My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM R. PILE was born in Ballard County, Ky., March 6, 1845, and is the seventh of eight children born to William and Elizabeth B. (Stayton) Pile, the former of whom was a native of the “Old Dominion” and the latter of Washington County, Ky. They were both of English descent. William Pile was married in Washington County, whither his parents had removed from Virginia when he was only a small boy. He married, and was there engaged in the distilling business for a number of years, and in 1835 came to what is now Ballard County, and bought a farm near the present site of Arlington, where he resided until his death, November 18, 1850, in his sixtieth year. In addition to the home farm, Mr. Pile also owned other lands in Ballard County, McCracken and Hickman Counties, amounting to some 4,000 acres. When he first came to Ballard County, he bought a horse-power grist mill, to which he afterward attached a thrashing machine of his own invention, which was probably the first thrashing machine in the county. Soon after, he purchased an old dilapidated water-mill on Obion Creek, which he tore down, and probably erected the first water grist-mill in the county. Almost every trade or branch of merchandising was represented on Mr. Pile’s plantation. He also owned a stock of merchandise at Milburn. He and wife were for many years devoted and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics he was a Whig. William R. Pile was employed on his father’s farm until December, 1863, when he enlisted in Company E, Thirtieth Mounted Infantry, Kentucky Volunteers, and served until the close of the war. After his return from the army he engaged in the saw and grist-mill business in connection with farming. After his mother’s death, which occurred September 5, 1869, he bought the old homestead upon which he has ever since resided. Since 1876 he has been exclusively engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. He was married, June 27, 1872, to Miss Sarah E. Magruder, a native of Ballard County, Ky. One son and three daughters have blessed this union, all of whom are yet living. Mr. Pile and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican.