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HARLEY T. WILKIN.  It matters much less where a man may be born and how he comes into this life, or rather the conditions surrounding his entrance on to the state of action, than the environment thrown around him in his boyhood days.  Undoubtedly heredity and environment establish a man's position in the world and the individual who is well born and whose surroundings make for his best development is the man who makes a success of life.  Harley T. Wilkin, of Washington C. H., has been peculiarly blessed in both respects, having come from old and highly esteemed ancestors and having been reared under excellent home influences.      Harley T. Wilkin, of the firm of H. T. Wilkin & Company, clothing and dealers in gent's furnishing goods, was born in Highland county, Ohio, Aug. 15, 1887.  His parents.  Charles A. and Susanna (Nesbit) Wilkin, were natives of the same county and are still living in Hillsboro, that county.  They were the parents of four children: Blangie Z., of Hillsboro; Harley T., of Washington C. H.; Roger L., of Hillsboro, and Henry M., also of Hillsboro.  Charles A. Wilkin was reared as a farmer's lad in Highland county, this state, and became a general merchant at Newmarket, Ohio, where he was engaged in business for thirty years.  At the present time he is engaged in the lumber business at Hillsboro, with the C. F. Whistler Lumber Company.  He is also interested in agricultural pursuits, owning a fine farm in Highland county.  He is a member of the Baptist church, while his wife adheres to the Presbyterian faith.      The parents of Charles A. Wilkins were Isaac and Matilda (Edwards) Wilkins, natives of Virginia and Ireland, respectively, and early settlers in Highland county, Ohio.  Isaac Wilkins was a farmer and he and his wife reared a family of five children in that county.  Hamilton E., Charles A., Effie, Thomas and Arthur.  The parents of the wife of Charles A. Wilkin were William and Lucinda (Eakins) Nesbitt, natives of Highland county, this state.  William Nesbitt died in that county at an advanced age, while his wife still survives him, residing in the county where she was born.  William Nesbitt and wife had two children.  Henry and Susanna, the wife of Charles A. Wilkin.      Harley T. Wilkin was reared in Newmarket, Ohio, and attended the public schools there until fifteen years of age, after which he took the course in the high school at Hillsboro, Ohio.  He then began clerking in a clothing store in Hillsboro, and continued working there until he was twenty-four years old.  while clerking he made it a point to become acquainted with every detail of the clothing business and when he came to work in Washington C. H., in August, 1911, and established his present business, he was already in close touch with the management of this particular line of business.  He is a wide-awake and progressive young man and is rapidly building up a large trade in the city and surrounding community.  He has a neat and attractive store with modern equipment an displays his goods in such a way as to attract his customers.  He carries a large and well assorted stock of everything worn by men and boys, and by his courteous treatment and business men of his adopted city.      Mr. Wilkin was married on Christmas day, 1909, to Lucy Scott Bean, the daughter of William N. and Mary (Scott) Bean, and to this union has been born one son, Daniel Scott William Wilkin.  Mr. Wilkin was born in Hillsboro, where her parents are now living, and is one of two children, the other being Lois, who is still with her parents.  the paternal grandparents of Mrs. Wilkin were the parents of three children, William, John and Mollie.  The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Wilkin were Daniel and ___ (Pulse) Scott.  The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Wilkin were Daniel and _____ (Pulse) Scott, who also had three children, Mary, Sarah and Charles.      Mr. Wilkin is identified with the Democratic party, but has been too much engrossed with his business affairs to take an active part in political matters.  He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.  Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914 - Page 446

JAMES MADISON WILLIS.     Agriculture has always been an honorable vocation.  At the present time the agricultural output of the United States is more than equivalent to the total output of all other industries combined.  The 1910 census reported the total value of all crops in Fayette county Ohio, to be three million, one hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and thirteen dollars, and amount which far exceeds that of all the other industries of the county.  According to the same census there were one thousand eight hundred and forty-six farms in this county, of which number one thousand and eighty were operated by their owners, seven hundred and forty-two by tenants and twenty-four by managers.  That the farming land is rapidly increasing in value is shown by a comparative statement of the value of farm lands in this county in 1900 and 1910.  The last census placed the value of land in this county at eight-four dollars and ninety-three cents an acre, while in 1900, it was only forty-six dollars and eighty-three cents an acre, an increase in value which speaks well for the farmers of this county.  In fact, the farmer is the only one who can exist independently of every other vocation, for the farmer holds in his grasp the food and clothing supply of the country.  