Dr. Thomas Fearn
From Find A Grave |
Civil War CSA Congressman, Skilled Surgeon and Physician, Strong Family Man, Good Businessman, One of the Original Members of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees
Notes:
• Physician, Pioneer, Businessman, Legislator - Marks
• "Son of Thomas and Mary (Burton) Fearn, the former a native of Buckingham County, Va.; grandson of John and Leeanna (Lee) Fearn, who lived at Gloucester County, Va., and of Dr. Robert and Judith (LaForce) Burton, who lived at Middlesex County, Va.; great-grandson of Thomas Fearn, of Thomas Lee, and of Dr. Rene LaForce, a wealthy Huguenot, who settled in North Carolina and Virginia; great-great grandson of John and Mary (Lee) Fearn, who were married in Lancaster County, Va., in 1688, and of Charles Lee, of Cobbs Hall; great-great-great-grandson of Richard Lee, the emigrant, of Westmoreland County, Va., secretary of the colony of Virginia, first attorney general of Virginia, and the ancestor of Henry Lee, Light-Horse Harry Lee, and of Robert E. Lee." - Alabama Biography
• "As with so many other pioneer records, the reports of the birth date of Doctor Thomas Fearn of Huntsville's early days are in a bit of conflict. In a 'Tribute to Dr. Thomas Fearn' (probably from an early newspaper) found in the Biography Files of the Heritage Room of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, it is reported that he ' ... was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, on the 5th day of November, 1789 ... ' The book The Fearns of Virginia and Some Allied Families, 1973, by Elizabeth Lee Fearn Cabell Ferneyhough and Elizabeth Lee Lusk states that Dr. Fearn was born on November 15, 1789. This date is in agreement with that shown in the book Some Farrar's Island Descendants, 1979, by Alvahn Holmes. However, these sources also provide different death dates, one showing March 3, 1863; another giving January 16, 1863; and the newspaper 'Tribute' simply saying that he died of consumption in the 3rd month of his 74th year, in his residence in Huntsville." - Heritage
• The first known date for evidence of residency in Madison County Alabama for Dr. Thomas Fearn is 1810. - Record II
• "Immediately after his graduation he moved South, selecting Huntsville as a good place to live and practice his profession. He found the town in the midst of an economic boom, and from all evidence, acquired considerable holdings in the county. Ann Royal, in a letter from Huntsville dated June 8 , 1822, mentions Dr. Fearn, Pope and others as being 'rich as princes' and envied by some people with 'little minds who never did a generous act in their lives.'" - King
• "Married: February 26, 1822, near Huntsville, Sallie Bledsoe Shelby (known as 'Shelby'), born 1806, died May 2, 1842; daughter of David and Sarah (Bledsoe) Shelby, who lived at Gallatin, Tenn.. in a stone house still standing, the former a native of Virginia, who fought with his cousin Isaac Shelby at the battle of Kings Mountain, and after the Revolution, moved to Tennessee with Col. Anthony Bledsoe and his family; granddaughter of Maj. John Shelby, a native of Maryland, who emigrated to Holstan County, Va., was commissioned major by Gov. Caswell, of North Carolina, and served in the battle of Kings Mountain, and of Col. Anthony Bledsoe, a native of Orange County, Va., a surveyor who was commissioned to run the line between Virginia and North Carolina, was captain of colonial troops, resigned a major's commission to become a member of the Virginia legislature, moved to Tennessee and was elected colonel of Davidson County militia in 1783, was killed by Indians in 1788, and has a county in Tennessee named in his honor." Sallie proceeded him in death by more than 20 years. - Alabama Biography
• "To the memory of Sally Bledsoe, wife of Thomas Fearn and daughter of David Shelby; she died on the 2d day of May 1842, Aged 36 years, 3 months and 11 days." - Maple Hill
• "Dr. Fearn obtained his early schooling at Danville, Va.; entered Washington College, Lexington, Va., 1806; was graduated from the Old Medical College at Philadelphia, 1810; settled in Huntsville that same year and began to practice medicine; went to Europe in 1818 and studied surgery in many of the hospitals in London and Paris; studied at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, and at St. Thomas in Paris; remained in Europe three years, returning to Huntsville in 1820; continued his practice from that year until 1837; was offered the Chair of Surgery at Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky.; at Center College, Kentucky; at the School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky., 1831; and at the University of Cincinnati, all of which he refused; was a member of the board of state medical examiners from 1823, until he resigned in 1829; served in the State legislature as a representative from Madison County, 1822-1829; was a trustee of the University of Alabama until 1829; a trustee of Green Academy, Huntsville, from its foundation until its close; was a director of the Planter & Merchants Bank, Huntsville, 1822-1826; owner of the water supply at Huntsville until he sold it to the city, and built a canal from the Tennessee River to Huntsville for the operation of steamboats, which was abandoned when a turnpike was made along the same course, 1830-1835. Degrees were conferred upon Dr. Fearn by Rutgers College, April, 1827, and by Transylvania University, March, 1827." - Alabama Biography
• "He originally graduated from the Old Medical College at Philadelphia in 1810 and traveled to London in 1818 to further his medical studies at the Royal College of Surgeons and at St. Thomas' in Paris, returning to Huntsville in 1820. He is best known for his research on quinine to treat typhoid fever which was published in medical journals and increased his reputation in this country and abroad. He was a trustee of the University of Alabama and amassed a fortune of $175,000 by 1860. At his death he owned about 1100 acres in Madison County and lived at 517 Franklin St in Huntsville (has his name on the house)." - Roots Web
• "Surgeon under General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Indian Wars. He graduated from the Old Medical College at Philadelphia in 1810 and traveled to London in 1818 to further his medical studies at the Royal College of Surgeons and at St. Thomas' in Paris, returning to Huntsville in 1820. He is best known for his research on quinine to treat typhoid fever which was published in medical journals and increased his reputation in this country and abroad. He was a trustee of the University of Alabama and amassed a fortune of $175,000 by 1860. At his death he owned about 1100 acres in Madison County and lived at 517 Franklin St in Huntsville (has his name on the house)." - Roots Web
• "He had served in the British and Creek Wars of 1812-1814, first as surgeon of a battalion, then as surgeon of a regiment of Tennessee and Alabama troops. During this period he dressed the wounds of Gen. Andrew Jackson; and later was appointed by Gen. Jackson 'surgeon's mate,' in charge of a hospital at Huntsville, and of 'all the sick and wounded of the army.'" - Alabama Biography
• "Dr. Fearn built his Huntsville home in 1820 on Franklin Street, having employed his close friend, architect George Steele, to design it, according to some accounts. Some sources say that George Steele was hired to modify the original house in 1849, adding two southern bays to Dr. Fearn's specifications. Perhaps both perspectives are correct. In any event, the house now known as the Fearn-Garth home is considered to be one of the most beautiful ante-bellum houses in Huntsville and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was used by General Stanley as his headquarters during the Union Army's occupation of Huntsville in July of 1863." - Heritage
• "He was a handsome man, with a fine mind, great enterprise and public spirit, participating in many of the improvements about Huntsville and in the various projects of the day." - DeLand & Smith
• Dr. Thomas Fearn "was probably the most eminent physician in the whole South. His article upon 'The Use of Quinine' excited the interest of the entire medical world, and exerted a profound influence, even to the extent of revolutionizing the treatment of fever." - Betts
• "Dr. Fearn's articles on medicine were extensively copied in medical journals of this country and of foreign countries. He is said to have been the first on this continent or in Europe to discern the true nature of quinine, and to use it accordingly, making his own quinine from the bark." - Alabama Biography
• "The first Medical Society of North Alabama was organized in 1827, and a constitution was adopted. Dr. Thomas Fearn was elected president and Dr. Alexander Erskine was elected treasurer. The objective of the organization was to give its best efforts for the improvement of the science of medicine." - Goldsmith & Fulton
• "As the story went, after curing a small child of a threatening disease by sending it, along with a nurse, to live in a cabin on the mountain, he christened the area Monte Sano, which means 'mountain of health'." - Heritage
• "Many stories abound as to how Monte Sano got its name. One theory is that Dr. Thomas Fearn, an early Huntsville physician, gave the name because Monte Sano in Italian means 'Mountain of Health.'" - Monte Sano
• "Dr. Fearn's medical reputation is enhanced by the story that was passed down by his children about the naming of Monte Sano. According to their account, he had been treating a child for a disease similar to colitis for some time with no visible improvement, so he built a cabin on the mountain and moved the child there. When the child recovered a few weeks later , Dr. Fearn christened the place Monte Sano, which means mountain of health.
