William Granville Foster

Brief Life History of William Granville

When William Granville Foster was born on 3 March 1830, in Tennessee, United States, his father, John Foster, was 38 and his mother, Nancy Buchanan, was 36. He married Cynthia Anar Long on 23 June 1853, in Clackamas, Oregon, United States. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 3 daughters. He lived in Oregon, United States in 1870 and Columbia Center, Garfield, Washington, United States in 1900. He died on 7 April 1908, in Peola, Garfield, Washington, United States, at the age of 78, and was buried in Peola, Garfield, Washington, United States.

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Family Time Line

William Granville Foster
1830–1908
Cynthia Anar Long
1840–1922
Marriage: 23 June 1853
Melissa Jane Foster
1854–1899
Felix R. Foster
1857–1875
William Edmund or Edgar Foster
1859–1908
Thomas Jefferson Foster
1862–1944
John Mark or John Mathews Foster
1864–1940
Clarence Sheridan Foster
1866–1936
Eli Mathias Foster
1869–1898
Nancy Rosetta Foster
1870–1945
James Austin Foster
1874–
Charles Ransom Foster
1875–1957
Zelpha Mae Foster
1877–1959

Sources (15)

  • Wm G Foster, "United States Census, 1900"
  • William Granville Foster, "Find A Grave Index"
  • W R Foster in entry for Charles R Foster and Ella Hall, "Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008"

World Events (8)

1832 · The Black Hawk War

Convinced that a group of Native American tribes were hostile, The United States formed a frontier militia to stop them in their tracks. Even though Black Hawk was hoping to avoid bloodshed while trying to resettle on tribal land, U.S. officials opened fire on the Native Americans. Black Hawk then responded to this confrontation by successfully attacking the militia at the Battle of Stillman's Run and then left northward. After a few months the militia caught up with Black Hawk and his men and defeated them at the Battle of Wisconsin Heights. While being weakened by hunger, injuries and desertion, Black Hawk and the rest of the many native survivors retreated towards the Mississippi. Unfortunately, Black Hawk and other leaders were later captured when they surrendered to the US forces and were then imprisoned for a year.

1835 · The Hermitage is Built

The Hermitage located in Nashville, Tennessee was a plantation owned by President Andrew Jackson from 1804 until his death there in 1845. The Hermitage is now a museum.

1859 · Oregon Becomes a State

Oregon became the 33rd state admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859. 

Name Meaning

English: variant of Forster ‘worker in a forest’.

English: perhaps a nickname from Middle English foster ‘foster parent’ (Old English fōstre, a derivative of fōstrian ‘to nourish or rear’). But other explanations are equally or more likely.

English: from Old French forcetier ‘maker of scissors’; see Forster 2.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

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