Contra Costa-Sacramento County CA Archives Biographies.....Wilson, John M. 1852 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 29, 2005, 6:34 pm

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

JOHN M. WILSON.—The subject of this sketch, a young and prominent merchant of
Walnut Creek, is the son of Isaac M. and Sarah J. (McConnell) Wilson, and a
native of the Sunny South, born in Washington county, Virginia, February 10,
1852. When two years old, his parents moved west, locating in Cedar county,
Missouri, where they resided but one year. Owing to the ill-health of his
father, the family returned to Virginia, where they sojourned only a short time,
and again returned to Missouri, where they remained for two years. In the
meantime, his father died, and in the Fall of 1859, his younger brother also
died. In the following Spring, with his mother and one brother, Mr. Wilson
returned to his birthplace, and there, during the war, received his education.
At the close of the war they again returned to Missouri, and fortunately, found
their old homestead had escaped the devastation of both armies. Here he resided
until 1870. In that year, our subject was called upon to mourn the loss of his
mother. He now left the farm and found employment in a mercantile establishment
in Humansville, a position he held for three years. He next engaged in business
for himself in the same town, which he followed for two years. April 5,1875,
found Mr. Wilson on board a train bound for the Pacific Coast. He first located
in Sacramento, where he found employment as a traveling salesman for a
commercial house of that city, in which position he remained six months, and
then came to Contra Costa county, and first located in Antioch, but moved to
Walnut Creek, where he worked in the employ of M. M. Shuey, for a short time,
afterwards with Mr. Sherburne, until the latter's store was destroyed by fire,
in 1878. He then engaged in business in company with Mr. McConnell, in the
mercantile trade for two years, when our subject severed his connection with Mr.
McConnell, and in 1880, bought the store he now occupies from M. M. Shuey. Mr.
Wilson is now Secretary of the Agricultural Association of Contra Costa county,
and a Notary Public of Walnut Creek; also, District Deputy of the Grand Lodge of
the A. O. U. W. of this county. Married in Humansville, Missouri, September 29,
1870, Miss Mary J. Human, a native of the above place. By this union they have
four daughters and one son. Their names are: Maria R., Ava B., Gracie L., Carl
L. and Stella V.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.



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