WILLIAM THOMPSON HAYS         PHOTOGRAPH                      

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

William Thompson Hays was born in 1831 in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. 

He married to Elizabeth Partington in 1850 and they had a son, James, born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Elizabeth died and William married Olivia Armstrong at McDaniel Springs in Gallia County, Ohio on December 15, 1853.  William and Olivia had 12 children.  William, who was also called Bill, was one of the prominent blacksmiths of the area in Gallia County.  He was known for his building of wagons. 

 William and Olivia Hays moved to Stafford County, Kansas about 1878 in a covered wagon.  William built the wagon the family used for the trip to Kansas in his own shop.  The trip took nine weeks.  William and Olivia’s children, James, George, Clara, Mary, Emma and Ella, stayed in Ohio.  The younger children, Anna, John, Adam, Olivia Jane, Maggie, Jessie and Mattie, came with their parents to Kansas.  Some of the older children later moved to Kansas.

 William died November 22, 1893 in Stafford County, KS.  William and Olivia and are buried at Peace Creek Cemetery in Stafford County, Kansas.  The cemetery is located about ¼ mile north of 4th Street Road on the Reno Stafford County line. 

Civil War Records of William Thompson Hays

  William Hays was in the Civil War from Gallia County, Ohio.  William had 8 children by the time he was in the war, ranging in ages from 8 months to 13 years old.  William and Olivia had 5 more children after he returned from the war.  The following is the history of the Regiment of William T Hays. 

Company K of the 173rd Regiment, Ohio Infantry

 From Company Muster-in and Descriptive Roll

  Originally enlisted Aug. 25th, 1864, 183rd Regiment at Arabia, Ohio and mustered in at Ironton, Ohio for a period of 12 months as a Private.  Age 33, occupation mechanic, eyes blue, hair fair, complexion fair, height 5’5 1/2”.  Mustered in, Gallipolis, Ohio, Sept. 15, 1864, Company K of the 173rd Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Entered 173rd Regiment as corporal.  (The 183rd appears to be for only that short time.  All other records show the 173rd regiment.)

  Organized for one year’s service, September 18, 1864, in Gallipolis, Gallia County.  Colonel John H. Hurd immediately moved it to Nashville, where it performed guard duty until Hood's invasion, when it took an active part in the trenches and in support of batteries.  The regiment remained in Tennessee until the expiration of its term of service and was mustered out June 28, 1865.

Submitted by Cheryl McVicker Lewis, Great great granddaughter of William Hays