wilsonw
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
WILLARD A. WILSON, attorney at
law, and from 1903 to 1905 deputy sheriff of Lincoln county, and residing
at Davenport, was born in Iowa, April 2, 1876, the only son of John D.
and Belle (Perkins) Wilson, the former a native of New York and the latter
of Indiana. The ancestry of the father were Scotch and direct descendants
of Old King John, and the mother is descended from a family long known
and respected both in Indiana and in Pennsylvania.
Our subject was born and raised on a farm,
and attended country school until the age of sixteen years, when he entered
Ellsworth College at Iowa Falls, Iowa. The following year he took
a complete course at the Iowa Business College at Des Moines, Iowa, and
the next year found him taking a short-hand course at the Pernin Short-hand
institute at Detroit, Michigan. He afterwards taught school for several
terms and then entered Dixon College, Dixon, Illinois, where he finished
the normal and scientific courses obtaining considerable prominence as
a debator and speaker on questions pertaining to politics and political
economy. After leaving Dixon he taught school for a couple of years
in Iowa and then came to Washington where he again taught school, at various
places in Douglas and Lincoln counties, working on ranches during vacations,
and reading law when not otherwise employed. Afterwards he entered
the law department of the State University at Seattle, and took the bar
examination with the first graduating class, being admitted to practice
June, 1901. He followed his profession in Davenport and Edwall for
about one year, when he was appointed deputy sheriff by J. J. Inkster.
Previous to this time he had been a consistent Republican worker, and had
represented his precinct and county both in county and state conventions
and as committee-man of Edwall precinct earned an enviable reputation.
Our subject has two sisters, Bertha M. and
Mabel E., both of whom reside in Iowa.
Fraternally, Mr. Wilson is both a Blue Lodge
and a Chapter Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a Modern Woodman.
He is quite popular and stands well among
those who know him best.
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