The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lyman's History of old Walla Walla County,
Vol. 2 (of 2), by William Denison Lyman
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Title: Lyman's History of old Walla Walla County, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties
Author: William Denison Lyman
Release Date: September 8, 2014 [EBook #46808]
Language: English
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LYMAN'S HISTORY
_of_
Old Walla Walla County
_Embracing_
Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield
and Asotin Counties
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1918
[Illustration: NELSON G. BLALOCK]
BIOGRAPHICAL
N. G. BLALOCK, M. D.
No history of Walla Walla and of this section of the northwest would
be complete without extended reference to Dr. N. G. Blalock, who not
only figured as a most successful and progressive physician but, also
recognizing the possibilities for the material development of the
northwest through its natural resources, contributed in marked measure
to the upbuilding of this section of the country and the promotion
of its business activities. His labors were of a character that
contributed to public progress as well as to individual success and in
fact they were of the most farreaching extent and importance.
Dr. Blalock was a native of North Carolina, his birth having occurred
in Mitchell county, that state, in 1836. He spent his youth amid rural
surroundings in his native state, his time largely being devoted
to agricultural pursuits, while later he took up the profession
of teaching but regarded this merely as an initial step to other
professional labor. It became his earnest desire to enter the medical
profession and with that end in view he matriculated in the Jefferson
Medical College of Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1861.
He first located for practice in Mount Zion, Illinois, and when the
Civil war was in progress he put aside all business, professional and
personal considerations and joined the army as surgeon of an Illinois
regiment, doing active duty at the front in this connection. When
hostilities had ceased he resumed the practice of medicine in Illinois,
where he remained until 1872. He then heard and heeded the call of the
west. He first came in 1872 to spy out the land. Crossing the continent
part of the way with a team, actuated by the purpose of selecting a new
home in the Pacific northwest, he decided upon Walla Walla and then
returned to Illinois for his family. In May, 1873, they left their home
in Macon county, that state, and on the 11th of October reached Walla
Walla, having spent about six months upon the road, as they traveled
by team. There were twenty-seven members in the little immigrant party
and their total financial resources on reaching their destination did
not exceed twenty dollars. Dr. Blalock at once sought employment in
order to replenish his depleted exchequer. He began hauling wheat from
Walla Walla to Wallula and upon the return trip brought groceries and
other merchandise, which had to be laid in before navigation on the
Columbia river closed for the winter. He was thus engaged for a little
over a month, after which he opened his office and began practicing
medicine. His career in that professional field was a most notable
one. His ability was pronounced. He most carefully diagnosed his cases
and his judgment was seldom, if ever, at fault. He did most important
work in the frontier community, his professional career covering a
period of fifty-three years, during which he kept a complete record of
his obstetrical cases, including the names, ages and birthplaces of
parents and the names and sexes of children. He officiated at almost
six thousand obstetrical cases. He was the loved family physician in
many a household. He was most sympathetic by nature, kindly in spirit
and these qualities, added to his professional skill and ability, made
him most efficient in medical practice.
Dr. Blalock also deserves special mention for his contribution to
the development of Walla Walla and the northwest. He organized the
firm of Blalock, Son & Company for the purpose of building a mill
and flume to engage in the manufacture and shipment of lumber, wood,
etc., from what is known as the Blalock Mountain. This undertaking
did not prove profitable, however, and the company failed for two
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, with assets of only fifty
thousand dollars. The nature of Dr. Blalock at once was manifest, for
he immediately assumed the liabilities of the company and in less
than eight years paid off every cent, with interest at from fifteen
to twenty-four per cent per annum, acting in this matter contrary to
the advice of his attorneys. No other course was possible to a man of
his straightforward and honorable nature, however. He felt that every
cent of his indebtedness should be met and he resolutely set to work
to achieve this end, which in an incredibly short space of time he
accomplished.
It was Dr. Blalock who installed the first telephone used in the state.
He rented six instruments at twelve dollars per month each and built
and kept up his own line from the mill to the end of the flume. He was
the promoter of what is known as the Blalock Orchards, two miles west
of Walla Walla. In 1876 he purchased for two dollars and a half per
acre four hundred acres of desert land, which he leveled, irrigated and
then planted with fruit trees, including apples, pears and cherries,
and also set out many small fruits. He shipped the first two car loads
of pears from the state of Washington east of the Rocky Mountains and
made large exhibit of his fruit at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago in 1893. Since that time the Blalock Orchards have been
enlarged to sixteen hundred acres and have constituted a most important
feature of the horticultural development of the northwest. Upon the
land are now eight artesian wells, all strong and affording a supply
of water ample to irrigate the entire area with a system of pipe lines
over twenty miles in length, touching every acre of this vast tract.
The lands are being sold in five-acre tracts at from one thousand to
fifteen hundred dollars per acre. Dr. Blalock also made arrangements
for the purchase of three thousand six hundred acres of dry land six
miles south of Walla Walla, for which he was to pay ten bushels of
wheat per acre, an amount equal to five dollars per acre. The first
crop paid for the land and all expenses of raising and harvesting
and left him about three thousand dollars. This was followed by the
purchase of seven thousand acres of wheat land in Gilliam county,
Oregon, and he planted and promoted an orchard at the town of Blalock.
He was the promoter of the Blalock Islands enterprise, covering four
thousand acres in the Columbia river in Benton county, Washington.
He was associated with others in the development of three thousand
acres of desert land under the Carey act in Morrow county, Oregon. No
one labored more untiringly for the opening of the Columbia river for
navigation than Dr. Blalock, who for years devoted many hours to the
work. In appreciation of his efforts in that behalf the Columbia and
Snake River Waterways Association, meeting in Lewiston in its third
annual convention, passed the following resolution: "In these days
of the passing of the pioneer the people of the great northwest are
called upon from time to time to recognize the lifelong service of
noble men and women and to honor their names. Occasionally we take
unto ourselves the rare privilege of brightening the closing years
of one of these servants of mankind by a slight expression of our
affection and appreciation of their efforts in things worth while.
Such an occasion greets us today as we meet to honor one of God's
emblems. In recognition of the large part Dr. N. G. Blalock has had in
effecting an organized movement to secure an open river; in grateful
acknowledgment that through his indefatigable and successful labor,
associated with Joseph N. Teal, W. J. Mariner and J. F. Smith, almost
insuperable obstacles were overcome and the Oregon Portage Railroad
was built at The Dalles; and with hearty thanks to him for the lavish
expenditure of time and money in representing his state at meetings
of the Natural Rivers and Harbor Congress and attending innumerable
other gatherings in the interest of our rivers, where he has materially
helped in securing definite results. Therefore, be it resolved, that
we, the delegates to the Columbia and Snake River Waterways Association
here assembled, express to Dr. N. G. Blalock our deep affection and our
grateful appreciation for his long life of loving service."
A splendid characterization of Dr. Blalock is found in the memorial
address which was delivered by the Hon. Ben F. Hill before a joint
session of the state senate and the house of representatives, on which
occasion Mr. Hill said:
"Mr. President, Gentlemen of the senate and house:
"It is with a sense of profound sorrow that we pay a tribute to
the memory of Dr. Nelson G. Blalock, the distinguished member from
Walla Walla, of the constitutional convention. Dr. Blalock was born
in Mitchell county, North Carolina, in 1836. He was a graduate of
Jefferson Medical College, served as a surgeon in the One Hundred
and Fifteenth Illinois Regiment in the Civil war and came in 1873
to Walla Walla, the then metropolis of the northwest. The brilliant
young surgeon was in demand throughout the whole of the Inland
Empire. He became acquainted in his travels with the religious and
geographical work of the great Marcus Whitman and his chief ambition
appeared to be to develop the economic resources of that part of
Washington territory. For this reason the names of Marcus Whitman and
Nelson G. Blalock will be indelibly linked together in the building
and construction of our great state. One of Nelson G. Blalock's
earliest exploits was, when roads were impossible, the building of a
large flume from the Blue mountains to Walla Walla, for the purpose
of transporting logs, fuel and lumber to that growing community. He
made a success of and was the pioneer of arid land wheat farming. As
early as 1881 he produced the unprecedented yield of fifty thousand
bushels of wheat on one thousand acres of arid land. After proving
that wheat could be successfully produced he turned to irrigation
projects, some of which now are honored in retaining the Blalock
name. He drilled for and found artesian water, utilized the water of
the various streams, and every one of the districts he founded is
now a prosperous and conservative community. I could go on and tell
you of his work to complete the Celilo locks and canal and of his
intense desire to see an open Columbia river, but those and local
problems are developing as he anticipated they would. In fact before
Dr. Blalock passed away he had the final pleasure of knowing that all
these great economic benefits to the Inland Empire would be finished.
In the 1913 session we were honored by having Dr. Nelson G. Blalock,
during one of our sessions, invited to take his place with our
speaker and then a few days later during the session we were shocked
to hear of his death. You do not wonder then that Dr. Blalock was
elected to represent the Walla Walla district at the constitutional
convention and we revere and honor that man, soldier, physician,
statesman who in the economic development of the Inland Empire was
the greatest man the northwest has yet produced, Dr. Nelson G.
Blalock."
On the 13th of March, 1914, Dr. Blalock was stricken with apoplexy
while at work in his office and was taken to a hospital, where he died
the following day.
DORSEY S. BAKER, M. D.
No history of Walla Walla and the Inland Empire would be complete
without extended reference to Dr. Dorsey S. Baker, now deceased, who
for many years figured most prominently in the professional, commercial
and financial circles of the northwest. He stood in the front rank
of the columns that have advanced the civilization of Washington,
leading to its substantial development, progress and upbuilding. He was
particularly active in the growth of Walla Walla, where he continued
to make his home for many years. He recognized and utilized the
resources of the country and by establishing many business enterprises
contributed in marked measure to its development and progress. Widely
known, his life history cannot fail to prove of interest to the many
friends that he left behind and who still honor and cherish his memory.
Dr. Baker was born in Wabash county, Illinois, October 18, 1823,
and while still a boy in his teens became the active assistant of
his father, who was engaged in milling and merchandising. Thus he
received a thorough training that constituted the broad foundation
upon which much of the success of his later years was built. After a
time, however, he determined to enter upon a professional career and
with that end in view matriculated in the Jefferson Medical College of
Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1845 on the completion of
the full course. He located for the practice of medicine in Des Moines,
Iowa, but after remaining there for a brief period determined to follow
the advice of Horace Greeley, who said: "Go west, young man, go west."
Accordingly in 1848 he started for Oregon, where he arrived in the
fall of the same year, having no money and no acquaintances in this
section of the country. He immediately opened an office and began the
practice of his chosen profession in Portland, which was then a small
town containing but one or two streets along the river front. Gold
was discovered in California the following year and Dr. Baker joined
the rush for the famous Eldorado. He remained in that state until
the spring of 1850 and then returned to Portland, where he entered
into partnership with L. B. Hastings in the conduct of a mercantile
enterprise. The following spring he again went to the mines, this time
his objective point being Yreka, which was then a newly developed
mining camp. In May of the same year, however, he once more returned
to Oregon and established his home in the Umpqua valley, where for
several years he devoted his attention to stock raising, to milling and
to general merchandising. He erected the first flour mill in southern
Oregon at the old town of Oakland in Douglas county, and in 1858 he was
conducting business in Portland as a hardware merchant.
[Illustration: D. S. BAKER]
Dr. Baker's connection with Walla Walla dated from October, 1859,
when he established a store in this city, placing William Stephens
in charge. The following year, however, he personally assumed the
management of the business and in 1862 he entered into partnership
with his brother-in-law, John F. Boyer, in establishing the firm of
Baker & Boyer, which was so long widely and favorably known in eastern
Washington. It was in that year that he also became associated with
Captain Ankeny, H. W. Corbett and Captain Baughman in the organization
of a steamboat company to operate a line of boats on the Columbia and
Snake rivers. This company built the steamer Spray for the upper river
and the E. D. Baker for the lower Columbia trade, thus instituting what
constituted a most important element in the development and upbuilding
of the northwest. These steamship lines were sold the following year
to the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. Dr. Baker's recognition of the
possibilities and opportunities of the northwest constituted a most
important factor in the development of the Inland Empire. After nine
years he took up the construction of a railroad from Walla Walla to the
Columbia River, building the line entirely from his own resources. This
not only enhanced the fortune of the promoter but brought prosperity
and wealth to the entire Walla Walla valley and adjacent country.
It was a matter of pride to Dr. Baker that during his ownership and
management of the railroad it was never encumbered with a mortgage and
never had a floating debt. He finally sold the road in 1878 to the
Henry Villard syndicate and it became a part of the Oregon Railway and
Navigation System.
Throughout the remainder of his life Dr. Baker devoted his energies
to banking and to the inauguration of various business enterprises
in and about Walla Walla that continued as factors in the progress
and improvement of the city and of the state. The Baker-Boyer Bank,
which was organized in 1869, is the oldest institution of the kind in
Washington and remains one of the strongest moneyed concerns of the
state. Later it was reorganized as the Baker-Boyer National Bank.
Dr. Baker was married in Portland, Oregon, in June, 1850, to Miss
Caroline Tibbetts, a native of Indiana, by whom he had seven children,
three of whom died in infancy. The others were Edwin Franklin, now
living in California; Mary E., the deceased wife of Ex-Governor Miles
C. Moore, now president of the Baker-Boyer National Bank; Henry C.; and
W. W., who is the vice president of the Baker-Boyer National Bank. For
his second wife Dr. Baker chose Miss Mary Legier, of Tuscola, Illinois,
who passed away soon afterward, and in August, 1867, he wedded
Elizabeth H. McCullough, by whom he had eight daughters, four of whom
died while young. Mrs. Baker passed away May 7, 1917, having for many
years survived her husband, whose death occurred in Walla Walla, July
5, 1888.
Dr. Baker not only lived to witness a remarkable transformation in
this section of the country but was an active participant in all the
changes that brought about modern-day civilization. His greatest
effort in pioneer days was the building of the Walla Walla & Columbia
River Railroad, which was the foundation of the early settlement and
building up of the great Inland Empire, of which Walla Walla became the
distributing point for eastern Washington, Montana and Idaho. He gave
the original site for Whitman Seminary, donating land which became the
nucleus of the present property of what is now Whitman College. Almost
seventy years have passed since Dr. Baker came to the northwest to cast
in his lot with its pioneers. People of the present period can scarcely
realize the struggles and dangers which attended the early settlers,
the heroism and self-sacrifice of lives passed upon the borders of
civilization, the hardships endured, the difficulties overcome. These
tales of the early days read almost like a romance to those who have
known only the modern prosperity and conveniences. To the pioneer of
the early days, far removed from the privileges and conveniences of
city and town, the struggle for existence was a stern and hard one, and
these men and women must have possessed indomitable energy and sterling
worth of character as well as marked physical courage when they thus
voluntarily selected such a life and successfully fought its battles
under such circumstances as prevailed in the northwest. The efforts of
Dr. Baker were indeed an important feature in the development of this
section of the country. He saw and utilized opportunities which have
brought about modern-day progress and improvement and not only kept
pace with the trend of the times but was a leader in the onward march
of progress in Walla Walla and this section of the state.
C. R. ROGG.
C. R. Rogg, who is engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in
Dayton, has in his business career ever followed the admonition of the
old Greek philosopher, Epicharmus, who said: "Earn thy reward; the gods
give nought to sloth." In other words he has ever been diligent and
determined and his close application and his energy have brought him
the measure of success which he now enjoys. He was born in Bridgeport,
Connecticut, May 17, 1876, and is a son of Raymond and Katie (Toy)
Rogg. The father was a native of Germany but came to America when a
young lad and settled in Connecticut, where he was reared and married.
In 1877 he removed with his family to Kansas, where he established his
home upon a farm and in that state both he and his wife passed away. In
their family were seven children, six of whom are now living.
Although born in New England, C. R. Rogg was only about a year old when
the family home was established in the Sunflower state and there he was
reared and educated, pursuing his studies in the public schools. He was
a young man of about twenty-seven years when he determined to leave the
middle west and try his fortune upon the Pacific coast. He arrived in
Walla Walla county, Washington, in 1903 and there remained for a year,
after which he removed to Dayton, where he established a furniture and
undertaking business, in which he has now been engaged for thirteen
years, building up a trade of large and gratifying proportions. He
has a well appointed furniture store, carrying a large and carefully
selected stock, and his reasonable prices, progressive business methods
and earnest desire to please his customers have brought to him a very
gratifying patronage.
In May, 1906, Mr. Rogg was united in marriage to Miss Ollie Landon, who
was born in Kansas, a daughter of R. E. Landon, who is still living in
that state. To Mr. and Mrs. Rogg have been born three children: John
Vern, whose birth occurred October 23, 1907; Erma B., who was born
January 29, 1910; and Caroline Bernice. Mrs. Rogg is a member of the
Christian church. Mr. Rogg has membership with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and has filled all of the chairs in the local lodge. He is
also connected with Dayton Lodge, No. 3, K. P. His political support
is given to the democratic party and he has been elected a member of
the city council by the vote of his fellow townsmen, who recognized his
worth and ability and felt that public interests would be safe in his
hands. The years of his residence in Dayton have brought him a wide
acquaintance and his sterling worth has gained for him the high regard
of those with whom he has been associated.
FRANK C. ROBINSON, M. D., F. A. C. S.
Prepared by comprehensive study at home and abroad, Dr. Frank C.
Robinson has won for himself a distinguished position in the ranks
of the medical profession in Walla Walla and the northwest. He has
wisely utilized his native talents and as the years have gone on
his reading and research have kept him in touch with the trend of
scientific attainment. He was born in Blandinsville, Illinois, May
24, 1874, a son of Campbell and Elizabeth (Hungate) Robinson, both
of whom were natives of McDonough county, Illinois, where they were
reared and married. There they resided until 1875, when they removed
to Taylor county, Iowa, and in 1892 they became residents of Walla
Walla county, Washington. The father purchased land at Bolles Junction,
where he engaged in farming for ten years, and in 1902 he retired from
active life, taking up his abode in the city of Walla Walla, where
his remaining days were passed, his death occurring in 1913, while
his widow survived until 1916. He was for a long period one of the
most extensive and successful agriculturists of his locality, owning
and cultivating two thousand acres of land at Bolles Junction. In his
family were six children, namely: Frank C., of this review; Charles
D., connected with the Lincoln Trust Company, of Spokane, Washington;
Samuel E., a farmer of Imperial, California; Lillian M., who is
teaching in the high school of Hilliard, near Spokane, Washington;
Harry H., a physician now on duty as a captain in the Medical Reserve
Corps at Waco, Texas; and Myrtle V., the wife of William R. Howard, a
teacher in the high school of Spokane.
Dr. Frank C. Robinson was very young when the family went to Iowa and
was a youth of about eighteen years when the removal was made to the
northwest. He has since taken a most active interest in the development
of the Inland Empire and has contributed in substantial measure to the
work of progress and improvement along various lines. He was educated
in the public schools and in the Waitsburg Academy, being graduated
from the latter institution with the class of 1897. The following year
he began preparation for the practice of medicine and surgery, entering
Rush Medical College of Chicago in the fall of 1898. He was graduated
from that institution on the completion of the four years' course as
valedictorian of the class of 1902 and immediately afterward served
an interneship of a year and a half in the Presbyterian Hospital of
Chicago, thus gaining broad and valuable practical experience along
professional lines. He was afterward appointed superintendent of the
Monroe Street Hospital in Chicago, in which capacity he served for
a year. Desirous of further advancing in his profession, he went
abroad in August, 1905, for post-graduate work in Europe, pursuing his
studies and his research work in Vienna, Austria, where he remained
until May, 1906, coming under the instruction of some of the most
eminent physicians and surgeons of the old world. He then returned
to his native land and opened an office in Walla Walla, where in the
intervening period of eleven years he has won a place in the front
ranks of medical practitioners. His ability is pronounced and he
has gained a most creditable name and place in a profession where
advancement depends entirely upon individual merit.
In 1905 Dr. Robinson was married to Miss Jessie Addle Morgan, a
daughter of J. W. Morgan, a pioneer druggist and the foremost citizen
of Waitsburg, Washington. Mrs. Robinson is a graduate of the Washington
State Normal School at Ellensburg and later was graduated from the
University of Washington with the class of 1903. She is a lady of
culture and refinement.
Dr. Robinson is well known in fraternal circles, belonging to Walla
Walla Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M.; also to Oriental Consistory, No. 2, A.
& A. S. R., of Spokane. He has likewise crossed the sands of the desert
with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, having membership in El Katif
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane. He belongs to Columbia Lodge,
No. 8, K. P. Dr. Robinson belongs to the Walla Walla County Medical
Society, the Washington State Medical Society and the American Medical
Association. At the annual convocation of the American College of
Surgeons in Chicago in October, 1917, fellowship was conferred upon Dr.
Robinson. He makes his practice his chief interest, allowing nothing
to interfere with the faithful and conscientious performance of his
professional duties, and his comprehensive knowledge of the science of
medicine, accurately applied, has gained him place with the eminent
representatives of the profession in this state. In July, 1917, he
entered the United States service and was commissioned captain in the
Medical Officers Reserve Corps and is now awaiting summons to the front.
CHARLES A. KAUSCHE.
Charles A. Kausche, a well known farmer of Garfield county with
residence on section 21, township 12 north, range 41 east, was born
in this county, May 27, 1881, a son of Henry and Paulina (Lowenberg)
Kausche, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Ohio. When
only sixteen years of age the father came to the United States and in
1876 removed to Oregon. Four years later he came with his family to
Garfield county, Washington, and took up a claim. As soon as possible
he erected a rude home of the type known as a box house and in order
to fence his land he hauled poles from the mountains twenty-five miles
distant. In time he brought his place to a high state of development
and erected excellent buildings thereon, being actively engaged in
farming until 1902, when he retired and removed to Pomeroy. In 1903 he
passed away there but his wife survives.
Charles A. Kausche, who is one of the five living children of a family
of eight, was reared at home and at the usual age became a pupil in the
public schools, which he attended in the acquirement of an education.
In 1904 he rented the old homestead and subsequently he bought the
place, which comprises eight hundred and seventy acres. He has erected
excellent modern buildings upon the place and has otherwise added
to its value and it now ranks among the best developed farms of the
locality. He uses up-to-date methods and implements in carrying on his
work and also gives careful thought to the problem of marketing to
advantage.
Mr. Kausche was married in 1904 to Miss Odessa Trosper, who was born
in Old Walla Walla county, a daughter of Joseph G. and Ena (Bonney)
Trosper, the former a native of Missouri. Two children have been born
to Mr. and Mrs. Kausche, Floyd B. and Merle K.
Mr. Kausche belongs to the Knights of Pythias and in politics supports
the republican party. For some time he was clerk of the school board
and he is strongly in favor of the best possible public schools. His
extensive farming interests do not leave him much time for outside
activities but it is generally known that he supports all movements
seeking the material, civic or moral advancement of his community.
CHRISTIAN MILLER.
Christian Miller, who is devoting his time and energies to the
operation of a good farm on section 26, Russell Creek township, Walla
Walla county, was born in Denmark, January 27, 1854, a son of Soren S.
and Sarah M. Miller, who in 1862 came with their family to the United
States. After residing for six years in Utah, where the father engaged
in farming, they came to Walla Walla county, Washington, in 1868 with
a colony composed of Mormons who had seceded from the church and also
others who were never associated with that organization. The father
belonged to the former class and he remained with the colony until it
broke up in 1880 or 1881. He then acquired title to a small farm on
Mill creek, where he continued to make his home until his death, which
occurred March 26, 1897.
Christian Miller had very little opportunity to attend school, as
his boyhood was passed in a frontier community, but he has learned
many valuable lessons in the school of experience. He accompanied his
parents on their removal to Walla Walla county and remained with the
colony until it was disbanded, after which he worked as a farm hand for
a time. In 1889 he purchased his first farm, comprising one hundred and
sixty acres on section 26, Russell Creek township, and has since added
to his holdings from time to time until he now owns about four hundred
acres of excellent land. He is engaged in diversified farming and has
been very successful in his work.
On the 8th of November, 1882, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss
Grace E. Davies, who was born in Kansas, June 18, 1855. Her father, W.
W. Davies, was a native of Wales, born August 8, 1833, and was at the
head of the colony of settlers who came to this county. Before leaving
Wales he was married August 24, 1854, to Miss Ann Jones, and they
became the parents of twelve children. It was in 1855 that they came to
America and for a time made their home in Utah and later in Montana,
but in 1867 came to Walla Walla county, Washington. Mrs. Davies, who
was born in Wales, March 29, 1836, died May 19, 1879, and Mr. Davies
passed away November 25, 1906. Three children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Miller, of whom two survive, namely: Sarah M., the wife of Elmer
Meiner, a farmer of Russell Creek township; and Esther M., at home.
Mr. Miller is a republican in politics and has served for a number of
years on the school board, in which connection he has done valuable
work for the schools. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and
has many friends within and without that organization. Through his own
efforts he has gained financial independence, his success being based
upon enterprise, hard work and good management.
HON. LEVI ANKENY.
With the history of development in the northwest Hon. Levi Ankeny, of
Walla Walla, is largely familiar. He has been a witness of the various
phases of life during the progress from pioneer times to the days
of present prosperity and he has ever borne his part in the work of
general upbuilding and improvement, while at the same time he has so
conducted his private business interests that substantial results have
accrued. He has been active in connection with mining and with the
copper industry and for many years he has occupied a most prominent
position in banking circles. His business interests alone would entitle
him to representation in this volume and yet there are other phases
of his life which also render him a most prominent and representative
citizen of the northwest, for he has been United States senator and has
done much to further the interests of this section of the country in
the halls of national legislation.
Mr. Ankeny was born near St. Joseph, Missouri, on the 1st of August,
1844, a son of John and Charity (Geer) Ankeny, the former a native of
Pennsylvania and the latter of the state of New York. Both were members
of old families whose ancestry can be traced back to Revolutionary war
times and who were represented by valiant soldiers in the struggle for
independence. The father was a newspaper man in Milford, Pennsylvania,
for a number of years and died while on a trip across the plains to
Oregon in 1850. His widow continued the trip and spent her last years
in Portland, Oregon.
Levi Ankeny of this review was a little lad of but six summers when
his parents started with the family on the long trip over the hot
stretches of sand and through the mountain passes to the northwest, yet
he remembers many incidents of that journey, which was made after the
primitive manner of the times. He was reared on the Pacific coast and
largely acquired his education in Kingsley Academy in Portland. After
reaching adult age he was for several years engaged in merchandising
in Orofino and in Florence, Idaho, selling goods from pack trains all
through the mining regions and also through the Fraser river country
of British Columbia. He was also for several years with the Wells
Fargo Express Company. During these years he became identified with
the cattle industry and his herds roamed the plains of both Idaho and
Washington. He was in Walla Walla in his cattle operations, grazing his
herds throughout this section of the country in the early days before
settlement had laid claim to the land.
[Illustration: HON. LEVI ANKENY]
Mr. Ankeny's identification with financial interests in the northwest
began on the 1st of January, 1878, when he organized the First
National Bank of Walla Walla. He thus entered actively into a field of
business in which he has made substantial progress and in which his
efforts have contributed much to the upbuilding and development of
this section as well. In 1882 he organized the First National Bank of
Pendleton, Oregon, and a year later organized the First National Bank
of Baker City, Oregon. The same year he founded the First National
Bank of Waitsburg, Washington, and subsequently became the founder
of the Columbia National Bank of Dayton, Washington. He settled the
affairs of the Vancouver National Bank of Vancouver, British Columbia.
He has since disposed of the bank at Baker City, Oregon, and also
of the one in Vancouver hut is still president of the other four
banking institutions, the combined deposits of which at the present
time amount to over seven million dollars. There is no phase of the
banking business with which he is not familiar and he is thoroughly
acquainted with all of the grave problems of finance which confront the
country. He has served as president of the State Bankers' Association.
He is actuated in all that he does by a most progressive spirit and,
readily discriminating between the essential and the non-essential in
all business affairs, he has so directed his efforts that success in
notable measure has attended his endeavors and reputation names him as
the wealthiest resident of his county. Moreover, the policy that he has
pursued is one which will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny
and may well constitute an example that others may profitably follow.
In 1867 Mr. Ankeny was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Nesmith, a
daughter of James Nesmith, who was United States senator from Oregon.
By this marriage have been born five children, four of whom are
living: Nesmith, who is assistant cashier of the First National Bank
at Pendleton, Oregon; John who is vice president of the First National
Bank at Walla Walla; Robert, who operated a farm in the Willamette
valley of Oregon but has volunteered and is now serving as a machinist
in the Navy; and Harriett, who is the wife of Colonel Francis Pope, of
the United States army, formerly stationed at San Antonio, Texas, but
now in France.
Mr. Ankeny has not only done much to develop the material interests
and resources of this section of the country but has also contributed
in large measure to shaping its political history. He has always been
a stalwart champion of the republican party and upon its ticket was
elected in 1903 to represent Washington in the United States senate,
serving in that august body for six years, during which period he most
carefully considered the vital questions which came up for settlement
and threw the weight of his aid and influence on the side of progress,
reform and improvement. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, being
identified with all the Masonic bodies of both the York and Scottish
Rites. He has served as grand master. He belongs to Walla Walla
Commandery, No. 2, K. T., and is a member of El Kader Temple, A. A.
O. N. M. S. He also has membership with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His religious
faith is evidenced in his membership in the Episcopal church and that
he is appreciative of the social amenities of life is indicated in his
identification with the Country Club. Mr. Ankeny is recognized as one
of the strong men of the northwest, strong in his honor and his good
name, strong in his ability to plan and perform. What he has undertaken
he has accomplished and, moreover, he has not only promoted his
individual interests but his activities have ever been of a character
which have advanced the public prosperity as well.
CARY MELVIN RADER.
Cary Melvin Rader, a leading member of the bar of Walla Walla, engaged
in general practice, was born in Carroll county, Indiana, July 27,
1868. His father, Solomon Rader, was also a native of the Hoosier
state, born October 8, 1827. He devoted his life to farming in early
manhood and afterward took up merchandising. He was a veteran of
the Indian wars of the northwest and crossed the plains in 1852. He
participated in the Modoc and Rogue River wars of 1853 and 1857.
Later he returned to Indiana and became actively identified with its
agricultural and commercial interests. But longing for the west he came
to Walla Walla, Washington, in 1901, there remaining until his death,
which occurred December 2, 1912. His wife, who bore the maiden name of
Martha Ann Stewart, was born in Indiana, May 30, 1827, and is still
living at the notable old age of ninety years, her home being in Walla
Walla.
Cary M. Rader was the only child of that marriage. He obtained a common
school education in his native state and afterward attended the Central
Normal College at Danville, Indiana, where he pursued a law course.
He was there graduated on the 28th of July, 1891, and was admitted to
the bar, but in May, 1892, came to Walla Walla and has since been an
active representative of the legal profession of this city. He entered
into partnership with Senator Poindexter, with whom he was associated
for about four years, after which he practiced alone for a few years,
and then became a partner of Frank B. Sharpstein. Their connection
continued for four years and Mr. Rader was then alone in practice for
a brief period. He afterward entered into partnership with W. R. King,
who later became a supreme judge of Oregon, and upon the dissolution
of that partnership he became connected with E. F. Barker, forming
the present firm of Rader & Barker. This association has since been
maintained and the firm occupies a very prominent position at the Walla
Walla bar. Along with those qualities indispensable to the lawyer Mr.
Rader brought to the starting point of his legal career certain rare
gifts, including forcefulness of expression and a strong personality.
He possesses a keen, rapid, logical mind, plus the business sense, and
a ready capacity for hard work. He has, too, an excellent presence,
an earnest, dignified manner and marked strength of character,
which, combined with a thorough grasp of the law and the ability to
accurately apply its principles, has made him a most effective advocate
and a wise counselor. While continuing in general law practice, he
has specialized in corporation law and is thoroughly well informed
concerning that department of jurisprudence. He served for one term as
city attorney in 1896. In addition to his professional interests he is
a director of the Peoples State Bank, to which office he was elected on
the organization of the bank, and he has considerable farming interests.
On the 13th of September, 1893, Mr. Rader was united in marriage to
Miss Hattie Miller, a native of Eaton, Ohio, and a daughter of Charles
Miller, a resident of that city. Her mother has passed away. Mr. and
Mrs. Rader have become the parents of three children, Ralph Waldo,
Martha Bernice and Melvin Miller.
In his political views Mr. Rader is an earnest democrat, believing
firmly in the principles of the party, yet never seeking office. He
attends the Congregational church and is a faithful follower of the
Masonic fraternity, being now a past master of Walla Walla Lodge, No.
7, A. F. & A. M. There have been no spectacular phases in his career,
but in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual
merit and ability he has worked his way steadily upward. His practice
is now extensive and of an important character. At no time has his
reading ever been confined to the limitations of the question at issue
and he is recognized not only in professional circles but otherwise as
a man of well rounded character, of finely balanced mind and splendid
intellectual attainments.
JUDGE JOHN W. HOLMAN.
Judge John W. Holman, of Dayton, has an unusual record of public
service, having for twenty-two years been police judge and justice of
the peace, and for seven years he was court commissioner. He was born
in Monroe county, Indiana, May 22, 1844, a son of Thomas and Laura
(Parker) Holman, pioneers of the Hoosier state. He was reared under
the parental roof and at the usual age entered the district schools.
When eighteen years old he volunteered for service in the Union army
and from the time of his enlistment, on the 6th of August, 1862,
until after the close of the war he was with the armed forces of the
government. His record includes service in the battles of Ball Bluff,
Port Gibson, the siege of Vicksburg and the engagements at Jackson,
Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Grandicor, Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan, Big
Black, Champion Hills and Raymond.
On returning to civil life Judge Holman removed to Illinois, where he
engaged in farming until 1868. In that year he became a resident of
Nebraska and there made his home until 1876, when he cast in his lot
with the Pacific northwest. During the intervening forty-one years he
has lived at Dayton and has become one of the foremost citizens of that
town and, in fact, of Columbia county. In 1888 he was appointed deputy
sheriff under W. R. Marcus, and two years later was elected justice of
the peace. Subsequently he became police judge and for twenty-two years
he filled both offices. In the discharge of his duties he manifested
a fine sense of justice and an unusual ability to read human nature.
For seven years he was also court commissioner under Judge R. F.
Sturdevant, and in that connection also he was thoroughly competent.
Judge Holman was married in Nebraska in 1869, to Miss Louisa E. Linn,
a native of Ohio. They became the parents of the following children:
Laura A.; Ernest A.; Jessie P.; Olive F.; Lola C.; Nellie L.; John W.,
Jr., deceased; Dorothy C.; Charles D.; and Donald L.
Judge Holman has been a republican almost since the organization of
the party and his advice has often been sought by the local party
leaders. At one time he was the republican councilman from Brooklyn.
He has always been justly proud of the fact that at the time of the
country's need he offered himself in defense of the Union, and he finds
great pleasure in the association with other veterans of the Civil war
in the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Fraternally he
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His strength of
character and his unswerving adherence to high standards of morality
have gained him the respect of his community, and, moreover, he has
won an unusually large number of personal friends, owing to his
kindly nature and his evident goodwill toward all. One evidence of
his popularity is the fact that while serving as justice of the peace
he performed more marriages than any other official or clergyman in
the county and in many instances married two generations of the same
family. He has the satisfaction of knowing that he has discharged in
full every duty devolving upon him, and that during a long life he has
at all times proven a man of genuine worth, an official devoted to the
public welfare.
JUDGE BENJAMIN L. SHARPSTEIN.
No history such as this work defines in its essential limitations will
serve to offer fitting memorial to Judge Benjamin L. Sharpstein, who
left the impress of his individuality for good upon the commonwealth
in many ways and whose career ever reflected honor upon the state that
honored him. A Mexican war veteran, a pioneer, lawyer, legislator
and member of the state constitutional convention, he indeed played
an important part in shaping the annals of Washington. For forty-two
years he was a resident of Walla Walla and through that period was not
only closely connected with its interests and development but was also
associated with many of the movements which have shaped the policy and
directed the upbuilding of the state.
Judge Sharpstein was a native of the state of New York, his birth
having occurred in Bath, Steuben county, October 22, 1827. He was a
lad of seven years when his parents removed westward to Michigan,
settling first in Macomb county, where they resided until their removal
to Sheboygan county, Wisconsin. In the family were two sons, John and
Benjamin L. The former became an attorney of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and
later went to San Francisco, California, where he served as a judge of
the supreme court. After the Civil war his brother Benjamin read law
with him for some time. Reared upon the home farm, Judge Sharpstein
divided his time between the work of the schoolroom, the pleasures
of the playground and such tasks as were assigned him in connection
with the development of the fields. He did not care, however, to make
farming his life work and turned from agriculture to a professional
career, it being his desire to prepare for the bar. He therefore
entered upon his studies, which, however, were interrupted when he was
nineteen years of age, for in 1846 his patriotic spirit was aroused
and he joined the American army as a soldier in the Mexican war. Upon
the close of hostilities with that country he returned to his home and
resumed the study of law, being admitted to the bar in 1852.
[Illustration: JUDGE BENJAMIN SHARPSTEIN]
[Illustration: MRS. BENJAMIN SHARPSTEIN]
Judge Sharpstein was married in 1854 to Miss Sarah J. Park, who was
indeed a faithful companion and helpmate to him on life's journey. She
has long figured prominently in the social circles of Walla Walla and
her life has been fraught with many good deeds and characterized by the
highest principles. Following their marriage Judge and Mrs. Sharpstein
continued to reside in the middle west until 1865, when they determined
to try their fortune on the Pacific coast and with their three eldest
children, John L., Ada A. and Arthur P., they left the Mississippi
valley and with a large train of immigrants started across the plains
for Oregon. The city of Salem, Oregon, was their objective point but
on reaching Walla Walla, Judge Sharpstein was so favorably impressed
with the opportunities of this section that he determined to make his
home here. Thereafter he was identified with the city and was a most
important and influential factor in advancing the best interests of the
community, in promoting its progress and upbuilding and in upholding
its standards of citizenship. He not only held high rank as a lawyer
but was also prominent in shaping the political history of his state.
At the bar he was forceful and resourceful. He had comprehensive
knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence and was most accurate in
applying those principles to the points in litigation. His arguments
were most logical, his reasoning sound and clear and his deductions
accurate.
In political faith Judge Sharpstein was a democrat and held loyally
to the principles of his party, although he knew that such a course
would deprive him of many political honors, for the district and
state in which he lived were overwhelmingly republican. However, his
fellow townsmen recognized his genuine worth and patriotic spirit to
such an extent that in 1866, again in 1879 and once more in 1886 he
was elected to represent his district in the state legislature by
overwhelming majorities. In 1889 he was chosen as a member of the
state constitutional convention and aided in framing the organic
law of Washington. He left the permanent stamp of his wisdom and
farsightedness upon that valuable document. His marked ability as a
lawyer, combined with his patriotic citizenship and his keen insight
into the present needs and the future possibilities of the state, made
his service of the greatest worth to the commonwealth and he bore a
most important part in shaping the constitution. He was again called to
public office in 1890, when he was appointed a member of the tide land
commission.
Judge Sharpstein was also a leader in local affairs and for
twenty-seven years in all, with some periods of intermission, he served
as a member of the school board and during much of that time was its
president. He did most effective work in advancing the standards of the
schools and improving the methods of instruction, and one of the fine
school buildings of Walla Walla fittingly bears his name.
While many public interests thus claimed his time and attention, Judge
Sharpstein regarded the practice of law as his real life work and,
admitting his three sons to a partnership, thus organized one of
the strongest legal firms of Washington. One of his sons, Arthur P.,
died in 1896. Two sons, John L. and Frank B., are still engaged in
the practice of law in Walla Walla, while the youngest son, Charles
M., has made for himself a national reputation as farmer, art critic
and writer. He, too, is a resident of Walla Walla. The only daughter,
Ada A., is now the widow of C. B. Upton and lives in Tacoma. Mrs.
Sharpstein is still living and although now almost eighty years of age
is wonderfully well preserved, being able to do her own marketing and
attend to her business affairs. The family of Judge Sharpstein has
worthily maintained the high position established by the father, who
departed this life May 2, 1907, honored and respected by all who knew
him. His memory is enshrined in the hearts of those with whom he came
in contact and his name is written large on the pages of Washington's
history.
GEORGE J. RUARK.
George J. Ruark, one of the prominent citizens of Garfield county, is
actively identified with farming interests and now makes his home in
Pomeroy. He was born in Jefferson county, Kansas, August 17, 1858,
a son of Thomas and Mary A. (Messenger) Ruark, who were natives of
Illinois and of Ohio respectively. In early life they removed with
their respective parents to Wayne county, Iowa, and were there married.
They began their domestic life in that county, where they continued to
reside until 1857 or 1858, when they became residents of Kansas but
after two years returned to Wayne county, Iowa, whence in 1862 they
started across the plains with ox teams and wagons for the Pacific
coast. The journey was a long and arduous one, but day after day they
pushed forward and eventually reached Clarke county, Washington, where
they located, establishing their home ten miles north of Vancouver,
where they lived until the spring of 1871. In that year they became
residents of Walla Walla county and Mr. Ruark engaged in the live
stock business until the spring of 1879. In the fall of 1878 he and
his family removed to what is now Garfield county, establishing their
home near Deadman's Hollow, eighteen miles east of Pomeroy. There the
father engaged in farming until 1890 and, adding to his possessions
from time to time, he acquired ten hundred and forty acres of valuable
wheat land. In the spring of 1890 he removed to Whitman county, his
son, George J. Ruark, taking charge of the old home farm in Garfield
county. The father then continued in active connection with farming and
live stock interests in Whitman county until 1900, when he retired from
business life and removed to Asotin, Washington. He owned four hundred
and twenty acres of land in Whitman county, which he leased on his
removal to Asotin, where he still maintained his residence at date of
death, January 8, 1908. His widow still survives and is now a resident
of Pomeroy. In politics the father was a democrat and took active
interest in the work and success of the party. For a number of years he
served as postmaster of Deadman but otherwise refused public office.
He belonged to the United Brethren church and was one of the sterling
citizens of Garfield county.
George J. Ruark was educated in the district schools and was reared to
farm life, early becoming familiar with all of the duties and labors
that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. In the fall of 1883 he
began farming on his own account, renting land in conjunction with his
brother Charles and with his father. The Bowman ranch of one thousand
acres, which they operated in partnership for three years, returned to
them a gratifying annual income and on the expiration of that period
George J. Ruark began farming independently, renting two hundred and
seventeen acres of the same ranch. This he cultivated for a year and
in 1888, having carefully saved his earnings, he bought a small place
on which he located. He also continued to cultivate rented land in
connection with his home farm and in the fall of 1889 he rented his
father's farm of ten hundred and forty acres, which he continued to
cultivate for five years. He then returned to his own place, which he
farmed in connection with other land until the fall of 1902, when he
sold that property and bought his present farm of fourteen hundred and
twenty acres, situated at the head of Deadman's Hollow. This is now
being cultivated by a tenant, and Mr. Ruark established his home in
Pomeroy in the fall of 1903. From this point he directs and supervises
his business interests and at the same time he has the enjoyment of
city life.
In 1889 Mr. Ruark was united in marriage to Miss Olive Vannausdle,
of Garfield county, a daughter of Harris Vannausdle, who came from
Nebraska in 1884. He is still living and makes his home among his
children. Mr. and Mrs. Ruark have an adopted daughter, Elma Maurene.
Politically Mr. Ruark is a democrat and on the party ticket was elected
a member of the board of county commissioners in 1894, filling the
position for four years in a most acceptable and creditable manner.
Fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen of the World. He ranks
with the leading and representative men of Garfield county, for by his
enterprising efforts he has contributed much to the upbuilding and
development of this section. He stands for progress and improvement
along all lines and his cooperation can ever be counted upon to further
any well devised plan for the general good.
DAVID B. FERREL.
David B. Ferrel, a well known farmer of Russell Creek township, Walla
Walla county, was born August 8, 1870, a son of Brewster and Caroline
(Bott) Ferrel, both natives of Ohio, an extended sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this work. David B. Ferrell was reared at home and after
attending the district schools for a number of years became a student
in the Walla Walla schools. In the meantime he had received thorough
training in farm work under his father and when twenty-one years of
age he became his father's partner in the operation of the home farm
of two thousand acres. The greater part of the active supervision of
the work devolves upon Mr. Ferrel of this review and he is one of the
largest grain growers of his township, having under cultivation in 1917
more than a thousand acres. He has reduced the operation of his farm
to a scientific basis, uses the most modern machinery and is highly
efficient in the management of the business aspect of his work. He
believes that the farmer should give to his work the same careful study
that the business man does to the conduct of his affairs and he is
always among the first to adopt improved methods and equipment.
On the 2nd of November, 1904, Mr. Ferrel was united in marriage to
Miss Laura Wolfe, of Oakland, Maryland, and they have two children,
Carlton D. and Dorothy B. Mr. Ferrel has never allied himself with any
political party, preferring to cast an independent ballot. He is a
member of the school board and takes a lively interest in educational
matters. Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church
and can be depended upon to support all movements for the upbuilding of
the community along moral as well as along material lines. They have a
wide acquaintance and are uniformly held in high regard.
HARVEY McDONALD.
Harvey McDonald, who has lived retired in Walla Walla for the past
fifteen years, was long actively identified with agricultural interests
as one of the extensive operators of the wheat belt and is still the
owner of five hundred and twenty-five acres in Walla Walla county,
eight hundred and thirty-one acres in Whitman county, this state, and
four hundred and forty acres in Umatilla county, Oregon. His birth
occurred in Ontario, Canada, on the 10th of March, 1857, his parents
being John and Margaret (Kinnear) McDonald, who were also natives of
that province. There the father spent his entire life, passing away
in 1863, when his son Harvey was but six years of age. The mother
afterward reared her family and in later years made her home among her
children, her death occurring in Weston, Oregon.
Harvey McDonald acquired his education in the common schools of
Ontario, Canada, and there spent the first twenty-three years of his
life. In 1880 he crossed the border into the United States, locating in
Umatilla county, Oregon, where he engaged in farming. Success attended
his efforts as a wheat grower and he became one of the extensive
operators of the wheat belt, acquiring large holdings which he still
retains. About 1897 he took up his abode in the city of Walla Walla
in order that his children might have the advantages of its schools.
For five years thereafter he devoted his attention to the real estate
business but since 1902 has lived retired in the enjoyment of well
earned rest, leaving the cultivation of his farms to tenants. He was
one of the organizers of the People's State Bank and has served as a
director of the institution continuously to the present time.
In 1885 Mr. McDonald was united in marriage to Miss Nora Richardson,
a daughter of John Richardson, one of the prominent ranchmen and
pioneer settlers of Umatilla county, Oregon. The children of Mr. and
Mrs. McDonald are three in number, as follows: Clara, who is the wife
of C. B. Weathermon, an agriculturist residing in Umatilla county,
Oregon; Areta, who gave her hand in marriage to S. Henderson Boyles, of
Spokane, Washington; and Esther, the wife of Lindon Barnett, of Walla
Walla.
[Illustration: HARVEY McDONALD]
Politically Mr. McDonald is a republican, loyally supporting the men
and measures of that party at the polls. Prior to the inauguration
of the commission form of government he served for fourteen months
as a member of the city council and in that connection made a most
excellent record. Fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen of the
World, while his religious faith is indicated in his membership in the
Methodist church, to which his wife also belongs. His course has at all
times commended him to the confidence and respect of his fellowmen and
he is widely recognized as one of the representative, substantial and
esteemed citizens of Walla Walla.
ANTHONY FEIDER.
Anthony Feider, an energetic and up-to-date farmer residing on section
1, township 11 north, range 42 east, Garfield county, was born in
Germany, January 12, 1884, and is a son of S. A. and Rosa (Pohl)
Feider, who in 1890 removed with their family to the United States. For
some time they resided in Walla Walla county, Washington, and then came
to Garfield county, purchasing the farm on which they still live. All
of their six children also survive.
Anthony Feider received the greater part of his education in Garfield
county and remained at home until he attained his majority, during
which time he became thoroughly familiar with the various phases of
farm work. On beginning his independent career he decided to devote
his life to the occupation to which he had been reared and is now
successfully operating five hundred acres belonging to his father. He
harvests a large amount of grain annually and also raises high grade
stock, from the sale of which he derives a good profit.
In 1907 Mr. Feider was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Pierre,
who was born in Minnesota. Their children as follows: Paul A., Vincent
A., John F., Joseph S., Edward P. and Albert W. Mr. and Mrs. Feider
are communicants of the Catholic church and are always willing to
further its work in every way possible. He is a member of the Knights
of Columbus, and his personality is such that he has made many friends
within and without that organization. In politics he is a stanch
republican but he has never had time to give to public affairs, his
farming operations requiring his undivided attention.
FRANK KIBLER.
Frank Kibler, who resides on section 5, Spring Creek township, Walla
Walla county, is devoting his time exclusively to the operation of the
large farm properties owned by the Kibler estate, and his well directed
efforts are rewarded by gratifying profits. He was born May 18,
1882, in the township in which he still lives, and is a son of Jacob
and Louisa (Buroker) Kibler. The father was a native of Shenandoah
county, Virginia, and in 1853 came to the Pacific coast, locating in
California, where he spent five years in the gold fields. In 1858 he
removed to Walla Walla county, Washington, and for several years,
or until the coming of the railroad, he was engaged in freighting.
After rail transportation was established he turned his attention to
farming, becoming the owner of land on Mill creek, about six miles east
of Walla Walla. He prospered in his farming operations and became the
owner of fifteen hundred acres of as fine farm land as can be found in
the state. He continued to give his attention to the management of his
affairs until his death, which occurred in September, 1908. His wife,
who was born in the middle west, accompanied her parents on the long
overland journey to Walla Walla county in 1864. She survives and still
resides on the homestead.
Frank Kibler was reared under the parental roof and his experiences
were those common to boys raised in a western pioneer community. He
attended the district schools and also aided in such of the farm work
as was within his strength, and by the time he had reached maturity he
was an experienced agriculturist. He and his three brothers have always
farmed in partnership and since the death of the father they have added
extensively to their land holdings, which are all in the name of the
Kibler estate. They are progressive and up-to-date, and no invention
that will facilitate the work of the farm is lacking upon their
properties. Moreover, their residence rivals in attractiveness and in
modern equipment the best city homes, and the barns and other buildings
are likewise of the latest type. Their farms are modern in equipment
and illustrate the possibilities of farm life when the agriculturist
brings to his work the same careful study and the same willingness to
adopt new methods that characterize the successful business man along
other lines.
Frank Kibler married Miss Leora McLeran, of Moscow, Idaho. She is a
member of the Christian church and takes a praiseworthy interest in
its work. Mr. Kibler supports the democratic party at the polls but
has never been an active party worker, for his entire time has been
taken up with the management of his farming interests. He has a wide
acquaintance in the county in which his entire life has been spent, and
his sterling worth is indicated in the fact that his stanchest friends
are those who have known him intimately since boyhood.
F. M. SANDERS.
F. M. Sanders, a successful farmer residing in Walla Walla township,
was born in Walla Walla county, December 31, 1873, a son of John and
Rebecca (Meredith) Sanders, the former a native of Indiana and the
latter of Ohio. In 1865 they crossed the continent with ox teams and
located upon a farm east of Dixie, in Walla Walla county, where both
resided until called by death. To them were born seven children, of
whom six survive.
F. M. Sanders was reared and received his education in this county and
gained valuable training in farm work under his father's direction.
When he attained his majority he began farming on his own account and
for thirty years he has made his home upon his present place, which
comprises one hundred and sixty acres of excellent land in Walla Walla
township. The improvements thereon are substantial and up-to-date, and
his labors are rewarded by good crops. He is also a director of the
Self-Oiling Wheel & Bearing Company of Walla Walla.
Mr. Sanders was married in May, 1907, to Miss Minnie Bliven, a native
of Minnesota, and they became the parents of three children, Lester F.,
Irene L. and Ralph H. On the 12th of May, 1917, the wife and mother
passed away and she was laid to rest in the College Place cemetery. She
was a consistent member of the Seventh Day Adventist church and her
upright Christian life gained her the respect of all with whom she came
in contact.
Mr. Sanders is a democrat in politics and has served acceptably as a
member of the school board. He belongs to the Farmers Union and is
interested in every movement that tends to advance the interests of
agriculturists.
JAMES J. EDWARDS.
James J. Edwards, the highly efficient president of the Edwards-Hindle
Company, conducting one of the leading department stores in
southeastern Washington, is recognized as a foremost factor in the
commercial development of Dayton. His rapid advancement to his present
position is indicative of what can be accomplished in the inland empire
when a man is energetic, sound of judgment and determined to succeed,
for he began his business career as cash boy and has at all times
depended solely upon his own resources.
His birth occurred in Tennessee, October 22, 1873, and his educational
opportunities were in no way better than those afforded the average
boy. In fact many a man who consoles himself with the thought that if
he had had a chance he might have accomplished something had, in his
youth, more favorable opportunities than did James J. Edwards. He was
early compelled to make his own living and his first position was that
of cash boy, with a salary of two dollars per week. He was faithful
in the discharge of his duties in that connection, and being keen of
observation even in that position, gained much information concerning
the conduct of a store. His ability and fidelity were rewarded by
advancement, and as the years passed he became increasingly familiar
with merchandising. In 1899 he came to Dayton and took charge of the
clothing department of the store owned by T. M. Hanger & Company.
Subsequently he was promoted to the head of the dry goods department of
that business and he retained that position until the company retired
from business in Dayton and removed to Walla Walla. Mr. Edwards then
organized the Edwards-Hindle Company, with a capital of fifty thousand
dollars and took over the store formerly conducted by T. M. Hanger &
Company, the new management taking charge of the place October 29,
1906. In the intervening eleven years the trade has shown a steady
and rapid growth, the floor space has been increased, the store now
occupying all the original Weinhard block at the corner of Main and
Second streets. The location is one of the best in the city and in
itself is an indication of the success that has attended the activities
of Mr. Edwards and his associates. The store is well organized and
carries a full line of dry goods, clothing and all kinds of groceries.
Its policy has always been to carry, as far as possible, trade marked
goods of national reputation, and its large patronage is further
increased by the fact that the stock is so complete as to offer a large
range for selection in every department. It is known as "The House of
Quality," which slogan expresses the policy rigorously carried out in
the management of the business.
Mr. Edwards was married in Oakesdale, Washington, to Miss Laura Graham
in 1893 and they have one child living, Lloyd G. Edwards. Mrs. Edwards
died in 1899. Mr. Edwards was married to Miss Celeste Price in 1908.
He is devoted to the interests of his family and takes a great deal
of pleasure in his beautiful home on South First street, which is
one of the finest residences in Dayton. A great deal of thought and
care has been given to its interior decoration, and all of the modern
conveniences have been installed. Although at no time indifferent
to political questions Mr. Edwards has not taken a very active part
in civic affairs, preferring to give his entire attention to the
management of his extensive business interests. He has found in the
development of the Edwards-Hindle department store full scope for his
executive ability and energy, and has derived great satisfaction from
his effective work in building up its trade. His ability as a merchant
is universally recognized, and during the years of his residence in
Dayton he has also gained a place in the warm regard of many because of
his admirable qualities as a man.
LEWIS McMORRIS.
Among the honored early settlers of Washington was Lewis McMorris, who
in 1852 came to the Pacific coast and throughout the remainder of his
life was identified with the interests of this section of the country.
He was here before the city of Walla Walla was founded and he saw its
development and assisted in its making. With his brother Joseph and
his sisters, Mrs. Sarah Funk and Mrs. Emma Craig, he lived for years
in the evening of his days on First street in Walla Walla. He was born
in Coshocton, Ohio, August 12, 1831, and came of Scotch ancestry, the
family having been founded in America in 1774 by a representative of
the name who served in the Revolutionary war and who settled near
Winchester, Virginia. After the establishment of American independence
the family was founded in Ohio and in later generations representatives
of the name went to Shelby county, Illinois, and there engaged in
farming.
[Illustration: LEWIS McMORRIS]
Lewis McMorris was one of the family who went to Illinois and on
attaining his majority he was fitted out by his father to accompany a
bachelor neighbor and a party to California. It was in the month of
March, 1852, that they started west with ox teams, crossing the plains
and meeting with many of the hardships and privations which fell to
the lot of the pioneers. It was in that year that the cholera proved
so terrible a scourge and all the way from the Missouri river graves
dotted the trail. With only a sheet for a shroud and without a casket
the bodies were lowered into their graves and the traveler, starting
out full of hope, was laid to his last sleep. Often five newly made
graves were to be seen in a day. The party with which Mr. McMorris
traveled consisted of a train of three wagons at the start but they
were afterward joined by six wagons en route at St. Joseph, Missouri,
and on the 15th of September, 1852, they reached Fosters, near Oregon
City. There the oxen and wagons were sold and horses were purchased
by those who desired to go on to the mines. They made pack saddles,
loaded the horses and pressed on to southern Oregon, where a year and
a half was spent at Sutter Creek, at Crescent City and at other mines.
They were not successful there, however, and pressed on to Yreka,
California, where Mr. McMorris again engaged in mining. The Rogue
River Indian war, however, broke out in southern Oregon, causing him
to change his location and he made his way to the northern part of the
state. He became a packer, rushing goods from Portland to the mines
at Colville. After one of these trips he hired the team of mules to
the quartermaster of the Oregon Volunteers to haul supplies to their
headquarters at The Dalles. On the second trip the Indians stole both
mules and supplies. On the 7th of December, 1855, the battle of the
Walla Walla with the Indians was begun on Walla Walla river west of
the present site of the city, a battle that lasted for four days and
in which several thousand Indians were lined up against a few hundred
white volunteers. The white men, however, were victorious and it was a
memorable battle because it was a victory of a few over many and also
because it marked the beginning of a lasting peace between the Indians
and the white settlers in that vicinity. Mr. McMorris was one of the
active participants in that battle. In 1856, when the troops camped at
what became old Fort Walla Walla they moved about four miles up Mill
creek but decided that the first stopping place was best and returned.
It was this that decided the location of Walla Walla. Mr. McMorris
assisted in building the canton, as the old fort was called, which was
made from the various trees which grew along the banks of Mill creek.
Years later when this land was sold for building purposes in order to
extend the present city, it was desired to save intact some of the old
fort buildings, to place them in the city park as historic relics, but
it was found that the timber had rotted so that they crumbled away. In
1857 Mr. McMorris made the trip to the Willamette valley to buy teams
for the government. On his return he began freighting for McClinchey &
Freedman, who were proprietors of the first mercantile house in this
city, located at the corner of Third and Main streets. In 1859 he began
buying cattle and to secure a watering place for his herd he purchased
land which included the present site of Wallula. The winter of 1861-2
was an exceedingly hard one and by spring his herd of two hundred and
seventy head had decreased to forty. He next turned his attention to
the mercantile business, in which he engaged with his brother, but
this enterprise did not prove profitable and he sold his interest in
the business. When land was thrown open to settlement he secured a
preemption claim at a dollar and a quarter per acre, his place being
located two miles south of the town now known as the Hammond Farm.
It was there that he conducted his stock-raising venture for several
years and at the same time operated a pack train to Boise, Idaho. After
closing out his mercantile interests with his brother he was for four
years the owner of a stage line operating between Dayton, Washington,
and Lewiston, Idaho. He laid out the town of Wallula and donated to the
railroad company the land which they used for depot purposes there.
His long and useful life was ended in 1915. He passed away at his
home in Walla Walla at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. He had
never married but he left a brother and two sisters. The brother,
however, died in the spring of 1917. There are also four nephews and
one niece: the Funk brothers, who are engaged in merchandising in
Walla Walla; the Craig brothers, of Illinois; and Agnes Lillian Purdy,
of Portland, Oregon. Mr. McMorris was a member of the Oregon Pioneer
Society, the Inland Empire Pioneers Association and the Indian War
Veterans. Throughout the long years of his residence in this locality
he became very widely and favorably known and he left many friends as
well as relatives to mourn his loss. He performed an important part in
promoting the early development and upbuilding of this section of the
country and with many events which have left their impress upon the
history of the northwest his name is inseparably associated.
JOSEPH F. TACHI.
Joseph F. Tachi, who passed away August 8, 1912, was a well known
citizen of Walla Walla county. He was a native of Italy and came to
America thirty-seven years ago. He did not tarry on the Atlantic
seaboard but crossed the country and settled in Walla Walla county,
Washington, where he took up the occupation of gardening, which he
followed with success, developing a good business in that connection.
He continued active in gardening up to the time of his demise, which
occurred in 1912.
Almost a quarter of a century before, on June 9, 1889, at Walla Walla
Mr. Tachi was united in marriage to Miss Antonia Coboch, who was
likewise born in the sunny land of Italy and came to the new world
when twenty-seven years of age. She owns ten acres of valuable land
on section 36, township 7 north, range 35 east, at College Place and
she is also the owner of the Star Laundry and a brick building which
contains five storerooms and which returns to her a most gratifying
annual income from its rental. In addition to these investments she
owns thirty-one acres of land which is splendidly improved. She belongs
to St. Francis Catholic church, of which Mr. Tachi was also a member,
and he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Knights of
America, and the Red Men. During their residence in Walla Walla county
Mr. and Mrs. Tachi gained many warm friends, he being well known as a
representative business man. Mrs. Tachi has also proved most capable in
the management and control of her interests, and her property is now
bringing to her a substantial annual income.
MICHAEL MARTIN.
Michael Martin, a well known farmer residing on section 2, township 6
north, range 35 east, Walla Walla county, is entitled to the honor that
is accorded the self-made man, for he has gained the competence that is
now his solely through his own labors. He was born in County Galway,
Ireland, September 5, 1835, and is a son of John and Ann (Larkin)
Martin, both of whom spent their entire lives in County Galway.
Michael Martin was reared and educated in his native land and remained
there until 1863, when he decided to try his fortune in the United
States and crossed the Atlantic to New York city, where he remained
for a time. He then went to South Glastonbury, Connecticut, but three
years after his emigration to this country he came to the Pacific
coast by way of the Panama route, and spent two years in California.
Subsequently he was a prospector in the placer gold mines at Emmitsburg
and Helena, Montana, where he and his brother Patrick spent three
years. It was in 1870 that they came to Walla Walla county, Washington,
and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and also took up a
section of railroad land later on, their home being on Dry creek. Our
subject finally sold his share of the property to his brother John, who
still owns the place, and then purchased his present farm on section
2, township 6 north, range 35 east, where he has resided continuously
since. He gave his personal attention to the operation of his place
until advancing years led him to retire from active labor, since
which time the farm has been operated by his son Emmet. He has been a
hard worker and has manifested good judgment in the direction of his
affairs, and as the years have passed his financial resources have
steadily increased.
In 1890 Mr. Martin was married in Ireland, to Miss Julia Kellher, and
they have become the parents of five children, of whom three have
passed away. Those living are: Emmet M., who is now in charge of
the home farm; and Estella, a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Walla
Walla. The wife and mother passed away in 1900 and was laid to rest
in the Catholic cemetery. The family are communicants of the Catholic
church of Walla Walla, and Mr. Martin supports the republican party
at the polls but has never been ambitious to hold office. For more
than half a century he has made his home in Walla Walla county, and in
that period has seen a marvelous change in conditions as the country
has been transformed from a pioneer district into a highly developed
agricultural section.
J. W. SWEAZY.
J. W. Sweazy, a farmer of Columbia county, living on section 34,
township 10 north, range 37 east, was born in Wallula, Washington, on
the 8th of May, 1884, a son of Frank and Allie J. (Barnes) Sweazy. The
father was a native of Portugal, while the mother was born in Missouri.
When a youth of fourteen the father came to the United States, having
relatives living in Petaluma, California. To that point he made his
way. His wife crossed the plains with her mother in 1880, her father
having previously been killed while serving as a soldier in the Civil
war. She and her mother located on a ranch near Waitsburg, Washington.
About the same time Frank Sweazy made his way to Walla Walla county
and soon afterward they were married. He then purchased the farm which
is now the home of his son, the subject of this review, and thereon
he resided for a number of years. Ultimately, however, he removed to
Waitsburg, where he continued his residence for twenty years, or until
the time of his death in 1914. His widow survives and yet makes her
home in Waitsburg.
J. W. Sweazy was educated in the public schools and also attended the
Waitsburg Academy. In 1902, at the age of eighteen years, he became a
wage earner, entering the employ of Corbett Brothers in the capacity
of bookkeeper at their mill at Huntsville. A year later he resigned to
accept a position with John Smith, a hardware merchant of Waitsburg,
where he filled the position of bookkeeper for four years. On the
expiration of that period he went to Walla Walla, where he held the
office of deputy county auditor under J. N. McCaw, in which capacity
he served for four years. In November, 1910, he was elected county
auditor and so continued for two terms of two years each, making a most
creditable record in that position by the promptness and systematic
manner and general capability with which he discharged his duties. On
the expiration of his second term he returned to the home farm, which
he has since occupied and operated. It is a tract of three hundred and
twenty acres of rich and productive land, much of which he has brought
to a high state of cultivation, and the fields are now bringing forth
rich crops. They are divided into tracts of convenient size by well
kept fences and there are valuable improvements upon the place, and
the spirit of neatness and thrift which there prevails indicates the
progressive methods of the owner.
In 1909 Mr. Sweazy was united in marriage to Miss Mattie Ramseur, of
Waitsburg, and they have many friends in the community where they
live. Mrs. Sweazy is a member of the Methodist church. Mr. Sweazy
holds membership with Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M., and is a
loyal exemplar of the teachings of the craft. His political allegiance
is given to the republican party and he keeps well informed on the
questions and issues of the day but does not seek nor desire office
as reward for party fealty, preferring to concentrate his thought,
attention and purpose upon his farming interests, which are bringing to
him substantial success.
JUDGE MACK F. GOSE.
Judge Mack F. Gose is one of the distinguished representatives of the
bench and bar in Washington. Few lawyers have made a more lasting
impression upon the judicial history of the state, both for legal
ability of a high order and for the individuality of a personal
character which impresses itself upon a community, and he proved
himself the peer of the ablest members of the court of last resort
while serving as one of the supreme judges of the state. He was born
in Missouri, July 8, 1859, and is a son of John M. and Hannah Gose,
natives of Virginia. In 1864 the family came west and after spending
a year at Boise, Idaho, proceeded to Walla Walla county, Washington,
where the father turned his attention to horticulture, becoming a
prominent fruit grower of this region.
[Illustration: JUDGE MACK F. GOSE]
Judge Gose was only five years of age when the family arrived in
Walla Walla county and he is indebted to the public schools of
Walla Walla for the early educational advantages he enjoyed. After
leaving school he entered the office of ex-Senator John B. Allen,
one of the distinguished attorneys of the northwest at that time.
After reading law for some time, Judge Gose was admitted to the bar
in 1883 and at once began the practice of his chosen profession in
Pomeroy, where he has since remained, becoming in the meantime one
of the leading lawyers of this section of the state. He won for
himself very favorable criticism for the careful and systematic
methods which he followed. He has ever displayed remarkable powers
of concentration and application and his retentive mind has often
excited the surprise of his professional colleagues. As an orator he
stands high, especially in the discussion of legal matters before the
court, where his comprehensive knowledge of the law is manifest and
his application of legal principles demonstrates the wide range of his
professional acquirements. The utmost care and precision characterize
his preparation of a case and have made him one of the most successful
attorneys of the state. It was the qualities which he had displayed
in private practice that commended him for judicial service and he
was elected a judge of the supreme court, serving on the bench of the
court of final appeals in Washington for six years. His opinions are
fine specimens of judicial thought, always clear, logical and as brief
as the character of the case will permit. He never enlarged beyond the
necessities of the legal thought in order to indulge in the drapery of
literature. His mind during the entire period of his course at the bar
and on the bench has been directed in the line of his profession and
his duty.
In 1886 Judge Gose was united in marriage to Miss Lelah Seeley, a
daughter of Charles H. Seeley, and to them was born a daughter, L.
Vyvien, who is now the wife of Charles A. McCleary, of Olympia. Judge
Gose makes his home in Pomeroy, where he occupies an attractive
residence, and in addition he owns and supervises a large ranch,
taking considerable interest and pride in his agricultural labors. His
political endorsement has, since 1896, been given to the republican
party and upon that ticket he was elected to the office of mayor of
Pomeroy, the reins of city government being in most capable hands
during his administration of civic affairs. He is today one of the
honored and representative men of the state.
CHARLES F. FLATHERS.
Charles F. Flathers is a representative agriculturist of Walla Walla
county, owning and cultivating six hundred and fifty-two acres of
valuable land situated on section 32, township 10 north, range 36
east. It was upon this farm that he was born March 17, 1875, a son
of Benjamin F. and Melinda (McQuown) Flathers, who are mentioned
elsewhere in this work. He was reared upon the old homestead and
became a pupil in the Prescott schools, dividing his time between the
duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work
of the fields. He continued to assist his father until 1905, when he
joined his brothers, John and Emery Flathers, and for five years the
three brothers conducted farming interests in a partnership relation.
Emery then withdrew but Charles F. and John continued their interests
together until 1914. Since that time Charles F. Flathers has carried
on farming interests independently and is now the owner of six hundred
and fifty-two acres of valuable wheat land, which he carefully and
successfully cultivates. He has become one of the most substantial
agriculturists of Walla Walla county. He studies closely everything
bearing upon wheat culture and the production of other crops suited to
soil and climatic conditions here and his progressive methods produce
splendid results. His farm with its broad fields, its substantial
buildings and its modern improvements presents a most pleasing
appearance and is a very attractive feature of the landscape.
On the 20th of October, 1911, Mr. Flathers was married to Miss
Elizabeth Fowler, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Colonel Alexander
Fowler, of Fort Scott, Kansas, who won his title by service in the
Civil war and has now passed away. In politics Mr. Flathers is a
democrat but not desirous to hold office. He is a member of Prescott
Lodge, No. 46, I. O. O. F. At the time of her marriage Mrs. Flathers
was engaged in nursing in Walla Walla. She is a lady of liberal
education and culture and both Mr. and Mrs. Flathers are widely and
favorably known in their section of the county, enjoying the high
regard of an extensive circle of friends.
S. F. ATWOOD.
S. F. Atwood, who is doing excellent work as principal of the Dayton
high school, was born in Johnson county, Missouri, January 29, 1885,
a son of Wiley C. and Indiana (Freeman) Atwood, natives respectively
of Virginia and Iowa. Both, however, were taken as children to Johnson
county, Missouri, and there they were reared and married. The father
engaged in farming there until 1893, when he went to Bates county, that
state, whence in 1896 he removed to Ellensburg, Washington. In his new
home he resumed the work of tilling the fields and he is now engaged in
agricultural pursuits in Benton county, where he has lived since 1913.
In that year he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife.
S. F. Atwood attended the district schools of Missouri in early boyhood
and continued his education in the Ellensburg schools, graduating from
the high school in 1902. He prepared for teaching in the Ellensburg
State Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1905, and the
thorough professional training which he there received well fitted him
for the performance of his duties as principal of the North Street
school of Ballard, Washington, which position he held for three years.
At the end of that time he matriculated in the University of Washington
at Seattle, but withdrew from that school in his senior year on account
of his mother's illness. In December, 1909, he was called to Dayton
as principal of the high school and has ever since served in that
capacity, his continuance in the position indicating his efficiency. He
regards teaching as being as truly a profession as the law or medicine
and believes that one intending to devote his life to educational
work should prepare as thoroughly as the physician or lawyer. He has
remained a constant student of educational methods and is always
willing to adapt to the needs of his school any new plan which has
proved of value.
Mr. Atwood was married in 1910 to Miss Anna Laura McMillan, of Seattle,
and they have four children, Dorothy Jean, Violet Claire, Florence May
and Stanley Freeman, Jr.
Mr. Atwood endorses the principles of the democratic party and supports
its measures at the polls and in 1916 was its candidate for county
superintendent. He belongs to Occidental Lodge, No. 72, F. & A. M.,
of Seattle, and is also a member of the Inquiry Club of Dayton. Both
he and his wife attend the Congregational church and can be counted
upon to further movements having as their object the moral advancement
of the community. He has not at any time kept himself aloof from the
everyday interests of life but has been a factor in the development of
Dayton along various lines.
WILLIAM MARTIN.
Among Walla Walla county's venerable and highly respected citizens is
numbered William Martin, a retired farmer who is now living in Hill
township. Moreover, he has lived on the Pacific coast for sixty-five
years and is familiar with every phase of its growth and development
from Indian fighting to the latest methods of crop production. He
was born in Indiana, September 30, 1833, and is a son of Jesse and
Catherine (Harris) Martin, the former a native of Ohio, while the
latter was born in Kentucky. At an early date they became residents
of Indiana and afterward established their home in McLean county,
Illinois. In 1844 they removed to Missouri, where they resided until
1857, when they started across the plains for California, whither
their son William had preceded them. They located in Thurston county,
Washington, and there continued to reside until called to their final
rest. They had a family of ten children but only three are now living.
William Martin was reared and educated in Missouri, where he resided
until 1852, when at the age of nineteen years he came to the Pacific
coast country. He outfitted with an ox team and wagon and started upon
the long journey to California, attracted by the discovery of gold
on the Pacific coast and the business opportunities which it opened
up. He was six months in crossing the plains and then concluded to
locate in Oregon, but after spending three months in Oregon City went
to Thurston county, Washington, where he was employed in a sawmill
for three years and a half. On the expiration of that time he took up
a claim. Upon that land, which was entirely wild and undeveloped, he
built a little log cabin with a clapboard roof and began life there in
true pioneer style, experiencing the hardships and privations incident
to the settlement of the frontier. Upon that place he lived for several
years and his labors wrought a marked change in its appearance, for he
broke the sod, tilled the fields and in course of time gathered good
harvests. He afterward purchased more land in that locality. The years
were fraught not only with much hard labor but with other experiences
of pioneer life. In 1855 and 1856 Mr. Martin was engaged in fighting
the Indians and became familiar with all of the treacherous methods of
Indian warfare. Later he concentrated his efforts upon farming and as
the years passed his labors were crowned with a substantial measure of
success.
On December 14, 1856, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Ann
E. Yantis, who was born in Missouri in 1840 and by whom he had five
children, as follows: John F.; J. A.; Catherine, who is the wife of
L. H. Koontz, of Pasco, Washington; William E.; and one who died in
infancy.
It was in 1872 that Mr. Martin brought his family to the Walla Walla
valley, where he has since lived, covering a period of forty-five
years. Here he was engaged in the stock business until 1880 and then
removed to Walla Walla and turned his attention to mercantile pursuits.
In 1886 he entered a railroad office at Wallula, where he remained for
nine years, and at the end of that time located on a ranch on Snake
river, living there for three years. The following year was spent in
Walla Walla and he next owned and occupied a ranch on Hudson Bay in
Oregon for three years. On selling that place he returned to Washington
and has lived in Touchet since 1901. He purchased a store in Touchet
which he carried on for some time but at length sold that property and
retired from active business life, so that he is now enjoying a rest
which he has truly earned and richly deserves. He owns seven acres of
land in the village of Touchet, upon which he has a comfortable and
attractive residence and is now pleasantly situated there.
His has been an active and useful life and one which, by its integrity
and honor, has gained for him the respect and confidence of all with
whom he has been brought in contact. His political allegiance has
always been given to the democratic party and upon that ticket he was
elected to represent his district in the general assembly of Washington
in 1877. He has served on the school board, has filled the office of
justice of the peace and at all times has been most loyal to the trust
reposed in him. He and his wife are consistent members of the Christian
church and have guided their lives by its teachings, being always
careful to conform their actions to high standards. In a word they have
ever endeavored to follow the golden rule doing unto others as they
would have others do unto them.
RAYMOND RINGOLD REES.
A man who has contributed to the upbuilding of a city in one line of
development is considered worthy of honor, but that man who has a part
in the promotion of his city's interests in many fields of activity has
a still greater claim upon the gratitude of his fellow citizens, and
such was the record of Raymond Ringold Rees, pioneer newspaper man,
prominent merchant and man of affairs.
He was born in Reily, Ohio, June 17, 1833, and was taken by his parents
to Delaware, that state, where he remained until he was twenty-one
years old. During his youth he served an apprenticeship to the
printer's trade and in 1854 he came west with a brother by way of the
Isthmus of Panama, their destination being Portland, Oregon, in the
vicinity of which a third brother lived. After a short time Mr. Rees
of this review secured work as a typesetter on the Christian Advocate
and as he had the distinction of being the only man in Portland who
could set book type, he did that work on McCormac's Almanac, the
first book published on the Pacific coast. He was also employed as a
typesetter on the first issue of the Daily Oregonian, Portland's famous
newspaper. With the exception of eighteen months spent with a brother
in the Colville mines, he was identified with newspaper publication in
Portland until 1861, when he came to Walla Walla, reaching here on the
21st of November.
[Illustration: MAJOR RAYMOND R. REES]
[Illustration: MRS. RAYMOND R. REES]
Mr. Rees formed a partnership with Nemiah Northrop and established
the first newspaper in this section--the Washington Statesman. The
firm sent to Portland for a press, which arrived on schedule time,
and the first issue of the new paper appeared on November 27th. The
publishers therein made the following announcement to the public: "We
send forth this morning with our congratulations the first number of
the Washington Statesman, and respectfully solicit the attention of
the people of Walla Walla and county to its pages.... That a weekly
publication devoted to the various interests of the country, containing
all the news which may be gathered from different quarters, is
essentially needed in the Walla Walla valley we premise no permanent
resident will deny. This admitted, we have no misgivings as to the
disposition of the people to come forward and promptly sustain an
enterprise so materially calculated to further their interests as a
community." In the meantime the firm of Rees & Northrop learned that
two brothers named Smith intended starting a democratic paper in Walla
Walla and had sent to Portland for a press, which, however, reached The
Dalles just as the Columbia river, at that time the only highway, froze
over, with the result that it could not be delivered for three months.
Mr. Smith desired to become a member of his competing firm and his wish
was granted. The first subscriptions did not come in to the new paper
as readily as had been expected. Accordingly Mr. Smith made a tour
on horseback of Walla Walla county and Umatilla county and succeeded
in obtaining two hundred subscriptions at five dollars per year, the
circulation list containing the names of practically all the men of
the two counties. The Statesman was the first newspaper established
in eastern Washington, then known as the "upper country," and was a
factor of great importance in the early development of this region. Mr.
Rees was one of the owners of that journal until November, 1865, when
he sold his interest therein to W. H. Newell, and the following five
years were devoted to farming in connection with his father-in-law.
In 1870 he returned to Walla Walla and formed a partnership with H.
E. Johnson for the conduct of a mercantile business under the style
of Johnson & Rees. Two years later W. P. Winans bought into the firm
and the name was changed to Johnson, Rees & Winans. With Mr. Johnson's
subsequent retirement from the business the firm name became Rees &
Winans and so remained until 1887, when the business was sold. In the
meantime a two-story building was erected where now stands the Farmers
Savings Bank. Plans were subsequently made for the erection of the
Rees-Winans building but before construction work was begun Mr. Rees
was called by death. His widow, with Mr. Winans, however, carried out
the plans already made and the building was erected in due time and
was an important addition to the downtown section of Walla Walla. As a
merchant Mr. Rees was enterprising, progressive and sound of judgment,
managing his affairs carefully and giving much thought to anticipating
the demands of his customers. He based his success upon the firm
foundation of the best service possible and full return for all money
received.
Mr. Rees was married March 12, 1865, to Miss Augusta Ward, the only
child of Mr. and Mrs. Michael V. Ward. She was born near Chicago, in
De Kalb county, Illinois, in 1843 and in 1853 accompanied her parents
to Oregon, the journey being made by ox team. The family settled near
Lebanon, in Linn county, but the long wet season proved unhealthful and
Mr. Ward developed serious throat trouble. On the advice of a physician
he removed to Walla Walla county, bringing with him three hundred
head of cattle. That winter, however, there was an unusually heavy
snowfall and owing to the unfavorable weather conditions he lost all
of his cattle but forty-four. However, the increase in prices enabled
him to realize so much from the remaining cattle that his net loss was
inconsiderable. He bought the Lewis McMorris ranch a few miles south
of Walla Walla and operated that place for some time but at length
disposed of it. He then removed to Walla Walla and erected there the
most pretentious home in the city at the corner of East and Poplar
streets. At the time of the visit of President Hayes and party the
president and his wife were entertained at the home of Mr. Ward, as
there were no suitable hotel accommodations to be found in the city.
Mrs. Hayes insisted in helping with the house work and at her request
fried apples were served at breakfast. The democratic spirit manifested
by the president and his wife made their visit a genuine pleasure as
well as an honor. To Mr. and Mrs. Rees were born three children: Frank
W., a well known dentist of Walla Walla; Elma R., the wife of H. H.
Turner, cashier of the Baker-Boyer Bank of Walla Walla; and Lora R.,
the wife of Paul Compton, of Los Angeles, California. Mr. Compton is a
son of General Compton, who for years had command of the garrison at
Walla Walla.
Mr. Rees was a prominent democrat and for many years took an active
part in politics. He represented his district at two different
times in the state legislature; for several years served as county
treasurer, and his record as an official was highly creditable alike
to his ability and his public spirit. He was always called upon with
a certainty of response for aid in carrying out projects for the
development of Walla Walla city and county and his demise, which
occurred July 12, 1889, was recognized as a great loss to his community.
His widow survives and resides in one of the handsomest residences
of the city, in which she takes great pride, for it was built in
accordance with plans drawn by herself. After the death of her husband
she carried on the business of the estate. She is one of the honored
pioneer settlers of Walla Walla and her reminiscences of the early days
when the present rapidly growing city was a little frontier settlement
are much appreciated by the younger generation, who find it hard
to realize that conditions have changed so radically within a half
century. When she came to this region there were not more than twenty
white women in the valley and she is one of the very few of the number
now living.
JOHN H. ROMAINE.
John H. Romaine, who has been engaged in farming in Columbia county,
was born in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, April 15, 1857, a son of
Garrit Romaine, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Our
subject grew to manhood in his native state and there received a good
common school education. When twenty years old he accompanied his
parents to Washington and not long after his arrival in this state took
up a homestead on section 25, township 11 north, range 38 east. He
brought his land to a high state of development, and gained recognition
as a progressive and capable farmer. He raised both wheat and stock
and his annual income reached gratifying proportions. He added to his
holdings as the years passed until he owned fourteen hundred acres of
fine land but sold out in the fall of 1917 and purchased a ranch of
seven hundred and fifty-five acres in Umatilla county, Oregon, nine
miles south of Walla Walla, Washington, on which he expects to locate.
In 1882 Mr. Romaine was united in marriage to Miss May McKellips and
following her death married Miss Ella Davis, a daughter of Cyrus and
Nancy (Holly) Davis, natives respectively of Vermont and Ohio. They
removed to Old Walla Walla county and here her father passed away in
1910. Her mother survives and makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Romaine.
The latter have become the parents of four children: Jean M., deceased;
one who died in infancy; Garrit; and Jean Henry.
Mr. Romaine gives his political allegiance to the republican party
but has never sought office, his farming interests requiring his
undivided time and attention. His wife belongs to the Congregational
church and takes much interest in its work. During the forty years of
his residence in Old Walla Walla county Mr. Romaine has witnessed a
remarkable transformation and has kept pace with the development of the
county, at all times giving his support to progressive measures.
ZIBA DIMMICK.
For a quarter of a century Ziba Dimmick has been a resident of Walla
Walla county and is now numbered among its most prosperous farmers,
being extensively and successfully engaged in the growing of wheat. His
place is situated on section 27, township 8 north, range 34 east of W.
M. He is a western man by birth, by training and by preference, and the
spirit of western enterprise finds exemplification in his life. He was
born at The Dalles, Oregon, on the 8th of March, 1868, and is a son of
H. R. and Ann (Cooper) Dimmick, the former a native of Illinois, while
the latter was born in Scotland. It was in the year of 1853 that the
father crossed the plains with ox teams, meeting all the hardships and
privations of that strenuous trip in the early days. He located first
on the Umpqua river in southern Oregon, where he lived with his parents
until the spring of 1862, when he and his wife moved to The Dalles.
His remaining days were spent in that state, and his widow, who still
survives is now a resident of Hood River county, Oregon. In her family
were ten children, of whom Ziba is the eldest son and six of the number
are now living.
Ziba Dimmick was reared and educated in Oregon, no event of special
importance occurring to vary the routine of life for him in the days
of his boyhood and youth. At the age of sixteen years he started to
work for the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company, where he
learned the blacksmith's trade, at which he worked until 1892. When
a young man of about twenty-four he came to Walla Walla, Washington,
and commenced his career as a farmer, working for different men,
until 1900, when he invested his savings in the farm upon which he
now resides. He today owns seven hundred and twenty acres of rich and
productive wheat land and has always made a specialty of raising that
crop, for which the soil and climate are particularly adapted. Success
has therefore attended his efforts, for in all of his methods he is
practical and progressive and through the summer months the broad
fields of waving grain give promises of abundant harvest in the autumn.
In addition to this property Mr. Dimmick owns one hundred and ten acres
of valuable land in Hood River county, Oregon, where he is engaged in
raising alfalfa and clover.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Dimmick is a Woodman of the World and
an Odd Fellow, politically a republican. His energy and determination
have made him what he is today--one of the prosperous farmers of Walla
Walla county, and his substantial traits of character have won for him
the warm regard of all with whom he has been brought in contact. Walla
Walla county gained a substantial citizen when he removed from Oregon
to this state, for his labors have contributed much to its agricultural
development.
FRANK S. DEMENT.
It was in the quaint and picturesque little city of Oregon City,
Oregon, that Frank S. Dement, prominent miller and grain dealer of
Walla Walla, was born November 3, 1853, a representative of one of the
oldest and most prominent families upon the Pacific coast. His father,
W. C. Dement, came to Oregon from Virginia in 1843 in the train with
Marcus Whitman. He engaged in merchandising at Oregon City, the little
town that was founded above the falls of the Willamette river, and he
was one of the four who built the railway around the falls at Oregon
City, which was one of the first, if not the first railway on the
Pacific coast. With many events which shaped the pioneer development
and later progress of that section of the country he was closely
associated. He served as captain of volunteers in the Rogue River
Indian war in 1856 and there was no phase of frontier development with
which he was not thoroughly familiar. He became a resident of Oregon
before the city of Portland was established and he lived to witness
many remarkable changes as the work of settlement was carried forward.
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Olive Johnson, came to Oregon
in 1845 and was a daughter of the Rev. Hezekiah Johnson, a Baptist
missionary of that state.
Frank S. Dement, spending his boyhood days under the parental roof,
acquired his education in the Oregon City Seminary and in early life
took up the printing business, learning the trade, after which he
engaged in general printing and in publishing of the Oregon City
Enterprise. He figured prominently in public affairs in that locality
and served as county treasurer of Clackamas county, Oregon, which
position he resigned in 1879 and removed to Walla Walla on account of
his health. In the following year he organized the Dement Brothers
Company and has continuously served as its president. He and his
partners purchased the Eureka flour mills of the firm of Welch &
Schwabacher Brothers in 1880. These mills had a capacity of one hundred
and fifty barrels daily and something of the growth of the business
is indicated in the fact that the present capacity is six hundred
barrels daily. In a word they have developed one of the most important
milling industries of this section of the state and they are also well
known as extensive grain dealers. It was Frank S. Dement who in 1882
imported the first bluestem seed wheat from New Zealand to the Pacific
northwest and it is today the leading wheat grown in this section of
the country. Through this channel and his other business activities
he has contributed in marked measure to the material development and
consequent prosperity of his section of the state. In the conduct of
his business affairs he has amassed a considerable fortune, much of
which he has invested in Walla Walla real estate, thus indicating his
faith in the future of this district.
[Illustration: FRANK S. DEMENT]
In Oregon City, Oregon, on the 1st of August, 1877, Mr. Dement was
married to Miss Frances Miller, a daughter of Captain J. D. Miller,
who was a pioneer steamboat operator on the Willamette and Columbia
rivers. To Mr. and Mrs. Dement have been born two sons: Charles F., who
is county auditor of Walla Walla county; and Frank Bingham, who is now
in the National army at Camp Lewis. He was graduated from the Shattuck
Military School of Minnesota in 1914 and was a student in Whitman
College with the class of 1918.
Frank S. Dement has long been a recognized leader in republican circles
in his county and was chairman of the county republican central
committee. He has done much to further the interests of his party,
believing firmly in its principles and recognizing the duties and
obligations as well as the privileges of citizenship; yet he has never
sought nor desired office as a reward for party fealty. Fraternally
he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is a
prominent Mason, having taken the degrees of both the York and Scottish
Rites. He is a member of Oriental Consistory, A. & A. S. R., of Spokane
and of El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. For the past thirty years
he has been a very active and prominent member of the Commercial Club
of Walla Walla and is now one of its directors and the treasurer.
He stands for progressiveness in all public affairs and his efforts
in behalf of general progress and improvement have been practical,
far reaching and effective. Men who know him--and he has a wide
acquaintance--speak of him in terms of the highest regard both as to
his relationship with business affairs and in matters of citizenship.
JOSEPH LEDGERWOOD.
Joseph Ledgerwood, deceased, spent the last years of his life in
honorable retirement from business in Pomeroy, enjoying the fruits of
his former labor. For many years he had been identified with farming
in southeastern Washington and his well directed business affairs
brought to him a very substantial competence, enabling him to enjoy
all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life and also to leave
his family in very easy financial circumstances. He was born in Clay
county, Missouri, July 17, 1836, and was a son of Joseph and Rachael
Ledgerwood, who were natives of Tennessee and afterward became pioneer
settlers of Clay county, Missouri.
Joseph Ledgerwood acquired his education in the common schools of
Clay and Daviess counties of Missouri and on reaching manhood took up
the occupation of farming. In 1864, with little money to outfit him
for so hazardous and extended a journey, he started across the plains
for the Pacific coast country, and while he endured many hardships
and privations while en route, he ultimately in safety reached the
Umpqua valley, where he made a home for his family and continued to
reside until 1877. He then disposed of his property in that region and
removed to Garfield county, Washington, settling about nine miles east
of Pomeroy. There he prospered and from time to time, as his financial
resources increased, he added to his land until at his death he was the
owner of about one thousand acres of valuable farm property. In the
later years of his life he retired from active farm work and removed
to Pomeroy, where he spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of the
fruits of his many years of successful labor. For a long period his
life had been one of untiring industry and perseverance, during which
he was watchful of every opportunity and indication pointing toward
success. At all times he based his advancement upon the sure foundation
of industry and persistency of purpose.
In 1859 Mr. Ledgerwood was united in marriage to Miss Louise O'Keef,
a native of Illinois, who was a faithful helpmate to him and shared
with him in all of the hardships and privations of pioneer life, when
Oregon and Washington were still frontier states. She still survives
her husband and cherishes his memory, for he was most devoted to the
welfare and happiness of his family. To Mr. and Mrs. Ledgerwood were
born nine children, seven of whom are yet living, as follows: William
T.; J. Joseph; John T.; Lou Emma, who is the wife of W. A. DeBow, a
grain dealer of Pomeroy; Martha R., who is the widow of James B. Carter
and resides in Pomeroy; Rosa, who gave her hand in marriage to Lou
Jurgens, of Asotin county, Washington; and Clara B., the wife of Edward
Davis, of Okanogan county, Washington.
Mr. Ledgerwood was a very progressive man, public-spirited in all
that he did, and his aid and cooperation could ever be counted upon
to further public progress. He aided many movements for the general
good, and while he was never a politician in the commonly accepted
sense of the term and never would consent to hold office, he gave
earnest support to the democratic party because of a firm belief in
its principles. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity and to the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was a consistent Christian man,
both he and his wife being lifelong members of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Mrs. Ledgerwood occupies a handsome home in Pomeroy, surrounded
by all the comforts and conveniences which make life worth living.
REME DE RUWE.
Among the successful sheep raisers of Columbia county is numbered Reme
De Ruwe, who was born in Belgium, September 15, 1882, a son of Peter
and Julia De Ruwe, also natives of that country, where their entire
lives were passed. To them were born fifteen children. The subject
of this review is indebted for his education to the schools of his
native land, and remained at home until he was about twenty years old.
Then, in 1902, he decided to try his fortune in the United States and
located in Walla Walla county, Washington, where he at once turned his
attention to raising sheep. He has since continued in that occupation
on an extensive scale. He pastures his sheep on a ranch comprising
twelve hundred acres of land in Columbia county. The success which
he has gained in fifteen years is quite unusual, demonstrating his
ability to adapt himself to a new condition, his sound judgment and his
enterprise. His ranch is well improved and is a very valuable property.
In 1914 Mr. De Ruwe was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Kregger,
and they have a son, Marvin, and have also adopted three children. Mr.
De Ruwe casts his ballot in support of the republican party, whose
principles accord with his political beliefs. He was reared in the
Catholic faith and consistently gives his influence on the side of
moral advancement. He has gained many friends since coming to eastern
Washington, his salient characteristics being such as never fail to
command respect and win regard.
CHARLES L. WHITNEY.
Charles L. Whitney, who is living retired on section 6, township 6
north, range 36 east, Walla Walla county, is now enjoying a period of
well merited leisure made possible by his former successful labors
as a nurseryman and horticulturist. He was born in Erie county,
Pennsylvania, January 26, 1857, of the marriage of William G. and
Marcia M. (Pettis) Whitney, the former a native of Onondaga county, New
York. They removed to California in 1879; two years before their son
Charles L. had made his way to the Pacific coast, and after residing
there for one or two years they came to Walla Walla county, Washington.
Here the father, in partnership with his son Charles L., bought the
farm where the latter still resides. This place was the site of the
Sims mill, which was the first mill built in the state and possibly the
first in the northwest. The date of its erection was 1858 and there
was also a distillery operated within the limits of the farm. In the
early days pack trains, numbering one hundred animals were sent to the
outlying camps loaded with flour, bacon and whiskey, and the farm is
indeed one of the historic places of the state. The father established
the Home nursery and the son the North Western nurseries, and both
proved successful in that business. The father remained active in the
management of his affairs both as a nurseryman and as a farmer until
his death in 1912. The mother passed away in 1910.
Charles L. Whitney was reared in Pennsylvania and after attending the
common schools became a student in the Edinboro (Penn.) State Normal
school and in Austinburg College at Austinburg, Ohio. Later he took up
the study of medicine at the Eclectic Medical College at San Francisco,
California, but left that institution a year before the completion
of his course. It was in 1877 that he removed to California and he
was one of the first settlers of the town of Whatcom. He devoted some
time to timber cruising and for a number of years he traveled through
California, Oregon and Washington, becoming familiar with practically
every part of the Pacific coast. In 1880 he came with his parents to
Walla Walla county and established the North Western nurseries, which
he conducted for years. He was one of the first men to enter that line
of business in this section and his success in the growing of fruit
trees determined the possibilities of this region in the production of
fruit. He also engaged in general farming to some extent and found that
likewise profitable. For four years he was county fruit inspector and
later was for a similar length of time state fruit inspector and was
generally recognized as an authority on everything pertaining to fruit
and its production. About 1907 he gave up the nursery business and has
since rented his land for gardening, although he still resides upon his
farm, which comprises one hundred and-fifty-two acres two miles south
of Walla Walla, in the most fertile part of the valley. His home is a
handsome country residence, provided with all modern conveniences.
In 1883 Mr. Whitney was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth McCaslin,
who was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, but was teaching in the schools
of Omaha, Nebraska, at the time of her marriage. They have become the
parents of five children, of whom four survive, namely: Elizabeth May,
the wife of Ned McLean, of Walla Walla; Bertha, who married L. F.
Turman, of Willows, California; Charles B., who is first sergeant with
the Washington Field Artillery, under Major Weyrauch; and Marguerite,
the wife of Fred Houghton, of Attalia, this county.
Mr. Whitney's political views accord with the principles of the
republican party and he gives it his stanch support but has never
taken a very active part in politics. However, he has always felt the
keenest interest in the upbuilding of his county and his influence has
been felt in its development along horticultural, agricultural and
civic lines. He was a member of the board of commissioners that had
charge of the Walla Walla exhibit at the Lewis and Clark Exposition
held in Portland in 1905 and took a great deal of pride in the fine
showing that the county made. He has a number of fraternal connections,
belonging to Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla
Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; Walla Walla Commandery, No. 1 K. T.; El Katif
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane; to the Shrine Club at Walla
Walla, of which he is president; to Alki Chapter, No. 25, O. E. S., of
which he is past patron and of which his wife was the second matron,
to Enterprise Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., of which he is past grand; to
the Ancient Order of United Workmen; and to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287,
B. P. O. E. His high standing in the Odd Fellows society is further
indicated by the fact that he holds the lodge jewel.
EDWARD H. NIXON.
Edward H. Nixon, one of the earliest of Walla Walla's pioneers now
living and for many years a dominant factor in civic affairs, was born
in Guyandotte, West Virginia, on the 26th of May, 1842. When he was ten
years of age his parents removed to Jackson county, Iowa, settling on
a farm about eight miles west of Sabula. He was there educated in the
district schools and at his mother's knee, she having been educated for
a teacher in the Massachusetts schools in early life. Subsequently she
went west to teach in the West Virginia schools and it was there that
she was married. After mastering the early branches of learning Mr.
Nixon continued his studies in the high school at Maquoketa, Iowa, and
at the age of twenty years he was elected to the office of constable in
his district, but the commissioners refused him a commission because
he was not of legal age. He began reading law at Maquoketa, Iowa, and
advanced sufficiently to try cases before a justice of the peace.
[Illustration: EDWARD H. NIXON]
In sentiment he was strongly anti-slavery at the beginning of the
Civil war and as his sympathies were with the north, he determined he
would not fight for any country that would uphold slavery, but after
the Emancipation Proclamation he offered his services to the country
and was accepted in December, 1863, being mustered into the service as
a member of Company A, Ninth Regiment of the Iowa Veteran Volunteer
Infantry, with which he served for one year, five months and eleven
days. He then received an honorable discharge, the war having been
brought to a close. He had participated in the battles of Snake Creek
Gap, Resaca, Dallas and New Hope Church, Ackworth or Big Shanty, and
the seven days' siege of Kenesaw Mountain and many skirmishes. He was
also in the battle of Atlanta on the 22d of July, 1864, in the battle
of Ezra Church and many others, taking part in every engagement in
which his regiment participated until the fall of Atlanta. At close of
the war he received an honorable discharge and returned to his home
with a most creditable military record, having nobly done his part to
preserve the Union. He afterward pursued a course in Eastman's Business
College at Poughkeepsie, New York, and subsequently he engaged in
farming until 1873, when he started for the far west with Walla Walla
as his destination. He arrived here on the 16th of March of that year
and took up the profession of teaching. He also engaged in farm work
and in fact accepted any employment that would yield him an honest
dollar.
On the 2d of April, 1876, Mr. Nixon was united in marriage to Miss Kate
Stewart, a daughter of Daniel and Margaret Stewart, and to them have
been born three children, two daughters and a son: Stella, now the
wife of H. L. Wilson, who is state highway contractor and a resident
of Walla Walla; Laura, the wife of H. H. Hadley, who is engaged in
the automobile business in Dayton, Washington; and Edward S., who is
associated with his father in the real estate and insurance business
under the firm style of E. H. Nixon & Son.
In 1877, soon after his marriage, Mr. Nixon removed to Whitman county
and took up a homestead and tree claim and preempted another one
hundred and sixty acres of land. He also rented a section of school
land and for eight years or more was extensively and successfully
engaged in farming. He laid out the first road ever laid out in Whitman
county and was well known as the pioneer settler of that county,
instituting much of the progressive work which has brought about its
present-day progress and prosperity. In 1885 he returned to Walla
Walla, and while he has disposed of his landed interests in Whitman
county, he still owns valuable farm property and since 1892 he has
conducted a real estate and insurance business, the firm of E. H.
Nixon & Son maintaining an office in the Jaycox building. For many
years Mr. Nixon was one of the most conspicuous figures in the civic
affairs of Walla Walla. He served as road overseer, was also United
States deputy postmaster, was justice of the peace two years and was
police judge one year. He was also city assessor one term and was a
member of the city council and at all times exercised his official
prerogatives in support of many well defined plans and measures for
the general good. He looked beyond the exigencies of the moment to the
opportunities and possibilities of the future and labored not only for
the welfare of the passing hour but for future time as well. He was
responsible for the establishment of the perpetual care system in the
city cemetery and later the same system in the Odd Fellows cemetery,
serving as president of the cemetery committee for a number of years.
Mr. Nixon has long been a faithful and prominent member of the Grand
Army of the Republic, in which he has filled all of the offices in the
local post. He has also been honored with the position of assistant
adjutant general and assistant quartermaster general of the Department
of Washington and Alaska. He has membership in Blue Mountain Lodge,
No. 13, A. F. & A. M., and is a member of Washington Lodge, No. 19, I.
O. O. F., in which he has filled all of the chairs, including that of
noble grand. In 1890 he joined with F. W. Paine and others in forming
the Interstate Building Loan & Trust Association, and he is a member
of its board of trustees and vice president of the association. In
a word his activities are broad and varied. He is a liberal minded
man, recognizing the duties and obligations of the individual to his
fellowmen and to his country. At all times he has been actuated by a
progressive spirit and in business affairs has been stimulated by a
laudable ambition. His purposes have been well defined and promptly
executed and the course which he has pursued has at all times measured
up to the highest standards of manhood. His work has been of great
benefit to the community at large as well as a source of individual
success, and Walla Walla county honors him as one of her best known
pioneers. His religious faith is that of the Unitarian church.
S. S. MORITZ.
S. S. Moritz, who since 1914 has held the office of postmaster
of Dayton, was formerly prominently identified with its business
interests, first as a merchant and later as a real estate operator.
He was born in Victoria, British Columbia, August 28, 1863, a son
of Moses and Adeline (Greenenburg) Moritz, natives respectively of
Alsace, France, and of Groesenadar, Germany. The mother came to the
Pacific coast by way of the Panama route in young womanhood and joined
relatives living in San Francisco. The father emigrated to this
country in early manhood and after spending some time in the middle
west made his way to the California gold fields in 1849. He acquired
some valuable mining properties but later lost them through reverses
in fortune. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in
San Francisco in 1855 and subsequently went to Portland, Oregon, where
he was married, the lady who became his wife having in the meantime
removed to that city, where she made her home with relatives. Mr.
Moritz engaged in merchandising there until the discovery of gold on
the Fraser river in the British possessions. He then removed with his
family to Victoria, where they resided for two years, after which they
returned to Portland. Later they became residents of Centerville,
Idaho, where the father was well known as a general merchant. At length
he removed to Boise City with the view of giving his children better
educational advantages and remained there until 1873, when he went to
Salt Lake City, where he was active in business until 1890. He then
retired and spent his last days in the home of his son, S. S. Moritz.
He passed away September 23, 1913, when in his eighty-eighth year. He
was a man of vigorous constitution and retained the full use of his
faculties up to the time of his death. His widow survives.
S. S. Moritz received his education in the schools of Boise City and of
Salt Lake City and during vacations received business training which
stood him in good stead in his later years. For several years before
leaving school the summers were devoted to clerking in various stores
in Salt Lake City, chiefly the clothing business, and in the spring
of 1885, when a young man of twenty-one years, he came to Dayton,
Washington, to accept a position with Duzenbury & Stencil, general
merchants. For a year he had charge of their clothing and furnishing
department and then engaged in business for himself, establishing a
clothing and furnishing store. For eighteen years he conducted that
store and became a dominant factor in the commercial life of Dayton,
his resourcefulness, energy and keen insight into business conditions
causing him to be generally recognized as a leader. In 1904 he sold
his store, as he desired to give his undivided attention to his other
interests. For a number of years he had been investing heavily in real
estate and he it was who laid out the Syndicate Hill subdivision of
Dayton, which is now recognized as the finest residence district of the
city, and for a decade his entire time was given up to looking after
his real estate interests, but in 1914 he became postmaster of Dayton
by appointment of President Wilson. During the intervening three years
he has held that position and has performed his duties in the same
capable manner that he managed his private affairs.
Mr. Moritz was a stanch republican in his political views until 1896,
but in that year he became convinced of the wisdom of the policies
advocated by William Jennings Bryan and gave his support to the
democratic party, with which he has since been identified. He has taken
an active part in public affairs and many improvements in Dayton have
been brought about largely through his indefatigable work in their
behalf. Notable among these is his achievement in securing the paving
of the business district in spite of much indifference and determined
opposition. His interest in good roads has found further expression
in the arterial highway law, a very significant piece of legislation,
which is based upon a plan conceived by Mr. Moritz. When it became
necessary to change the city charter in conformity with the state
regulations he led the movement for a charter that would meet all
the needs of Dayton and was largely instrumental in securing such an
instrument. He has been one of the most active members in the Dayton
Commercial Club since its organization and has had a large part in its
effective and farreaching work for the city. Fraternally he belongs
to Dayton Lodge, No. 3, K. P. His position as one of the foremost
residents of Dayton is secure and his personal friends are many.
T. F. DICE.
T. F. Dice, residing on section 2, township 9 north, range 36 east,
Walla Walla county, holds title to a large amount of land but is
renting the greater part of it and is thus enjoying comparative
leisure. His birth occurred in Pennsylvania, February 15, 1859, a son
of William and Susan (Redrick) Dice, who passed their entire lives in
the Keystone state. Five of their seven children are still living.
T. F. Dice grew to manhood in Pennsylvania and supplemented the
education acquired in the public schools by attendance at Mercersburg
college in Mercersburg. On leaving his native state he went to
Savannah, Georgia, where he spent three years, and then in 1889 he came
to Walla Walla county, Washington, for the benefit of his health and
here he purchased a farm on which he resided for three years. He next
bought his present home place on section 2, township 9 north, range 36
east, and for many years personally operated the five hundred acres
comprised in the farm. At the present time, however, he rents all the
land but an eighty acre tract, which is in alfalfa and which he looks
after himself.
In 1884 occurred the marriage of Mr. Dice and Miss E. A. Spangenberg.
The latter was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter
of Frederick A. and Fanny Anna Spangenberg, both also born in
Pennsylvania. The father, who successfully engaged in the practice of
law for many years, is now deceased, but the mother survives. Mrs.
Dice had exceptional musical training and her talents along that line
have been a source of great pleasure to her family and friends. Mr.
and Mrs. Dice have four children: William T., who lives in California;
Lee R., who is teaching in the University of Montana; Frances E., the
wife of the Rev. Robert M. Hood, now a resident of Idaho; and Carl E.,
a student of Mount Tamalpais Military Academy, San Rafael, California.
During the years of his residence in Walla Walla county Mr. Dice has
become widely and favorably known, his many excellent qualities gaining
for him many warm friends.
W. H. BARNHART.
The field of opportunity finds its boundaries only in the limitations
of the individual. When energy and ambition lie dormant the path of
advancement seems closed, but to the man who believes that there is
a chance for every individual and who is willing to take his chance
with others, there always comes a time when he can take the initial
step that will lead on to fortune. That Mr. Barnhart recognized the
opportune moment is shown in the fact that he is now one of the
leading business men of Starbuck, where he is widely known as the vice
president and manager of the Sprout & Barnhart Mercantile Company and
also as a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Starbuck.
Iowa claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred in Wapello
county on the 11th of October, 1871, his parents being Henry and
Elizabeth (Johnson) Barnhart. The father was a native of Tennessee,
while the mother's birth occurred in Ohio, and in Iowa their marriage
was solemnized. They had accompanied their respective parents to the
last mentioned state in childhood and were there reared. Mr. Barnhart
turned his attention to farming and railroading, which he followed in
Iowa until 1889, when he removed westward to Oregon and for a number
of years was employed by the Oregon & Washington Railroad & Navigation
Company in the capacity of engineer. He thus took part in the early
development of railway operations in the west. He died in December,
1915, and is survived by his widow, who resides on a ranch near
Spokane.
[Illustration: W. H. BARNHART]
W. H. Barnhart, spending his youthful days under the parental roof,
completed his education in the high school at Albia, Iowa, from which
he was graduated with the class of 1889. The following year he came
to Oregon and for a number of years successfully engaged in teaching
school, imparting readily and clearly to others the knowledge that
he had acquired. He also worked in a store at La Grande, Oregon, and
subsequently he became a student in Armstrong's Business College at
Portland. Later he took up railroading as an employe of the Oregon
& Washington Railroad & Navigation Company and was employed by that
corporation for thirteen years. During the last seven years of that
period he ran an engine and in 1907 he resigned his position with the
company and purchased an interest in the mercantile establishment of W.
E. Sprout of Starbuck. The following year the company was reorganized
and incorporated, with Mr. Barnhart as the vice president and manager
of the business, and Mr. Sprout as the president. They have a spacious
and well appointed store, carrying an extensive line of goods, and they
always maintain the highest standards in the personnel of the house, in
the stock carried and in the treatment accorded patrons. Their business
has therefore gradually increased as the years have gone on and has
become one of the profitable commercial interests of southeastern
Washington.
In September, 1901, Mr. Barnhart was united in marriage to Miss Bessie
A. Wright, of Starbuck, and they have become parents of two daughters,
Grace M. and Blanche L. Mr. Barnhart is a loyal representative of
the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Tucanon Lodge, No. 106, F. &
A. M., of which he is now worshipful master. He is also identified
with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and has served as chief
engineer in the order. In politics he is a stalwart republican and
is now mayor of Starbuck. He had previously served for several years
as a member of the town council and his fitness for further and more
responsible public duties led to his election as chief executive. His
wife and two daughters are members of the Episcopal church and Mr.
Barnhart is serving on its board of trustees. His aid and influence
are always given on the side of progress and improvement as related to
the material upbuilding and also the social, intellectual and moral
advancement of the community. Those who know him, and he has a wide
acquaintance, esteem him as a man of genuine worth who well merits the
success that has crowned his efforts since he started out in business
life empty-handed.
IRA D. BRUNTON.
Among the native sons of Walla Walla county who have elected to
continue residents thereof is Ira D. Brunton, who is engaged in farming
on section 30, township 8 north, range 36 east. He was born in that
township, May 11, 1876, and is a son of W. H. H. and Sarah A. (Lewis)
Brunton, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. He was
reared upon the home farm, and his boyhood and youth were spent in the
acquirement of a district school education and in helping his father.
He further pursued his studies in Whitman College and at the old Empire
Business College at Walla Walla, thus fitting himself for his later
life.
After his marriage Mr. Brunton began farming for himself, operating a
part of the homestead in partnership with his father, this relation
being continued until his father's death, after which Mr. Brunton of
this review and his brother Frank managed the entire estate of seven
hundred acres for five years. At the end of that time Ira D. Brunton
took over the operation of four hundred acres and his brother Garfield
became responsible for the cultivation of the remaining three hundred
acres. In 1903 our subject purchased one hundred and sixty acres
adjoining the home farm and he now operates both places and also four
hundred acres of rented land, or nine hundred and sixty acres in all.
It is thus evident that his interests are extensive and make heavy
demands upon his time and energies, but he is industrious, progressive
and systematic in his work and his affairs are kept well in hand.
