The Tulloss Family of Knox County, Ohio

CHARLES RICHARD TULLOSS.

The struggles of the worthy pioneer will remain untold unless some one interests himself in preserving it; this last should be the mission of we of the aftermath. We do not hear the howl of the wolf save in remote places; we will not have an opportunity to again see the “prairie schooner’’ — its mission has been well and nobly filled. The many great changes have taken place slowly, and we realize their importance at this time. Do we fully appreciate the Titanic struggle of the pioneer, realizing the many privations he endured that we of today might be blessed? The mission of biography should be to bring to the living the voices of the silent ones who would be remembered. We seek no bombast for the living, but we do speak in a forceful manner for those who made it possible for us to enjoy these many present blessings. Charles Richard Tulloss, one of the farmers of Morgan township, Knox county, is a descendant of our sterling pioneers and he has endeavored to uphold the honor of the family name, which has been a familiar sound in this section of the Buckeye state for more than a century, his progenitor having braved the wilderness here when it was still the domain of the painted savage and the wild creatures of claw, fin and feather, and here inaugurated the development of the locality which his descendants have carried forward.

Mr. Tulloss was born on September 9, 1853, on the old Tulloss homestead where he has always lived. He is the son of William and Cynthia (Smith) Tulloss. Grandfather John J. Tulloss, born September 6, 1783. came from Fauquier county, Virginia, in 1807 and settled in Licking county, Ohio, near Newark. He made the first brick in the village, was school teacher and farmer; was a captain in the war of 1812; returned to Virginia and married Elizabeth Kaney; came back, settled in Morgan township, Knox county, in 1815; died in 1841; his wife died in 1869. He here became a large land owner, possessing at one time six hundred and forty acres of fine land, lying in the Licking and Sycamore valleys, two miles northwest of where the city of Utica now stands. He was prominent among the pioneers of this section of the state and an influential man of affairs, strong-minded, courageous and honorable. His family consisted of eight children, namely: Ann, wife of Benjamin Seymour, both deceased; Elizabeth married Charles Uzziel Stephens, both now deceased; William, father of the subject of this sketch; Richard Shute, a sincere man and influential citizen who is now deceased, is mentioned in a later paragraph; John J. married Caroline Smith and is now deceased; Benjamin, who married Margaret Campbell, is a Baptist minister of Mt. Vernon; Susan remained single; Rodham married Elizabeth Harris.

William Tulloss, mentioned above, devoted his life to farming and stock raising and, like his father before him, became one of the substantial and influential men of his community. He was twice married. In 1856 he moved to Kansas, where he became a leader in public affairs and he served very creditably as probate judge of Franklin county, that state, for a number of years. His death occurred there in November, 1866, his wife having died in 1863. They were the parents of five children, namely: John S., deceased: James K. is deceased; Levi is deceased; William S. lives in Franklin county, Kansas; Charles Richard, of this review.

William Tulloss, the father, was a Republican and was always active in public matters. He held various offices in his township. He was a member of the Baptist church. His second wife was Felicia Scott, daughter of Rev. James Scott and wife, he being a prominent Presbyterian minister for many years. To this union was born a son, Benjamin F.

Charles R. Tulloss, of this sketch, went to Kansas with his parents. He was educated in the district schools of Morgan township, Knox county, Ohio, and in Franklin county, Kansas. L’pon the death of his father he returned to Knox county and engaged in farming, which he has continued to the present time. He is a stock feeder. He is the owner of the old Tulloss homestead which he has kept, his part of the old farm consisting of three hundred acres. He employs modern methods in his farming and stock raising. He has an attractive and commodious dwelling, and a library of choice and carefully selected volumes and here he spends much of his spare time, keeping in touch with the world’s best literature as well as current topics of the day. He delights especially in Darwin, Spencer, Mills, Schopenhauer, Voltaire and similar works, in fact, he has practically all the “evolution series,” as well as those of Tolstoy, Henry George, the great single-tax advocate. But his library embraces all subjects. He is very interesting to converse with, being thus self-educated, for, in the language of Franklin, “Reading maketh a wise man.” Mr. Tulloss is a man of individuality, fearless in his opinions and a thinker. While he is interested in public matters, he has never voted. He is liberal in his religious views, and has never joined any church, believing not in man-made creeds or set forms of worship.

Richard Sheets Tulloss was born June 13, 1819. He was reared on the farm and after his father’s death took charge of the farm. He was elected to the constitutional convention of Ohio in 1873 and served on the committee of privileges and election, on preamble and bill of rights and on agriculture. He filled a number of township offices. He was an influential citizen and highly esteemed for his social quality and straightforward business transactions. He remained single and died August 24, 1892. He was a son of John James and Elizabeth Tulloss, who are referred to in preceding paragraphs.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE W. TULLOSS.

