Lester S. Willson
Encyclopedia
Brevet Brigadier General Lester Sebastion Willson, (June 16, 1839 – January 26, 1919), was a U.S. Civil War officer in the Union Army
, Assistant Quartermaster General of New York
, and a Montana merchant and politician in Bozeman, Montana
. He was married at Albany, N.Y., on March 2, 1869, to Miss Emma D. Weeks, a native of Vermont. He died in Bozeman, Montana on January 26, 1919.
November 17, 1862. He was offered a captaincy on the same day the adjutant's commission was received, but declined. He was made captain August 2, 1864, lieutenant-colonel October 1, 1864 and colonel May 17, 1865. Willson left the regiment July 17, 1865 as a colonel. On March 12, 1867, he was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers "for gallant and meritorious services under General Sherman, resulting in the fall of Atlanta, Georgia."
and campaigns in Virginia under generals Nathaniel Banks and John Pope
. He fought at the Battle of Antietam
, September 17, 1862. On May 5, 1863, he was severely wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Virginia. He did not return to duty until September 1863 under General Joseph Hooker
when the XI and XII Corps of the Army of the Potomac
moved westward to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland
around Chattanooga, Tennessee
. There Willson participated in the battles of Wauhatchie
, Lookout Mountain
, Missionary Ridge
, Peavine Creek, and Ringgold Gap
.
In 1864-65 he campaigned under General William Sherman
and participated in the Chattanooga Campaign
, the Atlanta Campaign
, the Savannah Campaign
and the Carolinas Campaign
.
As an aide, assistant inspector-general, and assistant adjutant-general, Willson was present at significant events during these campaigns. In Atlanta, his regiment, the 60th New York Volunteers share the honor of unfurling the union flag on top of the city hall with the 111th Pennsylvania Infantry. As assistant adjutant-general under the command of General John W. Geary
he received the surrender of Savannah at the hands of its mayor R. D. Arnold, and was the first officer to enter the city at the head of his own regiment. The regiment entered the city unopposed and met the mayor and a delegation of the City Council instead of troops. Once Willson received the surrender his regiment quickly began providing protection to the citizens of Savannah from the mobs that had begun breaking into houses and plundering.
Throughout the war Willson enjoyed the confidence of his superiors and on more than one occasion he was entrusted with intricate and dangerous duties by General Sherman. Major General George S. Greene
credited him with being a most faithful and intelligent officer, and of his regiment (60th New York Volunteers) Greene has said, "It was one of the best in the service."
Working alongside Lester was his cousin Charles Rich and army friend, Loren W. Tuller. In December, 1865 after hearing a presentation on the western U.S. by then Speaker of the House of Representatives
, Schuyler Colfax
, Lester Willson got the wanderlust. He convinced his co-workers to that they should go to Montana and start a mercantile business. Unfortunately, Lester could not leave his New York job unfinished and did not join Rich and Tuller until 1867. However, he did invest in the business enterprise and enlisted the participation of his younger brother Davis to join Rich and Tuller in the 1866 journey to Montana. After reaching Omaha, Nebraska
in May 1866, Davis Willson, Rich and Tuller invested over $5000 in supplies, merchandise and transportation to embark on an overland journey to Bozeman, Montana
. Their journey took them west along the Platte River Road
to Fort Laramie, Wyoming
and then northwest along the Bozeman Trail
. They arrived safely in Bozeman on September 2, 1866 with little interference by hostile indians along the Bozeman Trail. They operated a successful store out of a tent for two months and by the end of 1866, they had moved into a rented cabin on main street with a sign that read: "Tuller and Rich - Cheap Cash Store". Davis quickly established a corral
attached to the cabin and named it "Empire Corral". The business flourished as they freighted supplies to the mining camps in Bannack
and Virginia City, Montana
.
By the spring of 1867, Lester Willson had found a prospective wife, Emma D. Weeks, and had finished his important postwar work for the New York State Militia. He resigned the office in March, 1867 to engage in business in Montana.
was now closed because of Indian trouble so Lester traveled by Union Pacific
passenger train from Chicago to Platte City, Missouri
. From there, stagecoaches carried General Willson to Denver, Colorado
, Salt Lake City, Utah
and on to Virginia City, Montana
. He met with then Territorial Governor of Montana, Thomas F. Meagher in Virginia City and arrived in Bozeman on May 22, 1867. He became an active partner with his brother Davis, Rich and Tuller in running the mercantile business which was now flourishing because of the construction of Fort Ellis
just west of town. In January, 1868 he returned to New York and proposed to Miss Emma D. Weeks. By May, he was back in Bozeman helping run the business. In January 1869, Willson returned to Albany, New York
to marry Miss Emma D. Weeks on March 2, 1869, and bring her back to Bozeman. Returning via a Missouri River
steamboat to Fort Benton, Montana
, Lester, Emma and her piano were back in Bozeman by mid-May 1869. They soon moved into a remodeled cabin originally built by Daniel E. Rouse in 1864 in what was at the time one of the finest residences in Bozeman. Tuller left the business in 1868 and Davis Willson in 1870 to rejoin for a short period in 1872. Davis Willson eventually became a Presbyterian minister in the 1880s and the pastor of a small Gallatin Valley church. Lester Willson operated "The Willson Company" until his death in 1919.
