Wilson (village), New York
| Wilson, New York | ||
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| Motto: Let Each Live in Harmony with Earth, Sea, and One Another | ||
 Location in Niagara County and the state of New York. |
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 Wilson, New York
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| Coordinates: 43°17′36″N 78°50′32″W / 43.29333°N 78.84222°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | New York | |
| County | Niagara | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 51.5 sq mi (133.3 km2) | |
| • Land | 49.5 sq mi (128.3 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.9 sq mi (5.0 km2) | |
| Elevation | 344 ft (105 m) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 1,264 | |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP code | 14172 | |
| Area code(s) | 716 | |
| FIPS code | 36-82359 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979646 | |
| Website | www.wilsonnewyork.com | |
Wilson is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,264 at the 2010 census. The village is said to be named after Luther Wilson. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Village of Wilson is within the Town of Wilson in the northern part of the county. It was incorporated on May 11, 1858. The village has a small boat harbor for Lake Ontario that includes several marinas and boat launching facilities. Wilson Harbor and its surrounding area boasts some of the best bass, trout, and salmon fishing in Western New York.
The Village of Wilson was incorporated in 1858. It was named for Luther Wilson, the son of Reuben Wilson, who was the founder of the town of Wilson. Luther Wilson's first claim to ingenuity may have occurred during the War of 1812 when he was only 14 years of age. According to early accounts, George Ash, who lived west of the Wilson settlement, warned the settlers that the British were coming, thus giving them time to gather their things and flee. About 25 head of cattle were rounded up, and Luther Wilson was given the responsibility of driving them eastward along the lake, some had cow bells around their necks, so in order to keep invaders from hearing them, he stuffed dry leaves in the bells. He was then able to drive the cattle five miles (8 km) beyond Van Horne's Mill where they remained undetected. After the British burned down the mill and retreated, Luther drove the cattle back to Wilson. When Luther reached maturity, he became the business genius of the family, with an untiring energy and spirit, he started most of the public improvements in town.
In 1827, he started the hamlet of Wilson, NY by laying out a single tier of lots along the north side of Young Street from Lake Street to the Creek. In 1829, a tavern was added to his father's store and post office at the west end of Young Street which was often visited by the early settlers and soldiers from Old Fort Niagara. In 1834, Luther and his father built the cobblestone "Ontario House" on the southwest corner of Young and Lake streets, and up to 1894 (when it was destroyed by fire), it was considered one of Wilson's oldest and best known hostelries. On December 28, 1835, Luther was elected one of the trustees of the first Methodist-Episcopal Society in the town of Wilson at a meeting held to incorporate it. In 1838, a new frame church was built at the corner of Lake and High streets on land acquired from Andrew Brown. Up to 1837, Luther helped his father as a merchant and miller, and in that same year, enlarged the grist mill by adding steam power and two more run of stones. In 1844-45, Luther built an attractive cobblestone home on the site of the first log school-house built in the village in 1820. The beautiful historic home today is the "Wilson House." It was during this year that Luther was elected to a term in the state assembly.
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