Biography - Alexander McWilliams
Alexander McWILLIAMS, deceased, was born in Virginia, and removed with his parents to Madison County, Ky., when seven years of age, where he afterward married Nancy KIRKPATRICK, who bore him thirteen children - six sons and seven daughters; of this family, three were born in Kentucky; three are now living, viz.: Lewis, Mrs. VANDAVER, and Mrs. GARDNER. About the year 1816, he came to Montgomery County and settled on a quarter-section (160 acres) of land where William ATTERBURY now lives, near the Truitt Bridge; at that time, there were but five families in Montgomery County, the nearest mill being that of Edwardsville. He built a log cabin on his place and began farming, in which occupation he met with success, having at his death about five hundred acres of land. He was a Democrat, and though not a member of any church, favored the belief of the Old-School Baptists. Lewis McWILLIAMS, the son of our subject, was born on the farm now occupied by William ATTERBURY, in Montgomery County, April 12, 1820, and attended school at Clear Springs Church, two miles from his home, during the winter season, till he was a large boy. In 1842, his father entered for him eighty acres of land, on which he made, hauled and put up 7.000 rails during the winter of 1842-43. In March, 1843, he married Martha JONES, daughter of David JONES, of Montgomery County, and from this union five children were born - four sons and one daughter - of whom two are deceased. After his marriage, he settled on the eight acres which had been entered for him, on which he now resides, and which he has since increased to 400 acres, which is chiefly under cultivation; he has handled and fed stock quite extensively. His grandfather, Hugh KIRKPATRICK, in the early days of the county, built a horse-mill near where Woodbury now stands.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, page 157.