The merchant, the banker, the manufacturer and men in every other industry are dependent absolutely on the farmer's crops.  A famine throughout this country would bankrupt the strongest merchant, wreck the largest bank and close the most extensive factory, and land is, as it always has been, the most favorable financial investment.  Panics may sweep the manufacturer out of business over night, but the farmer can survive when every other industry fails.      James Madison Willis, one of the largest farmers of Fayette county, Ohio, was born on a farm near Bloomingburg, this county, Oct. 19, 1869.  His parents, William R. and Virginia (McDonald) Willis, were natives of this state and were the parents of three children:  Elsie, the wife of O. S. Hopkins, of Washington C. H.; James Madison, and a daughter, Pearl, who died in infancy.  William R. Willis was reared in Fayette county and was a lifelong farmer and stockman.  He inherited a good farm from his father and by good management and strict economy left a good estate and at his death, in 1890, was the owner of eight hundred and fifty acres in Paint township, this county.  His widow is still living and is now residing in Washington C. H.  Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while he was prominent in the civic life of his community.  He held various township offices and was a member of the school board of his township at one time.  William R. Willis was the son of James Madison and Emily (Southward) Willis, both natives of Ohio and pioneers in Fayette county.  James Madison Willis was a merchant and farmer in Paint township. and was the parent of several children, Mrs. Laura B. Jones, James Woodbridge and several who died while young.  Virginia McDonald, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively, and early settlers in New Holland, Ohio.  Thomas McDonald was a wagon-maker and followed his occupation until his death in New Holland at an advanced age.  Mr. McDonald and his wife were the parents of three children, Catherine, Robert and Virginia, the wife of William R. Willis.      James Madison Willis was reared on his father's farm in Paint township and after finishing the course in the public schools graduated from the Bloomingburg high school, after which he entered the University of Michigan, but, on account of his father's death in 1890, was compelled to withdraw after completing two years in the university.  He then returned home and assumed charge of his father's large farm and has been engaged in farming ever since.  For the past ten years he has lived in Washington C. H., but he still has active charge of the farm and takes pride in calling himself a farmer.  In addition to the interests which he has in the old home place of eight hundred and fifty acres, he owns four hundred acres of his own adjoining the home farm, which gives him one of the largest farms in the county, and according to the 1910 census there are only forty-three farms in the county of more than five hundred acres, four of which are over one thousand acres in extent.      Mr. Willis was married June 9, 1892, to Mary C. Keller, the daughter of Daniel T. and Mary Jane (Thistle) Keller, and to this union have been born two daughters, Gretchen and Doris.  Mrs. Willis was born in Romney, Virginia, her parents being natives of the same state and now deceased.  Mr. Keller and wife were the parents of five children.      Politically, Mr. Willis is a Republican and has always been active in political matters.  He was elected to the Ohio General Assembly in 1900 as representative from the joint district of Fayette and Madison counties, and when the state was redistricted he served another term as representative from Fayette county.  While in the General Assembly his influence was always cast on the side of good government and his hearty support was given to all measures which he felt would benefit the state in any way.  Locally, he has been a member of the school board of Washington C. H. for several years and was on the board of directors when the present high school building was erected.  In addition to his farming interests, Mr. Willis is connected with the People's Bank of Bloomingburg and is a director and vice-president of this financial institution.  Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to the blue lodge, the Royal Arch chapter and the commandery of Knights Templar at Washington C. H.  He also holds his membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in his home city.  Mrs. Wilson is a member of the Presbyterian church, and while he is not an active member of any church yet he lends his influence to all worthy movements which are fostered by the church.  As a representative citizen of the county he has been active in every movement looking toward the welfare of his community and in this way has won the high respect and esteem of all who know him. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914~ Page 375

JAMES WILLIAM WILLIS.   In the death of James W. Willis, in 1906, there was removed another of those prominent business men of Washington C. H., Ohio, who have made their way in life by force of their own merit and industry from small beginnings to great successes, and his memory will long be revered and his influence for good felt in this section of the state, for he belonged to that class of worthy and noble citizens who leave behind them much that is deathless.  He was a man of absolute honesty, always on the advance, and managed his extensive business affairs with a skill and prudence which came of accurate knowledge and wide experience.  His rise in the world was at the expense of no one, and in his death Washington C. H. and Fayette county sustained a great loss and a wide circle of friends was left to mourn his passing away, for he was universally regarded as one of Washington's most useful and enterprising men of affairs, of which city he had been an active and influential citizen for many years.      There flowed in the veins of James W. Willis and admixture of the blood of those sturdy races from across the sea which have contributed so largely to the progress and advancement of this great country of ours - England and Ireland.  From England came his paternal grandfather Willis, who married Eleanor Montgomery.  He came to the United States when eighteen years of age and settled at once in Fayette county, Ohio.  He acquired a farm in Jefferson township and there spent the remainder of his days, dying there when past eighty years of age.  To him and his wife were born the following children: Henry, James, Robert, Samuel, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Gifford, Mrs. Boyer, Mrs. Fichthorn, Mrs. Thornburg, John.  On the maternal side, the subject was descended from Robert Hogue, who, with wife, came from the Emerald isle and also became early settlers in Fayette county, their home being in Jasper township.  Their children were John, Robert, William and Belinda.  Of the children of these respective families, Samuel, Willis and Belinda Hogue, who were both born in Fayette county, married, and to them were born ten children, namely:  Samantha (Stover), Lucinda, Sallie, Ida, James W., Tillie, Lina, Linda and Jennie.       Samuel Willis passed his entire life in Fayette county, following the vocation of farming in Jasper township, where he owned one hundred and ten acres of excellent land.  He was a man of splendid character, who enjoyed the respect of all who knew him, and his death occurred there in 1871, when about fifty-one years of age.  His wife died in 1881, when sixty-five years of age.  They were Methodists in their religious belief and were known for their kindness and benevolence.  Mr. Willis was a soldier in the Civil War during the last year of that great struggle.      James W. Willis was born in Jasper township on the 4th day of June 1853, and he remained on the paternal homestead until he had attained his maturity.  He had received a good practical education in the district schools, and sometime after attaining his majority he moved to Jamestown and for a short time was engaged in the hotel business.  He then went to Milledgeville and built a home, engaging there in the timber and lumber business.  Later he engaged in agricultural pursuits, which always had for him a special attraction and in which he was always successful, though at the same time he gave some of his attention to the lumber business.  About that same time Mr. Willis and John L. Barnes engaged in the buying and selling of live stock for several years, meeting with very satisfactory results.  In 1887, Mr. Willis came to Washington C. H. and engaged first in the butchering business, later adding the handling of live stock, and still later he again embarked in the lumber business and ran a saw mill, which commanded his attention up to the time of his death.  It was a testimonial to his versatility of talent and his ready ability to adapt himself to any circumstances or demands upon him, that he could engage in so many different lines of enterprise and handle all of them successfully.  In addition to the lines already mentioned, Mr. Willis established and built the present chair factory and engaged quite extensively in the manufacture of chair and he was the chief actor in the promotion and establishment of the P. Haggerty Shoe Company.  He was the owner of the Millwood addition to the city of Washington C. H., which he improved with splendid pavements and sidewalks, so that it became one of the most attractive suburbs of the city.  He was a stockholder and director of the Commercial Bank, one of the solid financial institutions of Fayette county.  Mr. Willis bought the old D. I. Worthington home and here he lived and dispensed an old-fashioned hospitality that was greatly enjoyed by his large circle of warm and loyal friends.  He was a man of genial and kindly impulses, who continually made friends and never sacrificed any.      Politically, Mr. Willis was a Republican from principle, and took a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs, though too busy a man himself to mix much in political affairs.  Fraternally, he was a member of and took a deep interest in the time-honored order of Free and Accepted Masons, in which he took the degrees up to and including those of Knight Templar.  Though not a member of any church, Mr. Willis was an attendant of the Baptist church to which Mrs. Willis belongs, and he was a firm believer in every movement the object of which was the uplift of the human race.  The death of Mr. Willis occurred on the 25th day of July, 1906, at the age of fifty-three years.      On August 20, 1882, James W. Willis married Carrie Spangler, who was born in Ross county, Ohio on April 23, 1863, the daughter of Dr. Robert W. and Margaret (Somerville) Spangler, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio.  