Murray then quoted Birdie Campbell from a paper called "A History of Monte Sano" as saying, "This is possibly true for Dr. Fearn was a physician who did not adhere to the beaten path of his predecessors in this profession. When he failed to find a successful cure, he invented one of his own, just as in the case of his discovery of the nature of quinine. He was well educated, and he likely enough thought of the combination of words by which the mountain has been known for more than a century. - Murray
• "Dr. Fearn and his brother George were among the early developers of Viduta, a village of Monte Sano which was incorporated in 1833. It was their intention to develop the mountain into a health resort. Although the dream was not realized in their life times, many of Huntsville's wealthier citizens built summer residences upon the mountain." - Murray
• "Viduta - derived from Spanish 'vida' meaning 'life' In a time when yellow fever, malaria, and cholera threatened, Dr. Thomas Fearn and his brothers Robert and George were drawn by the cool air and medicinal springs to establish a small colony on the northern section of Monte Sano Mountain in 1827. In 1833 the town of Viduta was officially established. The area contains a variety of architectural styles, dating from the late 1800's. Approximate boundaries: Lookout Drive (N); Denison Avenue (S); Monte Sano Boulevard (W); and Shelby Avenue (E). Listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, March 8, 1994." - Luttrell
• He "was one of the major early developers for Huntsville, owning the water supply there before he sold it to the city. He also constructed a canal from the Tennessee River to Huntsville for the operation of river traffic, and this was used until a turnpike was constructed along the same route in 1830-1835." - Marks
• "In 1836 he and his brother George purchased the Huntsville Water Works and used hollowed cedar logs to carry water through the town. This was the first such municipal water works in Alabama, and one of the first in America." - Heritage
• July 1, 1841 "It was reported at a Commissioners meeting that Thomas Fearn agreed to allow branch pipes for fire plugs to be installed at the four comers of the Public Square intersecting with the iron pipes being laid around the square. These branch pipes were to be paid for by the city." - Eden
• The earliest records concerning the waterworks in Huntsville were published in The Alabama Republican, March 28, 1823. In April 1823, a contract was drawn up and signed by Leroy Pope, his wife Judith Pope, and an engineer, Hunter Peel, granting the right to erect a dam across the stream from Big Spring. Peel formed a partnership with James Barclay, a machinist, and Huntsville's first waterworks was underway. The water system was also the first for the State.
In 1836, Dr. Thomas Fearn and his brother George, who was on the town council, acquired the waterworks. Dr. Fearn and George agreed to rebuild the water system completely, including the installation of an iron pump at the spring and cast iron pipes five inches in diameter to the four corners of the square. The Mayor and Council agreed to construct, within five years, a reservoir on a suitable site, that would admit an elevation of water forty feet above the surface of the square. In 1842, the reservoir was constructed between Echols and McClung Streets. Dr. Fearn's waterworks account book for that year listed one hundred and eleven customers.
Leroy Pope's son, William, had acquired ownership of the Big Spring from his father, and deeded it to the City for the sum of one dollar in the year 1843.
