- PERRY C. WILDER, now serving his third term as mayor of the
city of Evansville, Rock County,
- is a member of the firm of BARNARD & WILDER, wholesale
dealers in leaf tobacco, and is one of the most conspicuous and
energetic business men of Rock County.
- Mr. WILDER was born in Granger, Medina Co., Ohio, Nov. 7,
1852, and is a son of Calvin H.
- and Mary Ann (OVIATT) WILDER, natives of Connecticut and
Ohio, respectively. They were the parents of six sons and one
daughter and four of their children are now living; Perry C.,
of Evansville; Stephen C., of Chicago; Carey C., of Denver, Colo.;
and Newton D., of Evansville. The father, who was a Baptist
minister, came from Ohio in 1864, locating at Argyle, Lafayette
Co., Wis., and preached there until 1868, in which year he moved
to Evansville for the sake of his children's education. He preached
at various points for a number of years, among them being Windsor,
Middleton and Avon. He died in Evansville in 1887, at the age
of sixty-three. His wife died in 1873, when forty-eight years
old. His father, William WILDER, was a native of Connecticut,
and was one of the pioneer settlers in Medina County, Ohio, where
he hewed a farm out of the solid forest, and spent his remaining
years in that community, being about seventy-five years old when
he died. He was a captain in the State militia. Great-grandfather
WILDER was a Revolutionary soldier. The WILDERs came originally
from England, but there is much German blood in their veins.
The maternal grandfather of Perry C. WILDER was a farmer, and
lived in Wayne County, Ohio. He was about sixty years old at
his death.
- Perry C. WILDER came with his parents to Wisconsin and lived
at Argyle until he was sixteen,
- and attended Evansville Seminary. He taught school when
he was fifteen years old. He was a clerk for Hon. L. T. PULLEN,
of Evansville, until the firm was merged into that of WINSTON,
PULLEN & Co., the first banking house of Evansville. He
kept their books until 1873, when he and Charles F. P. PULLEN
formed a partnership and engaged in a general mercantile business.
The firm was dissolved, and Mr. WILDER entered the employment
of E. D. BARNARD, in his tobacco business, and in 1882 became
a member of the firm, which had been known as E. D. BARNARD &
Son. In 1893 it became BARNARD & WILDER, E. D. BARNARD retiring
and his son Shasta continuing. They have warehouses at Oregon
and Madison, Wis., as well as at Evansville. They employ 125
hands, and ship their tobacco all over the United States and
into Germany.
- Mr. WILDER and Miss Alice D. PEASE, daughter of Milton and
Sarah (BLACK) PEASE,
- were united in marriage June 26, 1890, and they have one
son, Marlin Elliott. Mr. WILDER is a Baptist and his wife a
Methodist. They have an elegant home at No. 236 West Main street.
Mr. WILDER belongs to Union Lodge, No. 32, A.F. & A.M.;
Evansville chapter, No. 35, R.A.M.; Janesville Commandery, No.
2, K.T.; the Knights of Pythias; the Knights of the Globe; Leota
Lodge, I.O.O.F.; and the Daughters of Rebekah and Order of the
Eastern Star. Mrs. WILDER also belongs to the two last named.
Our subject is a Republican, and has been very active in public
affairs. He was first elected mayor of Evansville in 1899; was
president of the village board the last year (1895) that organization
existed; was a village trustee in 1887; and was clerk of the
town of Union in 1879 and 1880. He was a member of the county
board in 1895, and 1896, has been a member of the board of education
for eight years, and is now clerk of that body. He is serving
his second term as a member of the republican State central committee
from the First Congressional District. Mr. WILDER held the postoffice
under President Harrison from 1890 to 1893, and resigned on account
of other pressing business interests.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c) 1901, p. 161.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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