Biographies - Elmira Township

Gideon Potter, son of Thomas and Olive (Northrup) Potter, natives of Yorkshire, England, and Michigan, respectively, was born at Hamilton, Canada, August 21, 1847.

His father was a sash and door maker, who enlisted in the English army, and came with a division of that army to Canada, in 1837-8, to beat back the patriots who sought liberty for their country. On being discharged, after his term of service, he moved to Michigan, married there, returned to Canada where he resided until 1853, when he left en route to Missouri. At Chicago he was taken sick and died there.

His family scattered, Thomas and Ann are known to be deceased, while Gideon resides here. The latter, at the age of seven years, was "bound out" to a Missouri farmer named W. H. Elliott, with whom he remained until 1859, when, owing to the hardship of his work, he eloped, found his way to Nauvoo, Ill., and worked for a man named Bartlett there until 1864, when he moved to the Bartlett, Sr., farm near town. In 1865 he left him and was variously engaged until May, 1867, when he enlisted in Company F, 13th United States infantry, and served three years at Ft. Ellis and Ft. Shaw, M. T. Subsequently he engaged in herding and farming in that territory for Chip Travis, returned to Illinois and for thirty months engaged in fruit-growing in Hancock county.

He next was a farmer near Denver, Col., returned to Sonora, Ill., and on November 30, 1874, married Miss Emily Thompson, daughter of Harvey and Lois (Crosby) Thompson, of Osceola, Ill., who was born there, her parents being natives of Vermont and Massachusetts respectively, but both of old families in the latter State.

For five years after this he engaged in fruit-growing, and then came to Osceola village, where he purchased the mercantile interests of A. F. Spencer and established his present business.

His children are: David, born October 13,1875, and Rollin, September 25, 1880.

In politics he is a Republican. Religiously he inclines toward the Baptists, but is not a member of any church.

Officially he has served as school director and on the board of cemetery trustees. Though not a pioneer of this celebrated pioneer neighborhood, he claims many warm friends, and stands as high in the communal circle as he does in the commercial.