James Lenox was born on Valentine’s Day in 1793 in Virginia. In 1796 after the death of his father, a Revolutionary War Veteran, he along with his two brothers and widowed mother moved to the Northwest Territory, settling near Marietta. In 1811, they set their eyes on the Great Miami River Valley and moved to the area of Turtle Creek Township in what would become Shelby County. James enlisted to fight in the War of 1812, fighting in campaigns across Ohio, Michigan and Canada from 1813-1814.
When the county was officially established in 1819, he served as the first treasurer. James Lenox married Sally Wilson, daughter of pioneer John Wilson, and together they had 12 children, four of whom served in the Civil War; only one returned home. In 1845, they inherited John Wilson’s house, the first brick home built in Shelby County in 1816. Thus, the home’s current name of “The Wilson-Lenox House.” James Lenox served in various township positions and became a “leading spirit” in the community. He passed away on December 9, 1865.