# Jere Baxter

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jere_Baxter
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jere_Baxter.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jere_Baxter
> Source revision: 1336519722
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Jere Baxter** (February 11, 1852 – February 29, 1904) was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician. He was the founder of the [Tennessee Central Railroad](/source/Tennessee_Central_Railroad).

## Early life

Jere Baxter was born on February 11, 1852, in [Nashville, Tennessee](/source/Nashville,_Tennessee).[1] His father, Nathaniel Baxter, was a politician and judge.[1] After graduating from [Montgomery Bell Academy](/source/Montgomery_Bell_Academy), he studied law.

## Career

Baxter went into legal publishing, issuing *The Legal Reporter*, the nine-volume bound compilation of which came to be commonly known as *Baxter's Reports*.[1]

Baxter founded the [Tennessee Central Railroad](/source/Tennessee_Central_Railroad) and helped found the communities of [South Pittsburg, Tennessee](/source/South_Pittsburg,_Tennessee), and [Sheffield, Alabama](/source/Sheffield,_Alabama).[1][2] He served in the [Tennessee State Senate](/source/Tennessee_State_Senate),[2] and unsuccessfully sought the [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nomination for [governor of Tennessee](/source/Governor_of_Tennessee) in 1890.[3][4]

Baxter had a very public argument with [Whitefoord Russell Cole](/source/Whitefoord_Russell_Cole) over the Tennessee Central Railroad in the early 1900s.[5]

## Death and legacy

Baxter died on February 29, 1904. [Baxter, Tennessee](/source/Baxter,_Tennessee), is named for him.[2] He was buried in [Mount Olivet Cemetery](/source/Mount_Olivet_Cemetery_(Nashville)).[6]

## References

1. [Col. Jere Baxter Dead](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1904/03/01/120265888.pdf), The New York Times, March 1, 1904, page 9

1. [Jere Baxter](http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=65) in the *[Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture](/source/Tennessee_Encyclopedia_of_History_and_Culture)*

1. [Buchanan Leads the Vote; Tennessee Democrats Meet at Nashville](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1890/07/16/103252991.pdf), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, July 16, 1890, page 1

1. [Buchanan for Governor; Tennessee Democrats Choose Him on the Twenty-fifth Ballot](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1890/07/19/106039903.pdf), *The New York Times*, July 19, 1890

1. Burt, Jesse C. Jr (January 1954). "Whitefoord Russell Cole: A Study in Character". *[The Filson Club History Quarterly](/source/The_Filson_Club_History_Quarterly)*. **28**: 28–48.

1. ["Imposing Funeral. Vast Concourse Pays Respect to Hon. Jere Baxter. Services at the Tabernacle. Between 4,000 and 5,000 Persons Gather in Large Auditorium--Many Beautiful Floral Designs Contributed--Laid to Rest at Mt. Olivet."](https://www.newspapers.com/image/119013865/?terms=%22Jere%2BBaxter%22). *The Nashville American*. March 2, 1904. p. 5. Retrieved May 25, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jere Baxter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jere_Baxter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jere_Baxter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.