William Twibell was born on 29 October 1831 at New Martinsville, Tyler, Virginia.
He was the son of Josiah Twibell and Mary Sharpneck.
William Twibell married Mary Brannum, daughter of Samuel Brannum and Nancy Ball, on 18 October 1856 at Blackford, Indiana.
HON. WILLIAM TWIBELL, a prominent citizen of Blackford County, was born near New Martinsville, West Virginia, October 29, 1831, a son of Josiah Twibell, a native of Ohio. The latter was a son of John Twibell, a native of Ireland, who was a soldier in the British army during the Revolutionary war. Just at the close of the war he deserted the king and joined the American army. He settled in Maryland, where he was married, and reared a family of eight children. Josiah Twibell was reared in the State of Maryland. He was married in Virginia to Miss Mary Sharpneck, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of William and Elizabeth Sharpneck, who were of English and Scotch ancestry. To them were born six children -John, William (our subject), Thomas, Sarah, Daniel and Elizabeth. In 1834 Josiah Twibell came with his wife and three children to Indiana, and after living two years in Henry County, removed to Blackford County, and settled on section 2, Harrison Township. They made the journey to Indiana with ox team and two horses, cutting a road a great part of the way. The father on coming to Blackford County, entered eighty acres of land from the Government, covered with heavy timber, not a tree having been cut on the place. After clearing a space he built a rude log cabin 18 x 24 feet in size, with puncheon floor and clapboard roof, and here amid the wild surrounding of the wilderness, assisted by his sons, he made a home for his family. The first year they paid for salt $16 a barrel, and all things were proportionately high. Wild animals were numerous, and Indians were the principal inhabitants at that early date. The mother of our subject died in their pioneer home in 1843, and in 1844 Josiah Twibell was again married to Miss Margaret Chick, a native of Virginia, and to this union six children were born as follows - David, Mary, Ann, Bathsheba, Jane and Josiah. Josiah Twibell died on the old homestead where he made his home for so many years, in 1873. In politics he was first a Democrat, later a Free Soiler, and in 1856 he became a Republican in his political views. During the war of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company I, Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry, of which he became Captain. He was in the engagement at Island No. 10. He served one year and was honorably discharged on account of disability. His son Thomas served three years in the same regiment. He died in Kansas in 1881. Another son, David, was a member of Company H, Seventy-fifth Indiana Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Champion Hills. Josiah Twibell served two terms as county commissioner. He was for years a member of the Methodist church, but later in life was a believer in the Universalist doctrines. He was a charter member of Hartford Lodge, No. 106, A.F. & A.M. and later was a member of Montpelier Lodge, No. 288. William Twibell, whose name heads this sketch, was two years old when brought by his parents to Indiana, and four years of age when the family settled in Blackford County. He was reared to manhood on the old homestead in Harrison Township, and received his education in the pioneer schools of his district and by study at home. He was married October 13, 1856, to Miss Mary Brannum, who was born in Union County, Indiana, a daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Hall) Brannum. They have six children living -Samuel, Retta, Emma, Joseph, Zada and Carrie U. Two of their children are deceased -a daughter Nancy, and one who died in infancy unnamed. After his marriage Mr. Twibell located in Montpelier, where he was engaged in mercantile business until 1870, his sales amounting to about $75,000 per annum. In 1870 he began dealing in grain, which he followed until 1886, when his buildings were destroyed by fire. Mr. Twibell was elected a member of the Legislature in the fall of 1875, taking his seat the following January. He is classed among the prosperous men of the county, and is the owner of five farms, containing about 600 acres of choice land. He is a member of Blackford Lodge, No. 106, A.F. & A.M., and was a charter member of the Montpelier Masonic lodge. He is also a member of the Order of Redmen, belonging to Lodge No. 71 of Montpelier.
Source:
Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana By The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887, page 843-844.1
William Twibell died on 2 November 1900 at Blackford, Indiana, at age 69.
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