WILSON, Henry William, Beeville Bee, 11 Sep 1908:

Two Landmarks Removed; Finger of Death Touches Two of Beeville's Oldest Citizens Within the 
Past Week.

Within the past week the hand of death has been laid upon two of Beeville's oldest residents and 
two of the oldest landmarks removed from its citizenship.  (Henry William WILSON and 
Robert H. NATIONS)

In the death of Henry William WILSON, (Sept. 5, 1908) there passed from the stage of life's activities, 
the county's oldest citizen. Born January 17, 1819, he lacked but a few months on his death last 
Saturday morning of being ninety years of age, thirty-seven of which had been spent in Bee County.

He was a native of Southampton, England of that strong stock that has given to England its yeomanry. 
(photo insert) At the age of fourteen, he was apprenticed to the practice trade, which he mastered in every 
detail and entered upon a tour of the world. In due time he had been a president of many portions, British 
empire including New Zealand, Austria, India, The Straights Settlement and British Columbia. It was while 
he embarked on an exploring party in the latter country in 1849 when the news of the discovery of gold in 
California spread among the world and he was among the very first to reach Sacramento Valley. While he 
lived on the shores of San Francisco Bay, not a single house stood on the site now occupied by the 
Metropolis of the pacific coast. 

Following the vocation of a miner with more or less (? word not legible), he went from California to Mexico 
living at various times in Mazatlan, Acapulco and San Bias and finally settling in the City of Mexico where he 
was a resident for thirteen years and engaged in various enterprises, among which was the publication of 
the first English newspaper to be permitted in the Republic.

In 1874 he came to Bee County, purchasing land in the vicinity of Beeville and engaging in ranching. He 
immediately became identified with the best interest of the county, as was his nature and served in the official 
capacity of County and District clerk for several years.  He was one of the leading factors in securing the 
building of the Aransas Pass Railroad through the county, being a heavy cash donor, as well as contributing 
considerable town property to the enterprise.

For many years he had retired from active life and had spent the time in honest pursuits which was his natural 
bent, and the four walls of his extensive library constituted his world except for occasional visits to friends. In 
his ninety years of life all the worlds' most important inventions had been made. When he was born George III 
was yet King of England and four other rulers have set upon the throne of that land and twenty-one presidents 
of the United States have occupied the white house and passed away. Strong in his friendships, unwavering in 
his conception of right it was a fitting epitome of his life given by the officiating minister at his funeral to 
obsequies that he had lived a clean life.

The funeral took place on Saturday afternoon, the interment taking place in the new cemetery (Glenwood), once 
a part of his estate. The funeral service was conducted by Rev. McDongal, according to the rites of the Anglican 
Church of which he had been all his life a consistent and faithful adherent and benefactor.

A last requiem of the deceased was that his favorite hymn "My Faith Looks Up To Thee" should be sung at his 
funeral by his best friend, R. H. GILLETT. Two verses of the hymn were rendered at the benediction of the ante-burial 
service in the home and the remaining two at the gravesite. The words floating out among the large concourse of 
friends as a prayer and benediction of him to whom the last honors were being parted.