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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Index to the Savannah Biographies
Armstrong State University
Description of the Savannah Biographies project and contact information
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James McIntire
Mark Tarver
James McIntire entered the United States In 1837 from Donagel county Ireland. A grocer by trade McIntire was a successful businessman. He married Francis Norris, an Enqlish emigrant, and they brouqht up their family of eleven children in Savannah. In 1862 he died and was buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery.
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James Porter
Adriane Yvette Baker
In 1826, James Porter was born in Charleston, South Carolina, of free parents. At an early age, his parents dedicated him for a missionary. Because of an accident which left him crippled, he was unable to carry out this task. Therefore, he concentrated on receiving the best education available which consisted of ancient and modern languages. In addition to those studies, James also studied vocal and instrumental music under George 0. Robinson of Charleston.1 The remarkable talents Porter exhibited in music would eventually become the catalyst for his migration to Savannah, Georgia.
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Jane Starr Basinger:A Lady of Leisure, A Women of Strength
Susan Vann
Jane Starr Basinger, born in 1804, lived through the most turbulent times of our history to see the shape of the 20th century looming in the not so far distance. Though she lived in the heyday of the swooning Southern Belle, she was nobody's charge. Considered a "Lady of Leisure" (1860 Census), Jane conducted business and ran her household with the authority and effectiveness of any man.
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Jeremy Francis Gilmer
William B. Humphrey
On February 23, 1818, Jeremy Francis Gilmer was born. He went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He served in the United States Army from 1840 until 1861 when he resigned to join the Confederate States of America. He rose to the rank of Major General by the end of the War Between the States. After 1865, he became involved in many organizations in Savannah. He died at the age of 65 on December 1, 1883.
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John B. Gallie 1806-63
Leona Frye
Lying all but forgotten, except by the occasional historicai research student,. in the old section of Laurel Grove Cemetery,in Lot 365, is the grave of John B. Gallie, civic leader, businessman, jurist, and militia. The inscription bears this information "Major John B. Gallie, born on July 1, 1806 at Dornoch, Scotland; died at Fort Pulaski on February 1, 1863. Erected by his Children." Major Gallie is surround ed by those of members of his family. In this emaculate lot, enclosed in a wrought fence, are two of his wives, three children by his second.marriage, a son-in-law, and several of his grandchildren.
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John David Mongin (1763-1833)
Cheryl L. Hackett
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 brought about the persecution of protestants in France. By 1725 the persecution of the Hugenots became intolerable and so a thirty five year old watchmaker named David John Mongin (grandfather of John David Mongin) and his brother Francis left France. Their departure was not a moment to soon as can be shown by the following account from the family bible.
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John E. Hernandez
Mike L. Flanagan
Around the year 1850, Mr. John E. Hernandez, his wife Josephine Hernandez and their children, Alonzo and Eliza Agnes moved into a modest two-story wooden-framed house on 82 Liberty Street. Prior to their move to Savannah, the Hernandez family were residents of Fernandina Florida. On their arrival at Savannah, John was 33 years old, his wife Josaphine 22, his son Alonzo 12, and his daughter Eliza Agnes 5. Due to the age difference between mother and son, it is evident that one spouse may have been married before. This fact cannot be verified, however, due to the complication of obtaining information from Fernandino. It was here in Savannah that John established a confectionary below his residence. For thirty years Mr. Hernandez provided Savannah ' s citizens with a large assortment of confectionary goods. His business proved to be financially successful at the time of his death on April 23, 1881. Mr. Hernandez's business, at his demise, was worth an accumulated net value of $90,00.00.
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John Grimes: Physician of Savannah
Liscinda Lyons-Sedgwick
John Grimes (1781-1816) studied medicine at the university of Pennsylvania. He had a successful rnedicial practice in Savannah f om 1804 to 1816 . John Grimes married Catherine Jones Glen in 1816 and they had one daughter, Sarah Jones Grimes. Dr. Grimes was involved in state and local government as well as in other civic organizations.
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John Haupt-His Life and Geneology
Herbert L. Victor
John H. Haupt, who financed construction of the house at 113 E. Oglethorpe Avenue (Lot 13, Franklin Ward), was born in St. Augustine, Florida about August, 1780. In 1802, at the age of twenty-two, he married Rebecca Lavender of Savannah. He had moved to Savannah sometime previous to his marriage, probably with his presumed father, John Haupt, a baker. As a young man, Haupt was quite a character, defaulting n taxes several times before running for Receiver of the Tax Returns in 1811, a position for which he was defeated. This defeat marked the beginning of a somewhat less than successful career running for public office. He ran for county coroner in 1828 and in 1834 and was defeated both times. At one point, he was elected district justice of the peace, running without opposition. In the "behind-the-scenes" political world, Haupt was more successful, being a leader in the Chatham County Union and States Rights Association during the 1830's.