Mr. Brunton was married October 10, 1897, to Miss Bessie L. Ramseur, a
daughter of David W. Ramseur, who removed to Walla Walla county from
North Carolina in 1892. To Mr. and Mrs. Brunton have been born five
children: Elsie M., the wife of Clyde Garland, of Walla Walla; and
Reese R., Lucille B., and Miles and Melvin, twins, all of whom are at
home.
Mr. Brunton's political views are in accord with the principles of
the democratic party and he supports its candidates at the polls. In
1908 he was his party's nominee for sheriff and polled a large vote.
Fraternally he is connected with Mountain Gem Lodge, No. 136, K. P.,
and his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is held
in high esteem as a citizen and as a man, and his success as a farmer
entitles him to rank among the leaders in the agricultural development
of the county.
JOSEPH CLARK FAIR.
Joseph Clark Fair, an independent grain buyer and one of Dayton's
foremost business men and representative citizens, was born in Benton
county, Arkansas, February 26, 1874, a son of Joseph A. and Martha
Ann (Russell) Fair, the former born in Sullivan county, Tennessee,
and the latter in Barry county, Missouri. The parents were taken by
their respective parents to Benton county, Arkansas, and there grew to
manhood and womanhood. They continued to reside there following their
marriage, with the exception of four years spent in Texas, up to the
time of the mother's death, which occurred in June, 1899. The father
devoted his active life to farming but is now a resident of Centerton,
Benton county, Arkansas, where he is living retired. He is a local
Methodist minister and was often importuned to join the conference but
refused, saying he knew he could make a living farming but did not
know whether he could as a minister or not. His parents, Ellis and
Nancy Hamilton (Easly) Fair, were representatives of old families of
Tennessee. Mr. Fair was killed by Indians at the time of the Civil war.
The parents of Mrs. Martha Ann (Russell) Fair were Elijah and Louisa
(Bell) Russell, natives respectively of Missouri and Tennessee. Mr.
Russell went to the California gold mines in 1849, crossing the plains
with ox team, and returned to the east in 1852 by sailing vessel. At
the time of the Civil war he was killed by bushwackers.
Joseph Clark Fair was reared at home, and in the acquirement of his
education attended the common schools of Arkansas and the Elm Springs
Academy, in Washington county, that state. For two terms he engaged in
teaching in Benton county, Arkansas, but because of the low salary paid
teachers gave up the profession. In 1898 he decided to try his fortune
in the far west and located at Condon, Gilliam county, Oregon, where he
was connected with lumber interests. He remained there for five years
and during the last year helped to build the courthouse. During that
time he acquired title to seven hundred and twenty acres of land, which
he has since sold at a profit. In 1903 he became a resident of Dayton,
Washington, where he has ever since remained, and he is well known
throughout Columbia county as a grain-buyer. He is expert in judging
wheat and keeps in the closest touch with the grain markets and has
been very successful in his business affairs.
Mr. Fair was married in 1908 to Miss Nellie Virginia Gregg, who was
born in Washington county, Arkansas, but at the time of her marriage
was county superintendent of schools of Columbia county. To them
was born one child, who, however, is deceased. Mr. Fair is a stanch
democrat in politics and has served with ability as a member of the
town council. He is well known in fraternal circles, belonging to
Alki Lodge, No. 136, I. O. O. F., of which he is past grand; Franklin
Encampment, No. 13, I. O. O. F., of which he is past chief patriarch;
Dayton Lodge, No. 26, F. & A. M., of which he is now worshipful master;
and Dayton Lodge, No. 3, K. P., of which he is past chancellor. His
religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Congregational
church, and in his business dealings, as well as in the private
relations of life, his conduct measures up to high moral standards. He
feels that his decision to come to the west was one of the wisest that
he has ever made and he is confident that a greater future is in store
for this section.
CHARLES CLAGUE.
Charles Clague, a prosperous farmer residing on section 2, township 9
north, range 36 east, Walla Walla county, was born on the Isle of Man
in March, 1860, a son of Richard and Isabella (Quirk) Clague, also
natives of that island, where their entire lives were passed. Our
subject's education was received in the public schools and he remained
in his native country until he attained his majority but in 1881 came
to the United States. For six months he worked in a grocery store in
Olean, New York, after which he decided to see the west. There for a
month he worked in Colorado and then continued his journey, arriving
in San Francisco on Christmas day, 1881. He only remained in that city
for two days, however, and then came to Walla Walla county, Washington.
He took up a homestead two miles south of Prescott and for twenty
years lived upon that place, which he operated successfully. He also
purchased other land, becoming the owner of seven hundred and eighty
acres. In 1902, in partnership with T. F. Dice, he bought five hundred
acres of land and later they purchased the old Samuel Erwin home farm,
where both have since resided. Mr. Clague has sold his homestead and
the land adjoining and has also disposed of the equity of the five
hundred acre tract but retains his interest in the farm of eighty
acres, where he and Mr. Dice reside. He also is the owner of fifty-two
acres of irrigated land near Patterson, Stanislaus county, California.
He has gained financial independence and, having disposed of the
greater part of his holdings, is now enjoying a period of comparative
leisure.
Mr. Clague is a progressive republican in politics and has always been
most loyal to the interests of his adopted country. He belongs to the
Presbyterian church and in its teachings are found the principles
which guide his life. For thirty-six years he has resided in Walla
Walla county and has done his part in bringing about the wonderful
development that has taken place during that time. He has a wide
acquaintance and a large number of warm personal friends.
FRANK W. PAINE.
Frank W. Paine is a capitalist of Walla Walla whose name is inseparably
interwoven with the history of city and state. Coming to the west in
pioneer times, he is familiar with every phase of frontier life and
with the processes of development which have brought the state from
pioneer conditions to its present stage of progress and prosperity. His
individual labors have contributed much to the results achieved, and no
account of Walla Walla's development would be complete without extended
reference to him.
Mr. Paine was born August 31, 1839, in Mercer, Somerset county, Maine,
and has therefore passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's
journey. His father, William Paine, was born in Hingham, Massachusetts,
September 5, 1801, and died December 4, 1883, while the mother,
who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Wentworth Pike, was born in
Somersworth, New Hampshire, December 29, 1804, and passed away February
14, 1872. Both parents were of English Puritan stock. Among the early
representatives of the Paine family were men of title who belonged to
the nobility of England, and in New England representatives of the
name loyally served their country in the struggle for independence and
as statesmen aided in formulating the policy of the commonwealth with
which they were connected. In religious faith the parents of Frank W.
Paine were Congregationalists. In political faith William Paine was
first a whig and afterwards a republican, and by occupation he was a
farmer. To him and his wife were born six children, who were reared
more in the fear than in the love of God, but for their day they were
on the firing line, both in good works and exemplary lives.
Frank W. Paine began his education in a little unpainted schoolhouse
of one room, which stood at the forks of the road on Beech Hill,
in the town of Mercer, Somerset county, Maine. He at first had the
opportunity of attending school for about eight weeks in the summer and
ten weeks in the winter season until he was ten or eleven years of age,
when he no longer found it possible to continue his studies through
the summer but was enabled to attend school through the winter until
his eighteenth year. He then began teaching in the country districts
through the winter months, while the summer was devoted to farm work.
On leaving the schoolroom, however, he did not consider his education
complete, for his strong desire for learning has led him to read and
study systematically and he always has near him good books on history,
literature, science and poetry. Such books have also constituted a part
of his continuous reading and thus he has obviated his lack of early
training and become a most well informed man. Moreover, in the various
positions of public trust which he has filled he has always found
it to be of the greatest assistance to resort to the most reliable
authorities treating on the matters in hand and in these ways he has
been able to accomplish something of what a liberal education might
have done for him. He has many times so keenly felt his deficiency in
the lack of school and college training that upon an analysis of his
educational shortcomings he determined that his most serious lack was
a fuller understanding of history, literature and Latin, and he has
wherever possible urged young men to prepare along those lines.
[Illustration: FRANK W. PAINE]
[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF F. W. PAINE]
As school teaching and farming seemed to offer small opportunities
in Maine, Mr. Paine resolved to go west and chose California as his
objective point, arriving in that state in October, 1861, with a letter
from the late Judge E. D. Sawyer of San Francisco to an old friend
of his at Mokelumne Hill. He was soon on the ground of the "Jumping
Frog of Calaveras county" and found the addressee of his letter to be
the proprietor of a provision store and his affairs much run down at
the heel. Early in the spring of 1862, therefore, Mr. Paine went to
Dogtown, in Shasta county, to join two friends who were preparing to
go to the newly discovered mines on Salmon river in Idaho. He became
the third member of the party, whose route, as contemplated, lay over
the Siskiyou mountains to southern Oregon, then to Portland and on by
way of Walla Walla, but at Jacksonville they were advised to cross the
Cascade mountains down the east side to Klamath lake and on to Walla
Walla. After many days of weary walking they arrived in Walla Walla
late in June 1862, and there met the returning tide of miners from
Salmon river and Florence, which discouraged the three young men from
going further in that direction.
Under the stress of necessity Mr. Paine made haste to find employment
and after two or three months by precarious work of different kinds
he secured a situation in the Baker-Boyer store but was soon detailed
to take charge of the Spray warehouse at Wallula under Dr. Baker's
direction. In the spring of 1863 a mad rush for the Boise mines carried
Mr. Paine along. As a measure of economy he engaged with a mule pack
train owned by the firm of Johnson & Stratton, serving as off side
packer and learning to "throw the diamond hitch." The wealth which
Mr. Paine accumulated in that mining venture consisted mainly in
experience. In the fall of 1864 he returned to Walla Walla and at once
was reinstated in his former position with the Baker-Boyer firm, there
remaining until the spring of 1866, when another attack of mining fever
took him to Montana with a stock of clothing made for the California
miners' trade, which stock of goods was readily sold at a good profit.
After enjoying a few weeks of summer on the summit of the Rockies he
returned to the land of his adoption, and to be safeguarded against
another "call of the wild," on his return he accepted the proffer of a
partnership made by William Stephens, a merchant conducting business
at the corner of Main and First streets. The business prospered and
at the end of a year Mr. Paine purchased the interest of his partner
and admitted his brother John to a partnership, removing the stock to
the corner of Second and Main streets, where they conducted a very
substantial business. After about two year opportunity enabled Mr.
Paine to succeed by purchase to the Baker-Boyer business, then located
on the present site of the Baker-Boyer Bank. Miles C. Moore joined him
as a partner under the style of Paine Brothers & Moore, which firm soon
became widely known for its business enterprise and also for its local
political influence. During the existence of the firm they established
branches at Waitsburg and at Dayton and built a fine steamboat, The
Northwest, to ply in wheat carrying on the Columbia and Snake rivers.
The war department, however, leased the steamboat to transport troops
and munitions during the war with the hostile Willowas, under the
notable Chief Joseph, in 1878. Soon after the boat was taken over
by the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company. After nearly ten years
of pleasant and profitable partnership Mr. Moore withdrew from the
firm. In the meantime they had concentrated their attention upon farm
implements and machinery and this business was conducted under the
style of Paine Brothers. In 1879 they built the three-story brick
building, which was then the finest business block in the northwest
outside of Portland. Upon its completion and upon the organization of
the First National Bank it took up its home in this building, where it
has since continued.
While for many years Mr. Paine figured most prominently in commercial
circles, he also became a leader in the public life of the community as
well. His first public office was that of councilman, which he filled
in 1878 and 1879. He afterward served as city treasurer in 1883 and
1884 and was mayor of Walla Walla through the two succeeding years.
All of these offices came to him unsought. During his mayoralty term
he signed the ordinance prohibiting stock from running at large in the
streets and this executive act lost him his reelection. He recognized,
however, the value of such a course to the city and followed the
dictates of his judgment and his conscience notwithstanding the
contrary advice of his friends who desired his reelection. In 1880 Mr.
Paine was elected school director in District No. 34, the western part
of the city. In 1882, by act of the legislature, Districts No. 34 and
No. 1, the latter the eastern part of the city, were united in one
and the two boards of directors acted as one until the next election,
when Mr. Paine was elected one of the three directors for the combined
district. He was reelected at each succeeding election until 1906 and
during his incumbency, covering more than twenty-five years, he was
chairman of the board, which from time to time had to meet increasing
requirements by the erection of two frame and three brick schoolhouses.
To do this the legal maximum levy of five per cent was not exceeded.
The educational work done and the standing of the schools was equal to
the best in the state.
In 1887 Governor Watson C. Squire, at the request of many of Mr.
Paine's friends, appointed him superintendent of the new state
penitentiary which had been recently erected at Walla Walla, with
orders to establish rules and regulations and to conduct the
institution on a similar plan to that of the Oregon state penitentiary.
After some hesitation he accepted the appointment, and as the
legislature, after providing an appropriation to erect the buildings,
had neglected to make any appropriation for its maintenance, it became
necessary to secure a citizens' pledge of five thousand dollars on
which to draw for incidentals for the ensuing year or until the next
legislature should meet. This done, he took six good men as guards
with him to Seatco, where the old contract prison built of logs was
located and where the convicts divided their time between working in
a sash and door factory, working their way out of prison and being
worked back by a reward or a bloodhound. Governor Squire met Mr. Paine
at that place and after getting a record of the convicts, as a measure
of economy for the state, he pardoned sixteen whose terms were nearly
completed, leaving ninety-seven to be transferred to Walla Walla,
which was accomplished without loss of any member. The next problem
was to produce work for the prisoners and Mr. Paine soon succeeded
in establishing and operating successfully a brickyard, which proved
greatly beneficial to the prisoners. At the close of his term and on
the convening of the legislature he reported to the governor, then
Governor Semple, giving account of the amount required to cover all
indebtedness incurred. The legislature readily made the appropriation,
supplemented by a complimentary resolution. Two years later, under a
new legislative enactment, Mr. Paine was made chairman of a commission
of three members appointed by Governor Elisha P. Ferry, consisting of
P. A. Preston, F. M. Lowden and Mr. Paine. With the ready compliance
of his colleagues, Mr. Paine proceeded at once to establish a jute
mill, having at his personal expense visited and investigated the San
Quentin and Oakland jute mills, where he learned of their methods and
was advised of their profits, thus becoming convinced of the economy
of the measure and of what was of much greater moment, the providing
of employment for the inmates of the institution. The establishment of
the mill was strenuously opposed by the labor element, as had been the
brickyard, but the objection to convict labor has been largely overcome
in view of the importance to the health and morals of the inmates of
all such institutions. With the advanced views of the day Mr. Paine
gladly sees the passing of another most degrading abuse from which this
particular institution suffered at times in its earliest history--that
of making it a base for political operations of a most scandalous
character and its offices a reward for political jobbery.
Another field of activity into which Mr. Paine entered was that of the
Building Loan & Trust Association, which he was largely instrumental
in organizing in February, 1890. It was called the International
Building Loan & Trust Association of Walla Walla and soon built up a
prosperous business. It has continuously paid its patrons a good rate
of interest, has built many comfortable homes in and around the city
and is today one of the leading institutions of the kind in the state.
It is strictly mutual, makes money only for the stockholders and the
only salary paid is that to its secretary, together with a small fee
to its board members for each regular monthly meeting. The business
methods are highly commended by the state examiner. Of this association
Mr. Paine has been the president since its inception, covering a period
of more than twenty-seven years. One of the most greatly appreciated
honors that has come to Mr. Paine has been his appointment on the
board of overseers of Whitman College and he is further honored in the
position of chairman on the college loaning board.
In the late '70s Mr. Paine assisted in organizing the first Board
of Trade at Walla Walla. At that early date it was thought to be of
questionable value to the business community, so that it was with
difficulty that funds could be secured to pay a secretary. In fact
the body's activities and even its existence was at times of an
intermittent order. In time the Board of Trade became the Chamber of
Commerce and eventually the Commercial Club, and it fell to the lot
of Captain P. B. Johnson of the Walla Walla Union and to Mr. Paine to
keep alive the last named organization, the former acting as secretary
and the latter as president. They answered correspondence, mailed
descriptive circulars and other literature and in this way induced
at least some settlers to come to the valley. All this occurred long
before the inception of the present very much alive commercial body.
Mr. Paine not only figured in the business and public activities of
the city but also in its social organizations. He became a member of
the Inquiry Club on its organization twenty-six years ago, a club
which is still in vigorous existence. Its membership has included many
of the brightest minds in Walla Walla--men from various professions
and callings in life. Whitman College has been largely represented
on its roster. The workings of the club certainly have a great charm
for its members, for its discussions cover the widest possible range
of subjects and any member called upon expresses his views upon the
subject under discussion with entire absence of restraint and accepts
with good grace whatever he may get in return. Mr. Paine was also
connected with an association of gentlemen of literary attainments
which was organized in 1877. Among its members were Dr. George M.
Sternberg, later surgeon general of the United States army, Judge J.
K. Kennedy, Dr. J. E. Bingham, Colonel H. E. Holmes, Ex-Governor M.
C. Moore, Colonel W. H. Miller, J. F. Boyer, Major R. R. Rees, F.
W. Paine and a number of other prominent citizens. The objects of
this association, as expressed in its articles of organization, were
to maintain a scientific and useful library, to promote science and
to cultivate and improve its members. Mr. Paine is also a member of
the Archaeological Association of Walla Walla, which under Professor
Anderson maintains a good degree of activity, bringing to the city many
able lecturers on arts and sciences. On the list of the members of the
Symphony Orchestra is also found the name of Frank W. Paine, who has
been its honored president for many years, an association which has
done much to cultivate and promote musical taste in Walla Walla.
Most pleasantly situated in his home life, notwithstanding the extent
and importance of his business and public and social activities, the
interest of Frank W. Paine, yet has ever centered in his home. He
married Ida B. Illsley, a daughter of Jonathan H. Illsley, a merchant
of Harrison, Maine, the wedding being celebrated in the Presbyterian
church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D. C., April 3, 1876. After a
brief visit to their old homes in Maine they turned toward Walla Walla,
visiting the Centennial at Philadelphia while en route and thence
proceeding to San Francisco, to Portland and on to their destination,
where they arrived on the 6th of July, being soon domiciled in the
home which they yet occupy. Mrs. Paine comes of a family of superior
musical and literary talent, finding its highest exponent perhaps in
her eldest sister, the late Mrs. Caroline A. Tolman, who possessed
unusual literary ability and devoted much time and talent to advocating
the emancipation of women, contemporaneous with Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
Susan B. Anthony and Abigail Scott Dunniway. They labored to make a
place for woman side by side with man. Theirs was scant praise in their
day but already the harvest of their labors is being garnered.
To Mr. and Mrs. Paine were born four daughters. Elizabeth, the eldest,
passed away at the age of twenty-four years. Josephine became the wife
of Timothy A. Paul, a graduate of the University of Virginia and now
a resident of Walla Walla, by whom she has three children, two sons
and a daughter. Mary became the wife of Ben G. Stone, a real estate
and insurance man and farmer of Walla Walla, and they have two sons.
Frances is the wife of R. Douglas Ball, who is engaged in the wholesale
paper business in Seattle, and they have three children, a daughter and
two sons. Mr. and Mrs. Paine are happy in the possession of their three
daughters, their generous, manly husbands and their promising children.
They stand to them a full measure of reward for any and all sacrifices
it may have been their duty and pleasure to make for them and an ample
assurance of continued happiness in them, for all of which they duly
return thanks to the "giver of every good and perfect gift."
JOHN N. FALL.
John N. Fall was one of the pioneers of Walla Walla county who reaped
the reward of his labors, being at the time of his death the owner of
large tracts of fine wheat land, the operation of which he supervised,
although a resident of Walla Walla. He was born in Indiana, September
13, 1836, a son of Asa and Agnes (Davis) Fall, the former a native of
North Carolina. Both parents passed their last years in Walla Walla
county.
John N. Fall received the education usually afforded boys in pioneer
communities and remained with his parents until he reached mature
years. In 1861 he decided to take advantage of the opportunities
offered the ambitious young man in the Pacific northwest and crossed
the plains with ox teams. He at once settled in Walla Walla county,
buying a farm on Mill creek, on which he resided until 1867. He then
removed to Walla Walla but continued to operate his farm and, although
as the years passed his holdings increased rapidly, he never ceased to
exercise direct personal supervision over his agricultural interests.
He was at once practical and progressive, being ready to adopt any
new method or implement whose value had been reasonably well proven.
He gave careful study to the problems of increased production, the
conservation of soil fertility and advantageous marketing, and it was
recognized that he was an authority on everything pertaining to wheat
raising.
Mr. Fall was married in Missouri in 1858 to Miss Sarah E. Williams,
a daughter of Benjamin and Mary Williams, both of whom were born in
Kentucky, but for a number of years resided in Missouri, whence they
finally removed to Iowa, where the father passed away. The mother then
came to Walla Walla county, where she spent her last years. To Mr. and
Mrs. Fall was born a son, Dr. E. E. Fall, who died in February, 1917,
leaving a son, Edmond E.
Mr. Fall supported the democratic party at the polls and manifested the
interest of a good citizen in public affairs. Fraternally he belonged
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of
United Workmen, and the spirit which characterized his life was that
of fraternity and consideration for others. He passed away in 1900 and
was laid to rest in Mountain View cemetery. He was a consistent member
of the Presbyterian church, to the support of which he contributed
generously, and his sterling worth gained him a warm place in the
regard of those who were closely associated with him. Mrs. Fall was
also a member of that denomination and was likewise keenly interested
in its various activities. After the death of her husband she owned and
personally managed the operation of two thousand and forty acres of
wheat land and two hundred and forty acres on the mountain, a part of
which was wheat land and a part pasture. In looking after her extensive
interests she manifested an executive ability and keen insight into
business that was far above the average and she was recognized as a
factor in the development of the county along agricultural lines.
ELMER L. WOODS.
Elmer L. Woods, who resides on section 7, township 9 north, range 27
east, is one of the leading horticulturists of Walla Walla county,
his apple orchard comprising almost four thousand trees of the finest
varieties. He was born in that township, November 4, 1888, and is a son
of Joel and Viola M. (Hull) Woods, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere
in this work. He was reared at home and during his boyhood and youth
attended the Waitsburg public schools, thus receiving a good education.
On reaching man's estate he became associated with his father in the
operation of the home farm, and this relation was continued until
the father's death. In 1911 forty acres were planted to apple trees,
ninety-six to an acre, by Walter & Morris, the administrators of the
estate. This orchard of three thousand eight hundred and forty trees is
now bearing, and is one of the finest fruit orchards in the county. At
the time the estate was settled Mr. Woods of this review acquired title
to the orchard, and it yielded about two thousand boxes of apples in
1917. He has given the orchard the most thorough and systematic care
and is ever businesslike in solving problems of packing and marketing.
Mr. Woods belongs to Delta Lodge, No. 70, K. P., of Waitsburg and is
in hearty sympathy with the ideals of the fraternity upon which that
organization is based. He possesses in marked measure the enterprise
and self-reliance characteristic of the western man, and he has the
utmost confidence in the future of his county and state.
FRANK SINGLETON.
There are few residents of Walla Walla who can claim connection with
the city from 1857. The memory of Frank Singleton, however, harks back
to the period when this was a frontier fort and the work of progress
and civilization had scarcely been begun in all this section of the
country. The Indians were more numerous than the white settlers and
only here and there had some venturesome spirit penetrated into the
western wilderness to plant the seeds of civilization. Frank Singleton,
who is now extensively interested in mining and is engaged in the
real estate business in Walla Walla, was but six years of age at the
time of his arrival in Washington. He was born in San Antonio, Texas,
November 7, 1850, and after the removal of the family to the northwest
pursued his education in the public and parochial schools of Walla
Walla. On reaching manhood he engaged in the live stock business, with
which he was prominently identified for many years. At one time he
was a heavy holder of farm lands, but in 1916 he sold his farm north
of Prescott, comprising six hundred acres, which was the last of his
farm possessions. For the past twelve years he has been prominently
identified with mining and has large holdings in mining property. For
six years he has been engaged in the real estate business in Walla
Walla and has negotiated many important realty transfers. In a word,
he is a progressive business man, alert and energetic, his activities
guided by sound judgment, while his laudable ambition has brought to
him gratifying success.
In July, 1907, Mr. Singleton was united in marriage to Mrs. Martha
White, who in her maidenhood was Miss Kidwell, a daughter of James
Kidwell, who in 1863 cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of
Walla Walla. By her former marriage Mrs. Singleton had two sons;
Walter, who is engaged in farming in Walla Walla county; and Vivian,
who is a farmer of Franklin county. Mr. and Mrs. Singleton are widely
and favorably known in the city and surrounding country, having an
extensive circle of friends, while the hospitality of the best homes is
freely accorded them. With every phase of pioneer life and of the later
development and progress of the county they are familiar, having been
interested witnesses of the growth and upbuilding of this section of
the state from early pioneer times.
WILLIAM D. PAUL.
William D. Paul was successful as a farmer and his personal qualities
were such that he made and retained friends readily. He was recognized
as a man of worth and there was much sincere regret when he passed away
at his home in Walla Walla. His birth occurred in Walla Walla county,
October 21, 1864, and his parents were Thomas and Susan F. (Ellis)
Paul, both of whom were born in Iowa. In 1861 they crossed the plains
with ox team to Washington, and the father took up a claim in Walla
Walla county, on which they resided until called by death.
William D. Paul was reared under the parental roof and in the
acquirement of his education attended the pioneer schools. His entire
life was devoted to farming and he became in time the owner of three
hundred and twenty acres of fertile land, from which he received a
gratifying income. He made many improvements upon his place and was
careful and systematic in the conduct of the farm work. He also held
title to valuable city property and for a number of years resided in
Walla Walla.
In 1895 Mr. Paul was married to Miss Kate Loney, a native of Canada
and a daughter of Charles and Charlotte (Cole) Loney, who were born
in Ireland but emigrated to Canada in young manhood and womanhood. In
1880 they came to Walla Walla, Washington, and here they passed their
remaining days. To Mr. and Mrs. Paul were born four children: Thomas
N., who is farming in Walla Walla county; Winifred and Ruth, both high
school students; and Geneva.
Mr. Paul endorsed the principles of the republican party, and gave
his loyal support to its candidates at the polls. His religious faith
was the determining principle in his life and he gave freely of his
time and means in furthering work of the Baptist church, in which he
held the office of deacon and also that of treasurer. He passed away
August 24, 1916, and was laid to rest in the Mountain View cemetery.
His unswerving integrity and his consistent regard for the rights
and feelings of others gave him a place in the warm regard of many,
and those who were privileged to know him intimately still cherish
his memory. Mrs. Paul owns the family residence in Walla Walla and
there makes her home. She rents the farm and personally attends to
the management of her affairs and displays in that connection unusual
business qualities. She, too, is a faithful and active member of the
Baptist church and is a woman of many admirable qualities.
WILLIAM S. CLARK.
William S. Clark, who is living retired in Walla Walla save for the
management of his extensive farming interests, has passed his entire
life in the northwest and is a son of pioneers who came to "Old Oregon"
in 1843, when this region was wild and uninhabited save by Indians and
fur traders and when it was still a mooted question whether it was
British or American territory. The birth of William S. Clark occurred
in Portland, Oregon, April 9, 1857, and his parents were Ransom and
Lettice Jane (Millican) Clark. The father was born near St. Johnsbury,
Vermont, July 22, 1810, and was descended from a long line of Puritan
ancestors. The first one of the family to emigrate to America was
Lieutenant William Clark, who became one of the first settlers of
Dorchester and Northampton, Massachusetts. Smith College at Northampton
is situated upon land that was a part of his homestead.
[Illustration: RANSOM CLARK]
Ransom Clark received his education in Vermont and remained there
for a considerable period after reaching mature years. At length,
however, he manifested the pioneer spirit that had characterized
his ancestors and removed to the west, where he believed there were
better opportunities. He first located in Wisconsin and then went to
St. Louis and later to New Orleans. He was in St. Louis in 1843 at
the time Lieutenant Fremont was fitting out his company for his trip
to the Pacific coast and although the greater part of his men were
French and Canadian frontiersmen, Mr. Clark and about a half dozen
other Americans enlisted for the expedition. Mr. Clark remained with
the Fremont party until The Dalles were reached and then, with two
other Americans, left the command and joined the American emigrants
just coming into the country. In the spring of 1844 he took up his
residence upon a farm near Lafayette and was successful in adapting
himself to the conditions of that frontier locality, growing good crops
and also engaging in stock raising. The Oregon Spectator of July 4,
1846, contained the following advertisement: "Ransom Clark, at his
home on Yamhill river, offers for sale wheat, oats, corn, white beans,
peas and potatoes, also bacon, salt pork, hogs and breeding sows." At
the time of the discovery of gold he went to the mines in California,
where he spent two years, after which he conducted a hotel in Linn,
Oregon, and still later became one of the proprietors of the Columbian
Hotel in Portland. In 1855 he went to the Colville country, in which
gold had been discovered, and returning by way of Walla Walla, took
up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres just south of the
present site of Walla Walla. However, the country had not yet been
formally opened for settlement and he was compelled to leave by Nathan
Olney, Indian agent. In 1888, however, he learned that the country
would soon be opened up and in that spring went to his claim with a
full outfit of farming implements, fruit trees, nursery stock, etc. He
took with him John Haley to fence and care for his place and, leaving
him there, soon returned to Oregon. The following spring he again came
to this region, and this time was accompanied by his son, Charles W.,
whom he left on the place. In May he returned to Portland to make final
arrangements for removing to his land, but while there became ill and
died on the 24th of May, 1859, at the early age of forty-nine years. He
was a member of the famous Lyceum and Debating Society of Oregon City
and, as he wrote to a friend, "always advocated those principles which
are best calculated to promote the cause of education, to promote the
greatest good to the greatest number." He was quite prominent in civic
affairs, served as a member of one of the early legislatures and in
1844 was one of three commissioners to view out and survey a road from
the Willamette falls to the falls of the Yamhill river. He realized
that a great future was in store for this section and was among the men
who laid broad and deep the foundation for its future development.
Ransom Clark was married in 1845 to Miss Lettice Jane, the eldest
daughter of Elijah and Lucinda (Crisp) Millican. She was born in
Canehill, Arkansas, October 3, 1830. In 1843 the family joined the
Whitman train and after a journey of weary months reached Oregon. The
following year the Millican family settled near the town of Lafayette,
Yamhill county, and there in 1845 Lattice J. Millican became the
wife of Ransom Clark. Following the death of her husband in 1859,
she made the journey to Walla Walla in order to make arrangements
for subsequently locating upon the farm which Mr. Clark had taken
up and which was known for many years as the Ransom Clark donation
claim. She was given a place in the government ambulance from Wallula
to Walla Walla and her first night in the latter place was spent in
the fort. The following morning she was driven out to her claim and
remained there for two weeks. She then returned to Portland, where
the birth of her daughter occurred the following summer. In October,
1859, she again came to Walla Walla in company with her family. They
were passengers on the first stage from The Dalles to Walla Walla,
with John F. Abbott as driver. Later she received a letter from Judge
E. D. Shattuck of Portland advising her to sell her claim for two
hundred and seventy-five dollars and abandon the idea of developing it.
However, she disregarded this advice and continued to reside upon the
farm with her children. On the 23d of May, 1861, she married Almos H.
Reynolds, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. She was one
of the earliest pioneer women at the head of a ranch in Walla Walla
county and the fact that she had been privileged to witness more of
the growth of the northwest than others seemed to give her an added
interest in everything pertaining to public welfare. She contributed
much to the upbuilding of the various institutions of the city and by
reason of her force of character and her many liberal and well advised
benefactions she was recognized as a most prominent citizen of Walla
Walla. The erection of the Young Men's Christian Association building
was made possible by a twenty thousand dollar donation from her and
after its completion she was one of the chief contributors toward
its upkeep. At the rally and jubilee held when the association had
raised the forty-five thousand dollars necessary to pay off its debt
the speech that she made expressing her great joy in the knowledge
that the association was free of all debt will long be remembered by
all who heard her. She was also a loyal friend and patron of Whitman
College, contributing generously at various times to the support of
the institution and paying off a debt of six thousand dollars on the
girls' dormitory, which is named in her honor Reynolds Hall. She was a
woman of the highest ideals and also had the keenness of intellect and
strength of character to realize her ideals and the memory of Lettice
J. Reynolds will long be held in honor in Walla Walla.
William S. Clark received his education in the public schools and
Whitman Academy, his parents realizing the value of liberal training
and giving their children the best advantages possible. After leaving
school he went to work in the drug store of Dr. J. H. Day of Walla
Walla, and there studied pharmacy. Later he was for two years clerk in
a drug store in Portland and then returned to Walla Walla and continued
to engage in the drug business here until 1877. He was then employed
for some time on the railroad from Walla Walla to Wallula, owned by Dr.
Baker. The latter recognized that with the settling up of the country
land would rapidly increase in value and advised Mr. Clark to invest
his savings in land. Accordingly he began buying farm lands, to the
operation of which he gave close personal supervision for many years.
He now, however, leaves all the actual work of cultivation to others,
confining his attention to the business management of his properties.
On the 6th of June, 1900, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Ella
H. Seelye, a teacher for seventeen years in the Walla Walla public
schools. She was born in Minnesota and is a daughter of Stuart Seelye,
who had the distinction of building the first lumber, shingle and flour
mills in Little Falls, Minnesota. The Seelye family have been prominent
in educational circles in the east, Julius Seelye being president of
Amherst College and Clark Seelye president of Smith College. To Mr. and
Mrs. Clark has been born a daughter, Evelyn.
Mr. and Mrs. Clark are members of the Congregational church and its
work profits greatly by their material and moral support. Mr. Clark is
a republican in politics and has taken quite a prominent part in public
affairs. He was assistant secretary of the constitutional convention of
Washington territory which met in 1878 and has never ceased to be an
earnest student of the questions and issues of the day. For two years
he was president of the Farmers Union of Walla Walla and in 1873 he
was a member of the party under the leadership of Major Truax which
surveyed the land around Colfax. He also saw military service, serving
in the Nez Percé Indian war in 1877 and in the Bannock war in 1878.
His record proves that he is in all respects worthy of his ancestors.
among whom were numbered soldiers of the Revolutionary war, and he
has taken advantage of the privilege which his descent affords of
joining the Sons of the American Revolution. The first member of the
family in America, Lieutenant William Clark, who came to this country
in 1630, also participated in Indian fighting, taking part in a war
which occurred in the year of his arrival. Mr. Clark is a member of the
different Masonic orders. He feels the greatest loyalty toward his city
and state and nothing gives him more pleasure than to cooperate with
movements for the public benefit.
JOHN SINGLETON.
John Singleton was one of the earliest of Walla Walla's pioneers,
arriving here in 1857, and to the time of his death he was prominently,
actively and helpfully associated with the work of development and
progress in this section of the state. He was born in County Cork,
Ireland, in 1824, and was educated under private tutors. On the 22d of
April, 1847, he was married in Queens county, Ireland, to Miss Frances
Jane Gowan and two years later they crossed the Atlantic to the United
States, settling in New York, where he at once enlisted for service in
the army. He was sent to Texas as quartermaster's clerk under Major
Bilger and the command was stationed in the Alamo at San Antonio,
Texas, his office being in the very room where Colonel Davy Crockett
was killed. He remained in Texas in the service of the government for
six years and was then honorably discharged, after which he returned
to Washington, D. C. Subsequently he occupied a clerical position for
six months in the old arsenal. He then went to Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1856 Mr. Singleton again enlisted in the army for service on the
Pacific coast, believing that the change of climate would benefit his
failing health. He made his way westward by way of the Isthmus of
Panama and thence northward to Vancouver, Washington, where he was
stationed for ten months. His company afterward took part in the war
with the Yakima Indians, having several sharp engagements with them in
the Cascade mountains. His command was led by Captain Winder and the
Indians by Chief Camiachan. After subduing the red men Captain Winder's
command built a fort and remained in the Cascades for about a year,
but later was transferred to The Dalles, Oregon, and in the spring of
1857 arrived at Fort Walla Walla, where Mr. Singleton remained in the
service until 1861, when he was honorably discharged, his term having
expired. While he was still engaged in military duty here the Indians
from several tribes joined in hostilities to prevent Captain Mullen
opening a military road across the Rocky and Coeur d'Alene mountains
to the Columbia river. Mr. Singleton was in Colonel Steptoe's command,
which met the allied tribes in the memorable engagement of Steptoe
Butte, which was of several days' duration. The whites, being greatly
outnumbered, suffered a disastrous defeat and were driven back to the
Snake river in great disorder. In this engagement Mr. Singleton had a
very narrow escape from death. He became separated from his comrades
in the retreat and after wandering around nearly all night came upon a
band of friendly Nez Percé Indians, who conducted him to the Clearwater
river, ferried him across and directed him to the camp of his company,
who had reported to his wife that he had died. Colonel Wright soon came
up from The Dalles with a thousand men, and being thus reenforced, the
troops began an active campaign against the Indians. In a short time
the American army had scattered, captured or killed the entire tribe.
Some were hanged in the mountains but the most noted leaders were
brought to Walla Walla, where seven of them were hanged in the public
square in the rear of the garrison. During his service in Fort Walla
Walla, Mr. Singleton did most of the work of keeping the records of
the post, in the performance of which duty he was compelled to use an
old-fashioned quill pen.
Mrs. Singleton had purchased a squatter's right from Captain Pierce,
and on Mr. Singleton's discharge he retired to the homestead, which has
been the place of residence of the family continuously since. It is
said that the money which Captain Pierce obtained for his squatter's
right enabled him to open the Orofino mining district, of which he was
the first prospector.
Mr. Singleton died at the old home on December 28, 1893, and there his
widow and two daughters still reside. Mrs. Singleton is now in her
ninetieth year but for some time past has been an invalid. To Mr. and
Mrs. Singleton were born six children: Catherine, who is the widow of
Thomas Tierney and resides in San Francisco; Frank E.; William H.,
who is deceased; Elizabeth and Eudora M., who are at home; and Esther
Belle, who gave her hand in marriage to J. W. Brooks, a prominent
attorney of Walla Walla.
Not only as one of the Indian fighters of the northwest but also as one
of the progressive farmers of Walla Walla county did John Singleton
leave the impress of his individuality upon the history of southeastern
Washington. His worth as a man and as a citizen was widely acknowledged
by all who knew him. There was no phase of pioneer life in this section
of the country with which he was not familiar and he rejoiced in all
that was accomplished in the way of introducing the evidences of modern
civilization. His labors wrought good results and his name should be
inscribed high upon the roll of those who have reclaimed this great
region, making it a habitable and safe place in which civilization may
be still further advanced.
GARRIT ROMAINE.
Garrit Romaine was for many years engaged in farming on a tract of
three hundred and twenty acres of excellent land six miles north of
Dayton, in Columbia county, and it was recognized that the county had
lost a valued citizen when he was called to the home beyond. He was
born in New York city, March 7, 1829, a son of Benjamin and Charity
(Hopper) Romaine, also natives of the eastern metropolis. Subsequently
the family removed to New Jersey, and thence to Fond du Lac county,
Wisconsin, where both parents passed away. All their eight children are
also now deceased.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. GARRIT ROMAINE]
Garrit Romaine was reared at home and obtained his education in the
public schools of New York city. When twenty years old he went west
to Wisconsin, where he remained for many years, or until 1877, when
he removed to California. After remaining there for a short time he
took up his residence in Harrisburg, Oregon, but in 1881 removed to
Old Walla Walla county, Washington, locating in what is now Columbia
county, on a farm six miles from Dayton. He at once began the
improvement and development of his place, which he continued to operate
until called by death. It comprises three hundred and twenty acres of
good wheat land, and his industry and good management were rewarded by
large crops, from the sale of which he derived a good income.
Mr. Romaine was married in Wisconsin in 1852, to Miss Martha L.
Harbaugh, by whom he had seven children: William B., deceased; John
H., a farmer; Jerome W., now a resident of Bellingham, Washington;
Franz Sigel, a farmer; Charity, who is the wife of Newton James, and
has three children, Louis Homer, on the old farm, Lois, now Mrs. H.
L. Gritman of Columbia county, and Frida Ellen, now the wife of A. W.
Munford of Ironwood, Michigan; Freeman C., deceased; and Rachel, the
wife of Henry James, of Dayton.
Mr. Romaine gave his political allegiance to the republican party,
and while not an office seeker was always keenly interested in
everything affecting the general welfare. No project looking toward the
advancement of his community failed to receive his heartiest support
and cooperation, and he was particularly interested in the upbuilding
of the local schools. Fraternally he was connected with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and took an active part in the work of the lodge.
He passed away October 23, 1900, and was laid to rest in the Dayton
cemetery, leaving to mourn his loss, besides his family, many warm
friends. Mrs. Romaine resides with her daughter, Mrs. Newton James, and
holds title to the homestead. She belongs to the Christian church and
has exemplified its teachings in her daily life.
CHARLES F. KIBLER.
Charles F. Kibler, one of the prominent farmers and stockmen of Walla
Walla township, is with his brothers operating forty-four hundred
acres of fine land. He is a native son of Walla Walla county and has
resided here throughout his entire life. He was born September 24,
1874, of the marriage of Jacob and Louise (Buroker) Kibler, natives
respectively of Virginia and Iowa. The father removed to Missouri when
a young man and in the early '50s made the long journey overland to
California, where he resided for five years. In 1858 he came to Walla
Walla, Washington, and for some time worked as a farm hand. He then
took up land on Mill creek but for several years gave the greater part
of his time and attention to freighting by ox team. Subsequently, when
the country became more thickly settled and there was not so much
need for freighting supplies from a distant market town, he began the
cultivation of his land. His farming operations yielded him a good
profit and he acquired additional land, being at the time of his death
the owner of fifteen hundred acres. He made excellent improvements upon
his place and was one of the substantial men of the county. He passed
away in 1908 and is survived by his wife, who has reached the age of
sixty-six years. Five of the six children born to their union survive.
Charles F. Kibler passed the days of his boyhood and youth in his
native county and attended the district schools in the acquirement of
his education. Through working for his father he received thorough
training in the best methods of farming and stock raising and on
attaining his majority he began farming on his own account. He and
his brothers have added to their holdings from time to time and now
own forty-four hundred acres of good land finely improved. They have
systematized their work and conduct their ranch in the same careful
manner that a business man manages his interests. Their progressiveness
and good judgment are manifested in the excellent return which they
receive from their land and they have never had occasion to regret
their choice of an occupation.
Charles F. Kibler was married in 1898 to Miss Marie Clodius, a native
of Illinois and a daughter of H. F. and Catherine Clodius, who removed
to Walla Walla county in 1881 and are now residents of Waitsburg. Mr.
and Mrs. Kibler have a son, Albert F., who was born October 21, 1900,
and is still at home.
Mr. Kibler casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of
the democratic party but has never sought office as a reward for his
loyalty. He is thoroughly imbued with the characteristic western spirit
of enterprise and optimism, and any project for the benefit of his
county or state receives his heartiest approval and most energetic
support.
ALLEN H. REYNOLDS.
Allen H. Reynolds occupies an enviable position in professional and
financial circles as a leading lawyer of Walla Walla and as the
president of the Farmers Savings Bank. He was born January 24, 1869,
in the city where he still makes his home, his parents being Almos
H. and Lettice J. (Clark) Reynolds, who are mentioned at length on
another page of this work. He has spent his entire life in Walla Walla,
acquiring his early education in a private school conducted by the
Rev. P. B. Chamberlain. He afterward matriculated in Whitman College
and thus laid broad and deep the foundation upon which to build the
superstructure of professional learning. When his collegiate course was
completed he decided upon the practice of law as a life work and then
entered the law department of the Boston University, from which he was
graduated with the class of 1893. Soon afterward he returned to his
native city, where he opened an office and entered upon the practice
of law, becoming associated with W. H. Kirkman. Some time later that
partnership was dissolved and he joined his brother under the firm
style of Reynolds Brothers, but in the spring of 1900 he entered into
partnership with Andrew J. Gillis in a relationship that continued
for some time. He is now a partner of Grant S. Bond, with offices
at No. 6½ Main street. His success in a professional way affords
the best evidence of his capabilities in this line. He is a strong
advocate with the jury and concise in his appeals before the court.
Much of the success which has attended him in his professional career
is undoubtedly due to the fact that he prepares his cases with great
thoroughness and must be convinced of the absolute justice of his
client's cause. Aside from his activities in the profession of law,
Mr. Reynolds is well known in banking circles, having served as vice
president of the First National Bank of Walla Walla until November,
1913. At the present time he is president of the Farmers Savings Bank,
having succeeded the late W. P. Winans, who had been president for
twenty-eight years.
On the 7th of November, 1894, Mr. Reynolds was married to Miss Fanny
Kirkman, a daughter of William H. and Isabella Kirkman, well known
residents of this city, where Mrs. Reynolds was born. They have become
parents of three children: William Allen, born November 19, 1895;
Almos, born May 19, 1898; and Ruth Sarah, born February 3, 1901.
Mr. Reynolds is treasurer and one of the trustees of Whitman College
and has been the president of the Young Men's Christian Association
since its organization. There is no plan or movement for the benefit
and upbuilding of the city in which he is not helpfully concerned,
standing at all times for progress and improvement in municipal as well
as in private affairs.
HENRY OSTERMAN.
Henry Osterman, a member of the firm of Osterman & Siebert, leading
architects of Walla Walla, and one whose efforts along professional
lines have found expression in the erection of some of the finest
buildings not only in this city but elsewhere in the state, was born in
Germany, about three miles from Essen, on the 20th of January, 1862, a
son of William and Mary (Wusthoff) Osterman, both of whom spent their
entire lives in Germany, where the father followed the occupations of
farming and milling.
Their son, Henry Osterman, was reared under the parental roof and
acquired a college education in Essen, Germany. He served three years
in the German army and after reaching his majority took up the study
of architecture in Dusseldorf, Germany. In May, 1889, he decided
to try his fortune in the new world, hoping here to find excellent
professional opportunities. He accordingly came to the United States
and on the 15th of June of that year he arrived in Walla Walla,
Washington, where he has since made his home and practiced his
profession. Having little knowledge of the English language and of
building conditions in this country, which he found somewhat different
from those in his native land, he did not immediately apply himself to
architectural work but became associated with building operations and
for a time worked as a carpenter. Shortly afterward, however, he took
up contracting and building on his own account and was prominently
identified with building operations for eight years. In 1899 he began
the practice of his profession, opening an architect's office in the
old Baker-Boyer building. He associated with him in this undertaking
Victor E. Siebert, who was a former employe of Mr. Osterman and
had later gone to the east, where he was graduated from the Boston
School of Technology in 1912. The following year he was admitted to
a partnership, forming the present firm of Osterman & Siebert. Among
the many buildings for which Mr. Osterman has drawn the plans and also
superintended the erection are the courthouse, the city hall, the Young
Men's Christian Association building, the high school building, the
Jefferson, the Green Park and the Sharpstein schools, the city library
and practically all the important business and office buildings in the
city, together with many of the finer residences. All these stand as
monuments to the enterprise, the skill and the professional ability of
Mr. Osterman, whose thorough preparatory training and subsequent study
and experience have placed him in the front ranks among the architects
of the northwest.
In 1902 Mr. Osterman was united in marriage to Miss Geneva Cooney, of
Coon Rapids, Iowa, and to this marriage have been born five children,
Bernardina, Henrietta, Hugo, Ruth and Betty.
Mr. Osterman gives his political endorsement to the republican party.
Fraternally he is connected with Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A.
M.; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; Washington Commandery, No. 1,
K. T.; the Consistory of Spokane; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M.
S., also of Spokane, while both he and his wife are connected with the
Order of the Eastern Star. He is also identified with Trinity Lodge,
I. O. O. F., and both he and his wife are consistent members of the
Congregational church, guiding their lives according to its teachings.
Mr. Osterman has never had occasion to regret his determination to come
to the new world, for here he has found the business opportunities
which he sought and in their utilization has made steady progress. Not
only does he rank with the leading architects of Washington, but is
also a prominent figure in financial and commercial circles. He was
one of the organizers of the Third National Bank, of which he is now
a director, and he is also one of the organizers and a member of the
board of directors of the Gardner Company, which owns and controls
Walla Walla's largest mercantile establishment. His identification
with these interests is the expression of his well directed energy and
thrift, his close application and his persistency of purpose, ever
guided by a laudable ambition. Step by step he has worked his way
upward and his course should serve to inspire others who must start out
in life empty-handed. The wise use which he has made of his time, his
talents and his opportunities has placed him in the creditable position
which he fills today in business and professional circles of Walla
Walla.
ALMOS H. REYNOLDS.
LETTICE J. REYNOLDS.
Almos H. Reynolds was for many years one of the prominent financiers
of the northwest, becoming a factor in the establishment of the first
banking business in Walla Walla and figuring for many years as one of
the principal stockholders of the First National Bank. He was born
in Madrid, St. Lawrence county, New York, October 21, 1808, and in
early life learned the millwright's trade. In 1838, when a man of
thirty years, he removed westward to Illinois and subsequently became
a resident of Iowa, where he remained until 1850. He then crossed
the plains to California, attracted by the gold discoveries on the
Pacific coast, and in May, 1859, he came to Walla Walla, where he
resided until his demise, which occurred thirty years later, or on
the 21st of April, 1889. He was prominently identified with milling
interests in this section, erecting many mills throughout the territory
of Washington, two of them being in the immediate vicinity of Walla
Walla. He also built and for several years owned a woolen mill at
Dayton. He was associated with Dr. J. H. Day in establishing the first
banking business in Walla Walla, opening a private banking institution,
which they carried on under the firm style of Reynolds & Day. He was
alert and energetic, constantly watchful of opportunities pointing to
success. Eventually he became one of the principal stockholders in the
First National Bank and was largely instrumental in its organization.
Mr. Reynolds was a man of keen insight which enabled him to readily
recognize a favorable business situation and his laudable ambition
prompted its immediate use. Whatever he undertook he carried forward
to successful completion and the integrity of his business methods was
above question.
[Illustration: ALMOS H. REYNOLDS]
[Illustration: MRS. LETTICE J. REYNOLDS]
On the 23d of May, 1861, Mr. Reynolds was united in marriage to Mrs.
Lettice J. (Millican) Clark, the widow of Ransom Clark, who first
crossed the plains to Oregon with Dr. Whitman in 1843. She was born
in Canehill, Arkansas, October 3, 1830, and received her education
in her native town. In 1843 the family joined the Whitman train and
after a journey of weary months reached Oregon. The following year the
Millican family settled near the town of Lafayette, Yamhill county,
and there in 1845 Lettice J. Millican became the wife of Ransom Clark.
Following the death of her husband in 1859, she made the journey to
Walla Walla in order to make arrangements for subsequently taking up
her home upon the farm which Mr. Clark had taken up and which was known
for many years as the Ransom Clark donation claim. She was given a
place in the government wagon from Wallula to Walla Walla and her first
night in the latter place was spent in the fort. The following morning
she was driven out to her claim and remained there for two weeks.
She then returned to Portland and, after the birth of her daughter
the following summer, she took up her permanent home on the claim in
Walla Walla county. Soon after doing so she received a letter from her
Portland lawyer advising her to sell her claim for two hundred and
seventy-five dollars and abandon the idea of developing it. However,
she disregarded this advice and continued to reside upon the farm with
her children. On the 23d of May, 1861, she married Almos H. Reynolds.
She was the earliest pioneer woman residing in Walla Walla county and
the fact that she had been privileged to witness more of the growth
of the northwest than others seemed to give her an added interest in
everything pertaining to the public welfare. She contributed much to
the upbuilding of the various institutions of the city and by reason
of her force of character and her many liberal and well advised
benefactions she was recognized as a most prominent citizen of Walla
Walla. The erection of the Young Men's Christian Association building
was made possible by a twenty thousand dollar donation from her and
after its completion she was one of the chief contributors toward
its upkeep. At the rally and jubilee held when the association had
raised the forty-five thousand dollars necessary to pay off its debt,
the speech that she made expressing her great joy in the knowledge
that the association was free of all debt will long be remembered by
all who heard her. She was also a loyal friend and patron of Whitman
College, contributing generously at various times to the support of
the institution and paying off a debt of six thousand dollars on the
girls' dormitory, which is named in her honor Reynolds Hall. She was a
woman of the highest ideals and also had the keenness of intellect and
strength of character to realize her ideals, and the memory of Lettice
J. Reynolds will long be held in honor in Walla Walla.
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Almos H. Reynolds were born two sons:
Harry A., who was born October 14, 1863; and Allen H., who was born
January 24, 1869.
JOHN R. GOSE, M. D.
It is believed that few men possess the ability to attain success
along both professional and agricultural lines, but Dr. John R. Gose,
living on section 33, township 8 north, range 37 east, in Walla Walla
county, has made a creditable name in both connections. He was born
in Missouri, November 16, 1861, and is a son of John M. and Hannah J.
(McQuown) Gose, the former a native of Kentucky, while the latter was
born in Virginia. In 1864 they removed westward, settling at Boise,
Idaho, where they spent the winter, and in the following spring they
arrived in Walla Walla county, Washington, taking up their abode upon a
ranch, where they are still living. They are one of the most venerable
couples of the county, the father having attained the age of ninety-one
years, while his wife is eighty-five years of age. In their family were
seven children, of whom three are living.
Dr. Gose was not yet four years of age when his parents crossed the
plains, so that he was reared upon the western frontier. He pursued
his education in the schools of Walla Walla county and after having
completed his preliminary course he determined to enter upon the
practice of medicine and with that end in view returned to the east,
matriculating in Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from which
in due course of time he was graduated. He then returned to Washington
to engage in the practice of his profession, which he followed in
Pomeroy, Garfield county, for fourteen years and also in the city of
Walla Walla for three years. He then withdrew from the active practice
of his profession, in which he had won substantial success and made for
himself a most creditable name. Removing to a ranch near Dixie, he has
since devoted his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits
and has proved most capable in the management and conduct of his
farming interests.
In 1889 Dr. Gose was united in marriage to Miss Minnie S. Aldrich, a
representative of one of the old pioneer families of this section of
the state. She was born upon the farm where she now resides and is a
daughter of Newton and Anna M. (Shoemaker) Aldrich. Her father was a
native of the state of New York, while her mother was born in Iowa.
Mr. Aldrich came to Washington in 1861 and was here married to Miss
Shoemaker, who had crossed the plains in 1864. They took up their abode
upon the farm which is now occupied by Dr. and Mrs. Gose and upon that
place they spent their remaining days. At the time of his death Mr.
Aldrich owned seven hundred and twenty acres of land, of which Mrs.
Gose inherited three hundred and sixty acres. He had gained a most
substantial place among the agriculturists of this section of the state
and his genuine personal worth had endeared him to all with whom he
came in contact. To him and his wife were born three children: Mrs.
Gose; Ida, who has departed this life; and Clara E., who is the wife of
G. L. Bailey.
To Dr. and Mrs. Case have been born five children: Roberta L., who is
a college graduate; Kenneth A., who is living upon the home ranch;
Carl, who has passed away; Anna M., who is a high school graduate; and
John Newton, who is now attending high school. Dr. Gose belongs to
the Modern Woodmen camp in Dixie. His political allegiance is given
to the republican party and while he was a resident of Pomeroy he
served for two terms as mayor of that city. Mrs. Gose belongs to the
Congregational church, in the work of which she takes an active and
helpful part. They are very prominent people in this section of the
state and the hospitality of the best homes is freely accorded them.
They have a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of
their acquaintance and they are both representatives of worthy pioneer
families of the northwest, having resided in this section of the
country for more than half a century. They have therefore witnessed the
greater part of the growth and development of Walla Walla county, have
seen tiny hamlets grow into prosperous cities, wild land converted into
productive farms and all the natural resources of the country utilized
for the benefit of man. Their aid and influence are always given on the
side of progress and improvement and they advocate as well all those
high standards which work for civic betterment.
CHARLES E. NYE.
Charles E. Nye, who is engaged in the harness and saddlery business in
Walla Walla, winning for himself a creditable position in commercial
circles, was born in Germany on the 3d of June, 1848, his parents being
John N. and Elizabeth (Baker) Nye. They came to the United States in
1853, when he was a little lad of but five years, the family home being
established in Marietta, Ohio, where the parents resided until they
were called to their final rest, the father following the occupation of
farming as a life work.
Charles E. Nye was reared to manhood on the old homestead farm and
early became familiar with the work of the fields, to which he directed
his attention during the summer months, while in the winter seasons he
attended the common schools of the neighborhood. When his textbooks
were put aside he found employment in a harness and saddlery shop at
Marietta, Ohio, where he served a regular apprenticeship, and at the
age of twenty-one years he started for the west, following the advice
of Horace Greeley. He worked as a journeyman at his trade in Kansas,
Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, California and Oregon, thus working his
way westward by successive stages until he reached the Pacific coast.
In Oregon he was for a time engaged in business on his own account,
conducting a harness and saddlery establishment at The Dalles. In 1878
he was in Walla Walla but did not locate permanently until 1883, at
which time he engaged in business independently here and for the past
thirty-five years he has been a dominant factor in the trade circles of
the city. In all of his commercial relations he has been actuated by a
progressive spirit and the excellence of the goods which he handles and
the work he turns out has insured him a liberal patronage.
In 1890 Mr. Nye was married to Miss Tennie Brown, of Walla Walla. Mr.
Nye is well known and popular in fraternal circles, holding membership
in Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287,
B. P. O. E.; and Columbia Lodge, No. 90, K. P. He is also a member of
the Walla Walla Commercial Club and cooperates in all of its plans and
measures for the upbuilding of the city and the extension of its trade
relations. His political allegiance is given the republican party,
which he has supported since reaching adult age. His long residence
in Walla Walla has made him largely familiar with its history and
with its commercial development he has been closely and prominently
associated. Those who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, speak
of him in terms of high regard, for he has been found thoroughly
reliable in business; loyal and patriotic in citizenship and faithful
in friendship. His life work has been intelligently directed and he has
always continued in the line in which he embarked as a young tradesman,
never dissipating his energies over a broad field but so concentrating
his efforts and attention that substantial results have accrued.
W. D. LYMAN.
W. D. Lyman, author of this history, is a "native son of the Golden
West," having been born at Portland, Oregon, on December 1, 1812.
His father and mother, Horace Lyman and Mary Denison Lyman, came
to California around Cape Horn, in a sailing ship from New York,
in 1848-9. After a few months in California in the midst of the
excitements of the gold discoveries they removed to Portland, then a
straggling village on the edge of the dense forest which bordered the
Willamette river. It is recalled by the children of the family that
their mother told them about how in those early days she had heard the
cries of the wolves and cougars in about the location of the present
Portland Hotel and other stately structures of the present city.
As a boy Professor Lyman went with his parents to Dallas in Polk
county, Oregon, and then to Forest Grove, Oregon, where his father was
for a number of years a professor of mathematics, and later of history
and rhetoric, in Pacific University, a pioneer college of those early
days. Brought up in those pioneer surroundings, in the midst of the
unconventional life and the sublime scenery of his native state, he
received a permanent impress which has led him throughout his life to
find his greatest interest in travel, mountain-climbing, investigation
of the native and pioneer life of Old Oregon, and in writing and
lecturing upon themes drawn from those early experiences. The old
Oregon of Professor Lyman's boyhood was typically American--free,
unconventional and sincere, and the wilderness about and the stimulus
to adventure and enterprise implanted in the minds and spirits of
the boys and girls of that pioneer region, as it has throughout the
great west, is a certain union of the romantic and imaginative with
the practical which has resulted in placing the Pacific states in the
forefront of American communities.
[Illustration: W. D. LYMAN]
Having completed a short college course at Pacific University in 1873,
the young man, after a few months spent in teaching, went east and
in 1877 graduated at Williams College, Massachusetts. While there he
was known for his interest in debating, oratory and literature, as
well as for his informal and independent western way of considering
political, social and religious topics. Upon returning to Oregon in the
fall of 1877, he entered upon what proved to be his life work, that of
a college teacher, writer and public speaker. He became professor of
history, oratory, and English literature at Pacific University, where
he continued until 1886. During that period he laid the foundations
of his subsequent literary career by spending his summer vacations
in mountain journeys and explorations of the rivers and wildernesses
of the northwest and in embodying the results of his adventures in
articles which appeared in various newspapers and magazines, east and
west. During this time he became a skillful amateur photographer and
has acquired a large collection of views, many of which were the first
to be taken of some of the wild scenes which he might be considered the
first to make known to the world.
During that period of his life the very important event of marriage
occurred. In 1882 Professor Lyman was united in marriage to Miss Mattie
Clark of Vancouver, Washington. Mrs. Lyman has become known in Walla
Walla and throughout the region about as one of the leaders in social,
intellectual and philanthropic life. Four children have been born to
Professor and Mrs. Lyman, two sons and two daughters. The oldest,
Hubert, born in 1883, is now engaged in business in the Philippine
islands. The second, Marjorie, born in 1885, is the wife of Ridgway
Gillis, a state highway engineer in charge of an important section of
the Pacific highway, with present residence at Kalama, Washington. The
third, Willena, born in 1889, is living with her parents.
The fourth, Harold, is now engaged with the Walla Walla Bulletin.
Professor Lyman severed his connection with Pacific University in 1886,
and for nearly three years was engaged mainly in literary work. During
that period he spent some time at Fresno, California, endeavoring to
start a raisin ranch. He was for a time at Santa Fe, New Mexico. In
1889 he became head of the department of history at Whitman College,
Walla Walla. He has been thus engaged continuously to the present, with
the exception of the year 1891, when he was in Spokane. During these
twenty-nine years he has seen Whitman College grow from a struggling
frontier institution, largely of a preparatory grade, to a well
equipped college supported by a good endowment and by a loyal body of
enthusiastic alumni, among whom may be reckoned some of the foremost
men and women of the northwest.
During his long residence in Walla Walla, Professor Lyman has been in
frequent demand as a speaker and lecturer on many pulpits and platforms
throughout the three northwest states, and has thus come to have a
very extensive acquaintance. He has been active in political life and
has been a candidate, though an unsuccessful one, as a democrat, for
the national congress. Brought up as a republican during the Civil war
and reconstruction periods, he became a liberal in political views
and finally a democrat. As an ardent supporter of Woodrow Wilson for
both of his terms, he labored with voice and pen for the election of
that statesman whom he regards as in the same class with Washington,
Jefferson and Lincoln.
During all his active life a member of the Congregational church,
Professor Lyman has become known among his students and friends as
very liberal in religious views and has associates among all faiths.
He has been active in all forms of municipal betterment, in the
prohibition and woman suffrage causes, and since the opening of the
great war has made many addresses and written articles of a patriotic
character. He firmly believes that it is the God-given mission of the
United States to "make the world safe for democracy."
While living in Walla Walla, Professor Lyman has continued his
practice of mountaineering. He has been a member of both the Mazama
and Mountaineers' Clubs, and in the course of his life has made nine
ascensions of the great snow-capped volcanoes of the Cascade range and
four of the Olympics, besides many lesser peaks. He has traveled almost
the entire length of the Columbia river and many miles of the Snake and
other tributaries. The results of these journeys he embodied in what he
regards as the most highly literary and artistic of his various books,
The Columbia River, published in 1909 by G. P. Putnam's Sons and now
entering upon its third edition.
Professor Lyman has become something of a specialist in local
history. He was one of the principal writers of The History of the
Pacific Northwest in 1889. In 1901 his history of Walla Walla county
appeared. In 1906 he wrote the narrative part of a history of Skagit
and Snohomish counties. Having witnessed with his own eyes most of
the remarkable development of this section and having partaken of the
social, industrial and political life of the section in which he lives,
he has been able to write sympathetically of the struggles and the
triumphs of the pioneers. As a side issue in his life, Professor Lyman
has been much interested in waterway transportation. He has been for
many years director of the Rivers and Harbors Congress for the state of
Washington and has seen many improvements in waterways as a result of
the labors of that organization. Opposed on principle to monopoly and
special privilege, he has deemed waterways and water power as among the
great agencies for preserving the freedom of the people.
HOWARD E. BARR.
That Howard E. Barr enjoys in unusual measure the confidence and
respect of his fellow townsmen is indicated in the fact that he is
now serving as mayor of Dayton, a position to which he was called by
popular vote and in which he is discharging his duties with marked
capability and fidelity. He was born in Tennessee, March 18, 1876,
a son of Hugh and Emeline (Parker) Barr, who were also natives of
Tennessee, in which state the death of the mother occurred. The father
afterward removed to Texas, where he is still living. In their family
were four children, all of whom survive.
Howard E. Barr was but seven years of age at the time of the removal of
the family to the Lone Star state and there he was reared and educated,
supplementing his public school training by a course in a college.
He was a man of thirty-one years when in 1907 he arrived in Dayton,
Washington, where he has since made his home, covering a period of a
decade. He here established a barber shop and is still engaged in the
business. In community affairs he has taken a helpful interest and on
the citizens' ticket he was elected in 1916 to the office of mayor of
Dayton, in which capacity he is now serving. He has closely studied
the needs of the city, its opportunities and the possibilities for
improvement and is giving to the city a businesslike and progressive
administration.
In 1909 Mr. Barr was united in marriage to Miss Maud Babb, a native
of Texas, and to them has been born a daughter, Geneva R., whose
birth occurred July 4, 1912. The family occupies an attractive home
in Dayton, where Mr. Barr owns two residences. Mrs. Barr is a member
of the Christian church and in his fraternal relations Mr. Barr is an
Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias, in both of which lodges he has
filled all the chairs, showing his high standing among his brethren of
the two fraternities. He is a man of genuine worth, alert, energetic
and progressive not only in his business connections but also as a
public official. He stands for whatever he believes to be best for the
community and Dayton has benefited by his administration of her affairs.
ARTHUR H. HALLE.
Arthur H. Halle is prominently connected with hotel ownership and
management in the northwest. He is well known as a progressive
business man of Walla Walla and before coming to this city was closely
associated with hotel interests in various sections of the country. He
is, however, a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Leipzig
on the 19th of April, 1877. His father, Paul Halle, lived and died in
that country, where he was engaged during his active business career
as a traveling salesman. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Laura
Muenzner, still resides in Germany.
Arthur H. Halle is one of a family of four children and is the only one
residing in America. He pursued his education in the schools of Germany
and came to the United States in 1897, when a young man of twenty
years. He first made his way to New York and afterward to Chicago,
where he was employed in the Grand Pacific Hotel for ten years. Later
he removed to Lewiston, Montana, and was afterward located at different
periods in Miles City, Billings and Missoula, Montana. He then came
to the "garden spot of the northwest," arriving in Walla Walla in
1911. Here he established the Grand Hotel, after which he returned to
Missoula to look after his hotel interests in that city. Three years
later he again came to Walla Walla to take up his permanent abode. He
is associated with Charles Mullemer and J. S. Rick in the ownership of
the hotel at Missoula and of the Grand in Walla Walla, the latter being
one of the finest hostelries of this city. The Palace at Missoula is of
equal rank and both are liberally patronized because of the excellent
service rendered to the public. Mr. Halle and his associates maintain
the highest standards in hotel management and conduct and displayed
something of the spirit of the pioneer in that they have initiated new
methods which add to the success of their business and to the comfort
of their guests.
In Chicago, in 1901, Mr. Halle was united in marriage to Miss Alice
Rick, who was born in that city, a daughter of J. S. Rick, who is yet
living, while her mother has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Halle have
become the parents of two children, Laura and Dorothy. In the social
circles of Walla Walla Mr. and Mrs. Halle are widely and favorably
known, the hospitality of the best homes being freely accorded them.
Mr. Halle has made steady progress since coming to the United States,
advancing step by step in the business world, and his enterprise
and perseverance have made him one of the successful hotel men of
the northwest. His membership relations include connection with the
Lutheran church, the Elks and the Commercial Club.
WILLIAM CHARLES PAINTER.
The days of chivalry and knighthood in Europe cannot furnish more
interesting or romantic tales than our own western history. Into the
wild mountain fastnesses of the unexplored west went brave men whose
courage was often called forth in encounters with hostile savages. The
land was rich in all natural resources, in metals, in agricultural
and commercial possibilities, and awaited the demands of man to yield
up its treasures. But its mountain heights were hard to climb, its
forests difficult to penetrate and the magnificent trees, the dense
bushes or jagged rocks often sheltered the skulking foe, who resented
the encroachment of the pale faces upon these "hunting grounds."
The establishment of homes in this beautiful region therefore meant
sacrifices, hardships and ofttimes death, but there were some men,
however, brave enough to meet the red man in his own familiar haunts
and undertake the task of reclaiming the district for purposes of
civilization. The rich mineral stores of the northwest were thus added
to the wealth of the nation, its magnificent forests contributed to
the lumber industry and its fertile valleys added to the opportunities
of the farmer and stock raiser; and today the northwest is one of the
most productive sections of the entire country. That this is so is
due to such men as William Charles Painter, whose name is inseparably
interwoven with the history of the region. No story of fiction contains
more exciting chapters than may be found in his life record. He was one
of the most prominent of those who engaged in Indian warfare and for
many years he was also a leading figure in the agricultural development
of this section of the state. Walla Walla numbered him among her most
honored and valued citizens and his death was the occasion of deep and
widespread regret.
William C. Painter was born in St. Genevieve, Missouri, April 18, 1830,
and there the earliest years of his life were passed. His paternal
ancestors came from Mercer county, Pennsylvania. His mother, who bore
the maiden name of Jean Moore, was a daughter of Major Robert Moore,
a veteran of the War of 1812 and well known in connection with the
early history of Oregon. In 1850 the father with his family started
for Oregon, but when the Little Blue river was reached the father and
two of the sons died of cholera. The mother and the surviving children
continued the journey westward with sore hearts but with undaunted
courage and finally reached Washington county, Oregon, where donation
land claims were secured.
[Illustration: WILLIAM C. PAINTER]
There William C. Painter resided until 1863 and was prominently
identified with the early development of that section. At the time of
the Indian war of 1855 he was one of the first to enlist, becoming a
member of Company D, First Oregon Mounted Volunteers, which command
fought the Indians for four days near Walla Walla, finally routing the
red men, who retreated to the Palouse country. In this and many other
engagements of the Indian war Mr. Painter distinguished himself for
bravery. He remained with his company until the close of hostilities.
In 1855 certain young ladies of the Forest Grove Academy, now the
Tualitin Academy and the Pacific University, presented the company with
a flag. Mr. Painter's comrades in arms voted that he should become
its bearer and the starry banner finally came into his exclusive
possession and is still carefully preserved in the Painter household
as a priceless relic. Upon its field there are but twenty-one stars
and on the flag, inscribed in large letters, are the words, "Co. D,
First Oregon Vol., 1855-6." In the war against the Bannock and Piute
Indians in 1878, Mr. Painter again engaged in fighting the red men.
He was appointed by Governor Ferry captain of a company of forty-two
men and was assigned to duty on the gunboat Spokane under command of
Major Cress of the regular army. The first engagement in which he
participated was at Long Island in the Columbia river below Umatilla,
in which the whites were successful. Major Cress, in a letter to
Mr. Painter written from Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, under date
of April 15, 1897, speaks very highly of the assistance which the
latter rendered. After this engagement, in recognition of his valuable
service, he was made aid-de-camp on the staff of Governor Ferry, with
the rank of lieutenant colonel, and was placed in command of forty-two
men. He was then sent to eastern Oregon to assist in defending the
people against the Indians who had recently been defeated by General
O. O. Howard. He passed south of the retreating bands to Camas
Prairie with a view of intercepting the retreat. The hostile savages,
learning of his position, by a circuitous route passed around him and
escaped, but he captured enough horses to pay the entire expenses of
his command. Although no battle was fought in that campaign, it was
considered so hazardous that an offer of ten dollars per day for guides
was not sufficient to cause anyone to accept and run the risk. In his
official report, General O. O. Howard, quoting Captain John A. Cress,
said "Captain William C. Painter and the forty-two volunteers from
Walla Walla deserve praise for good conduct and bravery, not excepting
my Vancouver regiment and Captain Gray, with officers and crew of the
steamer Spokane, who stood firmly at their posts under fire."
When the country no longer needed his military aid Captain Painter
became a clerk for Flanders & Felton of Wallula, and when the senior
member was elected to congress in 1867, Captain Painter took charge
of the business. He also became postmaster of Wallula and the agent
for the Wells Fargo Express Company. Returning to Walla Walla, he was
appointed deputy collector of internal revenue for eastern Washington
and in November, 1870, he resigned that position, although his
resignation was not accepted until the following May. After retiring
from office he made some unfortunate mill investments, in which he lost
everything that he had saved. With courageous spirit, however, he again
became a wage earner and was thus employed until 1876, when he was
appointed receiver of the United States land office and occupied that
position in most satisfactory manner until 1878, when he was elected
county auditor. He served for four consecutive terms in that position
and the Waitsburg Times of March 11, 1887, in speaking of him at his
retirement from office, designated him as "the best auditor Walla Walla
county ever had." He ever regarded a public office as a public trust
and it is well known that no trust reposed in Captain Painter was
ever betrayed in the slightest degree. Upon his retirement from the
position of county auditor he concentrated his attention on farming,
having fifteen hundred acres in the Eureka flats. While thus engaged he
still occupied the old home on South Third street in Walla Walla, where
the family still reside. He was thus extensively engaged in general
agricultural pursuits and continued his farming operations until about
two years prior to his death.
On the 7th of January, 1864, Captain Painter was married to Miss
Caroline Mitchell, the only daughter of Judge I. Mitchell, of Multnomah
county, Oregon, and their children are: Philip M., a resident of
Walla Walla county; Charles S., of Montana; Maude M., the wife of
Garrett D'Ablaing of Ellensburg; Harry M., a Congregational minister
of Seattle; Bonnie Jean, the wife of R. F. MacLane of Walla Walla;
Marguerite M., the wife of Herbert Gall of Sascatoon, Canada; Roy R.,
deceased; Rex M., of Walla Walla county; Caroline M., the wife of H.
J. Wolff of Seattle; and Bruce I., of San Francisco. The family circle
was broken by the hand of death when on the 4th of December, 1900,
Captain Painter died of paralysis. For some time he was a vestryman of
the Episcopal church which the family attend. His political allegiance
had always been given to the republican party from the time of its
organization and he was a most faithful follower of its principles.
It is said that at every demonstration of a patriotic nature Captain
Painter was called upon to take his place among the leaders, with
his battle-scarred Indian war flag. His patriotic sentiments led him
to take a prominent part in the Pioneer Association of Oregon and he
always made a special effort to be present at its meetings. He was also
active among the Indian War Veterans and was the first grand commander
of the organization. For years he belonged to the Ancient Order of
United Workmen. He gave devoted loyalty to every cause which he
espoused and his is a most notable and honorable record of a pioneer, a
valiant soldier and one of nature's noblemen.
WILLIS E. L. FORD.
No history of the pioneer development of Walla Walla county and of the
vast west would be complete without extended reference to the Ford
family, for Willis E. L. Ford and his father have been particularly
active in advancing development along those lines which have meant
much to the upbuilding and progress of this section. He was born near
Oregon City, Oregon, November 29, 1855, a son of Nineveh and Martha
Jane (Simpson) Ford. The father was a native of North Carolina, while
the mother's birth occurred in Missouri. He crossed the plains in 1843
with Marcus Whitman, making the journey with ox teams, and he built
the first tannery in Oregon City and in fact in that entire section
of the country. He continued its operation for several years and also
conducted a shoe store there. In 1848 he was one of the volunteers who
enlisted for service against the Indians and traveled all over this
section of the country in pursuit of the red men. It was at this time
that the massacre of the white people at Walla Walla occurred. All that
the soldiers had to eat for thirty days was the meat of a cayuse pony
without salt. His travels over this section of the country brought
to Nineveh Ford a good knowledge of the land and its possibilities
and in 1859 he removed with his family to the Walla Walla valley,
settling upon a farm upon which he resided to the time of his death.
It was a wild tract of land when it came into his possession but with
characteristic energy he began to break the sod and till the fields.
His wife was the first white woman in the valley outside of the
garrison. Mr. Ford built a log cabin with puncheon floor and doors
and stick chimney and in true pioneer style began his life in Oregon
territory. The latchstring of his cabin always hung out, assuring
the traveler of a hearty welcome, and the stranger was always free
to partake of whatever the table afforded. He worked diligently and
persistently in the cultivation of his land and in the course of time
his fields brought forth abundant harvests and his once wild tract was
converted into a valuable farm. Moreover, he was one of the recognized
leaders of the democratic party in this section of the state. He gave
to that party his stalwart support, never faltering in his allegiance
thereto, and twice he was called upon to represent his district in
the state legislature while a resident of Oregon. Fraternally he was
connected with the Masons and in his life exemplified the beneficent
spirit of the craft, for he was continually extending a helping hand
where aid was needed.
Willis E. L. Ford was one of a family of eleven children, seven of
whom are now living. He shared with the family in all of the hardships
and privations incident to frontier life. Such a life develops a
self-reliance and force of character which count for much in the later
struggle for existence and business supremacy. He supplemented his
early education by study in the seminary in Walla Walla and afterward
settled upon a farm in Whitman county, taking up his abode there in
1877. For thirty-five years he lived upon that place, ranking with the
leading and representative agriculturists of that section of the state.
When more than a third of a century had been passed there he sold his
property and in a considerable measure retired from active business
life. He purchased a farm of twenty-four acres in College Place and has
since lived there, giving his attention to the raising of fruit and
also to the conduct of a dairy business. His interests are carefully
managed and are bringing to him a substantial measure of success.
In 1886 Mr. Ford was united in marriage to Miss Rhoda A. Andross, who
was born in Minnesota, a daughter of William H. and Sophronia (Winigar)
Andross, the former a native of England, while the latter was born in
the state of New York. They removed westward on leaving Minnesota and
became residents of the Walla Walla valley, where both the father and
mother passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Ford have become the parents of six
children: Grace, who is now a nurse in Los Angeles, California; Frank,
also living in California; Edna, who was a college graduate and taught
school for one week, after which she was killed by an electric car in
Spokane, Washington; Orley, who is a missionary in South America; and
John and Orpha, both of whom are at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Ford hold membership with the Seventh Day Adventist
church and take an active part in its work, doing all in their power
to advance its growth and extend its influence. In politics Mr. Ford
maintains a liberal course, not caring to bind himself by party lines.
He served on the school board for several years and has ever been a
champion of the cause of public education. There are few residents
of Walla Walla county more familiar with the story of pioneer life
and conditions in this section of the state than he. He was only four
years of age when brought to Walla Walla county. In 1877 he served as
a volunteer in the Indian war and had his horse killed by his side.
He thoroughly understands the red man, his nature and his problems.
He has lived to see this section of the country no longer under the
dominion of the savage and has witnessed its transformation as the
work of modern day progress and improvement has been carried forward,
whereby the natural resources of the country have been utilized and its
wealth and progress thus greatly enhanced. The name of Ford figures
prominently in connection with the history of the Inland Empire and
Willis E. L. Ford indeed deserves mention among the honored pioneers.
CHARLES PLUCKER.
Charles Plucker was one of the honored citizens of the Walla Walla
valley. He attained the age of eighty-two years but at the time of
his death was still giving personal direction to his extensive and
important farming interests. His life experiences were varied and
prominently connected him with the upbuilding and development of this
section of the country. He was born in Germany, November 9, 1835, and
was a son of Carl and Mary Plucker, who were also natives of that
country, where they spent their entire lives. They had a family of
eight children, four of whom are now living.
Charles Plucker, whose name introduces this review, was reared and
educated in Germany, spending the first seventeen years of his life
in that country. He then determined to try his fortune in the new
world and become a resident of America. In 1854, therefore, he made
the voyage across the Atlantic and for two years remained a resident
of New York. In 1856 he enlisted at the age of nineteen years in the
army of his adopted land and was located on Governors island. In 1857
he went to Fort Simcoe as a soldier and was on active military duty
there for five years. He was later sent to Fort Colwell and in 1861
he received an honorable discharge, having for five years rendered
active aid to the United States government in its efforts to protect
American interests and the lives and property of the people upon the
northwestern frontier.
Mr. Plucker was then honorably discharged and came to Walla Walla,
where he opened a paint shop. He continued in active business in that
city for fourteen years and in 1875 he turned his attention to general
agricultural interests, purchasing a farm on the Touchet river on
section 14, township 8 north, range 33 east. He continued to reside
upon that property until his death, being the owner of ten hundred
and eighty acres of rich and valuable land which he greatly improved,
adding thereto many commodious and substantial modern buildings and all
the accessories and conveniences of the highly improved farm of the
present day. Few men of his years remain in such active connection with
business affairs as did Mr. Plucker. He was, however, a well preserved
man physically and mentally and seemed much younger than the record
indicated.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. CHARLES PLUCKER]
On the 7th of October, 1868, Mr. Plucker was united in marriage to
Miss Katherine A. Hauer, also a native of Germany, who came to the
United States in 1868. She is a daughter of Christian and Augusta
(Lüder) Hauer, who were born, reared and married in Schleswig-Holstein,
The father, who was a hatter by trade, died there August 6, 1866. In
1880 the mother came to America with a nephew and her daughter, Mrs.
Frederika Roehl Behl, who located in San Francisco. After spending
a few months in that city Mrs. Hauer came to Washington to make her
home with another daughter, Mrs. Charles Plucker, and here she passed
away April 29, 1881, at the age of eighty years. She was the mother
of six children, all of whom are now deceased with the exception of
Mrs. Plucker. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Plucker, namely:
Frederick and Charles, now deceased; W. H., who died at the age of
forty-five years; Magdalena, the wife of Peter Conrad; and F. C., at
home with his mother.
After a useful and well spent life Mr. Plucker passed away on the 30th
of October, 1917. In his political views he was a democrat, supporting
the party from the time he became a naturalized American citizen. He
served on the school board but did not seek office, preferring to
concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs. He
especially deserves mention among the self-made men of the state, for
he started out in life empty-handed and all that he possessed was
acquired through his persistent, earnest and honorable effort. The
family is one of prominence here and has been widely and favorably
known in the valley since early days.
A. F. ANDERSON.
A. F. Anderson is a retired farmer living in Prescott. He has been
closely identified with agricultural interests and is still the owner
of valuable farming property, from which he derives a gratifying
income, but at the present time he is largely leaving the management
and operation of his land to others, for he is enjoying a rest which he
has truly earned and richly deserves. He was born in Sweden, September
23, 1844, and was there reared and educated, spending the period of his
boyhood and youth in that country. He was also married in his native
land and in 1869, when a young man of twenty-five years, he crossed
the Atlantic to the new world, making his way first to Kansas, where
he resided for about twelve years, or until 1881. He then came to the
northwest with Washington as his destination and was section foreman
in this state for fifteen years. He also took up a homestead of one
hundred and sixty acres and later he purchased one hundred and sixty
acres more. His half section is all wheat land and has been brought
under a high state of cultivation, large crops being annually gathered.
Excellent improvements have been placed upon his farm and there is no
accessory or convenience of the model farm property that is not found
there. He owns a fine residence in Prescott and his surroundings are
indicative of his life of well directed energy and thrift.
In 1869 Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Carlson, a
native of Sweden, and they have become parents of eight children:
Hilma; Augusta; Charles, who is now deputy sheriff at Wallula;
Wilhelmina; Ada; Edith; Harry; and Genevieve.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are well known residents of Prescott. His
political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has served
as justice of the peace and as school director, while at the present
time he is one of the aldermen of the city. His political activity
has always been characterized by the utmost devotion to the general
good and he has been most true and faithful in his official positions,
discharging his duties with marked capability and promptness. Moreover,
he is a self-made man and one who deserves great credit for what he has
accomplished in a business way. He came to the new world empty-handed
when a young man of twenty-five, but he possessed the substantial
qualities of courage, determination and industry and has utilized
these qualities as the basis of his growing success. Undeterred by the
obstacles and difficulties in his path, he has steadily worked his way
upward and is now one of the prosperous residents of Prescott.
JOHN A. ROSS.
In the death of John A. Ross, Walla Walla county lost a representative
agriculturist, a loyal citizen and a man whose worth in every relation
was widely acknowledged. He was born in Pennsylvania, July 16, 1860,
and was reared and educated in that state. He there remained until
1879, when, at the age of nineteen years, he bade adieu to friends in
the east and started for the Pacific coast. On reaching Walla Walla
county he here took up his abode and remained a resident of this
section until life's labors were ended in death.
It was in the year 1882 that Mr. Ross secured a faithful companion and
helpmate for life's journey in his marriage to Miss Florence Cauvel who
was also born in Pennsylvania and was a daughter of John and Matilda
(Ketner) Cauvel, who always remained residents of the Keystone state.
In their family were fifteen children, of whom eleven are yet living.
Following his marriage Mr. Ross purchased a farm near Pendleton,
Oregon, and the family resided upon that place for some time.
Eventually, however, he sold that property and removed to Camas
prairie, where he again purchased land and followed farming for two
years. On the expiration of that period he sold the property and
invested in a farm at Sunnyside, where he made his home for five years.
Once more he disposed of his property and this time bought a farm near
Walla Walla comprising fifty acres, to the further development of which
he at once bent his energies, his labors being attended with excellent
results. He added many improvements to the place, erected fine
buildings thereon and his labors wrought a marked transformation in
the property. He was progressive in all that he did, was an energetic
farmer and his labors were at all times intelligently directed and
characterized by sound business judgment.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Ross numbered five children: Winifred, who
is the wife of George Calhoun; Mabel, the wife of Dale Babcock; Carl,
who is now in Idaho; Royal, who is with his mother; and Pauline, the
youngest of the family.
The family circle was broken by the hand of death when in July, 1912,
Mr. Ross passed away, his remains being interred in the cemetery in
Walla Walla. His death was the occasion of sincere and widespread
regret of the many who knew him and of deep sorrow to his immediate
family, for he possessed attractive social qualities, a genial
disposition and a kindly manner that endeared him to those with whom he
was brought in contact. He belonged to the Modern Woodmen of America
and he gave his political allegiance to the democratic party. He was
also a consistent member of the Congregational church, with which his
wife is connected, and in the work of the church they ever took a most
active and helpful part. Mr. Ross was a man whom to know was to esteem
and honor for his life was ever upright and straightforward in its
purposes and in its dealings and he was a worthy representative of high
standards of manhood and citizenship.
P. B. HAWLEY.
P. B. Hawley is engaged in farming on section 27, township 7
north, range 33 east, and is regarded as one of the representative
agriculturists of Walla Walla county. He has been in former years a
leading factor in political circles and has been called upon to fill
various offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness
and fidelity. Throughout his entire life he has been a resident of the
northwest.
Mr. Hawley was born in Umatilla county, Oregon, on the 30th of June,
1862, a son of Philip L. and Sarah J. (Roberts) Hawley, both of whom
were natives of Illinois. They were married, however, in Ohio and in
1861 they crossed the plains to Walla Walla, Washington, attracted
by the opportunities of the growing northwest. Subsequently the
father removed with his family to Umatilla county, Oregon, where he
took up a homestead near Pilot Rock, and thereon resided for two or
three years. He then turned his attention to the lumber business, in
which he engaged in connection with George H. Reed, forming the Reed
& Hawley Lumber Company. They operated mills in Umatilla county and
had lumberyards in Walla Walla. The father was identified with this
business throughout the remainder of his active life but his labors
were terminated in death in 1878. His widow survived him for only a
brief period, passing away in 1879.
P. B. Hawley after attending the public schools continued his education
in the Whitman College and thus became well qualified for life's
practical and responsible duties. In partnership with his brothers,
L. R. and W. B. Hawley, he purchased extensive farm lands in Walla
Walla county, built irrigation ditches and for seven years the three
brothers were most closely associated in the conduct of their farming
enterprises. In recent years, however, their holdings have been divided
and P. B. Hawley now owns in his home place two hundred and fifty acres
of rich and valuable land which he has carefully and persistently
cultivated, bringing his fields under a very high state of development,
so that he annually gathers good crops. He displays keen sagacity and
business discernment in the management of his interests and success in
large measure has attended his labors.
In 1905 Mr. Hawley was united in marriage to Miss Lillie Hunziker, of
Walla Walla, and to them has been born a daughter, Alida F. He belongs
to Trinity Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F., of which he became a charter
member, and he also has connection with the Modern Woodmen of America.
He and his wife are members of the Community church of Touchet and
their aid and influence are always given on the side of progress and
improvement. He is a well known and representative citizen of Walla
Walla county and there are various chapters in his life history well
worthy of emulation. He is genial in manner, social in disposition and
is cordial but never to the point of familiarity. These qualities have
won him personal popularity, while his enterprise and diligence have
gained him prominence in business circles.
WILLIAM KIRKMAN.
William Kirkman, deceased, one of the honored pioneers of Walla Walla
county, was prominently identified with stock raising interests
for a considerable period and previous to that time was engaged in
prospecting for a time. His activities were of a character that
contributed to the progress and prosperity of the district in which
he resided and Walla Walla numbered him among her most honored and
valued residents. He was born near Manchester, in Lancashire, England,
December 7, 1832, and received his education and grew to manhood in
his native country. When about twenty years of age he came to the
United States. He had been identified with the firm of Grant Brothers,
proprietors of woolen mills in Lancashire, England. It is supposed
that these brothers were the originals of Dickens' characters of the
Cherable brothers. They had designed a fancy Marseilles vesting and
Mr. Kirkman came to America to introduce the goods. For two years he
resided in Boston, Massachusetts, after which he made his way westward
by the Isthmus of Panama route. He spent some time in the gold mines
of California and then proceeded by sailing vessel to Australia and
to the Sandwich Islands, but returned to the American continent when
the news was received of the discovery of gold in paying quantities on
the Fraser river in British Columbia. He proceeded to the gold fields
there and for a number of years divided his time between the mines
in that region and in California. After making and losing what in
those days amounted to several small fortunes he determined to engage
in a more stable business and, accordingly, in 1862, he returned to
San Francisco and the next year purchased cattle in Oregon, which he
drove to the market at Boise, Idaho. He there established himself in
the stock business. In 1866 he took an eighty-mule team pack from
Walla Walla to Montana, where he disposed of all of his goods. He
then became interested in a milk ranch and dairy business, but in
1870 he disposed of his ranch and stock and returned to San Francisco
with the intention of making that city his permanent home. However,
he afterward came to Walla Walla and entered into partnership with
John Dooley for the conduct of a cattle business. Their cattle range
extended from Pasco to Spokane and from Sprague to the Snake river
and was known as the Figure 3 Ranch. This firm was the first to ship
cattle out of the territory to Montana and elsewhere. At a subsequent
period Mr. Kirkman became heavily interested in the sheep industry and
for many years he was an extensive raiser of both cattle and sheep.
During all this time he maintained his partnership relation with Mr.
Dooley, their connection continuing for about twenty years. He also
invested in farm lands, becoming in time the owner of twelve hundred
acres. In 1891 he retired from active life and the year 1892 was spent
by him in travel in Europe. He had hoped that freedom from business
cares and the pleasure of travel would enable him to regain his health,
which had become quite seriously impaired, but this expectation proved
futile, as he died at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, April 25, 1893, when on
his way home. Mr. Kirkman was a man alive to all public interests and
opportunities. He was one of the early contributors to Whitman College
and paid the tuition of various students there in order to help them
and the institution. When the receipts of the college were too small
Mr. Kirkman joined with John F. Boyer to make up the deficit. He was a
man of many substantial qualities and thereby gained many friends. He
contributed much to the development of the northwest along material,
social, intellectual and moral lines, his influence always being on
the side of progress and improvement for the individual and for the
community.
[Illustration: WILLIAM KIRKMAN]
[Illustration: MRS. WILLIAM KIRKMAN]
On the 4th of February, 1867, in San Francisco, Mr. Kirkman was united
in marriage to Miss Isabella Potts, a native of Ireland and a daughter
of Robert and Agnes (Evans) Potts, who passed their entire lives on the
Emerald isle. Mrs. Kirkman came to the United States in her girlhood,
going to San Francisco to join her two sisters who were already
residing there. The four surviving children of Mr. and Mrs. Kirkman are
William H., Fannie A., Myrtle B. and Leslie G. The eldest son was horn
in Idaho in May, 1868, and pursued his education in Whitman College and
in the Boston University, from which he was graduated on the completion
of a law course in the class of 1893 and then located for practice in
Walla Walla, where he followed his profession for two years. He wedded
Maud Ashley, who passed away in 1905, leaving one son, William Leslie,
who was born in 1901. William H. Kirkman resided in Walla Walla and
filled the office of clerk of the federal court for a year. He was
also a member of the city council and a member of the school board.
Fraternally he was connected with the Masons as a member of the York
Rite and of the Mystic Shrine, and he also held membership with the
Elks, in which he filled all of the chairs of the local lodge. Fannie
A. is the wife of A. H. Reynolds, a prominent attorney and president
of the Farmers Savings Bank of Walla Walla. The youngest son, Leslie
G., was born in Walla Walla in June, 1881, and pursued his education
in the schools of his native city. He married Mabelle E. Hawman and
they have one child, Leslie Gilmore, who was born in 1916. Leslie G.
Kirkman is an Elk and a Mason. He resides in Walla Walla and he and
his brother are engaged in farming, the latter having retired from law
practice, and they are now devoting their attention to the cultivation,
development and further improvement of the old homestead property which
was left by their father. Myrtle B. Kirkman resides with her mother in
Walla Walla.
William Kirkman was very prominent in civic affairs and exerted great
influence on many interests that had to do with the upbuilding and
progress of Walla Walla. His political allegiance was given to the
republican party and he was a delegate to the national republican
convention which was held in Minneapolis in 1892 and nominated Benjamin
Harrison. He was appointed on the committee with William McKinley to
notify Mr. Harrison of his nomination. Mr. Kirkman served on the first
board of directors of the penitentiary upon its establishment and was
a member of the board of education in Walla Walla, contributing much
to the development of its school system. As previously stated, he was
closely associated with the welfare and progress of Whitman College
and was still a member of its board of directors at the time of his
demise. He was a man of sterling qualities, possessing a kindly, genial
disposition that endeared him to those who came in contact with him,
and was charitable to a fault. Although not a member of any church, he
was a liberal contributor to the support of various religious bodies
of the city and no worthy cause appealed to him in vain. His interests
were broad and embraced all that was worth while in life, yet his
greatest care and his fullest devotion were always given to his home
and family.
CLEMENT O. BERGEVIN.
Clement O. Bergevin, who is actively engaged in farming on section 35,
township 7 north, range 34 east, was born on the old Bergevin homestead
in this part of Walla Walla county, his natal day being March 16, 1891.
He is a son of Damase and Mary P. (Allard) Bergevin, the former a
native of Canada and of French extraction. He is mentioned elsewhere in
this work.
Clement O. Bergevin spent his youthful days in his father's home and
acquired his education in the old French town school. In 1912 he began
farming on his own account. He had been reared to that occupation and
early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and
cultivating the crops. He thus brought broad experience to his work
when he started out independently. He is now cultivating three hundred
and twenty acres of land, upon which he now resides and which is a part
of his father's estate. He also owns a third equity in a farm of three
hundred and twenty acres elsewhere in the same township and a third
equity in a five hundred acre tract. His farming interests are thus
extensive and important and in all of his business affairs he displays
marked energy and determination. His industry has enabled him to
overcome obstacles and difficulties in his path and capable management
has brought him substantial reward.
On the 12th of May, 1915, Mr. Bergevin was united in marriage to Miss
Hazel Johnson, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Edward Johnson, one of the
prominent coal dealers of that city. Mr. Bergevin is a member of the
Catholic church and is identified with the Knights of Columbus. He has
comparatively few outside interests, however, preferring to concentrate
his efforts and attention upon his business affairs. He is yet a young
man who has only passed the twenty-sixth milestone on life's journey,
but already he has made for himself a place in business circles that
many a man of twice his years might well envy. He displays good
judgment in all that he does and his careful management of his property
and his progressive methods of farming are bringing to him merited
success.
NELSON McSHERRY.
Nelson McSherry made for himself a creditable position in the business
and political circles of Prescott, so that his death was the occasion
of deep and widespread regret when on the 27th of July, 1916, he passed
away. He was then but sixty-one years of age, his birth having occurred
on the 31st of July, 1855. He was a native of Pennsylvania and a son of
J. J. and Margaret (Mitchner) McSherry, both of whom were natives of
the Keystone state. At an early day they removed with their family to
Missouri, settling near Warrensburg, where they spent their remaining
days, and there Nelson McSherry was reared and educated. He was a young
man of twenty-five years when in 1880 he was united in marriage to Miss
Mary E. Harvey, of Warrensburg, and to them were born five children:
Lulu, who is the wife of J. D. Walter; Robert, who is living in Nevada;
Joseph C., whose home is in Prescott; Urie D.; and Hester.
Mr. and Mrs. McSherry began their domestic life in Missouri and there
resided until 1888, when they came with their family to the northwest,
establishing their home in Prescott, where Mr. McSherry embarked in
business as proprietor of a small mercantile establishment. He adapted
himself and his affairs to this part of the country and the conditions
here existing and in the course of years he built up a growing and
gratifying business. He closely studied the needs of the people in
relation to the line of goods which he carried and by reason of his
carefully selected stock, his reasonable prices and his straightforward
dealing he won a very liberal and well deserved patronage, so that his
business became one of the profitable enterprises of the town.
In public affairs Mr. McSherry also took a deep and helpful interest.
His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, elected him the
first mayor of Prescott. He was always ready to advance the interests
of the town in every possible way and stood at all times for progress
and improvement. Fraternally he was connected with the Woodmen of
the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was reared a
Methodist, but Mrs. McSherry is a member of the Presbyterian church.
In 1913, because of failing health, he retired from active business
and turned the management of his store over to his sons. Death called
him in 1916 and at his passing deep regret was felt for he was a
progressive business man, a loyal and patriotic citizen, a faithful
friend and a devoted husband and father. He counted it his greatest
happiness to provide for the welfare and comfort of his wife and
children and in every relation of life he manifested those sterling
qualities which command respect, confidence and honor in every land and
clime.
GEORGE E. LAMBDIN.
George E. Lambdin has been actively and prominently identified with
farming and stock raising interests in the northwest and is now
carrying on general agricultural pursuits on section 22, township 7
north, range 32 east, in Walla Walla county. He was born on the 27th
of September, 1870, in Montana, his parents being Samuel and Mary
E. (Spade) Lambdin. The father was a native of Delaware, while the
mother's birth occurred in Ohio. They were married in Iowa and at the
time of the opening up of the gold fields in Montana, in 1865, they
crossed the plains with ox teams to that state. The father worked
in the mines in Deer Lodge valley and also in the Butte mines for
six years and the family went through the usual experiences of the
mining camp in the west. In 1872 they removed to Walla Walla county,
Washington, where Mr. Lambdin preempted a quarter section of land just
across the line in Oregon, on the present site of Freewater. Ten years
later he crossed the border into Washington and took up a homestead on
section 30, township 7 north, range 32 east, in Walla Walla county. He
then lived in this immediate vicinity until the time of his death and
during the later years of his life made his home with his son, George
E., whose name introduces this review. He passed away April 20, 1908.
George E. Lambdin spent his youthful days upon the home farm and
acquired a district school education. As early as his seventeenth year
he began his career as a sheepman, starting with twenty-five head.
While working for H. C. Adams as a sheep herder he accumulated a small
number of sheep and his herd multiplied rapidly, so that about 1900 he
was in a position to operate for himself on a larger scale and began
independent activities. In the intervening years he has acquired from
three to four thousand acres of grazing land and while he has recently
sold off his own flock, he is associated with C. W. Stevelan in
operating sheep interests under lease. In this connection he is among
the most prominent sheepmen of the county. His business affairs are
wisely and carefully directed. His long experience in connection with
the sheep industry has taught him exactly how to care for his flock so
that the best results will be achieved. There is no feature of sheep
raising with which he is not familiar and his intelligently directed
interests have brought very substantial results.
In 1903 Mr. Lambdin was married to Miss Catherine A. Bradley, of Walla
Walla county, and they have become the parents of three children:
Samuel Allen, Mary Isabelle and Margaret Elizabeth. In politics Mr.
Lambdin maintains an independent course, although he is inclined
to give his support to the republican party. He belongs to Attalia
Lodge, No. 294, I. O. O. F., of Attalia, Washington, and he also has
membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Royal
Neighbors. He is true and loyal to the teachings of these organizations
and exemplifies in his life the beneficent spirit which underlies
the different societies. As a business man his position is one of
prominence and his capability is widely recognized. He deserves much
credit for what he has accomplished, for from an early age he has been
dependent upon his own resources. As the years have gone by his labors
have brought substantial results and he is today accounted one of the
foremost sheepmen of the northwest.
HON. ELGIN V. KUYKENDALL.
Hon. Elgin V. Kuykendall is a member of the state senate of Washington
and is one of Pomeroy's foremost attorneys. His record reflects
credit and honor upon the district which has honored him. He has done
splendid work both as lawyer and lawmaker and has become prominently
connected with a profession which has ever been regarded as having
much to do with the stability, prosperity and upbuilding of every
district, standing as the stern conservator of the rights, privileges
and liberties of the individual. His entire life has been spent in the
west with its boundless opportunities and limitless resources, and with
him opportunity has ever been the clarion call to action. He was born
in Oakland, Oregon, October 8, 1870, a son of Dr. G. B. Kuykendall,
a foremost citizen and leading pioneer physician of Pomeroy, who is
mentioned at length on another page of this work.
[Illustration: HON. ELGIN V. KUYKENDALL]
Elgin V. Kuykendall was educated in the public schools of Garfield
county and has learned many valuable lessons in the school of
experience, for he has ever been a close and attentive observer of men
and of measures. Determining upon a professional career, he took up
the study of law in 1892, pursuing his reading under the preceptorship
of Samuel G. Cosgrove of Pomeroy, who was afterward governor of
Washington. In 1894 Mr. Kuykendall was admitted to the bar but did
not immediately take up the active practice of the profession but
continued to give his attention to educational work, in which for some
time he had been engaged. He had proven a capable teacher, imparting
readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he had acquired, and
in 1894 he was elected county superintendent of schools, in which
office he served for one term. During the last year of his incumbency
in that position he was appointed to fill out an unexpired term of
six months as principal of the Pomeroy high school. In 1897, however,
he concentrated his efforts and attention upon the practice of law
and in 1898 was elected prosecuting attorney of Garfield county, in
which position he served for one term. In 1900 he was elected mayor
of Pomeroy and occupied that position for one term, giving to the
city a businesslike and progressive administration characterized by
needed reforms and measures of public improvement. At the same time he
continued in the practice of law independently until February, 1898,
when he entered into partnership with Judge Mack F. Gose under the
firm name of Gose & Kuykendall, a relationship that existed until the
appointment of the senior partner to the supreme bench in 1900. Mr.
Kuykendall then practiced alone for two years and in 1911 the present
law firm of Kuykendall & McCabe was formed, C. Alexander McCabe being
admitted to a partnership that still maintains, the firm occupying now
a very prominent position in the legal circles of the state. Their
practice is extensive and of an important character and in the conduct
thereof Mr. Kuykendall has displayed talent, learning, tact, patience
and industry. His legal learning, his analytical mind, the readiness
with which he grasps the points in an argument all combine to make him
a strong advocate and a wise counselor. In connection with his brothers
he has fourteen hundred acres of land held in equity.
In 1896 Mr. Kuykendall was joined in wedlock to Miss Marguerite Scully,
a daughter of Matthew Scully, who was one of the pioneer farmers of
Asotin county, Washington, and now resides near Twin Falls, Idaho.
Mr. and Mrs. Kuykendall have become the parents of four children,
as follows: Matthew Lorraine, a student in the Washington State
College; Ruth Lenore, who attended the State Normal School at Cheney,
Washington, and is now engaged in teaching in Garfield county; Berdina
Claire, a high school student at Pomeroy; and Jerome Kenneth, who is
attending the graded schools.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kuykendall are members of the Methodist church and
she is president of the Ladies' Aid Society of that church and also
president of the Civic Improvement Club of Pomeroy. She is likewise a
member of the Red Cross Society.
In his political connection Mr. Kuykendall has always been a stalwart
republican and in November, 1916, he was chosen to represent
his district in the state senate, where he was made a member of
a sub-committee for framing a new probate code. He has been a
conspicuous figure in the legislative halls and has served repeatedly
as chairman of the state central committee of the republican party,
thus taking active part in guiding the destinies of his party in the
northwest. While serving as mayor of Pomeroy he was instrumental in
establishing the present city park, which the city purchased from
Governor Cosgrove. Fraternally he is connected with Garfield Lodge,
No. 25, K. P., and has been quite active in the affairs of that
organization. He has been a member of the grand judiciary committee of
the state for sixteen years, a longer period than that of any other
incumbent in the position. He is also identified with the Woodmen of
the World. His interests are broad and varied and in relation to the
great sociological, economic and political problems of the country he
keeps abreast with the best thinking men of the age. He is forceful and
his ability and initiative have made him a dynamic power in the public
life of southeastern Washington.
J. U. STRAHM.
At a period when the government owned most of the land in Washington
and the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun, J. U.
Strahm and his wife came to Walla Walla county and cast in their lot
with its pioneer settlers. They here underwent many of the hardships
and privations incident to establishing a home on the frontier, but
with resolute spirit they met all these and in the course of years
came to enjoy the comforts of modern day civilization. Mr. Strahm was
born in Switzerland, July 30, 1827, and was but six years of age when
brought to America by his parents, the family home being established in
Ohio. They afterward removed to Iowa and in 1849 J. U. Strahm removed
to California, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast.
There he remained for three years, after which he returned to Missouri,
where in 1864 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Farley, a
daughter of Harvey and Elizabeth (Bruett) Farley, the former a native
of Ohio, while the latter was born in Indiana. The father was killed
while serving as a soldier in the Civil war and the mother afterward
passed away in Tennessee.
Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Strahm resolved to try their
fortune in the far west and made their way across the country to Walla
Walla county, where he took up a homestead near Dixie. There was
little to indicate the wonderful changes which were still to occur
as the white settlers penetrated into this region and reclaimed its
rich resources for the purposes of civilization. The greater part of
the land was still unclaimed and uncultivated and the most farsighted
could scarcely have dreamed of what the future held in store for this
rich district. Mr. Strahm became actively identified with its farming
interests and bent his energies to the development of his place,
bringing his fields under a high state of cultivation and therefore
annually gathering rich harvests.
To Mr. and Mrs. Strahm were born fourteen children, eleven of whom
are now living: Ann J., the widow of John Byrd; William H., who is
deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of John Glynn; Rosa D., the wife of Tom
Hastings; Mary E., the wife of Eldon Buroker; Nora J., the wife of Joel
Chitwood; John E.; Nannie V., who is the wife of Alfred Brown; Lucretia
R., the wife of Alvin McElvain; Viola, the wife of Fred Wells; Edna,
at home; Alma B., the wife of Jene Green; and two who are deceased.
The death of Mr. Strahm occurred February 11, 1895, at which time his
remains were interred in the Dixie cemetery. He had been a devoted
husband and father and had put forth every possible effort to aid in
promoting the welfare and happiness of his family. His widow still
occupies the old homestead, having eighty acres in her farm near Dixie,
and the careful development and improvement of the property insures to
her a substantial annual income.
CHARLES C. LONEY.
Prominent among the real estate men of Walla Walla is Charles C. Loney
of the firm of Loney, Ginn & Kerrick. He was born in Toronto, Canada,
on the 7th of June, 1876, a son of Charles and Charlotte (Cole) Loney,
both of whom were natives of Belfast, Ireland. They came to Canada
in childhood with their respective parents and were there reared to
manhood and womanhood. In 1883 they came to the United States, arriving
in Walla Walla on the 19th of August of that year. Here the father
engaged in farming and became one of the leading agriculturists of
Walla Walla county, having extensive interests. He acquired some two
thousand acres of valuable land near the city and for a long period
gave personal supervision to the further development and improvement
of his farm. For several years prior to his death, however, he lived
retired from active work, turning his farms over to his sons. He then
took up his abode in the city and throughout his remaining days enjoyed
a well earned rest. He died in 1907, having for a considerable period
survived his wife, who passed away in 1902. Both were consistent
members of the Baptist church and were earnest Christian people whose
well spent lives are worthy of emulation.
Charles C. Loney was educated in the Walla Walla high school, from
which he was graduated with the class of 1896. Following the completion
of his studies he cooperated with his father in the management and
operation of his extensive farming interests until the father's
retirement in 1901, at which time Charles C. Loney took charge of the
farm, continuing its further cultivation and improvement until 1911.
In the meantime he had purchased the property of his father and in the
year designated he sold the home place and became a resident of Walla
Walla, where he opened a real estate and loan office. He has since
been prominently identified with that business and places many loans,
while at the same time he negotiates many important realty transfers.
Since 1911 he has purchased one hundred acres of land in Umatilla
county, Oregon, and eight hundred acres in Columbia county, Washington.
This property he still owns and rents. He also has three hundred and
thirty acres on Dry creek, near Walla Walla, on which he is engaged in
breeding and raising thoroughbred Percheron horses. He thus ranks with
the leading agriculturists and stock raisers of this section of the
state, while at the same time he has won for himself a most creditable
position as a real estate dealer.
On the 12th of January, 1917, Mr. Loney was united in marriage to Miss
Hazel Velma Wright, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Robert Wright, who
is a native of Umatilla county, Oregon, and for many years has been a
prominent farmer of Walla Walla county.
Mr. Loney holds membership in Enterprise Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., and
also in Walla Walla Encampment, No. 3. He votes with the republican
party and is interested in all matters of progressive citizenship,
cooperating in every plan and measure which he deems of value and
benefit to the community. The greater part of his life has been spent
in this section of the state and he has become imbued with the spirit
of western enterprise that has led to the rapid and substantial
upbuilding of this section of the state. This spirit has been the
dominant factor in the attainment of his own success, a success that
now places him with the men of affluence in his adopted county.
HON. OLIVER T. CORNWELL.
Hon. Oliver T. Cornwell is a dominant factor in the agricultural,
commercial and financial circles of Walla Walla and the Inland Empire
and has also exerted a marked influence over public thought and action
as a member of the state senate, in which he is now representing the
eleventh senatorial district. It was Mr. Cornwell who in large measure
introduced the commission form of government here and in all his
public work he has been actuated by a spirit of progress, improvement
and of marked devotion to the general good. He is indeed prominent as
a man whose constantly expanding powers have taken him from humble
surroundings to the field of large enterprises and continually
broadening opportunities. Bringing to bear a clear understanding that
readily solves complex problems, he has been able to unite diverse
interests into a harmonious whole with results that indicate his keen
sagacity and unfaltering enterprise.
Mr. Cornwell is a native son of Walla Walla county, his birth having
occurred upon a farm six miles north of the city of Walla Walla on
the 22nd of March, 1863. His father, James Madison Cornwell, became
one of the Walla Walla pioneers of 1861 and is mentioned elsewhere
in this work. The son was reared on the old homestead with the usual
experiences of the farm bred boy and acquired his early education
in the district schools, after which he became a student in Whitman
College. When nineteen years of age he assumed the operation of the
home place and continued to cultivate its fields for three years as
a renter. After reaching his majority he went up into the Palouse
country, in Whitman county, and there engaged in the raising of cattle
and horses. He remained in Whitman county for eight years, after which
he returned to Walla Walla and in company with H. S. Stott founded
the drug house of Stott & Cornwell, with which he was identified for
three years. He then resumed active connection with farming and stock
raising interests and also began buying and shipping cattle, with which
business he has since been closely associated, being one of the most
prominent representatives of agricultural interests in this section of
the state. He now owns fourteen hundred acres of wheat land in Walla
Walla county and he also has heavy holdings in Alberta, Canada. Mr.
