Biographical Sketch of Amos G. WILSON (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 822-3. "AMOS G. WILSON, who for nineteen years has been in the grocery business at Parkesburg, and was postmaster at that place for a quarter of a century, beside serving as burgess, school director and a member of the council, was born in West Caln township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, October 12, 1821, and is a son of Major William and Susannah (Griffith) Wilson. The family is of Scotch-Irish origin, and is among the oldest in the Keystone State. Major William Wilson (father) was born about 1783, and was a native of Chester county, where he grew to manhood and received such edu- cation as was afforded by the schools of that early day. He was a pros- perous farmer of West Caln township, and only abandoned his farm to engage in hotel keeping at Compass, this county, three or four years previous to his death, which occurred February 22, 1838, in his fifty-fifth year. When a young man he had learned the carpenter trade, and occasionally worked at that business in connection with his farming operations. He was a democrat in politics, and in the early part of this century served as major of a regiment of Pennsylvania militia, being ever afterward known and addressed as Major Williams. In personal appearance he was stout and portly, a man of great energy and constant activity, and a well known advocate of temperance principles. He married Susannah Griffith, by whom he had a family of children. She was a native of Chester county, a life- long member of the Baptist church, and her life was a fine example of true Christian womanhood. She died in 1872, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. "Amos G. Wilson was reared partly on the farm in West Caln township, and partly at Compass, this county. His education was received in the common schools and at the Unionville academy, then taught by Jonathan Gause. Leaving school he became a clerk for a short time in the general store of his brother William, at Wagontown, this county, and afterward engaged in teaching for several years. In 1863 he started his present grocery busi- ness at Parkesburg, in the same building he now occupies. He has been very successful, and now has a large and lucrative trade. He was appointed postmaster here in 1861, being commissioned by President Lincoln, and held the office continuously until President Cleveland's administration, except some eighteen months during the administration of Andrew Johnson. During all his protracted term as postmaster, Mr. Wilson served acceptably, alike to the people and the postal authorities at Washington. "On July 3, 1844, Mr. Wilson married Rachel Filson, a daughter of Joseph Filson, of Sadsbury township, this county. She died in 1872, leaving five children, two sons and three daughters, all of whom are still living: William, a druggist, owning three drug stores on Broadway, New York city; J. Chester, a coal merchant of Philadelphia, residing at Clifton Heights; Ida, the wife of Samuel R. Parke, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Belle, married William Michener, clerk for the Parkesburg Iron Company; and Pauline R., living at home. In 1882 Mr. Wilson was again married, this time wedding Mrs. Hannah A. (Fritz) Stroud, of Highland township, Chester county. "In his political affiliations Mr. Wilson has hitherto been republican, but now strongly inclines toward the Prohibition party. He has served two terms as burgess of Parkesburg, and also as school director, and a member of the common council, and is now treasurer of the Parkesburg Building and Loan association. Mr. Wilson is a pleasant and popular gentleman, and ranks high as a citizen and an upright business man."