WILLIAM S. STRAWN. The mercantile interests of Morgan County are fairly represented by the subject of this memoir, who is former years was a prosperous farmer, but finally sold out and engaged in general merchandising at Alexander. He carried a full stock of fine dry-goods, boots and shoes, hardware, men's clothing and Yankee notions, and also deals in agricultural implements. He operates on a capital of $6,000, and in 1888 enjoyed a trade of $20,000. He has a fair prospect of an increase the current year (1889). In view of these facts his enterprise and business methods are beyond question.
Our subject is a lineal descendant of Jacob Strawn, of Somerset County, Pa., and was born in Morgan County, July 28, 1853. He attended the district school during his boyhood, and was trained to those habits of industry and frugality which have been the secret of his success in life. His father, James G. Strawn, a native of Ohio, was the son of Jacob Strawn, Sr., and came with his parents to this county at an early day. Here he married Miss Nancy Bradshaw, whose parents were natives of Kentucky, and whose father died Feb. 28, 1887. Mrs. Strawn lives at the old homestead. Of their seven children, six are living: John A., Jacob H., Charles B., James G., Joel G. and William S. John A. married Miss Emma Dixon, of Hancock County, this State, is a farmer and the father of three children - Ella, May and Gracie; Jacob H. married Emma J. Corington, is a farmer and has two children - Clifton and John; Charles, a farmer in Logan County, married Anna Johnson of this county, and they have four children - Maude, James H., Carrie and a babe unnamed; James G. is living with his third wife, who was formerly Miss Mamie Arnold, and they have two children - May and Alice. By his second wife there was born one child - Cora. Joel G., a farmer of this county, married Miss Kate Covington, and they have three children - Ernest, Mabel and Henry.
William S. Strawn, our subject, shortly before reaching the twenty-first year of his age was married, April 9, 1874, to Miss Rosa Mason of this county. Her parents came from Morgan County, Ohio, to Pike County, this State, and later to this county, where they now reside. The father followed blacksmithing during his younger years, but at the present time officiates as clerk for Mr. Strawn. In this family there were born four children - William A., Ulysses Grant, Elsworth E. and Rose, Mrs. Strawn. William A. married Miss Mary Mapes of this county, and is blacksmithing in Orleans; he is the father of one daughter - Iva; Ulysses G. married Miss Susie Wiswal, and is living on a farm; they have no children. Elsworth is unmarried and lives at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Strawn are the parents of three children, one of whom, Mabel Lillian, died when eighteen months old. The survivors are Pearl and Joe Fifer. From the name of the latter child may be inferred the politics of our subject, who became a member of the Republican party when casting his first vote. He has served on the Grand and Petit Juries, but has no aspiration for office. A solid, reliable citizen in whom the people have the utmost confidence, he has borne no unimportant part in the development of this part of the county, and has been the encourager of those enterprises calculated to elevate the people. He is not identified with any religious organization, but with his estimable wife attends the Christian Church.