Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1916-08-25
The Golden Anniversary

anniversary of Mr.. and Mrs. Will
liam Colaw, one of the best known
couples of Leroy. Mrs. Colaw has
been ill for some time and at pres
ent is in st. Joseph hospital,
Bloomington, suffering with neuritis
and growth on toe. On account
of Mrs. Colaw's illness they will not
celebrate their anniversary, But
Mr.. .Colaw and daughter will spend
the day quietly with Mrs. Colaw at
the hospital.
William Colaw was one of
family of 7 boys and 2 girls born
to William Colaw and Sabina Gum
Colaw, near Monterey, in Highland
county, West Virginia, July 10,
1899,
Here Mr. Colaw lived with his
parents in the timber and went to
school for few months each win
ter. His home was log house
with a mud chimney. His school,
ing was of the transcription"
nature. The teacher went around
the neighborhood taking up sub
scriptiops that each one would pay
and then taught the scholars for
that amount. Mr.. Colaw continu-
ed to live here until he was IA
years of age, when in the year 1854
he moved with his parents by wa
gon to Illionis.
He tells some interesting stories
of his trip across the country to
this part of the state. They drove
thru with two teams and wagons
and were four weeks on the road.
They crossed the Ohio river at
Parkersburg on a ferry boat. When
they came thru Indianapolis Mr.
Colaw says it was very small place.
The insane asylum was then mile
on this side of the city, while at
present it is in the heart Of the
city. There was only one dwelling
from Danville to Champaign, and
that was a roadhouse which was
kept for the benefit OF travellers.
He says there was not house from
there to the Illinois Central rail-
road at Champaign.
IOWhen they arrived here it was
October and the ground was cover
ed with snow. They purchased 100
acres of prairie land and so acres
of timber just east of where the
town of Downs now is. His father
had 81 100000 and two teams and
wagons with which to commence.
Later they broke 5 yoke of oxen
and broke the prairie.
Here Mr.. Colaw again attended
school during the winter months
and became acquainted with the
little school girl who was destined
to later become his helpmate and
who will today celebrate with him
years of welded life.
In the years of lS5S-1S59 the
whole family of ten passed thru a
severe seige of typhoid fever during
which Mr.. Colaw's mother and two
of his brothers died. Mr.. Colaw was
then Is years of age.
In 1862 at the age of % years,
Mr.. Colaw joined Company F. in
the Oath Ill. Regiment under Col
McNulty. Mr.. Colaw served three
years in the army and was in a
number of battles, among them the
siege of Vicksburg, Capture Fort
Morgan, Alabama, battle of Mobile
Bay and was finally mustered out
at Galveston. Texas, without even
a bullet wound:
Mary E. Jones was the daughter
of Squire Jones and Rachel Barnett
Jones. She was born July 8, 1874
in the northern part of Downs
township about 2 1-2 miles north
of Downs. Her parents were ma
tives of Kentucky, coming here in
early life, Mrs. Colaw's education
consisted of what training she could
get at the "dees trict school.'e
On August 10, 1866, Mary E.
Jones was united in marriage to
William Colaw at the old Pleasant
Grove church. They were married
i Ly the Rev. Ihabod Miller and Mr.!
colaw said he paid his last dollar to
the minister for his services, and
has always felt that it was the best
dollar spent, Another very unusual
thing was that Mr.. Colaw was unit
ed into full membership in the M
E. church the same day that he
married.
They had no wedding trip. They
went to housekeeping at once on
one of his fathers places where his
brother, Dyer, now lives. They
lived there until 1871 when they
emigrated to Kansas where they
almost starved, and in the year Of
1878 drove back overland to Illinois
1t was at this time that their only
child was born, Della, who is now
Mrs Owen l.. Scott.
After returning to Illinois Mr..
and Mrs. colaw bought 20 acres OF