James William Wilder was born in White County, Tennessee, May 10, 1858. His parents dying when he was but two years old, he became the care of his grandparents until he was fifteen years old.
When about eighteen, he began to work at photography at Madisonville, Kentucky, and worked there one year. He afterwards worked in various towns and cities in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.
On September 25, 1884, while in Kentucky, James married Alice Lilly of Glencoe, Kentucky. Alice was born in 1854.
The couple came to Marion, Illinois, March 25, 1891, and purchased a lot at 301 S. Van Buren St.
When the couple arrived in Marion, they had two children. Their names were Ethel M. Wilder, born in 1887 and John C. Wilder, born in 1889. Their first three children, unfortunately, did not survive early childhood.
Within a few years of arrival, James had established a gallery in town. According to Goodspeed’s History of the County written in 1895, “,the town also contains several blacksmith and woodwork shops, three butcher shops, two barber shops, and the new and well established photograph and picture gallery of J. W. Wilder.”
In a quote from the 1905 History, “Mr. Wilder has always prospered at his business, but on the 25th of last February (1903 or 04), his studio and all its treasures were consumed by fire. He had about $1400 worth of goods and only $300 insurance. The studio stood on North Market Street, where the new Hyde building now stands, and where a new gallery is being fitted up for him.”
The 1907 Marion business and street directories list Wilder as living at 301 S. Van Buren St. and doing business at 210 N. Market St. (Heyde Building).
Wilder had united with the Baptist church in Kentucky when he was four years old and served as a member and treasurer of the First Baptist Church of Marion in 1904. He was reported as, “always a vigorous and successful Sunday School and Church worker”.
Around 1909, after 18 years in Marion business, Wilder moved his family to Kissimmee, Florida. For what reason, is yet to be determined. In those days, Kissimmee had less than 2500 people in it so it wasn’t a large place as it is now. Florida did have a land boom in this time period.
The 1910 census finds Wilder at 52, Alice Wilder is 56. Their children are still living at home and both are employed. Ethel M. Wilder is 25 and a music teacher in a public school and John C. Wilder is a photographer following in father’s footsteps. They owned their own home.
The last census I could find on the family was in 1920, they were living in the same location and all still had the same occupations. No death records or further census records were found.
(Data from 1905 Souvenir History, WCHS; Goodspeed’s History, 1895; Marion City Directories; Federal Census Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 0417/2013)