WI BIO - Dane Co - McCONNELL, William Tyler
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 630-631

William Tyler McCONNELL is a member of one of the most prosperous business 
houses in the city of Madison, Dane County, WI. The firm name is McConnell & 
Son, and their location is No. 23 North Pinckney Street, where they carry on 
one of the most complete grocery houses in this locality. The business was 
established in 1882 and has grown to large proportions, the firm now 
requiring the assistance of six clerks and having the trade of the best 
people of the city and vicinity.

William Tyler McCONNELL was born 19 Dec 1835 in Montgomery County, Ohio. 
There he was reared and educated in the common schools, receiving his first 
instruction in the little log schoolhouse, which was the temple of learning 
for so many of the successful men of thirty years of age or more. He grew up 
on the farm, and has spent a great part of his life in agricultural pursuits. 
His father, Thomas J. McCONNELL, was a native of Franklin, Warren County, 
Ohio, and the youngest child in the family, all of whom, except himself, were 
natives of Kentucky. The grandfather of our subject, Alexander McCONNELL, 
moved into the latter State at an early day and then came into the wilds of 
Ohio, where he was a pioneer of Warren County. His birth probably took place 
in Maryland or North Carolina, and he sprang from a line of Scotch Irish 
ancestors, who came to this country prior to the Revolutionary War and took 
part in it. A sister of Alexander McCONNELL married Colonel Robert 
PATTERSON, who became connected with the early history of Kentucky. Both the 
PATTERSONs and the McCONNELLs were warm friends of Daniel BOONE, and went 
with the great Nimrod on many of his hunting expeditions.

After Alexander McCONNELL grew to maturity, he married Miss Rebecca THOMPSON, 
whose people were also early settlers in Kentucky, and prominent in military 
affairs. Mr. and Mrs. McCONNELL settled in Lexington [Fayette County, 
Kentucky], and in the latter part of the last century moved into Ohio. There 
Mr. McCONNELL died, about the time of the opening of the War of 1812, in 
which struggle he bore a part, doing good service in many engagements, 
including the battle of Piqua Plains. The wife of Mr. McCONNELL survived him 
some years, and made her home with her sons in Montgomery County, Indiana, 
where she died of old age. Both she and her husband were members of the 
Presbyterian Church.

Thomas J., the youngest child from this union, and the father of the subject 
of this sketch, grew to manhood in Ohio, and married, in Montgomery County 
[Ohio], Miss Sarah TYLER, who was born at Paris [Bourbon County], Kentucky, 
the daughter of William TYLER, a second cousin of President TYLER. William 
TYLER was born in Kentucky, but came at an early day to Montgomery County, 
Ohio, where he died. His wife was Miss Judd MATHENS, also a Kentuckian. 
After marriage, Thomas McCONNELL and wife began life on a farm in Montgomery 
County, and there all of their children were born. In 1855 all of the family 
except Alexander, who still lives on a farm in Montgomery County, came to [p 
631] Wisconsin. The trip was made overland, and they settled at Madison, 
when the city was a town of about 3,000 inhabitants. It was here that Thomas 
began to buy land, continuing buying and selling for some years, until at 
last he retired from active business. He died at Madison [Dane County, 
Wisconsin], 23 January 1893, in his ninetieth year; his wife, in her 
eighty-sixth year, survives him. Both of them were for many years stanch 
members of the Presbyterian Church.

Our subject, William T., is the fourth child in a family of two sons and four 
daughters. He was married, after coming to Madison, to Miss Mary TURVILLE, 
who was born in England in 1840. She came to this country when she was eight 
years of age, with her parents, Henry and Mary (KENT) TURVILLE, who settled 
for two years near Columbus [Franklin County], Ohio, and in 1852 came to 
Madison [Dane County, Wisconsin], where the father died in 1871, when 
fifty-seven years of age.

Mr. and Mrs. William Tyler McCONNELL are the parents of two sons and one 
daughter: George K., of the firm with his father; Frank T., a doctor of 
dentistry; and Anna, living at home. Mr. and Mrs. McCONNELL are valued 
members of the Presbyterian Church. He has not been an active politician, 
but has been County Treasurer, has been connected with the post office for 
three years, and has held the office of Under Sheriff. The political faith 
of the family, which has descended from the grandfather, is that of the 
Democratic party. The family is one greatly respected in Madison, and Mr. 
McCONNELL has business as well as personal friends by the score.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly