JOHN S. WILSON, of the firm of Hayes & Wilson, carriage makers, Washington, is a native of that borough, born in March, 1830. His grandfather, Matthew Wilson, was of Butler county, Penn., whence he removed to Morgan county, Ohio where he carried on farming, and died in 1845 at the patriarchal age of ninety years. He was a Revolutionary soldier. His wife a native of Ireland, bore him five children (all now deceased), one of whom came at the age of seventeen years to Washington, but did not remain long; another son and a daughter died in Ohio. William Jackson Wilson, a son of Matthew, was born in Butler county, Penn., and when a lad came to Washington, where for many years he followed his trade, shoemaking. He was a very patriotic man, and held a commission as major in the militia. In 1862, then sixty years of age, he was desirous of enlisting in the active service of his country, but because of his white hair and beard he was rejected. Determined, however, to get into some regiment, he rejuvenated himself by dying his hair, and was then accepted, serving his country four years with as much zeal and activity as many a much younger man. When he reached the age of seventy-six, he departed this life, a stanch Republican in his political preferences, although prior to the Civil war he had been a Democrat. At one time in his life he was overseer of the poor, serving eight years. Socially he was connected with the I. O. O. F. and F. & A. M., and in religion he was a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. Wilson was married to Mrs. Mary Kimmons, nee Sprowls, a descendant of John Sprowls who came from England to this county about the time of the Revolution, settling in East Finley township. To this union were born six children, as follows: George W., in Louisville, Ky. (for thirty years he was on the L. & N. railroad); Sarah is the wife of Morgan Hayes; John S. is the subject of this sketch; Mary (Mrs. Daniel Mowry) is deceased; Charlotte lives in Washington, Penn. The mother died at McConnellsville, Ohio, in 1841.
John S. Wilson received his education at the public schools of his native place, and learned the trade of shoemaker with his father, at which he worked three years. Preferring, however, the carriage-making business, he bound himself as an apprentice to S. B. & C. Hayes, of Washington, in that line, and served four years, after which he worked as a journeyman, part of the time in Wheeling, W. Va. In 1859 he went "across the plains" to California, with oxen, the journey occupying six months, and he has still in his possession a diary he kept, containing an interesting account of his trip from the time of his leaving home to his return in 1865. About that year he again went to Wheeling, where he remained several years, and then, finally, returned to Washington, where, in 1871, he entered into partnership with Morgan Hayes, for the manufacture of all kinds of carriages, buggies, spring wagons, etc., under the firm name of Hayes & Wilson, which has since continued with unqualified success. In 1868 Mr. Wilson was married to Miss Harriet Woodward Kimball, of Wheeling, W. Va., a native of White Mills, Penn., and whose parents are now deceased. No children have been born to this union. Politically Mr. Wilson sympathizes with the Democratic party, but in voting he invariably uses his judgment, casting his ballot for "the right man for the right place;" socially he was at one time a member of the I. O. O. F. He is a typical self-made man, having attained success by his own individual efforts. Enterprising to an eminent degree, he takes a lively interest in all measures tending to the welfare and prosperity of his city and county. He is a stockholder in both the Glass Works and the Tube Works in Washington.
Text taken from page 254 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]