From the book History of Walworth County Wisconsin, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 527 - 528
 
THOMAS WORDEN HILL, son of Henry HILL and Fanny WORDEN, was born at Swanton, 
Vermont, January 9, 1817; in 1822 his parents moved to Lewis, Essex county, New 
York, where they soon afterward died leaving him to the care of Joseph WELLS, 
his uncle.  In 1838 he came to Geneva village, making much of his way on foot.  
He worked on farm and in mill for R. Wells WARREN, Andrew FERGUSON, and Charles 
M. GOODSELL in succession for the next five years.  In 1839 he bought with his 
savings a farm in sections 18, 19, Lyons; married February 12, 1843, Lydia, 
daughter of Lewis FERRIS and Samantha CROSBY; moved to his farm in 1844 and 
proved himself a most capable farmer.  He was for nine terms a member of the 
county board and three times its chairman.  In 1853 he was assemblyman, chosen 
over Charles M. BAKER and Simeon W. SPAFARD, and again in 1863, having been 
preferred to Dr. Alexander S. PALMER.  In 1865 he began his long service as 
poor commissioner.  He became assured that he could be of greater service to 
the inmates of the county-house and to the tax-payers by taking upon himself 
the duties of overseer or resident commissioner.  This was neither to his own 
liking nor to that of his wife, but to both a duty clearly seen was not to be 
evaded nor to be performed in other way than entirely and well.  He died 
suddenly, while directing improvements on his farm, May 26, 1879.  Mrs. FERRIS 
was born at Tyrone, New York, April 4, 1823; died at Lyons November 5, 1900.  
She was granddaughter of Gould FERRIS  and Lydia NICHOLS, of Westchester 
county, New York.  Mr. HILL joined the Presbyterian church of Geneva in 1842, 
and in his after life his actions showed forth the sincerity and constancy of 
his profession of faith.  His physical and moral courage were one, and equal to 
each occasion's need.  He attended no talking conventions of philanthropic 
reformers at distant cities, but remained at his post, working hand in hand 
with the county board, the superintendents of the poor - his colleagues - and 
the county physician, and was at once their indispensable servant and their 
practically wise leader.  He may be said to have put an undying soul into a 
half-formed county institution and gave its management definite direction and 
purpose, with intelligent and business-like methods of overseership.  His death 
was not an irreparable loss, but men might well regret, for a time, that such a 
life should have been stopped in its sixty-third year.  When, if ever, the 
county shall make up its roll of best and most serviceable citizens, their 
names placed as nearly as men may judge in the order of their merit, the name 
of Thomas Worden HILL will not be hard to find in that honorable list.
 
Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)