El Banco de San Ignacio

Felix R. Lanier was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 1829, the son of F. R. Lanier, a successful landowner.

Felix “was favored with exceptionally fine educational advantages, which he improved to the utmost extent, and after attending the common schools of Nashville he went to school at Randolph, and also to the Mountain Academy at Covington, Tenn., becoming thereby well equipped to fight his own way in the world. At the age of twenty years he went to Brownsport, Tenn., and built what was known as Brownsport Furnace, it being the first hot-blast furnace built in the State, and was for many years one of the largest furnaces in the State. After managing this successfully for about four years he sold out, and moved back to the plantation, on which he remained until the breaking out of the war between the States. In 1861 he was elected to represent the people of Mississippi County in the convention that passed the ordinance of secession, which convened the 4th of March, 1861, and in which the State was withdrawn from the Union, and Mr. Lanier signed his name to this ordinance. Only two copies are in existence, one of which he has in his possession, and keeps in a safe in Memphis. In company with the late Dr. Luke P. Blackburn, who was afterward governor of Kentucky, he volunteered as aid on the staff of Gen. Sterling Price, and it was but a short time until he was appointed inspector of mines and furnaces for the Confederate States, which position he held until he was captured at Selma, Ala., in April, 1865, by Gen. Wilson, from whom he succeeded in making his escape. He then, after the surrender of the Southern army, made his way home, which he reached without any means whatsoever with which to improve his farm and clear it of debt, it having become badly involved for security debts. He settled in Memphis, and engaged in the real estate business, in partnership with Mr. Monsarratt and Maj. R. C. Wintersmith, the firm taking the name of Monsarratt, Lanier & Co. They did exceptionally well in this business for a few years, then Mr. Lanier embarked in the oíl industry, establishing the Bluff City Oíl Company, the oíl being manufactured from the cotton seed. He remained in this business until he acquired sufficient means with which to clear his farm from debt - it being involved to the extent of $75,000 - and in 1885 settled on the old homestead, which he commenced to put in tillable shape once more, it having grown up to brush and wood during his absence. Since returning he has cleared about 300 acres in the home place and 130 acres in a farm adjacent. He employs about 100 people on his plantations. In 1882 he made a trip to Europe, in the interest of the cotton-seed oíl business, and visited all the principal cities of Great Britain - Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, on the North Sea, and took a pleasure trip to Paris. He investigated many of the cotton-seed oíl-mills of the old world, and says that they make much more oíl in Europe than they do in the United States, although they get the most of their seed from this country, Egypt and India. In 1855 he was married to Miss Martha Norvell, a daughter of Moses Norvell, a merchant of Nashville, Tenn., who died there the year before his daughter's marriage, followed by his wife a few years later. Mrs. Lanier died in Memphis, Tenn., in 1885, never having borne any children. Mrs. Lanier, the mother of our subject, died in 1884, at her son's home in Memphis. Mr. Lanier has always been active in politics, and is a Democrat in his views. He also belongs to the I. O. O. F., and for many years has been a member of the Episcopal Church"^{Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi County, Arkansas,1889}.

He died on 23 October 1907 in Nashville, Tennessee