When I research William Reade Rucker, the term ‘honorable’ always comes to mind.
At age 30, William was mayor of Murfreesboro from 1822 to 1823 in an exciting day when our town was state capital of Tennessee; and all was moving along in relative peace.
William was born on May 20, 1792, near Lynchburg, Virginia to the Rev. James and Nancy Reade Rucker of Amherst County, Virginia. He immigrated to Rutherford County as an infant and made this soil his lifelong home.
His father, James, owned vast parcels of land in the county. William had 11 siblings, including Samuel, a Jeffersonian Democrat, who also served as mayor of Murfreesboro in 1826.
William’s grandparents were pioneers Benjamin and Elizabeth Rucker. Moreover, he was in the family lineage of John and Peter Rucker, who were all-important in the historical annals of Virginia and Tennessee.
My favorite story regards Williams’ great-great-great grandfather, Peter Rucker Sr, who was born in 1675. He was (continue reading at Daily News Journal)