Scott Etter, city attorney of Palmyra, a leading citizen and
Democratic politician, and the editor and proprietor of the Transcript, one
of the outspoken and influential newspapers of Macoupin County, is a
descendant of some of the best pioneer stock of this section of the State.
Mr. Etter was born October 30, 1875, in South Palmyra township, Macoupin
County, and is a son of James and Flora (Ritchie) Etter.
Tracing the
Etter family as far back as our subject's great-grandfather, we find that
Henry Etter was born in Wythe County, Virginia, and removed to Eastern
Tennessee at the age of 23 years. He married Elizabeth Parks, a member of a
family which had migrated from New England to Tennessee, and they had a
family of 12 children, the seventh in order of birth being Henry, the
grandfather of our subject. In 1827 the elder Henry Etter removed with his
family to Greene County, Illinois, settling three miles southeast of
Greenfield. He was the pioneer settler in his neighborhood, only a few other
families having located in the township. In 1836 he removed to Macoupin
County and settled on section 9, in what is now Western Mound township, on a
farm now occupied by George Etter. At that early day few settlers had found
homes here and pioneer conditions existed for a number of years. Mr. Etter
bought a claim of 120 acres and entered 280 additional acres, much of this
property still remaining in the possession of the family.
Henry
Etter, Jr., grandfather of our subject, became a prominent citizen of
Macoupin County, although he enjoyed in youth few educational opportunities.
On November 14, 1844, he married Asbereen Elizabeth Davidson, who was born
May 12, 1824, in Barren County, Kentucky, and was a daughter of E. and
Margaret (Wright) Davidson and a granddaughter of John Davidson, who
migrated to America from Scotland. Mr. Etter, and wife engaged in farming in
Western Mound township until 1845, when they moved to the present farm of
our subject in section 16, South Palmyra township. Mr. Etter accumulated 480
acres of land, but, with the exception of 160 acres, has given all to his
children. He was born May 14, 1820, and, although advanced in years, still
retains the management of his homestead. The children of Henry Etter, Jr.,
were: George; James; Smith, deceased; and Elijah, a resident of Waverly,
Illinois.
James Etter, father of our subject, is now a retired
farmer of South Palmyra. He married Flora Ritchie, who died in 1900. Mrs.
Etter was a daughter of E. W. Ritchie, a farmer of South Palmyra township.
Scott Etter attended the Palmyra schools and was graduated at the
Palmyra High School in 1892. It had required considerable effort and self
denial on the young man's part to accomplish this satisfactory result. The
successful passage through high school entails expenses for suitable books,
apparatus, etc., and the means for defraying these expenses he earned by
working in the rock quarries on his father's farm. Doubtless this was
excellent discipline, at any rate it goes to show that Mr. Etter is not one
to permit adverse conditions to discourage him in the pursuit of his chosen
aim. Much of his subsequent career has made this manifest. For a period he
taught school in Macoupin County, and from 1896 to 1897 was the able
principal of the Modesto High School. He then removed to Palmyra and entered
upon the study of the law with Frank M. Solomon, with whom he later formed a
law partnership. When this was dissolved in 1898, he entered into
partnership with Hon. James B. Searcy, at that time a member of the State
Legislature. This connection was severed in 1900, since which time Mr. Etter
has conducted his practice alone, Mr. Searcy locating at Carlinville.
Since 1895 Mr. Etter has been a prominent factor in Democratic politics
in this section and has been a delegate to all important conventions. One
notable one was the i6th Congressional Convention, which finally elected T.
J. Selby, after a deadlock and the taking of 2,531 ballots. He was also a
delegate to the convention which nominated J. B. Rieks as judge of the
Supreme Court of Illinois. In 1891 his abilities were recognized by election
as city attorney of Palmyra, an office he has since held by acclamation. On
November 7, 1898, he purchased the Transcript, one of the leading newspapers
of the county and one which commands attention on account of the ability
with which it is conducted. Since April 17, 1901, he has been one of the
directors of the F. A. of A. Insurance Company. Until 1903 he was one of the
principal stockholders of the Electric Light & Telephone Company of Palmyra,
of which he was the promoter. He has been very active in all public spirited
movements, and by voice, pen and means, encourages everything which promises
to be of substantial benefit to this section.
On October 31, 1900,
Mr. Etter was married to Frances M. Butcher, who is a daughter of Wesley
Butcher, who died January 7, 1892. Mrs. Etter is proficient in music and at
the time of her marriage was a teacher of music at Carlinville. They have a
son, Roscoe, who was born November 9, 1901, and a daughter, Frances, born
February 24, 1904. Both Mr. Etter and wife are members of the Christian
Church. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 341-343.
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