Cornwell is a man of forcefulness and resourcefulness and has by no
means limited his activities and energies to a single line. In fact,
as extensive as are his agricultural activities, he has also made for
himself a notable place in commercial and financial circles. About
1903 he was one of the dominant factors in the organization of the
Walla Walla County Lumber Company, of which he became president, and
in that capacity he has since continued, his intelligent direction of
the affairs of the company being one of the most potent elements in
his growing and continued success. He was also one of the organizers
of the Peoples State Bank of Walla Walla and was made a member of its
board of directors, which position he has since filled. He has also
been identified with interests of a public and semi-public character
that have had much to do with promoting general progress. He served for
a number of years as president of the Farmers Union and while acting in
that capacity the Walla Walla Farmers' Agency was organized, of which
Mr. Cornwell was elected president, and reelection has continued him in
that position to the present time.
[Illustration: OLIVER T. CORNWELL]
[Illustration: MRS. OLIVER T. CORNWELL]
On the 19th of August, 1888, occurred the marriage of Mr. Cornwell and
Miss Ella Crowell, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Henry A. and Mary
A. (Thurman) Crowell, who came to Walla Walla from Iowa in 1874. The
mother was a niece of Allen G. Thurman, the great democratic leader,
who was long known as "the Old Roman." To Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell have
been born three children, Lessie L., Ethel L. and Olive E.
Mr. Cornwell holds membership with the Masonic fraternity, belonging
to Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M.; to Walla Walla Chapter,
No. 1, R. A. M.; to Walla Walla Commandery, No. 2, K. T.; to Oriental
Consistory, No. 1, A. & A. S. R, of Spokane; and to El Katif Temple;
A. A. O. N. M. S., also of Spokane. He likewise has membership with
Washington Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., and with the Walla Walla
Encampment of that order.
His chief activity aside from business has been as a supporter of
the republican party and a recognized leader in its ranks. The first
position to which he was called was that of city councilman of Walla
Walla in 1897. In 1900 he was chosen to represent his district in the
Washington state senate, where he served for four years with honor
and ability. In the November election of 1915 he was again chosen a
member of the state senate and during his present term has been called
upon for much important committee service. He is now a member of the
committees on municipal corporations, on education, on industrial
insurance, on irrigation and arid lands, public utilities, roads and
bridges, rules and joint rules, banks and banking. He has done much to
shape the policy of his party and for eight years was chairman of the
republican county central committee and has been a member of the state
central committee. It was Mr. Cornwell who organized and successfully
carried through the campaign establishing the commission form of
government in Walla Walla. His career has at all times reflected credit
and honor upon the people that have honored him. The universality of
his friendships interprets for us his intellectual hospitality and the
breadth of his sympathy, for nothing is foreign to him that concerns
his fellows. Anyone meeting Mr. Cornwell face to face would know at
once that he is an individual embodying all the elements of what in
this country we term a "square" man--one in whom to have confidence,
a dependable man in any relation and any emergency. His quietude of
deportment, his easy dignity, his frankness and cordiality of address,
with the total absence of anything sinister or anything to conceal,
foretoken a man who is ready to meet any obligation of life with the
confidence and courage that come of conscious personal ability, the
right conception of things and an habitual regard for what is best in
the exercise of human activities.
SAMUEL LOVE GILBREATH.
Samuel Love Gilbreath, an honored pioneer of Columbia county,
Washington, became a resident of Old Walla Walla county when there
were few white settlers within its limits, and took up a homestead
three miles from the city of Dayton, although it was a number of years
later that the town was laid out. He was a successful farmer, loyal
friend and a public-spirited citizen, and his demise was the occasion
of sincere regret. He was born in McMinn county, Tennessee, March 25,
1825, and was of Scotch descent. He was a representative of one of the
old families of the south, being a grandson of Archibald Rowan, the
third governor of Tennessee. His education was that afforded by the
common schools and he remained in his native state until he became
of age. He then determined to try his fortune in the far west and,
crossing the plains, settled in Yamhill county, Oregon. For a number
of years he farmed there and then went into the cattle business, which
occupied his attention until 1855, when the Cayuse Indian war broke
out. He enlisted for six months' service in the First Oregon Mounted
Cavalry Regiment, which did good work in putting down the uprising
both in Oregon and Washington. He was later for six months assistant
wagon master and one of his duties was the gruesome task of hauling
the bodies of the dead back to The Dalles, from which point they were
shipped to relatives in the Willamette valley.
Following his marriage in 1859 Mr. Gilbreath drove a herd of cattle
to Old Walla Walla county, Washington. At that time the city of Walla
Walla comprised but a very few buildings and the settlers in the
county were few and far between. He took up a homestead three miles
southwest of the present city of Dayton and built a log cabin with
puncheon floors, which remained the family home for a number of years.
There were many hardships to be endured in those early days but the
lot of the pioneer was lightened by the spirit of hospitality and
cooperation which prevailed. Travelers were welcomed at every log cabin
and the service of each settler was at the disposal of the others.
Mr. Gilbreath worked hard and gave careful attention to his business
affairs and as time passed his resources increased. The first crude
buildings upon his farm were at length replaced by substantial and
commodious structures and the place was brought to a high state of
development. At the time of his death he owned two hundred acres of
fine orchard and alfalfa land, of which his widow has since sold one
hundred and twenty acres, still owning eighty acres, which is valued at
a high price per acre.
Mr. Gilbreath was married in 1859, in Oregon, to Miss Margaret H.
Fanning, of Albany, and they became the parents of thirteen children,
ten of whom survive, namely: Nancy E., a teacher; Mary, the wife of
J. O. Mattoon; Lee, a resident of Columbia county; Joseph, a resident
of Seattle; Susie, the wife of E. E. Martin; Rose, who is teaching in
Seattle; Charles, a resident of Walla Walla; Grace, the wife of T. O.
Morrison; James, an instructor in the University of Washington; and
Fred, a graduate of West Point and a captain in the United States army,
now with the American embassy in London.
Mr. Gilbreath was a prominent factor in public affairs in the early
days and was chosen the first county commissioner of Old Walla Walla
county and the first sheriff of Columbia county. He was a firm believer
in the value of higher education and sent several of his children to
college. In many ways his influence was felt in the advancement of his
community, and personally he was held in the highest esteem because of
his unswerving integrity and his great capacity for friendship. His
wife had the distinction of being the first white woman to take up
her residence in the four counties comprised within Old Walla Walla
county, and she, too, proved her courage and perseverance in performing
cheerfully and efficiently the many and arduous duties that fell to the
lot of the pioneer wife and mother.
CHRIS H. ROMMEL.
Chris H. Rommel is residing on section 35, township 14 north, range
41 east, Garfield county, and is operating one thousand acres of
land, being therefore entitled to rank among the extensive farmers of
Garfield county. He grew to manhood in Manchester, Michigan, and is
indebted for his education to its public schools. When nineteen years
of age he started out in life for himself and in 1893 came to Garfield
county, Washington. For some years he rented a farm, during which time
he carefully saved his money with the purpose of buying land as soon as
possible. At length he purchased his present home farm and has extended
its boundaries until he now owns one thousand acres.
Mr. Rommel was married in 1893 to Miss Anna Smith, a native of
California, and they have three children: Fred C., a high school
graduate; Mary P., who is also a high school graduate and is now
teaching; and Ena M.
THOMAS A. RUSSEL.
Thomas A. Russel, deceased, was for a number of years actively engaged
in farming on section 3, township 6 north, range 35 east, Walla Walla
county, and met with gratifying success. He was born in Ohio, September
26, 1831, and there grew to manhood and received his education. In
1849 he accompanied his father John Russel, to California, crossing
the great unsettled plains of the west by team, a long, tedious and
dangerous journey, and again in 1852 he came to the coast by the
overland route, but each time he returned to Ohio, where he maintained
his residence until 1864. In that year he went with his bride by horse
team to the Sacramento valley of California, where he lived for three
years, during which time he taught school. They then removed to Bowling
Green, Missouri, and for twenty-one years he was a resident of that
state. During that time he engaged in the practice of law, successfully
appearing in most of the more important trials of his district. In
1888, however, he removed with his family to Walla Walla county,
Washington and the remainder of his life was devoted to agricultural
pursuits.
Mr. Russel was married in 1864 in Ohio to Miss Mary C. Willman, also a
native of that state. To their union were born ten children: John B.
and William, both of whom are deceased; Frank; Thomas and Anna, who
have passed away; Phoebe L.; Lincoln and Grant, twins, and Leslie, the
two latter being deceased; and Joseph, who resides in Canada.
Many interesting experiences came to Mr. Russel in his long life, and
from the time he accompanied his father to the west in 1849 until his
death he was much interested in this section of the country, even while
still residing in the east or middle west. He found great pleasure in
watching the process of development that has made the west a rival of
the east in all that pertains to the highest civilization, and his
influence was invariably cast on the side of progress. He passed away
in January, 1901, and was laid to rest in the Mountain View cemetery.
HON. F. M. WEATHERFORD.
Hon. F. M. Weatherford is now living practically retired in Dayton but
for many years was actively and extensively connected with farming
interests and is still the owner of much valuable wheat land in this
section of the state. Moreover, he has been prominently connected with
public affairs and has been called upon to represent his district in
the general assembly. He was born in Missouri, November 12, 1855, and
is a son of Alfred H. and Sophia (Smith) Weatherford, both of whom were
natives of Virginia and at an early day removed westward to Missouri,
where their remaining days were passed. They had a family of nine
children but only three are now living.
While born in the middle west, Hon. F. M. Weatherford has spent the
greater part of his life in the Pacific coast country. He crossed the
plains in 1864, when a lad of but nine years, and became a resident of
Linn county, Oregon. The trip was made with ox teams and wagon and he
was six months en route, experiencing many hardships and privations as
the party traveled over the barren plains, the hot sandy desert and
across the mountain ranges. He took up his abode with a brother in
Oregon and there remained until 1872, when he made his way northward
to Walla Walla county, Washington. The following year, when a youth
of eighteen, he rented a farm nine miles southwest of Dayton in the
section known as Bundy Hollow. Later he bought land east of Dayton and
occupied that farm for twenty years, his labors bringing about a marked
transformation in the appearance of the place, for when the land came
into his possession it was wild and undeveloped. With characteristic
energy he began to cultivate it, breaking the furrows, planting the
seed and in due time gathering rich harvests. Year by year the work
of operating the farm was carried on and as his financial resources
increased he made other investments in property, adding to his holdings
from time to time until he is now the owner of sixteen hundred acres
of fine wheat land in Columbia county. He was also at one time vice
president of the Farmers Exchange at Waitsburg, which he aided in
organizing. He has now put aside the more active work of the fields,
leaving that to others, while he is enjoying a well earned rest, having
taken up his abode in Dayton. His farm property yields to him a most
gratifying annual income and his energy and sound business judgment
have brought him success.
[Illustration: HON. F. M. WEATHERFORD]
In 1878 Mr. Weatherford was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A.
Turner and they have become parents of five children: William M.; J.
C., who is living upon the home farm; Mary S., who is the wife of Elmer
Dunlap; Clara L., the wife of W. E. Bruce; and Arthur M., who is also
upon the home farm.
In his political affiliation Mr. Weatherford is a democrat and has
taken an active part in advancing the interests of the organization.
His fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and his devotion to
the party, elected him to represent them for one term in the state
legislature. The cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion
and he has done effective work in behalf of the schools as a member
of the school board. Fraternally he is connected with Dayton Lodge,
No. 136, I. O. O. F., and both he and his wife are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church, South, and in its work take an active and
helpful interest, doing all in their power to extend its growth and
promote its purpose. Mr. Weatherford deserves much credit for what he
has accomplished. He started out in the business world empty-handed,
yet he has passed many another traveler on life's journey whose start
was perhaps more advantageous. His success is the direct result of
indefatigable industry intelligently directed, and, advancing year by
year, he has become one of the prominent and prosperous men of Columbia
county.
HON. DAVID H. COX.
Hon. David H. Cox has back of him an ancestry honorable and
distinguished. Upon the family records appear the names of several
who have been active in connection with framing state or national
legislation. His own career has been cast in harmony with the family
record and he is now a member of the state senate of Washington. For
many years he has figured conspicuously and honorably in agricultural
and commercial circles and is still actively identified with farming,
his attention now being given to the management of his farm property.
A native of eastern Tennessee, he was born December 28, 1865, a son
of Elbert S. and Mary Louise (Beyers) Cox, both of whom were natives
of Tennessee, where they spent their entire lives. The mother was a
niece of John Severe, who was the first governor of Tennessee and a
brother of her mother. Elbert S. Cox was for many years one of the
leading merchants of Jonesboro, Tennessee, and was also extensively
engaged in farming, having near the town a large tract of land which
he successfully and wisely cultivated. He was also prominent in public
affairs of the community and served for one term as member of congress
from his district. He took a most active and helpful part in public
thought and action and all that he did was characterized by a spirit
of progressiveness that made him one of the most valued residents of
Jonesboro. He passed away July 3, 1881, the day on which President
Garfield was shot, in the Pennsylvania Railroad station at Washington,
D. C.
David H. Cox supplemented his public school education by study in
Milliken College of eastern Tennessee and when nineteen years of age he
started out in the business world on his own account, going to Texas,
where he remained for a year. In 1885 he came to the northwest with
Walla Walla as his destination. Here he arrived on the 6th of October
of that year, possessed of courage and determination but of no funds.
His financial condition rendered it imperative that he obtain immediate
employment and he soon secured a position on a farm. He willingly
accepted any employment that would yield him an honest living. He
proved so capable in his farm work that his employer, recognizing his
ability, offered to loan him the amount necessary to enable him to
engage in business for himself. He took up the occupation of farming
and for a considerable period rented land. Since that date he has never
been without farm land of his own and for many years has been a most
prominent figure in agricultural circles in this section of the state.
In 1889, while still continuing in his farming operations, he became
identified with the Pacific Coast Elevator Company and managed the
business from 1889 until 1901. He then became associated with Walter S.
Barnett and established the mercantile house of Cox, Barnett & Company,
under which firm name they transacted an extensive grocery and hardware
business, their sales amounting in later years to between twenty-five
and thirty thousand dollars per month. They continued the business in
a very successful manner until 1910, when Mr. Cox, in company with
Hugh A. Martin, organized the Independent Grain Company, under which
title they carried on business successfully for four years. Since then
Mr. Cox has given his undivided attention to the management of his
farming properties, which represent judicious investments and are the
expression of well directed business ability.
In 1890 Mr. Cox was united in marriage to Miss Decima E. Yeend, of
Walla Walla county, a daughter of William Yeend, one of the pioneer
farmers of this section of the state, who came to Washington from
England in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have become the parents of two
children: Arthur E., who is farming his father's land; and Dessie, at
home.
The family occupies a very enviable position in social circles and the
hospitality of the best homes of Walla Walla is freely accorded them.
Mr. Cox is a stalwart republican in his political views and has done
much to further the interests and promote the success of the party. He
served for several years as member of the Walla Walla city council and
in 1908 was elected to the state senate, serving as a member of the
upper house of the general assembly for four years. In 1912 he was a
candidate for state treasurer, and while he carried thirty-four out of
the thirty-eight counties, he was defeated by the Pierce county vote.
In 1916 he was again elected to the state senate, in which capacity he
is now serving. He is an earnest working member of the upper house,
carefully considering the vital questions which come up for settlement,
and his position in support or opposition of any measure is never
an equivocal one. He stands loyally for what he believes to be the
best interests of the commonwealth and in his political record he has
ever been willing to subordinate personal interests to the general
good. Mr. and Mrs. Cox are consistent and faithful members of the
Methodist church and he has had the honor of representing his church
at the general conference for three successive terms. He is chairman
of the board of trustees of the church and does everything in his
power to advance its cause and extend its influence. While he has won
notable success he has never made the attainment of wealth the sole
ambition of his life. He has recognized his duties and obligations in
other connections and has stood at all times for that which is most
worth while in citizenship and in the moral development of the people
at large. His life record is characterized by many honorable phases
and should well serve as a source of encouragement to others and
constitute an example which others may profitably follow. Coming to
the west empty-handed, he has here intelligently directed his efforts
with a result that has been most notable and gratifying, but winning
prosperity has been but one feature of his activities, for his course
has been so directed that he has gained not only material success but
an honored name as well.
DAMASE BERGEVIN.
Damase Bergevin, whose success from the time that he made his initial
purchase of land in Walla Walla county was rapid and substantial,
so that he became one of the prosperous farmers of this section of
the state and at his death left his family in comfortable financial
circumstances, was born near Quebec, Canada, on the 31st of March,
1840. He came of French ancestry. He was there reared with no
educational advantages except those found in the school of experience.
In 1865 he came to Walla Walla county, Washington, after spending a
year in St. Joseph, Missouri. On reaching the northwest he located in
what was then known as French Town, about nine miles west of Walla
Walla, on the Walla Walla river. Two brothers had preceded him here and
Mr. Bergevin worked for a time for one of them. Between the years 1875
and 1878 he was in the employ of Dr. Baker and built the narrow gauge
railroad from Wallula to Walla Walla, this being the first railroad in
the state of Washington. Mr. Bergevin cut the ties for this road and
drove them down the Yakima river.
It was not until 1880 that Mr. Bergevin made his first purchase of
land. At that time he and his brother Clement bought an eighty acre
farm and a year later the brothers divided their interest and from that
time forward Mr. Bergevin operated independently. His success from
that time forward was rapid and he proved not only a very enterprising
and progressive farmer but a man of excellent ability in managing his
financial interests. As his resources increased he kept adding to his
holdings until he had acquired sixteen hundred and twenty-one acres of
land in the home farm and also owned six hundred and forty acres five
miles north of Walla Walla and a tract of one hundred and sixty acres
at Rulo Station on the Northern Pacific Railroad. His investments were
most judiciously made and his business affairs carefully managed. He
seemed to readily recognize the essential in all business transactions
and his sound judgment and indefatigable enterprise brought to him a
very gratifying measure of success. In 1892 he was stricken with total
blindness, but though thus incapacitated in a large measure for the
management of his property interests he was surrounded by the loving
care of his wife, while his four sons assumed business duties and
responsibilities and as the years have passed on more has been added to
the family holdings until the Bergevin interests in Walla Walla county
are most extensive.
It was at St. Rose's Catholic Mission church at Frenchtown, July 3,
1881, that Mr. Bergevin was united in marriage to Miss Mary P. Allard,
a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, who came to Walla Walla county with
her parents, Oliver and Leo Cadie (Forest) Allard, in 1862. They
crossed the plains with ox teams, meeting the usual experiences of such
a trip, and at length located in the little hamlet of Walla Walla. The
father was a carpenter by trade and assisted in large measure in the
upbuilding of the town in the early days, erecting many of the first
buildings in the city. Mrs. Bergevin is now residing in Walla Walla.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bergevin were born six children: Leona P., now the wife
of Philip Remillard, a farmer of Walla Walla county; Joseph Damase,
who resides on the homestead farm; Arthur A., also engaged in farming;
Clement A., who, lives on the old Bergevin home farm; Clarence C., who
was married September 26, 1917, to Miss Lois Reavis, and is farming
in Walla Walla county; and Augustine A., the wife of Elmer Markham, a
farmer of Walla Walla county. There are also twelve grandchildren. At
one time Arthur and Clarence Bergevin were engaged in the cultivation
of thirteen hundred and fifty acres of land, owning five hundred and
twenty acres of that amount, but have since divided their interests.
The former was married September 27, 1916, to Miss Margaret Gohres.
He is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and, like the others of
the family, is an adherent of the Catholic church. He has one of the
best improved farms in the county on which is a large, substantial and
beautiful residence with extensive farm buildings, all new, modern and
thoroughly equipped. In a word, the name Bergevin has come to stand for
progress and improvement in Walla Walla county.
In his political views Mr. Bergevin of this review was a democrat and
while he never took an active part in politics he was interested in
the welfare and progress of his community and gave his support to all
measures which he deemed of public benefit. He died on the 31st of
July, 1911, honored and respected by all who knew him. His had been
a most active and useful life and one which was crowned with a very
substantial measure of prosperity. In fact his record should serve as a
source of encouragement and inspiration to others, showing what may be
accomplished through determined purpose, unfaltering industry and sound
judgment.
CHARLES MOORE.
Charles Moore was an early settler of Walla Walla county and for
a number of years was prominently identified with agricultural,
commercial and transportation interests here, but in 1882 removed to
Moscow, Idaho, where he spent much of the remainder of his life, but
passed away in Walla Walla. His widow in 1907 resumed her residence in
Walla Walla and is now well known in the city. The birth of Mr. Moore
occurred in Ohio, October 1, 1841, his parents being Amos L. and Mary
(Monroe) Moore, the latter's father being a cousin of President James
Monroe. The father was born in Delaware and the mother in Pennsylvania,
but they removed to Ohio at an early day and later to Wisconsin, whence
in 1869 they came to Walla Walla county, Washington, where they resided
until called to the home beyond. To them were born five children,
of whom only one now survives, ex-Governor Miles C. Moore, of Walla
Walla.
[Illustration: CHARLES MOORE]
[Illustration: MRS. JULIA A. MOORE]
Charles Moore was reared in Wisconsin and his early education was that
afforded by the district schools, while later he attended an academy
or seminary, and subsequently became a college student. In 1861, when
twenty years of age, he enlisted in the Union army and went to the
front in defense of the stars and stripes. In 1862 he was wounded at
the battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, and because of his injuries
was honorably discharged. He then returned to the north and entered
the Wesleyan College of Delaware, Ohio, thus resuming his interrupted
education. Later he was drafted for service but because of the wound he
had previously sustained was discharged and went to Wisconsin. He was
married there in 1864 and in 1865 he and his wife crossed the plains
to the Pacific northwest by mule team and after reaching Walla Walla
county both engaged in teaching school. Several years were devoted to
that profession, but in 1870 Mr. Moore was appointed postmaster of
Walla Walla under President Grant and held the office for four years.
In the meantime, in 1872, he purchased the old Dr. Whitman Mission Farm
and engaged in its operation until 1878, when he established a farm
implement business in connection with his brother, Miles C. Moore,
at Almota, in Whitman county, to the conduct of which he devoted the
greater part of his time and attention. He was also agent for the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company of Portland, Oregon. Mrs. Moore was
the active assistant and helper of her husband, doing clerical work
in connection with the conduct of the postoffice, and the business
identified with freight navigation. Soon he became interested in the
building of a telegraph line from Colfax to Ulmota, on Snake river, and
went up the river and assisted in rafting the poles down to be used in
the construction of the line. Subsequently he with others owned the
telegraph line from Dayton to Walla Walla, which was connected with
government telegraph lines. In 1882 he removed to Moscow, Idaho, where
with his brother, Miles C., later governor of Washington territory, he
erected a grist mill. Mr. Moore of this review maintained his residence
in Moscow for a number of years. He became a heavy landowner, his
holdings including a large tract on the Snake river in Garfield county,
Washington, five hundred acres of which is still in possession of
his widow, and two hundred acres near Moscow, Idaho. He was a man of
unusual soundness of judgment in business affairs and his advice was
often sought by others.
On the 13th of October, 1864, Mr. Moore was united in marriage in
Wisconsin to Miss Julia A. Kneen, a native of the state of New York
and a daughter of John and Margaret (Teare) Kneen, both of whom were
natives of the Isle of Man. In young manhood and womanhood they
emigrated to America and settled in the state of New York, whence in
1846 they removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while subsequently they
became residents of Kilbourn City, Wisconsin. The mother's death
occurred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the father survived until 1878.
To them were born four children, of whom Mrs. Moore is the only one now
living. By her marriage she became the mother of four children: Harry
K., a resident of Walla Walla; Flora P., at home; F. Cushing, who is a
mining engineer now in British Columbia; and Edna L., the wife of D. F.
Baker, of Walla Walla.
Mr. Moore gave his political support to the republican party and
carefully studied the questions and issues of the day, but was not a
narrow partisan. Whatever he undertook he carried forward to successful
completion and won not only financial independence but also a high
place in the esteem of his fellowmen. In early manhood he was a member
of the Masonic fraternity and exemplified in his life its beneficent
purpose.
Since her husband's death Mrs. Moore has successfully managed the
estate and general business interests connected therewith and in 1909
she erected her present modern and attractive home on Alvarado terrace
in Walla Walla. In the meantime, however, following her husband's
demise she removed to California with her children in order that they
might have the benefit of educational instruction there and later she
established her home in Evanston, Illinois, that they might continue
their studies in the Northwestern University. In 1896 she returned to
the old home in Moscow, Idaho, and in 1907 removed to Walla Walla,
where she has since resided, two years later building her present home.
She is a member of the Reading Club, one of the oldest clubs of Walla
Walla, and is active in connection with those interests which work for
intellectual progress and cultural value.
G. B. DAGUE.
G. B. Dague, one of the leading agriculturists of Walla Walla county,
where his holdings embrace fourteen hundred and seventy acres of
valuable land, resides on section 25, township 8 north, range 35 east.
His birth occurred in Kansas on the 31st of December, 1871, his parents
being Henry H. and Mary Elizabeth (Poorman) Dague, the former a native
of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Soon after their marriage,
which was celebrated in the Buckeye state, they removed to Jefferson
county, Kansas, there residing until the spring of 1872, when they took
up their abode in western Kansas. There the mother passed away in 1881,
and the father's last years were spent with his children.
G. B. Dague was reared under the parental roof and attended the common
schools in the acquirement of an education. In 1889, when a youth of
eighteen years, he made his way westward to the state of Washington
and for a number of years thereafter he worked for others. In 1898 he
located permanently in Walla Walla county and began farming on his
own account, renting a farm near Prescott. Five years later he bought
his first land, coming into possession of two hundred and forty acres
near Hadley Station, while two or three years afterward he purchased
an adjoining tract of one hundred and sixty acres. In May, 1908, he
purchased what was known as the old Sergeant Smith place of six hundred
and fifty-three acres and in 1911 he became the owner of what was
known as the Geaney place of four hundred and seventeen acres, which
is his present home farm. His holdings in Walla Walla county embrace
altogether about fourteen hundred and seventy acres, all located in
township 8 north, range 35 east, much of this being of the very best
and most valuable land in the county. Mr. Dague also has heavy land
holdings in Morrow county, Oregon, and in Benton county, Washington.
His record is indeed commendable and one that should serve to inspire
and encourage others, showing what may be accomplished by industry,
perseverance and determination. Twenty-two years ago he was driving a
header wagon over the land which he now owns and was earning, but a
dollar and a quarter per day. His present financial condition clearly
indicates the progress he has made, for, actuated by laudable ambition,
he has worked his way steadily upward to a position among the most
substantial agriculturists of the county.
On Christmas day of 1901 Mr. Dague was united in marriage to Mrs.
Bertha L. (Prather) Washburn, by whom he has two children, Georgia E.
and George Byron.
He is independent in politics and for thirteen years has ably served
as clerk of the school district. Fraternally he is identified with
Washington Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., of Walla Walla, and he also
belongs to the M. W. of P. His life has been an active, useful and
honorable one, winning for him the high regard and esteem of all with
whom he has been brought in contact, so that the circle of his friends
is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.
FRANK MILLER.
Frank Miller, starting out in the business world as a farm hand when
a young lad in his teens, is now one of the prosperous citizens of
Starbuck, where he has extensive realty holdings. He is also the owner
of much valuable property and is otherwise connected with the business
interests of southeastern Washington in a most active and extensive
way. He was born in Germany, June 24, 1858, and is a son of John and
Louisa Miller, who were also natives of that country, whence they
came to America in 1867. They established their home upon a farm in
Wisconsin, where they spent their remaining days, being long identified
with the agricultural interests of that locality. They had a family of
nine children, but Frank Miller and his sister Josephine are the only
ones now living.
Reared and educated in Wisconsin, he is indebted to the public school
system of that State for the opportunities which he had to prepare
for life's practical and responsible duties through the work of the
schoolroom. He went to Illinois when a lad of fourteen years and there
secured employment as a farm hand, in which work he engaged until he
reached the age of twenty-two. He then left the Mississippi valley and
made his way to the northwest, arriving in Walla Walla county, after
which he secured a situation in a brewery in Walla Walla, where he
remained for four years. He then took up the work of gardening at Walla
Walla, which he followed for a year, after which he rented a farm and
for six years was engaged in its cultivation. He took up a homestead
two miles and a half or three miles south of his present home. This
he proved up on and lived there eight years, after which he sold the
place. He then bought five hundred acres, mostly wheat land, much
of which is irrigated, and he also has thirty-five acres planted to
alfalfa and to fruit, having one of the fine orchards of his part of
the state. He is likewise a stockholder in the bank at Starbuck and
he has made extensive and judicious investments in real estate, owning
very large property interests in the village. His business affairs have
brought him very substantial success, for his investments have been
judiciously made and his untiring industry has also brought splendid
returns.
In 1882 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Sack, a native
of Illinois, and they became the parents of nine children, namely:
Louisa, the wife of Charles Krause; Simon; Eva, the wife of H. H.
Foster; George, who married Hazel Schultz; Fred, now in Camp Lewis with
the American army; and Jesse, Ida, Frank and Grace, all yet at home.
The wife and mother died September 30, 1917, and was laid to rest in
Starbuck cemetery. She was loved and respected by all who knew her.
In his political views Mr. Miller is a democrat and gives stanch
support to the party and its principles, although he does not seek or
desire public office. He is a self-made man, for he started out to
provide for his own support with no capital whatever and all that he
has achieved and enjoyed is attributable to his persistent purpose and
well-directed energy. He has been both the architect and builder of his
own fortunes and has builded wisely and well.
WILLIAM S. MALLOY.
William S. Malloy, a retired agriculturist residing in Walla Walla,
where he has the finest home on Washington street, is still the
owner of twenty-four hundred acres of wheat land which is now being
cultivated by a renter. His birth occurred in New Brunswick, Canada, on
the 17th of June, 1844, his parents being John and Catherine (Sutton)
Malloy, the former a native of County Wexford, Ireland, and the latter
of New Brunswick. John Malloy was a young man of eighteen years when
he left the Emerald isle and took up his abode in New Brunswick, where
he was married. In 1853 he and his wife crossed the border into the
United States, establishing their home in Stillwater, Minnesota, where
Mr. Malloy and two sons, Robert and James, were prominently identified
with the lumber industry for many years. It was there that his demise
occurred in 1871, and the mother passed away in 1884. In their family
were the following children: George, John, Robert, James and William
S., of this review.
William S. Malloy, who was a lad of nine years when he accompanied his
parents on their removal to Minnesota, acquired his education in the
common schools of Stillwater, that state. In 1864, when a young man of
twenty years, he left the parental roof and made his way westward to
Montana, and for about six years he was employed in the mining fields
of Virginia City and in Deerlodge county. The year 1870 witnessed his
arrival in Walla Walla county, Washington, and here he embarked in the
cattle business, in which he became extensively interested, his large
herds roaming the plains on the Columbia, Palouse and Snake rivers.
At the end of six years, cattle having gone so low in price that the
business was not promising, he disposed of his cattle and for a period
of twenty months gave his attention to mining in southern Utah. He
then returned to Washington, locating in Columbia county, where he
became engaged in farming and in the stock business, his undertakings
in that connection being attended with prosperity that enabled him
to add to his holdings from time to time until they now embrace
twenty-four hundred acres of valuable wheat land. In the cultivation
and development of this extensive tract he was actively engaged until
1917, when he put aside further business cares and is now living
retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest. In the fall of 1894 he
had established the family home in the city of Walla Walla and there
it has been maintained to the present time. Realizing that the public
domain will soon be gone Mr. Malloy went to Toole county, Montana, in
1917 and purchased in the northwest part of that state, east of the
Rocky Mountains, twenty-seven hundred acres of land in one body, which
he is now breaking and seeding and making other improvements with the
intention of converting it into a farm.
[Illustration: WILLIAM S. MALLOY]
In 1874 Mr. Malloy was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary P. Lyons, a
daughter of Dan Lyons, of Lyons Ferry. The seven children of this
marriage were as follows: William Lee, Robert Ralph and Ernest
Lyons, all of whom are deceased; Elizabeth, who is the wife of
Oscar Drumheller, of Walla Walla; Minnie F., at home; Thomas D., an
agriculturist residing in Columbia county; and Angeline M., at home.
The wife and mother passed away in May, 1916, and her demise was the
occasion of deep and widespread regret.
Mr. Malloy is a democrat in his political views but has never sought
nor desired office as a reward for his party fealty and in fact has
always refused official preferment. Fraternally he is identified with
the Masons and with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has now
passed the seventy-third milestone on life's journey and his career has
ever been such that he can look back over the past without regret and
forward to the future without fear. His memory compasses the period of
pioneer development and later progress here, and he has ever borne his
share in the work of upbuilding and improvement.
O. Z. SKINNER.
With the development of a district, town or city, real estate activity
has much to do and one of the most important factors in substantial
growth and progress is the real estate dealer who wisely directs
purchases and sales and thus adds much to the beauty and development of
the city in which he operates. A notable record of success is that of
O. Z. Skinner, senior partner of the firm of O. Z. Skinner & Company,
real estate and insurance agents in Walla Walla. He was born in Havana,
Mason county, Illinois, December 12, 1853, a son of Orlando and Martha
(Roeder) Skinner, who were natives of the state of New York and of
Illinois respectively. They were married in the latter state, to which
the father had removed in early manhood. He was a well known minister
of the Universalist church and devoted his life to that cause. In 1910
he came to Walla Walla, where he lived retired, making his home with
his son, O. Z. Skinner, up to the time of his demise, which occurred on
the 8th of June, 1914. For a considerable period he had survived his
wife, who died in February, 1897.
O. Z. Skinner was educated in the district schools of his native state
and in the Jefferson Liberal Institute at Jefferson, Wisconsin. After
completing his education he was for some years engaged in merchandising
in Durand, Wisconsin, and still later turned his attention to the drug
business, which he conducted in Fairmont, Minnesota, for a number of
years. He was afterward for thirteen years identified with the lumber
industry in northern Wisconsin, acquiring extensive farming lands there
also, which during these years he operated in connection with the
conduct of his lumber interests. The year 1898 witnessed the arrival
of Mr. Skinner in the northwest. In that year he became a resident of
Walla Walla and entered the manufacturing field, concentrating his
efforts upon the manufacture of mattresses and furniture. He continued
active along that line for five years and then turned his attention to
the real estate and insurance business, with which he has since been
prominently identified. He owns extensive timber land in Union county,
Oregon, and in the summer of 1917 began cutting timber therefrom. He
realizes what this state has to offer and has improved its natural
resources, thereby advancing his individual interests while promoting
general progress and prosperity.
On the 18th of September, 1881, Mr. Skinner was married to Miss Ella
M. Young, of Dunn county, Wisconsin, who was a teacher in the public
schools of that county for a number of years. To this marriage have
been born three children, Arthur, Leslie C. and Ethel V.
Mr. Skinner gives his political endorsement to the republican party
and is well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He stands
for progress along political lines and does everything in his power
to advance the success of the party, yet does not seek or desire
office. He belongs to Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M., and is
a faithful follower of its teachings. Those who know him in a business
way speak of him as a dominant factor in the upbuilding of Walla Walla
and as one who has made for himself a notable place especially in real
estate circles.
ALFRED L. WICKERSHAM.
Alfred L. Wickersham, a leading farmer and stock raiser of Walla Walla
township, Walla Walla county, holds title to two valuable ranches and
is meeting with signal success in the management of his affairs. He
was born in Walla Walla county, February 7, 1871, a son of John and
Christina (Albertson) Wickersham, natives of Ohio, who removed to this
county in 1862. For a number of years the father devoted his time and
attention to freighting, as there were then no railroads in this entire
section, hauling freight from Wallula to the mines at Umatilla Landing,
Boise and many other points, also the fort at Boise, to Fort Lapwai and
Fort Colville. At length he purchased eighty acres of land, including
the site of the present race track at Walla Walla and followed farming
during the remainder of his active life. He passed away September 19,
1906. The mother, however, is still living and makes her home with a
son. Ten children were born to their union but only five survive.
[Illustration: JOHN WICKERSHAM AND FAMILY]
Alfred L. Wickersham grew to manhood in his native county and his
education was that afforded by the public schools. By the time that he
reached man's estate he was a good practical farmer, having received
training in the cultivation of the soil and the care of stock from his
father. He purchased the farm on Mill creek in Walla Walla township,
where he still makes his home and which comprises three hundred and
fifty-five acres. He also owns three hundred and twenty acres of fine
pasture land and in addition to growing wheat and other crops suited to
this section he raises stock on an extensive scale and has found that
business likewise profitable.
Mr. Wickersham is a stanch democrat, his political belief coinciding in
large measure with the principles of that party. Although he has never
failed to do his part in furthering the progress of his community, he
has not taken a prominent part in politics, having no desire to hold
office. He is a man of unassuming disposition and of genuine worth and
his energy, his sound judgment and his unquestioned integrity have
gained for him the respect of his fellowmen.
JONATHAN PETTIJOHN.
Jonathan Pettijohn, who was an honored pioneer settler and valued
citizen of Walla Walla county, was born in Ohio, January 13, 1827, but
when still a boy emigrated with his parents to Edgar county, Illinois,
where he remained until he was twenty-three years of age. He assisted
his widowed mother in rearing the family of children, of whom he was
the eldest. In the year 1850 the lure of gold attracted him to the
west. He and three companions started for California on horseback, and
as some of their horses died en route they walked much of the way. On
reaching the Golden state, Mr. Pettijohn at once went to work in the
mines, where he met with fair success, there remaining for two years.
He then removed to Oregon, settling in Harrisburg, Linn county, where
he was married to Miss Hannah Warner in the year 1853. They took up
their abode on a claim and Mr. Pettijohn followed farming. In 1859 he
came with his family to Walla Walla county, Washington, and settled on
a claim in the beautiful Touchet valley. He spent the winter of 1859
and 1860 here and early in the spring went to the Willamette, after
which he removed his family to this valley. Their home was situated a
few miles below the present town site of Prescott. He erected a log
cabin which still stands as a monument to the early days. He brought
with him to this county a band of fine horses and some cattle and, like
most of the early settlers, engaged in stock raising. Starting with one
hundred and sixty acres of land, during the course of years he kept
gradually acquiring more land until finally he owned about thirty-four
hundred acres of valuable farming and pasture land, on which he had
large herds of fine horses and cattle. Later in life, when the stock
business began to wane on account of the disappearance of the free
range, he plowed up his holdings and became a wheat farmer in earnest.
Mr. and Mrs. Pettijohn reared a large family of seven sons and two
daughters, namely: Thomas, Amas, Eli and John H., all of whom were
born in Oregon; and Huldah, A. L., Sherman, Calvin and Mary, who were
natives of Washington. All are now living but two, Eli and Mrs. Huldah
Richmond. Of those surviving all are married except the youngest son,
and are fairly prosperous, enjoying the possessions bequeathed them by
their frugal parents. All are still residents of Walla Walla county.
Mr. Pettijohn assisted three territories over the threshold into
statehood by voting for the state constitutions of California,
Oregon and Washington, and he was a delegate to the constitutional
convention of Washington. In the way of public education he was indeed
a benefactor. Public money for school purposes was often inadequate to
meet the teacher's salary. He felt that the school must be maintained
at any cost so he often paid most of the amount of the salary out of
his own pocket. He believed in the employment of thoroughly efficient
and competent teachers and some of the best teachers that the country
afforded taught in that little country school near his home and
received a salary equal to any. Another work in which Mr. Pettijohn
deserves creditable mention was in connection with a scheme that was
put forth to bond Walla Walla county for three hundred thousand dollars
to subsidize a railroad company. Mr. Pettijohn with a number of others
enjoined the county from making the appropriation, although many were
in favor of the issue. There was a very wordy war between the two
factions and every inducement was brought to bear upon Mr. Pettijohn,
the leader, to change his course, but with characteristic determination
he stood for what he conceived to be right and and won out. In after
years many thanked him for the stand he had taken, as time has
justified the wisdom and value of his position.
Mr. Pettijohn was of a very sturdy type of manhood and a splendid
representative of the class of hardy pioneers, who helped to make this
county what it is--a land of fine schools and beautiful homes. Along
in the early '60s mines were discovered in Idaho, Montana and Oregon
and supplies were necessary for the miners in the various camps. So the
settlers fitted out pack trains or freight wagons and packed or hauled
freight to all points where needed, the pay being sufficient to make it
very profitable. Mr. Pettijohn chose the ox team and freight wagon for
his and for a number of years spent much time on the road freighting.
His wife remained at home caring for her family amid the dangers and
hardships incident to pioneer life. She was a woman of rare courage,
going calmly about her duties with hordes of half-savage Indians camped
at her very door. On occasions they would creep up and peer in at
the window as she sat at her work. She pretended not to notice them,
knowing that if she showed fear or concern they would become insolent.
Not one of these noble women but met with experiences that would make
the bravest heart quail, yet they never complained, for it seemed a
part of life's duties to endure without a murmur.
Mr. Pettijohn passed away in June, 1913, at a ripe old age, joining
that large number who have left very thin the ranks of the real
pioneers remaining. His memory, however, is enshrined in the hearts
of many who knew him and long years will pass before his work in the
community will be forgotten.
ELLERY J. NELSON.
Ellery J. Nelson is engaged in general farming on section 30, township
8 north, range 36 east, Walla Walla county, and it was upon this
farm that he was born on the 22d of August, 1871, a son of Hiram and
Sarah (McInroe) Nelson. He was educated in the Valley Grove district
school and also in the Walla Walla Business College, thus becoming
well equipped for life's practical and responsible duties. His youth
was also largely devoted to farm work and he early became familiar
with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops.
After reaching young manhood he continued to assist his father in his
extensive farming operations and was thus engaged until 1900, when
he began farming on his own account. He is now operating a portion
of his father's landed holdings and is ranked among the successful
and progressive agriculturists of the county. He pursues the most
thoroughly up-to-date methods in caring for his fields, and in the
cultivation of his crops is meeting with excellent success, annually
gathering substantial harvests.
On the 1st of July, 1915, Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Miss
Julia Kane, of St. Louis, Missouri, and to them were born two sons,
Ellery J., Jr., deceased, and Joseph Vincent. In his political views
Mr. Nelson has always been a republican since attaining his majority,
and while he does not seek nor desire office he is always loyal to the
best interests of the community and gives active aid and cooperation
to many measures for the benefit of town and county. He concentrates
his efforts and attention upon his farming interests, which are wisely
and carefully directed, and as the years pass by he is meeting with a
gratifying measure of success.
WILLIAM E. GROSS.
William E. Gross, a resident farmer of Walla Walla township who is
engaged in dairying and stock raising, was born in Davis county, Iowa,
on the 15th of February, 1858, his parents being B. H. and Julia A.
(Rice) Gross, the former a native of Illinois, while the latter was
born in Ohio. They resided for some time in Iowa and then determined
to cross the plains, making the journey with ox teams. This was in the
year 1862. They first settled in Nevada, where they resided for eight
years, and then removed to northern California, where they remained for
a decade. On the expiration of that period, or in the fall of 1880,
they came to Walla Walla county, Washington, where they took up their
abode upon a farm which continued to be their home until a few years
before they were called to their final rest. They moved to Walla Walla,
where they passed the last years of their lives. They had a family of
nine children, of whom six are now living.
William E. Gross was largely reared and educated in Nevada and in
California, his opportunities being those offered by the common
schools. He studied through the winter months and in the summer
seasons aided in the farm work. When his textbooks were put aside he
concentrated his entire attention upon farming and became identified
with the agricultural interests of Walla Walla county, where he owned
nine hundred and sixty acres of valuable land. He afterward disposed of
the more extensive tract and bought the farm upon which he now resides,
comprising one hundred and sixty-seven acres. This he has since
improved with fine buildings. He now makes a specialty of dairying and
has an excellent herd of Holstein cattle. His dairy is well equipped
in every particular and he has the most sanitary arrangements for the
care of the milk and the handling of his products. He also engaged in
raising Duroc Jersey hogs and his live stock interests as well as his
dairying constitute important features of his business.
On the 11th of December, 1881, Mr. Gross was united in marriage to Miss
Mary E. Cusker, who was born in Walla Walla county and is a daughter
of James and Clementine (Hayworth) Cusker, the former a native of
Washington, D. C., while the latter was born in Indiana. The father
made his way westward to Oregon when a youth of but thirteen years and
later he became a resident of Walla Walla county. Over forty years ago
he settled upon the farm now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Gross and both he
and his wife died upon this place. To Mr. and Mrs. Gross have been born
six children: Elsie R., at home; Mabel A., the wife of E. Fluke, who
has now departed this life; James B., at home; Orien W.; Myron W.; and
Myrtle Irene.
Mr. Gross holds membership with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and
is a member of the Christian church, guiding his life by its teachings
and conforming his actions to its principles. He has been progressive
in all that he has undertaken and in his business affairs has shown
sound judgment and keen discrimination. He has never been afraid of
hard work nor of close application and is numbered among those who,
taking advantage of the great natural resources of the northwest, have
won success, gaining a place among the most substantial citizens of
this part of the state.
HON. CHESTER F. MILLER.
Hon. Chester F. Miller is judge of the superior court of the district
which embraces Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties of Washington. He
resides in Dayton and is one of the honored and distinguished residents
of the southeastern part of the state. He has lived in the same voting
precinct for fifty-seven years and has thus been closely associated
with the development and progress of his section of the state from
pioneer times to the present. Nature endowed him with keen intellect
and he has constantly developed his powers until he is recognized as
the peer of the ablest jurists who have sat upon the bench of the
superior court in the northwest. He was born in Linn county, Oregon,
January 6, 1860, a son of George W. and Sarah E. (Ping) Miller, both of
whom were natives of Indiana. The father was born in Crawfordsville,
that state, on the 6th of April, 1830, and was a son of John Miller,
a native of Tennessee, who in turn was a son of John Miller, a
Revolutionary war soldier. George W. Miller crossed the plains with
his parents to Oregon in 1851, the journey being made with ox teams
and wagon. The family home was established on a donation claim in Linn
county and George W. Miller also took up a claim near Albany, where
the parents settled. He served in the Indian wars of 1855 and in 1860
he came to Washington, taking up a homestead where the city of Dayton
now stands. Later he sold that property and removed to Garfield county.
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Sarah E. Ping, crossed the plains
with her parents in 1852, the Ping family settling in Linn county,
Oregon.
[Illustration: CHESTER F. MILLER]
Judge Chester Franklin Miller was an infant of but six months when his
parents arrived at what is now Dayton. He acquired his early education
in the district school, being a pupil in the little old schoolhouse
on the hill, and he attributes much of his later success in life to
the thoroughness of his instruction at that period, his teacher being
the Hon. Oliver C. White, who was then a country school teacher.
Subsequently Judge Miller attended a private school in Dayton for two
years and there prepared for college under the preceptorship of the
Hon. J. E. Edmiston, who was at that time one of the instructors in
the Dayton College. Mr. Edmiston and Judge Miller were afterward law
partners, their association being maintained for nine years. In 1878
Judge Miller entered the Willamette University at Salem, Oregon, where
he continued his studies for a year and still later became a student in
the Oregon State University, from which he was graduated with honors
in the class of 1882. Three years later his alma mater conferred upon
him the degree of Master of Arts. Following his graduation he returned
to Dayton and while acting as deputy clerk of the district court he
read law under the direction of Colonel Wyatt A. George, the nestor of
the Columbia county bar, who was known as "Old Equity" by his fellow
practitioners.
In 1886 Judge Miller was admitted to the bar by Judge Langford on the
recommendation of T. J. Anders, D. J. Crowley and R. F. Sturdevant,
his examining committee, and soon afterward entered the office of M.
A. Baker and commenced the practice of law. In 1889 he formed a law
partnership with the Hon. J. E. Edmiston, which continued until the
close of the year 1890, when Mr. Edmiston was elected prosecuting
attorney. Judge Miller and his brother-in-law, Charles R. Dorr, then
became partners and in 1892, upon the death of Mr. Dorr, Judge Miller
again entered into partnership relations with Mr. Edmiston, with whom
he continued to practice until the latter's death in 1900. No dreary
novitiate awaited Judge Miller. Almost from the onset he was accorded
a liberal practice which constantly grew in volume and importance as
the years went on. He won for himself very favorable criticism for the
careful and systematic methods which he followed. He has remarkable
powers of concentration and application and his retentive mind has
often excited the surprise of his professional colleagues. As an orator
he ranks high, especially in the discussion of legal matters before the
court, where his comprehensive knowledge of the law is manifest and
his application of legal principles demonstrates the wide range of his
professional acquirements. It was but natural that the ability which
he displayed in his profession should win for him the recognition that
demanded his service in public office. In 1893 he was elected mayor of
Dayton and he served at different periods as city attorney and clerk of
the city of Dayton. In 1900 he was elected to the office of superior
judge and was reelected to that position in 1904 by a greatly increased
majority. Reelection has since continued him upon the bench of the
superior court, where he has displayed a masterful grasp of every
problem presented for solution. Moreover, his decisions indicate strong
mentality, careful analysis, a thorough knowledge of the law and an
unbiased judgment.
On the 24th of May, 1888, Judge Miller was united in marriage to
Miss Nettie Dorr, a daughter of Dr. J. C. and Ellen R. Dorr, who
were among the earliest settlers of California, and in 1879 came to
Columbia county, Washington. The father was a member of the California
Legislature of 1864 and later became recognized as one of the
prominent and distinguished citizens of this state. Judge and Mrs.
Miller are the parents of six daughters, namely: Haidee, Sarah, Hilda,
Conchita, Luneta and Alice.
There is an interesting military chapter in the life record of Judge
Miller, who was captain of Company F of the First Washington Volunteer
Infantry during the Spanish-American war, being mustered into the
United States service with his company on the 11th of May, 1898. He
sailed with his regiment for the Philippines in October of that year
and there acquitted himself with credit until incapacitated by illness,
when he was sent home and on the 12th of May, 1899, was honorably
discharged from the service. Judge Miller is a past commander of Dayton
Lodge, No. 3, K. P.; a past master of Dayton Lodge, No. 53, F. & A. M.;
a past high priest of Dayton Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M.; a past grand of
Patit Lodge, No. 10, I. O. O. F.; a past chief patriarch of Franklin
Encampment, No. 13, I. O. O. F.; and past grand master of the grand
lodge of Odd Fellows of the state of Washington. He also has membership
with the Woodmen, the Workmen, the Eastern Star, the Rebekahs and the
Rathbone Sisters. Such in brief is the record of Judge Miller, one of
the oldest of the pioneer settlers of Columbia county who can claim to
be a native son, one of the most progressive citizens and one of the
most eminent jurists of southeastern Washington. His name is written
high on the roll of honor in Columbia county and his seventeen years'
service on the bench indicates that he possesses the broad-mindedness
which not only comprehends the details of a situation quickly but
also which insures a complete self-control under even the most
exasperating conditions. He has made a splendid record in the discharge
of his multitudinous, often delicate, duties and is spoken of by his
colleagues and contemporaries as a man of well rounded character,
finely balanced mind and of splendid intellectual attainments.
CLARK WALTER.
In this day of international warfare one is apt to think back over
the history of the country to see what is the American record in
times of strife. History presents many tales of heroism, showing that
the American character is one that measures up to full standards
of loyalty, of duty and of courage. Among those who fought for the
preservation of the Union during the dark days of the Civil war was
Clark Walter, who is now a retired farmer residing in Walla Walla.
Mr. Walter was born near South Bend, Indiana, on the 7th of April,
1841, a son of Lucius and Adaline (Fellows) Walter, the former a
native of the state of New York, while the latter was probably born in
Connecticut. They were married in the Empire state and became parents
of two children there before they removed to Michigan about 1839 or
1840. The mother's people had preceded them to that state but after a
brief period passed in Michigan, Mr. and Mrs. Walter went to Indiana,
establishing their home near Notre Dame. At a later period, however,
they returned to Michigan, where the death of the mother occurred in
1853. The father afterward married Miss Anna Dopp and continued to
reside in Michigan until called to the home beyond.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. CLARK WALTER]
Clark Walter was reared in that state and pursued a common school
education there. He was twenty years of age when in April, 1861,
he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting for three
months as a member of the Second Michigan Infantry. It was soon seen,
however, that the war was to be no mere holiday affair and he offered
his services for three years, joining the army on the 30th of July,
1861, in response to the call for three years' men. He was mustered
in as a member of Company A, Sixth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and
at Baltimore, Maryland, was assigned to General Dixie's command. The
army remained in Baltimore until February, 1862, when they were sent to
Fort Monroe and afterward to Ship Island in the Gulf of Mexico for the
attack on New Orleans. After General Farragut's capture of New Orleans
they went on transports up the river to Vicksburg and later returned to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On the 14th of October, 1862, Mr. Walter was
honorably discharged from the service on account of disability. He had
participated in a number of important engagements and at all times had
proven his marked loyalty to the cause which he espoused.
After receiving an honorable discharge Mr. Walter returned to Michigan
and in 1864 he crossed the plains to California, making the trip
for the benefit of his health, which was still impaired because of
the rigors of his military service. In the fall of 1865 he returned
eastward as far as Minnesota, taking up his abode in Dakota county.
He afterward removed to Sibley county, that state. He had married in
Michigan in 1864, prior to crossing the plains, and with his family
he continued his residence in Minnesota until 1877, when he once
more crossed the plains, this time accompanied by his wife and three
children. Arriving in Oregon, he settled near Athena in Umatilla
county, where he purchased a quarter section of railroad land and
began farming. He had used his homestead right in Minnesota, but the
grasshopper scourge which continued for four years in that state
caused him to lose all that he had, so that he came to Oregon with
but very little money. He acquired two hundred and forty acres in his
home place, on which he resided until 1898, when he removed to Walla
Walla in order to give his children the advantages offered by the city
schools. He has here since made his home and is one of the valued and
respected residents.
On the 7th of March, 1864, Mr. Walter was united in marriage to Miss
Hannah B. Kinsey, and they became the parents of eight children, six
of whom still survive, namely: Mabel L., who is the wife of Dr. J. A.
Moffitt, of Sacramento, California; Charles A., who follows farming
in Walla Walla county; Edith, who is a Sister of St. Francis in the
convent at Pendleton and is a painter and musician of ability, teaching
both arts at the convent; John C., who operates a farm of his own and
also his father's place in Umatilla county, Oregon; Francis H., who is
a resident of Pierce county, Washington; and Gertrude, who is the wife
of Elmer T. Matheny, of Walla Walla.
Mrs. Walter is descended from Revolutionary stock, her maternal
great-grandfather having served for seven years in the war for
independence. His sister, Deborah Sampson, also served as a common
soldier in that war, being disguised as a man and known by the name
of Robert Shurtliff. She carried a gun and participated in numerous
battles, being twice wounded, once through the arm and later through
the breast. She recovered and subsequently married. She was received
by General Washington, who conferred honors upon her, and she was one
of the few women given a life pension by our government. Mrs. Walter's
grandfather Sampson was a soldier of the War of 1812.
In his political views Mr. Walter is a stalwart democrat, and while
never an aspirant for public office, he has repeatedly been honored
in local affairs. He was elected to the board of county commissioners
of Sibley county, Minnesota. He served as justice of the peace, as
town clerk and as assessor in Sibley county and after his removal
to the west was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of county
commissioners of Umatilla county, Oregon, and was twice thereafter
regularly elected thereto, serving for six years. He was a member of
the board and one of the leading factors in the building of the new
one hundred thousand dollar courthouse of Umatilla county. He served
continuously as a member of the school board almost from the time
of his arrival in Umatilla county until his removal to Walla Walla.
Fraternally Mr. Walter is connected with Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13,
F. & A. M., with A. Lincoln Post, No. 4, G. A. R., and is most loyal
to the teachings and purposes of these organizations. Through his
connection with the latter he maintains pleasant associations with
his old army comrades and proudly wears the little bronze button that
proclaims him as one of the "boys in blue." There is in his life record
nothing spectacular but his career is one that places him with the
substantial citizens of the northwest--men who have consistently done
their duty year by year and in the legitimate advancement of their
own fortunes have contributed to the upbuilding and prosperity of the
district in which they live.
CHARLES COYLE.
Charles Coyle is a partner in the firm of Coyle Brothers, well known
dairy farmers of Walla Walla county. His home is on section 27,
township 7 north, range 35 east. He was born in Oregon, September
14, 1865, and is a son of James Coyle, who is mentioned elsewhere in
this work in connection with the sketch of Byrd Coyle. He came to
Walla Walla county when but a year old, the parents removing with
their family to this state. He has since lived upon the farm which
he now occupies and which is therefore endeared to him through the
associations of boyhood as well as those of later years. He acquired
a common school education and when not busy with his textbooks his
attention was given to the work of the fields, for he was early trained
to the tasks of plowing, planting and harvesting. He remained at home
until he attained his majority, since which time he and his brothers
have carried on farming together and have long made a specialty of
dairying. In this business they are very successful and for that
purpose they keep a large herd of fine cattle. Everything about their
dairy is in excellent condition. Their arrangements are of the most
sanitary and the products of their dairy find a ready sale on the
market.
In 1911 Mr. Coyle was married to Miss Lela Truitt, a native of
Missouri, who in 1909 became a resident of Walla Walla, where her
parents are still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Coyle have been born three
children, Inez M., C. Bruce and Maxine. The parents are members of
the Christian church and in politics Mr. Coyle is a democrat. He has
served as school director and as school clerk in his district and
is interested in all that tends to promote educational progress. In
fact he stands for advancement and improvement along all lines and is
acknowledged a man of worth, highly esteemed wherever known and most of
all where he is best known.
CLYDE H. BROWN.
Farming interests of Walla Walla county find a worthy representative in
Clyde H. Brown, who is living on section 4, township 9 north, range 36
east. He was born in Waitsburg, this county, on the 18th of June, 1877,
a son of Albert N. and Justina (Kent) Brown. The father was a native
of Iowa and the mother of Illinois, but they were married in Kansas,
where they had lived for some years, each removing to that state with
their parents. In 1876 they came to the Pacific coast, making their
way westward by train to San Francisco and thence by boat to Portland.
The following fall and winter were spent in the Willamette valley
and in the spring of 1877 they came by wagon and team to Walla Walla
county, Washington, taking up their abode upon a homestead claim two
miles north of Waitsburg. The father proved up on this property and
there resided for five years. He afterward removed to a small place
one mile west of Waitsburg, upon which he also spent five years. At
the expiration of that period he sold the property and purchased the
Bolles Junction ranch of four hundred and twenty acres half way between
Waitsburg and Prescott. Upon that place he lived for thirteen years and
then disposed of the property and purchased the farm upon which his
son Clyde H. now resides, adjoining the city limits of Prescott. Here
he owned nine hundred acres of land which he continued to cultivate
and improve up to the time of his death in January, 1911. His widow is
still living and makes her home with her son Clyde.
A western man by birth, training and preference, Clyde H. Brown
displays in his life the spirit of enterprise and progress which have
ever been a dominant factor in the upbuilding of this section of the
country. He was educated in the Bolles Junction school and in the
Waitsburg public schools and was early trained to the work of the farm,
assisting in the tasks of plowing, planting and harvesting from early
boyhood. On account of his father's ill health the management of the
farm devolved upon him when he was yet a young man and he has since
continued in control, carefully and wisely directing the development
and further improvement of the place. He has brought the fields under
a high state of cultivation and upon the farm there are substantial
buildings which indicate the care and supervision of the owner. He
seems to lose sight of nothing that should be accomplished in the work
of further developing his place and his labors have brought substantial
results.
On the 15th of September, 1899, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to
Miss Ethel Miller, of Bolles Junction, and to them have been born two
sons and a daughter, Myrle, Duane and Iris.
In his political views Mr. Brown is a stalwart republican. He belongs
to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1,
R. A. M.; Washington Commandery, K. T., of Walla Walla; and El Katif
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane. He also has membership with
Prescott Lodge, No. 46, I. O. O. F., and he and his wife are members
of Waitsburg Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mrs. Brown is
also connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. They are widely
and favorably known in their part of Walla Walla county and have an
extensive circle of warm friends who esteem them highly. Their social
qualities, their loyalty in citizenship and their devotion to the best
interests of the community insure for them an enviable position in the
public regard.
ANDY TAYLOR.
Andy Taylor, one of the extensive wheat growers of Walla Walla county,
within the borders of which he has resided for the past three decades,
makes his home in the city of Walla Walla. For some years he engaged
in the cultivation of seven hundred and ninety-seven acres of land
nine miles north of Prescott and also operates a tract of two thousand
acres under lease. His birth occurred in Greene county, Tennessee, on
the 15th of July, 1857, his parents being William and Susan (Carey)
Taylor, who were also natives of that state. In 1889, one year after
the arrival of their son Andy, they made their way to the Pacific coast
country and for a time resided in Oregon. Subsequently, however, they
took up their abode in Walla Walla and here spent the remainder of
their lives.
Andy Taylor spent the first nineteen years of his life in the state of
his nativity and about 1876 removed to Petersburg, Illinois, where he
was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits for more than a
decade. It was in 1887 that he came to Walla Walla county, Washington,
and here he was employed as a ranch hand for a period of five years. At
the end of that time, in 1893, he took up a homestead ten miles north
of Walla Walla, residing thereon for five years or until he established
the family home in the city of Walla Walla, where it has since been
maintained. In the fall of 1917 he disposed of his tract north of
Prescott. The prosperity which he now enjoys is indeed well merited,
for he has ever manifested industry, enterprise and keen discrimination
and in the management of his extensive interests has been notably
practical, persistent and progressive.
[Illustration: ANDY TAYLOR]
[Illustration: MRS. ANDY TAYLOR]
In 1884 Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Mollie C. Ragsdill,
of Menard county, Illinois, by whom he has two sons: Lowell Oakley, a
successful agriculturist of Walla Walla county; and Brooks Andy, who
engages in wheat growing with his father. Although a grandmother Mrs.
Taylor is now a student at St. Paul's School, where she expects to
complete the school work begun in her girlhood, having a great desire
for a higher education than she could obtain at that time. This is very
unusual for a woman past fifty years of age but shows her strength of
character and perseverance. Mr. Taylor gives his political allegiance
to the republican party, which he has supported since age conferred
upon him the right of franchise. Fraternally he is identified with
the following organizations: Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A.
M.; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; Enterprise Lodge, No. 2,
I. O. O. F.; Walla Walla Encampment, No. 3, I. O. O. F.; and Walla
Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E. Mr. Taylor and his two sons are all
thirty-second degree Masons as well as members of the Odd Fellows lodge
and encampment, while his wife and sons are identified with the Order
of the Eastern Star, and Mrs. Taylor is a member of the Daughters of
Rebekahs. Mr. Taylor is also a member of the Farmers Union and is
widely and favorably known in Walla Walla county, where he has won
friends and fortune.
ALBERT R. MATTOON.
Albert R. Mattoon is a representative farmer of Walla Walla county who
deserves mention among the self-made men. He had no assistance when he
started out in the business world but early realized that energy and
effort will bring substantial results and by reason of his unfaltering
diligence he has gained a place among the leading farmers of his
section of the county. He was born in Oregon, July 12, 1853, and is the
only child of Aruna and Eliza A. (Trullinger) Mattoon. The father was a
native of the state of New York, while the mother was born in Indiana.
It was in 1847 that they crossed the plains, making the journey with ox
teams and taking up their abode near Oregon City, Oregon. Mr. Mattoon
secured a donation claim, upon which not a furrow had been turned nor
an improvement made, and there he built a log cabin. The family lived
in true pioneer style, for the work of progress and development had
scarcely been begun in that region. The Indians far outnumbered the
white settlers; the forests stood in their primeval strength; the
streams were unbridged and the land uncultivated. Only here and there
had some venturesome spirit penetrated into the wildernesses of the
west in order to found a home and engage in business. Mr. Mattoon began
the development of his farm and continued his residence in Oregon until
his demise, but his widow afterward removed to Washington and spent her
last days in Walla Walla county.
Albert R. Mattoon was reared and educated in Oregon and remained a
resident of that state until 1878, when, at the age of twenty-five
years he came to Washington and has since made his home in Walla Walla
county save for a brief period. After taking up his abode in the city
of Walla Walla he was there engaged in the implement business for
fifteen years, ranking with its leading and representative merchants.
He then sold his store and returned to Oregon, going first to Riddle,
where he engaged in merchandising for seven years. He then disposed of
his store at that place and removed to Portland, where he engaged in
the real estate business until 1913, when he returned to Walla Walla.
He then took up his abode upon the farm on which he now resides, having
sixty acres of land on which is raised corn, hay, wheat and garden
produce. At the present time, however, he rents most of his land and is
now practically living retired.
On the 7th of November, 1880, Mr. Mattoon was married to Mrs. Nancy
Jane Knight, a native of Missouri, and to them have been born two sons:
Arthur R., who is now living in Portland, Oregon; and Fred V., who is
successfully engaged in the hotel business at Wenatchee, Washington.
By her first marriage Mrs. Mattoon has one son, P. B. Knight, who
resides in Walla Walla. She is a daughter of William Bartlett and Mary
(Weaver) Braden, natives of Kentucky and North Carolina respectively.
They were married, however, in Tennessee, and from that state removed
to Illinois about 1838. Ten years later they went to Missouri, where
Mr. Braden died in 1866. In 1870 Mrs. Braden came with her daughter to
Walla Walla county, Washington; and here she passed away at the home of
Mrs. Mattoon in 1887. She was the mother of twelve children, but only
three now survive. In 1873 her daughter, Nancy Jane, became the wife of
William C. Knight, who died about a year later.
In his political views Mr. Mattoon has always been a stalwart
republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and
he represented Douglas county, Oregon, for two years in the state
legislature, during which period he was instrumental by his vote in
electing John H. Mitchell to the office of United States senator. For
some years he served on the school board and the cause of education
has ever found in him a stalwart supporter. He also belongs to the Odd
Fellows lodge at Roseburg, Oregon, and his life is an exemplification
of its teachings concerning the brotherhood of man and the obligations
thereby imposed. In all of his business career he has shown ready
adaptability and resourcefulness, combined with energy and enterprise,
and whatever he has undertaken he has carried forward to successful
completion. The record which he has made is a very creditable one and
his life history shows that success and an honored name may be won
simultaneously.
HORACE G. HART.
Horace G. Hart is spoken of by friends and neighbors as a man of high
purpose that has found expression in his daily conduct. He is now
engaged in general farming on section 3, township 9 north, range 36
east, in Walla Walla county. He was born in Macon county, Missouri,
on the 7th of September, 1858, a son of Horace and Margaret E.
(Mercer) Hart. The father was a native of Connecticut and the mother
of Kentucky. The former first crossed the plains in 1846, making his
way to Spalding's mission at Lapwai, Idaho, Mr. Spalding's first wife
having been his sister. In the fall of 1848, when gold was first
discovered in California, he went to that state and subsequently he
crossed the continent four times, twice by way of the Isthmus route
and once around the Horn. He was married on the 22d of November, 1855,
and in 1864 he brought his family across the plains, making his way to
the Touchet valley, where he established his home about twenty miles
north of Walla Walla. There he became actively identified with farming
and stock raising and acquired two hundred and forty acres of land,
upon which he spent his remaining days, passing away September 1, 1892,
when in his eightieth year. His experiences were broad and varied,
acquainting him with all phases of mining life and with all phases of
pioneer life in the far west. On the 29th of May, 1893, his wife passed
away when sixty-nine years of age.
Horace G. Hart was reared under the parental roof upon the western
frontier, having been but six years of age when the family came to
Washington. His education was acquired in the district schools and as
early as his eighteenth year he began farming on his own account,
operating his father's farm, which he continued to manage until after
his father's death. In the meantime, on attaining his majority, he
filed on a homestead adjoining his father's place and continued its
cultivation in connection with the further development of the old
homestead. Following his father's demise he came into possession of
the farm on which he still resides, but has sold much of the land,
retaining one hundred acres as a home. His career has been that of
a very busy man. He has closely applied himself to the care and
management of his property interests and he has long ranked with the
leading and representative agriculturists of his section of the state.
On the 28th of March, 1881, Mr. Hart was united in marriage to Miss
Ollie L. McKinzie, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Isaac McKinzie, one
of the early settlers of the county. To this union have been born
ten children: Myrtle A., the wife of Daniel Callahan, a farmer of
this county; Carl E., of Waitsburg, Washington; Ralph H., a farmer of
Walla Walla county; Lulu P., the wife of Arthur Coe, a farmer residing
at Milton, Oregon; Mabel, the wife of Herbert E. Carr, of Prescott;
Dorsey, a resident of Detroit, Michigan; and Mary, Lester, Loverne and
Horace, Jr., all at home.
Since attaining his majority Mr. Hart has given stalwart allegiance to
the republican party but has never been an aspirant for public office.
He, however, allowed his name to be used on the prohibition ticket
for the office of county commissioner. He has always been a staunch
advocate of temperance and does everything in his power to advance the
cause. He belongs to Prescott Lodge, No. 46, I. O. O. F., and to the
Ancient Order of United Workmen. He and his wife are members of the
Federated church at Prescott and his aid can always be counted upon to
further any movement that tends to uplift the individual or advance the
best interests of the community. His standards of life are high and
those who know him have come to recognize the fact that his word is as
good as his bond.
ALEXANDER PRICE.
Alexander Price was a most prominent and progressive farmer of Columbia
county for many years and in his death the community lost one of its
valued citizens. He was born in Missouri, November 3, 1847, a son of
Joseph S. and Sarah (Williams) Price, the former a native of Kentucky,
while the latter was born in Indiana.
Alexander Price was reared and educated in Missouri and was a youth
of seventeen years when he crossed the plains, traveling with ox team
and wagon after the primitive methods of the period. There were no
railroads across the country at that time and with the slow-plodding
oxen only a few miles could be covered every day. Thus the trip
lengthened out over weeks and months but eventually they reached their
destination and Mr. Price became a resident of Yamhill county, Oregon.
There he secured employment as a farm hand, remaining in that state
until the fall of 1870, when he came to Walla Walla county and took up
a homestead nine miles southwest of Dayton. Upon that farm he lived
for seven years and his labors wrought a marked transformation in the
appearance of the place. His widow still owns that property, which has
now become very valuable.
In 1873 Mr. Price was united in marriage to Miss Clarinda J. Anderson,
a native of Missouri and a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Power)
Anderson, who were natives of Indiana. They removed from that state to
Missouri, where the father died in the year 1850. The mother afterward
crossed the plains with her family in 1865, spending her last days in
Washington. To Mr. and Mrs. Price were born seven children: George F.;
Martha, at home; Celestia, the wife of James J. Edwards; Susan M.;
Alice L., who has passed away; Homer E.; and Joseph W.
The death of the husband and father occurred in 1906 and he was laid
to rest in Dayton cemetery, leaving a widow and six children to
mourn his loss. He had been devoted to their welfare and by reason
of his capable business management and wise investments, combined
with indefatigable energy and industry, he was able to leave his
family in very comfortable financial circumstances. Mrs. Price and
her children now own more than five thousand acres of valuable wheat
land in Columbia county, all of which is improved, and she also has an
attractive residence in the city of Dayton, where she is able to enjoy
all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. She belongs to the
Congregational church and takes an active interest in its work. In
fact, she is ever ready to endorse those plans and measures which tend
to uplift the individual or uphold the betterment of the community at
large. For many years the Price family has lived in this section of the
state, coming here long before Washington was admitted to the Union,
and they are prominent not only as pioneers but in those social circles
where true worth and intelligence are accepted as the passports into
good society.
HON. WILLIAM FARRISH.
In the front ranks of the columns which have advanced the civilization
of Washington, Hon. William Farrish has led the way to the substantial
development, progress and upbuilding of Asotin county, being
particularly active in the growth and progress of the district in
which he still makes his home. His memory goes back to the time when
the entire Pacific coast was but sparsely settled, when much of the
land had not been reclaimed for purposes of civilization but remained
in the primitive condition in which it came from the hand of nature.
He has lived in the same house in three different counties owing
to the division of the old county necessitating change of name and
installation of new county governments. He has seen the forests cut,
the streams bridged and the work of development carried forward and at
all times has borne his part in the general advancement and improvement
which has brought Asotin county to its present condition. He was born
in Richibucto, province of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, August 9, 1835,
a son of William and Catherine (Smith) Farrish, who were natives of
Scotland. The father was a lumberman and thus provided for his family.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM FARRISH]
Hon. William Farrish was the second in order of birth in a family of
three sons and three daughters, of whom only three are now living. He
acquired his early education in the paid schools of New Brunswick,
which he attended for about three years. He left home in 1853, when
eighteen years of age, and made his way to Wisconsin, settling in Grand
Rapids, that state, after which he worked in the lumber camps, cutting
logs and sawing lumber, which was then rafted down the Mississippi
and sold. Part of the time he worked for others and during a part of
the time engaged in business there on his own account. He continued
a resident of Wisconsin until 1878, when he removed to the west,
traveling by rail to San Francisco and thence by boat up the coast and
up the Columbia river until he took up his abode in Columbia county,
Washington, establishing his home in that section which is now Asotin
county. He made his way by stage from Walla Walla to Dayton and on to
Pomeroy and to Columbia Center, where his wife's people lived. From
that point he came to Asotin, where he embarked in the lumber business
in connection with his father-in-law, T. G. Bean. They were thus
associated in business for twenty years, on the expiration of which
period Mr. Farrish purchased his partner's interest and conducted the
business alone. He came to Washington territory in the spring of 1878,
when there were a number of Indian uprisings occurring in various
sections. There were only about twenty families living in the Anatone
country at that time and there was great fear among them because of
the possibility of an outbreak of Indian hostility at any time. Some
of the men began to build a stockade in the hills and Mr. Farrish sent
two of his men to help them cut logs and build the stockade, into
which all of the families were taken. The Indians, however, did not
attack them although the people were expecting an attack daily. The
association which existed between Mr. Bean and Mr. Farrish was ever
most harmonious and their business affairs were carefully, wisely and
successfully conducted. They would haul the lumber from the mountains
by team and then raft the lumber down the Snake river. They furnished
the lumber for the famous Truax interests, used for the building
of the big warehouses, and also the lumber for the Columbia county
plank road. They had a lumberyard at Ilia, in Columbia county, now
Garfield, as well as at Asotin, and sold lumber throughout old Walla
Walla county. They sold the lumber for the old grist mill at Almota,
the frame of which is still standing although it was erected in 1878.
After coming to Washington, Mr. Farrish lived in the timber for about
five years. Later he removed his home on the ranch, where he remained
for about fifteen years, when his residence was destroyed by fire. He
then took up his abode in the town, where he had another home that
had been erected several years before. He has always been actively
identified with the lumber interests during the period of his residence
in Washington and has done much to develop the lumber resources of this
section of the country and has thus added materially to the wealth,
development and progress of the state. He owns a ranch of eight hundred
acres, half of which is under cultivation and is now being managed by
his son, Harry H.
Mr. Farrish was united in marriage to Miss Content V. Bean, who was
born April 14, 1847, in Union county, Wisconsin, a daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. T. G. Bean, who were pioneers of Washington. On removing
westward from Wisconsin they settled for a time on the Walla Walla
river, where the father conducted a shingle mill. The marriage of Mr,
and Mrs. Farrish was celebrated in Plover, Wisconsin, on the 31st of
March, 1869, and to them were born seven children: William Thomas,
born in Port Edwards, Wisconsin, February 14, 1870, and now a resident
of Walla Walla, married Georgia Bradley and to them were born four
children. Frank A., born in Port Edwards, Wisconsin, December 16,
1873, is now a resident of Anatone and operates the sawmill there. He
married Nellie Smelcer and to them were born three children who are
living and one who died in infancy. Harry H., born in Port Edwards,
Wisconsin, April 16, 1876, and now ably conducting the home ranch,
married Carrie Evans and they have two children: Gervais, who died in
infancy; and Colin. The younger children of this family were all born
in the same house although in different counties, owing to the various
divisions which were made in the counties at that period. Arthur,
who was born in Columbia county July 7, 1878, is now conducting his
father's interests in the lumber business and lives at home. Grace was
born in Columbia county June 25, 1880, and is the wife of George N.
Ausman, a prominent rancher of Asotin county and a son of one of the
early and honored pioneer settlers mentioned elsewhere in this work.
They have six children. Robert Bruce was born July 14, 1883, and now
occupies a homestead ten miles from the town of Asotin, in Asotin
county. He married Maud Trent and they have become the parents of two
daughters. Edith, born August 8, 1886, in Asotin county, is the wife
of E. R. Downen, who served two terms as county treasurer and is now
county assessor, and they have two sons. The wife and mother passed
away in Asotin, November 14, 1906, and her death was the occasion of
deep and widespread regret, for she had endeared herself to many with
whom she had been brought into contact. She was a consistent member of
the Methodist church, to which Mr. Farrish also belongs.
In politics he is a staunch republican and represented his district
in the state legislature in the first, second and third sessions
after Washington was admitted to the Union. He was made a Mason in
Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, in 1852 and holds membership in the Royal
Arch Chapter in Lewiston. He is the only living charter member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Anatone.
FREDERICK J. FLEISCHER.
Frederick J. Fleischer occupies a central place on the stage of
business and political activity in Prescott. Important public and
private interests have been controlled by him to the benefit of the
public and he well deserves the position of leadership which is
accorded him. He is vice president and the cashier of the First State
Bank of Prescott and is now serving as mayor of the city. He was born
in Madison, Wisconsin, on the 16th of May, 1871, and is a son of John
A. and Elizabeth (Miller) Fleischer. His paternal grandfather, Knute
J. Fleischer, was of German descent on his father's side, although of
Norwegian birth, and he came to the United States as Norwegian consul.
John A. Fleischer, father of Frederick J. Fleischer, was born in 1846
and was but five years of age when brought by his parents to the new
world, so that he was reared in Madison, Wisconsin, where the family
home was established. He was a youth of seventeen when, in response
to the call of the country for troops to service in the Civil war, he
enlisted in a Wisconsin regiment and through the following two years
rose to the rank of second lieutenant. The war having ended, he was
then honorably discharged and returned to Madison, Wisconsin, where he
was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Miller, a native of that city,
the wedding being there celebrated in 1868. They began their domestic
life in Madison, where they continued to reside until 1872, and then
removed to Pelican Rapids, in Otter Tail county, Minnesota, where the
father secured a homestead and engaged in farming for thirty-four
years, being thus ranked for more than a third of a century with the
representative and honored residents of that part of that state. In
1906 he came west and settled first in Lewiston, Idaho, where he
remained for five years, and after a year or more spent in Seattle
and in Portland he came to Prescott, Washington, where he has since
resided. He is now living retired, enjoying the fruits of his former
toil, for his years of indefatigable industry and perseverance have
brought to him a substantial competence that enables him to rest from
further labor.
Frederick J. Fleischer, whose name introduces this review, was reared
upon the home farm in Ottertail county, Minnesota, with the usual
experiences of the farmbred boy. He supplemented his public school
training by a business course received in Dixon, Illinois, and until
his twenty-seventh year remained upon the home farm, assisting his
father in its cultivation through the summer months, while in the
winter seasons he engaged in teaching. In 1898 he accepted a position
as bookkeeper in the J. P. Wallace State Bank of Pelican Rapids and
three years later he became one of the stockholders in the bank and was
made a member of its board of directors. He was also elected cashier
of the bank, in which position he continued to serve until 1906, when
he sold his interest in that institution and came to the west with his
father, making his way to Lewiston, Idaho. On the 1st of January, 1907,
he went to Moscow, Idaho, to accept the cashiership of the Moscow State
Bank. During the following year the bank changed hands and in January,
1908, Mr. Fleischer went to Spokane, Washington, where he resided
until the 1st of August of that year, when he came to Prescott. On the
1st of January following he purchased stock in the First State Bank
and assumed the cashiership. This bank had passed through some severe
financial reverses and the task of rebuilding it devolved upon Mr.
Fleischer. How well this task has been performed is told in the present
condition of the bank's affairs. When he took charge the deposits
amounted to about thirty thousand dollars. Today and for several years
past the deposits have averaged about one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars and the affairs of the bank are in splendid condition in every
way. Mr. Fleischer brought to his work long experience, keen sagacity
and notably sound discrimination and his close application and careful
management have brought most satisfactory results.
On the 26th of June, 1901, Mr. Fleischer was united in marriage to Miss
Charlotte G. Hicks, of Milnor, North Dakota, and to them have been four
children, of whom three are living, Ernestine Lois, Frederick J. and
Hugh Warren.
Mr. Fleischer is a republican but not a narrow partisan. On the
contrary he is a man of broad and liberal views, but is unfaltering
in his allegiance to a principle in which he firmly believes. He has
served as a delegate to the republican state conventions of Minnesota
on two different occasions and he was city treasurer of Pelican Rapids
for a number of years. Since coming to Prescott he has also been
called upon to fill positions of public honor and trust by his fellow
citizens, who recognized his splendid ability as a business man and
desired that the city might benefit by that ability. He was made a
member of the city council, in which he served for a number of years,
and for two years he has been mayor of Prescott. His administration
is businesslike and progressive. It has resulted in bringing about
various improvements and while he avoids all useless expenditure he
also equally avoids that retrenchment which blocks public progress. In
a word his sound judgment discriminates between the essential and the
non-essential in regard to municipal affairs just as surely as it does
in relation to the interests of the bank, which has grown so steadily
under his direction.
Mr. Fleischer is well known in Masonic circles, holding membership in
Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R.
A. M.; and Washington Commandery, No. 1, K. T. He is also identified
with El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane, and he belongs to
Whetstone Lodge, No. 157, K. P., of Prescott, in which latter he has
held all the chairs. He and his wife are members of the Order of the
Eastern Star at Waitsburg and both are actively identified with the
Federated church of Prescott, taking an active and helpful interest
in all that pertains to the improvement and upbuilding of their city
along material, intellectual, social and moral lines. Without invidious
distinction Mr. Fleischer may well be termed one of the foremost men of
Prescott, loyal to every interest of general benefit, while his course
in private affairs marks him as a man of high honor.
JOSEPHUS M. MOORE.
Josephus M. Moore came to Walla Walla county in 1870 and during the
many years of his residence here became widely and favorably known. He
was born in Rock Island, Illinois, September 17, 1838, a son of Amos L.
and Mary Moore, both of whom were natives of Ohio, whence they removed
to Illinois when the Prairie state was still but thinly settled. Still
later they removed to a new frontier, coming to Walla Walla county,
Washington in 1868, and here both passed away. To them were born five
children.
Josephus M. Moore received his education in the public schools of
Illinois and remained with his parents during his boyhood and youth.
He continued to reside in the middle west until 1870, when he decided
to try his fortune in the Pacific coast country, concerning which he
had heard excellent reports. He arrived in Old Walla Walla county,
Washington, in July, 1870, and turned his attention to farming in
what is now Garfield county. This occupation claimed his time and
energies throughout his remaining days. He was energetic and resolute
and overcame all obstacles that lay between him and success, gaining a
substantial competence.
Mr. Moore was married in Ohio to Miss Louisa Prescott, by whom he
had one daughter, Mary, now the wife of Walter Preston, of Portland,
Oregon. On coming to Washington Mr. Moore was accompanied by his wife
and daughter, and Mrs. Moore died here some years later. In 1894 Mr.
Moore was again married, his second union being with Miss Eva Abbott,
a native of Ohio. Her parents, S. J. and Chloe (Russell) Abbott, were
born respectively in Vermont and Ohio, but in 1862 made the long
journey across the great plains to California, where they remained
until 1880. In that year they came to Walla Walla county, Washington,
and both are still living here, the father at the age of eighty-three
years and the mother at the age of eighty. Both are still keen of
mind and active of body and they are one of the most highly esteemed
couples in the county. Four of the seven children born to them survive.
To Mr. and Mrs. Moore was born a son, Amos A., who was graduated from
the military academy at Staunton, Virginia; later was a student in the
State University of Washington, at Seattle, and is now a student at
Walla Walla Business College.
[Illustration: JOSEPHUS M. MOORE]
[Illustration: MRS. JOSEPHUS M. MOORE]
Mr. Moore was a stanch advocate of republican principles and served
with much satisfaction to his constituents in a number of local
offices. The principles of conduct which guided his life were found
in the teachings of the Masonic order, to which he belonged. His
death occurred September 24, 1901, and he was buried in Mountain View
cemetery. He was a man of many admirable traits and those who knew him
well still cherish his memory. Mrs. Moore makes her home in the city of
Walla Walla, where she owns a fine residence situated on five acres of
ground.
ROBERT O. SANDERS.
Robert O. Sanders is living retired in Waitsburg, although for a long
period he was actively identified with farming interests in Walla Walla
County, and his capable management of his business affairs brought to
him the measure of success which he is now enjoying. He was born in
Jefferson county, Illinois, October 8, 1852, and is a son of Jacob and
Mary (Breeze) Sanders. The father was a native of Indiana, while the
mother's birth occurred in Illinois, where for many years they resided
and where both passed away. In their family were seven children, four
of whom are yet living.
Robert O. Sanders spent the period of his boyhood and youth upon the
home farm in Illinois with the usual experiences that fall to the lot
of the lad who divides his time between the duties of the schoolroom,
the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields. When he was
sixteen years of age his father died and he continued to assist his
mother until he attained his majority, when he began farming on his
own account. In 1888 he removed to Walla Walla, since which time he
has resided in the northwest, his connection with this section of the
country now covering a period of almost thirty years. He began farming
here and first rented land and while thus engaged he carefully saved
his earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient
capital to enable him to purchase a farm. That he has prospered as the
years have gone by is indicated in the fact that he now owns three
hundred and twenty acres which he has greatly improved. It is wheat
land and is cultivated according to the most progressive and scientific
methods of crop production. His work has always been carefully
performed and his industry and diligence have brought substantial
results. He continued personally to cultivate his place until 1902,
when he retired from active farm life and removed to Waitsburg, where
he is now living.
On January 29, 1874, Mr. Sanders was married to Miss Eva Harned, a
native of Indiana, and they became the parents of seven children:
Addie, the wife of O. W. Abbey; Maud, who married J. W. Cram; Samuel
C., living in Oregon; Alva H., who occupies his father's farm; and
three who died in infancy.
Fraternally Mr. Sanders is connected with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, belonging to Touchet Lodge, No. 5, while both he and his wife
are connected with the Rebekahs. In politics he is a republican, having
always been a firm believer in the principles of the party. He has
served as school director for ten years and it is his earnest desire
that excellent educational advantages shall be given to the youth of
this section of the state. He and his wife are consistent members of
the Christian church and have guided their lives according to its
teachings. They are influenced by high principles of conduct and their
genuine worth has commended them to the friendship and regard of all
with whom they have been associated. The record of Mr. Sanders should
serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what may be accomplished
when one has the will to dare and to do, for he started out in life
empty-handed and whatever success he has achieved or enjoyed has been
won through his persistency of purpose, his unremitting diligence and
his business integrity.
EMERY FLATHERS.
Emery Flathers, who followed farming on section 31, township 10 north,
range 36 east, is a representative of one of the old pioneer families
of Walla Walla county. From an early period in the development in this
section of the state the family has taken an active part in the work of
general progress and improvement and is particularly well and favorably
known in connection with the agricultural development of this section.
Emery Flathers was born on the old homestead farm adjoining the town of
Prescott, March 27, 1872, a son of Benjamin F. and Melinda S. (McQuown)
Flathers. The father was a native of Louisville, Kentucky, while the
mother was a native of Virginia.
Upon the old homestead Emery Flathers was reared and in the schools of
Prescott he pursued his education. In 1905 he entered into partnership
with his brothers, John and Charles, and for five years they were
associated in farming operations. In 1910, however, Emery Flathers
withdrew from the firm and since that time has rented his land and
lived retired. He owns two hundred acres, constituting a valuable
property, and his rental returns to him a very gratifying income.
On December 23, 1908, Mr. Flathers was married to Miss Rae E. Dunlap, a
daughter of John K. Dunlap, who has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Flathers
became the parents of two children, a son and a daughter, Howard and
Frances. Mrs. Flathers departed this life July 17, 1915, and her death
was deeply regretted not only by her immediate family but by many
friends.
Mr. Flathers is independent in politics, voting for the men and
measures he considers of the best interest of all the people. He keeps
well informed on the questions and issues of the day but neither seeks
nor desires office. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity,
belonging to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16. A. F. & A. M.; Walla Walla
Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M., of Walla Walla and Washington Commandery,
K. T., also of Walla Walla. He has likewise crossed the sands of the
desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, being a member of El Katif
Temple of Spokane. He is a substantial citizen, widely and favorably
known by reason of his business ability, his loyalty in citizenship
and his personal worth. For forty-five years he has been a resident
of Walla Walla county, witnessing its growth and development. He has
lived to see its pioneer cabins replaced by commodious and substantial
residences, its wild lands converted into productive fields, its
hamlets developed into thriving cities, and as the years have gone
by he has ever willingly cooperated in any plan or movement for the
general good.
ALFRED J. BOLTER.
Alfred J. Bolter is a retired farmer living in Dixie. For a long period
he was actively and prominently connected with agricultural interests
and acquired several hundred acres of valuable land, from which he
derived a very gratifying annual income as a result of the care and
labor which he bestowed upon the fields. Moreover, his life record
shows what may be accomplished by determined effort and perseverance,
for he started out empty-handed and is now the possessor of a very
substantial competence which enables him to rest from further labor. He
was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, in September, 1853, a son of
Ziba and Christina Bolter, the former a native of Massachusetts, while
the latter was born in the state of New York. They spent their entire
lives in the east and there they reared their family of ten children,
nine of whom are yet living.
Alfred J. Bolter passed the days of his boyhood and youth in
Massachusetts and is indebted to the public school system of that
state for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. In 1875,
when a young man of twenty-two years, he came to the west and first
settled in Dallas, Oregon, where he remained for three years. In 1878
he removed to Walla Walla county and took up a homestead sixteen miles
north of the city of Walla Walla. With characteristic energy he began
its development and improvement and occupied that place for ten years,
during which time his labors wrought a marked transformation in its
appearance. He then disposed of that property and invested in two
hundred and eighty acres near Dixie. From time to time he extended the
boundaries of his farm until it now comprises seven hundred acres, all
of which is improved land and returns to him a most substantial annual
income. He continued actively to develop his fields until 1902, when
he retired, and since that time he has rented his land, while he is
enjoying a well earned rest.
Mr. Bolter was married in 1876 to Miss Elsie A. Crystal, a native of
Iowa, and they have become the parents of three children: Madie, the
wife of S. M. Jones, now a resident of Spokane; Maud, who is the widow
of Burt Roff; and Homer, who is engaged in merchandising in California.
Mr. Bolter belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has
filled all of the chairs in Welcome Lodge, No. 117, in which he has
membership. He has also been called to all of the different offices in
the Knights of Pythias lodge and is true and loyal to the teaching of
these societies. He and his wife are members of the Christian church
and endeavor to follow closely the Golden Rule. Their lives have been
well spent, fraught with good deeds and actuated by kindly purposes.
Many good things are spoken of them by friends and neighbors, who have
enjoyed their companionship and who recognize their sterling worth in
all the relations of life.
HON. JAMES EWEN EDMISTON.
High on the roll of Washington's distinguished citizens appears the
name of Hon. James Ewen Edmiston, deceased, who was for many years a
resident of Dayton. His ideals of life were very high and in early
manhood he displayed conspicuously the traits of character that made
his career brilliantly successful. He performed all the duties that
devolved upon him, however humble and however small the recompense
might be, conscientiously and industriously. He gave proof of his
ability to cope with intricate problems of the law and his natural
industry prompted him to prepare his cases with great thoroughness and
care, so that he ever entered the courts well equipped to combat any
attack or position of the opposing counsel. He lives in the memory
of his friends enshrined in the halo of a gracious presence and of
pronounced power in the legal profession.
Mr. Edmiston was born in Washington county, Arkansas, March 29, 1849, a
son of Alexander E. Edmiston, who was a native of Virginia and removed
to Arkansas early in the nineteenth century. He was a veteran of the
Mexican war, serving as a lieutenant in his company under Colonel
Yall. A forceful man of unquestioned integrity, he won a substantial
financial success and left a valuable estate to his widow and four
children, of whom James E. Edmiston was the eldest. A few years prior
to his death, becoming convinced that the principle of slavery was
wrong, he liberated all of his bondsmen. During the Civil war the
vicinity of his home was the scene of great atrocities by both northern
and southern renegades. He died in the year 1858.
James E. Edmiston, when a lad of fourteen years, enlisted in 1863
in the Confederate army, in which he had five uncles fighting for
the cause. After the close of hostilities he returned to his home in
Arkansas and remained long enough to assist in putting the plantation
again into shape. He then went to Bentonville, Arkansas, where he
attended the Bentonville College for two years, and while a student
there he also taught school. In 1870 he went to Omaha, Nebraska, whence
he made his way to the Pacific coast. He taught school for a time in
Oregon and also pursued a course in the Corvallis College, from which
he received his degree in 1873.
[Illustration: JAMES E. EDMISTON]
On the 13th of March of the same year Mr. Edmiston was united in
marriage to Miss Helen E. Lacey, a native of Clackamas county, Oregon,
and a daughter of Lewis A. Lacey, who was of French-Huguenot stock,
his ancestors having fled to the new world because of religious
persecution early in the seventeenth century. The paternal grandfather
of Mrs. Edmiston was an officer under Washington and Lafayette in the
Revolutionary war and he lost two of his fingers in the battle of
Bunker Hill. His son, Lewis A. Lacey, came to the northwest in 1852,
making his way to Oregon accompanied by his wife, Leonora (Herring)
Lacey, who was a native of Swansea, Wales, their marriage ceremony
having been performed at Mount Morris, New York. The services were
completed about fifteen minutes before they started on their westward
journey to Indiana and from there they traveled with ox team and wagon
to Oregon. Mr. Lacey's brother, his brother's wife and child died of
mountain fever while en route and many other members of the party were
buried by the side of the trail. They suffered on account of hostile
Indians and the journey was a most hazardous and difficult one. On
reaching the Willamette valley Mr. Lacey took up a donation claim and
gave his attention to farming and stock raising, spending his remaining
days upon the old homestead at Springwater in Clackamas county, where
he passed away in 1899, at the notable old age of ninety-four years.
His widow died on the 1st of March, 1900, at the age of seventy-one
years.
Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Edmiston removed to Colfax,
Washington, where for three years he was engaged in teaching school.
In 1876 he took up his abode in Dayton, where for some years following
he devoted his attention to teaching and then engaged in selling
farm machinery. He also operated a large sawmill and was identified
with various other business interests which have contributed to the
material development and progress of this section of the state. Mr.
Edmiston had been educated with a view to entering the ministry but
subsequently turned his attention to law and pursued his reading under
the preceptorship of John Y. Ostrander. In 1885 he was admitted to the
bar and entered upon the practice of his profession, becoming one of
the prominent lawyers of Columbia county. He then continued in active
practice until a short time prior to his death, which occurred on the
8th of May, 1900. In his law practice he was long associated with Judge
C. F. Miller and their friendship relations were very close. Their
practice was extensive and of an important character. Mr. Edmiston
was remarkable among lawyers for the wide research and provident care
with which he prepared his cases. At no time was his reading ever
confined to the limitations of the questions at issue. It went beyond
and compassed every contingency and provided not alone for the expected
but also for the unexpected, which happens in the courts quite as
frequently as out of them. His legal learning, his analytical mind, the
readiness with which he grasped the points in an argument all combined
to make him one of the capable attorneys at the bar of Columbia county
and the public and the profession acknowledged him the peer of the
ablest regarding him as a jurist of exceptionally rare ability.
Aside from his professional connections Mr. Edmiston figured very
prominently in the public life of the community. At one time he
served as superintendent of schools of Columbia county. He first came
prominently into public notice when elected a member of the upper house
of the Washington territorial legislature and for many years he was a
member of the state central committee of the democratic party. In 1894
he was offered the nomination for governor but refused to become a
candidate. While undoubtedly not without that laudable ambition which
is so valuable as an incentive to public service, he nevertheless
regarded the pursuits of private life as in themselves abundantly
worthy of his best efforts and with remarkable fidelity he labored for
the interests of his clients. It is said that he never lost a case
which he appealed to the supreme court. In 1886 he was prosecuting
attorney of Columbia county.
Mr. Edmiston was considered the highest authority on Masonic
jurisprudence in the state and was chairman of that committee in the
grand lodge for ten years. He was past grand master of the state of
Washington and past grand patron of the Eastern Star. There was a
close relationship between him and Dr. Van Patten, who was his family
physician from 1884 until his death and has continued as such to Mrs.
Edmiston. They were the best of friends and while not associated
together in business often consulted one another on business matters.
Mr. Edmiston was leader of the choir in the Presbyterian church for
many years and in this work was also associated with the Doctor and
together they often took vacation trips. It was the earnest desire of
Mr. Edmiston that Dr. Van Patten allow himself to be put in line for
higher Masonic honors, which eventually resulted in the latter becoming
grand junior warden in 1901 and grand master in 1904.
For a long period Mr. Edmiston was collecting data for a history of
southeastern Washington but died before the completion of the work. He
was president of the board of regents of the Washington State College
at Pullman and on the day of his burial the college was closed in
respect to his memory. Every business house and the schools of Dayton
were also closed and the day was given over to sincere mourning by
the entire community. He was buried with Masonic honors and the Grand
Lodge of Washington took charge of the funeral services, the Hon. Levi
Ankeny, past grand master of the state, officiating. The bar of Dayton
passed appropriate resolutions and every mark of respect that could
be shown, both in a public and a private way, was evidenced. He was a
lifelong member of the Presbyterian church and was a teacher in its
Sunday school for many years. Much more might be said in eulogy of this
man, who was loved by all who knew him and whose influence was always
for the betterment and uplift of mankind. His memory is enshrined in
the hearts of those who knew him and remains as a blessed benediction
to those who were his associates while he was still an active factor
in the world's work. Mrs. Edmiston still lives in the old home in
Dayton. She is a past grand matron of the Order of the Eastern Star and
is now in charge of the Dayton Branch of the Red Cross, in which work
she is very active, giving freely of her time and energies as well as
her means and efforts to improve the conditions under which the young
men of the country must serve in a military capacity. She was formerly
president of the Monday Reading Club and has long been foremost in
social circles and in welfare work in the northwest. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Edmiston belong to that class who shed around them much of the sunshine
of life.
JULES DE RUWE.
Jules De Ruwe is the owner of one of the best improved farms of his
section of the country, having an extensive acreage near Turner,
Washington. He was born in Belgium, July 17, 1885, and is a son of
Peter and Julia De Ruwe, who were natives of that land. Educated in
Belgium, Jules De Ruwe acquired a good education there and in 1905,
when a young man of twenty years, crossed the Atlantic to the new
world, making his way direct to Washington, where he became identified
with the sheep industry, conducting business on a large scale in
connection with his brothers, prominently known as leading sheep men of
this section of the state. They finally dissolved partnership, however,
and each is now conducting his business interests individually. In the
fall of 1917 Jules De Ruwe purchased his present ranch, comprising
eleven hundred acres of land twelve miles north of Dayton on the
Tucanon river. This is one of the best improved ranches in his part of
the county and Mr. De Ruwe is now equipping it with a thoroughly modern
set of buildings, in which he is installing electric light and running
water. In fact, he is adding every modern equipment and comfort and his
farm work is being conducted along progressive and scientific lines.
His sheep are of the Rambouillet breed and are among the best to be
found in the state of Washington.
On the 17th of October, 1917, Mr. De Ruwe was united in marriage to
Miss Mabel Davidson, a daughter of Daniel and Ethel Davidson, of
Starbuck, Washington, who were also ranch people. Mr. De Ruwe is a
member of the Catholic church, while his wife holds membership in the
Christian church. While he has been on this side the Atlantic for only
a few years he is thoroughly American in spirit and interests, having
a strong attachment for the government and the institutions of the new
world. It often seems that native born citizens come by the privileges
of American life too easily to appreciate them in the fullest degree.
At least some of those who have sacrificed and suffered to obtain them
value their blessings more highly than those to whom they come as a
matter of course. Mr. De Ruwe is among the loyal residents of the
northwest and in the utilization of the opportunities which have come
to him he has made for himself a very creditable position among the
successful business men of Washington.
F. E. MOJONNIER.
F. E. Mojonnier, a prominent and representative business man of Walla
Walla county, is conducting his interests under the name of the
Walla Walla Hothouse Vegetable Company. He is engaged in growing and
wholesale shipping of hothouse and garden vegetables. He established
this business in 1909, with no previous experience along this line
to aid him, but he bent every energy toward acquainting himself
with every phase of the business, studying the methods of the most
successful houses of similar character in the east, and through this
method and through study he has developed an enterprise of extensive
and profitable proportions. He was born at Highland, Madison county,
Illinois, on the 4th of October, 1874, and is a son of Samuel and Clara
(Robert) Mojonnier, both of whom were natives of Switzerland and were
of French descent. They came to the United States in childhood with
their respective parents, the families establishing their homes in
Madison county, Illinois. The father was a carpenter by trade but gave
his attention largely to agricultural pursuits in Illinois. In 1886 he
removed with his family to Los Angeles, California, where he engaged in
carpentering up to the time of his death, which occurred about 1892.
His widow is still living in that city.
F. E. Mojonnier was reared at home, acquiring his education in the
public and high schools of Los Angeles. He was a youth of but twelve
years when the family removed to California. After his textbooks were
put aside he worked for some time in a grocery store in Los Angeles
and in April, 1895, came to Walla Walla, Washington, where he entered
the employ of the Walla Walla Produce Company. In 1900 he became a
stockholder of the company and was identified with the conduct of the
business until 1914, when he sold his interest in order to give his
sole attention to his present business, which he had established in
1909. At that time he had no practical experience to assist him in its
conduct, but he closely applied himself to the work and visited the
largest plants of similar nature throughout the east, and since then he
has built up one of the most modern establishments of the kind in the
country. He has three acres under glass and he is producing high grade
vegetables and, in fact, he is known as one of the leading hothouse
vegetable growers in the northwest. His business has been thoroughly
systematized, carefully managed and wisely conducted and his patronage
has grown to extensive and gratifying proportions.
On the 1st of January, 1900, Mr. Mojonnier was united in marriage to
Miss Mathilde Delepine, of Walla Walla, who was a student in the State
College at Pullman at the time of her marriage. To them have been born
three children, Claire, Harold and Elaine.
Mr. Mojonnier gives his political allegiance to the democratic party
and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, but
has never been an aspirant for office. He is regarded as one of the
representative citizens of Walla Walla county, actuated by a spirit
of enterprise and progress in all that he does. Well defined plans
and purposes have carried him forward and each step in his career has
brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities. He has ever been
actuated by a laudable ambition that has caused him to reach out along
still broader lines and his position in business circles is now a most
creditable and enviable one.
HON. FREDERICK STINE.
Hon. Frederick Stine, who passed away in Walla Walla in 1909, had been
a resident of the city for more than four decades and was most widely
and favorably known. He was one of the early settlers of his section
of the state and was largely instrumental in promoting the development
and upbuilding of his city. He thus gained a wide acquaintance and was
esteemed by all who knew him. He was a recognized leader in many lines
and his strength of character and excellent judgment were features that
brought beneficial results. A man of action rather than of theory,
whenever opportunity called he made ready response.
[Illustration: MRS. FREDERICK STINE]
[Illustration: FREDERICK STINE]
Mr. Stine was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1825.
His father was a blacksmith by trade and in 1839 removed with his
family from the Keystone state to Greene county, Ohio, settling in
Fairfield, where he engaged in farming and also followed blacksmithing.
With those pursuits Frederick Stine became thoroughly familiar, as he
assisted his father in the work of the fields or of the smithy. In
the spring of 1852, in company with his brothers, John and William,
he started for the Pacific coast. Their departure was a great event
to the family, which numbered eight sons and six daughters. Travel at
that time to the western coast was by means of wagon or by way of water
route and many months elapsed ere the journey was completed. It was
indeed a serious undertaking, much more difficult than a trip around
the world at the present time. The three brothers left St. Louis,
Missouri, on the 1st of May, 1852, and on the 2d of July arrived in
Sacramento, California. This was a record trip at the time. The train
with which they traveled numbered twenty-six men, of whom Frederick
Stine was chosen captain. The three brothers went to Marysville,
California, where they began work, but after a few days Frederick
Stine was prostrated with typhoid fever and for sixty days had a great
struggle for his life. Eventually, however, the disease reached its
crisis and it was said that he would live. When he recovered he began
business for himself, but in 1854 met with losses through fire and the
following year he removed to Yreka, California, where he concentrated
his efforts and attention upon farming and blacksmithing, thus
returning to the occupations to which he had been reared.
Selling his Yreka property on the 6th of February, 1862, Mr. Stine then
started for the north and on the 12th of May arrived in Walla Walla,
where he afterward made his home until called to his final rest. Within
four days of his arrival he had opened a place of business on Main
street and as the years passed he prospered. On the 3d of November,
1863, he went by way of Portland to San Francisco, traveling by stage
to the latter city and thence by boat and the Panama route to Ohio on
a visit to his family and his old home. On the 18th of April, 1864,
he started again for the Pacific coast and this time made the trip by
stage to Walla Walla, where he resumed blacksmithing and wagon making,
maintaining a first class shop of that kind until September 1, 1873,
at which date he retired from business. He had spent about a third of
a century at his trade and was always industrious and conscientious
in his work. In 1872 he erected the Stine House, which was the first
brick hotel in Walla Walla, and in 1880 he purchased a farm of five
hundred and sixty acres in Umatilla county, Oregon, about six miles
south of Walla Walla. This he extensively improved and cultivated and
to his holdings he added from time to time as his financial resources
increased until he held in that vicinity over nineteen hundred acres of
choice land. In 1905 his wheat crop was thirty-seven thousand bushels,
raised upon one-half of his land, the other half being summer fallowed.
His business affairs were wisely and carefully controlled, his
investments most judiciously made and his enterprise brought to him a
very substantial measure of success. The most envious could not grudge
him his prosperity, so honorably was it gained, so worthily used.
In 1870, in Walla Walla, Mr. Stine was united in marriage to Mrs.
Mary (Megrew) Silverthorn, a widow, and to them was born a daughter,
Elizabeth, who became the wife of John Casper, of Walla Walla. Mrs.
Stine was born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1836, a daughter of
Archibald Megrew. In 1836, when Mrs. Stine was three months old, the
father removed with his family to Ohio and when she was a little maiden
of thirteen she lost her mother. In 1852 the father removed with the
children to Iowa and there his last days were passed. It was in Iowa
that Mary Megrew became the wife of John Silverthorn and they, with
others, crossed the plains in 1864, making the trip with mules and
horses and spending three months en route. They settled in Walla Walla,
where the death of Mr. Silverthorn later occurred. Mrs. Stine now
resides in a fine home on Catherine street, where for more than ten
years she has lived.
Throughout the period of his residence in Walla Walla, Mr. Stine was
an active worker for the upbuilding and development of the city. In
politics he was an active democrat and in 1869 was chosen to represent
his district in the lower house of the territorial legislature, while
in 1873 he was elected a member of the senate. He made his presence
felt there by his earnest support of all well devised plans and
measures for the improvement of the commonwealth. His keen judgment was
of great benefit in many instances. In 1865 he was chosen one of the
members of the city council of Walla Walla and during the following
year was made chairman of the council and thereafter was reelected many
times. He exercised his official prerogatives in support of various
plans and measures for the general good and his work was of great worth
to the city. Many important measures for the benefit of Walla Walla
originated with him and were carried forward to successful completion
because of his endorsement and labor. In 1868 he succeeded in having
established a Masonic lodge at Walla Walla and for ten years thereafter
acted as its master. He was also a member of the chapter and was always
an earnest worker and he labored untiringly for the advancement of
Masonic interests in this locality. When death called him in 1909 he
had been a resident of Walla Walla for more than forty-five years. His
personal qualities were such as won for him the warm regard of many and
there was sincere grief felt throughout the city at his passing.
WILLIAM THOMAS PETTIJOHN.
William Thomas Pettijohn has since 1905 resided upon his present farm
on section 2, township 9 north, range 35 east, in Walla Walla county,
and here has six hundred and fifty acres of valuable land, constituting
one of the fine farms of this section of the state. Long before,
however, he had become a resident of the county and in fact was one of
the earliest settlers. He arrived here in 1859, when but five years of
age, having been brought to Washington by his parents.
Mr. Pettijohn was born in Linn county, Oregon, July 26, 1854, a son
of Jonathan and Hannah (Warner) Pettijohn. The father was a native of
Ohio, while the mother's birth occurred in Indiana. In 1850 Jonathan
Pettijohn crossed the plains to California and after spending a year
or more in the gold fields of that state he went to Oregon, settling
in Linn county, where he was employed for some time in the sawmills
and also worked at barn building. He became familiar with all of the
hardships and privations incident to life on the frontier. He had
encountered also many difficulties while crossing the plains. The
cattle with which the party started on leaving the east died en route
and much of the distance during the latter part of the trip, their
provisions having run short, they lived for days upon flour and water.
Mr. Pettijohn traveled much of the distance on foot. After living
for a number of years in Oregon he sold his interests there in 1859
and came to Walla Walla county. He first visited the county in the
summer of that year, bringing with him some cattle, after which he
returned for his family. He entered a homestead in townships 9 and 10,
range 35 east, Walla Walla county, and thereon built a log cabin. His
remaining years were spent in that immediate neighborhood and he was
very successful. While he experienced many of the difficulties incident
to the settlement of the frontier prosperity attended him as the years
went by and he acquired three thousand acres of valuable land. From
1860 until 1866 or 1867 he was engaged in freighting with ox teams to
the Idaho mines and later he gave his attention most successfully to
the raising of cattle and horses. His business affairs were most wisely
and successfully managed and he became the possessor of a very handsome
competence, passing away June 13, 1913. His wife had crossed the plains
with her parents in 1852, at which time the family home was established
in Linn county, Oregon, where her marriage to Mr. Pettijohn afterward
occurred. She passed away in January, 1893, and in the death of these
two worthy people Walla Walla county lost an honored pioneer couple.
They were respected and esteemed by all who knew them and most of all
by those who knew them best, a fact indicative of their well spent
lives.
William T. Pettijohn spent his youthful days upon the old homestead
and acquired a district school education. In 1877 he went to Idaho,
where he used both his preemption and homestead rights in the Potlach
country, filing the first homestead right in that section. There he
remained actively identified with farming and stock raising until
1905, when he left Idaho and returned to Walla Walla county, taking up
his abode on his present home farm, which now comprises six hundred
and fifty acres of rich and productive land. In addition he owns five
hundred and sixty acres in another township. His landed possessions
are thus extensive and he is actively and prominently identified with
the farming interests of Walla Walla county. His business affairs are
carefully directed and wisely managed. He utilizes the most modern
methods carrying on the farm work and upon his place he has put many
improvements which rank his farm with one of the model farm properties
of the twentieth century in this section of the state.
