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BIOGRAPHIES
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)
Source:
Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio
and Representative Citizens.
Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago,
Illinois -
1903
JAMES TAYLOR, a
prominent farmer and stock raiser of Wheeling township, Belmont
County, Ohio, is a representative of two old and highly regarded
families of both Pennsylvania and Ohio. He is a son of
William and Margaret (Gillespie) Taylor, formerly of
Pennsylvania, later of Guernsey County, Ohio.
The Taylors came originally
from Ireland, the great-grandfather of James Taylor of
this sketch having been born in that land and later becoming the
founder of the family in Washington County, near Burgettstown,
Pennsylvania. The Gillespies also came from Ireland,
Grandfather James Gillespie either having been
born in that land or upon the ocean during the voyage to the United
States. The Taylor family settled in Knox County,
Ohio, at a later date, and there the children of Grandfather
John Taylor were born, removal being made to Belmont
County in 1824.
Grandfather John Taylor
married Mary McNaught prior to leaving Pennsylvania, and in
1824 they came to Wheeling township and in 1825 settled upon the
farm which our subject now owns. This farm was entered by
William McWilliams under a patent deed and was sold later
to John Taylor, by whom it was cleared with the
assistance of his sons. At the time of location, the country
was still unsettled, wild animals still being seen in the forests
and equally dangerous savages still menacing life and property.
Those were days in which men went prepared to meet a foe in every
stranger. A little incident, which remained fresh in the mind
of Grandfather Taylor through life, exemplifies this
in a marked degree. He was a man of powerful physique, and was
always alert and watchful for attacks from Indians, which were still
frequent. One day he sat in his house cobbling a pair of
shoes, in which business he was using a sharp leather knife, when a
rap at his cabin door was heard and when, with knife in hand, he
unfastened the latch he was confronted with a rifle in the hands of
an individual dressed in coon skins. Taken completely by
surprise, when the stranger lunged at him Mr. Taylor
sprang upon the supposed Indian and slashed his coat from one side
to the other, barely escaping making a serious wound. However,
no copper-skin appeared under the clothing, and he was horrified to
find that he had almost killed a cousin, Thomas Raiffe,
who had played a rather dangerous practical joke. He lived to
see the savages disappear from his lands and to see a part of the
wonderful development of this garden spot of Belmont County. John
Taylor was born October 1, 1783, and died in 1861. His
children were these: Thomas, born April 21, 1807;
Elizabeth. born January 20, 1809; John, born October 5,
1810, died March 30, 1896; Margaret, born January 26, 1813;
Nathaniel, born December 15, 1814, died September 3, 1889;
William, born August 1, 1817; Henry, born April 5, 1822,
and Sarah Jane, born October 7, 1825.
William Taylor, the father of
our subject, was a man of high moral character and was well educated
for his time and locality. On March 11, 1840, he married
Margaret Gillespie, and they had three children born to
them, namely, John, who died at the age of six years:
James, the subject of this review, and Henry, born May
16, 1845. Both he and wife were members of the Associate
Reform Church in which he was an elder, as his father had been
before him, later becoming attached to the United Brethren religious
body. The farm of 160 acres which had been the property of
John Taylor is now owned by Henry and
James Taylor. The father and his two sons lived on
and operated the old farm of nearly 300 acres, Henry
remaining at home after marriage. William Taylor died
August 28, 1893, his wife dying many years previously, on February
18, 1882.
James Taylor was born on January 4, 1843,
and on September 1, 1864, at the age of 21 years, he married
Sarah Louisa Thompson, daughter of Samuel L. Thompson, of
Morgan County, Ohio. The four children born to Mr. and Mrs.
Taylor are: Emmet A., born August 24, 1865, was married
May 14, 1899, to Nellie Coleman, and resides near his father,
engaged in farming; William, born October 6, 1868, on March
18, 1896, married Maggie I. Walker, and has three children;
Mary, born December 25, 1875, died June 5, 1883; and
Nannie L., born November 23, 1879, who resides at home.
Mr. Taylor's farm is located in the coal and oil belt and
is regarded as one of the most desirable in Wheeling township.
