Jones Geneaology Report 2024.02.18 - Person Sheet
Jones Geneaology Report 2024.02.18 - Person Sheet
NameJames Wilson
Misc. Notes
JAMES WILSON, second born child of Valentine, and grandson of Jacob the first known ancestor. was born in Bath Township, Greene Co.. Ohio, December 28, 1808. and came to Madison County with his father in 1816, when eight years of age; he, like his brother. William D. Wilson, remained in service with his father until he was twenty-one years old.
In 1832. when he was twenty-five years old, he went to Kentucky and bought, at $2 an acre, of a man named Morgan, 400 acres of land out on the Darby Plains, this county. and which is now a part of the Taylor Wilson estate. Of this he kept 160 acres, sold fifty acres to his brother John, and the remainder to his brother William D.
In June, 1833, he married Miss Lucy Ballou, of Milford Centre, Ohio. a daughter of Martin Ballou, a native of Providence. R. I., and grandniece to Hosea Ballou, the Boston publisher. In September, 1833. three months after marriage, his wife died of milk sickness, just as he had a cabin on his farm on the plains nearly ready to commence housekeeping. The associations connected with his tenantless cabin were unpleasant to him; and in 1835 he sold his Plains farm and bought the John Scott farm, in Somerford Township, where Uncle Sammy Prugh now lives. He boarded with the Scott family, and raised a large crop of corn, which he fed to hogs, but this class of stock ran so low that near that he lost all his summer's work.
On the 2d day of October, 1836, he married Miss Elenor Smith, born June 20. 1818, near Granville, Ohio, daughter of John and Sophia ( Bond) Smith; her father then lived two miles east of La Fayette, on the farm now owned by Jonathan Booth. At the time of his marriage. she was teaching the district school in Valentine Wilson's district. They went to housekeeping on the John Scott farm. and there John, the first child, was born. In 1837. he bought two small parcels of land, one of which was where his brother Eli died. In 1838. he sold out in Somerford Township; he had lost faith in raising hogs to make a fortune out of; he preferred risking in cattle and grass. and he went back to the Darby Plains and bought the Charley Arthur farm 400 acres-which is now a portion of the John Price farm. He moved there and lived on it for five years. Two of his children. Valentine Henry and Thomas Bond were born there. In 138, he bought fifty acres of the MacCumber farm; and in the fall of 1841 he bought 300 acres of the Russel Bidwell farm, at administrator's sale.
In the fall of 1842, he left the Darby Plains, and moved over to the Christman farm, one mile south of Somerford, and entered into a partnership with his father, as a general trader and business manager. On this farm, on March 28, 1844. his only daughter, Lucy Elenor, was born.
In 1846, his half-brother, Jackson, being old enough to take his place as a partner with his father, he moved back to the Darby Plains, and settled on the Russel Bidwell farm; but in that same year he bought the Paul Alder farm, of 310 acres-where his son John now lives-and he then moved to it. In this same year. also, he bought fifty-seven acres of Nathaniel Sawyier. In the year 1847, be bought the Paul Smith farm, 175 acres.
In the year 1854, he sold the Arthur farm to his brother, William D. and bought the Stanley Watson farm. 400 acres. adjoining the village of La Fayette, where he moved, and where he now lives. He paid $16,000 for this farm, and, it is believed that it was the first $40 farm sold in the county. In 1855, he fell heir, by the death of his father, to 381 acres adjoining the Watson farm; and in 1856 he bought the Carter farm, 400 acres, where his son-in-law, Dr. W. M. Beach. now lives. In 1860, he bought his half-brother Hamilton's share of his father's estate-463 acres-adjoining his home farm; whilst Hamilton bought his brother William D. Wilson'sshare, adjoining the village of La Fayette, on which stands the old Anderson Tavern.
