USA > Georgia > Wilkinson County > History of Wilkinson County > Part 51
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Jennie, m. Jan. 5, 1896 Abel J. Dominy and their children are : John Roberson, m. Miss Ira Pearce, of Americus, and holds a de- sirable position with the Southeastern Express Co., of Atlanta: Edward Perry, m. Grace Grant, of Homestead, Fla., and as em- ployee of Dr. P. Phillips Co., of Orlando, Fla., has charge of a very large fruit packing plant; William Jackson, m. Miss Ethlene Smith of Dublin and also holds an excellent position in the same company with his brother, Edward; Harold Hardy, d. May 17, 1924.
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Claude, the youngest daughter of J. J. Stanley, married Oscar J. Wright July 28, 1906. Their children are : Eva (m. William P. Greene of Shelby, N. C. Oct. 20, 1929) ; Gladys, and Kate, the two latter holding very responsible positions with Sears, Roebuck & Co., of Atlanta, and with which two nieces our subject is now making her home.
HERBERT EUGENE STEPHENS
Herbert Eugene Stephens was born at Tennille, Washington County, Ga., Sept. 17, 1888, son of James B. and Virginia (Pope) Stephens. He graduated at the Tennille Institute in 1907 and soon thereafter entered the employ of the Tennille Banking Co. as As- sistant Bookkeeper. In January, 1908, he accepted a position with the Bank of Girard, Georgia, where he remained until October of that year when he returned to his former position with the Tennille Banking Company, soon being promoted to head bookkeeper.
He held this place until November 15, 1910, when he came to the Wilkinson County Bank at Toomsboro as Cashier.
As a banker, Mr. Stephens has made a phenomenal success during the nineteen years in this institution. He took hold of a bank with a $15,000 capital in 1910 and since that time it has paid out in divi- dends the sum of $47,500 in cash. including a stock dividend of $10,000. The capital, surplus and undivided profits now amount to $32,000. His unceasing activities in behalf of the bank has in- spired a confidence in its strength unsurpassed by any country bank in the state. The periods of depression and panic which it has suc- cessfully weathered, and from which it has always emerged with an increase in deposits, when banks in other sections were closing their doors, have tested the confidence in the institution.
Mr. Stephens' ability as a financier was again tested during the year 1919 to 1924, while serving as Chairman of the Wilkinson County Board of Education. He advocated the budgeting of the school funds and each year was a member of the Budget Commit- tee. So successfully did this plan work that the board was always able to pay its teachers promptly every month, and the school sys- tem of Wilkinson was considered one of the best in the state, and so pronounced by the state authorities.
In October, 1927, he was again elected a member of the County
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Board of Education. Immediately after entering upon his duties, he, with the other members, set about devising plans towards reducing the $18,000 indebtedness of the Board of Education, and putting the operation of the schools on a better basis. Already they have re- duced the indebtedness more than one-half and have put on trial a county-wide system of consolidation of schools, such as is meeting with success in many other counties.
MIr. Stephens has also served for twelve years on the local school board at Toomsboro, and has been unceasingly active in its upbuild- ing. He found it a two-teacher school, able to run but a few months in the year. After repeated efforts a local tax was voted. Later, the district was enlarged and a bond issue was carried. After the house was built the school grew so rapidly that another bond issue was voted and additional rooms were added. But for his tireless energy and that of some others the school would not have attained its pres- ent excellence.
In addition to this Mr. Stephens has always been in the forefront in every movement for the betterment of the county, is a strong ad- vocate of good roads, a County Agent, etc. A few years ago when the Toomsboro Chamber of Commerce was organized he was chosen its President. He has served for fourteen years on the Town Council of Toomsboro. In 1912 he purchased the Wilkinson County Banner Newspaper and for four years operated it with La- mar S. Tigner as Editor, later selling out to the Bulletin.
Mr. Stephens is by far one of the most active Baptists in Georgia, having been a member since the age of twelve. He has served as Clerk of the Toomsboro Baptist Church since 1912. In 1922 he and Dr. A. D. Ware were the only two adult male members, but they began the agitation of the question of building a church and soon had it completed. As soon as the house was built in 1922, he helped organize a Sunday School and was elected Superintendent which position he still holds. He is likewise an active member of the Executive Committee of the Ebenezer Baptist Association and was elected Treasurer of the Association in 1929.
Mr. Stephens was married June 7, 1916, to Miss Mayme Hughes, the daughter of Heyward D. and Emma (Hughs) Hughes (see sketch). They have two daughters: Martha Hughes Stephens and Mary Eugenia Stephens. Mrs. Stephens was born in Irwinton and has a deep love for the place of her childhood where
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she has numerous friends. She makes a most capable mother and efficient home-maker, besides taking great interest in the Church, School and Robert Toombs Chapter U. D. C. of which she served for several years as Vice-President.
JOSEPH ALEXANDER STOKES
Joseph Alexander Stokes, son of Wm. H. and Margaret E. Lee Stokes was born October 3, 1871, in Twiggs County, McDonald's Dist., on Big Sandy Creek. His father was born in Stokes County, N. C., in 1826, his mother in Laurens County, Ga., in 1836. His paternal grand parents-Freeman Walker and Elizabeth Melton Stokes-were born in North Carolina in 1807.
His father was prominently connected with public life in Twiggs County, was sheriff for sixteen years and held other offices of public trust. On the second day after his death, W. A. Davis, cotton commission factor of Macon, Ga., and Grand Master of the Ma- sonic Grand Lodge of Georgia, remarked that of all his business acquaintances he was the most prompt and that his son Joe was a chip off the old block.
In November, 1889, he was united in marriage to a Wilkinson County girl, Miss Louisa Ryle, of sterling worth and character. Her business-like qualities have contributed to, not only domestic hap- piness, but as a true help-meet to economic success. To their union were born three sons and four daughters,-in order of age: John Thomas, Joseph Emory, Myrtle, Eva Mae, Ruth, Wm. Harbard and Nina.
Joseph remained on the farm until after the death of his parents. He first came to Gordon in 1907, residing one year, then moved back to the farm. Three years later having consummated a business deal with W. A. Jones, returned to Gordon and has been identified with every interest characteristic of good citizenship. He is at present Mayor of Gordon for the term expiring Dec. 31, 1930. All of his children, except one, are residents of Gordon and actively engaged in pursuits related to social, cultural and economic pros- perity of the community. John T., the oldest son is a veteran of the World War, having spent several months in France.
Mr. Stokes and all of his children are prominently connected with the Methodist Church, he, himself, having served officially in some
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capacity for nearly forty years. He has never been an addict of profanity, knows nothing of the personal effects of whiskey and tobacco. He has been guided by high ideals of domestic fidelity, loyalty to constituted authority, church and state, with an inherent disposition of justice and good will to every man.
(By Freeman L. Stokes)
LAMAR S. TIGNER
Although the Tigner family is not one of the pioneer families of Wilkinson County yet Lamar Tigner has spent by far the greater part of his life here and so completely has his whole being merged and become a part that we are proud to claim him as our own. He came here first in 1904, taking charge of The Bulletin, and though at times since he has been away the lure of Wilkinson has always drawn him back.
"Tig," as he is fondly known to the people of the county, is loved as perhaps none other. His friendly and obliging disposition has endeared him to all who know him. The children especially are his friends. If he has an enemy in the world no one knows where to look for him. "Tig" and The Bulletin are synonymous to the minds of most people, so long has he been managing it.
So attached had he become to Irwinton that in 1921 he moved his mother, sister and aunt here and built a home-he and Fleming Bloodworth having purchased The Bulletin in 1920.
His sister, Miss Mary Tigner, is a writer of no mean ability, and assists him in the publication of The Bulletin. She has written and published a number of poems whose beauty impresses the reader with . her talent.
Mr. Tigner comes of a long line of historic ancestors. He is the son of Dr. William Achelaus Tigner, born in. Meriwether County, Ga., July 13, 1833, died at Jonesboro, Ga., Feb. 20, 1894. Graduated from Emory College in 1854. Afterwards studied medi- cine ; mastered six foreign languages ; studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He taught school in Alabama and became presi- dent of the college. While in Alabama he married Miss Eugenie Dozier. The children of this union were Hon. G. Y. Tigner, now judge of the City Court of Columbus, Ga., W. A. Tigner, Jr., who was also a lawyer, being connected with King, Spalding & Little of
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Atlanta until his health failed and he retired to his farm near Jones- boro, where he died ; and Miss Martha Tigner who married Archi- bald Osborne and now resides in Huntington, W. Va.
Later Dr. Tigner taught in Newberry, S. C. While there he became closely associated with a number of Lutheran families and was so impressed with the Lutheran faith and the piety and con- secration of these people that he joined the Lutheran Church and became a minister. He stood high as a theologian in that church, being at one time president of the Synod of Ga., Fla., and Ala. He also did a splendid work in establishing mission churches in Georgia. He was pastor of the church at Haralson, Ga., for 17 years.
