Albert Compton, retired, Charleston; one of the early settlers of Coles county; was born in Fairfax Co., Va., Sept. 24, 1812; in the fall of 1830, he left home and came to Vincennes, Ind., thence to Terre Haute, and from the latter place, in 1833, to Charleston, arriving on the 3d of March; he worked at his trade of a shoemaker for about two years, and then engaged as a clerk in the employ of Baker & Norfolk; in 1835, he was elected Constable and served two years; in August, 1838, he was chosen Sheriff of Coles County, which office he held four successive terms of two years each, or eight years in all; on the expiration of his term of office, he engaged in the dry goods trade, which he followed until 1861, when, having accumulated a comfortable competency, he retired from active business; he has also held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Master in Chancery. He owns some 280 acres of land in Coles Co., and two business houses and a dwelling in Charleston. He was married in January, 1836, to Miss Catherine Easton, daughter of the late David Easton, of Charleston; they have five children living – Rhoda, now Mrs. S. M. Shepard, of Indianapolis, Ind.; Nancy, wife of Randall Alexander, of Charleston; Rufus, Mary, wife of Felix Johnston, of Charleston, and Allie.
