From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 738 - 742
 
THOMAS H. WILCOX.  An honored veteran of the Civil war and an esteemed citizen 
of Walworth county is Thomas H. WILCOX, a man who has established a reputation 
for industry, honesty, prudence and public spirit such as few of his 
contemporaries have attained; a man of well defined purpose, he has not failed 
to carry to successful completion any work or enterprise to which he has 
addressed himself.
 
Mr. WILCOX was born at Morristown, New York, March 4, 1845.  He is the son of 
Alonzo C. and Matilda (STANTON) WILCOX, the latter born at Fairfield, New 
York, and was the daughter of Elijah STANTON and wife, the former born in 
Preston, Connecticut, in 1754.  When fourteen years old he enlisted in the 
colonial army and served throughout the Revolutionary war and for a time he 
was the body servant of George Washington.  He was captured by the British, 
and was one of the unfortunates who suffered the horrors of the prison-
ship, "Jersey," where he contracted the smallpox.  Elijah STANTON and his 
fellow prisoners were reduced to the necessity of feeding upon the vermin 
picked from their bodies.  After the war he settled near Little Falls, 
Herkimer county, New York.  In 1791 he married Lucy GOODEL, daughter of Abijah 
GOODELL, of Long Island.  She was born in 1760 and her death occurred in 
1832.  Their home was in Fairfield, Herkimer county, New York, where their 
daughter, Matilda, was born, and there she lived until after her marriage to 
Alonzo C. WILCOX.  Three children were born of their marriage, Esther Ann, now 
widow of Lewis WEEKS, of Elkhorn; Margaret Amanda, wife of George F. BRESEE, 
lived in Lyons until her death, September 29, 1903; Thomas H., the immediate 
subject of this review.
 
The STANTON family has been traced back to Thomas STANTON, of Longbridge, 
Warwick county, England, in 1450, and from him in an unbroken line of 
descendants to the fifth generation.  Thomas STANTON, born in Warwick county, 
England, in 1616, left London in 1635 in the merchant ship "Bonanventura" for 
Boston, by way of Virginia.  He learned the Indian languages, was a magistrate 
at Boston very soon after locating there and was long an invaluable aid to the 
authorities as interpreter to the Indians.  He was a safe counselor in 
difficulties with the red men, and in all land questions.  He served 
throughout the Pequod Indian war and was specially mentioned for bravery.  He 
was among the very earliest settlers of Hartford, and his name appears in the 
early public records there over sixty times.  He finally moved to Stonington 
before there was a village by that name, and there he also became active in 
public affairs and with the Indians.  He served several terms in the General 
Assembly of Connecticut.  The death of Elijah STANTON occurred in 1847 at the 
advanced age of ninety-three years, his wife having preceded him to the grave 
in 1832.
 
Alonzo C. WILCOX emigrated to Wisconsin in 1844 and bought the west half of 
the southwest quarter of section 9, Hudson (now Lyons) township, Walworth 
county, and in 1845 he moved his family here, which remained their home as 
long as he lived.  He finally added a little more land to his original 
purchase and he devoted his life to farming.  His death occurred on October 5, 
1891, his being the only death on that farm in sixty-five years, although at 
times two families lived together there.  The death of his wife occurred on 
November 6, 1887.
 
Thomas H. WILCOX grew to manhood on the home farm and there worked during his 
boyhood days.  When the Civil war came on, he enlisted on February 20, 1862, 
in the Ninth Wisconsin Battery, Light Artillery.  He was in Colorado and other 
parts of the West fighting against the Indians most of the time, serving in 
New Mexico, Kansas and Missouri, remaining in the service three years.  He was 
never in the guard house or the hospital.  He was only seventeen years old 
when he enlisted, but he made a most faithful and efficient soldier, according 
to his comrades.  After being honorably discharged he returned to the home 
farm.
 
Mr. WILCOX was married on July 2, 1879, to Phoebe TRAVIS, daughter of 
Nathaniel I. and Julia (GRIFFIN) TRAVIS.  She was born in Lyons township, this 
county, November 21, 1851, and lived there on her father's farm until her 
marriage.  Her parents came here from Genesee county, New York.  Her mother 
was born on October 27, 1811, in Dutchess county, New York, and was the 
daughter of Charles and Martha (TAYLOR) GRIFFIN.  She moved with her parents 
to Oneida county, New York, in 1823, and to Genesee county, that state, in 
1831.  Nathaniel I. TRAVIS was born on May 23, 1814, was married on January 
26, 1841, and he came to Lyons, Wisconsin, in 1850, buying a farm in the 
northeast quarter of section 17, Lyons township, Walworth county, very near 
the WILCOX home.  Mrs. WILCOX was one of six children, named as follows: 
Martha, unmarried, died when twenty-three years old; Hannah died in 1850, when 
seven years old; Francis, who was in the Civil war with Mr. WILCOX, married 
Olive WAITE, October 6, 1868, and had six children; his death occurred 
November 1, 1901, when fifty-six years old, his birth having occurred December 
31, 1845, in Genesee county, New York; Adelbert, born May 22, 1849, lives in 
Elkhorn; Phoebe is the wife of Mr. WILCOX; Gilbert T., born February 5, 1855, 
lives on the home farm.
 
