William Joseph Bridges
William Joseph Bridges was born on August 5, 1850 in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the first of nine children of Simco N. Bridges and Emeline Martin Bridges. Simco, born in 1825 and Emeline, born in 1830 were both natives of Trigg County. Bill’s siblings include Sarah, born in 1852; Mary Drucilla, born in 1854; Alfred Franklin, born in 1857; Morgan Hopson, born in 1859; John W., born in 1862; Peachie Ann, born in 1864; Louella E. born in 1865 and Nannie Adeline, born in 1872.
On December 24, 1872, Bill married Sarah Wills. Sarah was the daughter of Joe P. and Harriet Duncan Wills. Joe had been born in Virginia and had moved to Mississippi and Harriet was born in Tennessee. They had become residents of Trigg County. They subsequently moved back to Mississippi and Joe died there right after the Civil War.
Bill and Sarah were the parents of ten children, Cornelius Neal, born in 1873; Robert Lee, born in 1876; Luther Edward, born in 1879; Julia Belle, born in 1881; Emma Skaggs, born in 1884; Joseph Franklin, born in 1886; Lemuel Porter, born in 1889; Harriet Divinia, born 1892; Grace Mae, born 1896 and Ora Lee, born in 1899. All but one of their children grew to adulthood and produced a large number of Bridges descendants who grew up primarily in Trigg County. Their young son, Lemuel Porter died of pneumonia at the age of 5. Because of a snow and the impassability of the roads, Lemuel was buried on a farm where they lived in the Minton Community near where the old Cadiz radio station was located.
Bill was a sharecropper and he and his family lived on several farms in Trigg County. Records indicate the family lived in Canton, Linton, Montgomery, South Cadiz and other Trigg County locations. When the children were young, they lived in the Oak Grove Community on what was the Alf Thomas farm. Bill served as a Magistrate in Trigg County from 1910 till 1913.
On June 29, 1909, Sarah, who was in good health, at the time, left her home to gather vegetables in the garden for dinner. When she did not return to the house after a reasonable length of time, the children went to the garden to search for her. She was found on the ground in the garden. A doctor was summoned but it was too late. It was believed that a heart condition was the cause of her death. She was 55 at the time of her death.
After Sarah had died and the children were married and left the home, Bill became a door-to-door salesman selling Watkins products. He died on July 1, 1945 at the age of 94. He and Sarah were buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.
William J. Bridges at 92 in 1942
Tombstone of William and Sarah Bridges
LINEAGE: (William Joseph Bridges was the son of Simco N. and Emeline Martin Bridges. Simco was the third child of William Bridges and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges. Mary was the fifth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)
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