Frederick Wilson

Frederick E. Wilson(popularly known as 'Pahari wilson' or 'Raja wilson') was an adventurer,British army man who left army just after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. He escaped to Garhwal and met up with Raja of Tehri looking for shelter
but as the Raja was loyal to British so he denied shelter to Wilson. So Wilson moved to the mountains to steer clear of detection. Fate landed him to Harsil, a remote village on the banks of Bhagirathi River, with thick cover of deodar trees. Wilson married a very beautiful pahari girl by the name of Gulabi. Then Wilson entered into a contract with a London-based company and built a fortune out of the export of skins, fur and musk.

This was the time the British were building the Railways in India and there was great demand for quality wooden sleepers for the rails. Wilson cashed in on this and sent huge cut deodar trees floating down the river to the plains.
Initially, Wilson had not taken permission from the Raja of Tehri-Garhwal for his logging business. But later, he acquired a lease from the Raja, giving him a share in the profits. It is said that the revenue of the Raja of Tehri went up tenfold. Little wonder that Wilson was a welcome guest. It is said that in course of time, Raja Wilson, as he was known by then, minted his own currency and as late as the 1930s, his coins were found with the local people. According to some historians, the timber trade had made Wilson so wealthy and powerful that the local Raja of Tehri-Garhwal was unable to protect his subjects, whom Wilson brutalised and used as slaves.

He was also a good architect which is evident from his cottage that he built for himself known as Wilson`s Cottage, a huge mansion, now in ruins. He also built the Charlieville Hotel in the hill station of Mussoorie, which now houses the Government of India training institute for the Indian Administrative Service recruits. 

Driven by personal ambition Fredrick Wilson introduced commercial timbering to the Himalayas and became India ’s first timber magnate. An avid hunter, ornithologist and botanist, he settled at Harsil, and shared the lives and destinies of the Garhwali people. He acquired enormous wealth, becoming the richest man in Northern India and fame as ‘raja’ of Harsil before falling into disfavour,a pariah for plundering Garhwal of its wildlife and natural resources.