Dr. Thomas J. Buckner was born in Martinsville , Indiana , October 16, 1850. After studying medicine he began practice in Hileman , Indiana , where he married Miss Ella Long. She was a niece of James Proctor of Old Bridgeport. When her health failed, Dr. Buckner brought her and their two small sons to Old Town in 1880 hop­ing to benefit her health. He engaged in raising sheep to supplement his practice of medi­cine in the sparsely settled community. The calls in those days were made by horseback. After the death of his wife, he put his sons in the care of an aunt and uncle in Indiana . In March, 1888, he married Miss Laura Kirby of Indiana and returned to Bridgeport to continue his practice. With the coming of the Rock Island he moved to the new town. His home was the fourth residence built in Bridgeport . His son, Oscar, became a druggist. The young son, Kossie, opened the first hospital in Bridgeport . He was known as the "young doctor" and Dr. T.J. as "old Doc." Patients continued to come to see what "old Doc" said after they had consulted the young Doc. Dr. Buckner died in 1904 at the age of fifty-four.