Dr. Fearn continued to operate the waterworks until he sold it to the City in 1858, for ten thousand dollars, paid in ten equal annual installments." - Goldsmith & Fulton
• In 1858, the city fathers voted five to three to finally purchase the waterworks from Dr. Thomas Fearn. They paid $10,000. - Record I
• Thomas Fearn held the Private Water System from 1836-1858. It was then sold to the city. - Record II
• "Board of Medical Examiners, 1823-1829; Legislature, 1822-1829; Trustee, University of Alabama, 1829; Trustee, Greene Academy beginning to close; Board of Directors, Planters and Merchants Bank, 1822-1826; Owner Huntsville Water System, 1838; Honorary Degrees Rutgers and Transylvania Universities; Appointed Surgeon's Mate by Andrew Jackson; Presidential Elector; Confederate Congress; Discoverer nature of Quinine." - Record II
• "Agreeable to an act of the Legislature of the Mississippi Territory of December 11, 1816, on the first Monday in February, 1817, Leroy Pope, John P. Hickman, David Moore, Benjamin Cox, John M. Taylor, Thomas Fearn, Jesse Searcy, Clement C. Clay, and John W. Walker, as commissioners, opened books at Huntsville for subscription to the capital stock of the first banking corporation organized in Alabama, then a territory, styled, 'The President, Directors and Company of the Planters' and Merchants' Bank, of Huntsville.'" - Betts
• "Dr. Thomas Fearn wrote Clement Clay in July 1818 suggesting the need for a library, 'how pleasing it would be to see the hours lost at the card table, with the dice box, or even those more innocently thrown away in idle chitchat, exchanged for profitable employment, and would it not be well to break in the avaricious calculations of the speculator occasionally?' Dr. Thomas Fearn studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Benjamin Rush, 1745-1813, American physician and political leader, as well as the author of medical treatises. Dr. Rush signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 as a delegate from Philadelphia." - Hays
• Trustee Huntsville Governing Body, 1820-1822 - Record II
• "On December 19, 1821, he was elected to the first board of trustees of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. (The trustees were paid three dollars a day then for meetings and three dollars every twenty-five miles they traveled to and from meetings.) Dr. Fearn was asked to help find teachers for the staff, and he wrote many letters on behalf of the school for this purpose. The University finally opened its doors on April 18, 1831 , with the help of such capable men as Dr. Fearn." - King
• Trustee, The University of Alabama, 1821, 1831 - Record I
• Alabama House of Representative from Madison County 1822-1823, 1828-1830 - Record I
• One of two physicians serving the first poor house in the county (1829-1832). - Record I
• Huntsville Alderman, 1832 - Record II
• The "Huntsville Female Academy" was opened in January, 1831, with Dr. Thos. Fearn listed as a trustee. Later this institution became known as "Huntsville Female College." - Betts
• Tennessee Canal Commissioner, 1833 - Record I
• "Dr. Thomas Fearn and James I. Donegan, prominent businessmen of Huntsville, were selected by the commissioners to receive proposals on or before December 1, 1836, and to let a contract for a building to be constructed in accordance with George Steele's plan. They also were directed to superintend the same in every manner and respect. Early in 1837, the firm of Mitchell and Wilson Second Madison County Courthouse, 1840-1913 was employed to construct a two-story stone and brick building with a dome on top and a full basement beneath at an approximate cost of $31,000." - Roberts
• October 18, 1833, "Thomas and George Fearn wish to employ 50 good hands to excavate the Basin in Huntsville and throw up embankments, to start on Nov. 11. Hands will be given 75 cents each day." - Eden
• On May 2, 1850 a building owned by Thomas W. White and Dr. Thomas Fearn burned along with several other structures on the north side of the square. - Record I
• Dr. Thomas Fearn was elected county resident of the Whig Party in 1852. - Record I
• 1853, "Dr. Thomas Fearn was elected president of the newly-formed Whig Party." - Eden
• "Matthew Steele, in 1857, was given a $42,000 contract for the new Huntsville Hotel, to be a 125 foot wide building on Jefferson Street, reaching back 142 feet on Randolph (Spring) Street. The building was opened in September, 1860." Thomas Fearn was one of the first directors - Record I
• July 25, 1857, "There was an altercation/confrontation at the courthouse between attorneys Leroy P. Walker and Col. Nicholas Davis. A letter written by Thomas Fearn and F. L. Hammond was printed in the newspaper a few days later demanding that they resolve their differences. Both men sent acknowledgements to the newspaper stating that they had worked the problem out between themselves." - Eden
• "Prominent on the rolls of Helion No. 1 are the names of members who are widely regarded in the founding of the State of Alabama and the city of Huntsville." Dr. Thomas Fearn is placed on this list. - Helion Lodge #1
• Listed on the Board for Northern Bank of Alabama - South corner of Public Square, Capital Stock, $500,000 - Directory
• Listed on the Board for Huntsville Hotel Co., - Capital Stock, $40,000 - Directory
• Listed on the Board for Madison Turnpike C., Office west side Franklin Between Public Quare and Gates. - Directory
• Listed as President of the Board of Trustees for Huntsville Female Seminary. - Directory
• Listed as President of the Board of Trustees for North Alabama College, (Male). One mile south east of Public Square. - Directory
• Dr. Fearn was an avid rock collector. - Goldsmith & Fulton
• January 2, 1830 - "A chapter of the American Colonization Society for the Abolition of Slavery was formed with the following members: James G. Birney, Thomas Fearn, Miles Watkins, Arthur Hopkins, and John Martin." The society's focus centered on an idea to gradually emancipate slaves and return them to their ancestral homes. - Eden
• Thomas Fearn was an officer of Huntsville's Auxiliary of American Colonization Society. "Regular orthodox 'abolition' speeches were the order of the day when this society met. Its members were unstinted in their accusations against the institution of slavery, as one of 'injustice and cruelty.'" The society's focus centered on an idea to gradually emancipate slaves and return them to their ancestral homes. - Betts
• In a letter to Clement Comer Clay (from London on July 29, 1818) he wrote of dreams he held for Huntsville but also wrote of one his deepest concerns, slavery. "He called 'that foulest blot in our national character, that damning curse entailed on us by our forefathers, that glaring inconsistency between republican principles and despotic practice.' That glaring inconsistency haunted him: 'To plead equal rights of man & at the same time make the heavenly principle bend & yield to convenience or even necessity is too great an absurdity.' Fearn based his attack on reason, not morality, on absurdity, not sin. He was a true son of the Enlightenment.
Never one to say 'Why don't they?' Fearn said, 'Why don't we?' emancipate our slaves according to a gradual plan providing th a t 'every descendant of a slave born after a fixed period be free a t the age of twenty or even a later age if this is thought too oppressive to the holders.' Furthermore, he would charge the county court 'to exact from those holding them in bondage an obligation to educate them to a certain extent (giving them the privileges of ordinary apprentices).'" - Stephens
• "Thomas Fearn bore a part of the burden of the South's involvement in a war he opposed, a secession he disapproved of, and a system of slavery he had learned to live with and, as it turned out, died for." - Stephens
• One of his slaves helped him raise his seven daughters after his young wife died. - Stephens
• "Unfortunately reality and necessity won out for one man. In 1860, an older Dr. Fearn listed 82 slaves among his personal property." - Rohr
• "After the adoption of the ordinances of secession, the leaders of the victorious majority stepped aside and handed over to the minority leaders, to a great extent, the reins of authority; for the sake of harmony, entrusting to them the work of organizing the new government. Alabama sent nine delegates to the Provisional Congress, three of whom, R. H. Walker, David P. Lewis and Dr. Thomas Fearn, all anti-secessionists, were from Huntsville." - Betts
