I received in inquiry about the F. B. Parsons buried at the black Jeanette Cemetery. But in looking a bit at the Parsons family, I have come up with my own question. Does anyone know which John Parsons the City of Parsons is named for? In "History of Decatur County Past and Present," Chapter X, Decatur County Towns, the late Lillye Younger wrote: "Before 1889 Henry Myracle owned a large, flat piece of land, the present site of Parsons. In order to get a town started on his land, Mr. Myracle deeded one hundred and forty three and one-third acres (143 1/3) of land to the Tennessee Midland Railroad Company on April 11, 1889. "The land was divided into lots. Mr. Myracle keeping every other row of lots. By so doing this, he not only made money for himself but also promoted the growth of the new town. The town received its name from a Dock Parsons, presumedly son-in-law of Henry Myracle." Also in Younger's book is "A History of the Parsons Family" by Clarence Parsons, who states:"Dr. John Parsons also settled in these two counties, living in what is now known as Parsons, Tenn., and practiced medicine here in this area for about 50 years. Dr. Parsons owned several pieces of land at one time or another, and according to the records in the State Archives in Nashville, owned 300 acres north of railroad track in Parsons. This railroad, built in the 1880’s, ran from Memphis to Perryville. The officials of this, the Tennessee Midland Railroad, honored Dr. Parsons by naming the town of Parsons, Tennessee for him." The family of this John Parsons is given II. John Parsons 1806, wife Sarah Ingram 1. Margaret C. Parsons 1834 2. Abigail Parsons 1836 3. Jasper Parsons 1838 (Dr. Parsons second wife) Mary Ann Long 1824 4. Thomas S. Parsons 1845 5. Barby M. Parsons 1847 6. Amanda Parsons 1850 7. John Franklin Parsons1853 In an article about Parsons in "Decatur County, Tennessee Families and History" Edwin C. Townsend writes: "Located on Buckner Street about two blocks north of Main Street was a stagecoach inn operated by John Parsons. Parsons owned a considerable amount of land known as Parsons Flat. The survey crew for the Tennessee Midland Railway stayed at the Parsons Inn while they were surveying the right-of-way for the railway. John Parsons had a daughter who was married to Henry Myracle. The Myracle family also owned a great deal of land adjoining the John Parsons tract." Three issues: Dr. John Parsons, but Dr. of what? What Myracle marriage? Which John Parsons owned land at Parsons Flats? Dr. John Parsons Clarence Parsons listed the Dr. John, his wives, and their children. This family can be identified. John and both wives are buried at New Beech Grove Cemetery west of Lexington. John died in 1879 so he was not the Parsons Flats land owner when the railroad was built 10 years later. Now as to "Doctor" John probably was not an M.D. but rather a D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) as his tombstone notes him as Rev. John Parsons. New Beech Grove Cemetery http://www.tngenweb.org/records/henderson/cemeteries/newbg.htm Henry Myracle Henry Myracle (Oct. 28, 1819-Aug. 23, 1894) is buried at Myracle Cemetery in the Beacon community. His wife was Elizabeth Cox. His daughters known from census and cemetery data are Mary C. (who married H. Flowers), Sarah J. (who died as an infant), Margaret A. (who died unmarried at age 20), Mahala (who died as a child), and Matilda (who married William F. Boren and died at age 19). The connection between Henry Myracle and the mystery John Parsons seems to be only that they had adjacent land holdings. Myracle Cemetery http://www.tngenweb.org/records/decatur/cemeteries/myracle.htm John Parsons the property owner Clarence Parsons listed the older "Dr." John Parsons with seven children. The oldest was Margaret 1834. She would match a Margaret Parsons said who married Paul H. Fisher in 1852. She died circa 1858 and is said to have been one of the people buried on the water tank hill in Parsons. The old John's seventh child was John Franklin Parsons 1853 who married a Betty Rains (Rains lived near what is now Beacon and buried at Duke Chapel). The elder John and his son John seem to have ties to Parsons. John Franklin Parsons seems the best candidate for the innkeeper who owned land near Parsons and for whom Parsons is named. Another John Parsons was John Walker Parsons (1861-1940), son of Sam Parsons and Levira Ingram, and grandnephew of both the older John Parsons and the older John's wife Sarah. John Walker Parsons married Roxie/Rosey Jackson. This family is discussed in "The Descendants of James Holden Jackson" by Joel Franklin Jackson. John Walker Parsons' children are listed as born either in Decatur Co. or Henderson Co. John seems to have been a tenant farmer who moved periodically. Children born in 1887 and 1889 are said to have been born in Henderson Co. This John's family is on the 1900 census in Henderson Co. The families of both John Franklin Parsons and and John Walker Parsons mostly left the area. John Walker Parsons went to Dunklin Co., MO about 1911. David