In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1851, Cedar County
From Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (1901), History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (1912)
Edgar, William R., lawyer and banker, was born September 17, 1851, in Cedar County, Iowa, son of William R. and Rebecca (Tichenor) Edgar, the first named of whom was born in Rahway, New Jersey, and the last named in Warren County, Ohio. The family to which Mr. Edgar belongs is one of the old families of New Jersey and was founded there in 1715, when Thomas Edgar, son of David Edgar, of Scotland, purchased an estate and established his home in what later became the State of New Jersey. Both the grandfather and great-grandfather of William R. Edgar served in the American Army during the War of the Revolution, and both died in New Jersey. The father of the subject of this sketch removed from there to Ohio in his young manhood, and in that State married Rebecca G. Tichenor, who was reared at Lebanon, the home of the famous Whig statesman, Thomas Corwin. Soon after his marriage, and in the year 1835, he removed to Iowa, and he and his wife were among the pioneer settlers in that State. They continued to reside in Iowa until after the Civil War, when they removed to Missouri, estabhshing their home near Ironton, in Iron County, in 1866. The father died there, in 1879, at the age of seventy-five years, his wife having died some years earlier. William R. Edgar, the son, obtained his rudimentary education in the public schools of Iowa, and later was graduated from Arcadia College in Iron County, Missouri. He then entered the St. Louis Law School, at St. Louis, and received the degree of bachelor of laws from that institution in 1875. For four years thereafter he was engaged in teaching school, and during the last year of his employment as a teacher he was principal of the Ironton public schools. He was elected prosecuting attorney of Iron County in the autumn of 1878 and entered upon the discharge of his duties in that connection January ist, following. He filled the office of prosecuting attorney ably and faithfully until 1885, when he was appointed receiver of the land office at Ironton by President Cleveland. For four and a half years thereafter he discharged the duties of this office, and in 1893 was again elected prosecuting attorney, which position he still fills. While giving close attention to his professional duties and gaining prominence at the bar, he also became interested in financial enterprises, and in 1896, when the Iron County Bank was organized, he was made vice president of that institution. In 1897 he was made president 01 this bank, and still fills the position, being recognized as a capable financier of unquestioned integrity. In 1894 he was elected mayor of Ironton, notwithstanding the fact that the Republican voters of that city are in the majority and he a Democrat of the most orthodox kind. Since his young manhood he has taken an active interest in politics, participating in all State and national campaigns, and contributing his full share at all times to the success of his party. His religious affiliations are with the Presbyterian Church, and he is a member of the Masonic order, in which he has taken the Royal Arch degree. October 5, 1888, Mr. Edgar married Miss Pressia S. Whitworth, daughter of Isaac G. Whitworth, of Ironton. Their children are Maude W., Wm. R., Jr., James D., Mary C. and Robert Lee Edgar.
As printed in Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
WiLLLiM R. Edgar. The senior partner of the law firm of Edgar & Edgar may be said to "come naturally" by his prominence in the enterprises for the development of Ironton, for he is an American of the old stock, the son and grandson of pioneers who settled and developed new country. The family came originally from Scotland and settled in Rahway, New Jersey, in 1720. They gave more than one soldier to the American cause, during the Revolution. Something over a century later — in 1830 — William R. Edgar, father of the present William R.,
Sr., married and went to Tipton, Cedar county, Iowa. His wife was Rebecca Tichenor, a Presbyterian of English descent and a native of Lebanon, Ohio. They were successful in the new country, where they engaged in farming. It was in Tipton that William R. Edgar was born in 1851 and there that his mother died.
In 1866 the family moved to Iron county, where the father continued his work of farming until his death in 1879. The son William R. is the only surviving member of that family. Mr. Edgar was educated at Arcadia College. He graduated from that institution in 1871, during the presidency of General L. M. Lewis, a noted divine and a lawyer of unusual eloquence. Four years later he graduated from the law department of Washington University. He then taught for three years in Arcadia College and was one year principal of the fronton public schools. Since 1879 he has devoted his entire attention to the practice of law. He was a partner of the late J. W. Emerson, formerly one of Ironton's prominent lawyers. Later he was with George W. Benton for one year. The present law firm was organized April 10, 1911. In addition to their extensive library, Edgar and Edgar have a complete set of abstracts of Iron county.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
He married Miss S. P. Whitworth, daughter of the late I. G. Whitworth, mentioned elsewhere in this work. She was born in Ii-on county and educated at Arcadia College. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar have five children: Maude married Lieutenant Jurich, of the U. S. Army Cavalry, and since his death in San Francisco in 1908 she has resided in Ironton. William R., Jr. of the firm of Edgar & Edgar, was educated in Ironton and in the Benton law school of St. Louis. He was chief clerk in the law department of the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, under General Attorney M. L. Clardy. He resigned this position to form the present partnership. There are two other sons, James D., aged twenty-one, a graduate of the Western Military Academy, and Robert Lee, aged eleven. The other daughter. Miss Mary C, is also at home.
Mr. Edgar is president of the Iron County Bank of Ironton, organized in 1897. For the first year of its existence Mr. I. 6. Whitworth was president, but since that time Mr. Edgar has held the office continuously. He is no less prominent socially than professionally. He is master of the Star of the West Lodge, No. 133, A. F. & A. M. The son is also a member of the A. F. & A. M.
As printed in History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Isaac G. Whitworth (b. 1816)
The printed record stops around 1901. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.