Filed under: giles, roane tennessee genealogy, records repository
William “Bill” Houston GILES
Bill GILES was a fixture at the Harriman Record. He retired after 36 years, not too long before his death. When he died, the paper printed a long article about his life and work. Bill had been employed as a printer, but he also created a funny little cartoon character – a cocky, cigar-smoking duck in a bowler hat who had his own political slant on life in and about Tennesse. For years, Bill’s political cartoons were featured on the paper’s front page [ example | here | ]. He’s a featured individual in Walter T. Pulliam’s history, Harriman, The Town That Temperance Built (1978).
Parents:William Jacob Morgan “W.M.” GILES (1870-1953) and Cora Pickens ELLIS (1881-1961) Life Range:9 Apr 1899 – 12 May 1958
- 1895 Apr 1: Spouse birth and info: USA, TN, Roane County, Kingston. Grace GAMBILL (1895-1977). Born in Kingston, Roane County, TN, USA. Died on 21 Dec 1977 in Harriman, Roane Co, TN.
- 1899 Apr 9: Own birth info: TN, Roane Co. Possible birth location (census entry): Decatur,TN
- 1913 May 24 Child born (#1):USA, TN, Roane County, Kingston. Robert Edwin “Ed” GILES (1913-1985) (Father:Adoptive) (Mother:Biological). Born in Kingston, Roane County, TN, USA. Died in Apr 1985, buried in Lafayette, Walker County, GA.
- 1916 Mar 17 Child born (#2): Louise GILES (1916-Abt 2002) (Father:Adoptive) (Mother:Biological). Died about 2002.
- 1919 Dec 30 Marriage:Grace GAMBILL (1895-1977).
- 1920 Jan 8Census: TN, Roane Co, Harriman. District 1.
GILES WILLIAM 21 M W TN TN ROANE HARRIMAN 1-DIST 1920
Trenton Street 222/199/226
8 Jan 1920
line 57 fff William Giles, head, r, m, w, 21, m, -yes, tn, , tn, tn, yes, laborer, hoe shop, w Grace, w, f, w, 24, m, yes, yes, tn, tn, tn, yes, none Edwin, son, 6, s, no, -, -, tn tn, tn, -, none Louise, daughter, f, 3 10/12, sm—-, tn, tn, tn,-, none
- 1920 May 24 Child born (#3): TN, Roane Co, Harriman. (private) GILES (1920- ). Born in Harriman, Roane Co, TN.
- 1923 Jul 27Child born (#4): TN, Roane Co, Harriman. (private) GILES (1923- ). Born in Harriman, Roane Co, TN.
- 1930 Apr 7/8 Census:TN, Roane Co. District 1, Harriman . 420 Clifty St Family 152/187
GILES, William H. Head, 0, 2000, r, no, m, w, 30, m, 20, no, yes, TN TN TN, – 81 – - – - yes, printer, news paper 0749 w, yes – no – -…Mary G. [Grace], wife – h, – - – - f, w, 35, m, 25, no, yes, TN TN TN - 81 – - – - yes none [all else blanks] …Edward, son, – - – checkmark, m, w, 16, s,yes yes TN TN TN - 81 – - – - yes Drug Store 4590, w, yes [all else blanks] …Louise, daughter, – - – checkmark, f, w, 14, s, yes, yes, TN TN TN - 81 – - – - yes none [all else blanks] …Lina J.daughter, – - – checkmark, f, w, 6, s, yes, -, TN TN TN - 81 – - – - – none [all else blanks] …James M., son, – - – checkmark, m, w, 3 11/12, s, no, -, TN TN TN - 81 – - – - yes none [all else blanks]
- 1953 Mar 6Death of Father:TN, Roane Co, Harriman. William Jacob Morgan “W.M.” GILES (1870-1953).
- 1958 May 12Death:TN, Roane Co, Harriman.
- 1958 May 14Burial:TN, Roane Co, Kingston, Bethel Cemetery.
Notes: Bill claimed at one time to have run the only tattoo parlor between Cincinatti and Atlanta. Family will attest that if it wasn’t the only one, it was certainly the safest and cleanest.
Bill himself sported tattoos, and early on, he tattooed some of his siblings for practice. Charles had “Gedo,” his pet name for Genevieve, on his arm as well as Bill’s version of Popeye the Sailor Man, a character Charles would quickly draw for anyone anytime they asked. Above one knee, Bill’s sister Sudie sported a kewpie doll he had drawn that grew and shrank as she did over the years.
A talented photographer, Bill kept a home darkroom and developed his pictures himself. Most studio-type GILES family portraits from the 1940s and early 1950s are his work. [One example, me at two years old, can be viewed | here |.
Bill, William Houston GILES, was not a “Junior,” as many people think. His father’s middle name was “Morgan” not “Houston.” As many in the GILES family lines were, Bill was named for his father but given a different middle name – not only to differentiate him from his father but to keep him from being called “Junior.”
© 2004-2005 D Loiselle
originally published on 10.14.2004 at 10:46 pm by tntype at tntype.kiddoink.com (category: genealogy)
original url: http://tntype.kiddoink.com/archives/2004/10/14/bill-giles-printer-and-cartoonist-harriman-tennessee/
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