Colonel Alfred Benjamin Person was born July 27, 1847 in Tishomingo, Tishomingo County, Mississippi, the son of A.G. & Thursey Person, according to the 1850 Mississippi census.  The 1880 census shows him living with his parents & siblings in Corinth, Mississippi and his occupation listed as "lawyer"; Col. Person graduated from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and began practice of law at Purdy, Tennessee in 1871.  He married Celia Lee Ingraham, daughter of John S. Ingraham & Margaret Peggy Waldrup, on May 11, 1873 in McNairy County, Tennessee; to this union were born one son and two daughters ~ Harry Luther, Clara Flora and Pearl.
The young couple moved to Denison in 1873; in the early days of Denison, he served three terms as City Attorney.  Col. Person practice his profession in Denison, being particularly successful in the conduct of important criminal cases.

TEXAS DICTATIONS (Grayson County.) 1887.
H. H. Bancroft Collection
Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley
Department of Texas
L. S. Hatch, Manager

Denison TX
June 23, 1887

Taken from A.B. Person, Atty at Law

Mr. Person was born in Corinth, Miss., 27 July 1842. Parents were old residents of Miss. Father was a general trader in Corinth. Mr. Person was born on a farm near Corinth, remained in the village near where he was born until 1859. The war broke out just at the time he should have been going to school and [he] had to receive the most of his education at home. In 1869 or 1870 he went to boarding school at the University of Virginia. After leaving school he went to Penn. and commenced practicing his profession.
He remained there until May 13, 1873, when he came to Denison and commenced practicing his profession, being the first lawyer to locate in this town. Mr. Person commenced the practice of his profession without anything and is now doing a splendid business, and practice is continually increasing. Mr. Person is prominently located and owns an elegant residence.
Was married May 15, 1873 to Miss Ingram of Tenn. Have three (3) children, 2 girls and 1 boy.

Clara Flora was born May 1875 in Denison, Texas.  Erwin J. Smith was again married in Denison in July 1905, to Miss Claire L. Person, daughter of Col. A. B. Person, one of the old lawyers here, she being practically reared in this city.
Harry Luther was born December 21, 1877 in Denison, Texas.  He married Blanche Butler VanHoesen in 1904.  Harry died January 4, 1931 in Los Angeles, California.
Pearl Person was born June 1880 in Denison, Texas

The family resided in Denison, Texas according to the 1880 and 1900 Grayson County, Texas.  

Denison Daily News
Tuesday, January 6, 1880
pg.3

A.B. Persons
Attorney-at-Law

The gentleman whose name is at the head of this article is one of the most distinguished, eloquent and successful candidates at the bar.  He was one of the first to cast his lot with our young and growing city.  While hundreds have come and gone, being unable to gain a foothold, Mr. Persons has, by his persistency, superior attainments, and straight forward course, advanced to the front rank in the profession.  No attorney in Denison has a larger practice, and certainly none are more deserving of success.  If the records of the courts in this city, Sherman and adjacent points could be examined, it would be found that Mr. Persons is perhaps the most successful attorney in Denison.  He is a clear and forcible speaker, and never fails to bring out the strongest points that can be adduced in favor of his client.  Mr. Persons keeps pace with the times.  He is a hard student, and has one of the most complete libraries in the city.  The gentleman has occupied a number of positions of public trust.  He is at the present time our city attorney.