John E. C. Wilson Biography This biography appears on pages 1522-1523 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. JOHN E. C. WILSON, one of the extensive farmers and stock growers of Charles Mix county, is a native of the fine old Hoosier state, having been born in Adams county, Indiana, on the 30th of April, 1845, and being a son of Edward D. and Elizabeth (Coynor) Wilson. The father was a farmer in Indiana, where he died when the subject of this sketch was a mere child. The latter received his rudimentary education in the district schools of his native state, where he remained until he had attained the age of ten years, when he began to depend upon his own resources, going to Peoria county, Illinois, securing work on a farm and continuing to attend the public schools as opportunity afforded. At the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion Mr. Wilson gave prompt evidence of his youthful ardor and patriotism by tendering his services in defense of the Union. At the age of sixteen years he enlisted as a private in Company G, Eighth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and it was his fortune to take part in many of the most important campaigns and battles of the war, among which may be mentioned the following: Fort Henry, Donelson Shiloh, Holly Springs, Memphis, Vicksburg. from which last mentioned city the command proceeded into Arkansas, later returning to Vicksburg and thence going to Jackson, Mississippi; thereafter he was a participant in the engagements at Memphis, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Knoxville, and later the regiment was in the battle of Atlanta. The subject was then on a veteran furlough, and then joined Sherman, at Newbern, North Carolina. Mr. Wilson continued in active service for a period of four years, ever being found at the post of duty and making the record of a gallant young soldier, while he received his honorable discharge in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. He was wounded in the engagement at Arkansas Post and also slightly in two other contests. After his discharge he returned to Illinois, being employed on a farm in Stark county for the ensuing two years, at the expiration of which he went to Des Moines,. Iowa, where he continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits for twelve years, having purchased a farm in Polk county, that state. On October 19, 1868, Mr. Wilson was married to Sarah Ann Pyle, but she died about one year later. In 1871 he married Mary Brazelton, but after a union of about twelve years they separated and on November 25, 1886, he consummated a third marriage, being then united to Miss Mary McCartney, who was born January 1, 1865, in New York city, moving to Iowa at the age of five years. They are the parents of five children. namely: The eldest, a boy, died in infancy; Elizabeth, May, Edna and Alta, all of whom are attending school, the eldest daughter being a student in Ward Academy, in Charles Mix county, South Dakota. In 1883 Mr. Wilson came with his family to South Dakota and located in Charles Mix county, where he took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, while in subsequent years he added to the area of his landed estate until it now comprises nearly twenty-five hundred acres, having made purchases of land as his judgment and means justified, while most of this fine estate is located about five miles south of the village of Platte, where he has a large hotel. He has about nine hundred acres under cultivation and the balance is utilized for grazing purposes. Mr. Wilson is one of the most extensive and successful raisers of cattle and swine in this section, keeping an average of three hundred head of cattle and about one hundred hogs, while he gives special care to maintaining a high grade of live stock and is known as a capable and progressive business man and valuable citizen. He paid at the rate of about five dollars an acre for his land, and it will now command from twenty-five to forty dollars an acre. He has made excellent improvements on his estate, including good buildings, his residence having been erected at a cost of about three thousand dollars, while he also erected one of the finest barns in the county at a cost of about four thousand dollars, the same having been destroyed by a cyclone, in 1902, but which is now rebuilt. On his farm is a fine apple orchard of twelve acres, and everything about the place bespeaks thrift and prosperity. In the spring of 1904 the family took a pleasant trip to the National Park, making the journey in wagons. In politics Mr. Wilson is a Republican, but is not insistently partisan, particularly in local affairs. but gives his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. He has been a member of the school board of his district for many years, and in religious matters he is not definitely identified with any church, though he realizes the value of all and has a deep respect for the true spiritual verities.