My Genealogy Hound

Thomas L. Toland (deceased). The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was for many years one of the honored and respected residents of this section, and his death, which occurred in 1873, was regretted by all. He was born in South Carolina, January 20, 1827, and in 1856 emigrated to Arkansas and engaged in farming, settling near the Pike County line, where he, in addition to his farming operations, acted as postmaster of a place called Wilton. Upon the opening of the Rebellion he enlisted in a company belonging to the Nineteenth Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army, but on account of his mechanical ability was soon detailed for that occupation, and was put in charge of a wagon factory at Marshall, Tex. After the war he returned to Arkansas to follow farming once more, and in addition to this conducted a wagon shop near the present town of Bingen. He was married twice, the first time in 1856, to Miss Nancy C. Hitch, who died in 1862, leaving two children: Emma L. (widow of W. W. Hill, late clerk of Howard County) and Mollie B. (wife of E. J. Williams, of Parker County, Tex.). Mr. Toland’s second marriage took place in 1867, his wife being a Miss Mary C. Bell, a sister of Judge Bell, a sketch of whom appears in this work. This marriage resulted in the birth of three children: William Henry, Hugh Langston and Thompie M. William H. attended the high school of Bingen, and during the years of 1886—87—88 taught school in Pike and Lafayette Counties. In the latter part of the latter year he took a course in the Little Rock Commercial College, from which institution he graduated, and in the spring of 1888 began studying medicine in the Arkansas Indus trial University, attending during the sessions of 1888-89, and during the vacation he read medicine with Dr. W. B. Barner, at Nashville, in the fall of the latter year entering Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tenn., and was graduated as an M. D. in 1890. He has since been practicing, and is considered one of the successful practitioners of the "healing art" in this section of the country. His mother is still living, but makes her home with her brother, Judge Bell. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was a native of Ireland, but on account of his avowed hostility to King George, he was tried and sentenced to death, but before the sentence could be put into execution he made his escape, being assisted, it is supposed, by his friends and brothers, the Masons, who put him in a box and shipped him as freight from England to the colonies of America, this being prior to the Revolutionary War, in which he and his son Hugh participated. He settled in Abbeville District, S. C, in 1800, after having resided in the country twenty years, being one of the pioneers of that region. He was the father of two daughters and five sons: Mary, Sarah, Joseph, John, Andrew, James and Hugh. John became the father of the celebrated physician of California, Dr. Hugh H. Toland, who had acquired his knowledge of medicine in the University of Louisville, Ky., and later graduated from an institution in Paris, France. After his return to his native land he practiced for some time in Columbia, S. C., and was there very successful, becoming famous as a surgeon, and accumulating a handsome fortune. Sometime in the fifties he went to California, where he built up a widespread practice, and founded the medical department of the State University of California, at San Francisco, in 1863, which was donated to the State in 1872, the buildings being known as Toland Hall. He was professor of surgery here until his death, which occurred in 1880. Joseph and James, two other sons, settled at Chapel Hill, on the Brazos River, Tex., and were the founders of prominent families who are living there today. Hugh became the father of the subject of this sketch, being married to Miss Mollie Langston, a member of a prominent family of South Carolina, one of her brothers, William L., having been clerk of his county for twenty-five years. The father was a mechanic and farmer by occupation, a man of principle and honor, and endeavored to rear his children to honorable manhood. One son, Henry, died in South Carolina, James is now a prominent farmer of Alabama, and John has been for a long time a well-known citizen of Washington, Hempstead County, Ark. William is a resident of Alabama, and Dr. Hugh is an influential physician of Enoree. S. C.