My Genealogy Hound

VALENTINE O. HAYES, dry goods merchant, of Lewisburg, was one of seven children born to Hiram and Sallie (Webb) Hayes. The father was born in North Carolina and when young came to this State, and after marriage settled in this county. About 1856 he moved to Missouri, where the mother died. He was a blacksmith and a wood workman by trade. Our subject was born June 20, 1854, in Marshall County. After the death of his father, at the age of eight, he was bound out to a farmer, who gave him but little schooling though he furnished him abundance of work. On reaching manhood he worked for wages on the farm and spent the money in schooling himself. In 1877, he came to Lewisburg and entered the store of Montgomery Bro. as saleman. At the end of four years he opened a store of general merchandise. In 1874 he built the commodious brick building where he now conducts his business. For a short time he ran a hardware and a dry goods store, but having sold the former he made a specialty of the latter. In 1881 he wedded Zadie London, by whom he has two children. Mr. Hayes is a Republican in politics, and he and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He is accounted one of Lewisburg’s most enterprising citizens, and has erected three of the best buildings in the town. His building, where he is engaged in business, was the first business brick building erected in Lewisburg.