Mrs. Margaret Spangler died in Ross county, Ohio, at the age of forty-one years.  She had borne her husband five children, Lucy Jane, John Mosby, Charles Somerville, Carrie Belle and Fred Arthur.  Doctor Spangler was a practicing physician in Ross county for about twenty years and in Milledgeville for a like period, thus rounding out in honorable and successful professional career of four decades.  His death occurred in 1897, at the age of about sixty-one years, having survived his wife more than thirty years.  Mrs. Willis' paternal grandfather, Frederick Arthur Spangler, was a native of Pennsylvania, and his wife, whose maiden name was Lucy Jane Cornelius, was born in Kentucky.  She died in middle life and he at the age of about seventy years.  Mrs. Willis' maternal grandfather, John A. Somerville, was born in Scotland.  He came to the United States in 1808, settling in Ross county, Ohio, and there married Elizabeth Smith, who was born in Highland county, Ohio.  She died when past sixty years of age, and he lived to the remarkable age of ninety-three years.  They were the parents of the following children:  Jane (Steele), Rebecca (Dill), Mary (Howells), Nancy (Reed), Margaret (Spangler), Sarah Somerville, and several who died before reaching mature years.      To Mr. and Mrs. Willis were born eleven children, namely:  Bessie Janet, who is the wife of Ralph O. Young and the mother of a daughter, Jane; Lina Marion, who is doing settlement work in Knoxville, Tennessee; Willard S., who remains at home with his mother, is manager of the Willis Lumber Company, at Washington C. H.; Helen May is the wife of C. G. Beckel, of Dayton, Ohio, and they have a son, Cambridge; Robert Ervin, Charles Somerville, Carrie Eleanor, Richard Rochester and Willis Hegler are at home, and two who died in infancy.      James W. Willis was in the fullest sense of the word a progressive, verile American citizen, thoroughly in harmony with the spirit of the advanced age in which he lived.  He made good use of his opportunities and prospered from year to year, conducting all business matters carefully and systematically, and in all his acts displaying an aptitude for successful management.  He did not permit the accumulation of fortune to affect in any way his actions toward those less fortunate than he, and he always had a cheerful word and a helping hand for those in need.  He was a most companionable gentleman and all who came within range of his influence were loud in their praise of his splendid qualities. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914 - Page 390

ELBA WILSON.     Born during the last year of the Civil War, Elba Wilson has been a resident of Fayette county since the day of his birth.  He has never been seized with the desire to wander, but has been satisfied to spend his career in the county which gave him birth.  There is no better farming county in the state than Fayette, a county which, according to the census of 1910, produced $3,129,313 worth of a farm products.  Consequently, there is no good reason why a farmer should want to leave this county to seek his fortune elsewhere.  The success which has attended Mr. Wilson's efforts is sufficient evident that he has made no mistake in choosing to remain in the county where he was born.      Elba Wilson, the present road superintendent of Union township, was born Dec. 14 1865, in Perry township, near New Martinsburg.  He is the son of James M. and Martha (Simmons) Wilson, natives of this county, and the parents of six children: Libby (deceased), Wesley, Mrs. Armilda Cox, Elba, Mrs. Emma Chaffin and Trustin (deceased).  James M. Wilson was the son of Wesley Wilson who was born in Virginia and located in Greene county, Ohio, early in its history.      Mr. Wilson received a good common school education in the district schools of his home township and remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-two years of age.  He then secured two old horses and started to farm on some land belonging to Samuel Hidy.  He continued to rent until his marriage, when he bought his present farm in Union township and has lived on this farm ever since.  He is recognized as one of the best farmers of his township because of his progressive methods.  He has paid special attention to stock raising and has been very successful along this particular line of endeavor.  His farm is well improved and he takes pride in keeping everything about him in a neat and attractive manner.      Mr. Wilson was married Oct. 5, 1887, to Almedia Hidy, the daughter of Simon and Mary F. (Adams) Hidy.  Simon Hidy was the son of George Hidy, a native of Virginia and an early settler of Union township.  One daughter has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, Grace, who married Alva McCoy, and has four children, Harry, Lillian, Willard and Marion.      The Democratic party has claimed the support of Mr. Wilson and he has been one of the leader in his party for many years, always active and foremost in its councils.  He served served for several years on the school board of Union township and at the present time is filling the responsible position of road superintendent in his township.  Mr. Wilson is a man of pleasing personality and is one of the best known and liked men in the county.  While primarily devoted to his own interests, he has not neglected his duty as a member of society and gives his hearty support to all public-spirited enterprises.  Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914~ Page 603

HORACE W. WILSON.     There are one thousand eight hundred and forty-six farms in Fayette county, Ohio, and of this number there are only forty-three with an acreage of more than five hundred acres.  Some of these large farms have come about as a result of inheritance and others have been the result of the individual labors of the owners.  One of the most successful farmers of Marion township is Horace W. Wilson, who, by his own initiative, has accumulated a farm of six hundred acres, having started in with nothing at the beginning of his career.  He started out to work by the month and later bought a small farm and to this has added from time to time until he has become the owner of his present fine farm.  It has taken good management, close economy and progressive farming, and these qualities are strikingly exemplified in the career of Mr. Wilson.  While he has been accumulating a comfortable for tune of his own, he has not neglected to bear his full share of the burdens of community life and has always been known as a public-spirited citizen, interested in everything which pertains to the welfare of his township and county.      Horace W. Wilson, the proprietor of Maple Lawn Stock Farm, on the Bloomingburg and New Holland pike, was born Jan. 28, 1857, in Green township, Fayette county, Ohio.  He is the son of John and Martha J. (Cockerell) Wilson, and one of eight children born to his parents, the others being Mrs. Clara Neil, William G., Mrs. Sylvitha Hidy, J. M., Charles, John and Chilton P.  John Wilson was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, and came to this county with his parents, William and Peachy (Fishback) Wilson, about 1810 or 1812.  John Wilson was a farmer and merchant and a man of prominence in his community.  He was a man of excellent intellectual attainments and gave his children the best advantages which the schools of that early day afforded.      Horace W. Wilson attended the schools of Perry township and remained at home with his father on the farm until he reached the age of twenty-two, when he began to work out by the month, saving his wages with the intention to purchasing a farm of his own.  He first bought one hundred and fourteen acres in Perry township, this county, and two years later sold it and purchased a farm in Ross county, Ohio, where he lived for a while, and then sold his farm at a good profit and invested the proceeds in land in Marion township, this county.  After locating in Marion township, he added to his land holdings until he now has six hundred acres of as good land as can be found within the county.  He has a beautiful country home, commodious and convenient barns and everything which the up-to-date farmer needs for the successful tilling of the soil.  He is one of the largest stock raisers of the county and sells stock by the car load every year.      Mr. Wilson was married in 1882 to Emma J. Cline, the daughter of William and Naomi (Glascow) Cline, and to this union have been born five children, Ethel, Glenn, Ray, Verne and Dale.  Glenn married Ada King, and has two children, Horace and an infant unnamed.      The Republican party has received the support of Mr. Wilson since reaching his majority and, despite his heavy agricultural interests, he has always been deeply interested in local political matters.  At the present time he is serving on the school board of his township and doing everything within his power for the advancement of the educational interests of his township.  He and his family are consistent members of the Presbyterian church, to whose support they are generous contributors.  Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  Mr. Wilson has a wide circle of friends throughout the township and county and, owing to his honesty in business and his upright social and private life, he well merits the high esteem in which he is held by every one with whom he is associated.  Thus far his life has been one of strenuous activity and, by reason of the success with which it has been attended, his friends are justified in predicting for him a future of still greater usefulness and distinction. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914~ Page 599

RAY WILSON.     One of the most enterprising farmers of Fayette county, Ohio, is he whose name forms the caption of this review.  While still a young man, he has succeeded in a manner which might well be gratifying to a man twice his age.  He is thoroughly up to date in all phases of agriculture, employing in his business only the most modern methods as approved by science and good usage.  His farm, containing two hundred and five acres of as fine land as the county boasts, is located on the Columbus pike, about two and one-half miles from Washington C. H.  Mr. Wilson has recently constructed a comfortable and attractive residence on this farm and all farm buildings are both neat and well adapted to their various purposes.      Ray Wilson was born on Apr. 10, 1887, on a farm located about six miles south of Washington C. H., being a son of H. W. and Emma J. (Cline) Wilson, the former being a native of this county also, and also his entire life has been passed within its borders.  He ahs long been one of the most prominent farmers of this section.  Several years also he decided to seek the favor of Dame Fortune in the western part of the country, but after a short sojourn there, he returned to his native state and has since here remained.  