C. G. Rankin was born at Rheatown, Tenn., March 5, 1837, being the son of John and Louisa (Gray) Rankin, the former a tanner and merchant, who died at Johnson City, Tenn., in 1879, aged sixty-four, and a native of Greene County. The mother, a native of this county also, was the daughter of Benjamin Gray, and died in 1843. Our subject andtwo sisters were the only children. He left school at thirteen years of age, and clerked for his father until he was twenty-one. Since then he has farmed on an extensive scale. Jn 1858 he married Louisa, a daughter of Frederick DeVault, of Leesburg, Tenn. Three daughters and the mother are deceased. The sons are John A. and CharlesR. In 1872he, Ron. D. T. Patterson and W. B. Rush organized the Home Woolen Company, and located their mill a half mile north of Home Depot. At present our subject is the sole proprietor and manager, and employs about twenty-five persons constantly, the capacity of the mill being 30,000 pounds of wool per year. Blankets, yarns, cassimeres, jeans, flannels, etc., are sold directly to the consumer. He is a Master Mason, and a Knight of Honor. He has merchandised since 1867, first at home and later at his mills, where the old stone dam, the first in this region, gave its name to the historical camping grounds and a Methodist Church built there.
