The Todd family is of Scotch origin and the first
of the name know in this county was John, whose son James married Jennetta
Harris and settled in Wallace twp. Of their 18 children, John Todd was
born in March of 1812, in Wallace, and died 2-27-1876. He was reared on
his father's farm and received but the poor educational advantages of his day.
At the age of 18 he turned his attention to driving and dealing in
cattle, paying his father 200 dollars for his time until his majority.
He married, 5-16-1834, Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Essick Pergrin,
from which union were born 8 children; Sally, married to Jesse Rogers; Jenetta,
married first to William Krauser and then to Erastus Ives; Mary Ann, married
to Benton Evans; James H; Emaretta, married to Edward Crows; John T.; Clara V,
married to Henry Arons; and Samuel Winfield. Mr Todd was actively
engaged in various business enterprises, embracing, besides farming and stock,
that of merchandising, hotel-keeping, lumber and coal-yards, at Byers'
Station, Pa. During the war he furnished the government with thousands
of horses. His family attended with him the Presbyterian Church, to the
support of which he was a liberal contributor. He was buried on the farm
on which he was born, and at his death owned the original Todd tract. He was
one of the managers of the county Agricultural Soc and a large stockholder in
the old Chester County Bank. Originally a Whig, he became a republican
and was active in the politics of the day. Byers' Station and village is
part of his estate, which includes, in addition, 5 farms aggregating 700
acres. He began life poor, and made his first 5 dollars on the sale of
some chestnuts; but he rose to be one of the leading businessmen of his
county. He was highly esteemed by his fellow citizens and contributed
largely to the materialgrowth of the northern part of the county, notably in
the construction of the Pickering Valley RR. On his estate, near Byers'
Station, are the ";lumbago Works", which he discovered, started and
leased to a company now successfully operating them.
(there is a line drawing of
John, and his home that accompany this bio)