Title: Memorial record of the Northern Peninsula of Michigan .. .
Collection: Michigan County Histories Page 590 - 591
A. WILLSON.-The water-power and electric-light system of Marquette
is superintended by this gentleman, one of the rising and
progressive young men of the Upper Peninsula. He has the honor of
being a native of this State, his birth having occurred in Ishpeming
on the 13th of November, 1866. His parents, Daniel and Beatrice
(Armstrong) Willson, were both natives of Canada and came to the
Upper Peninsula in I855, locating in Marquette, but after a time
they removed to Ishpeming, where the father became an employe of the
Lake Superior Iron Company, with which he continued for many years,
serving in the capacity of "boss" blacksmith of the mine until
1879.
He possessed considerable inventive genius and was the inventor of
the dump wagon, which is still in use. He was also the inventor of
several other devices of usefulness. In 1879 he left Ishpeming and
removed to Florence, Wisconsin, where he died in 1881 and where his
widow is still living. In the family of this worthy couple were five
children, R. A. being the youngest. He was reared in Ishpeming and
began his education in the schools of that city, completing his
studies in Milwaukee. He learned the electric light business in the
latter city, where he lived for about twelve years. He first served
as a sort of errand boy around the electric light works of
Milwaukee, but he made himself useful, learned all he could about
the business, and his fidelity afterward won him promotion by steady
advances until he had attained a good position. Later he had charge
of the electric-light plant for the Cleveland Mining Company at
Ishpeming for eighteen months and then set up the Winstrom Ore
Separator at Michigamme, after which he came to Marquette to take
charge of the electric-light plant at this place, a position which
he has filled for more than five years in a most creditable and
satisfactory manner. He has proved himself entirely competent and is
devoted to his work. The plant is located on Dead river, at
Collinsville, three and a quarter miles from Marquette, and is run
by water power with a 312-horse-power engine. They have 100 arc
lights and 3,500 incandescent lights. Mr. Willson lives with his
family at the plant, having a very nice home there. He was married
in August, 1890, to Miss Carrie Raisky, a native of Ishpeming, and
two children grace their union,-Beatrice and Russell. Mr. Willson is
a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and is a popular and
agreeable man who has many friends. He is progressive and has made
his own way in the world unaided. Diligence, enterprise and energy
have been the steppingstones on which he has risen, and these
qualities always exercised will bring him still greater success in
the future.
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