On the 12th of December, 1883, Mr. Pettijohn was united in marriage to
Miss Ella Humphrey, of Idaho, and to them have been born five children,
four of whom are still living, namely: Ada, the wife of Frank Davis,
who is operating one of the farms belonging to his father-in-law;
Jonathan N., who is now operating the home farm; Ollie, the wife of
Robert L. Temple, of Prescott, Washington; and Harry Elbert, who is
in the United States army. For some, time the two sons operated the
home farm together and proved progressive young business men by their
capable direction of the interests which have come under their charge.
In politics Mr. Pettijohn has always followed an independent course
but has never taken an active part in public affairs. He has always
preferred to concentrate his time, efforts and attention upon his
private business interests and by reason of his diligence and
determination, his perseverance and his honesty he has won a very
substantial measure of success. He is justly numbered among the honored
pioneers of the northwest, having for fifty-seven years lived in this
section of the country. Born in Oregon, reared in Washington and a
resident for a time of Idaho, there is no feature of the development of
the northwest with which he is not familiar and he has lived to witness
a remarkable transformation, for the country has grown so rapidly
that the story of its development seems almost magical. The result,
however, is due to the earnest labors, the persistency of purpose and
the indefatigable energy of such men as Mr. Pettijohn, who, unafraid of
the hardships and privations of pioneer life, has utilized the natural
resources of the country and has thus placed the wealth upon a par with
the older east.
COLONEL WILLIAM HAVENS MILLER.
Colonel William Havens Miller, whose life was spent in the military
service of his country, was under all circumstances an officer and
a gentleman. He was born at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, January 31, 1849,
and on the 14th of June, 1872, was graduated from the United States
Military Academy at West Point and was assigned to duty with the First
Cavalry. While with that regiment he participated in all the Indian
wars in the Rocky mountains and on the Pacific coast and won frequent
promotion in recognition of his efficiency and gallantry. Among the
important campaigns in which he took part were: the Modoc war, which
lasted from November, 1872, until June, 1873; the Nez Percé war, from
June to October, 1877; the Bannock campaign, from June to September,
1878; and a minor engagement at Meacham's, in the Blue mountains of
Oregon, in August, 1878. He was promoted to first lieutenant in the
First Cavalry, March 4, 1879. From May, 1877, to March, 1887, he served
as quartermaster in the field and in garrison and during the greater
part of that time, or from August 15, 1878, to March 31, 1887, he
was regimental quartermaster. On the 28th of February, 1890, he was
brevetted first lieutenant for "gallant services in action against
Indians at the Lava Beds, California, April 17, 1873, and gallant and
meritorious conduct during the Modoc war." In 1896-7 he was employed
in the designing and building of Fort George Wright, a military post
at Spokane, Washington, being in charge of the work until December,
1898, at which time the post was ready for one battalion of infantry.
During the greater part of 1899 and 1900 he was in Cuba and built the
four company military post at Paso Caballos at the mouth of the harbor
of Cienfuegos, Cuba, and finished the cavalry post, Hamilton barracks,
at Matanzas, Cuba. Colonel Miller was in campaigns and garrisons in
the northwest until September, 1890, being stationed a part of the
time in northern California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Montana,
and was then appointed captain and assistant quartermaster in the
United States Army and was on duty as follows: Quartermaster at United
States Military Academy, West Point, New York, from October, 1890, to
November, 1894; quartermaster at Fort Riley, Kansas, from November,
1894, until July, 1896; constructing quartermaster at Spokane,
Washington, from July, 1896, to December, 1898; appointed major and
chief quartermaster in United States Volunteers, August 15, 1898;
division chief quartermaster at Southern Camp; Anniston, Alabama,
from December, 1898, to March, 1899; chief quartermaster, Departments
of Santa Clara and Matanzas at Cienfuegos and Matanzas, Cuba, from
March, 1899, to July, 1900; depot quartermaster, Boston, Massachusetts,
from October, 1900, to August, 1901; depot and chief quartermaster,
Department of the Lakes, Chicago, Illinois, front August, 1901, to
August, 1905; in charge of the general depot of the quartermaster's
department, New York city, from November 20, 1905, to May, 1907; chief
quartermaster, Philippine Division, Manila, from September 2, 1907, to
June 14, 1909; quartermaster at Seattle, Washington, and in charge of
the United States transport service on Puget Sound from July, 1909,
until retired at the age of sixty-four years, January 31, 1913. He was
promoted to major and quartermaster, United States Army, August 12,
1900; to lieutenant colonel and deputy quartermaster general, August
15, 1903; and colonel and assistant quartermaster general, October 31,
1909. The title was changed to colonel, Quartermaster Corps, United
States Army, by act of congress approved August 24, 1912. On the 5th
of July, 1906, he was especially commended to the secretary of war by
the inspector general of the army for efficiency. All work that was
given to him to do was well done, for, holding himself to the strictest
standards, he refused to accept anything less than the best work from
those under him, but at the same time he was scrupulously just and held
the respect of his men. He upheld the high traditions of the American
army, was a constant student of military science and kept in close
touch with the change in methods necessitated by new conditions of
warfare. To him the army was a profession that demands all a man has
to give but that makes abundant recompense in the knowledge of worthy
service rendered the nation. He had the capacity for deep friendship
characteristic of men of unusual strength of character and the place
which he held in the esteem and affection of those who knew him
intimately is indicated in the following tribute to his memory by his
friend, G. P. Monell.
[Illustration: COLONEL WILLIAM H. MILLER]
"'He was my friend, faithful and just, to me." This Shakepearean saying
of Marcus Antonius over the body of dead Caesar, best describes the
dominant characteristic of Colonel Miller's life. Faithful and just,
tender and true, might well be inscribed upon the stone that marks
the spot where he sleeps till the final reveille. These qualities,
covering all that is knightly, all that is noble, went to make up the
daily routine of the life he lived for the glory and honor of his
country. No promise that he ever made, however lightly, was too small
to be faithfully remembered and religiously fulfilled. No fault that
he observed was too great or too trivial to meet with less or more
than exact justice. Officially he had no friends; those who gave best
service were best rewarded, regardless of his personal predilections.
Looking back over the past four years of close and intimate friendship,
they seem to reflect back his past and sound out his whole life
as embodied living truth; even in his lightest moods he scorned
exaggeration as beneath the dignity of his manhood. Deeply learned in
all the intricate business of army life and regulations, quick to see
the right and wrong of any question, recognizing no middle course,
his decisions were instant and final and his reasons unassailable.
Officially he was a dignified, gallant and knightly soldier. In
private life he represented the highest type of American gentleman.
Hospitable, kindly, witty, he made those who visited his home feel that
they belonged 'right there' and his friends were part of himself. His
character, always straightforward and intensely honest, presented so
many sides and all so simple and unassuming that those who knew him
best loved him most.
Colonel Miller was married in Walla Walla, November 20, 1879, to
Miss Anna Abbott, a daughter of John F. Abbott, who was a well known
resident of Walla Walla, and a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this
work. Colonel Miller passed away at the General Memorial Hospital in
New York, April 13, 1913. To him and his wife were born three children,
of whom the eldest died in infancy. Harlan Abbott, born at Fort Walla
Walla, is now a rancher in Umatilla county, Oregon. Margaret Isabelle
is the wife of Julian Foster Humphrey, chief officer of the Transport
Crook, U. S. N.
HON. DENNIS COOLEY GUERNSEY.
Hon. Dennis Cooley Guernsey, whose history is closely interwoven with
the records of Columbia county, is now extensively engaged in the real
estate, insurance and loan business in Starbuck. He has at different
periods figured prominently as a bank official, as the incumbent in
public office in the county and as representative of his district in
the territorial legislature of 1879, and with many business interests
he has been closely associated, so that his labors have contributed in
marked measure to the material development and to the upbuilding of
the state. He was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, on the 13th of April,
1845, a son of Orrin and Sarah (Cooley) Guernsey, who were natives of
Connecticut. They removed to New Hampshire in childhood days with their
respective parents and were there reared and married. In 1843 they
migrated westward, establishing their home in Janesville, Wisconsin,
where they spent their remaining days. In early life the father was
engaged in merchandising and in later years became identified with the
insurance business.
Dennis C. Guernsey, whose name introduces this review, was educated
in the Janesville schools, completing a high school course. He was a
youth of but sixteen years when the Civil war broke out and in the
fall of 1863, when but eighteen years of age, he enlisted for service
and was assigned to duty with Company E of the Twenty-second Wisconsin
Volunteer Infantry, which became a part of the Second Brigade, Third
Division, of the Twentieth Army Corps, commanded by Colonel Joe
Hooker. He was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea and
after returning to Washington, following the close of hostilities, the
members of Sherman's command were recruited and formed the temporary
division of the Fourteenth Army Corps, which was sent under Jeff C.
Davis to Louisville, Kentucky, Van Dorn of the Southwestern Department
having not yet surrendered. They were mustered out at Louisville,
Kentucky, on the 18th of July, 1865, and later Mr. Guernsey returned
to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he engaged in the insurance business.
Three years afterward, or in 1868, he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
where he became a dealer in wood and coal, continuing in that business
until 1870. In January, 1871, he was appointed an officer of the reform
school at Waukesha, Wisconsin. In the meantime, however, following his
return to Janesville, he had done other military service. Major General
Starkweather, who had gone out with the First Wisconsin as colonel
and who rose to the rank of major general of volunteers, took command
of the Milwaukee Light Guards, of which he had been captain at the
outbreak of the war. Mr. Guernsey joined the Light Guards and was with
that command at the inauguration of Governor Fairchilds at Madison in
January, 1869. After spending a few months as an officer in the reform
school in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he again went to Janesville, where he
accepted a position with a hardware firm as bookkeeper. The lure of
the west, however, was upon him and on the 14th of October, 1871, he
turned his face toward the setting sun and on the 9th of November
reached Walla Walla, having traveled by rail as far as Keton, Utah, and
thence through Boise, Baker, LaGrande to Walla Walla by stage. After
spending ten days in that city he proceeded to Dayton, the town having
been platted only a few days before, and on Mr. Guernsey's arrival
there were but two buildings in the town, one being the residence of
J. N. Day, while the other was known as the "red store," the property
of Kimball & Day. On the 1st of December Mr. Guernsey succeeded Ralph
Kimball in the store and was employed by the firm until the fall of
1874, when he became a partner in the business under the firm style
of Day, Guernsey & Company. In the fall of 1875 he withdrew from that
organization and formed a new company, entering into partnership with
F. G. Frary, superintendent of the Dayton Woolen Mills, and A. H.
Reynolds, of Walla Walla, who was the only banker this side of The
Dalles. The new firm was organized under the style of D. C. Guernsey &
Company. In 1876 Mr. Frary and Mr. Reynolds withdrew and Mr. Guernsey
was joined by H. H. Wolfe under the firm name of Guernsey & Wolfe. He
thus continued active in merchandising in Dayton until 1880, when he
sold out. From the beginning of his residence there he took active part
in the upbuilding and progress of the new town.
[Illustration: D. C. GUERNSEY]
In 1876 Mr. Guernsey was instructed by the commissioners of the new
county of Columbia--F. G. Frary, G. T. Pollard of Huntsville and E.
Oliver of Pomeroy--to call a special election for the purpose of
choosing county officers. Mr. Guernsey was elected county treasurer
for one year and at the first biennial election was chosen for a full
term at a salary of three hundred dollars per year, the officers being
required to serve at a "moderate salary" inasmuch as this was an
infant county. In 1878 he was chosen to represent his district in the
territorial legislature and on the 31st of July, 1880, he succeeded
L. F. A. Shaw in the office of deputy collector of internal revenue
under Major James R. Hayden. He occupied that position for three years
and then surrendered the office to H. W. Fairweather. On the 4th of
May, 1884, Mr. Guernsey entered the Columbia National Bank of Dayton
as cashier and had complete charge of the bank's affairs through the
following sixteen years, at which time his brother, F. W. Guernsey,
became cashier, while D. C. Guernsey was made vice president and
manager of the institution. He successfully carried the bank through
the panic of 1893, although he closed one Saturday night with but five
hundred and fifty dollars in the bank. However, he most carefully
safeguarded the interests of the institution and managed to weather
the financial storm which swept over the entire country in that year.
He remained in his official capacity with the bank until 1900, when he
retired, the institution at that time having deposits of three hundred
and seventy-four thousand dollars. He then turned his attention to
the real estate, insurance and loan business in Dayton and in 1904 he
took charge of a mining camp on the Omnaha in Willowa county, Oregon,
for the Eureka Mining Company, his position being that of managing
director. While there he built the wagon road down Deer creek from
Dobbins Cabin to Snake river. He occupied the position of director
of the mining camp for two years, after which he returned to Dayton
and through the succeeding two years gave his attention to the real
estate and insurance business. In 1908 he removed to Starbuck to assist
in straightening out the affairs of the Bank of Starbuck, of which
institution he was made cashier, occupying that position for a period
of two and a half years. He then resigned and established his present
business, with which he has since been prominently identified, being
today one of the foremost real estate, loan and insurance agents in
this part of the state. One of the local papers said: "D. C. Guernsey
has been a most important factor in the development of Columbia county
and the moulding of civilized life in the great state of Washington.
During the early history of Columbia county, hardly a business
transaction was carried through or a public enterprise launched that
was not inspired by the brain or fostered by the public-spiritedness of
Mr. Guernsey." He helped to organize and was the first president of the
Dayton Electric Light Company and built many of the buildings in that
city in the block in which the Columbia National Bank is located. He
organized the Dayton Hotel Company, which built the hotel, and was its
president for several years.
Mr. Guernsey has also left the impress of his individuality in marked
manner upon the political history of the state. In politics he has
always been a stanch republican and was a leader in the party from
the time when there were but twelve republicans who went from Walla
Walla to Lewiston. In 1879, when he became a member of the territorial
legislature, he became a member of what was known as the bunch grass
delegation, which became the controlling factor in the general
assembly. He was made chairman of the ways and means committee and did
important work in that connection. In 1890 he was appointed a member
of the state harbor line commission by Governor Ferry, the first state
governor, and was active in the work of the commission, which located
all the harbor lines in the state and submitted the plans to the United
States war department. Mr. Guernsey also became identified with the
military interests of the northwest. He assisted in organizing the
Dayton Grays, which merged into Company F of the First Washington
Regiment for service in the Philippines. He was also paymaster and
battalion adjutant of the Second Washington Regiment under Colonel Pike.
On the 23d of September, 1873, Mr. Guernsey was married to Miss Harriet
E. Day, a daughter of Dr. W. W. Day, who was the first physician in
Dayton, where his son and grandson are now practicing, so that the name
of Dr. Day has always been associated with that city. To Mr. and Mrs.
Guernsey have been born five children, four of whom are yet living:
William Day, a journalist connected with a newspaper of Schenectady,
New York; Frank Day, a mining man of Jerome, Arizona; Minerva G., the
wife of George F. Price, of Dayton; and Helen G., the wife of Frank E.
Girton, of Covello, Washington.
In fraternal relations Mr. Guernsey has occupied a very prominent
position. He was made a Mason in Independence Lodge, No. 80, F. &
A. M., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in November, 1869, and was made a
Royal Arch Mason in Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, in 1880. He became a
charter member and is a past master of Columbia Lodge, No. 26, F. &
A. M., of Dayton, and on the formation of Dayton Chapter, No. 5, R.
A. M., he also became a charter member of that organization and is a
past high priest. He is likewise a member and past eminent commander
of Washington Commandery, No. 1, K. T., is a member of the Lodge of
Perfection and the Chapter of Rose Croix in Walla Walla and of the
Knights of Kodosh and of Spokane Consistory, A. A. S. R. He likewise
has membership with the Knights Commander Court of Honor. He was the
first chancellor commander in Organization Lodge, No. 3, K. P., and is
the oldest chancellor commander in the state. He also has connection
with various other fraternal organizations and has been very prominent
in that connection for many years. His has been a guiding hand in
shaping the history of southeastern Washington in its material, social
and political progress and at all times he has been actuated by high
ideals, looking ever to the benefit and upbuilding of his section of
the state. Great indeed have been the changes which have occurred
since his arrival in Columbia county. The seeds of civilization had
scarcely been planted when he reached Dayton and from that time forward
he has cooperated in all movements which have been instituted for
public benefit, and without invidious distinction he may be termed the
foremost resident of Starbuck.
DICK HARPER.
Dick Harper, who is filling the position of county auditor in Columbia
county, Washington, and makes his home in Dayton, was born August
12, 1863, in Washburn, Woodford county, Illinois. His father, James
D. Harper, was a native of Sullivan county, Indiana, born in 1838,
and when quite young removed to central Illinois, where his boyhood
and youth were passed. He was a graduate of Eureka College, Eureka,
Illinois, and devoted his entire life to educational work. He married
Marion A. Jenkins when twenty-five years of age and passed away in
Dayton, Washington, in February, 1901. His wife is a representative of
a pioneer family of New York and is now living in Dayton at the age of
eighty years and is splendidly preserved. She lived for a few months in
the same house with Abraham Lincoln during the famous Lincoln-Douglas
campaign. She has a brother living at the age of ninety years, who was
an officer in the Civil war, holding the rank of first lieutenant.
Dick Harper acquired a common school education in Missouri and also
attended the State Normal School at Warrensburg, Missouri. In 1885,
when a young man of twenty-two years, he took charge of a drug store
for his brother-in-law at Rich Hill, Missouri, and successfully managed
the business for a period of seven years, after which he came to the
Pacific coast, arriving in Portland, Oregon, in the spring of 1892.
In the fall of that year he came to Dayton, where he was identified
with farming and with the grain trade until the spring of 1903, when
he established a furniture store in Dayton and soon won for himself a
place among the active and representative merchants of the city. In
1906 he purchased the Day drug store at Dayton, which he conducted
successfully for seven years.
On the 27th of October, 1886, in Butler, Bates county, Missouri, Mr.
Harper was united in marriage to Miss Laura A. Floyd, a daughter of
John H. and Sarah A. Floyd. They have a daughter, Florence Marion, who
is the wife of Lloyd R. Terwilliger, who is living in Walla Walla and
is employed in the First National Bank of that city.
Mr. Harper has long been an active and helpful member of the Christian
church and he has membership with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of
Pythias and the Masons. For a number of years he served as secretary of
Dayton Chapter, R. A. M., and in his life has always exemplified the
beneficent spirit of the craft. He belongs to the Dayton Commercial
Club and is a member of its governing board. In politics he is a
democrat. In 1898 he was made county auditor of Columbia county by
popular vote and in 1910 and 1911 served as councilman at large. He was
chairman of the street and public property committee and also of the
light and water committee. In 1912 he was elected mayor of the city
and in 1916 was appointed police judge. He has thus long continued in
public office and those who read between the lines will recognize the
important part which he has played in public affairs in Dayton, winning
for himself a most creditable position in commercial and political
circles. In a word, he has exercised much influence over public thought
and opinion and has done much to advance public progress in his adopted
city.
CALDER H. WHITEMAN.
No class of Walla Walla's citizens is more highly esteemed than the
many retired farmers who here make their home and among them is
numbered Calder H. Whiteman, who was born in Keokuk county, Iowa, April
29, 1851. His parents, John B. and Eliza G. (Colville) Whiteman, were
natives of West Virginia and Kentucky respectively but were married in
Indiana. In 1850 they became settlers of Iowa but later returned to
Indiana, where the mother died. The father was subsequently married
twice. In 1874 he made the long journey to Oregon and four years later
took up his residence in Umatilla county, that state. He died in Milton
October 5, 1910.
Calder H. Whiteman, who is an only child by the first marriage,
remained with his father until he attained his majority and received
his education in the common schools. On beginning his independent
career he rented a farm near Salem, Oregon, having decided to devote
his life to the occupation to which he had been reared. After farming
that place for three years he removed to Umatilla county and took up a
homestead, the operation of which occupied his time and attention until
his removal to Walla Walla in 1901. In the intervening years he brought
the place to a high state of cultivation and made many improvements
thereon, making it one of the most up-to-date and valuable farms in
that locality. In 1911 he sold the Umatilla county property and bought
a farm in Whitman county, Washington, near Lacrosse, which he still
retains. He and his son now own fourteen hundred and forty acres, all
fine wheat land, well improved, and their holdings place them among the
large landowners of eastern Washington. Mr. Whiteman of this review
makes his home in Walla Walla and his residence here is commodious,
pleasing in design and thoroughly modern in its appointments.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. CALDER H. WHITEMAN]
Mr. Whiteman was married in 1874 to Miss Ella M. Dorman and they became
the parents of four children, of whom three survive: Jessie L., the
wife of F. E. Allison of Lind, Washington; Clarence C., a resident of
Pendleton, Oregon; and Calder Otis, who is his father's partner in his
farming interests. The wife and mother passed away in 1896 and in 1897
Mr. Whiteman was married to Mrs. Mary M. (Jackson) Morton, a native of
Canada. By her first marriage she had two children, both of whom have
passed away.
Mr. Whiteman endorses the principles of the republican party and gives
his loyal support to its candidates at the polls. For four years he
was a member of the city council of Walla Walla and his record in that
office is one of unusually capable work in behalf of the welfare of
the municipality. For twenty-two years he has been a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he also belongs to the Woodmen of
the World and the women's branch of that organization, known as the
Women of Woodcraft. Both he and his wife are active members of the
Christian church, of which he is an elder, and he is also president
of the board of directors of the Northwest Christian Home of Idaho,
Montana, Oregon and Washington at Walla Walla. It is under the
supervision of the Benevolent Association of the Christian church,
which organization is designed to erect homes and hospitals for the
young, old and needy of that church, and Mr. Whiteman gives much of his
time to looking after the affairs of that institution. The prominence
which he has gained establishes beyond question his ability, for his
advancement has at all times come as the direct result of his own
efforts and he is indeed a self-made man.
P. B. DOWLING.
The average farmer is apt to think of Washington as a great forest
country, and while there are wonderful tracts of timber land, making
this one of the leading centers of the lumber industry on the
continent, there are also great stretches which are most splendidly
adapted to farming and particularly to wheat raising, so that
Washington has come to be known as one of the great wheat producing
states of the Union. Among those who in following farming have devoted
their attention to wheat culture in Walla Walla county is P. B.
Dowling, who in 1887 arrived in this section of the state and who is
now the owner of one hundred and forty acres of land, constituting
one of the best farms in the Walla Walla valley. He was born in
Springfield, Illinois, March 14, 1860, and is a son of William and
Margaret Dowling, who were natives of Ireland. They came to America in
early life and established their home in Illinois, but afterward both
returned to Ireland and their last days were spent in that country.
P. B. Dowling was accordingly reared and educated in Ireland, where
he had good opportunities for developing his intellectual powers,
being given a college education. He was graduated from the London
Veterinary College and engaged in the practice of his chosen profession
with success for a number of years. In 1886, however, he determined
to return to his native land and crossed the Atlantic to America,
first establishing his home in De Kalb county, Illinois. He came to
the northwest with W. L. Elwood, a well known importer of horses,
and in 1887 brought the first carload of Percheron horses that was
shipped into the valley. He afterward purchased the farm whereon
he now resides, comprising one hundred and forty acres of very rich
and productive farm land, upon which he has placed many modern
improvements. Here he has lived continuously since and has long been
numbered among the representative and successful agriculturists of this
part of the state.
In 1890 Mr. Dowling was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Rourke,
who was born and reared upon the farm where Mr. Dowling now resides.
The wife passed away, however, in 1903, and was laid to rest in
Mountain View cemetery. She left a husband, two brothers and three
sisters to mourn her loss and there were many friends who deeply
regretted her passing.
Mr. Dowling gives his political allegiance to the republican party and
is thoroughly informed concerning the questions and issues of the day.
He is a self-made man who owes his business advancement entirely to
his own efforts. He is recognized as one of the prominent men of the
valley, being forceful and resourceful in his business connections,
while in matters of citizenship he stands with patriotic loyalty for
all that tends to advance the welfare and progress of this section of
the state.
HENRY A. KAUSCHE.
Henry A. Kausche devoted his active life to farming in Garfield
county but at the time of his death was living retired in Pomeroy.
His birth occurred in Germany, February 16, 1839, and he was a son of
Christopherson and Hannah Kausche, who were born in Germany and there
remained for a number of years after their marriage. In 1851, however,
they came to America and for a short time lived in New York. They then
removed to Michigan, which remained their home for more than twenty
years. At length they came to Washington to make their home with their
son, Henry A., and both passed away in Garfield county. All of their
three children are likewise deceased.
Henry A. Kausche received the greater part of his education in Germany,
as he was twelve years of age when brought by his parents to the
United States. He grew to manhood in Michigan and lived there for five
years after his marriage. At the end of that time he went to Johnson
county, Missouri, but after residing there for six years cast in his
lot with the Pacific northwest, settling in Linn county, Oregon. Some
time later, in 1878, he came to Garfield county, Washington, and took
up a claim. He resided upon that place continuously until 1902 and as
the years passed he brought his farm to a high state of development.
He extended its boundaries by purchase, becoming the owner of eight
hundred acres, from which he derived a gratifying income. In 1902,
feeling that he had earned a period of leisure, he retired and removed
to Pomeroy, where he passed away July 4, 1903.
[Illustration: HENRY A. KAUSCHE]
Mr. Kausche was married June 8, 1865, to Miss Paulina Lohrbert, who
was born in Ohio and is a daughter of Frederick and Katherine (Rock)
Lohrbert. The father was born in Germany but in young manhood came to
the United States and took up his residence in Ohio, of which state
his wife was a native, and there their marriage occurred. In 1860 they
removed to Michigan, where they lived until called by death. All of
their five children still survive. To Mr. and Mrs. Kausche were born
eleven children, of whom five are living, namely: Laura, the wife
of Andrew J. Brown, of Spokane, Washington; Evelyn, who married Leo
McMullen and now resides in Canada; Ida A., the wife of George McCarty;
Alvina, the wife of Henry Freeborn; and Charles A., who is operating
the homestead.
Mr. Kausche was a democrat in politics and felt the concern of a good
citizen for the public welfare but was never an aspirant for office.
His life was a busy and useful one and his labors were felt as a factor
in the agricultural development of Garfield county. He had made many
friends and his demise was the occasion of deep regret.
ROBERT KENNEDY.
In the great wheat growing belt of eastern Washington lies the farm
of Robert Kennedy, his place being situated on section 15, township 7
north, range 36 east, Walla Walla county. It is a valuable tract of
land of nine hundred and twenty acres, all of which has been brought
under a high state of cultivation and annually the great wheat yield
returns to him a most gratifying income. Mr. Kennedy still gives
supervision to the work, of the place although he has now passed the
eighty-seventh milestone on life's journey. He was born in Rush county,
Indiana, June 20, 1830, a son of John and Margaret Kennedy, both of
whom were natives of Tennessee. Removing northward to Indiana, they
resided in that state for a time and later became residents of Shelby
county, Illinois, where both passed away.
Robert Kennedy started out in life on his own account when a youth
of but fourteen years and in 1851, when twenty-one years of age, he
crossed the plains to the Pacific coast, attracted by the opportunities
of the great and growing west. He made his way to Oregon, where he
settled on a farm and continued a resident of that place for eight
years. In 1859 he arrived in Walla Walla county and settled on Dry
creek, where he has since made his home. As the years have passed he
has added to his possessions, his industry and determination bringing
to him larger resources. His investments in farm property have made him
the owner of nine hundred and twenty acres of valuable wheat land and
upon his place are many substantial improvements. His farm presents
a very neat and thrifty appearance and is supplied with all modern
conveniences.
Mr. Kennedy has been married twice. He first wedded Miss Anna Smith
and they became the parents of three children of whom only one is now
living, L. L. Kennedy, a resident farmer of Oregon. The wife and mother
passed away in 1876 and in 1879 Mr. Kennedy was again married, his
second union being with Mrs. Margaret (Jackson) Dennison. Mrs. Kennedy
is a cousin of William Dennison, who was governor of Ohio. To Mr. and
Mrs. Kennedy have been born seven children: Rebecca, the deceased wife
of Professor R. E. Stafford; Martha, the wife of John Connell; Robert
P.; Edna; William B.; B. H.; and Edith May, who has passed away.
In his political views Mr. Kennedy is a republican, having supported
the party since its organization. He has served on the school board
and the cause of public education finds in him an earnest advocate.
Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, although of late years
he has not been active in lodge work. He and his wife are active and
consistent members of the Christian church and Mrs. Kennedy is now
the oldest member of the church at Walla Walla. Their lives have been
guided by its teachings and their many excellent traits of character
have won for them the warm regard and high esteem of all who know them.
Mr. Kennedy is one of the venerable citizens of Walla Walla county and
can look back upon the past without regret and forward to the future
without fear, for his has ever been an honorable life. Fifty-six years
have come and gone since he arrived in the west and therefore he has
been a witness of the greater part of its growth and progress.
E. H. LEONARD.
E. H. Leonard, who has long been known as a prominent representative
of milling interests in the northwest, is now the vice president of
the Preston-Shaffer Milling Company and active manager of its mill at
Waitsburg. He was born in Walla Walla, May 16, 1873, and is a son of
Thomas S. and Sarilda R. (Herren) Leonard. The father was a native of
the state of New York, and the mother of Oregon having been one of
the first white children born in that state. The date of the father's
birth was April 25, 1840. He acquired a good education in the schools
of that early period and in 1860 removed westward to Illinois, where
for three years he engaged in teaching school, spending a part of the
time also in Iowa. In 1863 he enlisted in the government service,
being made a member of an organization for the purpose of rendering
assistance and guidance to emigrant trains crossing the plains. On
reaching the Boise river his train, feeling in comparative safety,
disbanded and Mr. Leonard continued his journey to the coast, arriving
in Portland, Oregon, late in November, 1863, when that now populous
and progressive city was a town of but three thousand inhabitants. He
afterward drifted to various points in the northwest and subsequently
again took up educational work, teaching in the vicinity of Salem,
Oregon, where he remained until about 1871. In the fall of that year
he came to Walla Walla and in the spring of 1872 he removed to Dayton,
where he has since resided. In the fall of that year he and his wife
took charge of the Dayton school and in the spring of 1873 removed to a
government land claim. In 1876 Mr. Leonard assisted in the organization
of Columbia county and was elected the first county superintendent of
schools. On the expiration of his term in that office he returned to
the homestead and has since been engaged in farming. He has taken an
active and important part in promoting the development of county and
state along material and intellectual lines and has left the impress
of his individuality for good upon the history of the community. In
1868 Mr. Leonard was united in marriage to Miss Sarilda R. Herren, a
daughter of John and Docia (Robbins) Herren, who crossed the plains
from Kentucky to Oregon in 1845. They settled near Salem, among
the very early pioneers of that section. On her mother's side Mrs.
Leonard comes of a family represented in the Revolutionary war, her
great-grandfather, William Robbins, having been a participant in that
struggle which led to the attainment of American independence. T. S.
Leonard is one of the prominent citizens of Dayton and has for many
years taken a prominent and helpful part in the development of Columbia
county.
E. H. Leonard was reared to farm life and his education has been
practically self acquired. He worked in his father's fields until
his twenty-fifth year and in 1898 he became connected with milling
operations as an employe of the North Pacific Flour Mills Company at
Prescott. In March, 1900, he was made foreman of the mills and in
July of the same year, when the mills were acquired by the Portland
Flouring Mills Company, Mr. Leonard was made manager, which position
he continued to fill until 1904. In that year he was advanced to the
position of district manager with the Portland Flouring Mills Company
and in that connection had supervision over the mills of Dayton and
Prescott and later also of Walla Walla. He continued in that capacity
until January 1, 1916, at which time, having acquired an interest in
the Preston-Shaffer Milling Company at Waitsburg, he was made assistant
manager and removed to Waitsburg. This company also owns mills at
Athena, Oregon. At the first meeting of the directors after his removal
to Waitsburg, Mr. Leonard was elected to the vice presidency of the
company in recognition of his marked ability and his long experience
in the milling business. There is no phase of flour manufacture with
which he is not familiar and in the operation of the plants of the
Preston-Shaffer Company he utilizes the latest improved machinery
and the most modern processes, displaying marked enterprise in the
control of the business. While thus extensively engaged in milling
for nineteen years he has also continued his farming operations and
now owns and operates two farms in Walla Walla county, comprising
twenty-five hundred acres. He has thus become one of the prominent
wheat growers of the Inland Empire. Either one of his business
connections are sufficiently extensive and important to rank him with
the representative business men of this section of the country. He
is both forceful and resourceful and readily recognizes and utilizes
opportunities which others pass heedlessly by. He is fortunate in that
he possesses character and ability that awaken confidence in others and
the simple weight of his character and his ability have carried him
into important relations.
In November, 1900, occurred the marriage of Mr. Leonard and Miss Minnie
Belle Lieuallen, of Portland, Oregon, and they have become the parents
of three children: Mineta Belle, who is attending high school; Edgar
Hugh, a student in the graded schools; and Joanna Jeanne.
Mr. Leonard is a republican in his political views and fraternally is
connected with Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, A. F. & A. M.; Dayton Chapter,
No. 5, R. A. M.; and Walla Walla Commandery, No. 1, K. T. He also has
membership with El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane, and
belongs to Whetstone Lodge, No. 157, K. of P., of Prescott. His record
is an inspiring one, for out of a struggle with small opportunities he
has come into a field of broad and active influence and usefulness.
Quick discernment and the faculty of separating the important features
of any subject from its incidental or accidental circumstances have
been strong phases in his career. His business has ever balanced up
with the principles of truth and honor. He has ever been possessed of
sufficient courage to venture where favoring opportunity is presented
and his judgment and even-paced energy have carried him forward to
the goal of success. His quietude of deportment, his frankness and
cordiality of address, with the total absence of anything sinister
or anything to conceal, foretoken a man who is ready to meet any
obligation of life with the confidence and courage that come of
conscious personal ability, right conception of things and an habitual
regard for what is best in the exercise of human activity.
JOHN F. BREWER.
Twelve years have passed since John F. Brewer was called to his final
rest, but his memory is cherished by many who knew him, as he stood as
a high type of manhood and citizenship and was devoted to the welfare
and progress not only of his family but of the community in which he
lived. He was born in Scotland county, Missouri, November 9, 1842, a
son of David and Susan (Small) Brewer, who crossed the plains with an
ox team in 1853, reaching Salem, Oregon, where they established their
home. Their son, John F., was then a little lad of ten years and he
completed his public school training in Salem, while later he pursued
a course of study in Sublimity College, some fourteen miles from
Salem. He then took up the profession of teaching, which he followed
in the public schools for many years, imparting readily and clearly
to others the knowledge that he had acquired. In 1872 he removed to
the Walla Walla valley, where he engaged in farming. His agricultural
interests were carefully and successfully conducted and for many years
he concentrated his efforts and attention upon the development of the
fields. At length, however, he left the farm and removed to Walla
Walla, building a handsome home on Boyer avenue. In 1876 he purchased a
large tract of land east of the city and became one of the leading and
extensive farmers of Walla Walla county. In 1890 he removed to Seattle,
where he platted a tract of land which he called the Walla Walla
addition but in this enterprise he was not successful and returned to
Walla Walla, where his investments were judiciously made, his business
affairs capably managed and his enterprise brought to him a very
gratifying and substantial measure of success.
In March, 1872, Mr. Brewer was united in marriage to Miss Adora D.
Stanton, a native of Oregon and a daughter of Benjamin and Matilda
(Baldwin) Stanton. Her parents were natives of Kentucky and crossed
the plains by wagon in 1852, settling near Salem, Oregon. They had a
family of eleven children, of whom seven are still living. Mr. and
Mrs. Brewer became the parents of nine children, namely: John, who is
manager of the Commercial Club at The Dalles, Oregon, but is now in the
government service at Portland Oregon; Merton, a practicing attorney at
Auburn, Washington; Ada, who has passed away; Frank, living in Walla
Walla county; Maud, the wife of Charles Ulm, of Ritzville; Bertha, who
is the widow of Eugene Dunbar and now lives in Anchorage, Alaska; Dora,
who is the wife of Fred Snedecor, of Corona, California; Roy, who is a
sergeant in the United States army with the First Illinois Infantry;
and Luella, the wife of Frank Harlow, of Los Angeles, California.
[Illustration: JOHN F. BREWER]
[Illustration: MRS. JOHN F. BREWER]
Mrs. Brewer owns a fine residence on Boyer avenue in Walla Walla, where
she resides, and in addition she has five hundred and twenty acres of
valuable wheat land near the city and another tract of eight hundred
acres in Franklin county. She is an active and prominent member of
the Sunshine Club and is also connected with the Eastern Star and
church organizations. Mr. Brewer left his family in very comfortable
financial circumstances when death called him on the 21st of February,
1905. He was one of the valued and respected citizens of this section
of the country. He took an active part in the development of Walla
Walla county and never withheld his support from any enterprise that
he believed would prove beneficial in any way. He was intensely
patriotic and he stood for all that was progressive in relation to
public affairs. He served for several terms as alderman of his city
and at the time of his death was filling the position of councilman
for his ward. To him belongs the honor of being the father of the
paid fire department of Walla Walla, which has proven successful and
satisfactory even beyond his confident predictions. Fraternally he was
connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of
Pythias. the ancient Order of United Workmen and the Royal Arcanum,
while his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the First
Presbyterian church.
His home paper, in writing of his death, said: "In the death of
John Brewer, Walla Walla loses one of her best and most progressive
citizens. No citizen of the town had more warm personal friends, and
his demise has brought sadness to many a home. As private citizen and
public official he always strove to do his full duty. He endeavored to
be just to all men and he spoke ill of no one. He was broad-minded and
conservative, generous and public spirited. It would be hard to find
a man in the community with fewer faults and more virtues. His home
life was ideal and it is no wonder that those nearest and dearest to
him find it so hard to reconcile themselves to the loss of a kind and
loving husband and father."
"I cannot say and will not say
That he is dead, he is just away;
He has wandered into an unknown land
With a cheery smile and a wave of the hand;
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there."
VICTOR E. SIEBERT.
Victor E. Siebert is a member of the firm of Osterman & Siebert, known
as Walla Walla's foremost architects, in which connection he has
developed skill of the highest degree, and his patronage is indicative
of the high order of his work. He is a native son of Walla Walla,
born October 3, 1884, his parents being Chris and Minnie (Nahen)
Siebert, the former a native of Berlin, Germany, while the latter was
born in Red Bluff, California. The father was reared to manhood and
pursued his education in his native country and served throughout the
Franco-Prussian war. Following that conflict, in 1875, he came to the
United States, making his way to Oconto, Wisconsin, but after a brief
period there passed he removed westward to Washington, establishing his
home in Asotin county, where he took up a homestead claim and lived
for a few years. He later removed to Walla Walla county and purchased
a farm six or eight miles east of the city of Walla Walla, on which he
resided for some time. He next removed to the city, where he now makes
his home. He is still active in farming in a small way but in a measure
has put aside the arduous duties of life.
Victor E. Siebert, whose name introduces this review, was educated
in the Baker school of Walla Walla and when eighteen years of age he
began the study of architecture in the office of Henry Osterman, with
whom he thus remained for three years. He then went east to complete
his education and entered the Boston Technical School in the fall of
1906. There he pursued a special course in architecture, attending the
institution for four years. After completing his studies he entered
into partnership with Peter F. McLaughlin and established business
in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under the firm style of McLaughlin &
Siebert. This relationship existed for two and a half years, at the
end of which time the partnership was dissolved and in the fall of
1912 Mr. Siebert returned to Walla Walla and entered into partnership
relations with Mr. Osterman, his former preceptor. They are well known
architects of this city, the firm of Osterman & Siebert occupying a
very creditable and enviable position in professional circles. Many of
the most important buildings of the northwest have been designed and
erected by them and stand as monuments of their skill, their enterprise
and business ability.
In 1910 Mr. Siebert was united in marriage to Miss Mary Hoelzel, of
Adams, Massachusetts, and they have become the parents of two children,
Henry and Gretchen. Mr. Siebert is a consistent member of Blue Mountain
Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M., and also belongs to Columbus Council of the
Knights of Kadosh, No. 6, of Walla Walla, and to Oriental Consistory,
No. 2, A. & A. S. R. He is also connected with El Katif Temple, A.
A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane. His political allegiance is given to the
republican party. He belongs to the Walla Walla Commercial Club and
is one of the city's representative men, his aid and influence being
always given on the side of progress and advancement, reform and
improvement. He and his wife are members of the Christian Science
church and their genuine personal worth has gained for them a circle
of friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.
Thorough preliminary training has constituted the basis of Mr.
Siebert's success in a professional way and fidelity to the highest
standards of business has actuated him at every point in his career.
The northwest is fortunate in having his services in connection with
its important growth and development and Walla Walla is proud to number
him among her citizens.
WILLIAM T. LANE.
William T. Lane is a Civil war veteran and a retired farmer who is
now living in Starbuck. He was born in Tennessee, December 27, 1841,
and is a son of Tidence and Rebecca (Huhn) Lane, who were natives of
Tennessee. The father was killed in that state by a falling tree. The
mother afterward removed to Missouri, where her last days were passed.
They had a family of three children but William T. is the only one now
living.
Through the period of his boyhood and youth William T. Lane remained
a resident of Tennessee but in 1865, when twenty-four years of age,
went to Missouri and established his home in Johnson county. In 1880 he
came to Columbia county, where he rented a farm for two years and later
he invested his savings in land, becoming owner of a place four miles
south of Starbuck, comprising four hundred acres. He occupied that
farm for twenty years, devoting his time and energies to its further
development and improvement with the result that he converted it into a
most valuable and productive agricultural property. At length he sold
the place and settled in Starbuck, where he now resides, and through
the intervening period he has lived retired, enjoying a well earned
rest.
In 1870 Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Oliphant, a
native of Missouri, and they became the parents of seven children:
Nancy E., who is the wife of C. A. Gregory; Hattie E., who is the wife
of W. E. Phillips; and five who have passed away. The wife and mother
died in December, 1908, and was laid to rest in the Starbuck cemetery.
She left a husband and two daughters to mourn her Loss. She was devoted
to the welfare of her family and had many excellent traits of character
which endeared her to all with whom she was brought in contact.
Mr. Lane is a member of the Christian church. He is a veteran of
the Civil war, having enlisted in 1861 as a member of Company C,
Sixty-first Tennessee Regiment. He was paroled at Vicksburg and
came out without a scratch although he had taken part in several
hotly contested battles. His life has been a busy and useful one,
largely devoted to farming interests, and by unfaltering industry and
determination he has advanced steadily on the highroad to success. He
is one of the leading men of the valley in which he resides and is
enjoying a prosperity which is the merited reward of his labors.
J. W. CLODIUS.
J. W. Clodius is a well known representative of farming interests
in Walla Walla county, where he is now engaged in the cultivation
of thirteen hundred acres of land. He makes his home on section 34,
township 9 north, range 37 east, and his well directed energy and
careful management are bringing to him substantial success. He was born
April 28, 1889, in the county where he yet resides, his parents being
Hans F. and Catherine (Rhode) Clodius, who came to Walla Walla county
in 1881. They were both natives of Germany, where they were reared
and married, and about 1870 they crossed the Atlantic to the United
States, settling in Illinois, where they remained until they came to
Washington. On removing to the northwest they established their home
in Walla Walla county and the father acquired land from time to time
until he owned thirteen hundred acres. He settled on Mill creek and
about 1897 removed to the home farm, upon which his son, J. W. Clodius,
now resides. There he continued to live until 1913, when he put aside
the active work of the fields and removed to Waitsburg, where he is now
located. He is numbered among the honored and valued pioneer settlers
of his section of the state and made for himself a creditable record
in business circles, for through his individual effort, persistency of
purpose and honorable dealing he gained a most substantial competence.
J. W. Clodius acquired a public school education and through the period
of his boyhood and youth remained at home, assisting his father in the
operation of the farm. Upon the latter's removal to Waitsburg he then
took charge of the home property and is now engaged in cultivating
thirteen hundred acres of rich land. He is thus numbered among the
leading agriculturists of the community. The methods which he pursues
are most practical and progressive. He is systematic and methodical
in all that he does, he employs the latest improved machinery to
facilitate the work of the fields and by energy and persistency of
purpose is winning success.
On the 8th of November, 1911, Mr. Clodius was united in marriage to
Miss Ina Mary Harkins, of Waitsburg, a daughter of James Harkins,
who is now deceased. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Anna
Elizabeth Harris, is now living on a farm in Bolles Junction. She was
born, reared and married in Illinois, though her husband was a native
of Davenport, Iowa. Shortly after their marriage they came west and
located in Lane county, Oregon, where they remained until 1898 and
then removed to Waitsburg, Washington, where the death of Mr. Harkins
occurred. In their family were eight children, seven of whom are still
living. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harkins held membership in the Christian
church. Mr. and Mrs. Clodius have become the parents of two children,
Emory W. and Brenda M.
Fraternally Mr. Clodius is connected with Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287,
B. P. O. E. In politics he maintains an independent course, voting
according to the dictates of his judgment. He is yet a comparatively
young man but has made for himself a most creditable position in
agricultural circles and the extent and importance of his farming
interests are indicative of his business ability.
THEODORE GROTE.
Theodore Grote, one of the foremost farmers of Columbia county,
Washington, owning ten thousand acres of fine wheat and pasture land,
was born in Germany, July 5, 1881, a son of John and Anna (Dryer)
Grote, also natives of that country. In 1882 they emigrated to America
with their family and took up their residence in Ohio, whence three
years later they removed to Kansas. They resided in that state for
three years and then came to Washington, first locating in Whitman
county. In 1893, however, they removed to Walla Walla county, and there
the father passed away in 1915, while the mother survives.
[Illustration: THEODORE GROTE]
Theodore Grote, who is one of a family of five children, was brought
to Washington when a child and in the acquirement of his education
attended the common schools. In 1897 he began farming in partnership
with his father and brothers, operating eighteen hundred acres of
leased land. He devoted six years to that work and then removed to
Canada, where for a year he was in the sheep business. He then returned
to Walla Walla and purchased fifty-five hundred acres of land and
leased six thousand acres. Four years later he sold his property to
his brother Ben, but after a period of two years he again purchased
land, becoming the owner of a valuable tract in Columbia County on
section 10, township 11 north, range 38 east. He has since added to
his holdings and is now the owner of ten thousand acres, of which
forty-three hundred acres is wheat land and the remainder pasture land.
He has a herd of six hundred head of cattle and his stock raising
interests are very profitable. As a wheat grower he met with unusual
success, and he is always among the first to adopt a new method or
implement of value. He is systematic and businesslike in the management
of his affairs, realizing that the day of haphazard, unthinking farming
has passed.
Mr. Grote was married in February, 1911, to Miss Matie C. Baumann,
who was born in Washington. He is an advocate of the principles of
the republican party but confines his participation in public affairs
to the exercise of his right of franchise. He belongs to the Elks at
Walla Walla and is a member of the Masonic Lodge, No. 106 F. & A.
M., at Starbuck and of the Royal Arch Chapter at Dayton. His ability
stands out as an unquestioned fact and it is generally recognized that
he is an important factor in the development of Columbia county along
agricultural and stock raising lines.
A. G. LLOYD.
Fifty-eight years ago A. G. Lloyd became a resident of Walla Walla
county and in a little log cabin began life in true pioneer style. He
had, however, been a resident of the west for a much longer period,
the family home having been established in Oregon in 1845. He was born
in Missouri, July 25, 1836, his parents being John and Nancy (Walker)
Lloyd, both of whom were natives of North Carolina. At a very early
period they removed westward to Missouri and in 1845 crossed the
plains with ox teams, making the long wearisome journey across the
hot stretches of sand and over the mountains, three years before gold
had been discovered in California, at which later time the trails to
the west were more definitely marked and more easily followed. They
located in Benton county, Oregon, where the father took up a donation
claim of six hundred acres. There he built a log cabin covered with
a clapboard roof and the chimney was built on the outside of the
primitive dwelling. Hardships and privations fell to their lot but with
stout hearts and undiminished courage they put forth every effort to
establish a home on the western frontier and were active with those
who were planting the seeds of civilization in Washington. The mother
died while the family resided upon the homestead farm and the father
afterward removed to Colfax, Washington, where he passed away in 1875.
In their family were nine children, but one of whom is now living.
A. G. Lloyd was reared and educated in Oregon, having been but a little
lad of nine summers at the time of the removal to the west. There was
no phase of pioneer life with which he was not familiar. He served in
the Indian war on the Walla Walla river and was in the Seven-Day fight.
He became familiar with all of the methods of treacherous warfare
practiced by the savages and he aided in reclaiming the region for
the purposes of civilization. He was mustered out in July, 1856, and
returned to the work of the farm.
In 1858 he was united in marriage to Miss Lois Jasper, a native of
Kentucky and a daughter of John and Mary (Heath) Jasper, who were also
natives of the Blue Grass state, whence in 1842 they removed to St.
Joseph, Missouri. The father died in that state and the mother with
her family of six children afterward, in 1854, crossed the plains and
became a resident of Benton county, Oregon. In the family were eight
children, of whom three are now living.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd began their domestic life in Oregon, but in July,
1859, removed to Walla Walla county, Washington, where he secured a
homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres two and a half miles
from Waitsburg on the Touchet river. Upon his land he built a log
cabin with puncheon floor and door. The home was most primitive but
it sheltered stout hearts and willing hands. They bravely faced the
conditions of pioneer life in order to secure a home for themselves and
for eight years they lived upon that place without change. At the end
of that time Mr. Lloyd was able to purchase more land and his widow
now owns two hundred acres, for some of which she has been offered
three hundred dollars per acre. The rapid settlement of this section
of the country, together with the improvements made upon the farm,
have greatly enhanced the value of the property, which returns to Mrs.
Lloyd a very gratifying annual income. In his business career Mr. Lloyd
displayed marked diligence and determination and his farming interests
were wisely and carefully managed, so that he became recognized as one
of the foremost agriculturists of this section of the state. As the
years went on eleven children were added to the family, of whom six are
now living, namely: J. C., who is in California; G. M., a resident of
Waitsburg; Wesley A., who is occupying the old homestead; Gilla Ann,
the wife of C. C. Milinger, of Spokane, Washington; Ralph G., also
living in this state; and Angeline, the wife of F. G. Aldridge.
The death of the husband and father occurred January 5, 1915, since
which time Mrs. Lloyd has personally managed the farm. Mr. Lloyd not
only figured as one of the leading representatives of agricultural life
in Walla Walla county but was a most prominent and influential factor
in other connections. He attained the thirty-second degree of the
Scottish Rite in Masonry and held all of the chairs in the different
Masonic branches with which he was affiliated. His political allegiance
was given the democratic party and he was one of its recognized
leaders. His opinions carried weight in its councils and his efforts
were an element in advancing its success. Five times he was elected to
represent his district in the general assembly of Washington and he
left the impress of his individuality upon many important legislative
measures which were enacted during that period. He closely studied the
questions and issues of the day and gave his aid and support to any
measure or movement which he believed would promote the interests of
the commonwealth and stood with equal firmness in opposition to any
cause which he believed would be detrimental to the welfare of the
community at large. His position was never an equivocal one and he
loyally supported every measure in which he believed. None questioned
the integrity of his opinions or of his actions. He served as a
delegate to both county and state conventions and did much to mold
public thought and opinion. Mrs. Lloyd is a member of the Eastern Star
and also of the Rebekah lodge and in these organizations has filled all
of the chairs. She is a consistent member of the Presbyterian church,
while Mr. Lloyd was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He
was prominent as a man whose constantly expanding powers took him from
humble surroundings to the field of large enterprises and continually
broadening opportunities. He was reared upon the western frontier and
the effort required to live in those ungenerous surroundings, the
necessity to make every blow tell and to exercise every inventive
faculty developed powers of mind and habits which made him a forceful
and resourceful business man and citizen. The early rising, the daily
tasks, the economical habits of the country boy prepared him for the
struggle that most precede ascendency and step by step Mr. Lloyd gained
success in business and prominence in public life.
W. M. TAYLOR.
W. M. Taylor resides in Waitsburg but is identified with farming on
section 31, township 9 north, range 38 east, in Columbia county. He
has resided in this state since reaching the age of eighteen years. He
was born in Johnson county, Missouri, January 31, 1861, and is a son
of Simon and Harriet (Burgess) Taylor, who are mentioned in connection
with the sketch of his brother, Charles M. Taylor, on another page
of this work. The public school system of his native county afforded
him his educational privileges. He made good use of his time and
opportunities in that direction and when not busy with his textbooks he
was assisting in the work of the home farm and thus learning valuable
lessons in the school of experience. He had reached the age of eighteen
years when he came to Washington, after which he remained at home,
cooperating with his father in the development and improvement of a
new farm up to the time of his marriage. In the meantime, however, he
and his brothers, G. B., J. W. and J. F. Taylor, bought eight hundred
acres of land, which they cultivated in partnership, and they also
operated one thousand acres belonging to Whitman College. This they
leased and the four brothers continued their farming interests together
until about 1907, when a division of their holdings was made, and W.
M. Taylor acquired three hundred and sixty acres of the land that
had been held conjointly before. He has since purchased two hundred
and forty acres adjoining his other tract, so that his home farm now
comprises six hundred acres and constitutes one of the valuable wheat
ranches of Columbia county. The soil is particularly adapted to wheat
raising and the crops produced are most extensive and gratifying, for
the methods which Mr. Taylor follows in the development of his fields
are practical. All of the work on the farm is systematically done and
is guided by his sound judgment. He uses the latest improved machinery
to facilitate the work of the fields and there is no equipment of the
model farm property of the twentieth century that is not found upon his
place.
On September 18, 1889, occurred the marriage of Mr. Taylor and Miss
Flora Kinyoun, of Johnson county, Missouri, who came to Washington
to teach music in 1887. By her marriage she became the mother of
two children: Harriet E., the wife of R. B. McElroy, of Spokane,
Washington; and Laura E., the wife of Theodore Holsey, of Spokane, this
state. The wife and mother passed away in 1897 and on November 29,
1899, Mr. Taylor was again married, his second union being with Mrs.
Lillian Devall, née Pinkley, who was a teacher in the public schools
of Walla Walla and Columbia counties. To this marriage has been born a
daughter, Florence G.
Fraternally Mr. Taylor is connected with Touchet Lodge, No. 5, I. O.
O. F., and he also belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His
political views are in accord with the principles of the democratic
party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church and their
lives are guided by its teachings and its principles. Aside from his
farming interests Mr. Taylor became one of the incorporators of the
Exchange Bank of Waitsburg, of which he is still a stockholder. He has
made for himself a very creditable position as a substantial farmer
and representative citizen of Columbia county. After the harvests are
gathered he takes up his abode in Waitsburg, where he has an attractive
city home and there spends the winters. The extent and importance of
his business interests have made him widely and favorably known and his
life record should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement
to others, indicating what may be accomplished through persistent and
honorable effort. He has aided in demonstrating the possibilities for
grain farming in this section of the state and the worth of his work,
both as a source of individual success and of general prosperity, is
widely acknowledged.
CHRISTIAN STURM, SR.
Christian Sturm, who one of the best known and most highly esteemed
pioneers of the Walla Walla valley, was born in the kingdom of
Wurttemberg, Germany, April 14, 1834. At the age of seventeen,
accompanied by a brother, he came to the United States, the ocean
voyage taking forty-two days.
He enjoyed telling a good joke on himself which occurred when he landed
in New York with little of this world's goods. He met with a traveling
Jew who said to him: "Carry these bags and suit cases for me several
blocks and I'll pay you twenty-five cents." He accepted the offer and
carried the luggage blocks and blocks until, finally in the heart
of the city, they entered a building and climbed several flights of
stairs. On one of the top floors the Jew took the luggage and asked him
to wait a few minutes and he would return and pay him. He waited and
waited patiently but the generous Jewish gentleman never returned. It
was some little time before it dawned on him that he was "stung." It
was a lesson, for the errand caused him to miss his boat and, also, his
brother whom he never saw again. That night he spent sight seeing about
New York, and while standing about admiring what was a most wonderful
building to him he was thrown into jail where he was compelled to
remain until morning and he often remarked, "his first and only time in
jail was his first night in America."
[Illustration: CHRISTIAN STURM, SR.]
[Illustration: MRS. CHRISTIAN STURM, SR.]
After finishing his education in New York, he moved to Delaware and
after spending two years in that state he went to Philadelphia where he
enlisted in the service of the U. S. army in 1857. Shortly afterwards
his company was moved to Newport, Kentucky, and then to New York; then,
by the isthmus of Panama route to San Francisco and from the last
named place to Astoria. Astoria at that time had but few buildings.
Soon after he was stationed at Vancouver and a little later at the
Cascades. With his company he walked to the upper Cascades and took the
boat to The Dalles and from there he marched with his troop to Fort
Walla Walla. He was five years in the army and during his enlistment he
was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In the army he saw much real
fighting. In 1858 he was in the expedition to Colville, which was in
command of Colonel Wright. They encountered the Indians, nearly twelve
thousand strong, who opened fire on the troops, and the famous battle
of Steptoe was fought. During this battle Captain Taylor was killed.
Captain Taylor was wearing a silk sash which he took off and presented
to Lieutenant Sturm of whom he was very fond. The sash he always kept
in memory of momentous hours of danger and as a sacred memento of a
true friendship, and it now hangs in its familiar place in his widow's
home. The Indians that fought at Steptoe consisted of the Yakimas,
Colvilles, Palouses, Spokanes and Coeur d'Alenes. In this famous battle
the troops fortified themselves on Steptoe Butte and how bravely they
fought history tells. During the battle many Indians were dispatched
and as many as one thousand Indian ponies were killed.
After retiring from the army as lieutenant, acting as assistant
quartermaster, First Cavalry United States of America, 1862, at Fort
Walla Walla (the same fort that President Wilson ordered used in
1917 for a training camp for the Washington State Field Artillery,
under command of Major Paul Weyrauch) the wonderful opportunities of
the Inland Empire country made a strong appeal to Mr. Sturm. After
spending a year mining at Orofino, Idaho, he returned to Walla Walla
and went into the livery business with Fred Kraft. After a short time
he disposed of his interest in the livery and engaged in the general
merchandise business with O. B. Brechtel for a partner. Their store
was one of the first in Walla Walla; it was a headquarters for miners
returning from the Orofino placer mines; the miners would deposit their
gold dust with Messrs. Sturm and Brechtel for safe keeping, there being
no banks at that time in Walla Walla. After remaining in the mercantile
business for five years Mr. Sturm bought one hundred and sixty acres
of land from H. M. Chase two and one-half miles from Walla Walla and
engaged in farming. He acquired another adjoining one hundred and sixty
acres; also homesteaded one hundred and sixty and preempted one hundred
and sixty; then, in later years, he bought five hundred acres more. He
was one of the most successful wheat and stock raisers in the valley.
Mr. Sturm was married in 1865 to Miss Marietta Roff. Four sons and
two daughters were born to this union, and two sons and two daughters
survive. Mrs. Sturm was born September 12, 1844, a daughter of
Frederick Roff. Her girlhood was spent in Illinois, but in 1864 she
with her parents left Quincy, that state, and they crossed the plains
and mountains, using ox and horse teams, the crossing requiring six
months. Many were the hardships they endured. Among others, their oxen
got on a "poisoned meadow" and died. During the last part of their
journey they traveled with a government train and arrived in Walla
Walla, October 16, 1864. Mrs. Sturm's father, Frederick Roff, was
perhaps the first man to take up a homestead in the valley, filing on
one hundred and sixty acres about two and a half miles east of Walla
Walla. He there resided until his death, August 2, 1890. Mrs. Sturm
survives her husband and resides at the old Sturm home in Walla Walla.
More extended mention in regard to the family of Frederick Roff is
made in connection with the sketch of Oliver DeWitt, whose wife is a
sister of Mrs. Sturm.
Mr. Sturm, who died on January 11, 1909, was one of the foremost
pioneers of the western country. Taking up his abode in the northwest
when Walla Walla boasted but a few log buildings and the tributary
country was but a wilderness, he was one of those sturdy, upright
characters who did his full share to help develop the country and make
it the success it is today. At all times public spirited and keenly
alive and devoted to the interests of the community he was one of the
country's true builders. As one of the distinguished pioneers of the
country--as a man who performed many good deeds in his day--his name
will always be remembered and ever held in the highest respect.
WILLIAM M. SCOTT.
William M. Scott belonged to that class of honored pioneers who have
laid broad and deep the foundation upon which has been built the
present prosperity and greatness of the state of Washington. He was a
resident of Walla Walla from 1905 until his death and for many years
was prominently identified with the wheat industry in Umatilla county,
Oregon. He was born in McLean county, Illinois, December 29, 1837, and
was a son of John B. and Rena (Halsey) Scott. During his infancy he was
taken by his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Halsey, with whom he
remained until his ninth year, when his uncle, Dr. A. K. Scott, became
his foster father, and with him William H. Scott remained until 1855,
when at the age of eighteen years he started out in life independently.
He went to Coffey county, Kansas, where he remained for one year and
then started to return to Illinois but stopped off in Daviess county,
Missouri, and decided to remain. He there continued until 1859, when
he again went to Kansas and in 1860 he started across the plains for
the western country, his objective point being the Walla Walla valley,
of which he had heard much. The lure of the California gold fields,
however, drew him as a magnet and his course was diverted. He was
one of the party to which J. L. Stubblefield belonged. The company
subsequently divided but Mr. Scott and others proceeded to California.
After spending several months in that state he came, in 1861, northward
and located at McMinnville, Oregon, where he attended college for a
time. In 1862 he engaged in freighting with ox teams from Wallula to
Lewiston and subsequently from The Dalles to the Idaho mines. In the
fall of 1863 he went to Salem, Oregon, where he resided for seven
years. He then crossed the mountains, locating near Prineville, where
he was engaged in the live stock business for eight years. In 1878 he
removed to Umatilla county, Oregon, where he took up a homestead and
a timber culture near Helix. One of these claims subsequently sold
for two hundred dollars, but later he bought it back for forty-two
hundred dollars. He acquired a full section of six hundred and forty
acres of the best land in the wheat belt and engaged in farming eight
hundred acres, leasing a quarter section adjoining his place. One year
he harvested sixty-six bushels of wheat to the acre upon his farm and
he averaged from year to year from forty to forty-five bushels. He
experienced all the hardships and privations of early pioneer life
and twice in the year 1878 was forced to leave Helix on account of the
hostility of the Indians and seek refuge in Fort Walla Walla. However,
he persevered and his determination and energy overcame the obstacles
in the path of material advancement, while changing conditions, brought
about by the settlement of the country, soon obviated the necessity
of protecting against Indian attack. In 1905, after many years
successfully devoted to farming, he retired from active agricultural
life and removed to Walla Walla, where he remained until called to his
final home, on January 18, 1915.
Mr. Scott was united in marriage to Miss Anna D. Caplinger, a daughter
of Jacob and Jane (Woodside) Caplinger, of Salem, Oregon. They crossed
the plains from Fulton county, Illinois, to Oregon in 1845 and settled
in Oregon City but after two years removed to Marion county, that
state, taking up their abode on the prairie four miles east of Salem,
where they remained until called to their final rest. The father died
on the 20th of June, 1904, and the mother survived only until the
26th of July of the same year. In 1845, on their journey across the
plains, which was made by way of the Mount Hood route, they were there
snowbound for more than three weeks with no food but coffee for several
days.
Mr. and Mrs. Scott became the parents of nine children, namely: Mary
L., who is the wife of J. M. Richardson, of Rosalia; Emma J., who gave
her hand in marriage to Dr. E. A. Mann, of Portland, Oregon; John A.,
who resides in Lacrosse, Washington; Ira C., who operates the home farm
for his mother, now residing in Walla Walla; Ray W., who passed away
in 1902, when sixteen years of age; and Alexander, Charles, Walter and
Bertha, who are also deceased.
In his political views Mr. Scott was a stalwart democrat and in 1890
he was a candidate for county judge of Umatilla county. His life was
that of a consistent Christian and for more than twenty years he was an
elder in the Church of Christ at Helix. He was also a public-spirited
citizen and a factor in the advancement of the county's welfare and
interests along many lines. Death called him January 18, 1915. A modern
philosopher has said: "Not the good that comes to us, but the good
that comes to the world through us, is the measure of our success";
and judged by that standard Mr. Scott was a most successful man, for
he went about doing good, extending a helping hand to the poor and
needy, assisting in the work of general improvement and shedding around
him much of life's sunshine. His widow now occupies a beautiful home
on South Division street in Walla Walla. She, too, is a member of the
Church of Christ and gives liberally to its support and in charitable
work, her benevolences being many.
CHESTER J. WOODS.
Chester J. Woods, a representative agriculturist of Walla Walla county,
was born April 23, 1883, on a farm adjoining the one on which he
now resides, on section 7, township 9 north, range 37 east. He is a
son of Joel Woods, mentioned elsewhere in this work. He pursued his
education in the public schools, supplemented by study in the academy
at Waitsburg, and through the period of his boyhood and youth he aided
largely in the work of the home farm, so that he was well qualified
by actual experience to take up farming on his own account when he
attained his majority. At that time he purchased land on section
8, becoming the owner of seven hundred acres, all of which is now
improved. The fields are carefully cultivated and the buildings upon
the place indicate the progressive spirit of the owner. He has always
engaged in wheat raising and also in raising stock and both branches of
his business are proving profitable. He is also a stockholder in the
Self-Oiling Wheel & Bearing Company of Walla Walla.
On the 30th of March, 1910, Mr. Woods was married to Miss Jennie
Caplinger, who was born in Umatilla county, Oregon, a daughter of T. W.
and Marie Caplinger, who are also natives of that place. They are now
residents of Walla Walla. Both Mr. and Mrs. Woods hold membership in
the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is one of the trustees, and
they take an active part in its work. Mrs. Woods is a graduate of the
Waitsburg high school and Ellensburg Normal School and for seven years
successfully engaged in teaching prior to her marriage.
In politics Mr. Woods is a democrat and has served as school director
and as clerk but has not been an active worker along political lines.
He stands for progress and improvement in public affairs, however, and
is willing to support any measure that tends to uphold civic interest.
Both he and his wife are held in the highest esteem because of their
genuine worth and the hospitality of the best homes in the county is
freely accorded them.
PETER McCLUNG.
Peter McClung, of Pomeroy, editor and publisher of the East
Washingtonian, was born in Clarke county, Washington, a son of Mathew
and Catherine (Wigle) McClung. He was one of four children, the others
being: Mrs. Susan Shoemaker, now living in Gresham, Oregon; Mrs. Jennie
Buchanan, of Portland; and Edward A., living in Bakersfield, California.
Peter McClung was the third in order of birth and was educated in
Clarke and Columbia counties of Washington, attending the schools of
Dayton. He learned the printer's trade and as a compositor became
connected with the Washingtonian in 1885, his brother-in-law, E.
T. Wilson, having founded the paper in 1881. Eight years later, or
in 1889, Mr. McClung purchased an interest in the paper and became
associated in the business with E. M. Pomeroy, then publisher. Three
years afterward he bought out Mr. Pomeroy and has since been owner and
publisher thereof. In later years he has been assisted by his son, who
pursued a special course in journalism in the State University and who
now practically manages the paper.
In 1886 Mr. McClung was united in marriage to Miss Alva E. Pomeroy,
a daughter of Joseph M. Pomeroy, who was the founder of the town
which bears his name. Mr. and Mrs. McClung have become the parents
of two sons: Ray, who has charge at Washington, D. C., of the weekly
newspaper publications under the direction of the committee on public
information; and Hugh, who is with his father in business.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. PETER McCLUNG]
Fraternally Mr. McClung is an Odd Fellow, and he and his family
are connected with the Christian church. In politics he has always
maintained an independent course and has the distinction of having
published for more than a quarter of a century an absolutely
independent paper. His entire life has been passed in the west and with
the development and progress of his section of the state he has been
helpfully associated.
GEORGE E. KELLOUGH.
Characterized by a spirit of undaunted enterprise, George E. Kellough
has won a place among the most substantial and progressive business
men of Walla Walla, where he now figures in financial circles as
the president of the Third National Bank. He was born in Ontario,
Canada, on the 9th of May, 1872, a son of William H. and Ann Grace
Kellough, both of whom were natives of Canada. The former was of Irish
extraction, while the latter was of French lineage. They spent their
entire lives in Canada, residing for many years in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
where they were among the pioneer settlers.
George E. Kellough, reared in Winnipeg, there pursued his education in
the public schools and at the age of nineteen years, attracted by the
broader business opportunities which he felt he might find across the
border, he came to the United States and made his way to the western
part of the country, reaching Walla Walla county, Washington, in July,
1891. He started in business life here as a ranch hand, but ambition
actuated him at every point in his career and continually lured him
on to better things. Subsequently he took up a homestead and in time
acquired other land, for as his financial resources increased he made
judicious investment in property and for some six years was actively
and successfully engaged in farming. He then turned his attention to
business interests of the city and in 1899 took up his abode in Walla
Walla, where he established a clothing and furnishing goods store.
He was prominently identified with that business for a decade and
built up an extensive trade, ever endeavoring to please his patrons,
while his honorable business methods constituted one of the strong
features of his growing success. Then a still broader field seemed to
open before him and in February, 1910, he made his initial step in
financial circles, becoming connected with the Third National Bank
as president of the institution, over whose financial policy he has
since presided. His plans are well formulated. The business under his
direction has been carefully systematized and he has ever recognized
the fact that the bank is most worthy of support which most carefully
safeguards the interests of depositors. While extending every possible
courtesy of the bank to patrons, he has never erred on the side of
ultra progressiveness, his actions at all times being tempered by a
safe conservatism. His name, therefore, has become a synonym for sound
judgment and thorough reliability and he today occupies a central place
on the stage of banking activity in Walla Walla county.
In 1893 Mr. Kellough was united in marriage to Miss Viola Purdy, a
daughter of Orlando Purdy, who was a Michigan farmer. Mr. and Mrs.
Kellough have become the parents of two children, Lance E. and Erma
G. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Kellough
has given consistent and loyal support to the republican party and has
been an earnest and active worker in its ranks. His fellow townsmen,
appreciative of his worth and ability, have called him to public office
and for two terms, in 1906 and 1907, he served as mayor of Walla Walla,
giving to the city a businesslike and progressive administration. He
is a member of the Commercial Club, in the work of which he has taken
a most active and helpful interest and for one term he served as its
president. In this connection he promoted many activities looking to
the further development of Walla Walla, the extension of its trade
relations and the promotion of its civic standards. He has been very
prominent as an Odd Fellow, holding membership in Trinity Lodge, No.
121, I. O. O. F. He has passed through all of the chairs in both the
local lodge and in the state organization, and few in Washington have
equalled him in active and effective service for the upbuilding of the
organization. In fact he is one of the best known Odd Fellows in all
the northwestern country. He is likewise connected with the Woodmen
of the World, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Ancient Order of
United Workmen. He is actuated by a spirit of progressiveness in all
that he does. There are in his life few leisure hours. He is constantly
busied with some interest either for the benefit of his own fortunes or
for the upbuilding of the district with which he is connected, and his
labors have been effective, beneficial and resultant.
MARCUS ZÜGER, JR.
Prominent among the most alert and progressive farmers of Walla Walla
county is numbered Marcus Züger, Jr., who is the owner of extensive
and valuable holdings in Walla Walla and in Garfield counties. He was
born January 1, 1878, in the county where he still resides, being a
son of Marcus Züger, Sr., of whom mention is made elsewhere in this
work. His youthful days were spent in the usual manner of farm bred
boys and the habits of industry and close application which he early
developed have constituted the foundation of his present success. He
remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority
and at the age of twenty-five years, at which time he was married, he
began farming for himself on the old homestead, comprising fourteen
hundred and sixty-eight acres of land. He has since been prominently
and extensively identified with agricultural interests in Walla Walla
county and in addition to the old homestead tract he is now the owner
of eleven hundred and seventy acres in Garfield county, which is
highly improved and which brings to him a gratifying annual rental. He
follows the most progressive methods in all of his farm work, utilizes
the latest improved machinery and upon his place is found every
convenience and accessory of the model farm of the twentieth century.
He has closely studied scientific methods of wheat raising, whereby he
has greatly enhanced the productiveness of his fields. Aside from his
farming interests he is connected with the Exchange Bank at Waitsburg
as one of its directors.
In 1904 Mr. Züger was united in marriage to Miss Jennie L. Woodworth,
a native of New York, and they have become parents of four children,
Margaret D., Arthur Frederick, Kenneth and Erma. Mrs. Züger is a member
of the Christian church, while Mr. Züger fraternally is connected with
the Masons and with the Knights of Pythias and in his life exemplifies
the beneficent spirit on which these organizations are based. His
political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has served
as county commissioner for two years. He has also proved his friendship
to the cause of public education by active service as a member of the
school board. He stands for progress and improvement in all things
relating to the public welfare and has never allowed personal ambitions
or interests to dwarf his public spirit or activities. His views have
ever found expression in prompt action rather than in theory and he is
a man of stable purpose, accomplishing what he undertakes.
ALFRED LARSON.
Alfred Larson, head miller of the mill of the Portland Flouring Mills
Company at Dayton and thus prominently identified with the industrial
activity and development of southeastern Washington, was born in
Sweden, May 13, 1856, a son of Edward and Margaret Larson, both of whom
spent their entire lives in Sweden, the father following the occupation
of farming there.
Alfred Larson was reared in his native country and its public schools
afforded him his educational opportunities. In 1878, when a young
man of twenty-two years, he crossed the Atlantic and made his way
to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had previously learned the miller's
trade in Sweden, having entered upon an apprenticeship to that work
when a youth of but fifteen years. After coming to the new world he
secured employment in the flouring mills of Minneapolis and during two
different periods devoted seventeen years to that business in that
city, spending the entire time with two companies. In 1891 he first
came to the far northwest, making his way to Salem, Oregon, where he
was employed as head miller by the Portland Flouring Mills Company. He
remained in that position in Salem for four years and then returned to
Minneapolis, where he spent the succeeding seven years as second miller
in one of the city's most important milling plants. In 1902 he again
came to the west, this time accepting the position of head miller in
the Creston Mills at Creston, Washington, where he resided for three
and a half years. He then went to Condon, Oregon, where he took charge
of the plant of the Portland Flouring Mills Company, which he managed
for five years. He was transferred to the Albino Mills, owned by the
same company at Portland, Oregon, and a year later he resigned his
position there to engage in the real estate business in Portland. That,
however, proved an unsuccessful venture and he returned to the milling
business, accepting the position of head miller of the plant of the
Portland Flouring Mills Company at Dayton. In this important position
he has since continued and the success of the business at this point is
attributable to his skill, enterprise and close application. He has won
a substantial position among the foremost millers of the northwest.
In 1882 Mr. Larson was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Corlstrom,
who was born in Sweden and emigrated to the United States with a
sister when a maiden of fourteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Larson have become
the parents of three children, two of whom are living, namely: Mabel,
the wife of C. N. Lockridge, who is serving as county clerk of Gilliam
county, Oregon; and Wallace, a mechanical engineer and miller who is
assisting his father in the mill.
Mr. Larson gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and fraternally is identified with the Masons, belonging to Creston
Lodge, No. 123, F. & A. M.; Davenport Chapter, No. 25, R. A. M.; Zion
Commandery, No. 2, K. T.; and Al Kader Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.,
of Portland, Oregon. Mr. Larson's record is that of one who through
orderly progression has reached a creditable position in the business
world. Coming to America when a young man of twenty-two years without
capital save energy, ambition and a knowledge of his trade, he has
steadily worked his way upward and among his marked characteristics
should be mentioned his fidelity and loyalty to the interests which he
serves. This is indicated by the fact that he continued for seventeen
years in the employ of but two companies in Minneapolis and that he
has been gladly received back into the ranks of the representatives
of the Portland Flouring Mills Company, with which company he has
been associated for twenty-five years and with which he now occupies
a position of responsibility and importance. There is no phase of the
milling business with which he is not thoroughly familiar and he is
thus well qualified to discharge the onerous duties that devolve upon
him in his present connection. Dayton numbers him among her foremost
citizens and accords him a high measure of respect and goodwill.
CANTREL R. FRAZIER.
Cantrel R. Frazier is a retired farmer residing at No. 305 Newell
street in Walla Walla. He has passed the eighty-sixth milestone on
life's journey and well deserves the rest which has come to him, for it
is the reward of persistent, earnest and intelligently directed effort
in former years. He was born in Barren county, Kentucky, February 15,
1832, a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Marshall) Frazier. The mother
died in Kentucky, after which the father removed to Missouri in 1846.
There his remaining days were passed, his death occurring in that state
in the early '70s.
Cantrel R. Frazier in young manhood, or in 1853, when twenty-one years
of age, crossed the plains with a drove of cattle belonging to the firm
of Packwood & Lewis of San Jose, California. He was accompanied on the
trip by his brother William and five months were spent upon the road
ere they reached their destination. After the cattle were delivered to
their employers they took up a homestead in Tulare county, California,
after which they paid ten cents per pound for seed wheat. They planted
fifteen acres and harvested six hundred bushels, for which they
received six cents per pound. For two years they remained in the Golden
state and then returned to Missouri.
[Illustration: CANTREL R. FRAZIER]
[Illustration: MRS. CANTREL R. FRAZIER]
In 1857 Cantrel R. Frazier was united in marriage to Miss Salitha
Shubert and in 1864 he again crossed the plains with Walla Walla as his
destination. He made the trip with one yoke of oxen and a small wagon
and brought with him his wife and two children, one of the children
being born in Colorado while they were en route to the Pacific coast.
After reaching Washington, Mr. Frazier homesteaded one hundred and
sixty acres of land on Dry creek, about nine miles east of the city of
Walla Walla, and upon that farm he resided until his removal to Walla
Walla in 1907. He had there lived for forty-three years and his labors
had wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of the place. He
had planted a variety of fruit and nut trees upon his farm as well as
various kinds of grain. Chestnut trees planted in 1884 are now seven
feet seven inches in circumference. His fields were most carefully
cultivated and the results attained were very gratifying. On the
completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad into this section of the
state, Mr. Frazier and his wife went back to the old Missouri home on
a visit. When he again came to the northwest he brought with him some
shell bark and some bull hickory nuts, also some butternut trees and
black walnut trees. He likewise has persimmon trees upon his place and
one of his apple trees is perhaps the largest apple tree in the state.
It measures more than seven feet and seven inches in circumference
around the base and has a spread of fifty-seven feet, while in height
it has reached forty-two feet. In 1907 it yielded a crop of one hundred
and twenty-six and a half boxes of fruit of Frazier's prolific variety.
From this old tree a number of gavels have been made by the Commercial
Club and one was presented to Mr. Frazier. He owns one hundred and
seventy acres of land and his place has been brought under a very high
state of development and improvement, so that it yields to him a most
gratifying annual return.
Mr. and Mrs. Frazier reared a family of six children; namely Florence,
who is the wife of Samuel Philips, formerly of Weston, Oregon, but now
of Walla Walla; Benjamin, a cattle man living in northern Washington;
Jane, who is the wife of Joseph Gwin, of Walla Walla county; Armeda,
who gave her hand in marriage to Samuel McHenry, of St. Francois
county, Missouri; John, who follows farming in Walla Walla township;
and Dora, the wife of Daniel Neiswanger, of Bend, Oregon. The wife and
mother died in 1907 after a happy married life of half a century.
Mr. Frazier was again married in 1907 to Mrs. Missouri Ann Wightman,
a native of Wayne county, Missouri, and a daughter of Thomas J.
and Lucinda Swezea, the former born in Tennessee and the latter in
Missouri. In 1859 the parents, accompanied by their six children,
started across the plains with two hundred head of cattle, which
dwindled down to about one hundred head before reaching Walla Walla.
Mr. Swezea purchased a claim about eight miles from the city on
Cottonwood creek. On the 8th of July, 1860, a son, Charles L., was
added to the family, he being the first white child born in Walla
Walla. Mr. Swezea died at the age of seventy-seven years and his wife
at the age of seventy-five. Of their nine children only four are now
living, namely: Mrs. Nancy J. Harer, of Walla Walla; Missouri Ann, now
Mrs. Frazier; Smith W., a resident of Harrison, Idaho; and Charles
L., of Walla Walla county. Mrs. Frazier was a girl of fifteen years
when she came to this state and on reaching womanhood married William
Wightman, by whom she had one child, Elizabeth, the wife of William
Wiseman, of Tacoma.
In his political views Mr. Frazier is a democrat, which party he has
supported since reaching adult age. He belongs to the Christian church,
while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. They are people
of genuine personal worth, enjoying in large measure the friendship
and kindly regard of those with whom thy have been brought in contact.
Their own home is noted for its warm-hearted hospitality and is the
scene of many delightful social gatherings. For fifty-three years Mr.
Frazier has resided in this county and has been a witness of much of
its development and improvement. His own labors have demonstrated in
large measure what can be accomplished in the way of raising fruits
and nuts in this section. He has ever been progressive in his work and
the practical methods which he has followed have brought substantial
results. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to try
his fortune in the northwest. He here found conditions favorable to
the man who is willing to work, for the land is rich in its natural
resources and Mr. Frazier accordingly brought his diligence to play
with the result that he is today the possessor of a handsome competence
which surrounds him with all of the necessities and comforts of life
and some of its luxuries.
HENRY S. COPELAND.
Henry S. Copeland, deceased, was one of the early pioneer settlers of
Walla Walla county, arriving here in 1862. He found a largely unsettled
and undeveloped region in which the work of improvement had scarcely
been begun. The Indians in the state far outnumbered the white settlers
and only here and there had been founded a little town, showing that
the seeds of civilization had been planted on the western frontier
which were later to bear fruit in the development of one of the most
progressive commonwealths of the Union.
Henry S. Copeland was born in Vermont in 1824 and was a son of Thomas
Copeland, who came from Ireland to Canada in young manhood. Later he
crossed the border into the United States, establishing his home in
Vermont, where he resided up to the time of his death. Both he and
his wife died when their son Henry was a small boy. He was born upon
a farm and continued to work at farm labor through the period of his
youth, dividing his time between the tasks of the fields and attendance
at the district schools through the winter months. At an early age he
began farming on his own account and 1857 found him in Sacramento,
California, while in 1859 he was in the Willamette valley. In 1862 he
crossed to Walla Walla, believing that the growing community there
would offer him the best opportunities. It was not long thereafter
until he had purchased a home and subsequently he took up a homestead
claim, southeast of Walla Walla. For many years he was prominently
identified with the agricultural interests of this county and from time
to time purchased other land until his holdings were very extensive.
He utilized every chance for judicious investment and never lost faith
in the future of this district, for he readily appreciated the fact
that nature was kind to this region and had placed before man many
opportunities for successful business in this section.
Mr. Copeland was united in marriage, in the Willamette valley, to
Miss Mary Ann Morton, a daughter of William and Catherine Morton, of
Illinois, and they became the parents of nine children, four of whom
survive. The wife and mother passed away in April, 1957, while the
death of Mr. Copeland occurred twelve years earlier in February, 1905.
He was very prominent in Masonic circles as well as in his business
connections and in his life exemplified the beneficent spirit of the
craft. He was ever ready to extend a helping hand to a brother of the
fraternity or to aid any fellow traveler on life's journey. He was
broad-minded and liberal in his views and had many qualities which made
him worthy of the high regard in which he was uniformly held.
JOHN W. BROOKS.
For almost a quarter of a century John W. Brooks has been actively
engaged in the practice of law in Walla Walla and throughout that
period has steadily forged to the front until he has long since
occupied an enviable position in the foremost rank of the attorneys
of Washington. He was born in Asheville, North Carolina, September
9, 1870, a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Cagle) Brooks, both of whom
were natives of that state, where they spent their entire lives. The
father died in the same building in which he was born, passing away in
his ninetieth year, after having devoted his entire life to general
agricultural pursuits.
John W. Brooks was reared upon the home farm and the public schools
afforded him his early educational privileges. Being desirous of
preparing for the bar, he afterward entered the University of North
Carolina, which conferred upon him his degree as a lawyer upon his
graduation with the class of 1892. He was admitted to the bar on the
24th of September of that year and following his admission he opened
an office in Asheville, North Carolina, where he remained in practice
until the 15th of February, 1893. Thinking that the west offered still
better business opportunities, he then left the Atlantic coast to make
his way to the Pacific seaboard and eventually arrived in Walla Walla,
where he has since practiced independently. He is an able lawyer,
possessing comprehensive knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence
and is seldom if ever at fault in the application of such principles
to the point in litigation. His reasoning is sound, his deductions
clear and his arguments convincing. For twenty-four years he has now
practiced in Walla Walla and has long been accorded a position of
leadership among the attorneys of this section of the state.
On the 18th of July, 1898, Mr. Brooks was united in marriage to Miss
Esther Belle Singleton, a daughter of John Singleton, a pioneer of
1857, who for many years was closely identified with the development
and progress of Walla Walla county, where he passed away in 1893. His
widow still survives at the notable old age of ninety-one years. To Mr.
and Mrs. Brooks has been born one child, Virginia, now deceased.
Fraternally Mr. Brooks is identified with Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287,
B. P. O. E., with Washington Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., and with the
Modern Woodmen of America. He has always been deeply interested in the
welfare and progress of the section of the state in which he lives
and he has proven his faith in Walla Walla county and its future by
making extensive investments in farm lands. The sterling traits of his
character have gained him wide acquaintance and he has an extensive
circle of friends, who entertain for him the warmest regard by reason
of his personal qualities as well as for his professional achievements.
GEORGE TOMPKINS POLLARD.
George Tompkins Pollard is a resident farmer of Columbia county, living
on section 6, township 9 north, range 38 east. He is the oldest settler
in that district and has been identified with the Inland Empire, its
pioneer development and its later progress, since 1855. He was born
in Linn county, Missouri, June 15, 1835, a son of Roger B. and Sarah
C. (Smith) Pollard. The father was a native of Richmond, Virginia,
while the mother's birth occurred in Rockingham county, Virginia. They
were married in Shelby county, Kentucky, to which district they had
removed in young manhood and womanhood. They began their domestic life
in Shelby county, where they remained for a number of years, and about
1820 they established their home in Linn county, Missouri, where they
lived for two decades. They afterward moved to the Platte Purchase,
settling near St. Joseph, Missouri, where both passed away.
George T. Pollard acquired a district school education in his native
state and at sixteen years of age left the parental roof to start out
in life on his own account. In the spring of 1852 he crossed the plains
with an ox team to California and for three years was engaged in mining
on the Cosmos river in what is now Amador county. In July, 1855, he
made his way northward into Oregon to visit a brother and while on that
visit enlisted in the service to fight the Indians. He took part in
the Yakima Indian war and later for three years was engaged in packing
supplies for Colonel Rice and Colonel Steptoe and was in the latter's
employ when he was defeated by the Indians. Mr. Pollard was in Wallula
on the 20th of December, 1855, and on the 22d or 23d participated in
the fight with the Indians near Whitman Station. He is the oldest
settler now living in this part of the state and there is no one more
familiar with every phase of pioneer life and experience than he. His
military service made him acquainted with every phase of Indian warfare
and later he met all of the hardships and privations incident to the
task of developing a new farm. On the 6th of August, 1859, he filed
on the homestead where he now lives and upon that place has resided
continuously since, covering a period of fifty-eight years. As his
financial resources increased he purchased more land from time to time
and now owns four hundred and ninety-five acres.
In 1860 Mr. Pollard was united in marriage to Miss Harriet L. Wiseman,
of Walla Walla county, who crossed the plains with her father, John
Wiseman, in 1852, settling in Linn county, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs.
Pollard became the parents of the following children, namely: Melissa;
Ann; John B., who is deceased; Mary; Oliver; Etta; Bettie; Ella and
Cordelia, who have passed away; Frank; Robert; and Roy.
[Illustration: G. T. POLLARD]
In politics Mr. Pollard is independent, never caring to bind himself
by party ties. He was appointed a member of the first board of county
commissioners after the organization of Columbia county and was a
member of the school board for more than thirty years. At different
times he has been urged by his friends to accept nomination for various
important political offices but has always refused, preferring to do
his public duty as private citizen. He and his wife are members of
the Methodist church and their well spent lives have been guided by
its teachings. When the state of Washington was yet cut off from the
advantages and comforts of the east by the long stretches of sand and
the high mountains, he made his way across the plains, braving all the
trials and hardships of pioneer life in order to make a home in the
Inland Empire, rich in its resources yet unclaimed from the dominion of
the red man. As the years have come and gone he has borne his part in
the work of general progress and improvement and has been a prominent
factor in promoting agricultural development. The days of chivalry and
knighthood in Europe cannot furnish more interesting or romantic tales
than our own western history.
CHARLES ALEXANDER McCABE.
Charles Alexander McCabe, a well known attorney at law of southeastern
Washington, practicing in Pomeroy as a member of the firm of Kuykendall
& McCabe, was born June 18, 1889, in the city where he still resides,
his parents being Charles A. and Mary (Bohan) McCabe. The father was
a native of Ireland and the mother of Pennsylvania. The former came
to the United States in 1848, as a boy of eleven years, in company
with his parents, who settled in Pennsylvania, where the son attained
his majority. About 1864 he determined to try his fortune on the
Pacific coast and made his way westward to Walla Walla, after which
he operated a pack train and also engaged in prospecting and mining,
thus becoming familiar with pioneer experiences and lines of business
such as are common in frontier districts. In 1865 he removed to
Garfield county, where he turned his attention to the sheep industry
and through the following twenty years, except for a few years in
Montana, was prominently identified with sheep raising in this
section of the state. He subsequently became postmaster of Pomeroy,
which position he occupied for several years, discharging his duties
with promptness, fidelity and capability. He was also engaged in the
jewelry business and for many years ranked with the prominent business
men and progressive citizens of Pomeroy, contributing much to its
upbuilding and progress along material and other lines. He was married
in Pennsylvania in 1888 and passed away in 1913, Mrs. McCabe having
preceded him in 1901.
Charles Alexander McCabe, whose name introduces this review, was
educated in the public schools of Pomeroy and in Gonzaga College at
Spokane. In the fall of 1909 he took up the study of law, reading in
the office of Gose & Kuykendall, and in the spring of 1911 he was
admitted to practice. Immediately following his admission he entered
into his present partnership relations with Mr. Kuykendall, whose
former partner, Mack F. Gose, had been elected to the bench. The firm
of Kuykendall & McCabe has since been engaged in practice and their
clientage is extensive and of a very important character. Mr. McCabe
carefully qualified for the practice of law and in the conduct of his
cases has shown notable resourcefulness combined with marked ability
to accurately apply the principles of jurisprudence to the points in
litigation.
In June, 1911, Mr. McCabe was united in marriage to Miss Anna Mock, of
Columbia county, Washington, and to them have been born two sons and a
daughter: Charles Patrick, Kathleen and Robert Alexander. The parents
are communicants of the Catholic church and Mr. McCabe is identified
with the Knights of Columbus and also with the Woodmen of the World.
Both Mr. and Mrs. McCabe are well known socially in Pomeroy, occupying
an enviable position in those circles where true worth and intelligence
are accepted as passports into good society.
THOMAS COPELAND.
Thomas Copeland, whose extensive landed possessions aggregate more
than three thousand acres, makes his home on section 12, township 6
north, range 36 east, Walla Walla county, where he is extensively
engaged in farming and stock raising. He is one of the most progressive
agriculturists of this part of the state and his intelligently directed
activities have brought him a gratifying measure of success. He is a
native son of the west and possesses the spirit of western enterprise.
His birth occurred in McMinnville, Oregon, November 26, 1861, his
parents being Henry S. and Mary Ann (Morton) Copeland, the former a
native of Vermont, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania.
It was in 1849 that Henry S. Copeland crossed the plains to California,
attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast. He remained
in that state for a brief period and then made his way northward to
Oregon, where he afterward met and married Miss Mary Ann Morton. They
took up their abode upon a farm in that state and for a considerable
period resided at McMinnville, but in 1863 they came north to
Washington and settled in Walla Walla county, where the father secured
a homestead, upon which he built a log cabin covered with a clapboard
roof. They occupied that primitive dwelling for several years and
experienced all the hardships and privations of pioneer life, but as
time passed their labors brought substantial reward and they were able
to secure more of the comforts of modern day civilization. The little
log cabin was replaced by a commodious and substantial residence and
other good farm buildings were added to the place, while the fields
were brought under a high state of cultivation. In his later years Mr.
Copeland retired from active farm work, having become possessed of a
comfortable competence that was sufficient to supply him with all of
the necessities and some of the luxuries of life through his remaining
days. He and his wife removed to Walla Walla and there continued to
make their home until called to their final rest. They had a family of
ten children, four of whom are yet living.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. THOMAS COPELAND]
Their son Thomas Copeland was but two years of age when the family
came from Oregon to Washington, so that he was reared and educated in
Walla Walla county. He pursued his studies in one of the old-time log
schoolhouses of that early period. The methods of instruction, too,
were somewhat primitive and thus his opportunities in that direction
were restricted but his training in farm work was of an extensive
character. He remained at home until he attained his majority, after
which he purchased the farm upon which he now resides, and adding to
his possessions at intervals as his financial resources have increased,
he has become the owner of over three thousand acres of rich, arable
and valuable land. He has made a specialty of raising wheat and also of
raising stock. He keeps full bred Hereford cattle and also Clydesdale
and Percheron horses upon his place. His stock raising interests have
become an important feature of his business and add materially to his
annual income. Moreover, his farm is situated in the rich wheat belt
of the Inland Empire and his yearly grain crop is a most satisfactory
one. In addition to his other interests Mr. Copeland is a stockholder
in the Third National Bank of Walla Walla, of which he was one of the
organizers.
In March, 1887, Mr. Copeland wedded Miss Minnie Harman, who was born
in the state of New York, a daughter of William Harman, who came to
Walla Walla at a very early day and continued his residence here until
called to the home beyond. To Mr. and Mrs. Copeland have been born four
children: Ralph and Clara, at home; Martha, who died at the age of
nineteen years; and Glenn, who completes the family.
In politics Mr. Copeland is a stalwart republican and while not an
office seeker he has served for twenty-seven years on the school board,
the cause of education finding in him indeed a stalwart champion. He
belongs to Washington Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., and in his life
exemplifies the spirit of the organization, which is based upon the
recognition of man's obligations to his fellowmen. His life has been
well spent and has gained for him the goodwill and honor of his
fellowmen. In business affairs he has always displayed sound judgment
and keen discrimination and has readily discerned the essential
elements in the successful conduct of any business transaction. His
plans have ever been well defined and carefully executed and he never
stops short of the accomplishment of his purpose, for he recognizes
the fact that when one avenue of opportunity seems closed he can carve
out other paths which will lead to the desired goal. He has become
connected with a number of important enterprises in this county aside
from his farming interests and his business activity makes him a valued
and substantial citizen of his district.
THE WALLA WALLA UNION.
One of the pioneers of Walla Walla, getting younger and more vigorous
with the passing of years, is the Walla Walla Union, established
in 1869 and published continuously ever since. A little four-page
weekly, hand set, and with a small circulation at that time, the Union
has developed into a metropolitan daily, carrying full, leased-wire
Associated Press service and is equipped with modern linotypes and
fast rotary presses. The Union has been a part of the community life
of Walla Walla for nearly a half century and while in the struggles
of early pioneer life it suffered many hardships in common with many
of the citizens that it has served during a lifetime, it has grown
in strength with the community until today it is a part of the solid
worth of the Inland Empire. The Union is the only morning newspaper
published within a radius of nearly one hundred miles of Walla Walla.
The Union is published by a corporation of which E. G. Robb is
president, D. W. Ifft business manager and B. E. La Due managing editor.
JOHN L. WALLACE.
For almost ten years John L. Wallace has been engaged in the abstract,
real estate, loan and insurance business in Dayton, where he conducts
his interests as a partner in the firm of the Weatherford-Wallace
Company, ranking with the leading business men and representative
residents of the city. He was born in Harvey county, Kansas, on
the 16th of August, 1874, his parents being John T. and Hannah J.
(Frederick) Wallace, who came west to Washington in 1886, settling
in Whitman county. The father was engaged in educational work for
twenty-three years, teaching in Kansas and Missouri, and after coming
to Washington he identified himself with mercantile interests and for
a number of years was engaged in business in Albion. Subsequently
he resumed the profession of teaching and became connected with the
schools of Lincoln county, where he was located at the time of his
death, which occurred about 1906. For several years he had survived his
wife, who died on Christmas day of 1900.
John L. Wallace had the usual advantages of the public schools and
in 1892 entered the Portland (Oregon) Business College, where he
pursued a commercial course. In the summer of 1893 he was offered
and accepted the position of manager of a grain warehouse in Albion
and in 1894 and 1895 he was a student in the Washington Agricultural
College at Pullman, now the Washington State College. Subsequently
he went to Hailey, Idaho, where he was employed for two and a half
years in a grocery house. He then returned home but after a year he
went to Portland, Oregon, in 1898 and became one of the teachers in
the Portland Business College, there spending seven years. While thus
engaged he took up the study of law, attending night school, and in
1901 he was admitted to the bar in the state of Oregon. He continued
teaching, however, in the business college until 1904, when he returned
to Whitman county, Washington, and through the succeeding two years
devoted his attention to merchandising in Albion. In the fall of 1907
he was appointed deputy county prosecutor of Whitman county and on the
1st of July, 1908, he came to Dayton, where he bought a partnership
in the Geo. B. Baker Company, an abstract, real estate, loan and
insurance business. He has since been engaged in this line and has won
for himself a prominent position, having a very large clientage. He
has negotiated many important realty transfers, has placed many loans
and has written a large amount of insurance, so that his business has
reached a most gratifying figure.
On the 4th of June, 1902, Mr. Wallace was united in marriage to Miss
Sophia A. Schmidt, of Portland, Oregon, by whom he has one child, Dean
Leslie. Mr. Wallace was a stalwart supporter of republican principles
for many years but in 1912 left the ranks of the party and followed
Roosevelt in the organization of the progressive party. He has since
been a stanch advocate of progressive republicanism and is recognized
as one of the political leaders of this section of the state.
Fraternally he is connected with Dayton Lodge, No. 26, F. & A. M.;
Dayton Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M.; Alki Lodge, No. 136, I. O. O. F.; and
the Dayton Lodge of the Knights of Pythias, while both he and his wife
are members of Rainbow Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.
For the past seven years Mr. Wallace has served as city clerk of Dayton
and has made a most excellent record as a public official, being
careful and systematic in the discharge of his duties and at all times
prompt and faithful to the trust reposed in him. He has many admirable
traits of character, is loyal to the public good, is thoroughly
reliable in all business dealings, holds friendship inviolable and is
devoted to the welfare of his family. His pronounced characteristics
have gained for him a high position in public regard, while his
enterprise and indefatigable energy have placed him among the leading
business men of his adopted city.
LEON B. KENWORTHY.
Leon B. Kenworthy is actively engaged in the practice of law in Dayton
and in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual
merit and ability he has made for himself a creditable position. He was
born in Salem, Oregon, February 16, 1874, a son of James and Lydia A.
(Williams) Kenworthy, both of whom were natives of Indiana. In the year
1872 they removed westward to Oregon, settling upon a farm where they
resided until 1879. In that year they went to what was then Walla Walla
county and took up their abode in Huntsville, where the father secured
a tract of land and again engaged in farming, spending his remaining
days upon that place, his death occurring October 23, 1911. The mother
died October 23, 1917. In their family were ten children, seven of whom
are yet living.
Leon B. Kenworthy was reared and educated in Washington, having been
but five years of age at the time of the removal of his parents from
Oregon to this state. Liberal educational opportunities were accorded
him. After completing his common school course he matriculated in
Pacific College at Newberg, where he won the Bachelor of Arts degree
upon his graduation with the class of 1900. He then pursued his law
course, which he completed in 1902, graduating from the law department
of the University of Washington. He was admitted to the bar and entered
upon active practice in Dayton in 1904. Through the intervening period
he has steadily advanced until he now occupies a foremost position
in the front rank of leading attorneys in Dayton. He prepares his
cases with great thoroughness, is skillful in the presentation of his
arguments, is logical in his deductions and sound in his reasoning.
In 1909 Mr. Kenworthy was united in marriage to Miss Alice M. Spurgeon,
a native of Illinois, and to them have been born two sons: Jack
Garry, deceased; and Max Spurgeon. The parents are members of the
Congregational church and in his fraternal relations Mr. Kenworthy is
connected with the Knights of Pythias and is a member of the D. O.
K. K. in that order. Politically he is a republican, giving stalwart
support to the party, and for a number of years he has acceptably
filled the office of city attorney, most carefully safe-guarding the
legal interests of the city in that position. He stands for progress
and improvement in all public affairs and has ever displayed marked
devotion to the city's welfare and upbuilding. He owns a fine residence
in Dayton and the family occupies an influential position in social
circles.
JOSEPH J. ROSE.
Among those whom death has called and who were contributing factors
to the agricultural development and improvement of Columbia county
was Joseph J. Rose, who while still active in the world's work made
his home on section 5, township 9 north, range 39 east, in Columbia
county. He was born in Oregon, on the present site of the town of
Milton, June 12, 1860, a son of Eli and Catherine (Boldman) Rose, who
crossed the plains from Iowa with ox teams in 1859. One child was born
to them on their journey. On their arrival in Oregon they camped on
the present site of Milton and it was there that the birth of Joseph
J. Rose occurred. Not long afterward the parents removed with their
family to Washington, taking up their abode in what is now Walla Walla
county, about three miles from Dixie. There they lived for many years,
giving their attention to agricultural pursuits, but ultimately removed
to Dayton, at which time Mr. Rose retired from active business life,
having in the intervening years acquired a comfortable competence that
was sufficient to supply him and his wife with all of the necessities
and some of the luxuries of life.
Joseph J. Rose assisted his father until he reached his twenty-third
year and for about two years thereafter operated his father's farm.
His youthful experiences were those of the farmbred boy who divides
his time between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the
playground and the work of the fields. No event of special importance
occurred to vary the routine of life for him in that period. After
cultivating his father's land for two years he removed to Columbia
county in 1885 and purchased a portion of what is now his old home
place about a mile and a half south of Dayton. His first purchase made
him owner of two hundred and twenty acres and subsequently he bought
other land from time to time, thus adding to his holdings until he
had fourteen hundred acres at the time of his demise. The farm which
he left is one of the most productive and valuable farms of Columbia
county. The soil is naturally rich and careful cultivation has added
much to its value. Good buildings have been put upon the farm and the
place has been divided into fields of convenient size by well kept
fences.
Mr. Rose was married twice. In 1884 he wedded Miss Ida Williams, of
Walla Walla county, by whom he had three children, namely: Lena, who
is now the wife of T. O. Webster, of Walla Walla; Zelma, who gave her
hand in marriage to Earl Harting, of Walla Walla county; and Zenobia,
a resident of Walla Walla. In July, 1900, Mr. Rose was again married,
his second union being with Miss Mary Brockman, a daughter of W. J.
Brockman, who came to Columbia county, Washington, in 1887 and has
since passed away. By his second wife Mr. Rose had two pairs of twins,
the first of whom died in infancy, while the surviving are Joseph Eli
and Emma Catherine.
[Illustration: JOSEPH J. ROSE]
Mr. Rose gave his political allegiance to the democratic party and he
served for several years as a member of the school board but was too
busy to give much attention to politics and never sought or desired
political preferment. He belonged to Columbia Lodge, F. & A. M., and
was a faithful follower of the teachings of the craft. He was also
a consistent member of the Christian church and died in that faith
December 7, 1916, leaving to his family not only the fruits of earnest
toil but also the priceless heritage of an untarnished name, which the
wise man of old said is more to be chosen than great riches. Mrs. Rose
not only possesses those qualities which are essentially womanly and
which everywhere command respect, but she is also a capable business
woman. Upon the death of her husband she immediately took up the
heavy responsibilities in connection with the operation of a farm of
fourteen hundred acres and in her management of affairs has proven
herself one woman in a thousand. She is now operating the farm on an
extensive scale and is meeting with excellent success by reason of her
careful management, her systematic methods, her keen sagacity and her
enterprise. She occupies one of the prettiest country homes in the
county and by reason of her business management is enabled to enjoy
not only all of the comforts but also many of the luxuries of life.
She belongs to Waitsburg Chapter, No. 9, of the Order of the Eastern
Star, and is a devoted member of the Christian church, guiding her life
according to its teachings.
J. A. DARBY, M. D.
The northwest with its pulsing industrial activity and its limitless
resources is constantly drawing to it men of enterprise and ability who
find here opportunity for the expression of their dominant qualities.
Among the number who have come from the Mississippi valley is Dr. J. A.
Darby, now successfully engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery
in Pomeroy.
J. A. Darby was born in Hunnewell, Shelby county, Missouri, on the
16th of October, 1874, and is a son of James A. and Mattie B. (Cox)
Darby. The father came to Washington with his family in 1885, settling
in Pomeroy, where he established a hardware store, with which he was
identified until about a year prior to his death. He passed away in
1905 and is survived by Mrs. Darby, who is yet living in Pomeroy.
Dr. Darby was a lad of eleven years when his parents came to Washington
and his education, begun in the public schools of Missouri, was
continued in the public schools of Pomeroy. After leaving the high
school he became a student in the Spokane Business College and still
later, having determined upon the practice of medicine as a life work,
he matriculated in the University of Oregon as a medical student and
was graduated from that institution with the M. D. degree as a member
of the class of 1909. Following his graduation he opened an office in
Pomeroy and in the intervening eight years has built up an extensive
and lucrative practice.
On the 18th of February, 1916, Dr. Darby was united in marriage to
Mrs. Bessie McWilliams, of Walla Walla, and to them has been born a
son, James A. Dr. Darby holds membership in Garfield Lodge, No. 25,
K. P.; also in Lewiston Lodge, No. 896, B. P. O. E., and with the
Woodmen of the World and the United Artisans. In politics he maintains
an independent course but believes in republican principles. He does
not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate his time and
efforts upon his practice, the duties of which he discharges in a most
conscientious and able manner. He is interested in everything that
tends to bring to man the key to the complex mystery which we call
life and by further reading and study is continually broadening his
knowledge and promoting his efficiency. Colleagues and contemporaries
acknowledge his ability and rank him with the progressive physicians of
this part of the state.
JOHN J. ASHBY.
John J. Ashby was a pioneer of Garfield county and a citizen of worth
whose passing was deeply regretted by many friends. He was held in high
regard by those who knew him as a representative business man, as a
progressive citizen and one who was faithful to the ties of home and
friendship. A native of Illinois, he was born March 12, 1847, and was
a great-grandson of a distinguished officer of the British army whose
wife was a French lady. The ancestral line of the Ashby family can be
traced back for over two hundred years and upon the records the names
of many prominent men appear.
John J. Ashby was a son of Solomon and Jane (Ripley) Ashby, the former
a native of Montreal, Canada, while the latter was born in the state
of New York. They became residents of Stephenson county, Illinois, in
the '40s and there resided until 1865, when they crossed the plains
with teams and wagons and settled in the Willamette valley of Oregon.
There they resided until 1873, when they became residents of Old Walla
Walla county, making their home near the present site of the city of
Pomeroy. The district was then largely wild and undeveloped, but with
characteristic energy Mr. Ashby began the cultivation of his land,
converting his place into a well improved farm, upon which he and his
wife spent their remaining days. They had a family of three children
but only one is now living.
John J. Ashby was a youth of eighteen years when he crossed the
plains with his parents. The trip was a long and arduous one, fraught
with many difficulties and hardships, but day after day they slowly
proceeded on their way until the western coast was reached. He remained
with his parents in the Willamette valley for a time and was married
there in 1872 to Miss Mary Denny, a daughter of John F. Denny, whose
birth occurred in Indiana in 1819. He crossed the plains in 1852
and settled in Marion county, Oregon, upon a donation claim. There
he built a typical log cabin with puncheon floor and door, through
which a string was inserted that was fastened to the latch in order
that the traveler might pull the string and open the door. Such was
the hospitality of that period. The little pioneer cabin also had a
mud and stick chimney and its furnishings were perhaps as primitive
as the exterior. In that little home the Denny family lived for
several years. The father was a lifelong republican and was chosen to
represent his district in the territorial legislature. In 1860 he was
ordained to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church by Bishop
C. W. Clark and thus he became actively identified with the moral
development of the state as well as with its material and political
progress. The grandfather of Mrs. Ashby was also a prominent figure in
the northwest. He served in the War of 1812 under Colonel M. Johnston
and was appointed by President Lincoln as governor of the territory
of Washington in 1861, thus becoming prominently identified with the
development of the northwest. He had two sons who were prominent
citizens of the northwest. A. A. Denny was called "The father of
Seattle," and D. T. Denny was the first to erect a white man's home
where that city now stands.
[Illustration: JOHN D. ASHBY]
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. J. J. ASHBY]
[Illustration: JENNIE ASHBY]
To Mr. and Mrs. Ashby were born two children: Jennie, who died at the
age of twelve years; and John Denny, whose biographical sketch follows
this. It was in the year 1874 that Mr. and Mrs. Ashby took up their
abode upon the farm in Garfield county and from that time until his
death, which occurred November 10, 1914, he devoted his attention to
general agricultural pursuits, becoming the owner of four hundred
and eighty acres of fine wheat land. He also owned a very attractive
residence in the city of Pomeroy, which is still the property of his
widow. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in
the work of which he took an active and helpful part, and he was always
ready to lend a helping hand to the poor and needy, his assistance
being given in most generous manner. He was a great worker in behalf of
the cause of temperance and assisted all church activities both by his
moral and financial support.
JOHN DENNY ASHBY.
No death in Garfield county has been more deeply deplored than that
of John Denny Ashby, who was born in this county, February 8, 1876.
Spending his youthful days in the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
John J. Ashby, he attended the public schools until graduated from the
high school at Pomeroy in 1895. He was afterward graduated from the
Montana Wesleyan University with the class of 1899, winning the degree
of Bachelor of Arts. During his student days there he was a member of
the college debating club, was captain of the military company and
president of the Young Men's Christian Association, thus showing his
active connection with all the varied interests which constitute the
commendable phases of college life. In 1900 he was honored by an offer
of two positions, one as instructor of science and higher mathematics
at his alma mater, the other a government position in China. At the
persuasion of his parents he accepted the former. Speaking of his work
in the schools, Professor Tenny, president of the Montana University,
said: "I have had the very best men associated with me in the school
work that I could hope for, but I have never found a man who was so
unselfishly loyal to me, loyal to himself, loyal to God."
In 1901 Denny Ashby entered the New York Homeopathic College & Hospital
as a member of the class of 1905. During his freshman year he served
as senator for the class and he also won the freshman prize, while
at the end of the junior year he won the Fiske prize for the highest
standing in three years' work, the prize consisting of a valuable set
of surgical instruments. On the 2d of August, 1904, while in bathing
on the beach at Oak island, near Fire island, he was caught by a big
wave and drowned while attempting to go to the rescue of a trained
nurse. His death was deeply deplored by all who knew him for he was a
young man of unusual promise and ability. At the age of fourteen years
he united with the Methodist church and his life was dedicated to the
work of a medical missionary, but death intervened and his remains were
sent home from New York and laid to rest by the side of his sister
in the Pomeroy cemetery, where his grandparents are resting and also
his father. Of him it may well be said that he has joined "The choir
invisible of those immortal dead who live again in lives made better by
their presence."
