E. D. POWER, farmer and stock-raiser; P.O. Petersburg; was born in Fayette Co., Ky., Sept. 8, 1804; son of William and Elizabeth (Stogsdill) Power, natives of Maryland, who came first to North Carolina, thence to Kentucky, where E. D. was born. Feb. 7, 1828, he married Martha S. Thompson, who was born in Bath Co., Ky., in 1808; in 1829, he concluded to cast his lot on the fertile prairies of Illinois, and shipped from Marysville by boat to St. Louis, and there bought an old horse for his wife to ride, hired an ox team to haul his few household goods, and took up his line of march for this country, arriving here with 75 cents in money, an old horse and a few household effects; he made him a table out of boards, sawed by hand, and a bed stand of walnut rails, borrowed a horse, and with his own horse, made his first crop; soon after he bought eighty acres, paid what little he had down, and borrowed money to pay the balance, at 40 per cent; raised one crop, and sold his team, which liquidated the debt; in the spring of 1834, he sold his place, and came to this township, where he bought 200 acres of school land; in 1835, sold eighty acres for $500, and entered 240 acres, where he now resides. Mr. Power spent the early portion of life in the log cabin of that day, built in the rude style of the times. He was more fortunate than many of his time, as he succeeded in obtaining education sufficient to enable him to teach school, which he did in the year 1835, in a log cabin, with puncheon floor, greased paper for window panes, and split logs for seats. With the exception of four years, which he spent in Petersburg, he has been a constant resident of the county. He made the first assessment that was made in the county, on the east side of the county; names of his children are Nancy J., Elizabeth S., George S., John D. and Woodson B. He has been successful in his business career; he cast his firs vote for Andrew Jackson.