Sumter-Macon County GaArchives Biographies.....Griffin, Fletcher W. 1857 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 30, 2004, 8:56 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 999-1001

   FLETCHER W. GRIFFIN. Ranking high among the live, enterprising and successful
business men of Sumter county is Fletcher W. Griffin, of Americus, a well-known
cotton dealer, and an extensive laud owner. He was born in 1857, on a farm lying
eight miles east of Americus, a son of Thomas Griffin, and comes of substantial
pioneer stock.

   Mr. Griffin's grandfather, Dempsey Griffin, was born near Raleigh, North
Carolina, of Welsh ancestry. Joining the little bands of immigrants that were
steadily pushing their way westward, he left his native state in 1849,
accompanied by his family. With wife and children he made his way through the
almost pathless woods with teams, bringing his household goods, and driving his
stock, to Georgia. After a tedious journey of several weeks, he arrived in
Sumter county, and on Line creek, east of Americus, bought a tract of
forest-covered land. Clearing an opening in the woods, he built a loghouse,
which, with its stick and clay chimney, and large fireplace, was the first home
of the Griffin family in Georgia. He lived in the typical pioneer style, his
wife doing all of her cooking by the open fireplace, and dressing her family in
homespun material, which she wove herself, having first carded and spun the
wool. Clearing quite a patch of the land, he lived there with his family until
after the close of the war between the states, when he sold out, and moved to
the south part of the county, where he purchased land, and was a resident until
his death, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. His wife, whose maiden
name was McCurkadle, died when but sixty-five years old, leaving seven children,
as follows: Bryan, Caleb, Thomas, John, Nancy, Hannah, and Catherine.

   Thomas Griffin, the third son in succession of birth of the parental
household, was born near Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1837, and at the age of
twelve years came with the family to Sumter county, where he assisted in the
pioneer labor of reclaiming a farm from the wilderness. At the time of his
marriage he began farming on his own account on a part of his father's
homestead, continuing thus engaged until 1862. Early in that year he enlisted in
the Confederate army, and went with his command to Virginia, where, in June of
that same year, he died, his death occurring at Orange court house, in the
twenty-fifth year of his age. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Gammage, was
born in Macon county, Georgia, a daughter of Alsey Gammage, a native of South
Carolina, and a pioneer of Macon county, where he resided several years,
although he later bought land in Sumter county, three and one-half miles from
Americus, where he spent the remainder of his life of sixty-eight years. Mrs.
Thomas Griffin subsequently married for her second husband Jesse Chembliss, who
died while yet in the prime of life, before she did, her death occurring when
she was but forty-three years of age. By her first marriage she was the mother
of two children, namely: Fletcher W. Griffin, the special subject of this
sketch; and Thomas W. Griffin. By her second marriage she had one child, Jesse
Lee Chembliss.

   As a boy and youth, Fletcher W. Griffin attended the rural schools of his
district, and assisted in the various labors incidental to life on a farm,
remaining with his mother until attaining hs majority. He then began his career
as an independent agriculturist, renting land on shares until he accumulated a
sufficient sum to warrant him in buying. Mr. Griffin's first purchase of land
consisted of a one hundred and forty acre tract ten miles east of Americus.
Going to Plains, Sumter county, in 1887, he there carried on a successful
business as a merchant until 1903, when he located in Americus, where he has
since been profitably engaged in the cotton business. Mr. Griffin has always
been extensively interested in agriculture, and having an abiding faith in the
future of Sumter county, has invested largely in land, being now the owner of
upwards of one thousand acres.

   Mr. Griffin married, in 1885, Nancy Lelia Merritt, who was born in Marion
county, Georgia, a daughter of Wade H. Merritt. Into their home four children
have made their advent, namely, Leon C., Mazie M., Inman W., and Fletcher. Leon
C. married Mamie Brooks, and they have one child, Edith. Mazie M., wife of James
Walker, has two children, Griffin and William J. Mr. Griffin is a director of
the Commercial City Bank. Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Griffin are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church South.

From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913




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