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Note: ARTICAL BY JAMES CURRY WILSON--DATED AUG. 4, 1906.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF �MY OLD HOME�
I have been requested to write a historical account of my old home. I will begin by
stating that my great-great grandfather, James Knowles was born May 9th 1757, and was
married in 1778 to Patience Marvel, who was born in 1758. To this union were born eight
sons and one daughter. Comfort M. my grandmother was born in Delaware Feb. 14th,
1790 and died Dec. 31st, 1868, was married to Joshua Wilson April 9th, 1807 in the state
of Georgia. Joshua was born June 18th, 1775 in Virginia; was of Scotch desent; died April
11th 1839.
They and their two children, in company with her parents and a few others, twenty in
all, came to Indiana in 1811 and settled about four and one half miles, a little southwest of
Owensville, on the quarter section where Eleanor Wilson now lives -- a perfect wilderness
inhabited by wolves and panthers. To them were born nine children. These all lived to
have families of there own, and not one of these children was ever known to swear an
oath.
Four years after settling the first quarter section, he bought the quarter section west,
and after ward bought two other quarter sections and the eastern half of the Daniel Fisher
quarter section, which lies south of where Henry Knowles residence now stands. This,
together with forty acres south, constitutes the farm of Levin Wilson. He was the sixth
child, was born Jan 6th, 1820, was married to Henrietta Mc Reynolds May 16th, 1839;
died Nov. 8th, 1900.
Henrietta, my mother, was born in Gallington county, near Nashville, Tenn., June 17th,
1818; died March 20th, 1883. She came to this country when quite a child, with her
parents and settled in Posey county, near Mount Pleasant. To this union were born ten
children---five boys and five girls. Those whom are now living; Anna E. now living in
Oklahoma; Comfort E. Ziegler, and James C, in Kansas.
Two boys died in infancy. Polly Aurelia (Redman) died in1880. Levin, the youngest
child died in 1878, in his 19th year.
After the death of mother, my father was again married to Lydia Partridge of Ohio. To
them was born one child, Lydia, who died in infancy in 1887.
My parents, in 1840, went to house keeping in a two room log house, built just north of
the south forty, in the same yard where they were living when they died. These rooms
were built a few feet apart and the space between them was cauked up at the ends,
forming a parlor room. The floor was made of lumber, sawed by hand.The room was
moved to a part of the farm south west several rods in 1854. It was again removed
northeast of the old home and a barn made of it in 1866. April 1st, 1895, it was consumed
by fire with all its contents, including the old family horse.
Father hewed all the logs to build the east room, and when he went into the mercantile
business, in 1844, a part of this room was converted into a store-room until his prosperity
demanded more room. He then put up a very commodious frame building. Uncle James
Wilson and father doing the carpenter work. His trade continued to increase, but not
without reverses; yet he was always encouraged by my mother, who often assisted him in
the store. It was while in this store that they accumulated the money to build the frame
building--my dear old home.
The east room of the log house was moved, in or about 1882, to the east side of the
farm and converted into a barn by Marion Smith; and since my fathers death, has been
removed to the George Knowles farm, about one forth mile south. This land was part of
the land formerly owned by Joshua Wilson.
My old home was built in 1850, northwest of the log house. At first it consisted of four
rooms and two porches, fronting the north.The walls were filled in to top with brick.
August 4, 1906 By James Curry Wilson
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