Wilder, William S.

Transcribed from the book "History of Warrick County" by Goodspeed, Chicago: Goodspeed Bros., 1885, p. 184-85, submitted by Judy.

William S. Wilder, was born in Franklin County, Tenn., January 25, 1820, being the fourth of five children born to Nathaniel and Elizabeth (McDuff) Wilder, who died in that State when William was a small lad. Our subject was raised on the farm in the county of his birth, receiving a common education. At the age of eighteen years he enlisted as a soldier in the Florida war, serving six months, when he continued farming in Tennessee until 1847. He then came to Warrick County, and lived in Boonville, following farming and teaming. In 1849 he rented a farm five miles northwest of Boonville, upon which he lived a year, when he bought a farm adjoining, upon which he has lived to the present time. He has been fairly successful in this industry and owns 100 acres of well-improved land upon which he resides in a comfortable residence. He has given an equal amount of land to that which he now owns to his children.

e married Miss Milly Wildman, a native of Tennessee, by whom he is the father of eight children, six of whom are living, named Elizabeth, who married G. W. Bohannon; Sarah, who married Ryan Blankenship; Nathaniel; Nancy, who married Homer Alexander; William J. and John S. Mr. Wilder’s wife died in April, 1869, and in October, 1870, he married Alice Ringham, a native of England , by whom he is the father of one child named Mattie B. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and was a strong Union man during the war of the Rebellion, in which two of his sons enlisted, but he was detained from going by a large and dependent family. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty years, and is one of the founders of Center Church.