From all parts of the country came letters and expressions of sympathy
to Mr. and Mrs. Ashby, showing profound regret at the loss of one so
richly endowed with God's best gifts to humanity. Clayton C. Ferguson,
who had been his classmate in the medical college wrote: "The first
hard grind of the year is over. As many grains growing luxuriously
by the wayside owe their origin to seeds blown or dropped from some
passing wagon laden with the harvest, so in reviewing this course I
find that many of my present developed ideas have sprung from seeds
sown by Denny's fruitful pen along the margins of books once loved
by him, and which you kindly gave me. Some of these thoughtful seeds
flowering have lined the pathway with fragrance; others have caused
me at times to pause and admire their beauty; still others, bruised
and broken by the rude blast, have given me moments of pain as in the
contemplation of their destruction my thoughts reverted to a like
condition of their creator. Among our family household seeds others
than those sown on paper were sprinkled along life's pathway by the
same loving hands during those happy days of association." In another
letter the above writer says: "I have taken Denny's drugs and placed
them in my desk, praying with God's help to use them as my dear loved
one would have, always ready to help the suffering. Do accept my thanks
for them and remember that I am at your service at all times to do
for you anything in my power. Call upon me if you want medicine for
yourself or anybody else. * * * You will never know the sorrow felt in
our home, unless you had been in it when Denny was a part of it. No one
can fill his place at the table, nor will anyone ever be allowed to sit
there." One of his boy friends said: "If ever a soul reached heaven
Denny Ashby is there," and another said: "If ever anybody could make
a Christian of one by the good life he lived and the example he left,
Denny Ashby was that one." At the opening of the college the dean,
Dr. King, paid a glowing tribute to the memory of his former pupil,
saying: "The class of 1905 has suffered a great loss through the death
of John Denny Ashby," and made especial mention of his modest, retiring
nature, which to a large degree obscured his "massive mental capacity."
The class of 1905 passed the following resolution: "Realizing that by
the death of your only son the class of 1905 of the New York Medical
College has lost not only a man who has distinguished himself as a
student, but also by his daily life proved himself to be a young man of
most exemplary character. We, the class of 1905, do hereby extend to
you in this hour of your great affliction our most heartfelt sympathy.
We one and all feel that we have lost a true friend and brother
physician." A beautiful and merited tribute was expressed by Dr. C. F.
Sibly, who wrote: "His death bound east and west in mourning. There is
a bright side, however, which we must not overlook. When his body was
recovered at daybreak, August 3d, its appearance was like that of a
hero and conqueror; his hands were folded defiantly across his breast,
his characteristic peaceful smile was very manifest. It was evident to
the observer that as he had lived a conqueror's life, so he had died a
conqueror's death. For him death had no sting, the grave no victory.
There was no moaning of the bar or midnight darkness when he put out to
sea, but a glorious ushering in to the presence of that great company
of just souls, robed white, washed clean by the blood of the Lamb--an
introduction to the throng, arrayed with palms of victory and crowns of
glory."
JAMES OTTO LONG.
James Otto Long, a well known grain dealer of Pomeroy, who was formerly
extensively engaged in farming and stock raising, is a typical citizen
of the golden west, alert, energetic, progressive and resourceful.
He was born in Lane county, Oregon, August 15, 1864, and is a son of
Ransom and Rosetta (Clark) Long, the former a native of Virginia, while
the latter was born in Indiana. They were married in Fulton county,
Illinois, having removed to that state with their respective parents in
childhood days. After their marriage they became residents of Iowa and
in 1852 crossed the plains with ox teams to the Willamette valley of
Oregon, where they remained for about twenty years. In 1872 they came
to Washington and spent the first year on the Patit creek near Dayton,
after which they moved northward into what is now Garfield county and
located on the Pataha prairie, seven miles south of the present site
of Pomeroy. Here the father used his homestead and preemption rights
and upon that place which he secured continued to make his home until
the death of his wife. He later resided at the home of his children
and passed away on the 5th of April, 1898, having for twelve years
survived his wife, who died on the 27th of June, 1886. In politics he
was a republican and was a progressive citizen, interested in all that
pertained to the public welfare.
James O. Long was educated in the district schools and when about
twenty-two years of age left the home farm, after which he devoted
eight years to prospecting and mining but failed to find the proverbial
pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow, as he desired. He then decided
to return to agricultural life and on the 1st of October, 1895, he
was united in marriage to Miss Mettie Williams, of Garfield county, a
daughter of Nicholas Williams, who came to the county in 1873.
Following their marriage Mr. Long purchased a farm on the Pataha
prairie and occupied the place for ten years. On the expiration of
that period he took up his abode in Pomeroy in 1905 and for a decade
gave his attention to the live stock business, owning a stock ranch
halfway between Pomeroy and Lewiston, on the Alpowa, where he made a
specialty of grazing sheep. His live stock interests were profitably
conducted but about two years ago he disposed of his ranch and turned
his attention to the grain business, establishing and operating a
grain warehouse in Pomeroy. He is now prominently known in connection
with the grain trade and has developed a business of extensive and
gratifying proportions. He is a man of determined purpose and resolute
will and whatever he undertakes he carries forward to successful
completion.
Mr. and Mrs. Long have become the parents of eight children, seven of
whom survive, as follows: Lois, the wife of Ray Gimlin, who follows
farming in Garfield county, Washington; and Florence, Willena, Clark,
Lewis, Marian and Burton, all at home.
Mrs. Long and her daughters are members of the Congregational church
and the family is prominent socially in the community where they
reside. In politics Mr. Long is a republican and keeps well informed on
the questions and issues of the day but does not seek public office.
His life has been one of diligence and his labors have been crowned
with a substantial measure of success.
J. W. HARBERT.
J. W. Harbert, of Small township, whose residence in Walla Walla county
dates from 1859, is one of the earliest pioneers of this section now
living. He was born in Fountain county, Indiana, September 25, 1835,
a son of Richard J. and Mary (Zumwalt) Harbert, natives respectively
of Havre de Grace, Maryland, and Cynthiana, Kentucky. Their marriage,
however, was celebrated in Indiana, where they resided until 1844, when
they removed with their family to Dubuque, Iowa. Three years later
they went to Mount Vernon, a college town in Linn county, Iowa, which
remained their place of residence for many years. The father came to
Walla Walla in 1878, but after spending over a year in this locality
returned to Iowa, where his wife died in 1888. Immediately after her
death he again came to Washington and made his home with his son, J. W.
Harbert, until his death, which occurred about a year later, in 1889.
J. W. Harbert was reared at home and received his education in the
common schools. In 1859 he decided that the west offered the most
favorable opportunities for an ambitious young man and accordingly
made the long overland trip to Walla Walla county, driving an ox team
for another man in exchange for the privilege of having his provisions
transported. Following his arrival here he worked for Charles Russell
for two years and then devoted eight years to freighting from Wallula
and Umatilla Landing to the Idaho mines and to other points in this
part of the country. When the railroad was built through, the need for
freighting by team ceased and he turned his attention to farming. He
worked hard, gave careful attention to the management of his affairs
and in time acquired fourteen hundred acres of the finest farm land
in the county. He was quick to recognize and take advantage of any
unusual opportunity and one of the chief factors in his success has
been the close personal supervision which he has given to his work. In
1863, while hauling a load of freight from Wallula to Idaho City, he
camped on the night of July 2d on the site of Fort Boise, the officers
choosing that site the following morning for a fort. In 1864 he hauled
one hundred and seventy-five thousand feet of lumber from the mountains
to Boise city and watched the loading and unloading of every board. His
natural vigor and strength have been conserved by wholesome outdoor
life, and today, at the age of eighty-two years, he superintends all
his farm work and is as active as most men twenty-five years his
junior. When he arrived in Walla Walla county he had but three dollars
and the financial independence which is now his is the direct result of
his own labors.
[Illustration: J. W. HARBERT]
[Illustration: MRS. J. W. HARBERT]
On the 13th of July, 1866, Mr. Harbert was united in marriage to Miss
Emma Evans, a daughter of G. W. Evans, who came to Walla Walla county
in 1861. To this union were born six children, three of whom survive,
namely: Ida H., the wife of Thomas Paine, of Richland, Washington;
Floy, who married Frank Holman, of Freewater, Oregon; and Liberty, the
wife of Julius Jensen, of this county. On the 8th of January, 1878,
Mrs. Harbert passed away and on the 8th of April, 1884, Mr. Harbert
married Miss Lizzie D. Groff, a native of Iowa. They have two living
children, Clifford G. and Hazel, both at home.
Mr. Harbert supports the republican party at the polls and for twenty
years has served as school director, his continuance in the office
indicating his ability and trustworthiness. Although he does not hold
membership in the church his religious belief is in the main that of
the Methodist Episcopal church and he contributes liberally to its
support and also to various charitable projects. His many admirable
qualities are generally recognized and there is no resident of the
county more highly esteemed than he.
FRED M. YOUNG.
Fred M. Young, who since starting out in life on his own account at
the age of sixteen has been continuously connected with the florist
business, is now senior partner of the firm of Young & Lester,
prominent florists and nurserymen of Walla Walla, where they conduct
an extensive business. He was born in Cass county, Iowa, April 26,
1879, a son of Salathiel and Martha M. (Caughey) Young, both of whom
were natives of Ohio. They were married in Iowa, however, having
removed to that state in childhood with their respective parents. At
the time of the Civil war the father responded to the country's call
to arms, enlisting as a member of Company C, Eighth Iowa Volunteer
Infantry, with which he served for more than four years, participating
in many of the hotly contested battles which finally resulted in the
winning of victory for the Union. With a most creditable military
record he returned to his home in Iowa after the war was closed and
there he engaged in gardening and fruit growing at Grove City. In 1900
he removed to Denver, Colorado, and in the fall of 1916 he sold his
Denver home and returned to Iowa, residing with a daughter in Council
Bluffs up to the time of his death, which occurred in February, 1917.
His widow survives and yet makes her home with the daughter in Council
Bluffs.
Fred M. Young had the benefit of educational training in the public
schools until sixteen years of age, when he left the parental roof and
went to Council Bluffs, entering the employ of his brother-in-law, J.
F. Wilcox, a florist of that city. It was under his instruction that
he acquainted himself with the florist business, gaining comprehensive
and accurate knowledge in every department and in every connection.
After three years he went to Chicago, where he was identified with
the firm of Bassett & Washburn, well known florists, with whom he
continued for a year. He next went to Denver, Colorado, where he was
in the employ of the Colfax Floral Company for three years and on the
expiration of that period he went to Pueblo, Colorado, as manager of
the George Fleischer Floral Company, in which capacity he served for
eighteen months. He was afterward in Salt Lake City, where he occupied
the position of manager of the Huddard Floral Company, with which he
remained for three years. He then spent a short time in San Francisco
and still later went to Seattle, where he became head gardener at the
Bremerton navy yards, occupying that position for about six months.
At that time his sister, who was living in Walla Walla, persuaded him
to come to this city and he arrived here with the intention of going
into business but was disappointed in raising the necessary capital.
He went to work for James Wait, a florist with whom he continued for
ten months, and later removed to Portland, Oregon, where he was in the
employ of Martin & Forbes, with whom he remained for about a year and
a half. In November, 1907, he resigned this position and returned to
Walla Walla, opening a small flower store at No. 7 East Main street
known as Bedell's Bazaar. On the 1st of May following Hampton Huff,
who had a small greenhouse property on the present site of the Young
& Lester greenhouses and who had become too old to work proposed to
Mr. Young to go into business with him. Their capital was limited
and Mr. Young gave Mr. Huff his note for seven thousand dollars for
a half interest in the business. Thus he started out independently.
They made enough money that spring to build another greenhouse and
put in a new boiler. The following year they were able to build three
more greenhouses and in the succeeding year Mr. Huff retired and Mr.
Young secured a lease on the whole property with an option to buy. In
1913 he sold Clyde Lester an interest in the business and the present
firm of Young & Lester was thus formed. The business has developed
rapidly. Their plant is strictly modern and up-to-date. They have
eight and three-fourths acres of land under cultivation, with about
twenty-five thousand square feet under glass. Their city store is at 19
East Main street and is one of the most modern and attractive florist
establishments in eastern Washington. There is no phase of the business
with which Mr. Young is not thoroughly familiar. He has made a close
study of plant development and propagation and everything in the line
of growing plants and blooming flowers that can be raised in this
section of the country is found in his establishment.
[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF J. W. HARBERT]
In 1914 Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Effie Morrison, of
Walla Walla, and in the social circles of the city they are widely
and prominently known. Mr. Young is a stalwart republican, giving
unfaltering allegiance to the party and its principles. He belongs to
Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E.; to Enterprise Lodge, No. 121,
I. O. O. F.; and to Columbia Lodge, No. 8, K. P. He is also identified
with Alki Temple of the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan at
Walla Walla and the Knights of the Maccabees and the Knights and Ladies
of Security. He belongs to the Commercial Club and is interested in
all of its plans and purposes for the upbuilding and development of
the city. His wife is a member of the Christian church and Mr. Young
gives his aid and influence on the side of all those forces which work
for the upbuilding and progress of Walla Walla along material, social,
intellectual and moral lines. In an analyzation of his life record
it will be seen that concentration of purpose along a single line
of business has been one of the salient features in his success. He
started out as a florist and has continued in that field of activity.
He has never allowed difficulties nor obstacles to bar his path but
has overcome these by determined effort and has ever recognized that
satisfied patrons are the best advertisement. He has sought earnestly
to please his customers and his establishment, presenting everything
that is most attractive, unique and beautiful in the line of floral
culture, has been most liberally patronized.
THOMAS P. GOSE.
Thomas P. Gose, attorney at law practicing in Walla Walla as senior
partner in the firm of Gose & Crowe, was born in Sullivan county,
Missouri, May 11, 1855, a son of John M. and Hannah J. (McQuown) Gose.
The father is a native of Kentucky, while the mother's birth occurred
in Virginia. They were married, in Missouri, to which state they had
removed with their respective parents in childhood days. The father
was among the argonauts who started in search of the golden fleece
to California in the year 1849. He made the overland trip by way of
the Santa Fe trail and spent five years in the Golden state. He then
returned to Missouri in 1854, crossing the plains, after which he
continued his residence in Missouri until 1862, when he went to Denver,
Colorado, again making a trip in quest of gold. He spent about one year
there, after which he once more took up his abode in Missouri. The
lure of the west, however, was upon him and in 1864 he removed with
his family to Boise City, Idaho, where he arrived in August. The city
was at that time a frontier village, far removed from civilization to
the eastward or to the westward. Prices were so high that during that
winter he was obliged to pay about fifty dollars for a fifty-pound sack
of flour. In July, 1865, he came to Walla Walla and began farming in
the vicinity of the city. Both he and his wife are still living, Mr.
Gose having reached the notable old age of ninety-two years, while his
wife is enjoying good health at the age of eighty-six years. They now
make their home with their son, Thomas P. Gose, who is looking after
their comfort and welfare and thus with filial devotion is repaying the
love and care which they bestowed upon him in his youth.
Thomas P. Gose was a lad of about ten years when the family arrived
in Washington and much of his education was therefore acquired in the
public schools of Walla Walla, supplemented by study in the Whitman
Academy. In the spring of 1886, having determined to engage in a
professional career, he took up the study of law and in 1889, after a
thorough reading of the principles of jurisprudence, he was admitted to
the bar. In the fall of 1890 he opened his law office in Walla Walla
and in the intervening period, covering twenty-seven years, he has had
several law partnerships, being now senior member of the firm of Gose
& Crowe, which was formed in August, 1914. This firm ranks with the
foremost at the Walla Walla bar. Mr. Bose is devotedly attached to his
profession, is systematic and methodical in habit, sober and discreet
in judgment, diligent in research and conscientious in the discharge
of every duty. An earnest manner, marked strength of character and
a thorough grasp of the law, with ability to accurately apply its
principles, make him an effective and successful advocate and he is
also a safe and wise counselor.
On the 20th of December, 1893, Mr. Gose was united in marriage to Miss
Clara Crowe, of Freewater, Oregon, by whom he has five children, as
follows: Cecile, who was graduated from Whitman College with the class
of 1916 and is now a teacher in the high school at Kalama, Washington;
Gladys and Marjorie, both of whom are attending Whitman College; Vera,
a high school graduate; and Thomas P., who is a high school student.
Mr. and Mrs. Gose are members of the Congregational church and are
interested in all that pertains to individual uplift and community
betterment. Mr. Gose votes with the democratic party and has served
as deputy prosecuting attorney, while for four years he was a member
of the Walla Walla board of education. He is the present chairman of
the democratic county central committee and for years past has been a
dominant factor in the affairs of his party, doing much to mold public
thought and opinion and putting forth earnest and effective effort to
secure party success. The limitless possibilities of the west have
ever stirred his ambition and his energy, intelligently directed, has
carried him into important professional relations.
BREWSTER FERREL.
Brewster Ferrel now occupies an attractive home at 336 South Palouse
street in Walla Walla, where he is surrounded with all of the comforts
and many of the luxuries of life. For many years he was prominently and
actively identified with farming, taking up that work in Walla Walla
county in early pioneer times and meeting with all of the hardships and
privations which were incident to the settlement of the frontier. He
was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, August 22, 1838, a son of Edward and
Rosella (Fish) Ferrel, the former a native of Pennsylvania, while the
latter was born in Ohio. They were married in the Buckeye state and in
1854 removed to Iowa, where both resided up to the time of their death.
Brewster Ferrel was a lad of sixteen years when his father removed
to Iowa and in the public schools of that state he supplemented the
educational training which he had already received in Ohio. He was
trained to farm work, early becoming familiar with the tasks of
plowing, planting and harvesting, and he early developed habits of
industry and perseverance which later constituted very important
elements in the attainment of his present-day success.
In 1861, Brewster Ferrel was united in marriage in Iowa to Miss
Caroline Bott, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, whose parents had
removed to Iowa when she was a little maiden of ten summers. The young
couple began their domestic life in the middle west but in 1864 left
their Iowa home and started across the plains with a team of mules and
a prairie schooner. They joined a wagon train and, traveling after
the slow and tedious method of that period, at length arrived in
Walla Walla on the 3d of August, 1864. For some time after reaching
the northwest Mr. Ferrel, like many other of the pioneers, engaged
in freighting and continued in that business up to the advent of the
railroad, when freighting by team was no longer profitable. He then
concentrated his energies upon farming. It was in 1864 that he had
homesteaded and secured the farm property which he still owns. The
first year after his arrival there was little wheat raised and so great
was the demand for it in the mining regions of the Rocky Mountains that
he sold all he had for a dollar and a quarter per bushel, which was
considered a very high price in that day. The following year, however,
the eastern demand fell off and the farmers were obliged to market
their product in Portland, where the wheat brought only sixty cents
per bushel. Stock could be ranged easily in the mountains and for a
time Mr. Ferrel engaged in raising stock, driving his cattle to the
different mining camps, where he would sell them. Eventually, however,
he disposed of his live stock interests entirely. To his original farm
of two hundred acres he gradually added four hundred acres and finally
more and more, paying for his last tract a hundred dollars per acre--a
tract that could have been bought at the time of his arrival for a
dollar and a quarter per acre. Mr. Ferrel has always been actuated
by a spirit of enterprise and progressiveness in anything that he
has undertaken. He was among the first to build a barbed wire fence
in Walla Walla county. Up to this time he had hauled rails from the
mountains and tied them to posts by means of rawhide, thus using the
otherwise useless hides to help fence his crops from the ranging herds.
For the first barbed wire he paid eighteen cents per pound and it was
a very crude article compared to that manufactured at the present
time at that. The most improved farm machine was the old McCormick
reaper, bearing little resemblance to the binders and headers of the
present time. Mr. Ferrel even cradled large portions of his wheat crop
in those early years and all the farmers would unite to harvest and
thresh. At that day many believed that the Walla Walla valley would
be abandoned as soon as the mines to the eastward were exhausted and
many refused to take up land and settle. At times Mr. Ferrel may have
become discouraged but with stout heart he pressed on and his diligence
and determination have at length secured a substantial reward. His
crops today bring ten per cent on an investment rated at one hundred
dollars per acre and he and his sons have built up a grain growing
business that is as carefully, methodically and successfully managed as
any mercantile establishment. The old homestead is located on Russell
creek, about eight miles east of Walla Walla, and thereon Mr. Ferrel
resided until 1902, when he took up his abode in the city, where he has
one of the most handsome homes to be found in southeastern Washington.
In the meantime he had added to his possessions until he became the
owner of three thousand acres of farm land, which make him one of the
county's most substantial and prosperous citizens. All that he has
acquired in the course of an active and busy life has been won since he
came to Washington and most of it has been made in the past twenty or
twenty-five years.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferrel became the parents of eight children, seven of whom
survive, as follows: Thomas J., who is engaged in farming in Walla
Walla county; Rosella E., the wife of Walter Barnett, an agriculturist
of Walla Walla county; Seth A., David B. and Joseph W., all of whom
follow farming in Walla Walla county; Fidelia C., the wife of Charles
Maxson, who is a farmer residing in Walla Walla; and Myrtle M., who
gave her hand in marriage to Thomas Jones, an agriculturist of Walla
Walla county.
Mr. Ferrel gives his political allegiance to the republican party,
which he has continuously supported since age conferred upon him the
right of franchise. He and his wife are consistent members of the
Methodist church and have ever been loyal to its teachings, while to
its work they have been generous contributors. They are among the most
highly esteemed citizens of Walla Walla, where they have resided since
early pioneer times, and there is no phase of the county's development
and improvement in all the intervening years with which they are
not familiar. In his business affairs Mr. Ferrel has ever displayed
indefatigable energy, close application and persistency of purpose
and his record indicates that success and an honored name may be won
simultaneously.
FRANK FITZGERALD.
Frank Fitzgerald, who is devoting his time and energies to the
operation of an excellent farm on section 34, township 13 north, range
42 east, Garfield county, was born in Tennessee, April 17, 1855, a son
of Alford and Temperance (Bradshaw) Fitzgerald, natives respectively of
Virginia and North Carolina, who were married, however, in Tennessee.
In 1860 the family removed to Missouri and later in the same year the
father passed away. The mother continued to reside in that state until
her death in 1906. All of their four children survive.
Frank Fitzgerald passed the greater part of his boyhood and youth in
the state of Missouri, as he was but five years of age at the time of
the removal there, and his education was that afforded by the public
schools. In 1887 he removed to Garfield county, Washington, and for
thirteen years operated rented land but in 1900 bought his present farm
of three hundred and twenty acres on section 34, township 13 north,
range 42 east. His success has been based upon the sure foundation of
hard work and the most rigorous attention to the task in hand.
Mr. Fitzgerald was married September 23, 1880, to Miss May Temple, who
was born in Wisconsin, and they have eleven children, namely: Pearl,
the wife of S. E. Fanning; Harold, Frank and Justin, all now in the
United States army; Letta, the wife of Emery Dye; Alford; Otto; Opal;
Louise; and two deceased.
Mr. Fitzgerald supports the republican party at the polls and for years
has been a member of the school board, in which connection he has been
instrumental in securing gratifying progress in the educational system
of his locality. He is well known and highly esteemed and his personal
friends are many.
LEE BARNES.
Lee Barnes, who is now filling the position of sheriff in Walla Walla
county, was born in Boone county, Missouri, July 20, 1866. His father,
John S. Barnes, is a native of Sangamon county, Illinois, born in
February, 1828, and is still a resident of Oregon, having reached
the ninetieth milestone on life's journey. His life has been devoted
to the occupation of farming. His wife, who bore the maiden name of
Lucinda J. Sims, was born in Kentucky and is deceased. In their family
were seven children who are still living: M. C., who is a resident of
Boone county, Missouri; J. T., living in Touchet, Washington; C. H., a
resident of Yakima, Washington; Lucy J., the wife of John W. Parks, of
Freewater, Oregon; W. W., also a resident of Freewater; Lee, of this
review; and Joseph S., of Kansas City, Missouri.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. FRANK FITZGERALD]
Lee Barnes largely obtained his education in Saline county, Missouri,
and afterward became a barber, following his trade at various places in
his native state for seventeen years. On the expiration of that period
he turned his attention to the confectionery business in Touchet,
Washington, and has since made his home in Walla Walla county. He
served for four years as deputy sheriff under Michael Toner and in
1914 was elected to the office of sheriff, in which position he is now
serving for the second term, discharging his duties with promptness and
fidelity and without fear or favor.
In 1859 Mr. Barnes was married to Miss Ollie N. Doty, a native of Iowa
and a daughter of Lyman Doty. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have become the
parents of two children: Walter S., who married Vela Burns and has two
children, Mildred and Audrey; and Lottie, the wife of Elvin Galloway,
of Touchet, Washington, by whom she has one child, Elaine. On March 6,
1902, Mrs. Barnes passed away, sincerely mourned by her family and her
many friends.
In politics Mr. Barnes has always been a stalwart advocate of
democratic principles and has given earnest support to the party. He
holds membership in the Baptist church and his life has been guided by
its principles. Those who know him esteem him highly, for his marked
characteristics of manhood and citizenship are those which commend him
to the warm regard, the confidence and the goodwill of those with whom
he has been brought in contact.
ROY ROBERT CAHILL.
Well qualified for his chosen calling, Roy Robert Cahill has made for
himself a creditable position among the able attorneys of Dayton.
Moreover, he deserves representation in this volume as one of the
native sons of Columbia county, where his birth occurred June 19, 1884.
He is a son of Alph P. and Irene M. (Starr) Cahill. The father is now
cashier of the Broughton National Bank and a leading and influential
business man of this section of the state.
Roy Robert Cahill was educated in the public schools of Dayton, after
which he attended Whitman College at Walla Walla, there winning the
degree of Bachelor of Arts upon the completion of a classical course in
1909. He thus laid broad and deep the foundation upon which to build
the superstructure of professional learning. After his graduation from
Whitman he entered the law department of Columbia University and there
won his law degree as a member of the class of 1912. Following his
graduation he returned to Dayton, where he opened an office and entered
upon the practice of his chosen profession, which he has since followed
independently.
In 1913 Mr. Cahill was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Criffield,
a daughter of W. R. Criffield, of Walla Walla. He belongs to Dayton
Lodge, No. 26, F. &. A. M. and he gives his political allegiance to the
republican party. He is widely known as a representative young business
man, possessing marked ability and enterprise, and that his has been
a well spent life is indicated in the fact that many of his stanchest
friends are those who have known him from his boyhood to the present
time.
REV. ALEXANDER WALTER SWEENEY.
After a useful and well spent life Alexander W. Sweeney passed away on
the 28th of November, 1903, honored and respected by all who knew him.
He was born in Savannah, Hardin county, Tennessee, January 25, 1825,
but before he was five years of age accompanied his parents on their
removal to Arkansas, the family locating near Fayetteville, which was
then a frontier settlement with no educational advantages. Being unable
to attend school he was taught the elementary branches by his father
until the latter's death, which occurred in 1833 when our subject was
still quite young. The father had a contract with the government to
carry the United States mail and during his illness the son often took
the mail.
After his father's death Alexander W. Sweeney started out to make
his own way in the world and was apprenticed to a tanner, whose
cruelty soon forced him to leave and seek the protection of an older
brother. During the autumn of 1839 while attending a camp meeting near
Fayetteville, he joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church and desirous
of becoming a minister, was received under the care of the Arkansas
Presbytery as a probationer when about eighteen years of age. A school
of academic grade had been established in the community and Mr. Sweeney
became a student there, in the meantime working for his support and
doing his studying at night.
When in his nineteenth year he was licensed to preach and according to
the custom of his church was put on the circuit to preach a part of
each year. During a period of six months of continuous service on the
circuit he received only two dollars and forty cents in money, one pair
of home knit socks and had his horse shod free. For four or five years
he continued to attend school as opportunity afforded while preaching
and in that time made sufficient progress in his studies to enable
him to enter the sophomore year in college. Accordingly he went to
Princeton, Kentucky, where he attended Cumberland College until 1850,
and then returned to the Arkansas Presbytery, where he was at once
ordained to the ministry at the age of twenty-five years, having spent
eight years in preparation for his chosen work.
Soon after his ordination Rev. Sweeney joined a company of gold hunters
who with ox teams crossed the plains and arrived at a gold camp on the
American river in California, August 26, 1850. The following Sunday
he preached to a company of miners that collected under the shade
of a live oak tree, thus beginning a ministry on the Pacific coast
which lasted until his physical health failed him. In 1851 he went to
the Willamette valley in Oregon and was present as a visitor at the
organization of the Oregon Presbytery, November 3, 1851. For seven
years he preached throughout the Willamette valley, exerting a strong
moral influence wherever he went.
[Illustration: MRS. ALEXANDER W. SWEENEY]
[Illustration: REV. ALEXANDER W. SWEENEY]
On the 15th of July, 1852, Rev. Sweeney was united in marriage to
Miss Angeline Allen, of Marion county, Oregon, a daughter of Samuel
and Sarah (Benson) Allen. Of the three children born to Rev. and Mrs.
Sweeney, Adelia, the eldest, died at the age of fifteen years. Those
still living are Samuel B. and Mrs. Adna Sharpstein.
On account of throat trouble Mr. Sweeney and his family went to
California in 1858 and remained in that state for about four years,
during which time he taught school for a year and a half at Sonoma,
being principal of the female department of a Presbyterian college. In
1862 he again came north, going with the gold seekers to Clearwater,
Idaho, where he devoted his time to the work of the ministry and to his
duties as justice of the peace. In 1867 he removed to Umatilla Landing
on the Columbia river in Oregon, where he not only engaged in preaching
but also taught school. There was no organized church at that place but
he was paid about six hundred dollars by popular subscription, which
was the best salary he had ever received for his ministerial services
up to that time. For one year he served as superintendent of schools
for Umatilla county.
In 1869 Mr. Sweeney returned to California, traveling by way of the
Columbia river and Pacific ocean, and during his sojourn in that state
taught school under supervision of the church at Collegeville, about
eight miles from Stockton, in San Joaquin county for a year and a half,
and on his retirement from that work returned to Oregon, spending
two years at Albany. From there he came to western Washington about
1872 and did considerable missionary work among the pioneers of this
region, traveling over a large territory, more than one hundred miles
in extent. He started the first Presbyterian church in Walla Walla
with but two members. He preached in Waitsburg, Dayton, Pomeroy and
Colfax and often held services in school houses and groves throughout
the country. Failing health at length caused him to retire from the
active work of the ministry after thirty-five years of most faithful
service. He preached occasionally up to the year 1900. His wife was
a most competent help and by her good management made the sunset of
his life much easier financially. His unselfish life and devotion to
the work of the Master gained him the unqualified regard of all with
whom he came in contact. Although now eighty-one years of age, Mrs.
Sweeney is still well preserved, being strong and active and able to do
considerable work, including the care of her own garden. Her intellect
seems unimpaired and she appears to be much younger than she really is.
She was always a faithful wife, a capable financier and a hard worker,
being able to support herself and children and secure the property
which kept Mr. Sweeney in comfort during his declining years.
GUY S. DEMARIS.
An excellent farm of one hundred and thirty acres pays tribute to
the care and labor bestowed upon it by Guy S. Demaris, whose place
is situated on section 12, township 7 north, range 37 east, in Walla
Walla county. He was born November 4, 1885, on the farm where he now
resides, his parents being Orlando and Mary (Lewis) Demaris, who are
mentioned elsewhere in this work. His youthful days were spent under
the parental roof and he early became familiar with the best methods
of tilling the soil and caring for the crops, dividing his time between
the acquirement of an education in the district schools, the pleasures
of the playground and the work of the fields. He also had the advantage
of a business course in the Empire Business College at Walla Walla
and after completing his studies he worked for his brothers, Fred and
David, in connection with their farming operations. In 1912 he began
farming on his own account and has since given his attention to general
agricultural pursuits. He took charge of the old home place of one
hundred and thirty acres, which he is now cultivating, and the neat and
thrifty appearance of his place indicates his careful supervision and
his practical and progressive methods. The farm is divided into fields
of convenient size by well kept fences, there are substantial buildings
upon the land and he utilizes the latest improved machinery in carrying
on the work of the fields. He annually harvests good crops and is
winning success as the years go by.
On the 25th of December, 1906, Mr. Demaris was united in marriage to
Miss Gertrude Tash, a daughter of Andrew J. Tash, one of the pioneers
of Walla Walla county, still living on Mill creek. To this marriage
were born two children but both have passed away.
In his political views Mr. Demaris is a democrat but not an office
seeker. He belongs to Welcome Lodge, No. 117, I. O. O. F., of Dixie,
and to Walla Walla Encampment, No. 3, and is also a member of the
Uniformed Rank, Canton No. 1, of Walla Walla. He and his wife hold
membership in the Presbyterian church and in social circles they occupy
an enviable position, many of the best homes of their section of the
county extending to them warm-hearted hospitality and welcome. Their
good qualities are many and in matters of friendship they are always
loyal and true.
JAMES T. ALLEN, D. M. D.
Among the able practitioners of dentistry in Washington is Dr. James T.
Allen, who follows his profession in Dayton, his native city. He was
here born on the 26th of December, 1877, and is a representative of one
of the old pioneer families established in this section of the state
in 1874. His parents were Albert O. and Sarah B. (Allen) Allen, the
former a native of Tennessee, while the latter was born in Oregon. The
father was reared in the state of his nativity and in 1872, at the age
of twenty-three years, he made his way westward, remaining for about a
year in Texas and then continuing his journey toward the Pacific coast.
He spent another year in San Francisco and in 1874 arrived in Dayton.
Subsequently he took up his abode upon a farm six miles east of the
city and in the years that followed he acquired four hundred and eighty
acres of excellent land. He continued upon his farm for some time,
bringing his fields under a high state of cultivation and annually
gathering good crops, which brought to him a very gratifying income.
At length he retired from farm work and took up his abode in Dayton,
where his remaining days were passed, his death occurring in 1899. He
was quite prominent in public affairs, serving as deputy sheriff under
Al Weatherford and while in that capacity he assisted in the capture of
a notorious band of cattle thieves that had been raiding the country
around for some time. His death was occasioned by being thrown from a
horse and dragged for a considerable distance while in the mountains
after an outlaw. His widow is still living and makes her home with her
son James.
To the public school system of Dayton, James T. Allen is indebted for
his early educational training. He passed through consecutive grades to
his graduation from the high school with the class of 1897 and later
he became a student in Whitman College, where he spent two years.
In the fall of 1899 he entered the North Pacific Dental College at
Portland, Oregon, and there won his D. M. D. degree upon graduation
with the class of 1902. After completing the course he opened dental
offices in Waitsburg, where he practiced for two years but in 1904
returned to his native city, where he has since been in continuous and
successful practice. He is recognized as one of the skilled dentists of
southeastern Washington and has been accorded a very liberal patronage.
In 1906 Dr. Allen was united in marriage to Miss Zada Estelle Baldwin,
of Dayton, a daughter of Daniel Baldwin, now deceased, who was one of
the pioneers of Columbia county. Dr. and Mrs. Allen have one child,
Grace Corinne.
Fraternally Dr. Allen is connected with Dayton Lodge, No. 26, F.
& A. M.; and Dayton Lodge, No. 3, K. P. His political endorsement
is given to the democratic party but he does not seek nor desire
office. On November 7, 1917, Dr. Allen was honored by appointment of
Governor Lister to the position of member of the State Board of Dental
Examiners, a recognition which justly reflects his high professional
standing. His life stands in contradistinction to the old adage that
a prophet is not without honor save in his own country, for in the
city of his birth Dr. Allen has made for himself a most creditable and
enviable position in professional circles and enjoys a practice that
many an older representative of the profession might well envy.
FRANK FAURE.
Frank Faure, proprietor of the McFeely Hotel in Walla Walla, has been a
resident of this city since 1902 and has made for himself a creditable
position in its business circles. He was born in France, August 13,
1884, a son of Jean and Marie (Grant) Faure. The father was a farmer
by occupation and spent his entire life in his native country, where
he and his wife reared a family of three children, Jean and Leon
being now soldiers of the French army. Frank Faure acquired a common
school education in France and afterward attended the Superior school
of La Mure Isère. After putting aside his textbooks he sought the
opportunities offered in the new world, crossing the Atlantic in 1902,
when a young man of eighteen years. Making his way westward to Walla
Walla, he here became engaged in the hotel business and now owns and
conducts the McFeely Hotel, located at Fourth and Alder streets. He has
made of this a popular hostelry, catering to high-class trade, and his
business has steadily grown because of the comforts which he affords to
his guests.
In 1911 Mr. Faure was united in marriage to Miss Mary Daffis and
they have a daughter, Frances. In his political views Mr. Faure is a
democrat. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective
Order of Elks and with the Knights of Columbus, his association with
the latter organization indicating his membership in the Catholic
church. For fifteen years he has resided in Walla Walla, where he has
become widely and favorably known, and he has never had occasion to
regret his determination to try his fortune in the new world, for he
here found good business opportunities and in their utilization has
worked his way steadily upward.
ALBERT E. CORBETT.
A well spent life was that of Albert E. Corbett, whose industry and
integrity in business affairs won him success and the respect of his
fellowmen. He possessed many sterling traits of character, so that his
death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret among those with
whom he was associated. He was born in the province of Ontario, Canada,
December 7, 1855, and was a son of John and Jane (Lewis) Corbett.
Albert E. Corbett was reared at home and under the direction of his
father learned the miller's trade. In 1889 he left his family in
Ontario and came to the west, looking for an opening that would give
him better opportunities to attain success and to establish a home
for his wife and children. He first located in Columbia county, where
he secured a position as night miller in the Touchet Flouring Mills,
then owned by Henry Richardson. Two months later, however, the mill
closed down for the winter and Mr. Corbett went to the coast, looking
for work. Not finding suitable employment in Seattle or Tacoma, he
went on to Victoria, British Columbia, where he secured a situation
in a sawmill. In May of the following year he was there joined by his
brother, Judson A. Corbett, who also found employment in the same mill.
While working there Mr. Corbett was writing to friends in Columbia
county, Washington, and learned of a chance to buy the Touchet Mills.
In the fall of 1892 he made his way to Huntsville therefore, and in
company with his brother, Judson A., bought the mill. They had saved
about five hundred dollars each from their wages and this amount was
used as the first payment on the purchase price of the mill. Within
the following two years they paid off the entire indebtedness on the
property, which was thus free from all encumbrance. In the spring
of 1890 Mr. Corbett sent for his wife and family, who joined him in
Victoria, coming to the west with his brother, Judson A.
It was in April, 1885, that Mr. Corbett was united in marriage to
Miss Hannah Baker and to them were born four children, three of whom
are still living, namely: Lewis, who is engaged in the automobile
business in Dayton; Gertrude, who is a teacher in the schools of Dixie,
Washington; and Florence, at home. The wife and mother passed away in
May, 1895, and in May, 1899, Mr. Corbett was united in marriage to Miss
Laura Baker, a sister of his former wife. She is a graduate of the
Normal School of Ottawa, Canada, and is a woman of liberal education
and of broad culture and refinement. By this marriage there were born
two children, Helen and Emma, both at home.
[Illustration: ALBERT E. CORBETT]
For many years Mr. Corbett continued successfully in the milling
business and as his financial resources increased he invested in
property, becoming the owner of a farm in a section of land in Alberta,
Canada and also acquired an interest in a farm in Ontario. Mrs. Corbett
still holds both these places. His carefully managed business affairs
and his judicious investments enabled him to leave his family in very
comfortable circumstances. He was a member of the Woodmen of the World
and also held membership in the Episcopal church, to the teachings of
which he was most loyal. His wife and children also belong to the same
church. In that faith Mr. Corbett passed away December 10, 1906, his
death being the occasion of deep and widespread regret not only to his
immediate family but also to the many friends whom he had won during
the period of his residence in the northwest. Mrs. Corbett survives
her husband and has proven herself a capable business woman, wisely
managing the property left to her. She is widely and favorably known in
this section of the state.
MRS. MARY C. NICHOLS.
Mrs. Mary C. Nichols, of Dayton, is widely and favorably known as one
of the worthy pioneer women of Columbia county, where she owns valuable
farm property from which she derives a gratifying annual income. She
was born in Wisconsin in 1854 and is a daughter of A. C. and Oral A.
(Pelton) Woodward, who were natives of Wisconsin, whence they crossed
the plains to Washington in 1860, settling in Old Walla Walla county,
near Dayton. They became identified with the farming interests of that
locality and upon their ranch spent their remaining days. In their
family were eight children, four of whom are yet living.
Their daughter, Mary C., was a little maiden of but six years when
the trip was made to Washington, so that practically her entire life
has been passed in the northwest. She was but sixteen years of age
when in June, 1870, she gave her hand in marriage to Isaac Wallace
Monnett, a native of Ohio, who came to Washington in 1869 and settled
on a farm ten miles southeast of Dayton. Mr. and Mrs. Monnett became
the parents of three children: Oral, who is the wife of Grant Lowe;
Elizabeth, who has departed this life; and A. A. Monnett, who is a
hardware and implement merchant of Dayton. The husband and father
passed away in 1876 and for nine years Mrs. Monnett remained a widow.
In 1885 she became the wife of F. J. Nichols and to them have been born
four daughters: Minnie, who is the wife of C. C. Kifer, of California;
Grace, who is a graduate of the Walla Walla high school and is at home;
Mary L., who is the wife of J. B. Thompson; and Hazel E., the wife of
C. E. McQuary.
Mrs. Nichols still owns what is known as the old Monnett homestead
of five hundred and sixty acres, all of which is fine wheat land. It
is a valuable property from which she derives a gratifying annual
income. She also owns an attractive residence in the city of Dayton
and she is numbered among the worthy pioneer women of this section of
the state. For fifty-seven years she has lived in Washington and has
therefore witnessed the greater part of the growth and development of
the commonwealth. Events which to others are matters of history are to
her matters of personal knowledge and she can relate many interesting
incidents of the early days when the great stretches of land were
unclaimed and uncultivated, when forests were uncut, when rivers were
unbridged and when the work of progress seemed dim and distant in the
future. The most farsighted at that time could not have dreamed of
the wonderful changes which were to occur and transform southeastern
Washington into a well settled and populous district in which are to be
found all of the advantages and all and more of the opportunities of
the older east. Mrs. Nichols is a member of the Congregational church
and her many excellent traits of character have gained for her respect
and popularity among her many friends.
L. L. HUNT.
L. L. Hunt is familiar with the methods of Indian warfare in the
northwest, as he early became connected with the army in this section
of the state. Since then he has been active in business along various
lines and step by step has progressed until he is now in possession of
a handsome competence that enables him to live retired. He makes his
home in College Place, Walla Walla county, and has important farming
interests on section 36, township 7 north, range 35 east. His career
in many respects has been an eventful one. The width of the continent
separates him from his birthplace, for he is a native of Maine. He was
born on the 2d of August, 1855, his parents being George and Mary Ann
(Prescott) Hunt, both of whom were representatives of old families
that sent forth soldiers to the Revolutionary war. Both the father and
mother spent their entire lives in the Pine Tree state.
L. L. Hunt was reared under the parental roof until he reached the age
of sixteen years, when he left home and went to Boston, Massachusetts,
where for four years he was engaged in railroading. The opportunities
of the west, however, attracted him and he left New England, making
his way to Nevada. Locating in Carson City, for more than a year he
there worked in the timber region, and in 1876 he went to San Joaquin
county, California, where he engaged in driving a team during the
following winter. In 1877 he came to Walla Walla, where he worked for
the government during the Joseph Indian war, driving a team used for
transportation of supplies. A year later he became identified with Joe
Woodworth in the operation of the old Cayuse stables in Walla Walla.
He was connected with the conduct of this business for about three
years and then turned his attention to farming on the Eureka Flats,
becoming one of the large operators on the flats. He homesteaded,
preempted and also took up a timber claim and he likewise purchased
railroad land, owning at one time seven quarter sections. He farmed
altogether seventeen hundred acres of rented land and he remained on
the flats for about twelve years. He next removed to Walla Walla but
after a year took up his abode at College Place, where he engaged in
gardening. Subsequently he organized the L. L. Hunt Fruit & Produce
Shipping Company and built up the business to extensive proportions,
his interests becoming one of the chief industries of this section. He
managed his affairs wisely and well and prosperity resulted. He now has
retired from active business life and is enjoying a rest which he has
truly earned and richly merits.
In 1888 Mr. Hunt returned to Boston for his bride and was there married
on the 21st of October of that year to Miss Olivia Crosby. She was born
in Nova Scotia and came to the United States at the age of sixteen
years, her parents continuing in Nova Scotia, where they passed away.
Mr. Hunt brought his bride to the west and they have since been widely
and favorably known in this section of the state. They are consistent
members of the Presbyterian church, in the work of which they take an
active and helpful interest, and Mr. Hunt is now serving as one of
the elders of the church. His political endorsement is given to the
republican party and while living on the Flats he served for two years
as postmaster. He also belongs to Trinity Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F.
Both he and his wife hold membership in the Pioneers Association and
are honored as among the early settlers who have contributed in marked
measure to the upbuilding and progress of this section of the country.
Mr. Hunt has led a most busy, active and useful life. From the time
when he became connected with a military post on the frontier he has
done everything in his power to further the interests and development
of this section of the country and his business affairs, too, have been
of a character that have contributed to public progress and improvement
as well as to personal success. His memory compasses the period when
the majority of homes in this section of the state were little cabins,
when few roads had been laid out, when the forests were uncut and the
streams unbridged. He has lived to witness many changes since those
days and in the work of transformation has borne his full share.
GEORGE F. PRICE.
George F. Price is actively identified with farming interests in
Columbia county, while making his home in Dayton. He is one of the
native sons of the county, his birth having occurred within its borders
January 7, 1874. His parents were Alexander and Clarinda J. (Anderson)
Price, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work. He spent his youthful
days under the parental roof and mastered the branches of learning
taught in the district schools, supplementing his early education by
a commercial course in the Empire Business College at Walla Walla. He
also attended the Gem City Business College at Quincy, Illinois, and
when his studies were completed he became the active assistant of his
father in farming enterprises. This association was maintained until
the father's death, after which George F. Price operated the lands that
constituted the family estate for several years. He is the owner of six
hundred and forty acres of rich and valuable land and, also cultivating
other tracts, is now successfully engaged in farming three thousand
acres. This places him among the principal agriculturists of the county
and in managing his business affairs he displays sound judgment,
unremitting industry and notable perseverance. His record is therefore
one crowned with success.
In 1903 Mr. Price was united in marriage to Miss L. Minerva Guernsey, a
daughter of Dennis C. Guernsey, who took up his abode among the pioneer
settlers of Columbia county and now resides in Starbuck. Mr. and Mrs.
Price have two children, Dennis Alexander and Elizabeth Jane.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Price is a Knight of Pythias, belonging
to Dayton Lodge, No. 3. His political endorsement is given to the
democratic party and he is serving at the present time as a member of
the city council and also as a member of the Dayton school board. He
is much interested in everything that pertains to the public welfare
and cooperates heartily in those measures and movements which are a
matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. His wife is a member of
the Congregational church and their influence is always felt on the
side of reform and improvement. It is as a business man, however, that
Mr. Price is perhaps best known and aside from controlling mammoth
agricultural interests he is a director of the Columbia National Bank
and a director of the Edwards-Hindle Company, which controls the
leading mercantile establishment of Dayton. The call of opportunity
is ever to him a call to action and one to which he readily responds.
His power has grown through the exercise of effort. He has readily
adapted himself to changing conditions in the business world and as he
has progressed step by step he has gained a broader outlook and wider
opportunities.
CONRAD HENRY KASEBERG.
Conrad Henry Kaseberg, a well known retired wagon maker residing in
Walla Walla, was born in Germany, March 10, 1834, a son of Johannes and
Mary Christina (Rumpf) Kaseberg, also natives of Germany, where they
passed their entire lives.
Conrad Henry Kaseberg passed his boyhood and youth in his native
country and there received his education. In 1857, when a young man,
he crossed the Atlantic on a sailing vessel which docked at Baltimore,
Maryland. From that city he removed to St. Louis, Missouri, whence,
after a few weeks, he removed to Weston, Missouri, where his brother
lived, and some three months later he went to St. Joseph, Missouri,
where he remained from October, 1857, to June, 1859. The following two
years were spent in St. Louis, after which he went to California. In
1867 he left the Golden state and returned to St. Louis, where he was
married and where he continued to live until 1871, his business being
across the river in Venice, Illinois. It was in that year that he came
to Walla Walla county, Washington, and purchased the home where he
still lives in the city of Walla Walla. He worked at the wagon maker's
trade, which he had learned in Germany, having a shop at Second and
Alder streets, until 1887, and he then bought seven hundred acres of
fine wheat land on Dry creek, eleven miles out of Walla Walla, which
he operated for a time and which he still owns, deriving a gratifying
income from its rental. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank.
Mr. Kaseberg was married on Christmas day, 1867, to Miss Augusta D.
Timmermeister, also a native of Germany, and they became the parents of
one child, who, however, died in infancy. Mrs. Kaseberg passed away in
February, 1912, and was laid to rest in the Mountain View cemetery. She
was an active member of the Lutheran church and her life was that of a
devout Christian.
[Illustration: CONRAD H. KASEBERG]
[Illustration: MRS. CONRAD H. KASEBERG]
Mr. Kaseberg also belongs to that church and has never failed to give
both his moral and financial support to its work. Fraternally he is
a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Walla Walla. He is a republican
in politics but his interest in public affairs is only that of a
loyal citizen, though he served one year on the city council. He is a
self-made man, having come to this country empty-handed, but through
the opportunities here offered and his industry and good management he
has gained financial independence. He has reached an advanced age but
is still keen of mind and active of body and is accorded the honor due
those who have behind them the record of a long and honorable life.
JOHN A. LANE.
John A. Lane, concentrating his efforts and attention upon general
agricultural pursuits, cultivating eleven hundred acres of land, makes
his home on section 24, township 8 north, range 36 east, in Walla
Walla county. Almost the width of the continent separates him from the
place of his birth, which was in Cameron county, Pennsylvania. He was
born September 28, 1878, a son of Joseph and Mary (Berfield) Lane,
both of whom were natives of the Keystone state. The father was born
in Philadelphia, where his youth was spent. His father died when the
son was a lad in his teens and the burden of the support of the family
fell upon his shoulders. He bravely met the task and throughout his
entire life displayed the same spirit of resolution and energy. He
continued his residence in his native state until 1880, when he came
west to Walla Walla county, Washington, and took up his abode upon a
farm near the present home of his son John. He purchased one hundred
and sixty acres of land and as his financial resources increased kept
adding to his holdings until his landed possessions aggregated three
hundred and forty-six acres. He continued to give his undivided time
and attention to his farming interests until death called him on the
10th of September, 1905. His widow is still living and now resides with
a daughter in Walla Walla.
John A. Lane was educated in the district schools and in the Waitsburg
Academy, which he attended through the winter months, while the
summer seasons were devoted to farm work. Upon the completion of his
education he began farming on his own account, renting a tract of
three hundred and twenty acres of land in the township where he still
resides. He cultivated that place for three years and then took up
a homestead in what was Yakima county, now Benton county. This he
improved and cultivated for five years and he still owns that place. In
1907, however, he returned to the old homestead farm, which is owned
conjointly by himself and his mother. He cultivates this place of
three hundred and forty-six acres and rents adjoining land, operating
altogether eleven hundred acres. He has thus come to rank with the
leading and extensive farmers of his section of the state and his
business affairs are carefully managed and conducted.
On October 16, 1898, Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Miss Nora P.
Smith, a daughter of Mrs. Charles Ellis, of Dixie. Her father died
during her infancy and her mother afterward married again. To Mr.
and Mrs. Lane have been born three children of whom two are living,
Dorothy M., who is attending the Walla Walla high school, and John A.,
Jr.
In his political views Mr. Lane maintains an independent attitude,
voting for men and measures in preference to party dictation. He is now
serving on the school board and the cause of education finds in him a
stalwart champion. He belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen
and his wife and daughter hold memberships in the Christian church. The
members of the family are highly esteemed in the part of the county
where they reside and have a circle of friends almost coextensive with
their circle of acquaintances.
JESSE DRUMHELLER.
Jesse Drumheller, deceased, an honored pioneer of the west of 1852,
was during the remainder of his life a prominent factor in the
advancement of the business interests and development of this section
of the country. Widely known, his life history cannot fail to prove of
interest to the many friends who still cherish his memory, and it is
therefore with pleasure that we present this record of his career to
our readers. His birth occurred in Tennessee in 1835. There the first
eight years of his life were passed, after which he accompanied his
parents on their removal to Missouri, the family home being established
near Springfield, where he remained until 1851. He then located near
Savannah, Missouri, where he remained for a year, and in 1852 he heard
and heeded the call of the west. He started out across the plains with
ox teams for Washington and located in Cowlitz county, where he turned
his attention to the lumber business. Soon afterward he removed to
California, where for several years he engaged in mining, and in 1855
he became a resident of Oregon. There he joined the Oregon Volunteers
for service in the Indian war and was sent to Walla Walla. During the
eleven months in which he was a part of that command he participated
in several severe engagements with the red men and aided in winning
the victory which crowned the arms of the white troops. After the
cessation of hostilities he entered the employ of the United States
government and assisted in building the government posts at The Dalles,
at Walla Walla, at Colville and at Simcoe. His activities thus became
an important factor in the development of this section of the country.
In 1859 he took up his abode on land two miles south of Walla Walla and
turned his attention to stock raising and general farming, a business
which he followed until about 1900. In this he prospered and from time
to time added to his holdings until his landed possessions aggregated
nearly six thousand acres. He thus carried on farming most extensively
and in 1899 his crop of wheat amounted to about sixty-five thousand
bushels. He followed the most progressive methods in the development
of his land and stood at all times as one of the most enterprising
and representative farmers of the northwest. He also carried on stock
raising with success and his diligence and determination brought him
prominently to the front in connection with the line of his chosen
occupation.
On the 8th of October, 1863, in Walla Walla, Mr. Drumheller was united
in marriage to Miss Martha A. Maxson, a pioneer of 1859. They became
the parents of five sons: Samuel, of Calgary, Alberta; Oscar; George,
a stock-raiser of Walla Walla; Thomas J., who is engaged in the
hardware business with his older brother, Oscar, they being members
of the well known firm of Drumheller & Company, dealers in hardware,
furniture and crockery; and R. M., collector of customs at Seattle.
Jesse Drumheller was a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding
membership in the lodge and in the chapter. His death occurred on
December 2, 1907. He stood in the front rank among those who have
planted civilization in the northwest and was particularly active
in the growth of Walla Walla county, where for many years he made
his home, and his labors were of a nature that contributed in marked
measure to the substantial and moral development and upbuilding of this
section of the country. He was a progressive business man, wide-awake,
alert and energetic, and carried forward to successful completion
whatever he undertook. While his business interests became very
extensive and important, he always found time to cooperate in plans and
measures for the public good and was a most loyal and devoted citizen
from the time when he aided in subduing the Indian uprising, through
the period of later development and progress up to the time when death
called him to the home beyond.
OLE HANNAS.
Ole Hannas, who resides on section 31, township 14, range 43, owns
ten hundred and sixteen acres of Garfield county's valuable wheat
and pasture lands and enjoys an enviable reputation as a successful
and representative agriculturist. His present prosperity is entirely
attributable to his own efforts, for he came to this state empty-handed
about three decades ago. His birth occurred in Norway on the 9th of
September, 1866, his parents being Ole and Anna (Kittelsaa) Hannas. The
father passed away in that country in 1915, but the mother survives and
yet makes her home in Norway.
Ole Hannas received a thorough common school education in his native
country and there spent his youth. When twenty-one years of age he
crossed the Atlantic to the new world, desiring to test the truth
of the many favorable reports which had reached him concerning the
opportunities and advantages to be enjoyed in America. After residing
for one year in Minnesota he came west to Washington in the fall of
1888 and spent the succeeding winter and spring in Tacoma. In June,
1889, he made his way to Walla Walla and in the following October
took up his abode in Garfield county. Having no money to invest in
land, he secured employment as a farm hand. At the end of five years,
in 1894, having saved his earnings, he began farming for himself on
a small scale as a renter. Prosperity attended his efforts and about
1902 he purchased a half interest in five hundred and eighty acres of
land where he now resides. From that time his success has been sure
and rapid and today his holdings embrace ten hundred and sixteen acres
of valuable wheat and pasture land in Garfield county, so that he
has become one of the most extensive agriculturists and substantial
citizens of the community.
On the 5th of April, 1905, Mr. Hannas was united in marriage to Miss
Guri Tveit, crossing over to Norway for his bride, of which country
she is a native. They have two children, Orle and John. Mr. Hannas
gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is serving
as a member of the school board, the cause of education finding in him
a stalwart champion. Fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen
of the World, while in religious faith both he and his wife are
Lutherans. They have won an extensive circle of warm friends throughout
the community, being recognized as people of genuine worth whose aid
and influence are given on the side of right, progress, reform and
improvement.
JAMES B. WARREN.
James B. Warren became the owner of a valuable tract of land on section
4, township 10 north, range 42 east, Garfield county, and also held
title to other land, his holdings comprising fourteen hundred acres
at the time of his death. He was widely known and his demise was
the occasion of much sincere grief. He was born in Franklin county,
Tennessee, January 9, 1853, and was a son of Stewart and Louisa
(Walker) Warren, both also natives of that state. There the father
passed away and later the mother removed with her family to Missouri,
where her death occurred in 1875. All of the six children in the family
have likewise passed away.
James B. Warren received a common school education and remained with
his mother until her death. In 1875 he went to California but only
remained there for two years, settling in Polk county, Oregon, at the
end of that period. The following year, however, he became a resident
of Dayton, Columbia county, Washington, and in 1882 he purchased the
farm on which his widow still resides. It comprises eight hundred acres
and the buildings are located on section 4, township 10 north, range
42 east. From the operation of that place he derived such a gratifying
profit that he was able to add to his holdings and became the owner of
fourteen hundred acres, all of which is now in the possession of his
widow. He was likewise a stockholder in the Pomeroy Mercantile Company
at Pomeroy. He was a keen business man and, adding to this industry,
sound judgment and a ready recognition of opportunities, it was but
natural that he should gain a signal measure of success.
Mr. Warren was married in 1882 to Miss Marietta McCanse, who was
born in Missouri, a daughter of Andrew G. and Margaret E. (Williams)
McCanse, both natives of Tennessee, who, however, became early settlers
of Lawrence county, Missouri. In 1876 the McCanse family removed to
Oregon, but a year later located four and a half miles northeast of
Pomeroy, Washington. Subsequently the parents returned to Missouri,
where Mrs. McCanse died in 1907, her husband passing away September 8,
1909. Only three of their six children survive.
[Illustration: JAMES B. WARREN]
Mr. Warren was called to his final rest April 17, 1913, and his body
was interred in the Chappele cemetery. He was a member of the Knights
of Pythias and its teachings concerning the brotherhood of man found
exemplification in his daily life. He took the interest of a good
citizen in public affairs, although not an office seeker, and his
ballot was cast in support of the republican party. He was for a third
of a century a resident of Garfield county and during that time had a
part in bringing about its development. His acquaintance was unusually
wide and his friends were many. Mrs. Warren has retained her residence
on the homestead and gives her personal supervision to its operation.
The land is fertile, the improvements are modern, and she derives a
handsome income from the place.
REV. A. R. OLDS.
Rev. A. R. Olds is superintendent of the Walla Walla County Poor Farm,
situated on section 36, township 7 north, range 35 east in that county.
He devoted many years of his life to the work of the ministry and then
ill health obliged him to discontinue his labors in that connection. He
is now making a most excellent record not only as superintendent of the
Poor Farm in his care of the indigent ones but also in the management
of crop production. He was called to this position in 1914 and has been
most efficient in the discharge of all of the tasks that devolve upon
him in this connection.
A native of Pennsylvania, his birth occurred in Bradford on the 30th
of July, 1854, his parents being Robert D. and Hannah (Corkings)
Olds, both of whom were natives of the state of New York, where they
were reared and married. Soon afterward they removed to Bradford,
Pennsylvania, where the father engaged in the shoe business until 1858,
when he removed to Roanoke, Indiana, where he again conducted business
as a boot and shoe merchant for twenty-eight years. The mother died in
Roanoke and the father afterward came to the west, making his home with
his son, Rev. A. R. Olds of this review, at Philomath, Oregon.
A. R. Olds pursued a public school education, supplemented by study in
the Roanoke Seminary. He was thirteen years of age when he entered upon
an apprenticeship to the shoemaking business, for his father conducted
a custom made shoe business in connection with handling the factory
product. After completing his apprenticeship A. R. Olds worked at the
trade until 1882, when he made his way westward to Oregon, settling in
Philomath. A year later he entered the ministry of the United Brethren
church and for four years was minister at the college in Philomath. A
little later he became connected with the Congregational church as a
minister and for almost thirty years devoted his time and energies to
the work, filling the pulpit in various churches. After his retirement
from a regular charge he continued to do county missionary work until
about a year ago. In September, 1896, he arrived in Walla Walla to take
charge of the county missionary work but failing health caused him to
give only a part of his time to the work in later years. Earnest and
zealous in his efforts to upbuild the church, his labors wrought good
results. He was not denied the harvest nor the full aftermath of his
efforts. His high purpose, his ready sympathy, his words of wisdom all
combined to act as an influencing factor drawing men to a better life.
In 1914 Rev. Olds was appointed superintendent of the County Poor Farm
of Walla Walla county, in which capacity he has since served, and he
has proven himself a master farmer, his crops at the present writing
being among the finest in this section of the state. He also displays
good business ability in the conduct and management of the Poor Farm
and his official service in this connection is characteristic of traits
which he has ever displayed, for it has always been his custom to carry
forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. He never
falters in the face of difficulties nor obstacles and his labors have
brought good results, both in promoting material and moral progress.
In 1876 Rev. Olds was united in marriage to Miss Etta Fast, of Roanoke,
Indiana, by whom he has three children, namely: Earl L., who is a
resident of Bend, Oregon; Francis R., living at Klamath Falls; and
Ruth, the wife of H. W. Bathany, of Walla Walla.
Rev. Olds gives his political allegiance to the republican party, which
he has long supported. He is prominent in Masonic circles, belonging to
Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, A. F. & A. M.; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1,
R. A. M.; and Oriental Consistory, No. 2, A. & A. S. R., of Spokane.
He is likewise a member of Trinity Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F., and
Walla Walla Encampment, No. 3, I. O. O. F., and in June, 1917, a high
honor was conferred upon him, for in that month he was made grand
chaplain of the grand lodge of Washington. He also belongs to the
Woodmen of the World. He is one of Walla Walla county's most esteemed
and representative citizens and enjoys the respect, goodwill and trust
of all with whom he has come in contact. Ever ready to extend a helping
hand where aid is needed, his character and work have been such as have
shed around him much of life's sunshine.
ARTHUR P. BLOOMFIELD.
Arthur P. Bloomfield, who is living retired in Columbia county after
many years of successful farming, was born in New Jersey, February 6,
1840, a son of Jonathan and Theodosia (Foster) Bloomfield, the former
born in England and the latter in New Jersey, in which state they were
married. The father passed away in New Jersey and subsequently the
mother became a resident of California, where her demise occurred. To
them were born three children, of whom only our subject survives.
Arthur P. Bloomfield was reared in his native state and enjoyed the
educational advantages afforded by the common schools. In 1861, when
he had attained his majority, he went to California, where for about
twenty years he devoted his time to farming and gardening, but in 1880
he came to Old Walla Walla county, Washington, taking up as a homestead
the farm on which he still lives. Here he met with success and was able
to increase his holdings until he now owns one thousand and ten acres
of wheat and pasture land, all within what is now Columbia county. At
length, feeling that he had earned a rest, he retired and now leaves
to others the active work of the fields. He also owns a half interest
in the Palace Hotel at Pullman, from which he receives a rental of two
hundred and fifty dollars per month.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR P. BLOOMFIELD]
Mr. Bloomfield was married in 1874, to Miss Anna Lang, and they became
the parents of seven children: Lulu, the wife of Bert Kimball; Ida, who
resides in Walla Walla; Hattie, deceased; Frank, who is farming the
homestead; and three who have passed away. The wife and mother died
Saturday, October 6, 1917, and was laid to rest in Walla Walla cemetery.
Mr. Bloomfield is a stanch supporter of the republican party and
has served with credit as a member of the school board and as road
supervisor. His career illustrates what may be accomplished in this
land of opportunity by persistent hard work and good management, for he
began his career empty handed and is now financially independent.
MARTIN HANSEN.
Martin Hansen is a self-made man who has gained a creditable position
among the representative and prosperous farmers of Walla Walla county.
He arrived in this section of the state empty-handed but he saw the
opportunities here offered and has utilized them to good advantage. He
is now the owner of a valuable farm property situated on section 33,
township 7 north, range 35 east. He was born in Denmark on the 12th of
January, 1876, and is a son of Lars and Mary Hansen, who came to the
United States when he was a lad of twelve years. The family home was
established in Nebraska, four sons of the family having preceded the
parents to the new world. There the father and mother located and both
passed away in that state, the death of the father occurring in 1915,
while his wife died in 1914.
In the common schools of Denmark, Mr. Hansen pursued his education,
supplemented by a winter term's study in Nebraska and by two winter
terms in Walla Walla county. He also took two six-weeks winter courses
at the State College of Washington. He made good use of his time and
opportunities in promoting his intellectual development and he has
always continued a student of men and events. In other words he has
learned much in life through observation and experience and has become
a substantial and well informed business man.
It was in 1887 that Martin Hansen crossed the broad Atlantic to the
United States and about three years later he made his way to Walla
Walla county, Washington, where he was employed for wages for five
years. He saved carefully and systematically until his industry and
economy had brought him sufficient capital to enable him, in 1895, to
engage in farming on his own account. He then rented land and again
he practiced economy and industry until in 1897 he had a capital
sufficient to enable him to purchase his present home farm of one
hundred and fifty-nine acres. Upon that place he has since resided and
has made many valuable improvements thereon, among others drilling
in 1912 two artesian wells which flow one thousand gallons of water
per minute, greatly enhancing the value of the farm. Its splendid
appearance is indicative of the care and labor which he has bestowed
upon it. He arrived in Walla Walla without capital and today he is one
of the substantial farmers of this section of the state, and what means
more, the result achieved is due to his industry, his perseverance and
his determination alone. He has never been afraid of hard work and he
early recognized the eternal principle that industry wins.
Mr. Hansen is a republican in his political views, having supported the
party since becoming a naturalized American citizen. He has served for
a number of years on the school board and is one of the influential
men of his community, his opinions carrying weight regarding public
affairs. His life record should serve to inspire and encourage others,
showing what may be accomplished when energy points out the way.
JAMES H. SCHNECKLOTH.
James H. Schneckloth, the well-known and popular postmaster of Pomeroy,
was born on the 25th of October, 1868, in Scott county, Iowa, a son of
Henry and Margaretha (Kuhl) Schneckloth, who were natives of Germany
and on coming to America in early life settled in Scott county, Iowa,
where the father engaged in farming for some years. In 1881 he brought
his family to Washington and located on a farm near Pomeroy, where he
still resides. His wife died in 1914. To them were born eight children
and seven of them survive.
James H. Schneckloth began his education in the public schools of his
native county, where the first thirteen years of his life were passed
in much the usual manner of farmer boys in the middle west. He then
accompanied his parents on their removal to Washington and here grew to
manhood. On starting out in life for himself he engaged in the stock
business and is still interested in that enterprise. As time passed he
prospered in his undertakings and is today the owner of a fine stock
ranch of one thousand acres.
In 1912 Mr. Schneckloth was united in marriage to Miss Rose Dougherty,
and to them has been born a daughter, Janet M. They are members of
the Episcopal church, and Mr. Schneckloth is also identified with the
Knights of Pythias and the Foresters. By his ballot he supports the men
and measures of the democratic party and he has taken a very active
and influential part in public affairs. In 1904 he was elected county
treasurer and acceptably filled that office until 1913. In February
of the following year he was appointed postmaster of Pomeroy and is
now serving in that capacity with credit to himself and to the entire
satisfaction of all concerned. He is a self-made man, whose success in
life is due to his own unaided efforts, and he is regarded as one of
the leading citizens of the town.
JOSEPH WEIMER.
Joseph Weimer is a resident farmer of Garfield county, his home being
on section 20, township 12 north, range 41 east. Ever loyal to his
adopted country, he has made himself a creditable position as a leading
agriculturist of Garfield county and as a citizen of genuine worth. He
was born in Germany, June 3, 1861, and is a son of Casper and Lizzie
(Braun) Weimer, who came to the United States in 1886. After arriving
on the shores of the new world they made their way direct to the west
with Washington as their destination and established their home in
Garfield county, where the father filed on a homestead claim five
miles northwest of Pomeroy. With characteristic energy he began the
development and improvement of that property and devoted his attention
to its further cultivation until the time of his death.
Joseph Weimer, whose name introduces this review, acquired his
education in the common schools of his native country and in 1884 he
set sail for the United States, landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Crossing the continent without tarrying for any length of time in the
east, he at length reached the Pacific coast and spent six months in
California. He then came northward into Washington and made his final
settlement. He took up a homestead in Garfield county on which he
resided for seven years, at the end of which time he bought land and
removed to his present home farm on section 20, township 12 north,
range 41 east. Upon that place he has since resided. He is one of
the self-made men of this state. He came to the northwest in very
limited financial circumstances and today he owns three hundred and
twenty acres of valuable wheat land in Garfield county. His plate is
improved with substantial buildings, with well kept fences and good
farm machinery and everything about his place indicates his careful
supervision and his practical and progressive methods. The fields give
promise of abundant harvests in the autumn and the work of the farm has
been carried on in a most modern and effective way.
In 1891 Mr. Weimer was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Andress, a
native of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and they have become the parents
of four children: Edward Joseph, Frank Henry, Fred and Tillie, all of
whom are still under the parental roof. Mr. Weimer and his family are
communicants of the Catholic church.
In his adopted land Mr. Weimer has found the opportunities which he
sought and in their utilization has won a substantial measure of
success. He has worked diligently and persistently along lines that
have led to gratifying results and is now one of the enterprising
farmers of Garfield county.
JOHN H. HARER.
John H. Harer is a resident farmer of Walla Walla county, owning and
cultivating one hundred and thirty acres of land on section 4, township
6 north, range 35 east. He was born in Lane county, Oregon, on the
25th of February, 1859, his parents being David and Sarah (Standifer)
Harer. The father was a native of Arkansas, while the mother was
born in Tennessee. They were married in the former state and there
resided until 1852, when they determined to try their fortune upon the
Pacific coast and removed to Oregon. They settled in Lane county and
in 1865 left that locality to become residents of Walla Walla county,
Washington, the father having previously made several trips into this
part of the country prior to the removal. He secured a homestead claim
at Webfoot and later he bought and removed to the farm where Valley
Chapel is now located. He kept adding to his original purchase from
time to time as his financial resources increased until he was the
owner of more than a section of land. Upon that property he died,
passing away June 14, 1883. His widow long survived him and departed
this life in 1907. During her last nine years she made her home with
her son John.
John H. Harer is numbered among the honored pioneer settlers of the
northwest, having resided in this section of the country for almost six
decades. He acquired a district school education and also attended the
public schools of Walla Walla. On reaching manhood he became engaged in
the cattle business, with which he was identified for several years,
and in 1889 he purchased from the other heirs their interest in the
Harer estate and thus came into possession of his present home farm,
upon which he has since carried on general agricultural pursuits. The
farm originally comprised one hundred and sixty acres of rich and
productive land, but he has recently sold thirty acres of the tract. He
has brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and everything
about his place indicates his careful supervision, progressive methods
and indefatigable energy.
In 1882 Mr. Harer was united in marriage to Miss Eva Waterman, a native
of Walla Walla county. Her father was Samuel Waterman, who crossed
the plains from Iowa to California in 1860 and in the spring of 1861
arrived in Walla Walla county, taking up his abode in the vicinity
of Valley Chapel. He was thus closely identified with the early
development and progress of this section of the state until his death,
which occurred in January, 1878. His widow survives and is now living
with a daughter in Spokane, Washington. To Mr. and Mrs. Harer have been
born three children, two of whom survive, namely: Inez, who is the wife
of E. S. Gibson, of North Yakima, Washington; and Bertha, the wife of
R. L. Ridley, who operates the farm of his father-in-law. Mrs. Harer
is a member of the Christian church and is a lady of many admirable
characteristics.
Mr. Harer gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He
has never sought or desired political office but for several years he
served as school director and proved a stalwart champion of the cause
of education. Both he and his wife are actuated by a spirit of progress
and enterprise in all that they undertake and their interest centers
deeply in those affairs which promise to upbuild and develop further
the section of the country in which they live.
WILLIAM F. CLUSTER.
William F. Cluster, deceased, was one of the honored and highly
esteemed citizens of Pomeroy. His birth occurred in Indiana on the 8th
of February, 1831, and his parents were Daniel and Margaret (Tumlin)
Cluster, natives of Kentucky and Ohio respectively. About 1861 they
removed to Missouri, where both died. In their family were eleven
children, all of whom have passed away with the exception of one
sister, residing in Missouri.
[Illustration: WILLIAM F. CLUSTER]
In the state of his nativity William F. Cluster was reared and educated
and on leaving the parental roof at the age of twenty-three years went
to Missouri. He crossed the plains to Oregon in 1862 and spent the
remainder of his life on the Pacific coast. In 1868 he married Mrs.
Mary E. French, a native of Ohio, who only a short time previously had
come to the northwest and had located in Oregon, where they continued
to make their home until 1871. It was in that year that Mr. and Mrs.
Cluster removed to old Walla Walla county, Washington, and took up
a claim seven miles from Pomeroy, on which they built a log cabin,
this being the family home for four years. They remained on the farm
until 1882, when they took up their abode in Pomeroy and here Mrs.
Cluster still lives. She continues in possession of the old homestead,
which comprises two hundred acres of finely improved land, and owns
a forty-acre tract which adjoins the city of Pomeroy. She has six
residences in this city and derives a substantial income from all these
properties.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Cluster are as follows: Viola E., the
wife of C. E. Gray; Florence M., the wife of E. M. Pomeroy; Carrie E.,
deceased; and E. C., a resident of Pomeroy.
After a useful and well spent life, Mr. Cluster passed away on the 14th
of June, 1915, leaving his immediate family as well as many friends to
mourn his death. His remains were interred in the Pomeroy cemetery.
Mrs. Cluster takes an active part in the work of the Presbyterian
church, to which she belongs and is a most estimable lady who has a
wide circle of friends and acquaintances in the city and throughout the
surrounding country.
W. H. GILLIS.
The family of W. H. Gillis, residing in Dayton, pays fitting tribute
to his memory in preserving the record of his life in this history
of southeastern Washington. He was born in Montgomery county, North
Carolina, and was reared and educated in his native state. In 1867 he
was united in marriage to Miss Lucy A. Crump, of Stanly county, North
Carolina, a daughter of Stephen and Eliza (Kendall) Crump, both of whom
were natives of the Old North state, where they lived and died. They
were the parents of five children, all of whom survive. Mrs. Gillis
was reared and educated in North Carolina, pursuing her studies in the
common schools and afterward in the Greenville and Doranport colleges
of that state. To Mr. and Mrs. Gillis were born three children:
Lillian, who has departed this life; John A.; and Minnie, who is the
wife of J. F. Hall. The death of Mr. Gillis occurred March 2, 1906.
He had been a soldier of the Civil war, serving for four years, and
was brave and loyal to the cause which he espoused. He never faltered
in the performance of any duty that devolved upon him and made an
excellent record as a soldier. To his family he was a devoted husband
and father and found his greatest happiness in promoting the welfare
of his wife and children. In business affairs he was progressive and
reliable and his sterling worth was acknowledged in many relations.
On the 16th of June, 1907, Mrs. Gillis became the wife of A. H.
Richardson, who died five years later. Mrs. Richardson is the owner of
a valuable farm property of five hundred and twenty acres pleasantly
and conveniently situated about five miles east of Dayton. Upon this
place many modern improvements have been made. The buildings are
substantial and commodious, the fences are well kept and everything
about the place indicates the progressive spirit of the owner. Mrs.
Richardson rents her farm and therefrom derives a gratifying annual
income. She also owns one of the finest residences of Dayton and is
most comfortably situated in life. She is a member of the Christian
church and takes an active interest in promoting the church work. Her
social position is indicated by the fact that the hospitality of the
best homes of Dayton is freely accorded her.
WILLIAM GAYLORD COLEMAN.
William Gaylord Coleman, a well known member of the Walla Walla bar,
was born October 7, 1884, in the city where he still resides. His
father, Dan J. Coleman, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, became a
pioneer farmer of the Eureka Flat district and spent his last days in
Walla Walla. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Mattie C. Roberts,
was a daughter of E. G. Roberts and was born in an emigrant wagon
somewhere along the Platte river while the family were crossing the
plains. Her first marriage was with J. W. Cookerly and she later wedded
Dan J. Coleman. The family ever has been closely associated with the
pioneer development of Washington.
Reared in his native city, William Gaylord Coleman, after mastering the
preliminary branches of learning, decided upon the practice of law as a
life work and with that end in view entered the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor and was there graduated in June, 1909, "with honors" and
with the LL. B. degree. He returned to the northwest, opening an office
in Walla Walla, and has since engaged in practice here. In a profession
where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit and ability
he has made steady progress and public opinion names him as one of the
able lawyers of the Walla Walla bar.
On the 5th of September, 1911, in Walla Walla, Mr. Coleman was married
to Miss Margaret S. Steel, a daughter of T. S. and Annie J. Steel. They
hold membership in the Presbyterian church and Mr. Coleman is a past
grand of the Odd Fellows lodge. A lifelong resident of Walla Walla, he
has a wide acquaintance and his sterling worth as a man, as a lawyer
and a citizen is indicated by the high regard entertained for him by
his fellow citizens.
JOHN MARTIN.
John Martin, living retired in Walla Walla after many years devoted
to agricultural pursuits, was born in Ireland, January 1, 1842, a son
of John and Ann Martin, who spent their entire lives on the Emerald
isle. The educational opportunities accorded John Martin were those
common to the boys of his time, he attending the national schools, and
he remained in Ireland until he was twenty-five years old, when, in
1867, he emigrated to the United States. He first resided in New York
state, where he secured employment in a brickyard at Haverstraw, and
subsequently went to Baltimore, Maryland, but finding it too hot to
suit him there, he went to Chicago, where he was employed by the Armour
Packing Company, during the winters for several years, but in summer
followed his work of brick burning and helped to manufacture the brick
used in the construction of the United States customs house in Chicago.
After remaining in the metropolis of the middle west for eight years he
came to Walla Walla, Washington, in 1882 and settled on a farm on Dry
creek. He operated that place until 1905, when he retired and removed
to Walla Walla, where he purchased land and built his home on Grove
street, where he has since lived. He is still prominently connected
with agricultural affairs, however, as he owns fourteen hundred acres
of fine wheat land, all of which is well improved. He gives his
personal supervision to the management of his farm although he leaves
the actual work of its operation to others. All that he has he has made
since coming to Walla Walla county and it is but natural that he should
be enthusiastic concerning conditions here.
[Illustration: JOHN MARTIN AND FAMILY]
In 1875, in Chicago, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
McAvaney, a native of Illinois, and they have become the parents of
fourteen children, of whom two are deceased, the others being: James,
who is now chief of police of Walla Walla; John P., who is farming
in Spring valley; Mary, the wife of Joe Martin, who although of the
same name is not a relative; Elizabeth, the wife of Albert Schiller;
Margaret, the wife of Roy Davies; and Katherine, Agnes, Grace, Theresa,
George, Lillian and William, all at home.
Mr. Martin supports the republican party and has served acceptably as
member of the school board. He is a communicant of the Catholic church,
and his life has been guided by high moral standards. His residence is
attractive and up-to-date and he is enjoying all the comforts of his
life as the result of his well directed labors and wise investments.
Mr. Martin is strong and vigorous for his years but to enjoy the balmy
air of the south he spends his winters in Los Angeles, California.
C. F. ACTOR.
C. F. Actor, a grain dealer and warehouse man of Starbuck, was born in
Dixie, Washington, on the 27th of October, 1868, a son of H. C. Actor,
one of the veterans of the early Indian wars and one of the well known
men of the pioneer period of Walla Walla county. He died August 30,
1917, near Dixie and extended mention of him appears elsewhere in this
work.
C. F. Actor was reared under the parental roof and acquired his
education in the public schools of Dixie. He also attended the Empire
Business College of Walla Walla and thus became well qualified for
life's practical and responsible duties. In early manhood he worked for
a time in Colfax and was variously employed, after which he returned to
Walla Walla county and for some time was engaged in farming. In 1902
he removed to Starbuck and entered the grain trade, managing the Alto
warehouse for the Alto Warehouse Company for a year. On the expiration
of that period he became the representative of the Balfour-Guthrie
Company, with which he continued for four years as grain buyer. In
1907 he engaged in the grain business on his own account and since
that time has operated independently and successfully, being today one
of the well known grain merchants of Columbia county, controlling a
business of large volume that brings to him a good financial return.
In 1900 Mr. Actor was married to Miss Lucy May Buroker, daughter of
Martin B. Buroker, of Waitsburg, and they have become the parents of
five children, four sons and a daughter, namely: Charles M., Alfred A.,
Grace, Lester E. and Fred F.
In his political views Mr. Actor has ever been an earnest republican
since attaining adult age. In January, 1917, he was appointed to fill
a vacancy on the board of county commissioners and is now serving in
that capacity, in which connection he is making an excellent record,
carefully safe-guarding the interests of the county, yet never blocking
public progress by useless retrenchment. He belongs to Tucannon Lodge,
No. 106, F. & A. M., of Starbuck, and also to Starbuck Lodge, No.
158, I. O. O. F. In 1916 he was representative to the grand lodge of
Odd Fellows. He is also identified with Dayton Lodge, No. 3, K. P. In
banking circles he is known as a director of the Bank of Starbuck and
he ranks with the leading and representative business men and citizens
of the town, his aid and influence being always given on the side of
progress and improvement. He at all times displays a public-spirited
devotion to the general good and has wisely conducted his private
business affairs, which have brought to him substantial and merited
success.
M. W. SWEGLE.
A successful career has been that of M. W. Swegle, who now follows
farming on section 32, township 7 north, range 35 east, in Walla Walla
county. He has lived in this county since 1888 and is concentrating his
efforts and attention upon the development and improvement of a farm of
five hundred and fourteen acres. This is a memorable locality in the
history of the state for it is the site of the Whitman massacre--the
identical spot on which the atrocities committed by the red men
culminated in the murder of the noble Reverend Whitman and his family,
those venerable pioneers, who were doing such inestimable work in
claiming this region for the purposes of Christian civilization, laying
the cornerstone of the foundation for the moral and materially visible
development of the entire region.
Mr. Swegle is a western man by birth, training and preference and
exemplifies in his life the spirit of enterprise and progress which
has been the dominant factor in the upbuilding of the west, leading
to its wonderful development. He was born in Salem, Oregon, June 28,
1861, a son of Charles and Lucinda (Robinson) Swegle. The father was
a native of New Jersey, while the mother's birth occurred in Ohio.
They were married in Illinois, to which state they had removed with
their respective parents, and in 1848 they crossed the plains with ox
teams to Oregon, settling first in Clackamas county, although soon
afterward they removed to Marion county, taking up their abode near
Salem. There the father resided until 1880, when he came with his
family to Walla Walla county, Washington, and purchased nine hundred
acres of land, a part of which is included within the boundaries of
the present home place of M. W. Swegle. In the residence where his son
now resides the father passed away on the 7th of May, 1888, and in his
death the community mourned the loss of an honored pioneer settler and
most respected citizen--one who in every relation of life commanded
the goodwill and confidence of those with whom he came in contact. His
widow survived him for several years and passed away in November, 1895.
M. W. Swegle was reared upon the old home farm and acquired a common
school education. From the time he attained his majority he began
farming on his own account and in 1888 he established his home in Walla
Walla county. Soon afterward he purchased a section of land, some of
which he has since sold, while a portion thereof he deeded to his wife.
The present farm, held conjointly by Mr. Swegle and his wife's heirs,
comprises five hundred and fourteen acres. This land he has brought to
a very high state of cultivation, carrying on farm work along the most
progressive lines. He is at all times practical in what he undertakes
and the results are therefore substantial and most desirable. He has
placed good improvements upon his farm and its neat and attractive
appearance indicates his intelligently directed activity.
On the 2d of July, 1890, Mr. Swegle was united in marriage to Miss
Libby Brooks, also a native of Oregon, although at the time of her
marriage she was living in Walla Walla county. She was a daughter of
John Brooks, who came to this county from that of Yamhill in Oregon.
He is still living and at the present time is a resident of Portland,
Oregon, the beautiful city of roses. To Mr. and Mrs. Swegle were born
eight children, seven of whom survive, namely: Floyd and Jesse, who are
operating the home farm; May; Alice; Frank; Florence; and Irene. All
the children are yet at home. The wife and mother passed away February
19, 1916, her death being the occasion of deep and widespread regret
among her many friends. All who knew her sympathized and grieved with
the family, to whose welfare and interest she was always most devoted.
Mr. Swegle votes with the democratic party. He has never been an
aspirant for office, preferring to give his time to and concentrate his
energies upon his own affairs, upon the interests of his home, upon
his business and upon those things which help to further the welfare
of the community. For thirty years he has been a resident of Walla
Walla county and has witnessed many favorable changes during this
period, having by his own labors in no small measure contributed to
agricultural development.
S. V. DAVIN.
One of the energetic and progressive business men of Walla Walla is S.
V. Davin, president and manager of the Washington Weeder Works. He is
a native of France, born September 20, 1861, and is a son of Joseph E.
and Nomie (Escalle) Davin, who came with their family to America in
1873 and located in California, where the parents continued to make
their home until death. Of their thirteen children only two are living,
these being Joseph and S. V., of this review.
S. V. Davin was twelve years of age on the emigration of the family
to the United States and in the schools of California he completed
his education, which was begun in his native land. He remained in the
Golden state until 1888, when he came to Walla Walla and spent three
years on a ranch in this locality. During the following ten years he
engaged in business in the city and was also interested in farming and
stock raising, owning sixty-three hundred acres of land in Franklin
county, Washington, stocked with sheep, and is president of the
Davin-Mitchell sheep and cattle ranch, the company owning one thousand
acres of land. Mr. Davin also owns one hundred and ninety-four acres
of land west of the garrison, which is worth eight hundred dollars per
acre and has two hundred and twenty-five acres at Lowden, Walla Walla
county, upon which he keeps both cattle and sheep and has twenty-five
cows for dairy purposes. Since 1910, however, Mr. Davin has given his
attention largely to the business of the Washington Weeder Works, which
is in a flourishing condition, manufacturing a double-disc weeder,
which was awarded the gold medal at the Lewis & Clark Exposition as the
best weed killer and cultivator exhibited. Besides the property already
mentioned Mr. Davin owns a business building, also the Ritz Hotel and
three residences in Walla Walla.
In 1893 he was united in marriage to Miss Ardella Haight, who died in
1901, leaving no children, and in 1903 he again married. To this union
were born two sons, Jackson Joseph and Virgil Edward Marion. The family
attend the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Davin is an active member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Eagles, the Moose and the
Red Men. In politics he is a republican but has never cared for office.
He gives his undivided attention to his extensive business interests,
is prompt, energetic and progressive and carries to successful
completion what he sets out to accomplish.
HON. JOHN F. ROCKHILL.
Hon. John F. Rockhill owns and operates a farm of five hundred acres of
land in Columbia county, upon which he has resided for almost a quarter
of a century, having taken up his abode upon that place in 1893. He
was born in Marshall county, Iowa, April 29, 1855, a son of Anthony
and Rosetta (Robbins) Rockhill, the former a native of Ohio, while the
latter was born in the state of New York. They lived for some time in
Iowa, but at length determined to try their fortunes upon the Pacific
coast and in 1864 crossed the plains, establishing their home in Grande
Ronde valley, Oregon. In 1865, however, they removed to the vicinity
of Portland and in 1868 they came to Washington, settling in Walla
Walla county, where the father rented a farm for two years. In 1870 he
removed to a farm near Dayton and upon that place continued to reside
until his demise. His widow also spent her last days upon that farm.
They had a family of nine children, of whom six are yet living.
[Illustration: HON. JOHN F. ROCKHILL]
[Illustration: MRS. JOHN F. ROCKHILL]
Hon. John F. Rockhill of this family was a little lad of nine years
when he left his native state in company with his parents and came
to the northwest. From the age of thirteen years he has lived in
Washington and in the public schools of this section of the state
he completed his education. He afterward took up land and engaged
in farming, bringing to his duties broad practical experience which
had come to him through assisting his father in the development and
cultivation of the old home property. In 1885 John F. Rockhill removed
to Whitman county, where he resided for eight years, but in 1893 he
returned to Columbia county and purchased his present farm, upon
which he is now living. He owns five hundred acres of excellent wheat
land and in connection with the production of that cereal he is also
successfully engaged in raising stock. In a word, his business affairs
are capably managed and whatever he undertakes he carries forward to
successful completion. He is likewise a stockholder in the warehouse
at Turner and at Dayton and is regarded as a prominent figure in the
business circles of his section of the state.
In 1877 Mr. Rockhill was united in marriage to Miss Mabel L. Taylor,
a native of Iowa, and to them have been born eight children: Don M. a
resident of Columbia county; Daisy, now the wife of C. I. Fleming, of
Oregon; Hazel, deceased; Luella, who is a graduate of a normal school
and is now engaged in teaching; Nora, who has departed this life; Cora,
who was graduated from the high school and is now the wife of Edgar
Hilbert, of Columbia county; John, who is engaged in farming with his
father; and Mabel L., who is also a graduate of the high school and is
the wife of Glenn Cecil.
Mrs. Rockhill is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and is a lady of many excellent qualities. Mr. Rockhill belongs to
Dayton Lodge, No. 136, I. O. O. F. His political allegiance is given to
the republican party and in 1915 he was called upon to represent his
district in the state legislature, of which he proved an able member,
carefully considering the vital and significant problems which came up
for settlement and throwing the weight of his influence where he felt
that the public good could best be conserved or promoted. For several
years he has served on the school board and the cause of education
finds in him a stalwart champion. He is a self-made man whose business
advancement is attributable entirely to his own well directed efforts.
Not only has he progressed in a financial way but has also come to
be recognized as one of the prominent and influential citizens of
Columbia county, where for almost a half century he has made his home,
therefore witnessing the greater part of the growth and development of
this section of the state. Great indeed have been the changes which
have occurred during this period and Mr. Rockhill is numbered among the
worthy pioneer settlers.
W. E. SPROUT.
W. E. Sprout is regarded as among the foremost business men of
Starbuck, where he is engaged in general merchandising and he also
is president of the Bank of Starbuck. He was born in Grundy county,
Missouri, on the 31st of January, 1861, a son of Francis M. and Sarah
(Winters) Sprout, the former a native of Indiana, while the latter was
born in Ohio. They were married in Grundy county, Missouri, to which
place they had removed in boyhood and girlhood with their respective
parents. Following their marriage the father turned his attention to
farming in Grundy county, but at the time of the Civil war he put
aside all business and personal considerations to espouse the cause
of his country, serving for a year and a half in the Civil war. He
was wounded in the battle of Shiloh, losing his right arm. His first
wife had died when their son, W. E. Sprout, was an infant of but four
months and three years later the father married Miss Sophia Newland.
He continued his residence in Missouri until 1888, when he removed to
Hutchinson, Kansas, where he was engaged in farming until the death
of his second wife in the year 1905. Since that date he has lived
retired in Hutchinson, where he still makes his home, being now in the
eightieth year of his age.
W. E. Sprout acquired but a limited education, his opportunities
being such as the district schools afforded. When not busy with his
textbooks he worked in the fields and thus early received the training
which well qualified him to begin farming on his own account when he
attained his majority. He carried on general agricultural pursuits in
Grundy county for three years and in 1884 he came west to Washington,
settling in Dayton, where he spent two years as a farm hand, working
for wages. In 1886 he invested in land, becoming owner of a farm on
the Tucanon, a half mile outside the city limits of the town site of
Starbuck. Upon that place he engaged in general farming and stock
raising, which business claimed his time and attention until the
year 1892, when Starbuck was made a railroad division point and Mr.
Sprout then established a butchering business in the village. This
was largely done in order to find a profitable market for his cattle.
Eight years later, in 1900, he bought out the mercantile business of
A. L. O'Neil of Starbuck and has since been prominently identified
with the commercial interests of the town. For eight years he carried
on the business independently and then, in 1908, organized the Sprout
& Barnhart Mercantile Company, which was incorporated with Mr. Sprout
as the president and W. H. Barnhart as the secretary and manager of
the company. In 1907 Mr. Sprout was also the dominant factor in the
organization of the Bank of Starbuck, of which he became president and
has since served in that connection. He is thus actively identified
with the financial interests of the county and has made the Bank of
Starbuck one of the strong and thoroughly reliable moneyed institutions
of this section of the state.
In 1890 Mr. Sprout was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Wooten, a
native of Columbia county, Washington, and a daughter of W. S. Wooten,
who came to this state from Missouri about 1878 and still makes his
home in Dayton. Mr. and Mrs. Sprout became the parents of one child,
who has passed away, and the wife and mother died in January, 1906.
Two years later, in April, 1908, Mr. Sprout was again married, his
second union being with Miss Ida Hukill, a native of Walla Walla and a
daughter of Allen Hukill, who was one of the early pioneers of Columbia
county, taking up a homestead in this section of the state shortly
after his arrival in Washington, when the entire region was largely an
undeveloped section. To the second marriage of Mr. Sprout has been born
one child, Allen M.
In his political views Mr. Sprout is a republican and served as the
first mayor after the city of Starbuck was incorporated. He also
served for a number of years as a member of the town council and ever
exercised his official prerogatives in support of well defined plans
and measures for the general good. He likewise served on the school
board and the cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart
champion. Fraternally he is connected with Tucannon Lodge, No. 106, F.
& A. M., of Starbuck, and also with Starbuck Lodge, No. 158, I. O. O.
F. He has recently disposed of his landed possessions but Mrs. Sprout
still owns her homestead which she entered prior to her marriage. Mr.
Sprout belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and its teachings have
been the guiding force in his life, making him a man among men, honored
and respected by reason of his sterling worth, his patriotic loyalty
in citizenship, his integrity and progressiveness in business and his
faithfulness in friendship. In his public offices he has displayed
the same spirit of enterprise and recognition of opportunity that has
marked his business career, and Starbuck has profited much by his
labors.
LESTER LEE ROBISON.
Lester Lee Robison, one of the foremost agriculturists and most
extensive sheep growers of Walla Walla county, has in his own name
three thousand acres of wheat land and seventy-five hundred acres of
grazing land. His home is on section 34, township 8 north, range 35
east. His birth occurred in Dayton, Columbia county, Washington, on
the 13th of April, 1884, his parents being Andrew M. and Theodosia
(Fall) Robison, the former born in Austin, Texas, March 16, 1854,
and the latter in Sidney, Iowa, on the 7th of September, 1857. It
was in the year 1872 that the mother came to Washington with her
parents, the family home being established near Dayton in Columbia
county. Andrew M. Robison made his way to this state in the winter of
1876-7, when a young man of twenty-two years, and after his arrival
he secured a contract with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company in
construction work. Later he bought stock throughout this section,
furnishing meat for the railroad construction gangs, which numbered
about seven thousand Chinamen. Subsequently Mr. Robison took up his
abode near Dayton and engaged in farming and in the stock business,
being recognized for a number of years as one of the extensive stock
buyers of this section of the state. In the fall of 1897 he removed
to Walla Walla county, locating on Dry creek, four and one-half miles
northwest of Walla Walla, where he acquired extensive farm lands,
owning at the time of his death some twenty-eight hundred acres. He
was widely recognized as one of the influential and leading citizens
of southeastern Washington and was a prominent representative of the
Masonic fraternity. His demise occurred on the 21st of October, 1907,
but his widow survives, making her home in Walla Walla, where she has
an extensive circle of friends.
Lester L. Robison acquired his education in the city schools of Walla
Walla and also attended the State Agricultural College at Pullman,
Washington. After putting aside his textbooks he worked with his father
until 1907, when he started out independently as an agriculturist,
taking charge of his father's large holdings, which he has managed
with marked success to the present time. The property in his own name
embraces three thousand acres of wheat land and also some seventy-five
hundred acres of grazing land. Moreover, he has been heavily
interested in the stock business for a number of years and is one of
the foremost sheep growers of Walla Walla county.
On the 11th of September, 1907, Mr. Robison was united in marriage
to Miss Elsie Riffle, of Walla Walla, her father being Elihu G.
Riffle, who was one of the earliest pioneers of this county. Mr. and
Mrs. Robison have a daughter, Laura Lee. Politically Mr. Robison is
a democrat and fraternally is identified with the following Masonic
organizations: Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla
Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; the Knight Templar Commandery; Oriental
Consistory, A. & A. S. R.; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He
also belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E. A young man of
enterprise, ambition and ability, he has ably carried forward the work
of his honored father and his career bids fair to be one of continued
achievement.
JAMES G. WOODEND.
James G. Woodend was one of the prominent farmers of southeastern
Washington for many years and won a substantial measure of success
by reason of the careful manner in which he developed his fields and
managed his business affairs. He was a native of England and came
to America when a young man of twenty-seven years. He did not tarry
on the Atlantic coast but made his away across the country and took
up his abode in Columbia county, Washington, at Starbuck. Here he
occupied the position of section foreman for nineteen years and on
the expiration of that period turned his attention to agricultural
pursuits, purchasing a farm which he at once began to further develop
and improve. Year after year he carefully tilled the soil and his
plowing and planting, with the careful cultivation of his fields,
brought to him substantial harvests which sold at a good figure. He was
thus busily and successfully engaged in general farming up to the time
of his death. In the intervening years he had added to his holdings as
opportunity offered until he had become the owner of sixteen hundred
acres of land which is still in possession of his widow, the greater
part being wheat land. He was regarded as one of the most prominent
men in the valley and his life work indicates what can be accomplished
in the way of wheat production in this section of the state. Moreover,
his history shows clearly what can be attained by honorable purpose and
indefatigable energy.
In 1886 Mr. Woodend was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Bellingham,
a native of England, who came to America in the same year. To them
were born six children: Isabel, the wife of F. F. Kent; Anna M., who
is living in Spokane; Robert G., who follows farming; Thomas S., at
home; Marguerite V., the wife of A. J. Burke; and Mildred A., who is a
student in the high school at Spokane.
[Illustration: JAMES G. WOODEND]
The death of the husband and father occurred on September 21, 1915, and
his remains were interred in the Starbuck cemetery. He left a widow and
six children to mourn his loss, his demise being also a matter of deep
regret to his many friends who sincerely esteemed him. He possessed
many sterling traits of character, was thoroughly reliable in business,
was public spirited in citizenship, held friendship inviolable and was
devoted to the welfare and happiness of his wife and children. Mrs.
Woodend still owns and manages her farm property and in fact has added
to the sixteen hundred acres left by her husband, making an additional
purchase of six hundred and twenty acres, also in Columbia county, so
that she now owns over two thousand two hundred acres of valuable land
in this section of the state.
M. B. WINCHELL.
M. B. Winchell, who is engaged in general merchandising in Touchet,
Walla Walla county, ranks with the foremost business men of this
section of the state. A spirit of progress and enterprise actuates him
in all that he undertakes and his course has been characterized by
a determined purpose. He has ever recognized the fact that when one
avenue of success seems closed there can always be marked out another
path that will lead to the desired goal. Alert and energetic and
thoroughly reliable, his position among the business men of Walla Walla
county is indeed enviable. A native son of Washington, he was born at
Lyons Ferry on the 28th of March, 1888, his parents being Hezekiah and
Alice L. (Palmer) Winchell. The father was a native of Michigan and
the mother of the state of New York. They were married, however, in
Minnesota, where the father was identified with timber interests for a
number of years. In 1883 he brought his family to the west, settling in
Walla Walla county, Washington, at which time he filed on a homestead
near Lyons Ferry but resided thereon only long enough to prove up on
the property. He then took up his abode in Waitsburg and for twenty-two
years the family lived in or near that town. The father was engaged in
farming during this time. He died in 1905, at the comparatively early
age of fifty-six years. The sons in the family continued to make their
home with their mother, her death occurring on the 5th of June, 1917.
Mr. and Mrs. Winchell were worthy pioneer people of this section of the
state and contributed much to its development and progress.
M. B. Winchell pursued his education in the graded schools of Waitsburg
and also in the Waitsburg Academy, while subsequently he spent three
terms in the Waitsburg high school, which he attended in the winter
seasons. In fact his attendance at school was by no means continuous,
but he utilized every opportunity to promote his education by entering
school whenever he could. His father met with financial reverses and
thus Mr. Winchell of this review was obliged early to start out in
the business world and provide for his own support. He also earned
the money that enabled him to continue his education. After finishing
his course of study in the graded schools he devoted two years to
work before he entered the academy and there was also a period of
two years between his academic course and his high school course. In
the meantime, however, he was learning many valuable lessons through
experience. He was employed during the summer months and he made every
spare hour count. He continued farm work and subsequently turned his
attention to the grain business, becoming manager of an elevator when a
youth of but seventeen years. This elevator was located at Alto, and he
subsequently managed elevators at other points for the same company,
a fact which is indicative of his capability and of his faithfulness.
It is recognized that the best way to learn to do a thing is to do
it. Habit brings accuracy and power grows through the exercise of
effort. Labor does not tire--it gives resisting force; and all of these
facts Mr. Winchell demonstrated in his life. He studied every task
that came to his hand and from each new experience learned valuable
lessons which have proven of worth to him in later years. He learned
to correctly judge men and read character, while at the same time he
was acquainting himself with commercial methods. While engaged in the
grain trade he bought and shipped grain on tonnage during the winter
months and attended school when there was no grain to ship. In other
words he improved every opportunity to promote his knowledge as well
as to advance his material interests. In 1914 he entered the employ of
the Allen Grocery Company in Waitsburg and there laid the foundation
for his mercantile success. In 1916 he took up his abode at Touchet and
became one of the dominant factors in the organization of the Quality
Stores Company, having stores at Touchet, Lowden and Waitsburg. He
became the manager of the establishment at Touchet, which at the last
inventory showed a stock of over thirty-one thousand dollars value,
while annually he does a business of from seventy-five to eighty-five
thousand dollars. This is a splendid establishment to be under the care
of a young man who had to fight his own way, make his own way through
school unaided and at all times rely upon his own resources. In the
parlance of the present day, he is a live wire, or in other words he
has the dynamic force which makes things move. An opportunity is to him
a call to action and the call is never neglected.
On the 22d of September, 1912, Mr. Winchell was united in marriage to
Miss Alberta Williams, of Walla Walla, by whom he has two children,
Zilpha Alice and Ruth Emily. Mr. Winchell maintains an independent
course in regard to politics, voting for men and measures rather than
for party. Fraternally he is connected with Delta Lodge, No. 75, K.
P., of Waitsburg, and also with the Ancient Order of United Workmen,
while both he and his wife hold membership in the Community church
of Touchet. He is interested in all that pertains to the material,
political, social, mental and moral progress of the community. In a
word his aid and influence are given on the side of advancement and
improvement, and with him each day must mark off a full-faithed attempt
to grow more and to know more.
WILLIAM C. WOODWARD.
William C. Woodward, a resident farmer of Columbia county, Washington,
was born February 13, 1862, within the boundaries of the county where
he still resides and which has been his home throughout the intervening
period. He is a son of Albert and Oral Woodward, of whom mention is
made in connection with the sketch of his sister, Mrs. Mary Nichols,
on another page of this work. He spent his youthful days under the
parental roof and divided his time between the acquirement of an
education and work in the fields. His early training under his father's
direction acquainted him with the best methods of tilling the soil
and caring for the crops, so that valuable experience aided him when,
on attaining his majority, he started out in the business world for
himself. He began farming and has since been identified with general
agricultural pursuits, owning valuable property which he has brought
under a high state of cultivation, so that year after year his fields
return to him good harvests that bring him a substantial income.
In 1891 Mr. Woodward was united in marriage to Miss Nora Davis, a
native of Oregon and a daughter of Daniel and Isabella (Laughlin)
Davis. Mr. and Mrs. Woodward have become the parents of six children:
Albert D., S. M., O. H., L. S., H. L. and Sarah Alice. The parents are
members of the Christian Science church and in his political views Mr.
Woodward is a republican. He has served as county commissioner for two
terms and has made an excellent record in his devotion to the public
welfare. He has also been a member of the school board and the cause
of education finds in him a stalwart champion. He has many sterling
traits of character, is thoroughly reliable as well as enterprising in
the conduct of his farming interests, is progressive in citizenship and
loyal in friendship. In fact, he is most faithful to every cause which
he espouses, does not hesitate to express his honest convictions and
his position upon any important question is never an equivocal one. A
resident of what is now Columbia county for fifty-five years, he has
been a witness of practically its entire growth and development and is
justly numbered among its worthy and honored pioneer settlers.
JOHN ROBERTSON.
John Robertson, who follows farming on section 25, township 11 north,
range 41 east, in Garfield county, was born in Prince Edward Island,
Canada, on the 30th of November, 1866, but since 1882 has been a
resident of Washington and through all the intervening years has been
identified with its agricultural development. His parents, John and
Mary (Steel) Robertson, were also natives of Prince Edward Island and
were of Scotch parentage. In 1873 they removed with their family to
California, settling in the Livermore valley, where the father's death
occurred four years later, and in the fall of 1882, Mrs. Robertson with
her four sons and one daughter came by team to Washington, where they
proceeded to make a home for themselves. There was a strong family bond
between the brothers, mother and sister and they held all of their
interests jointly for many years, the brothers cooperating in their
farming enterprises, and as a consequence all of them prospered. The
mother is still living and makes her home with her son John, whose
filial love and devotion repay her for the care which she gave to him
in his youth.
John Robertson pursued a district school education in California,
to which state he was taken by his parents when a lad of but seven
years. He was a youth of sixteen when the family home was established
in Garfield county, Washington, and here in connection with his three
older brothers he began farming. Early in the '90s he homesteaded
eighty acres which adjoins his present home farm, but he continued to
engage in business in connection with his brothers until 1902, since
which time he has followed farming independently. As the years have
passed on he has prospered in his undertakings by reason of his close
application and indefatigable energy and, making judicious investment
in real estate, is now the owner of five hundred and sixty-five
acres of excellent farm land and is regarded as one of the prominent
agriculturists of his section of the state.
J. M. CRAWFORD.
A notable example of successful personal achievement is the history of
J. M. Crawford, president and general manager of the Tum-a-lum Lumber
Company of Walla Walla. Since making his initial step in the business
world his career has been marked by an orderly progression that has
brought him forward step by step until he now occupies a most prominent
position in the commercial and manufacturing circles of the northwest.
He was born in Smithfield, Ohio, June 3, 1865, and is a son of Dr. J.
B. Crawford, who was engaged in the practice of medicine in Gillespie,
Illinois, for many years. In 1910 he came to Walla Walla and here
passed away in 1915 at the age of eighty-eight years.
J. M. Crawford spent his early life in the states of Illinois, Nebraska
and Kansas. At the age of twenty-two years he was employed by the
Badger Lumber Company of Kansas City and remained with them from 1887
to 1890, acting as line yard manager for western Kansas at a salary
of fifty dollars per month, but he found his work very congenial. In
1889 he was married in western Kansas to Miss Martha Cox and they began
their domestic life in a humble way, their first home being made in
a lumber shed of the company, and here their oldest son was born. On
starting in business for himself Mr. Crawford purchased a stock of
lumber from the Paddock Lumber Company of Raywood, Illinois, and thus
he laid the foundation for his present successful business.
In 1904 Mr. Crawford came to Walla Walla and formed the
Whitehouse-Crawford Company by purchasing the control of a company from
its original owners and later bought out those still interested in the
business, so that today it is an entirely new corporation. In 1908 his
brother, Joseph F. Crawford, came to Walla Walla and is now general
manager of the company. They own a plant devoted to the manufacture of
interior trimmings, showcases, bank and store fixtures, in addition
to which they deal extensively in lumber, this being one of the most
important industries of Walla Walla. The plant covers a block and a
half on North Second street and forty men are employed throughout the
year in the manufacture of a product which finds a ready sale on the
market.
It was in 1906 that Mr. Crawford started the Tum-a-lum Lumber Company
with five lumberyards, but which has since grown until it now has
forty-five lumberyards in eastern Washington and central Oregon and
is capitalized for five hundred thousand dollars. Of this company Mr.
Crawford is the president and general manager. His business interests
have thus assumed very extensive proportions and his activities
constitute an important element in the material growth and commercial
development of the northwest. Moreover, Mr. Crawford has been most
active in advancing the welfare and upbuilding of his city by inducing
many others to locate here. He has prevailed on many of his old friends
to come from the east and make their homes in Walla Walla and five
different Crawford families have located here.
[Illustration: J. M. CRAWFORD]
[Illustration: MRS. J. M. CRAWFORD]
To Mr. and Mrs. Crawford have been horn three children. Harold E. is
a graduate of Whitman College and the Boston School of Technology. He
now has charge of the engineering department of the Tum-a-lum Lumber
Company, which constructs elevators, furnishes plans for houses and
promotes good buildings, the plans and work being given patrons free
of charge. C. Howard is treasurer of the Tum-a-lum Lumber Company and
office man. He attended the Walla Walla high school until the age of
seventeen, when he entered the office of the company and has steadily
advanced, being a young man of practical experience and pronounced
ability. Both sons are progressive and able to fill positions calling
for skill and effectiveness. Susan M., the only daughter, was at one
time a student at the University of Washington but is now attending
Whitman College.
Mr. Crawford is a Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic
Shrine. He has taken a marked interest in the Walla Walla Commercial
Club and served on its board of directors for some years and as its
president for one year. Both he and his wife hold membership in the
Presbyterian church and Mr. Crawford was on the building committee when
the present house of worship was erected. He is a self-made man, able,
forceful and successful, and can well be numbered among the builders
of Walla Walla. Alert and enterprising, he seems to lose sight of no
opportunity that will advance his legitimate business interests or will
promote the welfare and upbuilding of the community at large. His keen
sagacity has been an important element in public progress and Walla
Walla honors him as one of her most valued and representative men.
GRANT LOW.
Grant Low, a resident farmer of Columbia county, living on section 3,
township 10 north, range 40 east, is numbered among the native sons of
North Carolina, his birth having occurred within the borders of the
Old North state December 25, 1870. His parents were Samuel and Dillie
(Proctor) Low, who were also natives of North Carolina, where they
spent their entire lives, the father there conducting a plantation.
