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Col. James M. Wilcoxson

Col. James M. Wilcoxson image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
April
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The funeral of the late Col. Jame M. Wilcoxson, who was the oldest res ident of Washtenaw county living in Ann Arbor, with the exception of hi sister, Mrs. John W. Mayuard, a whose home he died, was held from the house on N. División st., Sunday aiternnon, under the auspices of Anr Arbor Commandery, No. 13, K. T., o: which he was an ho-nored member The following extracts from an article prepared by a friend of the family give some particulars as to his life: "Bom in Oneida couöty, New York in 1812, he was brought to Ann Arbo by his parents in 1826; since then, or for 71 years, Mr. Wilcoxson has been a continuous resident of this city. When he caiue to Ann Arbor there were but a few straggling houses where the main portion of the city now stands the stores, milis, and post office beiug across the river in the Fifth ward. He had often visited largo companies of wild Indians camped up the river, near the pulp mili, and had seen herds of wild deer browsing upon the campus. "Fifty years ago Mr. Wilcoxson was one of the social leaders of the town- agreeable, polite and popular - his attendance was a necessary factor in all social functions. His father, Gideon Wilcoxson, was a lawyer of good abilities and a popular orator. Of bis several children Mrs. John W. Maynard is now the sole surviver. "J. M. Wilcoxson was well educated and designed by his father for the legal arofession. He was a great reader, familiar with Shakespeare and the standard English writers of half a century since. In his early days he taught school and several persons are now iving who were his seholars in at) old iog school house, on the base line in Northfleld 60 years ago. From the ;raditions which have come down to us he was a popular teacher and 'A brisk wielder of the birch aud rule.' "At one time he attended as a student the Manual Labor school, which was located on the farm where Cbristian Eberbach now resides- a school which has the honor of being the first school ever established in this county where the students paid their expenses n part by labor on the school farm. The school continued for several years, but in the end was a financial failure and long since ceased to exist. Mr. Wilcoxson was a familiar figure upon our streets for more than two generations, but he always maintained the respect of his fellow citizensand never lost the diameter of an honorable, intelligent and courtly gentleman."

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News