William POTTER, MD

POTTER, WALLACE, JOHNSON, WILLIAMS, METZGAR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/28/2013 at 11:53:20

William Potter, MD

Claiming its share of attention in the world of progress, medicine and surgery today occupy a position of very high efficiency in the realm of science, and few are able to appreciate the amount of study and research work spent in mastering the various diseases that were for many years a menace to the health of the general public, but which, today, are handled with very little risk as to the ultimate recovery of the patient.

William Potter, physician, Galt, Wright county, was born on October 13, 1866, at Blyth, Huron county, Ontario, and is a son of James and Isabella (Wallace) Potter. He grew to manhood on the old homestead and attended the district schools, later entering the high school at Clinton, after which he taught school for three years and then took a course at Trinity University, from which institution he was graduated in medicine with the class of 1892. Doctor Potter located at Fox Lake, Wisconsin, in May, 1892, where he practiced for a year and then came to Galt, Wright county, Iowa, May 26, 1893, where he has since resided, keeping abreast of his profession by taking a post-graduate course at Chicago, and by attending and taking part in institutions and societies composed of leading medical men, being a member of the Wright County Medical Society, Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Society. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, at Galt.

James Potter, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1832, in Northumberland county, England, and died in February, 19I3, at Blyth, Ontario, aged eighty-one years. His childhood and youth were spent in England, where his early education was obtained, after which he engaged in herding sheep near the border of England and Scotland. He was married when about twenty-five years of age, and shortly afterward emigrated to Canada, settling near Toronto, Ontario, remaining there six years, and then moving to Blyth, Huron county, Ontario, in the fall of 1863, and buying a farm of one hundred acres, on which was a log house and a substantial frame barn. In 1880, James Potter erected a substantial brick house of eleven rooms. The farm was originally heavily timbered, having but little cleared space, but was finally all cleared and put in a fine state of cultivation. He later added another tract adjoining, consisting of one hundred acres. He was a hard working man, and was very successful with cattle and sheep. It is related that James Potter brought the only wagon from Toronto that was in Huron county, to which a neighbor took a great fancy, and Mr. Potter traded it to him for several head of cattle, some notes and other collateral. The "boot" consisted of enough to make a substantial first payment on his land.

To James Potter and his wife, Isabella (Wallace) Potter, were born seven children, namely: Thomas resides in northern Michigan; Sarah became the wife of John Johnson, and resides at Salmon Arm, British Columbia; James Wallace resides on the old homestead; John makes his home at Blyth, Ontario; William is the subject of this sketch; George resides at Blyth; Isabella is the wife of Christopher Johnson, and is also a resident of Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

William Potter was united in marriage on December 1, 1897, with Mabel Williams, daughter of Wesley R. and Lucy (Metzgar) Williams. She was born at Port Byron, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Potter reside at Galt, where two children have been born to them as follow: Maxfield Metzgar, born on April 1, 1900; and Leota Isola, born on July 31, 1904.

Mr. Potter is one of the most prominent, as well as one of the most popular and successful physicians of Wright county, where he has been engaged in practice for the past twenty-two years, and he enjoys a large and increasing practice. In addition to his professional connections he has gained a host of friends. As a man and physician his character and reputation are above reproach.

History of Wright County, Iowa, ed. by Hon. B. P. Birdsall. Indianapolis, Ind: B. F. Bowen, 1915, page 848.

[transcribed by Dick Barton]