Grant Low was reared upon the old home farm until his sixteenth year,
and acquired but a limited common school education. His parents died
when he was a youth of ten years and he was placed with a guardian,
for whom he worked for his board and clothes. He did not like the
treatment he received, however, and at the age of sixteen he ran away
from his foster parents and went to Missouri, where he was employed as
a farm hand for three years. In July, 1889, he made his way westward to
Dayton, Washington, where he arrived with a cash capital of but five
dollars. His financial condition rendered it imperative that he secure
immediate employment and soon afterward he began working for wages
at farm labor, spending three years in that way. He next purchased
a place of one hundred and sixty acres on credit. He did not have a
cent with which to make an initial payment but he possessed courage
and determination and was not afraid to work. Moreover, he recognized
the eternal principle that industry wins. He began farming for himself
and within the next five years was able to clear his place of all
indebtedness. From that time forward he has steadily added to his
holdings until he now has twelve hundred and forty acres in his home
farm and he owns altogether forty-four hundred acres near Starbuck,
in Columbia county, of which eighteen hundred acres is valuable farm
land. He operates altogether three thousand acres of his own land
and six hundred acres belonging to the Dwelly estate, which he farms
under lease. He is one of the leading agriculturists of southeastern
Washington, his business affairs having been most carefully managed
and his investments most judiciously made. He employs progressive
methods in the care and cultivation of his land and he has added many
improvements to his farm, which is today valuable and which constitutes
one of the attractive features in the landscape.
On December 3, 1891, Mr. Low was united in marriage to Miss Oral
Monnett, of Covello, Columbia county, Washington, a daughter of Wallace
Monnett and a sister of A. A. Monnett, one of the prominent business
men of Dayton. Mr. and Mrs. Low became the parents of five children,
four of whom survive, namely: Nellie, Josie, Alberta and Donald. All
are at home.
Mr. Low gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is a
stanch advocate of its principles but does not seek nor desire office
as a reward for party fealty. He has always preferred to concentrate
his efforts and attention upon his business affairs and, working
steadily and persistently, he has gained a comfortable competence,
being numbered among the leading and progressive agriculturists of
Columbia county.
ANGUS McKAY.
Angus McKay, a well known and enterprising farmer of Walla Walla
county, was born in Canada on the 13th of January, 1836, and is a son
of Angus and Margaret (Campbell) McKay, both of Highland Scotch birth.
In 1832 they crossed the Atlantic and settled in Canada, where they
continued to make their home until called from this life. To them were
born eight children but Angus is the only one of the number now living.
Mr. McKay grew to manhood in Canada with the usual advantages of a
boy of that period, attending school as he found opportunity. He
subsequently served three years apprenticeship in a general merchandise
store and remained in the Dominion in various capacities until in 1861
he left Canada and came to Walla Walla, Washington, where he engaged
in the confectionery and tobacco business for five years. His former
experience stood him in good stead and that he was successful along
business lines is evident from the fact that at the end of that period
he was enabled to secure a homestead of three hundred and twenty acres
on Russell creek and he has since given his time and attention to
farming with good results, becoming one of the well-to-do men of his
community.
In 1866 Mr. McKay married Mrs. Mary A. Winship, a native of Ohio,
who crossed the plains with her parents in 1852 in a covered wagon
drawn by ox teams and settled in Oregon. To this union have been born
seven children, of whom three are living, namely: March, residing and
assisting on the ranch; Angus, living in Prossor; and Bessie, the wife
of Oscar M. Shelton.
Mr. and Mrs. McKay are living on the ranch which has been their home
for over half a century and besides this property they own a residence
in the city of Walla Walla. Fraternally Mr. McKay is a member of the
Masonic order and being a strong temperance man he organized the
first Good Templars lodge in this region in 1866. In politics he is a
republican and for fifty years he has efficiently served as justice of
the peace, his rulings being fair and impartial. He has also filled the
office of assessor for several years and no trust reposed in him has
ever been betrayed in the slightest degree. His honorable principles
have won him many friends and all who know him hold him in the highest
esteem.
JOHN W. FOLEY.
The life record of John W. Foley spells success. He has succeeded in
whatever he has undertaken by reason of close application, determined
purpose and indefatigable energy. Early in life, when little more than
a youth, he started out upon a mercantile career in Adam, Oregon, and
the prosperity which attended that venture gave him his start for
bigger things. He was likewise successful in the live stock business
and later in farming operations, which he has carried on extensively,
being regarded today as one of the foremost representatives of
agricultural interests in Garfield county, his home being on section 3,
township 12 north, range 41 east. He was born in the Willamette valley
of Oregon on the 1st of November, 1866, and is a son of Francis and
Hannah (Reese) Foley. The father is a native of Ohio and the mother of
Kansas and in early life they crossed the plains, becoming residents of
Oregon. They now make their home in California.
Liberal educational advantages were accorded John W. Foley. After
mastering the branches of learning taught in the public schools he
became a student in the Willamette University of Salem, Oregon, and
subsequently attended the Portland University, thus becoming well
qualified for life's practical and responsible duties. In young manhood
he turned his attention to the hardware business, establishing a store
in Adam, Oregon, where he remained for two years. The venture proved
profitable and he sold out at a good advance. He then went to Rock
Lake in Whitman county, Washington, and for seven years was engaged
in the cattle business. Again success attended his undertaking and
on the expiration of that period he removed to Walla Walla, where he
was engaged in the hardware and implement business for two years. He
also devoted a part of his attention to farming when in Walla Walla
county and in March, 1916, he took up his abode upon his present home
farm in Meadow Gulch, Garfield county, where he owns sixteen hundred
acres of rich and valuable land that responds readily to the care and
cultivation which he bestows upon it. In business affairs he displays
sound judgment and discriminates readily between the essential and the
non-essential, discarding the latter and utilizing the former to the
best possible advantage.
In 1893 Mr. Foley was united in marriage to Miss Edith Babcock, a
daughter of W. A. Babcock, one of the early pioneer settlers of Whitman
county who is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Foley have three children:
Harold F., Eva and Wayne C. Mr. Foley gives his political allegiance to
the republican party and is a stanch advocate of its principles but he
has no desire for public office. He and his wife are consistent members
of the Methodist church, contributing generously to its support and
doing their part in its work. They are interested in all that pertains
to the welfare and upbuilding of the community in which they reside and
have been active factors in advancing its material, social and moral
progress. They are widely and favorably known and the hospitality of
the best homes of their locality is accorded them.
ANDREW J. ABEL.
Among the well known residents of Columbia county is Andrew J. Abel,
a retired farmer. He was born in Indiana, October 28, 1838, a son of
Andrew and Sarah Abel, both of whom were Hoosiers by birth. They grew
to mature years and were married in Indiana but in 1840 removed with
their family to Iowa, whence, in 1864, they set out by wagon for the
far west. They at length reached Old Walla Walla county, Washington,
and took up their residence on a farm near Dayton. Their first home
in this section was a log cabin with a slab floor and a clapboard
roof. Subsequently good buildings were erected upon the place, and the
parents resided there until their death.
Andrew J. Abel, who is one of two living children of a family of ten,
received the greater part of his education in Iowa and there grew
to manhood. Upon removing to Washington with the other members of
the family in 1864 he took a preemption claim in Paddock Hollow, and
there he maintained his home for six years. At the end of that time
he sold this place and took up as a homestead the farm on which he
still lives. This comprises two hundred and forty acres, is in a high
state of cultivation and is well improved. During his active life he
gave the closest attention to the management of his affairs and as
the years passed his resources increased. He is now in good financial
circumstances and is living practically retired.
Mr. Abel married Miss Sarah A. Brodhead, and they have had eleven
children, of whom eight survive, namely: Andrew J., Jr.; Maria J., the
wife of James Woodward; Sarah E., who married William Newby; Cora A.,
now Mrs. Charles Ingram; Adele, the wife of Seymour Litter; Maud, the
wife of Sterling Litter; Chester, a resident of Columbia county; and
Tressie, who married Lenn Collins, now of Missouri.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. ANDREW J. ABEL]
Mr. Abel gives his political allegiance to the democratic party but
has not served in any office with the exception of that of member of
the school board. His wife belongs to the Christian church and he also
casts his influence on the side of right and justice. For more than
five decades he has been an interested witness of the progress that has
been made in Old Walla Walla county, and his reminiscences of the early
days are of much interest to the younger generation who are growing up
amid conditions vastly different from those that their parents found
here.
SMITH OWENS GWINN.
Smith Owens Gwinn is successfully engaged in farming on section 20,
township 11 north, range 40 east, in Columbia county. He was born in
Putnam county, Missouri, February 17, 1855, his parents being William
and Nancy (Triplett) Gwinn, both of whom were natives of Kentucky,
where they were reared and married. Soon afterward they removed to
Putnam county, Missouri, where they resided until 1864, when they
heard and heeded the call of the west. The stories which reached
them concerning the opportunities on the Pacific coast led them to
the determination to try their fortune in Washington. With ox teams
and wagons they traveled across the plains, being six months on the
journey, and at length they established their home in Walla Walla
county, six miles east of Walla Walla, where the father purchased one
hundred and sixty acres of land, for which he paid eighteen hundred
dollars. Today the same property is worth forty thousand dollars.
He lived upon that farm for a number of years and then sold the
property, after which he took up his abode in the city of Walla Walla,
spending his remaining days in the enjoyment of well earned rest. He
had acquired a comfortable competence sufficient to meet all of his
needs and also sufficient to supply him with the comforts of life.
He passed away in 1897, while his widow survived for about twelve
years, her death occurring in 1909. In his political views Mr. Gwinn
was a democrat, giving stalwart allegiance to the party. He served as
county assessor of Walla Walla county before it was divided, occupying
that position for three or four years. He was widely known throughout
the county, ranking as a representative business man and progressive
citizen, and as a pioneer he contributed much to the early development
of his section of the state. He and his wife were consistent and
faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were people
of the highest respectability, enjoying the goodwill and confidence
of all with whom they were associated. They left the impress of
their individuality for good upon the material, political and moral
development of the community.
Smith O. Gwinn was a lad of but nine years at the time of the removal
of the family to Washington, so that he pursued his education largely
in the schools of this district. He attended the Maxson school on
Russell creek and on reaching his majority he began farming on his own
account, renting land for that purpose. He raised two crops in Walla
Walla county and in the fall of 1877 removed to Columbia county, where
he homesteaded eighty acres. He failed, however, to get water on his
land and therefore sold his right, after which he purchased another
eighty acres with water on it. About 1880 he disposed of that farm and
invested in his present home place of one hundred and sixty acres. In
1895 he leased this farm to Charlie Thronson and removed to Dayton,
where he turned his attention to the livery business, with which he
was identified for four years. Later he was engaged in various lines
of business and retained his residence in Dayton until 1904, when he
removed to Portland, where he resided for two years. He then went to
Spokane, where the following year was passed, after which he returned
to Portland, Oregon, where he again lived for three years. Once more
he took up his abode in Spokane, where he remained until July, 1917,
when he returned to the old home farm in Columbia county. Upon this
place he has recently erected one of the most commodious and beautiful
country homes in southeastern Washington and he has added many other
modern improvements which add to the value and attractive appearance
of the place. He also owns four hundred and eighty acres of land which
constitutes one of the valuable wheat ranches of Columbia county. His
business affairs are carefully managed and his unfaltering energy has
carried him steadily forward to the goal of success.
Mr. Gwinn votes with the democratic party, of which he has been a
stalwart champion since attaining his majority. He belongs to Touchet
Lodge, I. O. O. F., and is one of the well known citizens of Columbia
county who has gained a gratifying measure of success owing to his
close application and indefatigable energy. His efforts have been a
contributing factor in bringing about the splendid results that have
been achieved in making southeastern Washington a notable agricultural
belt, especially adapted to wheat raising.
W. H. YOUNGER.
W. H. Younger, who superintends the operation of the Prescott mills as
agent for the Portland Flouring Mills Company, the largest concern of
the kind in the northwest, was born in Stockton, California, on the
29th of January, 1889, a son of Thomas W. and Nannie (Welch) Younger.
For a period of forty-three years the father was connected with the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company as superintendent of motive power but
has recently retired and now makes his home at Forest Grove, Oregon.
In the acquirement of his education W. H. Younger attended the public
schools of Portland and also the Portland Academy. When a youth of
sixteen years he entered the employ of the Portland Flouring Mills
Company, securing a position as office boy in their Portland offices.
With this important enterprise he has been connected continuously to
the present time, becoming thoroughly familiar with every phase of
the milling business, and that his services have been recognized as
of value is indicated by his steady promotion. In 1909 he was made
bookkeeper under E. H. Leonard, agent of the Prescott mills, serving in
that capacity for four years or until the 1st of April, 1913, when he
was appointed agent of the mills at Dayton, Washington. He had charge
of the mills there for four years and on the 1st of May, 1917, was
transferred to Prescott as agent at this point, in which connection he
is making an excellent and most commendable record.
On the 28th of June, 1910, Mr. Younger was united in marriage to Miss
Jessie Grace Anderson, of Portland, Oregon. Mr. Younger gives his
political allegiance to the republican party and is deeply interested
in matters of civic concern, having served as president of the
Dayton Commercial Club and as a member of the Dayton Board of Trade.
Fraternally he is identified with Dayton Lodge, F. & A. M., and he is
also a charter member of Whetstone Lodge, No. 157, K. P., in which
he has passed through all the chairs. His wife belongs to Trinity
Episcopal church of Portland and both enjoy an enviable position in the
social circles of Prescott, where they now make their home.
WILEY L. ARNOLD.
Wiley L. Arnold, a representative and successful agriculturist of Walla
Walla county, resides on section 26, township 8 north, range 37 east,
where he operates a well improved farm of forty-five acres, and he is
also the owner of another valuable farm of one hundred and eighteen
acres four miles distant from the aforementioned place. His birth
occurred in Tennessee on the 8th of September, 1866, his parents being
John and Anna Arnold, who spent their entire lives in that state. They
had two sons, the brother of our subject being Grant, who is still a
resident of Tennessee.
Wiley L. Arnold spent the period of his minority in his native
state and in 1887, when a young man of twenty-one years, made his
may to Spokane, Washington. Soon afterward, however, he removed to
Vancouver, Washington, where he also spent but a short time and then
went to Grants Pass, Oregon, there remaining during a winter season.
Subsequently he came to Walla Walla county, Washington, and here worked
on a ranch for three and one-half years. On the expiration of that
period he returned to Grants Pass, Oregon, but two years later again
made his way to Walla Walla county and purchased the farm on which
he now resides and to the cultivation of which he has devoted his
attention continuously to the present time. It is a highly improved
property, comprising forty-five acres on section 26, township 8
north, range 37 east, near Dixie. Mr. Arnold also owns another farm
of one hundred and eighteen acres nearby and in the conduct of his
agricultural interests has met with gratifying and well deserved
success, being energetic, enterprising and progressive. He is also a
stockholder in the warehouse at Sapellel.
In 1893 Mr. Arnold was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Perry, a
native of California and a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Shinn) Perry,
the former born in Canada and the latter in Michigan. They made the
trip to California in 1849 and after a number of years' residence in
that state took up their abode in Grants Pass, Oregon, where they
spent the remainder of their lives. They became the parents of twelve
children, eight of whom survive. To Mr. and Mrs. Arnold have been
born six children, as follows: Veora I., who is the wife of George W.
Bruce; Marion Harvey; Zeffie A.; Sarah F.; Ivan W.; and one who died in
infancy.
Mr. Arnold gives his political allegiance to the republican party and
has ably served as school director here. Fraternally he is identified
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Lodge No. 117,
and his wife is a consistent member of the Christian church. They are
widely and favorably known in Walla Walla county and Mr. Arnold enjoys
an enviable reputation as a self-made man whose success is the merited
reward of his unremitting industry and sound business judgment.
JOHN HOFFMANN.
John Hoffmann is one of the honored pioneer settlers of Walla Walla and
of the Inland Empire. There is no phase of the frontier development
with which he is not familiar, for he came here when the work of
progress seemed scarcely begun. In the years which have since elapsed
he has not only witnessed remarkable changes that have brought this
county to a foremost place in the way of improvement and development
but he has also taken a most active part in bringing about this result
by reason of his extensive interests and activities as an agriculturist.
Mr. Hoffmann was born in Germany, March 28, 1852, and remained in that
country until he reached the age of sixteen years, when his father
sent him to the new world in order that he might escape Bismarck's
compulsory military service law, which had been established at the
close of the Franco-Prussian war. He remained for a period in New
York and in the eastern part of the country but in 1878 reached Walla
Walla, being then a young man of twenty-six years. He began life as a
farm hand, and something of the intense activity and enterprise which
has ever characterized him is indicated in the fact that he came to
be the possessor of eight thousand acres of the finest land in the
wheat belt of Washington, having six thousand and eighty acres in one
body, which was but bunch grass land when taken by Mr. Hoffmann. It
is now well improved with fine buildings, supplied with best modern
improvements, including electric light and baths. Water is secured at
a depth of nine hundred and forty-five feet, Mr. Hoffmann being the
first to drill a deep well in this locality. His fine place certainly
indicates what energy, good judgment and determination can do. At the
time of his arrival, however, little land had been brought under the
plow and the city of Walla Walla was scarcely more than a trading
and military post. The wide fields were covered with sagebrush or
bunchgrass and there were no railroads. Mr. Hoffmann brought with him
a heavy team and with this he at once began work, hauling freight from
Wallula to Spokane and into the Coeur d'Alenes. It often required two
or three months to make such trips, for the horses had to be fed on
grass, as there was little grain for that purpose. With the completion
of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Mr. Hoffmann recognized the fact that
freighting would no longer be profitable and therefore looked about him
for some other means of support. He was unable to secure a homestead
because he could not remain upon it, necessity forcing him to provide
for his support in other ways. He therefore used his preemption right
and occupied one hundred and sixty acres of land on what is now Eureka
Flats. He used his team in work for others and as opportunity offered
rented adjoining land. It was about 1880 that he threshed his first
wheat crop from a tract of seventy-five acres, selling the crop at
about forty-four cents per bushel after hauling it eighteen miles to
Prescott. In his third year he harvested half a section of wheat but
as yet had no farm machinery. When sowing and threshing time came, Mr.
Hoffmann with his eight horses continued to work for others and in this
way paid for putting in and gathering his crops for several years. In
the meantime he was most carefully saving his earnings in order to
equip a farm, and whenever opportunity offered he also added to his
holdings, becoming the owner of four thousand four hundred acres on
the Eureka Flats. There he introduced punctuality and regulations as
stringent as those of a factory. He began work after three o'clock in
the morning to round up the horses and ended the day's work at dark or
later. He secured modern steam machinery and with his working system
he did more work than if he had forced his employes to continue their
labor from daylight until dark. There was no loss of time and each
move was made to count for the utmost. He kept in touch with every
phase of progressive farming and in fact was a recognized leader in
introducing improved methods. He studied agriculture from the practical
and from the scientific standpoints and, in fact, he recognized that
these two things are one. The results achieved were marvelous and as
his financial resources increased he continued making investments.
From time to time he purchased cheap land. He bought six sections of
railroad land along the Snake river to be used as horse pasturage
until rapidly moving settlement required it. For this he paid only
seventy-five cents per acre and after a few years he sold it at a net
profit of five dollars per acre, thus realizing a handsome sum on his
investment. He made other similar purchases of land, which in time
he turned into ready money, continuing to realize a fair profit. His
holdings at one time embraced over twelve thousand acres. He continued
to occupy his farm until 1893, when he removed his family to Walla
Walla, and in 1903 he retired from the active management of his farming
property. He helped to organize and is a director of Walla Walla's
Farmers Agency.
[Illustration: JOHN HOFFMANN]
[Illustration: THERESA HOFFMANN]
On April 25, 1881, Mr. Hoffmann was united in marriage to Miss Theresa
Kirchner, a native of Minnesota, who came to Washington with her
parents when she was a child of but four years. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffmann
have become the parents of ten children, seven of whom are yet living:
John Edward, an agriculturist of Columbia county, Washington; Bessie
D., who is the wife of Ben Grote, of Walla Walla; Anna, who gave her
hand in marriage to George Retzer, a druggist residing in Walla Walla;
Valline, who is pursuing a course in mechanical engineering in the
University of Washington at Seattle; Philip, a senior in the high
school; John William, who is an eighth grade pupil; and Corleen, who is
a freshman in the high school.
In politics Mr. Hoffmann has long been a stalwart republican and gives
unfaltering allegiance to the principles of the party, yet without
desire for office. He belongs to the Commercial Club and through that
agency works for the upbuilding and development of the city in which
he makes his home. He is well known in fraternal circles, holding
membership in Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M.; Walla
Walla Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; Columbia Commandery, K. T.; Oriental
Consistory, No. 2, A. & A. S. R.; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M.
S. For from thirty to forty years he has belonged to the order. He
and his wife are also members of the Order of the Eastern Star and
they are widely and prominently known socially, having a circle of
friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance. The
life record of Mr. Hoffmann is indeed a notable one and there is no
resident of Walla Walla who has more truly earned the proud American
title of a self-made man. Being early released from the military rule
of Germany, he found in the opportunities of the new world the chances
for advancement if the individual possesses industry and determination.
These qualities are his in large measure and step by step he has
progressed until he has long since occupied a place among the men of
affluence in Washington. For almost forty years he has been a witness
of the changes which have here occurred and is today one of the honored
pioneer settlers of Walla Walla county, his memory forming a connecting
link between the primitive past and the progressive present.
U. F. CORKRUM.
No student of history can carry his investigations far into the annals
of Walla Walla county without learning of the close connection of the
Corkrum family with the development of the agricultural interests
of this section of the state. U. F. Corkrum is numbered among the
progressive and enterprising wheat growers of Walla Walla county, where
he was born on the 1st of June, 1866. His father, Francis M. Corkrum,
was a native of Kentucky, and in early life went to Illinois, where
he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Killabrew, who was a native
of that state. They were residents of Illinois until 1865, when they
crossed the plains with ox teams to Washington. On their arrival the
father took up a homestead on Dry creek, about six miles northeast of
Walla Walla, where he resided until about 1895. He then removed to the
city, where the last twelve years of his life were passed, his death
occurring in 1907. He was one of the first men in this county to take
up wheat growing, demonstrating the possibilities for the successful
production of that crop in this section of the state. He became one of
the most extensive wheat growers of eastern Washington and acquired
twelve hundred acres of land, mostly devoted to wheat raising. His
widow survived him for a brief period, passing away in 1910.
U. F. Corkrum was educated in the Union school on Dry creek, with one
term at Whitman College. The winter seasons were devoted to his school
work, while the summer months were spent in farm labor. As early as his
nineteenth year he began farming on his own account and on attaining
his majority he made his first purchase of land, becoming owner of a
farm of two hundred and forty acres on Dry creek. To this he added at
intervals as his financial resources increased until 1893, at which
time he had ten hundred and thirty-five acres, but the widespread
financial panic of that year caused him to lose all that he had and
to start in business life anew. That he met discouragement bravely
and undertook his task with stout heart is indicated in the fact that
he now owns six hundred and forty acres of rich and valuable wheat
land and recently sold another tract of one hundred and sixty acres.
He is now residing in Walla Walla in order to give his children the
advantages of the city, but he is still one of the active wheat growers
of the county and his business affairs are systematically managed,
while the results that are attained are most desirable.
In 1897 Mr. Corkrum was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn Williams,
of Brecknockshire, Wales, who emigrated to the United States in 1894,
and came to Washington two years later. They now have four children,
namely: Franklin Carl, Frederick Victor and Ralph Edward, all of whom
are students in the Walla Walla high school; and Bertie Stanford, who
is attending the graded school.
In politics Mr. Corkrum is a democrat but is without ambition for
public office. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, to the teachings of which they consistently adhere, and their
influence is always on the side of right, progress and improvement.
They are honored among those whose financial liberality made possible
the fine new church built in 1917. Their cooperation can ever be
counted upon to advance and support movements for the benefit of the
individual and of the community at large and they advocate the highest
standards of citizenship. Mr. Corkrum's example is well worthy of
emulation. Many a man of less resolute spirit would have become utterly
discouraged by failure, but in his career difficulties and obstacles
have seemed but to serve as an impetus for renewed effort, calling
forth his latent powers. Recognizing that perseverance and industry are
essential features to success, he has ever cultivated those qualities
and has gained a most creditable position in business circles.
CLINTON H. CUMMINGS.
Clinton H. Cummings is a well known agriculturist residing on section
4, township 6 north, range 35 east, Walla Walla county, there owning
eighty acres of land in the richest part of the valley. His birth
occurred in Lewisburg, Union county, Pennsylvania, on the 13th of
August, 1855, his parents being Andrew and Catherine (Boney) Cummings,
who spent their entire lives in the Keystone state. The father worked
at the cabinet maker's trade in early life, but after the period of
the Civil war embarked in the furniture business and was identified
therewith in later years.
Clinton H. Cummings acquired a limited education in the district
schools and subsequently secured a position as clerk in a mercantile
establishment, while for a year and a half he was in the employ of the
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Company. In 1883 he heard and heeded
the call of the west and made his way to the Pacific coast country,
reaching Seattle on the 28th of April of that year. He remained in
that city for eight years, being employed in various ways, and in
1891 he came to Walla Walla county, Washington, where he secured a
position as manager of a grain warehouse. He was afterward employed
in different capacities at Walla Walla until 1896, when he took up a
homestead in the Nez Percé reservation and there devoted his attention
to general agricultural pursuits for seven years. On the expiration of
that period he disposed of the property and returned to Walla Walla,
where he established himself in the grocery business, successfully
conducting an enterprise of that character for ten years. He then
traded his store for his present farm holdings, which embrace eighty
acres of the richest land in the valley and to the cultivation of which
he has since devoted his attention, meeting with a well deserved and
gratifying measure of prosperity in this connection.
In 1889 Mr. Cummings was united in marriage to Miss Frances Belle
Kennedy, of Walla Walla. He is a democrat in politics and has served
for two terms as a member of the city council of Walla Walla, the fact
that he was elected in a strong republican ward being indicative of
his personal popularity and the public confidence in his capability.
Fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks, belonging to the Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287. His well directed
business activities have won him material success and by his upright
and honorable life he has gained the warm regard and friendship of many
with whom he has been brought in contact.
CHARLES ISECKE.
For almost a third of a century Charles Isecke was a resident of
Washington and during that long period made valuable contributions to
the work of development and progress in the state. There was no phase
of pioneer life in Washington with which he was not thoroughly familiar
and at all times he bore his part in the work of development and won a
substantial measure of business success. His personal qualities, too,
made him very popular and everyone whom he met was his friend.
Mr. Isecke was born in Pommern, western Prussia, May 8, 1842, and had
therefore completed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten
when called to his final rest. He acquired his education in the common
and normal schools of his native country and after putting aside his
textbooks began learning the miller's trade, with which he became
thoroughly familiar. He was twenty-four years of age when in 1866 he
severed home ties and bade adieu to his native land preparatory to
becoming a resident of America. Crossing the Atlantic, he located at
Buffalo, New York, and was there employed for a time in carpenter work
but afterward turned his attention to railway bridge building. The
west, however, attracted him and in 1874 he made his way to California,
where for four years he was employed in the car shops at Salida. In the
spring of 1878 he arrived in Washington, and after seeking a favorable
location decided upon Anatone, where he purchased a small store that
had been established only a short time before. Increasing the size of
the stock immediately, he continued to carry on the business for eleven
years with substantial success and in 1889 sold out to W. J. Clemans.
He then removed to Asotin and during the period of his residence
in that city was connected with various important industries and
business enterprises, becoming president of the Blue Mountain Lumber &
Manufacturing Company and also president of the bank of Asotin from its
organization until his demise.
[Illustration: CHARLES ISECKE]
Mr. Isecke was married in 1879, about a year after taking up his abode
in Anatone, the lady of his choice being Miss Mary L. Sutherland, of
Truro, Nova Scotia, with whom he had become acquainted in California.
Mr. Isecke was prominent in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
became a charter member of Hope Lodge, No. 30, at Anatone. He regularly
attended the lodge meetings, had filled all of the offices in the
organization and was always in attendance at the annual sessions of the
Grand Lodge. He gave his financial aid and assistance to all movements
calculated to benefit the community in which he lived and he was most
generous in his contributions to religious organizations and charitable
societies. He possessed a cheery nature, was ever considerate of
others and never failed to extend a helping hand where he could give
assistance. At Christmas time he was most generous in his gifts to the
poor and it was his desire that all people should be happy. His kindly
nature made him loved by all and his circle of friends was coextensive
with the circle of his acquaintance. On the fiftieth anniversary of
their graduation Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a poem concerning his
classmates in which he termed them "The Boys." Speaking of one of them
he said:
"You see that boy laughing, you think he's all fun
But the angels laugh, too, at the good he has done.
The children laugh loud as they troop to his call
But the poor man that knows him laughs loudest of all."
These words are entirely applicable to Mr. Isecke, who belonged to that
class of men who shed around them much of life's sunshine and who are
ever putting forth earnest and effective effort to ameliorate the hard
conditions of life for the unfortunate.
WILLIAM H. LEONARD.
William H. Leonard, one of the best known stock breeders in
southeastern Washington, where he took up his abode almost four decades
ago, is the proprietor of the Blue Ribbon Stock Farm on section 28,
township 14 north, range 41 east, and owns eleven hundred and sixty
acres of land, comprising one of the best improved farms in Garfield
county. His birth occurred in Vermilion county, Illinois, on the 1st of
March, 1860, his parents being William J. and Sarah Jane (Cronkhite)
Leonard, who were married in Illinois and spent the remainder of their
lives in Vermilion county, that state. The father was an agriculturist,
owning and cultivating two hundred and eighty acres of valuable corn
land in Vermilion county. He died when yet a comparatively young man,
passing away in 1866 or 1867, and his wife survived him for but ten
years.
William H. Leonard was a youth of but sixteen years when he lost his
mother and since that time he has made his own way in the world. In
1877 he journeyed westward by immigrant train to California, spending
two years in Los Angeles county, where he worked for wages. In 1879
he came to Washington, locating in Walla Walla county, where he again
worked for others for a period of two years and at the end of that time
settled in what was then Columbia county and is now Garfield county.
Here he took up a preemption claim of one hundred and sixty acres,
subsequently commuted this and then took up a homestead. At the same
time that he filed on his homestead he bought a quit claim on a timber
claim, on which he proved up later. Since then he has added to this
by purchase until his present holdings comprise eleven hundred and
sixty acres and he enjoys the distinction of owning one of the best
improved farms in Garfield county. During the past fourteen years Mr.
Leonard has specialized in the breeding of registered thoroughbred
shorthorn cattle and now has more than eighty head that are registered
or eligible to registry. He has attended the Lewiston livestock show
and sale with a carload of cattle for the past three years and has
gained a most enviable reputation as a breeder. His style of dealing
with his customers has contributed most to his success, demonstrating
that honesty is the best policy, for when one of his animals is placed
on the auctioneer's block, the buyers of his stock know that there are
no by-bidders running up the price and that every animal purchased
from him measures up to the standard set. The prosperity which has
come to him is indeed well deserved, for he has worked earnestly and
energetically as the years have gone on and by able management and
sound judgment has won a place among the leading stock breeders and
farmers of this section of the state.
In 1881 Mr. Leonard was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Starr, of
Columbia county, her father, William H. Starr, being among the early
pioneer settlers of that county. They have become the parents of five
children, as follows: Clara E., who is the wife of Fernando Freeburn,
a farmer of Garfield county; Izza C., who gave her hand in marriage to
W. Morse, of Waitsburg, Washington; William J., who operates the home
farm; Mary M., who was educated in the State Normal School at Cheney,
Washington, and is now engaged in teaching; and Mildred T., at home.
HEZEKIAH N. BROWN.
Hezekiah N. Brown, a retired farmer, residing in Dayton, Columbia
county, was born in central Tennessee, August 28, 1845, a son of John
and Perlina (Kincade) Brown, who were also natives of that state.
In 1847 they removed west to Arkansas, and there the father spent
his remaining years. The mother, however, came to Columbia county,
Washington, in 1874. The following year her death occurred. They had
eight children, of whom five survive, two residents of Washington; two
of Idaho; and one of Texas.
Hezekiah N. Brown received his education in Arkansas and there grew
to manhood. Most of his boyhood was spent in rail splitting and hard
work on the farm. In 1872 he determined to cast in his lot with the
Pacific northwest and came to what is now Columbia county, Washington,
but was then a part of Walla Walla county. He acquired title to land
and as time passed he was able to add to his holdings. Success was the
natural result of his hard work, thrift and good management, and he
still owns nine hundred and thirty-two acres, which is in a high state
of cultivation and is well improved. Although the buildings upon the
farm are now commodious, up-to-date and attractive in design, during
the first years of his residence here he lived in a box house. In 1909
he retired and removed to Dayton, where he still lives.
Mr. Brown was married in Arkansas in 1869, to Miss Elizabeth Carpenter,
whose birth occurred in Runnells county, Missouri, February 14, 1849.
To them have been born five children: Leo and George, both of whom are
farming; Elmer H., who is living in Seattle; Walter S., a merchant of
Spokane; and Luella, deceased.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. HEZEKIAH N. BROWN]
Mr. Brown has been a lifelong adherent to the democratic party and for
twenty-five years he rendered capable service as a member of the school
board. At the time of the Civil war he served in the Confederate army
under General Cooper, and although he was at the front four years and
took part in much hard fighting he came out without a scratch. Both he
and his wife are members of the Christian church, whose teachings are
the guiding principles of their lives. Mr. Brown was not only thrown
upon his own resources at an early age but until he was twenty-four
years old aided materially in the support of his parents. He is,
therefore, a self-made man and is entitled to the credit given those
who, through their own unaided efforts, have gained material success
and an honored place in their community.
C. A. HALES.
Since 1892, C. A. Hales has been identified with the sheep industry in
Washington and Oregon and is now senior partner in the firm of C. A.
Hales & Sons, prominent sheep raisers of Walla Walla county. He resides
on section 12, township 9 north, range 37 east, and has been a lifelong
resident of the northwest, his birth having occurred in Marion county,
Oregon, October 16, 1867, his parents being William H. and Lucinda
(Turner) Hales. The father crossed the plains in 1851, when a young
man of twenty-one years, and located near Portland, Oregon, when there
were but one or two log cabins on the site of the present beautiful
city. Later he went to California, where he followed mining for a
number of years, and in 1873 he became a resident of Weston, Oregon,
where he engaged in ranching and in the livestock business. He acquired
extensive land holdings and became a prominent factor in the livestock
industry in that section of the country, there remaining until his
death, which occurred in 1887. His wife had crossed the plains with
her parents in 1849, when but four years of age, the family home being
established in Marion county, Oregon. She still survives and makes her
home near that of her son, C. A. Hales, of this review.
In the common schools C. A. Hales acquired his education. He was but
twenty years of age at the time of his father's death, at which time
the latter's extensive and important business interests devolved upon
the son. He had to assume the management of the large farm holdings
and livestock interests, and though his responsibilities were heavy,
he proved adequate to the demands placed upon him. In 1892 he turned
his attention to the sheep industry and has in the course of years
become one of the foremost sheep men of the northwest, running some
twelve thousand head of sheep at the present time. His splendid
business ability is demonstrated by his successful control of extensive
interests of this character. He has a vast acreage on which to
pasture his flocks and he keeps in close touch with every condition
bearing upon the welfare of his business and upon the market. He is
thus thoroughly acquainted with everything that has to do with the
successful conduct of his interests.
In 1890 Mr. Hales was married to Miss Lucinda Galloway, of Morrow
county, Oregon, and to them have been born eight children, six of whom
are living, namely: Willis R., who is associated with his father in the
sheep business and is the manager of the Union Stock Yards at Pasco,
Washington; Alfred L. and Lester M., who are also associated with their
father in the sheep business; Marvin R.; Ila M.;, and Gertrude E.
Politically Mr. Hales is a stanch republican, while fraternally he is
identified with the Masons, belonging to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F.
& A. M., and Dayton Chapter, R. A. M. Mr. Hales and his family are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is much interested in
its work and generous in its support. He stands at all times for those
things which are a matter of benefit to the individual and to the
community at large and his influence is always on the side of progress,
justice, truth and right. His career has been notably successful. It
is true that something came to him through inheritance; on the other
hand, it is true that necessity is the spur of ambition and industry,
and there are too many cases where inheritance has seemed to enfeeble
effort rather than to call forth the most persistent purpose. Mr.
Hales, however, nobly met the tasks that developed upon him at his
father's death and in the conduct of business interests was and is
always looking for opportunities to advance. His course has been marked
by a steady progression and each forward step has brought him a broader
outlook and wider opportunities, which he has eagerly, promptly and
rightfully utilized. Moreover, his business affairs have always been
of a character that have contributed to public progress as well as to
individual success and through the management of his extensive sheep
interests he has done much to further prosperity in Walla Walla county.
HARVEY B. BATEMAN.
Among the honored early settlers of Old Walla Walla county was Harvey
B. Bateman, who took an active part in the development of this region,
especially along agricultural lines. He was born in Illinois on the
10th of November, 1833, and in early manhood crossed the plains,
enduring all the hardships and dangers of such a journey. On reaching
Washington he bought a farm near Waitsburg and continued to reside
thereon up to the time of his death, his time and attention being
devoted to farming.
In 1876 Mr. Bateman was united in marriage to Miss Susan Thomas, a
native of Missouri and a daughter of T. T. and Nancy (Curl) Thomas, who
in 1851 left their home in the Mississippi valley and after crossing
mountains and desert finally reached Linn county, Oregon, where the
father took up a donation claim. He built thereon a log cabin with
a clapboard roof and stick chimney and in this frontier home the
family lived in true pioneer style. He became one of the prominent and
influential citizens of his community and was called upon to represent
his district in the state legislature for two terms. Later he went to
Alaska, where his death occurred. His wife died in Washington. In their
family were ten children, of whom five are still living.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bateman were born twelve children, but Mida, the
wife of J. O. Windust, and four others are deceased. Those living
are: Mary, the wife of Andrew Gregg of Oakesdale, Washington; Nancy,
the wife of Wesley Star; John M.; James S.; Dollie, the wife of Fred
Porter; Katherine, the wife of W. F. Hawks; and Wilber, who is now
operating the homestead farm, comprising three hundred acres. The place
is well improved with good and substantial buildings and still belongs
to Mrs. Bateman.
Mr. Bateman was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to
which his widow also belongs, and his earnest Christian life won for
him the confidence and high regard of all with whom he came in contact
either in business or social life. He passed away in 1904 and was laid
to rest in the Waitsburg cemetery. Mrs. Bateman has not only reared her
own family but has also cared for five grandchildren, which she has
educated as well. Her life has been a busy and useful one and she well
merits the high esteem in which she is uniformly held.
WILLIAM E. CAHILL.
William E. Cahill, who is engaged in the abstract and general loan
business in Dayton, was born in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, on the
18th of January, 1862, his parents being William R. and Angeline C.
(Church) Cahill, both of whom were natives of the state of New York,
but in early life removed with their respective parents to Wisconsin,
where they reached man and womanhood. It was there that William R.
Cahill and Angeline C. Church were married, after which they located
upon a farm, Mr. Cahill devoting his attention to the development
and improvement of that place until after the outbreak of the Civil
war, when he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting
in the Union army in the fall of 1861. He served for three years and
participated in many hotly contested engagements. On one occasion he
was carrying on his back from the field a wounded man when a shell
burst near them and cut the man squarely in two and threw Mr. Cahill a
distance of seventy-five feet, the concussion being so great that it
burst both ear drums and partially paralyzed him, making him a physical
wreck through the following years of his life. He passed away in 1890.
In 1878 he had removed with his family to Columbia county, Washington,
arriving in Dayton on the 4th of May of that year. He took up his abode
upon a farm near Dayton, where he resided until about a year prior to
his death, when he established his home in the city of Dayton. His
widow still survives and now resides with her son, A. P. Cahill.
William E. Cahill spent the first sixteen years of his life in his
native state and during that period acquired a common school education
in Wisconsin. In 1878 he accompanied his parents to Washington and
subsequently became a student in the Dayton high school. At the age
of nineteen years he started upon his business career in a humble
capacity, being employed to wheel sawdust from under the saw in a
sawmill in the mountains near Dayton. Thirty days later he was promoted
to the position of driving a bull team of five yoke of bulls at the
sawmill. For three months during this summer he lived on red beans
and sour dough bread and he carried fifty cents in his pocket for
that entire period without having occasion to spend it. During the
following winter he attended the Dayton high school and subsequently he
took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for two years.
During this time he saved enough money to pay his tuition in the
Portland Business College, where he became a student. After completing
his course in that institution he once more returned to Dayton and
on the 4th of May, 1884, he accepted a clerkship in the mercantile
house of M. Hexter, by whom he was employed for seven years, his long
retention in that position indicating most clearly his fidelity,
capability and trustworthiness. He resigned his position on the 4th
of May, 1891, and opened a set of abstract books, since which time he
has been engaged in the abstract and insurance business, also handling
mortgage loans and acting as agent for various clients. He has built up
a business of extensive proportions and derives therefrom a gratifying
annual income. He was also one of the organizers of the Broughton
National Bank and became a member of the board of directors, in which
capacity he is still serving. He has from time to time made extensive
investments in farm lands and is now the owner of farm property
comprising two thousand acres eight miles east of Dayton.
Fraternally Mr. Cahill is connected with Columbia Lodge, No. 26, F. &
A. M., of Dayton, and with Dayton Lodge, No. 3, K. P. He is loyal to
the teachings and purposes of those organizations and enjoys the high
regard of his brethren. Dayton numbers him among its foremost citizens
and he is progressive in every movement that looks to the advancement
of the city and the upbuilding of its interests. There is no movement
for the public good which seeks his aid in vain, but he never has been
imbued with political ambition and prefers to do his public service
as a private citizen. He has been an interested witness of the growth
and development of this section of the state since pioneer times and
has been a contributing factor to the work that has been accomplished
in the way of promoting public improvement. Each forward step in his
career has brought him a wider outlook and broader opportunities and
his entire record has been marked by an orderly progression that has
brought substantial results.
HON. MILES CONWAY MOORE.
Honored and respected by all, there is no man who occupies a more
enviable position in public regard in Walla Walla than does Hon. Miles
Conway Moore, the last territorial governor of Washington and now a
prominent figure in banking circles. His high position in the regard
of his fellowmen is due not to the success which he has achieved but
to the straightforward, honorable purpose which he has ever followed.
He has made wise use of his time, his talents and his opportunities
and in laboring to promote his individual interests has also advanced
the welfare and progress of city and state at large. He is now the
president of the Baker-Boyer National Bank.
[Illustration: HON. MILES CONWAY MOORE]
Mr. Moore was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, April 17, 1845. His
father, Amos L. Moore, was a native of Delaware, while his mother
belonged to the Monroe family of which President James Monroe was
a representative--one of the oldest and most prominent families of
Virginia. At the age of twelve years Miles C. Moore accompanied his
parents on their removal from Ohio to Wisconsin and he was educated in
the Methodist Episcopal Institute at Point Bluff, Wisconsin. In 1863 he
came to Walla Walla, then a youth of but eighteen years, and was first
employed as a clerk in the store of Kyger & Reese. The following year
he embarked in business on his own account in Blackfoot City, a mining
town in Montana, but in the fall of 1866 he returned to Walla Walla
and entered into partnership in the conduct of a store under the firm
style of H. E. Johnson & Company. In 1869 he opened a general store as
a member of the firm of Paine Brothers & Moore. This establishment was
later converted into an agricultural implement business, which was the
first of the kind in eastern Washington.
In 1877 Mr. Moore became associated with his father-in-law, Dr. D.
S. Baker, in the grain business, buying extensively for those early
days. They loaded three ships at Astoria with the first wheat brought
from the interior of the state and continued in the wheat business
until 1879. The partnership, however, was maintained until the
death of Dr. Baker in 1888, at which time Mr. Moore was made one of
the administrators of the estate. Together they built six miles of
railroad up Mill creek in order to bring down timber and wood from the
mountains. After Dr. Baker retired from the grain business Mr. Moore
formed a partnership with his brother Charles and continued along that
line until the death of his brother in 1888. They bought grain in the
Palouse district and along Snake river. Our subject afterward devoted
several years to public affairs and in 1889 was chosen territorial
governor of Washington, which office he most ably filled. He was
interested in the Baker & Boyer Bank, which was the first private bank
established in this state, being organized in 1869 and made a national
bank in 1889. Mr. Moore became a stockholder and the vice president,
remaining in that position until the death of Mr. Boyer in 1898,
when he succeeded to the presidency and still remains at the head of
the institution, discharging his duties with marked capability. He
possesses notable executive force and his administrative direction has
been characterized by a recognition of all the different phases of
the business and its opportunities. He was likewise a stockholder in
the First National Bank of Walla Walla and is extensively interested
in real estate in various parts of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. His
investments have been most judiciously made and have brought to him a
very gratifying financial return.
In Walla Walla, in March, 1873, Mr. Moore was married to Miss Mary E.
Baker, a daughter of Dr. D. S. Baker, who was born in Portland, Oregon.
They are the parents of three children: Frank A., a resident of Walla
Walla; Walter B., deceased; and Robert L., also of Walla Walla. Mrs.
Moore died in 1904 at Oakland, California, where she had gone with the
hope of benefiting her health. In 1884 Mr. Moore purchased property
and erected the residence which has since been his home and where his
children grew up.
Governor Moore early came to a recognition of the duties and
obligations as well as of the privileges of citizenship and has been
a leading factor in promoting political progress and in advancing the
interests of his community and the commonwealth along many lines. In
1877 he was elected mayor of Walla Walla and in 1889 was appointed
governor, serving in that important position at the time when the
territory was merging into statehood. The duties which devolved
upon him in this connection were of a most delicate and important
character, but were discharged with credit and honor to himself and to
the satisfaction of the people at large. No plan or movement for the
benefit of the city along lines of progress and improvement seeks his
aid in vain. The public work that he has done has largely been of a
nature that has brought no pecuniary reward and yet has made extensive
demand upon his time, his thought and his energy. Opportunities that
others have passed by heedlessly he has noted and improved to the
betterment of the city and the state in many ways. He is extremely
modest and unostentatious in manner and all who know him speak of him
in terms of praise. In his life are the elements of greatness because
of the use he has made of his talents and his opportunities, because
his thoughts are not self-centered but are given to the mastery of
life's problems and the fulfillment of his duty as a man in his
relations to his fellowman and as citizen in his relations to his city,
state and country.
J. C. LEWIS
J. C. Lewis, who has resided in the Pacific northwest for more than
seventy years, is one of the most honored residents of Dayton. His
birth occurred in Kentucky, February 1, 1842, but when he was two years
old he was taken by his parents to Missouri, where the family home was
maintained for a year. In 1845 they removed to the Willamette valley,
the long trip across the plains being comparatively uneventful as
there was no trouble with the Indians and no serious shortage of food
or water. He grew to manhood in the Willamette valley and received
his education in its pioneer schools. He remained in Oregon until the
fall of 1869, when he came to Old Walla Walla county, Washington. The
following winter was spent on the site of the town of Dixie, which
was not platted until a number of years later, but in the fall of
1870 he took up a homestead in Columbia county eleven miles northeast
of Dayton. He devoted his time and attention to the cultivation of
his fields and the raising of stock and derived a gratifying annual
income from the sale of his farm products. In 1898, feeling that he
had accumulated a competence, he retired to Dayton, where he is still
living.
In 1864, in Oregon, Mr. Lewis was united in marriage to Miss Maria
Lapham, who in the spring of 1853, when seven years of age, accompanied
her parents and an elder sister on their removal from Michigan to the
Willamette valley. Not only was the trip across the plains long and
tedious, as the journey was made by ox team, but many misfortunes
overtook the train, which, captained by a Mr. Eliott, attempted to
reach the Willamette valley by a cut off route known as the "lost
trail." As the result of the many hardships of the journey Mrs. Lapham
died in eastern Oregon and the only coffin available was the wagon
box. Not long after this the party lost its way and all came very
nearly perishing of thirst. They were also attacked by Indians and
their cattle driven away and Mr. Lapham and his small daughters found
themselves alone and afoot in the Deschutes country. Leaving the two
little girls in camp with a little flour, the father set out in search
of the cattle, hoping to find at least a few. During his absence a
rescuing party found the girls and took them to the Willamette, Maria
riding behind the captain of the party down the Mackenzie river.
Mr. Laphan settled in Willamette valley and passed away in Dayton,
Washington in 1901 at the age of ninety years. The older daughter
died soon after reaching the family's destination but the younger, as
before stated, became the wife of Mr. Lewis and is still living in
Dayton. By her marriage she became the mother of six children, but only
two daughters are now living: Mrs. Wilson McBride and Mrs. John A.
McCauley, both of Columbia county.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. J. C. LEWIS]
Mr. Lewis is a strong advocate of republican principles and supports
the candidates of that party by his ballot. He served as county
commissioner from 1888 to 1892 and in 1906 was appointed to the
board to fill out eighteen months of an unexpired term. Practically
the entire story of the development of the northwest is a matter of
personal knowledge to him, for when he accompanied his parents to
Oregon the city of Portland had not been thought of and there were
no settlements in the valley with the exception of Oregon City and a
trading post at Salem. He has taken great pleasure in watching the
marvelous changes that have since occurred and is confident that
a still greater future is in store for this section. At all times
his attitude has been that of a public-spirited citizen willing to
subordinate private interests to the general good and performing
faithfully all the duties devolving upon him. Both he and his wife have
hosts of friends in Dayton and throughout Columbia county, and the
leisure which they are enjoying is well merited.
LAWRENCE O. McINROE.
Lawrence O. McInroe is the owner of one of the well improved farms of
Walla Walla county, his place being situated on section 34, township
8 north, range 36 east, where he has four hundred and forty-two acres
of rich and valuable land. He is one of the native sons of the county,
his birth having occurred within its borders December 29, 1874. His
parents were James and Cordelia (Nelson) McInroe, the former a native
of the state of New York, while the latter was born in Iowa, where
their marriage was celebrated. The father crossed the plains in the
year 1852, assisting Mr. Sharpstein in bringing a herd of horses across
the country. He remained for some time but afterward returned to Iowa
and it was subsequent to that event that he was married. The spell of
the west, however, was upon him and soon after his marriage he brought
his bride to Walla Walla county. Here he took up a homestead and later
he purchased more land, becoming actively and prominently identified
with agricultural interests. Adding to his possessions from time to
time, he was at his death the owner of eight hundred and eighty acres
of valuable wheat land and was numbered among the prosperous farmers of
this section of the state. Both he and his wife died in this county.
In their family were but two sons, the younger being Frank, who now
resides southeast of Walla Walla.
Lawrence O. McInroe was reared and educated in the county where he
still resides, supplementing his public school course by study in a
business college. After attaining his majority he began farming on
his own account on the land which he now owns. He had been reared
to the occupation of farming and had early become familiar with the
best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He has
always kept in close touch with the trend of modern progress along
agricultural lines and his valuable farm property of four hundred and
forty-two acres indicates his careful supervision and his progressive
methods. He has added splendid buildings to his place and all modern
equipments and improvements. He makes a specialty of raising wheat,
to which the soil is splendidly adapted, and he is also successfully
engaged in stock raising, keeping high grade cattle, horses and hogs
upon his farm.
In 1902 Mr. McInroe was united in marriage to Miss Zenna Buroker,
a native of Walla Walla county and a daughter of William and May
(Gallaher) Buroker. Mr. McInroe belongs to the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and his wife is connected with the Rebekahs. He is also
a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His political
allegiance is given to the democratic party but he has never sought
nor desired office. He and his wife attend the Presbyterian church and
they are widely and favorably known in the community where they reside.
Since starting out in the business world he has made steady progress.
His industry and perseverance are among his salient characteristics
and upon these qualities he has builded his success. He is not only
progressive in all that he undertakes but is thoroughly reliable and
his business integrity stands as an unquestioned fact in his career.
SAMUEL WALTERS.
Samuel Walters, a well known merchant and assistant postmaster of
Starbuck, Washington, was born in Australia on the 24th of May, 1869,
his parents being John T. and Elizabeth (Neil) Walters. His father was
a native of Pennsylvania but in 1853 went to Australia, where he was
married, the mother being of Scotch descent but born in Australia.
They continued to reside in that country until 1871 when they came to
the United States and took up their abode in Iowa, where they made
their home for nine years. In 1880 they arrived in Walla Walla county,
Washington, but after living here for about three years removed to
Whitman county and later to Stevens county, where their last days were
passed. To them were born eight children and six of the number still
survive.
Samuel Walters was only two years of age when his father returned to
America, bringing with him his family, and the son was principally
educated in the common and high schools of Whitman county, Washington.
After putting aside his textbooks he entered the service of a railroad
company and continued in that line of work for six years. In 1910 he
came to Starbuck and has since engaged in mercantile pursuits, carrying
on business under the name of the Starbuck Trading Company, of which he
is secretary and treasurer. He is a progressive, energetic business man
of sound judgment and keen discrimination.
Mr. Walters was married in 1908 to Miss Alberta Gerking, of Waitsburg,
Washington, and to them has been born a daughter, Elizabeth. Mrs.
Walters is a member of the Episcopal church, and Mr. Walters is
identified with the Woodmen of the World and the Masonic fraternity,
holding membership in Lodge No. 106, A. F. & A. M., in which he has
filled all the chairs. The democratic party finds in him a stanch
supporter of its principles and he is now serving as chairman of his
precinct. For the past five years he has served as city treasurer of
Starbuck and is also filling the position of assistant postmaster. No
trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed in the slightest degree and
he well merits the confidence of his fellow citizens.
JOHN BLESSINGER.
For more than forty-two years John Blessinger was a resident of
Columbia county and was one of its most esteemed citizens, manifesting
throughout his entire life those sterling traits of character which
in every land and clime awaken confidence and regard. He was born in
Pennsylvania on the 8th of March, 1838, and when he was but a young
child accompanied his parents on their removal to Hancock county,
Indiana. It was there that he was reared to early manhood and in the
common schools of that locality he acquired his education. About 1859,
however, he left the middle west and made his way to the Pacific
coast, settling in the Willamette valley near Salem, Oregon. During
the following ten years or more he devoted his attention to mining
and then came northward to Washington, arriving in Dayton on the 1st
of November, 1872. This section was then a largely undeveloped and
unimproved district. He purchased land and turned his attention to
farming, his home ranch being located about five miles east of Dayton.
It comprised six hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land
and he developed it into one of the most valuable wheat farms of
Columbia county. The soil is splendidly adapted to the production of
that crop and Mr. Blessinger's methods were at once practical and
progressive. In addition to that property he owned other land and was
classed among the county's most successful and enterprising farmers.
His labors brought splendid results and his methods constituted the
last word in progressive agriculture. About 1900 he removed to Dayton,
turning over the operation of his farm to his sons, and he then became
one of the organizers of the Broughton National Bank, of which he was
made a member of the board of directors.
On the 21st of April, 1872, Mr. Blessinger was united in marriage to
Miss Harriet Byrd, of Marion county, Oregon, a daughter of Luther Byrd,
who crossed the plains with ox teams from Arkansas to Oregon in 1854
or 1855. He took up his abode in Marion county, that state, and there
engaged in farming to the time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Blessinger
became the parents of seven children, five of whom survive, as follows:
John B., who follows farming in Columbia county, Washington; Albert
E., who is an agriculturist of Columbia county and resides in Dayton;
Myrtle, at home; Leo, who is engaged in farming in Columbia county; and
Fred, who operates the home place.
Mrs. Blessinger resides in a comfortable home in Dayton, her husband
having left her in easy financial circumstances. She is a devoted
member of the Congregational church and her aid and influence are
always given on the side of reform and progress. She is a member of the
Halpine Society and is also a member of the Red Cross Society. She is
a lady of culture and refinement and is constantly extending a helping
hand where aid is needed, taking a most active part in charitable work.
Mr. Blessinger was numbered among the esteemed citizens of Dayton,
being a man of sterling character, and when death called him the
deepest regret was felt throughout the community in which he lived.
HENRY F. WATROUS.
Prominent among the self-made men of Columbia county is Henry F.
Watrous, whose life has been principally devoted to agricultural
pursuits, and success has attended his well directed efforts. He
was born in Green county, Wisconsin, January 26, 1848, his parents
being Levi W. and Elmira (Fish) Watrous, natives of Canada and Ohio,
respectively. On leaving the Dominion the father removed to Wisconsin,
where he was married and where he continued to make his home until
1850. The following five years were spent in Iowa but at the end of
that time he went to Minnesota, where he lived for the same length of
time. He then returned to Iowa and in 1875 came to Washington, settling
in Old Walla Walla county. He took up a soldier's claim of one hundred
and sixty acres a mile and a half from Dayton and built thereon a box
house, making his home upon that place until the required improvements
were made; he then sold the farm and brought his family here. There
were eleven children and nine of the number are still living.
During his boyhood Henry F. Watrous accompanied his parents on their
various removals but was principally reared and educated in Iowa,
attending the common schools there. At an early age he began earning
his own livelihood by working as a farm hand at seventeen dollars per
month and was thus employed for two years, during which time he saved
enough money to come west. It was in 1871 that he crossed the continent
to Salt Lake City, which was then the terminus of the railroad, and
from there continued his journey on horseback in company with an uncle
and his family who rode in a wagon. On reaching Dayton, Washington,
he found employment on a farm at four hundred dollars per year and
at the end of that time was able to send for his father. After the
latter's arrival they contracted to purchase a sawmill near the mouth
of Jim creek, agreeing to pay for the plant with lumber, which was
the principal medium of exchange in those days. Whenever enough clear
lumber had been cut to warrant a trip to Walla Walla, Henry Watrous
would start with a load drawn by oxen and would sell the same for
thirty-five to forty dollars per thousand. After operating the mill
for four years it was traded for the farm still owned by our subject
but he has added to the original tract until he now owns nine hundred
and fifty acres of land, all improved and devoted to wheat. Until 1914
he operated his land but has since rented the place and is now living
retired in Dayton, where he owns a fine residence. He is a stockholder
in a grain warehouse there and is today one of the prosperous citizens
of the community.
[Illustration: HENRY F. WATROUS]
[Illustration: MRS. HENRY F. WATROUS]
In 1903 Mr. Watrous married Miss Sadie Williams, a native of Missouri,
and although they have no children of their own they have an adopted
daughter, Bonnie. Mr. Watrous is a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge,
No. 10, of Dayton, and is a republican in politics. He has efficiently
served as a member of the school board but has never had the time nor
inclination for office, his business affairs claiming his undivided
attention. Although he has met with hardships and difficulties in his
career he has overcome these by persistent effort and is today one
of the substantial citizens of his community, his success being the
just reward of his industry and good management, for he is a man of
excellent business ability and sound judgment.
E. F. DUNLAP.
E. F. Dunlap holds the responsible position of manager of the Dayton
plant of the Portland Flouring Mills Company and throughout his entire
career has been connected with this corporation, entering its service
in the humble capacity of office boy. From that point he has steadily
worked his way upward and his orderly progression has brought him to
the position which he now occupies and for which he is well qualified,
for as the years have gone on he has gained comprehensive and extensive
knowledge of the business in all of its phases. He is numbered among
the native sons of Oregon, his birth having occurred in Wallowa county,
on the 5th of October, 1887, his parents being Robert C. and Mary
E. (Pool) Dunlap, both of whom are natives of the Willamette valley
of Oregon, their respective parents having been among the earliest
settlers of that section of the country. Following their marriage they
established their home in Wallowa county, where the father engaged in
the live stock business, there remaining until 1898, when he removed to
Walla Walla county, Washington. He took up his abode upon a ranch near
Prescott and is here engaged in operating a hay and dairy farm, being
numbered among the representative agriculturists of this section of the
state.
E. F. Dunlap, spending his boyhood days under the parental roof,
acquired his education in the graded schools and in 1902, when a youth
of fifteen, started upon his business career, securing a position as
office boy in the plant of the Portland Flouring Mills Company at
Prescott, Washington. His fidelity, ability and trustworthiness led
to promotion and he was afterward made assistant bookkeeper. In 1908
he was transferred to the Dayton mills as bookkeeper and in 1913 he
was returned to Prescott as local manager of the plant. On the 1st of
May, 1917, he was again sent to Dayton as manager of the mills, in
which capacity he is now serving and as the controlling factor in the
operation of the plant here he is doing splendid work for the company.
The latest processes of flour manufacture are utilized here and the
plant is splendidly equipped, while the standard of excellence is ever
fully maintained.
In 1913 Mr. Dunlap was united in marriage to Miss Susan Weatherford,
a daughter of F. M. Weatherford, of whom extended mention is made
elsewhere in this work. In his political views Mr. Dunlap maintains an
independent attitude with republican tendencies. He belongs to Alki
Lodge, No. 136, I. O. O. F., and also to Whetstone Lodge, No. 157, K.
P., of Prescott. He is one of Dayton's representative and progressive
men. Almost his entire life has been passed in Washington and the
spirit of western enterprise finds exemplification in his career and
has gained for him a substantial measure of success.
W. H. STONECIPHER.
W. H. Stonecipher, who follows farming on section 10, township 8 north,
range 37 east, in Walla Walla county, is a representative business man
whose wise use of time and opportunities has gained for him a place
among the prosperous agriculturists of this part of the state. He had
no assistance at the outset of his career and whatever he has achieved
and enjoyed is the direct result of his own labors. He came to the
Pacific coast country from the middle west, his birth having occurred
in Washington county, Illinois, December 29, 1869, his parents being
James A. and Margaret (Breeze) Stonecipher. The father was a native of
Indiana but removed to Jefferson county, Illinois, with his parents
when but two years of age and it was in the latter county that the
mother was born and reared. They were there married and the father
subsequently purchased a farm just over the county line in Washington
county, where he lived until his seventieth year, when he returned to
Jefferson county, taking up his abode in the town of Cravat, where he
lived retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest up to the time of
his demise.
W. H. Stonecipher acquired a limited education in the district schools
near his father's farm and through the period of his boyhood and youth
aided in the work of the fields, early becoming familiar with all of
the arduous tasks incident to the development and cultivation of the
crops. After reaching his twenty-first year, or in the spring of 1891,
he came to the west with Washington as his destination. He arrived in
Waitsburg on the 13th of March and during the following summer worked
for wages as a farm hand. In 1892 he went into the Palouse country and
there prospected for a desirable location. Not finding anything to
suit him, however, he returned to Walla Walla county and through the
succeeding five years was again employed by others. In 1896 he made
his first purchase of land, becoming the owner of a forty-acre tract.
Not long afterward he acquired eighty acres additional and two years
later he bought one hundred and twenty acres making his farm one of two
hundred and forty acres. For some years he not only cultivated this
land but also worked for wages for others in order to help pay for his
own place. He made use of every spare hour and as a consequence he has
prospered. In 1909 he purchased the Electric Farm of five hundred and
fifty acres. Prior to this, or in 1907, he had purchased the Boley
Robbins farm of four hundred and eighty acres, which he traded in on
the Electric Farm in 1909. In 1913 he traded the latter property for
seven hundred and thirteen acres adjoining his home place, which thus
was extended, becoming a tract of nine hundred and fifty-three acres.
It is located in the heart of the Spring valley district, the richest
wheat growing belt of Walla Walla county. Mr. Stonecipher not only
successfully cultivates this land but for the past fourteen years he
has also rented and farmed the T. P. Ingall's place of seven hundred
and four acres. This property he purchased in December, 1917, and he
therefore now owns one thousand six hundred and fifty-seven acres, his
interests being most extensive, so that he is ranked with the leading
agriculturists of Walla Walla county. He has closely studied soil and
climatic conditions, so that he is thoroughly acquainted with what
can be done in the way of crop production here. His methods are most
progressive, his business affairs are systematically handled and in all
things he displays sound judgment as well as unfaltering enterprise.
In 1895 Mr. Stonecipher was united in marriage to Miss Alta Winifred
Gerking, a daughter of D. B. Gerking, who was one of the pioneer
settlers of Walla Walla county and now resides in Rose Lake, Idaho. Mr.
and Mrs. Stonecipher have become the parents of six children, three
sons and three daughters, as follows: Lola M., the wife of O. Glen
Conover, who is in the service of his father-in-law; Grace H., who
attended the Washington State College for two years and is now pursuing
her studies in the State Normal School at Ellensburg; James D., who is
in his senior year in the Waitsburg high school; M. Blanche, a public
school pupil; Harvey V.; and Chester B. On December 23, 1917, a baby
daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Glen Conover, the first granddaughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Stonecipher.
Mr. Stonecipher gives his political endorsement to the republican
party. He has served as a member of the school board for twenty years
and his wife is now a member of that board. Fraternally he is connected
with Waitsburg Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F., and with the Woodmen of the
World and is true and loyal to the teachings of these organizations,
which recognize man's obligations to his fellowmen. At different points
in his career difficulties and obstacles have barred his path and he
has had many hardships to overcome, but persistent energy has enabled
him to work his way upward and his life proves the eternal principle
that industry wins. His course may well be followed by others who
desire to attain honorable success, and although he started out in life
empty-handed, he is now the possessor of a very handsome competence and
has worthily won the proud American title of a "self-made man."
WILLIAM P. FISHER.
William P. Fisher is an enterprising farmer of Walla Walla county,
residing on section 27, Small township, where he owns and cultivates a
valuable tract of land embracing eighty acres. His birth occurred in
Ohio an the 6th of October, 1860, his parents being Joseph and Lydia E.
(Dyke) Fisher, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio.
They were married in the Buckeye state and a number of years later
removed to Kansas, where the father passed away and where the mother
still makes her home. They became the parents of five children, all of
whom are living.
William P. Fisher was a lad of twelve years when the family home was
established in Kansas and it was in that state that he acquired his
education. In 1900, seeking the broader opportunities of the west, he
made his way to the Yakima country and there remained for twelve years.
The year 1915 witnessed his arrival in Walla Walla county, Washington,
where he has since resided. He purchased eighty acres of land on
section 27, Small township, and has improved the property until it is
now a valuable and productive tract, annually yielding golden harvests
in return for the care and labor which he bestows upon it. He also
owns a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres on the
Snake river and has won a place among the substantial and progressive
agriculturists of the community.
In 1881 Mr. Fisher was united in marriage to Miss Martha L. Twidwell,
born near Peoria, Illinois, and a daughter of A. K. and Mary Ann
(Myers) Twidwell, who were also natives of Illinois. Both passed away
in Kansas, in which state they had established their home in the early
'70s. To Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have been born seven children, as follows:
Charles L., who is a farmer of Washington; George L., living at Mabton,
this state; Myrtle V., the wife of L. B. Heffron, of Walla Walla; R.
B., who is a resident of Grandview, Washington; Nina B., who is the
wife of H. P. Mears, of Touchet, Washington; D. O., who is engaged in
farming; and W. F., who operates his father's farm. Mr. Fisher gives
his political allegiance to the republican party and has ably served as
a member of the school board. Both he and his wife are devoted members
of the Christian church, taking an active and helpful part in its work.
They have an extensive circle of friends throughout the locality and
are widely recognized as people of genuine personal worth.
JAMES L. DUMAS.
Among the horticulturists of southeastern Washington who have won
prominence in their chosen calling is James L. Dumas, one of the
pioneer orchardists of the northwest. He is proprietor of the famous
Pomona Fruit Ranch, five miles west of Dayton, Washington, which
contains an orchard of one hundred and twenty acres of commercial
apples. His home is one of the most beautiful country residences in
Columbia county and the place is provided with all city conveniences.
Mr. Dumas was born in Clark county, Missouri, on the 1st of December,
1862, and is a son of Louis P. and Nancy W. (Waggener) Dumas, the
former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. Both parents
died in Missouri, where they made their home for some years, and of the
five sons born to them only two are now living.
James L. Dumas grew to manhood in his native state and on leaving there
in 1882 came to Washington, where he attended Whitman College for three
years. Several years were then devoted to teaching and he subsequently
pursued a course in a normal school in New York state, from which he
was graduated in 1891. The following year he was sent to the Hawaiian
islands to conduct a teachers training school and he remained in that
beautiful country for five years.
It was while en route to the Hawaiian islands that Mr. Dumas made a
trip through the fruit districts of California and this undoubtedly
influenced him to take up horticulture on coming to Washington. Thus
originated the Commercial apple industry in the Touchet valley. On his
return to this state in 1897 Mr. Dumas purchased his present farm of
two hundred and forty acres in Columbia county and he now has about
half of that amount in apples, from which he has raised on an average
of thirty-four thousand one hundred boxes of apples in the last ten
years. In the fall of 1917 he harvested over forty thousand boxes of
apples.
[Illustration: JAMES L. DUMAS]
In 1888 Mr. Dumas married Miss Fannie J. Storie, a native of New York,
in which state her parents, Kennedy and Isabel Storie, both died. Mr.
and Mrs. Dumas have four children, namely: Loren F., who is a graduate
of the Washington State College; Mabel, a student at the Bellingham
Normal School; Alura, who is attending high school; and Edwin, now
seven years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Dumas are members of the Congregational church of Dayton
and he is one of its trustees. In politics he is an ardent republican
and has served as a delegate to the state conventions of that party.
Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows but his chief interest is in the apple industry and
he has taken a very active and prominent part in the work of those
organizations designed to promote horticulture. He has served as
president of the Washington State Horticultural Society and as such did
much to improve the orchards of the northwest. The society never had
a more active head or one who took the same impartial interest in all
fruit growing districts of this section. He has made two trips to the
nation's capital in the interest of the northwestern growers. A lover
of the great outdoors, it was but natural that he should be among the
first to join the "back-to-the-farm" movement in this country and as a
representative of the Washington State Country Life Commission he has
addressed thousands of interested people in the northwest. Mr. Dumas
is vice president of the Broughton National Bank. He has served on the
state board of education and is a member of the American Pomological
Society; the Society for the Promotion of Horticultural Science; the
National Educational Association; and the American Genetic Society. He
has been superintendent of the Dayton schools and the public schools
of Pullman and was the honored president of the Washington State
Educational Association. In 1915 he was elected one of the five members
of the executive board of the American Pomological Society. It will
thus be seen that he has been prominently identified with a number of
organizations whose object has been to promote the welfare of this
region along many lines and he well deserves mention among its most
public-spirited and progressive citizens.
R. W. LOUNDAGIN, D. V. M.
Dr. R. W. Loundagin, who is engaged in the practice of veterinary
surgery in Waitsburg, was born in Benton, Arkansas, December 28, 1859,
a son of George W. and Rhoda J. (Stewart) Loundagin. The father was a
native of Tennessee and the mother's birth occurred in Indiana. They
removed to Arkansas with their respective parents and were married
later in that state. In April, 1861, they left Little Rock, Arkansas,
for the Pacific coast country, crossing the plains with ox teams. They
were en route for six months and at length arrived in Walla Walla,
Washington, about the 1st of October. They camped in the shadow of
the fort for three or four weeks, after which Mr. Loundagin rented a
small place of forty acres from an old man of the name of Massey. Upon
that tract Mr. Loundagin spent the winter and followed farming. In the
following summer he purchased a quit claim deed from W. P. Bruce on a
quarter section about a mile and a half south of Waitsburg. This was in
the Coppei valley. He paid Mr. Bruce two thousand dollars to move off
the claim and Mr. Loundagin filed on the property as a homestead. In
the years following he purchased land adjoining and continued to add
to his possessions until his holdings comprised one thousand acres,
constituting one of the most valuable wheat farms in Walla Walla
county. He also owned other lands throughout the county, his holdings
amounting together between four and five thousand acres. He was one of
the first men to demonstrate that wheat could be successfully grown on
the hills and uplands, and in proving this fact he contributed much
to the development and prosperity of the county, as many followed his
example and now the Walla Walla wheat belt is famous throughout the
country. Mr. Loundagin continued to reside upon the old home farm up to
within seven years of his death, when he removed to Waitsburg, turning
over the operations of his farm to a son. He passed away about 1910,
having for five years survived his wife. In their deaths the county
lost two of its representative and valued pioneer people.
R. W. Loundagin was only about two years of age when brought by his
family to the northwest. He acquired a district school education and
through the period of his boyhood and youth worked with his father,
to whom he continued to render active assistance until 1883. He then
embarked in business on his own account, purchasing a livery stable in
Waitsburg. The following year, however, he sold that property and again
resumed active connection with agricultural interests, purchasing four
hundred and eighty acres of railroad land two and a half miles north
of Bolles Junction, for which he paid five dollars per acre. He lived
upon that farm and kept bachelor's hall for eighteen years, after which
he sold the property at ten dollars per acre, which was all that he
could get at that time. Recently, however, the farm sold for seventy
dollars per acre. While residing upon that tract of land Mr. Loundagin
purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Columbia county, in the Hog
Eye valley, four and a half miles east of Waitsburg. Most of that land
is devoted to alfalfa and is very valuable. Mr. Loundagin still owns
that farm property and from it derives a gratifying annual income.
From his youth Dr. Loundagin was deeply interested in horses, and by
reason of the successful manner in which he treated his own horses
when they needed medical attention, he was called upon to treat his
neighbors' horses. As these calls became more frequent he began to
read and study recognized works on veterinary surgery, including such
authorities as Professor Fleming, A. H. Baker, Professor James A. Lawe,
A. C. Copeland and others. His practice in time became a very large
one and today he is classed among the ablest veterinary surgeons in
southeastern Washington. In 1909 he built a modern veterinary hospital,
which was the first private institution of this kind built in the
state. It proved a financial success and his practice has continuously
and successfully increased to the present time.
In 1902 Dr. Loundagin was married to Miss Albertina Smith, of Hanford,
California. He votes with the democratic party and keeps well informed
on the questions and issues of the day. He has never been an office
seeker. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church
and are loyal to its teachings and its principles. His life has been
an active and useful one and he has made steady progress in the field
of his chosen profession and his other fields of endeavor, and his
ability, industry and thoroughness have brought him a substantial
measure of success.
OSCAR E. KING.
Farming interests in Columbia county find a worthy representative in
Oscar E. King, a well known agriculturist who owns and cultivates a
valuable property on section 9, township 11 north, range 40 east. He
was born on the farm where he now resides, February 15, 1871, his
parents being William B. and Elizabeth (Cantonwine) King, the former
a native of Indiana, while the latter was born in Iowa. The father
crossed the plains to the Pacific coast as a young man, making his
way to California in 1852. There he was employed for a time in survey
work and subsequently he conducted the Woodville House, a well known
hostelry situated on the Rabbit Creek road, about forty miles from
Marysville, California. In 1855 he returned to the east by way of the
Isthmus route, but the lure of the west was upon him and again by way
of the Isthmus route he made his way to the Pacific coast. In those
days hay was worth eighty dollars per ton and Mr. King brought with him
six hundred pounds of Hungarian grass seed, expecting to make a small
fortune in the growing of hay. The following season, however was one
of drought and, failing to raise a crop, his funds were exhausted in
the venture and his season's work amounted to naught. In 1862 he came
to Walla Walla county, arriving in the city of Walla Walla on the 4th
of July. He then went up into the Idaho mines, but not meeting with
success, he retracted his steps and spent the winter in Oregon. In the
spring of 1863 he again came to Walla Walla and the following spring
took a sub-contract under Captain Mullen to carry the mail from Walla
Walla to Colville. He took the mail on horseback and remained as mail
carrier for two years and nine months. His employer, Captain Mullen,
becoming involved in financial difficulties, Mr. King was unable to
collect a cent for his services for the entire period. Later he secured
the mail contract direct from the government and operated a stage line
from Walla Walla to Lewiston for four years. In 1867 he turned his
attention to agricultural pursuits, purchasing his farm on the Tucanon
river in Columbia county, and in 1868 he settled upon his land, while
at the same time he continued to operate his stage line with hired
help. He was thus closely and prominently associated with the work of
early development and improvement in this section of the northwest. His
wife had crossed the plains with her parents in 1863, the family having
as their outfit both ox and mule teams. Mrs. King was then a young girl
in her teens and drove the mule team throughout the entire journey
across the plains. The Cantonwine family spent the winter of 1863-4 in
the Willamette valley of Oregon and in the spring of the latter year
came to Washington, where they took up a homestead near the present
site of Dixie, and later Mr. Cantonwine built the first hotel in
Waitsburg, his daughter, Mrs. King, acting as cook for the few boarders
who patronized the house in that early period. After locating on his
farm William B. King took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres
adjoining his original place and in subsequent years he and his sons in
partnership bought other farm lands until their holdings approximated
two thousand acres. Mr. King was thus actively, prominently and
successfully identified with the agricultural development of the county
until his death, which occurred April 12, 1911. His widow survived him
for but a brief period, passing away on the 11th of March, 1912. In
their family were four sons and three daughters who are yet living, as
follows: Harry and Edwin S., well known farmers of Columbia county,
Washington; Oscar E., of this review; Silas L., a resident of Pomeroy,
Washington; Zorah I., who is the widow of R. A. Jackson and resides in
Dayton; Alice, who gave her hand in marriage to Henry Delaney, a farmer
of Columbia county; and Frankie G., the wife of A. P. Cahill, who is a
banker of Dayton, Washington.
Oscar E. King pursued his early education in the country schools and
supplemented it by a business course in the Portland Business College.
After reaching adult age he joined his brothers and his father in their
extensive farming operations, and following the father's death the
sons continued to cooperate in their farming enterprises until 1915,
when the partnership was dissolved and a division of their holdings
was made. Oscar E. King now owns five hundred and fifty-six acres of
valuable land and is one of the substantial farmers of the Tucanon
valley. His business affairs have been carefully managed and directed
and his unfaltering enterprise and unremitting diligence have brought
to him a substantial measure of success. In his political views he is
an earnest republican but has never been an office seeker, and he is
widely known as one of the influential citizens of Columbia county.
B. F. BREWER.
B. F. Brewer is one of the most prominent farmers of Walla Walla
county, living on township 6, range 36 east. He is the president of
the Farmers Union and occupies a foremost position as a representative
of that progressiveness which has largely revolutionized farming
methods in the past quarter of a century. Moreover, his labors have
demonstrated the possibilities of this section for agricultural
development and have contributed much to the wealth of the district.
Mr. Brewer was born November 2, 1879, on the farm where he now lives,
a son of John F. Brewer, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. He
was reared on the old homestead and pursued a public school education,
attending the high schools of Walla Walla and Seattle, while later
he became a student in the State Agricultural College at Pullman.
Following the completion of his course he entered the First National
Bank of Walla Walla as bookkeeper and for four years was identified
with that institution. Upon his father's death he took charge of the
home farm and has since operated it. He is now cultivating this place
of five hundred and twenty acres and he and his mother own conjointly
a farm of seventeen hundred and eighty acres, which they purchased
in 1908. His farming interests are thus extensive and are conducted
according to the most progressive methods. He has the latest improved
machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and he understands the
scientific principles that underlie all of his activities. In his work,
however, it is definitely seen that he is a man of action rather than
of theory and sound judgment directing his labors, has brought splendid
results.
[Illustration: B. F. BREWER]
[Illustration: MRS. B. F. BREWER]
On May 25, 1904, Mr. Brewer was united in marriage to Miss Harriet
Chew, a daughter of H. C. Chew, one of the pioneer nurserymen of Walla
Walla county, now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Brewer have been born two
children but only one is living, Mary Charlotte.
Mr. and Mrs. Brewer are worthy Christian people whose belief actuates
them in all life's relations. Mr. Brewer belongs to the Presbyterian
church, while his wife is a member of the First Methodist church.
His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and he is
thoroughly informed concerning the issues and questions of the day
but has never taken an active part in party work. He has served as
secretary of the Farmers Union and during the past two years has been
president of the organization. When the Farmers Agency was established
he was made its first manager and served in that important capacity for
three years, but his private interests demanded his entire attention
and he therefore resigned his position. He does everything in his
power to promote the welfare and interests of the agriculturist and in
all that he does is actuated by a spirit of enterprise that produces
splendid results. He is a man of sound business judgment, sagacious
and farsighted, and his well defined plans are carried forward to
successful completion.
WILLIAM GOODYEAR.
William Goodyear, a prosperous business man of Starbuck, dealing in
wood and coal, was born on the 11th of March, 1853, in Canada, and is a
son of Thomas and Mary (Hynes) Goodyear, the former a native of England
and the latter of Ireland. On crossing the Atlantic to the new world in
1833 they settled on a farm in Canada and continued to make it their
home until their deaths. They had a family of ten children of whom
seven survive.
Reared in the Dominion, William Goodyear is indebted to its schools for
the education he enjoyed during his boyhood and youth. On leaving home
in 1870 he went to Fort Scott, Kansas, where he spent a short time,
but later in the same year crossed the plains, driving four cows to
a covered wagon. On reaching Salt Lake City he hired out to a Mormon
bishop, and subsequently he went to Idaho, where he was interested in
a sawmill for twelve years. In 1883 Mr. Goodyear came to Old Walla
Walla county, Washington, and for two years drove cattle from here to
Cheyenne, Wyoming. Later he bought and sold horses and also engaged in
farming until 1903, when he sold out and removed to Starbuck, which
has since been his home. He owns considerable property in the village,
being extensively engaged in the real estate business, and also deals
in wood and coal.
Mr. Goodyear was married in 1902 to Miss Emma Woods, a native of
Missouri, and having no children of their own they are now rearing a
boy, Richard H. Wellman by name who is a grand nephew of Mrs. Goodyear.
Mrs. Goodyear is serving as postmistress of Starbuck and is a lady of
more than ordinary business ability. She is a member of the Eastern
Star and Mr. Goodyear holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. He has filled all the chairs in his lodge and is a stanch
democrat in politics. Since coming to the United States he has steadily
prospered in his business undertakings until he has become one of the
well-to-do citizens of his community and the success that has come to
him is due entirely to his own well directed efforts.
W. E. McKINNEY.
W. E. McKinney, the well known proprietor of the McKinney Auto Company
of Waitsburg, was born in Walla Walla county, about a mile from
Waitsburg, on the 6th of April, 1868. His father, William McKinney, is
a retired farmer living in Waitsburg. He was one of the early pioneer
settlers of the northwest country and through many years was closely
and prominently associated with the agricultural development and the
upbuilding of this section. He was born in Warren county, Indiana,
May 5, 1836, and is a son of William and Ann (Walter) McKinney, who
crossed the plains with ox teams to Oregon in 1845. On their arrival
in that state they settled in Washington county, near Hillsboro, and
their later years were spent in Oregon. Their son, William McKinney,
was a lad of but nine years at the time they crossed the plains and
thus he was reared on the western frontier and early became familiar
with all of the experiences, hardships and privations which fall to the
lot of the pioneer settler. In 1855-6 he served as a member of Company
A under Colonel Kelly and later under Colonel Cornelius in the Indian
war. He spent the winter of those two years in Walla Walla, which was
then a far western frontier fort. In 1856 he returned to Oregon and was
employed on his father's farm until 1858, when he made his way up to
The Dalles with the intention of going on to Walla Walla in order to
homestead in that locality. He was told, however, that the country was
not yet open for settlement and he therefore returned to the vicinity
of Portland, Oregon, where he spent the winter. The following spring
he made his way northward as a member of the state boundary survey as
government packer and in the fall of 1859 he came to Walla Walla county
to locate and has since resided in this section of the state. In 1864
he filed on a homestead on the Touchet river, one mile below Waitsburg,
and there continued to live for more than a quarter of a century. He
also took up a timber claim and he purchased adjoining land, so that
his ranch became one of five hundred and fifty-two and one-half acres.
This property he still owns. In 1890, however, he removed to Waitsburg,
where he has a beautiful city residence and is most attractively and
comfortably situated.
William McKinney was married on the 14th of December, 1865, to Miss
Sarah J. Paulson, who crossed the plains in 1864. They became the
parents of four children, as follows: Frank P., who is a banker
residing in Olympia, Washington; William E., of this review; Thomas
V., who operates his father's farm; and Emma, at home. William McKinney
is a democrat in his political views. Late in the '70s or early '80s
he was a candidate, through the insistence of his friends, for the
office of county commissioner, and while the county was almost two to
one republican, he was defeated by only twenty-five votes, a fact which
indicated his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him. He
is held in the highest esteem wherever known and ranks with the honored
old pioneer settlers of Walla Walla county. In 1914 he was called upon
to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 20th of August of
that year.
Their son, William E. McKinney, was educated in the Waitsburg public
schools and also attended the Waitsburg Academy. On reaching manhood
he became the active assistant of his father in important farming
enterprises, and upon his father's removal to Waitsburg a year or
two later, W. E. McKinney took charge of the home place, which he
cultivated for twelve or thirteen years. He then assumed the management
of the old Lewis Neace farm of twelve hundred or thirteen hundred acres
and he also leased twelve hundred acres more, so that he operated in
all twenty-four hundred acres of land. This he continued to do until
September, 1916, when he retired from farming and engaged in the
automobile business, purchasing the Dickinson & Denney garage, which is
the largest garage of Waitsburg. He has the agency for the Velie and
Buick cars and is one of the leading automobile dealers of the county,
having built up a business of large and important proportions.
In 1891 Mr. McKinney was united in marriage to Miss Lelia Brown, a
daughter of Mrs. Jennie Brown, of Lincoln county, Washington. To them
have been born three children, one son and two daughters, as follows:
William E., who is a member of the United States navy; Mrs. John
Rhinehart, of Waitsburg; and Imogen, who gave her hand in marriage to
Guy McLaughlin, of Waitsburg.
Mr. McKinney has always voted with the democratic party but has never
been a candidate for office. Fraternally he is connected with Delta
Lodge, No. 70, K. P., and also with the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. His position as a business man ranks him with the leading
representatives of automobile interests in his section of the state and
he is classed with the foremost citizens of Walla Walla county. He is
alert and energetic and is watchful of every opportunity that points
to a possible development of his business. His sale of motor cars has
reached a substantial figure, while in the repair department he also
does a business of gratifying extent.
JOHN C. NEACE.
No student of the history of Columbia county can carry his
investigations far without learning of the important part which the
Neace family has taken in the agricultural development of this section
of the country. John C. Neace is now extensively and successfully
engaged in general agricultural pursuits, having fifteen hundred and
thirty-two acres of land in Columbia county. He was born on the
Tucanon, in what is now Columbia county, July 14, 1865, a son of
Louis Neace, of whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this work.
After acquiring a public school education he continued his studies in
the schools of Forest Grove, Oregon, where he had as an instructor
Professor W. D. Lyman. On reaching manhood he became associated with
J. H. Marrow, of Waitsburg, in the mercantile business, under the firm
name of J. H. Marrow & Company, and remained in that connection until
1895, when Mr. Neace and T. M. Hanger bought out the interest of Mr.
Marrow in the business and thus formed the firm of Neace, Hanger &
Company. Mr. Neace was thereafter identified with commercial interests
until 1897, when he sold out and in 1898 went to Montana, where he
and his brothers, together with their father, formed the Neace Cattle
Company and engaged extensively in raising cattle in that state. John
C. Neace remained in Montana until May, 1916, when he returned to
Columbia county. The Neace Cattle Company owns twenty thousand acres of
land in Montana and John C. Neace individually owns fifteen hundred and
thirty-two acres in a body in Columbia county, where he now resides.
This land is being operated by his son, Donald D.
On the 8th of April, 1888, Mr. Neace was united in marriage to Miss
India A. Denney, of Waitsburg, a daughter of Nathaniel B. and Priscilla
(Hawk) Denney. The father first crossed the plains to Washington in
1861 and subsequently returned to Iowa, but in 1870 he again came to
this state, making the journey across the plains from Iowa in company
with his family. Mr. and Mrs. Neace are the parents of a daughter and
son: Mildred L., who is the wife of Dr. A. T. Gilhus, of White Sulphur
Springs, Montana; and Donald D., who is operating the home farm.
In politics Mr. Neace maintains an independent course, voting for men
and measures rather than party. He belongs to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16,
F. & A. M., and is a loyal Mason. He has always been closely connected
with Columbia county even during the period of his residence in
Montana and is widely known as one of its progressive agriculturists.
His business methods constitute the last word in modern farming, and
undeterred by any obstacles or difficulties which he may meet, he
pushes his way steadily forward to success.
J. G. BRUNTON.
J. G. Brunton, a well known and successful farmer residing an section
20, township 8 north, range 38 east, Walla Walla county, was born in
that township on the 23d of January, 1881. His parents, W. H. H. and
Sarah A. (Lewis) Brunton, are mentioned at length elsewhere in this
work. He received his education in the Fix district schools and at
Whitman Academy, which he attended for three or four terms. He was a
young man of twenty years at the time of his father's death and a year
later he left school and turned his attention to farming. In 1903 he
filed upon a homestead in Franklin county, but in 1904 he commuted his
claim and returned to the home farm. He has since operated about three
hundred acres of the land owned by the estate and one hundred and ten
acres adjoining, and the large crops which he annually raises are proof
of his industry and his practical knowledge of agriculture. He still
owns valuable property in Walla Walla which he obtained in trade for
his homestead, and he has already gained a competence although still a
young man. He gives the most careful attention to whatever task he has
in hand and this habit of concentration has been an important factor in
his success.
[Illustration: J. G. BRUNTON AND FAMILY]
In June, 1913, Mr. Brunton was united in marriage to Miss Geneva
Eldridge, a daughter of Hon. H. D. Eldridge, a prominent farmer and
influential citizen of Walla Walla county, a biography of whom appears
on another page in these volumes. One son, William Eldridge, has been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Brunton.
Mr. Brunton is a republican in politics and is loyal in his support of
its candidates and measures. His fraternal connections are with Walla
Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E., and with Mountain Gem Lodge, No.
136, K. P. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church and
the highest moral standards have ever guided their lives. They have a
wide acquaintance and are universally held in high esteem.
HIRAM M. HOOVER.
Hiram M. Hoover, who has lived retired in Waitsburg since 1911, was
long and actively identified with agricultural pursuits in Walla Walla
county and is still the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of
valuable land. His birth occurred in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on
the 4th of July, 1853, his parents being Myers and Ann (Royer) Hoover,
who spent their entire lives in that county, where the father followed
farming throughout his active business career.
Hiram M. Hoover was reared under the parental roof and acquired his
education in the public schools. When a young man of twenty years
he left home to provide for his own support and, making his way to
Ohio, worked as a farm hand in Wayne county, that state, for four
years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Iowa, in which
state he spent three years, and in 1880 he journeyed westward to San
Francisco, California, where he hired out to a surveying party, with
which he worked in southern Nevada for six months. He then returned
to California and worked in the harvest fields of the Sacramento
valley, while later he engaged in salmon fishing. In the fall of 1881
he returned to his native state, taking ship from San Francisco to
the Isthmus of Panama, which voyage consumed twenty-one days, and
crossing the Isthmus by railroad along the route of the present canal
and then boarding a steamer which reached New York city at the end
of seven days. After a few months spent at his home he returned to
San Francisco, California, in the spring of 1882 and there remained
throughout the following summer. He then sailed for Puget Sound,
locating in Whatcom county, Washington, where he took up a homestead
and continued to reside until the summer of 1885. That year witnessed
his arrival in Walla Walla county and his settlement in Waitsburg,
where he has made his home almost continuously since. He cultivated
rented land during the first four years of his residence here and
then purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres about two miles
northeast of Waitsburg, over the county line, in Columbia county.
Since that date, as his financial resources have increased owing to
his well directed activity and able management, he has added to his
holdings by additional purchase from time to time until at present he
owns four hundred and eighty acres. The cultivation of this property
claimed his attention and energies until 1911, when he put aside the
active work of the fields and has since rented the place to a tenant.
He is a stockholder in the Exchange Bank of Waitsburg and has long been
numbered among the leading and substantial citizens of that place.
In 1886 Mr. Hoover was united in marriage to Miss Eva I. Loundagin, a
sister of Dr. R. W. Loundagin, of Waitsburg, and the daughter of G.
W. Loundagin, who came to Walla Walla county as a pioneer in 1861.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoover became the parents of six children, three of whom
survive, namely: Anna L., who is her father's housekeeper; Elam H., a
ranchman, residing in Carter, Montana; and Emory M., who is a second
lieutenant in the United States army and is now stationed at Douglas,
Arizona. The wife and mother was called to her final rest in August,
1912, and her demise was deeply mourned by her immediate family as well
as by an extensive circle of friends. Mr. Hoover gives his political
allegiance to the republican party, while his religious faith is that
of the Christian church, in which he holds membership. The period of
his residence in Walla Walla county covers more than three decades and
he has won a place among its esteemed and representative citizens.
W. H. WOOD.
More than a century ago George Washington said, "Agriculture is the
most useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man." Its worth
as the basis of all other business prosperity has been continuously
demonstrated since the world began, and at no time has its usefulness
been greater than at this era in the world's history, when all
civilization is facing a crisis. The work of the farmer is indeed of
the utmost worth and to this occupation W. H. Wood is devoting his time
and energies with good results. He was born in Alvorado, Texas, on the
29th of April, 1880, and is a son of Daniel J. and Alice E. (Scott)
Wood, both of whom are natives of Illinois, where they were reared and
married. Soon afterward they went to Texas, where the father engaged in
cotton growing, remaining in the Lone Star state for a year and a half.
He was urged by his neighbors to remain for another year, being told
that if he would stay for that length of time he would never desire to
leave. His answer was that he was well aware of the fact that if he
remained for another year he would not have money enough to get out,
so turning his back upon Texas, he went again to Illinois, where he
continued through the winter. In the spring of 1881 he started for the
west, hoping to find more favorable conditions in this section of the
country. He made Washington his destination and after crossing plains
and mountains he took up his abode in Columbia county, where he secured
a homestead in Smith Hollow. There he still resides, having long been
numbered among the substantial farmers of that section of the state.
W. H. Wood was reared under the parental roof, being only about a
year old when brought by his parents to the northwest. He became
familiar with every phase of pioneer life in this section of Washington
and has lived to witness the remarkable growth and development that
has occurred in the intervening years. He acquired his education
in the district schools and at the age of eighteen he started out
independently in the business world by leasing one hundred and sixty
acres of land, on which he began farming. He sold his wheat at
thirty-eight cents per bushel and realized three hundred dollars profit
from his crop. He continued to carry on farming on his own account
and carefully saved his earnings until his industry and economy had
brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase, in 1902, his
first land. He invested in one hundred and sixty acres, the purchase
price of which was one thousand dollars. He borrowed much of the
money with which to pay for his farm and thus made his start toward
success. He continued to practice the most rigid economy and the most
unfaltering industry and within three years he had cleared his ranch
of all indebtedness. From that time forward he made it his purpose to
add to his holdings whenever favorable opportunity offered and today he
owns and cultivates four hundred and fifty-seven acres and also leases
another tract of four hundred and eighty acres, and is now extensively
engaged in farming in Thorn Hollow. He has brought his land under high
cultivation, has added many improvements to the place and thereon are
found all the accessories, conveniences and modern equipment of a
model farm. In addition to his agricultural interests Mr. Wood is a
stockholder in the Dayton Mercantile Company. Opportunity is to him
ever a call to action and a call to which he readily responds.
In 1902 Mr. Wood was united in marriage to Miss Maud McCall, a daughter
of Charles T. McCall, one of the early settlers of Columbia county,
who now makes his home in Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have two children,
Daniel W. and Walter H.
In his political views Mr. Wood is a republican and always votes for
the men and measures of the party but has never been an office seeker.
He prefers to concentrate his thought and attention upon his business
affairs. He is a man of strong purpose whose plans are well defined
and he displays resourcefulness in accomplishing any object for which
he starts out. Practically a lifelong resident of Washington, there is
no phase of its development through three decades with which he is not
familiar and as a farmer he has contributed much to the agricultural
progress of this section of the state.
JOHN F. MARTIN.
John F. Martin, one of the leading stock raisers of Walla Walla county,
is living on section 3, township 6 north, range 33 east, where he has a
valuable tract of land of three hundred and thirty acres. His business
affairs are wisely directed and his efforts have done much to raise the
standard of stock raising in this section of the state.
From early pioneer times Mr. Martin has resided within the borders of
Washington. In fact he is one of the native sons, having been born in
Thurston county on the 1st of May, 1858. His parents are William and
Ann E. (Yantis) Martin, the former a native of Indiana, while the
latter was born in Missouri. They crossed the plains to the northwest
in 1852 and settled first in Thurston county but after about two
decades established their home in Walla Walla, where they resided until
1901 and where Mr. Martin was engaged in the mercantile business. In
1901 they removed to Touchet.
John F. Martin was reared and educated in this state, becoming a
resident of Walla Walla county in 1872, when a youth of fourteen
years. In 1883 he removed to Wallula, where he engaged in buying
cattle, and in 1900 he purchased his present farm of three hundred
and thirty acres, then a tract of pasture and alfalfa land. He has
since concentrated his efforts and attention upon its development and
improvement and the result of his labors is seen in highly cultivated
fields, in well kept fences, in substantial buildings and in the latest
improved machinery. He has made a specialty of stock raising and is
now engaged extensively in handling Percheron horses, Durham cattle
and Oxford sheep. He has closely studied the best methods of caring
for stock and is familiar with all of the scientific principles that
underlie his work as well as the practical phases of his activities. In
addition to his live stock interests Mr. Martin is connected with the
Touchet State Bank as one of its directors.
In 1886 Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Belle Tyson, a native
of Nebraska, by whom he has six children, namely: Charles W., who is
coach at the Pennsylvania State College, which position he has held for
four years; Frank J.; May, the wife of H. J. Hanson; Lucy,. who gave
her hand in marriage to Wendel Barker, of Walla Walla; Blanche M., a
high school graduate; and Pearl.
Fraternally Mr. Martin is connected with the Modern Woodmen of
America and with the Eagles. His political allegiance is given to the
democratic party. He has served for twelve years on the school board
and the cause of education has found in him a faithful friend whose
labors have done much to promote educational interests in this section.
As a business man he is thoroughly alert and progressive, watchful
of every opportunity pointing to success, and his long experience
and close study enable him to speak with authority upon all matters
relative to stock raising. He has, indeed, won a place of prominence in
this connection in Walla Walla county.
WILLIAM G. PRESTON.
William G. Preston, deceased, was for many years a prominent citizen
of Waitsburg, where he was engaged in the milling business and was
also a large landowner, holding title to three thousand acres. He was
born in Galway, Saratoga county, New York, November 23, 1832, a son of
Dr. Calvin and Margaret (McAllister) Preston, both of whom spent their
entire lives in the Empire state. In their family were four sons and
two daughters, all of whom have passed away.
[Illustration: WILLIAM G. PRESTON]
[Illustration: MRS. WILLIAM G. PRESTON]
William G. Preston grew to manhood in New York and received his
education in Galway Academy. At the age of eighteen he went to live
with an uncle, Rev. A. W. Platt, in Tompkins county, New York, where
he remained until going to sea in 1852. The following two years were
spent upon the water, during which time he visited New Brunswick, New
Orleans, Liverpool and many other ports in Great Britain and America,
returning to Galway, New York, in 1854. In the fall of that year he
made his way west to Nebraska by way of Chicago and Rock Island and
down the Mississippi river to St. Louis and then up the Missouri. He
located at Bellevue, Nebraska, and became captain of a large ferry
boat in 1855, but when Omaha was made the territorial capital the boat
was sold to the Council Bluffs & Nebraska Ferry Company and he went
with it to Omaha. In 1857 he returned east to Steubenville, Ohio,
where he built the Omaha City, a double engine side-wheeler used in
carrying freight on the Missouri river. In 1858 he retired from the
ferry business and accompanied his brother to Pike's Peak, Colorado,
and built one of the finest houses in the present city of Denver. After
engaging in mining in that state for two years he went to northern
Idaho, which then formed a part of Washington territory. He traveled
most of the way by water and crossed Snake river in a wagon box in the
vicinity of an old fort situated near the mouth of the Salmon river.
It was in 1866 that Mr. Preston came to Waitsburg, Walla Walla county,
and identified himself with the Washington flouring mills and machinery
business, which he and his brother, Platt A. Preston, had bought. Under
his management these mills became the foremost industry of Waitsburg
and the high quality of their product became well known throughout the
state. In addition to his milling and mercantile business Mr. Preston
was prominent in other lines, being a director of the Merchants Bank of
Waitsburg and a stockholder and director of the Schwabacher Company of
Walla Walla. He was also prominently identified with the Puget Sound
Dressed Meat Company during its existence and was much interested in
farming and stock raising. At the time of his death he was the owner of
more than three thousand acres of land.
In 1869 Mr. Preston was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Cox, who
was perhaps the first white child born near Boise, Idaho, her birth
occurring in 1845 while her parents were making the overland journey
to the Pacific coast. Her father, Anderson Cox, was a native of Ohio
and a farmer by occupation. On coming west he located near Albany,
Oregon, on a donation claim, where he remained for a number of years,
but in 1862 came to Walla Walla county, Washington, and acquired land.
He also built a sawmill, the first in this county. Both Mr. and. Mrs.
Cox passed away here and six of their ten children are also deceased.
To Mr. and Mrs. Preston were born four children: Herbert P., who is
engaged in the feed business in Toppenish, Washington; William C., who
died when six months old; Charles B., a resident of Portland, Oregon;
and Dale H., deceased.
Mr. Preston was a stanch republican in his political belief and served
for two terms as a member of the territorial legislature. In 1881,
while a member of that body, he was made chairman of the ways and means
committee. He was much interested in educational affairs, especially
in his later years, and in 1913 erected the beautiful auditorium
known as Preston Hall at Waitsburg, it being designed for vocational
training and containing a swimming pool, gymnasium and large hall for
public meetings, etc. In all the relations of life he was loyal to the
teachings of the Presbyterian church, of which he was a member, and his
integrity was never open to question. His death occurred on the 20th of
February, 1916, and he was laid to rest in the Waitsburg cemetery. Like
her husband, Mrs. Preston has also been a generous contributor to all
worthy enterprises for the public good and she now makes her home in
Walla Walla, where she is well known and highly esteemed.
JAMES L. ROBISON.
James L. Robison is a retired farmer residing in Walla Walla. He is
familiar with all of the experiences of the stock raiser on the western
frontier, having ridden the range as a cowboy, while in later years
he became extensively engaged in stock raising on his own account. He
was born in east Tennessee, July 28, 1842. His father died during the
infancy of the son, and the mother later married John Grubb, by whom
James L. Robison of this review was reared. He acquired a common school
education and when he was but ten years of age crossed the plains
with his parents. They spent the winter in Missouri and in the spring
of 1853 started on the long westward journey to Oregon. They took up
their abode in Linn county, twenty miles south of Albany, where Mr.
and Mrs. Grubb spent the remainder of their lives. At the early age of
fifteen Mr. Robison began to work for wages and in 1861 made his way
northward into eastern Oregon and spent the hard winter on the T. K.
McCoy ranch on the Tum-a-Lum in Umatilla county. He continued to work
for others until 1868, when he bought some cattle and thus established
himself in the cattle business. He had previously engaged in riding
the range for seven years prior to engaging in the cattle business on
his own account. He was therefore familiar with the business and from
the beginning met with success. He spent fifteen years in the cattle
business, having as high as a thousand head upon the range. At length,
when the free range was cut off by the settlement of the country, he
retired from that business, after which he had sheep on the range for
a considerable period. Eventually, in 1913, however, he put aside all
business cares and retired from active life. He still owns six hundred
and forty acres of valuable wheat land ten miles north of Walla Walla
and from the rental of his property secures a gratifying income.
In early manhood Mr. Robison was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary J.
Cecil, a daughter of William Cecil, who crossed the plains to Oregon
in 1862, locating in what is now Morrow county. Mr. and Mrs. Robison
became the parents of three children but only one survives, Lena M.,
who is the wife of Otto Haar, of North Yakima, Washington. Mrs. Robison
is a member of the Congregational church and a lady of many admirable
qualities.
In politics Mr. Robison is independent in thought and at local
elections does not consider party ties but has always voted the
republican ticket in electing a president. His life has been a very
busy, active and useful one. His business activities were connected
with an era that is fast passing away--the era when Washington was
still the country of the open range before its lands were divided and
taken up for farms. He is therefore familiar with all the phases of
the history of the state in its development from pioneer times and he
rejoices in what has been accomplished as the work of improvement and
advancement has been carried forward here, placing this great state on
a par with the older commonwealths of the east. In fact, Washington
has gained a position of leadership in various respects and has every
reason to be proud of her splendid record in the line of business
development and especially in the progress which she has made in the
organization of her school system.
In his business career Mr. Robison has at all times displayed that
spirit of enterprise so characteristic of the west and now, at the age
of seventy-five years, he is able to enjoy well earned rest, his former
labors having resulted in a competence which meets all of his needs and
requirements and yet leaves a sufficiency for many of the luxuries of
life.
JOSEPH GROTE.
The farming interests of Joseph Grote would be termed mammoth even in
this great west where agricultural interests are on the whole conducted
on a most extensive scale. He is now operating sixty-two hundred and
eighty acres of land in Columbia and Walla Walla counties, making his
home on section 22, township 11 north, range 38 east, of the former
county. His long experience and his extensive operations enable him
to speak with authority upon everything connected with farming in the
west at the present day. He recognizes fully the possibilities and the
opportunities of the country and what he has accomplished represents
the fit utilization of the innate powers and talents which are his.
Mr. Grote is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Piqua on
the 7th of April, 1885, his parents being John and Anna Grote, both of
whom were natives of Germany, where they were reared and married. In
1881 they came to the United States and after a residence of nine years
in Ohio made their way westward to Washington, the family home being
established in the Palouse country, where Mr. Grote remained, however,
for a period of only two years. He then came to Walla Walla county,
where he purchased a ranch north of Prescott and there he successfully
engaged in farming to the time of his death. For a number of years
prior to his demise he resided in the city of Walla Walla and from
that point superintended the operation of his ranch. He died October
14, 1915, and is survived by his widow, who is now making her home in
southern California.
Joseph Grote, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the
district schools near his father's farm and in the city schools of
Walla Walla. After reaching young manhood he continued to assist his
father in the development of the fields until 1909, when he started
out to engage in farming independently, entering into partnership with
his brother Theodore. They gradually increased their operations in
extent and importance until their interests placed them at the head of
the leading agriculturists of Columbia county. In 1914 the partnership
between the two brothers was dissolved and Joseph Grote retained
twenty-three hundred acres of their holdings. In addition to this he
operates four hundred and eighty acres of school land in the township
where he resides and he leases and operates the Sharpstein ranch in
Walla Walla county, containing thirty-five hundred acres of land. He
has thus become one of the foremost agriculturists of the northwest.
He plants twenty-five hundred acres to grain each year and harvests
mammoth crops.
In 1917 Mr. Grote was united in marriage to Miss Lillian Baumann, a
daughter of F. A. Baumann, a retired farmer of Walla Walla. In politics
he maintains an independent course, not caring to bind himself by
party ties. He is not remiss in the duties of citizenship, however,
but stands for progress and improvement in public affairs and reaches
out along helpful lines in recognition of the needs and opportunities
of county and state. He is an enthusiastic advocate of the great
northwest, and well he may be, for in its opportunities he has found
the path to success and is today numbered among the men of affluence in
southeastern Washington.
JOHN ADKINS GROSS, M. D.
There is much that is inspiring in the life record of Dr. John
Adkins Gross, who for many years was prominently associated with the
agricultural development and activity of southeastern Washington,
acquiring extensive landed possessions which he converted into rich
and productive fields. His worth as a man and citizen was widely
acknowledged and there are in his life record many chapters worthy of
consideration.
Dr. Gross was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, July 30, 1840, a son
of Dr. Oren and Jane (Snow) Gross. He was reared and educated on Cape
Cod. In his youth he studied navigation and also taught school for a
time but at the age of twenty-three years enlisted in 1863 as a member
of the Forty-third Massachusetts Infantry for service in the Civil
war, remaining at the front until the close of hostilities. He became
corporal of his company and while he did not engage in any of the
battles between the north and the south his service was of a hazardous
nature, such as scout duty and running boats loaded with provisions
past blockades, etc. He ever manifested the utmost loyalty to the
nation's starry banner and the cause for which it stood and with a most
creditable military record returned to his home.
Soon after leaving the army Dr. Gross went to New York city, where
he engaged in carpenter work until the panic of 1873 swept away all
his investments. He then crossed the continent to San Francisco,
California, where he lived for two years. He afterward went to Astoria,
Oregon, and was in that city and in Portland until 1879, when he came
to Walla Walla. Here he took up the profession of teaching, which he
followed for several years. He taught at Frenchtown, riding back and
forth from Walla Walla. When he had saved enough he secured a homestead
in Umatilla county, Oregon, and kept adding to his landed possessions
until he had over eleven hundred acres, which he brought under a high
state of cultivation. He afterward purchased a ranch of twenty-five
hundred acres near Starbuck, Washington, all of which has been planted
to crops and has been improved with very substantial and commodious
buildings. In a word his labors wrought a marked transformation in the
appearance of the place and also in its value and he won recognition as
one of the foremost agriculturists of this section of the state.
[Illustration: DR. JOHN A. GROSS]
Dr. Gross was married twice and when he went to war left a bride of
only a few weeks. He was married a second time at Pendleton, Oregon, on
the 9th of February, 1891, when Miss Bessie S. Green, of Kansas, became
his wife. He had four children by his first marriage, while four were
born of his second union. Carrie B., the eldest, is now, the wife of R.
C. Dunnington, of Walla Walla. Jennie I. is the wife of F. H. Richmond,
of Walla Walla. Millie E. is the wife of Ralph E. Story, of Silver
Lake, Oregon. O. E., of Seattle, Washington, was the youngest child of
the first marriage. The others are: John E., who is now upon the ranch;
Julia E., who was graduated from Wellesley College in the class of
1917; Marvin, now a high school pupil; and Mabel, who is also in high
school.
The death of Dr. Gross occurred July 17, 1915, and he was laid to
rest in Mountain View cemetery in Walla Walla. He was a man of marked
ability and in his later years he studied medicine, being graduated
from the Hahnemann College at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the
class of 1900. At that time he was over sixty years of age but he
possessed an especial aptitude for the physician's work and a very
retentive memory, which carried statistical knowledge. The greater part
of his life, however, was devoted to farming and stock raising and he
became one of the most extensive and prosperous farmers of Walla Walla
county. His political endorsement was given to the republican party
and he always took an active part in politics. Fraternally he was
connected with the Knights of Pythias and also with the Grand Army post
thus maintaining pleasant relations with his old military comrades,
with whom he followed the stars and stripes on the battlefields of
the south. He was a man of many sterling traits of character, genial
and affable, and enjoyed the high esteem of those with whom he was
associated. Since his death Mrs. Gross has erected a fine residence on
Boyer avenue in Walla Walla but still has charge of her ranch property
and is a woman of excellent business ability, fully capable of meeting
the requirements put upon her in the management of her estate.
OSSIE MARTIN.
The stock raising interests of Columbia county have a worthy
representative in Ossie Martin, who is the owner of a valuable farm of
seven hundred and twenty acres on section 23, township 12 north, range
38 east. He is one of Washington's native sons, his birth occurring
in Old Walla Walla county, February 8, 1867. His parents, James and
Bridget E. Martin, were natives of Ireland but in early life emigrated
to America and first located in Missouri. In 1861, however, they
started for the Pacific coast in a covered wagon drawn by mules and at
length reached Walla Walla. They located on a farm and later Mr. Martin
took up a homestead near Waitsburg, where he lived until 1893, when he
sold the place and removed to Walla Walla. Both he and his wife died in
that city. To them were born seven children and all are living.
Ossie Martin was reared in much the usual manner of farmer boys and
was educated at a Catholic school in Walla Walla. On starting out in
life for himself he chose the occupation with which he was thoroughly
familiar--that of farming, and has since followed that pursuit
with most gratifying results. In 1909 he purchased his present farm
comprising seven hundred and twenty acres and in connection with its
operation has given considerable attention to the raising of stock,
making a specialty of the breeding of shorthorn and Hereford cattle,
now having about one hundred head upon his place. Besides his valuable
farm property he owns a residence in Waitsburg, which he rents.
