William Smith Simmons was born on May 22, 1809 in Rutherford County, North Carolina.[1] He moved to Georgia in 1832.[2] On July 19, 1839, he married Ann Elizabeth Richardson, the daughter of prominent Cave Spring citizen Armistead Richardson.[3] At the time of the marriage, Simmons was 29 and Ann was 19.
The same year he married, Simmons purchased the first 120 acres (lots 860, 797, 798) of what would become the William S. Simmons Plantation from his father-in-law. The following year, Simmons purchased lot 869 from Richardson and lot 859 from Hosea Camp increasing the size of his plantation to 200 acres. He and Ann also welcomed their first child, Richard T. Simmons, in 1840.[4]
In 1843, William and Ann became parents to a daughter, Rebecca Lloyd Simmons. In October of 1845, their second son, Armstead Richardson Simmons, was born. Young Armstead survived only a few months before passing away in June of 1846.[5]
Less than a year later, Simmons acquired the final piece of his plantation. In May of 1847, Simmons bought lot 870 – where the current home stands – from Hosea Camp. The purchase of lot 870 increased the size of Simmons’ plantation to 240 acres.
Simmons fourth child, William, was born sometime in 1847.[6]
Simmons owned lot 870 for less than eight months before selling the entire plantation to Carter Sparks in late December of 1847. His wife Ann died July 24, 1848, just a few months after he sold the plantation.[7]
Simmons later married Emiline Stith.[8] After Simmons remarried, Armistead Richardson took his grandchildren Richard, Rebecca and William into his home.[9]
Simmons resided in Cave Spring until his death on April 5, 1852 from typhoid fever. The death notice described him as one of the county’s “most useful and enterprising citizens” and as “an affectionate and devoted husband, father, brother, master.” He was further noted to be a “true and blameless Christian.” In the notice, the author wrote, “it is not strange that one so much endeared to all should be so universally regretted when thus cut down in the vigor of manhood.”[10] Another obituary described him as a devout Methodist whose religion “sustained and comforted him in sickness and enabled him in pious resignation and triumph to commit his spirit to the God he had endeavored so faithfully to serve”. Remembering him as an efficient and truly exemplary official member of the Methodist Church, the author wrote that “In the death of Mr. Simmons, the Church and community have lost a most valuable member whilst to his family, his loss is irreparable.” The obituary further states his eldest son Richard had died from typhoid fever as well a few weeks prior at age 12.[11]
Simmons is buried in Cave Spring Cemetery.[12]
Simmons and Emiline are known to have had one child, William Smith Simmons[13], born September 7, 1852, five months after Simmons’ death.
[1] https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/K4PM-7RW
[2] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6459676/william-smith-simmons
[3] "Georgia, Marriages, 1808-1967", FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FW8Y-2T5 : 11 January 2020), William J. S. Simmons, 1839.
[4] https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/sources/GDYP-Z2W
[5] "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV3-CPT5 : Tue Apr 01 09:24:41 UTC 2025), Entry for Armstead Richardson Simmons, 1846.
[6] "United States, Census, 1850", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZYG-7S7 : Tue Jan 21 13:01:30 UTC 2025), Entry for Wm Simmons and Richard T Simmons, 1850.
[7] "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV3-CPTP : Thu Apr 03 00:45:07 UTC 2025), Entry for Ann Elizabeth Richardson Simmons, 1848.
[8] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6432911/emeline-simmons
[9] The Book of Richardson by Mrs. Pattie Stone (compiled 1926). Family history located in the special collection of Cave Spring Library.
[10] Rome Courier, April 08, 1852, Image 2: https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn86053108/1852-04-08/ed-1/seq-2/
[11] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6459676/william_smith-simmons
[12] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6459676/william-smith-simmons
[13] https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/KHC4-ZNZ