Horace Maynard was born on August 30, 1814, in Massachusetts. A graduate of Amherst College, he taught at East Tennessee College, later the University of Tennessee. Also a lawyer, he was counsel for the establishment of Union County in 1850, and Maynardville was named in his honor. Elected to Congress in 1857, he served until 1863. After the Civil War, Maynard was reelected to Congress in 1866 and served until 1875, when he was appointed Minister to Turkey. United States Postmaster General from 1880 to 1881, Maynard died in Knoxville on May 3, 1882.