John Thomas Wilson

When REA (Rural Electrification Administration) came through Nickleville, PA in 1938, a lineman allowed him to try on the cleated boots and climb a pole. That began his lifelong work with the agencies building power lines in rural area. He began with REA in PA and OH in 1938. Ten years later, after WWII, he began with TVA in 1948. He began as a lineman, but fell 30 ft. onto a concrete base and injured his back. After hospitalization and recovery, rather than being placed on permanent disability, he was promoted to foreman, so that he didn't have to climb. His crews built steel towers and strung high voltage lines, in western Tennessee & Kentucky, and the northern-most tier of Alabama & Mississippi. One of these lines crossed the lower Mississippi River, and he pointed out in later years that a tall tower built on a large concrete base on the eastern bank of the river was by then in mid-river, the river's course having shifted.
See REA:http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/tva10.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Utilities_Service
See TVA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Valley_Authority

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	10 Nov 1917	Worth Twp., Butler Co. PA
Marriage	2 Feb 1940	Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	To Ella May Beals
Military	19 Jan -17 May 1945 Europe	WWII Army Airforce, Cpl. B17 tail gunner, 483 Bombardment Group, 815 Squadron, based in Foggia, Italy	caputred near Lenti, Hungary; POW, Austria & Germany
Death	18 May 1985	VA Hospital, Birmingham AL
Burial	22 May 1985	Nickleville Presby. Cemetery, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA

 Generation 1               Generation 2             Generation 3
 
                                                 +-- Bert Winiford Wilson
                                                 |   (1891-1971)             
                        +-- John Thomas Wilson --+
                        |   (1917-1985)          |
 Elizabeth Ann Wilson --+                        +-- Clara Mabel Wimer
 (1943- )               |                            (1891-1944)
                        +-- Ella May Beals
                            (1917- )
 Sources: 

Children

(2 daughters with Ella May Beals

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Elizabeth Ann Wilson	F
living Wilson	F

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Birth & Childhood
Worth Twp., Butler Co. PA	1917-~1930	with parents
High School, work with REA during Great Depression
Nickleville, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	~1930 - 1938
OH, NC	1938-1940	line work for REA or private power companies
Early Marriage
Laurens, SC	14 Feb 1940 - late spring	line construction, REA/ Miller Baxter
Polk, Sandy Creek Twp., Venango Co. PA	1940	REA or private power companies
Cornelius, SC; Lexington & Madison, NC	Oct 1940-1941	REA or private power companies
Ellwood City,Lawrence Co. PA	late summer 1941	helped a cousin build a house
Monks Corner, SC	1941-42	REA or private power companies; leased Green Gables Cafe & gas station for 10 wks, $1000 profit
Smyrna, NashvilleTN Gallatin TN ("Green River Line"), Scottsville TN; Glasgow, Newport KY; Kingsport TN (Nov 42- Mar 43)	1942	Bought 1st trailer worked for REA or private power companies, Holston Defense in Kingsport; laid off in March
Pittsburgh, PA	Spring 1943	private employer, not recorded
Military Training	14 Aug 1943, drafted
Greensboro NC	Aug 1943-?
Greenville SC	by Christmas 1943- 1944	Furman Univ.; accelerated officers training; entire class "washed out"
Midland TX	1944, after Mar	training as tail-gunner
Alexandria LA	1944, including Dec	training
Lincoln, NB	1944, including Dec	for shipment overseas
Military Service, WWII	14 Aug 1943, drafted
Camp Patrick Henry, VA	19 Jan 1945	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Patrick_Henry
Gibraltar	5 Feb 1945
Algiers, N. Africa	8 Feb 1945
Naples, Italy	12 Feb 1945
Foggia, Italy	17 Feb 1945	base of operation, 483 Bombardment Group, 815 Squadron Pilot, Harvey A. Mitchell
Lenti, Hungary	14 Mar 1945	taken POW
Bratislava	19 Mar 1945	POW
Vienna, Austria	20 Mar 1945	POW
Nurenberg, Ger.	22 Mar 1945	POW
marching, location unrecorded	23 Mar 1945	POW
Nurenberg, Ger.	25 Mar 1945	POW
Moosberg, Ger.	20 Apr 1945	POW , Liberated
Landshut, Ger.	4 May 1945
Reims, France	6 May 1945
St. Vallery, France	17 May 1945
Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	1945-1948	Depression Era persisted; worked in brother-in-law's garage in Emlenton; lived with in-laws, then rented Joe Rose house, Mariasville

The following chart serves as a record of the work career of John T. Wilson with TVA; an indication of school locations for his daughters; and a guide to dates/locations for some of the photographs. Locations in parentheses indicate additional work locations while in one residence location.

