Daniel C. Turrentine

DANIEL C. TURRENTINE was born October 18, 1807, at a place now covered by the town of Milledgeville, in Georgia. He was a merchant in his early days, came to Alabama about 1839, and entered a large tract of land near Lebanon, in De Kalb County, upon which he settled and farmed. About 1845 he moved to the present site of Gadsden, and upon the banks of the river erected the first house of that city. Here Mr. Turrentine kept a tavern and store. There were six lines of stages running by this place and making it their headquarters; it was also the landing for James Lafferty's steamboat, the first ever run on the Coosa River, and these things made the place an excellent location for business.

After a time his wife's declining health compelled Mr. Turrentine to relinquish his activity, and about 1851 he purchased a farm about a mile from the landing, and built a residence upon it, in which his family now reside. As a general of militia he got the title by which was ever afterward known. He was a captain in the Florida War and a quartermaster in the Confederate States Army.

The ample fortune of which he became possessed was the result of his own energy, and was accumulated in spite of his numerous charitable bequests, and kindhearted disposition to become security for his friends by which means he lost largely. He was also an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, organized the first Sunday-school in Gadsden, and made his house a home for all the preachers. In his capacity as Justice of the Peace, which office he held for nine years, he performed nearly all the marriage ceremonies in the community. His death occurred in September, 1883.

Mr. Turrentine was married to Miss Caroline E. Lucy, daughter of Joshua and Louisa A. (Hunnicutt) Lucy, natives of Virginia, and of English descent. Mrs. Turrentine died in July, 1881. They had seven sons and seven daughters born to them, twelve of whom grew to maturity: William A., Louisa J., Virginia A., .James I., Caroline L., Joshua L., Samuel M. (now dead), Lillie A., Daniel C., George Edward, Mary Ellen, and Albert T. William A. died of a wound received in the fight before Richmond.

Daniel C. Turrentine was a son of James and Catharine (Clower) Turrentine, both natives of North Carolina. James Turrentine was a farmer. They were married September 19, 1793 and had nine sons and three daughters born to them; the names of these were: William. Samuel, George, Morgan C., Allen, Dan, Thomas C., Joseph T., James, Frances, Elizabeth and Nancy. They nearly all lived to be quite old, and most of them raised children, among whom were after-ward many of the leading families of the State.

James Turrentine, Sr., moved to Georgia, probably about 1795. He and his family were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and very pious people. He died in September. 1831, aged sixty years. His wife died in 1860, aged eighty-four rears, The Turrentine family were originally from France.

Source: McCalley, Henry, Northern Alabama : historical and biographical.  Birmingham, AL: Smith & De Land, 1888, pp. 835.