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Thomas W. Peagler, the leading druggist of Greenville, Ala., is a son of
George S. Peagler and Absilla Peagler, and was born
June 30, 1859, in Butler county, about twelve miles west of the city of
Greenville. His father was born in South Carolina in 1808, became an
extensive planter, and died in Butler county, Ala., in 1872. George Peagler's wife,
Absilla Thigpen, daughter of Gray Thigpen and
Penelope Stallings Thigpen, whom he married in 1840, bore him five children
and died in the year 1875. Martin
Peagler, the eldest of the family, was a soldier in the Confederate army,
contracted a disease while in the service, and died before the close of the
war. The second son, George W. Peagler,
is a farmer and stock raiser near Highland Home, Crenshaw County, Ala. G. J. Peagler, the third in order of birth,
is in the milling business at Forest, Ala.
Sophronia Peagler, deceased, was the wife of
W. M. Flowers, and the youngest member of the family is the gentleman whose
name introduces this mention. Thomas W. Peagler's
educational training was acquired in the common schools and by a short
attendance at an educational institution of a higher grade, and on reaching
the years of his majority he engaged in the pursuit of agriculture on the
home farm, where he resided until the year 1888. At that time he formed a partnership with
A. G. Stewart in the drug business at Greenville, where the firm of Stewart
& Peagler did a successful trade until 1885, Mr. Peagler selling out to his
partner at that date. He then
purchased an interest in the drug firm of E. M. Kirkpatrick & Co., which
after his admission became known as Kirkpatrick & Peagler, under which
name the business was carried on until March, 1889, when Mr. Peagler bought
the entire stock. He has since that
time been prominently identified with the drug trade of Greenville, and now owns the largest store
of the kind in the city, carrying a stock of over $5,000 and doing a business
amounting to about $12,000 per
year. He still owns a part of the old
home plantation and is the possessor of a beautiful residence in Greenville. He
is one of the successful young business men in Butler county, and is very
popular, especially with the younger element, who
hold him in the highest esteem. He was
for some time captain of one of the local military companies of Greenville,
the Greenville Light Guards, and afterward captain of the Greenville Rifle
company, which was organized by consolidating the two old companies, the Greenville Light Guards and
Butler Rifles, but resigned that position to accept the office of major of
the First Regiment Alabama state troops, to which he was elected in November,
1890, to fill an unexpired term, and was again elected unanimously in
February, 1892, for a term of three years. Mr. Peagler and Ellen Dunkin,
daughter of J. L. Dunkin, were united in the bonds of matrimony November,
1882. They have had three children, W.
Werle Peagler and Myrtle Peagler, living, and Ila Peagler, who died at the age of two years. Mr. Peagler is past chancellor of the K of
P. lodge of Greenville, and belongs to the American Legion of Honor. *Reprint
from MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA, VOL I by Brant & Fuller, Madison, Wis.,
1893 This article was original submitted by Grant Johnston NOTE: Thomas William Peagler was listed as W. S. Peagler,
age 1 in the 1860 Federal Census for Manningham,
Precinct 9, Butler County, AL. His father, George, is listed as a farmer
whose real estate was valued at $20,000 with personal property worth $30,000.
Living in the household are his parents, 3 brothers, 1 sister, a boot and
shoemaker named M. O. Carmer and the farm’s
overseer, J. N. Halladay. He is listed as
Tom in the 1870 Federal Census. His family was living in Manningham,
Township 11, Butler County, Alabama. He was living
in the household with G. J. Peagler who was possible a brother. His parents
under living in the adjacent household. Also listed were W. M. and Susan Flowers,
Abbie Flowers and Fannie Peagler. At age 21 when
the 1880 census was taken, Thomas was living in Greenville with Daniel H.
Dyer, a store clerk, and Thomas W. Dyer, a merchant. The 1900 census shows Thomas,
a druggist, in Greenville with a wife, a son and two daughters. A boarder
named Gideon J. Peagler is living with them and is probably the same as the
G. J. Peagler with whom Thomas was living in 1870. The 1910 census list this family living in Greenville, Ward 3. His three
children were still living at home, along with his older brother Gideon. His
occupation is shown as a druggist of retail drugs. When the 1920 census was
taken more people were in the household. His daughter Myrtle, her husband
Samuel Bolling, their son and daughter, his brother
Gideon, and a daughter-in-law are present. Bolling
was working as a saleman for the drug store owned
his father-in-law. Thomas W. Peagler died April 22, 1921 in Montgomery County, AL. Ellen Reid Dunklin Peagler was born July 23, 1863 and died August 22, 1940. Their place of burial is unknown but there are most likely buried in the Peagler Cemetery or Magnolia Cemetery. Ellen was the daughter of James Law Dunklin and Mary Amanda Burnett. George S. Peagler, born January 26, 1808 Orangeburg County, S.C, died March 28, 1872, buried Peagler Cemetery, Butler County, Alabama. Absilla A. Thigpen Peagler, born October 27, 1815, died March 3, 1878, buried Peagler Cemetery, Butler County, Alabama. Myrtle and Samuel Jackson Bolling, Jr. are buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Greenville, AL. |
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2013, Butler County ALGenWeb Coordinator Last
updated August 14, 2013 Notes provided by Mildred Stinson Brown |
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