Robert J. West

Narrative:

     Robert J. West was born between 1780 and 1790.^4,5,6,7
     In the late 1790's Robert rode on horseback from his native North Carolina to claim a land grant of several hundred acres in the Yellow Creek valley in the area now part of Dickson and Houston counties in Tennessee. In 1812 he built a large brick mansion on a site overlooking the valley, which he called "West Point."¹¹
     Robert married Nancy Dortch, daughter of Capt. Isaac Dortch and Martha Norfleet.^8,9
     He appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Dickson Co., Tennessee, with a household consisting of two males under age 10, one aged 10 to 16, and two aged 26 to 45 (himself and another), five females under age 10 (daughters Mary, Arabella and Ann and two others), one aged 10 to 16, and one aged 16 to 26 (wife Nancy), as well as fifteen male and twelve female slaves.¹²
     Robert appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Dickson Co., Tennessee, with a household consisting of one male under age 5, two aged 5 to 10, one aged 20 to 30, and one aged 40 to 50 (himself), one female under age 5 (daughter Elizabeth), two aged 10 to 15 (Arabella and Ann), and one aged 15 to 20 (Mary), and one aged 30 to 40 (wife Nancy), as well as twenty male and fourteen female slaves.¹³
     He appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Dickson Co., Tennessee, with a household consisting of one male aged 10 to 15 (probably son Robert though he was only 9), two aged 15 to 20, one aged 30 to 40, and one aged 50 to 60 (himself), one female aged 5 to 10 (probably daughter Louisa or Sally), two aged 10 to 15 (Elizabeth and Martha), and one aged 40 to 50 (wife Nancy), as well as fifteen male and twelve female slaves.¹⁴
     His property in the Yellow Creek valley was fertile and rich in iron ore, and he built what was described in contemporary newspapers as a "farming and mining empire." At the height of his prosperity he owned over 15,000 acres and mineral rights on thousands of adjacent acres.¹¹ The 1820 census shows eight members of the household engaged in agriculture, and none in commerce or manufacturing, while the 1840 census shows 10 engaged in agriculture, and none in mining, commerce, or manufacturing.^12,14
     Robert engaged in a partnership with his son-in-law, Quintus C. Atkinson, for "some years" before the partnership was dissolved on 1 Jul 1848. They jointly owned the Sailors Rest Furnace on Yellow Creek in Montgomery Co. and Dickson Forge, formerly Jackson Forge, on Yellow Creek in Dickson Co. Those ventures included about 15,000 acres in some 32 parcels in Montgomery, Dickson, and Stewart Counties, mainly for use as ore beds. There were also 43 slaves, a store, wagons and teams, carts and oxen, cattle and hogs, and a leather-tanning yard. The partnership also owned three lots in Memphis and an agency there for the sale of iron castings and merchandise. That venture included two more slaves. Under the agreement to dissolve the partnership, West kept all the furnace and forge business, including all the land, slaves, livestock, goods on hand, and debts owed the firm. Atkinson kept the Memphis property and business, including stock on hand, the two Negroes, Hastings and Simeon, and debts owed to that business.¹⁵
     Robert died in Nov 1851.¹⁰