Christopher Columbus Butler, 18551920 (aged 65 years)

Name
Christopher Columbus /Butler/
Birth
Birth of a brother
Birth of a brother
Source: 1900 census
Birth of a brother
Death of a paternal grandfather
Source: 1850 Census
Citation details: Shelby Co. AL
Text:

died after 1850 census.

Census
Death of a paternal grandmother
Source: 1860 census
Citation details: Fayette Co. AL
Text:

died after 1860 census

Birth of a sister
Marriage
Citation details: 14
Text:

J. H. Altom, J. P.

Birth of a daughter
Birth of a son
Census
Census
Death of a half-brother
between 1880 and 1900
Birth of a daughter
Source: Headstone
Note: 1900 census record has birth as May 1885.
Marriage
Citation details: 14
Text:

J. A. Long, M. G.

Birth of a daughter
Birth of a daughter
Death of a brother
Source: Headstone
Census
Birth of a daughter
Death of a wife
Source: Headstone
Death of a half-sister
Marriage
Text:

"ceremony by J. P. Bartholomew"

Death of a father
Marriage of a son
Citation details: 14
Text:

F. H. Kelley, J. P.

Marriage of a daughter
Census
Birth of a son
Marriage of a daughter
Citation details: 45
Text:

W. R. Brasher, J. P.

Death of a half-brother
Death of a mother
Census
Marriage of a daughter
Citation details: 11
Text:

W. J. Atom, J. P.

Death of a son
Source: Headstone
Marriage of a daughter
Citation details: 66
Text:

J. P. West, J. P.

Marriage of a daughter
Death of a half-brother
Death of a wife
Source: Headstone
Death of a brother
Source: Headstone
Citation details: Ivey Cemetery
Text:

"1859-1918, Father"

Burial of a brother
Census
Burial of a father
Burial of a mother
Death
August 2, 1920 (aged 65 years)
Source: Headstone
Burial
Family with parents
father
Land Patent
18131900
Birth: about 1813 27 21 probably Elbert Co. GA
Death: between 1891 and 1900Decatur Co. TN
mother
Amanda Bishop Butler
18281910
Birth: September 1828Alabama
Death: between 1900 and 1910Decatur Co. TN
Marriage MarriageAugust 1, 1854Coosa Co. AL
-3 years
elder sister
18511936
Birth: February 11, 1851 38 22 Coosa Co. AL
Death: April 15, 1936District 4, Decatur Co. TN
4 years
himself
18551920
Birth: July 2, 1855 42 26 Alabama
Death: August 2, 1920Decatur Co. TN
19 months
younger brother
18571918
Birth: January 21, 1857 44 28 Walker Co. AL
Death: April 19, 1918Decatur Co. TN
3 years
younger brother
18591889
Birth: December 23, 1859 46 31 Walker Co. AL
Death: February 18, 1889Decatur Co. TN
2 years
younger sister
18621944
Birth: January 8, 1862 49 33 Tuscumbia, Franklin Co. AL (now Colbert Co. AL)
Death: October 27, 1944Memphis, Shelby Co. TN
Father’s family with Sarah Crawford
father
Land Patent
18131900
Birth: about 1813 27 21 probably Elbert Co. GA
Death: between 1891 and 1900Decatur Co. TN
father’s partner
18151854
Birth: about 1815 45 South Carolina
Death: between 1852 and 1854Winston Co. MS
half-brother
18371900
Birth: about 1837 24 22 Alabama
Death: between 1880 and 1900
4 years
half-brother
18401916
Birth: September 3, 1840 27 25 Alabama
Death: August 13, 1916Paragould, Greene Co. AR
4 years
half-sister
1844
Birth: about 1844 31 29 Alabama
3 years
half-brother
James M. "Jimmy" Butler (1846 - 1907)
18461907
Birth: June 1846 33 31 Alabama
Death: before 1907St. Francis, Clay Co. AR
4 years
half-sister
18491896
Birth: about 1849 36 34 Winston Co. MS
Death: before 1896
21 months
half-brother
1850
Birth: September 1850 37 35 Winston Co. MS
2 years
half-brother
18521924
Birth: October 8, 1852 39 37 Winston Co. MS
Death: June 19, 1924District 6, Crockett Co. TN
Family with Mary Elizabeth Edwards
himself
18551920
Birth: July 2, 1855 42 26 Alabama
Death: August 2, 1920Decatur Co. TN
wife
18601894
Birth: May 7, 1860 31 16
Death: July 30, 1894
Marriage MarriageMarch 22, 1883Decatur Co. TN
daughter
daughter
18841925
Birth: December 18, 1884 29 24 Decatur Co. TN
Death: August 27, 1925
-3 years
daughter
18821938
Birth: May 21, 1882 26 22 Decatur Co. TN
Death: December 26, 1938Church Street, Henderson, Chester Co. TN
6 years
daughter
18881953
Birth: February 16, 1888 32 27 Tennessee
Death: October 11, 1953Decatur Co. TN
6 years
daughter
18941964
Birth: April 18, 1894 38 33 Tennessee
Death: December 28, 1964District 7, Henderson Co. TN
Family with Charlotte (Lottie) Fagg
himself
18551920
Birth: July 2, 1855 42 26 Alabama
Death: August 2, 1920Decatur Co. TN
wife
18611917
Birth: February 5, 1861 40 39 Montgomery Co. IN
Death: June 11, 1917
Marriage MarriageApril 18, 1897Henderson Co. TN
4 years
son
Ben Butler
1900
Birth: November 5, 1900 45 39 McLemoresville, Carroll Co. TN
Family with Sarah A. Turnbo
himself
18551920
Birth: July 2, 1855 42 26 Alabama
Death: August 2, 1920Decatur Co. TN
wife
1858
Birth: about 1858 28 Tennessee
Marriage MarriageJanuary 6, 1875Decatur Co. TN
2 years
daughter
1876
Birth: about 1876 20 18
3 years
son
18791912
Birth: March 1879 23 21
Death: 1912Decatur Co. TN
C. F. McDonald + Mary Elizabeth Edwards
wife’s husband
wife
18601894
Birth: May 7, 1860 31 16
Death: July 30, 1894
Marriage MarriageSeptember 3, 1879Decatur Co. TN
? + Charlotte (Lottie) Fagg
wife’s partner
wife
18611917
Birth: February 5, 1861 40 39 Montgomery Co. IN
Death: June 11, 1917
stepdaughter
Marriage
Citation details: 14
Text:

