BIOGRAPHY: John E. WILSON, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 483-5
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JOHN E. WILSON, a prosperous business man and the burgess of Portage, Cambria 
county, Pennsylvania, is a son of Joseph W. and Margaret (Bermer) Wilson, and 
was born March 20, 1864, at Tipton, Pennsylvania.
     His line of ancestry is traced on the paternal side to Scotland, where his 
great-grandfather was born, and whence he emigrated to America, locating near 
Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, where Samuel G. Wilson, the grandfather of the subject 
of this record, was born. He learned the trade of a blacksmith) and armored the 
first vessel that sailed on the Kiskiminetas river. He removed from Saltsburg to 
Clearfield county, where he was one of the early pioneer settlers, and helped to 
clear much of that territory. He removed from there to Fostoria, and later 
removed to Tipton, where he died. The last few years of his life he was engaged 
in making machines to be used in removing stumps of old trees. He died at the 
advanced age of eighty-one years.
     Joseph W. Wilson, father, was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
near Saltsburg, in 1834. He received his early education in the public schools. 
For several years he engaged in lumbering at Coalport, and at the age of 
eighteen moved to Fostoria, where he was employed in the construction of a 
railroad through Tuckahoe valley. He then returned to his home at Tipton, and, 
under the instructions of his father, learned the trade of a blacksmith, which 
occupation he followed until the beginning of the Civil War, when, in answer to 
the president's call for troops, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth 
regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers. He served in the capacity of blacksmith 
during the war, and was honorably discharged from military duty. On leaving the 
army he returned to Tipton, and again engaged in blacksmithing, where he is at 
the present time following his chosen occupation. He is a republican, and, while 
taking a normal interest in both local and national issues, he has never sought 
nor held office. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and married Miss Margaret Bremer. To this marital union nine children have been 
born; those living are: Catharine, the wife of D. W. Luke, of South Fork, 
Pennsylvania; John E.; Warren, a merchant, of Altoona, Pennsylvania; James, 
located at Bellwood, Pennsylvania, in the employ of the P. and N. W. railroad.
     John E. Wilson spent his childhood days in Tipton, and received his 
education in the common schools of that place. At an early age he entered his 
father's shop, and, under the direction of his father, learned the trade of a 
blacksmith. He worked at his trade one year, And went to Bellwood, where, for 
five years, he worked in a planing-mill. He then removed to Tyrone, Blair 
county, Pennsylvania, and was employed for a year in a planing-mill in that 
place. For the next six months he was engaged in a planing-mill at Altoona, 
Pennsylvania. At the close of this period he returned to Tyrone, where he was 
engaged as a carpenter for four years. He then removed to Tipton for a year, and 
in 1890 located at Portage, Cambria county, where he conducted the general store 
of the Caldwell Coal company. He acted in the capacity of manager for four 
years, and then purchased the store. After a year and a half he disposed of his 
general store, and embarked in his present business, that of butcher. He has had 
considerable experience in mercantile pursuits, and is energetic, honest and 
upright in all of his dealings.
     In politics he adheres to the principles of the Republican party, and takes 
an active interest in local affairs. He has served as auditor of Portage for two 
terms and has been a member of the election board a number of times. In 1895 he 
was elected burgess of Portage, which office he holds at the present time.
     In religious faith he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
fraternally he is a member of Summit Lodge, No. 152, F. and A. M., and of the 
Tyrone Lodge, Improved Order of Heptasophs.
     May, 1886, be was united in marriage to Miss Effie J. Hildebrand, who died 
March 28, 1896. She was a daughter of Augustus Hildebrand, of Huntingdon county. 
To their marriage the following children were born: Ura; Lester, who died in 
infancy; Ouida; Harrold, deceased, and Margaret.