[p. 877] who comes of a prominent old family of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, is the owner of a valuable farm of eighty-two acres, situated in Wayne Township, and is engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was born in a log cabin on his father's farm, about one mile north of his present home, October 4, 1857, and is a son of John I. and Elizabeth (Munnel) Wilson.
The Wilson family was first established in Lawrence County about 1796, with the arrival of five brothers, namely: Alexander, James, Andrew, William and Hugh. Of these, James was the grandfather of George Harvey and was a native of Scotland. He married Eletha Patterson, who was born in Ireland and was fifteen years of age when she accompanied her father John Patterson, and his family to America. James Wilson was accidentally killed by the falling of a tree, in 1803, and was survived by his widow and one son, John I. Wilson.
John I. Wilson was born in June, 1803, in Lawrence County, and there lived all his life, becoming a man of affluence in his section of the county. His homestead was in Wayne Township, and he was the owner of a large amount of real estate, in which he speculated extensively. He was married in August, 1826, to Miss Elizabeth Munnel, who at the time lacked one month of being fourteen years of age. She was born in 1812, and was quite small at the time of her father's death. Mr. Wilson died in 1885, at the advanced age of eighty-two years, and his widow survived him until 1895, dying at the age of eighty-three years. They were parents of sixteen children, as follows: Sarah, who died in her eightieth year, was the wife of Daniel Yoho; the second child died in infancy; Elizabeth is the widow of Harry Moore, who, in 1849, prior to his marriage, went to California during the gold excitement, but later returned; James died in infancy; Eli, a member of Company C, One Hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, known as "Round Heads," was killed at the second battle of Bull Run; William died at the age of four years; Ella married Ira Cunningham, whose death occurred November 21, 1903, at Wampum, and they had one son, John Ira, of Homewood, who married Etta Robberts,[sic] and had three children, two now living: Robert H. and Charles Lewis; the eighth child, in order of birth, was one who died in infancy; John P., who resides in Wayne Township, was also a member of Company C, One Hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War. He was three times married, his first and third wives being, respectively, Arilla and Alice Johnston, daughters of John C. Johnston, and his second wife was Eleanor Johnston, daughter of James Johnston, and he is the father of eighteen children; Johnston A. Wilson, who was a member of the Eighteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, during the Civil War, and now a resident of the State of Washington, married Miss Mary Jones; David W., also a member of Company C, One Hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, during the Rebellion, died several years after the war; Louisa, who married Ira Cunningham, had two children: Charles, a merchant of Wampum, who married Maud Braboy, and Effie, who died at the age of one year; Cecelia Emiline married Samuel Hill and resides in Shenango, Township; Hyram A. and Harriet L. are twins. The former married Mary Hatch, and lived in Missouri at his death. Harriet L. married Frank Shallenberger, and resides at Chewton; and George Harvey, who is the youngest of the family.
George Harvey Wilson was reared on the farm, and attended public school at Hopedale, after which he followed several lines of work for a number of years. He worked at the stone business for a period of seven years, since which time he has farmed. About 1883 he purchased his present farm of eighty-two acres in Wayne Township, it being a part of the old William Simley[sic] farm. A man of energy and good business capabilities, he has met with success in farming, and has one of the best improved farms in this locality.
Mr. Wilson was first married in February, 1882, to Miss Amelia Paland, a daughter of Augustus and Margaret Paland. Her parents were natives of Germany, and coming to this country first located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and subsequently in Wayne Township, Lawrence County. She died in 1889, leaving four sons, as follows: Harry Augustus, who works in Rochester, Pa.; Charles E., residing in Wayne Township, who married Emma Van Gorder, a daughter of James Van Gorder has a son Warren William; Herman Lewis works in Ellwood City, Pa., at the Frankfort Steel Works; and Frank I. is preparing himself for a position as mechanical engineer at the Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio. Mr. Wilson married second, May 1, 1901, Miss Elizabeth Grandy, a daughter of Robert Grandy, of Wayne Township, and the became parents of one daughter, Mary Elizabeth. Mrs. Wilson died in 1904. Formerly, Mr. Wilson was a member of the Patrons of Husbandry. He is a Republican in national politics, but locally reserves the right to vote independently. He served some years as township clerk. He is a man of wide acquaintance in this part of the county, and has a host of friends.
20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
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