Lineage - Jame’s father’s name is not known. He was raised along with his two brothers in his mother's home under her maiden name of Salts. He has been completely documented and his lineage is quite clear. He was the grandson of Daniel and Rebecca Ball Salts, his mother was Sarah J. Salts. I have lots of documents to support this finding and would be more than happy to share them with anyone who asks

1850 - Washington County, Tennessee Census101
SALTS, Daniel age 47 collecting officer TN
SALTS, Rebecca 55 VA
SALTS, Sarah J. 25 TN
SALTS, Nancy F. 18 TN
SALTS, James M. 5 TN
SALTS, Henry 23 blacksmith TN

1860 - Washington County, Tennessee Census103
SALTS, Daniel 55 day laborer TN
SALTS, Rebecca 68 day laborer Maryland
SALTS, Sarah 40 sewing and washing TN
SALTS, Nancy P. 35 TN
SALTS, James 15 Printer TN
SALTS, Newton A.11 TN
SALTS, Tennessee V. age 10 TN
SALTS, John W. age 2 TN

1870 - Goodson Township, Abingdon, Washington County, Tennessee440
James was working on his printer's apprentice. He can be found in household of:
SMITH, Albert C. 26 printer GA
SMITH, Judith D. 25 keeping house VA
SMITH, Alice 11 attending school VA
SMITH, Samuel 3 VA
SALTS, James M. 25 printer TN

1880 - Bristol, Sullivan County, Tennessee441
SALTS, James M. 35 printer TN TN TN
SALTS, Susan 26 wife keeping house VA TN VA
SALTS, Cora 6 dau TN TN VA
SALTS, Mary 4 dau TN TN VA
SALTS, Nannie 2 dau TN TN VA

1900 Sullivan County, Tennessee Census437
SALTS, James
SALTS, Sue June 1853 46 married @26 4 / 4 children TN Ire VA
SALTS [Breeding], Cora dau Aug 1873 26 m 8 yrs 3/3 TN TN TN [husband listed later]
SALTS, Mary dau Sept 1875 24 s TN TN VA
SALTS, Nannie dau June 1878 21 S TN TN VA
SALTS, Eulalie dau Dec 1898 1 S TN TN VA
BREEDING, Rufus W. son-in-law Aug 1861 38 m 8 yrs VA VA VA
BREEDING, Mary C. dau Oct 1892 7 TN VA TN
BREEDING, Rudd M. dau Nov 1894 5 TN VA TN
BREEDING, James J. son June 1897 2 TN VA TN

1910 - Beaver Creek Road, Sullivan County, Tennessee442
SALTS, James M. headd 65 m1 37 TN US US printer office
SALTS, Sue E. wife 56 m1 37 TN VA VA 4/4 children
SALTS, Nannie B. dau 32 S TN TN TN type writer office
SALTS, Eulalie dau 11 TN TN TN none

1920 - Sullivan County, Tennessee Census443
SALTS, James M. head 75 TN TN TN Printer / printing office
SALTS, Susan wife 65 TN VA VA
SALTS, Eulalie daughter 21 TN TN TN

1921, June 14th, Obituary - [a clipping that was found in Newton's family bible] - On this date, John Wesley and James Madison Salts were mentioned in the obituary of their brother, Newton A Salts. It said John was in Florida and James was in Kansas City, Missouri.

1927, June 20 - Death Certificate for James Madison Salts444
Particulars - Male, white, widower
Place of Death - Bristol, Sullivan County, TN
Born - 22 December 1844, Washington Co., TN
Parents - Unknown
Signed by - Eulalie Salts, Bristol, TN
Cause - Heart
Burial - 21 June 1927, Glenwood Cemetery, Bristol, Sullivan Co., TN
File No - 76
Registered No - 831

From:
Families and Histories of Sullivan County, Tennessee, Volume 1, 1779-1992

1288 James M. Salts
James Madison Salts (1844-1927), the son of Daniel Salts (c.1803-1817) and Rebecca Ball McCardle (c. 1795-1871) of Jonesboro, Washington County, Tennessee, came to Bristol in 1865 with publisher John Slack. James was a printer, the first for the daily newspaper that became the Bristol Herald Courier; he was also a charter member of Bristol Typographical Union Number 426.

In 1872 he married Susan E. Kerin (1854-1924), daughter of William Pierce Kerin Sr. and Mary Ann Doritha Burk. James M. and Susan E. Salts had four children: Cora May (1873-1950) married Rufus W. Breeding and had four children, Mary C., Ruby M., James J., and Emily H.; Mary Lee (1875-1963) married J. “Jack” Bacon; Nannie Byrd (1878-1941) married Dr. A.J. Kimmons; Eulalie (1898-1986) did not marry.

Highly regarded for his manner and personality and for his professional skills, Jim Salts was known to be a man of kindly disposition, a master of the printing trade always willing to help his associates. Because of his skill and esteemed qualities he was called “Doc”, a title bestowed on him out of respect and sentiment. He read widely and contributed to the paper’s columns as well as being involved in the mechanics of printing.

In his later years his long flowing beard gave him an appearance that has been described as picturesque and “patriarchal”. He was well known for his church and charitable activities. A newspaper clipping described him as “not addicted to rum, cigarettes or profanity.”
(Submitted by: Doris Jane Mauk Smith, 7901 Bennington Dr., Knoxville, TN 37909)

She has been identified by another researcher as Mary Emily Susan Kerin.