A-C D-F G-J K-M N-P Q-S T-V W-Z
Leslie Gilliam Leslie Gilliam, son of William Gilliam, was a captain in the War of 1812, a member of Oxford's first board of commissioners in 1816 and sheriff of Granville County from 1829-1840. He had previously served as Register of Deeds. He married Miss Elizabeth Ballard and had a son, Judge Robert Ballard Gilliam. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Robert Ballard Gilliam Robert Ballard Gilliam was Clerk of Superior Court of Granville County from 1830-31; speaker of the NC House of Representatives in 1848 and later a Superior Court Judge. He was elected to Congress but died in 1870 before entering upon the duties of that office. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) John S. Glenn John S. Glenn was a large investor in Oxford real estate when lots were on the market in the early days of the town. He was a trustee of the Oxford Methodist Church. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Reverend Samuel L. Graham Reverend Samuel L. Graham was pastor of the Presbyterian Church from 1821-22. He founded a Presbyterian Church in Providence in 1825. He also taught at the Oxford Female Academy. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Colonel Tazewell Lee Hargrove (1830-1889) Tazewell Lee Hargrove, of Granville, son of Israel West and Nancy (Hargrove) Hargrove was born at Townsville, NC, in 1830. He was of English ancestry. After graduating from Randolph-Macon College in 1848, he attended the University of North Carolina as a law student during the 1849-1850 school year. In 1850 he received a law license and began practicing in Granville County. He represented his home county in the House of Commons as a Democrat during the 1856-1857 and 1858-1859 General Assembly sessions. In addition, he was also one of Granville County's delegates to the 1861-1862 Secession Convention and also the 1861-1862 Constitutional Convention. In 1862, Hargrove entered the Confederate army as captain of Company A, Forty-fourth North Carolina Regiment. On May 3, 1862, he was elected as a major and transferred to the field and staff of the Forty-fourth Regiment. Less than three months later, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the same regiment. After the Confederate defensive at South Anna Bridge, Virginia, (legend has it that Hargrove and sixty-two men held the bridge against the enemy's force of fifteen hundred for four hours) Hargrove and six other officers of the 44th North Carolina Regiment were taken prisoners by the Yankees. Taken first to Fort Norfolk and then to Fort Delaware, these officers joined about 600 other Confederate prisoners of war. In 1863, these men were placed in a stockade outside Yankee forces on Morris Island, then under fire from the Confederates. Hargrove remained a prisoner until taking the oath of allegiance under protest in July 1865 at the close of the war. After returning to Granville County, he became disenchanted with the Democratic Party and grudgingly switched his allegiance to the Republican Party. He then served as a representative from Granville County in the 1870-1872 General Assembly and as North Carolina's Attorney General from 1873 to 1877 while continuing a successful law practice. He was also a member of the committees to select the site for and to build the Oxford Orphan Asylum. Ravages inflicted on his body during his years as a prisoner led to his death December 16, 1889 at the age of 59. Sandy Harris Sandy Harris was Clerk of Superior Court from 1831-36. He was also Justice of the Peace and a member of the NC House of Representatives. He was much disliked by his political enemies. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Rhodes Nash Herndon Rhodes Nash Herndon was a successful merchant. He invested in the choicest town lots, thus laying the foundation for the Herndon fortune. He built and occupied the Herndon Mansion (razed in 1950), but remained a bachelor. He was Oxford's postmaster from 1816-19, (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Archibald Arrington (A. A.) Hicks (1862-1941) Archibald Arrington Hicks was an active member of the Oxford, NC Bar from 1887-1941. He was twice mayor of Oxford, and he represented the district in the State Senate in 1899, 1903, 1907, 1911, 1923, and 1931. He was a staff Major in the State Guard under Governor Kitchin. He helped to organize the NC Bar Association, was a loyal Mason and Odd Fellow. For 25 years before his death, he was County Attorney. After leaving Yadkin college, he taught at Horner's Academy at Henderson and studied law under his elder brother T. T. Hicks. He taught school several years and was quite a historian, writing many articles about Oxford and Granville County throughout his life. Dr. John R. Hicks Dr. John R. Hicks owned and occupied the Woodlawn Estate near Lewis' Station. He was the father of both the first and second Mrs. M. V. Lanier and great-grandfather of Roger Gregory Lanier. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Samuel Hillman Samuel Hillman was a lawyer. Hillman was secretary of Williamsboro Academy in 1812. In 1818, he was one of the organizers of the Granville Branch of the American Bible Society and its first secretary. Samuel Hillman represented the county in the General Assembly from 1819-1821. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Benjamin Hillyard Benjamin Hillyar was one of the commissioners appointed by the General Assembly in 1811 to buy land of Thomas B. Littlejohn upon which to lay out a town to be called Oxford. Hillyard was a member of Grassy Creek Academy, 4 miles north of Oxford, in 1823. The spelling of his name later changed to Hilliard. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) Reverend and Mrs. E. Hollister Reverend and Mrs. E. Hollister came to Oxford from Mecklenburg County, VA and conducted Southern Female Classical Seminary. Mr. Hollister succeeded Mr. Labaree as pastor of the Presbyterian Church. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) James Hunter Horner (1822-1892) James Hunter Horner, the founder of Horner Military School, loved intellect and was himself both a mental as well as a physical giant. Biographical sketches describe him as being "tall, large, and powerful, six feet three inches, weighing 220 pounds, large boned, muscular and sinewy...Strength, power, and splendid manhood were reflected and radiated from him as he sat or walked or talked." Horner was indeed a man of great intelligence. He loved Latin and was well educated in the classics of literature. His wife, Sophronia, was also well educated. It was said that she could flawlessly recite Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake." Horner's chief defect as a teacher was that he could not tolerate a fool. (The dullest boys in the class were placed at the front of the classroom, near Horner.) Neither ridicule nor abuse was spared when it came the turn of these unfortunates. If there happened to be among them a boy of large size and mature years, woe unto him! By ridicule, by abuse, by teasing, by taunting, by mock compliment, the poor victim was stirred up to a frenzy of anger, or compressed into an impenetrable lump of dogged and sullen obstinacy, or crushed into a pitiful humility and despair. The smallest child was then called forward to answer the question that the big dullard had missed. For such occasion, Mr. Horner kept on hand and in good training a sufficient supply of infant geniuses. The smallest one present was called up, placed beside the dullard to emphasize by contrasting of sixe and sense the superiority of mind over matter. Horner now repeated the question to the infant genius, wording it so skillfully as to carry its own answer. After the small chap answered correctly, Horner "reprimanded" the larger boy for his stupidity. "Now, sir," said Horner, "aren't you ashamed, sir? This little fellow, sir, no higher than your knees, sir, could swallow you whole, sir, without greasing your head, sir, or even pinning back your ears, sir.!" One day there was snow on the ground, "Old Jim" as James H. Horner was affectionately called by his pupils, saw "Rome" (Jerome C. Horner) coming across the camps. He told a group of boys standing around that if they would roll Rome in the snow he would give them a holiday. Now, man handling Jerome Horner was no child's play, but a holiday is worth any cost, so backed up by the moral support of the founder, and no doubt too the school boys, almost anything it did with a good deal of gustoon, the pupils swarmed around Horner. Soon the air was full of boys as they were tossed about by Horner. In the end however, numbers prevailed, and Rome was rolled in the snow. The senior Horner kept his promise. However, it must be noted that although Jerome Horner was always amused by this tale he never agreed with it. He claimed that it was his mother who devised the plot to roll him in the snow and not his father and that he was still a student at the school when the incident occurred. Jerome Channing "Rome" Horner (1853-1951) Oxford, Sept. 16--by Thad Stem--A few weeks ago Oxford's municipal swimming pool was opened for the first time. Among the first to dive into the water was Colonel Jerome C. Horner, who is just 86 years young. And, he plunged into the water head first with what is known as a racing start. However, there is nothing startling about this information, insofar as Oxford people are concerned. For