History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 144

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Ohio > Licking County > History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present > Part 144

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

WILKIN, R. B., son of Daniel and Barbara Wil- kin, was born September 5, 1833, in the city of Newark, where he has lived ever since. Mr. Wil- kin's father was one of the old settlers in the county, coming into it in 1815. Mr. Willmiss

Digitized by Google

799

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

carpenter and joiner by trade. When he was twenty-two years of age, he completed his trade with his father. He was married October, 1857, to Miss A. E. Phillips, of Newark. They have seven girls, the oldest of whom is a teacher in the public schools of Newark. Mr. Wilkin resides in the house where he was born on Fifth street.

WILLIAMS, GEORGE, grocer, was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1837; moved to Jacktown in 1850; was married to Anna Beck September 1, 1860. She was born in Hebron May 15, 1841. They are the parents of eight children: Lucinda, born October 5, 1861; John, who died August 16, 1865, aged seven months; Lewis, who died March 8, 1876, aged ten years and eight months; Edward, born May 15, 1865; Harry, born January 5, 1870; Daisy M., born December 12, 1872; Katie, born December 14, 1875; George B., born December 27, 1878. Mr. Williams moved to Newark in September, 1875. He is carrying on grocery trade and city meat market.

WILLIAMS, ALDRIDGE, son of F. and K. Williams, was born July 22, 1829, in Fauquier county, Vir- ginia. He, with his parents, came to this county in 1837, and settled in Bowling Green township, where he resided until he was about twenty years of age, when he removed to Green county, remain- ing there about two years, when he returned to Licking county, and about three years after, he married Mary Dodd. She was born October 23, 1832. In 1869 they removed to Franklin county, remaining four years, when they returned to Lick- ing county, and have been here since. They have nine children: Jennie, born July 16, 1854; Ham- line, September 6, 1856; Ella, September 6, 1858; Belle, September 14, 1861 ; Byron, March 21, 1863; Anna, October 3, 1867; Daisy, March 12, 1869; David, January 27, 1872; Jessie, June 26, 1875; Jennie died April 16, 1873; Hamline died Sep- tember 3, 1859; Anna died January 8, 1872; David died when a babe. Mr. Williams resides on Granville street.

WILLIAMS, A. H., proprietor of Licking county bindery and blank book manufactory, plain and ornamental binding done in good style, at reasona- ble rates. Mr. Williams' bindery is located on West Main street, in Felt's block, over C. D. My- ers' harness store. He has had twenty-two years experience in the business, and will warrant satis- faction given on all his work.

WILLIAMS, GEORGE M., grocer and dealer in fresh meats, Woodbridge block, south side of the park. He was born in Westmoreland county,' Pennsylvania, June 10, 1835, and in early life learned the carpenter trade, which he followed in that county until 1854, when he came to Ohio, lo-

cating at West Wheeling, where he worked at his trade until 1859. He then came to Jacksontown, this county, where he continued in the carpenter business until 1859, when he engaged in the butchering, which he conducted until 1864, when he enlisted in company D, Tenth Ohio volunteer cavalry, in which he served until the close of the war, after which he returned to Jacksontown and resumed butchering, which he followed there un- til 1875. He then came to Newark, and con- ducted the business here until 1879, when he en- gaged in the grocery business in connection with butchering, since which he has been conducting both with good success. He occupies commodi- ous rooms, twenty by eighty feet, with a spacious basement, twenty by fifty feet, in which he carries a large first-class stock of staple and fancy gro- ceries, confectionery, queensware, glassware, wood and willow ware, stoneware, sugar-cured, smoked and pickled meats, dried and fresh meats of all kinds. He also conducts a meat market on the corner of Fourth and Main streets, where he keeps a large stock of all kinds of fresh and dried meats.

