I am looking for a woman entrepreneur who made her fortune during the
American Civil War. I believe she was from the South. Her name was
something like Atalicia Auckland (spelling?) and she was married  3
times, rumored to be one of the richest women in the world at the time
and the first to initiate the Pre-nuptial agreement I've been told.

Dear umbrelladrinx-ga,

You were almost there. It is Adelicia Acklen 1817-1887 ? full name
Adelica Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham

This is an extract from her biography:
"Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham, 'the mistress of Belmont,'
was one of the wealthiest and most interesting women in antebellum
America [...] Joseph was a handsome attorney and a veteran of the
Texas Revolution, but he didn't quite sweep Adelicia off her feet; two
days before they were to be married, Adelicia presented Joseph with a
prenuptial agreement which stated that she would be sole owner and
final authority over all the properties she brought into the
marriage."
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7742953&pt=Adelicia%20Acklen

The Tennessee Historical Society also provides her biography.
http://160.36.208.47/FMPro?-db=tnencyc&-format=tdetail.htm&-lay=web&entryid=A001&-find=

This is the web site for Belmont Mansion which provides additional information.
http://www.belmontmansion.com/home.htm


This link will give you references in Amazon.com?s ?Search Inside?
feature and books which mention Acklen.
http://a9.com/%22Adelicia%20Acklen%22?pb=1


Other books appear on the Middle Tennessee State University?s
Biographical Index to Tennessee Women.

In The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture, edited by Carroll
Van West. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1998.

Brown, Mark. "Acklen, Adelicia (1817-1887)."

Dykeman, Tennessee Women, Past and Present, p.8.

Kaplan, Carol Farrar, and Livy I. Simpson. Remember the Ladies: Women
of Mount Olivet Cemetery. Nashville, Tenn.: C. Kaplan & L. Simpson,
1995.

Tennessee Historical Society, Distinctive Women of Tennessee: An
Exhibition. Nashville, Tenn.: The Society, 1985. 24; portrait, 73.

Wardin, Albert W., Jr. Belmont Mansion: The Home of Joseph and
Adelicia Acklen. Nashville, Tenn.: Belmont Mansion Association, 1989.

http://www.mtsu.edu/~library/wtn/bio/acklen.html


I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder

Search strategy
1850..1870 "first pre-nuptial" led me to find her name on
http://www.tms.org/Meetings/Annual-00/Annual00-Tours.html

"Adelicia Acklen"
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22Adelicia+Acklen%22&btnG=Search&meta=

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Request for Answer Clarification by umbrelladrinx-ga on 17 Feb 2005 10:01 PST

Thank you answerfinder! You rock!

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Clarification of Answer by answerfinder-ga on 19 Feb 2005 03:16 PST

Dear umbrelladrinx-ga,
Thank you for your rating, pleased I could help.
(No need to respond to this. It's just that your thanks are shown as
an outstanding clarification request if I don't type something here).
answerfinder-ga

Excellent. Great resources. I will definitely use this service again!