The 17 Jun 1880 US Census of Graysville, Catoosa Co., GA enumerated the household of 26 Y/O Charles Thomas Farrar, a sawyer in a local saw mill who was born in Evergreen, VA, and his 23 Y/O wife, Rosalind Virginia (Dawn) Farrar, born in TN. Also living in the household as a "boarder" was 45 year old William Baker Farrar, " local lumber dealer". He was Charles' first cousin from Evergreen, VA and the owner of the lumber saw mill where Charles was employed. Also living in the household were their children: 6 Y/O Maye Hardwick Farrar born in Dawnville, Whitfield Co., GA; 2 Y/O Thomas Bennett Farrar (b. 29 Oct 1877 Cleveland, Bradley Co., TN [Reference: Farrar Family Bible] - d. 19 Apr 1888 Woodlawn, Jefferson Co., AL [Reference: Farrar Family Bible]) and 10 months old William Charles Farrar, my grandfather, born in Graysville, Catoosa Co., GA.

Between 04 Jun 1881, the birth date of their son, Ogden Shelby Farrar, in Dalton, Whitfield Co., GA, and 16 Jan 1884, the birth date of their son, Stephen Baker Farrar, in Cedartown, Polk Co., GA, Charles Thomas Farrar and his family began to migrate further southward with stops in Cedartown, Polk Co., GA where as noted above their son, Stephen Baker Farrar, was born on 16 Jan 1884. Their next stop was Tallapoosa, Haralson Co., GA where sadly their 1 Y/O son, Stephen Baker Farrar, died on 30 Jun 1885 and where their daughter, Jimmie Oden Farrar, was born on 05 Nov 1885. Charles and his family continued their migration and arrived in Woodlawn, Jefferson Co., AL (later to become part of Birmingham) about 1888 as their son, Thomas Bennett Farrar died there on 19 Apr 1888 and their son, Sam Cross Farrar, was born there on 15 May 1888. (NOTE: All birth and death dates confirmed by the Farrar Family Bible). Charles Thomas Farrar's first recorded employment in the Birmingham area was at the Sloss Furnace repair shop in 1888 (The Sloss Furnace is a National Historic Landmark in Birmingham, Alabama that operated as a pig iron-producing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971). By 1889, Charles went into the familiar business of lumber dealing and was the foreman of Hughes Lumber Yard in Birmingham but gravitated to the more lucrative job of working for the railroads. In 1890 he was a "locomotive fireman" for the "Georgia Pacific Railroad" By 1896 he was a "locomotive engineer" for the renamed "Southern Railway" and continued to work for the railroads most of his remaining life.

Sybley John Farrar was born on 10 Sep 1892 at Avondale, Jefferson Co., AL. The 1896 Birmingham City Directory recorded Charles Thomas Farrar, a Southern Railroad engineer, and his family, including Sybley John Farrar, living in Avondale at the address, “2d ave A’dale” (Avondale). Avondale, at the time, was the site of a very large cotton mill and its accompanying company owned community and store. Avondale was located closely to the Sloss Furnace repair shop where Sybley's father, Charles Thomas Farrar, worked in 1888.

I have not been able to locate the Charles Thomas Farrar family in 1900 US Census.

The 1900 Birmingham City Directory recorded Chas T. Farrar as an “engineer Southern Railroad” and his residence was listed as “2d ave A’dale” (Avondale). He had remained a “railroad engineer” but “Southern Railroad” was operating “Georgia Pacific Railroad" after 1894.

The 1910 US Census of Birmingham, AL enumerated the household of 59 Y/O Charles Thomas Farrar and his 53 Y/O wife, Rosalind Virginia (Dawn) Farrar. Also living in their household were their children: 20 Y/O Dawn Franklin Farrar, a pressman; 16 Y/O Sybley John Farrar, a student; 14 Y/O Enoree Yvonne Farrar and 12 Y/O Edward Larson Farrar.

