Biography - William F. Tull
WILLIAM F. TULL, one of the oldest residents, and one of those most
worthy of honor in Windsor Township, Shelby County, resides on section 20,
and was born in Bedford County, Tenn., January 9, 1819. His parents were
Daniel and Sallie (Baw) Tull, both natives of North Carolina, who married
there and soon after returned to Tennessee, where they remained until 1829.
At this time they emigrated to Illinois, and settled in Shelby County. Our
subject was the eighth in a family of nine, and all are deceased except this
son and his brother, Nathan F., who resides in the village of Windsor.
Mr. Tull was but a lad of eleven years when his parents located in Shelby
County, yet he has a vivid recollection of the trip across the country, with
a six-horse team, and often recalls the wild and unimproved condition of the
country and the sparsely peopled sections through which they traveled.
Shelbyville, now a promising city of five thousand inhabitants, was then a
little trading post, composed of a few log shanties.
In the fall of 1838 this young man (then only nineteen years old) took to
himself a wife in the person of Miss Hannah Davis, who was also a native of
East Tennessee, where she was born December 27, 1821. Her parents, like his,
came to Shelby County in the early days, and located in Windsor Township in
1828, and there spent the remainder of their lives. That young couple in due
time became the parents of:a truly patriarchal flock, fifteen children being
born to them.
The seven children who are still living ans as follows: Sallie, Mrs. Cane,
now fifty-one years old, and lives in this township; Josiah has been a
cripple since he was eighteen months old, and has always been cared for by
his parents; Harriet is unmarried and lives at home; Catherine, now Mrs.
Moobery, lives in this township, as does also Jonathan, who is married;
James and Nathan F. are at home and unmarried, and working on the old
homestead, although they have both reached mature years.
This beautiful old couple have enjoyed each other's society in wedded life
for over fifty-two years, and both give promise of many more years of health
and cheer. They speak in the highest terms of the filial affection and
obedience of their children, with whom they have never had an unpleasant or
discordant word. Mr. Tull has been a life-long Democrat, and has ever been a
recognized leader in his township. His middle name is Forrest as he was
named for the father of the noted Confederate General, that general being a
playmate of Mr. Tull's. For many years this couple were members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, but at the time of the division of that body
during the war, they withdrew and joined the Christian Union Church.
Extracted 17 Dec 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pagee 557.
