A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 977-978
Reuben J. Foster is an enterprising and successful farmer of Union Township, Hendricks County, Ind., and is of scotch extraction. His grandfather, James Foster, was a native of Virginia, but emigrated in early life to Butler County, Ohio, and was numbered among the successful early settlers. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 under Gen. Wayne, was a devoted admirer of the noted warrior, and died in Butler County, an honored and respected old citizen. Joshua Foster, son of above and father of Reuben J. Foster, the subject of this sketch, was born in Virginia. From his youth up he was engaged in farming, and was captain of the old muster company. He married Aletha Johnson, of Butler County, Ohio, but they immediately moved to Decatur County, Ind., and settled on new land, improving it and finally making a choice farm of 200 acres, residing there till their deaths. He was a local Democrat of note and took a leading part in politics. The father was inclined toward the Baptist faith, while the mother was a member of the Methodist Church. He died in 1845 and she died in April, 1858.
Reuben J. Foster, our subject, was born in Butler County, Ohio, March 22, 1836. He received a common education in the pioneer log school-house, so well known to the frontier of his early day and so often described in the pages of this volume, as being constructed of round logs, with clap-board roof held down by weight poles, puncheon or clay floor, stick and cat chimney, and fire-place reaching across the entire end of the room; furnished with seats constructed of small logs split in two, the flat sides of which were turned upward to be sat upon and the round sides turned downward and holes bored in for the insertion of pegs for legs; the desks formed by similar pegs being driven into the wall, on which pegs split puncheons were placed for writing upon, and over which light was shed through apertures in the wall covered with greased paper. He has been constantly on the farm all his life, and married Margaret Gentry (daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Gentry, of Hendricks County, Ind. He has been in the county since 1858, and has seen it improved from its original state to its present incomparable condition. His children were named, in order of birth, as follows: Sarah J. (deceased), Isaac W., David, Edgar, Iva and Harry J., all living, except the eldest. He and the family have accumulated, altogether by industry, a choice farm of 200 acres of fertile lands, highly improved with modern farm house and barn, etc., that will compare favorably with any in the county. He is a progressive and enterprising agriculturist, and has been a local politician of note, having been nominated by the Democratic Party some years ago for township trustee and county treasurer. He is a deacon in the Regular Baptist Church, and is truly religious. His sons, Edgar and David (firm name, Foster Bros/), own Pocohontas Sam, Jr., sired by J. K. Henry's famous horse of the same name, and a full brother to Bailey's horse, of the imported four-year-old chestnut sorrel stallion, Tim, 2:15 ½. Out of nine races this summer he took first money six times.