by Chester Robinson
Extracted from The Civil War Token Journal, Volume 1 Number 1.
William S. Wilcox was born April 25, 1819, at Riga, Monroe Co., New York. The family moved to Milan, Ohio for a few years, and then to Adrian, Michigan in September 1836.
In 1848, Wm. S. Wilcox and a man named Chappell opened a hardware store in Adrian. Eighteen months later Wilcox bought his partner's share of the business, and until after the Civil War ran is as Wm. S. Wilcox Hardware. Later the name changed to Wilcox and Bro. and eventually became Wilcox Bros. and Co. The business continued until after 1950 under the Wilcox name. It was located in later years on the south side of West Maumee St.
Wm. S. Wilcox was active in civic affairs, and served as Mayor of Adrian. In 1864 he was elected to the state legisl;ature, and later to the state Senate. In 1869 he was appointed prison inspector for the state of Michigan. He was also active ion the church, serving as Sunday school superintendent at the Baptist Chruch for some 50 years.
Wm. S. Wilcox Store Cards MI5F-1a 1094 Copper Plain Edge R9 MI5F-2a 1097 Copper Plain Edge R4 MI5F-3a 1098 Copper Plain Edge R6 MI5F-4a 1102 Copper Plain Edge R9