Biography - ANSEL A. GOULD
A roster of the prominent farmers of Edwards county would be incomplete
without containing the name of ANSEL A. GOULD, who is one of the most
successful of their number. He was born (one of twins) in Lewis county,
Virginia (now Upshur county, West Virginia), February 13th, 1817. His
parents, Ebenezer and Elizabeth Gould, when Ansel was a youth, went from
Virginia to New York, whence they preceded him here, coming in 1835, he
following in 1836.
Mr.
Gould was united in marriage, Nov. 11th, 1838, with Chloe, daughter of
Roswell Knowlton, who came to Illinois from Virginia in 1830, and died in
1834. By her he has had nine children. Soon after coming to Illinois, he
hired out his services at eleven dollars per month. In the fall following
his arrival he went to Arkansas, where he had $36 per month as a teamster.
The first money he was enabled to save from his wages went to pay for land
he had bought of George Flower. His first venture in a speculative way was
to build a flat-boat, and load it with provisions to take to New Orleans. On
the way, both boat and cargo were lost by sinking. The loss was a severe
one, as he was paying 12 per cent interest on money he had borrowed with
which to fit out the boat. Shipment of produce followed which subsequently
proved profitless, but his farming operations were eminently successful, so
that he acquired considerable property, and has by energy and labor
succeeded beyond most men. A fine view of his homeplace is shown elsewhere
in this work. He is an ardent Republican, and an earnest, faithful member of
the M. E. Church. His benefactions in behalf of his fellowmen, and in behalf
of the cause of religion, have been large. The names of his children and
dates of birth, etc., are as follows: Deuel, born April 27, 1840; Mary A.,
February 13, 1843; Edson, January 14, 1846; Emily E., August 15, 1849;
Harriet M., April 14, 1851; Olive M., Dec. 28, 1854; Aaron A., August 19,
1857; Alice C., Aug. 14, 1860; Elmina S., October 18, 1863. Of these, Edson
died Sept 5, 1848.
Extracted 29 Jul 2017 by Norma Hass from 1883 A Combined History of Edwards, Lawrence, and Wabash Counties, Illinois, page 314.