The 1911 Birmingham City Directory is the first mention of Sybley J. Farrar by name. His occupation was listed as "student" and his home address was “1015 McMillan av, W E”. He was living with his married brother, Sam Cross Farrar, Sr., just down the street from their parents.

The 1914 Birmingham City Directory recorded Sybley as a "clerk" at age of 22. This was his first job and he was living with his parents at 1008 McMillan Ave., W E.

Sybley married 20 Y/O Willie Schwend on 03 Mar 1914 at Jefferson Co., AL.

The 1917 Birmingham City Directory recorded Sibley J. Farrar; his occupation was “electn” (electrician) and he was living at “1008 McMillan av” with his mother and father.

The 05 Jun 1917 WWI Registration Card of Sybley John Farrar was issued in Cleveland, Ohio. It states that Sybley was born in Birmingham, AL and was employed in Cleveland by the "Corrigan-McKinney Steel Co." as a pipefitter at their Cuyahoga River Furnace and was married with one child.

When he enlisted in the Army at Cleveland, Ohio on 19 Sep 1917, he was working as a pipefitter. I haven't been able to determine the exact reason he moved to Cleveland, Ohio but better salary might have been the reason.

He was shipped to France as part of the WWI American Expeditionary Force on 31 Mar 1918 and returned to the states on 22 Jun 1919 to be honorably discharged on 01 Jul 1919. Extant postcards to his wife show he served in Nevers, France. He was a Private First Class in Company "D" 19th Engineers. Sybley came back from WWI to his old job of pipefitter in Birmingham, AL.

The 1920 US Census of Birmingham, AL enumerated the household of 69 Y/O retired Charles Thomas Farrar. Inexplicably, his 63 Y/O wife, Rosalind Virginia (Dawn) Farrar, is not enumerated in the household. Their children living in the household were: (1) 27 Y/O Sybley John Farrar, a railroad pipefitter; 25 Y/O Willie (Schwend) Farrar, wife of Sybley John Farrar; 5 Y/O Elizabeth Estella Farrar, daughter of Sybley and Willie Farrar; (2) 30 Y/O Dawn Franklin Farrar, a printer, and (3) 21 Y/O Edward Larston Farrar.

The 1930 US Census of Birmingham, AL enumerated the household of 79 Y/O retired Charles Thomas Farrar and his 72 Y/O wife, Rosalind Virginia (Dawn) Farrar. Also living in the household were a son; 40 Y/O Dawn Franklin Farrar, an automobile salesman; another son 37 Y/O Sybley John Farrar, a pipefitter for a Steel and Iron Company; Sybley's 36 Y/O wife, Willie (Schwend) Farrar and their two children; 15 Y/O Elizabeth Estella Farrar and 8 Y/O Cathryn Virginia Farrar.

The 04 Apr 1940 US Census of Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated the household of 47 Y/O Sybley John Farrar, a pipefitter in a steel plant, and his 47 Y/O wife, Willie (Schwend) Farrar. Also living in the household was their unmarried 18 Y/O daughter, Cathryn Virginia Farrar. In addition, their 25 Y/O married daughter, Elizabeth Estella (Farrar) McGehee, a file clerk at a private photography studio (Charles W. Wright Photographic Studio) and her 27 Y/O husband, Robert W. McGehee, a photographer/developer in a private photography studio (Charles W. Wright Photographic Studio), were also residents in the household.

Sybley worked for both the railroad and a steel mill as a pipefitter until he retired in the early 1940s.

The Children of Sybley and Willie (Schwend) Farrar were:
1) Elizabeth Estella Farrar, b. 08 Sep 1914, d. 18 Feb 1987.
2) Cathryn Virginia Farrar, b. 19 May 1921, d. 03 Dec 2011.

Sybley John Farrar was the 4th cousin 2 times removed of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) through his mother, Rosalind Virginia Dawn Farrar. (See Find A Grave Memorials Mark Twain and Mark Twain.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.