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
TVA Career		Landlords
Russelville, AL	4-28 Feb, 1948	Edward Pace
Wilson Dam, AL	28 Feb-8 Apr 1948	Dempsey Terry
West Point, MS	8 Apr-12 Apr 1948	Goat's Texaco Sta.
Mayfield KY	12 Apr - 9 May 1948	Richard Bagwell
Paris TN	17 May-13 June 1948	Dave Oliver
Mayfield KY	12 June-2 July 1948	Mrs. Cleve Sanderson
Mountain City TN	3 July-20 Aug 1948	Alf McQueen
Mt. Pleasant TN	21 Aug - 20 Sept 1948	Mrs. Ethel Simmons
Murfreesboro TN	20 Sept - 23 Oct 1948	Otto Green
Woodbury TN	23 Oct -11 Dec 1948	Joe Stephens
McMinville TN	11 Dec - 17 Jan 1948/49	Roy Newby
Nashville TN	17-21 Jan 1949	Pure Oil Sta.
Chattanooga TN	21-24 Jan 1949	Farniers Trailer Pk , Cherokee Blvd.
Knoxville TN	24 Jan - 2 Mar 1949	King's Grocery, Southerland Ave
Lenoir City TN	2 Mar - 16 Ma6 1949	C. E. Brachett
Elizabethton TN	16 May - 4 June 1949	Mrs. Bowen
Nashville TN	4 June - 25 July 1949	E. G. Davenport
Jackson TN	30 July - 19 Nov 1949	Mrs. W. B. Ranson
Cadiz KY	19 Nov - 29 Jan 1949/50	White Eagle Cafe
Memphis TN	29 Jan - 9 Feb 1950	Harbin's Cabins, Hwy 51
Tupelo MS	9 Feb - 11 Mar 1950	Rockway Inn, Hwy 45
West Point MS	11 Mar - 1 Apr 1950	Goat's Texaco St.
Tupelo MS	1 Apr - 27 May 1950	Rockway Inn, Cecil Cafe
Corinth MS	27 May - 3 July 1950	Randolph Yancy, 1411 Wick St.
Jackson TN	3 July - 15 July 1950	Mrs. W. B. Ranson
New Johnsonville/Camden TN	15 July - 18 July 1950	J'ville Trailer Pk
Jackson TN	19 July - 24 July 1950	Mrs. W. B. Ranson
Macon MS	24 July - 16 Dec 1950	Mrs. M. B. McLemore
West Point MS	16 Dec - 15 Jan 1950/51	Goat's Texaco Sta.
Somerville TN	15 Jan - 19 May 1951	H. G. Myers tourist home
Memphis TN	19 May - 15 June 1951	J. C. Harbin's, Rt. 51
Jackson TN	15 June - 24 July 1951	Mrs. W. B. Ranson
Lexington	24 July - 16 Aug 1951
Jackson TN	16 Aug-7 Sept 1951	Mrs. W. B. Ranson
Benton KY	23 Sept - 23 Feb 1951/52	Herman Kanatzer
Fulton KY (McKenzie, Martin,)	23 Feb - 31 May 1952	Star Cafe, Hwy on state line
Benton KY	31 May - 16 Oct 1952	Ben Hunt, Rt.3 (till 16 Sept) Will Eggner, Mrs. Farmer
Jackson TN (Lexington, Union City)	16 Oct- 6 June 1952/53	Mrs. W. B. Ranson
Tupelo MS	6 June - 8 July 1953	Rockway Inn
West Point MS	8 July - 1 Sept 1953	T.J. Earnest, Prairie Jct.
Louisville MS	1 Sept - 14 Nov 1953	Millers Trailer Pk, Mrs. Elva Roberts
Pontatoc MS	14 Nov - 2 Jan 1953/54	(Houston & Jack)?, across from Jerry's Drive In
Corinth MS (& Tiptonville)	2 Jan - 30 May 1954	Horton Groc.
Waverly TN	30 May - 21 Aug 1954	Wm. "Plunk" Gould
Dickson TN	21 Aug - 27 Oct 1954	Ludy & Lorraine ___
Bolivar TN	27 Oct - 2 Jan 1954/55	foster Motel, Elgie & Inez
Russellville AL	2 Jan - 23 Feb 1955	Bendix Standard Sta.
Holly Springs MS	23 Feb - 18 Mar 1955	LaFever Holly Courts
Covington TN	18 Mar - 7/8 Apr 1955	Mrs Adams (with Ruth & Dan Price)
Sheffield AL	9 Apr - 21 June 1955	Tri-Cities Trailer Ct.
Huntsville AL	21 June - 2 July 1955	Whispering Pines
2 July - 20 July| 1955	Mrs. Eggner
Huntsville AL	24 July - 7 Aug 1955	Mrs. Williams, 401 McKinley
Russellville AL	7 aug - 3 Dec 1955	M. H. McMurray Cafe
Athens AL	3 Dec - 10 Mar 1955/56	Old Spinning Wheel Motel,<br.Mitchell Wallace
Sheffield AL	10 Mar - 21 July 1956	Walter Kelly, 1701 High St.
Scottsboro, AL	22 July 1956 - retirement after ~ 1965/70; died 1985	built house on Hwy 72

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1870 United States Federal Census,