For more than thirty years James Wilson has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church I am writing this on the 20th day of December, 1882, the seventy-fourth anniversary of his birthday, and it finds him a hale and vigorous old man, in full possession of all his faculties, and the owner of about 2,350 acres of well-improved land, with accompaniments, a part of which he has passed over to the control of his children. He is now the patriarch of the Wilson family, having attained a greater age it is believed, than any other one who has ever been born into the family. Knowing his modesty and retiring disposition, a eulogy upon his life and character as a citizen, and as a man, it is believed, would be distasteful to him, and I forbear.80
In 1832. when he was twenty-five years old, he went to Kentucky and bought, at $2 an acre, of a man named Morgan, 400 acres of land out on the Darby Plains, this county. and which is now a part of the Taylor Wilson estate. Of this he kept 160 acres, sold fifty acres to his brother John, and the remainder to his brother William D.
In June, 1833, he married Miss Lucy Ballou, of Milford Centre, Ohio. a daughter of Martin Ballou, a native of Providence. R. I., and grandniece to Hosea Ballou, the Boston publisher. In September, 1833. three months after marriage, his wife died of milk sickness, just as he had a cabin on his farm on the plains nearly ready to commence housekeeping. The associations connected with his tenantless cabin were unpleasant to him; and in 1835 he sold his Plains farm and bought the John Scott farm, in Somerford Township, where Uncle Sammy Prugh now lives. He boarded with the Scott family, and raised a large crop of corn, which he fed to hogs, but this class of stock ran so low that near that he lost all his summer's work.
On the 2d day of October, 1836, he married Miss Elenor Smith, born June 20. 1818, near Granville, Ohio, daughter of John and Sophia ( Bond) Smith; her father then lived two miles east of La Fayette, on the farm now owned by Jonathan Booth. At the time of his marriage. she was teaching the district school in Valentine Wilson's district. They went to housekeeping on the John Scott farm. and there John, the first child, was born. In 1837. he bought two small parcels of land, one of which was where his brother Eli died. In 1838. he sold out in Somerford Township; he had lost faith in raising hogs to make a fortune out of; he preferred risking in cattle and grass. and he went back to the Darby Plains and bought the Charley Arthur farm 400 acres-which is now a portion of the John Price farm. He moved there and lived on it for five years. Two of his children. Valentine Henry and Thomas Bond were born there. In 138, he bought fifty acres of the MacCumber farm; and in the fall of 1841 he bought 300 acres of the Russel Bidwell farm, at administrator's sale.
In the fall of 1842, he left the Darby Plains, and moved over to the Christman farm, one mile south of Somerford, and entered into a partnership with his father, as a general trader and business manager. On this farm, on March 28, 1844. his only daughter, Lucy Elenor, was born.
In 1846, his half-brother, Jackson, being old enough to take his place as a partner with his father, he moved back to the Darby Plains, and settled on the Russel Bidwell farm; but in that same year he bought the Paul Alder farm, of 310 acres-where his son John now lives-and he then moved to it. In this same year. also, he bought fifty-seven acres of Nathaniel Sawyier. In the year 1847, be bought the Paul Smith farm, 175 acres.
In the year 1854, he sold the Arthur farm to his brother, William D. and bought the Stanley Watson farm. 400 acres. adjoining the village of La Fayette, where he moved, and where he now lives. He paid $16,000 for this farm, and, it is believed that it was the first $40 farm sold in the county. In 1855, he fell heir, by the death of his father, to 381 acres adjoining the Watson farm; and in 1856 he bought the Carter farm, 400 acres, where his son-in-law, Dr. W. M. Beach. now lives. In 1860, he bought his half-brother Hamilton's share of his father's estate-463 acres-adjoining his home farm; whilst Hamilton bought his brother William D. Wilson'sshare, adjoining the village of La Fayette, on which stands the old Anderson Tavern.
For more than thirty years James Wilson has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church I am writing this on the 20th day of December, 1882, the seventy-fourth anniversary of his birthday, and it finds him a hale and vigorous old man, in full possession of all his faculties, and the owner of about 2,350 acres of well-improved land, with accompaniments, a part of which he has passed over to the control of his children. He is now the patriarch of the Wilson family, having attained a greater age it is believed, than any other one who has ever been born into the family. Knowing his modesty and retiring disposition, a eulogy upon his life and character as a citizen, and as a man, it is believed, would be distasteful to him, and I forbear.80