Willson - Samuel Campbell
Source: Crawfordsville Star, June 23, 1881 p 4
In the latter part of the winter Col. S.C. Willson slipped and fell on the icy pavement, and received injuries, themselves slight, which led to general breaking down of his hitherto remarkably strong and vigorous system. He died at his residence, surrounded by all his family, on Tuesday afternoon at 3 o’clock, aged 71 years. Samuel Campbell Willson, LLD, was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego County, NY Sept 1810. He received a rudimentary education at the village academy there. At the age of 19 he entered the law office of Judge Levi Beardley of Cherry Valley; at the age of 23 he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court and made solicitor in chancery by Chancellor Reuben A. Walworth. Mr. Willson came to Charlestown, Clarke County, Indiana in June 1834, remained there two years and then removed to Crawfordsville. He entered into a law partnership with the late Col. HS Lane in this city in 1837. In 1853 Col. Lane retired from the practice of law. In 1838 Mr. Willson was elected by the Legislature prosecuting attorney of this judicial circuit, then comprising 9 counties, and was twice re-elected. In 1852 he was associated with Joe E. McDonald in the practice of law. The firm was dissolved six years later by McDonald removing from the city. A partnership with Gen. Lew Wallace was afterwards formed but broke at the outbreak of the Rebellion. Since that time Col. Willson was associated in the practice of law with his son Levi B. Willson. Col. Willson was largely interested in the building of the Indianapolis, Crawfordsville and Danville Railroad, now the IB&W Line. He had always taken an active interest in railroad enterprises and wished by the completion of this road to have a through east and west line. In 1831 he rode from Albany to Schenectady, NY behind the first locomotive ever used in America. In 1872 he was, therefore, correspondingly proud when he seated himself in a palace car here and rode an unbroken trip to San Francisco. By an unfortunate chain of circumstances he lost the greater part of his handsome fortune in the construction of the IB&W RR. For several years he was president of the board of trustees of the State University. He also took a keen interest in agricultural matters and was the first man to introduce the use of tilling in Indiana His family belonged to the ME Church, but of recent years he attended worship at the Protestant Episcopal church. In politics he was a thorough partisan though at times quite liberal in his Democracy. He was proud of having cast his first vote for General Jackson. In early life he was a powerful and impassioned pleader of the bar and was universally conceded to be one of the ablest lawyers in the state. Coming of sturdy old Scotch-English blood, Col. Willson was a man of strong convictions and great business pluck. He spent the last few years of his life in the companionship of his many friends, being fond of society. Being a man endowed by nature with a powerful physique he never knew fatigue, and from that reason never gave up hope of his final recovery to the last minute when the flame of life burned low in the candle socket. He was a sturdy old pioneer closely identified with the history of the advancement and improvement of Montgomery County and State of Indiana. While all will regret to learn of his death, none will fail to admire his well-moulded life, full of active, earnest work for the common good. Colonel Willson’s family sprung from Scotch ancestry on the paternal and English on the maternal side. His grandfather, James Willson, came to America in 1739, took an active part in the Revolutionary War, and held various positions of honor and trust in the Federal service. His maternal grandfather was named Spencer, and came to this country with Ann Lee, the founder of the society of Shakers. Col. Willson’s maternal grandfather was nearly related to Major-General Nathaniel Greene, the fighting Quaker General of the Revolution – transcribed by kbz