These biographies were transcribed from Goodspeed’s Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton Counties. They are only the biographies for individuals who resided in Hall County Nebraska in 1890 whose surname starts with the letter T.
TAYLOR, B. Z.
B. Z. Taylor has been located in the State of Nebraska for the past eighteen years, and has proved to be a valuable citizen to Hall County, especially as far as farming is concerned. His farm, an exceptionally fine one, comprises 160 acres, every acre of which is tillable, under fence, and well improved by good buildings. He comes of old Virginia stock, and was born in the “Old Dominion” in 1847, being a son of B. F. and Catherine (McDonald) Taylor, who were born, reared and married in that State. In 1852 they emigrated to Illinois, and after a short residence in Edgar county move to Moultrie County, where they remained until 1881, then coming to Hall County. B. A. Taylor was reared and received a good common-school education in Moultrie County, and was one of two children who grew to manhood there. He enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, United States Army, and served until the time of his enlistment had expired, and September 28, 1864, received an honorable discharge. He followed farming in Illinois until 1872, then came to Nebraska and took up a claim where he still resides, but his first efforts in farming were a failure, as the grasshoppers destroyed his crops as fast as they came up. Somewhat discouraged he concluded to abandon his farm for a time, and removed to Iowa and teamed during the winter of 1874. In the spring of that year he came back to his farm, and his efforts have since continued to prosper. During his early settlement game was very abundant, and many enjoyable hours were spent by Mr. Taylor in hunting buffalo and deer. In 1883 he was united in marriage to Miss C. Bowden, who was born in Illinois in 1866, and by her he is the father of five children: Gertrude, Benny, Lettie, Leslie and Roy. Mrs. Taylor is a daughter of George and Mary (King) Bowden, the former of whom was born in England and came to the United Sates at the age of fourteen, locating in Grundy County, Ill. George Bowden left Illinois in 1877 for Texas, and came from there to Hall County, Neb., in 1879, where he lived until 1884, then moving to Custer County, Neb., his present residence. His people reside in Illinois, and his wife’s people in Hall County, Neb.
TAYLOR, Francis N.
Francis N. Taylor, farmer, Wood River, Neb. Prominent among the many enterprising and successful agriculturists of Hall County stands the name of Mr. Taylor, who was born in Moultrie County, Ill., in 1857, and who received his education in the district schools of that county. He was the youngest and only son in a family of four children born to his parents, and was left motherless at the age of four years. The father afterward married again. He was a millwright by trade, and followed that occupation during his latter years, although during the first part of his life he was engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a Whig in politics, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the four children born to his marriage, Francis N. is the only one now living. The latter attained his growth in Illinois, secured a fair education in that State, and was there married to Miss Mary Pugh, a native of Illinois, born in 1859. Five children are the result of this union: Mabel, Della, Francis E., Lulu and Clifford. Mr. Taylor followed farming in Illinois until 1880, then sold out and emigrated to Nebraska, where he purchased 130 acres of land in Hall County. He is now the owner of 180 acres, and has a fine river running through his land, which affords abundant water for his stock. He keeps a good breed of stock, and in the management of everything connected with his farm he displays excellent judgment and thoroughness, qualities which can not fail of success. In his political preferences he is a Republican, though no political aspirant, and throughout the county he has many friends, by whom he is well and favorably known.
THOMPSON, Andrew J.
Perhaps it is not to be so much wondered at that Mr. Thompson is possessed of such progressive ideas and tendencies regarding the management and conduct of his farm when the fact becomes known that he is originally from a community of intelligent and progressive agriculturists-Columbiana County, Ohio where he was born on April 15, 1845. He was the youngest of ten children, six now living, born to James and Nancy (Magee) Thompson, natives, respectively, of Baltimore, Md., and Allegheny, Pa., the former dying May 16, 1881, and the latter July 14, 1878. The paternal grandfather was Gen. Thomas Thompson, of Revolutionary War fame, and his wife was Rebecca Thompson. The maternal grandparents were John and Rebecca Ann Magee. Andrew J. Thompson spent his boyhood days on a farm in his native county, and at the age of fourteen years he accompanied his parents to Portage county, Ohio, and remained with them, assisting to till the home farm until he was eighteen years old, at which time he entered the Union army, becoming a member of Company I, One Hundred and Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war, participating, during this time, in nineteen battles under Gen. Sherman, among which may be mentioned Knoxville, Franklin, Nashville, Lookout Mountain, siege and battle of Atlanta, Fort Fisher and Fort Alexander. He was also with Sherman on his march to the sea, and July 1, 1865, he was honorably discharged at Salisbury, N. C., whereupon he returned to Portage County, Ohio, where he tilled the soil for three years. In 1868 he came westward to Muscatine, Iowa, and after farming there for one year removed to Vermillion County, Ind., and a few months later returned to his former home in Iowa. He continued to follow agricultural pursuits there until 1887, and the following year come to Hall County, Neb. August 23, 1870, he was married, in Muscatine County, to Miss Lora O. Deming, a native of Portage County, Ohio, born March 24, 1843, being a daughter of Donald and Roxana (Fitch) Deming, the former born in Hartford, Conn., April 11, 1795, and the latter in Coventry, Tolland County, Conn., August 14, 1805. They were married April 11, 1822, and became the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. Thompson was the youngest, six being now alive. The mother of these children died in Portage county, Ohio, March 1, 1868, and the father in Muscatine County, Iowa, August 17, 1870. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Thompson were Theron and Electa (Ensign) Deming, the maternal grandparents being John and Mrilla (Gregory) Fitch. Mr. and Mrs. Tompson have resided on the farm they now occupy ever since coming to the State, which comprises 160 acres of well cultivated land, and have proved themselves to be valuable residents of the county. They have three children: Sherman A., Allie L. and Lora M. Mr. Thompson is a Democrat, and invariably supports the men and measures of his party. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Thompson was engaged in teaching school, and in eight years taught twelve terms in Portage county, Ohio.