In August 1870, Lester and Emma had the opportunity to entertain the civilian members of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition for dinner in their home on the evening before they left Bozeman on their historic expedition to Yellowstone.
Willson was a board member on the first executive board of the Agricultural College of Montana when it was established in 1893.
In 1882, along with Nelson Story
, J.E. Martin, Broox Martin, and Edwin Lewis, Willson helped capitalize one of the first banks in the county, the Gallatin Valley National Bank. The bank failed during the Panic of 1893
and never reopened.
(Republican
), politics which he brought with him to Montana. Shortly after arriving in Bozeman, Willson was instrumental in the establishment of a Bozeman chapter of the Union League
, a quasi-ritualistic, patriotic society (Republican) in the hope that Montana politics would soon be dominated by Republicans. Willson soon became a Union Party elector for the 1867 federal elections. In September, 1868 he won a seat in the Montana Territorial Legislature representing Gallatin County, Montana
.
Willson was a Mason and a member of Bozeman Lodge No. 18, A. F. & A. M. He was charter member of the William English Post No. 10, Grand Army of the Republic
and was a department commander of Montana. Willson also belonged to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
in New York, and to the Republican Club of the city of New York. In 1883-86 he served as territorial quartermaster-general with the rank of brigadier-general.
Emma and Lester Willson had three children. Only one, Fred Fielding Willson survived to adulthood. Fred Willson became a prominent Bozeman architect and was responsible for a great many Bozeman buildings still standing today. He designed the Gallatin County High School
, which was named Willson School in his honor when the building was converted from a high school to a middle school.
Lester Willson died on January 26, 1919 and is buried in the Willson family plot, Sunset Hills Cemetery, Bozeman, Montana.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, Assistant Quartermaster General of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and a Montana merchant and politician in Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. He was married at Albany, N.Y., on March 2, 1869, to Miss Emma D. Weeks, a native of Vermont. He died in Bozeman, Montana on January 26, 1919.
Early years
Lester Willson was born in Canton, New York on June 16, 1839, the son of Ambrose and Julia Willson. He was one of seven children and had at least two brothers, Davis and George. His brother Davis would play a prominent role in Lester's later career as a businessman in Montana. He attended public schools in Canton and graduated from a prominent Academy before working as a clerk for two years and then volunteering for the Union Army in 1861.Civil War experiences
Willson enlisted in Company A, Sixtieth New York Volunteers, August, 1861, was enrolled second sergeant September 9, 1861, a lieutenant October 3, 1862, first lieutenant and adjutantAdjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
November 17, 1862. He was offered a captaincy on the same day the adjutant's commission was received, but declined. He was made captain August 2, 1864, lieutenant-colonel October 1, 1864 and colonel May 17, 1865. Willson left the regiment July 17, 1865 as a colonel. On March 12, 1867, he was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers "for gallant and meritorious services under General Sherman, resulting in the fall of Atlanta, Georgia."
Campaigns
During the winter of 1861-62, Willson participated in guarding the Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
and campaigns in Virginia under generals Nathaniel Banks and John Pope
John Pope (military officer)
John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
. He fought at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, September 17, 1862. On May 5, 1863, he was severely wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
Virginia. He did not return to duty until September 1863 under General Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
when the XI and XII Corps of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
moved westward to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
around Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. There Willson participated in the battles of Wauhatchie
Battle of Wauhatchie
-References:* Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1988. ISBN 0-8129-1726-X. First published 1959 by McKay.* Cozzens, Peter. The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994. ISBN 0-252-01922-9.* Korn, Jerry, and...
, Lookout Mountain
Battle of Lookout Mountain
The Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought November 24, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker assaulted Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and defeated Confederate forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson....
, Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
, Peavine Creek, and Ringgold Gap
Battle of Ringgold Gap
The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, in northwest Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate victory by Maj. Gen...
.
In 1864-65 he campaigned under General William Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
and participated in the Chattanooga Campaign
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
, the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, the Savannah Campaign
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
and the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
.
