CAPT. LA FAYETTE TWITCHELL, a prominent citizen of Elizabethtown, Ill., at
the present time police magistrate, was born on Feb. 26, 1829, in that part
of Pope county, Ill., now included in the county of Hardin, his birthplace
being on a farm about four and a half miles northwest of Elizabethtown. His
father, Moses Twitchell, was born at Bethel, Me., March 6, 1779. In early
life he was engaged in rafting lumber from Bethel to Brunswick, and also
learned the trade of mill-wright. He married Lydia Harris in 1810, and in
1812 moved to Pittsburg, Pa., where he engaged in the milling and lumber
business. In 1818 he placed all his personal property on a flat-boat and
with his wife and two children came down the Ohio river to Elizabethtown. He
bought eighty acres of land from a Mr. O'Neal, who had built a small grist
mill on Big creek, one of the first mills in that part of the state. This
mill Mr. Twitchell enlarged and added a saw mill. It afterward became known
far and wide as "Twitchell's mill." Moses Twitchell did considerable
business in shipping lumber down the river by flatboat, frequently going as
far as New Orleans. He also conducted a cooper shop, blacksmith shop and
still house. Later he built a saw mill on Three Mile creek but did not
operate it for any great length of time. In that early day he held an office
that corresponds to the present county commissioner. In the late fifties he
had established at his place the first postoffice between Shawneetown and
Golconda, known as Twitchell's Mills. He was postmaster until he died in
1832. His wife died in 1836. La Fayette is the youngest of the family, the
other children being: Franklin, born in 1812 and died in 1855; Washington,
born in 1814 at Pittsburg and died in 1851 in California; Hiram, who died in
1841 near Elizabethtown; Uzial, who died in 1862; and two daughters, both
named Cynthia, who died in childhood. La Fayette Twitchell passed his
boyhood at his father's mills. In 1837, after the death of his parents, he
went to Elizabethtown, where he lived with his brother Franklin, attending
the schools there and at Shawneetown. As soon as he was old enough to run on
the river he engaged in the occupation of flatboating, his brother Franklin
being one of the most noted pilots on the river. In the spring of 1849 in
company with James and B. P. McFarland. George Jackson, William Chipp, John
H. Lefler, and Robert Pierson, making seven in all, he started with a
six-mule team for California. They left Elizabethtown on April 3, added two
more mules to their team at St. Joseph, Mo., and arrived at Weaverville,
Cal., on August 24. He remained in California until May, 1852, prospecting
and mining, in which he was successful, and then returned by water to New
York. From there he made his way back to Elizabethtown, where he engaged in
the business of running a saw mill and flatboating until the mill was
destroyed by fire in 1854. He and his brother then built a wharf-boat, which
they conducted for about a year, when it was wrecked in a storm. Soon after
this his brother died. In 1859 Captain Twitchell again caught the gold fever
and went overland to Pike's Peak, remaining there for about two years, when
he again returned to his home near Elizabethtown. In August, 1862, he helped
to raise a company, which was mustered in as Company B, One Hundred and
Thirty-first Illinois infantry. He was at first made adjutant of the
regiment, and in June, 1863, was commissioned captain of his company. He was
in many of the military operations around Vicksburg, fought at Arkansas Post
and Milligan's Bend, and was engaged in doing guard and provost duty at
Memphis. In November, 1863, he resigned, raised Company I, One Hundred and
Thirty-sixth Illinois infantry, for the one hundred days' service, and was
made captain of the company. He was discharged in October, 1864, by reason
of expiration of service, and from that time until 1870 was engaged in the
saw mill business. He then conducted a hotel near Rosiclare for about two
years, when he was elected to the office of circuit clerk in 1872 on the
Republican ticket and held the office for four years. Subsequently he served
six years as master in chancery, and during President Harrison's
administration was postmaster at Elizabethtown for four years. He was one of
the county commissioners at the time the new court house was built, and took
an active part in raising by subscription from the people of the town a sum
of $1,200 with which to assist in building the structure. Captain Twitchell
has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ever since 1853;
has passed through the chairs; and has five times represented his lodge in
the Grand Lodge. He is one of the charter members of Alex Ragon Post, No.
565, Grand Army of the Republic, at Elizabethtown; has been honored by his
comrades by being elected commander of the post, and has been a member of
Western Association California Pioneers since 1893. In 1856 he was married
to Miss Angelina, daughter of James and Elizabeth Steele, who came from
South Carolina at an early date. Mrs. Twitchell was born near Rosiclare in
1836 and has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church ever since she
was sixteen years of age. Captain and Mrs. Twitchell are the parents of the
following children: Robert A., a physician of East St. Louis; La Fayette, an
attorney at Denver, Col.; Mollie E., who died in childhood; Benjamin E. and
James W., both physicians, practicing together at Belleville, Ill.
Extracted 2016 May 15 by Norma Hass from Memoirs of the Lower Ohio Valley, Personal and Genealogical with Portraits, published in 1905, Volume 2, page 392
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