General James Hayes Reagan, (CSA)

THE GROTON AVERY CLAN, Vol. I, by Elroy McKendree Avery and Catherine Hitchcock (Tilden) Avery, Cleveland, 1912. p. 367

As the owner of large tracts of land in McMinn county, a planter and developer of his estate, a merchant, banker, railroad builder, and useful citizen, the life of james Hayes Reagan was one of the most important during the first half century of the history of McMinn county. He was a pioneer, and his remarkable talent as a business man reacted again and again for the public welfare.

James Hayes Reagan was born at Greenville, South Carolina, February 12, 1880, a son of John Reagan, a native of Ireland. In the family was one other child, a sister, Sallie , who married a Mr. McMillan. His father moved to Knox county, Tennessee, early in the eighteenth century, and it was in that vicinity that James H Reagan was reared and educated. Before he had reached his majority he went to McMinn county, locating at what is now known as Reagan Station.

There he clerked for the pioneer merchant in that vicinity, Mr Holt, whose daughter he afterwards married. He also had the distinction of teaching the first school in that vicinity and was postmaster at “Facility” now known as Reagan Station , for over forty years. With the purchase of a small piece of land , may be said to have begun his acumulations as a business man. He added from time to time to the first nucleus, and at the time of his death owned about sixteen hundred acres of land in McMinn county, besides large holdins elsewhere including about sixty thousand acres in the state of Arkansas. Throughout his career he was actively identified with farm operations, though he had many other business interests. He also conducted a store at Reagan Station, and previous to the war established the Planters Bank of Athens, of which he was president. For his prominence in local affairs, he was nominated and elected a member of the state senate adn during his service in the legislature secured the charter for the Old East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, a line eventually built from Dalton , Georgia, to Knoxville, Tennessee. His public spirit and liberality in promoting this railroad were characteristic of the man and citixen in every relation with any community enterprise. He had charge of teh construction of the railroad, and brought the first locomotive overland from Augusta to Dalton. To enable the company to complete the construction of this road he made it a personal loan of fifty thousand dollars and afterwards took Confederate bonds as his pay. Later these bonds of course became worthless, so that his generosity was practically a free gift to what is now a prosperous railroad line. He was one of the large stock holders in that road.

The late Mr Reagan served as brigadier general in the Tennessee Militia, and Major Jackson, who afterwards became superintendent of the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, was a member of his staff. Though a Democrat in politics he was opposed to the Secession movement, but after the issues of war were joined he became active as a southern sympathizer. Towards the end of the war he was arrested and held as a hostage, and died in military prison in Knoxville. Few men in that section of East Tennessee, were more useful and likewise more prominent and esteemed than James H Reagan.

A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and ..., Volume 8 By Will Thomas Hale, Dixon Lanier Merritt James Hayes Reagan page 2513-15

• James' birth, military, and death information are available at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17119709/james-hayes-reagan
• The following write-up is available at the above-mentioned URL:
  • From A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and ..., Volume 8 By Will Thomas Hale, Dixon Lanier Merritt; James Hayes Reagan, page 2513-2515.
    • "As the owner of large tracts of land in McMinn county, a planter and developer of his estate, a merchant, banker, railroad builder, and useful citizen, the life of james Hayes Reagan was one of the most important during the first half century of the history of McMinn county. He was a pioneer, and his remarkable talent as a businessman reacted again and again for the public welfare.
    • "James Hayes Reagan was born at Greenville, South Carolina, February 12, 1880, a son of John Reagan, a native of Ireland. In the family was one other child, a sister, Sallie, who married a Mr. McMillan. His father moved to Knox county, Tennessee, early in the eighteenth century, and it was in that vicinity that James H Reagan was reared and educated. Before he had reached his majority he went to McMinn county, locating at what is now known as Reagan Station.
    • "There he clerked for the pioneer merchant in that vicinity, Mr Holt, whose daughter he afterwards married. He also had the distinction of teaching the first school in that vicinity and was postmaster at “Facility” now known as Reagan Station, for over forty years. With the purchase of a small piece of land, may be said to have begun his acumulations as a businessman. He added from time to time to the first nucleus, and at the time of his death owned about sixteen hundred acres of land in McMinn county, besides large holdins elsewhere including about sixty thousand acres in the state of Arkansas. Throughout his career he was actively identified with farm operations, though he had many other business interests. He also conducted a store at Reagan Station, and previous to the war established the Planters Bank of Athens, of which he was president. For his prominence in local affairs, he was nominated and elected a member of the state senate adn during his service in the legislature secured the charter for the Old East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, a line eventually built from Dalton, Georgia, to Knoxville, Tennessee.
    • "His public spirit and liberality in promoting this railroad were characteristic of the man and citixen in every relation with any community enterprise. He had charge of teh construction of the railroad and brought the first locomotive overland from Augusta to Dalton. To enable the company to complete the construction of this road he made it a personal loan of fifty thousand dollars and afterwards took Confederate bonds as his pay. Later these bonds of course became worthless, so that his generosity was practically a free gift to what is now a prosperous railroad line. He was one of the large stockholders in that road.
    • "The late Mr Reagan served as brigadier general in the Tennessee Militia, and Major Jackson, who afterwards became superintendent of the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, was a member of his staff. Though a Democrat in politics he was opposed to the Secession movement, but after the issues of war were joined, he became active as a southern sympathizer. Towards the end of the war he was arrested and held as a hostage and died in military prison in Knoxville. Few men in that section of East Tennessee, were more useful and likewise more prominent and esteemed than James H Reagan.
    • "The late Mr Reagan served as brigadier general in the Tennessee Militia, and Major Jackson, who afterwards became superintendent of the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, was a member of his staff. Though a Democrat in politics he was opposed to the Secession movement, but after the issues of war were joined, he became active as a southern sympathizer. Towards the end of the war he was arrested and held as a hostage and died in military prison in Knoxville. Few men in that section of East Tennessee, were more useful and likewise more prominent and esteemed than James H Reagan, Lenoir Reagan, who now lives retired at Terrell, Texas, Julia, widow of James R Love, of Sweetwater, James Avery, whose career is briefly sketched in the following paragraph, John Martin, deceased, Franklin Pierce, deceased, and one son that die."