THOMAS C. STANLEY, bee raiser, Boyleston, was born in Botetourt County, Va., on February 8, 1830, and is a son of Joel and Elizabeth (Combs) Stanley.
The father was born in Virginia, and was of English descent; the mother was also a native of that State, and of German nativity.Our subject is the fourth of nine children, of whom seven are now living. When he was about three years old, his parents moved to Tennessee and settled in McNairy County. There subject received a district school education, which has been added to considerably by his own efforts since his accesion to manhood's estate. At the age of eighteen, he apprenticed himself to a maker of wagons and buggies in that county, and he afterward followed that occupation from 1848 to 1857.
He next commenced to farm and also set up a wool-carding machne, which was well patronized by the surrounding people. It was before the day of looms and was the only way of preparing the wool.
In 1862, he came to this county, and at the town of Jeffersonville he set up his carding machine and ran it for a number of years. He also purchased the flouring mill at that point, and carried on a general milling business.
In 1867, he sold out his interest at that point, he worked for a year at the Fairfield flouring mill, and then built the Fairfield Woolen Mills, at a cost of about $10,000. He continued this in operation until 1872, when the mill was destroyed by fire and when afterward the Fairfield Woolen Mill Company was formed and the structure rebuilt he was appointed Superintendent. In this capacity, he served for two years and then returned to Jeffersonville. There he purchased the flouring mill that he had formerly owned, and again embarked in the milling business.
In the summer of 1876, he first turned his attention to raising bees. He started with two stands, and that season increased it to about thirty-five stands.
In 1877, he removed his bees to Big Mound Township, and settled on a farm of thirty acres in Section 30 of Town2 south, Range 7 east. There he has extended his stock until he now controls upward of 1,000 stands, 600 of which he owns. He has them at present divided up among five different points. The stock is mostly Italian bees, but he is at present adding Syrians and Cyprians to it. The yield of honey for 1882 was upward of 18,000 pounds, which netted about $3,000. This yield of course depends upon the season, in a dry one the yield not being anywhere near so great as in a wet one. The honey, which is mostly in the comb, is shipped to all the States, and this bee farm is fast becoming one of the leading industries of Wayne County.
Mr. Stanley was married in McNairy County, Tenn., on May 29, 1849, to Lucinda Carter, a daughter of John and Sophia (Hill) Carter. Mrs. Stanley was born on January 8, 1832, and is the mother of seven children, three of whom are now living --
Both Mr. and Mrs. Stanley are members of the Jeffersonville Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mr. Stanley is a member of the Jeffersonville Lodge of A.F. and A.M., and in politics is a Democrat.
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