In 1872 he married Miss Miriam Byington, of Atlanta, daughter of Montgomery Pike Byington who was his senior law partner at the time. M. P. Byington was a native of Wilkinson County, being the son of Amos Fox Byington and the grandson of John Byington of Branford, Conn., who was of Scotch descent. The children of this union who lived to reach maturity were Robert S., who was for many years connected with Armour & Company, being Advertising Manager of the Southern States when he died ; Homer M., also of Atlanta, who was in newspaper work; Lamar S., the subject of this sketch; and Mary.
Dr. Tigner was a Royal Arch Mason and spent much time and labor in Masonic research work. He was preparing a series of lec- tures to be delivered before the more important lodges in the U. S. when he died. His MSS were sent to the Atlanta lodge after his death.
Dr. Tigner was the highest type of a Christian gentleman. He was considered one of the first educators of the South. He was given positions of honor in his church, his lodge and his State, being elected Senator of the 35th District in 1844, without opposition. During his last illness, which lasted for eleven months, he held a Bible study class for ministers who came to his home to hear his discourses.
Lamar Tigner's grandfather was Rev. Young F. Tigner, born Aug. 22, 1805, became a Methodist preacher in Sept. 1824, and preached for nearly fifty years. He married Sarah Frances Tinsley on Nov. 29th, 1827. She was the daughter of James Tinsley, a Vir- ginia planter, and Lucy Crawford Tinsley, who was the daughter
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of Joel Crawford and sister of the great statesman, William Harris Crawford. Joel Crawford's wife was Fannie Harris, of a prominent Virginia family of Scotch-Irish descent. Isham G. Harris, Gov. of Tenn., and long a distinguished member of the U. S. Senate, was of this family, as were also Judge John W. Harris, member of the Supreme Court of Texas, and his brother Sam Harris, Lieut. Gov- ernor of Texas. Robert Harris of this family has a distinguished Revolutionary record and is the ancestor through whom several of the Tigner family have united with the D. A. R. William Har- ris, for whom William Harris Crawford was presumably named, was a member of Gen. Washington's personal staff.
The generations of the Crawford family are as follows: Joel Crawford, great-grandfather of Lamar Tigner, was born in Han- over County, Va., 1736, married Fannie Harris, 1760, died 1788. His father, David Crawford, born Hanover County, Va., 1697, married Ann Anderson, 1727, died 1766. David was the son of Capt. David Crawford and Elizabeth Smith Crawford. Capt. David was born in 1662 and died in 1762, being over 100 years old. His father was also named David and was born in Ayershire, Scot- land in 1625 and married in James City Co., Va. in 1654. This eldest David came over from Scotland with his father, John, Earl of Crawford and hero of the battle of Gratzka. John of Crawford was the first of the name to reach America and was killed in "Ba- con's Rebellion" in 1676. His wife died in Scotland before he came over. He was born in Ayershire, Scotland in 1600 and came to America in 1643. (This information is taken from Shipp's "Giant Days, or The Life and Times of William H. Crawford.")
To return to the direct Tigner line: Lamar Tigner's great- grandfather was Philip Tigner, born in Acomac County, Va., Dec. 25th, 1760. Married first Miss Nancy Forbish and moved to Clarke, now Oconee County, Ga. His wife died and he married Miss Nancy Hall who was the daughter of Hugh Hall, a Colonel in the Revo- lution, who is buried at Sparta, Ga. Nancy Hall's mother was Mary Reid and she was a blood relative of George Washington; also a near relative of Lyman Hall, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence ; (See Memoirs of Georgia p. 656.) Philip Tigner was a Methodist preacher and built on his plantation near Athens "Tigner's Chapel," which is said to be the first Methodist church in the State. He made the nails for this building in his blacksmith
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shop. Lorenzo Dow, the noted Methodist Evangelist, made Philip Tigner's home his headquarters when he visited this State.
Lamar Tigner's great-great grandfather was Capt. George Tig- ner, an Englishman and a "Skipper of a Schooner." He and his brother, Thomas, came to America in 1750 and settled in Baltimore. They owned a line of schooners plying between Baltimore and Liv- erpool, Eng. During the Revolution the British confiscated their ships. Both brothers and George's son, Philip, a lad of 16, are said, through family tradition, to have fought in the Revolution, but on account of some records which were burned in a Virginia court- house this has not been verified. See Harden's History of Savannah and S. Ga., Vol. II. p. 1025. Thomas Tigner later returned to England and George moved to Acomac County, Va., and engaged in farming until his death.
Of the Tigner family in Europe little is positively known, except that they were Saxons. Members of the family are now living in Sweden.
