My Genealogy Hound

JOHN MILLS, farmer; P. O. Ginghamsburg; the subject of one of our most wonderful biographies, is well known in this neighborhood; his grandfather, Elias Mills, was born in 1683, and married Miss Martha Stiles; he weighed 485 pounds, and was considered not only the strongest but also the fleetest man in the world; he challenged England to produce a man who could compete with him as an athlete; a man came, and they started in a race, Elias easily coming out ahead and running backward all the while; he was killed by a kick from a horse, at the remarkable age of 140 years. John Mills was born in 1812, and was the youngest son of Richard and Martha Mills; they emigrated to Montgomery Co., in 1800; he was a blacksmith, and was of great service to the early settlers; they were the parents of Jonathan, Lydia, Rachel, Lutitia, Ira, Henry, John and Gideon; John is the only one now living of this large family. He married Miss Elizabeth Watkins, in 1836; they were the parents of twelve children, three of whom are deceased; Cerelda, Richard, Carletta, Joanna, Mahala, Sarah, David, Henry and Joseph C. are living; five are married, and live in this county; John and his wife are grandparents of twenty-one children; his farm consists of 80 1/3 acres of land, which is cultivated by his sons; he is a Democrat, and has reared a family of sons who are all strong in the faith; his descendants can hereby trace their relationship to their great-grandfather, who was supposed to be the strongest man living in his time.