 1818 - 1873 (55 years)
Generation: 1
| 1. |  James Monroe McKenzie was born on 14 Feb 1818 in Tennessee; died on 9 Oct 1873 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee. Notes:
In the 1850 census, J.M. McKenzie, age 30, born Tennessee, is listed in Carroll County, TN, District 4, #580, along with his wife and children. His mother, Martha, age 75, born Virginia also is listed in that same census record.
A new historical marker resides in the downtown McKenzie park (McKenzie, Tennessee). A Saturday afternoon
ceremony was abbreviated by heavy storms as Mayor Patty Edwards and Martha McKenzie
Carpenter, the great granddaughter of founder James Monroe McKenzie attempted to dedicate
the marker.
Mrs. Carpenter said she pursued the idea of erecting the marker at the urging of Dr.
Howard Smith and wife, Marion.
Last week, crews from the McKenzie Public Works Department and Carroll County Electric
cleared an area for the marker. It is situated just north of the gazebo and west of the
veteran's walk.
Because the inclement weather/forced the ceremony to be cut short, Mrs. Carpenter was not
able to give her prepared speech, but did pass along the contents of that text to The
Banner.
"We are here to dedicate this marker to James Monroe McKenzie for his contribution to the
development of this little town. Some newcomers may have wondered where the town got its
name. James Monroe McKenzie was born February 14,1818 and probably was named for President
James Monroe who came to office about that time. He came to West Tennessee with his
father. Captain John, along with some settlers - Sneads, Gilberts, Pates, Ridleys, Bowdens,
and others. Little communities sprang up where these families staked their claims.
The railroad began coming through in the 1850s taking land for the right-of-way as they
needed it. The Memphis and Ohio line, later the L&N, was the first line with passenger
and freight service from Memphis to Bowling Green, beginning in 1861. The N&W had begun
laying track from Nashville to the west but the Civil War interrupted the construction.
After the war, work continued and eventually the two lines crossed at McKenzie. In March
1861, James Monroe had donated 10 acres of land on the north side of the N&W tracks to
construct a depot. Subsequently a passenger depot was built right at the crossing and a
freight office a little to the west. They called this McKenzie Station. When the town was
incorporated in 1869, the name 'stuck' When scheduled train travel was established, the
railroads had to publish timetables so they had to name the stops. In 1870, a 112' x 20'
freight platform was built on each side of the freight office with rail sidings on each
side. Later a concrete platform was laid between the main line and the freight siding."
The script continued by reading, "James Monroe worked for good schools, churches and
government. He married Martha Louisa Coleman and they had eight children. The two oldest
boys, James Albert and John David practiced medicine in Bradford for many years and came
back here to retire. They build identical houses on Stonewall, one of which was razed two
years ago. Malcolm became an attorney, practicing in McKenzie and Huntingdon before going
to Oklahoma, where he practiced law and was an agent for the Pawnee Indians. Today the
name Malcolm McKenzie is still known in the legal profession in Oklahoma City and Tulsa
through some of Malcolm's children. Clinton Atkin was the youngest son and he too went
west. He was there when the land was opened up for homesteaders so all his life he was
involved in real estate and oil. He is the one who gave McKenzie its first swimming pool
on Stonewall.
My grandfather, George W. (Ed. Note: Washington) was station agent for the railroads in McKenzie and in Dickson
for 55 years, James Monroe also had three daughter, Callie, Sally, and Gussie who marked
local businessmen and lived near the rest of their family.
James Monroe died in 1873 before Mt. Olivet (cemetery) was established. He could have been
buried in the Gilbert Cemetery or on McKenzie land, but it is assumed he was moved to
Mount Olivet where his wife and all the children and spouses are buried.
McKenzie has always been a good place to live. Folks were interested in having good
schools, good churches and keeping an eye on their children. The town has responded to
national emergencies, sending their boys to the service, supporting the Red Cross and War
Bond campaigns. There have always been those planting flowers to make the town pretty,
book clubs to keep up to date on what was going on, and church circle meetings. Many
former McKenzians and their children have excelled in the field of education, military,
athletics and religion. I am sure the young people coming up now will accomplish even more
with the opportunities open to them today. And when they become famous, I hope they will
always mention they got their station in this little town, even if it's through a great
grandfather or grandmother. I hope those who choose to leave McKenzie will always have a
longing to return someday. I honestly believe the happiest people in the world are those
who were born and raised here and never left. I still get home sick sometimes and when I'm
on the way up here, along about Jarrell Switch, the air seems to smell better, the trees
greener, and I drive a little faster."
submitted by Jere R Cox
Inscription on the marker reads. James Monroe McKenzie, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was born in February 12, 1818. In 1860 he donated land for the depot and freight office where the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad crossed the Memphis and Ohio Railroad, resulting in the town being named McKenzie. He gave land for Bethal College in 1872 and for the Masonic Lodge. McKenzie died on October 9, 1873.
Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4A 46.)
