Hilborn

submitted by Madeline Hilborn Malott)

William Wilson Hilborn (1849–1921) was born in Sparta, Elgin County but grew up in the Arkona area. He was a descendant of Thomas Hilborn who came from Somerset, England to Rhode Island in 1670. The Hilborns moved to Upper Canada along with other Quaker families after the American Revolutionary War. Joseph Hilborn, a descendant of Thomas, became a schoolmaster of the Quaker school on Yonge St. in Toronto. With other members of his family Joseph Hilborn moved to Sparta. Joseph’s wife was Susannah Lundy. The Hilborns moved to Arkona in 1849 where it is said Joseph Hilborn was the first postmaster.

Joseph Hilborn’s son Levi Hilborn, who married Dorothea Harvey in Sparta, became a Warwick farmer as well as a Quaker minister. His farm was Lot 22, Con. 6 NER, a mile west of Arkona on Townsend Line. He was influential in building a Quaker Meeting House located on part of his farm.

Levi’s son William Wilson Hilborn (1849–1921) was only eight months old when his parents and grandparents came to Warwick Twp. He was educated by his family and at an early age experimented with fruit and other plants, trying to develop new varieties. In 1883 he married Johanna (Josie) Hartwig who had been a teacher of sign language in Michigan. He then purchased the 50 acre farm next to his father’s and started planting many varieties of fruit trees.

William Wilson Hilborn became a director for the district Fruit Growers Association of Ontario and submitted articles to the Canadian Horticulturist. In 1886 he attracted the attention of the Director of Dominion Experimental Farms and was appointed as the first horticulturist at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. William moved there with his wife and sons Chester Harvey and William Edward. He was there two years. The family then moved to the Leamington area where he became prominent in peach culture and growing vegetables and flowers under glass.

He had a younger brother, Joseph Hilborn (1858–), who moved from Warwick Twp. to Leamington in 1895 where he planted 54 acres of peaches and also had a greenhouse. His sister Amy, wife of John Atkin, also moved from Warwick Twp. to Leamington to be close to her brothers. The Atkins also went into the fruit farming business.

Chapter 24 of 25 - Hilborn Family

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