Dr. Wilkinson is the oldest of ten children born to Joseph and Eliza (Harlan) Wilkinson, who were natives of Virginia and North Carolina, respectively. He comes of sturdy stock, the paternal line being English and Welsh, and the maternal ancestors a few generations back having accompanied Penn to America. Of the parental family four daughters and two sons are now living. The birthplace of Dr. Wilkinson was Warren County, Ohio, and his natal day July 20, 1823. At the age of five years, he became a resident of Parke County, Indiana, where he lived until twenty-five years old. He obtained an excellent education, completing a literary course at Asbury University, Greencastle, Indiana in the Class of '45. He studied medicine with Drs. Allen & Weaver, in Rockville, Indiana, attended lectures at Louisville, Kentucky Medical College, and after becoming a full fledged physician, in 1848 came to Peoria County, Illinois, and established himself for practice.

Among the pursuits to which Dr. Wilkinson devoted his attention more especially after retiring from practice in 1879, and in which he invested his capital, were those of farming, merchandising, mining, etc. He owns a thousand acres of land, on much of which, in this county, coalmines have been worked for fifteen years. In 1889 Dr. Wilkinson retired from active life, feeling that his professional labors of over a quarter of a century had fairly entitled him to rest, to say nothing of the other occupations of long and busy years.

In choosing a life companion, Dr. Wilkinson made a fortunate selection, and for forty years his home has been presided over by a lady of great worth. She bore the maiden name of Isadore E. Edwards, and is a daughter of Thomas and Eleanor (Scott) Edwards. The father of the former was a cousin of Gov. Ninian Edwards, so prominently connected with the history of the Prairie State. Her father was born in a fort at Cold Stream, Hampshire County, Virginia, where he lived until he came to Illinois. He carried on a woolen factory. His death occurred in this State in 1854. The Edwards family is of English stock, while the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Wilkinson, Samuel Scott by name, came from Scotland. The marriage of Doctor and Mrs. Wilkinson took place January 29, 1850, and of this union were born four children, all deceased.

Although released from business cares, Dr. Wilkinson is by no means an idle man. He finds sufficient to occupy him in the literature of the day, in the interests of humanity, and particularly in Sunday school work, in which he has long been an active participant. For seven years he was President of the county Sunday-school Association, and he has repeatedly served as a delegate to State Sunday-school Conventions. He and his wife are devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His political views accord with those expressed by the platform of the Republican Party, with which he always casts his vote, although he is not a politician in the ordinary acceptation of that term.

(pages 247-248)