| Notes |
- (If you use any portion of these notes, please give source credit to Lois Sorensen, Remington family researcher and compiler, and to other sources as noted herein.)
In the 1880 Federal Census, Samuel Pyles is single and age 24, a druggist, living on Broad St. (?) in Thomasville, GA.
The following biographical sketch was contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Charles Blankenship, PylesSRP@aol.com (Author: Charles Blankenship)
Samuel R. Pyles, the child of Mary S. Remington and Lewis G. Pyles, was born either in Thomasville, GA, or Newnansville, FL. The 1860 Census says that he was born in Florida, but the 1900 and 1910 enumeration taken in Idaho and California said Georgia. Samuel's mother was the child of Edward and Mary Remington who had moved from Rhode Island to Thomas Co., GA, in the 1830s. His father Lewis was the son of Charlotte Wynn of Savannah, GA, and Col. Samuel R. Pyles of Glynn Co., GA.
Young Samuel's mother died in 1859 just a few days after the birth and death of an infant child. She is buried in the old Newnansville Methodist Cemetery outside the present day town of Alachua, Alachua Co., FL. His father, Lewis, continued to live and work as a Registrar in the General Land Office in the old town. Both young Samuel and Lewis were listed living in town in 1860.
When the Civil War broke out, Samuel's father was elected as a Major in the 2nd FL Infantry Regiment as a Staff Officer. At the Virginia Battle of Seven Pines in May of 1862, he was severely wounded. He was a Lt. Col. at that time and was promoted to full Colonel, but did not serve with the 2nd FL Reg't again. Instead, returning home, he recovered and was in some Florida skirmishes. Florida Masonic records indicate that he died in Archer, Florida in 1866.
At that time, young Samuel was an orphan. All his male paternal uncles were dead and most likely he was living with his paternal aunt, Charlotte L. (Pyles) Helvenston in Archer. His maternal grandfather, Edward Remington, probably took Samuel to Thomasville to live and become educated. Some records from that area indicate that he was a registered voter by 1876 and attended a wedding for a paternal cousin in 1879.
The 1880 Census shows that he was a druggist at his cousin W. E. Davies' Drug Store in Thomasville. By October of 1882, a Rhode Island Equity Partition [Shelton vs Sheldon] states that he was living in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH. The Cincinnati City Directory between 1889 to 1892 lists him as a city resident and working for a railroad by the last year.
Meanwhile, his grandfather had died in 1878 and his cousin [W. E. Davies] began to settle their grandfather's land holdings in Levy and Alachua Co., FL. An Ancient Record [DBK 35] filed in 1890, states that he was married and that he and his wife, Mary J. Pyles, were still living in Hamilton Co., OH. She relinquished her dower rights and both received monetary payment in consideration of the same.
Not much is known of their movements, except by researching the 1900, 1910, and 1920 Census records and their proper names. In 1900, Samuel R. and Mary J. Pyles appear in De Lamar, Owyhee Co., ID. Samuel was a hotel manager and they were living at the hotel that boarded "gold miners" in a Silver Mining town. The enumeration indicated that they had been married for 17 years, so they must have married in OH in 1883. Mary's birth state was Ohio and her parents were from WV and England. Ten years later, the states were reversed and by 1920, her father was listed as being from VA.
In 1910, the couple are listed as living on Hill Street in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, CA. Samuel's occupation was retail clerk in a Cigar Store. Their marriage years were stated as 27 to confirm the 1883 date. Both the 1900 and 1910 stated that Samuel was born in Georgia. The 1900 had his father born in FL, but mother in RI. By 1910, it showed FL and GA.
The question as to children for Mary J. Pyles on the 1910 was answered "0-0" to indicate that she never had children. Thus, the line of Lewis G. Pyles and Mary S. Remington ended with the passing of their son, Samuel R. Pyles. The 1920 Census for Santa Monica, CA, indicates that Mary J. Pyles was widowed and still living in the same town. Her husband Samuel R. Pyles died between 1910 and 1920. She does not appear on the 1930 census, so she probably died after 1920.
Additional Comments:
Lewis G. Pyles Civil War Service Records are available at the National Archives. Ancient Records of Alachua County, Florida are online dating from the 1830 through the early to middle 1860s. Biographies for his parents are both online and through the Alachua Co. Gen. Society's quarterly: 'LATCHUA COUNTRY NEWS. His mother's family is well documented in Thomasville, GA, where they are buried. Except for 1870, Samuel R. Pyles appears on every Census through 1910. Because he and his wife used their first names and middle initials, it is easy to research their westward trek.
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1856 - 1920 (~ 55 years)
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