My Genealogy Hound

Thomas H. Elgin has been a resident of Pope County, Ark., since the year 1878, having come hither from Quincy, Ill. He first settled at Potts Station, and was engaged as a commercial traveler until 1882, when he took up his abode at Russellville, and opened a marble shop. From that time until the present he has had a constantly increasing trade which extends the entire length of the Little Rock Railroad, and his annual sales amount to about $10,000. His work has a wide reputation, and the demand is constantly increasing, a fact which speaks for itself as to the merit of the work done in his shop. His latest work of merit is the monument erected at Galla Rock for Col. Taylor, which is fifteen feet in height, and is of the finest Italian marble. A fine monument was also erected in memory of D. C. Williams and wife of Van Buren, this monument being of Rutland marble, and compares favorably with any work in the cemetery. Mr. Elgin also uses in his business the Georgia marble, Rutland Blue and White. He is now under contract to furnish stone trimmings for the Peoples’ Exchange Bank of this county. He was born in Palmyra, Mo., November 18, 1840, and his early opportunities for acquiring an education were rather limited, being obtained in the common schools. He was taking a collegiate course when the war broke out, but left school to enlist in the State Guards under Price, but later was in the commissary department of detached service. He next became a member of Company E, Marmaduke’s division of cavalry, and before the close of the war was promoted to first lieutenant, taking part in the battles of Pea Ridge, Corinth, Iuka, Grand Gulf, Vicksburg and many others of less importance. He was taken prisoner at Vicksburg, but was paroled immediately. Although he received several flesh wounds, he was never seriously injured, and was always soon able to resume his duties. At the close of the war he returned to Quincy, Ill., where his father resided, and afterward began traveling in the interests of a marble firm, and has been connected with that work ever since. He is a member of the Christian Church of Russellville, and socially belongs to the Russellville Lodge No. 76 of the A. F. & A. M. and Russellville Lodge No. 47 of the K. of P., in each of which he holds prominent offices. In politics he is a Democrat, and as a business man has not his superior in this section of the country, for besides being perfectly honorable in every particular he is wide-awake and enterprising, and at all times strives to meet the wants of his patrons. He is unmarried.