Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 562.
 
WILSON CARL

     a highly respected Oregon pioneer of 1853, and the person after whom
Carlton is named, who is now a citizen of McMinnville, was born in Amity,
Washington county, Pennsylvania, May 21, 1827. His father, Jacob F. Carl, a
native of New Jersey, was born in April, 1800.  He was of German descent, his
ancestors having emigrated from Germany to this country at the time of the
Revolution. Great-grand-father Carl was a soldier in the Hessian army at the
battle of Trenton, but deserted and joined the Continental army, doing good
service to the close of the war. He then settled in New Jersey, where his
grandfather and father Carl were both born. The latter moved to Pennsylvania in
an early day, where he married Miss Elizabeth Wilson, a native of Greene county,
Pennsylvania, and a daughter of John and Ruth Wilson. They moved to Ohio when
the subject of our sketch was but seven years of age, where they resided until
the death of the father, in 1836, and of the mother a year later. They left nine
children, six sons and three daughters, of whom Mr. Carl knows nothing since
1852, at the time of his parents' death, when the children were scattered among
the mother's relatives.
     Thus doubly deprived, Mr. Carl turned his eyes westward, and the excitement
for emigration to the extreme West being rife at that time, he was caught in the
stream of moving humanity. Accordingly, in 1852, he started with an ox team from
Van Buren county, Iowa, bound for Multnomah county, Oregon.  He came with Dr.
Joel Knight, and when he arrived at his destination, he had nothing but
an extremely poor suit of clothes which he wore, and his willing hands. He knew
something of the carpenters' trade and was possessed of good health. Thus
equipped on September 13, 1853, he sought and found work with Mr. Lewelling near
Milwaukee, on the Willamette river. From there he went to Clarke county,
Washington, where he continued to work at his trades until 1855, spending most
of his time in Vancouver.
     In 1855 became to Yam Hill county, working first at Amity, where he built a
house for Solomon Allen. After this, he came to McMinnville, where he erected
two wings of the old Baptist College, which were each seventy-two feet in
length.
     In May, 1856, he married Miss Mary Jane Stout, a native of Noble county,
Ohio, an estimable lady, and a daughter of a venerable pioneer, Jonathan Stout.
     After his marriage, he continued for a couple of years to work at his
trade, living a part of that time on the .S. C. Addams' farm, after which time
he purchased the farm, where his father-in-law now resides. This he afterward
sold to its present owner, and with his wife, he went to California, for the
benefit other health.
     He worked for a year and a half in Tuolumne county, California, when he
went to Mono,  remaining there three years, when in 1862, he  returned to Yam
Hill county, where he purchased  the 256 acres of land, on which he has since
resided, which he located seven miles northwest of McMinnville. He has resided
on this property for thirty years, and has been greatly prospered, and has made
many improvements on the place, which has added much to its value. He some time
afterward also purchased the Robinson farm of 212 acres, with all improvements,
and now owns in all 575 acres of as choice agricultural land as is to be found
in the country. He is raising grain and hay, and is engaged in stock-raising
raising a cross of the Clydesdale horses, and a cross of Durham cattle, in all
of which he has been very successful.
     Mr. and Mrs. Carl have four sons, all living.  A. W. is in Washington,
where he owns a garden farm, and is farming; the other three sons, Edwin S.,
Winter W. and George H. are still with their father.
     Mr. Carl is a Republican in politics, and was one of the early organizers
of the party. He was a strong Union man at the time of the war.  He has held the
office of County Commissioner, in which capacity he served with ability and
integrity.  He has always been public-spirited and progressive, and was the
means of establishing the railroad station at Carlton, which the company named
in memory of his services in its establishment.
     Mr. Carl has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for more than thirty
years. Both he and his faithful wife are worthy members of the Methodist Church,
and he has served as Class Leader and in other ways, and has contributed both of
his means and influence to the support and growth of his church; has held the
office of school clerk in his school district twelve years.
     As with all of the pioneers of Oregon, the years of toil and hardships
through which it has been necessary to pass, before emerging into the broad and
pleasant ways of prosperity, have told on Mr. Carl. His life, however, has been
eminently successful, both as regards financial matters, and also with reference
to enjoying the esteem of his fellow-men, as well as in a final acquittal at the
tribunal of his own searching conscience. And thus we leave him and his devoted
wife, who have traveled together life's changeful ways for thirty-six years,
secure in each other's affection and the approval of the world.

*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.