From the book History of Walworth County Wisconsin, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 513 - 514
 
EDWARD ELDERKIN was seventh of eleven children of Anthony Yeldorf ELDERKIN and 
Pamela FULLER.  His father's ancestry ran: Bela5, Col. Jedidiah4, John3, 2, 1.  
This family was long of Norwich, Connecticut.  Edward was born at Potsdam, New 
York, January 5, 1815; was academically educated; studied law at Canton, the 
home of Silas WRIGHT; came to Elkhorn in 1839; married Mary Martha, daughter of 
Bennett BEADSLEY and first wife, Mrs. Susannah (JOHNSON) GARDINER, December 25, 
1843.  (Mr. BEARDSLEY's second and third wives were sisters, Belinda and 
Frances TOWNSEND, each of whom left children.)  About 1882 the family moved to 
Racine, where Colonel ELDERKIN died December 11, 1887.   Mrs. ELDERKIN died at 
Elkhorn September 11, 1889.  They had seven children.  Among the family papers 
is a commission signed by Governor DODGE, February 10, 1841, naming Edward 
ELDERKIN as colonel of the Sixth Regiment of Wisconsin militia.  He bought a 
farm south of the village, which produced excellent wild mustard.  His clerical 
qualifications were excellent, and on the whole he grew relatively wealthy with 
the growth of the village, in which he laid out a southeast addition to the 
original plat.  He named two streets there "Jackson" and "Wright."  But a few 
years later he became a Republican, and in 1872 turned again to democracy.  
Colonel ELDERKIN was a man of impulses, seldom reflecting before acting, and 
some of his actions at law and in business needed much excusing.  He was one of 
the kindest of men at home, and thoroughly sociable and democratic everywhere.  
If a neighbor or stranger fell sick he was at hand.  If there was a case of 
cholera or smallpox in town he would take his turn with Lot MAYO and see the 
patient made well or buried.  His safeguard against contagion was "to chew 
tobacco and swallow the juice."  Mrs. ELDERKIN, like her sister, was an early 
and lifelong member of the Episcopal church, and, like her sister's, her life 
was filled with well-doing.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)