Location. 36° 7.916' N, 88° 31.07' W. Marker is in McKenzie, Tennessee, in Carroll County. Marker is at the intersection of Cedar Street (Tennessee Route 124) and Broadway Street, on the left when traveling west on Cedar Street. Click for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2331 Cedar Street, Mc Kenzie TN 38201 of America.
Introduction to McKenzie, Tennessee
McKenzie, Tennessee, in Carroll county, is 39 miles NE of Jackson, Tennessee and 96 miles W of Nashville, Tennessee. As of the year 2000 census, 5,295 people lived in McKenzie.
McKenzie History
McKenzie was originally inhabited by the Chickasaw Indian Tribe. The first settlers came to the area in the early 1800’s. The community was organized in 1867 after the completion of the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad tracks. The city was named after James Monroe McKenzie, a local settler who gave property to the Railroad Company. McKenzie was officially incorporated in 1869.
Originally inhabited by the Chickasaw Indian Tribe, the first settlers started moving into this area during the early 1800s.
In the original settling of what is now McKenzie, there were two families here that were "rivals". Each named the part of this towns area that they lived in a different name. One part of McKenzie was named Marrieta and the other part Dundas. It was still like this during the Civil War even though the community had much more to worry about at that time than the "rivalry' between the Sneads and the Gilberts. At that time there was a rather big family of McKenzie's that lived here. (From Joe Stout’s notes on “War Leaflets”, a delightful and emotional chronicle by Annie Cole Hawkins. In it you can read about many more geographical and societal norms of the region).
The city of McKenzie was organized in 1867 when the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad completed its track and intersected with the Memphis and Ohio Railroad. Its name was derived from the family that previously owned the land where the railroads crossed. James Monroe McKenzie gave the property to the railroad company with the stipulation that his son George McKenzie be given the position of station agent for the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad. First known as McKenzie Station, it was soon shortened to McKenzie. The town began to develop rapidly after the tracks were completed and was officially incorporated by the state of Tennessee on January 22, 1869.
The railroad drew many residents from the neighboring communities, among them Caladonia and McLemoresville. By 1870, the population of McKenzie had grown to over 500 residents. In the 1880's the size of the town doubled and business thrived. On October 15, 1887, the President of the United States, Grover Cleveland, visited the bustling town and stayed overnight at the McKenzie Hotel. By the turn of the century, a city park was created, public schools were built and roads paved with gravel. The town continued to expand at a steady rate until the Great Depression struck in October of 1929. Banks and businesses closed their doors and the community's labor base evaporated overnight. It would be not until 1936 that conditions began to show economic growth and improvement.
Just prior to the World War 2, the federal government began construction on a munitions plant and arsenal east of Milan. During the war, the plant would hire thousands of laborers and increase the population of McKenzie more than any time in its history. Between 1940 and 1950, the population of the city increased by over 1,300 people and was second to only Oak Ridge in population growth statewide. Following the war the city has kept a steady rate of growth and continues to be a productive and prosperous community (Adapted from RootsWeb.com).
James married Martha Louisa Coleman on 3 Mar 1842. Martha (daughter of David Coleman and Sarah Love) was born on 29 Feb 1820 in North Carolina; died on 15 Oct 1880 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 2. Narcissa Caroline (Callie) McKenzie
 was born about 1843; died in 1911.
- 3. John David McKenzie was born on 1 Nov 1844 in Carroll County, Tennessee; died on 3 Mar 1922.
- 4. James Albert (Clipper) McKenzie was born on 6 Aug 1846 in Carroll County, Tennessee; died on 7 May 1930 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee.
- 5. George Washington McKenzie was born on 26 Aug 1849 in Tennessee; died on 22 Aug 1935 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee.
- 6. Malcolm Limertines McKenzie was born on 21 Aug 1851 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee; died on 23 Dec 1931 in Tennessee.
- 7. Sarah Martha (Sallie) McKenzie was born on 4 Jul 1853 in Tennessee; died on 17 Aug 1927 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee.
- 8. Alice Jackson McKenzie was born on 18 Dec 1854 in Tennessee; died on 18 Dec 1854 in Tennessee.
- 9. Clinton Atkins McKenzie was born on 29 May 1857 in Tennessee; died on 16 Jun 1951.
- 10. Mary (Gussie) McKenzie was born on 25 Jul 1864 in Tennessee; died on 29 Jan 1942 in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee.
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Generation: 2
Generation: 3
| 20. |  Malcolm Walter Sr. McKenzie (6.Malcolm2, 1.James1) was born on 25 Jun 1883 in Tennessee; died after 1940. Notes:
Per the 1920 Census lived in Buffalo, Harper County, Oklahoma.
Per the 1930 Census, he was a practicing attorney in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He and his family lived at 3131 NW 20th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
WWI Draft Registration reflects his full name of "Malcolm Walter McKenzie".
Family/Spouse: Clara Elizabeth Cook. Clara (daughter of Charles Eli Cook and Nora O'Brian) was born on 19 Nov 1892 in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee; died in Sep 1969 in Olympia, Thurston County, Washington. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 35. Malcolm Walter Jr. McKenzie was born on 18 Dec 1913 in Oklahoma; died on 1 Apr 1983 in Olympia, Thurston County, Washington.
