 Robert White Wilson |
 Johanna DeMar Wilson |
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Robert White Wilson |
Johanna DeMar Wilson |
Robert and his family are enumerated in the 1856 Iowa Census, Jasper Co., Newton Twp. They are enumerated as though living next to Abijah Alloway and his wife Frances, ages 34 and 36 respectively and Abijah's father John, aged 73.
The 1860 Federal Census-Mariposa Twp., Jasper Co., IA. lists him as a Farmer with $1300 real estate property value and $800 personal property value.
The 1870 Federal census-Mariposa Twp., Jasper Co., IA. lists him as a Farmer with $4500 real estate property value and $2000 personal property value.
This is a transcription of a letter given to R.A.Wilson by R.F.Wilson which Robert White Wilson had written in his own hand writing on Nov 10, 1885.
Robert White Wilson was born December the 17th. 1813 in Sussex County, Delaware. In 1814, Jesse Wilson moved from the state of Delaware to the state of Kentucky and stopped in Bourbon County for 2 or 3 years and then moved to Fayette County to oversee for one Samuel Brackenridge for one or two years and then changed over and went to oversee for Samuel Meredith two years making 7 years he lived in Kentucky and in the fall of 1821 moved to Clarke County, Indiana 3 or 4 miles west of Charleston on the waters of Silver Creek and in the fall of 1822 moved to Scott County and settled 6 miles west of Lexington in the fork of two creeks Stuckers Fork and Kimberlen Creek whar he lived until his death in 1846, on February 15. My mother died April 15, 1849.
Robert W. Wilson and Johanna Demar was married November the 10, 1835 in Clarke County near Charleston, Indiana lived thar 2 years and then moved to Arkansas to Helena in Phillips County whar we lived until 1842 and then moved back to Scott County, Indiana and in 1850 moved to Clarke County and in 1854 moved to Iowa. Got to Newton on the 10th day of November, 1854. Come to this grove on 13 and commentz to build me a cabin. Got to stay with old father John Alloway until I got my cabin built and got in to it on the 6 day of December and have lived in this place 31 years today. November 10, 1885.
The following is a letter written by Robert on March 35, 1885, addressed to the editor of the Newton Journal who was taking testimony from some of it's older subscribers. He writes, "I was born in Sussex County Delaware, Dec. 17, 1813; my father moved to Bourbon County , Kentucky in 1814, and then to Fayette County, and in 1821 to Clark County, Indiana, and to Scott County in 1842, when he died in 1846. I was married on the 10th on November, 1835, and in 1837, moved to Helarey (perhaps Helena), Phillips Co., Arkansas. In June, 1842, I moved back to Scott County. In 1850 to Clark County, and in 1854 to Iowa in a covered wagon. In October 1854, I erected the house where I now live. Moved my family to Newton on the 10th day of November, '54, and on the 13th to grove of old father John Alloway's, until I could build me a cabin.--which I got into on the 5th of December, 1854.--Have taken the paper since the time that it was under the management of Angus Campbell--don't remember the year. When there were two Republican papers, I took both part of the time.
"During the time of the war we could not get the news fast enough. (Ed. note- His son, William DeMar was serving with the 7th Iowa Calvary in Nebraska) We had arranged for someone to go to town every day to bring us the latest from the front. There was a little daily printed for a while which came out every morning with the latest telegrams." Following is the reply he received: "Mr Wilson, the little daily was called the Monitor, if you remember, and was published by two printer boys in the old Free Press office,--Jackson Newell and Tommy Rodgers,--who when the thing got to be a little more interesting volunteered as "soger boys," and the Monitor was no more. Poor Jackson was killed at Vicksburg, and the other boy adds this note." [Ed note- the term "soger boys" is an Old English term used for "soldier boys" commonly used during the civil war period.]
The following is taken in part from notes handed out at the Rushville dedication ceremonies in June of 1997. "Information received from accounts of an earlier settler, Robert White Wilson, indicate the town was named after his hometown of Rushville, Indiana.
"Wilson arrived in November 10, 1854, settling in an area he called Alloway's Grove. He recorded the following families homesteaded in the area west of Rock Creek, east of the North Skunk River, and north from Kellogg to the Marshall County line:John Alloway, Abijah Alloway, Abisha Alloway, Silas Spurlin, Orin Whitcomb, Charles Whitcomb, Lacias Whitcomb, Henry Whitcomb, Thomas Rede, R.W.Wilson, Smith Cox, Frank Cary, Mr. Moon, and Stephen Needham. In the spring of 1885, there were other arrivals. Around 1860, two brothers, John L. Morris and Stephen Morris of Newcomerstown, Ohio came. Addison Frazier Callison arrived in 1866 with four young children. Part of the land purchased by the Callison family was given for the school, church, and cemetery.
"The 28' x 40' Methodist Episcopal Church was not built until 1887. However, Rev. J.D.Hiles organized a "Sabbath School" in 1885. It met in private homes, then in a 14' x 16' log cabin until a frame schoolhouse was built. The school was then used for LYCEUM church lectures every Sunday at 3 O'clock. The church remained open until the early 1940's. Membership was then transferred to the Kellogg Methodist Church.
"The first school was a wooden building which was destroyed by fire. It was replaced with another frame building that remained open until 1958 when all the Jasper Co. rural schools were closed. Rushville children were then bused to Kellogg. Much of the Rushville social life centered around the church and school. Church functions, Sunday School, class parties, picnics, box suppers, spelling bees, and literary programs were all parts of the community social life.
"A warranty deed filed June 29, 1888, transfers one acre of land from William Callison 'to be used for a burial ground for the dead'. The deed was to the trustees of Kellogg Township. Today, the well maintained cemetery is all that remains to show that Rushville ever existed."
The following is taken from The History of Jasper County, "Robert White Wilson, farmer in Sec 10 of Kellogg Township, was born in the State of Delaware in 1813. He moved to Scott Co., Indiana when a boy in 1827; thence to Arkansas where he remained for 4 years, and returned to Indiana. He located here in 1854. He married Johanna DeMar in 1835; she was born in Kentucky in 1819. Their children were, Rebecca F., Charlotte R., Sarah I., William D., Robert F., David R., Fletcher N., and Eliza J. During the period of time he and his family spent in Arkansas, his Mother-in-law, Nancy DeMar accompanied them."
Photos of a 3-cornered cabinet built for Robert White Wilson of Rushville
Click on photo for larger view
