William P. Anderson
William P. Anderson, a retired farmer now living at Cedarville, where he has made his home since his retirement from the farm in 1907, was born on a farm one and a half miles south of Cedarville on February 4, 1848, son of William and Mary (Collins) Anderson, the former of whom was born in that same township and the latter in the state of Pennsylvania, whose last days were spent in this county.
William Anderson, father of the subject of this sketch, was a son of William Anderson and wife, the latter of whom was a Kyle, who came up here from the neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky, at an early day in the settlement of Greene county and put in their lot with that of the followers of the Rev. Robert Armstrong, members of the Associate Reformed (Seceder) church, who had come up here into the valley of the Little Miami in order to get away from slavery conditions. The elder William Anderson established his home at what came to be known as "Andersons Forks," in the south part of the county. He later moved to a farm in the vicinity of Cedarville and on the latter place, spent his last days. The younger William Anderson grew up on that farm and in time became a farmer on his own account. After his marriage to Mary Collins, who also was a member of one of Greene county's pioneer families, he established his home on a farm on the Jamestown pike, six miles from Xenia, spending the rest of his life there, his death occurring in 1868, he then being sixty-two years of age. His widow survived him for many years, she having been eighty-eight years of age at the time of her death in 1906. William and Mary (Collins) Anderson were the parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fifth in order of birth, the others being as follows: Mary, now deceased, who was the wife of the Rev. Walker Taylor; Ella, also deceased, who was the wife of the Rev. Frank Spencer; Margaret, the wife of James A. Curry, who is now making her htjme in Springfield, in the neighboring county of Clark; Martha, deceased, who was the wife of Thompson Crawford, of Cedarville; Nannie, deceased, who was the wife of Dr. E. C. Harris, of Springfield; Archibald, now deceased, who remained on the old Collins homestead, and who was twice married, his first wife having been Ella Webster and his second, Ella Anderson; Lydia, who is now living at Santa Ana, California, widow of William Smart; Maria, wife of John C. Williamson, of Xenia; Samuel C, who married Nettie Williamson and spent his last days on the old Anderson home place, and Eula, also deceased, who was the wife of the Rev. W. C. Coleman.
William P. Anderson grew up on the home farm and completed his schooling in the Xenia schools. After his marriage in 1883 he established his home on the old home place, one hundred and seven acres of which he bought, and engaged in general farming and in the raising of live stock until he sold the farm in 1907 and moved to Cedarville, where he since has made his home. In addition to the land he owned in this county, Mr. Anderson also was the owner of a farm in the adjoining county of Clark and the owner of lands in Texas. He is a Republican, and has served the public in the capacity of justice of the peace and as a member of the school board. While living on the farm he also operated a stone quarry.
On December 19, 1883, William P. Anderson was united in marriage to Emma J. Collins, daughter of Col. Thomas C. Collins of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Colonel Collins was born on the farm in that county on which his father, James Collins, a soldier of the Revolution, was born, James Collins having been the son of Cornelius Collins, a native of Ireland, who had come to this country and had established his home in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in Colonial days. James Collins, the Revolutionary soldier, was the father of two sons, Cornelius and Thomas C, the latter of whom was for years auditor of his home county, a member of the board of county commissioners and the trustee of a local insurance company. He was an elder in the United Presbyterian church. Col. Thomas C. Collins was twice married. By his first wife, who was Grace McCullough, he was the father of six children, James, Hugh, Thomas, Mary, Grace and Sarah. His second wife, the mother of Mrs. Anderson, was a daughter of Ross and Sarah Campbell, of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. By that second marriage he was the father of three children, Mrs. Anderson having a brother, Ross, who is living at Quarryville, Pennsylvania, and a sister, Bertha I., who married George Herbert and is now living at Glasgow, Scotland. Mrs. Anderson completed her schooling in the Pennsylvania State Normal School and for a time before her marriage was engaged in teaching music.
To William P. and Emma J. (Collins) Anderson have been born four children, William E., Thomas Collins, Bertha Isabel and Wallace Cooper, all of whom are living and doing well. William E. Anderson was born on November 24, 1884, and upon completing the course in the high school at Xenia entered Tarkio College at Tarkio, Missouri, upon completing the course at which he began teaching school. He then went to Kansas and later to Colorado, in which latter state he became the owner of a ranch in the vicinity of Olathe; later going to Greeley, Colorado, where he is now living, one of the chief stockholders and the general manager of the firm of W. D. Garlington & Company, dealers in general produce. He married Elizabeth Doland. Thomas Collins Anderson, who is now engaged in farming at Olathe, Colorado, where he also is a ranch owner, went to Kansas after finishing the course in the high school at Cedarville and entered Sterling College, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He married Emma Quinlan and has three children, Phyllis Jean, Lois Rachel and Genevieve. Bertha Isabel Anderson completed her schooling at Cedarville College and has since been engaged in teaching school, at present connected with the schools at Osborn, she having previously taught for one year at Selma and for two years at West Liberty. Wallace Cooper Anderson finished the high school course and took one year at Cedarville College and is now attending Cooper College, Sterling, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are members of the United Presbyterian church.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918