Tempest W. Wilson

As printed in 1902

TEMPEST W. WILSON.

Tempest W. Wilson is the oldest member of the police force of Springfield in years of continuous connection therewith. He is familiarly known as “Temp” Wilson, and throughout this state he has a wide acquaintance, having gained many friends by reason

+ of his fidelity to duty and by his genial manner. He was born near the town of York,, in York county, Pennsylvania, March 31, 1847, and in the paternal line he comes of English ancestry, while on the material side the line of descent can be traced back to German ancestors.

John H. Wilson, the father of our subject, was a farmer by occupation, born, reared and educated in York county, Pennsylvania. He married Sarah Heistand, also a native of the same locality, and died at the age of fifty-two years, and his wife passed away in York county, Pennsylvania, when about seventy-six years of age. In their family were eleven children, of whom three daughters and five sons are yet living, namely: Mary; Mrs. Emma Haffer; Sarah; John, who is an engineer on the Pennsylvania railroad and resides in Philadelphia; Tempest W., of this review; Stephen, who is proprietor of a hotel at Wrightsville, Pennsylvania; Webster, who carries on farming on the old homestead; and Frank, who is a foreman in a cigar manufactory. Those who have passed away are: Heistand, George and Thomas, who died in Pennsylvania. The others are all living in Pennsylvania, with the exception of our subject. Upon the old home farm they were reared, while in the - common schools they pursued their education. The father died when the children were small, but the widow kept her children, together, putting forth every effort to provide a comfortable home for them.

As Tempest W. ‘Wilson was one of the oldest of the family, he began to support himself at the age of sixteen years and for several years was employed as a farm hand. He afterward spent eighteen months in loading and running ore cars from the mines’ to the furnaces. He was foreman of a construction gang in Maryland on the new railway and later he came to Ohio. He had some relatives living in Clark county and in 1870 he made his way to this locality. Here he worked upon a truck farm for a short time and then came to the city, where he found employment as a laborer in the shops of the New (Champion Company, being thus employed through three years. For a time he served in the fire department of the city and then returned to the shops, but later again entered the fire department, with which he was connected for thirteen months. Ata meeting of the city council he was elected to a position on the police force February 3, 1875, and has since been connected with this department of the city service, proving a very efficient officer. For about two years he was city detective. At that time he met with an accident, being shot in an encounter with a criminal, and he yet carries the bulletin his body. Since 1894 he has been captain of patrol No. 1, and in all the departments of the service with which he has been connected he has proven an efficient officer.

Mr. Wilson was married in Springfield in 1878 to Ellen Day, who was born in Greene county, was educated in the public schools, and was living in this city at the time of her marriage. They now have six children, four sons and two daughters: Frank, who is employed in a tool shop in Chicago, Tlinois; Ellen, a milliner working at her trade in Springfield; Harold; Paul; Ruth; and Carroll John. Mrs. Wilson is a member of St. Raphael’s Catholic church, and the children were educated in the parochial school connected with that church.

Mr. Wilson has made his own way in the world from the age of sixteen years, and although he has met with some difficulties and obstacles, he has steadily advanced, owing to his fidelity to duty and to his capability. He now resides at No. 56 West Co- Jumbia street, having purchased his home there in 1902. In politics he is a Democrat. He is a member of Ephraim Lodge, I. O. O. F., and also of the Firemen's Relief Association, of which he was one of the organizers-while connected with the fire department. He 1s now the oldest man in continuous service on the police force of this city, and this fact indicates unmistakably how faithful he has been to his duties as a preserver of the peace and of law and order.

As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.