Uncle Sam Wilson

Samuel Wilson (Uncle Sam) (September 13, 1766 - July 31, 1854) was a meat-packer in Troy, New York. He is alleged to be the source of the personification of the United States known as "Uncle Sam". He was born in historic Menotomy, now Arlington, Massachusetts, where a monument marks his birthplace. When Samuel was a boy, his family moved to Mason, New Hampshire, and another monument (a roadside marker) exists there. Samuel and his brother Ebeneezer went to Troy in 1789 and went into business there. In 1797, Samuel married Betsey Mann of Mason and brought her back to Troy with him. They lived in a house on Ferry Street in Troy and had four children. Image File history File links Uncle_Sam_Wilson. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Looking west down Broadway at downtown Troy. ... J. M. Flaggs Uncle Sam recruited soldiers for World War I. Uncle Sam is a national personification of the United States dating from the War of 1812. ... Arlington is a town in eastern Massachusetts, six miles northwest of Boston, latitude 42 degrees 25 minutes north, longitude 71 degrees 09 minutes west. ... Arlington is a town in eastern Massachusetts, six miles northwest of Boston, latitude 42 degrees 25 minutes north, longitude 71 degrees 09 minutes west. ... Mason is a town located in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1797 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The origin of the Uncle Sam legend may be that at the time of the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson was a prosperous middle-aged meat-packer in Troy, known locally by the nickname "Uncle Sam". He obtained a contract to supply beef to the Army in its campaign farther north, and he shipped the meat salted, in barrels. The barrels, being Government property, were branded "U.S." and the teamsters and soldiers joked that the barrels were the initials of Uncle Sam himself. Later, anything marked with the same initials (as much Army property was) also became linked with Sam Wilson via his coincidental initials. So the story goes at least. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and British Empire from 1812 to 1815, on land in North America and at sea around the world. ...

Uncle Sam Wilson's grave

Samuel Wilson died in 1854 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 449 KB) Summary The photo was made by Boris Karpachev on November 2, 2003 in Oakwood Cemetery of Troy, NY. Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 449 KB) Summary The photo was made by Boris Karpachev on November 2, 2003 in Oakwood Cemetery of Troy, NY. Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...