John Tolliver met Abigail Howland when she was away at college. Abigail's grandfather, William, introduced them. Abigail was doing well in college and enjoyed socializing but was not enthusiastic about the prospect of a professional career. John was an ambitious law student with a definite itinerary when they began dating. He hoped to rise in politics and immediately recognized beneficial qualities in Abigail. Not only was she a nice girl to date, but her family was well connected. John and Abigial courted for nearly a year before marrying. John was from Somerset County. Somerset County had been settled by Tolliver ancestors and was jokingly known as Tolliver Nation. It had a bloody history of slave breeding and trading prior to America's reconstruction period. The Howland and Tolliver families were distantly related, but neither cared very much for the other. Like most of the town, John's family was very religious despite their dark history. John and Abigail were married on the Howland plantation in Wade County. They returned to his university for one year while Mason finished school, after which he was drafted into service for the Korean War. Abigail returned to her grandfather's estate while he was away. He maintained a desk position in Washington, and stayed safe for the war's duration.