By Joseph Hamrick
Herald-Banner Columnist Jul 11, 2021
15 hrs ago
Bettina Zvanut, secretary and local history librarian for the Commerce Public Library, sent me another essay about the life of a family who made their mark in Commerce.
The following story details the lives of the Knight family, which included philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and farmers â and sometimes all three in one person. I think it is worthwhile to look back at the lives that helped shape this community into what it is today.
Here is her essay over the Knight family:
The Knight Family
Jonathan Thomas Knight, Sr. was born in Alabama on December 4, 1840. He married Susan Elizabeth, and, around 1860, they accompanied Jonathanâs parents to Winnsboro in Franklin County, Texas, where they farmed. When the Civil War broke out, Jonathan returned to Alabama to serve with the 448th Alabama Regiment and with the 11th Cavalry State Guard.