Charles Richard Tulloss

As printed in 1912

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 Past and present of Knox County, Ohio (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.