Lotts, William

LOTTS, WEBB, KNOX, LOTZ, HUMPHREYS, HAWK, WARD, PEARCE, REBSTOCK, GODFREY, PROUTY, CHANDLER, HAYS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/23/2008 at 17:09:17

LOTTS, Wm.; Farmer and stock raiser; Sec. 5; P. O. Prairie City; was born in Gallia Co., Ohio, April 15, 1825; came to this county in 1872; has 280 acres of land, valued at $14,000. Belongs to the United Brethren Church. Married Esther A. WEBB; she was born in Ross Co., Ohio, Dec. 29, 1829; mother of three children-Malissa J., Francis O., Sarah E.; emigrated to Knox Co., Ill., in 1837; lived there thirty-three years; Galesburg at that time was a very small place; did their trading at Knoxville, then the county seat; his father lived there until 1875, when he died; his mother died ten days before; from Knox Co. came to Jasper Co.; has a very fine home, and a fine grove around his house, 25 to 40 feet high, planted with his own hands only six years ago; fine yard full of flowers; has a good orchard and plenty of small fruit; has a fine home, and is one of the sound farmers of the county. ~ "The History of Jasper County" (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878), Page 642
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Lotts, William M.

The agricultural interests of Jasper County were well represented for a number of years by William M. Lotts, one of the practical and enterprising farmers of the southwestern part of the County, who, after accumulating a competency, is now living retired in his pleasant home at Prairie City. He has been both practical and progressive in his methods and to his energy and perseverance is attributed the gratifying success which has attended his efforts. Fidelity is one of his chief characteristics, such fidelity as is manifest in his faithful discharge of all the duties of life, and it has won him warm regard wherever known.

William M. Lotts was born in Gallia County, Ohio, April 15, 1825, and he is the son of Isaac and Nancy (Knox) Lotts, natives of Greenbrier County, Virginia, and they engaged in farming all their lives. The paternal grandfather of the subject, Jacob Lotts, immigrated to the United States from Germany when but sixteen years of age and settled in Virginia. He was a cabinetmaker by trade. He enlisted for service in the Revolutionary War in 1776, in which he served until the close of the conflict. He married a sister of the famous General Wolfe. He moved to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1806 and there his death occurred in 1839. His wife died in 1837. The father of the subject changed the spelling of the family name from the German "Lotz" to "Lotts," the present spelling. He and a sister left Virginia and came to Ohio in 1814 when that country was still the land of the red men and wild beast, sparsely settled. He entered a quarter section of land from the government, and established a home there, working hard and undergoing the usual hardships of a newcomer. Leaving there in 1837, he came to Knox County, Illinois, where he bought two hundred and forty-two acres and on this he spent the remainder of his days, dying on October 4, 1875, his wife preceding him to the grave only a few days, her death occurring September 26th of that year. Three of William Lotts' uncles were soldiers in the War of 1812, namely: Abraham, whose son is at present a prominent figure in Washington, D.C.; William Humphreys and Isaac Hawk. Abraham Lotz also fought in the Indian War of 1811, against Tecumseh's band under the Prophet at Tippecanoe, Indiana. Like other members of his family he was a brave and forbearing man, always ready to face any danger.

William M. Lotts is one of a family of seven children, five of whom reached maturity: Sarah, who married David Ward, died in Illinois; Minerva, who married Woodford Pearce, also died in Illinois; Salenda, who was the wife of James Rebstock, also died there. Her husband was a lieutenant in the Union Army during the Civil War. Milton lives at Knoxville, Illinois, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years; William M., of this sketch, was fifth in order of birth; Abraham was killed while building a raft on the Missouri river, near Fort Benton, Montana, in 1865.

William M. Lotts received his education in the district schools of Knox County, Illinois. In 1851 he was united in marriage with Hester A. Webb, of Ross County, Ohio. She was born November 18, 1829, and her death occurred on August 25, 1899, in Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa. She was the daughter of John and Charlotte (Godfrey) Webb, who came to Illinois in an early day and were well known and prominent in their locality. Mr. Webb was in the War of 1812. His death occurred in Warren County, Illinois, in 1852. His wife died in Indiana when their daughter, Hester A., wife of Mr. Lotts, was but a small child.

Of Mrs. Lotts' brothers and sisters, Oliver died in Colfax, Iowa; Henry, who was a successful gold digger, a member of the famous band of "forty-niners," died in Illinois; Hester A. was next in order of birth; William died at Derby, Iowa, and Francis at Gilson, Illinois.

After his marriage William M. Lotts began farming, renting land the first year, then bought a quarter section, which he later sold, then came to Jefferson County, Iowa, where he purchased two hundred and twenty acres. After farming this two years he again sold out and returned to Warren County, Illinois, where he bought one hundred and eighty-five acres of land which he farmed for eleven years, then sold out and purchased a small place near Abingdon, Knox County, Illinois, in order to get proper schooling for his children. After living there three years he sold out and came to Iowa, landing in Prairie City, Jasper County, March 22, 1872, and purchased a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres four miles from town in Des Moines Township, which he still owns and which he has kept well improved and well tilled, in fact made it one of the model farms of the County. For this place he paid thirty-three dollars per acre; it is not worth over one hundred and fifty dollars per acre, in fact, he has refused that figure. Having accumulated a competency through general farming and stock raising, he retired from active life in 1892 and moved to Prairie City.

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lotts, namely: Malissa Jane, who married Jay Prouty, lives on a farm near Prairie City; Olive, who married Edward Hays, lives six miles from this village, and they have one son, William Russell Hays; Emma married J. R. Chandler and lives at home with her father; her only child, Hazel, lives with her.

Politically, Mr. Lotts is a Republican and while he takes the interest of a right-minded citizen in public affairs, he has never sought political preference. He has been a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty years, having been class leader for many years. His wife was a consistent member of the United Brethren Church, and known to a wide circle of friends as a noble-minded, kind-hearted woman. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 571