Barnett Wilson

BARNETT, HAINES, LIPPENCOTT, WILSON

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/15/2004 at 10:34:50

“History of Madison County Iowa and Its People”
Herman A. Mueller, Supervising Editor
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915

Barnett Wilson, a retired farmer who has resided in Earlham since 1907, has lived in this part of the state for nearly six decades and was long and actively identified with agricultural interests here. His birth occurred near Indianapolis, Marion county, Indiana, on the 23d of April, 1841, his parents being Thomas and Ruth (Barnett) Wilson, both of whom were natives of Ohio. The paternal grandparents of our subject removed to the Buckeye state in 1803 and it was in that year that the birth of their son Thomas occurred. The latter went to Indiana in a very early day and purchased a half section of land in Marion county, which he cleared and improved, operating the place until November, 1857, when he drove with his family across the country to Madison county, Iowa, with an ox team. They drove twenty head of sheep and forty head of cattle before them. Thomas Wilson had previously entered some land in this county and on his arrival here he purchased the north half of section 16, Penn township. It was upon the southeast quarter of that section that the first house in Penn township was erected, it being a pioneer log cabin. Improving the property, Mr. Wilson operated it successfully for a number of years. The remainder of his life was spent in honorable retirement at Earlham and his demise occurred while he was visiting a daughter in Polk county, March 10, 1888. His wife passed away on the i2th of May, 1885. They were among the earliest settlers of this county, and at the time of their arrival there were only seven voters in Penn township, four republicans and three democrats. They became the parents of twelve children, two of whom died in Indiana, while ten accompanied them to Iowa. The record is as follows: Margaret, Hulda, Seth, Jesse, Barnett, Christopher, Charles, Tamer and John, twins, Martha, Ruth and Jane. Five of the number are now living.

Barnett Wilson acquired his education in the schools of his native state and was a youth of sixteen years when the family home was established in Madison county, Iowa. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-two years of age and subsequently cultivated rented land for two years, on the expiration of which period he purchased a tract of one hundred and twenty acres in Dallas county, a mile and a half from Earlham. Later he extended the boundaries of his farm by additional purchase until it now embraces one hundred and ninety-five acres of productive land and is a valuable and highly improved property. For twenty-five years he made a specialty of shorthorn cattle and he also raised Poland China hogs and Percheron and Morgan horses, his live-stock interests adding materially to his income. In 1907 he put aside the active work of the fields and removed to Earlham, where he bought a pleasant and commodious residence and has since made his home.

On the 20th of March, 1864, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Thamson Haines, a daughter of William J. and Elizabeth (Lippincott) Haines, both of whom were natives of Burlington county, New Jersey. They removed to Ohio in an early day and subsequently took up their abode in Randolph county, Indiana, where Mr. Haines followed agricultural pursuits and also conducted a hotel until 1858, when he came to Iowa, purchasing and improving a farm in Guthrie county, which he operated for a number of years. His last days were spent in honorable retirement in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, his death occurring on the 22d of October, 1891. For four years he had survived his wife, who passed away in September, 1887. Their children were three in number, namely: Ner B., Thamson and Rebecca A. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been born five children as follows: Lizzie, Nellie, Mary, Ida and William J.

In his political views Mr. Wilson is a progressive, stanchly advocating the principles of the party as set forth by Theodore Roosevelt. While living on the farm he served as trustee and also in the capacity of school director, proving a capable and trustworthy public official. His religious faith is that of the Friends church. He has now passed the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey and his record cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our readers, being that of one of Madison county's well known and most respected citizens.

Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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