• "A Southern Congress, called to meet in Montgomery, was attended by R. W. Walker, D. P. Lewis and Dr. Thomas Fearn. Jere Clemens identified the latter two as "Cooperationists". Fearn resigned in March 1861, as it was not convenient for him to attend. Lewis also resigned. Nicholas Davis was selected in Fearn's place and Harry C. Jones of Lauderdale County filled in for Lewis." - Record I
• "He was a presidential elector, and was a member of the first Confederate congress." - Alabama Biography
• "The occupying forces hoped to use the influence of the hostages to stop local guerrilla activities and snipers' ambushes. Dr. Fearn steadfastly refused to sign the oath which would buy his freedom, even though he was desperately ill and elderly. His incarceration aggravated the illness and directly contributed to his death." - Heritage
• "The twelve imprisoned men at first refused to sign the document Mitchell had drawn up, and from May 2 to May 15, 1862, they deliberated whether to sign the document. Finally, after the threat of being sent to Fort Warren, the twelve reluctantly signed Mitchell's paper denouncing all illegal and guerrilla warfare by citizens." - King
• "While a prisoner, Dr. Fearn had contracted pneumonia, and because of that lingering illness died the following year." - King
• Union General O. M. Mitched ordered prominent local citizens arrested and forced to sign statements designed to make occupation easier. Thomas Fearn was in a group put under lock and key from May 31 to June 15, 1862 along with George P. Beime, William Acklen, G. L. Mastin, A. J. Withers, Bishop Henry C. Lay, Samuel Cruse, Reverend J. G. Wilson, W. H. Moore, Thomas McCalley and Stephen J. Harris. - Record I
• From the Chadick Journal "The enemy numbers about 5,000 and are under Gen. Stanley. The town is upset. The Misses Fearn being absent this general and his staff have taken their house for headquarters, commanding the servants, using the provisions left in the house, drinking the wine in the cellar, using the bedding, table line, et cetera. Such presumption!" Nancy Rohr's notes on the above entry explain "Major General David S. Stanley was the Chief of Cavalry for Rosecran's Army of the Cumberland.... Stanley chose the house of Dr. Thomas Fearn on Franklin Street for his headquarters." Doctor Fearn had died on March 16, 1863, and some of his daughters were married (no longer living in his home). But "two of the younger girls, still single, now had no protection in their own home. Apparently Bernice (Bessie), 27, and Lucy Lee, 21, fled at the news of these raids and the house was unoccupied when General Stanley arrived in mid-July." - Rohr
• "Children: 1. Mary Eleanor, m. Gustavus L. Masters, Huntsville; 2. Sarah Leeanna, m. Hon. William S. Barry, Columbus, Miss.; 3. Katherine Erskine, m. Matthew W. Steele, Huntsville, child, Maj. Mathew Forney Steele, graduated from West Point in 1882, served as major of volunteers on staff of Gen. Joseph Wheeler, Spanish-American War, was three times sent to the Philippines, taught in the School of Art of War at Fort Leavenworth, Kas., had his lectures ordered published by the U. S. War Department under the caption "American Campaigns"; 4. Ada, m. (1) Dr. George Steele, Huntsville, (2) Judge Hook, Chattanooga, Tenn.; 5. Maria Eliza, m. Hon. William Willis Garth, Huntsville; 6. Berenice Shelby; 7. Lucie Lee, resides in Florida, m. George Miller, Georgia; 8. Corrina, who died at eleven months of age. They were highly intelligent, well-educated persons." - Alabama Biography
• "His daughter, Maria Fearn Garth bought at public action, from her father's estate, the house on Franklin Street for ten thousand and one hundred dollars. The house remained in the Garth family until 1964." - King
• "With all those activities, it is little wonder that the doctor had long ago given up his regular medical practice. When he died a wealthy man in 1863 at the age of 73, he had not practiced medicine for more than 25 years." - Times
• "Dr. Thomas Fearn amassed a fortune of almost $175,000, including 1,100 acres of land." - Stephens
• January 16, 1863 "Dr. Thomas Fearn died at his home from consumption. He had been arrested and imprisoned, along with 11 other Huntsville citizens, by General Mitchel during the Union occupation. His death at the age of 74, was believed to have been expedited by his imprisonment." - Eden
Related Links:
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• King
• Bounds
• Roberts
• 517 Franklin Street SE
• Alabama Biography
• Betts
• Brewer
• DeLand & Smith
• Directory
• Eden
• Fisk
• Gale
• George Fearn
• Hays
• ICNC
• Luttrell
• Maple Hill
• Maria Eliza Fearn Garth
• Murray
• Record I
• Record II
• Robert Fearn (1795)
• Rohr
• Times
• Ryan
| Born: | November 15, 1789, Pittsylvania County, VA |
| Died: | January 16, 1863, Huntsville, AL |
| Buried: | Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, AL |
| Residence: | 517 Franklin Street SE | - Franklin St. SE |
| Brother of: | George Fearn |
| Father of: | Maria Eliza Fearn Garth |
| Brother of: | Robert Fearn (1795) |
Notes:
• Physician, Pioneer, Businessman, Legislator - Marks
• "Son of Thomas and Mary (Burton) Fearn, the former a native of Buckingham County, Va.; grandson of John and Leeanna (Lee) Fearn, who lived at Gloucester County, Va., and of Dr. Robert and Judith (LaForce) Burton, who lived at Middlesex County, Va.; great-grandson of Thomas Fearn, of Thomas Lee, and of Dr. Rene LaForce, a wealthy Huguenot, who settled in North Carolina and Virginia; great-great grandson of John and Mary (Lee) Fearn, who were married in Lancaster County, Va., in 1688, and of Charles Lee, of Cobbs Hall; great-great-great-grandson of Richard Lee, the emigrant, of Westmoreland County, Va., secretary of the colony of Virginia, first attorney general of Virginia, and the ancestor of Henry Lee, Light-Horse Harry Lee, and of Robert E. Lee." - Alabama Biography
• "As with so many other pioneer records, the reports of the birth date of Doctor Thomas Fearn of Huntsville's early days are in a bit of conflict. In a 'Tribute to Dr. Thomas Fearn' (probably from an early newspaper) found in the Biography Files of the Heritage Room of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, it is reported that he ' ... was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, on the 5th day of November, 1789 ... ' The book The Fearns of Virginia and Some Allied Families, 1973, by Elizabeth Lee Fearn Cabell Ferneyhough and Elizabeth Lee Lusk states that Dr. Fearn was born on November 15, 1789. This date is in agreement with that shown in the book Some Farrar's Island Descendants, 1979, by Alvahn Holmes. However, these sources also provide different death dates, one showing March 3, 1863; another giving January 16, 1863; and the newspaper 'Tribute' simply saying that he died of consumption in the 3rd month of his 74th year, in his residence in Huntsville." - Heritage
• The first known date for evidence of residency in Madison County Alabama for Dr. Thomas Fearn is 1810. - Record II
• "Immediately after his graduation he moved South, selecting Huntsville as a good place to live and practice his profession. He found the town in the midst of an economic boom, and from all evidence, acquired considerable holdings in the county. Ann Royal, in a letter from Huntsville dated June 8 , 1822, mentions Dr. Fearn, Pope and others as being 'rich as princes' and envied by some people with 'little minds who never did a generous act in their lives.'" - King
• "Married: February 26, 1822, near Huntsville, Sallie Bledsoe Shelby (known as 'Shelby'), born 1806, died May 2, 1842; daughter of David and Sarah (Bledsoe) Shelby, who lived at Gallatin, Tenn.. in a stone house still standing, the former a native of Virginia, who fought with his cousin Isaac Shelby at the battle of Kings Mountain, and after the Revolution, moved to Tennessee with Col. Anthony Bledsoe and his family; granddaughter of Maj. John Shelby, a native of Maryland, who emigrated to Holstan County, Va., was commissioned major by Gov. Caswell, of North Carolina, and served in the battle of Kings Mountain, and of Col. Anthony Bledsoe, a native of Orange County, Va., a surveyor who was commissioned to run the line between Virginia and North Carolina, was captain of colonial troops, resigned a major's commission to become a member of the Virginia legislature, moved to Tennessee and was elected colonel of Davidson County militia in 1783, was killed by Indians in 1788, and has a county in Tennessee named in his honor." Sallie proceeded him in death by more than 20 years. - Alabama Biography
• "To the memory of Sally Bledsoe, wife of Thomas Fearn and daughter of David Shelby; she died on the 2d day of May 1842, Aged 36 years, 3 months and 11 days." - Maple Hill
