Manly B. Blackburn was born in Watauga County, North Carolina, on August 21, 1858. Blackburn was a longtime resident of Boone, where he served as register of deeds, alderman, and court clerk before entering the private sector as a merchant and hotel proprietor. Blackburn championed progressive causes in education, transportation, and infrastructure improvements. He died in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 17, 1922.