Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Trotter, Robert 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 13, 2006, 8:20 pm

Author: History of Grundy County, 1914

Trotter, Robert – There are no more public-spirited men in Grundy County than 
those who spent their boyhood on farms, for they thus obtained a knowledge of 
the requirements of the rural districts which have developed them into good 
citizens. One of the prosperous business men of Coal City, who was brought up 
in a farming district is Robert Trotter, proprietor of the Racket store of 
Coal City, and dealer in general merchandise, shoes, wall paper and notions. 
He was born in Scotland, April 12, 1845, a son or Robert and Catherine 
(MacDugal) Trotter. The father was a farm servant in Scotland, later 
developing into a buyer of eggs and butter, continuing in this line until his 
death, which occurred in 1857, never having left his native land. His widow 
survived him until 1892. Both are buried in Scotland. They had ten children, 
of whom Robert is the only survivor.

Robert Trotter attended school in his home district at Reston, Berwickshire, 
Scotland, and worked on farms until February 23, 1864, and was a fireman on 
the North British Railroad for two years, when he left Scotland for the United 
States. Upon his arrival in this country in 1866 he came direct to Grundy 
County and was a stationary engineer until locating at Braidwood, Ill., where 
he worked two years as fireman, when he was made a locomotive engineer and 
continued as such for twelve years. In 1882 he came to Coal City to open up 
his present store, and has continued it successfully ever since. In addition 
to his other interests, Mr. Trotter owns 1840 acres of land in Kansas, 80 
acres in Grundy County and 160 acres in North Dakota.

In 1868 Mr. Trotter married Magdeline Paxton, who was born in Scotland, and 
died October 19, 1872. They had two children, both of whom died in infancy. 
Mr. Trotter married (second), May 25, 1875, Agnes Paxton, born January 29, 
1849, and they have eight children: Benjamin, born April 12, 1876; Lizzie M. 
Campbell, born May 2, 1877; Jessie C. Anderson, born October 25, 1879; Matilda 
J., born February 15, 1880; Rose B. Cluskey, born August 28, 1881; Esther P., 
born August 10, 1886; Victoria Louise Davis, born October 26, 1888; and Agnes, 
born October 23, 1884, who died in infancy. Mr. Trotter has a number of 
grandchildren. His daughter, Mrs. Lizzie M. Campbell, has four children: 
Donald, Blanche, Gilbert and Louise; Mrs. Jessie Anderson has two children, 
Audrey and Ronmore; Benjamin has three sons, Robert, Kenneth and Warren. Mrs. 
Trotter’s parents both died in Scotland. They had one son and four daughters. 
Mrs. Trotter being the only one that came to America.

The Methodist Church holds Mr. Trotter's membership, and he belongs to the 
Masonic fraternity. A Republican, he has been school trustee for one term, and 
for sixteen years has served as treasurer of the Fire Department of Coal City, 
and is a man widely and favorably known.

pages 912-913

Additional Comments:
Source:  History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. 
Publishers; 1914

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/trotter1031nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/

File size: 3.6 Kb