WILSON FAMILY .-- The founder of this family in America was William Wilson, who was born in Ire- land, November 16, 1722. He was the son of David Wilson, of Ireland, who was the son of David Wilson, of Scotland. William came to America with a relative named White, about the age of fifteen years, settling near Winchester, Vir- ginia. He is found in the Shenandoah valley in 1744-5, where he married Margaret Blackburn in 1746. He was the progenitor of the Wilsons of the Shenandoah valley, and of most of those who subsequently settled in Licking county. Little is known of him after he settled on his lands locat- ed in what is now Hardy county, Virginia, except that he was industrious and prosperous, owning a good farm, a grist-mill, a distillery, blacksmith shop and "weaving house," making his household some- what independent, after the custom of well-to-do farmers of that day. He resided here until his death in 1801; his widow survived him a few years, dying in December, 1806. Both were bur- ied on that portion of the farm owned by their son, Solomon, in a place near a church, in what was known as "Wilson's graveyard." Their tomb- stones are still standing, together with that of their son, Moses, who died in infancy, in the year 1760; the inscriptions upon them being still perfectly legi- ble, as has been recently ascertained. The fol- lowing register gives the time of the birth and death of each of the sons and daughters of William and Elizabeth Wilson, one of whose sons (Archibald), with many grandchildren, settled in the valley of the Licking: Benjamin Wilson, born November 30, 1747, died December 2, 1827; Archibald Wil-

Digitized by Google

800

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

son, born June 13, 1749, died March 27, 1814; David Wilson, born September 8, 1751, died Au- gust 12, 1805; William Wilson, born February. 8, 1754, died January 1, 1851; John Wilson, born April 12, 1756, died April 12, 1827; Moses Wil- son, born May 1, 1758, died February 7, 1760; Moses Wilson (second), born April 8, 1761, died April 7, 1784; James Wilson, born July 25, 1763, died August 13, 1822; Solomon Wilson, born July 2, 1766, died September 8, 1819; Elizabeth Wil- son, born July 2, 1766, died March 20, 1849; Margaret Wilson, born April 7, 1769, died Septem- ber 19, 1826.

WILSON, COLONEL BENJAMIN, was the oldest son and first born of William and Elizabeth Wilson. He was born November 30, 1747, in that portion of Frederick county, Virginia, which is now in- cluded in Shenandoah county. The county of Frederick, at the time of Benjamin Wilson's birth, was bounded on the east by the Blue ridge, on the west by the western boundary of the State, and embraced most of the northern portion of the Shenandoah valley, extending nearly a hundred miles southwardly from the Potomac, its northern boundary. In 1772 the southern portion of Fred- erick county was formed into the county of Dun- more, named in honor of Lord Dunmore, then governor of the colony of Virginia. The governor taking the side of England against the colonists, in the opening year of the Revolution, became exceed- ingly unpopular with the Virginians. Fearing their vengeance he fled from the city of Williamsburgh and took refuge on the British fleet in the harbor of Norfolk, in August, 1775, and on the first day of the year 1776 he ordered the bombardment of the town by said fleet, which resulted in the destruction of the greater part of the business por- tion of Norfolk. By way of retaliation for his act of barbarity, the legislature of 1777 changed the name of Dunmore county to Shenandoah, which it still retains. Within its present limits, as before stated, the subject of this sketch was born.

But little is known of Benjamin Wilson during his minority, except that he made himself useful to his father, on his farm on "Trout run," sometimes as a miller, again as a distiller, then again as a gen- eral farm laborer. Educational facilities were quite limited in the new settlement in which he grew in- to manhood, but Benjamin Wilson made good use of his leisure hours, by dedicating them to studies which fitted him for a prosperous business career. These he pursued eagerly by the firelight of the mill and distillery, as well as by the lamplight and pine knot light of the farm house.

From the family record we find that he entered into the married relation with Anne Ruddell on the fourth of September, 1770. Soon after his mar-

riage we find him a resident of Tygart's valley, west of the Alleghany mountains, in what is now Ran- dolph county, West Virginia. An incident in his life on the frontiers, by way of illustrating the hard- ships and perils of the pioneers among the Alle- ghanies, is not without interest, and will bear relat- ing in this connection.

While making a horseback journey over the Alleghany mountains in winter, the weather suddenly durning very cold, and the ground being covered with snow, so retarded his speed as to throw him much behind time in reaching his desti- nation. He was following a path in which the snow was probably not much broken, and when it became dark he was still some miles distant from the mountaineer's cabin in which he intended to spend the night. But seeing safety in perseverance only, he pushed along until he became so much be- numbed from the cold as to almost lose conscious- ness, and dropped into the condition of drowsiness which usually precedes death by freezing. Soon sleepiness overcame him, and, yielding to his feel- ings, he got off his horse, and, taking the sheep- skin on which he rode, with him, placing it upon the snow he laid down with it under his head After being in this perilous condition a few mo- ments, having dropped asleep, he dreamed that his life was in danger from a pack of wolves, and that they were then pulling the sheep skin from under his head. This frightful dream so thoroughly aroused him that he suddenly sprang to his feet to defend himself against the wolves, but hearing or seeing none he at once realized his condition, and how narrowly he escaped death in the woods that night by freezing. He, therefore, by an almost su- perhuman effort, sprang upon his horse and pushed forward on his lonely path until he reached his destination, where a large fire, a warm supper, and a good sleep fully restored him. Thus was a val- uable life providentially preserved for many years of activity and usefulness.