Francis TRAVIS married Olive M. WAITE, who was born September 5, 1849, married 
October 6, 1868, and died August 9, 1891; they were the parents of three 
children: Vernon, born January 2, 1870, who lives in Florida and is unmarried, 
travels a great deal; Milton M., born July 9, 1871, married April 9, 1894; 
Willitt F., born May 16, 1874, married April 18, 1897; Mabel O., born April 
23, 1877, married March 5, 1901; Dwight R., born September 11, 1879, married 
July 10, 1897; Roy L., born March 9, 1884, died August 5, 1891.
 
Adelbert TRAVIS married Mary KINNEY on September 7, 1870; she was born in 
August 1849, and died July 6, 1894; they had three children: Martin J., born 
November 12, 1874; died December 28, 1875; Ira B., born August 18, 1877, died 
February 1, 1899; Julia N., born February 6, 1880, married Richard PATTON, and 
she lives in Lake Geneva; Bert H., born September 25, 1887, lives in Elkhorn; 
Emery S. TRAVIS, born November 26, 1891, also lives in Elkhorn.  Adelbert 
TRAVIS was twice married, espousing Lucia RANNY on September 17, 1895.
 
Phoebe TRAVIS was married on July 2, 1879 to Thomas H. WILCOX, of this 
sketch.  To this union Alonzo C. WILCOX was born February 10, 1880, and he 
lives in Lyons, this county.
 
Gilbert TRAVIS was born February 5, 1855, married on April 30, 1879 to 
Francelia JONES, who was born May 29, 1851, and they had children as follows: 
One son, born in 1880, that died in infancy; Harriet J., born August 19, 1883, 
married April 30, 1907, to Frank BLANKE; a daughter was born July October 18, 
1894, died April 3, 1895; Leone, an adopted daughter, was born October 4, 1899.
 
Julia Travis, daughter of Adelbert, married Richard PATTON and they have one 
son, Reginald.  Mrs. Harriet BLANKE, daughter of Gilbert TRAVIS has two 
children, Wallace and Frank.
 
Milton TRAVIS, son of Francis TRAVIS, has these children: Mazelle M., Thelma 
E., Clive Norris, Ainslie.  Willett's children are: Mildred M., Margaret B., 
Frank Gilbert and Ruth Winifred.  Dwight's children are: Gerald Dwight, Irma 
Laura, Richard Frank, Bernice Olive, and Clarma Lucile (the latter dying on 
July 5, 1908), Robert Emerson, Geneva Eleanor (also deceased).  Mabel, wife of 
Richard SPIEGELHOFF, of Lyons, has two children, Ray Donald and Olive Blanche.
 
The STANTON family as a rule have been long lived.  Matilda died at the age of 
eighty-five, her sister was ninety-two and Elijah STANTON was ninety-six.  
Mrs. Samantha NELLIS, of Naples, New York, another of the mother's sisters, 
reached the age of one hundred and three years, and very few of the family 
died under seventy years of age.
 
Alonzo C. WILCOX, father of the immediate subject of this sketch, was the son 
of Thomas and Margaret (CRIPPEN) WILCOX.  The subject's father was born in 
Connecticut.
 
After his marriage Thomas H. WILCOX, of this sketch, farmed the homestead for 
many years.  He bought adjoining land until he had one hundred and thirty-one 
acres which he placed under high grade improvements.  At his father's death he 
bought out the other heirs, finally selling the place in March, 1911, after a 
successful career as a general farmer and stock raiser.  He had lived on the 
farm until 1900.  In February of that year he moved to the village of Lyons 
where he bought a cozy home.  He has held various local offices, but is not a 
politician.  He was postmaster of Lyons for a period of eight years, giving 
splendid service in this capacity.  He is a member of the Grand Army of the 
Republic, the Luther Crane Post, at Burlington.  Fraternally, he belongs to 
Burlington Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, and Elkhorn Chapter.  Mr. WILCOX 
has traveled extensively in America, both in the East and West, and has 
attended many national reunions of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)