John Gregg Wilson

Regions: Jefferson & Montgomery Co., NY; Walworth Co., WI

From History of Walworth County Wisconsin by Albert Clayton Beckwith, Vol. II, publ. 1912, Page 1334-1335 JOHN GREGG WILSON. The life of the sterling pioneer, John Gregg WILSON, may be held up as an example worthy of careful consideration by the youth of the land whose destinies are yet for the future to determine. Mr. WILSON was born November 22, 1824, in Jefferson county, New York, being the son of Victor and Elizabeth (CARPENTER) WILSON. Victor WILSON was the son of John Gregg WILSON and Sarah (NEWKIRK) WILSON. The father of Victor WILSON was probably born in New York City, and he was the son of Irish parents. He was a soldier in Washington's army during the American Revolution, taking part in the siege of Yorktown and he saw the surrender of Cornwallis. Often in his old age he recalled the sour looks of the Scotch Highlanders as they marched between the two lines of victorious Americans. He was only a boy when he entered the patriot army; his two brothers, both officers, got him into the army. He drew a pension after the war. The parents of the subject were both born to 1800 in Montgomery county, New York, and soon after their marriage moved to Jefferson county, New York, where the subject lived until 1849 In the fall of that year he came west and located in this county, his parents, remaining in New York and there they died, in Jefferson county. The subject was about twenty-nine years old when he came here. He worked the first year near Walworth, then bought land in Illinois south of Sharon, and lived there five years, then sold out and bought a farm in the south half of section 29, in Linn township, this county, and he lived there until in March 1892, when he moved to Hebron; however, he kept the farm about ten years. After a year at Hebron he moved to Sharon and was there several years, then went back to Hebron. He now lives with his son-in-law, Harvey R. HATCH, of Zenda. Mr. WILSON was married first on September 18, 1849, in New York to Charlotte MAXON, daughter of Asa L. and Julia MAXON. Her people came here and settled in Walworth and their numerous and well known descendants still live there. Mrs. WILSON died on November 23, 1854, leaving three children, Victor, who died when eleven years old; Julia died when nine years old; Adelia is the wife of Delos PIERCE and lives in Walworth, this county. Mr. WILSON was again married in 1857 to Lucetta J. McCOLLUM, daughter of James Alexander and Lucetta (WALKER) McCOLLUM, the latter born in Eugene, Indiana. Her father was from New Hampshire and her mother from Michigan. These parents came from Indiana to Boone county, Illinois, and there they spent the rest of their lives. Seven children were born to Mr. WILSON and his second wife, namely: Douglass died when three years old; he and the two children of the first marriage all died within three weeks of diphtheria. Harriet WILSON married Harvey R. HATCH, of Zenda; Mary is the wife of R. H. STEWART and lives at Urbana, Illinois; James Harlan lives a mile northwest of Hebron; Ada is the wife of Duane CORNUE, of Hebron; John Franklin is now superintendent of schools at Ashland, Wisconsin; Luella is the wife of W. J. CLARKSON and lives at Omaha, Nebraska. The mother of these children died August 18, 1905, after nearly fifty years of married life. Mr. WILSON has been a member of the town board several times, but has never been active in politics. He is a member of the Methodist church, as was also his wife. Submitted by Carol

See Also: See Also: G. Delos Pierce & Austin C. Maxon