Biography - JOHN D. WILSON

John D. Wilson, a successful farmer of Shipman township, who as a young man offered his services to his country in its hour of peril and in later years has fully demonstrated his ability and integrity, is a native of Macoupin county. He was born on the farm where he now resides July 31, 1844, and is a son of Thomas Henry and Elizabeth (Bowman) Wilson. The father was born near Carlisle in Northumberland county, England, in March, 1803, and the mother near Penrith, Westmoreland county, England, December 12, 1802. The grandparents on both sides of the house were born respectively in Northumberland and Westmoreland counties. Thomas Henry Wilson grew to manhood in his native county and in 1830, three months after his marriage, came with his wife to America, crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel which required eight weeks to accomplish the voyage to New Orleans. They traveled by steamboat to St. Louis and rented a dwelling for a short time in that city, which stood on the site now occupied by the Planter’s Hotel. They later removed to Alton, Illinois, and Mr. Wilson rented a farm on the Grafton road. In 1835 he located on government land on section 19 of Shipman township, Macoupin county, this being the same place now occupied by his son, John D. Wilson. The land was mostly covered with timber which the industrious pioneer cleared away, making many other improvements on the place. He possessed good business ability and became the owner of more than six hundred acres of productive land. He died in 1869 and his wife was called away in 1881, at the age of seventy-nine years. There were six children in their family, one of whom died in infancy. Thomas Henry is now engaged in farming north of Piasa. Charles B., who was a resident of Piasa, and is now deceased, was a soldier in the Civil war. He was a member of the Sixty-sixth Illinois Volunteers and fought at Shiloh and Chattanooga, also participating in the Atlanta campaign. Elizabeth is now living at Piasa. Mary is the widow of James Landreth and makes her home at Jacksonville. John D., the youngest of the children, is the subject of this review.

After completing his preliminary education in the public schools John D. Wilson applied himself to farming under his father and continued at home until twenty years of age. He then enlisted at Springfield in Company H, One Hundred and Thirty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was sent with his regiment to Rock Island, Illinois, to guard the United States arsenal and the Confederate prisoners. After receiving his discharge he returned to the home place and rented land of his father. In 1880 he purchased two hundred and seventeen acres on sections 19 and 30, Shipman township. He later acquired a portion of his father’s farm by inheritance, and has since purchased one hundred and sixty acres in the same township and sixty acres in Jersey county, so that he now has five hundred and ninety acres. He has improved his farm by the erection of all the buildings except the family residence and has one of the best orchards in this vicinity. He engages in general farming and in dairying, and is known as one of the representative and substantial men of the county, whose name is synonymous with rectitude and progress.

On the 30th of October, 1873, Mr. Wilson was married to Miss Augusta McCollister, who was born near Kemper, Jersey county, Illinois, September 10, 1848, a daughter of Isaac and Sylvia (North) McCollister. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are the parents of the following children: Arthur C., of Kansas City, Missouri, who married Mabel Williams and is the father of two sons, Paul R. and Arthur C.; Esther M., who lives near Scobey, Montana; Sylvia E., at home; Edward Ernest, a hardware merchant of Rousseau, South Dakota; N. D., who married Anna C. Arvidson and has two daughters, Esther F. and Mabel R.; Charles H., who is married and is identified with a law firm at Houston, Texas; John D., Jr., residing near Morrisonville, Illinois, who married Cora Rich and has two sons, Stuart and Arthur D.; Frank N., also of Scobey, Montana; Mary A., who married Charles P. Stapp, of Rushville, Illinois, and is the mother of two children, Sylvia Elizabeth and Charles P.; Thomas M., who is living at home; Sherman R., who resides near Scobey; and Isaac C., who is also at home.

The McCollister family, of which Mrs. Wilson is a member, is of ScotchIrish origin. John McCollister, her grandfather, was born in Lewis county, New York. He was married in his native state and came west with his wife and six children, traveling by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi river. In 1819 the family located in Morgan county, near Alton, Illinois, and the father and three sons died of a fever within a period of forty days, in the fall of the same year of their arrival. It may be proper to state here that a branch of the family spells the name McCallister. To this branch belonged Judge McCallister, of Chicago, and Captain McCallister, of McCallisters Battery, which became noted in the Civil war. These two men were cousins of Isaac McCollister, the father of Mrs. Wilson. In 1820, after the death of his father and three other members of the family, Isaac McCollister moved with his mother and the surviving members of the family to Apple Creek Prairie, near Whitehall, Greene county, Illinois. As he grew to manhood he worked by the month for farmers around Whitehall and also was employed in the lead mines at Galena. . After his marriage he purchased a farm near Kemper, Illinois, and about 1858 located at Fidelity, where he engaged in farming until his death, in 1890. He was married March 10, 1846, to Miss Sylvia North, a daughter of Ashrel and Prudence (Swallow) North. The progenitors of the Swallow family in America were Ambrose and Mary Swallow, who came to Chelmsford, Massachusetts, from England about 1666. Ambrose Swallow died October 25, 1684. Nahum Swallow, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Wilson, was born in Dunstable, Massachusetts, in 1771, and the descent has been traced in unbroken succession to the present time. To Isaac McCollister and his wife thirteen children were born, namely: Mary, who died in infancy; Augusta, now Mrs. J. D. Wilson; Lucy, who also died in infancy; William Henry, who died at the age of three years; Edgar, twins and Charles H., all of whom died in infancy; Edward, who is now living at Fidelity, Illinois; Lizzie, the widow of A. B. Piggott, of Jerseyville; Albert Sherman, who makes his home at Fidelity; and Ira I. and Ida S., twins, the former of whom died at the age of five years, while the latter became the wife of W. K. Dodge, of Fidelity.

Mr. Wilson and his wife occupy one of the historic homes of the county, the residence having been built by his father sixty years ago. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order and politically he adheres to the republican party. He has taken a great interest in the success of the party and has been active in its councils, having served as central committeeman for twenty-five years. He filled the office of school director for one term and then declined to serve further. His energies have been largely concentrated upon his business and his family. He is justly proud of his wife and children and has often appeared with his eight sons on the baseball field, thus making a team which has successfully coped with some of the picked “nines” of the county. As a native of this section, a man of unblemished character, and a citizen who has ably performed his part in advancing the permanent welfare of the community, he is greatly respected and no man is more worthy of a place in this record.

Extracted 14 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 256-258.