L W Hooper, M D was born Feb 4, 1839, in North Carolina, and when twenty years of age came to Dandridge, Tenn. He received a good academical education, and read medicine with Dr J C Cawood, of Dandridge. He then graduated from Bellevue Medical College, of New York, and began his present successful career as a physician at Newport. Dr Hooper, it should be mentioned, has earned the money to educate himself by his own efforts. He is the oldest settler on the site of Newport. On April 21, 1870, he married Sarah E, a daughter of William Norton, a native of North Carolina. Both are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, in which he has been a deacon since the church at Newport was organized. He is a Republican, and a Master Mason, and is the youngest of fourteen children born to John and Margaret (Ledbetter) Hooper, natives of Georgia and South Carolina, respectively, and of German-English and English orgin. Absalom Hooper, the next ancestor, was a blacksmith, highly respected among the Indians, who gave him the name, "Steke Santone," i.e., "Little Keg", referring to his small stature. He was seven years in the Revolution, part of the time as cannoneer at Charleston, S C. Margaret Hooper's father was also a soldier of the war for Independance. Our subject's grandfather, Absalom Hooper, received two wounds in the Revolution, one in the knee which made him a cripple for life. His grandfathers were the first settlers of western North Carolina, and were only permitted to stay among the Cherokees by their being blacksmiths. His Grandfather Hooper made several hairbreadth escapes.

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