My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM H. WILSON, the inventor of some very practical labor-saving machinery, and a member of the firm of Wilson & Usborne, is a son of John and Elizabeth (Borne) Wilson, and was born at Westfield, Chautauqua county, New York, August 7, 1834. John Wilson was a native of England, where he learned the trade of carpenter, and spent seven years of his apprenticeship in working on Canterbury cathedral. In 1831 he came to Westfield, where he made his home from that year until his death in 1857. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church and always supported the Democratic ticket after becoming a citizen of the State of New York. His widow, Elizabeth (Borne) Wilson, who was a native of Kent county, England, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, survived him until January, 1884, when she passed away.

William H. Wilson was reared at Westfield, where he attended the public schools until he was fifteen years of age, when he went to learn the trade of painter, at which he worked for three years. He then run a stationary engine for three years, and at the end of that time learned the trade of engine finishing. After completing that trade he became foreman of the Chautauqua agricultural works, which position he held until 1861, in which year he formed a partnership with George P. York and Abel Patchen, under the firm name of Patchen & Co. They embarked in the manufacture of engines and made the first oil tools that were used in the oil region. In
1863 Mr. York purchased the interests of Mr. Patchen and Wilson, and the latter served as foreman of the works until Mr. York’s death, August 19, 1888. In 1889 Mr. Wilson formed a partnership with Mr. Usborne (see his sketch) and they erected their present machine shops on North Portage street, where they make a specialty of repairing mowers and reapers, and have for sale repairs for, and parts of, the Buckeye mowers and reapers.

On March 9, 1858, he married Emma A. Sweet, daughter of Ralph Sweet, of Westfield. They have three children: Clarence E., Mary C., and Ralph W.

William H. Wilson is a liberal democrat and a vestryman of the Protestant Episcopal church, and has served his village as trustee for two terms. He has not only studied carefully the construction of machinery for the purpose of its construction and repair, but has given much thought and time to its improvement, and the invention of new machines. In 1873 he took out a patent on a machine which he had invented for grinding mowing knives, and on February 20, 1877, he received a patent for another of his inventions in the shape of a base-burning and self-feeding boiler, which he improved in 1884, and received a patent on the improvement. He secured a patent for his “Wilson’s Vertical Tube Boiler.” In 1888 he took out patents on his inventions of a saw gauge and a double tube radiator. Mr. Wilson’s five inventions are practical and useful, and have given satisfaction wherever they have been used.