Born 16 July 1784 in Gardner, Massachusetts to Elijah and Azubah (Wells) Wilder, he initially made his living as a blacksmith before entering the military to fight in the War of 1812.
In the 1820s, they toured Europe, settling in New York and Paterson, New Jersey upon their return to the United States.
[1] In 1831, the Wilders pioneered the area around present-day Marshall, Michigan in Calhoun County where Oshea worked as a land surveyor.
The same year, the Ketchum Brothers arrived from New York, and Wilder assisted them in the founding of the village of Marshall.
James Carter of New York bought out Wilder's interest in the town and moved there to oversee his investment.