Tillmon Todd, of Springdale, who, since 1883 has been engaged in the practice of law, was born in Chesterfield, Ohio, and as a small boy came to Iowa in 1852 with his parents, Elisha and Sally (Smith) Todd, who were residents of Columbiana county, Ohio. The mother was born near Barnesville, Ohio. The parents were married in Columbiana county and afterward removed to Morgan county, Ohio, locating there at an early day when there were many deer still to be found in locality. In 1852 they came to Iowa and spent their remaining days in Cedar county and here they also shared in the hardships and experiences of pioneer life as the father developed and improved a new farm. He was an active supporter of the cause of abolition and assisted in maintaining a station on the underground railroad both in Ohio and in Iowa. He was defeated when a candidate for the legislature in Ohio owing to his strong anti-slavery principles. Throughout his business career his attention was given to general farming and he became the owner of two hundred acres of land in Cedar county and a tract of equal extent in Linn county. Both he and his wife were members of the Society of Friends and took an active part in its work, Mrs. Todd acting as clerk of the Friends meeting in Ohio and in this county, while Mr. Todd was overseer of the meeting in Ohio. Later he did not adhere so closely to the teachings of that sect but became more liberal in his religious views. He died in 1882 at the age of seventy-five years, while his wife passed away at the age of seventy-eight years.
In their family were eight children: Emily, who was married three times and died at the age of sixty-nine years; Lydia, who became the wife of Joshua Smith but both are now deceased; Shannon, a twin brother of Lydia and a resident of Springdale; John, who died at the age of twenty-two years; Sabilla, the wife of Henry Beeson of West Liberty; Lindley, who died at the age of eighteen years; Maria, the widow of Elza Maxon and a resident of Springdale; and Tillmon, of this review.
As previous stated, Tillmon Todd was but a small boy when he came with his parents to Iowa. They made the journey with four covered wagons, three teams and one single horse and on reaching Cedar county settled in Springdale, where Mr. Todd has resided continuously since the spring of 1853. He was reared upon the home farm and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. After the loss of his first wife, he resumed his education, attending the Springdale Seminary. Later he engaged in teaching school for several years and subsequently entered the law office of Wolf & Landt, attorneys, at Tipton, the partners being Hon. W. P. Wolf and S. B. Landt. After a thorough course of liberal reading Mr. Todd was admitted to the bar in 1883 and has since been engaged in the general practice of law. He prepares his cases with great thoroughness and presents his cause in a strong and logical way. He has also been identified with agricultural interests and has one hundred and eighty acres of valuable land in Cedar county and two hundred acres in Wisconsin. He likewise has mining interests in Colorado and in his various business enterprises is meeting with a substantial and gratifying measure of success. He was one of the instigators of and is now actively engaged in the promotion of the Iowa City & Davenport Interurban Railroad, extending from Iowa City through Springdale to Davenport.
Mr. Todd was married first in 1865 to Miss Mary Gifford, a native of Chesterfield, Ohio, who came to Iowa with her parents in 1854 and died in 1870. The two children born of that marriage are now deceased, Lettie having passed away at the age of two and one-half years, while Tyna became the wife of C. E. Boss and died October 1, 1909, leaving two daughters.
In 1882 Mr. Todd was again married, his second union being with Miss Lou Andre, who was born near Mechanicsville in Cedar county and has resided here all her life. She is a lady of superior ability, well known as a practicing physician. After pursuing her literary education in the schools of this county, she took a four years’ medical course, spending two years as a student of medicine in Iowa City and two years at Keokuk, Iowa. She received her M. D. degree in the spring of 1903 and has since engaged in the general practice of medicine, being accorded a liberal patronage. Her skill and ability are manifest in the excellent results which have attended her efforts and she is a member of the county, state and national medical associations. She is also an active member of the Self-Culture club. By her marriage she has become the mother of one son, Carr, who is his father’s partner in farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Todd has one of the finest parks on the Cedar river, known as Todd’s Park, adjoining Gray’s ford. Upon the place is a fine spring, the water coming out of the solid rock seventy-five feet above the level of the river. The park includes one hundred and twenty acres and upon it there is much hard maple, oak, hickory and basswood. Attractive natural scenery is furnished in cliffs, rocks, hills and valleys. The place borders the river for three-quarters of a mile and Hares creek also runs through it. The park was established by Mr. Todd in 1883, in which year he threw it open to the public, since which time many picnics are held there annually and it is a favorite resort with pleasure-seekers. Mr. Todd is a graduate of the Weltmer School of Healing, of the class of 1902, and has cured hundreds but gave up the work owing to the condition of his health. He acts as correspondent for a number of daily and local papers and is interested in all that pertains to the welfare of the community. He has served as a member of the school board for twelve or fifteen years and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has served as a member of the central committee. He was reared in the Friends church but is not aggressive in either politics or religion. He believes in according to every individual the right of thinking for himself and is recognized as a broad-minded man who is actuated by the spirit of justice and truth in all that he does. Both Mr. and Mrs. Todd have a wide acquaintance in the county and their many excellent qualities have gained them the warm regard and favorable recognition of all who know them.
