Wilson, Allen David
Allen David 'A.D.' Wilson (September 17, 1844 - February 21, 1920) was an American cartographer. Born in Sparta, Illinois, Wilson left school at twenty-three and enlisted in the Geological Survey of California, where he learned triangulation. He joined the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel led by Clarence King. He also participated in King's 1872 expedition to investigate the diamond hoax in the northwest corner of the Colorado Territory. Then, he joined the Hayden Geological Survey, and led a survey party throughout western Colorado, western Wyoming, and eastern Idaho from 1873 until 1878. The Hayden Survey merged with the U.S. Geological Survey in 1879 and that year Clarence King named Wilson U.S. Geological Survey chief topographer. Wilson remained with the U.S. Geological Survey until 1881, when he resigned to become the chief topographer of the Northern Transcontinental Survey. Wilson moved to Oakland, California, in the 1890s and helped organize the Athenian Bank, which was later renamed the Security Bank and Trust of Oakland. The bank was absorbed by the Bank of Italy in 1918 and soon became known as the Bank of America. Wilson died on February 21, 1920, of influenza.
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