Butler County, Alabama - Chapter 31, 1885

Chapter 31

This prosperous merchant of Greenville ranks high among the business men of Butler County, both as a skilled trader and a shrewd manager; and it will not be out of place to devote a few pages of the county's history to a brief sketch of his varied and successful life.

W. W. Wilkinson

He was born in Dale County, in the eastern part of this State, June 15, 1830, and spent the days of his childhood and youth in that county. His father, Henry T. Wilkinson, was one of the first settlers of Dale County, and was a thrifty farmer and stock-raiser. He had only three children - two daughters and one son. The subject of this sketch spent the early part of his life on his father's farm, and enjoyed but few educational advantages, going to but one or two old fieldschools before attending a high school at Orion, where he finished all the studies taught there in 1850. He returned home and soon received employment as a salesman in a small store at old Cerublia, where he remained one year.

After leaving this store, he had a great desire to accumulate wealth, and decided to begin business for himself As he had no capital to start with, his friend, Samuel Collins, was kind enough to lend him ;^500, at sixteen per cent. , with Wilkinson's father as the security. He at once purchased a stock of goods at Milton, Florida, and opened it at Daleville. Soon after the courthouse was moved to Newton, Mr. Wilkinson opened a branch store at that place, and finally moved his whole business to that thriving little town.

In 1857 Mr. Wilkinson was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth J. Vinson, a modest, noblehearted Christian, who did a great deal to make her husband the man that he is to-day. He all62 THE HISTORY OF ways was a fair and honest merchant, but when he first started in business he sold the fiery hquid and poisoned his many customers with the greatest curse of the nineteenth century. His wife soon persuaded him to abolish the grog-shop in connection with his other business, and to devote his whole attention to general merchandise. This advice was wise and commendable in this excellent lady, and was very instrumental in the great success that followed all of her husband's efforts in his business pursuits. He continued the dry goods and grocery business with marked success until the war. He had managed to pay off the ^500 at 16 per cent, that was borrowed to start with, and had purchased several lots and small pieces of land around Newton.

The war interfered so materially with his business that Mr. Wilkinson was persuaded to leave Dale County and remove to Greenville, which he -did in May, 1866, buying the corner lot, which he still owns. He soon built up an active trade, and was one among the first to erect a brick store in Greenville. He met with considerable opposition from all the older merchants of the town, but competed with them in every respect, always beating them in low prices and good bargains. He was the farmers' friend, often doing them favors and giving them accommodations that seemed impossible without losing all the profits. He soon built free wagon-yards and camp-house, wJiere the farmers could stay all night with their teams, well protected from the weather, and be safe from all danger of thieves - all free of cost. He reduced the charges made at the livery stables for taking care of horses and buggies. When he first came to Greenville the liverymen would charge fifty cents for hitching a horse in the stable out of the sun. All horses could be hitched in Wilkinson's stable free. He allowed a farmer to furnish his own feed, and only charged a small amount for giving it to the horse at the proper time. This was never done before Billy Wilkinson came to Greenville. It was not long before he opened a warehouse for weighing cotton, and reduced the price charged for weighing and storing the fleecy staple. Immediately after the war the most of the farmers were compelled to adopt the advancing system and get their supplies from the merchants on time. It is said that no man was ever turned away from Wilkinson's store without getting what he wanted, either for the cash or on a credit; for Wilkinson always would credit any and everybody. All these things conspired to make him known, not only to the people throughout this county, but in all the adjoining counties, and they flocked to his store in large numbers to profit by the rare inducements offered.

Enough has been said to show the reader the important place that W. W. Wilkinson has occupied in the business circles of Butler County. He has been abused and severely criticised by his fellow-merchants, slandered and prosecuted by some of his debtors, and laughed at by the people ; but it can be truthfully said that he has done as much for the general good of the people of this county as any other merchant that ever sold goods in Greenville. And, in spite of all opposition, small margins and many losses, he has accumulated a large amount of wealth, and ranks among the first tax-payers of this county. He has dealt, at different times, in drugs, hardware, groceries, dry goods, and general plantation supplies. After being actively engaged in merchandising for over thirty years, W. W. W. has at last retired and turned his business over to his son Zollie, who has shown a great deal of talent in that direction, and who may prove to be financially as shrewd as his father.

W. W. Wilkinson is a friendly, liberal, kindhearted man, full of energy and determination, and has a keen eye to business. He is a devout Christian, a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and contributes liberally to all charitable enterprises. He was very instrumental in building the Methodist Church in Greenville in 1872, contributing ;^ 1,000 for that purpose. He is honest, reliable and conscientious in all his transactions. As his ideas do not always coincide with those of the general public, he is said to be cranky, and is undoubtedly very original. His advertisements in the Greenville Advocate were always read with great interest by every sub-

"1\7"ANTED an all sober, stout, hearty young man, not to ^' weigh less than i6o pounds; a prize-fighter and a natural collector; who is not afraid of work; has sufficient self-will and backbone to be sure he is not wrong and to go ahead when he is right; who desires to work himself up in business and to make a man.

He has been the life of trade in Greenville for many years, and his retirement will be felt and regretted by the people of the surrounding country, for he has done a great deal in promoting their interests, and has rendered them valuable assistance in their prosperity.