On the 1860 Census, Virgil was listed in Spring Hill, Drew, Arkansas living with his parents. On the 1870 Census, he was listed in Spring Hill, Drew, Arkansas living with his parents. On the 1880 Census, he was listed in Spring Hill, Drew, Arkansas living with his parents. He declined a college education, opting to stay with his father on the farm. He left the farm and joined in partnership with J.D. McCloy in Monticello, Arkansas. The mercantile business which he co-founded in 1887 remained in continuous business until sold to the Van Atkins chain in 1962. He built the Trotter House shortly before his marriage to Willie Ada Ford in 1896. The original house was twice enlarged as the family of eight children required more space. The house was said to be the first in Monticello with an indoor sanitary sewage system, and at one time was lighted by illuminating gas. The original heating was by individual fireplaces in the various rooms, and these were still used until about 1950 when gas heaters were installed. The large attic was once used as a roller skating rink by Juan and Henry, and it was not unusual to find the boys running about on the roof of the adjacent carriage house. A fig tree in the back yard sank its roots beneath the original three-holer toilet in the carriage house. He married his stepmother's (Susannah Gibson Ford) daughter, Willie Ada Ford. He was a prosperous retail merchant in Monticello, Arkansas. It is ironic that he went only through the fifth grade, but later was to be president of Monticello School Board. On the 1900 Census, he was listed as a merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie, sons Connor, Virgil, and Henry, and sister Callie. On the 1910 Census, he was listed as a retail merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie, sons Connor, Virgil, Henry, Reginald, and William, daughter Wella, and sister Callie. Later the business was operated as V.J. Trotter and Sons. His sons Virgil, Reginald, and William were involved in the business. On the 1920 Census, he was listed as a retail merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie, sons Virgil, Henry, Reginald, and Yates, daughters Wella, Gibson, and Carolyn, and sister Callie. Although he only received a fifth grade education, he later became the President of the Monticello School Board. On the 1930 Census, he was listed as a merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Ada, son Juan, daughter Gibson, and sister Callie. On the 1940 Census, he was listed as a retired merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie and son Juan.
On the 1860 Census, Virgil was listed in Spring Hill, Drew, Arkansas living with his parents. On the 1870 Census, he was listed in Spring Hill, Drew, Arkansas living with his parents. On the 1880 Census, he was listed in Spring Hill, Drew, Arkansas living with his parents. He declined a college education, opting to stay with his father on the farm. He left the farm and joined in partnership with J.D. McCloy in Monticello, Arkansas. The mercantile business which he co-founded in 1887 remained in continuous business until sold to the Van Atkins chain in 1962. He built the Trotter House shortly before his marriage to Willie Ada Ford in 1896. The original house was twice enlarged as the family of eight children required more space. The house was said to be the first in Monticello with an indoor sanitary sewage system, and at one time was lighted by illuminating gas. The original heating was by individual fireplaces in the various rooms, and these were still used until about 1950 when gas heaters were installed. The large attic was once used as a roller skating rink by Juan and Henry, and it was not unusual to find the boys running about on the roof of the adjacent carriage house. A fig tree in the back yard sank its roots beneath the original three-holer toilet in the carriage house. He married his stepmother's (Susannah Gibson Ford) daughter, Willie Ada Ford. He was a prosperous retail merchant in Monticello, Arkansas. It is ironic that he went only through the fifth grade, but later was to be president of Monticello School Board. On the 1900 Census, he was listed as a merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie, sons Connor, Virgil, and Henry, and sister Callie. On the 1910 Census, he was listed as a retail merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie, sons Connor, Virgil, Henry, Reginald, and William, daughter Wella, and sister Callie. Later the business was operated as V.J. Trotter and Sons. His sons Virgil, Reginald, and William were involved in the business. On the 1920 Census, he was listed as a retail merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie, sons Virgil, Henry, Reginald, and Yates, daughters Wella, Gibson, and Carolyn, and sister Callie. Although he only received a fifth grade education, he later became the President of the Monticello School Board. On the 1930 Census, he was listed as a merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Ada, son Juan, daughter Gibson, and sister Callie. On the 1940 Census, he was listed as a retired merchant in Monticello, Drew, Arkansas with his wife Willie and son Juan.
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