My Genealogy Hound

Dr. Abram Hassell King, a practicing physician and surgeon of Chestnut Mound, was born in 1850, at Carthage, Smith County, Tenn. He is one of the two living children out of a family of eight, born to Abram H., Sr., and Mary T. King. The father was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in 1810, near Gallatin, Sumner Co., Tenn., where he was raised by his uncle, Jennet Hassel, as his parents both died when he was quite small. Until the age of twenty, he was employed in the laborious duties of farm life. He became dissatisfied in tilling the soil, and resolved to prepare himself for a physician. After hard study, and graduating at Cincinnati, he became the most popular, skillful, and financially successful practitioner in all of Smith County. After a long, useful and prosperous life, he died in 1873, at Carthage. The mother was of French origin, born in 1818, near where Dixon Springs is now located. She is still living in Carthage, an esteemed Christian woman; her health is quite feeble. Our subject received his literary education at New Middleton. When twenty-three years of age, he went to Nashville, and attended Vanderbilt University one session. He then returned home and located at present place of residence. In 1881 he married Miss Sadie Duke (Rev. Green P. Jackson officiating), who was raised and educated by her grandfather, Blake Thackston. Mrs. King was born in 1858 in Sullivan Bend, of Cumberland River, Smith County. To this union three children came: John Howard, Joseph Robert and Brien Thackston. The late civil war having destroyed all of his father’s accumulation, Dr. King was compelled to borrow money to complete his medical education, consequently, in 1875, when he settled to begin the practice of his profession, he was deeply in debt. Since that time, so extensive and lucrative has been his practice, that he has cleared his debts, bought a fine farm of 120 acres at Chestnut Mound, another of 107 acres at Carthage, each well cultivated, and valuable. He has also built an elegant modern residence, with all necessary improvements and outside buildings, and an office at the Mound. He is one of the most prominent physicians and enterprising, worthy men in the section. He is a stanch Democrat, casting his first vote for Horace Greeley in 1872.