Benjamin Wilson served as a lieutenant in the Dunmore war, as it was called, which was an expe- dition against the Indians in 1774. While negotia- tions with the Indians were going on at Camp Charlotte, now near Westfall, Pickaway county, Ohio, Lieutenant Wilson served as aide to Lord Dunmore, the commander in chief; and it is not unlikely that he held the same position until the army was disbanded. He is said to have "ac- quired by his zeal and attention to duty, the coaf- dence of his superior officers."

Early in the Revolution Lieutenant Wilson was . appointed a captain in the Virginia forces, and rendered essential services, principally on the fros tiers. During the war he was the organ thront which most of the military and civil business

Digitized by Google

801

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

the part of the State in which he resided was transacted.

Captain Wilson frequently served as commander of forces suddenly raised to pursue marauding parties of Indians, who had made incursions into the settlements on the frontiers, and had stolen the horses, burned the cabins and murdered the helpless women and children of the settlers in the wilderness, or carried them into captivity. In De- cember, 1777, the Indians, in considerable force, entered the upper extremity of Tygart's valley, and killed Darby Connoly and his wife and three children, and John Stewart and his wife and child, besides making prisoners of four members of those families. With great promptitude Captain Wilson raised the requisite number of men, who took the trail and pushed forward in pursuit of the savages. He also commanded the volunteers raised to pursue the Indians that murdered and scalped Lieutenant John White in Tygart's valley, in the following year. In these expeditions Cap- tain Benjamin Wilson was prompt, influential, and conspicuously courageous, as well as prudent and judicious.

The late Elias Hughes, the first settler of Lick- ing county, was frequently in the pursuing parties under command of Captain Wilson, and always bore testimony to his good sense, sound judg- ment, skill and bravery.

Captain Wilson's valuable services and distin- guished abilities secured him a colonel's commis- sion in 1781.

Colonel Wilson was a member of the legislature of Virginia from Monongalia, several sessions, previous to the year 1784, in which year the county of Harrison was established, and at the organization of the county he became the clerk of the county court. The duties of this office did not, however, withdraw him entirely from the theater of politics, although he retained it very many years, even well along until near the close of his long life.

Colonel Wilson was elected and served as a delegate in the convention of Virginia in 1788, which ratified the Constitution of the United States. In politics he was a Federalist, and was one of the acknowledged leaders of the Federal party in western Virginia, until after the close of the War of 1812, when party lines were oblitera- ted, party names abolished, and parties them- selves dissolved, the consummation being the elec- tion of Colonel James Monroe to the Presidency of the United States, whose administration for eight years (two terms) was sustained by almost the entire people, without distinction of party.

In 1802 Colonel Wilson purchased of John Rathbone a four thousand two hundred and eigh- teen acre tract of land, being a quarter township

of two and a half miles square, and designated on the surveys as the northeast quarter, section one, township two, and range twelve, of United States military lands. This eventuated in a sort of family purchase, whether so intended or not, for it is au- thentically ascertained that twenty families, that were the descendants of William Wilson, have lived upon this celebrated "Wilson section," the southern boundary of which was within a few rods of the northern out-lots of Newark. Among the Wilsons who settled upon it were three of the children of Colonel Wilson, viz: Cornelius, Elizabeth (Mrs. Martin), and General Thomas W. Wilson, now deceased. Mrs. Ann Brice, Dr. Noah L. Wilson, Mrs. Julia Robinson, and Mr. Daniel D. Wilson are four other children of Colonel Wilson who settled in Licking county, the two latter being still residents.

