ThomasWilson
THOMAS WILSON, Presidentof the Schuyler County Bank, and a leading financier and business man ofRushville, Illinois, was born near Five-Mile Town, in county Tyrone, Ireland,in March, 1812. Both his grandfather, Thomas, and father Thomas,were natives of the same county. They were of well-known and esteemedScotch ancestry, who were sturdy, rugged farmers, and passed their entirelives in their native land. His father was reared to manhood in hisnative county, were he married Jane Greer, also a native of the EmeraldIsle. They resided in Ireland until 1843, when they commenced thelong journey to America. Unfortunately the wife and mother died inEngland while en route, leaving six children and a bereaved husband. These children were: William, Thomas, Joseph, George, Jane and Robert,all of whom came to America, except George, and located in Illinois. The father settled first in Schuyler county, Illinois, where he remainedfour years, after which he removed to Hancock county, locating near Nauvoo,where he resided until death. He was an intelligent, pious, goodman, and was greatly esteemed by all who knew him.The subject of this sketchwas reared and educated in Ireland, where he continued to live until 1832,when at the age of twenty years, he emigrated to America, sailing fromDerry in the sail vessel William Ewing. He landed in Philadelphiaafter a tempestuous voyage of seven weeks, a stranger in a strange land. He found employment in the City of Brotherly Love, at the weaving trade,and continued to operate a loom until the fall of the year of his arrival. He then removed to Lancaster county, that State, where he obtained employmenton the farm of his uncle, James Little. He continued there until1834, when he removed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, securing employment ona farm near that city. Three years latter he went to Illinois, goingvia the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers, to Rushville, Schuyler county. At that early period the country was sparsely settled, and some of theland was still owned by the Government. Rude log houses dotted thecountry. At that time Rushville was an insignificant village, withnothing like its present pretentious appearance. Mr. Wilson immediatelyengaged in merchandising in a small way, buying his goods in St. Louisand transporting them by way of the river in summer an by wagon in winter. His business gradually increased until he became, in time, a prominentmerchant of the town. Since 1872 he has been interested in banking,and upon the organization of the Schuyler County Bank he was elected itspresident, bringing to this position unusual financial ability and extendedexperience.
He was married September18, 1834, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Miss Susan Clark, an estimablelady, a native of Lancaster county, that State, and a daughter of Johnand Eleanor (Greer) Clark. They have three children: Anne Jane, wifeof James P. Clark; John; and Lorinda, wife of John T. Sweeney. Eleanorand Sarah Elisa are deceased. Eleanor died in December, 1860, afterfinishing her education at Monticello in1857; and Sarah died in February,1883, leaving three children; she was the wife of Hiram Graff.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are earnestand useful members of the Methodist Church, and are prohibitionists inprinciple. They are worthy people, and enjoy the esteem of the entirecommunity.
Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892.
Transcribed by Dan Dunhamfor Schuyler County ILGenWebCopyright2000-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only.Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictlyprohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appearwith the information.