William T. Wilson

Thomas H. Wilson born May 31, 1818 near the village of Denton, Caroline county, Maryland death December 27, 1877 Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana son of John and Sarah (Hopkins) Wilson married 1st 1842 America Weirck Birth: Feb. 28, 1823 Death: Jun. 25, 1845 Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana

2nd Mary Isabel Ann Dexter Birth: 1828 Death: Sep. 18, 1854 Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana

3rd Elizabeth Edmonson Hopkins Wilson Birth: Feb. 10, 1829 Talbot County Maryland Death: Feb. 27, 1898 Logansport Cass County Indiana Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana

HIs children:

William T. Wilson Birth: Jan. 24, 1854 Cass County Indiana, Death: Jan. 27, 1943 Logansport Cass County Indiana, Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana married 1880 Martha Louise (McCarty) Wilson b. 1858 d. Jun. 27, 1926 Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana of daughter Joseph P. McCarty

1909 - Oct - Ed Morris letter and envelope W. T. Wilson of Logansport, Indiana concerning his sailhoat the "Unacus"

Their children:

Dorothy Dexter Wilson

William T. Wilson Although only forty-five years of age, Mr. Wilson really began his life over eighty years ago, when his father, Thomas H. Wilson, came into this world upon the shores and among the Quaker's of East Maryland. He immigrated to Indiana in the early thirties, first landing in Wayne county and thence journeying to Logansport, where for over forty years he was a loading merchant and acquired wealth, and, what is of far more value than wealth, a good name, dying about twenty years ago.

William T. Wilson, his eldest son, was born in Logansport, January 4, 1854. His mother's maiden name was Dexter. She was a Herkimer county, New York, girl, and became acquainted with her future husband while on a visit to Logansport in the family of the later Judge Stewart. Mr. Wilson is a graduate of Princeton College, class of 1874, and shows many traces of the handiwork of that grand old Scotchman, President James McCosh. He was on of the honor men of his class. Immediately after his graduation he began the study of law in the office of ex-Senator Pratt, who had just finished his term at Washington. Soon afterwards Mr. Pratt was appointed Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and left his large property for the next two years almost wholly in the hands of young Wilson, who was hardly twenty-two years old. So great confidence had Mr. Pratt in him that on his death, in 1877, he appointed him his sole executor, a position that he still holds.

About the time of Senator Pratt's death Mr. T. H. Wilson died, and so another large estate was placed in the hands of his son. Mr. Wilson's friends have always regretted that he was not born to poverty, and especially that when so young he should have been placed in charge of two large estates, fore he has mental traits that fit him for a lawyer of the very highest rank. He has a subtle, clear, quick brain, and easily grasps the details of complicated litigations. He has the advantage of being very combative, and had only the necessity of daily bread forced him into court he would have made a very distinguished success.

Mr. Wilson is a through-going Republican. He has not a drop of Democratic blood in his veins, nor did his father before him. He is an excellent public speaker. So great have been his services to his party that he was several times been called upon to preside over its county and once over its district Congressional convention. Almost invariably at any assembly of the Republican's, in Logansport, a cry of "Wilson, Wilson" is heard from all over the house, and when Wilson appears upon the platform business begins and keeps on with great unanimity until the Democratic hide, in whole or in part, is hung up on the fence.
Only once in his life has Mr. Wilson held office. For two years he as a Common Councilman of Logansport, and at the end of his term the city's debt had been reduced $100,00.

Mr. Wilson is an honest, upright man. He is one of the pillars of the Presbyterian Church, and carried his religion into his business. He could early have been in Congress but for his modesty and for his interesting family, to which he is very devoted. He is one of the men who gives his party honor and makes it known and respected both at home and abroad.

History of the Republican Party of Indiana : biographical sketches of the party leaders Indianapolis: Indiana History Co., 1899 pg. 186

William T. Wilson. Among those who are members of the Cass county bar may be found many native sons of this section; men belonging to old and honored families, members of which have been prominently connected with commercial, professional and public life for many years.

It is in this class that William T. Wilson hold prestige, for he has not only gained a high reputation in his profession, as well as along business lines, but is a son of one of Logansport's early merchants, the late Thomas H. Wilson.

Thomas H. Wilson was born May 31, 1818 near the village of Denton, Caroline county, Maryland, a son of John and Sarah (Hopkins) Wilson, both of English descent. The sixth of a family of ten children, he passed his early years on a farm, and at the age of eleven years, at the time of the death of his father, he went to live with an uncle, Thomas Hopkins, who was his guardian, and in whose store and mill he worked for some time. In 1834 he became a clerk in a store at Camden, Delaware, and in 1837, when this firm was dissolved, came with one of his employers, Daniel Atwell, to Logansport, Indiana. Here, in 1840, he became one of the principals in the mercantile establishment of Pollard & Wilson, which concern, in 1843, built a grain warehouse on the Wasbash & Erie Canal. Mr. Wilson, through his extensive mercantile, commission and forwarding interests, became widely and favorably known throughout this part of the state. About 1853, owing to changes the firm became Wilson, Merriam & Company, although the firm of Pollard & Wilson continued to do business until the death of the senior partner in 1856. Failing health, caused by close attention to his duties as executor of the estate of Mr. Pollard, led to Mr. Wilson's resignation from the firm, but he continued in the produce trade until 1875. In May, 1865, he became president of the Logansport National Bank, and served as such until his death, December 27, 1877. He was originally a whig in his political views, but when the organization of the Republican party was brought about, he cast his fortunes with the new movement. He was reared, religiously, in the faith of the Friends or Quakers, but all religious denominations benefited by his liberality, and no charitable movement with a worthy cause ever appealed to him in vain. In his death the poor, needy and afflicted lost a true friend, who had never forgotten them. Mr. Wilson was thrice married, his first union occurring in 1842, when he married America Weirck. She died three years later and in 1849, Mr. Wilson married Mary A. I. Dexter, who passed away in 1854. His third marriage took place in 1856, when he was united with Elizabeth E. Hopkins, who survived him until 1898. Mr. Wilson had four sons: William T., Ellwood G., Thomas H. and John Charles.

William T. was born in Logansport, Indiana in 1854, and his early education was secured in the public school. Subsequently, he entered Princeton University, New Jersey, from which institution he was graduated in 1874, and in the following year commenced reading law in the office of the Hon. D. D. Pratt, of Logansport, being admitted to the bar during the same year. He immediately entered upon the practice of his profession, andhas gained an enviable reputation among his associates and in the confidence of the people of his community. His practice had been of a general character, and his is known as a thoroughly learned and sound lawyer, a logical and convincing reasoner and a persuasive and successful advocate. He is a Republican in politics, although of the kind that seeks the establishment of the right principles of government rather than the acquisition of the honors of office or the spoils of partisanship. Since 1877, the year in which his father died, he has been officially connected with the First National Bank of Logansport, of which he has been a director for a quarter of a century, and various other positions of prominence have been capably filled by him. With Mrs. Wilson, he attend the Presbyterian church.

In 1880 Mr. Wilson was untied in marriage with Miss Martha L. McCarty, daughter of Joseph P. McCarty, of Logansport. Their four children are: Thomas H., associated with his father in the practice of law; Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Frank H. Worthington, of the Vandalia Railroad, residing at Terre Haute; Joseph and Dorothy Dexter, living at home.

History of Cass County, Indiana : from its earliest settlement to the present time, with biographical sketches and reference to biographies previously compiled Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913 pg. 898-9

Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

William T. Wilson