BEERS HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY OHIO
Page 1050: WILLIAM ELDER
As a representative of the agricultural class, and one who
has met with good success in his independent calling, we take pleasure
in giving a brief sketch of the gentleman whose name appears at the beginning
of this notice. He is pleasantly located on a farm in Section 4,
Troy township, where his birth occurred February 6, 1839, and has, therefore,
witnessed almost the entire development of the county.
His father, Henry J. Elder, was born in Frederick county,
Md., on February 6, 1795, and was a son of Arnold Elder, a native of Baltimore,
who spent his entire life in Maryland. He served with distinction
in the war of 1812. The father remained in his native State until
about nineteen years of age, when he came to this State on foot, making
the journey from Frederick county to Bucyrus, Ohio, a distance of over
five hundred miles, in eleven days. He joined a surveying party,
which was employed in Ottawa, Seneca and Sandusky counties, and became
well posted on much of the land in this State. He made his headquarters
in Tiffin, and remained with that surveying corps for some years.
However, in 1835, he left them and began blacksmithing at Sandusky.
In the same year, June 13, Mr. Elder was united in marriage with Miss Harriet
Harpster, who was born in Pennsylvania, on April 24, 1813, and their wedding
was celebrated at Sandusky, now Fremont, Ohio. Her parents, Christian
and Delilah (Markle) Harpster, were also natives of the Keystone State,
and became early residents in Franklin County, Ohio. Later they removed
to Sandusky county, and at Fremont their deaths occurred.
From Sandusky, Mr. Elder removed to Toledo, Ohio, in 1836;
but the same year arrived in this county, where he bought a timbered tract
of 139 acres, of John Bates, and there erected a tavern, which he conducted
many years. He at once began to clear and improve his place, making
his home thereon until his death, which occurred September 18, 1883.
He took a prominent part in promoting the interests of Troy township, aided
largely in its development, and assisted in advancing its educational facilities,
being school director for some time. His first vote was cast for
the Whig party, but he later became a stalwart Democrat.
Mrs. Elder still survives her husband, and, of their
fourteen children, six are now living. They were as follows: Ephraim,
who died in childhood; Mrs. Henrietta White, who died in 1865; Mrs. Mary
Buxton, who makes her home in Iowa; Mrs. Sarah Gould, who died in Toledo,
Ohio, in April, 1895; William, of this review; Richard, who enlisted in
Troy township, in the fall of 1861, becoming a member of Company E, 72nd
O.V.I., and was killed at Pittsburg Landing the following year; John, a
resident of Perrysburg township, Wood County; Jesse, who died in Troy township,
in 1866; Isabel and Arabel, who also died in the same year; George, who
makes his home in Perrysburg township; Lucy, who died several years ago;
Martha wife of Fred Gould, of Toledo; and Harriet, who lives in the same
city. The mother now finds a pleasant home with our subject.
William Elder has ever devoted himself to agricultural
pursuits since large enough to reach the plow-handles and aid in the cultivation
of the old homestead. His education was obtained in the district
schools of Troy township, and, on laying aside his text books, gave his
whole time to clearning and improving the home farm of 129 acres; he owns
also a tract of land in Perrysburg township. Politically, he is independent
in his views, voting for those measures which he considers will be the
most beneficial to the community, without regard to the party favoring
them, and he has served his fellow citizens as trustee of Troy township.