• "Dr. Fearn obtained his early schooling at Danville, Va.; entered Washington College, Lexington, Va., 1806; was graduated from the Old Medical College at Philadelphia, 1810; settled in Huntsville that same year and began to practice medicine; went to Europe in 1818 and studied surgery in many of the hospitals in London and Paris; studied at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, and at St. Thomas in Paris; remained in Europe three years, returning to Huntsville in 1820; continued his practice from that year until 1837; was offered the Chair of Surgery at Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky.; at Center College, Kentucky; at the School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky., 1831; and at the University of Cincinnati, all of which he refused; was a member of the board of state medical examiners from 1823, until he resigned in 1829; served in the State legislature as a representative from Madison County, 1822-1829; was a trustee of the University of Alabama until 1829; a trustee of Green Academy, Huntsville, from its foundation until its close; was a director of the Planter & Merchants Bank, Huntsville, 1822-1826; owner of the water supply at Huntsville until he sold it to the city, and built a canal from the Tennessee River to Huntsville for the operation of steamboats, which was abandoned when a turnpike was made along the same course, 1830-1835. Degrees were conferred upon Dr. Fearn by Rutgers College, April, 1827, and by Transylvania University, March, 1827." - Alabama Biography
• "He originally graduated from the Old Medical College at Philadelphia in 1810 and traveled to London in 1818 to further his medical studies at the Royal College of Surgeons and at St. Thomas' in Paris, returning to Huntsville in 1820. He is best known for his research on quinine to treat typhoid fever which was published in medical journals and increased his reputation in this country and abroad. He was a trustee of the University of Alabama and amassed a fortune of $175,000 by 1860. At his death he owned about 1100 acres in Madison County and lived at 517 Franklin St in Huntsville (has his name on the house)." - Roots Web
• "Surgeon under General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Indian Wars. He graduated from the Old Medical College at Philadelphia in 1810 and traveled to London in 1818 to further his medical studies at the Royal College of Surgeons and at St. Thomas' in Paris, returning to Huntsville in 1820. He is best known for his research on quinine to treat typhoid fever which was published in medical journals and increased his reputation in this country and abroad. He was a trustee of the University of Alabama and amassed a fortune of $175,000 by 1860. At his death he owned about 1100 acres in Madison County and lived at 517 Franklin St in Huntsville (has his name on the house)." - Roots Web
• "He had served in the British and Creek Wars of 1812-1814, first as surgeon of a battalion, then as surgeon of a regiment of Tennessee and Alabama troops. During this period he dressed the wounds of Gen. Andrew Jackson; and later was appointed by Gen. Jackson 'surgeon's mate,' in charge of a hospital at Huntsville, and of 'all the sick and wounded of the army.'" - Alabama Biography
• "Dr. Fearn built his Huntsville home in 1820 on Franklin Street, having employed his close friend, architect George Steele, to design it, according to some accounts. Some sources say that George Steele was hired to modify the original house in 1849, adding two southern bays to Dr. Fearn's specifications. Perhaps both perspectives are correct. In any event, the house now known as the Fearn-Garth home is considered to be one of the most beautiful ante-bellum houses in Huntsville and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was used by General Stanley as his headquarters during the Union Army's occupation of Huntsville in July of 1863." - Heritage
• "He was a handsome man, with a fine mind, great enterprise and public spirit, participating in many of the improvements about Huntsville and in the various projects of the day." - DeLand & Smith
• Dr. Thomas Fearn "was probably the most eminent physician in the whole South. His article upon 'The Use of Quinine' excited the interest of the entire medical world, and exerted a profound influence, even to the extent of revolutionizing the treatment of fever." - Betts
• "Dr. Fearn's articles on medicine were extensively copied in medical journals of this country and of foreign countries. He is said to have been the first on this continent or in Europe to discern the true nature of quinine, and to use it accordingly, making his own quinine from the bark." - Alabama Biography
• "The first Medical Society of North Alabama was organized in 1827, and a constitution was adopted. Dr. Thomas Fearn was elected president and Dr. Alexander Erskine was elected treasurer. The objective of the organization was to give its best efforts for the improvement of the science of medicine." - Goldsmith & Fulton
• "As the story went, after curing a small child of a threatening disease by sending it, along with a nurse, to live in a cabin on the mountain, he christened the area Monte Sano, which means 'mountain of health'." - Heritage
• "Many stories abound as to how Monte Sano got its name. One theory is that Dr. Thomas Fearn, an early Huntsville physician, gave the name because Monte Sano in Italian means 'Mountain of Health.'" - Monte Sano
• "Dr. Fearn's medical reputation is enhanced by the story that was passed down by his children about the naming of Monte Sano. According to their account, he had been treating a child for a disease similar to colitis for some time with no visible improvement, so he built a cabin on the mountain and moved the child there. When the child recovered a few weeks later , Dr. Fearn christened the place Monte Sano, which means mountain of health.
Murray then quoted Birdie Campbell from a paper called "A History of Monte Sano" as saying, "This is possibly true for Dr. Fearn was a physician who did not adhere to the beaten path of his predecessors in this profession. When he failed to find a successful cure, he invented one of his own, just as in the case of his discovery of the nature of quinine. He was well educated, and he likely enough thought of the combination of words by which the mountain has been known for more than a century. - Murray
• "Dr. Fearn and his brother George were among the early developers of Viduta, a village of Monte Sano which was incorporated in 1833. It was their intention to develop the mountain into a health resort. Although the dream was not realized in their life times, many of Huntsville's wealthier citizens built summer residences upon the mountain." - Murray
• "Viduta - derived from Spanish 'vida' meaning 'life' In a time when yellow fever, malaria, and cholera threatened, Dr. Thomas Fearn and his brothers Robert and George were drawn by the cool air and medicinal springs to establish a small colony on the northern section of Monte Sano Mountain in 1827. In 1833 the town of Viduta was officially established. The area contains a variety of architectural styles, dating from the late 1800's. Approximate boundaries: Lookout Drive (N); Denison Avenue (S); Monte Sano Boulevard (W); and Shelby Avenue (E). Listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, March 8, 1994." - Luttrell
• He "was one of the major early developers for Huntsville, owning the water supply there before he sold it to the city. He also constructed a canal from the Tennessee River to Huntsville for the operation of river traffic, and this was used until a turnpike was constructed along the same route in 1830-1835." - Marks
• "In 1836 he and his brother George purchased the Huntsville Water Works and used hollowed cedar logs to carry water through the town. This was the first such municipal water works in Alabama, and one of the first in America." - Heritage
• July 1, 1841 "It was reported at a Commissioners meeting that Thomas Fearn agreed to allow branch pipes for fire plugs to be installed at the four comers of the Public Square intersecting with the iron pipes being laid around the square. These branch pipes were to be paid for by the city." - Eden
• The earliest records concerning the waterworks in Huntsville were published in The Alabama Republican, March 28, 1823. In April 1823, a contract was drawn up and signed by Leroy Pope, his wife Judith Pope, and an engineer, Hunter Peel, granting the right to erect a dam across the stream from Big Spring. Peel formed a partnership with James Barclay, a machinist, and Huntsville's first waterworks was underway. The water system was also the first for the State.
