Joseph D. Askew, of the firm of R. W. Swett & Co., merchants at Spring Creek, was born in North Carolina in 1842, and came to Tennessee with his father when two years old. The father, Alexander Askew, was born in North Carolina. The mother, Martha (Watford) Askew, was born in North Carolina, and is the mother of eleven children, and our subject is the only one living. The father died in 1873, his widow following him in 1876. Our subject was reared on a farm and remained until 1856, when he came to this village and began clerking, remaining until May, 1861, when he enlisted in the Confederate service, and remained until May, 1865. He was wounded while on the skirmish line near Mount Pleasant, Tenn., which rendered him unfit for duty seven weeks; he also received a slight wound caused by a falling limb during the battle of Shiloh. In July, 1865, he began merchandising in this village, the firm being Haughton & Askew, and continued until 1869, when he sold out and returned to his farm, and in 1873 he resumed business at this place, and with the exception of a few4nonths continued up to the present time. In 1865 he married Mary J. Haughton, of this village, daughter of Geo. W. and Harriet (Barnett) Haughton. She was born in this place in 1844, and is the mother of four children - one daughter and three sons - of whom the three sons are deceased. He owns in this county about 1,100 acres of good land. The Askew family are of Scotch-Irish descent; in politics he is strictly Democratic.

Goodspeeds History of Tennessee