He is the father of five children, those other than the subject being Ethel, Verne and Dale remaining at home with the parents, and Glenn.      The subject received his elementary education at the Greenville Pike school and also on the Circleville pike, east of Washington C. H., finishing later in Marion township.  He also took a commercial course at the Bliss Business College.  This liberal education well fitted him for his chosen vocation of farming, in which he engaged on his own account at the age of nineteen.  He first rented various tracts of land, which he tilled, being signaly successful in his venture.  In addition to his home farm, he is now also managing a portion of his father's estate.  He makes a specialty of breeding and selling Shire horses, in which venture he has met with gratifying success.      On Jan. 2, 1913, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Marie Pavey, daughter of Austin and Ellen (Burris) Pavey, residents of Sabina, this state, being prominent farmers in that locality.  One child, Robert Pavey, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Oct.15, 1914.      Ever since attaining his majority, Mr. Wilson has given his earnest support to the Republican party, although he has never been a seeker after office.  His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church, while that of Mrs. Wilson is with the Methodist Episcopal church, both given their most earnest support to these two church organizations.  In the public life of the community where he lives, Mr. Wilson takes an intelligent interest, setting for himself a high standard of citizenship.  He is a man of strong character and acknowledged ability and became of these elements and his genuine personal worth he enjoys a marked popularity in the locality honored with his residence. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914~ Page 602

WILLIAM WESLEY WILSON.     There is no positive rule for achieving success, and yet in the life of the successful man there are always lessons which might well be followed.  The man who gains prosperity is he who can see and utilize the opportunities that come in his path.  The essential conditions of human life are much the same, the surroundings of individuals differing but slightly, and when one man passes another on the highway of life it is because he has the power to use advantages which probably, in the main, encompass the whole human race.  Today among the prominent citizens, prosperous farmers and successful business men of Fayette county stands the gentleman whose name forms the caption to these paragraphs.  The qualities of keen discrimination, sound judgment and executive ability enter very highly into his make-up and have been contributing elements to the material success which has come to him.       William W. Wilson, who owns and operates a splendid and well improved farm in Union township and who is also  interested in a prosperous fencing and implement business in Washington C. H., comes of good old Virginia stock in both the paternal and maternal lines, and exemplifies in himself those splendid qualities which have ever characterized the people of the old Dominion state.  He is himself a native of Fayette county, having been born in Perry township on Aug. 16, 1857.  His parents, James and Martha (Simmons) Wilson, were born in Highland county, Ohio, but became early settlers in Fayette county, in the pioneer life of which they became active factors.  For a number of years after coming to this county their home was in Perry township, but in April, 1877, they moved to Union township, where the father bought a farm of one hundred and thirty-four acres to the improvement and cultivation of which he devoted himself.  Subsequently he located on another farm near Washington C. H., where his death occurred in 1901, when past sixty-seven years of age.  He was a man of splendid qualities of character and was an affiliated member of the Baptist church.  His widow, who still survives him, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  James Wilson was a man of sound business judgment and rendered efficient service as real estate appraiser in 1890 and 1900.      The subject's paternal grandparents, William Wesley and Elizabeth (Fishback) Wilson, were born and reared in Staunton, Virginia.  Having determined to seek a home in the New West, they started on the overland journey to the Indian Reserve in Indiana, but when they reached East Monroe, Highland county, Ohio, one of their horses sickened and died, preventing their continuing their journey further.  They were the parents of five children, William, James, Henry, Alfred and Joseph.      The maternal grandparents of Mr. Wilson were William and Sarah (Harber) Simmons, also natives of the state of Virginia, who settled in Highland county, this state, in an early day and there spent the remainder of their lives, dying there when about ninety years of age.  Their children were Elijah, Oliver, Trusten, Edmund, Sarah, Mary, Martha and Louisa.      He to whom the following lines are devoted has spent practically his entire life in the county of his nativity, never having been induced by the wanderlust spirit to seek richer fields elsewhere, and in this he has shown a commendable judgment, for he has, by perseverance, good judgment and indefatigable energy, succeeded in his material affairs, until today he is one of the leading men of his community.  