This well-known citizen is an excellent representative of the better class of farmers of the United States. He comes from an ancestry that distinguished itself in pioneer times. When the country was covered with an almost interminable forest of large trees and the woods filled with wild animals, his people came here and began to care from the primeval forests, build schools and churches, and introduce the customs of civilization in the wilderness. They were genuine pioneers, willing to take the hardships that they might acquire the soil and the homes that were sure to rise, and it would seem that many of their commendable traits have outcropped in the subject, for he has been a man who has not permitted untoward circumstances to thwart his purposes when once he determined upon a certain course.

George W. Tulloss was born on March 21, 1856, on a farm in Morgan township, this county. He is the son of John J. and Caroline (Smith) Tulloss, both natives of Morgan township, this county, and here they grew to maturity amid pioneer conditions, received such educational training as the old-time log school houses afforded and here they were married and began life on the farm, the father becoming one of the successful tillers of the soil in his part of the county and known as a man of excellent principles. They were the parents of eight children, namely: Emily, deceased; Byron L.

lived in Columbus, Ohio; John J., deceased; Reece P. was a resident of Putnam county, Ohio, for many years, when he died after raising a family, one of which, a son, Reece E., is pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church at Constantine, Michigan; Benjamin F., who was next in order of birth, went to Texas in 1877 and has not been heard from since 1881; George W., of this review; Cynthia A. and Carrie C. are single and living on the old homestead in Morgan township, which place they own and operate. The death of the father of these children occurred in April, 1902, his widow surviving until in March, 1905. They were buried in Fairview cemetery, Miller township, near the old home. The father was a life-long Democrat and a public-spirited citizen, but never an office seeker, though he served as township trustee for many years, also was a member of the local school board for many years. He and his family were members of the old-school Baptist church and he was a devout churchman.

George W. Tulloss was reared on the home farm and was educated in the common schools of the township and the normal school at ETica, Ohio, which his brothers and sisters also attended. He followed school teaching for ten years in Morgan county, Miller township.

Mr. Tulloss was married on September 20, 1883, to Rilla Boner, daughter of Matthew and Hannah (Dallrymple) Boner, the father a prominent citizen of Wayne township and influential in all public matters a prosperous farmer. Mr. Boner's death occurred in May, 1900, at the age of sixty-nine years, but his widow survives. Mr. Boner spent his entire life in this home. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Tulloss has been without issue.

In September, 1883, Mr. Tulloss took charge of the old Boner home, which has been in possession of this family for many years and was one of the first farms settled in Wayne township, originally known as the Lewis farm, Mr. Lewis having purchased one thousand acres from the government. William Boner, grandfather of Mrs. Tulloss, purchased a part of the original tract from Mr. Lewis. Eliphalet Lewis, son of the original purchaser of the land, bought two hundred acres of the original tract from his father; he came out from New Jersey and settled on it. He reared a family of seven children and here he spent the rest of his life. Then William Boner, who was a widower, married the widow Lewis, and to this union two children wer born, Mathew, the father of Mrs. Tulloss, was the son. and Avarilla was the daughter, who became the wife of Ambrose Dallrymple, of Morrow county.

There are one hundred and sixty-five acres of most excellent land in the farm originally owned by Mr. Boner. Mr. Tulloss has kept it well improved and under a high state of cultivation He has an inviting modern home and large convenient outbuildings. The residence stands upon an elevation commanding a fine view of South Fork valley of Owl creek, one of the most fertile valleys in the county. Here he has successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising and feeding. He raises all the feed he can on his farm for his own stock; however, about five years ago he rented his farm and has since lived practically retired, merely superintending his farm in a general way. He also has other interests, having been very successful in a business way.

Mr. Tulloss is a regularly ordained minister of the old-school Baptist church, being pastor of the Wayne Baptist church, which was organized in 1810 and is still an organized congregation. In later years Mr. Tulloss has not been actively engaged in the ministry, but he and his wife are still adherents of that church and have done much good through their work in the same. Fraternally, he belongs to Wayne Grange No. 262, Patrons of Husbandry, and he has been deputy state master of the state grange for Knox county, having held this office for four years, during which period he has organized many new granges, the county having been well organized prior to his incumbency.

Politically, he is a Republican, and he has always kept thoroughly informed on public questions, and has been a frequent attendant to party caucuses and active in elections, but never an office seeker. He has served as a member of the township board of elections and has always been interested in educational matters. He is a splendid gentleman personally and is popular with the people, for they know he stands for progress and wholesomeness in all relations of life.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ERNEST C. TULLOSS.

