Biography: William ANDERSON - 21 Jan 1999 - Macoupin County Illinois
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives ©1999 James Windsor


From the
HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS, BIOGRAPHICAL AND
PICTORIAL, Volume II, supervising editor, Charles A. Walker, published
by: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, 1911 p. 122, 123
(photograph of William Anderson), 125:

            “WILLIAM ANDERSON. William Anderson, president of the
Gillespie Mutual Insurance Company and for many years a leading
agriculturist of Macoupin county, whose farm is located on section 5,
Cahokia township, is a native of Putname county, Indiana. He was born
February 14, 1832, a son of Thomas and Mary (Scott) Anderson. The
grandfather of our subject on the paternal side was James Anderson, a
native of Virginia, who moved to Tennessee and later took up his abode
in Indiana. He had good fighting blood in his veins and was one of the
active participants in the Black Hawk war. He lived to the advanced age
of eighty years.
            Thomas Anderson, the father of our subject, was the eldest
son of James Anderson. He was born in Tennessee and removed with his
parents to Indiana early in life, continuing there until 1834. Believing
that more favorable opportunities lay westward, he came to Macoupin
county, Illinois, and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in
Honey Point township. He died just as he was entering upon the prime of
a useful career, at the age of thirty-five years. The maiden name of his
wife was Mary Scott, and she came to Macoupin county in 1834. There were
four children in their family, namely: William, of this review; James
M., who was a resident of Terre Haute, Indiana, and is now deceased;
Jesse F., of Portland, Oregon; and Joseph M., who was a resident of
Missouri and is also deceased.
            William Anderson has been a resident of Macoupin county
since 1834, a period of seventy-seven years, and there are few men
within its borders who can claim a better acquaintance with its
development during the period named. He possessed very limited
advantages of school training, as he was left an orphan in his boyhood,
but he has been an apt student in the great school of experience. He
early became acquainted with farm work and found employment on farms and
in sawmills, working for nine years in mills on Honey creek. In the
years when it was necessary he carefully saved his money and he was thus
enabled to purchase eighty acres of land, later becoming the owner of
one hundred acres on section 35, Brushy Mound township. He was diligent
and enterprising in his business, as is proven by the fact that he now
owns two hundred and forty acres in Cahokia township and forty acres on
section 20, Honey Point township, he and his wife being also the owners
of valuable properties in Gillespie. His place, known as the Walnut Lawn
Farm, is highly improved with modern buildings and fruit, shade and
ornamental trees and is one of the most pleasing features of the
landscape in that part of the county. He has given considerable
attention to breeding and raising high grade stock and his income from
this source has added largely to his fortune. Although not actively
engaged in framing for several years past, he takes a great interest in
everything pertaining to agriculture and stock-raising and enjoys
thoroughly the fruits of his wisely directed labors. He is president of
the Gillespie Mutual Insurance Company, which carries two million, five
hundred thousand worth of written insurance and is one of the most
firmly established organizations of the kind in this part of the
country. Its success has been largely due to the good judgment and
unquestioned business ability of its president.
            In 1856, Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Lydia J.
Huddleston, a native of Brushy Mound township. The following children
were born to this union: John T., the eldest, lives at Terre Haute,
Indiana, and has one child, Edna. Samuel F., a farmer of Cahokia
township, has six children, Hazel, Audrey, George, Owen, Chester and
Clarence. Clara is the wife of J. M. McGovern, of Bates county,
Missouri. William Luther, who lives in Montgomery county, Illinois,
has ten children. Ida married J. D. McReynolds, of Honey Point township,
and they have three living children, William H., John M. and May, and
two deceased. Charles, who married Tena Walschleger and is now in charge
of the home farm, lost two children in infancy. The mother of these
children died April 9, 1881, and in 1891 Mr. Anderson was married to
Mrs. Sarah J. Miller, formerly Sarah J. Sanders and the widow of George
Miller. By her first marriage she had three children, one of whom, Dora,
still survives. This daughter is the wife of Samuel F. Anderson, one of
the sons of Mr. Anderson of this review.
Politically Mr. Anderson for a number of years gave his support to the
principles and candidates of the populist party, but he is governed in
voting largely by the nature of the questions at issue and the character
of the candidates. He served for twenty-five years as school director
and has most acceptably discharged the duties of various township
offices. At the time of the Grange movement he was prominent as one of
its earnest advocates and occupied the chair as master of the local
Grange. Religiously he is affiliated with the United Baptist church. A
liberal contributor to worthy objects, he has also devoted much time and
energy to promoting the interests of the community and is one of its
most honored residents. He is today one of the leading citizens of
Macoupin county and enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know
him.”

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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by James Windsor
©1999 James Windsor