Mr. Hanna being one of our oldest pioneers, as well as teachers, a brief sketch of his long and useful life may prove acceptable to his surviving friends and old pupils.
He was born in east Tennessee, near Knoxville, in the year 1787--- the year of the adoption of the constitution of the United States. At an early age he came, with his parents, to Wilson County, in middle Tennessee, when it was almost a wilderness. Here he grew up, and, on the first day of January, 1811, he was married to Margarette Crawford, a near relative of Gen. Andrew Jackson. This lady died in 1816, leaving two children, both of whom are still living.
In 1818 he came, with his little family, down the Cumberland, moving in two pirogues lashed together, and up the Ohio river, landing at Golconda, then a collection of scattering log cabins and board shanties, on the 2d of January 1819. Unlike the majority of immigrants he entered and paid for the land on which he settled, and before the close of the year was comfortably settled in his back-woods home five miles west of Golconda where he passed the rest of his life. In 1831 he was appointed County Surveyor and held the place until his death which occurred December 29th, 1868.
Our limited space forbids more than a hasty glance at his most salient traits of character. His benevolence can be better illustrated by a few authentic incidents than any words of praise. He planted and worked a small crop of corn for a widow who was struggling to keep together a family of helpless children, and, when it was exhausted supplied her bread from his own corn crib. Once while on a surveying tour he found a worthy, industrious couple in great perplexity. The home they had redeemed from the wilderness was about to be entered from them and all their work lost for want of fifty dollars. The woman was in tears. Mr. Hanna's heart was touched and the money advanced on the spot. I had this anecdote from the daughter of the grateful couple, who lived to accumulate a handsome property on the home saved to them by Mr. Hanna's pure, unostentatious benevolence.
This commendable spirit of liberality and sympathy with others woes sometimes cost him dear, as he lost very heavily by the defalcation of parties for whom he was security, yet in spite of all he never lost his trust in man or refused assistance to a neighbor.
Not withstanding the poor educational facilities of his times he managed to fit his oldest son for college and give all his children a liberal education. In this work he was aided by a good library which he brought with to his new home and which for years, with one exception, was the only respectable collection of books to be found outside of Golconda.
Although a pioneer from boyhood, his manners and bearing were always refined. A real "gentleman of the old school" he was careful to regard all the amenities that go to make up good breeding, a quality that could be profitably imitated by the teachers of this more enlightened day. His government was mild. He was a mild man, never giving way to passion in his family or school, referring to love rather than force, and in consequence was greatly respected as well as loved by the youth under his care.
Mr. Hanna was a member of the Presbyterian church from its organization until his death. In 1820 he was married to Agnes Crawford, a daughter of John Crawford, who was one of the earliest settlers. This venerable lady is still living in Pope county of which she has been a resident for more than seventy years.
Note: Agnes Crawford Hanna died October 30th, 1889.( See Obituaries )

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