Distinguished alike for his ability, integrity and trustworthiness, and for the honored ancestry from which he is descended, Ashley R. Wilson is one of the best known and most popular and respected citizens of Mangum, Greer County. A son of John S. Wilson, he was born, March 22, 1855, in Searcy County, Arkansas. His grandfather, William Wilson, was a son of that eminent patriot, Gen. James Wilson, who fought with the colonists in their struggle for independence, and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

James Wilson was born and bred in Scotland, was educated for the bar at St. Andrew's University, in Glasgow, and received a military education in Scotland. After practicing law in his native country for awhile, he emigrated to the United States, when aged nineteen years, settling in Pennsylvania, where he continued his profession, attaining great success as a lawyer and a soldier. Taking an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his adopted country, he took part in the Indian wars of his day. As a member of the First Continental Congress, held in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774, he strongly advocated the withdrawal of the colonies from England, and subsequently fought in the Revolutionary war, holding the commission of a general and being an ally of Washington and Lafayette. At the close of the struggle, General Wilson settled as a lawyer in Philadelphia, and had the honor of being one of the first judges of the Supreme Court of the United States. After the death of his wife, he removed to Edenton, North Carolina, where he was successfully engaged in the practice of his profession until his death. His remains rested quietly in the Edenton Cemetery until 1907, when Andrew Carnegie, the great steel magnate, who was, likewise, educated at St. Andrew's University, so aroused the patriotic enthusiasm of the Philadelphians, and others, that the body of General Wilson was brought back to the Quaker City, and buried by the side of that of his wife, in Christ Church Burying ground. Appropriate ceremonies attended the burial services, speeches and addresses being made by men of eminence and prominence, Alton B. Parker, representing the American Bar, William H. Moody, attorney general, representing the United States as a nation, and others of equal note and importance. Ashley R. Wilson has several relics of this distinguished ancestor of his, among others being the neck stock which he wore when he signed the Declaration of Independence.

William Wilson was young when his father removed to Edenton, where he grew to manhood, and was well educated. After his marriage he settled in Tennessee, and there reared his family, among them being John S. Wilson, father of Ashley R. Born in 1810, in Tennessee, John S. Wilson received a liberal education, and during his life was for many years a successful and popular teacher. He was a Whig in politics, and while a resident of his native state filled many offices of trust and responsibility. Subsequently becoming a pioneer settler of Arkansas, he took up land, and carried on general farming until the breaking out of the Civil war. He was a Union man, and opposed secession as long as he could, but when he found his influence was of no avail, he surrendered, stayed with his countrymen, and, although too old for army service, supported the Confederacy, and looked after and cared for the wives and families of those at the front. He was prominent in local affairs, and was often beseeched to accept public offices, any of which might have been his if he had chosen, but he preferred the quiet of his farm and home, accepting no public position excepting that of county judge, which he filled for a number of years. He and his wife were active members of the Methodist church, and he was a Master Mason. He died in September, 1865, on the old homestead, in Arkansas. He married Dicey Hatchett, who was born in Tennessee, and died; in 1893, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Waldrum, in Montague, Texas. She was of English ancestry, being a daughter of Billy Hatchett, a pioneer Methodist minister of Tennessee, and a practical farmer, who bred and raised fine thorough bred race horses, which he sold for racing purposes. Mr. Hatchett married Mamie Ross, and they became the parents of nine children, Of the union of John S. and Dicey Wilson eleven children were born.

