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Below is a family biography included in The History of Obion County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Cave J. Crockett, general merchant, was born in Troy, Tenn., September 11, 1852. His father, John Crockett, was born in Humphreys County, Tenn., in 1810, and was a son of John Crockett, who was born in Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, and who came to Tennessee about 1800, settling in Humphreys County, where he died in 1826. The father of our subject left his home in Humphreys County when about eighteen years of age and went to Mississippi, where he lived for several years among an Indian tribe, at, or near where the city of Oxford is now built. Later he went to what is now Texas, and in 1836 came to what was then a part of Obion County (now Lake County), Tenn., and settled west of Reelfoot Lake, where he resided two years. From that time until 1846 he resided six miles west of Troy, the county seat of Obion County, then moved to one mile south of that place, where he resided until two years before his death, and where his children were born and reared. He died in Troy in 1878. He was a farmer and merchant, and held quite a number of county offices, being a leading man of the county. His wife’s maiden name was Louisa McAlister. She was born near Jonesboro, Tenn., in 1816, and died in Obion County in 1854. Our subject is next to the youngest of five children, and was reared on a farm. He received a common school education in Troy, and a business education at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and at the age of sixteen entered his father’s general merchandise store, where he remained until 1875. Since that time he has been engaged in the same business for himself. He is a leading merchant of Troy, and is a successful business man. He was married in 1874, to Miss Bidie Evans, of Obion County, born January 1, 1855, daughter of John E. Evans. Mr. and Mrs. Crockett have had three children born to them: Lida McAlister (deceased), Charlie John and May. Mr. Crockett is a Democrat, and cast his first presidential vote for S. J. Tilden. He belongs to the A. O. U. W., and he and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

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This family biography is one of 179 biographies included in The History of Obion County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Obion County was included within The History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley & Lake Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, and Lake Counties of Tennessee

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