| James M. Willson,
furniture dealer, was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, August 7, 1820.
his father, James V., was a native of Ligioner Valley, Westmoreland Co.
Penn., and removed in boyhood with his father, Col. Samuel Willson, and
officer of the Pennsylvania Line in the Revolutionary War, to
Washington County, Penn., where he grew to maturity. He went to Beaver
Co. Penn., and learned the wheelwright trade, with Thomas Kennedy, of
Brady's Run. He was there married to James (?) Kennedy, a sister of his
employer, and in 1806 removed to Brookfield Township, Trumbull Co.,
Ohio, where he was afterward joined by his parents, Col. Samuel and
Jane (Vance) Willson, both of whom resided with him the balance of
their lives. He served under Harrison in the War of 1812. He reared a
family of nine children, four of whom are living, and three are
residents of Sharon. In 1834 the family removed to Green County, Ohio,
where the mother died in the Presbyterian faith in 1842. After her
death he spent his days among his children, and died at the home of his
son, James M. in January 1865, aged eighty-one years. Our subject grew
to manhood in Ohio, and in the fall of 1842 came to Hartstown, Penn.,
where he learned the furniture business with his brother Samuel. In
February 1845, he located in Sharon, and in partnership with Joseph
Partridge and William Logan, under the firm name of Wilson, Logan
& Partridge, engaged in manufacturing furniture. For the part
forty-three years, Mr. Wilson has carried on that business in Sharon,
and is today the oldest business man in active business in the borough.
He was married December 4, 1849, to Miss Mary, daughter of Samuel
Quinby, whose father was a pioneer of Sharon, of which union nine
children have been born, six of whom survive: Anna, wife of Edwin D.
Echols, of Sharon; John R., of Youngstown, Ohio; Clarence A., of
Willson & Son, Sharon; Ollie M., Herbert M. and Mary T. Mr. Willson
was an original anti-slavery man, was afterward a Republican, and is
now a Prohibitionist. He has served in the council and as school
director, and both he and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. History of Mercer Co. PA 1888 p.788; Submitted by Theresa Davids  JAMES M. WILLSON was born in Brookfield township, Trumbull county, Ohio, August 7, 1820. His father, James V., was a native of Ligonier Valley, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and removed in boyhood with his father, Colonel Samuel Willson, an officer of the Pennsylvania line in the Revolutionary war, to Washington county, Pennsylvania, where he grew to maturity. He went to Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and learned the wheelwright trade with Thomas Kennedy, of Brady's Run. He was there married to Jane Kennedy, a sister of his employer, and in i8o6 removed to Brookfield township, Trumbull county, Ohio, where he was afterward joined by his parents, Colonel Samuel and Jane (Vance) Willson, both of whom resided with him the remainder of their lives. He served under Harrison in the war of 1812. He reared a family of nine children, all of whom are dead. In 1834 the family removed to Greene county, Ohio, where the mother died in the Presbyterian faith in 1842. After her death he spent his days among his children, and died at the home of his son, James M., in January, 1865, aged eighty-one years. James M. Willson grew to manhood in Ohio, and in the fall of 1842 came to Hartstown, Pennsylvania, where he learned the furniture business with his brother Samuel. In February, 1845, he located in Sharon, and in partnership with Joseph Partridge and William Logan, under the firm name of Willson, Logan and Partridge, engaged in manufacturing furniture. He was married December 4, 1849, to Miss Mary Quinby, (born April 8, 1829, died October 17 1903, daughter of Samuel Quinby, whose father was a pioneer of Sharon. Of this union nine children have been born, five of whom survive: Anna, widow of Edwin D. Echols; John R.; Olive M., wife of Robert A. Hannah; Herbert M.; and Mary T.; all of Sharon. Mr. Willson was an original anti-slavery man, was afterward a Republican, and in the later years of his life was a Prohibitionist. He served in the council and as school director, and both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Willson died January 24, 1899. In 1846 Mr. Willson erected a new building for the accommodation of his furniture business on a plot of ground purchased from the late Lafayette Budd for the sum of $2oo. This was the first building erected in Sharon on the south side of State street, between the old Erie canal and the river, and the said furniture business has always occupied the same identical spot which is the most centrally located in the city and testifies to the good judgment of the purchaser. The furniture business established by Mr. Willson in 1845 is still carried on by his children under the firm name of J. M. Willson & Sons, and is the oldest and largest retail store in Mercer county. Twentieth Century History of Mercer County, page 940 |