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From History of North Washington, published 1903, now in public domain. 
Submitted by Candy L. Grubb April 25, 1997. Both above notices must remain 
when copied or downloaded.

candyg@ieway.com

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GEORGE COULTER

	George Coulter resides two miles east from Rice on a farm which
he secured as a homestead in 1891.  The place is well improved and produces
abundant crops of all varieties, while good orchards with other improve-
ments, as comfortable residence, barns, outbuildings and so forth, are in
evidence.  George Coulter was born in the northern part of Ireland, on
February 13, 1832, the son of Robert and Elizabeth (McVeaty) Coulter, also
natives of the same section.  In 1834, they all came from their home place
and landed in New York.  Later they came on to Stark county, Ohio and in
the fall of 1837, they made their way to where Rockford, Illinois now
stands.  A few small houses marked the place then and the Winnebagos 
were plentiful as were also deer, elk, wild turkeys with some bear.  Amid
these surroundings, our subject grew up, securing his education in the
primitive log cabin school house of the day.  The little structure, 
floored with the puncheons hewed by sturdy hands, warmed by the gaping
fireplace occupying one end, and ruled over by the master of the day is
the scene of the early mental struggles of Mr. Coulter.  Such institutions
may not have graduated so sleek products as some today, but they were no 
less sound then the best now in evidence.  The progressive Irish blood 
told in the young man and soon he was ready for the sterner duties of life.
He assisted his father in clearing the farm from the stubborn oaks and
there the parents remained until the summons came for their departure to
the land beyond.  The father passed over in his sixty-fifth year and the 
mother when she was eighty-three.  In 1859, George went to northeastern
Kansas and at the first call for troops he was one of the first to offer
his services.  On account of having a crippled hand, he was rejected, but
at the second call in 1862, he again pressed forward and was taken.  He was
in Company H, Second Kansas Cavalry and his principal service was in 
Missouri, Arkansas, and the Cherokee Nation.  He was almost constant 
skirmishing and participated in the battle of Perry Grove where the rebels 
outnumbered  them four to one.  He saw many killed at his side, at various
times bullets pierced his clothes, and he was in terribly dangerous
positions, but he never received a wound.  On September 1, 1864, at 
Fort Smith, the Choctaw Indians captured Mr. Coulter and he was forced to
go on foot, being barefooted, to Tyler, Texas, where he experienced the
terrors of a war prison until June 27, 1865.  Finally an exchange was 
effected, when he was taken to New Orleans and later to Leavenworth 
where he was honorably discharged in September 1865.  Mr. Coulter was on
scout duty much of the time.  After the war, he went to Illinois, but was
forced to travel in search of health.  He located at Georgetown, Colorado,
did mining and later returned to Illinois.  Soon after that Mr. Coulter 
went across the plains with Mr. John Roffe and family.  He returned to
Illinois and on November 26, 1868 married Miss Emma Roffe, who was born in
1842, in Northamptonshire, England.  Her parents were natives of the same
place.  Her mother was a Miss Ann Woods before he marriage.  The Roffes 
came to the United States when Mrs. Coulter was eleven and lived in
Albany, New York, later in Rockford, Illinois, and after that the parents
went back to England where the father died.  The widow came to Illinois 
where she remained until her demise.  Our subject farmed in Illinois until
1891, when he came to his present place, locating two miles east from
Rice on March 14, of that year.  His farm is one of the pleasant places in
that vicinity and is made valuable by his careful attention to it.  Mr.
Coulter is a member of the G.A.R. and to him and his wife four children
were born in Illinois, Elizabeth A., wife of H. McGregor; John R., married
to Ida Howard; James, Charles, all living near Rice.  Mr. Coulter was a
great disciple of Nimrod in younger days and many an elk, deer, bear, 
mountain lion, and mountain sheep, besides much other game were the trophies
of his chase.