It is an interesting and gratifying fact, so much has the restless, nomadic spirit grown in America, that among the representative men of Tennessee there is a remarkable percentage of native sons, men who have found in the locality of their nativity ample opportunity for successful professional, industrial and business careers. One of these is William Taylor Daniel, of Hohenwald, who since 1904, has been a resident and business man of Lewis County and previous to that was a well-known and prominent citizen of his native county of Perry. The Daniel family has been established on Tennessee soil for full a century and its members have ever held worthy and useful places in society. It originated here with John W. Daniel, the grandfather of William T., who came into Tennessee from North Carolina about the beginning of the last century and settled on Yellow Creek. He married Elizabeth Taylor. William Taylor Daniel, Sr., one of their seven children, was born in Dickson County, Tennessee, June 24, 1822, but was yet a youth when the family removed to Perry County, where he grew up and concluded a common school education. Taking up farming, he followed that occupation the most of his life, but in his later years he engaged in the mercantile business at Tom’s Creek, Perry County and was one of the best known and most highly respected citizens of that county. In political sentiment he was a Democrat and was a magistrate of the fourth district in Perry County for forty years. In a fraternal way he was identified with the Masonic order, and in religious faith and church membership he was affiliated with the Christian denomination. He passed away in Perry County on July 18, 1910. There he was wedded in 1852 to Margaret Anne O’Guin, who was born in Perry County, August 23, 1833, and is let living. She is also a member of the Christian Church.
Eleven children were born to this union and of this family William Taylor Daniel, Jr., our subject, was second in birth and is one four children yet living. He was reared in Perry County, was educated in its public schools, and when he came of responsible age he took up farming there, following it until 1904, though in the meantime he was also engaged in the mercantile business at Tom’s Creek fourteen years. He then removed to Lewis County and entered the lumber business at Hohenwald as a lumber buyer for the firm of Fair & Ketter at Pittsburg, Tennessee, continuing thus engaged four years. During the last four years he has been associated with Samuel H. Hinson in the lumber business at Hohenwald. While a resident of Perry County he served as county judge from 1894 to 1902 and previous to that he had served as county surveyor five years and had been a magistrate of the fourth district of that county six years. Politically he has always been aligned with the Democratic Party. Fraternally he is affiliated as a member of Hohenwald Lodge No. 607, Free and Accepted Masons, with George D. Smith Lodge No. 182, Knights of Pythias and with Camp No. 215 of the Woodmen of the World.
On February 16, 1875, Mr. Daniel was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Dyer, a daughter of C. C. Dyer, a well-known farmer citizen of Perry County. Eight children have blessed this union and all are living. In order of birth they are: Lillie May, now Mrs. J. E. Burns, of Perry County, Tennessee;
Nora L., now Mrs. R. T. Campbell, and Chester Arthur Daniel, both residents of Hohenwald; Ethel, who is the wife of J. R. Downey and resides at Etna, Tennessee; E. A. Daniel, Maude, now Mrs. W. J. Beasley, and Gertrude, the wife of T. C. Allison, all of who reside in Hohenwald; and Samuel L. Daniel. Mr. Daniel and his family are all members of the Christian Church.
