O. S. Wilkins, Postmaster at Pittsburg

O. S. Wilkins was postmaster at Pittsburgh, Iowa from March 28, 1881 until May 9, 1888.  There is a biographical history of this man in A Biographical History of Central Kansas, Vol. 11, page 1631 published by Lewis Publishing Company of Chicago, 1902.

 

His father was Ephraim Wilkins, native of Pennsylvania, who was a farmer and cabinet maker.  Ephraim married Polly Price, also a native of Pennsylvania.  They had 10 children: Oliver S., Scott, William, Margaret, Simon, Anna, George, Jane, David and Marion.

 

Oliver spent his early life on a farm in Bedford County, PA and learned the cabinet-maker's trade.  At age 24, he married Barbara Jane Straight, and they had 10 children:  Living in 1902 were Albert, Lydia (wife of B. L. Turner), Simon, Garfield, Gertrude, John, James, Oliver S. and Virtus.

 

After marriage in 1880, the Wilkins family moved to Van Buren County, locating in Pittsburg where Oliver ran a general store until 1888, the year he moved to Rice County, Kansas.

 

Wilkins supported the Republican Party and was a prominent member of the Masonic Lodge, and was identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 

 

Wilkins entered banking circles in Kansas and owned a very large furniture store. 

 

There were several other Wilkins families scattered around Van Buren County according to census records.  It isn't clear whether they were, or were not, closely related.  The earliest records of people with this name, is the marriage of a Susan L. Wilkins to Joseph Barker on November 21, 1847 in Keosauqua.  Also, Mary Wilkins was a smart scholar in Rev. Lane's 1st Academy in Keosauqua in 1850.

 

(information taken from various articles on the Internet)