. He arrived in Savannah, Georgia, in December of 1835 on the steamship Dolphin, from Charleston, South Carolina. He called himself a master mason. In November of 1842, he purchased Lot 42 of Jasper Ward from Thomas J. Pitt for one hundred sixty dollars and seventy cents with a yearly rate of thirty-eight dollars and forty-five cents to be paid to the city. In 1845, he built the house that are now numbers twenty-three and twenty-five on West Charlton Street (this is the lot he purchased in 1842).
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David Dean O'Keefe
Benjamin Linton
David Dean O'Keefe was born in Middletown, Ireland, where little is known of his younger years. He came to the United States in the 1860. A seaman by trade, he sailed between Liverpool and Savannah on the ship William Gregory In 1869 David was married to Catherine Masters, a native of St. Augustine, Florida, whose family was living in Savannah. After his marriage, O'Keefe began working on small vessels around the city. In 1871, in fear of killing a man, O'Keefe left Savannah on the Belvedere which was heading for Chicago. The ship was wrecked in a typhoon around the Caroline Islands. Fortunately, O'Keefe, the lone survivor, washed ashore on the island of Yap, a small island in the Caroline chain. It was on this tiny island that "King O'Keefe", as he is popularly referred to created his island kingdom and the acclaimed wealth that became a point of fantasy to Savannahians and a controversy to his family in•1901 after his mysterious disappearance.
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David R. Dillon of Savannah
Bennie Arkwright
There have probably been few, if any, men whom by virtue of their colorful life style and philanthropy managed to capture the hearts of Savannahians to the extent as did our subject David R. Dillon. Sportsman, Banker, Realtor, Boat Captain and owner, Civic Leader and Philanthropist were titles that were quite apropos for David R, Dillon
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Dina Cohen Minis
Judith D. Straight
Dinah Cohen was born in Georgetown, South Carolina on 21 April 1787, the eldest child of Solomon and Belle Gratz Cohen. She married Isaac Minis on 14 or 11 December 1803 in Charleston. They had thirteen children. Her oldest son, Philip, was in a duel in 1832. Another son, Abraham, was a prosperous businessman and politician in Savannah. Isaac, her husband, was a businessman and a leader of the Savannah and Jewish communities. Dinah was known to have supported the South during the Civil War and was pardoned in 1867. She died on 17 February 1874 at the age of 86.
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Dix Fletcher
Jane Schulze
A very versatile man, Dix Fletcher was born in Philipston, Mass achusetts on September 14, 1803. He moved to Savannah around 1835 where he sold men's clothign with the firm of Fletcher and Hagar.
When that firm was dissolved in 1840 he became a mechanic, carpenter, and master builder, building the house now located at 536 East State St.
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Dr. John Love
James Vaughn
John Love, physician, city alderman. Born, Savannah circa 1760; surgeon's mate, American Revolution. Married Sarah Jones (?-1784); served as city alderman, 1790s; Remarried to Louisa Love (?-?); failed to pay taxes, early 1800s; died April 25, 1809.
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Dr. Stephen F. Dupon: An Incomplete Biography
Armstrong State University
Stephen F. Dupon was born Oct.22,1823 and died Dec. 7, 1893. He lived most of his life on the Isle of Hope. He was a prominent and well respected physician and citizen. He was involved in local politics and in 1871 was appointed as Justice of the Peace for the Isle of Hope. He worked for the betterment and fair treatment of the black communittes. He was active in supporting religion by donating land to both the Methodist Church and the Benedictine Monks. He was a family man, married to Catherine Bransby and they had three children.
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Dr. William Coffee Daniell
Thomas H. Guerry IV
William Coffee Daniell was born in Greene County, Georgia in 1792 and died in Liberty County, Georgia in 1868. He was Mayor of Savannah from 1824 to 1826 and was a professional physician and planter as well as politician. He was the author of a text on medicine, an antebellum call for southern political and economic unity and numerous letters.
