Elias Wilder and his journey west.
Elias Wilder was the Son of Artemas Wilder and Dolly Crowninshield. He had a twin brother James and a younger brother Artemas. Two older siblings died in infancy before he was born in 1808. Elias was born in1808 in Dummerston Vermont. He married Turzah (Teresa) Fuller in possibly around 1820.
Shortly after marriage, Elias and Thurza, along Elias' father Artemas and mother Dolly, brother James and Artemas loaded up their wagons and left Vermont. We only know this through oral history and the 1800 census records that document their travels.
New York
Ohio
Illinois
Missouri
California
Their first stop was New York where their son John Crowninshield Wilder was born in 1827 and perhaps several other children who do not survive infancy. The family leaves New York. Elias' brothers James and Artemas go their sperate ways.
As Elias, his wife, parents and son move to Ohio sometime before 1840. Elias' father passes away in Ohio in 1839. We don't have a record of when his mother dies but it must have been prior to 1840 as she does not appear in the census record for that year. Thurza and Elias' second son Artemas and third son James Hill Wilder are both born in Ohio.
Again, after a short time the family pulls up stakes and leaves Ohio, this time for Illinois. They recall being in Illinois in 1846 where they witness the Mormons leaving for Salt Lake. As with much farm land in Ohio in Illinois, many farmers have played out the fields, so again we see the Wilders move on with the hope of getting better farm land in northern Missouri close to the Missouri, Iowa border. They spend the war years in Missouri scratching out a living.
After the civil war in 1865, Elias, Thurza, son James and his bride Caroline Huntley gather up their belongings, procure a wagon and an ox team, and head west on one of the last wagon trains to hit the the Oregon trail for California. Their final destination would be Silvyville, California, now Dixon California. There they rented a farm and soon after arriving in Silvyville, both Elias and Thurza pass away. They are buried in an unmarked farm grave somewhere in the vicinity of old Silvyville.
Raising a family along the way.
Elias and Turzah had 7 children.
John Crowninshield Wilder born Sept. 13, 1827, New York State. We think the family settled for a bit in the south wester area of New York, as Artemas and/or his son Elias may have had cousins in that area.
Elias Artemas Wilder born Nov. 8, 1839, Ohio
James Hill Wilder born Aug. 30, 1840, Ohio
Caroline Wilder born Jan. 21, 1842
George Fuller Wilder born May 26, 1843, Guernsey Co. Ohio
Alonzo Parker "Lon" Wilder born Sept. 17, 1844/46, Hancock Co. Ohio
Lida Wilder died in infancy
There may have been children born before John Crowninshield Wilder and between him and Elias Artemas, as we see a gap of almost 10 years between their birth dates.