Harrison County, West Virginia Biography of Jasper N. WILKINSON This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. 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. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 331-332 JASPER N. WILKINSON. After a busy career marked by successful and worthy achievement Mr. Wilkinson is now living virtually retired at Bridgeport, Harrison County. He was born on a farm not far distant from the vil- lage in which he now resides, and the date of his nativity was January 22. 1841. He is a son of Jesse and Mary Ann (Preston) Wilkinson, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in Allegany County, Maryland. The family was founded in Virginia in the Colonial period of our national history, and the maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was a patriot soldier in the War of the Revolution. Jesse H. Wilkinson was one of the successful early farmers of Harrison County, and continued to reside on his homestead farm near Bridgeport until his death. His widow passed the closing period of her life in the home of their only daughter, Sarah A., in Knox County, Missouri. In the family were four sons. Jasper N. Wilkinson was reared on the old home farm, early began to assist in its work, and he continued to attend local schools at intervals until he was twenty years of age, when, in 1861, he went to Morgantown and became a student in Monongalia Academy, of which Professor J. R. Moore was the principal. In 1865 Mr. Wilkinson graduated from this institution, with the degree of Civil Engineer, and thereafter he passed about one month in Iowa, whither he went to visit in the home of his aunt, Mrs. Rebecca Hansel, in Clayton County. He next made his way to Arcola, Douglas County, Illinois, where he found employ- ment in the line of his profession and did surveying work of important order. In Illinois he aided in the defining of the section lines of Grand Prairie in Moultrie County, which borders Douglas County on the west. It is interest- ing to record that at that time land in that section of Illinois could be purchased at prices ranging from $1.25 to $2.50 an acre. In the autumn of 1865 Mr. Wilkinson returned to his native county, and for the ensuing three years he assisted his father on the home farm. In 1868 he engaged in the general merchandise business at Bridge- port, and he successfully continued this enterprise until 1874, when he sold out. In 1870 he had been elected county engineer, an office of which he continued the efficient incumbent four years and then was re-elected for a second term of equal duration. After his retirement from this office he served four years as deputy county engineer under T. Moore Jackson, and he then became associated with J. N. Camden as civil engineer, and had charge of the running of all of the lines on the coal lands owned and controlled by Mr. Camden, said lands lying on both sides of the river and running back three miles. In the autumn of 1888 Mr. Wilkinson became civil engi- neer for the South Pennsylvania Oil Company of Pitts- burgh, and in 1890 this corporation gave him assignment as superintendent of its operations in the West Virginia District, where he had supervision of the company's title rights and other matters pertaining to its land holdings in this state. In this connection he did a large amount of important and responsible executive and technical serv- ice, and he continued his alliance with the company for a term of years. In 1910 Mr. Wilkinson was placed in charge of the Hope Gas Company, and this position he retained until 1913, when ill health compelled his retirement. Dur- ing these years of consecutive and well ordered activity in his profession Mr. Wilkinson did not neglect extraneous opportunities for forwarding his individual prosperity. He made judicious investments, and these today mark him as a man of substantial financial status. He owns and occu- pies one of the beautiful residences of Bridgeport, the same commanding a fine view of the surrounding country, and here he is enjoying the peace and prosperity that prop- erly crown his former years of earnest endeavor. He is aligned loyally in the ranks of the democratic party, has been affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since the year 1865, and he holds membership also in the Knights of Pythias. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian Church, and his wife is a member of the Baptist Church. April 30, 1868, recorded the marriage of Mr. Wilkinson and Miss Anna Barbee Heflin, of Bridgeport, and in con- clusion of this review is given brief record concerning their children: Guy C., who was born June 1, 1871, succeeded his father as superintendent of the Hope Gas Company and retained this position until his death, December 11, 1915, he having been a bachelor and having been one of the popular and representative business men of this sec- tion of his native state. Mary Bessie, who was born July 1, 1873, died on the 13th of February, 1909. She became the wife of Dr. C. L. Lyon, and after her death her only child, Helen, then six years of age, was taken into the home of the maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wil- kinson, with whom she has since remained, she being now a student in the University of West Virginia. Anna Heflin, who was born July 15, 1875, became the wife of Wilbur Gaines, of Salem, this state, and they now reside at Bridge- port. Nellie Virginia was born November 8, 1878, and her death occurred March 8, 1908. Irma N., who was born September 24, 1881, is the wife of Leroy H. Martin, a mem- ber of the firm of Martin Brothers of Haywood, Harrison County. Lucy E., who was born August 2, 1884, remains at the parental home. All of the children were afforded the best of educational advantages.