Remaining at home after the death of his father, Ashley R. Wilson, who at that time was but ten years of age, had but little opportunity to obtain the education to which he was entitled by birth and inheritance, because of the mother becoming blind and he in consequence having to support his mother, a sister and two orphan nieces, and at the age of sixteen years was practically untaught. He subsequently attended the high school at Marshall, Arkansas, after which he continued his studies under the tuition of Professor Wickersham, and later, taught school two terms. The Arkansas homestead, being sold, he subsequently moved mother and family to Texas, locating in Montague, where he was for three years in the grocery business. Selling out at the end of that time, he spent some time as a cattle trader, after which he was for eight months employed as a workman on the construction of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway. Subsequently while on a prospecting trip through New Mexico and Texas, Mr. Wilson heard favorable reports of Greer County, and in June, 1888, came on a freight wagon to Mangum, where he found about fifty people assembled, all living in camps or dugouts. Three months later, he went to Vernon, Texas, where for two years he clerked for a friend in a general store. In the meantime, in 1890, Mr. Wilson again visited Mangum, this time coming to claim for his bride the bonnie lassie whose acquaintance he had formed on his previous visit. After a brief honeymoon he returned to Vernon, and remained there until 1891, when he settled permanently at Mangum, locating under the Texas laws three hundred and twenty acres of land adjoining the corporate limits of the city, being in the valley of the Salt Fork of Red river. He fenced the land, put a portion of it under cultivation, doing his farming with steers, and raised fair crops. He made excellent improvements, having erected a spacious residence, set out shade trees, and has now a finely bearing orchard which he planted. For several years he dealt in fur and hides to some extent, buying them from the Indians, raised cattle, and when not employed in farming would oftentimes clerk in some of the stores. In 1898, in company with Mr. Jackson, he operated a small grocery for a year, and met with such encouraging success that the firm, of which Mr. Wilson was the head, added, in 1899, a stock of dry goods. Subsequently erecting a suitable frame building, the firm put in a complete stock of general merchandise, and carried on an extensive trade until burned out, in 1902. With a small insurance that they carried the firm was somewhat handicapped, but soon after erected a two story stone building, fifty feet by one hundred feet, at a cost of $10,000, and have since built up a large and lucrative trade. They have added two large warehouses to their other equipments, and in addition to their other stock have added wagons, buggies, and farm implements of all kinds. They do an immense business, their annual sales, which are every year increasing, now amounting to $85,000 annually. This firm, Jackson & Wilson have been especially helpful to the farming community, buying cotton from the farmers, as well as farm produce, assisting the farmers as much as possible to clear up their claims, and in other ways. When the government surveyed Greer County, Mr. Wilson accepted his allotment of one hundred and sixty acres, and bought the other one hundred and sixty acres of his homestead at the regular price, $1.25 an acre, payable within five years, and has now one of the most valuable and productive farming estates in this part of the state.

In 1890, as before mentioned, Mr. Wilson married. The maiden name of his wife was Lucy Sweet. She was born in Texas, Dallas County, February 2, 1868, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Pulver Sweet, both of whom were born in Sangamon County, Illinois, moved to Dallas County, when young, and were there married. Her grandfather, Levi Sweet, a native of New York state, was an early settler of Illinois, and lived there until 1853, when he located in Dallas County, Texas, where he located land, and improved a farm, on which he resided until his death. He was well educated and taught school for many years, afterwards serving as a minister in the Christian church. He had three children. Fifteen years old when his parents removed to Texas, Henry Sweet studied civil engineering, and subsequently did considerable surveying in Texas. During the Civil war he enlisted in the Confederate army, and being taken prisoner was confined in a Yankee prison for a long time before being exchanged. Returning to Texas in 1865, he repaired there until about 1882, when, as a surveyor, he located much land for other people in Greer County. While thus employed he formed the acquaintance of Mr. Mangum, who fought under Gen. Sam Houston in the Mexican War, taking part in the battle at San Jacinto, and who had a land warrant given him for his services. Henry Sweet made a contract to locate the land for Mr. Mangum, and was to have a portion of the land for so doing. Before he had, the land parented, Mr. Mangum died, but his heirs carried out their father's contract, and in 1884 Mr. Sweet took possession of his part of it, and platted the county seat of Greer County, at first naming it Lanam, but subsequently changing it to Mangum. In April, 1884, he donated a square for a site for a courthouse and other public buildings, and thus laid the foundation for the now populous and prosperous city, of Mangum. The soldiers tried to drive Mr. Sweet from his land, but he refused to budge, and soon after established a small store, which he stocked with such articles as were necessary for the cow boys and wayfarers, and in 1885 established the first postoffice here, and served as postmaster. He also established a star _____, and carried the mail himself, weekly, without pay, to Doane's store and postoffice, south of the Red River, a distance of sixty miles. He was very prominent in Masonic circles, being a Master Mason, and gave the lot, upon which was erected a two story building for the Masonic lodge. He was held in high esteem by the members of the craft, and a life-size picture of him now adorns the lodge room. Mr. Sweet died December 27, 1900. His first wife died in Dallas County, Texas, leaving five children. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson has been blessed by the birth of eleven children, namely: Dicey, Nellie, May, Leona, Wesley S., Frank H., Hester, George C., Elizabeth, Rachel, and Margaret. The youngest child, born July 31, 1906, died in August, 1907.

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