As an aide, assistant inspector-general, and assistant adjutant-general, Willson was present at significant events during these campaigns. In Atlanta, his regiment, the 60th New York Volunteers share the honor of unfurling the union flag on top of the city hall with the 111th Pennsylvania Infantry. As assistant adjutant-general under the command of General John W. Geary
John W. Geary
John White Geary was an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War...
he received the surrender of Savannah at the hands of its mayor R. D. Arnold, and was the first officer to enter the city at the head of his own regiment. The regiment entered the city unopposed and met the mayor and a delegation of the City Council instead of troops. Once Willson received the surrender his regiment quickly began providing protection to the citizens of Savannah from the mobs that had begun breaking into houses and plundering.
Throughout the war Willson enjoyed the confidence of his superiors and on more than one occasion he was entrusted with intricate and dangerous duties by General Sherman. Major General George S. Greene
George S. Greene
George Sears Greene was a civil engineer and a Union general during the American Civil War. He was part of the Greene family of Rhode Island, which had a distinguished military record for the United States. His greatest contribution during the war was his defense of the Union right flank at Culp's...
credited him with being a most faithful and intelligent officer, and of his regiment (60th New York Volunteers) Greene has said, "It was one of the best in the service."
New York State Militia
At the close of the war Willson held the rank of lieutenant colonel. His successful service and close association with many senior officers caused him to be appointed assistant quartermaster-general of the New York State Militia with the rank of colonel. For two years he was responsible for post-war dealings with the railroad companies regarding the transportation of troops, supplies, etc., the reconciliation of balances between the state and the general government, and the disposition of accumulated supplies belonging to the state.Working alongside Lester was his cousin Charles Rich and army friend, Loren W. Tuller. In December, 1865 after hearing a presentation on the western U.S. by then Speaker of the House of Representatives
Speaker of the House of Representatives
-National governments:* Speaker of the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda* Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives* Speaker of the House of Representatives of Belize* Speaker of the House of Representatives...
, Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax, Jr. was a United States Representative from Indiana , Speaker of the House of Representatives , and the 17th Vice President of the United States . To date, he is one of only two Americans to have served as both House speaker and vice president.President Ulysses S...
, Lester Willson got the wanderlust. He convinced his co-workers to that they should go to Montana and start a mercantile business. Unfortunately, Lester could not leave his New York job unfinished and did not join Rich and Tuller until 1867. However, he did invest in the business enterprise and enlisted the participation of his younger brother Davis to join Rich and Tuller in the 1866 journey to Montana. After reaching Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
in May 1866, Davis Willson, Rich and Tuller invested over $5000 in supplies, merchandise and transportation to embark on an overland journey to Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. Their journey took them west along the Platte River Road
Great Platte River Road
The Great Platte River Road was the convergence point for the Trapper's Trail, the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, the California Trail, the Pony Express route, and the military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Laramie across Nebraska. The Road, which extended from the Second Fort Kearny to Fort...
to Fort Laramie, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and then northwest along the Bozeman Trail
Bozeman Trail
The Bozeman Trail was an overland route connecting the gold rush territory of Montana to the Oregon Trail. Its most important period was from 1863-1868. The flow of pioneers and settlers through territory of American Indians provoked their resentment and caused attacks. The U.S. Army undertook...
. They arrived safely in Bozeman on September 2, 1866 with little interference by hostile indians along the Bozeman Trail. They operated a successful store out of a tent for two months and by the end of 1866, they had moved into a rented cabin on main street with a sign that read: "Tuller and Rich - Cheap Cash Store". Davis quickly established a corral
Corral
Corral is a town, commune and sea port in Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is located south of Corral Bay. Corral is best known for the forts of Corral Bay, a system of defensive batteries and forts made to protect Valdivia during colonial times. Corral was the headquarters of the system...
attached to the cabin and named it "Empire Corral". The business flourished as they freighted supplies to the mining camps in Bannack
Bannack, Montana
Bannack is a ghost town in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States, located on Grasshopper Creek, approximately upstream from where Grasshopper Creek joins with the Beaverhead River south of Dillon.-History:...
and Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City is a town in and the county seat of Madison County, Montana, United States. In 1961, the town and the surrounding area was designated a National Historic Landmark District, the Virginia City Historic District...
.
By the spring of 1867, Lester Willson had found a prospective wife, Emma D. Weeks, and had finished his important postwar work for the New York State Militia. He resigned the office in March, 1867 to engage in business in Montana.
Montana merchant
Lester Willson left New York in April 1867 taking a much less arduous route to Bozeman. The Bozeman TrailBozeman Trail
The Bozeman Trail was an overland route connecting the gold rush territory of Montana to the Oregon Trail. Its most important period was from 1863-1868. The flow of pioneers and settlers through territory of American Indians provoked their resentment and caused attacks. The U.S. Army undertook...
was now closed because of Indian trouble so Lester traveled by Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
passenger train from Chicago to Platte City, Missouri
Platte City, Missouri
Platte City is a city in Platte County, Missouri, along the Little Platte River. The population was 3,866 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Geography:Platte City is located at...
