Annie Catlett McMahan was born January 6, 1881 in Sevier County to James Preston Catlett (1820-1894) and Nancy Matilda Mullendore (1844-1923). She was one of the youngest children of this second marriage for James Catlett and many of her elder half-siblings had passed away prior to her birth. Her twin brother Charles Catlett died at 13 years of age in 1894, just months after their father’s death.
She married Stanley McMahan (1883-1954), son of Miles Brazelton McMahan (1856-1914) and Mary Kate Chandler (1858-1915). Stanley, whose father served as the mayor of Sevierville from 1908-1909, was owner and operator of the Stanley McMahan Milling Company, located on Bruce Street across from the courthouse in downtown Sevierville. There were no children of this marriage.
Annie died on November 14, 1966 in Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee. She was laid to rest beside her husband in Shiloh Cemetery in Pigeon Forge.
The following scrapbook appears to have been originally account books from the Milling Company, which Mrs. McMahan bound together. In it, she covers many local, national, and international news stories from the 1920s-1950s. We see a glimpse into Annie’s world, her hobbies and interests, music, and the arts. We learn that she was an admirer of the silent film star Rudolf Valentino and mourned his early passing. She also admired President Lincoln and recorded the many commemorations of his life, presidency, and death, including the death of his last surviving child, Robert Todd Lincoln. She clips articles on the deaths of William Jennings Bryan and Queen Mary of Great Britain and follows the careers of Charles Lindbergh and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
In addition, she records the sudden passing of local politicians and leaders such as Dr. Z. D. Massey, Dr. J. B. DeLozier, Capt. W.W. Mullendore. She records the weddings of local debutantes.