JOHN CALDWELL CALHOUN TODD
John C. Calhoun Todd was born in Lexington, S. C., July 16, 1843, the son of Dr. Patrick Todd and Mary (Weiss) Todd, and a grandson of Patrick Todd, Sr., and Jane (Carmichael) Todd. On the paternal side he was of Scotch descent.
He was educated principally by tutors at his father's home, but also attended schools in Augusta, Ga. He enlisted in the Confed- erate Army in the Spring of '62, age 19 years, in Co. G, Seventh Florida Regiment and took part in some of the most important en- gagements of the War Between the States. He was in his first battle at Resaca as bugler, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war, still holding the rank of bugler, Capt. R. B. Smith being in command of his company at that time. In 1920 he received the Cross of Honor from Mary Ann Williams Chapter U. D. C., Sandersville, Ga. One of his brothers, an officer in the Confederate Army, was killed while leading a charge. Another brother and his father, Dr. Patrick Todd, also served during the war.
After the war the Todds lived in Marion County, Florida, where Dr. Patrick Todd practiced medicine and J. C. C. Todd was in the mercantile business in Ocala for several years. Later he
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was in the drug business in Savannah, and here he met a daughter of Dr. A. R. Norton and Julia (Greene) Norton, Miss Susan Tallulah Norton, whom he married July 24, 1872, at the First Baptist Church, Savannah. Mr. Todd was Chief Clerk to the Agent of the Central Railroad, Savannah, during the time Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Rogers were Superintendents, and he was re- lief agent at Milledgeville at the time it was the State Capitol. On account of ill health he requested a transfer from Savannah to a country agency, so in 1888 he was sent to McIntyre, Wilkinson County, Ga. He held this post for some years, and each of his five sons held the office after him. Finally his health forced him to give up railroad work, and he then taught school in different parts of the county. This was a work that he loved very much and in it he had marked success, winning the love and esteem of many.
He was a member of the Lutheran Church, but there was no church of this denomination near his home, until a few years before his death one was organized in Macon, of which he became a Char- ter member. Mr. Todd took an active interest in the Baptist Church at McIntyre and was Superintendent of the Sunday School for thirty years. He was a Mason, his membership at his death be- ing in the Irwinton Lodge.
After a long and useful life he died at McIntyre May 12, 1921, and was buried there. He was survived by his wife, five sons, one daughter and eight grand-children.
One of his great-grandfather's on the maternal side was Ernest Frederick Weiss (m. Anna Barbara Bickley) who with his brother, John Jacob, sailed from Rotterdam in the ship Nancy and reached Philadelphia August 31, 1750. On Dec. 21, 1752, land was laid out for him on the Saluda River in what is now Lexington, S. C., and in 1753 this land was granted him by King George II. One of Frederick's sons married Margaret Kelly, and became the father of Mary (Weiss) Todd. Their descendants prize a copy of the Weiss Coat-of-Arms. ( Weiss now spelled Wyse by descendants of that name. )
Susan Tallulah Norton, wife of J. C. C. Todd, was a descend- ant of Lt. William Norton, who served with the Continental Troops during the Revolutionary War. He was wounded and cap- tured by the British but his sister, Mrs. E. N. Joyner, secured his release from the British Commander. Lt. Norton was born in Eng-
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land, son of Jonathan and Mary Ann (Chopin) Norton, and came to America with his wife and three sisters. They first located on St. Helena Island, but also lived for some time in South Georgia and Screven County, Ga., where he was granted land for his services during the Revolutionary War.
During the War Between the States, Dr. A. R. Norton served as a Surgeon with the Confederacy and he had five sons in the Confederate Army.
(By Sarah C. Todd and Julia Norton Todd )
THE WHIPPLE FAMILY
Captain John Whipple settled at Dorchester, Mass., about the year 1630, and afterwards, in 1658 or 1659, in Rhode Island at Providence. It is from this Capt. John Whipple that the Georgia family descended. He was born in England in 1616 or 1617, and died in Providence, R. I., May 16, 1685. He came to America with Israel Stoughton. He married his wife, Sarah, there in 1639 or 1640. He was a member of the Town Council of Providence in 1669-Town clerk in 1670-'72, 1676-'77, 1681-'83; Town Treasurer in 1668-'83 and Deputy to the Rhode Island General Assembly 1666-'69-'70-'72-'74-'76-'77. He received the title of Captain in King Phillip's War (Indian) in 1676. He conducted an inn from 1674 until his death and was one of the most con- spicuous inn-holders of the century. His inn was the favorite meet- ing place of the Town Council and Court of Probate and at one time the sesison of the Rhode Island General Assembly met at the Whipple Inn. He died in Providence May 16, 1685. Sarah, his wife, died there 1666. She was born in Dorchester, Mass., in 1624. Both were buried in a garden lot near his house, but afterwards were re-interred in the North Burying Place as shown by inscrip- tions on their tombstones. They had eight sons and three daughters, the fourth child was a son by the name of Eleazer Whipple.
