James Potter was born at Riceville, Iowa, on August 26, 1877. He came to Foster County and filed on a homestead in 1898. He was married to Isabelle Smith November 2, 1904. She was born in Grand Valley, Ontario, Canada, on August 23, 1887, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Smith. Her family moved to Wisconsin in 1895; and to North Dakota a few years later. They homesteaded in the Juanita area.
James and Isabelle farmed in the Juanita area before coming to Grace City in 1920 to operate a hotel. He was custodian at the school there for some time.
They had five children: Esther, Ernest, Dale, Harold and Delores.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 63B