William F. Austin, of the firm of Austin, Brown & Kimball, dealers in hardware, lumber, agricultural implements, furniture, etc.; P. O. Ashmore; is a native of Coles Co., being a son of John and Susan (Carter) Austin; his father was born near Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 9, 1809, and came with his father’s family to the county in about 1828 ;his father, William Austin, took up a farm, comprising the site of the present village of Ashmore. Mr. Austin was married Oct. 15, 1835, to Miss Susan Carter, a daughter of John and Mary Carter, both natives of East Tennessee; she was born in East Tennessee Sept. 24, 1815; removed with her parents to Kentucky in early childhood, and came to Coles Co., in 1830, landing in Ashmore April 10, where her father took up a farm east of and adjoining the present village, and where Mrs. Austin still resides; Austin’s father, John Carter, was born in 1790, and died July 19, 1841; her mother, Mary Carter, was born Dec. 24, 1792, and died Nov. 11, 1857; Mr. Austin remained a substantial and highly-respected citizen till his death, Sept. 9, 1845; he left five children-James M., born March 13, 1837, and died July 23, 1866; Mary C., now Mrs. Thomas White, of Ashmore, born Aug. 13, 1838; William F., born Nov. 12, 1840; Edith, born Sept. 22, 1842, married F. M. Waters, of Ashmore, and died Jan. 4, 1862; Thomas, born Oct. 10, 1844. William F. Austin remained on the homestead until the age of 22, and then engaged in the manufacture of wagons and carriages, in company with A. J. Waters; this he continued two years, after which he followed carpentering until he entered upon his present business in 1872. Mr. Austin has been a member of the village Council for the past five or six years. He was married Nov. 10, 1864, to Miss Mary A. Sousley, who was born in Ashmore Tp. Aug. 5, 1843; she is a daughter of David and Lucinda (Groves) Sousley, who were among the early settlers of the county; her father was born Sept. 1, 1816, came to Coles Co. with his parents in about the year 1832 and died Nov. 26, 1847. Mr. Austin has two sons-Alcephus L. and Thomas E.
