Wilson Canfield Edsell (July 8, 1814 – August 12, 1900) served in the

Michigan Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...

, representing

Allegan County Allegan County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 120,502. The county seat is Allegan. The name was coined by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to sound like a Native American word. Alle ...

, in 1865–1866, 1877–1878, and 1881–1882. Edsell was the son of Jesse Edsell and Polly Canfield. He was born in Pike, Pennsylvania, on July 8, 1814, and raised on a farm attending common (public) schools. In 1835, he enrolled at

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

and helped found

Olivet College Olivet College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin College, and it followed Oberlin in becom ...

in 1843. He served the college as a trustee, secretary, and treasurer for six years before settling in

Otsego, Michigan Otsego is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,956 at the 2010 census. The city is within Otsego Township, but is administratively autonomous. Otsego is situated on M-89 about three miles (5 km) w ...

, in 1849. He made his living there as a lawyer, justice, and Michigan Asylum trustee. His party affiliation was

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

initially, but later converted to the

Prohibitionist Prohibitionism is a legal philosophy and political theory often used in lobbying which holds that citizens will abstain from actions if the actions are typed as unlawful (i.e. prohibited) and the prohibitions are enforced by law enforcement.C Canty ...

party. Edsell was the founder of the first National Bank in Otsego, as well as the sole contributor to the construction and provision of the town's Opera House.Archie Nevins & Dorothy Dalrymple, ''As It Was in Otsego'' (Otsego: Otsego Bicentennial Committee, 1975), p. 18-19. He died August 12, 1900, at

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edsell, Wilson C. 1814 births 1900 deaths People from Bradford County, Pennsylvania Oberlin College alumni Olivet College People from Otsego, Michigan Michigan lawyers Michigan state senators American bankers 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American businesspeople