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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of William S. COOPER 

Page 329, transcribed in full by Danni Hopkins 

[Surnames: COOPER, POTTER] 

    
WILLIAM S. COOPER. Among the rising young men of Fulton County, native and to the manor born, none is more worthy of representation in this BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM, than this gentleman. He comes of good old New England blood, and of Revolutionary stock. His father, Francis A. Cooper, was born in Pennsylvania, December 4, 1834. He removed with his parents to Coshocton County, Ohio, when he was about eight years old, and there he was reared on a farm. In 1854, he emigrated to this county, and being a man of considerable education, and of a fine, well-balanced mind, his services were gladly accepted as a teacher by the pioneers whom he found here. He also gave his attention to farming, renting land for about three years, when he purchased eighty acres on section 22, Woodland Township. There were but little improvements on the place at the time he purchased it, but in the years of hard labor that followed he cleared and improved the greater part of it, and thus greatly increased its original value. 
    
Mr. Cooper was married to Miss Angeline Potter, December 9, 1862. Her father was born in Pennsylvania in 1810. He was a farmer and came to this county with his family in1854. He purchased a tract of land in Woodland Township, where he lived until his death at a ripe old age in 1865. He was a man of sincere Christian principles, and a member of the Missionary Baptist Church nearly all his life. He was decidedly a Republican, in his political views. The maternal great-grandfather of our subject was a native of New England, where he carried on farming. he served in the Revolution. The Potter family came from England in early Colonial times. 
    
The father of our subject was a Democrat in politics, and was active in local affairs. He held the office of Clerk of the township, and other minor offices. His death, April 12, 1866, called hence one of our most stable and respected citizen. The mother of our subject is still living, and makes her home on the old homestead. She is a woman of true Christian piety, and a valued member of the Baptist Church. She has two children, William S., and Francis A. 
    
William S. Cooper was born December 2, 1863. He has farmed the home place for ten years, and is raising some stock of good grades. He has just completed a fine frame house, which has cost him $1,000. He is decidedly with the Democratic party in politics, and is now serving his third year as Clerk of Woodland Township. His clear, intelligent mind, his tact and business qualifications, eminently fit him for this office. He is finely educated, having been a close student of books since he gleaned his early education in the district schools. He is a fine penman, and this gift was assiduously cultivated while he was in attendance at the Valparaiso Business College during the winter of 1889-90. He is still a student in that college, and will complete his course and be graduated the coming winter.