The Wilson Families of Lafayette County, Missouri

Mr. Wilson, a prominent farmer and stock raiser, of Lexington township: was born in Bullitt county, Kentucky. Was educated at Hanover College, Indiana. He came to Missouri in 1837, and settled in Johnson county, where he remained until 1877, when he moved to Lafayette county, where he has since resided. Mr. Wilson was united in marriage in 1855, to Miss Catherine D. Neill, of Lafayette county. They have five children, named as follows: Stephen N., Lee F., Charles M., Mathew, and Mary. PostoflSce, Lexington.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

STEPHEN N. WILSON.

A well-known and successful member of the Lafayette county bar is Stephen N. Wilson, who has also been an important factor in business and political circles in Lexington for many years. He is regarded as a careful, cautious, painstaking lawyer in his office work, and in his trial of causes in court he devotes his entire energies to his claims in the contention and with all his power and forces in a deliberate, firm, conscientious way seeks to maintain them, thus meeting with a pronounced measure of success. He was born June 16, 1860, in Jefferson county, Kentucky, of a fine old Southern family, and is the son of Upton and Catherine (Neill) Wilson. The father was born April 15, 1828, in Louisville, Kentucky, and he was the son of Matthew and Martha Wilson, an old pioneer family of sterling worth. Upton Wilson grew to maturity in the Blue Grass state and he was educated at Hanover University at Hanover, Indiana. At the age of twenty-one he bought a farm near Shepardsville, Kentucky. In 1866 he emigrated to Missouri and settled near Warrensburg, where he farmer with his usual success until 1876, then moved to a farm south of Lexington, Lafayette county, which he conducted until 1889, since which date he has lived in town. Upon coming to this county he purchased the old Robert Early farm and became well established here. Politically he is a Democrat and in religious matters a Presbyterian. He has led a quiet, uneventful life and has won the admiration and respect of all whom he has met.

Upton Wilson and Catherine D. Neill were married May 25, 1855. She was the daughter of Major Stephen T. and Mary H. (Fulkerson) Neill, and was born May 27, 1832. This union has resulted in the birth of four children, namely: Stephen N., of this review; L. Fry, who lives in New Mexico; Matthew D., of Lexington; and Mary T., wife of Lee Hawkins, of Oklahoma.

Stephen N. Wilson was a small boy when his parents brought him to Missouri, and he grew to manhood on the home farm, assisting with the general work on the same during crop seasons. He attended the common schools during the winter months, later the State Normal at Warrensburg, and Wentworth Military Academy at Lexington. Deciding upon the legal profession while yet young in life, he began reading law with Judge Field, of Lexington, and, making rapid progress, he entered the senior class of the Law School of Washington University at St. Louis in 1884. He opened an office in Lexington in 1886 and has been continuously in practice here to the present time, enjoying a very liberal patronage and building up a large clientage. He has also figured prominently in financial circles, having been elected public administrator by the Democrats for two terms, which responsible position he held to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. He was president of the Morrison-Wentworth Bank three years. He was secretary for a period of eight years and chairman for six years of the Democratic county central committee, during which time he looked well to the party's interests and was one of its most important leaders, — in fact, in all the relations of life he has proved true to every trust reposed in him. He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Kansas City in 1900. Fraternally he is a Mason and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Mr. Wilson was married October 22, 1891, to Lucie Nickerson, a lady of refined tastes and the representative of an excellent family of Warrensburg. This union has been graced by the birth of three children, namely: Katherine N., Elizabeth N. and Theresa V.

As a counselor Mr. Wilson is guarded in his expression of opinions, deliberate, wary, and cautious at arriving at conclusions, seeking to attain a thorough knowledge of the cause before the administration of advice or the commencement of action, and his plea before a jury is earnest and forceful.

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

GEORGE WILSON, was born on the old Sac & Fox Reservation pn the Des Moines river, Iowa, (now Wapello county) his grandfather, Gen. Street, being agent for the Indians, and his father sub-agent. His father removed to Lexington in 1851. In 1862 Mr. Wilson went to the Rocky Mountain country and spent a number of years there as a merchant, miner,, contractor for railroad and government supplies, and banker. Was during this time made Judge of Probate in Laramie county, Dakota Territory, and Senator in the Legislature of Wyoming. Whilst residing in the territories he frequently returned to Lexington and remained for considerable periods. Returned and became a permanent resident again in 1877, being chosen cashier of the Lafayette County Bank (then called the Aull Savings Bank). Succeeded to the presidency of the bank on the death of his father March, 1880. Is author of four financial pamphlets: "The Bank Notes of the Future "; "The Greenbackers and their Doctrines "; " How to abolish the National Bank Systeem"; "National Banking Examined"; and has taken an active part in the newspaper controversies on the subject, opposing Federal banking and monometalism. Was candidate for

