Willis West

WILLIS WEST

This name will sound familiar to the people of Boone County. He was born in Kentucky on the 9th day of September, 1800. He settled in Boone County in 1835, about two miles south of where Elizaville now lays, in Clinton Township. He was married to Miss Ella [transcriber note: Elenor (on gravestone) aka Nelly/Ella/Eleanor] Dixon in 1824, who lived with him until August 23, 1870, when she departed this life. He raised four children as follows: Samuel, born January 29, 1827; [transcriber note: Incorrect date of birth. Correct birth date for Samuel West is May 25, 1825]; Sally, born January 29, 1827; Ebenezer, born February 29, 1829; Margaret Ellen, born October 31, 1841. All are living excepting Sally who died November 23, 1869. Mr. West was married again to Mrs. Mary Jane Johnson, February, 1871. He is one of the old Jacksonian Democrats (voted for Jackson three times), and has always kept up his faith. He has always held farming as his real occupation, and was one of the best hunters of his day, but never saw the time he could kill more than six deer in one day; and says that he has seen the day when coon, deer and fox skins were as good as legal tender, and that was the way he paid his taxes. Mr. West is now arriving at a ripe old age, and has never joined any church, but is a constant bible reader, and claims that he can be a good man without belonging to any creed or church.

Transcriber Notes: This biography for Willis West was misidentified in the original publication as, "William West" and was changed here for accuracy. Additions or corrections made by the transcriber will be found enclosed in brackets “[ ]”)

Transcribed & Submitted By: T. Stover - December 11, 2006
Source: "Early Life and Times In Boone County, Indiana." Compiled by Harden & Spahr, Lebanon, IND. May, 1887.