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Below is a family biography included in The History of Rutherford County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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DR. GEORGE D. CROSTHWAIT, one of the oldest and most prominent physicians of Rutherford County, Tenn., and a native of Virginia, was born May 4, 1808, and is the son of Shelton and Elizabeth (Thompson) Crosthwait, both of whom were natives of Virginia. The father was one of the early settlers of this county, coming here in the year 1804, and engaged in farming and milling. His death occurred in 1825 and the mother’s in 1864. Our subject received a good classical education at the common schools, and at the age of eighteen attended the University of Virginia at Charlotte, Va., taking one course in the medical department with a view to making it a profession. He afterward attended the medical college at Lexington, Ky., where he graduated with honor in 1832. He then returned to Murfreesboro, where he practiced medicine in that town and vicinity. He then moved to Iowa City, Iowa, and practiced medicine there for some time. In 1862 he returned to this county, but did not take an active part in the war, being over fifty years of age at that time, but he warmly sympathized with the Southern cause, having lost three sons in the war. He was a Whig in politics before the war, and in 1852 represented Johnson County in the State Senate of Iowa. At the close of the war he went to California, where he remained three years. In 1849 and 1850 he was a representative of Rutherford County in the State Legislature, and was clerk of the chancery court of Rutherford County from 1844 to 1849. In 1836 Mr. Crosthwait was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Burton, a native of North Carolina, and to them were born eight children, only three of whom are living: Lavina C., Dr. George W. and Eliza F. Mrs. Crosthwait died December 22, 1860, and in 1862 Mr. Crosthwait was united in marriage to Caroline Harding, a native of this State. On account of his advanced age Dr. George D. Crosthwait retired from practice in 1883, and has since lived a quiet life. He is a Mason, and himself and family are members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Rutherford County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed. The History of Rutherford County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee
View additional Rutherford County, Tennessee family biographies here
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