Biography of Thomas Foster Source History of Jo Daviess County -- 1904 FOSTER, THOMAS, President Merchants National Bank, Galena, Ill., was born at Carlisle, Penn., Oct. 17. 1817. the son of Crawford and Elizabeth (Pattison) Foster, the former a native of Carlisle, and the latter of Mount Rock, Penn. His paternal grandparents, Thomas Foster and wife (the latter born a Crawford), and his grandfather on the maternal side, named Pattison, were all born in Ireland. Mr. Foster was educated in his native town of Carlisle, land at seventeen years of age (1834) began his business life as clerk at the Washington Furnace, Tenn. In 1838 he visited Northern Illinois, making the trip from his Tennessee home on horseback; in 1840 removed from Tennessee to St. Louis, Mo., whence three years later he came to Galena, Ill., which has been his home ever since. For seventy years he has lived on the borders of the Mississippi River. February 27, 1845. he was married to Mary Campbell, born and educated at Albany, N. Y., but who lived only six months after marriage. On August 31, 1848, he married Cynthia Torode, a native of Pittsburg, Penn., and educated at St. Louis, Mo. His third marriage, June 23, 1861, was with Mary Lisa Hempstead, born and educated in St. Louis. The children by the second marriage were: Annie H., Thomas A. and George T., and those by the third marriage; Mary M., Augusta H., Grace P., William H,. Jessie M. and Alfred T. From early manhood a member of the Presbyterian Church, Mr. Foster has been for sixty-one years an active elder in that denomination. Politically be is a Democrat. ------------------------------------------------------------- UGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organiza- tions or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contri- butor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Dori Leekley