Thomas Wilson ¹

  General Notes:

Alternative marriage date, 10-05-1826 from Preble County, Ohio Marriage Index
(1808-1859)


The following was written by Karyn Hall and posted to the webpage, http://ancestorarchives.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

THOMAS WILSON is the one who brought our name to Ohio. There is a conflict of dates regarding Thomas' move to Ohio. "A History of Preble County, Ohio" published 1881, states "Thomas Wilson emigrated from Berks (Bucks) County, Pennsylvania to Harrison Township about 1809." Other sources and family recollections place the date around 1820. This latter date seems much more accurate, since tradition has it that Thomas walked from Philadelphia to Preble County, Ohio. It is hardly likely that a six-year-old boy would undertake such an adventure. In the absence of more complete information, it will suffice to say that Thomas arrived in Preble County between the years 1809 and 1820.

This period marks a time of dynamic expansion in the history of our country. The War of 1812 greatly accelerated the general movement to the West that was to reach tidal wave proportions at the time of the Civil War. In this frame of reference, it is easy to understand how Thomas WILSON, like so many of his friends and neighbors, could sever their ties with the east to stake their lives and fortunes on the vast "Ohio country over the mountains."

Ohio was genuinely primitive in the early eighteen hundreds. Settler and savage lived side by side in a sort of uneasy truce. Acts of violence on a large scale were extremely rare occurrences, but both the white settler and the Indian engaged in minor harassing actions that kept the frontier in a constant state of uneasiness. This condition is well illustrated by the following quote from the Preble County History mentioned earlier:

EARLY INCIDENTS
"A great deal of trouble was experienced with the hostile Indians, both prior to and during the War of 1812. Most of the mischief was done by small bands, as there would have been too much danger of capture had raids been made by very large bodies of men. Their depredations were confined mostly to running of horses and killing of cattle. Tradition mentions two attempts to murder whites, which failed through the failure of the guns to explode. A man by the name of Myers hd stepped out on a back porch, and while there, he heard what he recognized to be the snap of a flintlock. The gun of the Indian failed him, and before he could aim a second time, Myers had escaped into the house. He afterwards saw the very Indian who had attempted his murder, and who mentioned having snapped at him on a certain morning as he was standing on his porch.

"At another time, John Arkman's life was attempted by a hostile Indian. He was tying fodder when he heard the snap of the flint against the steel. He did not stop to interview his dangerous neighbor, but in the words of the aged narrator he "cut to the house lively." Every precaution was used to ensure safety by night against the attack of the wily foe. Everyone slept with some weapon at hand, ready at an instant's alarm to start up and battle for life. Traces were often found where the Indians had been prowling around during the night, probably only restrained from committing injury by their fear of the white man's vengeance. Although no record exists of any white being killed by an Indian in the township, reports to the contrary are found.

"At one time, an Indian came to the house of the Abbotts on Miller's Fork, and demanded admittance. Upon its being refused him, he attempted to force his way into the dwelling but was killed by Mr. Abbott by a fearful blow on the head with some heavy instrument. An Indian was buried by William Myers in the swamp near his house. Although no one can assert positively that he met death by violence, nevertheless, Myers was always regarded as the author of his death, but such was the dread in which the red man was held that no questions were asked. Anyone who could dispose of an enemy so cruel and cunning, was held to have done the country a service timely and praiseworthy.

"In 1812, Rebecca SHARPE, a sister of Henry SHARPE, was taken prisoner by some wandering Indians while visiting the Abbotts. She was carried to Darke County, and afterwards brought back to Preble County by her captors who stopped on Swamp Creek and made salt. They had a salt pit there which they guarded jealously against the whites. Miss Sharpe fixed the place in her memory and after her release, which occurred at Greenville soon after, she came back and gave information concerning the salt pit. After the Indians were through with their salt making, they were accustomed to stop the mouth of the pit with large stones and then strew it over with elm bark.
"Jacob Potter bought up a large track of land in the neighborhood and went to work to make salt. He had dug down a good ways, when someone, who was either jealous of his prospects, or who was a personal enemy, filled up the shaft with pieces of steel and iron and put an end to the work. Potter was out of funds, probably, and could not proceed with the work. At any rate, he sold out and made no more attempts at salt manufacturing.

"At the time of Rebecca Sharpe's capture, there were only four men in the township who were not drafted into the army. These four were John Lock, Jacob Werts, John Vantz, and William Lower. This act of the Indians in taking Miss Sharpe prisoner, caused such a fright that everyone but old Vantz left in haste for the blockhouse at Lexington, leaving stock, crops and everything to the mercy of the Indians. Vantz said that he had come all the way from Pennsylvania to find a home and that now that he had one, he didn't propose to leave it to the mercy of "them pesky Injuns." They might kill him if they wished but he would not run. He was never molested during his stay, although the stock of the other farms were run off and the crops destroyed.
"Upon her release, Miss Sharpe went back to Tennessee. Four years later, her relatives went after her and persuaded her to accompany them back to Ohio. She consented, but died on the journey when ten miles north of Cincinnati, within fifty miles of her destination."

THOMAS WILSON married ELIZABETH LEAS, a daughter of a prominent and prosperous Harrison Township farmer, WILLIAM LEAS. Thomas and Elizabeth settled on a tract of land near the town of Euphemia in Harrison Township, Ohio. Here they raised their family.

Although THOMAS had friends and family living in Pennsylvania, he gradually lost contact with Bucks County. Money was scarce on the frontier, barter was the basis of trade. And because communications were either non-existent or extremely expensive--a letter from Preble to Bucks County cost 25 cents, payable by the recipient--Thomas finally lost all touch with the eastern branch of his family.

Thomas and Elizabeth had eight children: William, Lydia, John, Eli, Theodore, Augustus, Jane and Flavius Josephus. Theodore Wilson was born 10 July 1837.
THOMAS, it is generally admitted, was a "poor farmer on a poor farm." His land was swampy and not productive. More importantly, he was not by inclination, a farmer. He was unusually well educated for the time and had a rather wide reputation as a poet. He was a hatter, by trade, and probably had a shop for this business in the town of Fort Jefferson, Darke County, Ohio. He is also said to have taught school and worked at the old stone Frazer Mill on Twin Creek near West Sonora.

For six years, from 1871 to 1877, THOMAS WILSON was Justice of the Peace in Harrison Township. He died December 21, 1877.
(from genealogy compiled by ORAN C.WILSON, 1958, Sandusky, Ohio)

Thomas married Elizabeth Leas, daughter of William S. Leas , Sr. and Anna Swisher, on 10 May 1826. (Elizabeth Leas was born on 13 Sep 1805 in PA Or OH, died on 5 Feb 1887 in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, USA ³ and was buried in Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio, USA.)

Thomas next married Barbara Slusher on 2 Jan 1851.