Cumberland County, Maine - Joseph Wilson ********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: C. Wendland SilverDrusilla@aol.com Copyright © 2005 by C. Wendland Caitlin's Gold Award Project, Girl Scouts USA, Rio Grande Girl Scout Council, El Paso, Texas ********************************************************************** Biography Joseph Wilson Biographical Review Cumberland County, Maine Boston Biographical Review Publishing Company 1896 Page 689-690 Joseph Wilson, of West Gloucester, Cumberland County, Me., is a carpenter by trade, but has spent most of his active years in farming.. He was born in West Gloucester on May 30, 1820, son of Gowen, Jr., and Tammy (Gower) Wilson. Gowen Wilson, Sr., the grandfather of Joseph, was a native of Falmouth, Me. In early manhood coming thence to West Gloucester, he settled on a farm that he purchased near the Shaker village; and about the same time he united with that body. Later on, however, he removed to Alford, Me., where he continued to reside until his death. Gowen Wilson, Jr., son of the elder Gowen, remained with the Shakers until he was seventeen years old, at which time he left them, and settled on the farm where his son now lives. He died here, in 1854. His wife, Tammy Gower, died in 1840. Eight children were born of their union, as follows: Harriet, who married G. Thompson (both deceased); John, who married Miss Susan Webber (both deceased); Josephus, who married Miss Hannah Hall (both deceased); Lucy (deceased), whose husband, Edward Files, now resides in North Raymond, Me.; Joseph; Stanley, who married Miss Augusta Boothby, and is living on the old Wilson homestead; Elizabeth; and Mary, the wife of John Files, residing in Gray, Me. Joseph Wilson received a good practical education in the schools of West Gloucester. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-two years old, and during the following five or six years he worked on different farms in that vicinity. After that he learned the trade of a carpenter, and followed that vocation with success until 1855, when he purchased the farm on which he now resides. It contains one hundred and five acres of good farmland; and his son- in-law, Mr. Carpenter, who now has charge of it, is profitably engaged in mixed husbandry, making a specialty of stock raising and the making of butter, which he markets at good prices in Lewiston, Me. In May, 1855, Mr. Wilson was joined in marriage with Miss Harriet Patterson, who was born in Charleston, Me. Both her parents died in her early girlhood. She bore her husband six children, namely: George, who married Miss Amanda Maxwell, and is now living in Wales, Me.; Luella, the wife of Hiram Goodrich, a prosperous farmer of Farmington, N.H.; Mary, who married Forest Walker, and resides in South Poland, Me.; Lucy, who lives with her father, is the wife of Mellen Carpenter, and has one child, Ethel; Annie, who lived to be but seven months old; and Arthur, who is employed as cook at the Mansion Hotel in Poland Springs, Me. Mrs. Harriet P. Wilson died in 1865, and in 1868 Mr. Wilson married Miss Sarah Lane, of Raymond; Me. In political affiliation Mr. Wilson is a stanch Democrat. He has served his town acceptably in various capacities, among which may be mentioned that of Road Surveyor and School Director for a number of years.