Posted on: Lee Co. Ia Biographies Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ia/LeeBios/37 Surname: WILSON, DEAN ------------------------- The History of LEE COUNTY, IOWA Western Historical Co., Chicago, 1879, Madison Twp., pg. 756: “WILSON, HAZEN, retired; was born in Windsor Co., Vt., June 21, 1825; when 12 years of age, his parents emigrated to Iowa; they came by wagons, his father driving one ox-team and he and his brother drove the other; they started May 19, 1837, were ten weeks on the way, and arrived in Lee Co. the last of July, 1837; they located in Washington Tp., on Sec. 1, and made a farm; they built a saw-mill on Lost Creek, started it in December, 1838, and sawed the first lumber in Lee Co.; in 1849, they rebuilt their mill; in the spring of 1850, Hazen started overland to Oregon; he went with an ox-team, and was six months on the way; he remained there three years, was engaged in manufacturing lumber; he built five sawmills while there; he returned in 1853, and in 1855 bought his brother’s mill on Skunk Creek; operated that a short time, and then removed to Mendota, Ill., lived there three years; and went to Southern Illinois and engaged in fruit-growing; he had the largest fruit orchard in the State [sic], if not in the country; it contained 1,100 trees and he grew small fruits in proportion; he returned to Ft. Madison in 1870, and since then has not been engaged in active business, except attending to the care of his property. He is a strong Republican and was an Old-Line Abolitionist when is cost men something to stand by their principles. He married Miss Susan Dean, a native of Ohio, Dec. 3, 1853; they have two daughters – Ada and Birdie May.”