IAGenWeb - Marion County |
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Wilson Family
The Wilson family, consisting of four sons, two daughters, David Ray and their mother, took claims and settled in sections 33 and 34, June, 1843. They were natives of New Jersey, which state they left in 1836, and came to Indiana, and from thence to Burlington in 1840. On the third day of their journey from Indiana, October 24th, John, the father of the family, died, aged 56 years.
Since their settlement here, two of the sons, one of the daughters, and the mother have died. Samuel died September 28th, 1844, and was, so far as is known, the first white person that died in the township, and his remains were the first deposited in the burying ground on the farm of James Price. George* died June 16th, 1855, and on the 22 of January, 1870, the mother, Ruth Wilson, died, aged 82 years.
During the first two years of their settlement here, the Wilsons, in company with others, were subjected to some severe privations and inconveniences in the matter of subsistance. For some time corn was necessarily the only kind of breadstuff that could be procured. As we have before stated, the mills for grinding were so distant that they could not be applied to for a supply at any time, so that necessity, "the mother of invention," called into requisition such temporary substitutes for mills as could be manufactured at home, and as we have already described as in common use at that early period.
In this emergency, however, the Wilsons were fortunately blessed in the possession of a strong, old iron coffee mill, that they had brought from the east. This mill was firmly fastened to the wall, and, on one occasion, was kept in almost constant service for more than two weeks, doing its work slowly enough to discipline the patience of the young milleress, (now Mrs. W. B. Keeler,) but producing a good article of meal, fine enough to be successfully sifted through a fine hair seive, that the family had also thoughtfully provided themselves with on leaving their eastern home.
This venerable mill now belongs to Freeman Wilson, and is still in the service, not as a corn-cracker, but legitimately as a coffee mill. We are informed by the owner that it has had the honor of pulverizing more than $400 worth of coffee, besides the corn, since it has been the property of the family. They esteem it as a worthy keepsake.
David Ray settled in the township, in the same neighborhood and at the same date with the Wilsons, to whom he was related by marriage. He now lives in Red Rock township.
*George Wilson settled in Polk [township] directly after their arrival in the country.