The Wilson Families of Ray County, Missouri

J. W. C. WILSON, Sr.

James W. C. Wilson, Sr., was born in Campbell county, Tennessee, on the 16th day of February, 1808. His father, Levi Wilson, Esq., was a prominent farmer and large land owner of that state. Mr. Isaac Wilson, uncle of our subject, was one of Ray county's earliest pioneers, having come to the county more than sixty years ago. The subject of this article was reared and educated in his native state. In the year 1829, his father removed to Ray county, Missouri, but remaining then only temporarily, went to Clay county and remained there for about four years. He then returned to Ray county and lived here, the remainder of his life. Mr. James W. C. Wilson has never had his home changed from Ray county since he first came here, at the age of twenty-two years, except during the year 1830, when he lived in Clay county, Missouri. When Mr. Wilson commenced life for himself, he had not a dollar in the world. He hired to work on the farm of William Carlisle, of Ray county, for ten dollars per month; at that time considered high wages, and only paid to the very best farm hands. At the end of two years Mr. Wilson had saved from his wages the sum of one hundred and one dollars. Of this sum he paid one hundred dollars, half its price, for a farm of eighty acres, for which he had bargained, the remaining one hundred dollars of the price of the farm, to be paid in less than eleven months from the time of the first payment. He now had just one dollar left. He possessed besides, five acres of corn, which he had grown in Clay county, and from the sale of it realized the sum of fifty dollars, selling at seventeen and a half cents per bushel of corn and fifty cents per hundred bundles for the fodder. This sum he also paid upon the price of the farm, and in consideration of paying in advance, of the stipulated time, received credit for sixty instead of fifty dollars. Mr. Wilson worked until he had the remaining forty dollars, and then paying the balance due on the place, received a deed to it. Thus he first became a land-holder, and laid the foundation for his future success and usefulness. He now owns a farm of 895 acres, ten miles north of Richmond, on the Kingston road; 800 acres of this place are under fence, about 340 acres of pasture lands, and 4-60 acres in a high state of cultivation. This is the largest and most valuable farm in the township. Mr. Wilson has always been a Benton democrat, and formerly took considerable interest in politics. He has repeatedly been a delegate to the democratic convention of his county and congressional district. He has never sought or desired office at the hands of his party, though he has never failed to support the nominees of both state and national conventions, except the nomination of Horace Greeley for the presidency, in 1872. Mr. Wilson did not regard him as a proper choice for a democratic convention to make, and did not support him. Mr. Wilson has never married, and his mother, now ninety-four years of age, lives with him, and despite her son's efforts to restrain her from attempting any household cares, she insists still upon superintending the domestic affairs of the house. Her health is good, and for one so old, she is remarkably strong and active. Mr. Wilson is one of Ray county's most substantial farmers and best citizens, and the perusal of his life's history should inspire the poor youth of the county to emulate his example in the acquisition of property.

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

W. T. WILSON.

This gentleman was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, on the loth day of July, 1822. There he was educated, and lived upon a farm until he was twenty years old. In 1842 he came to Ray county, Missouri, and settled on a farm about two miles south of Richmond. He was living there during the flood of 1844, and sustained great damage from the overflow of the river. In the month of March, 1855, he moved to his present farm, section thirty-four, township fifty-three, range twenty-six, and has continued to live there ever since. He owns one hundred and fifty-seven acres of good land, well fenced and improved. It is watered by the Wakanda. He has a large orchard of some seven hundred bearing trees. This orchard yields an immense and valuable crop. Mr. Wilson was married July 4, 1844, to Miss Nancy E. Pritchard, a native of the state of Tennessee, but came to Missouri early in life. They became the parents of seven children: Sarah J., Robert (died in 1872, aged twenty-five years), Virginia F., the wife of George W. Temple; Mary E. (died in May, 1878), Ida, Lee, and Oleita. Both Mr. Wilson and his wife are leading members of the Christian Church, and he is also lecturer of Prairie Grange, No. 1084, P. of H. Mr. Wilson's farm is particularly well adapted to raising tobacco and hemp. He has produced some as large crops of these commodities as have ever been grown in the county. Mr. Wilson is a leading, prosperous farmer, and an influential and valuable citizen of Grape Grove township.

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

This gentleman was one of the company who sunk the first shaft for coal in Ray county. Wm. Wilson was born in Lawarkshire county, Scotland, in the year 1845. He has always been a miner. In the year 1865, he came to America, and spent a short time, after his arrival in this country, in the state of Pennsylvania, then coming west, he lived for a time in different states, until 1869, when he finally settled in Ray county, Missouri, and received naturalization papers from the circuit court here. Soon after locating in this county, Mr. Wilson began mining for coal, and, as has been stated, inaugurated the business by sinking the first shaft in is what now known as mine number six, on the railroad, one mile south of Richmond. This enterprise was highly successful, and the great coal beds of Ray county were opened to the world. There was a ready market at a good price, for all the coal that Mr. Wilson could get out, and he continued the business until now he is the possessor of a handsome income from mines and real estate. He is the owner of a beautiful place of seventy-three acres, in the western suburbs of Richmond, where he has of late, turned his attention to the raising of the best varieties of poultry. He has a patent incubator with which to hatch his fowls, and is prepared with every modern convenience and device to assist in raising them. If this venture proves a success, as no doubt it will under the management of Mr. Wilson, he intends to increase his facilities and enlarge the business. He now has the finest chickens of the white Brahma, Leghorn and Plymouth Rock varieties, and the Toulouse geese. He is now associated with Mr. Peter Wilson in the mining business, under the firm name of Wilson & Wilson. They have just sunk a new shaft on our subject's land, near the track of the St. Joseph branch of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway. William Wilson was married at Richmond, in the month of March, 1873, to Miss Mary Blair, daughter of Mr. Robert Blair, formerly of that place, now dead. Five children were born of this union, and four of them are living at this time (April 1881). Mr. Wilson is a practical, energetic business man, and has now, by his own enterprise and industry, the property and good name which he now enjoys.

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