William A. Wilson

As printed in 1909

CAPTAIN WILLIAM A. WILSON.

Captain William A. Wilson, now well known as a prominent stock-raiser and farmer, residing in Washington, started out in life for himself at the age of twenty-two years with a cash capital of but ten dollars. He began operating a rented farm and as the years have passed his well directed industry and capable management have brought him into prominent connections with the agricultural interests of southeastern Iowa.

He was born in Shelby county, Indiana, August 18, 1831, and is a sort of Allen and Henrietta (Dryden) Wilson. He comes of English ancestry m the paternal line, and Scotch on material side, although the family was founded in America at an early day. His grandfather, Ammon Wilson, was a native of the state of New York, where he followed farming for many years. He served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812 and was ever loyal to the best interests of his home locality, his state and nation. He lived to a ripe old age and reared a family that included Allen. Abijah. Abner, Ammon, Margaret and Lucy Wilson.

The maternal grandfather of Captain Wilson was William Dryden, a native of Ohio and a farmer by occupation. He, too, espoused the cause of the country in the second war with England. Both he and his wife, Mrs. Henrietta Dryden, lived to advanced years. Their family numbered six sons and six daughters, including Henrietta Dryden, who was born in Ohio and in early womanhood gave her hand in marriage to Allen Wilson, a native of New York. This worthy couple were the parents of Captain Wilson. The father devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits and on his removal from the Empire state established his home in Shelby county, Indiana, among its early settlers. He afterward removed to Mercer county, Illinois, in 1835 and there died in 1855 at the age of seventy-five years. His wife survived him for a long period and passed away in 1895. at the remarkable old age iif one hundreil and three years. She retained wonderful vigor to the last. walking three or four blocks the day prior to her death. She was a member of the Methodist church from early womanhood, while Mr. Wilson was reared in the Presbyterian faith. However, after his marriage he went with

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HISTORY Ml WAllIXr.TOX COUXTY 325 his wife to the Methodist church. Unto them were born seven children, four sons and three (daughters: Sarah K., the deceased wife of Richard Shield; William A.; Chauncey B., deceased; Lovena, the wife of L. H. Woodard, of Clinton, Iowa; Jay, who has passed away; Allen, also deceased; and Louisa, the wife of John Stevens, of Mercer county, Illinois. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were married twice. The father had no children by his first marriage. After losing her husband Mrs. Henrietta Wilson became the wife of Noble L. Grimes, and they had two children, Rachel and Noble L.

Captain William A. Wilson was a little lad of but four years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Illinois. His youthful days were spent on the home farm in Mercer county and in the district schools he mastered the common branches of learning. Ambitious for an education he would frequently sit up until midnight and read or study by the light of burning hickory bark. His days were filled with the work of the fields as he aided in plowing, planting and harvesting. When he left the parental roof at the age of twenty-two years and started out in life on his own account he had a cash capital of only ten dollars, but he possessed certain qualities which are indispensable to success: energy, industry and laudable ambition. His previous experiences, too, well qualified him for farm work, and, renting a tract of land, he thus engaged in farming for two years, after which be bought eighty acres of land in Mercer county, where he lived for three years. On disposing of that property he invested in one hundred and sixty acres, which he cultivated until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when, feeling that his duty to his country was paramount to all others, he enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for about three years. He went to the front as second lieutenant, was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and later commissioned captain, while subsequently he was brevetted major. He took part in a number of hotly contested engagements, including the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Burnt Hickory, Kenesaw Mountain, the second battle of Lookout Mountain, Peach Tree Creek and the Atlanta campaign. He also participated in many of the long, hard marches and in all the campaigning that constitutes the life of the soldier on the field.

When the war was over Captain Wilson returned to Mercer county, Illinois, where he resumed farming which he conducted with notable success, making investments in land from time to time until he had accumulated nine hundred and sixty acres, when he disposed of his property in 1884 and removed to Lane county, Kansas. There he and his sons had five thousand acres of land, but the hot winds destroyed their crops and, disposing of his farm, Mr. Wilson purchased forty teams and aided in building the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the extension of the Rock Island road to Colorado. He was likewise engaged in the construction of a road from Garden City, Kansas, to the line of the Missouri Pacific. A private company was engaged in that enterprise and through its failure Captain Wilson lost six thousand dollars, which he has never recovered. In 1889 he came to Washington county, I'wa, having traded his Kansas land for three farms in this locality, two in

Highland township comprising two hundred and eighty acres, and one in Marion township of one hundred and twenty acres. Bending his energies to their further cultivation and development he was busily employed in the work of improving those properties until 1903, when he sold out and purchased the Brockway farm of four hundred acres in Highland township. His son Sheridan was his partner in that deal and they still own the farm. Since 1903, however, Captain Wilson has made his home in Washington.

On the 24th of September. 1857, Captain Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Keziah Woodward, a daughter of Lofland H. and Keziah Woodward. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson became parents of eight sons and three daughters: Allen J., now deceased, married Emma Clark and had two children, one of whom, Fred, survives; Edward S., wedded Cassie Willets; Dick Yates, who for four years was clerk of Republic county, Kansas, and chief clerk of the state assembly for two terms and is now living in Chattanooga. Oklahoma, wedded Mary Puckett and they have six living children. Louisa, Flo, Alberta. Dick Yates. Ressa and Mary Alice: Ressa is the wife of Bert Willits, of this county, and they have six children, Edward, Cloyd, Grace, Rov, Glenn and Stella; Sheridan, who operates the home farm, married Maggie Brady, who died leaving four children, William P.. Dick Y.. Louisa and Edward, and after her death he married Ola Crone, by whom he iia> three children, Alice. Fay and Merle: John S., who was county recorder of 'alligton county ffir four years and now resides in the citv of 'asliingtoii. married Eva Palmer and has five children. Elizabeth, Leila. Palmer, Frances and Helen; Harvey P., who follows farming in Jackson township, wedded Mary Logue and has three children, Ressa, Glenn and Harold; Louie and Gracie both died in childhood; Bert M., formerly a farmer and now an auctioneer of Alberta, Canada, married Maud Fordyce and has four children, Eilene, Madge, Jay and Max; and Frank M., a resident farmer of Highland township, married Delia Owens and has three children, Mabel, Oma and Mildred. Mrs. Keziah Wilson, the mother of this family, who was born October 28, 1841, died May 7, 1884.

On the 18th of August, 1885, Captain Wilson was again married, his second union being with Miss Emma Hagan, a native of Highland township, Washington county, Iowa, and a daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Leffler) Hagan, who were natives of Germany. The mother was brought to this country when four years of age and was reared and married in this county. Mr. Hagan came to this county when a young man. There were four children of that marriage, all of whom died in infancy with the exception of Mrs. Wilson. The mother died in 1867 when Mrs. Wilson was four years old and she was reared by her maternal grandparents. Her father died in 1893 at the age of sixty-two years. Unto Captain and Mrs. Wilson two children have been born: Emma, who died in infancy; and Ruth Schley.

The parents are members of the Methodist church, and Captain Wilson belongs to the Masonic lodge and to the Grand Army of the Republic. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, and while in Mercer county, Illinois, he served as county commissioner for twenty years. While he has met with.some reverses in life he has never allowed himself to be-

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.