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John Henry Heitmann
Conrad Rochefort
John Henry Heitmann was born in Germany in 1845, He came to the United States in the middle to late 1860s, setting up business as a groceryman. In 1882 Heitmann married Matilda Lichte. They had six children, one of which died in infancy. During his lifetime John H. Heitmann bought many pieces of property, living at one of his acquisitions for over thirty years, He died in 1918, leaving property mortgage debts totaling $16,000. Mrs. Heitmann died in 1923.
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John Hill Hewitt
Patricia Brennan
John Hill Hewitt was a first generation Native American. His paternal ancestors were of Welsh extraction while his mother 's family ancestry was largely English with some royal Portuguese blood. Hewitt noted that his mother's large Roman nose and curly hair were dominant features among her children} Such features lent him a negro appearance which became a painful stigma for him in the American South during the Nineteenth Century.
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John Hill Hewitt Appendices
Patricia Brennan
Appendices to the Savannah Biographies paper on John Hill Hewitt
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John H. Ruwe
Mary Hagan
Businessman, husband, father, civic leader. These are but a few words which describe the subject of my research. His name is John H. Ruwe. While not a native Savannahian, he lived the majority of his mature life in Savannah. Mr. Ruwe was born in Hanover, Germany in1840. He was the youngest son of his parents, Amla Gerhart Ruwe '
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John Joseph McDonough
Dorea E. Eager
John Joseph McDonough was born in 1849 and died in 1926, but in between
those years he was very busy and productive. He started working at his
father's lumber mill, continued by being involved in six major businesses of his own, plus director to a few more, and ended up with a single lumber and machine business. He also seems to have ended up with only one son to carry on his name, but not any of his businesses. At the same time he was actively involved in Savannah government (1887·l895) he was also very active in real estate, John J. made a very good mayor of Savannah. He was known for enforcement of the Sunday Laws, improving the police force, facilitating the switch to an artesian well water supply, promoting railroad development, deepening the Savannah harbor to 26 feet, and trying to prove the city's sanitation problems. He was also known for promoting the development of Tybee Beach, seeing as how he had bought a lot of property there for the railroad to use. ..
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John Lowlow (1841-1910)
Horace D. H. Smith
John Lowlow was born in Savannah, Georgia, on August 6, 1841. In 1856, he ran away with John Robinson's Circus. For the next half century he would travel with the circus. He be came one of America's most famous clowns during his life time. He died on October 18, 1910, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is buried in Cleveland, Ohio.
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John Lynch Martin: General Commission Merchant, Cotton Agent and Planter
J. Taylor
John Lynch Martin was born on July 26,1840 in Laurens County to John Lynch Martin of Ireland and Mary Ann Martin of Georgia. His parents moved to Savannah while he was an infant. His father bought and worked Modena, a plantation of about 1800 acres on Skidaway Island. On September 21, 1841 John Lynch Martin and his sister, Nancy Lynch Martin, were baptized into the Catholic Church. On September 26 their parents marriage was reaffi med in a church ceremony preformed by Father John Barry, the impediment of "Cultus Disparitus" having been removed by Mary Ann becoming a Catholic.
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John Postell Williamson (1778-1843)
Lori A. Carter
Upon moving to Savannah Georgia in the late 1700's, John Garnier Williamson was extremely active both politically and socially. His activities laid the foundation for his son, John Postell Williamson (1778-1843). Not only was John P. Williamson the Mayor of Savannah in 1808 and a Justice of the Inferior Court, but he was also an Alderman for several years and a member of countless organizations. In addition to the numerous lots inside and outside of Chatham County, he owned the following plantations during his life, Brampton, .Retreat, Clifton, and Placentia. John P. Williamson was married twice: in 1804 to Sarah McQueen and in 1821 to Madeline Julia Dennis. Between his two wives, John P. Wiliiamson had 15 children.
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John Reedy and Family
Pricilla Bravo
John Reedy was born early in the 19th century in Ireland. He came to the United States in 1837 and to Savannah, Georgia shortly thereafter. He and his wife, Jane were the parents of four children. Mr. Reedy became a property owner in 1849; he was elected to his first political office as a Justice of the Peace in 1853. He remained active in politics until he was found guilty of malpractice of office in 1871. He died in 1882 and was buried in Catholic Cemetery. Surviving him were four children and numerous grandchildren. The last of the Reedys died in 1974.
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John Sutcliffe: A Brief Biography
Barry Taylor
Much of the life of John Sutcliffe continues to remain a mystery. Except for a relatively brief span of time covering the late eighteenth Century remains regarding the time he spent in Savannah and what he did while he resided here. The lack of physical evidence such death records, obituaries, and estate records, in conjunction with a personal ad and an "article" in area newspapers in the late 1780's perhaps indicates his departure from the area around the turn of the century.