Eleazer Whipple was born in Dorchester, Mass., in 1645 or 1646. Jan. 26, 1669 he married Alice Angell of Providence, born 1649. The dwelling which stands to the present time on Eleazer Whipple's homestead place, near Providence, was built in 1680, and is still occupied. It stands on the site of the one built by him in 1670, but which was destroyed by the Indians in King Phil-
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lip's War in 1675-'76, and near which he was wounded August I, 1675, for which wound he received a pension March 11, 1676, to the amount of ten pounds by vote of the Colony. So far as it has been ascertained this is the earliest pension granted in the American Colonies for Military service and disability. Eleazer Whipple was a member of the General Assembly of Rhode Island in 1670. In 1693 and 1701 he was a Deputy. He died Aug. 25, 1719, and his wife, Alice, died there Aug. 13, 1743. They are both buried in the burial ground on the place and inscriptions on their tombstones are to the above effect.
Alice (Angell) Whipple was the daughter and fifth child of Thomas and Alice Angell. Thomas was born in England in 1618. He came to America in the ship Lyon which left Bristol, England, in December, 1630. He arrived in Boston, Mass., Feb. 5, 1631, and soon went to Salem, Mass. In 1636 he and four others went with Roger Williams and made a settlement earlier than July of this year at Providence, R. I., having spent the preceding winter at Seekonk. Thomas Angell married Alice about 1646. She died in 1695. He died in 1694. Eleazer and Alice Whipple had seven . children. The youngest child was Daniel Whipple.
Daniel Whipple was born about 1690. He married his first wife, Mary, about the year 1715, and settled beyond the Blackstone river in what was then called Wrentham, Mass. But which was afterwards about 1727, annexed to Rhode Island and called Cum- berland. It is presumed that Mary died about 1730. Daniel Whip- ple married his second wife, Anne, about 1735, who it is presumed was living at the time of his death, which was after March 29, 1766, the date of his will. His sixth child by the second wife, Anne, was Preserved Whipple.
Preserved Whipple was born in Cumberland, R. I., Sept. 26, 1746. He married Olive Ballou probably about 1766. Olive Ballou, was born in Cumberland, R. I., May 13, 1751, and died in Rich- mond, New Hampshire, April 14, 1845. The family moved from Cumberland, R. I., to Richmond, N. H., in 1794. He was a most reputable man, averaging well with his contemporaries. He served as private in Gould's Division and in Smith's Co. Col. John Mather- son's Reg. during the Revolution. He died in Richmond, N. H. May 25, 1812, or 1813. Preserved and Olive Whipple had eleven children.
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Olive Ballou was descended from:
(1) Maturin and Hannah (Pike) Ballou. Hannah Pike was the only child of Robert and Catherine Pike. The earliest record of Maturin Ballou and Robert Pike is Jan. 19, 1646, when they, with 26 others, signed an agreement with Roger Williams for a free grant of twenty-five acres each of land in the town of Providence, R. I. (2) James Ballou I was the second child of Maturin and Hannah Pike Ballou. (3) James Ballou II, the fifth child of James and Susanna (Whitman) Ballou, married Catherine Arnold. (4) James Ballou III, the fifth child of James and Catherine (Arnold) Ballou, married Thomasin Cook and his name appears on the alarm list of 2nd Co. or Train Band under command of Capt. Levi Tower of Cumberland, R. I. (5) Olive (Ballou) Whipple was the second child of James and Thomasin (Cook) Ballou.
Colonel Stephen Whipple was the third child of Preserved and Olive (Ballou) Whipple. He was born in Cumberland, R. I., Nov. 27, 1772, and married Mrs. Olive (Bennett) Allen, April 5, 1795, the daughter of Timothy and Hannah Darling Bennett of Cumber- land, R. I., (Timothy Bennett was a private in Capt. Gorton's Co. Col. Lippett's Regiment during the Revolution). She was born Feb. 16, 1770 and died at her home near Lonsdale, in Cum- berland, R. I., about 1858. He was Colonel of the Rhode Island State Militia. He died Nov. 7, 1844, being a high degree Mason he was buried with Masonic honors. Col. Stephen Whipple and Olive (Bennett) (Allen) Whipple had eleven children. The third child was Stephen Whipple.
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