Mr. Lough was born near Waveland, Indiana, on October 12, 1846, being the son of Samuel M. and Delilah J. (Stalcup) Lough. The father was born in Cumberland county, Kentucky, on January 25. 1823, and died February 5, 1902. His father, Thomas W., was born March 12, 1788, in Virginia: the greatgrandfather of our subject was a pioneer in Kentucky and enlisted in the Revolution under General Washington, but on account of his youth was detailed as a servant of the General, and afterward married a niece of George Washington's mother. The mother of our subject was born in Tennessee, in 1822, and died in August, 1857. Her parents were pioneers in Tennessee. When John T. was ten months of age the family went to the father's old home in Kentucky and when John was ten years old they all went to Texas. Grayson county was the home place and in the time of the Civil war he and his father were conscripted for the Confederate army. In the spring of 1865 Mr. Lough went to Barry county, Missouri, and farmed and followed saw-milling. As stated before, it was there that he began preaching for the church of Christ, being the first county evangelist. In 1892 he sold out and came to Latah county, where he resided until the spring of 1896, when he come and took his present place. This he has farmed in good shape and it is one of the fine farms of the county.

On December 23, 1867, Mr. Lough married Miss Nancy C., daughter of Josiah and Lodusky (Smith) Daugherty, natives of Tennessee. Mr. Daugherty was a pioneer of southwestern Missouri and served in the Confederate army. Mrs. Lough was born in Barry county, in 1841, and died on August 2, 1897. Three children were born to this marriage: Delilah L. Kelly, at Gifford, Idaho; Margaret E. Nelson, in California; Lona A., at home. Mr. Lough is a stanch Democrat and in Latah and this county he refused the nomination for the state legislature, when his nomination meant his election. He has always been an advocate of first-class schools, and has labored faithfully for the welfare of all, both temporally and spiritually, and he is highly respected and beloved by all.