Benjamin Wieland, a well-known resident of Oneco Township is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Muffin County, that State, on the 10th of June, 1814. His father was Michael Wieland, born in Lancaster County and his grandfather was also a native of Pennsylvania. The latter was a stonemason, which occupation he followed during his life. He had five children, the father of Benjamin Wieland being the eldest. The great-grandfather came from Germany. Every member of the family lived past the allotted threescore years and ten.
Michael Wieland grew to manhood with his parents, and learned the trade of a stonemason with his father, which business he plied until he earned money sufficient to buy a farm, after securing which he still continued to work at his trade, while his sons managed the farm. As he grew older he rented his farm to his youngest son, and bought a smaller one a short distance away, on which there were suitable buildings, and there spent his last days retired from active life. He died at the age of eighty-three. His wife was Miss Salome Becht. They had twelve children, as follows: Hannah, Lydia, Benjamin, Rebecea, Washington, Sarah, Lucy, William, Christiana, Daniel, Anna and Bethsheba.
Benjamin Wieland remained at home until he was twenty-four years of age, at which time he engaged as apprentice to a shoemaker, and served one year and four months with Samuel Shannon in Potter Township, Centre Co., Pa. He followed this occupation for eight years in different places, and then began business for himself. His health becoming impaired he engaged in carpentering with his brother-in-law, Elias Bartol, until 1843, when the financial panic of that year caused all building operations to cease, and there was no more work for carpenters to do. Mr. Wieland then resumed shoemaking, which he continued one year, when he again declined in health. In order to get as much outdoor exercise as possible, he concluded to become a Yankee notion peddler, and in that capacity traversed that region for nearly two years, when he purchased a tract of land in Centre County and began farming. He remained on this farm for seven years, then disposed of it and moved to Oneco Township, Stephenson County, in the spring of 1856, buying eighty-five acres of land, where he has since lived.
In 1842 Mr. Wieland was married to Miss Maria Walker, daughter of John Walker, of Easton, Northampton Co., Pa. They have had seven children: Frank, a boarding-house keeper in Dakota Territory; William, a farmer; Ellen, now Mrs. Hale, also of Dakota Territory, Mary, John, Sarah and Lucy. The last three are deceased. Mr. Wieland has held several local offices; he was a School Trustee for several years but resigned, having removed from the township. One of his ancestors was John Martin Wieland, the famous composer of church hymns and sacred music. He lived in Wurtemberg, Germany.
Transcribed by Christine Walters
History of Stephenson County Portraits and Biographical 1888
