Dr. William Berry Wilson: 'No voice for help was disregarded' - Southeast Missourian

As a young lad, William Wilson was reared successful the vicinity of Old Appleton, the lad of carpenter Benjamin Wilson and his woman Jenne. Education for him was the agrarian schools until a person of the family, Dr. Moses S. Harris of Perry County, Missouri, suggested helium could tutor William successful mentation for aesculapian school. Eager to participate medicine, William attended and graduated from Bellevue College Medical School successful New York.

Soon aft returning to Cape Girardeau County, Dr. Wilson, property 21, volunteered to be the victims of the 1852 large cholera epidemic that ravished Jackson, leaving 123 recorded deaths. Following the disease, helium organized the aged Southeast Missouri Medical Society wherever doctors pooled their cognition to amended assistance the citizens of the county.

He joined Anna Eliza Juden successful 1853 and established their location astatine 344 N. Ellis and opened a cause store astatine 111 N. Main.

Always acceptable for a challenge, Dr. Wilson was a young doc who met the needs of the afflicted during the Civil War. The Cape Girardeau Union provost gave the doc a licence for unlimited transition done Union and Confederate lines.

During the war, determination was plentifulness of excitement astir their farmhouse connected the country connected North Ellis Street, conscionable eastbound of Fort B (present determination of the university).

After six children were calved to the family, the Wilsons decided to determination "into town" adjacent the river, wherever they had much country for visitors and family. The three-storied stuccoed ceramic was nestled successful beforehand of the cliffs of Fort A, facing the river. Each of the galore rooms had precocious vaulted ceilings trimmed successful walnut and poplar woodwork. Beautiful carved rosewood furnishings and marble-topped tables graced the rooms of Riverview.

Following Ann's decease successful 1886, the doc was joined to Louisa Giboney by Baptist minister, the Rev. J.C. Maple of Cape Girardeau.

With patients and cause store, the doctor, known arsenic the oldest practicing doc successful 1888, stayed busy. However, helium ever recovered clip to enactment progressive successful the community. He served connected an aboriginal Normal School Board of Regents, arsenic president of the Southeast Missouri District Agricultural Society and connected the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Gravel Road Co. In addition, helium took precocious rankings successful the Masonic circles and was instrumental successful keeping the Masonic Lodge live during the Civil War.

Following respective years of declining health, Dr. Wilson, 69, died connected Oct. 18, 1900, astatine his home. His volition and testament enabled Louisa to stay successful their "homestead on with each the furniture, pictures, metallic and golden plate, china, clock, stables ... and a mare Elsie." Son, J. Maple, was fixed the close to bargain the archetypal location astatine Ellis and North streets for $2,000. He and his wife, Emma, rebuilt a Queen Anne-style location which is contiguous beside Centenary United Methodist Church.

The Masonic Lodge was successful complaint of the Wilson services astatine New Lorimier Cemetery. The ceremonies were attended by a immense fig of country citizens of each walks of life.

The Water Street location was razed successful the 1930s.