In 1892 Mr. Martin married Miss Mary Martin, who, although of the same
name, was not a relative, and to them have been born seven children, as
follows: Wesley J.; Harold A., who is in the army; Cecelia K., the wife
of Albert Goodyear; Melba C.; Oswald D.; Esther M.; and Wilbert H.
The family are communicants of the Catholic church and Mr. Martin is
a democrat in politics but has never cared for the honors of public
office, preferring to give his undivided attention to his business
interests. He is one of the leading citizens of his community, and
takes a commendable interest in public affairs, as every true American
citizen should.
GUSTAV VOLLMER.
Among the pioneers of Walla Walla county who persevered in spite of
hardships of the early days and who are now reaping the reward of their
faith in this section, is Gustav Vollmer, a resident of section 12,
township 9 north, range 37 east, who owns more than eleven hundred
acres of fine land, which he purchased years ago at far less than its
present market value. As time has passed he has adapted his methods of
farming to the changed conditions and his progressive spirit has been
an important factor in his success. He was born in Germany, May 7,
1854, a son of John H. and Emelia (Flaskamp) Vollmer, who passed their
entire lives in that country. Of their seven children, five survive and
all but our subject are still residents of Germany.
Gustav Vollmer attended the public schools of his native country in the
acquirement of his education but when seventeen years old emigrated to
the United States. The first two years in this country were spent in
Illinois, where he was employed as a farm hand, but in 1873 he went
to Nebraska, where he remained until 1879. In that year he determined
to take advantage of the unusual opportunities afforded the young man
in the Pacific northwest and removed to Oregon. In 1880 he took up a
homestead in Umatilla county, Oregon, twenty-five miles southwest of
Walla Walla and for twenty years maintained his residence thereon. For
a considerable period, in order to market his wheat, it was necessary
to haul it to steamboat landings on the Columbia river, which required
three days. While he was gone on such trips his wife remained upon
the farm with her small children, although the nearest neighbors were
miles away. The isolation was one of the greatest hardships which the
early settlers had to endure, but there were also other discouraging
features as, for instance, the low prices, wheat selling one year for
twenty-three cents a bushel. Mr. Vollmer recognized, however, that
with the settlement of the country these untoward conditions would
change and that the fertility of the soil guaranteed the future of the
farmers, and he consistently invested his savings in land. He owns 480
acres of land in Umatilla county, eighty acres adjoining Waitsburg,
where he makes his home. His holdings total 1,193 acres. All the land
is rich and productive and, moreover, his farms are well improved,
the excellent buildings thereon adding materially to the value of his
property. He has given the greater part of his time and attention
to wheat growing and is thoroughly familiar with that business. In
fact his success has been in a measure due to the fact that he has
concentrated his energies upon that line of endeavor. He is now one of
the men of wealth in Walla Walla county and takes justifiable pride in
the fact that he is a self-made man, his prosperity being due entirely
to his own foresight, energy and good management.
[Illustration: GUSTAV VOLLMER AND FAMILY]
On the 12th of June, 1881, Mr. Vollmer was united in marriage to Miss
Henrietta Schmitt, a daughter of John and Katherine (Martin) Schmitt.
To this union have been born nine children: John H.; Clara Augusta,
the wife of Harland Mills; Emma Caroline, the wife of William Harris;
William, who is farming in this locality; Julia, the wife of William
Stimmel; Zelma, Minnie and Charles, all at home and graduates of the
high school; and Katherine, deceased.
The parents hold membership in the Evangelical Lutheran church and its
work profits by their hearty support. In politics Mr. Vollmer is a
stanch republican and he has served his district ably for two terms as
a member of the state legislature. His interest in education has found
expression in effective work as a member of the school board, and all
projects for the advancement of the public welfare have received his
endorsement. He finds great pleasure in contrasting the early days in
this section, when the settlers were to a great extent cut off from
the outside world, with the present day with its excellent means of
communication with all parts of the country. As an illustration of the
extent to which the pioneers were dependent upon their resources it
may be mentioned that Mr. Vollmer made the furniture used in his home
from timber which he had cut. For a number of years it was necessary to
practice the strictest economy, but he has never regretted his pioneer
experiences and finds pleasure in the knowledge that he has had a part
in the development of this region.
JAMES CHRISTENSEN.
James Christensen, a well known farmer of Garfield county who owns
five hundred and twenty acres of good land on section 2, township 12
north, range 41 east, has resided in various parts of the west and in
Alaska and for some time engaged in mining but for several years past
has devoted his attention to farming and stock raising exclusively. He
was born in Denmark, February 25, 1866, a son of Christian and Gertrude
Petersen, who passed their entire lives in that country. To them were
born seven children, of whom six are living.
James Christensen attended the public schools of Denmark as a boy
and youth, thus acquiring a good education, and in 1885, at the age
of nineteen years, came to America. For one year he was employed as
a farm hand in Nebraska and then was for several years a resident of
California. Later he spent a year in Montana and in 1891 removed to
Walla Walla county, Washington, where he worked on a farm until his
removal to Alaska. A decade was devoted to gold mining there and
during that time he made three trips to Europe. On leaving Alaska he
went to Idaho, but remained there for only a short period, after which
he again came to Walla Walla county, Washington. He decided to turn his
attention to farm work and took up a homestead on Eureka flats which
he cultivated for eight years. He then traded that place for a farm in
the vicinity of Walla Walla but two years later exchanged that property
for his present farm of five hundred and twenty acres on section 2,
township 12 north, range 41 east, Garfield county. Much of his land is
given over to the growing of wheat but he also engages in stock raising
and derives a good profit from both branches of his business.
Mr. Christensen was married in 1905 to Miss Dora Renn, who was born in
Minnesota. They are the parents of three children, namely: George F.,
Gertrude M. and Anna M.
Mr. Christensen is an adherent of the republican party and casts his
ballot in support of its candidates. He has not taken a very active
part in political affairs but is now serving as a school director, in
which connection he constantly works for the advancement of the local
schools. He is a self-made man, having attained prosperity solely
through his own efforts, and his energy and determination have gained
him the respect of all who know him.
JOHN C. WRIGHT.
John C. Wright, deceased, was an early settler of Walla Walla county,
Washington, and engaged in farming here for many years. He was born in
St. Lawrence county, New York, April 2, 1843, a son of Alexander and
Jeannette Wright, both of whom passed away in the Empire state.
John C. Wright was reared at home and received his education in the
public schools. As soon as he was old enough he went to work on the
lake boats and was so employed until he enlisted for service in the
Civil war as a member of Company L, Second Minnesota Cavalry. He was
with the colors for three years and was then mustered out of the
military service at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. In 1878 he and his
wife came to the Pacific northwest, locating in Walla Walla county,
Washington, where he took up a tree claim of one hundred and sixty
acres. He subsequently purchased additional land and gave his entire
time and attention to his farm work. He was successful, harvesting
abundant crops, for which he found a ready sale, and as time passed
his resources steadily increased. His widow still owns two hundred and
eighty acres of excellent land with good improvements and derives a
gratifying income from the rent of that property.
Mr. Wright married Mrs. Sallie Vangilder and to them were born three
children: Emma Strand, a resident of Spokane, Washington; and two who
died in infancy. In 1871 the wife and mother passed away and in 1872
Mr. Wright was again married, choosing as his wife Miss Carrie Griffin,
a native of Vermont and a daughter of Daniel and Rhoda (Fullington)
Griffin, natives respectively of New Hampshire and of Canada. In 1862
the family removed to Minnesota and there the father died, but the
mother subsequently went to Kansas, where she spent her last days. To
them were born eight children, of whom only two survive. Mr. and Mrs.
Wright became the parents of eight children, of whom the first three
died in infancy, the others being: Ada, who is married; Burt C., who is
at home with his mother; Myrtle, the wife of Otis Denny; Carrie, who
married Leigh Homer, of Montana; and Jack C., a railroad agent.
Mr. Wright was interested in public affairs and well informed on
political issues but he never had the time nor inclination to hold
office. His was a quiet, unostentatious life, marked by careful
attention to his affairs, by the support of movements seeking the
general good and by uncompromising honesty at all times. He passed away
in 1898 and those who knew him well still cherish his memory.
CHARLES B. LAMBERT.
An eventful career is that of Charles B. Lambert, who, of Swedish
birth, spent some time as a sailor on the high seas and also sojourned
for a period in Alaska. He is now living a less spectacular but none
the less useful life as an architect and contractor of Walla Walla and
in professional circles has gained for himself a creditable position.
Born in Sweden on the 6th of April, 1871, he is a son of August and
Louise (Von Bose) Lambert, both of whom were natives of Sweden, where
the mother passed away but the father is still living. In their family
were five children, three of whom survive.
Charles B. Lambert was reared and educated in Sweden, where he attended
the common schools until he reached the age of fourteen years. Desirous
then of providing for his own support, he went to sea and spent three
years as cabin boy and sailor. At the age of seventeen he returned to
his native country and took up the study of architecture, to which he
devoted two years, having thorough training in that regard. It was in
the year 1890 that Mr. Lambert sailed for the new world, hoping to find
better business opportunities on this side of the Atlantic. He landed
in New York city, where he was employed for a time and later went to
Chicago and to St. Paul, continuing in architectural work in these
different cities. In 1897 he made his way to Alaska, where he remained
for a year and a half, and in 1898 he arrived in Walla Walla, where he
embarked in business on his own account. He has since become widely
and prominently known as an architect and contractor and his skill and
ability are manifest in many of the most substantial structures found
in this city and through the surrounding district. The attractiveness
of his plans has added much to the beauty of Walla Walla and in
the erection of buildings he studies closely utility, comfort and
convenience as well as the attractive exterior.
In 1901 Mr. Lambert was married to Miss Alma O. Jones, a native of
Sweden, and they became the parents of two children: Ruth L., who is
now a high school student; and Edith E. The family occupy an attractive
residence which Mr. Lambert owns. He is prominent in Masonic circles,
having taken all the degrees of the York and Scottish Rites up to
and including the thirty-second degree in the consistory, and he is
now eminent commander of the Knights Templar commandery. He also has
membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His study of the questions and
issues of the day has led him to give his political endorsement to
the republican party. He is a man of high personal worth and marked
professional ability and a most progressive citizen who exemplifies
in his life the spirit of western enterprise, progress and successful
accomplishment.
BAILEY H. GROSS.
Bailey H. Gross was for more than a third of a century a resident of
Walla Walla county and became one of its extensive landowners and
prosperous farmers. He was a native of Illinois and ere reaching man's
estate became a resident of Iowa--in fact continued to make his home
in Iowa through the greater part of his childhood. It was there that
he wedded Miss Julia A. Rice, who was born in Indiana and also became
a resident of Iowa in her girlhood days. They began their domestic
life in that state, where they continued until 1862 and then started
on the long journey across the plains with the Pacific coast as their
destination, but on reaching Virginia City, Nevada, were so pleased
with the conditions they found that they decided to locate there. For
eight years the father was engaged in dairying in that place and in
1870 resumed his interrupted journey westward and for ten years was a
resident of what is now Modoc county, California. On the expiration of
that decade he made his way northward into Walla Walla, Washington,
arriving in the year 1880, accompanied by his family. Here he turned
his attention to farming, in which he prospered greatly, and as his
financial resources increased he kept adding to his landed possessions
until he was the owner of thirteen hundred and sixty acres of fine
wheat land. He personally supervised the operation of his farm, which
was largely devoted to the production of wheat and other cereals.
His methods were most progressive and his labors brought him most
gratifying success. He continued to supervise the operation of his
farm until 1913 and then retired, taking up his abode in Walla Walla,
where his remaining days were passed in the enjoyment of well earned
rest, his death occurring March 12, 1915. He had for about three years
survived his wife, who died in June, 1912. During the thirty-five years
of his residence in the county he witnessed great changes as the work
of progress and of transformation was carried steadily forward. His
activity as an agriculturist constituted a substantial contribution to
the development of the state and, moreover, his life work proved what
can be accomplished through individual effort and ability. He started
out in the business world empty-handed and by reason of personal
worth and effort gained a place among the substantial citizens of the
northwest.
[Illustration: BAILEY H. GROSS]
HENRY SCHMITT.
Henry Schmitt engaged in farming for many years and won a competence
which enables him to live retired in Waitsburg. He was born in Lee
county, Iowa, December 17, 1859, a son of John and Katharina (Martin)
Schmitt, both natives of Germany. In 1840 they emigrated to America
and located in Iowa, whence they removed to Nebraska where the mother
passed away. Subsequently the father returned to Iowa with his children
but after living there for a year went to Umatilla county, Oregon, and
became the owner of a good farm there. He is deceased and six of his
ten children have also passed away.
Henry Schmitt passed his boyhood and youth mainly in Iowa, and after
completing the course in the common schools became a student in the
high school at Burlington, from which he was graduated. For some time
thereafter he resided at home, assisting his father, but on attaining
his majority began farming in Umatilla county, Oregon, the family in
the meantime having removed west. He purchased one hundred and sixty
acres of land on which he resided for thirty-four years, during which
time he brought the place to a high state of development and made many
excellent improvements thereon. His practical methods and his industry
were rewarded by large crops and he gave careful attention to the
markets, and thus was able to dispose of his crops to good advantage.
Since selling his farm he has taken up his abode in Waitsburg, where he
owns a fine residence and three acres of land.
On the 7th of September, 1881, Mr. Schmitt was married to Miss Carrie
Piepke, a native of Germany. Both hold membership in the Methodist
Episcopal church and can always be counted upon to do their part in
promoting its welfare. Mr. Schmitt is identified with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows in Oregon and has exemplified in his life the
beneficent principles upon which that organization is based.
EMMETT S. HENNESSEY.
Emmett S. Hennessey, senior member of the firm of Hennessey & Calloway,
a leading undertaking firm of Walla Walla, was born in Saratoga,
Illinois, December 27, 1881, his parents being Joseph Daniel and
Kathrine (Harney) Hennessey, who are natives of Illinois and of Irish
parentage. In 1908 they removed westward to Walla Walla, where they
still reside. They were the parents of five children, all of whom are
yet living.
Emmett S. Hennessey, the eldest of the family, pursued his education
in the public schools of Henry, Illinois, until graduated from the
high school on the 1st of June, 1900. He is also a graduate licensed
embalmer. After completing his high school course he spent one term
as a teacher in a rural school at Grafton, Nebraska, and for one year
was teller and accountant in a bank in Michigan, North Dakota, but
fearing for his health, he left the bank to enter the University of
Minnesota as a medical student. Later, however, he changed his course
to the study of anatomy, embalming and sanitary science. He took up
the undertaking business in Walla Walla in connection with the oldest
undertaking company of the state in 1903, becoming a member of the firm
of Picard & Hennessey. That association was maintained until 1908, when
he bought out the interests of his partner and conducted the business
alone until recently, when he became associated with Mr. Calloway. His
reliable methods, his enterprise and the excellent line of goods which
he carries have secured to him a very liberal and gratifying patronage
and he is now regarded as one of the leading undertakers of the Inland
Empire.
On the 25th of May, 1909, Mr. Hennessey was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Harter, a native of Walla Walla and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Anton Harter, who are natives of Germany and came to America in 1868.
In 1872 they established their home in Walla Walla, where, they still
reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Hennessey have been born four children, namely:
Charles, Patrick, Harry and Mary, all of whom are still under the
parental roof.
Mr. and Mrs. Hennessey are members of the Catholic church, in which Mr.
Hennessey is serving as a trustee. He also holds membership with the
Knights of Columbus and is a past grand knight. He belongs to the Elks
Lodge, No. 287, with which he has been identified for twelve years, and
at the present writing, in 1917, is holding the office of loyal knight.
He likewise belongs to the Commercial Club and cooperates in all of its
well defined plans and movements for the upbuilding of the city. In
politics he is a republican and in 1911 and 1912 filled the office of
county coroner. He does not seek nor desire political preferment to any
extent, however, as he wishes to concentrate his efforts and attention
upon his business affairs. He is well known in this city and through
the period of his residence here has gained an extensive circle of warm
friends.
JAMES E. SHORT.
In the death of James E. Short, Walla Walla county lost one of its
pioneer settlers and progressive farmers. He was born in Grant county,
Wisconsin, April 8, 1847, and was a young lad of eleven years when his
parents removed with their family to Iowa, where they continued to
reside until he reached the age of nineteen. The family home was then
established in Texas, where the parents later passed away.
James E. Short was reared and educated in Iowa, pursuing his studies
in the public schools through the winter months, while in the summer
seasons he worked in the fields. He was thus employed until he was
twenty-three years of age. In the meantime the family had removed to
Texas and in the Lone Star state he was married to Miss Martha E.
Vickers, who was born in Texas. They began their domestic life there
and after thirteen years removed to Oklahoma, where they resided for
a number of years. On the expiration of that period they sold their
property in the southwest and came to the Pacific coast country with
Washington as their destination. In 1905 Mr. Short purchased land in
the Walla Walla valley, becoming owner of six hundred and forty acres.
This is wheat land, all under a high state of cultivation. He ranked
with the leading and prosperous farmers of the county and followed the
most progressive methods in all of his work. His place ever presented a
neat and thrifty appearance, which indicated the careful supervision of
a practical and progressive owner.
To Mr. and Mrs. Short were born nine children, namely: Adelaide T.,
who is a graduate nurse; James V.; Amie E., who is the wife of William
F. Dolling; William E.; John W.; Oscar N.; Susan Eva; Elma M. C.; and
Martha S.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. JAMES E. SHORT]
The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church, as did Mr. Short,
and his influence was ever on the side of right, truth, reform and
progress. His political allegiance was given to the democratic party
and of its principles he was a stanch champion, but he never sought nor
desired political office. He served, however, as a school director and
was interested in all that pertained to the intellectual advancement of
the community. He died May 7, 1917, and was laid to rest in Mountview
cemetery in Walla Walla, leaving a widow and nine children to mourn his
loss. His death was also the occasion of deep regret to many friends,
for he had become widely and favorably known during the period of his
residence in this section of the country. He had many substantial
traits of character, was thoroughly reliable in business and was a
public-spirited citizen. His widow and sons now operate the farm and
the family occupies a prominent social position in this section of the
state.
JAMES P. NEAL.
James P. Neal, deputy prosecuting attorney of Walla Walla county and a
resident of the city of Walla Walla, was born in Westfield, Indiana,
November 12, 1883, a son of the Rev. A. G. Neal, who is pastor of the
First Methodist church of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and of Laura (Johns)
Neal.
James P. Neal was accorded liberal educational opportunities. After
graduating from the high school at Angola, Indiana, as a member of
the class of 1901 he entered De Pauw University at Greencastle, that
state, and pursued a classical course, winning his Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1906. After leaving De Pauw he went east for law study and
matriculated as a law student in Harvard University, where he remained
until 1908. Having been admitted to practice law in Madison county,
Indiana, in 1907, he maintained an office for a time at Alexandria,
that state. He was admitted to practice before the supreme court of
Indiana in 1908, was admitted to practice in Oregon in the same year
and in Washington in 1914. In 1908 he opened an office in Freewater,
Oregon, and in 1913 he became connected with the firm of Brooks &
Bartlett in Walla Walla, that association being maintained until 1915.
Since February of the latter year he has been a partner in the firm of
Stafford & Neal and in this connection enjoys a large and lucrative
practice which is constantly growing in volume and importance. He has
filled various positions of a professional character. In 1907 he was
deputy prosecuting attorney of Madison county, Indiana, and from 1909
until 1913 was city attorney of Freewater, Oregon. In 1915 he was made
city attorney of Walla Walla, which position he yet fills, and in 1917
he became deputy prosecuting attorney of Walla Walla county and is yet
the incumbent in that office.
Mr. Neal was married in Walla Walla, November 6, 1912, to Miss Louise
Root, a daughter of F. F. and Margaret Root. In politics Mr. Neal is a
republican and an active worker in party ranks, his opinions carrying
considerable weight among the leaders of the party. He was a member
of the county central committee of Umatilla county, Oregon, from 1910
until 1912 and in 1916 was a member of the county central committee
of Walla Walla county. His fraternal relations are with the Masons,
the Elks, the Moose, the Woodmen of the World and the Knights and
Ladies of Security. He is also identified with Beta Theta Pi, a college
fraternity. Mr. and Mrs. Neal are people of genuine worth, occupying an
enviable position in social circles, and their many substantial traits
of character have won them the respect and high regard of all with whom
they have been brought in contact.
JOHN D. TAGGARD.
John D. Taggard is prominently connected with the development of
horticultural interests of the northwest. His efforts have demonstrated
the possibilities for fruit culture in Walla Walla county and he is now
conducting a successful business as an orchardist, having his place on
section 12, township 8 north, range 37 east. He was born amid the Ozark
mountains of Missouri, near the city of Springfield, June 28, 1863,
a son of Aaron and Ruth M. (Holland) Taggard, the former a native of
Missouri, while the latter was born in Tennessee. For many years they
resided upon a farm in Webster county, Missouri, but in later life the
father retired from agricultural pursuits and took up his abode in
Conway, where for some years he engaged with a younger brother in a
mercantile enterprise, being associated with that business for several
years. He died in 1910 and is survived by his widow, who yet resides in
Conway.
John D. Taggard was reared under the parental roof and the common
schools afforded him his preliminary educational privileges. He
afterward attended the seminary at Lebanon, Missouri, and also
became a student in the Mountain Dale Seminary, thus being accorded
liberal advantages which well qualified him for life's practical and
responsible duties. He left home at the age of about eighteen years and
came to Washington, where he arrived in September, 1881. He took up his
abode in Dayton, Columbia county, where he engaged in teaching at the
Alex Baldwin schoolhouse for one year. During the following year he
took the advice of friends and for the sake of his health accepted a
position on the sheep ranch of Gretman Brothers and lived in the open
for two years. He was at that time afflicted with pulmonary trouble and
his life in the open completely restored him to health. He then went
to Whitman county, where he took up a homestead six miles north of the
Snake river, and there he engaged in the cattle business, remaining
upon that place for nine years, but his business venture did not prove
profitable and he was entirely without means when he left that country.
He then removed to Waitsburg, Walla Walla county, where he engaged
in gardening and fruit growing. He was a pioneer in the commercial
apple business of the Walla Walla valley. From his boyhood days he
was a lover and a student of tree life and is today said to be the
foremost orchardist of Walla Walla county. He has studied every phase
of the question both from a practical and scientific standpoint and
there is perhaps no man in this section of the state better informed
concerning the possibilities of fruit raising in the northwest. In
1905 Mr. Taggard and his very close friend, Rev. B. Z. Riggs, rented
a twenty acre orchard of W. R. Amon and in the following year they
purchased that tract together with sixteen acres adjoining, which had
formerly been planted to trees, but the trees had been pulled out. Mr.
Taggard and Mr. Riggs immediately replanted the sixteen acre tract
and in 1907, when Mr. Riggs' health failed, Mr. Taggard took over the
interests of his partner and soon afterward admitted Albert Dickinson
to a partnership, the latter purchasing a half-interest in the twenty
acre orchard. After three years, however, Mr. Taggard became sole owner
of the orchard and the business. In 1910, in connection with others,
he planted another orchard of fifty acres. He had entire charge of
the planting and the care of the orchard, which is now in bearing
and is one of the finest to be found in the fruit district of this
section. At the present time Mr. Taggard has in course of construction
a community packing house one hundred and fifty by forty feet, which
will cost in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars and will have a
storage capacity of twenty-five carloads of fruit. He expects to pack
between fifty and sixty thousand boxes of fruit this year, which means
practically one hundred carloads. In this way the association will
be independent of the middleman and will allow the owner to hold the
fruit until the market is right. Mr. Taggard has thus closely studied
everything that has a bearing upon orcharding in the northwest and
displays sound judgment, combined with the most progressive methods, in
everything that he undertakes.
On the 4th of December, 1887, Mr. Taggard was married to Miss Rilda
Boothe, of Dayton, and they have an adopted daughter, Lillian. In
politics Mr. Taggard is a stalwart republican. In 1910 he followed
the lead of Roosevelt and became a supporter of the progressive party
and was nominated on its ticket for representative, but was too busy
to give the time to the campaign that would secure an election. His
personal popularity, however, carried weight, so that he was defeated
by only a small majority. Mr. Taggard is a member of Delta Lodge,
No. 5, I. O. O. F. He and his wife hold memberships in the Christian
church, guiding their lives by its teachings and conforming their
conduct to its principles at all times. He has been an officer of
the church for twenty years. While his efforts have brought personal
success, his labors have been of even broader reach and importance, for
his example has been followed by many others. He has demonstrated what
could be accomplished and others have taken up the ideas which he has
set forth. Today there is no feature of orcharding in the northwest
with which he is not familiar and his opinions are largely accepted as
authority by all fruit growers in this section.
EDMOND J. JOHNSON.
Edmond J. Johnson is a self-made man who has gained a substantial
position in business circles of Walla Walla as a dealer in wood and
coal. He deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as he
started out in life empty-handed and has placed his dependence upon
the substantial qualities of industry and perseverance. He was born
in England in February, 1861, and was there reared and educated. He
had attained the age of twenty-four years when he determined to try
his fortune in America, hoping that he might find better business
opportunities on this side the Atlantic. He crossed the continent after
reaching American shores, making his way to Walla Walla, Washington,
where he worked at the butchering trade, which he had previously
learned in his native land. He followed that business for seven years
and then went to work for the city in the street department, occupying
a position of that character for fourteen years. On the expiration of
that period he turned his attention to the wood and coal trade, in
which he has since been engaged, and through the intervening years he
has built up a business of very gratifying and substantial proportions.
He also has the contract for street cleaning in the city and is leading
a most active life. Energy has ever been one of his most marked
characteristics and indefatigable effort has brought him the success
which is now his.
In 1890 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Leona Hastings, a
native of Kansas, and they have become the parents of three children:
Susie, who is now the wife of C. Brent, of Portland, Oregon; Hazel, who
is the wife of Clem Burgman, living on a ranch in Walla Walla county;
and William, who died at the age of three months.
The family occupy an attractive home in Walla Walla and Mr. Johnson has
become the owner of some good residence properties in the city. His
political allegiance is given to the republican party, which he has
supported since becoming a naturalized American citizen. He belongs to
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has made many warm friends
in that organization. His life record should inspire and encourage
others, for he started out when a lad of eleven years and has since
been dependent upon his own resources. He early recognized the fact
that industry wins. He may never have heard of the Greek philosopher
Epicharmus, who said: "Earn thy reward; the gods give naught to sloth,"
but he knew the principle that underlies those words and indefatigable
industry has characterized him at every point in his career. Step by
step he has advanced and is now not only a substantial business man of
Walla Walla but one who enjoys and deserves the respect, goodwill and
confidence of all with whom he is associated.
JOHN WARREN LANGDON.
John Warren Langdon, one of the best known business men of eastern
Washington, prominently identified with the commercial and financial
interests and with the community life of Walla Walla, was born in New
Hampton, Iowa, December 18, 1871, a son of Warren W. Langdon, who was
a native of Illinois. The father was an expert tinner by trade and was
also connected with banking interests of the northwest for a number of
years, becoming a very prominent factor in business affairs in Moscow,
Idaho.
He was superintendent of the Walla Walla waterworks for five years and
figured prominently in connection with public affairs in this city.
His attitude in respect to his country's welfare was clearly manifest
at the time of the Civil war, when he put aside all business and
personal considerations and responded to the country's call for troops,
enlisting as a member of Company A, Ninety-fifth Regiment of the
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, on the 9th of August, 1862, at Marengo,
Illinois. He served for three years and was mustered out at Camp
Butler, Illinois August 17, 1865. His wife, who bore the maiden name of
Hester M. Robinson, is also a native of Illinois.
[Illustration: JOHN WARREN LANGDON]
Their son, John Warren Langdon, acquired his early education in the
common schools of Moscow, Idaho, and afterward attended the Bishop
Scott grammar school of Portland, Oregon, where he stood at the head of
his classes, receiving the headmaster's prize for the highest standing
during the school year; his marks at this school were the highest
received by any student during the seventeen years of the school's
existence to that time, and he also received two additional prizes for
excellence in deportment and penmanship.
At the age of sixteen years he left school and was placed in the First
National Bank of Moscow, Idaho, of which his father was vice president.
Two years later he accepted a position with the Dorsey S. Baker estate
of Walla Walla, one of the richest estates in the northwest. Ten years
later, upon division of the estate, he became secretary of the firm
of Baker & Baker, a strong loan company, doing business in the Walla
Walla valley. Two years later, owing to increased personal business
responsibilities, he resigned, and at that time incorporated the Green
Investment Company of Walla Walla for the purpose of handling the
business affairs of Mary F. Green, his mother-in-law. This corporation
is heavily interested in both city and country real estate, and its
holdings are scattered throughout the state of Washington.
There is no man more familiar with property values and conditions in
this section of the country than Mr. Langdon. At the present time he
is one of the joint owners and managers of the Baker-Langdon Orchard
Company of Walla Walla, owners of a six hundred acre apple orchard
adjoining the city of Walla Walla, which is recognized as one of the
finest commercial orchard properties in the United States; is also vice
president and manager of the Green Investment Company of Walla Walla;
a director of the Baker-Boyer National Bank of Walla Walla, the oldest
bank in the state of Washington; is vice president of the Blalock
Fruit Company, owning the largest fruit and vegetable farm in the
northwest; is a director of the Northwestern Fruit Exchange of Seattle
and New York, one of the largest and most widely known fruit shippers
in the northwest, and has still other interests which place him in the
foremost rank of the business men of this section of the country.
On the 16th of September, 1897, Mr. Langdon was married to Miss
Philinda Green, who was born in Walla Walla, a daughter of William
O. and Mary F. (Young) Green, who were pioneers of the Walla Walla
valley, having crossed the plains by team at a very early period in the
settlement of the northwest. Mr. and Mrs. Langdon have become parents
of two sons: Warren Orville and John Green, both now attending Walla
Walla high school.
While most important business interests have claimed the attention of
Mr. Langdon, he has also found time and opportunity to cooperate in
plans and measures for the public good and has been a most generous
supporter of interests which are looking toward the upbuilding and
development of city and state.
The cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion and he is a
member of the board of trustees of Whitman College and chairman of
the board of directors of the Whitman Conservatory of Music. He is
also a director and vice president of the Walla Walla Commercial Club
and chairman of its agricultural and horticultural committee. Elected
president of the park board of Walla Walla, Mr. Langdon set about to
construct an ideal park for the city. The city council having set
aside a beautiful tract of forty acres owned by the city, for park
purposes, Mr. Langdon prepared, with his own hands, plans for the park,
and working in conjunction with the Woman's Park Club of Walla Walla,
assisted in developing an unusually attractive landscape, embracing
play grounds, boating lake, tiny streams and waterfalls, now known as
City Park. Recently he has prepared elaborate plans for the development
of Dreamland Park on Ninth street. He is now and for many years past
has been secretary of the board of trustees of St. Paul's School, which
was the first school for girls in the territory of Washington, and
today is recognized as one of the state's best educational institutions.
Holding membership in St. Paul's Episcopal church, he has served
for years as one of its vestrymen and as its junior warden. He is
one of the trustees of the newly organized Young Women's Christian
Association, and as the first vice president of the Young Men's
Christian Association in Walla Walla assisted materially in raising
funds for the construction of an elegant building for this association
in Walla Walla. Mr. Langdon is chairman of the membership committee
of the Red Cross in Walla Walla; vice president of the Washington
State Harvesters League; and a member of the state executive committee
for food conservation appointed by Herbert Hoover, chairman of food
conservation. Mr. Langdon is interested in art, and has done some
exceedingly creditable photographic work among the northwest Indians
and has reproduced in enlargements and panoramas historical scenes in
the states of Oregon and Washington, many of which he has personally
hand-colored. He thoroughly enjoys home life and takes great pleasure
in the society of his family and friends.
He is always courteous, kindly and affable and those who know him
personally entertain for him warm regard. A man of great natural
ability, his success in business from the beginning of his residence in
Walla Walla has been uniform and rapid.
As has been truly remarked, after all that may be done for a man in the
way of giving him early opportunities for obtaining the requirements
which are found in schools and in books, he must essentially formulate,
determine and give shape to his own character, and this is what Mr.
Langdon has done. He has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent
purpose and gained a most satisfactory reward. He has endeavored to
make his life exemplary in all respects and he has ever supported those
interests which are calculated to uplift and benefit humanity.
JOHN BACHTOLD.
John Bachtold is a well known and representative business man of Walla
Walla who is now proprietor and manager of the Dacres Hotel, one of the
leading hostelries of the city. He comes from a land that has produced
many famous hotel proprietors. In every country on the face of the
globe the Swiss have proven their capability in that field, many of
the finest hotels of every land being conducted by those who were born
within the shadow of the Alps. Mr. Bachtold was born in Switzerland
in 1865 and spent the first fourteen years of his life in his native
country. He then crossed the Atlantic to America and became a resident
of South Dakota, where he engaged in farm work for nine years. On the
expiration of that period he arrived in Washington, making his way to
Grays Harbor, where he secured a position as clerk in a hotel, thus
receiving his initial business training in the line to which he now
directs his energies. The next year he became proprietor of a hotel in
Oswego, Oregon.
In 1892 Mr. Bachtold removed to Walla Walla, where he established a
restaurant. The following year, however, he turned his attention to
other business interests, in which he was engaged for several years.
At length he took over the management of the Dacres Hotel, which is
an excellent hostelry, well equipped, while his keen interest in the
successful management of the business leads him to put forth every
effort for the comfort and welfare of his guests. He is likewise
identified with several other business concerns of the city, all of
which profit by his sound judgment and indefatigable energy. That Mr.
Bachtold is deeply interested in the city's welfare has been manifest
by his intense activity in maintaining the efficiency of the volunteer
fire department, of which he was the president. He has also been very
active in fraternal circles as a member of the Improved Order of Red
Men, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Foresters, the Eagles and
the Sons of Hermann. He is also connected with the Maennerchor, which
indicates his love of music and a cultivated taste in that direction.
Mr. Bachtold was married in Grays Harbor in 1892 to Miss Annie Schuerch
and to them have been born six children, Ida, Annie, George, John,
Edward and Walter. Mr. Bachtold has never had occasion to regret his
determination to come to the new world, for in this land he has found
the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization has made
steady progress along the high road to success.
GEORGE J. GUTHRIDGE.
Walla Walla rightly takes pride in her efficient fire department, which
is highly systematized and is conducted along the most modern methods,
and as chief of the department George J. Guthridge has accomplished
work that entitles him to rank among the best fire chiefs of the
northwest. He is a native son of Walla Walla, born April 7, 1870, in
the house which he now occupies though it has since been remodeled.
His parents, Benjamin G. and Ellen J. (Goss) Guthridge, were born
respectively in London, England, and Cork, Ireland, but came to the
United States in young manhood and young womanhood. At that time the
father had been dependent upon his own resources for a number of years,
as he ran away from home when a boy and went to sea and in the next
few years visited all the principal ports of the world. It was in 1862
that he decided to settle permanently in the United States and the
vessel on which he was then sailing, on putting into Portland, Oregon,
was wrecked on the Columbia river bar, he and the negro cook being the
only persons rescued. At that time there was considerable excitement
in the northwest over the newly discovered mines in Idaho and he went
to that section, where he remained for a short period, after which he
drifted to Walla Walla. There he engaged in the restaurant business for
a time and then turned his attention to the conduct of a meat market.
He was engaged in that business for a quarter of a century and derived
therefrom a gratifying profit which enabled him to retire. Having
disposed of his private interests, he was then offered and accepted
the appointment as steward of the state penitentiary, being the first
man to hold that position after the institution had been removed
from Seattle. For seven years he filled that important and difficult
position and then retired from all active work, spending his last years
in well deserved leisure. His death occurred June 4, 1912. He had
survived his wife for many years, as she passed away July 21, 1885.
George J. Guthridge was reared under the parental roof and attended the
Catholic boys' schools of Walla Walla and also took a business course
in a night school. As a youth and young man he assisted his father in
the management of his butchering business and after the latter disposed
of his meat market the son was variously employed until 1890, when
he was appointed a member of the city fire department. He served in
that capacity for two years and then was for a similar length of time
deputy sheriff. Again he became connected with the fire department but
following an accident in 1896, which occurred when answering a fire
call and in which his leg and ankle were broken, he was for four years
out of the department. In 1900, however, he returned to the service
and in April, 1904, was appointed captain. In January, 1912, he was
appointed assistant chief and on the 1st of February, 1917, was made
chief. His long experience in the department has given him a thorough
knowledge of the needs of the service and as captain, assistant chief
and chief he has worked tirelessly and effectively to raise the work to
an ever higher standard.
On the 1st of October, 1902, Mr. Guthridge was united in marriage to
Miss Augusta Berg, who was born August 17, 1879, six miles east of
Vancouver, Washington, but at the age of ten years removed with her
parents to North Yamhill, Oregon, living there until her marriage. Mr.
and Mrs. Guthridge have become parents of six children, five of whom
survive: Eugene, thirteen years old; Francis; Albert; Leona; and Walter.
Mr. Guthridge is a republican in politics and fraternally is identified
with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Improved Order of Red
Men, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Knights of Columbus. He and
his family are members of the Catholic church and support the work of
that organization. His entire life has been passed in the west and he
is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of enterprise characteristic of
this country and has great faith in the prosperous future before it.
D. C. EATON.
D. C. Eaton, a member of the present board of county commissioners,
residing in Waitsburg, is ranked among the extensive wheat farmers of
Walla Walla county, within the borders of which he has made his home
for almost four decades and where he has acquired some quite valuable
land. His birth occurred in Rock county, Wisconsin, on the 19th of
September, 1854, his parents being Asael and Amanda (Pineo) Eaton,
who were born, reared and married in Nova Scotia. Soon after their
marriage they crossed the border into the United States, locating
first in DeKalb county, Illinois, and a few years later in Wisconsin.
Subsequently they took up their abode in Allamakee county, Iowa, and
there spent the remainder of their lives.
[Illustration: D. C. EATON]
[Illustration: MRS. D. C. EATON]
D. C. Eaton acquired his education in the public schools of Iowa and in
1877, when a young man of twenty-two years, he left the parental roof
to make his own way in the world. Journeying westward to the coast,
he spent a year or more in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon, and in
the spring of 1878 came to Walla Walla county, Washington. Here he
was engaged in the stock business for seven or eight years and about
1886 he turned his attention to farming, which has claimed his time
and energies continuously since. Success has crowned his efforts in
the intervening years, he now being numbered among the extensive wheat
growers of Walla Walla county.
On July 15, 1886, Mr. Eaton was united in marriage to Miss Melvina
Sickler, of Waitsburg, who is a native daughter of Walla Walla county,
her father, Daniel Sickler, having crossed the plains in an early day.
They have become the parents of six children, five of whom survive,
namely: Clarence, who is a graduate of the State Agricultural College
at Pullman of the class of 1910 and who now operates one of his
father's ranches; and May, Marcia, Gladys and Ruth, all of whom are
attending the State Agriculture College at Pullman.
Politically Mr. Eaton is a stanch republican and in 1898 he was
elected to the board of county commissioners, in which connection he
made an excellent record and to which office he was again chosen in
the November election of 1916, so that he is again serving at the
present time. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging
to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, A. F. & A. M.; Dayton Chapter, No. 5, R.
A. M.; Walla Walla Commandery, K. T.; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O.
N. M. S., of Spokane. His is a highly creditable record and he well
deserves mention in this volume as one of the foremost farmers and
representative citizens of the county.
FRED GAYLORD WILLS.
Fred Gaylord Wills was born August 24, 1884, in Arlington, Oregon, a
son of W. H. and Clara (Oviatt) Wills. The father was born in Plymouth,
England, and when twenty-one years of age came to the states, settling
in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1879 he made his way to the Palouse country
to buy sheep and after spending the winter at Endicott came to Walla
Walla. He considered this locality as the most desirable that he had
seen and accordingly decided to make it his permanent home. He was
married at Walla Walla to Miss Clara Oviatt, who was born in Akron,
Summit county, Ohio, and resided there until the early '80s, when she
came to Walla Walla and made her home with a sister until her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Wills have watched with great interest the development
of what was a mere hamlet to a prosperous and up-to-date city of over
twenty-five thousand inhabitants and they have at all times done their
full share in contributing to its upbuilding.
Fred Gaylord Wills attended the public schools of Walla Walla, Whitman
Academy at Walla Walla, the Rindge Manual Training School at Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and the University of Washington at Seattle, which in
1908 conferred upon him the degree of LL. B. It had been his intention
to devote his life to the legal profession but being offered a position
in July, 1908, a short time after his graduation, he entered the employ
of the First National Bank of Walla Walla as messenger. In 1910 he was
appointed deputy clerk of the superior court of Walla Walla county
and while holding that office in addition to discharging his duties
in that capacity he was employed in the First National Bank, working
there after the hour of closing at the clerk's office. In 1912 he went
to Seattle and for a short time engaged in the real estate business
there, after which he went to Tacoma, where he turned his attention
to accounting, which profession he has since followed. In 1916 he
returned to Walla Walla and he has met with gratifying success here.
His acquaintance among the business men of the city and his excellent
business and official record were important factors in his obtaining
the appointment of city clerk. He understands thoroughly the principles
of finance and accounting, and his work gives uniform satisfaction.
Mr. Wills was appointed city clerk on the 20th of January, 1917, and
his prompt and capable performance of his duties has won for him the
commendation of the citizens. He has always given careful study to the
questions and issues of the day and has been a stanch supporter of
plans and projects calculated to promote the civic interests of his
city and county. The greater part of his life has been passed in Walla
Walla, and his genuine personal worth is indicated by the fact that
those who have been intimately associated with him since boyhood are
his stanchest friends.
On the 16th of June, 1917, Mr. Wills was married in Walla Walla to
Miss Dorothy Frances Drum, who was graduated from the University
of Washington with the A. B. degree and who from 1914 to 1917 was
assistant librarian of the public library at Walla Walla. Her father,
Henry Drum, was appointed warden of the state penitentiary by Governor
Lister in 1912 and still holds that office.
WILLIAM LAMBIE.
William Lambie, prominent as a horse breeder and farmer of Garfield
county, living on section 31, township 14 north, range 43 east, was
born near Glasgow, Scotland, March 13, 1846, a son of John and Margaret
(Bryson) Lambie, both of whom were born in the neighborhood of Glasgow,
where they spent their entire lives, the father devoting his time and
attention to the occupation of farming in order to provide for his
family. His son, William Lambie, was reared under the parental roof and
acquired a public school education. On attaining his twenty-first year
he bade adieu to the land of hills and heather and made his way to New
Zealand, where he spent four years. He then came to the United States,
making his way to the Hawaiian Islands and thence to San Francisco.
He spent a short time in the Sacramento valley of California, after
which he removed from San Francisco to Portland, making the trip by
steamer. He spent one month in the harvest fields of the Willamette
valley and then came by steamer up the Columbia river to Wallula and
thence by wagon to Walla Walla, Washington. This was in the summer of
1871. When he saw the Blue mountains and the Walla Walla valley he said
to himself that he would travel no farther. During that fall and the
succeeding winter he was employed by James Foster, located at the foot
of the mountain and the following spring he started out to find land
for himself. He assisted a party with cattle upon the Palouse river
below Colfax and slept on the floor in his own blanket in the only
house in sight in Colfax at that time. He then journeyed northward in
search of land near the much-talked-of route of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, which at that time, however, had not been surveyed. He pushed
on to the neighborhood of Medical Lake, where he located on a beautiful
prairie sloping toward the south. He then returned to Walla Walla for
a team and wagon, and when he again traveled over the route he brought
back with him some garden seed and grain and planted ten acres of his
land that first season. In the summer he worked for a stock man upon
the present site of the town of Sprague, putting up hay. In August
he returned to his own place to look after his crop, but found that
his potatoes had been frosted and he, therefore, abandoned his claim.
That fall he started down the creek with his team and located in a big
meadow on Cow creek, where he cut and sold hay, the purchaser being
Thomas Durry, a sheep man. In this business he engaged for four years
and afterward sold the ranch to Mr. Durry for eight hundred dollars. He
then went to Lower Crab creek and bought mares with his money and began
the breeding of horses. In the fall of 1877 he took up his abode upon
what has since been his home farm and in the fall of that year he did
the first plowing done on the bench land in the north half of Garfield
county. He first preempted one hundred and sixty acres and at the same
time took up a timber claim, while three years later he purchased one
hundred and sixty acres of railroad land. This constituted the nucleus
of his present extensive possessions and gave him his start toward his
later success. From time to time he has bought adjoining land until his
present holdings comprise something more than twenty-one hundred acres
and he operates under lease four hundred and eighty acres in addition,
which he has cultivated for more than a quarter of a century. He has
been one of the foremost breeders of thoroughbred draft horses in
southeastern Washington and for the first fifteen years he specialized
in the breeding of Clydesdales, for which breed he has gained a wide
reputation. For the last ten or twelve years he has given his attention
largely to the breeding of black Percheron horses and has gained an
enviable reputation in this respect throughout the entire northwest.
He is regarded as one of the foremost breeders and one of the most
reliable judges of good horses in Washington. In connection with his
extensive operations as a breeder Mr. Lambie farms eight hundred acres
to wheat and has one hundred and ten acres planted to alfalfa and
annually he produces splendid crops because his methods are practical
and progressive.
[Illustration: WILLIAM LAMBIE]
In 1880 Mr. Lambie was united in marriage to Miss Emma Clark, of
Fresno, California, by whom he had two children, one of whom survives,
John Hazen, who is a resident of Longbeach, California. Mrs. Lambie has
a home at Longbeach, California, where she spends much of her time, and
Mr. Lambie there passes the winter months, while in the summer seasons
he remains in Washington to superintend his business interests.
He is a member of the Farmers Union and he does everything in his power
to promote the interests of the agriculturist and develop the farming
possibilities of the state. He holds membership in the Unitarian church
and is a man of genuine personal worth, progressive and reliable in
business, patriotic in citizenship and at all times guiding his life
by high and honorable principles. He has never had occasion to regret
his determination to leave the land of his fathers and seek a home in
the new world, for here he has found good opportunities and in their
utilization has worked his way steadily upward until he is now numbered
among the prosperous residents of Garfield county.
H. A. TRIPPEER, M. D. V.
Dr. H. A. Trippeer is one of the leading veterinarians of southern
Washington and was one of the organizers of the Veterinary Hospital
Company, which erected the fine City Veterinary Hospital of Walla
Walla. His birth occurred in Peru, Indiana, July 6, 1881, and he is
a son of Joseph E. and Alice (Alexander) Trippeer, the former also a
native of Peru, Indiana, and the latter of Linneus, Missouri. Their
marriage occurred in the latter town, to which the father had removed
with his parents. Not long after he was married, however he returned
to Indiana, and there engaged in breeding thoroughbred race horses
and Devon cattle. In 1888 he took to Wasco county, Oregon, a number
of horses and the first Devon cattle ever seen in the Pacific coast
country. Among the horses was Mattie Mullen, who for a considerable
period was the fastest short distance horse on the entire coast. He was
prominently identified with live stock interests in the northwest for a
number of years but is now living retired in Cove, Oregon.
H. A. Trippeer early began assisting his father in the care of his fine
stock and the experience thus gained has been of great benefit to him
in his professional career as a veterinarian. In 1904 he entered the
Washington State College at Pullman and after two years' work in the
veterinary department of that school he went to Chicago and continued
his course in the famous McKillip Veterinary College, from which he
was graduated with the class of 1907. He then came to Walla Walla and
took the United States examination for veterinarian at Fort Walla
Walla. While awaiting the action of the government on his application
he entered into private practice at Walla Walla in partnership with Dr.
J. W. Woods and as he met with marked success in that connection he
decided to continue in private practice. Two years later he, Dr. Woods
and Dr. Baddely, organized the Veterinary Hospital Company, which later
built the city Veterinary Hospital, an institution which is one of the
best of its kind in the northwest. Later Dr. Baddely withdrew from the
company, selling his interest therein to Dr. Woods and Dr. Trippeer.
The partners have gained an enviable reputation for thorough scientific
knowledge and skill in practice, and their patronage is large and
steadily increasing.
Dr. Trippeer married Miss Pearl G. Griffith, of Sioux City, Iowa, and
they have become the parents of a daughter, Denise. The doctor belongs
to Cove Lodge, No. 91, A. F. & A. M., of Cove, Oregon; to Walla Walla
Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E., and to the Walla Walla Commercial Club,
in which connection he is associated with other enterprising business
men in projects for the upbuilding of the city. He and his wife attend
the services of the Episcopal church and are liberal in their support
of its work. Since becoming a resident of Walla Walla the Doctor has
gained a wide circle of friends and is held in the highest esteem both
professionally and personally.
ORLEY HULL.
Attracted by gold discoveries in California, Orley Hull came to the
Pacific coast and throughout the intervening period until his death
was a resident of this section of the country. He was born in Iowa in
1825 and there the period of his boyhood and youth was passed amid
the conditions of frontier life, for at that time the state of Iowa
was yet a part of the great western territory that lay uninhabited
and undeveloped west of the Mississippi. He continued in that state
until he reached the age of twenty-four years, when the news reached
him concerning the discovery of gold in California and he determined
to try his fortune upon the Pacific coast. Accordingly he made the
necessary arrangements for the trip, securing a covered wagon and an
ox team, with which he started across the plains in 1849. The journey
was a long and arduous one over the hot stretches of sand and across
the mountains, but he pushed on day after day and ultimately reached
his destination. After spending some time in California he determined
to make his way northward and came to Walla Walla county, Washington.
Here he took up the occupation of farming and stock raising, to which
he devoted a number of years, becoming one of the representative
agriculturists of the county. Eventually he established his home in
Walla Walla, where his last days were passed.
It was in Walla Walla that Mr. Hull was united in marriage to Mrs.
Hannah M. Laird, a native of Rochester, New York, and a daughter of
Dr. Hiram Preston, of that city. After reaching womanhood she married
Leonard Laird and they subsequently removed to Minnesota, where he
engaged in farming for a time. He possessed considerable musical talent
and took an active interest in religious work. On leaving Minnesota
he removed to Hillsboro, Oregon, where he conducted a hotel for two
years, but about 1877 brought his family to Washington, and located on
a farm seven miles from Walla Walla, where he spent his remaining days,
dying there in 1879. To Mr. and Mrs. Laird were born six children,
of whom four are still living, namely: Miss Florence, a resident of
Walla Walla; George D., of Portland, Oregon; Jennie, the widow of
Millard Roff, of Walla Walla; and Nellie A., who is the widow of James
A. Delaney and is living with her mother in Walla Walla. During the
Spanish-American war Mr. Delaney entered the service and died of Manila
fever. He left one child, Adrian L., now a guard at the Washington
penitentiary in Walla Walla.
Mr. Hull was a stalwart and loyal member of the Masonic fraternity, in
the work of which he was actively and helpfully interested, being ever
ready to extend a helping hand to a brother of the order. He also took
an active part in the upbuilding of the city of Walla Walla and his
aid and cooperation could be counted upon to further any measure or
movement for the public good. Those who knew him esteemed him as a man
of high purpose and of honorable life and when he passed away in April,
1892, his death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret in the
southeastern section of the state, where he had long made his home and
his funeral was widely attended. He was a man of marked integrity and
his word was always as good as his bond.
YANCEY C. BLALOCK, M. D.
With the lasting example of his honored father before him, Dr. Yancey
C. Blalock has followed in his professional footsteps and has won a
place among the eminent physicians and surgeons of Walla Walla. He
was born in Mitchell county, North Carolina, August 3, 1859, a son
of Dr. Nelson G. and Panthea A. (Durham) Blalock, of whom extended
mention is made elsewhere in this work. During his infancy his parents
removed with the family to Macon county, Illinois, and he was a youth
of fourteen when they started across the plains to Walla Walla, making
the long and arduous journey according to the primitive methods of the
time. Dr. Blalock has a very vivid recollection of many of the events
of the trip as they passed on over the long stretches of hot sand and
through the mountain passes that eventually brought them to the Pacific
Coast. His education was largely acquired in the public schools of
Walla Walla and in the Whitman Seminary. At length he determined to
make the practice of medicine his life work and accordingly in 1881
entered the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
from which his father had graduated many years before. He completed
his course in that institution as a member of the class of 1884, after
which he returned at once to Walla Walla and for a time was associated
with his father in the active practice of medicine and surgery. Later,
however, he established himself independently in practice, and in 1902
he accepted the appointment to the position of receiver of the United
States land office at Walla Walla, serving in that capacity for two
years, at the end of which time he resigned to resume the private
practice of his profession. He has since given his undivided thought
and attention to his professional interests and is ranked today among
the leading practitioners of the county. He is most conscientious in
the performance of his professional duties, recognizing how grave are
the responsibilities which confront the physician.
In April, 1883, Dr. Blalock was united in marriage to Miss Julia
Sanderson, a native daughter of Walla Walla, and to them was born a
son, Jesse N. Mrs. Blalock passed away on the 6th of January, 1885,
and in 1890 Dr. Blalock was again married, this union being with Miss
Lillian Ballou, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Orlando and
Elizabeth (Boyd) Ballou. To this marriage has been born a daughter,
Phoebe I.
[Illustration: YANCEY C. BLALOCK, M. D.]
For many years Dr. Blalock has been prominent in fraternal circles. He
has membership in Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M., of which he
is a past master, and he also belongs to Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1,
R. A. M., of which he is past high priest. He has taken the Knights
Templar degree in Washington Commandery, of which he is a past eminent
commander, and he belongs to Oriental Consistory, A. & A. S. R., of
Spokane. He has also crossed the sands of the desert with El Katif
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane, and he and his wife are members
of Alki Chapter, No. 25, O. E. S., of which Dr. Blalock is past patron,
while his wife is a past matron. In Masonic circles the doctor occupies
a very prominent position and is a past grand master of the grand lodge
of the state and a past eminent commander of the grand commandery of
the state. He likewise served as grand secretary of the grand chapter
of the Royal Arch Masons for a number of years and was grand recorder
of the grand commandery, Knights Templar. On March 6, 1914, he received
the honorary thirty-third degree.
Dr. Blalock has occupied various civic offices and for three terms was
county coroner. He served in the volunteer fire department of Walla
Walla for twenty-two years, six of which he was chief. He is always
loyal in positions of public trust and in all of his service in behalf
of the community has been actuated by a singleness of purpose that has
brought good results for the community. His political allegiance is
given the republican party and he is an active and earnest worker in
its ranks. He has served as chairman of the republican county central
committee and puts forth every legitimate effort to further the success
of the principles in which he so firmly believes. His prominence,
professional and otherwise, is the outcome of his ability, his fidelity
to duty and his high standards. His sterling characteristics commend
him to the confidence and goodwill of all and throughout Walla Walla
county, where almost his entire life has been passed, he has a circle
of friends almost equal to the circle of his acquaintance.
THOMAS GILKERSON.
Thomas Gilkerson, who is residing on the family homestead in Walla
Walla township, Walla Walla county, was born in England, October 19,
1837. His parents, George and Sarah (Rayson) Gilkerson, were also born
in that country and in 1843 came with their family to America. They
took up their residence in New York state, living there during their
remaining days. To them were born seven children, of whom five survive,
namely: Mrs. Mary Wallace, of Spokane; Thomas, of this review; James
and William, who are living in New York; and Frances, who is now the
wife of Thomas Curry, of Homer, New York.
Thomas Gilkerson grew to manhood in New York and there received his
education. In 1860, when a young man, he and his brother James came
west to Walla Walla county, Washington, and he of this review took up
a homestead in Walla Walla township, where he has since remained. He
proved successful in his farming operations and later from time to
time added to his holdings, becoming the owner of a large and valuable
tract. He now leaves the active work of the farm to others but still
gives supervision to the management of his interests. He has gained a
competence and the period of leisure which he is now enjoying is well
deserved.
In 1862 Mr. Gilkerson was united in marriage to Mrs. Eliza (Sickles)
McWhirk and they have had five children, of whom three are living,
namely: Harry, Thomas J. and Dewitt A.
Mr. Gilkerson has supported the democratic party since gaining the
right of franchise and has taken the interest of a good citizen in
public affairs although never an aspirant for office. He has been
identified with Walla Walla township for more than a half century
and during that time has always proven a loyal citizen and a man of
sterling worth.
CLINTON D. DAVIS.
Clinton D. Davis, who has lived in Garfield county continuously since
1878, covering a period of four decades, now owns three hundred and
thirty-three acres of land on section 6, township 13 north, range
43 east, and is well known as one of the substantial farmers of the
Mayview district. His birth occurred in Marion county, Oregon, on the
12th of December, 1854, his parents being Leander and Mary (Cox) Davis,
the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. Leander Davis
crossed the plains as a young man in 1846 or 1847, and at the same
time Mary Cox, yet a young girl, accompanied her parents to Oregon,
her father taking up a donation claim in Marion county. Mr. Davis also
took up a donation claim in the same county and it was there that he
was later married and spent the remainder of his life, passing away
in 1875 at the age of forty-eight years. He served as a member of the
Oregon legislature in 1866 and made a most excellent record in that
connection. His widow continued her residence on the donation claim in
Marion county, Oregon, until the time of her death, which occurred in
the seventieth year of her age.
Clinton D. Davis attended the public schools at Silverton in the
acquirement of an education and was about seventeen years of age when
he began providing for his own support. During the following five years
he worked for wages and was then married. He had saved enough money
to feel justified in starting out independently as an agriculturist
and in 1878 he brought his bride to Washington and took up a homestead
in Garfield county which is a part of his present home farm, on which
he has resided continuously to this time. As his financial resources
have increased, owing to his untiring industry and capable management,
he has extended the boundaries of his place by purchase until it now
embraces three hundred and thirty-three acres. The property yields him
a gratifying annual income and he has long been numbered among the
representative agriculturists and substantial citizens of the county.
In 1877 Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Elmira Hubbard, of
Marion county, Oregon, a daughter of Joseph Hubbard, who crossed the
plains from Illinois to Oregon in 1855 and took up a donation claim
in Marion county, where he spent the remainder of his life. Mr. and
Mrs. Davis became the parents of three children, namely: Edith, who is
deceased; Alvin, at home; and Ella, who holds a clerical position in
Spokane.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. CLINTON D. DAVIS]
In politics Mr. Davis is is stanch republican, having supported the
men and measures of that party since age conferred upon him the right
of franchise. He has witnessed the development of this section of the
state from pioneer times to modern and has borne his share in the
work of progress and improvement, while in the conduct of his private
business interests he has also manifested the sterling traits of
character which have won him the high regard and esteem of his fellow
citizens.
DANIEL HAYES.
Daniel Hayes is one of the well known and honored pioneer settlers of
Walla Walla county. Six decades have come and gone since he arrived in
the state of Washington, and there is not a feature of its development
with which he is not familiar. He has had many interesting and varied
experiences incident to the life of a pioneer, and his memory forms a
connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present.
Daniel Hayes was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in the year 1840.
His parents died while he was yet a boy, and at the age of twelve
years he came to America, where a brother and sister had emigrated
some years before. When in America but a short time he went to work
as an errand boy for James A. Hamilton, a son of Alexander Hamilton,
patriot and statesman, at his beautiful home on the Hudson river. He
was affectionately known to the Hamilton family as "little Danny," and
the only schooling he ever received was from Mr. Hamilton's daughter
Angelica, who became interested in him and taught him evenings. Mr.
Hayes has never forgotten his benefactress, and his youngest daughter
bears her name. When seventeen years of age he left this good home and
the opportunities he was promised, and came west. He made the trip by
the way of the Isthmus of Panama and landed in San Francisco in April,
1857. Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, he entered the employ
of the government in the quartermaster's department. He served for
eleven months at Benicia, California, and then went to The Dalles,
Oregon, with Captain Jordan. In 1858, when on the way to Fort Simcoe
with a government train of forty wagons, news was received of Colonel
Steptoe's defeat in a battle with the Indians near the present site
of Rosalia. They then returned to The Dalles, where Colonel Wright
fitted out troops, and moved to the mouth of the Tucanon river where
Fort Taylor was built. Mr. Hayes was the driver of an ammunition wagon
and brought supplies to Fort Taylor, where Major Wise was stationed.
When Fort Taylor was abandoned he joined Captain Mullan's command and
assisted in building the military road from Fort Walla Walla to Fort
Benton, Montana. In 1861 he left the employ of the government and went
to the mines at Orofino, Idaho. There he took up a claim and engaged in
mining during the summer of that year. He later bought a pack train and
engaged in the business of freighting until 1873, when he settled on
the farm where he still resides.
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war in 1898, Mr. Hayes offered
his services to the government and was appointed by Quartermaster
Cameron at Fort Walla Walla, to take charge of a pack train in Cuba.
He served in Cuba during the period of the war, carrying food and
ammunition to the American soldiers at the front.
Mr. Hayes was twice married. In 1873 he was married to Miss Elizabeth
O'Donnell, who died in 1876. The two children born to them died in
early childhood. In 1879 he married Miss Mary Carrol, who like her
husband was a native of Ireland and who still survives. Nine children
were born to them, eight of whom are still living, one having died in
infancy. The daughters are: Catherine (Mrs. W. C. Anderson), Nellie
(Mrs. B. G. Wiley), Margaret (Mrs. William Upton), and Angela; the sons
are Parnell, Tom, John and Leo. There are three grandchildren, Elinor
and John Edward Wiley and William Upton.
Mr. Hayes and his family are all members of the Roman Catholic church,
and give their political allegiance to the democratic party. His
youngest son came of age just in time to cast the tenth vote in the
family for the reelection of Woodrow Wilson. The story of his life
proves that Daniel Hayes was a sturdy pioneer whose life has been
closely identified with the early history of the state of Washington,
and who was a man always willing to accept his share of hardships and
always eager to serve his country. When war was declared on Germany he
had reached an age when he could no longer be of service, but was proud
in the knowledge that his children would take up the duties for which
he was no longer fitted. Shortly after declaration of war his son John
enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and his daughter Angela
joined the Army Nurse Corps. The former is at present stationed at
Galveston, Texas, and the latter at Honolulu.
Mr. Hayes has lived to see the pioneer cabins replaced by the more
commodious and beautiful homes on the farms as well as in the cities.
He has seen his family grow to manhood and womanhood, and though not
possessed of wealth, he is spending his late years in comfort on his
productive farm in the foothills. He takes great pleasure in discussing
his many interesting experiences, and when in a reminiscent mood
can relate most thrilling tales of the days when the Indians were
constantly on the warpath, and when he and his comrades traveled many
miles over unbroken roads, swam their horses across swollen streams,
and often subsisted for days on scanty rations. He has now passed the
seventy-seventh milestone in life's journey, but is still hale and
hearty and boasts an endurance equal to that of his sons.
MARCUS ZÜGER.
Few men control farming interests of such extent in Walla Walla county
as does Marcus Züger, who is the owner of forty-two hundred acres of
land. Moreover, he figures in financial circles as the president of the
Exchange Bank of Waitsburg. Alert and enterprising in business, he has
carefully watched his opportunities, which he has wisely improved, and
his energy and determination have carried him forward into important
relations in business circles. A native of Switzerland, he was born
June 18, 1852, a son of Carl and Elizabeth (Horner) Züger, who were
also natives of the land of the Alps, where they spent their entire
lives and reared their family of twelve children, eight of whom are now
living.
Marcus Züger was reared and educated in Switzerland and in 1871, when a
young man of nineteen years, bade adieu to friends and native country
in order to try his fortune in the new world. Crossing the Atlantic,
he spent five years in Boston, Massachusetts, but in 1877 heard and
heeded the call of the west. It was in that year that he arrived in
Walla Walla county, Washington, and took up a homestead claim on
which he built a box house. In true pioneer style he began life on
the western frontier, but with the passing years he has been able to
secure all of the comforts and conveniences known to the older east,
for his labors have brought substantial success and his sound judgment
has enabled him to wisely invest his earnings in real estate. Adding to
his property from time to time, his landed possessions now aggregate
forty-two hundred acres in the great wheat belt of southeastern
Washington. He is now extensively engaged in the raising of wheat and
also pays some attention to stock raising, he and his sons farming all
of his land. His cooperation has also been sought in connection with
banking and he is now the president of the Exchange Bank of Waitsburg.
In June, 1872, in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Züger was united in
marriage to Miss Magdalena Jacober, a native of Switzerland, and they
became the parents of five sons: Fred, who has passed away; Marcus, a
farmer; Carl, who died while serving in the Spanish-American war; and
Henry and Frank, who are associated with their father and their brother
Marcus in farming operations. The wife and mother passed away in
February, 1909, and was laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery in Walla
Walla. Her death was the occasion of deep regret not only to her family
but to many friends, for she had gained the warm regard and friendship
of many with whom she had been brought in contact.
Fraternally Mr. Züger is connected with the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. He has always voted the republican ticket since becoming a
naturalized American citizen and he has done active service for the
community as a member of the school board. He has never regretted
his determination to come to America, for here he found the business
opportunities which he sought and has steadily worked his way upward,
winning the proud title of a self-made man. He arrayed determination,
perseverance and capability against drawbacks, poverty and trials
and the result was absolutely certain, for the former three are
invincible--they know no defeat. He today therefore ranks among the
most prosperous residents of Walla Walla county and his activities
are of a character that have contributed much to the agricultural
development of this section of the state. Making his home in Waitsburg,
he is now able to enjoy all of the comforts and some of the luxuries of
life and the most envious cannot grudge him his success, so worthily
has it been won.
JOHN W. WOODS, D. V. S.
Dr. John W. Woods, one of the incorporators of the Veterinary Hospital
Company, builders of the City Veterinary Hospital of Walla Walla, was
born in Contra Costa county, California, on the 20th of May, 1868.
His parents, Daniel and Sarah (Golden) Woods, crossed the plains
to California about the time of the gold excitement in that state,
locating in Contra Costa county, where the father engaged in mining
and subsequently turned his attention to merchandising. Both he and
his wife remained residents of Contra Costa county, California, until
called to their final rest.
In the acquirement of an education John W. Woods attended the public
and night schools of Stockton and Fresno. Having determined upon
the practice of veterinary surgery as a life work, he took up the
study of that profession in early manhood and in 1898 he entered the
veterinary department of the Washington State College, being graduated
from that institution in 1902. For a year following his graduation he
served as house surgeon at the college and on the expiration of that
period he located for practice in Dayton, Washington, there remaining
for two years. The year 1906 witnessed his arrival in Walla Walla
and for a short period he practiced independently here but in 1907
became associated with Dr. Herman A. Trippeer, with offices on Main
street. Dr. Woods, Dr. Trippeer and Dr. J. C. Baddely organized the
Veterinary Hospital Company and built the City Veterinary Hospital.
In 1915 the two first named acquired Dr. Baddely's interests and have
since conducted the business with marked success, having built up an
extensive veterinary practice in Walla Walla and surrounding counties.
Their hospital is equipped with all modern needs and is recognized as a
model of its kind.
In 1902 Dr. Woods was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Bruce, of
Dayton, Washington, by whom he has three children, two daughters and
a son, namely: Vyvien B., Sylvan M. and Edwinna M. Dr. Woods gives
his political allegiance to the republican party and fraternally is
identified with Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M. His wife is
a consistent and devoted member of the Christian church. Both Dr. and
Mrs. Woods are widely and favorably known in social circles of Walla
Walla and the former enjoys an enviable reputation as a most successful
representative of his profession.
JOHN SMITH.
A man of well balanced capacities and powers is always a strong
character and one who inspires confidence in others; he may not have
genius or any phenomenal characteristics, yet he is capable of mature
judgment of his own capacities and of the people and circumstances that
make up his life's contacts and experiences. He is eminently a man of
business sense and easily avoids the mistakes and disasters that come
to those who, though possessing remarkable faculties in some respects,
are liable to erratic movements that result in unwarranted risk and
failure. A man of well balanced mind, even temper and conservative
habits is not necessarily lacking in enterprise of the kind that leads
to great accomplishments. What a man does and what he attains depend
largely upon his opportunities, but the well balanced man mentally
and physically is possessed of sufficient courage to venture where
favoring opportunity is presented and his judgment and even-paced
energy generally carry him forward to the goal of success. Such has
been the record of John Smith, a hardware and implement dealer, whose
activities not only center in Walla Walla but also extend to Waitsburg,
Washington, and formerly to Milton, Oregon. In a word he is one of the
foremost merchants and business men of the northwest, constantly alert
to opportunities which he uses wisely and well.
[Illustration: MRS. JOHN SMITH]
[Illustration: JOHN SMITH]
Mr. Smith was born in Casco, Wisconsin, on the 16th of June, 1863, a
son of John M. and Kate (Larkin) Smith, both of whom were natives of
Ireland. The father came to the United States with a brother when he
was but a child, settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In his youth he
learned the stone mason's trade, to which he devoted many years of his
life. He passed away at the age of seventy years, while his wife died
at the age of sixty-seven years. She also came to the new world in
childhood with her parents and in Wisconsin became the wife of John M.
Smith.
John Smith, whose name introduces this review, was reared upon the
old homestead farm in Wisconsin, his father being an agriculturist
as well as a stone mason. He therefore early became familiar with
all duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.
He received but a limited education in the country schools of his
district and at the age of fourteen years he went into the lumber woods
of Wisconsin, since which time he has been dependent upon his own
resources. Although young, he was rugged of constitution and he spent
several months at the heavy work in the logging camps, after which
he entered upon an apprenticeship to the blacksmith's trade and when
still in his teens had become a skilled workman in iron. In 1884 he
entered into partnership with John Huntamar and opened a blacksmith and
horseshoeing shop. A year and a half later his partner withdrew from
the firm and Mr. Smith was joined by others in the organization of the
firm of Tierney, Smith & Company. This new company embarked in a wider
field, taking over the manufacture of wagons and carriages as well as
blacksmithing and horseshoeing. Two years later Mr. Smith sold his
interest in the business, desiring to try his fortune in the west.
It was in 1888 that he crossed the continent to become a resident
of Walla Walla and here he entered the employ of E. F. Michael, of
Laporte, Indiana, as a salesman of agricultural implements in Utah,
Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and California. He sold goods for
the Laporte house throughout these six states and remained in that
position until 1893, when he resigned and embarked in business on
his own account, entering into partnership with H. V. Fuller. They
opened an agricultural implement warehouse in Walla Walla under the
style of Fuller & Smith. This undertaking proved profitable from the
beginning and after a year Mr. Smith purchased the interest of his
partner in the business, which he conducted alone for a year. He then
opened a branch store in Waitsburg, Washington, and in 1900 he bought
out the firm of McComber & McCann, hardware dealers of Waitsburg.
The hardware store was then consolidated with his implement business
and the new venture was incorporated under the firm name of the John
Smith Hardware Company, with Mr. Smith as the president. In order to
accommodate the enlarged business he erected a brick block, seventy by
one hundred and twenty feet, the finest business block in Waitsburg.
In 1901 the John Smith Company of Walla Walla was incorporated, with
Mr. Smith as the president, and in 1903 the Smith-Allen Hardware
Company of Milton, Oregon, was organized and incorporated, Mr. Smith
also becoming the president of the last named company. His interests
and activities in connection with the hardware and implement business
are thus extensive and important, his ramifying trade interests
covering a broad territory. He carefully and wisely selects his
stock, is reasonable in his prices, straightforward in his dealings
and has ever recognized the fact that satisfied patrons are the best
advertisement. He also has extensive land holdings in southeastern
Washington and he is a heavy stockholder in the Tariff Silver Mine
of British Columbia. He likewise has other property holdings. He was
one of the organizers of the Interstate Building & Loan Association,
the name of which was changed in 1916 to the Walla Walla Savings &
Loan Association. Since its organization he has served on the loaning
committee and also as one of its directors and has filled the office of
vice president. During the fifteen years of its existence the company
has made but two foreclosures. Efficiency has ever been his slogan and
has constituted the foundation upon which he has built his success. He
possesses an aggressive nature and his vocabulary knows no such word
as fail. By keen attention to business, by careful management and by
ready discrimination he has built up interests of large and profitable
proportions which are the merited reward of his labors and which have
placed him in the ranks of the foremost business men of the Inland
Empire.
In 1887 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Darrow, of
Madison, South Dakota, who died the following year. On the 12th of
October, 1897, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Mary E. Vaile, a daughter
of Rufus and Minerva Vaile, who were among the early settlers of Walla
Walla. To this marriage there have been born seven children, five of
whom survive, namely; Frank M., Mary Catherine, Edward Ralph, Helen
B. and Bernice Elizabeth. Mr. Smith has three times been the victim
of fires, each of which started on adjoining property and once almost
a block away. These conflagrations swept away about forty thousand
dollars worth of his property. The most disastrous of these occurred in
1902, when his barn burned and two of his children, John, four years of
age, and Zera, less than three years old, were playing there and were
burned to death.
It is a recognized fact in this day and age of the world that it is
almost as essential to play well as to work well. In other words there
must be recreation to act as a balance wheel to intense business
activity lest commercialism should result in an undue development out
of all proportion to other things. Fraternities provide the outlet for
many men and Mr. Smith is among the active members of the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and
the Ancient Order of Foresters. For almost thirty years he has also
been a director and once served as president of the Pacific Northwest
Hardware & Implement Association and has the unusual distinction of
having never missed a meeting of the board of directors. He votes with
the republican party, to which he has always given his support since
age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He takes an active
interest in all public affairs but has never been an aspirant for
office, and if asked the reason would probably answer that he has never
had the time. Mrs. Smith has been a prominent member of the Walla Walla
Shakespeare Club for ten years and has filled all of the offices in
that organization, serving as its secretary for three terms. She is
also a member of a committee of the Red Cross and is very active in
its work. In early life she engaged in teaching for about eight years,
having taught nine months of school when she celebrated the seventeenth
anniversary of her birth. She taught for some time in the mountains
of Oregon, near the Washington state line, and has also taught in
this state. In church affiliation Mr. and Mrs. Smith are Catholics,
loyal to the teachings of their denomination. He has justly won the
proud American title of a self-made man, for he started out in life
empty-handed when a youth of fourteen and his boyhood was a period of
earnest and unremitting labor. In fact he has led a most strenuous
life and activity and diligence have been the crowning points in his
career, winning for him the prosperity which he now enjoys.
BERTON DELANY.
Among the native sons of the Pacific northwest who have elected to
continue their residence in this section after reaching man's estate
is Berton Delany, a well known farmer of Columbia county, whose birth
occurred in Walla Walla county, April 12, 1884. His parents, George
and Olive (Day) Delany, were born respectively in Tennessee and West
Virginia. In 1843 the father crossed the plains with his parents when
but twelve years of age and the family located in Marion county,
Oregon. There he remained until 1858, when he came to the Walla Walla
valley. He participated in the Rogue River Indian war. In 1864 he
engaged in stock raising on an extensive scale in the Grande Ronde
valley but in 1870 removed to the Crab creek country of Washington,
where he devoted his attention to cattle raising until his return to
the Walla Walla valley in 1880. Here he began raising grain. He was one
of the earliest pioneers of this section, and here he spent his last
days.
Berton Delany, who is one of six living children in a family of eight,
was reared under the parental roof and attended the common and high
schools in the acquirement of his education. He has concentrated
his energies upon raising stock and grain, and since beginning his
independent career has gained a place among the leaders in the
agricultural development of Columbia county. He now owns two thousand
acres, most of which is planted to wheat, and the management of his
farm leaves him little time for participation in public affairs.
Mr. Delany was married in 1906 to Miss Mamie Henten, and they have two
daughters, Dorothy O., and Sarah M. Mr. Delany belongs to Starbuck
Lodge, No. 106, A. F. & A. M., at Starbuck, in which he has filled part
of the chairs, and also to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of that
place. His wife is identified with the Order of the Eastern Star.
PINCKNEY N. HARRIS.
Pinckney N. Harris, a prominent real estate dealer who has negotiated
some of the most important realty transactions in the history of Walla
Walla, was born in North Carolina, June 18, 1877, a son of Sidney
Butler and Mary Ann (Cooper) Harris, both natives of North Carolina,
where they lived and died. To them were born nine children, of whom
our subject is the eighth in order of birth and of whom only four now
survive. The father served throughout the entire period of the Civil
war and was so fortunate as to come out without a scratch. He was
mustered out of the military service at Chattanooga, after which he
returned to North Carolina, where he engaged in farming until he passed
away in 1898. His widow survived for sixteen years, her death occurring
in 1914.
Pinckney N. Harris grew to manhood under the parental roof and in
the acquirement of his education attended the district schools. As
a young man he held the position of foreman in a large tannery for
two years but at the time of the Spanish-American war put aside all
personal interests and enlisted in Company B, First Tennessee Volunteer
Infantry, with which he was connected until 1900, when he received
his discharge in Nebraska. He then located in Walla Walla county,
Washington, and for three years followed agricultural pursuits, with
which he had become familiar in his boyhood. Later he was for one and a
half years engaged in mercantile business at Prescott, after which he
disposed of his interests there and removed to Walla Walla, where he
has since been active in the real estate field. He has carried through
some of the largest sales of real estate that had ever been made in the
county and is generally recognized as an authority upon conditions and
prices in his line of work. He owns personally a number of valuable
pieces of property in Walla Walla and has great faith in the future of
the city, believing that realty here will show a steady increase in
value.
In 1904 Mr. Harris was united in marriage to Miss Edith Ogden, who is a
native of Oklahoma and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ogden. Her
parents now reside in Waitsburg, Washington, but were born respectively
in Illinois and Kentucky. To Mr. and Mrs. Harris have been born three
children, Arline, Edgar and Arthur T.
Mr. Harris is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks at
Walla Walla and he also belongs to the Commercial Club, which numbers
within its ranks practically all of the public-spirited and up-to-date
business men of the city. He has won prominence in real estate circles
and his success is doubly creditable in that it is due entirely to his
own efforts.
CHARLES THOMAS MAXWELL.
Charles Thomas Maxwell is one of the pioneer photographers of western
Washington, conducting a gallery at Walla Walla. He arrived in this
state in April, 1883, and through all the intervening period, covering
more than a third of a century, he has been closely associated with the
photographic art and has maintained the highest standards in his work.
He has been identified with the business in several of the leading
cities of the state but has long maintained a studio in Walla Walla,
where he makes his home.
Thomas Maxwell, as he is called, was born at Piney, Monroe county,
Tennessee, May 20, 1865, a son of Samuel G. and Martha E. (Allison)
Maxwell. He is connected in the paternal line with the Greer
family. His great-grandfather, Samuel Greer, was a soldier of the
Revolutionary war, serving as a private in Captain Asa Hill's company
of the Second Battalion of the Cumberland County (Pa.) Militia. In
the maternal line Mr. Maxwell is connected with the Allison family,
his great-grandfather, John Allison, serving as a captain under
Colonel Isaac of Sullivan county, Tennessee, in the battle of Kings
Mountain in October, 1780, and otherwise actively sharing in all the
experiences which went to make up the record of the Continental soldier
in the Revolutionary war. His great-great-grandfather, John Allison,
emigrating from Ireland, became a resident of Pennsylvania and was one
of the Allison family from whom have descended the well known Allisons
of Pennsylvania, also W. B. Allison of Iowa and Nancy (Allison)
McKinley, the mother of President William McKinley. Samuel G. Maxwell,
father of C. Thomas Maxwell, was born about a mile from Jonesboro,
Tennessee, in 1820 and there passed away in 1867. He had attained the
thirty-second degree in Masonry at the age of twenty-four years. His
wife was born in Jonesboro, Tennessee, in 1826 and died in Walla Walla
in 1901. Both were educated in Jonesboro and they had a family of ten
children, of whom Thomas was the youngest. His eldest brother was
killed in the Civil war before the birth of Thomas.
[Illustration: CHARLES T. MAXWELL]
The latter acquired a district school education at Piney and
Sweetwater, Tennessee, and was a youth of eighteen years when in
April, 1883, he came to Washington, making his way to Dayton, where he
entered into business with his brother, Joseph D. Maxwell, who was a
photographer and had made photographs in Walla Walla in 1878. He had
reached Washington territory in 1877 and continued in the photographic
business until his death, which occurred in 1915. Thomas Maxwell and
his brother Joseph were the first photographers in Spokane, opening a
permanent studio there in 1884. They were later joined by two other
brothers, Grayson Y. and W. W. Maxwell, and they conducted three
studios for many years--one in Spokane, one in Dayton and one in Walla
Walla. Thomas Maxwell took charge of the Walla Walla establishment and
is still conducting business in this city. He has at all times kept in
close touch the most advanced and progressive methods and employs the
latest scientific processes in photographic production.
On the 3d of July, 1911, in Walla Walla, Washington, Mr. Maxwell was
united in marriage to Miss May Bradlee, who was born at San Francisco,
California, December 12, 1882. The birth of her father, Frank Kimball
Bradlee, occurred in California in 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell have one
son, Charles Thomas (called Thomas), who was born on the 16th of July,
1913.
In politics Mr. Maxwell sometimes votes the democratic ticket,
sometimes the republican. In fact he is non-partisan, supporting the
candidates whom he thinks best qualified for office. For many years
he has been identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks
and is also a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. His religious faith
is that of the Presbyterian church. His has been an active, useful
and honorable life, winning him the high esteem of all with whom he
has come in contact, and Walla Walla has long numbered him among its
valued, respected and representative citizens.
ALEXANDER MILNE.
Alexander Milne, who owns valuable farm holdings in Umatilla county,
Oregon, now resides in Walla Walla and is well and favorably known in
the city. He was born in Scotland, August 1, 1856, a son of William and
Janet (Reid) Milne, also natives of that country, where they passed
their entire lives. Our subject, who is one of three living children in
a family of eight, received his education in his native country and
remained with his parents until he was seventeen years old. He then
started out on his own account and came to America, believing that this
country offered better opportunities to an ambitious young man than the
older countries of Europe. He went at once to Umatilla county, Oregon,
and for some time was employed as a common laborer, although later he
was engaged in railroad work and in freighting. In 1882 he purchased a
farm in Umatilla county, Oregon, and for almost three decades his time
and attention were given to the operation of that place. He worked hard
and, moreover, so planned his labors as to receive the maximum result
and the business phase of farming also received his careful study and
he accumulated a competence which in 1910 enabled him to retire from
active life. He then rented his farm of three hundred and twenty acres
and removed to Walla Walla. The value of his place is enhanced by the
excellence of the improvements thereon and he derives a good income
from its rental.
In 1887 Mr. Milne was united in marriage to Miss Mary Armour, a native
of Canada, and they have one son, Edmund, who after graduating from
Whitman College went to Harvard University, where he completed his
course in 1915. He is now a member of the faculty of Bowdoin College of
Brunswick, Maine.
Mr. Milne is a stanch republican but his interests in public affairs
is that of a public-spirited citizen and not that of a would-be office
holder. His wife belongs to the Presbyterian church and his support can
always be counted upon for movements seeking higher moral standards.
Although he came to the northwest a boy in his teens without money or
any usual advantages of any kind he has through his own efforts gained
financial independence and justly ranks as one of the substantial
residents of Walla Walla.
J. C. MELGER.
J. C. Melger, who since 1914 has owned and operated the farm that he
now occupies on section 14, township 8 north, range 37 east in Walla
Walla county, has in the course of an active and well spent life won
substantial reward from his labors. While he acquired the ownership
of his present farm only three years ago he has long been a resident
of Walla Walla county, where he arrived in 1888, while Washington was
still a territory. He was born in Russia, January 31, 1868, a son of
Christ and Mary (Layman) Melger, both of whom spent their entire lives
in Russia.
J. C. Melger was reared to his eighteenth year in his native country
and acquired his education in its public schools. The favorable reports
which had reached him concerning America and its opportunities led him
to the determination to try his fortune in the new world and in 1886
he bade adieu to friends and native country and sailed for the United
States. He was penniless when he arrived in New York city, but a fellow
traveler advanced him money with which to reach Chicago and from there
he wired to some friends in Kansas to send him the funds to continue
his journey westward. Accordingly he made his way to the Sunflower
state, where he spent two years. But still the lure of the west was
upon him, beckoning him farther on, and in 1888 he made his way to the
Pacific coast country. It was in that year that he arrived in Walla
Walla county, Washington, where he secured employment on a ranch. He
thus worked for eleven years in order to gain a start, after which he
began farming on his own account as a renter. He was thus engaged until
1914, when his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital
to enable him to purchase his present place, comprising two hundred and
eighteen acres, on which he now resides. He has since operated this
farm and in connection with his home place he cultivates one hundred
and sixty acres of rented land. He is industrious and energetic and is
meeting with good success in his undertakings.
[Illustration: MRS. J. C. MELGER]
[Illustration: J. C. MELGER]
On July 20, 1915, Mr. Melger was united in marriage to Mrs. Clara
Matthews and to them has been born a son, Clyde Joseph. By her former
marriage Mrs. Melger had a daughter, Mary Thelma. Politically Mr.
Melger is a republican, having supported the party since becoming a
naturalized American citizen. His study of the political questions and
issues of the day has led him to a belief in the efficacy of republican
principles as a factor in good government. He belongs to Welcome Lodge,
No. 117, I. O. O. F., of Dixie, and to Mountain Gem Lodge, No. 136,
K. P. He came to this country a poor boy unable to speak the English
language, but he soon mastered the tongue of his adopted land and he
is today one of the progressive and influential men of his section,
actuated in all that he does by the spirit of western enterprise and
allowing no obstacles or difficulties to bar his path if they can be
overcome by persistent, earnest and honorable effort.
HARRY W. MARTIN.
Harry W. Martin is one of the wide-awake and enterprising business men
of Walla Walla county. He is now secretary and treasurer of the Blalock
Fruit & Produce Company of Walla Walla, becoming half owner in this
business in April, 1917. He was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin,
June 4, 1875, a son of Levi F. and Julia (Girard) Martin, both of whom
were natives of the state of New York, whence they removed westward to
Wisconsin after their marriage. The mother died in Wisconsin and at a
later period, following his retirement from active business, the father
came to Walla Walla and spent the last five years of his life in the
home of his son, Harry W., passing away in 1910. He was for many years
one of the leading business men of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where
during the years of his active business life he devoted his attention
to merchandising.
Well defined business plans and purposes have actuated Harry W. Martin
at every point in his career since he made his initial step in the
business world. He was educated in the public schools of Chippewa Falls
and in the University of Wisconsin, thus being splendidly qualified
for life's practical duties and responsibilities. On the completion
of his university course he became associated with his father in
merchandising and was identified with the business until 1898, when
he responded to the call of the west and made his way to Walla Walla.
His first business connection here was with the Pacific Coast Elevator
Company, With which he was associated for four years. Subsequently he
served as private secretary to the firm of Moore & Sons, the senior
partner being Governor Miles C. Moore. That association was maintained
for two years, at the end of which time Mr. Martin became teller of
the Baker-Boyer National Bank, in which capacity he continued for six
years. He then resigned on the organization of the Inland Transfer
Company, which he formed as a partner of R. H. Johnson. That business
was subsequently sold to good advantage and Mr. Martin continued with
Mr. Johnson as office manager of the Electric Feed Mill. During his
connection with Mr. Johnson he also conducted a fire insurance business
on his own account and yet remains active in that line, writing a large
amount of insurance each year. In 1917 he purchased a half interest in
the Blalock Fruit & Produce Company, of which he became the secretary
and treasurer, and he is now bending his efforts to the executive
management and direction of this business, which, carefully conducted,
is meeting with very substantial success.
In 1904 Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Ada Goodhue, her
father being James P. Goodhue, one of the pioneers of Walla Walla. Mr.
and Mrs. Martin now have two daughters, Marion and George.
Mr. Martin gives his political allegiance to the democratic party,
while fraternally he is identified with the following organizations:
Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M., of which he is a past
master; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; Washington Commandery,
No. 1, K. T.; Oriental Consistory, No. 2, A. & A. S. R.; El Katif
Temple A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane; and Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287,
B. P. O. E. Loyalty to any cause which he espouses has ever been one of
the marked characteristics of Mr. Martin. Those who know him recognize
his sterling worth, place dependence upon his substantial qualities
and feel that his word is as good as his bond, for that fact has
been demonstrated throughout his entire connection with the business
interests of the west. The limitless opportunities of the Pacific coast
country make constant call to the men of business ability and learning
of the east and Mr. Martin has found here ample opportunity for the
exercise of his industry and enterprise--his dominant qualities.
FRANK ZÜGER.
No student of history can carry his investigations far into the records
of Walla Walla county without learning of the close and prominent
connection which the Züger family has had with the agricultural
development of this section of the state. Their labors have been of the
greatest benefit in converting the wild land into productive fields,
making the Walla Walla valley one of the great wheat producing regions
of the northwest. Frank Züger is now extensively engaged in farming on
section 2, township 9 north, range 37 east. It was in this township of
Walla Walla county that he was born August 4, 1888, his parents being
Marcus and Martha (Jacober) Züger, of whom mention is made elsewhere
in this work. He pursued a district school education, supplemented by
study in the city schools of Walla Walla and by a course in the Empire
Business College, thus becoming well qualified for life's practical
and responsible duties. In 1908, at the age of twenty years, he began
farming on his own account, operating a portion of his father's
extensive land holdings, and at the present time he is cultivating
between sixteen and seventeen hundred acres of wheat land, thus being
one of the big operators in this section of the state. His great broad
fields, a waving sea of grain, are a delight to the eye, indicating the
ready response which nature makes when intelligent care and cultivation
are applied to the fields.
On the 15th of September, 1908, Mr. Züger was united in marriage to
Miss Lulu Edith Corkrum, a daughter of Jasper Corkrum, who was one
of the early pioneers of Walla Walla county but is now residing in
Alberta, Canada. To this union have been born four children, Martha
Magdalene, Wanda Belle, Walter Elroy and Frances Elizabeth.
In his political views Mr. Züger is an earnest republican. Fraternally
he is connected with Delta Lodge, No. 70, K. P., and with El Kinda
Temple, D. O. K. K., of Walla Walla. He is also a member of Waitsburg
Lodge, F. & A. M. His business attainments place him with the foremost
representatives of agricultural life in this section of the state.
He is alert, energetic and resourceful in business affairs, while at
the same time his influence and aid are given on the side of progress
and improvement. His entire life has been actuated by a spirit of
advancement and he stands for a high type of American manhood and
citizenship.
P. S. ALDRICH.
The time and attention of P. S. Aldrich, a resident of Walla Walla, are
given to the supervision of his farming interests. He is a native of
Walla Walla county, born January 6, 1877, and is a son of Milton and
Sarah Ann (Stanfield) Aldrich. The father was born in New York state,
and the mother in Iowa. In their youth they became convinced that there
were better opportunities for advancement in the far west. They made
the long journey across the plains with ox teams and located in Walla
Walla county, Washington, where, after their marriage, they engaged in
farming. The father passed away here in 1910, but the mother survives
at the age of seventy-two years. They became the parents of three
children: Dora, now the wife of F. M. Walker; Fred; and P. S., of this
review.
The last named has passed his entire life in Walla Walla county and is
indebted for his education to its public schools. Under his father's
able direction he early became familiar with farm work and aided in the
operation of the homestead until he became of age. He then began his
independent career and since starting out for himself his resources
have steadily increased. He now owns eight hundred acres of good land
in Walla Walla county and is engaged in both wheat and stock raising,
finding such a course more profitable than specializing in either
industry. He owns an attractive and commodious residence in Walla Walla
and is financially independent.
Mr. Aldrich was married in 1908 to Miss Mary Abbey, who was born in
Clay county, Iowa, and they have become the parents of three children,
Percy M., Robert W. and Hazel E. Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich hold membership
in the Methodist Episcopal church and do everything in their power to
further its work. Mr. Aldrich supports the republican party but has
never held office with the exception of serving on the school board.
He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Dixie and is
also identified with the Elks. The same qualities which have made him
popular in those organizations have gained him the goodwill of all who
have come in contact with him. Eastern Washington offers the best of
opportunities to her citizens but in order to gain success a man must
be ready to take advantage of these opportunities and must display the
characteristics of industry, determination and good judgment, all of
which are strongly marked characteristics of P. S. Aldrich.
A. G. WEARY.
A. G. Weary is well known in agricultural and financial circles in
Walla Walla county. He is engaged in farming on section 12, township
6 north, range 33 east, and he is a member of the board of directors
of the Touchet State Bank. England numbers him among her native sons,
for he was born in that country in the county of Cornwall, August 2,
1861, his parents being Edwin and Eliza (Oliver) Weary. The mother died
in England in 1877, the father having come to the United States about
1870. For several years he worked in the mines of Pennsylvania and of
Nevada. About 1878 he arrived in Walla Walla county, Washington, where
he turned his attention to farming and, adding to his possessions from
time to time as his financial resources permitted, he acquired twelve
hundred and forty acres of land in the vicinity of Touchet and a tract
of one hundred and sixty acres about six miles west of the town. He was
also heavily interested in both the cattle and sheep industries, owning
five thousand head of sheep at the time of his death. In a word he was
a most progressive, enterprising and prosperous business man, owing his
success entirely to well directed energy and thrift. He died July 21,
1896, while his wife had passed away in 1877.
A. G. Weary came to the United States in 1878, when a youth of
seventeen years. He had acquired his education in the public schools
of England, supplemented by an academic course, and after reaching
the new world he worked on his father's ranch and was associated with
his father in the live stock business up to the time of the latter's
death. He is now the owner of nine hundred and twenty acres of rich and
valuable land and is still extensively engaged in raising cattle and
sheep in connection with the operation of his fields. In fact he stands
as one of the foremost farmers and stock raisers in eastern Washington,
and in addition to tilling his own soil he also operates six hundred
and forty acres belonging to his father's estate which was willed to
the children of Mr. Weary. He has been one of the dominant factors in
the organization of the Touchet State Bank and was made a member of its
board of directors, in which position he still continues.
On November 2, 1901, Mr. Weary was united in marriage to Miss Minnie
Hesser, a native of Germany, who emigrated to the United States in
young womanhood. They have two children, Edwin F. and Hilda M., both at
home.
[Illustration: A. G. WEARY AND FAMILY]
In politics Mr. Weary is a republican and he belongs to the Community
church of Touchet, while his wife is identified with the Lutheran
church. Their aid and influence are always given on the side of
progress and improvement, of righteousness, truth and reform. Mr.
Weary is a man of marked force, ability and resourcefulness. His plans
are well defined and promptly executed. He recognizes and utilizes
opportunities that others pass heedlessly by, and fortunate in
possessing character and ability that inspire confidence in others,
the simple weight of these qualities has carried him into important
relations. He is today one of the foremost business men of Walla Walla
county and his course has won him honor and the respect of all with
whom he has been associated.
A. B. ROTHROCK.
Among the highly esteemed residents of Walla Walla is A. B. Rothrock,
who is now renting his large farm and is living retired after many
years devoted to agricultural pursuits. He was born in Marion county,
Oregon, June 5, 1870, a son of A. B. and Lucretia C. (Cox) Rothrock,
natives respectively of North Carolina and Kentucky. The father's birth
occurred in 1816 and in 1839 he removed to Illinois, which at that time
was still largely unsettled. In 1863 he once more moved westward, going
to Iowa, and two years later he was again numbered with the pioneers,
crossing the plains in that year to Oregon. He engaged in farming
for some time in Marion county, that state, but in 1868 removed to
Umatilla county, where he developed a large herd of cattle, becoming
one of the leading cattlemen of that section. When the country became
so thickly settled that the free ranges disappeared he turned his
attention to wheat growing and in that connection, too, won prominence
and prosperity. He was a man of such energy and such unusual soundness
of judgment that he gained a position of leadership in whatever he
undertook. In his later years he removed to Weston in order to give his
children better school advantages and there his death occurred in 1881.
His widow survived for many years, dying in 1912.
A. B. Rothrock was reared at home and after attending the district
schools continued his education in the Oregon State Normal School
at Weston. He received practical training of great value under his
father, as from boyhood he assisted the latter in his extensive farming
operations. After reaching mature years he continued to work with
his father until he was about twenty-five years old, when he began
farming independently, renting the home farm of four hundred acres.
In 1902 he purchased three hundred and sixty-nine acres of land in
Umatilla county, which he farmed in connection with the home place,
the successful management of the seven hundred and sixty-nine acres of
land requiring his undivided time and attention. He continued to reside
upon the home farm until 1909, when he removed with his family to
Walla Walla in order to the better educate his children. He continued,
however, to give personal supervision to the cultivation of his farm
in Umatilla county, Oregon. In 1915 he purchased the homestead and
now owns about eight hundred acres of land, which he is renting, as
he feels that he has earned a period of leisure. The success which he
gained as a farmer was due to the same qualities of foresight, energy
and close application to his work that characterize the prosperous
business man and he has always felt that agriculture should be
recognized as having the same status as other industries.
On the 25th of August, 1897, Mr. Rothrock was married to Miss May
Steen, a daughter of Milton Steen, one of the pioneer farmers of
Umatilla county. To this union have been born four children: Velma S.,
who was graduated from the Walla Walla high school with the class of
1917; Forrest B. and Arthur, who are attending the Sharpstein school;
and James S.
Mr. Rothrock gives his political allegiance to the democratic party but
has never cared to take an active part in public affairs. However, his
influence has been felt as a force making for civic advancement and he
has always discharged to the full all obligations resting upon him as
a citizen. He belongs to Weston Lodge, No. 58, I. O. O. F., of Weston,
Oregon, and the teachings of the craft have guided him in the various
relations of life. His salient qualities are such that to know him
intimately is to respect him for his sterling worth, and his friends
hold him in the warmest regard.
DELOS H. COFFIN.
An enterprising and active business man was Delos H. Coffin, who
for many years was identified with farming interests in Walla Walla
county and who passed away in 1909. His life record had spanned the
intervening years from 1854, and his diligence and determination had
won him a substantial measure of success, numbering him among the
self-made men of this section of the country. He was born in Boston,
Massachusetts, August 1, 1854, a son of George D. Coffin, who in 1855
crossed the plains with his family and cast in his lot with the pioneer
settlers of Oregon. He took up his abode upon a farm and there Delos H.
Coffin was reared, sharing with the others of the household in all of
the hardships and privations which constitute features of pioneer life
in the northwest. He also assisted in the arduous task of developing
a new farm and early learned the value of industry and persistency of
purpose as factors in the pursuits of life.
In 1881 Mr. Coffin was united in marriage to Miss Stella Sickler, a
native of Minnesota and a daughter of James and Mary (Cook) Sickler,
who were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed westward to
Minnesota in the early '50s. In 1859 they crossed the plains with ox
teams and covered wagons to Washington, experiencing all the hardships
of such a trip, and eventually they reached the Walla Walla valley,
where they took up their abode upon a farm which the father purchased,
his land including the present site of College Place. The original home
of the family was a little log cabin and they lived in true frontier
style until their labors enabled them to secure many of the comforts
and conveniences known to the older civilization of the east. The
mother died upon the old homestead and the father afterward sold that
property and removed to a farm which he purchased on Mill Creek. In
their family were twelve children, of whom five are now living.
[Illustration: DELOS H. COFFIN]
After the marriage of Mr. Coffin he began farming on his own account,
purchasing a tract of school land upon which not a furrow had been
turned or an improvement made. He at once began to develop the property
and in the course of years added fine buildings to the place. He later
purchased more land and Mrs. Coffin is now the owner of two hundred
and forty acres left to her by her husband. Since his death she has
acquired another tract of two hundred acres and also bought a farm of
one hundred and eighty-four and a third acres near Dixie. She likewise
has four acres where she now lives, on which she has erected an
attractive home. Her land is all wheat land, very rich and productive,
and her fields annually bring to her gratifying harvests. Mrs. Coffin
manages all of the estate and displays excellent business ability and
resourcefulness in controlling her interests.
Mr. Coffin departed this life in 1909. He was a consistent member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was laid to rest in the Odd
Fellows cemetery. He also belonged to the Fraternal Order of Eagles and
took an active part in its work. His political allegiance was given to
the republican party and he served as county commissioner. His was a
well spent life, his career being one of activity and usefulness, and
all who knew him entertained for him warm regard by reason of his many
sterling traits of character. Like her husband, Mrs. Coffin is widely
and favorably known in Walla Walla county and has a circle of friends
almost coextensive with the circle of her acquaintance.
SAMUEL B. SWEENEY.
Samuel B. Sweeney, who is a well known landowner residing in Walla
Walla, is a native of the northwest, his birth having occurred in
Oregon, May 24, 1858. His parents, Rev. Alexander W. and Angeline
(Allen) Sweeney, were born respectively in Missouri and Tennessee.
In 1847 the mother accompanied her parents to Oregon, the journey
being made by ox team. On arriving there Mr. Allen took up a donation
claim and there the family home was established. Rev. Sweeney became
a resident of Oregon in 1850 and later was married in that state.
Subsequently he spent some time in California but in 1872 he removed
with his family to Waitsburg, Washington, whence two years later he
came to Walla Walla, where he passed away. His widow, however, survives
at the advanced age of eighty-one years. They were the parents of three
children, of whom two survive.
Samuel B. Sweeney attended school in both California and Oregon and
in early manhood was a teacher in the old Whitman College. At length
he decided to abandon that profession and turned his attention to
farming, renting land until he had saved enough money to purchase a
farm. He owns four hundred and eighty acres in Walla Walla county and
also several smaller tracts of land and he derives from his holdings
a gratifying annual income. His business affairs have been managed
capably and he is now in excellent financial circumstances.
In 1893 Mr. Sweeney was married to Miss Adna Fudge, a native of Walla
Walla county and a daughter of Adam and Mary (Perkins) Fudge. At an
early day in the history of Oregon the Fudge family removed to that
state, whence they eventually came to Walla Walla county, Washington.
The father is now deceased but the mother still survives. To Mr.
and Mrs. Sweeney have been born two children, Philip B. and Eleanor
D., both of whom are attending the Oregon Agricultural College at
Corvallis.
Mr. Sweeney was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church, and
his wife is a Christian Scientist. He is a stanch republican and has
taken the interest of a good citizen in public affairs but has not
held office with the exception of serving as a member of the school
board. He belongs to the Masonic blue lodge of Walla Walla and in his
daily life has exemplified the teachings of that order. Beginning his
career empty-handed, he has reached the goal of success through quick
recognition of opportunity, hard work and the careful management of his
affairs.
JOHN A. DANIELSON.
John A. Danielson, residing in Waitsburg, is prominently connected with
farming and live stock interests in Walla Walla county. He was born in
Sweden, January 7, 1862, his parents being Andrew and Anna (Anderson)
Danielson, who came to the United States in 1865 and first took up
their abode near Grand Rapids, Michigan. They settled on a farm there
and continued to reside thereon until called to their final rest. John
A. Danielson was but three years of age on the emigration of the family
to the new world. He was reared and educated in the district schools
and in the State Normal School at Ypsilanti, Michigan.
For one term Mr. Danielson taught school in that state and in 1884 he
came to Washington, settling on Whiskey creek in Walla Walla county,
where he filed on a homestead and preempted another quarter section. He
afterward purchased additional land, adding to his holdings from time
to time until his possessions now aggregate three thousand acres. For
the past eleven years he has made his home in Waitsburg in order that
his children might enjoy the advantages of the public school system of
this city. He is quite extensively engaged in cattle raising as well as
in general farming, running two hundred head of Hereford cattle on his
ranch. He is a most progressive agriculturist and stock raiser whose
interests are wisely directed and carefully managed. He cultivates his
farm according to the most progressive methods and as a stock raiser
pays close attention to all the scientific principles which have now
become a feature of the live stock business on all up-to-date farms. He
is likewise a stockholder and a member of the board of directors of the
Farmers Union Warehouse Company.
On November 8, 1891, Mr. Danielson was married to Miss Louisa J.
Holderman, of Columbia county, Washington. Her father, Gilderoy
Holderman, came to this state from Missouri in 1879, settling in what
is now Columbia county. His family joined him here in 1881. He was a
Civil war veteran and his early death, which occurred October 28, 1883,
was the direct result of wounds and exposure which he suffered while
defending the Union cause on the battlefields of the south. To Mr. and
Mrs. Danielson have been born twelve children, namely: Anna L., Jessie
M., Frank, Naomi, Dewey, Cecil, Ralph, Lola, Roy, Inez, John A., Jr.,
and one who died in infancy. The others are still under the parental
roof.
Mr. Danielson is a stalwart republican and for several years he served
as a member of the school board while living on his farm and is now a
member of the board of education in Waitsburg. He has never sought
political office, however, but is always to be found ready and willing
to give his aid and assistance to any plans and measures which tend to
uphold civic standards or advance the best interests of his community.
He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
they are held in the highest esteem by reason of their sterling worth,
their integrity and their fidelity to all measures of individual and
community uplift. Mr. Danielson certainly deserves much credit for
what he has accomplished in a business way. He started out in life
empty-handed but possessed the substantial qualities of industry and
determination, and upon those qualities as a foundation he has builded
his prosperity. Moreover, the course he has pursued is indicative of
the fact that success and an honored name may be won simultaneously.
GEORGE L. BAILEY.
Among those men who have found success in following agricultural
pursuits and are now able to live retired is George L. Bailey, of
Walla Walla, who was born near The Dalles, Oregon, on the 10th of
April, 1874, a son of Lyman J. and Mary (Graham) Bailey. The father
was a native of New Hampshire and the mother of Missouri and they were
married in Salilo, Oregon. The father's parents died when he was but
a boy and at the age of nineteen, in the year 1849, he crossed the
isthmus and made his way to the California gold fields. However, he
did not work in the mines but drifted north into Oregon and settled at
Salilo, where he learned the trade of a ship carpenter. For several
years he was employed by the Oregon & Washington Railroad & Navigation
Company in boat building and during those years he was associated with
Lew Thompson in the cattle business, Mr. Bailey working at his trade
while Mr. Thompson took care of their cattle interests. In the hard
winter of 1871-2 they lost most of their cattle and Mr. Bailey and
Mr. Thompson then dissolved partnership and the former gave up his
position in the shipyard and went to Klickitat county, where he took up
a homestead. He was the first settler and built the first house near
Bickleton on Alder creek, hauling the lumber for floors some sixty
miles. There he engaged in the live stock business and farming, being
identified with those interests up to the time of his death.
George L. Bailey, whose name introduces this review, pursued a public
school education, which was supplemented by four years' study in
Whitman Academy. Following the completion of his course there he went
east to Boston, Massachusetts, where he attended Burdett's Business
College. On finishing his studies on the Atlantic coast he returned to
Walla Walla and soon afterward was united in marriage, in July, 1898,
to Miss Etta Aldrich, a daughter of Newton Aldrich, one of the earliest
of Walla Walla county's pioneers, having come into this section of
the state from California with a bunch of cattle in 1858. He was so
favorably impressed with the country and its prospects that he decided
to remain and make his home. Accordingly he took up a preemption claim
two and a half miles southwest of Dixie and thereon resided to the
time of his death, which occurred in 1888. He was very successful and
acquired large land holdings.
Mr. Bailey engaged in farming in Walla Walla county, his wife owning
two hundred acres of land which she received from her father's estate,
and Mr. Bailey's career as a farmer was begun upon that tract. As he
has prospered in his undertakings he has purchased much other land
and is now the owner of twelve hundred and eighty acres, nearly all
of which is valuable wheat land. He continued to cultivate his fields
until 1917 but has now rented his farm for the coming year and is
giving his attention to other business interests. In wheat production
he has been very successful. He has cultivated his land and cared
for his crops according to the most modern methods and has annually
gathered large harvests, the sale of which has added materially to his
income and financial resources.
Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have become the parents of the following children,
Mildred E., Dorothy A., Helen A., Gladys I., Lyman N. and Donald L. All
of the children are still at home and Mildred E. and Dorothy A. are
attending high school.
Mr. Bailey gives his political allegiance to the republican party and
in religious faith he and his wife are Congregationalists. Both are
widely known for their genuine worth. They have displayed many sterling
traits of character which have gained for them warm regard and as a
business man Mr. Bailey has long occupied a creditable position in this
section of the state. Notwithstanding the obstacles and difficulties
in his path he has advanced steadily step by step and his orderly
progression has brought him to a place among the most successful
agriculturists of Walla Walla county.
PHILIP YENNEY.
Philip Yenney, deceased, was for many years a well known and prominent
agriculturist of western Washington. He became identified with the
state in pioneer times and lived to witness the remarkable changes that
were wrought as the work of development and improvement was carried
forward, and with the passing years he bore his full share in the work
of general progress and improvement.
Mr. Yenney was a native of Germany and came to the United States
when a youth of sixteen or seventeen years and for some time worked
on the Potomac river in connection with its traffic interests, while
subsequently he was employed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company.
Later he secured a situation on a plantation in Virginia and on leaving
the Old Dominion went to Iowa, where he met the lady whom he afterward
made his wife, her parents having removed from Pennsylvania to Indiana
and subsequently to Iowa, where they were residing at that time. In
1860 Mr. Yenney came to the northwest, which was then far removed
from civilization, being cut off by the long stretches of hot sand
and the high mountains that often seemed an insurmountable barrier
to the traveler who would have desired to become a resident of the
Pacific coast country. Undeterred by hardships and difficulties which
he must meet, Mr. Yenney made his way to Washington and for some years
was engaged in freighting between Walla Walla and the Idaho mines.
The district into which he came bore little resemblance to the highly
developed section that one sees here today. After freighting for a
time he became connected with Mr. Still in the conduct of a trading
post on Hangman's creek, near the present site of Spokane, a place
which was then known as the California ranch. Subsequently he engaged
in farming, with which he was prominently identified up to the time of
his death, and as his financial resources increased he kept adding to
his holdings by additional purchase until he had acquired some sixteen
hundred acres of wheat land and one thousand acres of grazing land. He
thus won a position among the foremost agriculturists of this state and
his life record illustrates what it is possible to accomplish in the
west when the individual possesses industry, determination and laudable
ambition.
[Illustration: MRS. PHILIP YENNEY]
[Illustration: PHILIP YENNEY]
In early manhood Philip Yenney was united in marriage to Miss Rachael
Winnett, a native of Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of the
following children. John Fred, born in Iowa, June 5, 1858, came with
his parents to Washington in 1860 and was educated in Walla Walla.
During his active business life he followed farming in Columbia county,
but died at San Diego, California, where he had gone with the hope of
benefiting his health. He was three times married and left a family of
seven children. His third wife now makes her home in East Walla Walla.
Sarah M., the second of the family, married James McKee, of Walla
Walla, and they made their home at Pomeroy. She died, leaving a husband
and six children. Robert C. was born, reared and educated in Walla
Walla. He was graduated in 1889 from Whitman College. Subsequently he
entered the University of Pennsylvania, where he pursued a medical
course and was graduated with the degree of M. D. After spending one
year in hospital work he located in Portland, where he has since
engaged in practice. He is now at the head of a hospital unit ready
for service when the government calls. William H. and Lewis O. are
represented on another page of this volume. Margaret, the youngest
child, married Ernest E. Brown, of Spokane, where she now resides. Two
children, Thomas J. and Anna R., died while young.
Mr. Yenney was a consistent member of the Lutheran church and died
in that faith on the 28th of June, 1905. His life was at all times
honorable and upright and commended him to the confidence and goodwill
of those with whom he came in contact. His widow still survives him and
now occupies the old family home at No. 834 East Alder street in Walla
Walla. She, too, is a consistent Christian and has membership in the
Methodist Episcopal church.
