OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS - Huron County, Ohio - publ. 1879 History of Firelands

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Huron County, Ohio
History & Genealogy

BIOGRAPHIES

Source:
1808
HISTORY
of
THE FIRE LANDS
comprising
HURON and ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO
with
ILLUSTRATIONS and BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
of
SOME OF THE PROMINENT MEN and PIONEERS
by W. W. Williams
1879

A-B

C-D

E-F

G-H

I-J

K-L

M-N

O-P

Q-R

S-T

U-V

W-X

Y-Z

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A. B. GILSON, of Norwich, Huron county, Ohio, traces his lineage back to a goodly origin. His grandfather, Joel, and grandmother, Sarah Adams Gilson, were married Oct. 3, 1771, and the dates of their respective births were 1748 adn 1751. Joel Gilson was a collector of continental money, and when congress passed the law repudiating it, he had in his possession about forty thousand dollars in this currency, which he lost.
     The children of Joel and Sarah Gilson were: Joel, Jr., Seth, Sarah, Jonas, John, Jesse, Asa, Rhoda, Nahum and Anna.
     Nahum Gilson, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Saratoga county, New York, Apr. 27, 1793, and in 1819 moved to Norwich township, beginning as a single man the hard life of a pioneer, and succeeding in hewing from the forest a home, which, in his later years, was a very pleasant one, and contained but little to suggest the privation and toil by which it had been secured. He sowed the first wheat in the township. His wife, Sally Ormes Gilson, was born in Northumberland, Massachusetts, Jan. 12, 1792, and she was married in February, 1819, and immediately came with her husband to his newly found home. They were the parents of seven children.
     Nahum Gilson, in 1830, became agent for Hon. John W. Allen, of Cleveland (where the latter is still residing, in the seventy-seventh year of his age, for the sale of some two thousand acres of land, situated in Norwich township. Mr. Allen had purchased the land at one dollar per acre, and authorized Mr. Gilson to place it in the market at two dollars per acre. This Mr. Gilson did, disposing of the last lot to Mr. James Robinson. Mr. Allen speaks in very high terms of praise as to the straightforward, business like manner in which this trust was executed.
     A. B. Gilson was born in Norwich township, Apr. 33, 1827, and grew up enjoying the usual advantages and suffering the usual disadvantages of the farmer boy. He secured a common school education, and at the age of eighteen began teaching, being examined by and securing his first certificate from Judge Stickney. His first school was in the village of Havana, and the amount of his wages was eleven dollars per month, he finding his own board. He taught thirteen succeeding winters, with the exception of one season, and his last school was in the district in which he resides. There was something of a disparity between the remuneration at the beginning and the end of this long term of school life; for his last school teaching was paid for at the rate of two dollars per day, and the teacher boarded. He began teaching music, also, when he was eighteen years of age, and has taught almost continuously, in one form or another, ever since. He is now president of the Huron County Musical Association.
     When the war of the rebellion broke out, Mr. Gilson patriotically devoted his best energies to the support of the Union cause. In the fall of 1863, he raised a company of one hundred and fifteen men. He was elected captain, and received his commission from Governor David Tod. On the occurrence of the re-organization he was made major, but the force being consolidated with other regiments he was retired and came home.
     He is the oldest man now living in Norwich, who was born there. Mr. Gilson is an active, stirring man, now, as he ever has been - a man of affairs, and one who labors for the general good, as well as for personal success. He is both liberal minded and liberal hearted.
     He married Miss Eliza, daughter of Mr. Chauncey Baker and Mrs. Rhoda (Webster) Baker, of Granger township, Medina county, born Feb. 20, 1842. The marriage ceremony was performed in Cleveland, Feb. 8, 1862, by Prof. Samuel Foljambee. This couple have one child, Ada B., a beautiful little girl, born Dec. 25, 1875.
     E. W. Gilson, brother of A. B., was treasurer of Huron county from 1874 to 1878. He was also justice of the peace in his own township for thirteen years, and held the office of township clerk for fifteen years, possessing the confidence of the people to such a degree that men of both parties gave him their cordial support.
Source: 1808 History of the Firelands comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio - Publ. 1879 - Page 428

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