THOMPSON, Elmer E.
Elmer E. Thompson is the superintendent of public instruction for Hall County, Neb., to which position he was elected on the Republican ticket in 1889, and is now ably and successfully discharging the duties of this office. He was born in West Union, Fayette County, Iowa, June 3, 1860, and is a son of Alexander and Lavina (Foster) Thompson, both of whom were born in the “Buckeye State,” and removed to Iowa in 1859, where the father followed the occupation of cabinet-making and carpentering for many years. In 1873 he removed to Nebraska, and made a home for himself and family on a farm near Cairo. He and wife reared a family of three sons and two daughters, their names being as follows: Charles S. (cashier of a bank at Prove City, Utah), Will F. (a teacher at Wood River, Neb.), Alma E. (the accomplished wife of Hon. James Ewing, is now deceased) and Anna J. (who is one the county’s most successful educators). The paternal grandparents were Zachariah and Priscilla Thompson, the former a native of Scotland, who came to the United Sates when a young man, and was here married. Elmer E. Thompson spent his youth in following the plow on his father’s farm and in attending the district schools near his home, and, being intelligent and studious, he has soon a sufficient knowledge of the “world of Books” to enable him to engage in teaching, and by this means he was permitted to accumulate sufficient means with which to defray his expenses at college. He entered the seminary at College Springs, Iowa, and later the State Normal School at Peru, where he completed his education. He then applied himself to teaching, and has since devoted himself to this calling in Hall and adjacent counties, where he has become well and favorably known as an educator of ability. He has always ben an active Republican in politics, and socially is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the A. O. U. W.
THORPE, William
THORPE, Fred
William Thorpe is a member of the firm of W. & F. Thorpe, and is a native of Ohio, born in 1845, a son of Thomas and Eliza (Herron) Thorpe, who were born near Dublin, in County Wicklow, Ireland, being from the same neighborhood as Parnell, the agitator. They came to America with a family of small children and settled in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio, where they reared six of their ten children to maturity, five of whom are still living and three residents of Ohio. The father was a carpenter and builder by occupation, and about 1856 removed with his family to Canada and settled in the town of Guelph, Wellington County, where two of his children were born. After about fourteen years he returned to the States, and from that time until his death in 1887 resided at his old home in Ohio, he being about ninety years of age upon his demise. His widow, who was born in 1820, survives him and lives at Auburn, Ohio. Thomas Thorpe was reared by an uncle, a land agent, and he and his sister, Elizabeth, were remarkably well educated, being very fond of reading. The paternal grandfather, Fred Thorpe, was an officer in the English navy. William Thorpe, the immediate subject of this sketch, was educated in Ohio, Canada and Michigan, and in his youth served an apprenticeship at the miller’s trade, learning the details of the work in the last-named State. After following this occupation on his own responsibility at Buchanan for some five years, he went to Ohio and settled near his old home, which was prior to his parents return, and worked as journeyman there for three years. He then bought a mill of his own at Auburn, but eleven years later, in 1881, came to Nebraska, and built the present Atlantic Mills at Wood River. He was joined by his brother in March, 1882, and their mill is now capable of turning out 100 barrels of flour per day, which is of an excellent quality and gives the best of satisfaction wherever used. Their mill is fitted up with the roller process and is in other respects very complete. He still owns his mill property at Auburn, Ohio, but as it has always made a living for the family he leaves it in possession of a younger brother. He also owns a steam circular saw-mill and two dwellings there, which are now very valuable property. Fred Thorpe, one of the proprietors of the above-named mills, and also the proprietor of the Commercial Hotel of Wood River, was born in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1848, and went with his parents to Canada, where his education was received. During the Civil War in this country he returned to the United States, and settled at Woonsocket, R. I., where he worked for some time for a cattle dealer, and later became connected with an oil firm in Boston. At the end of one year he went to Chicago, Ill., and was first in the employ of S. W. McBride & Co., and later with another firm, being superintendent of oil works all this time, but in March, 1882, he came to Nebraska, and became associated with his brother in the flour mills of Wood River. He opened the Commercial Hotel of this place in 1885, which is one of the best establishments of the kind in the town, and besides this property is the owner or several town lots, 160 acres of land, and a one-half interest in the mill, which alone is worth over $27,000. Although a Republican in politics, he is not a partisan, and socially is a member of the K. of P. and the I. O. O. F. In 1872 he was married in Chicago, to Mrs. Shelton, a widow with one daughter, Annie M., who is now the wife of E. A. Wedgwood, of Grand Island. Mrs. Thorpe was born in Quebec, Canada, and is of Irish descent. These gentlemen by their many excellent qualities have succeeded in establishing a large and remunerative trade, which the excellent quality of their product fully justifies, and they are safe, reliable and upright men of business.
Source: Goodspeed brothers. Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state: a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties… Chicago: The Goodspeed publishing co., 1890.
Back to: 1890 Hall County Biographies
Back to: Hall County Nebraska History and Genealogy Project