JOHN P. WILSON. The family of which this gentleman is a worthy representative are of North of Ireland descent. Robert Wilson, the grandfather of our subject, emigrated to this country, and made a settlement on a farm in Cecil township, Washington Co., Penn., where he died. He had married a Welsh lady, who bore him seven children: James, William E., Thomas, Isabel (Mrs. Buchanan), Mary, Annie and Jane (Mrs. James Campbell) all now deceased. William E. Wilson, father of John P., was in his day a prominent agriculturist of Smith township, this county, where he bought a farm and made a settlement April 10, 1829. He had married, in 1822, Miss Margaret, daughter of John Park, a sketch of whose family follows this. To this union were born eight children, viz.: Sarah Ann; Samuel P., in Burgettstown, Penn.; Martha (widow of Alexander Russell), also in Burgettstown; Nancy (deceased); Isabella; John P.; Rebecca, of Burgettstown, and William L., who lately moved to that town. The parents both passed away on their farm in Smith township, the father in 1871, at the age of nearly fourscore years, and the mother in 1884, at the age of eighty-four years; they were members of the Seceder Church of Burgettstown, he being an elder in same. John P. Wilson was born December 11, 1837, on the old home farm in Smith township, and lived thereon until he was twenty-nine years of age. On January 10, 1867, he was married to Miss Jane, daughter of John Reed, Esq., a descendant of the Reeds, who came in 1775 from Lancaster county, Penn to this county. They settled in Mt. Pleasant township, on what is now known as the McBride farm, where they made improvements. This land, they claim, was unjustly taken from them by Gen. Washington. Being thus deprived of their land in Mt. Pleasant township, the family moved to Cecil township, where their descendants are now to be found. David Reed married Margaret May, who bore him eight children, all now deceased, viz.: Alexander, David, Polly (Mrs. George Murray), John (father of Mrs. John P. Wilson), James, Joseph, Jennie, and one that died in infancy. John Reed graduated from college when sixteen years old and on November 24, 1821, settled down to farm life in Mt. Pleasant township, where he passed the remainder of his days. He was married to Jane May, of Cecil township, and nine children were born to them: Phoebe (deceased); Margaret, in Washington county; David, in Burgettstown; John (deceased); George Murray, living at the old home; Jane, wife of John P. Wilson; Samuel, in McDonald, this county: Mary, at home, and Elizabeth, in Cecil township. The mother of this family died in 1844, aged forty-one years; the father in 1877, at the patriarchal age of ninety-one years. Politically he was first a Whig, afterward a Republican; for many years he served as a justice of the peace, and for several terms he was in the State Legislature; for twenty-five years or more he was a member of the Seceder Church at Hickory. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. John P. Wilson remained in Smith township twenty-two years, then for two years resided in Canonsburg, whence in April, 1891, they moved into the borough of Washington, where they have a pleasant home, the residence having been built by their two sons J. Reed and William Park who comprise all their family. John P. Wilson has been a lifelong agriculturist, but is now, although still retaining his farm, retired from active work in that line. THE PARK FAMILY. Tradition says that in 1787 John Park, then twenty eight years of age, was married in Washington county, by Rev. John McMillan, D. D., to a young daughter of Hon. John McDowell, of Chartiers township. This John Park was born December 18, 1758, a son of Samuel and Mary Park, who came hither before their marriage, from the North of Ireland, the voyage lasting six months, on the same vessel. Samuel Park was an importer of horses from the mother country, and in pursuit of his business he made three trips to the land of his birth. In this country he settled in Donegal township, Lancaster Co., Penn. In the fall of 1777 he came to Washington county, and for the sum of œ450, or about $2,160, purchased of Matthew Rodgers some 566 acres of wild land, the bill of sale being dated December 7, 1777. He then returned to Lancaster county, and sent out his sons, John and James, to clear some of this land, which they did, also erecting a log cabin and planting a crop, their sister Isabella accompanying them, to keep house for them. Samuel Park was a hardworking, industrious man widely known and respected for his strict integrity. James Park, one of his sons, was born in 1760. He was with Col. William Crawford in his expedition against the Indians in northwestern Ohio, in 1782. His wife was Isabella Craighead, and their children were: Samuel; George; James (deceased December 8, 1811); Mary, married in 1782 to Col. John Marshall (They then settled on Cross Creek, this county. Col. Marshall was born in 1746, and when the Revolutionary war broke out he entered the patriot army as a subaltern; he participated in thirteen battles, and at Trenton was severely wounded, a bullet entering his left side; was then promoted, and after the surrender of Cornwallis was made a brevet-major, Gen. Washington presenting him with a sword, which is now in the possession of his grandson, C. R. Marshall, of Richland county, Ohio. The Colonel lost a brother at the battle of Brandywine. Col. Marshall took part in the Whiskey Rebellion, was one of the "Council of Safety" held at Mingo Creek July 23, 1794, and at Monongahela City August 14, following, he presented the resolutions which were adopted; he was colonel of a volunteer regiment. In 1802 he was elected to the Ohio State Legislature, and reelected in 1803-04. He died in Ohio September 27, 1821, his wife several years later. They were the parents of ten children); Isabella Park was born in 1764, and was married in 1784, to Robert McGee, by whom she had five children (he died in 1796, his widow passing away in Clark county, Ind.); Hugh Park, born in 1767, died while a young man. John and Sarah Park for a time lived in two small cabins, a few feet apart, but later removed to the homestead, or "Deer Park," as it was called upon the death of John's father. They were the parents of ten children, of whom the following is a brief sketch: Agnes, born July 31, 1783 (was married to John White); John, born September 16, 1792 (married in 1820, to Ann Colmery, who died January 8, 1823, and he afterward, in 1827, married Martha Conley); Samuel, born December 25, 1795 (graduated from Jefferson College, afterward taught school, also surveyed; died in 1823, from the effects of a fall from a roof); William, born July 15,1797 (in 1831 bought 300 acres of land in Peters township; in 1833 he married Jane Law; was a member of the board of trustees of Jefferson College; a director of the Chartiers Valley Railroad; thirty years an elder of Centre Church; died November 6, 1870); Margaret, born March 15,1800 (married in 1822, to William E. Wilson); James was born November, 30, 1802; Isabel, born May 16, 1805 (married in 1831, to Henry Vance); Sarah, born December 18, 1807 (married John Hickman); McDowell was born March 6, 1810; Rebecca, born November 14, 1814 (married James Rankin, of Washington, Penn., and died April 18, 1875). The father of this family served as a scout in the Revolutionary war.

Text taken from page 284 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/.

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