JOHN R. PACE
Was born in Henry county, Virginia, the son of Greenville T. Pace,
who was born in that county, November 1, 1810, and who died on September
20, 1878. The mother of John R., Nancy W. Hughes, was also
born in Henry county, and died there, in 1844, at age of thirty-seven
years. In 1860, in Bedford county, he married Sallie A., daughter
of Leven B. Hagerman, who died in 1841, and Charlotte C. Michell,
who died May 30, 1888, aged eighty-five years. The children of Mr.
and Mrs. Pace are six. William G., Lizzie, James R., Mary, Sallie
and Lottie.
In his youth, Mr. Pace attended the schools of Henry county. He
commenced the tobacco business in Danville in 1851, in his father's
factory. In 1857 he was admitted in the business with his father under
the style of G. T. Pace & Son. During the war he served the Confederate
States in the quartermaster's department. After the close of the
war he began business again, in the manufacture of tobacco, under the
firm name of John R. Pace & Co., later on the firm name was changed
to Pace, Talbott & Co. Some five years ago, he retired from manufacturing
and went into the leaf tobacco business in his own name. In
1886 he commenced business as a special partner with his eldest son,
William G. Pace, and P. B. Gravely, in the manufacture of plug tobacco,
under the firm name of P. B. Gravely & Co., which business is still so
conducted, the firm manufacturing the old original and far-famed
"Peyton Gravely" brand tobacco, that was established in the year
1831. Mr. Pace was a number of years a member of the city council of
Danville, and is at this time president of the Citizens Bank of Danville.
