John William Kerr

1822 - 1910  (88 years)

• Name	John William Kerr
  Born	6 Jan 1822	Iredell County, NC
  Gender	Male
  Military Service	Co. H, 57th NC Infantry, CSA, as a Second Lieutenant.
  	John was an Elder of the Presbyterian Church. His obituary states that he was "one of Shelby's oldest and most esteemed citizens."
  Died	1 Dec 1910	Cleveland County, NC
  Buried	Sunset Cemetery, Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  Notes	John W. Kerr was born on January 6, 1822, in Iredell County, North Carolina. On May 29, 1849, he married Nancy Cornelia Warlick in Shelby, North Carolina. Together, they built a life that spanned farming, business, and hotel management. John was an elder of the Presbyterian Church, and his obituary later described him as "one of Shelby's oldest and most esteemed citizens." By 1860, Kerr was the proprietor of the Limestone Springs Hotel near Gaffney, South Carolina. The 1860 census listed his real estate value at $3,500 and his personal property value at $3,000. The hotel closed during the Civil War, and the building now stands as the oldest structure on the campus of Limestone College in Gaffney, SC. During the Civil War, John W. Kerr served as a Second Lieutenant in Company H, 57th North Carolina Infantry, Confederate States Army. He was wounded in battle, and like many Southerners, he returned from the war to find his financial situation drastically changed. The war had devastated the South, and he was no exception. Having lost much of his property and resources, he turned to farming as a means of survival. By 1870, the census listed him as a farmer in Draytonville, South Carolina, with no real estate and only $125 in personal property. The decade following the war remains somewhat of a mystery, as there is no known 1880 census record for him. It is unclear how he managed during this period, though it is believed that he operated several hotels. However, no records have been found to confirm where these hotels were located. At some point in the late 19th century, Kerr moved to Shelby, North Carolina, where he took over the Commercial Hotel. The hotel was later renamed The Shelby Hotel and was located where the Royster building now stands. Eventually, the hotel was reopened across the square. During the 1880s, Shelby was experiencing rapid growth due to the arrival of the railroad, which created new business opportunities. John W. Kerr's sons, Henry Kerr and Lee Kerr, along with their brother-in-law James Osborne Poston, were engaged in commerce under the name Kerr Brothers & Poston. Poston, who was married to their sister, was more than just a farmer, though the full extent of his business activities is unknown. By 1900, census records confirm that the Kerrs were involved in general merchandise sales. While they did make large purchases of guano (fertilizer) from a supplier in Baltimore, Maryland, between 1886 and 1889, it is unclear if fertilizer was their primary business or simply a part of a broader enterprise. On November 30, 1886, they purchased seven bags of fertilizer for $29.75 from the Southern Fertilizing Company in Richmond, Virginia. Additional records show repeated fertilizer purchases from a Baltimore-based guano company, suggesting they may have been selling it rather than using it themselves. The Kerrs and Poston were also involved in at least one major tobacco transaction. A receipt dated December 9, 1886, documents the sale of tobacco for $650 from an estate, though the estate name is unclear. On December 28, 1885, Lee Kerr and J. O. Poston signed a $17 note related to a tobacco warehouse in Shelby, North Carolina. This note also referenced a Superior Court case, suggesting a legal dispute over tobacco storage or ownership. It is possible that this transaction was a one-time investment or part of an estate settlement rather than an ongoing business interest. Beyond their business ventures, Henry Kerr made personal and household purchases in Shelby. In 1879, he made several purchases from Ware & Wells, including clothing, tobacco, a coat vest, a shirt front, a hat, and another vest. Between May and November 1879, he also bought buttons, ribbons, clothing, and tobacco from Borders & Wray, totaling $21.69, which was marked paid in full. As their business expanded, the Kerrs engaged in financial agreements with merchants and banks, some of which led to debt obligations and legal disputes. On November 4, 1887, Kerr Brothers & Poston signed a promissory note for $386.40, payable to the Baltimore Guano Company through the Franklin Bank of Baltimore. The note was protested for non-payment, holding Kerr Brothers & Poston liable. This document underscores the economic risks faced by Southern businessmen during the late 19th century, particularly when relying on credit and banking institutions for agricultural and commercial supplies. According to historical records preserved in the New Era newspaper out of Shelby, North Carolina, a local notice printed on March 28, 1888 (Page 3, Column 3) announced that Mr. J. W. Clarke was retiring as the long-time proprietor of the Commercial Hotel and was being succeeded by Mr. J. W. Kerr, who officially took charge of the establishment the following Sunday. In this same article, the editor vouched for Kerr's professional pedigree, explicitly describing him as a man "who, in ante-bellum days, was one of the most popular hotelists in South Carolina," ensuring the public that the hotel's reputation for comfort would be fully maintained under his care. By December 14, 1888, further print records show the business was officially rebranded as the Shelby Hotel, listing J.W. Kerr as the formal proprietor and successor to Clarke. By May 17, 1889, Kerr was running prominent advertisements for the business in the New Era, using the exact marketing text: "Shelby Hotel, SHELBY, N.C. : J. W. KERR, Proprietor. THE best furnished and best kept Hotel in the Western part of the State. Perfect satisfaction guaranteed." These original, scanned newspaper pages are fully verified and publicly accessible through the University of North Carolina's Digital Heritage Center (DigitalNC archives). By 1900, John W. Kerr was 78 years old and no longer had an occupation. The census lists his son Henry as a dry goods salesman, further confirming the family's focus on general merchandise rather than farming. John W. Kerr passed away on February 1, 1910, in Shelby, North Carolina, and was buried in Sunset Cemetery.
  Person ID	I747	myfamilytree
  Last Modified	24 Jun 2026

  
  

  Father	Robert Kerr,   b. 1 Jan 1794,   d. 13 Dec 1833  (Age 39 years)
  Mother	Barbara Warlick,   b. 14 Jan 1795,   d. 1 Dec 1873  (Age 78 years)
  Married	7 May 1818	Lincoln County, NC
  Family ID	F802	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Nancy Cornelia Erwin,   b. 5 Jul 1827, Lincoln County, NC ,   d. 11 Aug 1911, Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina  (Age 84 years)
  Married	1851
  Children	1. Robert E. Kerr,   b. 28 Jan 1850,   d. 9 Sep 1937  (Age 87 years)   2. Edward L. Kerr,   b. 15 Apr 1852,   d. 11 Aug 1927  (Age 75 years)   3. Caroline Kerr,   b. 7 Oct 1854,   d. 3 Apr 1941  (Age 86 years) + 4. William Henry Kerr,   b. 9 Feb 1857,   d. 28 Feb 1928  (Age 71 years)   5. Johnny Kerr,   b. 16 Nov 1860,   d. 6 Aug 1862  (Age 1 years)   6. Lee Kerr,   b. 20 Dec 1862,   d. 20 May 1934  (Age 71 years) + 7. Ellen Margaret Kerr,   b. 25 Nov 1864, Gaffney, Cherokee County, SC ,   d. 22 Feb 1940, Cleveland County, North Carolina  (Age 75 years)   8. Lilly Kerr,   b. 7 Aug 1867,   d. 28 Jan 1943  (Age 75 years)   9. Mary Kerr,   b. 7 Aug 1871,   d. 17 Nov 1886  (Age 15 years)
  Headstones		John William and Nancy Kerr Monument
  Last Modified	31 Aug 2023
  Family ID	F84	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

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  Born - 6 Jan 1822 - Iredell County, NC Buried - - Sunset Cemetery, Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

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  John William Kerr CSA Marker

  
  

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