In 1836, Dr. Thomas Fearn and his brother George, who was on the town council, acquired the waterworks. Dr. Fearn and George agreed to rebuild the water system completely, including the installation of an iron pump at the spring and cast iron pipes five inches in diameter to the four corners of the square. The Mayor and Council agreed to construct, within five years, a reservoir on a suitable site, that would admit an elevation of water forty feet above the surface of the square. In 1842, the reservoir was constructed between Echols and McClung Streets. Dr. Fearn's waterworks account book for that year listed one hundred and eleven customers.
Leroy Pope's son, William, had acquired ownership of the Big Spring from his father, and deeded it to the City for the sum of one dollar in the year 1843.
Dr. Fearn continued to operate the waterworks until he sold it to the City in 1858, for ten thousand dollars, paid in ten equal annual installments." - Goldsmith & Fulton
• In 1858, the city fathers voted five to three to finally purchase the waterworks from Dr. Thomas Fearn. They paid $10,000. - Record I
• Thomas Fearn held the Private Water System from 1836-1858. It was then sold to the city. - Record II
• "Board of Medical Examiners, 1823-1829; Legislature, 1822-1829; Trustee, University of Alabama, 1829; Trustee, Greene Academy beginning to close; Board of Directors, Planters and Merchants Bank, 1822-1826; Owner Huntsville Water System, 1838; Honorary Degrees Rutgers and Transylvania Universities; Appointed Surgeon's Mate by Andrew Jackson; Presidential Elector; Confederate Congress; Discoverer nature of Quinine." - Record II
• "Agreeable to an act of the Legislature of the Mississippi Territory of December 11, 1816, on the first Monday in February, 1817, Leroy Pope, John P. Hickman, David Moore, Benjamin Cox, John M. Taylor, Thomas Fearn, Jesse Searcy, Clement C. Clay, and John W. Walker, as commissioners, opened books at Huntsville for subscription to the capital stock of the first banking corporation organized in Alabama, then a territory, styled, 'The President, Directors and Company of the Planters' and Merchants' Bank, of Huntsville.'" - Betts
• "Dr. Thomas Fearn wrote Clement Clay in July 1818 suggesting the need for a library, 'how pleasing it would be to see the hours lost at the card table, with the dice box, or even those more innocently thrown away in idle chitchat, exchanged for profitable employment, and would it not be well to break in the avaricious calculations of the speculator occasionally?' Dr. Thomas Fearn studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Benjamin Rush, 1745-1813, American physician and political leader, as well as the author of medical treatises. Dr. Rush signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 as a delegate from Philadelphia." - Hays
• Trustee Huntsville Governing Body, 1820-1822 - Record II
• "On December 19, 1821, he was elected to the first board of trustees of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. (The trustees were paid three dollars a day then for meetings and three dollars every twenty-five miles they traveled to and from meetings.) Dr. Fearn was asked to help find teachers for the staff, and he wrote many letters on behalf of the school for this purpose. The University finally opened its doors on April 18, 1831 , with the help of such capable men as Dr. Fearn." - King
• Trustee, The University of Alabama, 1821, 1831 - Record I
• Alabama House of Representative from Madison County 1822-1823, 1828-1830 - Record I
• One of two physicians serving the first poor house in the county (1829-1832). - Record I
• Huntsville Alderman, 1832 - Record II
• The "Huntsville Female Academy" was opened in January, 1831, with Dr. Thos. Fearn listed as a trustee. Later this institution became known as "Huntsville Female College." - Betts
• Tennessee Canal Commissioner, 1833 - Record I
• "Dr. Thomas Fearn and James I. Donegan, prominent businessmen of Huntsville, were selected by the commissioners to receive proposals on or before December 1, 1836, and to let a contract for a building to be constructed in accordance with George Steele's plan. They also were directed to superintend the same in every manner and respect. Early in 1837, the firm of Mitchell and Wilson Second Madison County Courthouse, 1840-1913 was employed to construct a two-story stone and brick building with a dome on top and a full basement beneath at an approximate cost of $31,000." - Roberts
• October 18, 1833, "Thomas and George Fearn wish to employ 50 good hands to excavate the Basin in Huntsville and throw up embankments, to start on Nov. 11. Hands will be given 75 cents each day." - Eden
• On May 2, 1850 a building owned by Thomas W. White and Dr. Thomas Fearn burned along with several other structures on the north side of the square. - Record I
• Dr. Thomas Fearn was elected county resident of the Whig Party in 1852. - Record I
• 1853, "Dr. Thomas Fearn was elected president of the newly-formed Whig Party." - Eden
• "Matthew Steele, in 1857, was given a $42,000 contract for the new Huntsville Hotel, to be a 125 foot wide building on Jefferson Street, reaching back 142 feet on Randolph (Spring) Street. The building was opened in September, 1860." Thomas Fearn was one of the first directors - Record I
• July 25, 1857, "There was an altercation/confrontation at the courthouse between attorneys Leroy P. Walker and Col. Nicholas Davis. A letter written by Thomas Fearn and F. L. Hammond was printed in the newspaper a few days later demanding that they resolve their differences. Both men sent acknowledgements to the newspaper stating that they had worked the problem out between themselves." - Eden
• "Prominent on the rolls of Helion No. 1 are the names of members who are widely regarded in the founding of the State of Alabama and the city of Huntsville." Dr. Thomas Fearn is placed on this list. - Helion Lodge #1
• Listed on the Board for Northern Bank of Alabama - South corner of Public Square, Capital Stock, $500,000 - Directory
• Listed on the Board for Huntsville Hotel Co., - Capital Stock, $40,000 - Directory
• Listed on the Board for Madison Turnpike C., Office west side Franklin Between Public Quare and Gates. - Directory
• Listed as President of the Board of Trustees for Huntsville Female Seminary. - Directory
• Listed as President of the Board of Trustees for North Alabama College, (Male). One mile south east of Public Square. - Directory
• Dr. Fearn was an avid rock collector. - Goldsmith & Fulton
• January 2, 1830 - "A chapter of the American Colonization Society for the Abolition of Slavery was formed with the following members: James G. Birney, Thomas Fearn, Miles Watkins, Arthur Hopkins, and John Martin." The society's focus centered on an idea to gradually emancipate slaves and return them to their ancestral homes. - Eden
• Thomas Fearn was an officer of Huntsville's Auxiliary of American Colonization Society. "Regular orthodox 'abolition' speeches were the order of the day when this society met. Its members were unstinted in their accusations against the institution of slavery, as one of 'injustice and cruelty.'" The society's focus centered on an idea to gradually emancipate slaves and return them to their ancestral homes. - Betts
• In a letter to Clement Comer Clay (from London on July 29, 1818) he wrote of dreams he held for Huntsville but also wrote of one his deepest concerns, slavery. "He called 'that foulest blot in our national character, that damning curse entailed on us by our forefathers, that glaring inconsistency between republican principles and despotic practice.' That glaring inconsistency haunted him: 'To plead equal rights of man & at the same time make the heavenly principle bend & yield to convenience or even necessity is too great an absurdity.' Fearn based his attack on reason, not morality, on absurdity, not sin. He was a true son of the Enlightenment.
