The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-02-22
Conspicuous Figure Gone.

/ Joseph P. Wilson Of St. Cloud, q
man with history, died suddenly at
his home in that city on Sunday eve
ming. Few men had wider acquaint-
ance thoroughout the state. Heleaves
wife and five children. Many OF our
citizens have known him for years,
and all will read the following sketch
of his life as printed in the Journal
Press, with interest.
Joseph p. Wilson was born March
Is, 1923, at Columbia Falls, Maine,
and when a very small child his par
ents removed to New Brunswick, N.
j. At an early age he was sent into
the brokerage office of Mayor Brady
at Sc Wall street, N. Y, where he
served an apprenticeship; later in COM
pany with John L. Wilson, an elder
brother, being employed in the mail
ing departments OF the New York Tri-
bune under Horace Greedy, in the Of
fees of the New Y Yorker, the Evangelist
and the Observer. In l841 he emigrat-
ed to Geneva, Kane county, Illinois,
where he studied law and was admit
ted to the bar. He was also clerk of
the courts of his county and here he en-
listed in 1916 in the Mexican war serv-
ing in the commissary department of
an Illinois regiment. Upon his return
from the successful invasion of Mexico
he located at Oswego, H., where he
engaged in the merchantile business.
Here in 1850 he was married to Miss
Mary Corbett, who for fifty years has
shared the joys and sorrows of mar
ried life with him. In the same year
of their marriage they came to Mime
sofa, then d territory, at ST. Anthony
Falls, then in Ramsey county. Here
he engaged in the mercantile business
and in 1852 was county commissioner
for Ramsey county with Joe Rollette
and Eugene Roberts, neither of whom
could read or write. In 1866 56 he was
enrolling clerk of the house of repre-
sentatives and he was member of the
constitutional convention of 1858.
Mr.. Wilson remained at ST. An
thony until 1883. He had bought what
is now known as the Lower-town town
site of his brother, John l.. Wilson.
original proprietor of ST. Cloud and
still living here, and in company with
Henry II. Welles, Geo. F. Brott, Le-
land Cramb. Chas. Stearns and others
of the prominent men of early Min
nesota days it had been plated and
put on the market. Laterit was divided
into shares and Mr.. Wilson came here
to live. Here he remained until 1876
when he and his family returned to
Minneapolis. In the meanwhile he
had been engaged in the transporta-
tion business and had taken numerous
government mail and supply contracts
inconnection with supplying FITS. Aber.
crombie and Stephenson, then the
frontier outposts of northwestern civ
ilization. Sixteen years ago he Sc
cured a large territory or vacant land
on the East-side and plated and put
it on the market. Twelve years ago
he built a handsome residence and
Mrs. Wilson came from MINNEAPOLIS
with the unmarried portion of her
family. In this beautiful homestead
on the East-side Mr.. Wilson saw the
end of earth.
He was a man OF wide reading, broad
culture and universal courtesy and
kindness. He did not closely affiliate
with any church but was charitable
and kindly in his life, doing many
kind deeds in an transformations way.
He was in politics a lifelong Democrat.