Biography of Hon. William M. Mercer, M.D., pages 740 / 741/ 742.  History of 
De Kalb County, Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Hon. William M. Mercer, M.D.-In France, the home of the paternal ancestry of 
this honorable gentleman, the name was spelled M-e-r-c-i-e-n, which has been 
changed by the descendants of those who settled in this county to the 
present orthographical mode, which has been universally adopted in America 
by all of that time.  The time of settlement and the Christian names of 
the founders of the family in the New World are unknown to the present 
generation, which prevents the biographer from going farther back in the 
Doctor’s ancestral lineage than his worthy parents, who are Samuel and 
Sarah (Cavender) Mercer, of the State of Ohio by birth and education; his 
mother being a descendant of English stock.  Samuel Mercer died in Ohio in 
1834, leaving his wife with the care of two children---William M., born in 
Miami County, Ohio, Oct 30, 1830, and Samuel, who was two years his 
brother’s junior.  Mrs. Mercer subsequently married John B. Blue, who 
still survives and is a resident of Newville, this county.  For six years 
following his father’s death our subject was cared for by his widowed 
mother, who to him proved a wise and faithful counselor, and by her early 
teachings inculcated in him principles that later in life have 
resplendently shown to his credit and honor.  At the age of ten years his 
mother’s marriage with Mr. Blue was consummated, and from that time until 
sixteen years of age he resided at home-having had only such advantages 
for obtaining an education as the primitive schools of that day offered.  
Upon leaving the home of his youth he went to Fort Wayne, Ind., which was 
the opening of his career, and from which time on he vigorously applied 
himself to the irksome duties of a clerkship in the store of John Hamilton, 
with whom he found employment for three years, having devoted a portion of 
that time to attending school.  Leaving Fort Wayne he returned to his 
former home and entered a store of which his stepfather was proprietor, 
and labored assiduously the study of medicine with Dr. John Champer, of 
Leo, Ind., a pioneer physician of note, who was his preceptor for three 
years, and during that time his leisure hours were spent in assisting his 
stepfather in the store.  The Doctor was now twenty-four years of age, one-
third of which time his existence had been maintained by his own efforts, 
and only by the strictest economy and greatest self-denial had he been able 
to save the small sum he then possessed.  Desiring to take medical lectures, 
but hindered by the inadequacy of his means, he was in sore perplexity to 
find a way out of the difficulty, which was eventually accomplished by the 
generosity of his brother Samuel, who contributed the “mite” he had saved 
(which was afterward repaid), and thus by “doubling teams” the Doctor 
matriculated at the Ann Arbor School of Medicine and Surgery in the winter 
of 1854.  The following spring he entered upon the practice of his 
profession at Fairfield Centre, De Kalb County.  This section at that 
time  was comparatively new and sparsely settled by men of small means, 
who, nevertheless, to the Doctor’s advantage, were subject to the ills to 
which flesh is heir, and he had an extensive practice during the summer 
season, which upon settling the following winter he found to exceed his 
most sanguine expectation.  At Leo, Ind., on the 9th day of November 1856, 
he was united in marriage with Miss Rachel Ann, daughter of Henry A. and 
Hannah McEwen, pioneer settlers in Indiana.  Always ambitious, the event 
of his marriage spurred him to greater efforts and risks, and becoming 
infatuated by glowing accounts from Iowa, which was then settling up, he 
and his young wife started for the Eldorado of the West and selected a 
location at  Penora, Guthrie County.  Here he found himself confronted by 
seven other physicians, all competitors for a practice that two or three 
could easily have attended to.  Nothing daunted, however, by the array of 
professional talent ahead of him, he entered the “lists” and soon made his 
competition felt by the other disciples of Esculapius and built up a 
paying practice.  At this juncture his former friends and patrons at 
Fairfield Centre earnestly solicited him to return to them and after 
careful deliberation assented to their request.  After a stay of six 
months in Iowa he returned and was installed in the practice he had 
previously vacated.  The labors of his practice were of the most arduous 
kind, his calls, owing to the treacherous and at times almost impassable 
roads, were made mostly on horseback, and at times in inclement weather 
the horse had to be dispensed with.  After six years of unremitting toil 
and incessant hardship, in which he won laurels in his profession and put 
dollars in his pocket, he went to Auburn where he purchased a stock of 
drugs.  This venture proved unfortunate, and after a year’s operation it 
terminated in a failure, and the Doctor once more returned to his former 
field of success, this time located at Corunna, near Fairfield Centre.  In 
1864 he was commissioned by the late Governor, Oliver P. Morton, Assistant 
Surgeon of the One Hundred and Fifty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in 
which capacity he creditably served till the close of the war.  Upon his 
return to civil life he entered upon the duties of his profession at 
Corunna, and the following year entered the medical department of the 
University of Medicine and Surgery at Buffalo, N.Y., from which he 
graduated with honors.  In 870 he entered the Rush Medical College, at 
Chicago, Ill., and afterward the Indiana Medical College at Indianapolis, 
and received diplomas form both institutions.  He has spared neither time 
or expense to acquire such skill in his profession as the most learned 
could impart.  His library comprises one of the best private collections 
in the State, embracing both literary and medical works of all best known 
authors.  In his cabinet is also to be found all the modern instruments 
used in the most delicate and difficult surgical operations.  For nearly 
thirty years the Doctor has gone in and out before the people of this 
county in a professional way, and by his prompt and efficient responses to 
the call of duty he has endeared himself to a host of patrons and friends.  
In 1876 he received the nomination of State Senator in the Repbulican 
Senatorial Convention of this district, to which office of responsibility 
and trust he was subsequently elected, and served his constituency ably 
and well for one term. By his zeal and party devotion in the promulgation 
of Republican principles he evidenced the ability of an able legislator.  
Of late years he has not been active in his practice, having during his 
service in the army contracted inflammatory rheumatism, from which he at 
times suffers severely.  Otherwise the doctor is well preserved considering 
his age and the amount of exposure he has endured.  To him and his 
estimable wife have been born six children, four of whom are living---
Charles E., Frank M., Arthur E. and William M.  The deceased were---Warren 
E., aged two years, and Katie, the only daughter, aged ten years.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com