Louis Wetzel Borton, son of Reuben Borton & Mattie Simmons, was born in Marion on May 31, 1883. His father was a Marion miller and manufacturer of essential oils in addition to serving as a county commissioner and city alderman. Since the 1890 census doesn’t exist there is a gap in his younger years but he is found for the first time in the 1900 federal census at age 19 living with his 65 year old grandmother, Mary Simmons, and 39 year old widowed mother Mattie in Carbondale, Illinois along with his younger brother William B. Barton attending school. The house was also host to five boarders. The temporary jump to live in Carbondale can be explained by the death of his father, Reuben, in September of 1889.
Continue readingDavid Tippy was likely born in the Carterville area of the county in 1870 to Martin Tippy and Mary L. Crain. He grew up in a farming family here in the county that for some reason tried to pick up roots and try life in Kansas. The family was found farming in the 1880 census in Bourbon, Kansas. At that time, his father was 34 and his mother 29, David then had two sisters Ella 3 and Zada aged 1.
Although there is no 1890 census to check on, the family appears to have returned to Williamson County by that time. On June 28, 1891, twenty one year old David married 19 year old Sallie L. Crain here in Williamson County. She was the daughter of Joseph Crain and Annie Corder.
Continue readingThe following biography was printed in Goodspeed’s History of Williamson County and published in 1887.
“Reuben Borton, miller and dealer in real estate, was born November 17, 1822 in Guernsey County, Ohio, the eldest of eight children (three deceased) of James Borton and Mariah Wilson Borton, the former of English origin, born in 1801, in Mount Holly, N.J., and the latter in 1802 in Loudon County, Va. In 1820 they were married in Guernsey County, Ohio where they were reared from childhood and the father here farmed and distilled essential oils, he died in 1864. The mother died in 1855. Our subject, educated in the home schools of his native county, married when twenty three and followed his father’s business. In 1850, he went to California and mined extensively, paying some men as high as $10 per day. He returned from Acapulco, Mexico City and Vera Cruz, Mexico via New Orleans to his native county.
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Edward Groves Sullivan was born May 27, 1868 near Thompsonville, Illinois in Franklin County to Thomas Sullivan and Mary Forester. The 1880 federal census recorded Thomas as a farmer who had 8 children including 11 year old Edward who was attending school.
Continue readingAccording to his Social Security death record, Elias Anderson McIntosh was born January 23, 1871 in Johnson County. His parents were Benjamin McIntosh & Sarah Swindle. In the 1880 census, his family was located in Southern Township of Williamson County and working as farm laborers. In the census, 9 year old Elias had two siblings Willie 5 and Eddie aged 2.
On February 14, 1891, 21 year old Elias who was listed as living in Creal Springs and working as a farmer married Julia Ann Carter, the 17 year old daughter of Solomon W. Carter & Eliza Ann Harold.
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