William D. Trotter

From Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas, Vol II, pg 1086-87

William D. Trotter is a prosperous general merchant of Chicot County, Ark., and by his superior management and rare business ability and efficiency has done not a little to advance the reputation the county enjoys as a commercial center. He was born in Drew County, Ark., May 26, 1852, and is a son of Col. William D. Trotter, who was a North Carolinian, born in Person County, about the year 1819. In that State he was reared and educated, but at an early day removed to Tennessee, thence to Arkansas in 1851, becoming one of the prominent farmers of Drew County. He was very successful in his agricultural pursuits, and was, at different times and places, also engaged in merchandising, but unfortunate business investments caused him to lose the greater part of his hard-earned money, and although he had been well fixed, financially, he was in rather reduced circumstances at the time of his death in 1874. During the early part of the Rebellion he enlisted in the Confederate army as captain of a company, and for faithful service was promoted to the position of major and afterward to colonel of his regiment. He was a gallant soldier, and sacrificed all he possessed for the cause lie loved and advocated. A Democrat in politics, he was elected to represent his county in the State Legislature prior to the war, and being faithful in the discharge of his duties the position was again tendered him, but he declined re-election preferring private to public life. He was a Master Mason and a member of the Presbyterian Church. His union with Miss Mary E. Moody took place in North Carolina, in 1843, she having been born in Virginia, about 1824, and was reared and educated in her native State. Her death occurred in October 1877, she having borne a family of twelve children - three sons and nine daughters - seven of the family now living: Caroline G. (wife of J. S. White, of Texas), Emma O., Justina L. (wife of H. C. Stewart, of Columbia County, Ark.), William D., Virginia A. L. (wife of Abner Gaines, sheriff of Chicot County, Ark.), Helen L. (wife of G. W. Cook, of Mississippi), Maud H. (wife of a Mr. Alford, of Georgia). Those deceased are Josephine E. (wife of Hugh Tower), Bettie, (Mrs. Dunlap) and two sons and one daughter who died in infancy.

William D. Trotter, after receiving a fair education in the common schools of Drew County, Ark., began life for himself at the age of eighteen years, and was for four years employed as checking agent on the Mississippi, Ouachita & Red River Railroad, after which he became agent for a large receiving and forwarding establishment at Gaines Landing on the Mississippi River where his father had had former business connections. He next turned his attention to agriculture with fair success, and in 1886 began merchandising at Dermott, carrying a stock of general goods valued at about $3,500, and at the same time gives some of his attention to the stock business. He owns a one-third interest in 700 acres of land on the Mississippi River, of which 500 acres are in a high state of cultivation and well adapted to the raising of corn, cotton, grasses and clover. In his political views he is a Democrat, and takes a very active part, in the local campaigns of his party, and socially is a member of the K. of H. Although a comparatively young man, he has accumulated a handsome property, and is now one of the substantial business men of his town, and well deserves the position he occupies in the estimation of his friends and acquaintances of whom he has many. He was married in Chicot County, Ark., January 28, 1880, to Miss Mabel R. McDermott, born in the county December 16, 1861, and a daughter of Benjamin S. McDermott, and a grand daughter of Dr. Charles McDermott [see sketch of Philander McDermott]. Her father is dead and her mother is now the wife of H. F. Clark, a farmer of the county. Mrs. Trotter is an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church.