Genealogy and Family History Publications
About Benjamin Ernest "Ben" Wilson
From Niagara County, pages 709-10:
"Benjamin E. Wilson. Included among the men who have passed their careers in agricultural pursuits in the town of Wilson, Niagara county, and who have won success through pursuing courses in which industry and intelligent management have been prominent characteristics, is Benjamin E. Wilson, the owner of a splendidly improved and valuable farm on the Beebe road. Mr. Wilson is a native of the town of Wilson, and was born on his father's farm on Maple street, Feb. 28, 1867, a son of William Armour and Mary B. (Sinsel) Wilson.
"Alexander Wilson, the grandfather of Benjamin E., was born in New York City, and for a number of years resided in Saratoga county, this state, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits. Soon after his son William A. had taken up his abode in Niagara county, he came to this locality, and here spent the rest of his life. His mother was Jane (Armour) Wilson, who had married his father, also named Alexander Wilson, and after the latter's death was united with a British officer of the Revolutionary war, named Moffatt. At the time of the invasion of General Bourgoyne, the British raided the Wilson [Moffatt] homestead in eastern New York, confiscating the household effects and the cattle. A negro slave attached to the Wilson [Moffatt] household shortly afterward discovered the cattle herded in the forest, some distance from the Wilson [Moffatt] home, and, during the night, succeeded in stampeding them. The next morning they were all found safe on the farm. Great-grandmother Wilson, on the morning following the plundering of her home, mounted a horse and rode courageously into the British army camp, where she secured an interview with the officer in command. She demanded the return of her property and so well and valiantly did she present her claims that full restitution was eventually made.
"William Armour Wilson, father of Benjamin E., was born on the Wilson farm in Saratoga county, N. Y., April 21, 1808, and was reared to agricultural pursuits. For a number of years he was an extensive market gardener, with a farm on Rensselaer Island, in the Hudson river, near Albany, and there had a prosperous business and high standing in business circles of his community. In 1838 he came to the town of Wilson on a visit to his brother, who had located on the farm now owned by Mr. Duxbury, and became favorably impressed with this country. Returning to his eastern home, in 1840, he married Lamira Tappen, and shortly thereafter brought his bride by horse and buggy from Albany to the town of Wilson, where he settled on the farm on Maple street known as the Dan Carter farm. Mr. Wilson prospered in this community as he had in his former home, and at the time of his death had accumulated, through industry and good management, a farm of 135 acres on the Slash road, another of fifty-three acres on the Beebe road and one of 160 acres in the state of Illinois. By his first marriage he had five sons and two daughters: George E., Juliet, John, William T., Charles A., Ruth Lamira and Stephen. Of these, all are living except the first-born, George E., and Lamira. After the death of his first wife Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Mary B. Sinsel, daughter of John and Barbara Sinsel, of Swarmsville, N. Y., whose remains were the first to be interred in the cemetery at that place, where Mr. and Mrs. Sinsel lie side by side. To Mr. Wilson's second union there were born seven children: Benjamin E., Ellen, Frank B., Walter S., Henry O., Luther A., and George R., all of whom survive. At this time there are living sixty grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren of William Armour Wilson.
"Benjamin E. Wilson secured his educational training in the public schools of the town of Wilson and was reared as the son of a farmer. He remained with his father, who had removed to another farm in East Wilson, until he was twenty years of age, and at that time returned to the property upon which he had been born and upon which he continued to carry on agricultural operations for five years. Mr. Wilson then purchased the 100-acre farm on the Beebe road on which he now resides and where he has fifteen acres in fruit, the balance being devoted to the raising of grain and stock. He has splendid buildings, including a large and striking home and commodious barn, both of which were rebuilt by him and which are handsome structures, adding much to the value of the property.
"Mr. Wilson married Mary C. Smoyer, daughter of Peter Smoyer, a farmer of the town of Wilson, and they have one daughter, Florence, who is the wife of William Cook, a native of Cass county, Mich., who is farming Mr. Wilson's property. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have four children: Mary Elizabeth, Russell Benjamin [Benjamin Russell], Fern Eleanor and Wilford [Wilfred] Dennis. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had two sons who died just before reaching manhood: Armour P., who died when nineteen years old, and Dwight D., who passed away at the age of twenty years. Mr. Wilson belongs to the Wright's Corners Grange and the family holds membership in the Chestnut Street Methodist Episcopal Church."
| Insert pictures of house and barn |
Note from Wilson Association Historian: This report is slightly wrong. In 1892, when he left the Slash Road farm, Ben purchased a 50-acre farm on the Beebe Road, and moved his family there. In 1904, he purchased the adjoining 50-acre farm, to make the 100-acre farm described in this article.