Hasten Poe - Born September 2, 1786 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Wife was Celia Briant.  Hasten took up a grant of land running five miles along Walden’s Ridge in what is now Hamilton County, TN and built a successful  farm with the help of son Samuel.  

Samuel P. Poe, son of Hasten and Celia Poe Married Mary Bryant. He  raised a regiment to fight in the Spanish American  but the war ended before They were ready to march.  

The cabin built by Hasten Poe in what would become Hamilton County Tennessee.  In 1819, an act of the Legislature designated Hasten Poe’s home to be used to hold all courts making the Poe Tavern the first courthouse of Hamilton County.  The foundation of this historic building is said to exist today being built over with modern improvements.  

John Hill Poe was the son of Samuel P. Poe and grandson of Hasten.  John married Sara Louise Bean, great great granddaughter of  Russell Bean, the first non-indigenous child born in what is now the state of Tennessee.  John and Sara had nine children six of which were born in the Poe Tavern in what is now Soddy Daisy, Tennessee.  The couple contributed greatly to the livelihood of the community and its people as they were active in its schools, churches, and day to day social  life.   

Sara Louise (Bean) Poe with daughter Martha Lee Poe

Sara Louise (Bean) Poe  and John Hill Poe

John and Sara Poe (Sara has her arms crossed and John is behind her).  This is believed to be some of John and Sara’s children and grand children taken in the early 1900’s.  note the automobile behind the group.  Two persons are lost in the smeared area in the top left.  This photo was most likely taken on the lawn of the Poe Tavern.  

Floyd Poe and his father,  John Hill Poe 

Bert and Floyd Poe, sons of John Hill and Sara Louise Poe

Floyd Poe and most likely the pastor of this small church in Daisy, TN.  As a young man during a revival in town Floyd promised the Lord in a prayer he would some day become a pastor.  Years later he kept his promise and became a minister. 

Left: The back of the photo is inscribed with “Compliments of Coke, Porter, and Myrtle.  This would be John and Sara’s son Coke Poe and his cousins  Samuel Porter Poe and Myrtle  C. Poe.  

Right: Garnett Copeland Poe, Sara Louise Poe, Marion June Poe, and Nellie Mae Poe.  Garnett was the son to Coke Poe and Grandson to John Hill and Sara Louise Poe.  Marion June was Garnett’s daughter with his wife Nellie Mae.  

Right: The Poe Cemetery in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee.  This cemetery contains the graves of many of the early Poes including Hasten and Celia, Samuel and Mary, John Hill and Sara Louise, and some of their children and siblings.  The cemetery is located near the site of the old Poe Tavern and it also contains the graves of unknown soldiers from the Civil War.  

Above from L to R: Floyd Poe and his father, John Hill Poe.  The woman could be Glenna (Rhul) Poe, Floyd’s wife, or it could be one of Floyd’s sisters.  

Sara Louise (Bean) Poe on the front porch of the Poe Tavern.

John Hill Poe and Sara Louise (Bean) Poe in front of the Poe Tavern home.

The Poe Tavern (above left) as photographed in the early 1800’s.   Subsequent photos taken in the early 1900’s after renovations; one to remove the front porch cover and one showing a different porch cover.   

Left: John Hill Poe


Right: Sara Louise (Bean) Poe with daughter in law and grandchild.  The third woman may have been one of John and Sara’s daughters. 

Martha Lee (Poe) Larrimore, with husband James Larrimore and their daughter Martha Poe Larrimore.  The Larrimores gave their daughter the same name as the mother with a middle name Poe.   Martha Poe Larrimore grew up to be an opera singer.  

L to R: James Larrimore, his wife Martha Lee (Poe) Larrimore, and her cousin, Garnett Copeland Poe.

Floyd Poe with two of the working mules on the Poe farm.  One of the mules had lost an eye and while the adults referred to it as a “one eyed mule” but the kids called it the “mule eyed mule”.  

Helen Poe told me of this child who was her cousin and how the child  had a guardian angel German Shepard that watched over her every move.  

Byron Copeland ‘Coke’ Poe and his wife Pearl Varner Card and their son, Garnett Copeland Poe.  Byron Copeland ‘Coke’ Poe died at the age of 29 leaving Pearl with a three year old son to raise.   The Card family came to Soddy Daisy from the northeast.  They were Union loyalists and the marriage between Pearl and Coke was contentious.  The Cards had bought their land sight unseen and when they arrived they found most of it to be on the side of the mountain and un-tillable.  They ventured into other businesses and became successful and well known in the valley.  After Coke’s death Pearl married Pete Lewis and She and Garnett moved away with Pete to Campbell County Tennessee then to Kentucky.  Pete and Pearl had two daughters.  

Garnett Copeland Poe with his wife Nellie Mae (Phillips) Poe and daughter Marion June Poe and Garnett’s grandmother Mary Ann (Varner) Card. 

The Card Family in front of the Card home in Soddy Daisy.  Second from the right is Garnett Copeland Poe and to his right is his mother Pearl Varner (Card) Poe.  Woman in the center with dark stockings is Garnett’s grandmother Mary Ann (Varner) Card.  

Family of Charles Parker Card.  Charles is in the center and Pearl Varner Card is the second one from the right in the first row.  

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