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Dr William Parker (1766-1838)
Nancy B. Leavitt
Dr. William Parker was born in the colony of Georgia in 1766 and achieved prominence as a physician and community leader. He was one of the original members of the Georgia Medical Society, which was established in Savannah in 1804. Additionally, he was a member of Christ Church and on the Board of Trustees for Bethesda Orphanage. In 1804 he married the widow Louisa Guerard Mc Allister who was originally from Prince William's Parish in South Carolina, Dr. Parker was a descendant of Henry Parker, the second president of the colony of Georgia and one of the first settlers of the Isle of Hope. Henry Parker and his wife, Ann, arrived in Savannah in August 1733 with General James Oglethorpe. While visiting his country home on the Isle of Hope, Dr. Parker was paralyzed by a stroke and died two years later in 1838, at his residence on Bryan Street in Savannah.
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Edward Coppee, Savannah Physician
Steven Edenfield
Slavery was a bane to the progress of humanity but it was vital to the economic prosperity of the sugar plantations of the West Indies in the eighteenth century. Thus was the case on the island of Hispaniola which today is home to the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. During the 1700's the western part of the island, called Saint-Domingue, became the richest of all of France's colonial holdings. By the time the French Revolution in 1793, Saint-Domingue consisted of thirty thousand wealthy French, twenty-seven thousand mulattoes, and almost half a million black slaves. The revolution in France inspired the oppressed in Saint-Domingue to consider revolt themselves, At this time it became evident also that the mulattoes and the blacks would not be represented in the new French National Assembly while the white planters of the island would. The colony-soon erupted in revolution as the black slave Toussaint L'Ouverture led an insurrection which saw the white French either dead or gone from the island.
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Eleazer Early
Laura Branson
The Early family began its American roots near the middle of the seventeenth century. It was then that OOhn Early traveled from England and settled on the oast of Virginia. From there, the family moved out into surrounding areas which became the counties of Middlesex, Orange, Culpepper, Madison, Bedford, and Franklin. Eventually the family spread down the coast line and into Georgia. As of 1790, Joel Early was a tax paying resident of Wilkes County, Georgia, as was his brother Jacob.
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Eliza Vallard Huguenin: A genealogy
Nancy Birkheimer
Eliza Huguenin and her family begin to appear in Savannah and Chatham County records in 1824, when her husband John purchased at auction 1400 acres known as the Queensberry and Ashton Plantations. According to his will, they had three children, Edward 0., Eugenia Ann, and Malvina Henrietta. When John died in 1835, Eliza apparently took over Management of the plantation, judging froM the papers of his estate. Thirteen years later she bought a house in town on Liberty Street. Her will was probated in February 1871, leaving her estate to one grandchild, whose Mother was still living and contested it on the basis of her father's will.
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Emanuel Drufus and His Sons: a Biographical sketch and Geneology
Herbert L. Victor
Moses was bor_n inQincinnati,.Ohio in 1864. While his two brothers discussed above,were somewhat prominent as leadtffs in their youth, Moses seems to have been the businessman the ''hard-working type·of the family. He, like his brothers and fathers, was in dry goods, clothing, and the like, and he seems to have been somewhat successful (so far as can be determined until 1903); however, at some time before World War I, he went into insurance. (The firm which he founded continues today under the ownership of his grandson.) Moses married Henrietta Byck in 189J and she died 'in 1917. He re-married in 1921 to Maude Rice. He died in 1946.
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Emma Cheves Wilkens
Rose R. Harvey
Emma Cheves Wilkins was one of eight children born to Gilbert A. Wilkins of New York and Emma Cheves of South Carolina. Her grandfather, Langdon Cheves II, owned Delta Plantation in South Carolina on the Savannah River and Southfield Plantation in Chatham County on the Ogeechee River. Emma attended school in Baltimore, studied art in Paris, and had a long successful career as an artist and teacher in Savannah. She was a woman of strong opinions who worked to improve the quality of life in her community.
Emma never married or had any children. At her death in 1956, she was survived by a sister, brother and nephew. She is buried in Bonaventure cemetery.
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Enoch D. Hendry: a Biography
Martha Pevey
Enoch D. Hendry was born September 28, 1822 in Liberty County, Georgia. He married Caroline Staley on December 5, 1847. They had five children. From 1850 until about 1859 he was engaged in business in Savannah, Georgia. In 1859 he moved to Balckshear, Georgia in the newly created county of Pierce. He remarried a resident of Pierce county for almost the rest of his life. He organized the first company of Confederate volunteers from Pierce county. He died in Waycross on July 14, 1909.
