Tilford, William

Flourished:

Tilford was an early settler in Island Grove Township, Sangamon County, Illinois, arriving from Kentucky before 1830. In 1830, he purchased 116 acres of public land near Berlin. Tilford and William Butler became embroiled in a dispute over a portion of this land, leading to several lawsuits, and the Sangamon County Circuit Court appointed Abraham Lincoln to survey a part of this land in an effort to settle the matter. Tilford eventually moved to Iowa.

History of Sangamon County, Illinois (Chicago, IL: Inter-State, 1881), 932; Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales, Sangamon County, 68:93, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; Survey for Sangamon County Circuit Court; Butler v. Tilford et al., Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=138485.