My Genealogy Hound

WILDER, R. E. retired, Greenfield. Prominent among the solid men of this township, is the name of Richard Everett Wilder, the seventh son of the late Rev. John Wilder of Attleborough, Mass., born there September 14, 1810. Losing his mother in infancy, his early training in all its parts, social, moral, educational and religious, devolved mainly upon his surviving parent. Under the influences that prevailed at that time, in New England, he passed into manhood having imbibed the sturdy principles of our Puritanic forefathers. At this age, while his brother’s chose, some the profession of law, others that of divinity, he early decided to make teaching a life-time profession. Accordingly he applied to the first Teachers’ Seminary ever established in the country, at Andover, Mass., presided over by that distinguished friend of popular education, the late Rev. Samuel M. Hall, author of that popular treatise, “Lectures on School Teaching.” Completing his literary education at this institution, he spent some years in the practice of his chosen profession, in the vicinity of Boston. Though successful in his early efforts in this direction there, he determined to select a wider field of usefulness. Accordingly, in 1834, he emigrated to Kentucky, where he found his anticipations abundantly realized. Here, in what is generally known as the Ashland District around Lexington, he continued to instruct, having in charge for many years a Female Seminary at Nicholasville. In 1845 he was united in marriage with Miss Ann Terrell, eldest daughter of the late Colonel Henry T. Terrell, of Garland Co., Kentucky. After prosecuting his profession for some twenty years in Kentucky, and being desirous of ridding himself and family of that baneful influence of the peculiar institution prevalent there, emigrated to Illinois with his little family in 1852, stopping for a short time at Jacksonville and vicinity, till the completion of the Seminary at Greenfield, and in the Fall of 1852 moved to the above place and took charge of the same. Over this he presided until the introduction of the public school system, when he retired, yet teaching at intervals until 1867, when he erected what is known as the “Greenfield Academy,” a private institution, which he has conducted ever since, which has enjoyed a good degree of prosperity nearly all the time, having numbered in the course of fifty sessions over six hundred students. During his whole professional career, he has instructed his hundreds and even thousands of students, some of whom have been members of Congress and of the State legislature, and distinguished divines, lawyers, judges and generals in our army, besides the many who have adorned the private walks of life. In 1859, in the organization of the Presbyterian church in Greenfield, he was chosen a ruling elder, which position he still holds, having many times represented his church constituency in all the higher courts, including the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States. In 1862 his first wife died, leaving three children, two of whom, Ann Esther and Fannie Everett still survive. In 1867 was married to Mrs. Lucy Trumbull. At present, 1879, he has somewhat retired to the shades of private life, though still engaged in the educational, benevolent and religious enterprises of the day.