Johnson-Rush-Woodson County KS Archives Biographies.....Wilkerson, W. F. 1866 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 March 19, 2009, 5:45 am Author: Ed Blair (1915) W. F. Wilkerson, editor of the "New Era" at Spring Hill, is one of the real progressive newspaper men of eastern Kansas. Mr. Wilkerson is a native of Missouri, born September 25, 1866. He is a son of W. C. and Elizabeth (Lunsford) Wilkerson. In 1885 the Wilkerson family came to Kansas, locating in Rush county, where the father took up Government land. Here they encountered the many vicissitudes common to the lot of the pioneer of western Kansas; droughts and crop failures pursued them and after four years in that section the family removed to Woodson county, where the father bought land and engaged in farming and prospered. He still resides in that county and is now counted among the successful and substantial citizens of the community. He is a Democrat and has always taken a keen interest in public affairs but never aspired to hold political office. His wife died in 1889. W. F. Wilkerson, whose name introduces this sketch, is the oldest of a family of six children. He received a public school education and remained at home until twenty-two: years of age. In 1890 he began his career in the newspaper business, first being employed on the Yates Center "Advocate" in the capacity of "printer's devil" and remained with that newspaper for four years and reached the position of local editor and business manager. In 1894 he came to Johnson county as local editor of the Olathe "Tribune" and remained there until 1898 when he purchased the "New Era" at Spring Hill and has since published that newspaper. The "New Era" was founded in 1883 and is a weekly newspaper of unusual merit. Politically it is conducted strictly along independent lines and in its editorial columns deals fairly and fearlessly with all national and local questions of public importance. Mr. Wilkerson was united in marriage June 24, 1898, to Miss Birdie Smith, of Gardner, Kan. She is a daughter of Lee and Martha (Bergan) Smith, natives of Missouri, who came to Kansas in 1872, settling at Lawrence. The father was a blacksmith and wagon maker and worked at his trade there about two years when the family removed to Gardner, where the father conducted a blacksmith and carriage shop and prospered. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and politically was a Republican. He was a man of wide acquaintance and made many friends. He was public spirited and always willing to assist the needy and lend his aid and influence to the betterment of the community. He died in 1884. Martha Bergan, Mrs. Wilkerson's mother, was born in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1849, of Kentucky parents, who were early settlers in Missouri. They settled in Johnson county near De Soto in 1859. Mrs. Smith now resides in Kansas City. W. F. Wilkerson was a Democrat in early life, following in the footsteps of his ancestors, but as he grew to manhood some of the principles of the Democratic party did not accord with his views and his political attitude in recent years might properly be described as an independent Republican. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF Johnson County Kansas BY ED BLAIR AUTHOR OF Kansas Zephyrs, Sunflower Sittings and Other Poems and Sketches IN ONE VOLUME ILLUSTRATED STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY LAWRENCE, KANSAS 1915 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/johnson/bios/wilkerso303nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ksfiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb