Jerome Wiley (1822-94) was born near Clarksburg, Decatur County, Indiana, the son of James Wiley. In 1841-42 he traveled through the West on foot, and from 1843 to 1847 he was a clerk on an Ohio River steamboat. He settled down in Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, but took a trip to Colorado in 1859 to look for gold. In 1874-75 he built a saw mill in Morton, Louisiana, but gave it up partly because of poor health. In 1848 Wiley married Maria, daughter of Reuben Hawkins. A son of this marriage, George Wiley, died in 1857. Three daughters died of diphtheria in 1863. A surviving daughter, Caroline Wiley, married Edgar O'Hair, a lawyer in Brookville. Jerome's brother John Wiley had a son Adonijah and moved to Iowa, as did another brother, Spencer, and a sister, Olive (Allen). Spencer served in the Civil War (Pioneer Brigade). Another prominent figure in the collection is Caroline Hawkins. She was evidently a relation of Maria Hawkins Wiley, possibly a much younger sister.
From the description of Papers, 1833-1924. (Indiana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 52096899