A farmer can be dishonorable as well as any other business man or he can be as honorable; he can misrepresent his grain, his stock, his hay and his apples, and can secure a buyer by such misrepresentations, but when he is found out it is much harder for him to live down the odium than it is for the merchant or other business man to do the same. The latter can much more easily sell out and go where he is not known than the farmer, for it seems harder for the farmer to make changes without injuring himself financially. So the descendants of the farmer must remain, or at least usually do so, and take the results of their father's misdeeds, while on the other hand the second and third generations are often helped to a greater extent than they can realize by the prestige established in their communities in former days by their ancestors. One of the farmers of Morgan township, Knox county, who can see nothing but good results flowing from the life work of his parents is the subject of this sketch. They were persons of the highest respectability and of unusual intelligence, and their influence was very strong for upright living and steady industry while they lived.

Mr. Tulloss was born on January 29, 1865, on the farm where he has always lived, in the southern part of Knox county. Ohio. He is the son of Rodham and Elizabeth (Harris) Tulloss. He was reared on the home farm and when of proper age he assisted with the general work there, and in the winter time attended the public schools of his district. On January 2, 1894, he was united in marriage with Laura L. Martin, daughter of Calvin and Isabelle (Runyan) Martin, a highly respected family of Richland county, Ohio. To the subject two sons and one daughter have been born, namely: Raymond R., Dale M. and Laura Isabelle.

Ernest C. Tulloss lived with his uncle, R. S. Tulloss, from the age of ten to twenty-one. and after his marriage he came to the home farm and here he has resided ever since, owning one hundred and sixty acres of as good land as the township affords, which he has kept well improved and under a fine state of cultivation, carrying on general farming and stock raising of all kinds, handling only the best breeds, and he has been extensively engaged in the daily business, making a success of whatever he has turned his attention to. He has built an attractive, large modern home, equipped with furnace heat, gas light and running water. Everything about his place denotes good management.

Politically, Mr. Tulloss is a Democrat, and while he has long been active in public affairs he is not especially active, though he has served his community as justice of the peace for a period of nine years in an able and satisfactory manner, and for a number of years he has been a member of the local school board, and has done much for the improvement of the schools of the township. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias at Utica, and he and his family belong to the Disciples church, and he is an elder and trustee in the church and is active in church and Sunday school work.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

BENJAMIN FOSTER TULLOSS.

Mr. Tulloss was born on November 13, 1865, in Franklin county, Kansas, though little of his life was spent in the Sunflower state of the West. He is the son of William and Felicia S. (Scott) Tulloss, both natives of Knox county, Ohio. John Tulloss, the paternal grandfather, came from Virginia with the early pioneers and settled in this county, and James Scott, maternal grandfather, the first pastor of the Presbyterian church at Mt. Vernon, was also a pioneer here and he became a very influential and prominent man. The father of the subject devoted his life to farming in this county, moving from here to Kansas in the early sixties, locating in Franklin county where he engaged extensively in farming and stock raising. He was elected probate judge, the duties of which position he discharged with much ability for a number of years. His death occurred in Kansas in 1866, after which the family returned to Knox county, Ohio, and for a time lived in Mt. Vernon, later moving to a farm three miles west of that city. The mother is still living.

Benjamin F. Tulloss spent most of his boyhood in Mt. Vernon, attending the public schools there until he was eighteen years of age. Later he entered Oberlin College at Oberlin, Ohio. After leaving school he at once turned his attention to farming in which he has been engaged to the present time, devoting special attention to raising thoroughbred Holstein cattle. He has a fine herd which are greatly admired by all who see them and he raises for breeding purposes. He has been very successful and no small part of his annual income is derived from his stock, which find a very ready market. owing to their superior quality.

Mr. Tulloss was married on December 27. 1888, to Emma Myers, daughter of Joseph and Clementine (Rinehart) Myers, a prominent Knox county family, Mr. Myers having been a county commissioner at one time

Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tulloss, named as follows, and all living: Joseph W. is a student at the Ohio State University; John J. is at home; Charles R., Anna F.. Felicia C., Marv M., Elizabeth, Caroline, Harriet A. These children are being given every opportunity to obtain excellent education.

Politically, Mr. Tulloss is a Democrat and is active in public matters. He has served as a member of the Democratic county central committee, and he is a frequent delegate to county, district and state conventions. He was real estate appraiser in Clinton township in 1910. He was a member of the local school hoard for fifteen years. He has filled all public trusts reposed in him with much ability and fidelity and to the satisfaction of the public in general. Fraternally, he belongs to Mt. Vernon Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and Clinton Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and he has been active in Grange matters. He and his family are members of the Congregational church and active in church and Sunday school work. He has lived on the home place since his marriage and he has a substantial, commodious home in the midst of attractive surroundings.

Personally, Mr. Tulloss is a man of pleasing presence, kind and obliging and a straightforward business man.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.