The Wilson Families of Black Hawk County, Iowa

C. T. WILSON.

C. T. Wilson is a general contractor and builder of Waterloo, with office at the corner of Bridge and Commercial streets. He has made thoroughness and efficiency his watchwords in connection with business, and by reason of the results attained thereby has secured a gratifying patronage. He was born in Washington township. Black Hawk county, in 1866, a son of Seth and Sarah Parnell (Hitchcock) Wilson. The grandparents were pioneer settlers of Washington township, but the parents were both born in Illinois prior to the establishment of the Wilson and Hitchcock families in this county. Both the paternal and maternal grandfather entered land from the government and the paternal grandparents remained upon their claim until called to their final rest, Mr. 'wilson having in the meantime converted the place into a highly improved farm. The maternal grandfather operated his farm for a time, but in his later years removed to Cedar Falls, where both he and his wife passed away. Both families were closely associated with a number of the early events that shaped the pioneer history of the county, and Grandfather Wilson served on the first jury ever impaneled in Black Hawk county. In early days he sawed wood for the Illinois Central Railroad to use in their engines. At first Dubuque was their nearest market.

Both Seth Wilson and Sarah Hitchcock were reared in this county and were here married. They began their domestic life upon a farm, and Mr. Wilson continuously carried on general agricultural pursuits until 1904, when he removed to Waterloo, where he still makes his home at the age of seventy-two years. His wife, however, passed away in igi2. In their family were three children: C. T.; Mrs. Richards, who is living in Butler county. Iowa; and Carrie, who is employed by the Leavitt & Johnson Trust Company of Waterloo.

C. T. Wilson acquired his education in the public schools of Parkersburg and lived upon the home farm until twenty-one years of age, during which period he taught school for two years. He afterward spent five years in Cornell College, Iowa, and was graduated therefrom in 1893 on the completion of a course in civil engineering. He followed that profession until 1912, and during the last nine years was city engineer of Waterloo. Previously he had done survey Avork in connection with railroad building. In 1912 he embarked in contracting, building and general construction work and has since been active along that line in Waterloo and northeastern Iowa, where many important contracts have been awarded him. Evidences of his skill and handiwork can be seen in many places, and he is widely recognized as one of the leading general contractors of his section of the state. As the years have passed on he has prospered in his undertakings and is now the owner of a number of residence properties and vacant lots in Waterloo, together with the fine home which he occupies.

In 1894 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Clara Goodale, a native of New York, who came to the west with her parents in her childhood days and settled in Butler county, where both her father and mother passed away. Mrs. Wilson is one of the three children of the Goodale family who still survive, the others being: Oren E., of Los Angeles, California; and Annie C., who is a trained nurse of Iowa City. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been born six children: Dorothy, who was born in 1895 and is now attending college in Mount Aernon; Anna, who was born in 1897 ' is at home; Clarence, who was born in 1899 is now a student in the high school; Clara B., who was born in 1901 and is a high-school pupil; [name withheld], born in 1907; and [name withheld], born in 1912.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Methodist Episcopal denomination and Mr. Wilson holds membership with the First Methodist church of Waterloo. Lie is quite liberal in his political views although his tendency is toward the republican party. He has served on the board of the west side and he was a member of the board of water commissioners of Waterloo in connection with J. M. Groat and J. E. Sedgewick when the plant was taken over by the city. He was likewise a member of the school board for nine years and has been thus closely connected with important public service and in many ways has contributed to the upbuilding and progress of the city in which he makes his home. He is guided at all times by the spirit of advancement and this is as strongly manifest in his business life as in other connections.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

BURTON E. WILSON.

Burton E. Wilson, a real-estate and insurance agent of Waterloo, in which city he has made his home for eleven years, is a native of Illinois but has been a resident of Black Hawk county through four decades. His father, Samuel Wilson, became one of the pioneer settlers of this county and is still living at Hudson at the venerable age of eighty-two years. He was born in Herkimer county. New York, in 1832 and in early manhood wedded Mary A. Sutton, whose birth occurred in Oswego county, New York, in 1835 and who is also yet living. At the time of the Civil war he became a member of Company F, Eighty-second Regiment of New York Volunteer Infantry, and was in the service for three years and four months, after which he was honorably discharged because of physical disability. In the meantime, however, he had participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and had proven his valor and loyalty on various battlefields. Following the war Mr. Wilson brought his family to the middle west. He lived for a time in Illinois and then came to Black Hawk county, where he carried on general farming.

