Sgwhitney

Sidney Root

Nice work; Root has always been interesting to me. So, is his autobiography available to the public anywhere? I hope to see you around some more historical Atlanta articles! --Jolomo 18:13, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

More resources

Thanks for the link to your Sidney Root PDF -- I enjoyed reading it. Not sure if you saw this yet, but Google Books has Wallace Reed's 1889 history of Atlanta online.... check out Page 773 in the PDF for a 3 page biographical sketch of Root. It mentions a few more of his writings http://books.google.com/books?id=IpgO3_OF724C

Cheers --Jolomo 18:02, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks Jolomo

Jolomo, Thank you for directing me to Google Book Search and the digitized version of Wallace Putnam Reed's History of Atlanta, especially his 3 page biographical sketch of Sidney Root. I have incorporated some new bits of information into my own biographical sketch for my family history research published on line that was based on Root's own memoir, a copy of which is in my possession. Specifically, I learned the following from the Reed source to which you directed me: 1) the names of the two judges in the family of Root's wife, Mary H. Clarke, and the fact they were her brothers; 2) the full name of Root's business partner, Beach, referred to only as J.N. Beach in the memoir; 3)the exact role he played in the International Cotton Exposition; 4)his membership and role in the Southern Forestry Congress; and 5) more generally the reasons for his "honorable" reputation in Atlanta. Perhaps you can clear up one issue. Reed calls Root, "the Hon. Sidney Root." Is "honorable" in this context just a general term used for respectable gentlemen when Reed wrote his sketch, or does it have a more precise meaning? Again, thanks for your help. Sharon Whitney