O. Wilcox

$.10 O. Wilcox

$.50 O. Wilcox

Ozias Wilcox was “born in 1824, and died January 1, 1876. Mr. Wilcox’ father was a harnessmaker, and resided at Crown Point, New York, where our subject was born and spent his earlier years. When he was about fifteen he went to Perry, Lake county, Ohio, and became a sailor on the lakes. From 1852 to 1854 he was in California, from which country he returned with a small capital, which he invested in the forwarding business, with headquarters at Fairport, in copartnership with his brother, B. O. Wilcox. Owing to ill health, he soon resumed the life of a sailor, in charge of one of his own ships. After a year of lake life he found his health still greatly impaired, and pursuant to the advice of his physician came to Minnesota. This was in the spring of 1856. He bought forty acres of Hugh Wiley, along the eastern side of the southwest quarter of section 8, in Plainview, and erected a store and dwelling in one building, and also took up a homestead-claim south of the village. Mr. Wilcox at once assumed a leadership in the affairs of the new town, and up to the time of his death exerted a beneficial influence in all public matters touching the interests of Plainview, where he engaged successfully in the mercantile business until the close of his life. In his early life Mr. Wilcox had few educational advantages, and acquired but a poor common-school education; he, however, had studious tastes, and aspired to gain a broader knowledge of literature and science than the masses find sufficient. All the leading literary periodicals and journals of the day were his constant reading. He was married to Martha Stearns, of northern Ohio, December 15, 1854.”