Never one to say 'Why don't they?' Fearn said, 'Why don't we?' emancipate our slaves according to a gradual plan providing th a t 'every descendant of a slave born after a fixed period be free a t the age of twenty or even a later age if this is thought too oppressive to the holders.' Furthermore, he would charge the county court 'to exact from those holding them in bondage an obligation to educate them to a certain extent (giving them the privileges of ordinary apprentices).'" - Stephens
• "Thomas Fearn bore a part of the burden of the South's involvement in a war he opposed, a secession he disapproved of, and a system of slavery he had learned to live with and, as it turned out, died for." - Stephens
• One of his slaves helped him raise his seven daughters after his young wife died. - Stephens
• "Unfortunately reality and necessity won out for one man. In 1860, an older Dr. Fearn listed 82 slaves among his personal property." - Rohr
• "After the adoption of the ordinances of secession, the leaders of the victorious majority stepped aside and handed over to the minority leaders, to a great extent, the reins of authority; for the sake of harmony, entrusting to them the work of organizing the new government. Alabama sent nine delegates to the Provisional Congress, three of whom, R. H. Walker, David P. Lewis and Dr. Thomas Fearn, all anti-secessionists, were from Huntsville." - Betts
• "A Southern Congress, called to meet in Montgomery, was attended by R. W. Walker, D. P. Lewis and Dr. Thomas Fearn. Jere Clemens identified the latter two as "Cooperationists". Fearn resigned in March 1861, as it was not convenient for him to attend. Lewis also resigned. Nicholas Davis was selected in Fearn's place and Harry C. Jones of Lauderdale County filled in for Lewis." - Record I
• "He was a presidential elector, and was a member of the first Confederate congress." - Alabama Biography
• "The occupying forces hoped to use the influence of the hostages to stop local guerrilla activities and snipers' ambushes. Dr. Fearn steadfastly refused to sign the oath which would buy his freedom, even though he was desperately ill and elderly. His incarceration aggravated the illness and directly contributed to his death." - Heritage
• "The twelve imprisoned men at first refused to sign the document Mitchell had drawn up, and from May 2 to May 15, 1862, they deliberated whether to sign the document. Finally, after the threat of being sent to Fort Warren, the twelve reluctantly signed Mitchell's paper denouncing all illegal and guerrilla warfare by citizens." - King
• "While a prisoner, Dr. Fearn had contracted pneumonia, and because of that lingering illness died the following year." - King
• Union General O. M. Mitched ordered prominent local citizens arrested and forced to sign statements designed to make occupation easier. Thomas Fearn was in a group put under lock and key from May 31 to June 15, 1862 along with George P. Beime, William Acklen, G. L. Mastin, A. J. Withers, Bishop Henry C. Lay, Samuel Cruse, Reverend J. G. Wilson, W. H. Moore, Thomas McCalley and Stephen J. Harris. - Record I
• From the Chadick Journal "The enemy numbers about 5,000 and are under Gen. Stanley. The town is upset. The Misses Fearn being absent this general and his staff have taken their house for headquarters, commanding the servants, using the provisions left in the house, drinking the wine in the cellar, using the bedding, table line, et cetera. Such presumption!" Nancy Rohr's notes on the above entry explain "Major General David S. Stanley was the Chief of Cavalry for Rosecran's Army of the Cumberland.... Stanley chose the house of Dr. Thomas Fearn on Franklin Street for his headquarters." Doctor Fearn had died on March 16, 1863, and some of his daughters were married (no longer living in his home). But "two of the younger girls, still single, now had no protection in their own home. Apparently Bernice (Bessie), 27, and Lucy Lee, 21, fled at the news of these raids and the house was unoccupied when General Stanley arrived in mid-July." - Rohr
• "Children: 1. Mary Eleanor, m. Gustavus L. Masters, Huntsville; 2. Sarah Leeanna, m. Hon. William S. Barry, Columbus, Miss.; 3. Katherine Erskine, m. Matthew W. Steele, Huntsville, child, Maj. Mathew Forney Steele, graduated from West Point in 1882, served as major of volunteers on staff of Gen. Joseph Wheeler, Spanish-American War, was three times sent to the Philippines, taught in the School of Art of War at Fort Leavenworth, Kas., had his lectures ordered published by the U. S. War Department under the caption "American Campaigns"; 4. Ada, m. (1) Dr. George Steele, Huntsville, (2) Judge Hook, Chattanooga, Tenn.; 5. Maria Eliza, m. Hon. William Willis Garth, Huntsville; 6. Berenice Shelby; 7. Lucie Lee, resides in Florida, m. George Miller, Georgia; 8. Corrina, who died at eleven months of age. They were highly intelligent, well-educated persons." - Alabama Biography
• "His daughter, Maria Fearn Garth bought at public action, from her father's estate, the house on Franklin Street for ten thousand and one hundred dollars. The house remained in the Garth family until 1964." - King
• "With all those activities, it is little wonder that the doctor had long ago given up his regular medical practice. When he died a wealthy man in 1863 at the age of 73, he had not practiced medicine for more than 25 years." - Times
• "Dr. Thomas Fearn amassed a fortune of almost $175,000, including 1,100 acres of land." - Stephens
• January 16, 1863 "Dr. Thomas Fearn died at his home from consumption. He had been arrested and imprisoned, along with 11 other Huntsville citizens, by General Mitchel during the Union occupation. His death at the age of 74, was believed to have been expedited by his imprisonment." - Eden
Related Links:
• King - Article titled "Thomas Fearn, the Man" by Mrs. Olin B. (Shelbie) King in The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 10, #1 & #2, Jan-80, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, pages 3-11.
