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.

The 1896 Birmingham City Directory records Charles Thomas Farrar, a Southern Railroad engineer, and his family, including William Charles 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 William'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 1900 Birmingham City Directory recorded William Charles Farrar as a “laborer” and his home address was “2d ave A’dale” (Avondale), the same as his father, Charles Thomas Farrar.

William Charles Farrar received part of his education in parochial Catholic School in Birmingham, AL although he was a Methodist. He followed his father's example and worked briefly for the Southern R.R. before matriculating into the Birmingham Medical College.

During his days at the Birmingham Medical College, his best friend, William Madison Dinsmore, also a medical student (class of 1909), was courting a young lady named Emmie Abercrombie. Emmie's younger sister, Beatrice, pestered the courting couple so irritatingly that William Dinsmore enlisted his best friend, William Charles Farrar, to distract her. Although 10 years her senior and maybe because of it, Beatrice fell madly in love with him and they were married on 28 May 1908 shortly after her graduation from high school.

William C. Farrar received his medical degree from the Birmingham Medical College in 1908 (he was in the 1907/1908 class and was a member of the Kappa Chapter of Kappa Psi Fraternity). (See attached photo of the 1908 graduating class of the Birmingham Medical College containing Dr. William Charles Farrar, Sr.) He proceeded to go into the private practice of medicine. His office was located at 5504 1/2 1st Avenue North in the Woodlawn business district of Birmingham, AL and remained there throughout his career which ended in retirement in 1951.

The 04 May 1910 US Census of Ward 12, Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated the household of 50 Y/O John Henry Abercrombie, real estate agent, and his 48 Y/O wife, Frances Ella (Godwin) Abercrombie. Also living in the household were their 20 Y/O daughter, Beatrice Martha (Abercrombie) Farrar and her 30 Y/O husband, Dr. William Charles Farrar. Sr, a general physician. Also living in the household was their 1 Y/O son, William Charles Farrar, Jr. (b. 30 Mar 1909-d. 09 Jul 1910).

The 12 Sep 1918 WWI Registration Card of Dr. William Charles Farrar, Sr., a physician, records him and his wife, Beatrice, living at 120 North Halstead St., Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL.

The 1920 US Census of Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated the household of 40 Y/O Dr. William Charles Farrar, Sr., a physician born in GA, and his 30 Y/O wife, Beatrice Martha (Abercrombie) Farrar, born in AL. Also living in the household were their children: 8 Y/O Frances Hardwick Farrar and 6 Y/O Gresham Talmadge Farrar.

William was the typical medical practitioner of his era. Many of his days and nights were spent making "house calls" to treat patients in their homes. He also gave general medical treatment at his office and at local hospitals. Records show he frequently delivered babies, both at home (including me, his grandson) and in hospitals.

The 1930 US Census of Precinct 56, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated the household of 50 Y/O Dr. William Charles Farrar, Sr., a physician born in GA, and his 40 Y/O wife, Beatrice Martha (Abercrombie) Farrar. Also living in the household were their children: 19 Y/O Frances Hardwick Farrar and 17 Y/O Gresham Talmadge Farrar.

His instinctive successful ability in playing the stock market bode well for him during the dark economic days of the 1930s. He thrived economically during "The Great Depression" even as his patients had great difficulty paying their medical bills. Many medical practitioners, including William, did a great deal of "pro bono" work during this severe worldwide economic depression which lasted from 1929 to beginning of America's involvement in World War II, 1941.

The 1940 US Census of Precinct 56, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated the household of 60 Y/O Dr. William Charles Farrar, Sr., a physician born in GA, and his 50 Y/O wife, Beatrice Martha (Abercrombie) Farrar. Also living in the household were their children: 27 Y/O divorced Gresham Talmadge Farrar, Sr., a gasoline station attendant and their 28 Y/O divorced daughter, Frances Hardwick (Farrar) Stevens. Also in the household was Frances (Farrar) Stevens' 7 Y/O daughter, Shirley Farrar Stevens.

The 1958 Birmingham City Directory recorded the retired William Charles Farrar, M.D. and his wife, Beatrice (Abercrombie) Farrar living at 1906 6th Ave South, Woodlawn, Birmingham AL.

William C. Farrar, Sr. had two nicknames depending on your relationship to him. They were "Daddy Farrar" and "Uncle Buddy".

William Charles Farrar, Sr. 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 Dr. Gresham Farrar.