Dade County History Book

“Historical Collection of Georgia” by George White lists John, James, Thomas, William, and Audley Maxwell as original settlers of Georgia. They were given allotments of land in Georgia when it was first being colonized in the 1740’s and 1750’s. They were prominent citizens in Colonial times, particularly in Liberty County and Elbert County. Descendants of these original settlers became Revolutionary War soldiers, fighting at the Battle of King’s Mountain. During and after the war, several of these Maxwells became some of the earliest settlers of Tennessee, several of them being killed or captured by Indians as they sought to settle in Middle and East Tennessee.

Thomas was born around 1771-1775, and married Esther Hogg in 1798. He came to Marion Co, TN after 1820, with his son John. Moses Maxwell was born March 12, 1833 to John and Mary Maxwell. The family of Moses Maxwell moved to Georgia around 1838. They lived in Dade County and Walker County, Georgia and Jackson County and DeKalb County, Alabama between then and 1850. In Jackson County, there is a section called Maxwell Gap, which used to be a stagecoach stop. There is also a Maxwell cemetery, where early Maxwell settlers are buried. John, apparently, died prior to the 1850 census. Children living with Mary then were John C., age 19, Moses Easterly, age 17, Martha, age 15, and Jeremiah, age 13. 1860 and later census records show Moses living with his wife and children in Dade County, Georgia.

Moses, son of John and Mary, was a blacksmith. His residence was in Trenton, on the south side of the square at the corner of Main Valley Road.   His blacksmith shop was in the rear of the building. Moses Maxwell’s children included: George, John Cameron, William, Jefferson Davis, and Alexander. Moses was in the Civil War. He enlisted in 1861 and served for four years. He was in Company “F”, 34th Georgia Volunteers. He served six months on the line and was then assigned as a blacksmith. He was captured at Greenville, South Carolina May 23, 1865, and later discharged at Cartersville, GA. He received a Civil War pension from 1900-1904. He died November 28, 1904, in Pittsburgh, Georgia and was buried in the Baptist cemetery in Trenton. Moses wife was Fannie Elizabeth O’Neal, who had been a resident of Dade County since August 15, 1832. She was the daughter of Brittain B. O’Neal of Dade County, who fought in the Civil War and was killed at Cold Harbor, Virginia. Moses son, Jefferson Davis, (1862-1940) married Laura Lee Rogers, also of Trenton. Laura Lee was the daughter of Dauswell Harvey Rogers and Mary Ann Ross Rogers. Jefferson Davis and Laura Lee had 14 children. The following children lived to adulthood:

William, born 1888, died 1962, buried Trenton Baptist Cemetery.

Mary Francis (Fannie), born 1892, died 1980, buried Lakewood Memory Garden, Rossville, Georgia. Fannie was married to Graver C. Parker. Paris H. (Padge), who lived in Portland, Maine, died in 1953. Minnie Irene, born 1895, died 1989, buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, TN. Irene was married to Andrew Lee Carter.

Penny Pauline, born 1896, who married Fred Morgan, still lives in Trenton. Henry lived and died in Kentucky. John Virgil, born 1904, died 1971, buried Trenton Baptist Cemetery. Jefferson Davis, Jr., lived and died in California. Laura Eulakie, born 1907, died 1990, buried Trenton Baptist Cemetery. Laura (“Duck”) never married.

Almeda, born 1909, who married Leonard E. Brannan, lives in Spring City, TN

Myrtle Louise, born 1910, died 1991, buried at Lakewood Memory Garden, Rossville, Georgia. Louise was married to Bernard Clemmons. Tracy Parker and Ola Mae Parker Foy of Chattanooga are children of Fannie Maxwell Parker. Children of Pauline and Fred Morgan include Margie Morgan Neeley, Martha Ann Morgan Aikens and Freddie Morgan, all residents of the Trenton area.   Leonard Maxwell Brannan, of Chattanooga is the son of Almeda Maxwell Brannan. Almeda also has two daughters, Charlotte Rudd of Chattanooga and Linda McCuiston of Athens, Alabama.

Written by Rebecca Brannan