George Hampton Dean (1857 - 1920)

Born 1857 in Owen, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1920 at about age 63 in Hopkinsville, Christian, Kentucky, United States

Biography

George was born in 1857. George is the child of Isaac Dean and Sarah Gardner. ^[1]

One of my early “brick-walls”, was George Hampton Dean an orphaned son of the only brother of my GG grandfather. Georges father was Isaac Dean b. 1835 d. 1858.

At some point around September, 2002 I became interested in George. I eventually discovered his mother's obit. She died in 1932, and stated she had a son living in Clarksville, TN and granddaughter still living. After some further searching, I discovered the George Dean mentioned in her obit was not her son, but was her grandson George Dean.

Sarah Gardner, Dean, Dobson, Castlen, the mother of George Dean was married three times. Her first husband, Isaac is buried in Owen county, Indiana next to his parents. Isaac Dean, his father Samuel and one uncle, Robert, all died within six months of one another. Though I have never confirmed my suspicion, it is my best guess they all died of cholera in a local epidemic in 1858.

Sarah then married Joseph L. Dobson in 1859 and he died in 1866, presumably of war wounds.

Finally she married William Castlen in Owensboro, KY in March 1870. Her death occurred at her son Edgar's home in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1932 at the age of 93/94.

After George's father’s death, a court appointed guardian was appointed. From the court records I have learned a little about the early life of George. He was the heir of a portion of his father’s estate in the amount of approximately $700.00 at the young age of 11 months of age. He shows up in the home of some of his extended family through the years and eventually is identified as a “painter”. He and his wife, Belle, are at the closing of his grandmother’s home, Sarah Hughes Dean, at her death in March 1880. Then he shows up in Terre Haute, IN working as carpenter. At that point, I lost him.

Over the course of the next eight years, more and more records became available on-line. Then I discovered a grave listing in Clarksville, TN for George and his son George with the generous assistance of the local librarian.

Local records state that George was working as a bartender/bar owner with his son George until Prohibition was enacted in Tennessee. At which point he moved across the state line into Hopkinsville, Kentucky to continue with his profession.

When U.S. Prohibition was enacted, George who had lost his wife about 1916 was in a plight. His obit states the following: "Nearly four hundred people from this city, Hopkinsville and Nashville attended the burial of George Hampton Dean at Greenwood Cemetery at 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. The services at the grave were in charge of the Elks Lodges of Clarksville and Hopkinsville. Despondent, it is said, over financial affairs. Mr. Dean took his own life late Saturday afternoon, by firing a pistol bullet into his brain while seated in a Morris chair in front of a mirror in his home in Hopkinsville. In a note addressed to his son, George, Mr. Dean stated that $1.00 found in his wallet was all he possessed and that he owed a total of $30.00. The note directed, it is said, that this small debt be paid out of the proceeds of a life insurance policy, and that the Elks Lodge conduct his funeral. The tragic death of Mr. Dean occasioned widespread regret. No one seemed to know that his financial affairs were strained, and it is said that he had shown no signs of despondency. He was 63 years old and is survived by his mother, who lives at Tampa, Fla, a half brother of that city, and a son; G.H. Dean Jr., of Hopkinsville. Mr. Dean came to this city thirty two years ago from Owensboro, Ky. For several years thereafter his avocation was that of house painter. Giving up the brush, he was employed a number of years by James Hanratty in the liquor business and later opened a saloon of his own. With the advent of prohibition in Tennessee, he removed his business interests to Hopkinsville. Since the death of his wife here about four years ago, he had made his home in Hopkinsville.”

Though this is not the story I was searching for, I've found comfort in it by knowing a little bit of the truth of his life, thanks to the assistance of two librarians in Hopkinsville and Clarksville.

Sources

1. ↑ A source for this information is needed.

"United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSCL-691 : 10 March 2022), Hanit Dean, 1900.

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M28L-53D : accessed 12 March 2023), George Dean, Hopkinsville Ward 1, Christian, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 17B, family 349, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 470; FHL microfilm 1,374,483.

"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHLM-7TL : 1 February 2021), George H Dean, 1920.