Biographical Information - Wilcox / Jones Township

ALONZO I. WILCOX

Colonel Alonzo I. Wilcox was the only son of William P. Wilcox and Betsey Paine Wilcox.  He was born in Herkimer County, New York on March 11, 1819. His father, a merchant from Connecticut, was a land agent for Mr. Andrew M. Jones of the Richards and Jones Land Company.  As a youngster, his family settled in Williamsville along the Milesburg-Smethport Turnpike, just a half mile north of what is now the Elk County line sometime around the 1830’s 

Having attended school at the Academy in Lima, New York, the young Alonzo Wilcox later returned to Elk County and began his lumber business.  He owned and operated a sawmill along the West Branch of the Clarion River sometime around 1850. He was very successful in his business until heavy rains resulted in a flood that wiped out his sawmill and lumber. Wilcox also was successful in the oil business as well. He and several other investors formed the Wilcox Land & Mining Company in 1867.

Alonzo Wilcox also opened the first post office in Wilcox in 1859 in a building that now is a part of the Wilcox Garage.  Mr. A.T. Aldrich was named the postmaster.

In 1847 he was elected as a Representative in the General Assembly from Warren, Elk & McKean Counties.  In 1871 he was elected to represent Elk, Jefferson, & the newly formed Cameron County.  Wilcox also served on the staff of Pennsylvania Governors William Packer and John Geary, thus earning his title of Colonel.

He married Miss Louisa Horton, the daughter of Associate Judge Isaac Horton, Sr. of Elk County in June of 1845.  Mrs. Wilcox was 64 years of age when she died, and she was buried at the Wilcox Cemetery in 1881.