Perhaps no one family has so closely identified itself with Young county and has been more sincerely and actively connected with its industrial affairs than the one represented by the subject of t his notice and for fealty to friends and loyalty and integrity of purpose J. Worth Timmons admirably excels. A commissioner of his county, a prominent cowman of the old regime and a large farmer of the present day, he is one of the substantial characters of his municipality and a rugged example of western citizenship.
March 7, 1850, J. Worth Timmons was born in Cherokee county, Georgia, a son of Alexander and Julia (Moss) Timmons, industrious farmers of their adopted county. Alexander Timmons was born in Hall county, Georgia, in 1820, was sparingly educated and was a son of Noble Timmons, who was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in 1783, moved with his family to Georgia, passed his life as a farmer and miller and died in 1860. Noble Timmons served in the war of 1812 and married Elender Powers, who bore him John, Samuel, Mary, wife of William Brooks, Alexander, William, Noble, and Elender, who married a Patterson.
Alexander Timmons left his Cherokee county, Georgia, home in 1861 and rove through to Texas, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri and Indian Territory, stopping in Hill county, Texas, until 163, w hen he moved on to Hamilton county and, in the spring of 1866, to Young county, where he passed away in 1881. He located on Clear Fork two miles below Eliasville, where he purchased one survey and pre-empted one. His early years in the county were devoted chiefly to the cattle and sheep industry, although he made some pretense to farming, and he served as justice of the peace some years. He opposed the war of the states and left his native state to escape the evil effects he knew would follow. He was a State Ranger for a time and sustained some losses at the hands of the Indians. In sentiment he was a strong Union man during the was period and felt that the south should have demanded its rights with the Union. After the war ended he voted the Democratic ticket and lived in harmony with the political views of his neighbors. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist church.
Alexander Timmons married, in 1846, a daughter of David Moss. Mrs. Timmons was born in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, in 1822, June 28, and died August 20, 1897. Her mother was a Miss White. The issue of Mr. and Mrs. Timmons were: Nancy, deceased, wife of A. B. Medlan, passed away in October, 1878; Joseph Marlin, of Throckmorton county; of John Marlin, of Throckmorton county; Palestine, wife of Judge W. H. Peckham, of Fort Worth, and John, who died in Young county in 1876, unmarried.
J. Worth Timmons came to Texas when eleven years of age and received some school training at Towash, Hill county, and attended school some in Hamilton county, one term in Belknap and one at Weatherford. He remained with the parental home till past twenty-one and when he started in life went to work on the range for his brother-in-law, Mr. Medlan, for a per cent of the increase. He accumulated a bunch of cattle of his own, chose the “Tim” as his brand and continued it till 1878—having lost more than four hundred head by theft in 1873—when he sold the brand and entered the field with a new brand. In 1882 he sold his “Dog” brand and began buying land preparatory to leaving the range and paying attention to active agriculture. He has six hundred and forty acres on the north side of the Brazos and nine hundred and twenty acres on the south side, in Young county, and carries only what stock the pastures will support.
Mr. Timmons was united in marriage October 26, 1880, with Miss Nannie Willis, a daughter of George Willis, who passed away in Jackson county, Alabama. Mrs. Timmons was born in Alabama in 1863 and came to Texas with her mother, now Mrs. A. B. Medlan, in 1873 and to Young county in 1878. She has two sisters, Mrs. Serena Turner, of New Mexico and Mrs. Sarah Ragland, of Young county. Mr. and Mrs. Timmons’ children are: Cornelia, wife of P. D. Clack, of Havre, Montana, with a son, Worth Medlan; Julia, a Montana teacher; George W., a Montana railroad man; Ina B., of Havre; Roscoe C., John M., Joseph W., Carl A., Edward W., Paul and Herman.
Mr. Timmons has ever taken a good citizen’s interest in local politics. He served four years as cattle inspector and inspector of hides for his county and was appointed county commissioner early in 1905 to fill out the term of Joseph Ford for the first commissioner’s precinct.
Source: B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol. II, pp. 114-115.