Colonel Horner swims every summer morning at 6 o'clock and every night at 10 o'clock, provided the moon is out. Only recently Mr. "Rome" Horner, as he is affectionately known, purchased a brand new pair of ice skates in anticipation of the fall season. And his fancy figures on the ice are effected with such grace and ease that only the more adept and daring of local youngsters attempt to match strides with him. Literally a host of North Carolinians know of Colonel Horner and the famous Horner School, which existed for 69 successful years. From its beginning in 1851 to its close in 1920, thousands of young men received their life-long lessons in the arts, in the sciences, in discipline, and in character. The strong personalities of Colonel Horner and his father, James Horner, the founder, were instilled into the minds of the youth of this state. Untold volumes could be filled with their scholastic and academic accomplishments. They were pioneers in their field; and from their school went out students and teachers who, as future Southern educators, helped end the educational depression in Dixie, which was subsequent and incident to the War Between the States. Junius Moore Horner (1859-1933) The Right Rev. Junius M. Horner, Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, died at his home here (Asheville, NC) today after a long illness. He was 73 years old. Bishop Horner had devoted his life to church work and to the welfare of the mountain folk of NC, his native State. Bishop Horner rose rapidly in the Episcopal ministry after his ordination as a deacon in 1890. For several years after his ordination into the ministry, Bishop Horner, with a brother, was co-principal of his father's school at Oxford. He did much missionary work in that vicinity and his activities were a factor in his selection as head of the Asheville missionary district. Bishop Horner was ordained a priest a year later and in less than eight years, in 1898, was appointed the first Bishop of the newly created Missionary District of Asheville, NC by the general convention of the Episcopal church meeting in Washington, DC. He served in that position until 1922 when he became Bishop for the district, having been organized as the Diocese of Western North Carolina. Born in Oxford, NC July 7, 1859, Bishop Horner was a son of James Hunter and Sophronia Moore Horne. His father, one of the State's most eminent educations and the founder of the Horner School at Oxford, was a Confederate officer. It was at Horner School that Junius Moore Horner was prepared for college. He studied at the University of Virginia, where he was a classmate of Woodrow Wilson, and was graduated from Johns Hopkins University and the General Theological Seminary. The University of the South (Sewanee) conferred on him the degree of doctor of divinity in 1899. A descendant of men prominent in American history, he was noted as a patriot and was a friend and college mate of the late President Woodrow Wilson. The Bishop's great-grandfather, an officer in Washington's Army, at one time owned West Point, NY and sold it for a small sum to the US Government for the establishment of the US Military Academy there. The Bishop also was descended from Bishop Richard Channing Moore, the second Bishop of Virginia. Thomas T. Hunt Thomas T. Hunt was a member of the state senate in 1828 after having been in the lower house. Hunt owned a large tract of land near Oxford, including what became the Frank Bullock place and the old Royster premises on Military St. He was one of the managers of the lottery, later authorized by the General Assembly to raise money for Oxford Academy. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) William Henry Hunt (1867-1930) William Henry Hunt was one of the promoters of the First National Bank of Oxford and its chief executive officer. He also served on the Board of the Town Commissioners for twelve years. He lived in the Henry Clay Herndon mansion (the Herndon / Hunt mansion) which stood at the corner of Main and Spring Streets, where the Richard H. Thornton Library is located (2015) after he inherited it from his uncle. His son, William Henry Hunt, Jr., was an Assistant Cashier at Oxford National Bank. Born February 13, 1904, William Hunt, Jr. died of self inflicted pistol wound to the head on February 25, 1942 while living on Coggeshall St. James D. Johnson James D. Johnson, a Yale graduate from New Jersey, was employed at great expense as principal of Oxford Male Academy for a half dozen years or more. He was made an elder in the Presbyterian Church. (from Hays, Oxford Men and Women, Vol. 16, pages 143-145) |
A 1917 engraving of James Hunter Horner. Image from the N.C. Government and Heritage Library.
|