Thomas Yeatman
Thomas T. Yeatman Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1787 Brownsville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | 1833 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banker, iron manufacturer, steamboat owner, cotton merchant |
| Years active | Early 19th century – 1833 |
| Known for | Iron production, banking firm Yeatman, Woods & Co., cotton trade |
Thomas T. Yeatman Sr. (1787–1833) was a distinguished entrepreneur based in Nashville, Tennessee, whose ventures spanned iron production, cotton commerce, banking, steamboat ownership, and commission-based partnerships.
Originating from Brownsville, Pennsylvania, his father worked as a boatbuilder. Around 1826–27, Yeatman purchased nearly 30,000 acres in Stewart County, Tennessee, where he founded Dover Furnace in 1828 and Bear Spring Furnace in 1830, along with associated rolling mills and forges. While he initially imported fire bricks from England at considerable expense, he eventually utilized local fire clay sources. Collaborating with Joseph, Robert, and James Woods, he established the banking firm Yeatman, Woods & Co., which gained recognition for its stability during the financial turmoil of the 1830s caused by Jackson's banking reforms. This institution was considered a financial cornerstone in the Southwestern region. Yeatman's business career also included controversy, notably a fatal duel with Robert Anderson arising from commercial disagreements.
Following the death of his first wife, Yeatman remarried but succumbed to the cholera epidemic in 1833. After his passing, Yeatman and Woods maintained their enterprises involving bills of exchange and iron manufacturing. Their iron production reached up to 3,000 tons annually and supplied nails sufficient for markets throughout Middle and West Tennessee. The operation reportedly invested approximately $100,000 each year in local materials and labor. An estate sale in 1834 liquidated 18,000 acres of property, blast furnaces, machinery, livestock, and more than 200 enslaved individuals.
Yeatman's second spouse, Jane Patton Erwin—daughter of businessman Andrew Erwin—subsequently married John Bell, a candidate for the U.S. presidency. His son James E. Yeatman became active in philanthropy and business in St. Louis, Missouri, while another son, Thomas Yeatman Jr., continued involvement in the cotton industry.
Sources
- Carey, Bill. Runaways, Coffles and Fancy Girls: A History of Slavery in Tennessee. Clearbrook Press, 2018. Nashville, Tennessee. ISBN 978-0-9725680-4-3.