My Genealogy Hound

Alexander Elson, postmaster of Unionville, Putnam Co., Mo., was born in Clark County, Mo., July 1, 1839, and is a son of Richard T., who was born in Kentucky, near Louisville, and in 1837 married there to Zenobia Dinwiddie, also a native of the same State. In 1837 they moved to Marion County, Ind., and two years later to Clark County, Mo., landing in Alexandria in March, 1839. They are now both residents of Putnam County, living near Unionville. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject came from England, and located in Kentucky, where Alexander’s grandfather, Cornelius, was born. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and participated in Perry’s victory. He died in Wayne County, Iowa. Mr. Elson is the eldest child of the six sons and four daughters born to his parents. Four sons were raised to maturity and are still living. Alexander Elson, when about twelve years old, was taken by his parents to Lee County, Iowa, and about six years later to Wayne County, Iowa, where he was married in 1861 to Martha Toliver, a native of McLean County, Ill. He engaged in farming in Wayne County until April 1, 1866, and then moved to Unionville, where he embarked in the dry goods trade, under the firm name of Elson & Elson, an uncle being the other member of the firm. He continued in the mercantile business for twelve years, and then engaged in the lumber business until June, 1886, when he sold out to the Baldwin Lumber Company, of Keokuk, Iowa. Since that time he has devoted his time to farming and fulfilling the duties of the post-office, to which position he was commissioned August 25, 1883. He now owns a farm of 160 acres in Union Township. He has had two sons and four daughters, but two of the daughters are now deceased. He is a member of the A. O. U. W.