William Boulie's father, John was born in Alsace Lorraine at Sawrbuchen, France on April 25, 1827.  John came to America when he was 18 years old.  He first lived in New York.  He married Magdalen Linhard.  She was born June 15, 1831 in Germany.  The wedding took place in Columbus, Ohio.  Her father drowned in the Rhine River.  Magdalen died in Lawrenceburg on October 21, 1900.  John owned a hotel, tavern, and a farm in West Point in Keokuk, IA.  He and his family got on a boat at Ft. Madison, IA.  Their daughter was 12 years old when they sailed the Mississippi River in 1870.  It's said they stopped in St. Louis, MO and bought a barrel of flour.  They went through Paducah, KY and on to Florence, AL.  While his family stayed on the boat, John walked to Lawrenceburg, TN.  Here he bought a farm.  He went back to Florence for his family and brought them to Lawrenceburg in a covered wagon.

They lived in the Lawrenceburg Hotel until his house was built.  This hotel was on the city square.  The hotel was the only building that had glass in the windows.  All other buildings had the glass broken out during the Civil War.  The house was built on Military Road about a mile and a half north of town.  They learned to cook on a fireplace waiting the arrival of their stove shipped from St. Louis.  That was the first stove around Lawrenceburg.