Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 901
WILLIAM H. WILSEY

William H. WILSEY, of Little Sioux Township, came to Harrison County in 1876, when he took up his residence in Little Sioux. He was born May 6, 1822, at Troy, Bradford County, Pa., and lived there until 1836, when the family removed to Ohio, and from there to Michigan, and then to Illinois, in which State our subject obtained most of his education, and there grew to manhood. He came to Monona County, Iowa, in 1855, and settled in the town of Maple, and laid out the village of Mapleton on his farm, where he was both merchant and Postmaster for some years. By his own industry, perserverance and frugality, he rapidly accumulated both money and lands, until he became one of the largest land owners in the county, owning at one time fifteen hundred acres in Maple Township.

He remained in Monona County until 1876, when he concluded to try his fortune in the Far West, and with this in view, he removed to Colorado, but after a few months was glad to return to the Hawkeye State and took up residence in Harrison County, but lived for two years in Mapleton, but finally in 1882 came to Little Sioux Township, and has resided here since that time. He is one of the largest land owners in this and Monona counties, having five hundred acres in Little Sioux Township alone, a greater portion of which is under the plow.

Mr. WILSEY has been three times married: first in Henry County, Ill., in 1844, he was united to Miss Sarah Jane CUNNINGHAM, by whom four children were born -- Clarissa, Nelson A., Duke W. and William H.

Mr. WILSEY afterward married Mrs. Sarah (RUGGLES) MAYNARD, the widow of Amos MAYNARD, of Pennsylvania, who came to the country with him.

March 27, 1877, Mr. WILSEY for the third time entered into the bonds of matrimony, being on that day united in marriage to Mrs. Mary A. SMITH, a native of Linn County, Iowa, the daughter of Moses and Eliza (BRAZZELTON) GERMAN, of Little Sioux, and who came there at a very early day. Her father built the first dwelling house eracted in Little Sioux.

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