Abram Wilson
Abram Wilson, one of the old and honored pioneers of Blackford County, who is now deceased, was born in Fayette County, Indiana, in the year 1818. His father, John Wilson, located in Fayette County while Indiana was a Territory, and in that early day he and some of the early settlers built a fort midway between Milton and Connersville, to protect themselves against the Indians, which were then very troublesome.
Abram Wilson, the subject of this sketch, was married in Fayette County at the age of nineteen years, to Miss Delilah Shower, a native of Miami County, Ohio, and a daughter of David and Elizabeth Shower. They reared a family of six children, as follows -Catherine Elizabeth, Nancy Rebecca, David Shower, James W., Jeremiah A. and John W., who was a member of Company B, Eighty-fourth Infantry, in the late are, and died in field hospital, August 25, 1863. His remains were interred in Mount Tabor Cemetery, Blackford County.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson left Fayette County in 1838, and the following five years lived in Henry County. In October, 1843, they came with their family to Blackford County, locating in the woods, Mr. Wilson having to cut his road before reaching his land. Here they experienced many of the hardships of pioneer life, but by hard work they made a good home out of the forest, and lived to enjoy the fruits of their years of toil and hardships. Both died on the old homestead where they settled in 1843, Mr. Wilson dying January 31, 1874, and his wife April 7, 1887.
They were active and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he having served many years as trustee and class-leader of the same. In politics he was a Republican. He served for a time as county commissioner, and in 1872 he was elected to represent Jay and Blackford Counties in the State Legislature, during the session of 1873-'74, but died before the expiration of his term of office.
Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.