He engages in farming and stock raising and has been very successful
in both lines. The family is one which has commanded respect
and esteem for many years, and Wheeling town ship has no more useful
citizen than James Taylor.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio
and Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago,
Illinois - 1903 - Page 658 |
JOHN W. TERRILL, ex-postmaster of
Martin's Ferry, Belmont County, is now engaged in newspaper work at
No. 512 West Washington street in that city. He was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio, August 28, 1858, a son of George W. and Amanda
(Hopkins) Terrill, the former a native of Pomeroy, Meigs County,
Ohio, where his birth occurred February 11, 1831, and the latter a
native of Florence, Pennsylvania, born May 11, 1837:
Our subject's father was united in marriage with
Amanda Hopkins September 24, 1857, and they had eight children,
John W. being the eldest. The others were: Walter, now of
Homestead, Pennsylvania; Carrie (Mrs. Henry Kries), who resides
with our subject's mother; Lida, a saleslady in the store of
George E. Stifle, of Wheeling, for many years; George, still
single, who resides with his mother and is a glass worker; Mollie,
the wife of Irwin McKelvey, a son of A. T. McKelvey;
Aldin, living at the old homestead, a steel worker by occupation;
and Wilbur, also living at home, timekeeper at the steel works.
The father of these children died September 15, 1891, but his widow
still survives.
John W. Terrill, our subject, obtained his education in the
schools of Covington, Kentucky, and subsequently engaged in work at
the rolling mills at Wheeling and Martin's Ferry, and also in
Pittsburg, his first position being secured at the last mentioned
place, He was in the rolling mills until 1887 and then for some time
followed painting, which trade he learned during the time he worked at
the mills. After abandoning this, he took up newspaper work, and has
continued along journalistic lines to the present time.
In 1890 Mr. Terrill became interested to
some extent in politics, and his first office was clerk of Pease
township, in which he served two terms,—from 1890 until 1894. During
President Cleveland's administration he was appointed postmaster of
Martin's Ferry, and served from 1894 until 1898, the last two years
under President McKinley. Mr. Terrill
always takes an interest in the actions of the Democratic party, with
which his preference lies. Since 1898 he has been engaged in painting,
and later in newspaper work to the present writing. He was a resident
of Wheeling from 1870 until 1880, the date of his removal to
Pittsburg, and spent but two years in the latter city before making
his home permanently in Martin's Ferry, Ohio.
April 3, 1879, our subject was united in marriage with
Margaret McHenry, a daughter of Josiah and
Angeline (Coss) McHenry, and a granddaughter of
David Coss. The McHenrys are one of the old
families of Belmont County, and were contemporary with the Zanes.
Mr. McHenry was proprietor of the ferry for years
after Mr. Martin had ceased to run it, and was marked as
a man of integrity and ability. Mrs. Terrill's father
was a native of West Virginia, and was for many years foreman and
manager in the mills of Martin's Ferry. . His wife was born in that
city and both were honored by all in their community. They reared a
family of six children, Airs. Terrill being the eldest child.
Mr. and Mrs. Terrill have been blessed with nine
children, namely: Nellie M., still at home; Mary
Angie, a clerk in the Post Office; Chester W., a graduate
of Parkview School, West Virginia, in the class of 1901; Jennie G.;
Walter L., a painter; Percy M., a clerk; John
Ross, Lida Marie and Margaret A. Mary
Angie became a clerk in the Post Office during her father's term
of office there, having just been graduated from the Martin's Ferry
High School at the age of 16 years, completing both classical and
scientific courses. At the present time she is money order clerk, and
is efficient in her work. Walter L. is now engaged in the
painting business. Percy M. is now a salesman in one of the
stores of Pleasant Valley
Mrs. Terrill is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and the family also attend that church. In fraternal
circles Mr. Terrill has passed through all the chairs of
the Knights of Pythias organization, and is one of the charter members
of Welcome Lodge, A. O. U. W. Both our subject and his wife are widely
known and well respected in Belmont County. |
DR. WILLIAM ESTEP THOMPSON
was born Jan. 2, 1855. He graduated at Cleveland, Ohio, from
the medical department of the University of Wooster in 1887.
For four years after his graduation, he practiced medicine at
Loydsville, Ohio. He then took a course at the New York
Polyclinic, and removed to St. Clairsville, where he practiced until
1900. Dr. Thompson is a conscientious and faithful
practitioner. He seeks to do the best he can for those under
his care. He is a great lover of farm life, and, having
capital invested in farm lands, he devotes much time to agricultural
affairs.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 149 |
NOTES: |
