April 13, 1893
COL. E. W. HILL.
Of the men who first looked upon what is now Crittenden county, before but little of its virgin forest had faded before the woodman's ax, but few are living to-day. Among the thinned ranks of those pioneers is Col. E. W. Hill, born August 7, 1805, at the old Hill farm about one mile south of Marion, and for 88 years he has been a citizen of this section, and his home during most of that period has been the old homestead, where he was born and where he now resides. He was in Marion yesterday, and spent the day with his grand-daughter, Mrs. J. T. Elder. In the afternoon he called at the PRESS office and chatted pleasantly of men and things pertaining to the early history of this section. His father, Col. David Hill, came from North Carolina one hundred years ago this fall; he was a young man and accompanied James Richey, a well-to-do man, who settled here and opened a farm, building a cabin on what is known as the Wm. Clement farm. The next year, or about 1784, Mr. Hill returned to North Carolina for a short visit, and then returned to Kentucky, accompanied by a number of settlers. He began life by building his cabin and opening up the farm now known as the old Hill place. Col. E. W. Hill remembers well when his father left home and joined the ranks of the soldiers who fought in the war 1812-15. In the early days when the people gathered regularly to "muster," E. W. Hill being versed in military tactics, was chosen to command, and rose to the rank of Colonel, hence his military title. Col. Hill was happily married to Mary B. Porter, daughter of E. P. Porter. Three children were born to them, two of [illegible] living--Mr. E. P. Hill and Mary Dowell, wife of Judge R. E. Dowell of Kansas.
Col. Hill has always been a hard working citizen, and in his day and time has earned many a dollar. "I use to make lots of money," he said, "raising pork and tobacco; I always shipped my produce to New Orleans by flat boat and got good prices, and had I saved my money I would have lots of it now, but I loaned it out, not to make money, but to accomodate [sic] my friends, and lots of it never came home." Col. Hill's word was always as good as his bond, and his eighty-eight years have been years of usefulness, and he has been an important factor in the settlement of the county.
Source: Crittenden Press. (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, April 13, 1893, Image 2 - Chronicling America - The Library of Congress.
[My comments are in brackets.]
