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MOULTRIE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
History & Genealogy

BIOGRAPHIES

Source:
1763
COMBINED HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS
With Illustrations Descriptive of their Scenery and
Biographical Sketches of some of their Prominent Men and Pioneers.
Published by
Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia
Corresponding Office, Edwardsville, ILL
1881


 

City of Sullivan -
WILLIAM ELDER
, who is engaged in the banking business at Sullivan, is a native of East Tennessee, and was born on the 17th of May, 1824. His grandfather, William Elder, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and an early resident of East Tennessee.  His father, James Elder, married Didama French, a native of North Carolina. The subject of this sketch was the oldest of six children. In the spring of 1834, when he was ten years of age, his father moved with the family to this state, and first settled in Morgan county, on the site of the present town of Waverly. He remained there during the summer, but not being able to obtain cheap land, in the fall came to what is now East Nelson township, Moultrie county. Mr. Elder's father subsequently moved to Sullivan, and for several years carried on the mercantile business. He was a man of considerable prominence. Before the organization of the county he acted as justice of the peace; for several years was county judge and also served as representative in the state legislature. He died in 1870.  The subject of this sketch obtained his education in the old-time log school-houses, with split poles for benches. On the 12th of April, 1846, he married Louisa Ewing, daughter of Reuben Ewing. one of the pioneer settlers of Moultrie county, representative in the legislature and one of the commissioners to locate the county seat.  After his marriage Mr. Elder went to farming near Sullivan, where he has since improved several farms. From 1854 to 1858, he was a resident of Dallas county, Iowa. In 1870, he became interested in the banking business at Sullivan, which his father had commenced the preceding year. The Merchants' and Farmers' Bank has maintained an excellent reputation as a solid financial institution. He has also been engaged in dealing in real estate and trading in stock. He was formerly a Whig in politics, voted for Taylor in 1848, and has been a Republican since the organization of that party. He has been a shrewd and successful business man, and is now one of the old settlers and representative business men of Moultrie county. He has two children, James W. Elder, now in the hardware business at Sullivan, and Lena Elder.

Source: 1763 Combined History of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois - Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia - Corresponding Office, Edwardsville, ILL - 1881 - Page 192

Lovington Twp. -
LIEUTENANT WILLIAM C. FOSTER  was born in Wayne county, Ohio, March 28th, 1832. He is the eldest son of seven children of John E. and Jane (Coulter) Foster.  His father removed from Wayne to Pickaway county in 1843, and died there in 1847.   His mother the next year (1848), came west, and settled with her family on a piece of land two miles north of Lovington, in Moultrie county. There she remained until her death, which took place in 1865. Soon after the breaking out of the late war on the 31st of July, 1862, he enlisted in the 126th regiment Illinois Vols. Infantry, and was mustered out July 12th, 1865, at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was promoted to the position of orderly sergeant, and commissioned Sept. 4th, 1862.  He was commissioned second lieutenant July 15th, 1865. In 1863 he was appointed by Gen. Grant to go upon the recruiting service, and was stationed for five months at Rock Island, Illinois; after wards rejoined his regiment, and continued in active service until the end of the war.  On the 1st of September, 1853, he was united in marriage to Miss Isabella Cochran, a native of Ross county, Ohio. She came to Illinois in 1849.  By this marriage there are five children, four sons and one daughter; all of whom are yet at home, except Eliza J., wife of Geo. W. Ruckle, who is a resident of Newton, Kansas. After Mr. Foster returned from the war, he settled in the village of Lovington, and engaged in the grocery and provision trade, and from that time to the present has been one of the active business men of the village. Politically, he is one of the few original Republicans, and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856. He has never swerved from his allegiance to that political organization, from that day to the present, but it has strengthened with his years, and he may be classed among the stalwarts.  He has held various offices of a local character, and was the first Police Magistrate of Lovington.  He was commissioned Notary Public April 24th, 1867, and has held the office ever since.  He was commissioned Justice of the Peace, May 27th, 1872, and Police Magistrate May 9th, 1874. On the 18th of October, 1875, he was appointed postmaster of Lovington, and re-appointed in 1879.  Mr. Foster is among the oldest settlers of the northern part of Moultrie county. He has been a resident of the county since 1848, and in all these years has sustained the character of an honest man and good citizen.
Source: 1763 Combined History of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois - Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia - Corresponding Office, Edwardsville, ILL - 1881 - Page 228

 

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