J. H. Altom, J. P.

Marriage
Citation details: 14
Text:

J. A. Long, M. G.

Marriage
Text:

"ceremony by J. P. Bartholomew"

Death
Source: Headstone
Shared note

Christopher Columbus Butler was born 1855 in Alabama as the first child of James M. Butler and Amanda Bishop. In 1857, Columbus moved with his father and mother to Walker Co. AL to live on a land patent purchased by his father. In 1861, Columbus moved with the family to northern Alabama. By 1870, Columbus had moved to Decatur Co. TN along with his parents and several siblings. Columbus farmed and raised cotton along with his brothers Austin and Patrick in Decatur Co. near Point Pleasant, TN.

In 1875, Columbus married Sarah A. Turnbo in Decatur Co. TN. They had two children - Mary T. and Edgar Edd. Mary died young; Ed survived to adulthood.

In 1883, Columbus purchased the first land owned by the Butler family in Decatur County. The land was purchased from W. H. Bogan from the estate sale of J. D. Reynals based on a judgment against James K. Martin. This land contains the current Butler Cemetery in Decatur Co. TN.

Also in 1883, Columbus married Mary E. Edwards. Columbus and Mary had five children, Ella, Flora, Alva, Amanda Caroline, and Nora Mae Butler. All survived to adulthood and married. Mary died in 1894 and is buried in the Butler Cemetery in Decatur Co. TN.

Columbus married a third time in Henderson Co. in 1897 with his marriage to Lottie Fagg. Columbus and Lottie had one son, David Benjamin. Ben was a World War II veteran and was present at the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Columbus was somewhat of a land trader and owned various pieces of land in the local area. Lottie died in 1917 and Columbus died in 1920. They are both buried in the Butler Cemetery on the land that Columbus purchased in 1883.

State of Tennessee
Decatur County
Whereas Robert Shannon, Adm to estate of J. D. Reynals deceased recovered a judgement for the sum of two hundred and twenty dollars and thirty cents debt & four dollars and ninety five cents cost against James K. Martin et al in the Circuit Court of Decatur County Tennessee on the 19th day of June 1878 and which came to the hands of Isaac McMillan Sheriff of Decatur County Tennessee which has levied on the following tract or parcel of land bounded as follows to wit Bounded on the west by the lands of Boggan & Martin on the South by the lands of Wyatt on the East by the lands of R T Simmons on the North by the lands of Holland Levied on as the property Paul E Patton and after having advertised and given notice according to law the said McMillan Sheriff offered the said land at public sale at the Court House Doors of said county on the 8th day of August 1878 agreeable to said advertisement and notice and W H Boggan being the highest and best bidder the same was struck off to him at the price of two hundred and ninety five dollars and 51 cents. The same being to him in hand paid. And the said W H Boggan afterwards to wit transferred said bid to C C Butler. Therefore in consequence of the promise of E E Arnold sheriff of Decatur County Tennessee and successor to Isaac McMillan former Sheriff I hereby transfer and convey the same to the Said C C Butler and his heirs and assigns forever all the right title and interest the said Paul E Patton has to said land of __ acres for the said consideration of three hundred dollars in hand paid and one hundred dollars due the 25th day of December 1884 for which it is expressly understood that there is a lien retained on said land for the purchase money on payment of the one hundred dollars note due to W H Boggan to have and to hold the same forfeits the CC Butler his heirs and assigns forever in as full and simple a manner as I as Sheriff can or ought to convey But no further or otherwise witness my signature this the 3rd day of December 1883.
E E Arnold Sheriff of Decatur County

From Gordon H. Turner, Sr., The History of Scotts Hill, Tennessee (Carter Printing Company, Southaven, Mississippi, 1977).

In the early 1890's, Prof. Benard A. Tucker built a nice frame building in which he lived and "took in boarders" for the college which he founded. This historic old place is now owned by Mrs. Ozie Creasy and is occupied by Mrs. Beulab Austin and her sons, Seaman and Eugene. Gay-90's homes were erected near the Tucker house by the Will Stubblefields, Ben McClanahans, P. H. Stephens, and Nat Huggins families. Our Mack Wicker recently built his home on the site of the Stubblefield place which had been occupied, after the Stubblefields left here, by the Columbus Butler, A. O. Magers, and Otis Clenney families.

In the 1880 census, the Christopher Columbus Butler family is recorded twice. On June 19, 1880, they are living next door to his apparent brother Thomas A. Butler in dwelling 206. On June 29, 1880, they are living next door to his father, James M. Butler in dwelling 304. Either the family moved and was recorded twice or it is a recording error by the census taker.

In the 1920 Decatur County TN census, Columbus Butler is living in the John H. Moore household.