. From there, stagecoaches carried General Willson to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
and on to Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City is a town in and the county seat of Madison County, Montana, United States. In 1961, the town and the surrounding area was designated a National Historic Landmark District, the Virginia City Historic District...
. He met with then Territorial Governor of Montana, Thomas F. Meagher in Virginia City and arrived in Bozeman on May 22, 1867. He became an active partner with his brother Davis, Rich and Tuller in running the mercantile business which was now flourishing because of the construction of Fort Ellis
Fort Ellis
Fort Ellis was an early United States Army outpost established August 27, 1867 to the eastern side of present-day Bozeman, Montana. The fort was established to protect and support settlers moving into the Gallatin Valley. The post was named for Civil War Colonel Augustus van Horne Ellis who was...
just west of town. In January, 1868 he returned to New York and proposed to Miss Emma D. Weeks. By May, he was back in Bozeman helping run the business. In January 1869, Willson returned to Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
to marry Miss Emma D. Weeks on March 2, 1869, and bring her back to Bozeman. Returning via a Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
steamboat to Fort Benton, Montana
Fort Benton, Montana
Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. A portion of the city was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1961. Established a full generation beforethe U.S...
, Lester, Emma and her piano were back in Bozeman by mid-May 1869. They soon moved into a remodeled cabin originally built by Daniel E. Rouse in 1864 in what was at the time one of the finest residences in Bozeman. Tuller left the business in 1868 and Davis Willson in 1870 to rejoin for a short period in 1872. Davis Willson eventually became a Presbyterian minister in the 1880s and the pastor of a small Gallatin Valley church. Lester Willson operated "The Willson Company" until his death in 1919.
In August 1870, Lester and Emma had the opportunity to entertain the civilian members of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition for dinner in their home on the evening before they left Bozeman on their historic expedition to Yellowstone.
Willson was a board member on the first executive board of the Agricultural College of Montana when it was established in 1893.
In 1882, along with Nelson Story
Nelson Story
Nelson Story, Sr. was a pioneer Montana entrepreneur, cattle rancher, miner and vigilante, who was a notable resident of Bozeman, Montana. He was best-known for his 1866 cattle drive from Texas with approximately 1000 head of Texas Longhorns to Montana along the Bozeman Trail—the first major...
, J.E. Martin, Broox Martin, and Edwin Lewis, Willson helped capitalize one of the first banks in the county, the Gallatin Valley National Bank. The bank failed during the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
and never reopened.
Montana politician
While serving in New York, Willson became active in the Union PartyNational Union Party (United States)
The National Union Party was the name used by the Republican Party for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election, held during the Civil War. State Republican parties did not usually change their name....
(Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
), politics which he brought with him to Montana. Shortly after arriving in Bozeman, Willson was instrumental in the establishment of a Bozeman chapter of the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
, a quasi-ritualistic, patriotic society (Republican) in the hope that Montana politics would soon be dominated by Republicans. Willson soon became a Union Party elector for the 1867 federal elections. In September, 1868 he won a seat in the Montana Territorial Legislature representing Gallatin County, Montana
Gallatin County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Gallatin National Forest * Yellowstone National Park -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 67,831 people, 26,323 households, and 16,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 29,489 housing units...
.
Willson was a Mason and a member of Bozeman Lodge No. 18, A. F. & A. M. He was charter member of the William English Post No. 10, Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
and was a department commander of Montana. Willson also belonged to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
in New York, and to the Republican Club of the city of New York. In 1883-86 he served as territorial quartermaster-general with the rank of brigadier-general.
Legacy
In 1886 Lester and Emma built a home at 504 Central Ave, just blocks from downtown. It still stands today on Willson Avenue, a major residential thoroughfare intersecting Bozeman's West Main Street. After his death, the city renamed Central Avenue to Willson Avenue, for Lester Willson.Emma and Lester Willson had three children. Only one, Fred Fielding Willson survived to adulthood. Fred Willson became a prominent Bozeman architect and was responsible for a great many Bozeman buildings still standing today. He designed the Gallatin County High School
Gallatin County High School
The Gallatin County High School was a high school in Bozeman, Montana that was designed by Fred F. Willson and was built in 1902. It later was renamed Willson School when it was converted to a middle school....
, which was named Willson School in his honor when the building was converted from a high school to a middle school.
Lester Willson died on January 26, 1919 and is buried in the Willson family plot, Sunset Hills Cemetery, Bozeman, Montana.