Jack Wilkins, a well-known young business man at Portland, proprietor of a well-equipped tin shop and general sheet metal works as well as a dealer in furnaces and general supplies along that line, was born in Portland and has lived there all his life. Mr. Wilkins was born on May 16, 1889, and is a son of James and Martha E. (Smith) Wilkins, both of whom were born at St. Mary’s, Ohio, from which place they moved to Portland after their marriage. James Wilkins was thirty-five years of age when he located at Portland, where he became engaged in the livestock business, later taking up the harness business and also became a dealer in agricultural implements. His wife died on May 5, 1894, and he survived until March 11, 1921. They were the parents of four children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Grace, who married Bert Harruff and has two children, Dorothy and Jeannette Harruff; Roy, who married Cora Polly and has two children, Roy and Ray, and Lillian, who married Harley Weymouth and has two children, Ned and James Weymouth.
Reared at Portland, Jack Wilkins completed his schooling in the high school there and then became an apprentice in a tin shop. He learned the trade thoroughly and in 1914 became engaged in business on his own account, opening a completely equipped tin shop, with equipment for general sheet metal work, and-also prepared for furnace installation and general service along that line, and has done well in his business.
On June 14, 1911, Jack Wilkins was united in marriage to Frances C. McCoid, who was born in Logan county, Ohio, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Mary C. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins are members of the Presbyterian church and in their political views are independent. Mr. Wilkins is a member of the local lodges of the Free and Accepted Masons and of the Knights of Pythias at Portland and in the affairs of these organizations takes a proper interest.
SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of
Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.
103-104.
Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut