Biographical Sketch of James H. Wilson, Jefferson County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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James H. Wilson was born in Valle Township, Jefferson County, near 
where he now lives, October 10, 1841.  His father was David Wilson, a
native of Botetourt County, Va., who came to Jefferson County in 1834,
and settled on the farm James H. now owns; he was a saddler by trade,
which trade he followed to some extent after settling in Missouri, and
in the pioneer days served several years as justice of the peace. 
James H. Wilson was reared on the farm which has always been his home;
his education was acquired by three months' attendance in the subscrip-
tion schools of his county, and was supplemented by study in the 
schools of St. Louis.  When Gov. Fletcher was clerk of Jefferson County
James H. Wilson was his office boy, and under his preceptorship receiv-
ed advancement in his studies.  In 1863 he attended the Academy of De
Soto three months.  Mr. Wilson has kept a record of the weather since
1864, noting the height of the thermometor every morning and noon the
year around, and can settle any dispute as to the temperature of the
weather any day of any year as far back as January 1, 1867.  In 1875 he
went to Texas, and while there did not neglect his record, which shows
that the coldest day in that State during his stay was March 26, 1876,
the thermometer registering 26 degrees above zero.  The coldest day re-
corded in his diary was Wednesday, January 29, 1873, when the thermom-
eter registered 26 degrees below zero.  His sister, Martha E., keeps
house for him.  She was born in Botetourt County, Va., July 26, 1826,
and married Peter Politte, a native of Ste. Genevieve, Mo.  They have
one child, Thomas M., born July 23, 1851.  Mr. Politte went to Califor-
nia in 1852, where he died in 1864.  Mr. Wilson owns 448 acres of land
beside his interest in the homestead, and is a farmer and stock raiser.

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