Wilbur, Fones, fl. 1855-1866.

Little is known of Fones Wilbur's life outside of his diary entries. He owned and farmed land in the Silverton, Or., area; operated a store in partnership with Wilburn King, ca. 1855-1857; partnered with Timothy Davenport on a sheep raising operation; did carpentry work for many of his neighbors; taught school, probably at Bethany, near Silverton; and was officer, organizer, and lecturer for the Sons of Temperance. He also was active in Republican politics, serving as a delegate to the Territorial Convention, 1858.

From the description of Fones Wilbur diary, 1855-1866. (Oregon Historical Society Research Library). WorldCat record id: 54368207

Little is known of the life of Fones Wilbur outside of his diary entries. He may have come West from New York, and he had at least two sisters, Anna Haviland and Mary. He owned and farmed land in the Silverton, Oregon, area and also did carpentry. In 1861, he obtained 120 acres of land from Thomas H. Small. Wilbur built and painted a number of houses and other structures for neighbors and worked on their farms, but he also was their friend, as well, often staying overnight and even days at a time at their homes. Many of his neighbors came West by the Overland Trail in the 1840s and early 1850s.

By 1855, Wilbur was a storekeeper in the Silverton area in partnership with Wilburn King, who also operated a wagon shop. Wilbur worked on King's farm, as well as his own, and apparently had a close relationship with the King family, even after the business partnership ended in December 1857. In the spring of 1858, Wilbur partnered with Timothy Davenport, in a sheep raising enterprise on Wilbur's place. Davenport, an Overland arrival in 1851, was a farmer and surveyor who became prominent in Republican politics and state government, but Wilbur's diary indicates that Davenport also continued to practice medicine, the profession for which he had been trained. Wilbur occasionally assisted him on surveys and also was active in Republican politics. Both men were delegates to the Territorial Convention at Salem in April 1858 and to Republican state conventions, Davenport in 1858-1859 and Wilbur in 1860. Davenport's wife, Florinda, made clothing for Wilbur and others in the neighborhood. Wilbur also maintained close ties with other neighboring families, including those of Gideon Cox and Thomas J. Wilcox.

Wilbur played an active role in community affairs. He served as an officer, organizer and lecturer for the Sons of Temperance, organizing the Sweethome Division No. 28 at Silverton in June 1861. He apparently was foreman on construction of a school house at Bethany and was a member of the Bethany Congregational Church (also called the Silver Creek Church). In 1863, he began teaching school, probably at Bethany, and sometimes boarded with families in the vicinity. Wilbur served on the founding board of trustees for Bethany College and gathered subscriptions to finance it. He worked on roads and bridges in the community, helping to raise the Pudding River Bridge in 1862 and paying toward the subscription to construct it.

From the guide to the Wilbur Fones diary, 1855-1866, (Oregon Historical Society)