George Willson, Jr. migrated from Yorkshire, England to Ulster, Ireland, and then to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. George Bolivar Willson was born on 4 April 1856 in Lancaster, the son of George Willson, Jr. and Mary Rettew. George B. Willson attended school at the Maytown School. He entered into an apprenticeship with a coach trimmer doing detail work and painting. After his apprenticeship, he became a clerk at Flinn and Breneman, a house-furnishing store. He later became a co-owner with Breneman and the store was renamed Breneman and Willson. Willson became a real estate developer; he owned and developed most of the western part of Lancaster City with John C. Hager. Willson inherited James Buchanan's Wheatland from him mother and retired there in 1884. Willson organized Lancaster Electric Light, Heat and Power Company on 2 February 1897. He managed three mills along the Conestoga River--Wabank Grist Mill, Slackwater Mill, and Rockhill Mill--where he generated electricity for the city of Lancaster. He was also able to convince the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge of the Freemasons to build the Masonic Village for retired masons. He became the superintendent once it was built. George B. Willson died on 14 September 1929.
From the description of Willson family's community involvement in Columbia, Pennsylvania, 1870 Dec. 8-1918 Oct. 5 / compiled by George Bolivar Willson. (Lancaster County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 530473156