• Bounds - Article by Sara Etheline Bounds titled "The Big Spring Of Huntsville" in The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 6, #1 & #2, Jan-76, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, pages 2-15, covers the canal and the water works.
• Roberts - Article titled "The Public Square in Madison County History" by Fraces C. Roberts, The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 20, #2, Jul-93, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, page 15.
• AAUW - Glimpses Into Antebellum Homes of Historic Huntsville, Alabama, Ninth Edition, by American Association of University Women, Huntsville Branch, Huntsville, Alabama, 1999, page 26. (Photo and description of Dr. Fearn and his home).
• Alabama Biography - Alabama Biography
• Ancestry Library - A post by Walker on the boards for the ancestry library. (Originally found at http://boards.ancestrylibrary.com/surnames.fearn/52.2/mb.ashx.)
• Ancestry.com - Page owned by scotterpotts and can be viewed only with a paid Ancestry.com subscription. (Originally found at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/43507813/person/12667007854.)
• Betts - Early History of Huntsville Alabama, by Edward Chambers Betts, 1916, pages 32, 56, 66-70, 79, 94
• Brewer - Alabama, Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men: from 1540 to 1872, by Willis Brewer, 1872, page 361 & 371.
• Briartech - Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll, Photo
• DeLand & Smith - Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical, by T. A. DeLand and A. Davis Smith, 1888, pages 250 & 251.
• Directory - Huntsville Directory, City Guide and Business Mirror. Volume 1. 1859-'60, by Reprinted by The Strode Publishers in 1972.
• Eden - Eden of the South: A Chronology of Huntsville, Alabama, 1805-2005, by Raneé G. Pruitt, Editor, 2005, page 5, 12, 19, 20, 21, 26, 33, 36, 46.
• Find A Grave - Page created by "K" and maintained by Find A Grave (Photo)
• Fisk - Article titled "Huntsville's Indian Creek Canal" by Sarah Huff Fisk in The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 33, #1, Winter-Spring 2008, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, pages 43 - 53
• Gale - Article titled "The 'Great Pecuniary Sacrifice' Dr. Thomas Fearn and the Indian Creek Canal" by David D. Gale, Jr. in The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 25, #2, July 1998, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, Page 1 - 22.
• Goldsmith & Fulton - Medicine Bags and Bumpy Roads: A Heritage of Healing in Madison County, Town and Country, by Jewell S. Goldsmith and Helen D. Fulton, 1985, pages 113 - 116.
• Haagenm - The Pictorial History of Huntsville, 1805-1865, by Victor B. Haagenm, 1963. Full page photo of the Fearn home with another page description of the family's continued ownership of the home.
• Hays - From Carnegie to Fort Book: The History of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, by Paul A. Hays, 2005, page 2.
• Helion Lodge #1 - Article titled Helion Lodge #1, F. & A. M. in the Heritage of Madison County, Alabama, by The Madison County Heritage Book Committee, John P. Rankin, Chairman, page 37
• Heritage - Article titled Dr. Thomas Fearn by in The Heritage of Madison County, Alabama, by The Madison County Heritage Book Committee, John P. Rankin, Chairman, printed in 1998. pages 186 & 187 and other references found on these pages.
• Huntsville Times - Article about Dr. Fearn's books being sold at auction.
• Huntsville Times - Olin King talks about his collection of Fearn artifacts (King owns Fearn's home). The collection was donated to the University Archives at UA.
• ICNC - Early History of Huntsville Alabama, by Edward Chambers Betts, 1916, pages 66-70 covers the story of the Indian Creek Navigation Company and Fearn's role in it.
• Luttrell - Historical Markers of Madison County, Alabama, by Frank Alex Luttrell, III, Editor, Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, 2001, page 131
• Maple Hill - Maple Hill Cemetery, Phase One, by Diane Robey, Dorothy Scott Johnson, John Rison Jones, Jr., & Frances C. Roberts (Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society), page 8.
• Marks - Alabama Past Leaders, by Henry S. and Marsha Kass Marks, 1982, pages 96, 334, 336, 346, 351.
• Monte Sano - Article titled Monte Sano - "Health Mountain" written by Jan Zielinski in the Heritage of Madison County, Alabama, by The Madison County Heritage Book Committee, John P. Rankin, Chairman, page 58.
• Murray - Article titled Dr. Thomas Fearn: Pioneer Builder of Huntsville by Lynn Murray in The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 1, #1, Jan-71, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, pages 3 - 17.
• Record I - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume I, by James Record, Printed 1970, pages 76, 103, 108, 118, 124, 130, 244, 291, 341.
• Record II - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume II, by James Record, Printed 1978, pages 346, 400, 671.
• Rohr - Incidents of the War: The Civil War Journal of Mary Jane Chadick, by Nancy M. Rohr, Silver Threads Publishing, ©2005, page 13, 14, 15, 39, 6 2 , 68, 109, 110, 111, 222, 250.
• Roots Web - Archive of a Message Board Post by BamaWalkers.
• Stephens - Historic Huntsville: A City of New Beginnings, by Elise Hopkins Stephens, 2002, pages 12, 23, 27, 28, 32, 44, 45, 134.
• Times - This article about Dr. Thomas Fearn was first published in the Huntsville Times in 1976 and was republished in The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 8, #1 & #2, Jan-78, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, pages 10 - 12
• Ferneyhough & Lusk - The Fearns of Virginia by Elizabeth Lee Fearn Cabell Ferneyhough and Elizabeth Lee Lusk printed in 1973 by Expert Graphics, Richmond, VA -- Library of Congress Catalogue Card # 73-84225
• Ryan - Cease Not To Think Of Me - The Steele Family Letters edited by Patricia H. Ryan, Huntsville Planning Department, City of Huntsville - 1979, pages 3, 8, 10, 14, 15, 20, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49 , 51, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 73, 75, 76, 77, 79, 82, 83, 84, 87, 88, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 98, 100, 102, 103, 105, 106, 108, 121, 126, 136, 139, 145, 169, 170, 171, 172, 175.
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• King
• Bounds
• Roberts
• 517 Franklin Street SE
• Alabama Biography
• Betts
• Brewer
• DeLand & Smith
• Directory
• Eden
• Fisk
• Gale
• George Fearn
• Hays
• ICNC
• Luttrell
• Maple Hill
• Maria Eliza Fearn Garth
• Murray
• Record I
• Record II
• Robert Fearn (1795)
• Rohr
• Times
• Ryan