Colonel Wilson's wife died after a married life of nearly a quarter of a century, having given birth to twelve children. He thereupon formed a sec- ond matrimonial alliance on the fifteenth of De- cember, 1795, with Phebe Davidson, who became the mother of sixteen children, making. twenty- eight by the two marriages, twenty-four of whom reached adult age. Twenty-four of the twenty- eight children of Colonel Wilson were living at the time of his death, which occurred December 2, 1827, two days after he had closed the eightieth year of his useful, honored, eventful life. Not only honors, but wealth came to him in profusion, so that he made liberal provision for his large family of children. The posterity of Colonel Wilson, liv- ing at the time of his death, consisted of twenty- four children, seventy-three grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, making a total of one hundred and thirty-six ! And the number has been greatly augmented since. The names of Colonel Wilson's children are as follows, given in the order of their birth: Mary, born July 9, 1771; William, January 23, 1773; Stephen, October 21, 1775; Ben- jamin, June 13, 1778; Sarah, September 11, 1780; Ann, January 17, 1786; John, July 5, 1788; Arch- ibald, July 25, 1790; Cornelius, April 7, 1795. In addition to these three others were born who died in infancy, and all were children of the first wife. The children of the second wife were : Josiah, born October 12, 1796; David, February 18, 1798; Edith, November 9, 1799; Elizabeth, October 18, 1801; Thomas W., May 12, 1803; Margaret, March 26, 1805; Deborah, October 17, 1806; James, June 9, 1808; Daniel, January 30, 1810; Phebe, August 29, 1811; Martha, January 23, 1813; Phillip, June 29, 1814; Noah L., March 9, 1816; Julia Ann, September 28, 1817; Harriet, November 13, 1818, and Rachel, July 20, 1820. Of these children two died in Licking county, viz .: Ann, wife of the late Dr. John J. Brice, and mother of General B. W

Digitized by Google

802

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

Brice, late paymaster general in the United States army, and Elizabeth, wife of the late William Mar- tin.

Colonel Benjamin Wilson was a man of affairs, of extensive information, of large experience, of keen observation, of genial temper, of mild dispo- sition, of much knowledge of human nature and of the world, of excellent conversational powers, of sound judgment and good sense, of most dig- nified bearing, of stately deportment, of stalwart person, of vigorous intellect, of courage, energy, enterprise, of generosity and hospitality, of the adventurous daring becoming a frontiersman, of undoubted patriotism, of unimpeached and unim- peachable integrity of character, of fine address, of commanding presence, of high toned morality, and of the elegance of manners that characterized the true "Virginia gentleman of the old school," -which he was. In 1810 the late Hon. William Stanbery spent a number of days in Clarksburgh, at the residence of Colonel Wilson, who had then reached the full maturity of his intellect, the dig- nity that characterized him in his more advanced years, and the elegant manners for which he was so distinguished. The young and accomplished Ohio lawyer, having letters to Colonel Wilson, soon made his acquaintance, and in a late conversation the writer had with him, he remarked that in dignity, address, appearance and manners, Colonel Wilson reminded him more of General Washing- ton than any person he had ever seen. It is well also to observe of Colonel Wilson that he was not unmindful of the claims of religion upon him, but sustained, to the close of his life, an irreproachable Christian character, and by precept, and not less by his example, exerted a large influence in behalf of Christianity. Being an influential leader among those who formed public opinion, it is readily in- ferred that the interests of sound morality, and of religion were greatly the gainers from his life and example, and correspondingly the losers by his death.

WILSON, ARCHIBALD, was the second son of William Wilson, and was the oldest brother of Colonel Benjamin Wilson, the subject of the pre- ceding sketch. He was born in the Shenandoah valley, near Winchester, Virginia, on the thirteenth of June, 1749. Comparatively little is known of his early life. There is now a book in the posses- sion of his youngest, and only surviving, son (Enoch), entitled "Cocherel's Arithmetic," which bears an English imprint. Upon the blank leaf of this centenarian family relic is found this record, claimed to be in Archibald Wilson's hand writing: "Archibald Wilson, his book, bought of James Cam. Doud, at his store on Old street, in Winches- ter, August 14, 1771, I say bought by me, Archi-

bald Wilson." This fact brought to view in the early life of the subject of this brief sketch raises the presumption, at least, that at the above date, when he was twenty-two years of age, he had ga so far along in his studies as arithmetic. His edu- cation, like that of most of the young men of his day, in that then frontier country, was most likely obtained in an irregular, piece-meal man- ner, and by no means thorough-rather "picked- up" than systematically acquired. As Archibald Wilson was a farmer to the close of his life, it is highly probable that he spent the years of his minority upon his father's farm, assisting in farm work. principally. In 1774 Archibald Wilson joined the Dunmore army, and proceeded with it on the famous expedition against the Indian towns on the Scioto. At Camp Charlotte, near the Scioto, Dunmore attempted to unite all the Indians in a treaty, but the Mingos declined, so a force of about three hundred men was organized and placed under the command of Major Crawford (who was afterwards burnt on the Sandusky plains by the Indians), to destroy one of their villages up the Scioto, and to otherwise chastise them for their obstinacy. Archibald Wilson was in this expedi- tion. He says that few Indians were to be seen when they arrived at the Mingo village, one war- rior and a squaw, however, were shot and a few prisoners taken. While in the pursuit of the savages he endeavored to capture an Indian boy who, however, was on the alert, and for some time dodged his pursuer in the woods. Under the ex- citement of the chase Archibald raised his toma- hawk to strike him, but fortunately, before the blow was made, the young savage sprang into a tree-top, lying upon the ground, when he was easily cap- tured. It was in after years, and to the close of his life, a matter of rejoicing with Archibald Wil- son that he had done no injury to the Indian boy. This scene "came off" near where is now the vil- lage of Franklinton, in Franklin county. The killing of the squaw, who was not a beligerent. was an un-soldier-like, brutal act, but it was alleged to have been unintentional. She was killed by a shot fired by a man named Vance, who, at first sight, took her to be a warrior.

After the Dunmore army had reached the Ohio river, on their homeward march, Archibald Wilson, and John and William White (his cousins) were discharged, at their own request, preferring to take their own time, and to pursue their own chosen route for their homes in the Shenandoah valley. They thereupon left the army at the mouth of the Hock-Hocking, crossed the Ohio river, and passed up it, on the Virginia side, to near the mouth of the Little Kanawha, where they found some beautiful bottom land. They thereupon proceeded to make what was called "a tomshist

Digitized by Google

803

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

improvement" for each one, which was done by blazing the trees and cutting their initials and date upon them. They intended at some future day to occupy those lands, as such titles were valid under the laws of Virginia at that time. But John White, who was appointed a lieutenant, and operated against the Indians, was killed by them at Tygart's valley, in 1775, and William White was killed near Fort Buchannon, in West Virginia. Just as these young heroes completed there tomahawk claims they came across some fresh signs of Indians, whereupon they struck out for the mountains, and towards their homes; but fearing to fire their guns, on account of the probable nearness of hostile In- dians, to kill game, and being unable to procure food otherwise much of the distance, they almost starved sometimes on their homeward journey. The other Whites that were related to the Wilsons emigrated to Kentucky soon after the Revolution. Archibald Wilson and Ann Claypool were married at the house of Cuthbert Harris, June 21, 1775, in Dunmore county, the officiating clergyman being the Rev. Peter Muhlenburg, who was at this time a Lutheran minister in Woodstock, the shire town of Dunmore, now of Shenandoah county, who the next year entered the Revolutionary army, and served with distinction to its close, when he took rank as a major general. The issue of this mar- riage was six children, named Abraham C., Archi- bald, Margaret, Jane, and two that died in infancy. Mrs. Ann (Claypool), Wilson died May 6, 1788.

On the twentieth of January, 1776, Archibald Wilson was commissioned as lieutenant of the militia of Dunmore county, by the committee of safety of the colony of Virginia, which was com- posed of Edmund Pendleton, John Page, Thomas Ludlow Lee, Dudley Diggs, W. Cabell and P. Car- rington, all of whose names are attached to Lieu- tenant Wilson's commission, which remains in the hands of his son, Enoch. The following is a copy of this commission :

THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY FOR THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA.

"To Archibald Wilson, Gentleman:

"By virtue of the Power and Authority invested in us, by the Delegates and Representatives of the several Counties and Cor- porations in General Convention assembled, we, reposing espe- cial Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, Fidelity, Courage and good Conduct, do, by these Presents, constitute and appoint you to be Lieutenant of a Company of the Militia of the County of Dunmore; and you are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Trust reposed in you, by disciplining all Officers and Soldiers under your command. And we do hereby require them to obey you as their Lieutenant. And you are to observe and follow all such Orders and Directions as you shall from Time to Time receive from the Convention, the Committee of Safety for the time being, or any superior Officers according to the Rules and Regulations established by the Convention.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 144

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr. Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 826

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826