Person:Wilson Harler (1)

1880 census: Name: Wilson W. HARLER Age: 36 Estimated birth year: <1844> Birthplace: Pennsylvania Occupation: Farmer Relation: Self Home in 1880: Maquon, Knox, Illinois Marital status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Head of household: Wilson W. HARLER Father's birthplace: MA Mother's birthplace: NJ From The History of Knox Countypub. in 1912 by S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. W. W. Harler is one of Knox county's agriculturists, who, by reason of his energy and industry, has acquired the means to enable him to spend his latter years in the ease and comfort that justly belong to every well spent life. He laid aside the active work of the fields more than a year ago and is now living retired in Maquon. He is a native of Huntington county. New Jersey, his birth there occurring in 1844, while his parents were J. W. and Anna M. (Slack) Harler, the father a native of Massachusetts and the mother of New Jersey. J. W. Harler, who was a molder, removed with his wife and family to Illinois in 1853, locating here on November 8. He was for many years employed in the Peterson foundry, but was forced to withdraw from this employment during the latter years of his life. He removed to Chippewa county, Minnesota, about seven years prior to his death, which occurred at the age of seventy-two years. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Harler numbered eight, six of whom are living.W. W. Harler was a lad of nine years when brought to Illinois with his parents and has ever since been a resident of the state. He attended the common schools until he had acquired sufficient knowledge of the common branches to enable him to begin his real life work, when he laid aside his text-books and entered Peterson's foundry with his father. There he applied himself to the mastery of the molder's trade but never followed it, subsequently turning his attention to agricultural pursuits. He remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-four years of age, at which time his father went to Minnesota to make his home. Having gained a good practical knowledge of the principles of general farming, he took a position as a farm hand, diligently applying himself to this work for the succeeding four years. During that period by reason of his unremitting energy and thrift he acquired enough capital to establish a home of his own and after his marriage began farming as a renter. He continued in this way until 1889, when he invested the capital he had acquired in one hundred and forty acres of land in Maquon township. The cultivation and improvement of this land engaged his attention until 1910, when he turned the operation of his homestead over to his son and removed to Maquon, where he owns a comfortable residence. Mr. Harler diligently applied himself to the tilling of his fields and the raising of cattle with growing success for many years, during that time bringing his land into a high state of cultivation and making hisfarm one of the valuable properties of the district. When he bought his place it was unimproved, but as the years passed he made such annual expenditures as he was able from time to time until it now contains good, substantially constructed barns and outbuildings, serviceable fences and a comfortable residence. He also effected many minor changes during the period of his occupancy that added greatly both to the appearance and value of the property.For his wife Mr. Harler chose Miss Lizzie White of Fairview and they became the parents of three children: Idella, who married Arthur Addis of this county and has four children, Pearl, Cecil, Fred and Irene; A. C., living on his father's homestead, who married Minnie Agers and has three children, Mildred, Wilson and John; and Myrtle, who married Floyd Selby and has three children, Fred, Helen and Grace. Mr. Harler has always voted with the republican party, and has held the offices of commissioner, justice of the peace and constable, serving with efficiency in each capacity. In matters fraternal he has never been identified with any organization save the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the principles of which body have been very influential in directing his life. Mr. Harler is one of those to whom success came as the result of unremitting and persistent endeavor, and such ease and comfort as is now permitted himself and wife by reason of the competence they have acquired is the well merited reward of years of toil and self-denial. (pages 803-804 submitted by Janine Crandell)

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