Burton E. Wilson, brought to Iowa during his early boyhood, was reared in Black Hawk county and acquired his education in its public schools until he left the Waterloo high school. Later he entered Til ford Academy and in early manhood taught school in both Black Hawk and Benton counties. He then turned his attention to general farming and stock-raising and was thus closely associated with the agricultural interests of the county for a considerable period, but in 1903 left the farm and removed to Waterloo, where he established a real-estate and insurance office and is still engaged in that business in addition to carrying on his farming interests. He has largely owned the real estate in which he has dealt in Waterloo and Black Hawk county, making purchases outright rather than selling on commission. Lie is likewise greatly interested in western lands. Each year he has built a few houses in Waterloo for sale or rent and his business is thus proving an element in the improvement and adornment of the city. He also conducts a general business in all branches of insurance and the policies which he writes represent a large figure annually. He likewise has other business connections. Fie is financially interested in still other lines which contribute to his individual success and at the same time are factors in public prosperity.

In 1898 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Celia Glenny, a daughter of Alexander Glenny. They hold membership in the First Congregational church of Waterloo, of which Mr. Wilson is now clerk. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows lodges, the Modern Woodmen camp and the Sons of Weterans. He is also identified with the Chamber of Commerce, with the Waterloo Club, the Town Criers Club and the Waterloo Traveling & r.business Men's Association. Flis interests and activities have been constantly broadening in their scope and in their usefulness. He finds time for all of the duties that devolve upon him in different relations and in connection with his fellow townsmen attempts to meet the public needs while at the same time he carefully conducts his business affairs. He is a self-made man and one who is deserving of much credit for what he has accomplished, for personal energy and industry have been the foundation upon which he has builded his success.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE F. WILSON.

George F. Wilson, a land agent at Cedar Falls, conducting an extensive business in North Dakota properties, was born April 6, 1864, on a farm ten miles west of the city in which he now makes his home, his parents being Harrison J.' and Eliza A. (Collier) Wilson, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Ogle county, Illinois. The father, who always followed farming as a life work, came to Iowa in the early '50s and settled in Grundy county on land which he purchased from the government. It was entirely destitute of improvements when it came into his possession but with characteristic energy he at once began to develop the fields and in the course of time made it a valuable property. Subsequently he removed to another farm in Fairfield township, Grundy county, and continued to make his home in that county until his death, which occurred about the year 1883. His widow is now a resident of Des Moines. Mr. Wilson was for one term county treasurer of Grundy county but was never a politician in the sense of office seeking.

George F. Wilson was the second in order of birth in a family of six children and upon the farm in Fairfield township, Grundy county, he spent the period of his youth, attending the public schools and aiding his father in the farm work. At the time when his father became ill he took charge of the old homestead and managed the work of developing the fields until his father's death eight months later. He afterward continued upon the homestead for two years, at the end of which time an older brother, Ira J. Wilson, took charge of the farm and to him George F. Wilson sold his interests. He then went to Bridgewater, South Dakota, in 1886, seeking to improve his impaired health by a change of climate. There he again engaged in farming until 1891, when he took up his above in the town of Bridgewater, where he established a harness business and later engaged in drawing and in the livery business. He sold out there in 1893 " returned to Iowa, taking up his above in Cedar Falls, where he worked at the carpenter's trade with his brother, who was a building contractor.

In February, 1894, however, ]\Mr. Wilson embarked in the real-estate business, handling property in Cedar Falls and its vicinity. He also established an insurance agency, handling both fire and life insurance for a time, but afterward dropped the latter. In 1905 he homesteaded in Stark county, North Dakota, where he resided for a year and a half, receiving the title to his land. With the exception of that period he has been engaged continuously in the real-estate business in Cedar Falls during the past twenty years and now handles land in Iowa, yIinnesota and North Dakota. He is now the individual owner of eight hundred and forty acres of land in North Dakota and has two thousand acres under his control. He devotes his entire time to the business and when in North Dakota makes his headquarters at Bismarck. He has the greatest possible faith in the future of the state and is doing much through colonization for its develop)- ment.

On the 6th of March, 1889, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Effie J. Burgess, a native of Grundy county and a daughter of James H. and Martha (Wilcox) Burgess, who were early settlers of Fairfield township, that county, but both are now deceased. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson: Clarke L. V' who is attending college and assists his father in business; Inez F., who is also acting as her father's assistant; and Mina B. and Roger \' both in school. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson hold membership with the Tribe of Ben Hur and the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Wilson is a progressive republican. He keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day and is ever ready to support his position by intelligent argument, but does not seek political preferment, as his time is fully occupied with his business affairs. His cooperation has been felt as a beneficial factor in movements for the upbuilding of Cedar Falls as well as of North Dakota.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.