From The History of Sumner County, Tennessee, published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887:

Cullen E. Douglass, a farmer of the Ninth District, was born May 29, 1825, in the district where he now resides. He is the fifth of six children born to William Howard and Sarah (Edwards) Douglass. The father was born in 1782 in Sumner County of Scotch descent; a farmer and at one time an extensive slave trader. He died July 8, 1834. His wife was born October 4, 1848, on the farm on which our subject lives. Her father came to the county at an early age. Mrs. Douglass departed this life March 5, 1865. The subject of our sketch married Miss Harriet Newell Bain April 4, 1848. Their union resulted in the birth of ten children, Henry E., Sarah E. (now Mrs. Brinck), William A., Eliza B., John R.B., Nannie, Delia, Juliet Glass (now Mrs. Zdanowitz), R.Edwards and Sophia. Mrs. Douglass was an estimable and energetic woman. Her death occurred December 20, 1862. our subject wedded Miss Mary E. Estes. Eight children were born to this union: Robert Estes, Harriet B. (deceased), J. Glass, Cullen E., Mary, William E., David and Irene. Mr. Douglass has been a school director, magistrate and commissioner for the poor for the past twenty years. For a number of years he has been an elder and deacon in the old school Presbyterian Church, to which is family all belong. He is a strict temperance man and never uses tobacco. He is a successful and enterprising agriculturist. His farm contains 260 acres of the mot productive soil. On his place was originated the noted Douglass peach. The farm is know all over the county as Variety Grove. Mr. Douglass was originally a Whig, acting his first vote for Henry Clay. He is conservative but takes most interest in the Prohibition party.