Untitled From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 112-113

WILLIAM COWDUROY, who died at his residence in Platteville, Grant county, Dec. 13, 1899, and was for many years a dealer in general merchandise at the city. He was a native of London, England, born in 1836, and received his early education in that city. When fifteen years old he sailed for America, and landed in New York City in the spring of 1851, without a friend and without money, but he soon succeeded in finding employment at $5 per month and board, and not long afterward in recognition of his industrious habits and attentiveness to his duties, this compensation was increased to $13.

In 1853 young COWDUROY sough a home in the West, and found it in the then village of Platteville, Wis., where he lived until the spring of 1856. He was next employed, temporarily, as a clerk on Mississippi river steam-boats, and then went to La Crosse, Wis., where he remained three years, in 1859 going to St. Louis, Mo., where he secured an important position in the State and county assessors' office, holding same until 1861. He was next appointed paymaster of the Missouri State militia, an office he filled until 1863, when he returned to Platteville, Wis., and engaged in mercantile trade, which was ever afterward his occupation.

In September, 1857, Mr. COWDUROY married, for his first wife, Miss Elizabeth ELGAR, also a native of London, England, and a daughter of William ELGAR, a pioneer of Grant county. This lady died May 21, 1879, leaving her husband with two children, Lizzie and Harry. Lizzie was born in La Crosse, Wis., was educated in the State Normal school, Platteville, married William BAUER, of Chicago, and died the mother of one son, William, who lives with his grandmother, Mrs. COWDUROY, in Platteville. Harry COWDUROY was born in St. Louis, Mo., was also educated in the Platteville State Normal, and is now in the employ of the Grant Paving Co., of Omaha, Neb.; in Council Bluffs he married Miss Katie KIRSCHT, who has borne him one daughter, Gertrude Elizabeth.

The second marriage of William COWDUROY took place in October, 1880, to Mrs. Elizabeth (STEPHENS) CAMPBELL, a lady of Platteville; to this union no children were born.

Religiously Mr. COWDUROY was a member of the Episcopal Church, to which his widow also belongs, and of which they had been constant attendants for many years and liberal supporters through their financial contributions. Politically Mr. COWDUROY was identified with the Republican party, and active in the government of the city. Fraternally he was a member of K. of P. Lodge No. 125, of Platteville; was also a member of the A.O.U.W. and the M.W. of A., and in both the latter orders held official positions for some years. Besides being one of the oldest merchants in Platteville, Mr. COWDUROY was a stockholder and director in the State National Bank, took a deep and active interest in building up his city, and as a business man his reputation for fair dealing and integrity was well established throughout Grant county.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck