J. B. COULTER, farmer and fruit-grower, P. O. Cobden, was born in Pennsylvania March 20, 1820, and is u son of David and Lydia (Coulter) Coulter, both natives of Pennsylvania; he was born in 1794, and died at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1882, and she born in 1796, and died in 1881. They were the parents of five children, all of whom are living. The Coulters were originally from Ireland, but for generations had lived in Pennsylvania. When our subject was quite young, his parents moved to Ohio, where he was educated in the common schools. At the age of eighteen, he began teaching, and afterward attended Miami University, but did not take a full course. Most of his time was spent in teaching, until he accompanied his parents to Iowa in 1850. He followed various pursuits in Iowa, and among others read law, and was admitted to the bar about 1859-60. He continued there until 1 866, when he sold out his business and came to this county, having previously invested money here when everything was very high, and owing to the depreciation of property he incurred great loss. After losing nearly everything he had, he began over again, and has been reasonably successful. His farm is now mostly in fruit — apples, peaches, cherries, plums, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. He has upward of fifty acres in fruits, and may be termed a successful fruit grower. He was married in Iowa, in 1851, to Miss Eunice Reed. Her father was a native of Connecticut and removed to Ohio, and thence to Iowa. Both he and his wife are dead. Mr. Coulter is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has risen to the degree of Royal Arch Mason. In politics, he was long identified with the Republican party, but for some time has claimed no particular party.
Extracted 30 Aug 2019 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part V, page 123.
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