CHARLES L. WILKINSON

WILKINSON, RODGERS, ANDERSON, FREMONT

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/4/2020 at 20:57:12

CHARLES L. WILKINSON, - Charles L. Wilkinson was born on the 26th day of September, 1832, in Burlington County, New Jersey, and was the third child of Charles Wilkinson and Sara Rodgers. His mother’s ancestry were amongst the first settlers of Pennsylvania. Her grandfather, William Rodgers, was a brother-in-law of William Penn, the distinguished colonizer and governor of Pennsylvania in its earliest days, and came over with Penn. Charles’ father was a native of Pennsylvania, and a merchant tailor in Philadelphia; and was a gentleman remarkable for his piety. He was in comfortable circumstances in life, and his children were given a fair common school education. He died in 1836, in Louisville, Kentucky. Charles was at this time in his fourth year and through the interest of his mother received a fair common school education. In 1843, his mother, with her four children, came to Iowa, and settled in Harrison Township, Lee County. The family resided in this township about seventeen years, engaged as agriculturalists. They then moved to Cedar Township, Lee County, where they have since resided. It may be in taste to here observe that Mr. Wilkinson’s mother is a woman distinguished for piety, and the family thrown on her resources, by the death of their father, have been all raised with a watchful attention to their minds and morals. Mrs. Wilkinson belongs in religion to the Society of Friends or Quakers.

In 1857, on May 27th, Mr. Wilkinson was united in marriage to Josephine L. Anderson, the oldest daughter of T. O. Anderson, Esq., of Cedar Township, Lee County, Iowa. He has two children, one of whom is living. He has always been a farmer, and resides now in Cedar Township. In politics, he is a strong Republican - voted first for General Fremont. In religion, he belongs to the Society of Friends. He started in life poor; and his comfortable home is an evidence of his own industry, and a life of economy and integrity. His farm is one of the best in the county. In society he is pleasant and unassuming. He evinces a frankness of manner and social style that suggest shrewdness and a thorough acquaintance with human nature. He is perfectly free from guile. In appearance he is somewhat above the medium height. His constitution indicates health, and the expression of his countenance, self-reliance, with determination. We find him enjoying that complacency of spirits that indicates a conscience free from the trammels of any thing that is sinister.

Source:
Illustrated Historical ATLAS of Lee County, IOWA
A. T. Andreas
Chicago, ILL.
1874

Transcription by Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer