WILLIAM F. LOGAN, one of the prominent business men of Marrowbone Township, Moultrie County, has extensive connections in Sullivan, Dalton City, Etna, Greenup, Mount Zion, Coles and Hervey City, in all of which he deals in farm machinery and also, at some points, buys and sells grain. He has been a resident of the county since 1876 and is a native of the adjoining county of Shelby where he first saw the light June 24, 1859.

William R. and Susan (Martin) Logan, the parents of our subject were born in Kentucky, and Benjamin F. Logan, the grandfather, was one of the first settlers in Shelby County, where he was a Justice of the Peace from the time the county was organized until he became too old to officiate. He was a descendant of the same stock from which Gen. John A. Logan sprang, and the family is justly proud of the record of that distinguished kinsman.

William R. Logan was married in Shelby County and lived there through the remainder of his life, working at his trade as a carpenter. His excellent wife also remained there until her death. Two only of their family of five grew to manhood, namely, our subject and John A., who is now a clerk in a wholesale house in Sedalia, Mo. The death of the parents occurred while they were still in the prime of life, and William was only about three years old when he was left an orphan. An uncle, G.W. Logan, cared for the child until he reached the age of twelve years when he determined to paddle his own canoe and work his way up stream no matter what obstacles were in his way. Going with his uncle F.A. Logan to Sedalia, Mo., he worked on a farm for three years, after which he returned to Windsor, and served as a farm hand through the summer, attending school in the winter, and completing his education in a select school at Bethany. After this he taught school for two years and then began work on a farm which he had rented.

It was in August, 1887, that Mr. Logan first engaged in the implement business at Bethany and finding the outlook favorable he gradually increased his stock until it has reached its present magnitude. Like many another successful man he began business with very little money, being obliged to use borrowed capital, but he is, in the common parlance of the day a hustler, always busy and attending strictly to business to the management of which he seems to be peculiarly well adapted. He in never neglectful of the interests of a customer nor willing to be idle if there is an opportunity for effort.

The subject of this sketch has been twice united in the bonds of marriage. In 1881 he took to wife B. Eva Crowder, a daughter of David M. Crowder. She was born in Moultrie County in 1861 and after a brief married life she passed from earth in April, 1890, leaving her husband and three beautiful children -- Bessie, Daisy, and David -- to mourn her loss. The second marriage of our subject took place January 1, 1891 and he was then united with Lennie Meyer, a native of Moultrie County and a daughter of Henry Meyer.

Mr. Logan is a Republican in his political views, but not in any sense a politician, yet he is always sufficiently interested in political movements and thoroughly conscientious in regard to casting his ballot according to what he believes to be the right. In religious matters he has been for a long while connected with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he and his wife are active in the various works of the church. He gives employment to a force of from fifteen to twenty men at Bethany, as he has a multifarious business comprising not only implement warehouse, but also a harness shop and carriage salesroom. Besides this he is engaged in drilling wells and erecting wind mills. He has several men also at his other points of business.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, 1891 - p. 481/482

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