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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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John N. Wilson The
term success is relative, depending often upon mere individual conditions, but
it is seldom we find a man whose life work has been of that high character which
merits the stamp of human approval. In
a material way, John N. Wilson, of Newton, Jasper County, has succeeded to an
extent not usually reached by the average man, and, apart from this interesting
phase, his life story is full of much that is best and noblest.
Whether as soldier in the great Civil war or as private citizen or head
of his family, he has always striven to know and advocate the right, and his
example has been one well worth imitating. Mr.
Wilson was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, February 5, 1843, and he is the
son of Squire H. and Martha (Blanton) Wilson, the father a native of North
Carolina and the mother of Kentucky. The
former came from his native state to Hendricks County, Indiana, in early life
and there purchased land and engaged in farming until 1850 when, with his wife
and four children, he emigrated to Jasper County, Iowa, where he purchased one
hundred and sixty acres in Buena Vista Township, entering the forty adjoining it
from the government, this being the land now occupied by the county infirmary,
being sold by the elder Wilson to Jasper County in 1867.
Following this transaction he bought, forty acres in Newton Township,
upon which he lived until his death in 1881, when he was sixty-two years of age.
He had been very successful as a farmer and stock man and at one time had
owned nearly five hundred acres of land near Killduff; his wife survived until
1884, dying at the age of sixty-four. They
were the parents of eight children, John N., of this review, being the third in
order of birth; the eldest, William Thomas, died at Deadwood, South Dakota,
where he had been engaged in the lumber business, having formerly been a farmer
in Jasper County, Iowa; Hester J. married C. L. Roberts, a prominent grain
dealer and at one time postmaster as Grinnell, Iowa, where they still reside; J.
S. lives in Newton; M. J. owns and resides on a ranch near Lusk, Wyoming; H. C.
is a farmer and stock man in Cherokee County, Iowa; Emsley M. lives in Des
Moines; Alice is the wife of C. W. Stahl and they live in Los Angeles,
California. When
a mere child John N. Wilson walked two miles to attend school at Adamson and
Hickson Groves, the way often being through the deep snow. He also attended old
Hazel Dell Academy for a year. In
August 1862, he responded to his country's call and enlisted in Company E,
Fortieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in which he served with gallantry for three
years. His regiment was the first
to enter Little Rock, Arkansas. He
saw much hard and dangerous service, serving under General Steele in Arkansas
and Kentucky and participated in the memorable Red River expedition, also the
great siege of Vicksburg, following which he was taken sick and was sent home.
His regiment then moved upon Helena, Arkansas, and after defeating
Confederates there, moved upon Duvall's Bluffs, capturing that point, going from
there to Little Rock, at which place Mr. Wilson rejoined his regiment.
Here they spent the winter and the following spring started on the Red
River expedition, but being defeated at Red River were driven back into Little
Rock, which city they guarded until the spring of 1865, when they went to Fort
Smith, and in June of that year were sent to Fort Gilson, where a regiment of
semi-civilized Indians, who hunted all the time, were stationed. Mr. Wilson
recalls the fact that his regiment did more work in guarding the red men than
they did in restraining the Confederate prisoners.
Mr. Wilson was honorably discharged at Fort Gilson, August 12, 1865. Returning
to Jasper County, Mr. Wilson began farming, having purchased eighty acres in
Buena Vista Township during the war, for which he paid five dollars per acre.
Selling this three years later, he purchased two hundred and forty acres
in the same Township, which he sold a year later and purchased eighty acres in
Newton Township, which he held four years and sold.
He then bought one hundred and twenty acres just west of Newton, to which
he subsequently added until he had at one time four hundred and sixty acres.
Later he sold all but one hundred and eighty-four acres, which he still owns.
In 1901 he quit active farming, after being very successful, and moved to
his beautiful home in Newton, buying property there.
Since leaving the farm he has been engaged in buying and selling land
very extensively and at the present writing is one of the County's large
landowners. He has one hundred and
sixty acres near Peru, Madison County, Iowa; two hundred and thirty-seven acres
in Kellogg Township, this County; also six hundred and forty acres in Canada.
At one time he and some associates were interested in twenty-two sections
of land in Canada. Six years ago he operated a Reeves thirty-two horsepower
steam plow on this land. It is
doubtful if Jasper County can claim a citizen who is a better judge of land and
land values than he, and he is a careful and successful businessman in all
lines. For years he has been
a breeder of fine horses and cattle. In
1889, with others, he purchased the Alcyon roller flouring mills, of Newton, of
which he subsequently became sole proprietor.
This property, however, he later disposed of. At one time he was engaged at cabinetmaking at Des Moines. In
1866 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Nancy Jane Green, daughter of Willis
and Mary (Kirby) Green, both natives of Kentucky. Leaving that state, they went
to Missouri, and later to Fairfield, Jefferson County, in January 1843, and
there Mrs. Wilson was born on May 7th of that year. Two years later the family
moved to Jasper County, locating in Newton township, purchasing one hundred and
twenty acres of land on which they lived until the death of the mother in 1877,
when she was fifty-six years old, the father surviving until 1904, having
attained the unusual mile-post of ninety years.
At the time of his death he was living at Meringo, Illinois.
Their family consisted of four children, one of whom, Sarah Ann, died at
the age of eighteen years; Rebecca F., widow of William H. Pardoe, a former
businessman of Newton, resides in Fargo, North Dakota; John L., who was a
soldier in the Civil war, was killed during the siege of Vicksburg. Three
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, all living: Fannie May, born
November 23, 1869, is the wife of Albert Brown, a farmer near Kellogg, and they
have a daughter and two sons; Frederick Earl, born March 5, 1877, lives on a
farm in Madison County, and he has two daughters; Guy Everett, born December 16,
1882, lives on the place west of town. Politically,
Mr. Wilson is a Republican. He
belongs to Garrett Post No. 16, Grand Army of the Republic, at Newton. Mrs. Wilson is
a woman of talent and culture. She
was a student in old Wittemberg College, and she has been of great service to
Mr. Wilson in his life work, her encouragement and sympathy helping him over
many a difficult place. She was
reared in the Methodist faith and her life has been wholesome and helpful to all
with whom she has come into contact. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p.981. |
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