William Koster, or Coster, as the name is also spelled, born in New York City, 1810, was a paper manufacurer. He settled in Lee, Massachusetts, 1841, and was a partner in the firm of Sturges & Coster, which built a paper mill and operated it about three years at Lee. The firm sold it to Orton Heath.
He died at Palmer, Mass. 1857.
He married Elizabeth Ann Greenleaf.
Among their children were:
John S., mentioned below.
William, born at Lee, Feb. 2, 1843.

(II) John S., son of William Koster, or Coster, was born at Lee, Mass. June 21, 1841. He attended the public schools in his native town, and early in life learned the trade of papermaking in his father's mill. For a time he worked in a newspaper office in Springfield, Mass., but soon returned to assist his father in the paper mill. After his father died he accepted the position of foreman in the Seymout Paper Company mills at Windsor Locks, Conn. Thence he went to Palmer, Mass., to take a better position, and he was working there when the civil war broke out. He was one of the first to enlist. He went to the front and fought bravely in the Twenty-first Massachusetts Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. He took part in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged to the battle of Cold Harbor, June 2, 1864. He was badly wounded in the body and his right arm was shattered by a bullet in that fight; his arm ws amputated. He was honored with the commission of mayor by Governor John A. Andrew. He was a government officer for several years at the port of Boston, and superintendent of a paper mill at Lancaster, New Hampshire.
In 1876 he came to Lyonsdale, Lewis county, New York, as business manager of the Herkimer Paper Company mills at Kostervile on Moose river and was a stockholder in the company.
He was a presidential elector in 1888 and messenger to the United States court. In 1896-97 he represented his district in the assembly of the state of New York. He was department commander of New York Grand Army of the Republic, 1903-04.
He married, April 6, 1865, Mary L., born in New York City, Feb. 7, 1847, daughter of Owen Kinzey, of New York City.
Children:
Minnie E., born Jan. 27, 1866.
George Edmond, April 27, 1869, mentioned below.
J. Everett, Somerville, Mass. March 11, 1871.
Grace B., Lancaster, New Hampshire, April 19, 1873.
Irene L., Lyons Falls, N.Y., Dec. 1, 1882.

(III) George Edmond, son of John S. Koster, was born at Somerville, Mass. April 27, 1869. He attended the public schools, the Ives Seminary at Antwerp, N.Y., and the Lake Cayuga Military Academy at Aurora. When he was about eighteen years old, he entered the employ of the Herkimer Paper Company at Lyons Falls. After the mill had been acquired by the International Paper Company, Mr. Koster became superintendent and cashier for the new owners. In June, 1907, the property of the International Paper Company was absorbed by the Gould Paper Company, but Mr. Koster has remained at the head of the business.
In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the Port Leyden Lodge, No. 669, Free and Accepted Masons; of Lowville Chapter, No. 223, Royal Arch Masons; of Watertown Commandery, No. 11, Knights Templar; of Media Temple, Mystic Shrine.
He married, at Camden, N.Y. Dec. 6, 1893, Clara S. Baker.

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