James Dixon Eckles was born in Petersburg, Virginia on August 19, 1874. After studying law at Washington and Lee University, Eckles lived in Norfolk before moving his legal practice to Black Mountain (Buncombe County) in 1909. Eckles served as the town's mayor and city attorney and represented Buncombe for one term in the general assembly (1919 to 1920). He died in Black Mountain on August 28, 1931.