- 36. Catherine McKenzie was born in 1916 in Oklahoma; died on 18 Jun 1980 in San Diego, California.
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Generation: 4
| 32. | Martha McKenzie (18.George3, 5.George2, 1.James1) was born in 1923; died on 6 Feb 2011 in Memphis, Tennessee. Notes:
Martha McKenzie Carpenter, 44-W-5
WASP Martha McKenzie Carpenter, the great granddaughter of McKenzie, Tennessee founder James Monroe McKenzie died in Memphis on Sunday, February 6, 2011. She was 88.
Martha's roots were always planted deep in the soil of Tennessee, even though she took flight and served her country as a WASP during World War II.
During one of her last cross country training flights, Martha's unique experience was captured by classmate Doris Tanner in her "Zoot Suits and Parachutes:
A rough cow pasture was where luckless Martha McKenzie found it necessary to land. Her plane had sputtered out its last drop of fuel before she realized she was lost. Mushing the plane down, she managed to land safely, climbed out and began walking to a nearby farmhouse. Suddenly, she grew aware that she was not alone. Turning, she found an approaching herd of Herefords bearing down on her. A burst of adrenaline sent her running faster than possible. She jumped the fence and made it to the farmhouse porch. Pounding on the door, she met a deaf old farmer who kept repeating, "Well, I'll be darned if it ain't a gal." He cranked up his old Ford and drove her to the nearest telephone some miles down the road.
Martha eventually graduated from Army Air Forces flight training as a member of WASP class 44-W-5, one of 72 young women pilots to earn their silver wings on June 27, 1944.
After graduating, Martha's Army orders sent her to Napier Army Air Base in Dothan, Alabama, close enough to Tennessee to almost feel like home. At Napier, she would have flown AT-6's as an engineering test pilot, instrument instructor and would have ferried PT-17's and AT-6's. From Napier, she was transferred to Tyndall AFB, Florida, where she successfully completed B-26 transition training to become a B-26 tow target pilot.
After the WASP were disbanded, Martha became a bookkeeper, married and began to raise a family. She retired from Memphis Furniture Manufacturers as a bookkeeper.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, George M. Carpenter, and two sons, Daniel Green, and John Green. She is survived by her three daughters, Martha (Roger) Murray of Jackson, Maine; Garland (Jackie) Davis of Nesbit, MS; and Meg Thomas of Memphis; 10 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held Wednesday, February 9 at Memphis Funeral Home, followed by interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McKenzie, TN. The family requests memorials be made to either Make-A-Wish Foundation or to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Online gallery--a touching compilation of photos of Martha's life and family.
Of her hometown, Martha once said,
"McKenzie has always been a good place to live. Folks were interested in having good schools, good churches and keeping an eye on their children. The town has responded to national emergencies, sending their boys to the service, supporting the Red Cross and War Bond campaigns. There have always been those planting flowers to make the town pretty, book clubs to keep up to date on what was going on, and church circle meetings. Many former McKenzians and their children have excelled in the field of education, military, athletics and religion. I am sure the young people coming up now will accomplish even more with the opportunities open to them today. And when they become famous, I hope they will always mention they got their station in this little town, even if it's through a great grandfather or grandmother. I hope those who choose to leave McKenzie will always have a longing to return someday.
I honestly believe the happiest people in the world are those who were born and raised here and never left. I still get home sick sometimes and when I'm on the way up here, along about Jarrell Switch, the air seems to smell better, the trees greener, and I drive a little faster."
God speed, Martha and God bless your family.
Respectfully posted by Nancy Parrish
Family/Spouse: Something Green. Something died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Family/Spouse: George M. Carpenter. George died in 1986. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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| 35. | Malcolm Walter Jr. McKenzie (20.Malcolm3, 6.Malcolm2, 1.James1) was born on 18 Dec 1913 in Oklahoma; died on 1 Apr 1983 in Olympia, Thurston County, Washington. Notes:
Is reflected in multiple censuses.
Was an engineer. Attended four years of college. Served in the Army 1941-1945. Cannot determine if he was married or had children. Michael A. McKenzie called the Thurston County, Washington probate clerk in July 2013 and asked her to search for a will. She advised she could not locate one. Additional searches should be performed.
Malcolm married Mary Joan Faulkner on 14 May 1946 in Oklahoma. Mary (daughter of Harry S. Faulkner and Nira Belle Brink) was born on 5 Jan 1921 in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana; died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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| 36. |  Catherine McKenzie (20.Malcolm3, 6.Malcolm2, 1.James1) was born in 1916 in Oklahoma; died on 18 Jun 1980 in San Diego, California. Notes:
Burial: Dearborn Memorial Park, Poway, San Diego County, California, USA
Plot: O-EAST
Created by: Linda Claxton
Record added: Oct 31, 2012
Find A Grave Memorial# 99936270
Family/Spouse: Something Hoyer. Something died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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