Hon. John E. McCall, attorney at law, of Lexington, was born at Clarksburg, Carroll Co., Tenn., in 1859, a son of Dr. Henry and Frances (Bowlin McCall. The father was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in South Carolina in 1817; when seveteen years of age came with his father, Andrew McCall, to Henderson County, settling in the Twentieth District. Andrew died in 1841. When about twenty Henry commenced the study of medicine; he graduated as an M.D. at Nashville University. He resided in Madison County at the time of his marriage; about 1850 he moved to Clarksburg, where he remained until his death, in 1880. Dr. McCall was for many years one of the leading and most skillful physicians and surgeons of Carroll County. His wife was of English origin, born in Alabama in 1827. She was the mother of seven children: Caledonia I., wife of L. F. Williams; George T., an attorney of Huntingdon; M. Jennie, wife of J. W. Scott; Patrick H., a dentist at Clarksburg; James C. R., county court clerk of Carroll County; Ella, and John E., whose literary education was received at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, which he attended for three years; in 1880 he begain to read law under direction of Judge Joe Hawkins; in 1888 he located at Lexington, where he commenced his practice.

Mr. McCall is an ardent Republican, casting his first vote for Jas. A. Garfield in 1880. In 1884 he was elector on the Blaine and Logan ticket for the Eighth Congressional District. In August, 1886, he was a candidate for attorney-general of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit; the Democratic majority is about 1,000, but Mr. McCall brought it down to 366, thus illustrating his popularity among his people. In November, 1886, he was elected Representative of Henderson County in the State Legislature; his opponent was the Hon. W, T. Logan, a gifted and able lawyer and eloquent speaker; they canvassed the county jointly, which resulted as above mentioned. Mr. McCall is one of the bright and shining lights of the profession, possessing unusual intellect and keen discernment, and is a courteous, genial gentleman. October 14, 1885, he married a daughter of Edward J. and Lula Timberlake, Miss Addie, who was born in Henderson County in 1864. They have one child, Addie. Mrs. McCall is a most estimable lady and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

Goodspeed History of Tennessee

(1859—1920) - McCALL, John Ethridge, a Representative from Tennessee; born in Clarksburg, Carroll County, Tenn., August 14, 1859; attended public and private schools and was graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1881; studied law in Huntingdon, Tenn.; was admitted to the bar in 1882 and commenced practice in Huntingdon; edited the Tennessee Republican in 1882; settled in Lexington, Tenn., in December 1883 and continued the practice of law; unsuccessful candidate for district attorney in 1886; member of the State house of representatives, 1887-1889; delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1888 and 1900; appointed assistant United States district attorney for western Tennessee in 1890, which office he resigned in 1891; unsuccessful candidate for nomination as Governor in 1892; elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895-March 3, 1897); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress; unsuccessful Republican candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 1900; collector of internal revenue for the fifth district of Tennessee 1902-1905; appointed United States district judge for the western district of Tennessee on January 17, 1905, and served until his death in Huntingdon, Tenn., August 8, 1920; interment in Forest Hill Cemetery, Memphis, Tenn.