William W. Wilson Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 976-977

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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WILLIAM W. WILSON, ex-soldier, and general farmer residing on section 
6, in Nance township, is one of the pioneer settlers of Beadle county 
and has aided in its advance. He is of Scotch-Irish and German 
extraction, and was born in what is now Sullivan county, Pennsylvania, 
September 16, 1833, the third child and eldest son of Joseph M. and 
Annie (White) Wilson. 

As a boy our subject was apprenticed to the molder's trade, but took up 
the trade of carpenter, the latter being more to his liking. Soon after 
he became of age he took an extensive trip through the central states, 
visiting Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa, and in 1856 he located in Knox 
county, Illinois, from which place he enlisted in Company A, Fourteenth 
Illinois Cavalry, September 11, 1861. He was with Stoneman on the raid 
to Macon, was at Nashville, and was on Shackford's raid through Indiana 
and Ohio. He enlisted as a sergeant, and was discharged from the 
service, on account of disability, July 2, 1865, with the rank of 
commissary sergeant. He made no effort to get a pension until after the 
invalid pension bill was passed in 1891, although he was justly 
entitled to it. Returning from the service he worked at his trade until 
1868, when he removed from Knox county, to Des Moines county, Iowa, and 
from there he went to Taylor county, Iowa. He located in Dakota in 
1883, and upon the farm which he took he built a small board house, 
sodded up the sides. The sods have lately been been removed, the 
building sided and affords a comfortable dwelling. The supply of water 
was good on his farm and although of advanced age, he engaged in stock 
raising and general farming with success, until reverses came as a 
result of the seasons of drought, and hail. Prosperity again seems to 
be his lot and he now has eleven head of cattle. 

Our subject was married in 1866, to Miss Lydia A. Enke, of Ohio. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Wilson have been born five children, named: William E., 
engaged in the hardware business in Omaha; Rozella, now Mrs. 
Brachvogel; Rozetta, now Mrs. Carrington; Mary, now Mrs. Brachvogel, of 
Omaha; and Pearl, who resides at home with her parents. Mr. Wilson is 
thoroughly identified with the growth of the county, and is ever ready 
to aid in any enterprise for the good of his community. He has been 
called upon to fill the various local offices, and is chairman, clerk 
and treasurer of the township board. He is an able officer and ever 
faithful to the trust imposed in him. In political views he is a 
Republican, favors high license, and opposes equal suffrage. He is a 
member of the Masonic fraternity, and the Grand Army of the Republic.