Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 1003.
 
THOMAS H. WILKERSON

     is well and favorably known in Klamath county. He resides one mile
southeast of Lorella where he has an estate of two hundred and forty acres, well
improved and in a high state of cultivation. He handles considerable stock and
is known as one of the prosperous men of the community. His birth occurred in
Monroe county, Missouri, on January 17, 1842. The father of our subject, William
Wilkerson, is a native of Kentucky and an early pioneer to Monroe county,
Missouri, arriving there about 1819. In 1850, he crossed the plains with ox
teams accompanied by his three brothers. After working for some time in the
mines, he started home in 1852 and was taken sick on the Isthmus of Panama. From
that place he was transferred to the Island of Cuba, where he died the next
year. His father, William Wilkerson, the grandfather of our subject, was born in
England and came to the United States when quite young being one of the early
settlers of the county. He was well acquainted with Daniel Boone, served in the
War of 1812 and was a captain in the Black Hawk War. He did a great deal of
scouting in Virginia and once was captured by the Indians, who held him for
three years. His death occurred in Monroe county, Missouri, when he was aged
ninety-two. The mother of our subject, Margaret (Dale) Wilkerson, was born in
Tennessee and came to Monroe county, Missouri, with her parents when she was a
child, it being about 1827. She made a trip to Oregon with our subject in 1875
and two years later returned to Monroe county where she died in 1878. Her
father, John Dale, was a lieutenant in the battle of New Orleans, and a captain
in the battle of Tippecanoe. He was captured there by some Indians but as they
were taking him away, he struck one into the water with a paddle and so escaped.
He was known as John Dale, of Tippecanoe fame. The Dales were all of Irish
extraction and our subject's uncle, Matthew Dale, lived to be one hundred and
ten years of age. The brothers and sisters of our subject are named as follows :
John, deceased ; Wiley, in Monroe county, Missouri ; Sarah, wife of Alexander
Clemens, a brother of the famous Mark Twain, and they now live in Monroe county,
Missouri ; Ross in Monroe county, Missouri; Mary, deceased ; Milton in Monroe
county ; and Nancy, deceased. Our subject was the fifth from the last. He grew
up on a farm in Missouri, attended school in the little log cabin of the day,
being obliged to walk many miles even for that. In the spring of 1862, he
started across the plains with Dr. Hugh Glenn's train who was afterwards a noted
land owner of California. Mr. Wilkerson drove a band of mules across the plains
and then mined in California for some time. He was at Virginia City in 1867 and
returned via the Panama route to New York city, whence he journeyed back to
Missouri. He had been very successful in the west and in Missouri engaged in
farming and stock raising.
     On September 11, 1873, Mr. Wilkerson married Julia Hardwick, a native of
Monroe county, Missouri. George Hardwick, her father, was born in the same
county and died in Yamhill county, Oregon, in 1895, being then sixty years of
age. His father, John Hardwick, was born in Madison county and was one of the
early settlers of Monroe county, Missouri. Many of the ancestors of' this family
were in the Revolution. Mrs. Wilkerson's mother, Mary A. (Sisk) Hardwick, was
born in Alabama and most of her ancestors came from North Carolina. She died in
Missouri. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Wilkerson are named as follows, she
being the oldest : Jethro, of Portland, Oregon ; Lucy, deceased ; John, of
Marion county, Oregon ; Clementine, deceased, George T. ; and Mrs. Dollie
Leveatt, both of Yamhill county, Oregon. In the fall of 1875, our subject
started west with his wife and family, being accompanied by his mother and his
wife's father and family. They headed toward Oregon and in due time arrived on
the Pacific coast and located in West Chehalem valley. There he was engaged in
general merchandising for eleven years. Not being especially successful, he sold
out and came to his present place in June, 1886. He took up a homestead and
engaged in stock raising and farming. Few settlers were here then and the hard
winter of 1889-90 swept nearly all of his stock away. Since then, however, he
has been prospered and has gained a nice holding of property. His residence is a
fine two story, eleven room structure, which is surrounded with fine
improvements and makes a beautiful place.. The children born to this family are
Nora M., wife of James Krogue , Ella L., wife of Clarence Walker ; Eugene W.,
William L. ; Clementine M., wife of Charles Wiley;  Geneva A., a school teacher
; Mary, Lulu and Kenneth C. Ella used to teach school. The children are all
located near by and the two oldest have ranches in this vicinity. Our subject
and his wife are consistent members of the Christian church and also two of
their daughters belong to that denomination. They are known as substantial,
upright, and good people and fully deserve the generous confidence and esteem
bestowed upon them by their fellows.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2009 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.