DR. WILSON C. WINANS, druggist, Louisville, is a native of Greene County, Ohio, and was born April 9, 1822. His father, Matthias Winans, was a physician and a preacher, and was born near Maysville, Ky. Our subject attended the common school in Jamestown, in his native county. When yet a boy, he read medicine under his father and his brother-in-law, Dr. John Dawson, afterward Professor of Anatomy in Starling Medical College of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Winans afterward attended the Medical Department of the University of Louisville, Ky. He practiced a short time in Marysville, Ohio, after which he purchased a drug store in Cincinnati, remaining in the drug store business there about four years. Be then removed to Houston, Ohio, where be practiced and taught school a few years. He afterward went to Hartford, in Allen County, Ohio, where he built up a large practice, remaining there for four years. In 1857, he removed to Valparaiso, Ind. He came to Alma, Ill., in the spring of 1859, and to Louisville in the fall of 1860. He was commissioned Assistant Surgeon in the late war, but had just bought a drug store and did not serve. He still runs a drug, grocery and notion store. He was married, in 1847, to Amanda F. Carlin, by whom he has had four children, two living, Mary (Apperson) and Isa. The Doctor owns fifteen acres in orchard adjoining Louisville. He owns sixty-five acres of land one mile west of Louisville, and five or six houses and lots in Louisville. The Doctor is quite a religious controversialist; he had a newspaper controversy with Rev. R. E. Henry, of the Christain order, on the subject of creeds. He held another anonymous controversy with a gentleman in Georgetown; and another through the papers with a lady (deist) of Flora. He was then a Methodist. The Doctor has always been a strong Union man, and a supporter of the Government during the war, for which he was frequently threatened with violence. He had three brothers - Hon. James J. (deceased, once a member of Congress, from Greene County, Ohio, and for several years Judge of that county), Dr. Henry C., of Muncie, Ind., and Samuel J. (killed at Mission Ridge in the war). He also has four sisters - Adelia (widow Dr. John Dawson, late of Columbus, Ohio), Zerelda (widow of Dr. D. K. Green, late of Salem, Ill.), Clarissa (wife of Dr. W. H. Harper, of Lima, Ohio), and Fannie (widow of Asa Syfers). The Doctor's orchard spoken of above is a young orchard, and just beginning to bear. In 1882, it yielded a crop which sold for $400.
Transcribed by Laurel White from 1884 History of Wayne and Clay Counties, Illinois, Part IV, page 158.
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