Her Book

TILSON HARLAN
son of Barton Stone Harlan

TILSON HARLAN   1844-1916 -- Baptist; Manufacturer

1844 - Born (first child) March 15, 1844 in Randolph Co., Indiana
1862 - At age 18, Tilson was one of the first to enlist in Company "E", 54th Regiment of the Indiana Volunteer Infantry at the beginning of the Civil War. He participated in the seige of Vicksburg, Jackson, Miss., Chickamauga and others.

1863 - He was wounded and discharged Dec. 8, 1863.
After the war he was engaged in the manufacture of barrel staves.
1870 May 19, 1870 he married Laura Smith at Winfield, Ewing Co., IN
1879-1889 They resided at Mitchell, IN
1890 They moved to Tennessee where he continued his trade at Nebo, Gibson Co. TN. His family lived near the mill in a house close to the one (general merchandise) store which housed the Nebo Post Office. When Mr. Harlan had bought all the available white oak timber for miles around and had manufactured it into staves and heading, he moved the mill to another location between Dyer and Trenton.

The family then moved to Trenton, county seat of Gibson Co., TN, and Mr. Harlan drove each day to the new mill. Here he erected the mill, water tank to supply the huge steam engines and also for fire protection. Also, blacksmith shop, stables for his 12 head of oxen and several teams of horses and mules, and about twenty cabins to house the mill hands. He also erected a large building to house a general store to supply the mill workers and surrounding farmers. A post office was arranged for and the name selected was Grizard Post Office. Later on, another mill was erected west of Trenton on the Forked Deer River. About 1900 he established a factory at Jackson, TN., and moved there.

Some time after moving to Jackson, the family made a trip one winter to Riverside, California, where they owned a small orange acreage. On the way to California, Mrs. Harlan took suddenly ill and died at a hospital along the way. During the next few years Tilson made several trips to Oregon to visit with relatives.

1916 - Tilson died in Jackson, TN and as far as we know his son Paul S. inherited the business.



        Issue of Tilson and Laura Harlan: 4 children

        Zoe   1871-x;
        Jennie Pearl   1873-x
        Edna Browning   1878;
        Paul Smith   1883-x;