He is indebted to the district and graded township schools for his educational training, which he has liberally supplemented through the years by habits of close observation and by extensive reading.  He was about nineteen years of age when the family moved from Perry to Union township, and he was reared to manhood on a farm.  At the time of his marriage, Mr. Wilson rented land, and was so successful in his vocation that a few years later he was able to purchase thirty-five acres in Union township.  In the management of this tract he was also successful and has added to his original holdings until today he owns one hundred and seventy acres of as good land as can be found in his section of the county, the farm being located about one mile south of Washington C. H.  In addition to his farming operations, Mr. Wilson is as stated earlier in this sketch, interested in the fence and implement business at Washington C. H., in which he has met with well deserved success.  He is also a stockholder in the Fayette County Bank, one of the strong and popular banks of this county.      Politically, Mr. Wilson has been a life-long supporter of the Democratic party and for the long period of twenty-eight years he has rendered faithful and appreciated service as a member of the school board.  Religiously, he is, with his wife, an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to the support of which they give of their time and means.      On the 27th day of October, 1878, William W. Wilson married Martha Swift, who was born in Highland county, Ohio, the daughter of William and Nancy (Amos) Swift, the former a native of Ireland, born in Kirkele, county Down, Ireland, in 1810, and died in 1902.  In 1818 he voyaged to America by sailing vessel.  Nancy Amos was born in Highland county, Ohio.  Both are now deceased.  Of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Swift, five are now living, namely: John Wesley, Elijah William, Harrison, Elizabeth and Martha.  Mrs. Wilson's paternal grandfather preceded his family to this country, and was supposed to have been killed by the Indians.  His widow and children came later, but found no trace of him and they settled in Pennsylvania, later coming to Highland county, Ohio, where their deaths occurred.      To Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been born the following children:  Eva became the wife of E. C. McCoy, of Union township, and they have three children, Wilby, Dorothy and Helen; Marion who operates a farm adjoining that of his father, married Mary Cavinec, and they have five children, Marjorie, Elmo, Elizabeth, Woodrow and Rosaline; Willard, who is in the employ of his father in the fence and implement business, married Blanche, Michael; Everett and Horatio are also in the employ of their father.  Everett was married Oct. 29, 1914, to Wynema Wilson, no relation.      Thus briefly have been recorded the salient features in the life history of one who has, by proper motives and a lofty example, honestly won a place in the front ranks of Fayette county's citizens, and because of his sterling integrity and his efforts for the advancement of the puublic welfare, has won the approval of all who know him. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914~ Page 540

JACOB WRIGHT.  A prominent farmer of Fayette county, who passed away more than half a century ago, was Jacob Wright, whose daughter is still living in this county at the advanced age of seventy-six.  Jacob Wright was a typical pioneer and a man who exerted much influence in the community where he lived for so many years.      Jacob Wright was born on Oct. 2, 1808, and died in Fayette county, Ohio, Apr. 12, 1862.  His father, Jacob Wright, was a native of Frederick county, Virginia, and first settled in Ohio on Sugar creek in this county.  Later Jacob Wright, Sr., moved to the old Herr farm in Jefferson township, and bought this farm of one hundred acres on which he lived until his death.  Jacob Wright, Sr., was educated in Frederick county, Virginia, and was a life-long farmer, although he carried on blacksmithing to some extent in connection with his farm work.      Jacob Wright, Jr., was married to Susannah Mason, who was born in 1797, and to this union two children were born, Joseph and Mary J.  Joseph was born Apr. 6, 1836, and married Martha Sherritt, and they were parents of five children, John, Ella, Mary J., Martha and Esther.      Mary J. Wright was born Mar. 28, 1838, and was first married to Joseph Maxwell, and bay this union has one son, Joseph B.  Joseph B. was married to Louisa Berry, and had a family of five children, John, George, Clarence, Chester, and Forrest.  Joseph B. Maxwell was educated in the schools of Fayette county, and is now a prominent farmer in Arkansas.      The first husband of Mary J. Wright, died in 1862, and some time later she was married to Jacob Everett, who died Mar. 12, 1881.  There were no children by her second marriage.  Since the death of her husband in 1881.  Mrs. Everett has been managing her farm and has shown marked ability in operating it.  She and her father were consistent members of the Baptist church, and she has always taken an active interest in the affairs of her denomination.  Her father was a member of the first county survey of Fayette county.  She has seventy-five acres of land, which is well improved and which she rents. Source:  History of Fayette County, Ohio - Published Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914 - Page 555

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