Wesley was the son of Elisha Jefferson & Elizabeth (Blackwell) Dodson.

His grandfather, Charles Dodson, served in the American Revolution as a Private in the 4th North Carolina Regiment.

His first marriage was to Sarah A. Moffitt on April 19, 1853.
Frank Moffitt Dodson (1885-____)
Robert Wesley Dodson (1857-1859)
Mary Elizabeth Dodson Board (1860-1925)
Ernest Clarke Dodson (1862-1862)
(names of children provided by Rhett Dodson, FindAGrave member(#48659552), on May 19, 2015)

Mary Elizabeth married Albert G. Board
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Wesley enlisted on the side of the Confederacy in Company C, 40th Alabama Precinct in March 1862 and was discharged in 1865. He served as a soldier in the Infantry.

Sarah died in Brazos Co, TX on June 6, 1867.
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Wesley's second marriage was Bessie E. Watson on November 14, 1867.

The Waco Daily Examiner
Sunday, Sept. 15, 1878
"The New Cemetery
Mayor E.A. Sturgis having consummated a purchase for the city of the fair grounds property for cemetery purposes, he was on the streets yesterday interviewing citizens with reference to sales of lots. When the reporter last saw the list, fifty or more had placed their names upon it for lots 15X25 feet, at twenty-five dollars each. The grounds contain fifty acres, are beautifully situated just the at the proper distance from town, and are susceptible of being made as handsome as any in the State. The cost, $4,000, will be repaired by sale of the lots. Mr. W.C. Dodson, the architect, has kindly consented to survey and lay off the grounds into lots, walks, drives, etc., and will commence the work next week."

On June 15, 1880,
W.C. & Bessie Dodson, ages 50 & 40, lived in Waco, McLennan Co, TN where he worked as the City Architect. Their children were Anna 12; Lee, 10; Cavit, 9; Willie, 7; Mattie, 6; Bessie; 5; & Fannie 2. Other members of the household included Bessie's sisters, M.A. & Laura Watson, ages 29 & 23.

Bessie, M.A., & Laura's parents were born in Ireland.
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The Waco Daily Examiner
Tuesday, October 20, 1885
"Rev. S.A. King and Mrs. W.C. Dodson, of Waco, and Rev. W.A. Daniels, of Robinson, left yesterday to attend a meeting the Synod of the Presbyterian church of Texas, which assembles in Austin this evening."

On June 7, 1900,
Wesley D. & Bessie E., ages 72 & 70, owned a home in Justice Precinct 1, McLennan Co, TX, where Wesley still worked as an Architect. they had been married 35 years; Bessie had given birth to 9 children, but only 7 were still living. Children still at home, still single, were Anna, age 33; Martha, 20;l Bessie A.; 19; & Samuel B., 21. Bessie's sister, Mary Watson, age 48, single, lived with them. Samuel had a job as a clerk.
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On April 21, 1910,
Wesley C. & Bessie E., ages 80 & 70, lived in Waco Ward 6, McLennan Co, TX where Wesley worked as a Building Architect. The census record showed he had been married two times; Bessie, once. They had been married 42 years; Bessie had given birth to 8 children, but only 7 were still living. Bessie's sister, Mary Watson, age 59, single, was still living with them.

Wesley was living in Waco when he died at 4:25 p.m. on August 1, 1914, from "Mitral Insufficiency." He had lived 85 years, 2 months, & 2 days.

Architect was shown on his death certificate as his occupation. The informant was C.W.Dodson of Waco, TX. The death certificate is in error listing the informant as W. C. Dodson. Wesley was buried on Aug. 2.

News about his death was published in The Eagle (Bryan, TX) on Saturday, August 1, 1914
Maj. W.C. Dodson Dead
Mrs. A.G. Board received a telegram this morning informing her of the death of her father, Maj. W.C. Dodson, of Waco, and left on the afternoon train accompanied by her daughters, Misses Ada and Irene, to attend the funeral, which will be held in Waco tomorrow.

Major Dodson lived in Bryan in 1866, moved to Wheelock in 1867 and then to Waco in 1875, where he had lived ever since. He was a prominent architect, having built the Waco court house and about forty-five others in the State. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church and a member of the Masonic lodge and will be buried under its auspices in Waco tomorrow."

The Indian Journal (Eufaula, OK)
Friday, August 7, 1914
"W.C. Dodson; the oldest architect in Texas, a resident of Waco since 1876, died Saturday after an illness of several years. He designed a number of buildings in that city and prepared the plans for the second McLennan county courthouse, built soon after he went to Waco. Mr. Dodson was born in Alabama and served in Fifth Alabama regiment in the civil war. He is survived by his widow and several children. He was in his eighty-sixth year."
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Courthouses Designed By Wesley Clark Dodson
1. The former (1886) Anderson Courthouse, Palestine - The building fell to arson.
2. Coryell County Courthouse, Gatesville
3. Denton County Courthouse, Denton
4. Hill County Courthouse, Hillsboro
5. Hood County Courthouse, Granbury
6. Lampasas County Courthouse, Lampasas
7. Parker County Courthouse, Weatherford
8. Fannin County Courthouse

Thanks to Martin Weybright, FindAGrave member #47169053, for bringing the following to my attention. Martin said Wesley's name appears on cornerstones as W.C. Dodson.
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On February 15, 2015, Rhett Dodson, FindAGrave member(#48659552), shared this file that he had received from the Texas Collection at Baylor University. It was hand-written by Wesley & Bessie's son, James William Dodson, on January 25, 1936.

Wesley Clark Dodson
Bessie E Watson { Married in Robertson or Brazos Co Texas
November 14th, 1867.

Children
Anna Letitia (Mrs. R.N. Uselton) Temple Texas
Born in Robertson Co Texas Nov 2d, 1868

Lee Jefferson born in Robertson Co Texas
March 2d 1870
Now lives in Tuscon Arizona

Cavitt Watson Born in Robertson Co Texas
April 22d 1871
Now lives at Waco Texas

James William Born in Robertson Co Texas
October 19th 1872
Now lives at Waco Texas

Martha Juliet Born in Robertson Co Texas
March 28th 1874. Married
W.A. Dougherty.
Now lives at Leesville, La

Bessie A. Born in Robertson Co Texas
February 25th or April 25th
1876.
Married S. Marcellus Dodson
Lives at Jonesboro, Ark.

Samuel Byars Born in Waco Texas
February 16th 1878
Died at Waco in November 1916

Laura (Little Laura we called her). Born in
Waco Texas about 1879 or 1880
Died in infancy

W.C. Dodson moved his family from Robertson
Co Texas to Waco Texas in January 1877.

All of the above was written on January 25th 1936 - JMD
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Researched & compiled by Virginia Brown