United States Senator from Missouri in 1881. His father, born in Ohio,. was a graduate of West Point and an officer in the old army; resigning and engaging in banking in Lexingtpn thirty years. His grandfather,. Peter Miller Wilson, was receiver of public money at Steubenville Ohio,, under President Jackson. His great-grandfather, Geo. Wilson, was born on shipboard, his parents dying on the same voyage. The wife of the latter was daughter of Peter Miller, of Philadelphia, a native of Mannheim, Germany, a scrivener by prof session; and Miss Richardson a descendant of Sir Joseph Richardson, of England. Mr. Wilson's paternal grandmother was a daughter of Col. Thos. Stokely of North Carolina, afterwards of Pennsylvania, a man of great wealth and patriotism. Mr. Wilson's mother was daughter of Gen. Joseph Montfort Street of Lunenburg county, Virginia, who was grandson of Governor Montfort Stokes of North Carolina. Street edited the second paper in Kentucky, and for his attacks on Aaron Burr was dangerously wounded in a duel. Street's mother was daughter of Thomas Posey, who was colonel in the Virginia line in the revolution. General in 1812, lieutenant governor of Kentucky, second governor of Indiana, and senator from Louisiana. Mrs. Posey was Mary Alexander of Alexandria, Virginia; her first husband was Major George Thornton, a cousin of Gen. Washington. Mr. Wilson is about 30 years of age; a Democrat of the old Jefferson type, and a progressive in politics. He is the founder of the Missouri Bankers' Association.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

C. L. WILSON.

No history of the leading citizens of Lafayette county would be complete without prominent mention of the genial manager of the Diamond Coal Company of Corder, a man who has made many friends wherever people know him and who, by his many virtues, fully merits the friendship and confidence which he possesses.

C. L. Wilson was born in Dover township, Lafayette county, Missouri, September i8, 1865, the son of John and Eliza Ann (HoUings worth) Wilson, his father a native of Bury, England, his mother of Dover, this county. John Wilson's parents came to America in 1843, when he was thirteen years old, and located on a farm in Dover township, which is still in the family. His father farmer until his death. John obtained what education he got in England and farmer on the place his father had entered, operating two hundred acres. He was a very strong and active Democrat, and he and his wife were members of the Christian church at Dover, the first church of any kind in the state, and they took a prominent part in church work. He also took a strong part in the Grange. He and his wife, who are now dead, were the parents of fourteen children.

C. L. Wilson's maternal grandfather came from Virginia in the early thirties to Dover, where he located as a carpenter and builder. In 1849 he crossed the plains to California, and there died.

C. L. Wilson was educated at the district schools, the Central Business College and the Northwestern Normal at Stanberry, Missouri. He taught school in Carroll and Lafayette counties for five years, then after his marriage he farmer five years, at the expiration of which time he came to Corder to act as the manager of the Diamond Coal Company, which position he has since satisfactorily and ably filled.

On March 22, 1892, Mr. Wilson was married to Roberta L. Corder, daughter of George W. and Bettie (Wall) Corder, her father a native of Virginia, her mother of North Carolina. Her father came with his parents, Nathan and Nancy Corder, to this county early, and they entered government, land south of the site of Corder, owning several sections. Her father lived in this county until his death, at the age of sixty-five years, in 1890. He was a farmer, owning and operating a section of land where Corder was laid out and built and named after him. George W. Corder served throughout the war with General Shelby. He was a Democrat, active in politics, but not aspiring to office, a Methodist and a Freemason, and had a wide influence in this part of the county. His wife was the daughter of William Wall, a pioneer of Henry county. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters.

Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Wilson are the parents of the following children: Elizabeth, Leslie, William, Roberta and Katherine. Mr. Wilson has always been an active Democrat, and at this writing (August 2, 1910) was nominated by his party for county collector. He and his family are consistent members of the Methodist church. The Masons, in which he is a past master, and the Modern Woodmen claim him as an active member. In 1905 he erected his present comfortable home, which is the equal of any residence of its size in the county.

Mr. Wilson is a man of great activity and makes his presence felt in whatever he undertakes. Such men as he are a great credit to any community, and Corder is rightly glad to have Mr. Wilson as one of her citizens.

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

T. C. WILSON, of the firm of Wilson & Benning, lumber and hardware; P. O. Mayview. Is a native of Ohio; born in 1843. He is the son of Robert H. and Mary Wilson, who came to this county in 1857, and settled on a farm. Being born and bred a farmer, Mr. Wilson has followed that business during the greater part of his life. In 1879 he came to Mayview, and engaged in the mercantile trade, which he still follows, having, by his enterprise and close attention to business, secured his full share of the public patronage. December 10, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Smarr, of this county, by whom he has four children: Florence, Effie, Pinkie, and one not yet named. Mr. Wilson is a staunch member of the M. E.

Church, South; active and energetic in public as well as private enterprises, and a man for whom society has nothing but commendation.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

P. O. Tabo, Missouri; son of John and Mary Wilson, was born December 13, 1821, in Morgantown, Butler county, Kentucky, and is of English and Scotch descent. In 1828 he came with his parents to St. LtJuis, where his father died in 1837, and his mother in St. Louis county, in 1867. In 1844 he visited Kentucky, remained there four years, following his father's trade, that of builder and contractor. July 1, 1847, he married Miss Mary - D. James, of Butler county, Kentucky. He then moved to Waterloo, Clark county, Missouri, where he continued his trade for ten years. In 1861 he moved to Dallas county, Texas, arid lived there seven years. In 1868 he moved to this county and settled in Washington township, where he now lives upon a farm of 100 acres of good and well improved land. He has kept the postoffice on the Warrensburg & Lexington mail line for seven years. He has four children living: John H., Lucy J., Mattie E., and Jefi Davis. He is a member of the Christian church, his wife a Baptist. He is a Free Mason. His two oldest children are married and settled close to him.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.