Henderson County, Kentucky Community

About 1879 J.T. and Ida Elam Wilson bought 223 acres on the Henderson-Corydon road where thy lived and brought up a family of nine children. Later, Wilson acquired additional land to the east of his original tract, and it was here that the Wilson Station community originated and grew.

When the Ohio Valley Railroad announced plans to build a track from Henderson to Princeton, Mr. Wilson gave the right of way through his farm and helped the company obtain it from his neighbors. In appreciation, the company named the station "Wilson" and gave Mr. And Mrs. Wilson a lifetime pass. Unfortunately, the line was soon sold to the I.C.R.R. and it did not honor the pass.

When a post office was established in 1886 it was named "Wilson Station", changed to "Wilson" in 1893 and abandoned in 1907. A public school was opened about 1890 on the corner of A.R. Elam farm and enrolled pupils from a radius of two miles or more. At one time 65 to 70 pupils attended school here. A public school for the colored was built near the John Dixon and Jesse Posey homes and drew pupils from the same area.

Most families, black and white, farmed and most owned their own homes with enough land for a garden and pasture for stock. Small farmers labored on the larger tobacco-raising farms, and all prospered when tobacco sold well. J.T. Wilson built a factory to buy, prise and sell tobacco, operated a general store and was the first road supervisor in Henderson County.

In 1901 a Union church was built with neighborhood gifts and served as a rallying place for the community for 20 years after the school and post office closed and passenger trains discontinued.

from The Annals and Scandals of Henderson County, Ky.
By Maralea Arnett