W. A. Coulter    

W. A. COULTER, merchant, London, was born July 14, 1827, in Wolf Creek Township, Mercer Co., Penn., and is a son of Andrew and Sarah (McCoy) Coulter. The father was born in Chambersburg, Penn., and came to this county at an early day with his parents, Richard and Catharine Coulter, and settled in Wolf Creek Township, where the parents died, having been blessed with the following children: Andrew, James, William and Samuel.  Andrew got his education in Franklin County, and was in the War of 1812. He married Sarah McCoy, by whom he had two children: Mary J., married Edward Denniston, and W. A. The parents died in Wolf Creek Township, were Presbyterians, and the father held some of the small township offices. Our subject was educated in the common schools and the old Mercer Academy and taught two terms in the public school. He was educated in vocal music, receiving his instructions under Dr. Mason at Chicago; George F. Root, Bradley, and one term under Bassina, the noted Italian musician. He taught music in Mercer, Lawrence and Venango Counties. He enlisted in the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and after 100 days’ service he re-enlisted in the Two Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, and was colonel of the latter, commanding that regiment the last year of the war. On his return from the war he resumed teaching music, and in 1870 he purchased a stock of dry goods of Mrs. E. C. Breck, at London. He succeeded David Gilson in this business at this place in 1849, and conducted it until 1860. In 1872 he erected a fine building, which was destroyed by fire in 1886, together with the entire stock of goods and his household goods also. He at once rebuilt and put in a line of goods, and carries a stock of about $6,000, under the firm name of W. A. Coulter & Sons. He was married in 1851, to Caroline M. Smith, daughter of John C. and Charlotte (Croy) Smith, by whom he has five children: Willis and John S., of the firm; Clara, married P.N. Painter; Sadie, married William Munnell; Lucia, married B. E. Robb. Mr. Coulter was appointed postmaster at London in 1849, and served until 1860. He was again appointed in 1870, and resigned in 1886 in favor of his son, Willis, who conducts the office in his store. Mr. Coulter was appointed notary public in 1883, and re-appointed by Gov. Beaver. He, W. C. Davis and G. C. McCracken established a creamery at London in 1885, which was one of the first in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He and wife belong to the old Center Presbyterian Church, and he has led the music for this organization forty years, and has been superintendent of the Sabbath-schools for sixteen years. In politics he is a Prohibitionist.

History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present : including its aboriginal history, its early settlement and development, a description of its historic and interesting localities, sketches of its boroughs, townships and villages, neighborhood and family histories, portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, statistics, etc. : also, a condensed history of Pennsylvania. Chicago, Ill.: Brown, Runk & Co., 1888.  Read this book on line - Free Trial  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.