Farmers were among the first pioneers to settle in McDonough County, and
merchants soon followed. One of the earliest and most successful was
Nathaniel Park Tinsley, better known throughout the county as N. P. Tinsley.
N. P. was born in Virginia in 1810, the fifth child of David and Mahalia Cox
Tinsley. Sometime after the birth of their sixth child in 1812, the family packed
up and moved west to Adair County, Kentucky, seeking new opportunities on
the frontier.

In the early 1830s, N. P. and his older brother, Seth, left Kentucky for Illinois.

Historians disagree on the exact year N. P. arrived in McDonough County, but most place his arrival in either 1835 or 1836. Shortly after arriving, he
purchased an interest in a general merchandise store in Macomb. By 1837, he had built a two-story frame store on the north side of the courthouse square.

As Macomb grew, so did Tinsley’s business interests. In 1838, he sold several town lots he owned in Petersburg, Illinois, including many to his brother Seth.

That same year, he married Telitha C. Walker, daughter of Joseph and Mariah Collins Walker, members of another well-known pioneer family of McDonough County.

While Tinsley’s business prospered, the 1840s brought personal heartbreak.
Three young children—sons Seth and Edwin and an infant daughter—died in
infancy. His mother died in Kentucky in 1842, followed by his father in 1848.
The greatest loss came in 1847 when Telitha died, leaving N. P. to raise their
young daughter, Mary. Of all their children, Mary would be the only one to
reach adulthood.

Despite these tragedies, Tinsley’s dry goods business flourished during the
1850s. A glance through Macomb newspapers from that era reveals nearly
weekly advertisements for his store. Customers could find everything from
clothing, boots, and bonnets to hardware, saddlery, china, paints, and
medicines. His store became one of the best-known businesses in the county.
Tinsley’s commitment to the community became especially evident during
the eƯort to build a new courthouse. By the mid-1860s, the old courthouse
had fallen into disrepair, placing valuable county records at risk. At the same
time, citizens of Bushnell were campaigning to move the county seat from
Macomb.

County oƯicials estimated that Macomb should contribute $20,000 toward
construction of a new courthouse, but progress stalled when local support
failed to materialize. Seeing the importance of keeping the county seat in
Macomb, N. P. Tinsley stepped forward and pledged $5,000 of his own money
toward the project. His leadership helped move the eƯort forward.
Construction finally began, and by the summer of 1872 McDonough County
had the courthouse that still stands as one of the county’s most recognizable
landmarks. Newspaper accounts later reported that Tinsley was reimbursed
after the project was completed.

The Tinsley family’s influence continued through N. P.’s daughter, Mary. In
1868 she married Civil War veteran Albert Eads, who later became a
bookkeeper and eventually president of Union National Bank of Macomb. N. P.
himself had been a co-founder of the bank, purchasing its second stock
certificate.

Albert and Mary Eads had two daughters, Eleanor and Maggie. In 1892,
Eleanor married James W. Bailey, linking the family to another prominent
Macomb banking family. Their daughter, Mary Bailey Ewing, would later
become well known throughout the community for her many philanthropic
eƯorts.

Nathaniel Park Tinsley died in Macomb in 1882 at the age of 70. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery near the town he helped build. Telitha Walker Tinsley rests in Camp Creek Cemetery alongside her young children and among members of the Walker family. Large stone columns mark the graves of both N. P. and Telitha, serving as lasting reminders of two pioneers whose
contributions helped shape McDonough County’s history.

Pioneers of the Past is furnished by Julie L. Terstriep, of the McDonough
County Genealogical Society, facebook.com/mcdcgs. For more Pioneers of
the Past, go to https://www.mcdcgs.com/pioneers-of-the-past/