Person:Thomas Methvin (1)

Thomas Sears Methvin, oldest son of William Truelock Methvin waswritten about in the Cyclopedia of Georgia.

"Methvin, Thomas Sears, president of the Methvin HardwareCompany, conducting a prosperous and extensive wholesale andretail hardware business, with headquarters at 1123-5 BroadStreet, Columbus, was born on a farm in Clay County, Ga., Dec.14, 1856, and is a son of William Truelock and Mary Jane SearsMethvin, the former of which was born in Twiggs Co., and thelater in Webster Co. Ga. The father removed to Clay County priorto the civil war and became one of the representativeagriculturists of that ssection of the state, holding that a mancould find no better or more worthy vocation in life than tocling to the basic art of tilling the soil and causing it tobring forth it's increase. From that county he went forth to dovalient service as a soldier of the Confederacy, and after theclose of the war he showed equal courage and determination indoing well his part in reviving the prostate fortunes of hisloved native state. He died in Clay County in March, 1902,honored of men and leaving a record of a useful and righteouslife. He was a son of James Porter and Margaret (Burke) Methvin,both of whom were likewise natives of Georgia, where therespective families were early founded. His wife was a daughterof Wilson and Martha (Smith) Sears, both of whom were born inGeorgia, where they passed their entire lives. Of the fourliving children of William T. and Mary J. (Sears) Methvin thesubject of this sketch is the eldest. Willie Louise is now thewife of H.P. Graddy, of Quitman County; Estelle is the wife ofJ.W. Boyett, of the same county; and James V. is a resident ofBirmingham, Ala. Thomas S. Methvin was reared on the homeplantation, in Clay County, where he received his preliminaryeducational training, later attending a boys' high school inEufala. Ala., where he remained a student until he had attainedto the age of eighteen years. Thereafter he assisted in the workand management of the home plantation until he reached his legalmajority. He was employed for the ensuing three years in theconstruction department of the Atlanta and Charlotte Air Linerailroad, now a branch of the Southern system. At the age oftwenty-four years, Mr. Methvin located in Seneca, S.C., where hebecame associated with his brother in the general merchandisebusiness, under the firm name of T.S. & E.W. Methvin. In 1883,nearly the whole town was destroyed by fire, and the firm ofwhich Mr. Methvin was a member met with the loss of it's storeand business, with very little insurance indemnity. For a numberof years thereafter Mr. Methvin was employed as a travelingsalesman. From 1890 to 1897 he was employed in the retailhardware business in Athens, Ga., and for the following nineyears he was traveling representative of the King HardwareCompany of Atlanta. In April 1906, he purchased the wholesaleand retail hardware branch maintained by this company in thecity of Columbus, reorganizing the concern as a stock companyand incorporating the same under the laws of the state, as theMethvin Hardware Company, of which he is president. The house isone of the best equipped of the sort in the city and controls alarge and representative trade thoughout the territory tributaryto Columbus as a distribution center. Mr. Methvin is a member ofthe Columbus board of trade, and is identified with the Masonicfraternity, the Travelers' Protective association and theFraternal Union. He is a staunch advocate of the principles andpolicies of which the Democratic party stands exponent, andwhile a resident of Athens, this state, he served as a member ofthe board of aldermen. Both he and his wife are members of theMethodist Episcopal Church South. On Feb. 4, 1880, Mr. Methvinwas united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Winter, daughter ofHenry D. Winter, of Wintersville, Ga., the town having beennamed in his honor. Mr. and Mrs. Methvin have one son, WilliamEugene, who was born August 9, 1895.

1. ↑ 1870 Clay Co., Georgia Census.