Joseph Lapsley Wilson
Joseph Lapsley Wilson | |
|---|---|
 Captain Joseph Lapsley Wilson by Thomas Eakins (circa 1895) | |
| Born | September 17, 1844 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 12, 1928 |
| Place of burial | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | Union army Pennsylvania Army National Guard |
| Years of service | 1862–1867 |
| Rank | Sergeant, Captain |
| Commands | First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War |
Joseph Lapsley Wilson (September 17, 1844 – April 12, 1928) was an American military officer, railroad executive, and horticulturalist. He served in the Union army during the American Civil War and as captain of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry from 1889 to 1894. He wrote two histories of the First Troop in 1875 and 1915. He worked as secretary of the Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company for 38 years. He collected over 200 specimens of rare plants he displayed at his estate which became the Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation where he served as the first director.
Early life
Wilson was born in Philadelphia on September 17, 1844, and was educated at West Chester Academy in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His studies were interrupted in 1862, when he enlisted in the Union Army as a member of C Company Grays Reserves. He saw fire in July 1863 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He was discharged from the army in 1867 at the rank of sergeant.[1]
Career
He worked as secretary of the Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company, a division of the Reading Railroad, which transported anthracite from Northeastern Pennsylvania's coal region.[2] He worked for the company for 38 years.[1]
In 1867, he was elected to the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, the oldest continually-active military unit in the United States, and part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He served as the troop's captain from 1889 to 1894.[4] He wrote its centennial history in 1875. Forty years later, he revised and updated the history: Book of the First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry, 1774-1914 (1915).[5]
In the late 1870s, he bought land in Merion, Pennsylvania, and built a mansion named "Red Slates". Inspired by the rare plants he observed at the Centennial Exposition, he collected over 200 specimens of plants and turned his property into an arboretum.[2] In 1901, he married Caroline Alice Yates.[1]
In 1922, he sold the estate to Dr. Albert C. Barnes, and he and his wife moved to a smaller house on the property. Barnes demolished the mansion to build his art gallery, but preserved the arboretum. Wilson served as the arboretum's first director and as a Barnes Foundation trustee, until his death.[6] Barnes named the road in front of the property Lapsley Lane in honor of Wilson.[1] Some of trees planted by Wilson trees still survive at the Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation.[7]
He was a member of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Radnor Hunt Club,[1] the Union League of Philadelphia and the National Republican League.[8] He was a member of the Indian Rights Association,[9] and opposed American imperialism.[10]
He died on April 12, 1928,[1] and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Rawdon, Katy. "Joseph Lapsley Wilson Papers 1922-1929" (PDF). s3.amazonaws.com. The Barnes Foundation Archives. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ a b Maule, Bradley. "Life Anew For The Living Collections At The Barnes". hiddencityphila.org. Hidden City Philadelphia. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ Harper's New Monthly Magazine Volume LXXXIX. June to November 1894. New York: Harper and Brothers, Publishers. 1894. p. 16. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ Seymour, Joseph (2008). First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-7385-5767-0. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry Archived 2010-08-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "About the Barnes Foundation". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
- ^ "The Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph's University". gardensearch.bgci.org. GardenSearch. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "Joseph Lapsley Wilson scrapbook". discover.hsp.org. Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Executive Committee of the Indian Rights Association, For the Year Ending December 15, 1900. Philadelphia: Office of the Indian Rights Association. 1901. p. 95. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ American Anti-Imperialist League of Philadelphia
- ^ "Joseph L Wilson". remembermyjourney.com. webCemeteries. Retrieved 23 March 2025.