1925 Biography - Enoch M. Toler

Enoch McLain Toler, M. D. Among the men of recognized importance in the affairs of East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, is Dr. Enoch McLain Toler, leading physician and surgeon and health officer at Clinton, coroner of East Feliciana Parish, and an extensive property owner here and elsewhere. Doctor Toler bears an old family name that has been honorably identified with important events and developing movements in several southern states, and his ancestral line can be traced back to Colonial days, when his sturdy forefathers, of Scotch-Irish descent. crossed the sea and established themselves in South Carolina.

Doctor Toler was born at Gloster, Mississippi, October 29, 1873, son of Willie J. and Nannie J. (McLain) Toler. His Paternal grandfather, Thomas Toler, was born in South Carolina, in 1812, moved to Gloster, Mississippi, in early manhood, and spent the rest of his life in Amite County, engaged in agricultural pursuits. His wife was Adline Causey, born in Amite County, and both died at Gloster. Doctor Toler's maternal grandparents were Enoch B. and Nannie (Berryhill) McLain, both of whom were born in Amite County, Mississippi, and died in old age at Gloster Enoch B. McLain served all through the war between the states in a Confederate artillery regiment and then returned to the management of his large estates and his mercantile interests. The eldest son of E. B. and Nannie J. McLain served One term as representative in the Mississippi Legislature, eight years as district attorney, twelve years as congressman of the Sixth District from Mississippi and a term as associate justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Willie J. Toler, father of Doctor Toler, was born at Gloster, Mississippi, June 20, 1855, and all his life has been a property owner and extensive planter. In 1913 he moved from Amite to Bolivar County, Mississippi, from there in 1918 to Mississippi County, Arkansas, and from there three years later to Inverness, Mississippi, where he is a prominent citizen, actively interested in democratic politics and a leading member of the Baptist Church.

Mr. Toler has been married twice, first to Nannie J. McLain, who was born at Gloster, Mississippi, in 1854, and died there in 1901. Of their family of children Doctor Toler was the firstborn, the others being: Gertrude E., who is principal of a public school at Gulfport, Mississippi; Thomas, who died at Gloster in 1907, was a planter; Hattie V., who is the widow of Dr. William R. Kennedy, lives at Shelby, Mississippi; Bertha I., who is the wife of Nolan B. McLean, a hardware merchant at Inverness; Willie J., who is a merchant and planter at Shelby; Fossie Rae, who died at Gloster in 1912, was the wife of Joseph Nettles, who is deputy sheriff of St. Helena Parish; Fannie F., who is the wife of William H. Wood, principal of a high school in Oklahoma; Julia V., who died at Gloster in infancy; Norwood S., who is a planter near Inverness; Ruby C., who is a teacher in the public schools at Inverness; Clanton D., who is a planter near Inverness, is a veteran of the World war, having been in service in au infantry regiment at Camp Pike, Arkansas, for a year and a half. The father of Doctor Toler married for his second wife Mae Hall, and they have four children: Noel, who is a student in Mississippi College, at Clinton, Mississippi; Jean, who is a student in the Agricultural High School at Morehead, Mississippi; Elton, who is a student in the high school at Inverness; and Merton, who is also in school.

Doctor Toler received his early educational training in the public schools at Gloster, after which he entered Mississippi College at Clinton, from which he was graduated in 1894, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. It was not until some years later that he began the serious study of medicine, although pursuing a preparatory course of reading while serving two years as principal of the high, school at Cleveland, Mississippi, one year as principal of the high school at Berwick, and one year as a farmer at Gloster. He then spent two years in the Louisville Medical College at Louisville, Kentucky, then a year at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, from which great medical school he was most creditably graduated in 1900, with his degree of Doctor of Medicine. He immediately established himself in medical practice at Woodland, Louisiana, and continued there until 1912, when he came to Clinton, where his professional ability has been generously recognized. In 1905 and 1906 Doctor Toler took a post-graduate course in medicine in Tulane University, Yew Orleans, specializing in microscopical and surgical work. His well appointed offices are situated in the Hays Building on Liberty Street, Clinton.

Doctor Toler married, June 18, 1902, at Woodland, Louisiana, Miss Estelle Jackson, daughter of Isaac L. and Ona (Higginbotham) Jackson, and they have had three children: Nannie Rae, who died when aged eighteen months; Clovis S., who was born June 13, 1906; and Ione C., who was born June 1, 1910. Clovis S. Toler is a graduate of the Clinton High School of the class of 1923, and is at present in his second year as a pre-medical student in Louisiana State University and will enter the freshman class in Tulane University, Medical Department, in the next session. The daughter, Ione C., is a Junior in Silliman College, high school department. Mrs. Estelle Jackson Toler is a charter member of Clinton Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and a past worthy matron. Doctor Toler and his family are members of the Clinton Baptist Church, in which he is a deacon. His comfortable residence and well ordered home is situated on St. Helena Street, and he owns other real estate here, has a valuable farm of 231 acres lying eight miles northeast of Clinton, owns a one-third interest in the Red Cross Drug Store on Liberty Street, and is a stockholder in the Bank of Clinton. Additionally he owns a one-sixth interest in a plantation of 3,200 acres near Inverness, Mississippi.

In political sentiment Doctor Toler has been a consistent democrat all his life. For the past eight years he has been health officer of East Feliciana Parish and the Town of Clinton, and in 1920 was elected coroner of this parish and in 1924 was reelected for a term of four years more. He has an honorable military record also, having been a member of the National Guard from 1889 until 1894, and was captain while at school of the Mississippi College Invincibles, from 1892 to 1894. During the World war, when trustworthy men of experience and judgment were just as much needed as were soldiers in the field, Doctor Toler was chosen for an office of grave responsibility and served throughout the war as secretary and treasurer of the East Feliciana Parish Chapter of the American Red Cross, and otherwise was active and helpful in the various patriotic organizations. He is a member of Olive Lodge No. 52, Free and Accepted Masons, at Clinton, and his professional connections include membership in the Sixth Congressional District of the Medical Society of East Feliciana Parish, the Louisiana State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, volume 2, pages 259-260.