WILLIAM H. YENNEY.
The great wheat fields of Walla Walla county and the surrounding
sections of this state and of northern Oregon are always a matter of
marvel to the traveler, who thinks of the west as a region of mines
and of forests and little realizes what wonderful strides have been
made along agricultural lines. Prominent in connection with farming
interests in Walla Walla county is William H. Yenney, who superintends
his operations from his city home.
He was born in this county October 17, 1869, and is a son of Philip
and Rachael (Winnett) Yenney. He spent his early youth on the old home
farm and was educated in the district schools and in Whitman College,
which he attended for two years. After reaching adult age he continued
to remain on the old homestead and cooperated with his father in the
latter's extensive farming and horse raising enterprises. Since his
father's death he and his brother Lewis have operated the farm in
partnership and are classed among the most successful agriculturists of
Walla Walla county. There is no phase of progressive farming with which
they are not familiar and their thoroughly up-to-date methods produce
splendid results. They have broad wheat fields and also produce other
crops, while at the same time they are extensively and successfully
engaged in stock raising. In the spring of 1917 W. H. Yenney removed to
Walla Walla, where he now lives in a handsome new residence at No. 20
Merriam street.
At Dayton, Washington, Mr. Yenney was united in marriage to Miss
Cora Edgell, a daughter of William and Sarah (Kuykendall) Edgell, of
Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Yenney have been born four children, namely:
Frank, who is now on the home ranch; Philip, now attending high school;
and Clark and Richard, also in school. Philip Yenney is president of
the champion football team of the northwest, which is the Walla Walla
high school team. It has defeated all competitors in the northwest and
also the Salt Lake City team.
Mr. and Mrs. Yenney are active workers on committees for the successful
prosecution of the war, being prominently connected with the work of
the Red Cross, the Young Women's Christian Association and the Young
Men's Christian Association. Mrs. Yenney is a Member of the Methodist
Episcopal church and, like her husband, enjoys the warm regard and
friendship of all with whom she has been associated. Her home is noted
for its warm-hearted hospitality and is the center of a cultured
society circle. Fraternally Mr. Yenney is connected with Washington
Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., and he gives his political allegiance to
the democratic party. He is regarded as one of the foremost business
men of Walla Walla county and there is no phase of modern day
enterprise having to do with farming operations with which he is not
familiar.
LEWIS O. YENNEY.
Lewis O. Yenney, a representative farmer of Walla Walla county, is
residing at No. 834 East Alder street in the city of Walla Walla. He
has spent his entire life in this county, where his birth occurred
on the 8th of May, 1872. He represents one of its old and prominent
pioneer families, his parents being Philip J. and Rachael (Winnett)
Yenney, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume.
His youthful experiences were those of the farmbred boy. He spent his
early life under the parental roof and was early trained to the best
methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. His education
was acquired in the district schools, supplemented by study in Whitman
College, and on reaching manhood he became the active assistant of his
father and brother in the management of extensive farming interests.
For some years prior to the father's death the brothers had entire
charge of the important agricultural business which he had built up.
He gave to them each an interest in the farm and since his death they
have continued its cultivation and improvement. It is equipped with all
of the latest accessories and conveniences known to the model farm of
the twentieth century. There are large and commodious buildings for the
shelter of grain and stock and the latest improved machinery promotes
the work of the fields.
[Illustration: WILLIAM H. YENNEY]
[Illustration: MRS. WILLIAM H. YENNEY]
Mr. Yenney resides with his mother and is looking after her interest,
comfort and welfare in her old age, for she has now reached the age
of eighty-five, having been born on the 22d of November, 1832. She is
remarkably well preserved for one of her years and keeps in touch with
interests and events of modern days. The fact that many of Mr. Yenney's
warmest friends are those who have known him from his boyhood is an
indication that his life has been an active, useful and honorable one.
For forty-five years he has lived in this county and has witnessed
much of its growth and development. He has seen its lands reclaimed
and cultivated, its forests cut and its other natural resources
utilized. As the years have passed on he has borne his share in the
work of general improvement and progress, while at the same time he has
conducted his private business interests in a way that has brought very
substantial results, and today Walla Walla county numbers him among her
leading agriculturists.
FRED GREENVILLE.
Fred Greenville, of Walla Walla, who is engaged in farming, was born in
Minnesota on the 16th of July, 1860, a son of Peter and Jean (Mitchell)
Greenville. The father followed the occupation of farming in Rice
county, Minnesota, where he spent his entire life. Fred Greenville
acquired a limited education in the common schools, but during much
of the time when he should have attended school, his services were
required upon the farm and his training was that of the fields rather
than of the schoolroom. On reaching his twentieth year he came to
Washington in 1881, settling in Walla Walla county, where he began
work as a farm hand. He continued to work for wages for a number of
years but in 1881 took up a homestead on the Eureka Flats, which he
operated with hired help for several years. Subsequently he rented
land and began farming for himself, and as his financial resources
have increased, he has added to his holdings from time to time until
his farming possessions now aggregate eleven hundred and twenty acres
of valuable wheat land in Walla Walla county. In fact he is one of
the leading wheat growers of this section of the state and cultivates
fifteen hundred acres, renting three quarter sections of his land. He
also leases a section and a half of land belonging to others and a
quarter section on Dry creek, together with a half section in Franklin
county. His life history proves conclusively that activity doesn't
tire, that it gives resisting power and develops further strength. He
has learned how best to conserve time and effort and to make each blow
tell in the accomplishment of his purpose. His business affairs are
most carefully systematized and the work of the farm is done in the
same methodical manner as that of a commercial enterprise.
In 1890 Mr. Greenville was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Timm,
of Paha, Adams county, Washington, by whom he has five children, as
follows: Ollie, the wife of Adolphus Myers, who is employed by her
father; and Ettie, Lloyd, Lola and Howard, all at home.
Mr. Greenville gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and was elected to the board of county commissioners of Walla Walla
county in 1908, serving in that capacity for one term. Fraternally he
is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to
Trinity Lodge, No. 121, and also to the encampment and the canton.
He is also a member of the Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E.,
of Walla Walla Aerie, No. 26, F. O. E., and of the Woodmen of the
World. Notwithstanding his lack of early advantages and educational
opportunities, Mr. Greenville has made steady progress in his business
career and his ambition and energy, which are among his most marked
characteristics, constitute an example well worthy of emulation.
H. A. REYNOLDS.
H. A. Reynolds is largely concentrating his time and efforts upon
general agricultural pursuits, being located on the Ransom Clark
donation claim adjoining Walla Walla. He has, however, other
important business connections and is well known as a progressive and
representative citizen of his section of the state. He was born on the
farm where he now resides, October 14, 1863, his parents being Almos H.
and Lettice (Millican) Reynolds. He was reared upon the home farm and
acquired his education in the public schools, supplemented by a high
school course at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He afterward attended the State
University of Michigan, from which he was graduated with the class of
1886, winning the Bachelor of Arts degree. He then took up the study
of law under J. B. Allen but failing health caused him to discontinue
his preparation for the bar for a time. Later, however, he continued
his reading under B. L. Sharpstein and was admitted to the bar. He then
practiced law for a brief period but on account of his health gave
up professional activity and turned his attention to farming that he
might be benefited by the outdoor life. He has since been connected
with agricultural pursuits and is now giving his time largely to the
further development and improvement of the Ransom Clark donation, which
constitutes one of the valuable farming properties in the vicinity of
Walla Walla. He has other important business connections, however, and
is a stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank and in the Malcolm McLean
Grocery Company. He also is identified with other business interests
of Walla Walla, where he likewise has made judicious investments
in property. In business affairs he is a man of sound judgment and
keen discrimination, readily judging between the essential and the
non-essential, and his efforts have been most intelligently directed
and his investments most judiciously made.
In 1891 Mr. Reynolds was united in marriage to Miss Bertha C.
Truesdell, of Minnesota, who was a teacher in the Whitman College. To
this marriage have been born five children: Carrie, who is a graduate
of Mount Holyoke College of South Hadley, Massachusetts; Charlotte, who
was graduated from Whitman College with the class of 1917; Margaret,
who is in her junior year at Whitman College; Harry Jay; and Allen Lynn.
Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds are members of the Congregational church and
take an active interest in its work and in many projects which are
developed for the public good. In his political views Mr. Reynolds is
a stalwart republican, and while never an aspirant for office, he has
been a prominent factor in the affairs of his party for years past. He
was elected to the board of county commissioners as an advocate of the
project of building a new courthouse and was elected on that issue. He
was also a member of the board that had in charge the construction of
the new courthouse and at all times his aid and influence have been
given to those projects which are looking to the present welfare and
the future advancement of city and county. Those who know him esteem
him as a man of genuine worth. His liberal education, his public
spirit, his recognition of the duties and obligations of citizenship
make him one of the valued and representative men of Walla Walla county
and his social qualities make for personal popularity.
GEORGE C. ALEXANDER.
Thirty-six years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since
George C. Alexander became a resident of Walla Walla county. For many
years he was actively engaged in general farming and still makes his
home on section 12, township 6 north, range 35 east, but is now living
retired, having in former years acquired a handsome competence that
enables him to rest from further labor. He was born in La Fayette,
Indiana, on the 18th of March, 1861, a son of Emanuel and Antha
(Stretch) Alexander, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was
born in Indiana. The father was a farmer by occupation and spent the
last four years of his life in the home of his son, George C., passing
away in 1905.
George C. Alexander was reared under the parental roof and acquired a
public school education. At the age of twelve years, however, he became
a wage earner and has since been dependent upon his own resources
for whatever he has achieved and enjoyed. He worked as a farm hand
for neighboring farmers up to the time of his marriage, which was
celebrated on the 28th of May, 1893, Miss Lillie C. Davis becoming his
wife. During her girlhood days she accompanied her parents, William J.
and Lucy E. (Hecker) Davis, to Walla Walla county, the removal being
made from Iowa in 1885.
George C. Alexander had arrived in Walla Walla county in 1881 and after
taking up his abode here worked as a farm hand until the time of his
marriage, when he began farming on his own account, renting land. In
1905 he purchased his first land, becoming owner of his present home
place of two hundred and twenty acres. He had enough money to make a
half payment on the place and within five years he had cleared it of
all indebtedness. In subsequent years he has put improvements upon it
to the value of more than twenty-five hundred dollars. He has also
bought eighty acres of irrigated land in Montana. Taking up his abode
upon the home farm, he concentrated his efforts and attention upon its
further development and improvement and in the course of years his
labors worked a marked transformation in the appearance of the place,
which he brought under a high state of cultivation. He still resides
upon his home farm but is now living retired and rents his land, while
he is enjoying the fruits of his former labor. In politics he maintains
an independent course nor has he ever sought the honors and emoluments
of public office. He ranks with the leading and representative men of
his township and deserves much credit for what he has accomplished.
He has truly won the proud American title of a self-made man, for he
started out empty-handed when a youth of but twelve years and has
worked his way steadily upward by diligence and determination. Whatever
he has gained has been the reward of his earnest labor and his record
indicates what may be accomplished in a busy life where there is a will
to dare and to do. His course should serve to inspire and encourage
others, showing what may be done through persistent, earnest effort
when guided by sound judgment.
D. B. STIMMEL.
Through struggles and adversities D. B. Stimmel has reached a position
among the prosperous residents of Walla Walla county and is now living
retired in Waitsburg. For many years he was actively connected with
agricultural interests, and diligence and determination brought to
him the measure of success that now enables him to rest from further
labors. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, January 1, 1856, his parents
being Benjamin and Charlotte (Smith) Stimmel, who were also natives of
the Buckeye state, where they were reared and married. In 1861 they
removed westward to Tazewell county, Illinois, and in 1879 became
residents of Reno county, Kansas. There the father died in the '90s,
but the mother is still living and now makes her home with a son in
Oklahoma.
D. B. Stimmel was the eldest in a family of ten children, nine sons
and one daughter. The duty and the burden of assisting in rearing the
family and providing for their support fell upon his shoulders and as a
consequence his education was limited. He could attend school only at
such times as his services were not required upon the farm. He remained
at home until he reached his twenty-fourth year, when in 1880 he filed
on a homestead in Reno county, Kansas, and began farming on his own
account. There he resided for nine years, when he determined to try his
fortune in the northwest, having heard favorable reports concerning
this section of the country. In the spring of 1889, therefore, he made
his way to Walla Walla county, Washington, arriving in Waitsburg about
the middle of May with a wife and six children and a cash capital
of but fifteen dollars. Here he began working for wages, being thus
employed through the harvest season, and in the fall of that year he
rented a farm and began its cultivation. He was not familiar, however,
with the farming conditions of this section of the country and the
poor crops and the widespread financial panic of 1893 made his first
few years a struggle for existence. In the winter of 1895-6 he left
the farm which he had rented with an indebtedness of three thousand
dollars. The following spring he went up into the Nez Percé country
and engaged in hauling posts and doing other work for the Indians, in
which circumstances he was reminded of the scriptural passage that
"the first shall be last and the last first." He may not have liked
this domination of an inferior race, but he was willing to accept any
occupation or employment that would yield him an honest living. The
following fall he located on a place of one hundred and sixty acres
belonging to his brother-in-law and afterward purchased two hundred and
forty acres adjoining that farm, assuming a mortgage of twelve hundred
dollars and back taxes and interest. He paid one hundred dollars cash
upon the property, which according to the terms of agreement would cost
him nine dollars and sixty-five cents per acre. A year later it had
more than doubled in value and recently would have sold for one hundred
dollars per acre. From the time of his purchase of this property Mr.
Stimmel's prosperity began. The tide seemed to have turned for him and
the years brought him a substantial measure of success as a reward for
his labors. At different times he continued adding to his property,
acquiring two other quarter sections of land, so that his ranch came to
be one of five hundred and sixty acres. A quarter section of this he
afterward deeded to his two older sons upon his retirement from active
business, but he still retains ownership of four hundred acres, which
he rents to his sons. In 1906 he removed to Waitsburg and later erected
his present handsome city residence.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. D. B. STIMMEL]
In 1879, in Reno county, Kansas, Mr. Stimmel was united in marriage to
Miss Hattie E. Kirby, by whom he had ten children, eight of whom are
yet living: Minnie, who is the wife of Lorenzo Bly, of Alberta, Canada;
Earl and Ernest, twins, who follow farming in Walla Walla county; John
T., also an agriculturist of Walla Walla county; William, who operates
his father's farm; Viola, who gave her hand in marriage to Ralph
Lukenbihl, of Waitsburg; Millie, who makes her home with her sister
Minnie in Alberta, Canada; and Albert, also a resident of Alberta,
Canada. The wife and mother passed away in December, 1908, and in 1909
Mr. Stimmel was again married, this union being with Mrs. Mary J. Lynch
née Lewis, of Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Stimmel gives his political allegiance to the republican party.
Fraternally he is connected with Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M.;
Waitsburg Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F.; and with the Woodmen of the World.
He and his wife are members of the Methodist church and are people of
genuine personal worth, enjoying the warm regard and goodwill of all
with whom they have been brought in contact. Difficulties and obstacles
have at times beset the path of Mr. Stimmel but with persistency of
purpose he has continued his labors and as the years have gone on has
earned a most satisfactory reward. When determination, perseverance and
talent are arrayed against drawbacks, poverty and trials, the result
is almost absolutely certain. The former are invincible--they know no
defeat. The habits of industry and close application which he early
developed have constituted the foundation of his present success.
MRS. MARY A. KIMMERLY.
For almost half a century Mrs. Mary A. Kimmerly has been a resident of
Walla Walla and has therefore witnessed almost the entire development
of this region. She was born in Portage, Genesee county, New York, and
bore the maiden name of Miss Mary A. Nesdel. In early life she went to
Minnesota, where she married Frank Kimmerly, also a native of New York,
his birth having occurred in Watertown. By trade he was a millwright
and erected the first flour mill in Rochester, Minnesota, which was one
of the first mills built in the state. In 1869 he brought his family
to Washington and here readily found work at his trade, erecting a mill
at Lapwai, another at Weston and several others. He also branched out
into general contracting and built many of the best residences in Walla
Walla during the '70s. He erected the Stine House, where now the Dacres
Hotel stands, and several other important business structures.
Mr. Kimmerly was not only prominent in industrial circles but also took
an active part in public affairs, serving as deputy sheriff of Walla
Walla county and also as city treasurer. He was a thirty-second degree
Mason and was the first master of Rose Croix Lodge of Perfection at
Walla Walla. He was generally recognized as one of the most prominent
residents of the city and his death, which occurred on the 28th of
July, 1878, was considered a great loss to the community. Mrs. Kimmerly
still survives her husband and continues to live at the old Kimmerly
residence with her two sons, E. S. and W. W., at No. 526 South Second
street.
HON. CHARLES BESSERER.
Hon. Charles Besserer was the builder of the third house in Walla Walla
and was prominently identified with the city for many years, especially
in connection with newspaper publication. He became recognized as one
of the foremost journalists on the Pacific coast and his editorials,
original and trenchant, were widely read. He was born near Heidelberg,
Germany, October 10, 1838, and at seventeen years of age he enlisted
for service in the English army. While still a member of the army he
was sent to the state of Washington, at which time Walla Walla was but
a log cabin village. When his term of enlistment was over he decided
to make the United States his home and he proved his loyalty to his
adopted land by valiant service in the Union army during the Civil
war. He ever took an active interest in government affairs and did not
a little to shape public thought and action in regard to community
interests. He early turned his attention to newspaper work. After
having honorably served throughout the period of hostilities between
the north and the south he returned to Walla Walla, where he erected
the third house of the city. A few years later he went to Montana,
where he resided for a brief period, but in 1873 he returned to Walla
Walla, where he embarked in the grocery business. In 1875, however, he
became actively connected with newspaper publication in the purchase
of the Spirit of the West, a weekly paper published in Walla Walla,
the name of which he changed to the Watchman. In 1885 he established
the Milton Eagle and a year later he sold the Watchman. A few years
afterward he purchased the Journal and the Watchman, both of Walla
Walla, and for several years managed these papers successfully, but
again he sold out and paid a visit to his native country. Upon his
return to America he purchased the Union, the Journal and the Watchman
and combined the three papers into a new publication known as the
Morning Union. This he continued to own and edit until 1898, when he
removed to Oakland, California. He was quite successful financially
and it was his love of editorial work that caused him to continue
his labors on the San Francisco and other papers subsequent to the
establishment of his home in California. He was widely known because of
his interesting and comprehensive editorials, which were eagerly read
throughout the west. His paper was ever maintained as an independent
sheet in regard to politics. He also wrote many articles of a worldwide
scope for Harper's Weekly.
[Illustration: CHARLES BESSERER]
Hon. Charles Besserer was united in marriage to Miss Ida Sanderson, who
still survives him, his death having occurred on the 2d of February,
1912, being occasioned by heart trouble. The part which he took in the
early development and subsequent progress of Walla Walla well entitles
him to representation in its history.
LIEUTENANT BERNARD OVIATT WILLS.
Among the native sons of Walla Walla who are rendering excellent
service in the armed forces of the nation is Lieutenant Bernard Oviatt
Wills, U. S. N., who is now assigned to special duty in New York city.
He was born in Walla Walla, August 22, 1887, and is a son of W. H. and
Clara (Oviatt) Wills, an account of whom appears in the sketch of their
son, Fred Gaylord Wills.
Bernard O. Wills attended the public schools of Walla Walla and
continued his study in the high school, graduating with the class of
1905. The following year he entered the United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis and in 1910 completed the required course there and received
the title of ensign. He has remained continuously in the navy and has
won promotion, so that although he is still a young man he now has
the rank of senior lieutenant. He is now serving by assignment on the
special board of patrol, with office at No. 11 Broadway, New York city,
and his highly efficient work in that connection is of importance
in the great task that confronts the navy in placing the defenses
and the naval forces of the United States on a war footing. He is a
representative young naval officer, proud of the history and traditions
of the navy, thoroughly equipped by highly specialized training for the
work in hand, high-spirited and yet recognizing that the high order of
ability and daring found in the personnel of the navy can only be made
available to the nation's service by discipline.
On the 3d of July, 1917, Lieutenant Wills was united in marriage to
Miss Lucy Lee Hanscom. Although he has been stationed in the east for
some time, his many friends in Walla Walla have not lost sight of him
and have followed his career with great interest and pride.
MISS MARY J. THOMAS.
In the educational circles of Walla Walla Miss Mary J. Thomas is widely
and favorably known. She has done much to further the interests of
the public schools and is now the principal of the Sharpstein school.
She is a native daughter of Walla Walla and the spirit of western
enterprise has found expression in her work. Her father, George
Franklin Thomas, was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in the year 1815 and
when very young left home, going to the state of New York. In 1840 he
removed from the Empire state to the south and for many years engaged
in staging in Georgia and in Alabama. In 1850 he became one of the
Argonauts who sought gold on the western front, making his way to
California. After reaching that state he resumed his staging business,
which he successfully conducted, and he may well be termed the pioneer
stage man of the Pacific coast. He became the president of the Oregon
& California Stage Company, which conducted a fine line of stages from
Sacramento to Portland. After the war between the north and the south
he removed to Salem, Oregon, and on the discovery of gold in the Salmon
River mountains he placed a line of stages on the road between The
Dalles and Celilo. When the Oregon Steam & Navigation Company built a
railroad there he moved onward and started a stage line between Wallula
and Walla Walla. In 1863 he built the Thomas & Ruckle Road across the
Blue mountains and was identified for many years with the principal
mail route in this section of the country. In 1865 he was elected mayor
of the city and for many years in rotation was elected councilman. In
1874 he was the candidate on the democratic ticket for the office of
sheriff of the county and was elected over three competitors. At the
next election in 1876 he was reelected and from 1878 until the time of
his death was associated with this office. He passed away January 12,
1884, survived by a wife and six children, two sons and four daughters,
but since then the mother and two sons have passed away. The daughters
are Mrs. Thomas Durry, Mrs. Thomas Page and Miss Mary J. Thomas, of
Walla Walla; and Mrs. George M. Cosgrove, of Spokane, Washington.
The mother, who bore the maiden name of Bridget Rodgers, was born in
Ireland, June 24, 1832, and came to America in 1844, first settling in
New Orleans and later removing to California. Her death occurred in
Walla Walla, November 26, 1905.
Miss Mary J. Thomas, reared in Walla Walla, was educated in St.
Vincent's Academy and became a grade teacher in the Baker school of
Walla Walla. She has since devoted her life to that profession and
became principal of the Baker school, while later she was transferred
to the Sharpstein school, of which she is now the principal. She holds
to high ideals in her work, is constantly studying out new methods to
improve her efficiency and her own zeal and interest in the work have
inspired and encouraged both teachers and pupils under her.
JAMES F. CROPP, M. D.
For almost forty years Dr. James F. Cropp has successfully engaged in
the practice of medicine and surgery in Walla Walla, where he was also
the promoter and founder of the Walla Walla Hospital, an institution
of which the city has every reason to be proud. He has ever occupied a
prominent position in professional circles and has been instrumental
in maintaining the highest standards of activity in his chosen field,
recognizing fully the duties and obligations which devolve upon the
physician. He was born in Virginia, April 16, 1854. His father, Silas
F. Cropp, was also a native of the Old Dominion, where he followed
the occupation of farming. He married Maria Katherine Martin, born in
the same state, and both have passed away. They had a family of four
children, of whom two have departed this life.
Dr. Cropp pursued his early education in a little log cabin school in
the state of Washington, which at one time was headquarters of the army
that went to rescue General Steptoe on Steptoe Butte. The family had
come to Washington in 1872. They made their way westward to American
Falls, Idaho, driving a team of oxen across the country. They then
proceeded by stage to Portland and on to Albany and from that point
walked to Walla Walla across the Cascade mountains. From this city they
proceeded to a point near the Farmington country and there plowed the
ground upon which Farmington is built. From that point they proceeded
to Dry creek, near Walla Walla, and Dr. Cropp of this review secured
employment in the hay fields, working for Sergeant Smith during the
summer. He obtained a dugout near there and gathered a few common
school books, and in company with E. H. Nixon, now of Walla Walla,
prepared himself as best he could for educational work, after the
hours of harvesting were over. He at length secured a school, of which
Sergeant Smith was a director, and taught through the winter months.
This was a large school and he proved capable in its management and
conduct. Later he taught in various other schools through the valley,
being thus engaged until 1876, when he walked the greater part of the
distance to Portland and there secured passage on the old steamer Ajax,
on which he worked his way to San Francisco. This step was actuated by
his laudable ambition to prepare for the practice of medicine, which
he had determined to make his life work. He there entered the medical
department of the University of California, which at that time was only
a summer school. At the close of the session, in company with Charles
E. Levitt Sajous, now a famous medical practitioner and author of
Philadelphia, he started for the east. They worked their way on freight
trains and walked part of the way until they reached Philadelphia,
where they matriculated in the Jefferson Medical College, from which
institution they were both graduated in March, 1878. The determination
with which he pursued his education, making his way in spite of
seemingly almost insurmountable difficulties, is characteristic of Dr.
Cropp. He has never faltered in the performance of a task to which he
has set himself and throughout his entire life he has ever carried his
well defined plans forward to successful completion. Following his
graduation he returned to Walla Walla and in the intervening years has
continuously and successfully practiced medicine and surgery. During
this period he has also served in various official capacities of a
professional nature for the city, county and the state. He has been
physician and surgeon to the state penitentiary for six years and
since the building of the Odd Fellows Home he has been physician to
that institution. In 1890 he built the Walla Walla Hospital, which has
since been successfully conducted and from which numerous nurses of
very high standing have been graduated, doing important duty in their
professional capacity through the city, county and surrounding states,
many of them occupying most important positions in other hospitals.
While many years have elapsed since Dr. Cropp was graduated, he has
by broad reading and thorough study kept in touch with the trend of
modern scientific thought and investigation and with the progress that
is being continuously made by the profession. His ability is pronounced
and he stands not only as the dean of the medical profession in Walla
Walla but as one of its most distinguished representatives in the
northwest.
In 1879 Dr. Cropp was united in marriage to Miss Ida Hungate, a
daughter of H. H. and Mary (Duncan) Hungate and a native of California.
They have become parents of a daughter, Hallie H., who is at home. She
is connected with the Daughters of the American Revolution, for the
ancestors of Dr. Cropp served in the struggle for independence. Dr.
Cropp is thoroughly familiar with the history of pioneer development
in the northwest. On the trip across the plains, when the family were
making their way to the Pacific coast, they encountered considerable
trouble with the Indians. He has seen this entire section of the
country reclaimed for the purposes of civilization, while the work of
development and improvement has been carried steadily forward. His aid
and influence have ever been on the side of progress and improvement
and his work has had far reaching and beneficial results. His political
allegiance is given to the democratic party and fraternally he is
connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the
Commercial Club and cooperates heartily in all of its well defined
plans and measures for the welfare and upbuilding of the city. Along
strictly professional lines he has connection with the Walla Walla
County Medical Society and the Washington State Medical Society. He is
interested in their proceedings and contributes in no small measure to
the success of some of the meetings, for his judgment is accepted as an
authority upon many questions of vital importance to the profession. He
has ever held to the highest professional standards and anything that
tends to solve the intricate problem which we call life is of interest
to him.
EDWARD WILSON CLARK.
Edward Wilson Clark, one of the leading attorneys of Columbia county,
practicing at Dayton, was born in Morrow county, near Heppner, Oregon,
on the 15th of November, 1865, his parents being Oscar F. and Mary A.
(Allen) Clark, the former a native of the state of New York and the
latter of Ohio. They were married, however, in Oregon, Mr. Clark having
crossed the plains as a young man of twenty-one or twenty-two years in
1846. The mother's parents died when she was but a little child and she
made the long trip to the west with her brother, Charles Allen, who
arrived in Oregon about 1850. She continued to reside with her brother
in this section of the country until her marriage. Oscar F. Clark took
part in the Cayuse Indian war and in 1848 made his way northward and
settled on what is now the city of Walla Walla in Walla Walla county,
Washington. The previous year the Whitman massacre occurred. He became
familiar with every phase of pioneer life and bravely met all of its
hardships and privations. He was married about 1850 and for some years
lived in Corvallis, Oregon. He had been engaged in teaching in the east
and was identified with educational work for several years after his
removal to Oregon. In later years he was elected county superintendent
of schools of Benton county, Oregon, and he was also appointed the
first probate judge of that county. In 1866 he became a member of
the board of county commissioners of Umatilla county, Oregon, and he
was one of those who were most earnest and effective in securing the
establishment of the county seat at Pendleton. Indeed he was recognized
as a very prominent and influential citizen of Oregon, where he
remained until 1877, when he removed to Columbia county, Washington.
Taking up his abode in Dayton, he was soon thereafter elected justice
of the peace and served in that office for many years. His decisions
were strictly fair and impartial, being based upon the law and the
equity in the case, and that he enjoyed the full confidence of the
public is indicated by his long retention on the justice bench. Death
called him in 1898 and his widow, surviving for about a decade, passed
away in 1908.
[Illustration: EDWARD W. CLARK]
Edward W. Clark was reared under the parental roof and completed his
education in the Dayton high school. In 1886 he took up the study of
law, reading under the preceptorship of Judge M. M. Godman, of Dayton,
and in 1888 he was admitted to the bar, after which he opened a law
office in Dayton, his ability placing him, through the intervening
years, in the front ranks of the profession. He served for ten years
as prosecuting attorney of Columbia county and for five years was
city attorney of Dayton. He was also for one year city clerk and at
the present writing is a member of the board of education, in which
position he has continuously served since 1893. The public school
system indeed finds in him a stalwart champion and one whose efforts in
its behalf have been characterized by marked progress.
On the 28th of February, 1892, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss
Nellie B. Gritman, of Dayton, a daughter of Delos W. and Mary (Davis)
Gritman. Her father, who was one of the successful agriculturists and
prominent citizens of Columbia county, served for a number of years as
a member of the board of county commissioners and was widely recognized
as a man of sterling character and genuine worth. Mr. and Mrs. Clark
have a son, Roscoe L., who was graduated from Whitman College with the
class of 1915 and is now a student in the medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia.
Fraternally Mr. Clark is connected with Dayton Camp, No. 95, W. O. W.;
with Dayton Circle, No. 238, Women of Woodcraft; and with Dayton Lodge,
No. 3, K. P. He ranks with the leading and representative residents of
Dayton because of his loyalty in citizenship, because of his genuine
personal worth and also by reason of his professional ability. He
is a man of well balanced intellect, thoroughly familiar with the
law, possessed also of comprehensive general information and of an
analytical mind. He is recognized as a formidable adversary in legal
combat but one who at all times holds to the highest standards of the
profession, his record reflecting credit upon the history of the bench
and bar of Washington.
BERT THOMAS, M. D.
Dr. Bert Thomas, occupying a leading position among the most capable
and successful medical practitioners of Walla Walla, is well qualified
in all those particulars which make for advancement in his chosen
profession. His liberal preparatory training well qualified him at the
outset of his professional career and in the intervening period he has
studied closely and read broadly, thus keeping in touch with the trend
of modern professional progress. He was born in Walla Walla county,
March 4, 1874. His father, Alfred Thomas, a native of Kentucky, was
born in 1828 and in the spring of 1870 made his way to the northwest,
becoming identified with agricultural interests in this county. Here he
spent his remaining days, covering a period of more than a quarter of
a century, his death occurring in 1896. His wife, who bore the maiden
name of Eleanor Lewis, was born in Iowa and has also passed away.
Dr. Thomas of this review was one of a family of twelve children, six
of whom are yet living and all are residents of Walla Walla county. He
acquired a common school education and afterward entered the Whitman
College, from which in due time he was graduated. He next became a
student in the University of Michigan, matriculating in the medical
department, from which he was graduated with the class of 1904. He then
put his theoretical knowledge to the practical test in a year's service
in a hospital in Jackson, Michigan, and gained the broad and valuable
knowledge and experience which can never be as quickly acquired in
any other way as in hospital work. On the expiration of that period
he returned to Walla Walla, where he has since practiced medicine and
surgery, and throughout the intervening years he has maintained a
place in the front ranks of the profession. He is very careful in the
diagnosis of his cases and seldom, if ever, at fault in matters of
professional judgment. He belongs to the Walla Walla Valley Medical
Society, the Washington State Medical Association and the American
Medical Association and thus keeps abreast with modern thought,
investigation and research.
Dr. Thomas married Miss Orville Green, who was born in Walla Walla, a
daughter of W. O. and Mary F. (Young) Green, who were pioneers of this
county, having crossed the plains in 1852. Dr. Thomas belongs to the
Masonic fraternity and is a faithful exemplar of the teachings of the
craft. His entire life measures up to high standards and those whom he
has met in social relations entertain for him the warmest friendship
and regard, for his salient qualities are those which make for personal
popularity.
PATRICK O'CONNOR.
Patrick O'Connor, deceased, was an enterprising and successful farmer
and stock raiser of Columbia county and his name deserves a place upon
the pages of its history. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland,
March 16, 1850, and was reared in the land of his birth. On reaching
the age of sixteen, however, he determined to try his fortune in
the new world, for he had heard favorable reports concerning its
opportunities and advantages. On reaching American shores he at
once crossed the continent to the Pacific coast and located in San
Francisco, California, where he remained for nine years. He was there
employed in a boiler factory and at street car work. After spending
over five years in that city he came northward to Walla Walla in 1880
with the intention of returning to San Francisco but found Walla
Walla to his liking and took up his abode there. He was made section
foreman for the Union Pacific Railway and for a considerable period
was active in that connection. In subsequent years he made several
removals, living for a short time in Dayton and a short time on the
present home ranch near Starbuck. In 1896 he took up his abode on his
Columbia county farm, first purchasing forty-six acres of land. To
this, however, he added from time to time as his financial resources
permitted until at his death he was the owner of an excellent tract
of land of two hundred and sixty-seven acres, upon which he engaged
extensively in stock raising and in the growing of alfalfa. In business
affairs he was energetic and determined. He allowed no obstacles nor
difficulties to bar his path if they could be overcome by persistent
and earnest effort. He worked diligently and as the years passed on
gained a place among the substantial farmers of his adopted county,
his attention being given to general agricultural pursuits and stock
raising until his death, which occurred May 7, 1910.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. PATRICK O'CONNOR]
On the 30th of December, 1889, Mr. O'Connor was joined in wedlock to
Miss Mary McGreevy, who was born in Iowa and came to Washington in
1887, locating on the present site of Jackson's Siding in Columbia
county, where lived her uncle, Daniel McGreevy. Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor
had one son, Daniel A., who is now operating the home farm.
In politics Mr. O'Connor was a stalwart democrat, giving unfaltering
allegiance to the principles of his party. He served for some years
as road supervisor and made an excellent official in that connection.
In fact he was a progressive and public-spirited citizen, giving
helpful aid to all movements for the advancement of the community. He
belonged to the Catholic church, of which his widow and son are also
communicants. The family has long been well known in Columbia county
and, like her husband, Mrs. O'Connor enjoys the respect and goodwill of
those with whom she has been brought in contact.
ALBERT M. JENSEN.
Albert M. Jensen, head of the A. M. Jensen Company of Walla Walla,
was born in Denmark in 1868 and at the age of fourteen years began
work in a general store. His life has been one of continuous business
activity since that time. Coming to the new world in 1890, he settled
in Minnesota and was employed by one of the largest department stores
in St. Paul for eighteen years. He began work there as general utility
boy, was advanced to the position of salesman and later became a buyer
and department manager, and while thus engaged he made various trips to
New York and abroad for his firm.
In 1910 Mr. Jensen came to Walla Walla and organized the A. M. Jensen
Company, which then bought out the Skiles Dry Goods Company, which had
been established in 1905 on a very small scale. The floor space now in
use for the display and sale of women's merchandise is approximately
fifteen thousand square feet.
In 1897 Mr. Jensen was united in marriage to Miss Effie Byland, who
was born in Shelbyville, Indiana, and they have three children: Leon,
Everett and Gladys. Mr. Jensen is a member of the First Presbyterian
church, is a Scottish Rite Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine
and also of the Odd Fellows lodge. In politics he is an independent
republican but has never sought or held office. His military record
covers six months' service in the Danish navy before coming to the
United States. He has taken considerable interest in civic affairs and
for several years was a member of the board of trustees of the Walla
Walla Commercial Club and served for one year as its president. He is
always anxious and willing to help wherever necessary for the good of
the city, state or country and acted as chairman and member of several
important Liberty Loan and Food Conservation sub-committees.
JOHN H. EDWARDS.
One of the well improved farm properties of Walla Walla county is
that owned by John H. Edwards, an enterprising, alert and energetic
agriculturist, whose home is on section 30, township 9 north, range
34 east. He is there extensively engaged in wheat growing and also in
stock raising.
Mr. Edwards was born in Texas, March 8, 1859, a son of John C. and
Sarah (Hillard) Edwards, the former a native of Tennessee, while the
latter was born in Alabama. They removed to Texas in 1858 and while
residing in that state the mother was called to her final rest. The
father passed away in Tennessee, having returned to his native state.
In their family were seven children, but only three of the number are
now living.
John H. Edwards was largely reared and educated in Tennessee, having
the usual opportunities and experiences of the farmbred boy. He was a
young man of twenty-three years when he determined to try his fortune
in the northwest and made his way to Walla Walla county, settling upon
the farm on which he now resides in the fall of 1883. It has since been
his home, and adding to his holdings from time to time as his financial
resources have permitted, he has become the owner of thirty-four
hundred acres of valuable wheat and pasture land. He has great broad
fields, devoted to the raising of wheat, and rich pastures, in which
are found large herds of cattle. He makes a specialty of raising Durham
cattle and he is also engaged in raising Percheron horses and high
grade hogs. He has improved his ranch with modern buildings. There is
a commodious and attractive residence, in the rear of which stand good
barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock, and these in
turn are surrounded by broad fields, highly cultivated.
Mr. Edwards was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Woods and to them
have been born two sons. Earl J., who is a graduate of the high school,
was married in 1915 and has a son, Edwin. Eldon H., the younger son, is
also a high school graduate.
[Illustration: JOHN H. EDWARDS]
[Illustration: MRS. JOHN H. EDWARDS]
Mr. Edwards is deeply interested in the cause of education, has served
as school director, and has put forth every effort in his power to
give his sons good opportunities, thus qualifying them for life's
practical and responsible duties. He votes with the republican party
but has never been an office seeker. He and his wife hold membership
in the Christian church and are loyal to its teachings, while to its
support they make generous contribution. The conditions which he found
in the northwest gave him the opportunities which he sought and in
their utilization he has worked his way steadily upward. His handclasp,
however, is as warm for his friend in a threadbare coat as for the
prosperous business friend of his later years. He appreciates what it
means to overcome difficulties, having had his own hard times and his
own life is organized along lines that have called for a full dole
of labor with every turn of the wheel. In social intercourse he is
genial, kindly and humanly sympathetic, while his business affairs are
characterized by the most rigid integrity.
WILLIAM W. WALTER.
William W. Walter, an honored pioneer of Washington, was born in Wayne
county, Indiana, September 7, 1827. He was a descendant through his
mother, Rachel Doddridge, of the Doddridge family of England. The
name of Phillip Doddridge is common in the Walter family and every
branch of the family has one child bearing the name of Doddridge. The
father, William Walter, Sr., was a Virginian who lived for a time in
Maryland and afterwards became a resident of Ohio and still later of
Indiana, where his son, William W. Walter, was born. When the latter
was eight years of age the family removed to Iowa, which was then a
wild, unclaimed country. In 1845 the spirit of emigration swept over
the east and Mr. Walter, then a youth of seventeen years, was among
those who desired to see the great country beyond the Rocky mountains.
His father, being of a roving turn of mind, decided to emigrate. That
spring all was made ready and soon they had started on that long and
perilous journey. Several families of the relatives, with many others,
formed a company of about sixty-five wagons and elected Sol Tetheroe,
a man experienced in that line of work, as their captain. They moved
in order, stood guard every night to avoid surprise, and parties of
hunters were organized to furnish game for the camp. The first part
of the journey was very pleasant. Dancing on the green at night and
hunting big game by day was very pleasing to the youngsters at least.
Buffaloes were so plentiful there was often trouble keeping them out of
camp. As they traveled along immense herds would come bearing down on
the train, when riders would be sent out and guns fired to turn them
from their course and save the train from being run down and trampled
by the huge beasts. On the eastern slope the company experienced the
first Indian scare. They were in the Crow country and Indians had been
in sight all day, skirting around in small parties. Late in the day
several hundred Indians confronted them, yelling and beating drums
and dashing wildly toward them. The emigrants thought an attack was
imminent and corralled the wagons, thus making a fortification. They
placed the women and children in the circle and the men made ready
to fight. Then a Rocky Mountain man named Greenwood, who was acting
as guide, rode out to meet the Indians and called a council. After
a talk the Indians dispersed although they had intended an attack.
Only the influence of Greenwood, whose wife was a Crow Indian, saved
them from serious trouble. The greatest excitement on the trip was
caused by a stampede of the teams. One never experiencing a stampede
cannot form any idea of the terror and danger. There seems to be a
sort of animal telepathy among cattle, so that at a signal from one,
a thousand head will go wild in an instant. Then imagine if you can a
train of sixty-five wagons with from five to ten yoke of oxen to a
wagon tearing along the prairie at full speed, teams doubling, passing
each other, tearing off wheels, amid the screams of children scattered
along the way. Some teams ran two miles before stopping, yet with it
all no one was killed, although one woman had a leg broken and several
wagons were demolished. It took some time to get in moving order again
and mothers were looking for their children and the babies crying for
their mothers. The excitement was intense and it was an experience
never to be forgotten. At length, however, the party moved on again.
At Fort Hall they met Steve Meek, a brother of Joe Meek, who agreed to
show them a new route to Oregon bearing more to the south, crossing
the Cascade mountains near the head waters of the Willamette, thus
avoiding the Blue mountains. He made the proposed route appear so
feasible that they followed him, leaving the old trail near Boise,
Idaho. They followed the Mathew river to the south and west and soon
found themselves in a trackless desert of sagebrush, rock and sand
but with little feed for the stock, and to add to their troubles they
could no longer find water. They traveled on and on, sending men ahead
to search for water. These men returned and reported water forty miles
ahead, so that the party traveled all night to reach it. While encamped
there resting, a man herding the cattle picked up a large nugget of
gold and from that find originated the famous blue nugget gold find,
but the spot has never been located again, at least no mine has been
discovered. People starving would not remember places very well as they
were more anxious about something to eat. The party forced the guide
to pilot them to The Dalles, which he did. When at last they reached
the Deschuttes river they were in a pitiable condition, many being
sick from lack of food. There they lashed wagon boxes together for a
raft and ferried over their effects, swimming the cattle. Finally they
arrived at The Dalles, where they cut trees in the forest, made rafts
of the logs, loaded wagons and families on them and proceeded to float
down the Columbia, while the boys and younger men drove the cattle down
the trails. The rafts were tied up at night and camp made on shore.
It now began to rain and food was almost an unknown article. They had
had no bread for weeks. Those are the hardships which try men's souls
and show what stuff they are made of. When they reached the Cascades
they made the portage with the teams over the muddiest roads ever
seen, it requiring three days to travel six miles. Their only food
until they reached Vancouver was a salmon now and then purchased of
the Indians. Dr. McLoughlin came to their relief most nobly when they
reached Vancouver. They afterwards moved out to the Tualitin plains, in
Washington county, Oregon, and settled on as fine land as ever lay out
of doors. The principal food supply that winter was boiled wheat and
potatoes, with plenty of deer meat. The following year was a prosperous
one and the hardships were forgotten and life in the main was a happy
existence. In the fall of 1847 the news of the Whitman massacre reached
that country. The people were wild with excitement and a company of
volunteers was organized. All were eager to join it. Mr. Walter joined
and served through the war.
In 1849 the discovery of gold in California caused great excitement
and all the young men and many older ones rushed to the gold mines.
Mr. Walter went in 1850. They traveled by land through the Rogue river
country, where the treacherous Indian lurked at every turn. Mr. Walter
had some thrilling adventures with the Indians. At one time he and a
companion rode all one day and night with their guns ready for use.
They saw many Indians in ambush watching them and their only theory
concerning the failure of the red men to attack was the belief that
there was a large party coming behind the two lone riders. The two
young men lived in the open and their amusements were hunting bears,
panthers and Indians. They mined on the American river, having fair
luck, and afterwards remaining in California for a year returned to
Oregon.
In 1856 William Walter married Miss Charity A. Marsh, a student in
the Forest Grove Academy. She was a native of Michigan and crossed
the plains in 1852. Following their marriage they removed to Douglas
county, Oregon, where they remained a few years, and in March, 1860,
arrived in Walla Walla county, Washington. After reaching Walla Walla
county Mr. Walter engaged in cattle growing, in which he prospered.
By 1861 he had a fine herd and was for those times a wealthy man, but
an unusually severe winter came on, causing most of his herd to die.
Broken in resources and in spirit, he gathered the remainder of his
herd, numbering about thirty head of cattle and these he sold. He then
bought a pack train of his own and became one of the earliest packers
in this region and developed a business of extensive proportions in
that connection. He hauled supplies to nearly all the mines in the
surrounding states. Many strenuous and trying experiences came to him,
for robbers were numerous and these road agents were always alert for
the returning pack train to haul in the returns of the pack sales
through their robbery, attaining their end, if necessary, by murder.
Mr. Walter was a man of fine physique and great strength and his
physical prowess often served to protect him. While the husband and
father was away on his pack train trips, which often lasted for six or
more months, the pioneer mother, left alone with her small children,
with many hostile Indians about, had to bear heavy burdens in order to
care for and protect the interests of her frontier home.
Four of their children are still living on or near the old homestead on
the Touchet. The eldest, Mrs. O. M. Fine, was born in Douglas county,
Oregon, July 12, 1857. Mrs. Kate W. Pettijohn was born in Douglas
county, Oregon, December 18, 1858. Mrs. Fanny Dunlap was born in Walla
Walla county, October 31, 1866, and John Doddridge Walter is also a
native of Walla Walla county, born December 8, 1869.
W. W. Walter and his family were among the earliest settlers in the
valley. At that time Walla Walla was but a little garrison town and the
many flourishing towns of the present were unknown. On the Touchet,
near a big spring, Mr. Walter built his first cabin of logs with a
thatched roof covered with dirt. The earth served for a floor. They
were very comfortable during the summer but when the fall rains set
in there was trouble, for the roof would leak for several days after
all was fair outside. Moreover, the snakes deemed the roof no bad
place for a home and one morning while the family were enjoying their
breakfast one of the reptiles caused a commotion, especially among
the feminine portion of the family, by wriggling through the roof and
dropping on the table. This necessitated a new roof and a trip to the
Blue mountains for shakes. An Indian trail ran in front of the cabin
door and on Sunday droves of Indians would pass by on their way to the
home of Rev. H. H. Spalding, a half mile below, to hear him preach.
The settlers also attended the services, for the sermons were spoken
in English, an interpreter repeating them to the Indians. The singing
of these Indians, led by Mrs. Spalding and her daughter, Amelia, will
ever be a sweet memory, for their voices were soft and low. Visiting
in those days meant more than a ceremonious call. A carriage was
unknown in these parts and people usually traveled on horseback, even
children learning to manage a horse at a very early age. People came
from afar to visit and stayed for days and surprise parties and dances
were frequent occurrences. In 1862, the neighborhood having become
quite thickly settled, the number of children of school age demanded
a school, so several of the leading citizens called a meeting to
devise ways and means. They had no organized district and no public
money. They went into the woods, cut cottonwood logs, drew them to
a designated place and erected a schoolhouse in the dooryard of Mr.
Walter. The roof was of shakes made in the Blue mountains and hauled
down. The heating plant was a huge fireplace in the east end of the
building, built of sod and the chimney was of sticks and mud. A log was
cut out in the north wall and a row of eight by ten inch window panes
fitted in and this furnished the only light except the open door. The
seats were of puncheon. A subscription was taken up to pay the teacher,
who was a Virginian with a very pronounced southern accent. The old
elementary spelling book was the principal textbook. There are still
many persons living who received their first lessons in this little log
schoolhouse. Later a district was organized and a schoolhouse built
a mile or so up the valley near the center of the neighborhood. The
Walter family experienced the usual incidents and hardships of pioneer
life. The nearest physician was at the garrison of Fort Walla Walla
and a rider was sent there for aid on more than one occasion, yet
altogether those were happy days. The whole wide country lay before
them and everyone for miles around was friend and neighbor. Where today
are seen immense wheat fields in those days there were seas of waving
bunch grass. The hills were dotted with sleek cattle and horses and the
ever present cayuse, or Indian pony. In those days cattle was king and
times were good, although opportunities for an education were limited.
Only public schools were available and very few studies were taught.
The daughters in the Walter household had two winters in the Waitsburg
public schools, which ended their attempt to acquire an education,
although later they studied at home, especially history, rhetoric and
the languages, although they had no teacher to assist them.
In 1861 the Civil war broke out, Washington's citizens had come
from every state in the Union and their opinions were accordingly
diversified. The patriotic contingent decided that they should have a
flag, so the material was purchased and a sewing bee was held at the
home of S. H. Erwin, where they made a flag, every stitch by hand.
The thirty-four stars were whipstitched on the blue field and with
patience and perseverance the stripes were set together. The old flag
is still in existence though largely in tatters today. It has played
a prominent part on the Fourth of July celebrations and is a valued
pioneer memento. At the second election of President Lincoln the news
was brought across the continent by pony express. Some one caught the
word at Walla Walla and rode to the Touchet, stopping at each door
with a shout and waving of the hat, telling the glad news and then
passing on. The neighbors bore the flag to the schoolhouse, hoisted and
unfurled it there, took off their hats and saluted with cheers, while
the children marched around Old Glory, singing "Rally Round the Flag
Boys." While the west was rejoicing over peace having been established
once more the direful news was flashed over the country that Lincoln
had been assassinated. Again the news was long on the way and again
a rider brought in the word from Walla Walla, but there was no shout
of joy or waving of flags as on the former occasion. A number of men,
however, came to the schoolhouse and raised the old flag until it hung
at half mast. The sturdy pioneers stood with bowed heads and solemn
countenances, while the children were awed and half afraid, not knowing
what it all meant.
Some time in the middle '60s the settlers conceived the idea of
celebrating the Fourth of July, so the neighbors gathered at the home
of Mr. Walter and proceeded to clear out a grove near the Big Spring,
where they fitted up seats and a platform. People gathered from all
parts of the valley, stage loads coming from Walla Walla, and Judge
J. H. Lasater was the speaker of the day with "Uncle Billy" Smith,
of Waitsburg, as master of ceremonies, while J. M. Hedrick read the
Declaration of Independence and Jonathan Pettijohn and William Smith
were also among those who spoke. A public dinner was served, all being
invited to take part at one long table, and in the evening a dance was
enjoyed by all. To that celebration the families came in wagons and
the young people on horseback and they were among the happiest and
most care-free people in the world. The people in this country went
through the reconstruction period in a different way from the east and
lawlessness reigned for a time. The chief offences were murder and
horse stealing and as gold was discovered in Idaho and Walla Walla
became an outfitting place for miners the town became infested with
thieves, gamblers and gunmen. Then the Vigilantes came into existence
as a protection to life and property and were very effective in ridding
the country of its undesirable element. In the late '60s their work was
done and the country took on a normal tone. Business enterprises were
started, farms opened up where stock had previously ranged and wheat
raising was begun with success. Today wheat is king and, like all of
the west, stock raising has become largely a thing of the past in Walla
Walla county, as have the cowboy and the Indian.
William Walter never left the home he had made for himself and family.
His wife passed away December 23, 1897, and he continued to live on the
old place with his youngest daughter until September 23, 1906, when he
passed on. He was a man of sterling worth, a steadfast friend, doing
his part in all affairs of public interest, was most hospitable in his
home and he and his wife took the greatest pleasure in entertaining
their friends. Their home was the gathering place for all the young
people of the countryside.
While Mr. Walter volunteered to find the murderers of Dr. Whitman,
whom he knew personally, he was a friend to the Indians as a whole
and had some stanch friends among them, some of whom came to camp by
his door until the time of his death. He attended the ceremonies at
the erection of the monument to Dr. Whitman and the other martyrs and
he was one of the party who buried the remains of Dr. Whitman and his
wife. He became a member of the first organization of Pioneers of Walla
Walla and was also a member of the Oregon Pioneers' Association. In
1880 the first railroad was built in the Touchet valley and little
towns were started, among them Prescott, which became quite a railroad
town with roundhouse and machine shops. It was filled with railroad
men and cowboys which formed two factions, and as the town boasted
three saloons and was wide open, a clash was due to come occasionally.
Prescott went through all the phases of a frontier town, with gambling
houses, etc., had her quota of murders and robberies until the boom
dropped out, when it seemed for a time that the town was doomed to die
a natural death. Then a new era came. The place began to revive, a good
school was built, churches were established, the surrounding country
was planted to wheat to furnish grain for one of the largest mills in
the country, responsible men took hold of the business enterprises and
today Prescott is one of the most thriving little towns in the county.
The children of William Walter, having been reared in this valley,
have seen all of the changes wrought in the last half-century. They
have seen the wild, unbroken prairies developed to their present high
state of cultivation and the eldest daughter, Mrs. Fine, still lives
on a part of the old homestead. She is the mother of eight sons and
a daughter, all grown to manhood and womanhood and all married and
settled in homes of their own, with the exception of one. Mrs. Dunlap,
another daughter, lives in the house in which she was born. J. D.
Walter, the only son, also occupies a part of the old homestead and
is mentioned elsewhere in this work. The other daughter, who in 1890
became the wife of John H. Pettijohn, is living on a homestead which
was taken up in 1880 and they occupy an attractive little residence in
which they expect to spend their declining years. The Walter family has
indeed played an important part in the progress and development of this
section of the country from the early days and the name is written high
on the roll of honored pioneer settlers.
JOHN D. WALTER.
John D. Walter is a resident farmer of Walla Walla county and a well
known representative of one of the honored pioneer families. He was
born December 8, 1869, on the farm which he yet owns and cultivates,
his parents being W. W. and Charity (Marsh) Walter, who in 1845 first
crossed the plains and who are mentioned at length on another page of
this work.
Spending his youthful days under the parental roof, John D. Walter
became largely familiar with many of the experiences which constituted
life for the pioneer. He was educated in the district schools, the
first school of the neighborhood being built in his father's dooryard.
He early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and
caring for the crops and later he engaged in the butchering business
in Prescott and also devoted much time to buying and selling stock,
being thus occupied for twenty years. On the expiration of that period
he sold his business and turned his attention to farming on the old
home place. Today he owns five hundred acres of rich and valuable land
splendidly adapted to wheat raising and in addition he cultivates
another five hundred acre tract which he rents, so that he is most
extensively engaged in general farming. His crop is largely wheat and
owing to his indefatigable energy and intelligently directed labor his
efforts have been crowned with success. He is also engaged in stock
raising and keeps on his place high grade cattle, horses and hogs.
In 1898 Mr. Walter was united in marriage to Miss Lula R. McSherry, a
daughter of Nelson McSherry, mentioned elsewhere in this work. Mr. and
Mrs. Walter have become the parents of four children, Ernestine O.,
Helen and Leila, twins, and Camille.
The family is now living in the city of Walla Walla at No. 114 Colville
street. They attend the Presbyterian church and Mr. Walter belongs
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, to the Elks and Knights of
Pythias lodges. In the first named he has filled all of the chairs. His
political endorsement is given to the republican party and he keeps
well informed on the questions and issues of the day but does not seek
nor desire office as a reward for party fealty. His children possess
much musical talent, which is being thoroughly trained and cultivated.
The family, connected with Walla Walla county since early pioneer
times, has always kept pace with the trend of modern day thought and
progress. The work begun by the father has been carried forward by the
son, whose farm is today an expression of twentieth century methods in
agriculture.
A. C. SEMROW.
One who does not delve below the surface of things seldom stops to
consider what an important part the architect plays in the improvement
of a city. However, his labors constitute one of the strongest features
in its attractiveness, and in city building in the west there has been
most earnest effort put forth with a view to equalling everything
that is of convenience, comfort and beauty in the older structures of
the east, while at the same time modern progress adapts all building
operations to modern needs. It is in this field that A. C. Semrow has
labored and is now regarded as one of the most successful and capable
architects of Walla Walla. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October
11, 1885, a son of August and Minnie Semrow. For the past twenty-five
years the father has been prominently identified with the building and
contracting business, ranking very high in connection with building
operations in Milwaukee.
A. C. Semrow spent his youthful days in his father's home and at the
usual age became a pupil in the public schools. He mastered the lessons
therein taught until he had become a high school pupil and when he
left that institution he had the benefit of a course of instruction in
the Milwaukee University. As early as his fourteenth year, however,
he became an assistant to his father in the contracting and building
business and at the same time he began his studies as an architectural
draftsman. He pursued his studies in the offices of some of the leading
architects of Milwaukee and of Chicago and he likewise pursued a course
in the Milwaukee University. He thus became thoroughly familiar with
the scientific principles which underlie his work and gained expert
knowledge of every phase of the profession. In April, 1914, well
qualified for his chosen calling, he came to the west, making Seattle,
Washington, his destination. There he opened an office but after a year
he removed from that city to Walla Walla, where he has since remained,
becoming widely and favorably known in professional connections.
Throughout the city are found many evidences of his skill and ability.
He has had the contract for designing and erecting some of the finest
structures of Walla Walla and his work has indeed added to the beauty
and attractiveness of the place.
On the 9th of May, 1911, Mr. Semrow was married to Miss Frances
Wiseman, of Seattle, Washington, a daughter of Richard B. Wiseman, who
was one of the pioneer residents of Walla Walla, locating here when the
city was a small town and when the work of progress and improvement
seemed scarcely begun. Subsequently he removed to Seattle, where he is
now engaged in the real estate business.
Mr. Semrow, as one of the representative young business men, has gained
a prominent position in public regard, for he has come to be recognized
as one who is thoroughly reliable as well as progressive and one whose
word is as trustworthy as any contract.
LOGAN P. MULKEY.
Logan P. Mulkey, who was one of the most successful business men of
Walla Walla, devoted his later years to the buying and selling of city
properties but previously operated a stock farm of twenty-five hundred
acres. His birth occurred in Corvallis, Oregon, December 24, 1853, and
he was a son of Johnson Mulkey, who crossed the plains three times, an
achievement the meaning of which the present generation can scarcely
realize, for at the present time the journey which a half century or
more ago meant months of weary traveling with the danger of attack by
Indians or of an outbreak of pestilence, is now a matter of a few days
and is made with the utmost comfort. Johnson Mulkey was a slaveholder
in Kentucky in the early days but freed all his slaves some years prior
to the Civil war, as he had become convinced that the practice of
holding men and women in bondage was wrong. However, such had been his
kindness to his slaves that one old mammy refused to leave the family
and accompanied them to the northwest. It was in 1845 that Mr. Mulkey
first came to Oregon territory and he was so pleased with conditions
in this section of the country that in 1846 he returned to Kentucky
in order to settle up his affairs and in 1847 he again made the long
journey to the west, this time accompanied by his family. His wife was
ill when they reached the Whitman home and made plans to remain there
until she recovered her health while the other members of the family
should continue their journey but later she decided to accompany them
and did so, thus escaping massacre at the hands of the Indians, for it
was only a short time later that the Whitmans were killed by the red
men. Mr. Mulkey located at Corvallis, Oregon, and in the succeeding
years acquired extensive farm, timber and sawmill properties, together
with valuable mining interests in Idaho. He became one of the wealthy
men of Oregon and at the time of his death in the winter of 1861-2
carried in his belt something more than seven thousand dollars in gold
dust. He had made a trip to some of his mining properties in Idaho and
on his return reached John Day, Oregon, about fifty miles from The
Dalles, where he became snowbound. Anxious to reach home as soon as
possible, he started overland on foot and, being weighted down by the
gold dust which he carried, he became exhausted and nearly perished
from the cold. His companions buried him in the snow and then hurried
for help to the home of William Graham, whose sons went after him and
brought him to the Graham home, where a few days later he died. This
was quite a coincidence, as it was years afterwards when Logan P.
Mulkey and Georgia Graham were married that the facts were discovered
that it was to her father's house that the dying man had been taken.
The body was buried in the cemetery at The Dalles.
[Illustration: LOGAN P. MULKEY]
[Illustration: MRS. LOGAN P. MULKEY]
Logan P. Mulkey received his education in the public schools of
Corvallis, Oregon, and also gained valuable training in self-reliance
and resourcefulness in the experiences which came to him in the
pioneer settlement in which he grew to manhood. On starting out on his
independent career he went to Pomeroy, Washington, where he became
connected with the hardware business, and for twelve years he was
engaged in that line. He erected one of the first store buildings in
Pomeroy and was quite prominent in the early commercial life of that
place. At length his health became impaired through close confinement
and he sold his hardware store and bought a stock ranch of some
twenty-five hundred acres seven miles from Pomeroy. For many years he
gave his attention to raising stock on an extensive scale but in 1903
he disposed of his land and removed to Walla Walla, where he became a
prominent operator in real estate, buying and selling city properties.
He was highly successful in that business but his prosperity was not
gained at the price of the failure of others, for he was never known to
take advantage of any man. If he had sold a property and the purchaser
found it difficult to make his payments at the time specified he was
given an extension of time and his terms were made easier. Mr. Mulkey's
high sense of honor and his probity inevitably won for him the respect
and the warm regard of those with whom he was brought in contact and
his friends were legion.
In 1885 Mr. Mulkey was united in marriage to Miss Georgia Graham, a
daughter of William Graham, who was also a pioneer of the northwest,
having crossed the plains from Ohio in 1852.
Mr. Graham was born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1818, and at the age of
twenty-one years married Miss Harriet Duncan. They removed to Missouri,
where they spent seven years, and in 1852 started across the plains
to Oregon with three wagons and twelve head of cattle. This trip was
a very arduous one and while en route their money was stolen. Being a
very generous man, Mr. Graham picked up all stranded travelers from
other trains. He was accompanied by his wife and six children. In
crossing the Cascade mountains an ox fell exhausted and by hand the
wagons were lowered in order to proceed on their journey. The next
morning this ox had wandered away and a man bought the wagon and
brought the family to a place near Corvallis, for which Mr. Graham paid
him one hundred dollars. On the journey westward nearly all provisions
gave out and the men were forced to hunt in order to supply the party
with something to eat. While on one of these hunting trips five Indians
came and the women traded a wagon cover for flour. Mr. Graham took up
a homestead near Corvallis, not far from the mouth of the Deschutes
river, where he developed a fruit farm. In 1874 he came to Washington
and purchased a farm one and one-half miles from Dayton, where he spent
the remainder of his life. He died at the age of seventy-four years and
his wife at the age of seventy. In their family were eleven children,
of whom six are still living. Mr. and Mrs. Graham were both consistent
members of the Congregational church and were very hospitable people,
their home being always open to the travelers or newcomers of this
region.
To Mr. and Mrs. Mulkey were born five children, of whom four survive,
namely: Allen L., who operates a twenty-two hundred acre ranch in Walla
Walla county belonging to his mother; Frances, at home; Marion, who
volunteered June 1, 1917, and is now a member of Battery D, Twentieth
Field Artillery, stationed at Camp Stanley, Leon Springs, Texas; and
Helen, at home.
Mr. Mulkey was a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity but was
not very active in the work of that organization, preferring to spend
his leisure time at home. One of his strongest characteristics was his
devotion to his family and to his friends and anything that he could
do to add to the pleasure of those whom he loved was a source of the
greatest satisfaction to him. His death occurred on the 7th of August,
1910, but his memory lives in the hearts of many.
Since her husband's death Mrs. Mulkey has personally managed the large
estate and in 1914 she erected the Mulkey apartments at No. 20 Park
street and the following year erected an apartment building on the
site of the old family home, which had been destroyed by fire, the new
building being entirely designed by her. These buildings are thoroughly
up-to-date and provided with all the improvements to be found in the
highest class apartments and are valuable assets of Walla Walla. In
addition to looking after her interests in connection with these
apartments Mrs. Mulkey gives supervision to the operation of a splendid
ranch of twenty-two hundred acres which she has acquired since the
death of her husband and she also owns considerable city property. She
and her children are members of the Congregational church and she also
belongs to the Sunshine Club and the Reading Club of Walla Walla. All
movements for the moral and civic as well as the material upbuilding
of Walla Walla receive her hearty support. She combines the qualities
necessary to the successful conduct of large business interests with
the qualities of the home maker, for she has been a devoted mother and
was in the fullest sense a true helpmate to her husband.
JOHN G. PAINE.
[Illustration: JOHN G. PAINE]
John G. Paine, who has been actively identified with commercial,
financial and agricultural interests in western Washington, was born in
Mercer, Maine, July 8, 1842. He acquired a common school education in
his home town, where he was reared upon a farm. Prompted by a desire
to attempt something more promising than a New England farm offered,
he followed Horace Greeley's advice to go west and in 1865 arrived
in Walla Walla. Soon after his arrival he secured employment in the
general merchandise store of Baker & Boyer, acting as a salesman in
their establishment. In 1868 he entered into partnership with his
brother, F. W. Paine, in the conduct of a general store and in 1871
took over the management of a branch store in Waitsburg. Six years
later, having disposed of that business, he opened a branch store
in Dayton and in the meantime he served as cashier of the Columbia
National Bank. After a few years of confinement in indoor life, the
firm having acquired several large tracts of wheat land, he undertook
the development of that property and devoted several years to wheat
growing. More recently, however, he has been largely interested in the
development of alfalfa land and is thus prominently connected with an
industry which is proving a source of wealth to eastern Washington. Mr.
Paine occupies a homelike suite of rooms in the Paine building. He is
widely known in the state as a most progressive business man and his
enterprise has carried him into most important business connections.
OSCAR W. BRUNTON.
Well directed business activity finds expression in the life record
of Oscar W. Brunton, vice president of the Dement Brothers Company,
proprietors of a large flour mill at Walla Walla. He was born in Alton,
Illinois, on the 15th of March, 1868, a son of David and Margaret P.
(White) Brunton. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and the mother
of Tennessee, while their marriage was celebrated in Illinois. The
former was a winding stair builder and became actively identified with
business interests in Alton, Illinois, where he passed away in 1870.
His widow afterward removed with her three children to Macon City,
Missouri, and thence to Hannibal, that state, and in August, 1876 they
came to Walla Walla, where she joined her sister, who was the wife of
Rev. H. W. Egan, who was presiding over the Cumberland Presbyterian
church at this place. Here Mrs. Brunton reared her children and
continued to make her home until 1907, when she took up her residence
with a daughter in Berkeley, California, where she has since resided.
She is now in her eighty-seventh year and is enjoying excellent health,
while in possession of all of her faculties.
Oscar W. Brunton was educated in the Walla Walla public schools and
in Whitman Seminary. In his boyhood days he took up the study of
telegraphy and mastered the Morse code while he was but a child. A
brother being an operator, he was desirous of studying along that line
but he never followed the profession as a means of livelihood. For
some years in his youth he worked as a job printer in the old Journal
office, and in 1884 he entered the employ of Dement Brothers in the
Eureka flour mills. There he proved efficient, capable and trustworthy
and in 1892 he had risen to the position of mill manager, while in
1896, upon the incorporation of the company, he became one of the
members of the concern and continued as manager of the mills. In 1907
he was elected to the vice presidency of the Dement Brothers Company
and remained as manager as well. Since that time he has given his
attention to administrative direction and executive control as well as
to the operation of the mills and has contributed much to the success
of the business. There is no phase of milling operations with which he
is not familiar and his long experience and capability constitute an
important element in the growing success of their trade.
Mr. Brunton was united in marriage on the 12th of May, 1891, to Miss
Alice Roberta Egbert, a daughter of Marion D. Egbert, who is now
deceased, but for many years was a well known publisher of Walla Walla.
Mr. and Mrs. Brunton have become the parents of one child, Margaret A.,
who is a graduate of the University of California of the class of 1914
and is now a successful teacher in the Le Grand (Calif.) high school.
In his political views Mr. Brunton is a stalwart republican, having
been a staunch supporter of the party since age conferred upon him the
right of franchise. He belongs to the Walla Walla Commercial Club and
cooperates in all of its well defined plans for the upbuilding of the
city, for the extension of its trade relations and for the upholding of
its high civic standards. He ranks with its foremost business men and
representative residents, enjoying the goodwill and confidence of all
with whom he has been associated.
HON. HARLAN D. ELDRIDGE.
A valuable farm property is that owned and operated by Hon. Harlan D.
Eldridge, who is living on section 1, township 7 north, range 37 east,
Walla Walla county. It is equipped with all the latest accessories
and conveniences of a model farm property of the twentieth century
and in its splendid appearance indicates the care and supervision
of a practical and progressive owner. But while Mr. Eldridge is a
representative and prosperous agriculturist, he is also a citizen wide
awake to the duties and obligations that devolve upon him in connection
with public affairs and has rendered active aid to his state as a
member of the general assembly.
He was born in Dallas county, Iowa, April 6, 1858, and is a son of
Joseph W. and Matilda (Parks) Eldridge, the former a native of Ohio,
while the latter was born in Indiana. Removing westward, they settled
in Iowa in 1856, taking up their abode upon a farm in Dallas county,
where they remained for a number of years. Afterwards they became
residents of Omaha, Nebraska, where both spent their remaining days.
They had a family of three children, of whom two are now living.
Harlan D. Eldridge spent the period of his boyhood and youth in his
native county and there completed a public school education which
fitted him for life's practical duties and responsibilities. He
received thorough training in the work of the farm and thus became well
qualified for the tasks which he later undertook for his own benefit.
In April, 1880, when a young man of twenty-two years, he arrived in
Walla Walla county and took up a homestead north of Waitsburg, upon
which he resided for ten years. On the expiration of that period he
sold the property and bought his present farm, which is situated on
section I, township 7 north, range 37 east. He has since improved the
property with fine buildings, making it one of the attractive features
of the landscape. In addition to the comfortable and commodious
residence there are also barns and outbuildings for the shelter of
grain and stock and the latest improved machinery facilitates the
work of the fields. He has here six hundred and forty acres under
cultivation and he makes a specialty of the growing of wheat and of
stock raising, in both of which branches of business he is meeting with
excellent success. He studies carefully the question of crop rotation
and the productiveness of the soil and he employs the most scientific
methods of carrying on his farm work-methods which are after all the
practical elements of desired results.
[Illustration: MRS. HARLAN D. ELDRIDGE]
[Illustration: HON. HARLAN D. ELDRIDGE]
In 1884 Mr. Eldridge was united in marriage to Miss Etta Barnes,
who was born in Walla Walla county and is a daughter of William T.
and Sarah A. (Blaine) Barnes, natives of Kentucky and of Indiana
respectively. The family removed to Oregon in 1852 and settled on a
ranch there, upon which the parents resided until 1864, when they came
to Walla Walla county, here spending their remaining days. In their
family were thirteen children, including one pair of twins, and of this
number six are yet living. To Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge have been born five
children: William W., who is now located on a ranch in Alberta, Canada;
Taylor B., who is a merchant of Dixie, where he is also filling the
position of postmaster; Earl V., at home; Geneva M., the wife of J. G.
Brunton; and Bonnie G., the wife of Burt O'Neal. Her death occurred
November 25, 1915.
The parents hold membership in the Christian church and guide their
lives according to its teachings. Mr. Eldridge gives his political
support to the republican party and in 1909 was elected on that ticket
to the state legislature. He proved an earnest working member of the
general assembly and gave thoughtful and earnest consideration to the
vital questions which came up for settlement. He has also filled the
office of county commissioner for four years and he has done effective
service in behalf of the interests of the schools as a member of the
school board. In a word, he stands for progress and improvement at all
times and lends his support to those interests and activities which are
matters of civic virtue and of civic pride. Fraternally he is connected
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled all of the
chairs in the local lodge to which he belongs. He has also filled all
of the offices in Mountain Gem Lodge, No. 136, K. P., of which he is
a charter member. His life has been well spent and his many sterling
traits of character have gained for him the warm regard and confidence
of all who know him. Whatever he undertakes he does with thoroughness
and energy and because of his genuine worth and public-spirited
citizenship his fellow townsmen have honored him with high office.
RALPH E. GUICHARD.
Ralph E. Guichard, deceased, was born in Walla Walla on the 6th of
January,. 1869, being a son of Judge Rudolph Guichard, who in a
military capacity was sent to Walla Walla when there was nothing here
but a fort. The father was a man of high intellectual attainments and
of unswerving integrity. He was born at Zeitz, Prussia, December 8,
1830, and in 1854 came to the United States. For a year he resided in
Rhode Island and in Massachusetts, after which he went to West Virginia
and subsequently to Newport, Kentucky, where he enlisted in the United
States army. On the 10th of August, 1857, he was sent to Fort Walla
Walla and on retiring from the army he embarked in merchandising
in this city, successfully conducting business here until 1871. He
afterward took up the study of law and in 1884 was admitted to the bar.
He held many public offices, including that of probate judge, was also
register of the land office, was county treasurer and penitentiary
commissioner. His public duties were discharged with marked fidelity
and ability, so that over the record of his official career there falls
no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. In politics he was a democrat,
recognized as one of the leaders of his party. He was also a prominent
Mason, loyal to the teachings and purposes of the craft. On the 14th of
October, 1866, Judge Guichard was married to Miss Mary Morrison and to
them were born three children: Ralph E., Albert and Mary. The father
passed away on the 3d of April, 1898.
Ralph E. Guichard spent his entire life in Walla Walla. He pursued
his education in the Catholic Academy and at the age of fifteen years
he entered the drug store of Charles A. Hungate in the capacity of
clerk, there remaining for seven years, during which time he thoroughly
mastered pharmacy and became a registered pharmacist. He subsequently
spent three years in the same store under J. W. Esteb and for one
year was in the employ of James McAuliffe. He then became a partner
in the business, under the firm style of Guichard & McAuliffe.
After a few months, however, the partnership was dissolved and Mr.
Guichard entered the employ of the Whitehouse Clothing Company and
later became part owner of the business. In 1900 the entire business
passed into his hands. His sagacity, his industry, his caution and his
capable management, together with his close application, won for him
substantial success and an honored place among the commercial leaders
of this section. The Whitehouse Clothing Company or the R. E. Guichard
Clothing Company, Inc., developed an excellent trade and has become one
of the leading clothing houses of the city.
On December 30, 1903, Mr. Guichard was united in marriage to Miss
Margaret A. Wooden, of New York, who taught for several years in the
city schools of Walla Walla. They had a family of three children:
Harold E., Dorothy-Mae, and Robert A.
Mr. Guichard passed away August 10, 1913, and his death was the
occasion of deep and widespread regret. He was a member of the
Catholic church, also of the Knights of Columbus and of the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks. He likewise held membership in the Commercial
Club. His entire life, with the exception of a few years spent in
travel, was passed in Walla Walla, so that he was largely familiar with
its history, and events which to many were matters of record were to
him familiar from personal knowledge and experience. He ever rejoiced
in the upbuilding and progress of his city and cooperated to the extent
of his time and ability in all matters that related to the general
welfare and improvement.
HON. ELMER E. HALSEY.
Hon. Elmer E. Halsey, of Clarkston, is a lawyer, now following his
profession in Washington and at the same time is taking active part in
framing the laws of the state as a member of the legislature. He was
born in Dover, New Jersey, January 23, 1861, a son of Thomas J. and
Sarah E. Halsey, who were also natives of that state. He was reared in
New Jersey and acquired his early education in the schools of Dover and
Hackettstown. In 1878 he went to Missouri and worked on a farm. In 1883
he attended the St. Louis Law School in the same state. In 1885 and
1886 he was a law student in the State University of Michigan at Ann
Arbor and was admitted to the bar in the spring of the latter year. In
1890 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Baraga county, Michigan,
and was reelected in 1892 and 1894, having been elected to that office
for three consecutive terms. He was also appointed to the position of
receiver of the United States land office at Marquette, Michigan, in
1896 and occupied that position until 1898. In August of the latter
year he made his way westward to Washington and took up his abode in
Clarkston, opening a law office in that city and also in Lewiston.
He has since engaged in the practice of law. In 1902 he was elected
prosecuting attorney of Asotin county. He is recognized as a strong,
able lawyer, and is considered one of the leaders in the legislature.
He is a stalwart supporter of the republican party and in 1909 was
elected to represent his district in the state legislature and is still
serving at this date in that capacity, having been elected to the
office for five consecutive terms, without opposition in his own party
four times, and twice without opposition from the democrats.
[Illustration: ELMER E. HALSEY]
In 1886 Mr. Halsey was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Thomas, a
daughter of John R. Thomas, of L'Anse, Michigan, but a native of
Vermont. They have two children: Marion G., who is the wife of Dr. E.
D. Sawyer, of Asotin, and Burt C., who is in the United States army in
the Fourth Balloon Squadron of the Signal Corps, having enlisted while
a student at the University of Washington.
Mr. Halsey is a Mason, having three times served as master of Clarkston
Lodge, No. 143, F. & A. M. For fifteen years he served on the Clarkston
school board and the cause of education has found in him a stalwart
champion. He was largely instrumental in the legislature in promoting
the bone-dry law of Washington and succeeded in having the bill
passed through the house. His name is connected with much important
legislation which has been enacted during his five terms connection
with the house of representatives. His course has been characterized
by the utmost devotion to the public good and the record of no member
of the legislature has extended over a longer connection therewith and
none has been more faultless in honor, fearless in conduct or stainless
in reputation.
J. J. ROHN.
J. J. Rohn is now living retired in Walla Walla but for a long period
was actively identified with farming interests in this section of
the state and through close application and unremitting energy won a
substantial measure of success. He was born in Baden, Germany, November
22, 1834, and is a son of Nicholas and Kate (Cipf) Rohn, who were
also natives of that country, where they spent their entire lives.
They had a family of six children, but so far as he knows, J. J. Rohn
is the only one now living. He was reared and educated in his native
country and was a youth of seventeen when he bade adieu to friends
and native land and sailed for America, having determined to try his
fortune on this side of the Atlantic. He crossed the water in 1851,
making the trip on a sailing vessel, and landed at New York city,
where he remained for two years, working at his trade of picture frame
gilder, which he had learned in Germany. Subsequently he removed to
Baltimore, Maryland, where he resided for one year, and in 1855 he
enlisted for active service in the United States army and was sent to
New York harbor, where he remained until May of that year. He was then
transferred to San Francisco, California, and afterward was sent to Red
Bluff, and still later to Fort Lane, Oregon, to which point he walked,
making the entire distance on foot. In 1855 the Indian war broke out
and that winter he was engaged in fighting the red men, being in
the mountains throughout the entire period. He was fortunate in that
he escaped all injury, although he experienced many of the hardships
incident to such warfare. In 1857 he was sent to Fort Walla Walla,
where he was stationed for several years. He went out with the Wright
expedition in 1858 and in 1859 he was transferred to Vancouver, where
he remained until honorably discharged in 1860.
Mr. Rohn then returned to Walla Walla and took up a homestead on Mill
creek, where he has since lived. He still owns a farm of one hundred
and sixty acres, which is highly improved. He has added to it all
modern accessories and conveniences and was successfully engaged in
farming for many years but eventually put aside the active work of the
fields to enjoy a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves.
He is now eighty-three years of age and is most comfortably situated in
life, the years of his former toil bringing to him a competence that
supplies him with all necessities and many luxuries.
In 1866 Mr. Rohn was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Sanders, who
was born in Indiana, a daughter of Joseph Sanders, who came to Walla
Walla in 1864. To Mr. and Mrs. Rohn were born four children: Kate,
who is the widow of T. J. Bryan; Malina J., who is the wife of Harry
Gilkerson; Fred, who owns and operates three hundred and eighty acres
of land in Whitman county; and Sarah Belle, deceased. The son is
married and has seven children. The wife and mother passed away in 1872
and Mr. Rohn has never married again. He reared his children to man and
womanhood alone, doing the part of both mother and father in his care
of them.
In politics Mr. Rohn has always been a stalwart democrat, actively
interested in the success of his party and doing everything in his
power to secure the adoption of its principles. His has been a well
spent life fraught with good results and characterized by all those
traits which in every land and clime awaken confidence and regard.
Industry, and perseverance, guided by keen intelligence, have been the
basis of his success and he can look back over the past without regret.
He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the
new world, for he here found the opportunities which he sought and in
their utilization has made steady progress.
HON. JAMES M. LAMB.
No history of Walla Walla county would be complete and satisfactory
were there failure to make reference to Hon. James M. Lamb, who was
familiarly known as Governor Lamb. When death called him in 1898 he
had been a resident of this county for almost forty years. He was one
of its first pioneers and one of its most progressive citizens. He had
established the first blacksmith shop in this section of the state and
he was the first to demonstrate the possibility of wheat growing on
the hills. In many other ways he contributed to public progress and
improvement though the utilization of the resources of this section of
the country.
[Illustration: HON. JAMES M. LAMB]
[Illustration: MRS. JAMES M. LAMB]
Mr. Lamb was born in Logan county, Kentucky, February 19, 1835, a son
of Downing and Elizabeth (Maxwell) Lamb, both of whom were natives of
Logan county, Kentucky, where they resided until the '70s, when they
came to Washington territory, establishing their home in Columbia
county, where they resided until called to their final rest.
James M. Lamb remained a resident of his native state until he reached
the age of nineteen years, when he crossed the plains to California
with his parents in 1854, the gold fields being the attraction which
brought them to the Pacific coast. He learned the blacksmith's trade
after reaching California, where he conducted a shop and also engaged
in farming. In 1856 he was married there to Miss Jane Pearce, also a
native of Kentucky, and a daughter of John and Martha (King) Pearce.
She crossed the plains from Atchison county, Missouri, in 1856.
Mr. and Mrs. Lamb began their domestic life in California but in 1859
came to Washington, establishing their home in Walla Walla county,
where Mr. Lamb opened the first blacksmith shop in this section of the
country, there being no shop between Walla Walla and Dayton at that
period. He continued to operate his shop and conduct his farm up to
the time of his death. About 1867 he went to a place near McMinnville,
Oregon, to help perfect the first combination cutting and threshing
machine used in this section of the country, as he was a master
mechanic. This machine was first drawn by horses attached both in front
and behind. Later he made a number of improvements on the machine,
which was afterward sold to Holt & Company for two thousand dollars,
and it has subsequently been perfected until today it is the standard
machine of the kind used in this locality.
Mr. Lamb homesteaded eighty acres of land on his arrival in Walla Walla
county and afterward added to his holdings by purchase from time to
time until his farm comprised two hundred and eighty acres. This he
brought under a high state of cultivation, carefully and persistently
developing his fields, so that annually he gathered abundant harvests.
It is said that he was the first man to demonstrate the possibility
of growing wheat on the hills. He continually sought to improve his
farm, was always ready to take up new methods and his sound judgment
demonstrated to him the worth of any new idea that was advanced.
In politics Mr. Lamb was a democrat and one of the active workers of
the party. He became a leader in molding public thought and opinion
and exerted much influence over the affairs of the community. His
aid was always given on the side of improvement and upbuilding. His
fellow townsmen, recognizing his ability, called upon him to serve
in several public offices. He was elected justice of the peace and
filled that position for many years, his decisions being strictly
fair and impartial, so that he won golden opinions from all sorts of
people. In 1867 he was elected to the territorial legislature, where
he served with honor and distinction, carefully aiding in the solution
of many intricate and involved problems in connection with shaping the
early legislation of the state. He also assisted in surveying Walla
Walla county in pioneer times and there were many phases of public
improvement with which he was closely identified. In 1885 he removed to
Walla Walla, where he made his home until his death, although he passed
away in Lodi, California, on the 5th of March, 1898, having gone to
that place for the benefit of his health. His widow still survives and
resides at the old home in Walla Walla with her son, Daniel W.
To Mr. and Mrs. Lamb were born six children: John D., a resident of
Walla Walla; Georgia A., the wife of George Howard, of Berkeley,
California; Martha E., who married A. H. Johnson, of Tacoma,
Washington; Cora A., the widow of J. L. Cation and a resident of Walla
Walla; William T., of this township; and Daniel W. The two sons,
William T. and Daniel W. Lamb, conduct the old home farm and are
representative agriculturists of this section of the state.
James M. Lamb was a most consistent Christian gentleman and an active
worker in the church. He became one of the organizers of the First
Christian church, services being held on the 4th of July, 1874, in an
old log cabin at Dixie. The charter members were John R. Ware, Margaret
Ware, Philip and Clarinda Beal, Elizabeth Neland, J. M. and Jane Lamb,
W. T. Barnes, Sarah Barnes, Mr. Barnes becoming deacon and clerk, with
J. R. Ware as elder. The life of James M. Lamb was ever guided by the
highest and most honorable principles and he left to his family the
priceless heritage of an untarnished name. For almost forty years he
was a resident of Walla Walla and was one of its most valued citizens
and honored pioneers. He contributed much to its early development
as well as to its later progress and at all times he enjoyed the
confidence and respect of those with whom he was brought in contact.
His two sons are members of Mountain Gem Lodge, No. 136, K. P., of
Dixie. Both have passed through all of the chairs and are members of
the grand lodge and they are also identified with El Kindi Temple,
No. 193, of the Knights of Khorassan. In business affairs they are
progressive and enterprising, wisely managing their important farming
interests, which are bringing to them a substantial annual return.
HON. HENRY PERRY ISAACS.
Hon. Henry Perry Isaacs, deceased, was one of the historic figures
who have been dominant factors in the development of southeastern
Washington and northeastern Oregon. His activities were of such a
nature that he might be termed one of the empire builders of this
section of the country. He saw the possibilities here and utilized the
opportunities offered, his labors at all times contributed to public
progress and prosperity as well as to individual success. He thus left
his impress for good upon the history of Walla Walla and of the state
and his memory is yet revered and honored by all who knew him.
Mr. Isaacs was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his birth
occurred on the 17th of March, 1822. He came of Scotch-English ancestry
and while spending his youthful days in the Keystone state acquired a
common school education. He had no other opportunities for educational
advancement save those which were self-acquired. He possessed, however,
an observing eye and retentive memory and was continually storing his
mind with facts that proved a basis for his success in later years. At
an early age he entered the employ of one of Philadelphia's foremost
mercantile houses and his training there constituted an important
element in his later progress along commercial lines. When twenty-one
years of age he removed to Indiana with a view of seeing something
of the outside world and after reaching that state he engaged in
merchandising on his own account. Subsequently he joined the rush
for the California gold fields, but was not especially successful in
his mining venture. However, he was a man of broad vision and saw
wonderful opportunities in the new western country. This land of
perpetual sunshine seemed to promise great things for the future and in
1858 he proved his faith in the country by erecting at Fort Colville,
Washington, his first flour mill, demonstrating to the farmers of
this section that wheat could be raised profitably upon the hills and
uplands, which in those early days were given over to stock raising.
This was the initial step in the development of his important milling
interests. In 1862 he built the North Pacific Mills at Walla Walla and
in 1864 he erected the War Eagle Mills at Boise City, Idaho. Wherever
opportunity offered he eagerly grasped it and extended his efforts into
various fields, his labors at all times proving profitable by reason of
the intelligent direction of his efforts. In 1865 the Middleton mills
at Middleton, Idaho, were built and in 1883 he still further extended
his efforts by the building of the North Pacific Mills at Prescott,
known as Mill B. In 1898 he built the North Pacific Mills at Wasco,
Oregon. His wide experience in this line made him the foremost miller
of the Pacific coast. His operations exceeded in volume and importance
those of any other man engaged in the milling business. His knowledge
concerning the best methods of manufacturing and handling flour became
a matter of general comment and he was recognized as authority upon all
matters pertaining to milling in any of its branches. The output of his
mills was not only sold extensively in this section of the country but
the production above what was needed in Washington and the northwest
found a ready market in the orient and much of the product was exported
to China. Mr. Isaacs was the first miller on the Pacific coast to adopt
the roller system in the manufacture of flour, his first rolls being
of porcelain and imported from Switzerland. He at all times kept his
business in touch with the most modern processes and introduced the
latest improved machinery into his plant.
Outside of milling circles Mr. Isaacs was perhaps best known by reason
of his public spirit and his progressiveness. After demonstrating the
possibilities of wheat growing and the development of kindred interests
arising therefrom he did some pioneering in horticulture, planting in
1864 one of the first orchards in the vicinity of Walla Walla. Not long
afterward he planted a vineyard and from this point he experimented
successfully with almost every variety of fruit and vegetables grown in
the north temperate zone. He was an enthusiast in all that pertained to
progress and evolution in plants and tree life and he gave liberally
of his time and means to further the cause. He was a leader in public
affairs and he represented the county in the territorial council of
1885 and 1886, at which session he introduced the bill establishing
the state penitentiary at Walla Walla. He was constantly watchful
of opportunities pointing not only to his individual success but to
the general development of this part of the country, and he ever
looked beyond the exigencies of the moment to the possibilities and
opportunities of the future. He was the first to attempt to induce G.
W. Hunt to build the Washington & Columbia River Line from Dayton to
Wallula and thence to Pendleton. The line was successfully built and
operated and the completed project was a monument to his enterprise
and farsightedness. He was also president of the Commercial Club at
the time and used every effort to secure the early construction of the
road. But few men in all Washington became so thoroughly conversant
with the state, its varied interests and its possibilities or were so
deeply interested in the success of its enterprises as Mr. Isaacs, and
but few men have arisen to take so active a part in the development of
this section of the country. With his death on the 14th of July, 1900,
the state of Washington and in fact the entire Pacific northwest lost
one of its most conspicuous figures, most esteemed citizens and most
honored men.
CHRISTIAN J. BOWERS.
Christian J. Bowers has gained a gratifying measure of success as a
farmer and is still active in that connection although now a resident
of Walla Walla. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, January 7, 1867,
a son of George W. and Catherine M. (Brown) Bowers, also natives of
that city, where they were reared. They continued to reside there for
about ten years after their marriage and then removed successively to
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. From the last named state they
crossed the plains in 1880 by horse team to Walla Walla, Washington,
and located in the Dry creek hills, about seven miles north of Walla
Walla. The father took up a homestead and also preempted one hundred
and sixty acres of land and resided upon his farm until about 1896,
when he disposed of his holdings and removed to Columbia county,
where he purchased two hundred and forty acres on Patit creek, four
miles from Dayton. He still owns that farm, but since 1905 has been a
resident of Walla Walla. To him and his wife were born the following
children: Christian J., of this review; Bertha S., who passed away at
the age of eighteen years; Mae, who is now the wife of John W. Eby,
of Walla Walla county; Charles E., a resident of Walla Walla; and
Gertrude, who is the wife of Clarence Wilson, of Topeka, Kansas.
Christian J. Bowers received his early education in the district
schools and in the Waitsburg public schools and at the Huntsville
Seminary. He was reared to agricultural pursuits and following his
marriage in 1888 he began farming on his own account in the Dry creek
hills and maintained his residence upon his ranch until 1905, when he
removed to Walla Walla. He still directs the operation of his holdings,
which include three hundred and twenty acres near Lowden, and also owns
about eight hundred acres in Whitman county. The financial independence
which is now his is the direct result of his thorough knowledge of
farming, his enterprise and his good management, and he justly ranks
among the successful men of Walla Walla county.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. CHRISTIAN J. BOWERS]
On the 13th of May, 1888, occurred the marriage of Mr. Bowers and
Miss Laura V. Coplen, a native of Washington. Her grandfather, Henry
Coplen, removed with his family from Indiana to Colorado and thence
in 1864 located in the Willamette valley, near Vancouver, Washington.
Six years later, in 1870, he removed to Whitman county, Washington,
where he founded the town of Latah. His son, Benjamin, was a scout in
the early days and took part in the Indian wars in the northwest. The
mastodon skeleton which is now preserved in Field Museum in Chicago was
found upon his farm. James W. Coplen, father of Mrs. Bowers and son of
Henry Coplen, was married in 1865, in the Willamette valley, to Miss
Elizabeth Hoskins, a daughter of Dillon and Rachel (Emery) Hoskins,
who had removed to the west with their family from Iowa, crossing the
plains with ox teams in 1851 and reaching their destination after six
months spent en route. They settled at Scio, in the Willamette valley,
where they secured a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres.
The parents both died in Oregon, the father passing away in 1888 and
the mother in 1898. Soon after their marriage James W. Coplen and his
wife took up a donation claim on the old battleground near Vancouver,
Washington, at which place Mrs. Bowers was born, and while there Mr.
Coplen became ill and accordingly returned to his old home in the
Willamette valley, where his death occurred in 1868. To him and his
wife had been born two children: William, a resident of Lewiston,
Idaho; and Laura V., who became the wife of Christian J. Bowers. Mrs.
Coplen later removed to Walla Walla county, where she met the Rev.
William C. Gallaher, and in 1871 they were married. Mr. Gallaher was
born in Putnam county, Illinois, in 1835, and died on a farm which
he owned near Milton, Oregon, December 22, 1915, his widow passing
away upon the farm in February, 1916. They were the parents of two
children: Minnie E., now the wife of O. E. Phillips, of Walla Walla;
and Ernest U., who resides upon the old home farm near Milton, Oregon.
Rev. Gallaher was one of the pioneer ministers of the northwest,
coming as a missionary to Oregon. He was one of the earliest settlers
of "Old Oregon," having made the long journey across the plains with
his parents in 1845, when a boy of ten years. The family settled in
Oregon and there he grew to manhood. In 1861 he removed to Walla Walla
and helped to organize the first United Brethren church in the state.
He remained active in the work of the ministry until he reached an
advanced age and was one of the best known divines of the northwest.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bowers have been born four children, namely: Harry C.,
who is farming the Whitman county farm belonging to his father; George
W., who is operating his father's farm in Walla Walla county; Violet
B., the wife of Wayne Reid, who is also farming in Whitman county; and
Sheldon H., who is at home.
Mr. Bowers gives his support to the candidates and measures of the
democratic party and takes a commendable interest in the questions and
issues of the day but has never been an office seeker. His wife belongs
to the Christian church and aids in its work. She is also a member of
the Sunshine Club and the president of the Woman's Educational Club of
Walla Walla. He is a man of importance in his community and is also
popular personally.
J. W. ROGERS.
J. W. Rogers, who for eight years has been successfully and extensively
engaged in the automobile business in Walla Walla, was born in Georgia
on the 28th day of February, 1879, a son of James and Ellen (Tatum)
Rogers, the former a native of Tennessee, while the latter was born in
Georgia. About thirty years ago they removed to Kansas, where they are
still living.
J. W. Rogers was reared and educated in the Sunflower state, passing
through consecutive grades until he became a high school student.
He left the middle west in 1907 to become a resident of the Pacific
coast country, making his way to Walla Walla, where for two years he
was employed in a wholesale grocery house. Since then he has given
his attention to the automobile business and now handles the Stutz
and Premier cars. He has developed a business of large and extensive
proportions. The Stutz car is the champion of the world today and his
sales reach a most gratifying annual figure. He also still owns a
garage and other property in Dayton, Washington. His business affairs
have been wisely and carefully managed and he is actuated by a spirit
of enterprise in all that he does. Alert and energetic, he never fails
in carrying out his purpose, for he recognizes that when one avenue of
opportunity seems closed, he can carve out other paths that will reach
the desired goal.
In 1909 Mr. Rogers was united in marriage to Miss Florence Helm, a
native of Walla Walla. They are members of the Baptist church and are
prominent in the social circles of the city, the hospitality of many
of the best homes of Walla Walla being cordially extended them. Mr.
Rogers votes with the democratic party and is a staunch advocate of
its principles. He belongs to the Commercial Club and is in hearty
sympathy with every plan and measure put forth by that organization
for the benefit and upbuilding of the city, the extension of its trade
relations, or the upholding of its civic standards. For ten years a
resident of Walla Walla, he has made himself an enviable position in
its business and social circles, and those who know him speak of him in
terms of high regard.
EUGENE F. BOURGEOIS.
Eugene F. Bourgeois, one of the prosperous farmers of Walla Walla
county, where he has been actively identified with agricultural
pursuits during the past four decades, is now the owner of seven
hundred acres of valuable land on section 13, Dixie township. His birth
occurred in Paris, France, on the 10th of October, 1847, his parents
being Franquell and Felicia Bourgeois, who emigrated to the United
States in 1852 and took up their abode in Bond county, Illinois, where
they spent the remainder of their lives. They had a family of eleven
children, three of whom yet survive.
Eugene F. Bourgeois, a little lad of five years when he crossed the
Atlantic in company with his parents, was reared and educated in
Illinois and remained in that state until thirty years of age. In 1877
he made his way to the Pacific coast country and took up a homestead
in Walla Walla county, Washington, which he has since made his place
of residence, erecting fine buildings on his property and otherwise
improving the same until it is now very valuable. As the years have
passed and his financial resources have increased he has extended the
boundaries of his farm by purchase until it now comprises seven hundred
acres of land, through the cultivation of which he has won a gratifying
annual income.
On the 21st of October, 1888, Mr. Bourgeois was united in marriage to
Miss Isabel Lang, a daughter of Israel and Allie Ann (Hambough) Lang,
both natives of Warren county, Virginia, from which state they removed
to Illinois, locating in Pike county in 1867. There they spent the
remainder of their lives. By occupation Mr. Lang was a farmer. To Mr.
and Mrs. Bourgeois were born four sons, namely: Charles; Frederick;
Henry; and William, who is deceased.
[Illustration: EUGENE F. BOURGEOIS]
[Illustration: MRS. EUGENE F. BOURGEOIS]
Mr. Bourgeois gives political allegiance to the republican party and
has furthered the interests of education as a member of the school
board. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the
Christian church. He has justly won the proud American title of a
self-made man, for he came to this state empty-handed and has worked
his way upward to a position among the substantial and representative
citizens of his county.
JOHN REITH, M. D.
Well equipped by thorough preparatory training, Dr. John Reith entered
upon a successful career as a physician and surgeon and is now
prominently known as the superintendent of the Walla Walla Sanitarium,
the Seventh Day Adventist institution of this city. He was born in
Huron county, Ontario, September 10, 1883, a son of John and Jane
(Moir) Reith, the former a native of Ontario, while the latter was born
in Ireland. The father has devoted his entire life to agricultural
pursuits. He removed to British Columbia in 1892 and now resides in
Lacombe, Alberta.
Dr. Reith came to Walla Walla, Washington, in 1900. He had attended
the schools of British Columbia, where he had accompanied his parents
on their removal during his childhood days. He was therefore reared on
the western frontier. Becoming imbued with a desire to enter upon a
professional career, he became a student in the Walla Walla College,
which he attended for six years, and in 1907 he entered the medical
department of the University of Oregon at Portland and there won his
professional degree as a member of the class of 1911. He afterward
served for a year as interne in the Good Samaritan Hospital of that
city and while thus engaged gained the broad and valuable experience
which can be secured in no other way as rapidly and as accurately as in
hospital practice. In March, 1912, he was made superintendent of the
Walla Walla Sanitarium, over which he has since presided. He has held
to the highest standards in its management and conduct and has made it
largely an ideal institution.
On the 14th of August, 1907, Dr. Reith was married to Miss Grace M.
Wood, a native daughter of Walla Walla county, her father having been
one of the early pioneers of this section of the state. He arrived
about 1856, when the Indians were still numerous throughout Washington
and when the work of progress and development was scarcely begun. He
brought into Walla Walla county the first harvester ever seen here
and he was closely associated with many initial movements which have
resulted in the upbuilding and benefit of the county. His wife was a
singer of considerable note and she was also the first teacher of music
in Whitman College; likewise in St. Paul's and in Walla Walla College.
She brought into this county the first organ ever within its borders.
To Dr. and Mrs. Reith have been born two children, Margaret Isabel and
Mabel Elizabeth.
Dr. and Mrs. Reith are members of the Seventh Day Adventist church and
guide their lives according to its teachings. The Doctor is a member
of the Washington State Medical Society and the American Medical
Association and through his connections with those organizations keeps
in close touch with the trend of modern scientific thought, research
and investigation. He has developed pronounced ability in the line of
his profession, is very careful in the diagnosis of his cases and
accurate in his judgment. In his hospital work he has developed a
splendid institution, one in which the most thorough care is given to
patients, and the success which has attended the work secures to it a
continued patronage.
MAJOR PAUL H. WEYRAUCH.
Major Paul H. Weyrauch, for many years connected with the United States
regular army, a veteran of the Spanish-American war and now major of
the Washington Field Artillery in the United States service, is a
valued resident of Walla Walla, where his business connection is that
of president of the Blalock Fruit & Produce Company. He was born in
Barmen, Germany, April 4, 1873, a son of Ernest and Johanna (Piper)
Weyrauch. The father died in Germany in 1886 and in 1889 the mother
came with her family to the United States, two of her elder sons having
preceded her to this country. With her younger children she settled
in the state of New York, where she resided to the time of her death,
which occurred in January, 1917.
Major Weyrauch was a youth of sixteen years at the time he accompanied
his mother to the new world. He was educated in the public schools
and in preparatory schools of his native country, and after crossing
the Atlantic he worked for his brothers, who were engaged in silk
ribbon manufacturing in the Empire state. After spending two years
in that way he went to New York city, where for some time, through
the financial panic of 1893, he was employed at whatever he could get
to do that would yield an honest living. However, he was possessed
of a good education and marked enterprise and subsequently secured a
position as shipping clerk and bookkeeper in a silk factory at College
Point, Long Island. He continued to act in that capacity until 1895,
when he entered the service of his adopted country as a member of
the regular army. He was first stationed at College Point and while
there saw much of the army engineers stationed at Willets Point, about
three miles from College Point. He became impressed with this branch
of the service, and with the hope of later securing a commission, he
joined the service and was assigned to the First Artillery at Davids
Island, New York, there remaining for almost two years. He then went
with his command to Key West, Florida. While at Davids Island he had
endeavored to be transferred to the hospital corps, where there was
greater opportunity for advancement, but his commanding officer did
not want to let him go and his transfer did not occur until after he
had reached Key West. In May, 1897, however, he became a member of
the hospital corps and on the night of the blowing up of the Maine,
February 15, 1898, he was sent to Havana, Cuba, with Major Paul
Clendemin to assist the Maine survivors, being the first enlisted man
to be sent to Cuba after the destruction of the battleship. In April,
1898, he was made hospital steward and served as such at Key West
Barracks, Florida, at Fort Jefferson on the island of Dry Tortugas, at
Washington Barracks in Washington, D. C., at Fort Monroe, Virginia, at
Hilton Head, South Carolina, and at Fort Screven on Tybee Island in
Georgia, thus continuing until August, 1899, when he was transferred
to the Twenty-eighth United States Volunteer Infantry as hospital
steward and served with that regiment in San Francisco, California,
and in numerous places in the Philippine Islands. He took part in
various engagements in the Orient and in February, 1901, he took the
examination for a commission, General Pershing, now commanding the
American forces in France, being then president of the examining board.
Major Weyrauch was commissioned a second lieutenant of cavalry to date
from February 2, 1901, and was assigned to duty with the Fourteenth
Cavalry Regiment, with which he served at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and
also in the Philippine Islands, while in December, 1905, he came to
Fort Walla Walla with his regiment. While in the Philippines he took
part in several campaigns against the Moros under General Leonard Wood.
[Illustration: MAJOR PAUL H. WEYRAUCH]
Following his return to the United States, Lieutenant Weyrauch
was assigned to duty as quartermaster at Boise Barracks in Boise,
Idaho, and later was detailed to the Army School of the line at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas. He returned to Fort Walla Walla in the fall of
1906 and was retired from active service on the 1st of March, 1907, at
which time he again entered civil life.
On the 11th of February, 1907, Major Weyrauch was united in marriage
to Miss Edith Moffatt, a daughter of Mrs. Edith G. Moffatt, widow of
Lieutenant William P. Moffatt. The father of Mrs. Edith G. Moffatt was
the son of the old pioneer, James P. Goodhue, who was among the first,
if not the first, settlers of the Walla Walla valley. To Major and Mrs.
Weyrauch have been born two children, Paul Russell and Mary Jane.
Soon after his retirement from the army Major Weyrauch served as
assistant engineer of the city of Walla Walla for a short time and on
the 11th of April, 1907, he became connected with the Blalock Fruit
Company, with which he filled various positions, his first position
being that of bookkeeper. He was later assistant secretary, also
assistant manager, and in April, 1910, became general manager of the
company, in which position he still continues. On the 1st of January,
1916, he organized the Blalock Fruit & Produce Company, of which he
is the president. This company is a shipping concern and handles
the entire output of the Blalock orchards and also that of adjacent
tracts. This organization is also a factor in the marketing of all the
fruits and vegetables grown in the valley and the business, under the
guidance of Major Weyrauch, has been very profitably conducted from the
beginning.
Aside from his connection with interests of a personal character Major
Weyrauch has figured prominently in promoting interests that have
to do with the material upbuilding and prosperity of the community.
In April, 1913, he was elected a member of the board of trustees of
the Walla Walla Commercial Club and he served as president of the
club from April, 1914, until April, 1916. He was also instrumental
in organizing the Fruit Growers' Agency, Incorporated, was elected
its first president and has done much to further the interests of the
organization, which is composed of growers' and shippers' organizations
in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, and is
fostered by the bureau of markets of the Department of Agriculture.
He was reelected president in April, 1917, and is still serving in
that capacity. He has been a director of the National Apple Show held
in Spokane since 1913. Fraternally Major Weyrauch is a prominent
Mason, belonging to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla
Chapter, R. A. M.; Walla Walla Commandery, K. T.; Spokane Consistory,
A. & A. S. R.; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane.
He likewise belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E., and
is a member of the Spanish War Veterans, belonging to General Lawton
Camp No. 7, of which he is a past commander. His interest in military
affairs has never ceased. In February, 1910, he organized Company K
of the Second Infantry Regiment of the Washington National Guard and
commanded the company until January 1, 1911, when he was appointed
quartermaster of the Second Infantry and thus served until July, 1912,
when it became necessary to resign owing to his increasing business
interests, which were making constantly greater and greater demand
upon his time and attention. But there came a day when he felt that
military duty was paramount to all else and in July, 1917, he organized
the First Battalion of the Washington Field Artillery and on the 9th
of July was commissioned major. The battalion was mustered into the
federal service September 30, 1917, and on the 9th of October left
Walla Walla for Camp Green, North Carolina, where they remained until
October 25th. They then proceeded to an Atlantic seaport and sailed for
France, December 24th, arriving there safely January 9, 1918. Major
Weyrauch has faithfully served his adopted land in military capacities
for many years--a splendid example of the loyalty expressed by many
men of German birth who recognize their obligations to the country
under whose laws they have found protection and by whose privileges
and opportunities they have benefited, while in return they render the
utmost allegiance and loyalty.
OSCAR E. GRANT.
Oscar E. Grant, who is extensively and successfully engaged in farming
in Walla Walla county, near Prescott, was born January 23, 1870, and
is a native son of the state of Washington. His parents were Jonathan
and Elizabeth Grant, the former a native of Indiana, whence he removed
westward and established his home in Walla Walla county, Washington, at
a very early day. Here he passed away, while his widow, who was also
born in Indiana, is still living.
Oscar E. Grant spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Walla Walla
county, as he has the period of his manhood. He was early trained to
the active work of the farm upon his father's place and devoted the
summer months to the tasks of plowing, planting and harvesting but in
the winter seasons attended the public schools. He has never sought
to change his occupation but has found in agriculture a vocation
thoroughly congenial and one which has proven highly profitable to him.
He now owns eight hundred acres of fine wheat land in this section of
the state, together with some pasture land. His fields are thoroughly
cultivated and his progressive methods produce substantial results.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. OSCAR E. GRANT]
On October 30, 1895, Mr. Grant was united in marriage to Miss Mary E.
Pettijohn, whose parents are mentioned elsewhere in this work. To Mr.
and Mrs. Grant have been born three children, Mark H., Samuel O. and
Elda M., all at home. For forty-eight years or since his birth, Mr.
Grant has been a resident of this section of the state, so that he is
largely familiar with its history and with the events which figure
most prominently in its annals. He has seen its broad lands claimed
and cultivated. In the days of his youth there was much open range
and stock raising was an important feature of business life in this
section. Today all of the land is owned individually and the work of
improvement has transformed the tracts largely into productive fields
devoted to grain raising. He has borne his part in this result and is
today one of the progressive farmers in the vicinity of Prescott.
JAMES M. CORNWELL.
James M. Cornwell, a pioneer of Walla Walla county, was a man of such
inherent strength of character that the position of leader was accorded
him by his fellows without his seeking prominence. The determination
which throughout life was one of his most salient characteristics was
never more clearly shown than during the months when he worked his way
with wagon teams across the plains to the west and especially when,
having left the train, he and his brother walked the distance of three
hundred miles from Fort Boise, Idaho, to The Dalles, Oregon, over a
country unknown to them, fighting the exhaustion and discouragement of
starvation.
His birth occurred in Orleans, Orange county, Indiana, August 7, 1834,
and his education was that usually received by farm boys in those early
days. His father, Payton Cornwell, who was a native of Kentucky, in
1839 removed with his family from Indiana to Edgar county, Illinois,
and there the mother died when our subject was but nine years old.
At that time the family was broken up and the eight sons found homes
among strangers. In 1852 James M. Cornwell, at the age of seventeen
years, with an older brother, Francis M., aged nineteen years, started
on foot from Iowa for the Pacific coast with a capital of only five
dollars between them. On arriving at a town on the Mississippi river
James M. Cornwell worked as a teamster for an emigrant, who in turn
was to furnish him with food until they reached St. Joseph, Missouri.
In addition to this the brother was permitted to put his little bundle
of clothing in the wagon. All that was left of the five dollars was
spent for crackers to eat along the journey and at St. Joseph both
of the brothers found employment as teamsters with a train bound
for Oregon. According to agreement they were to receive their food
on the trip but in addition to acting as teamsters were to continue
in the service of their employer for one month after reaching the
coast. This train was made up of professional men and their families
and when they reached Fort Boise, Idaho, late in the season after a
six months' journey, they found themselves short of rations. Fearing
starvation, the owners of the teams proposed to the teamsters that the
latter leave the train and go on ahead and take care of themselves as
best they could. Eight of the teamsters, including the two Cornwell
brothers, agreed to this plan and left Fort Boise on foot with three
days' rations and started for The Dalles, Oregon, three hundred miles
distant, which was the nearest point where there was any certainty of
obtaining food. It was a desperate chance to take, but it seemed the
best under the circumstances and they hoped that somewhere along the
way they could find food. As the days passed their scanty store was
used up, although they made it last as long as possible and as they
came down the west slope of the Blue mountains to Meacham's creek they
were almost famished. There they came upon an emigrant camped near
the water and found that he, too, had met with misfortune. His family
one by one had died and been buried along the trail, his cattle were
worn out and could go no farther, and his food supply was exhausted.
In order to sustain life he killed one of the almost starved oxen and
hospitably fed the party of eight teamsters. After leaving this man
the party of eight resumed their journey, one-half of which still lay
before them. On reaching Alkali Flats one of the men lay down exhausted
and the others went on, for there was no alternative. The only hope of
any surviving was to press forward as rapidly as possible. One by one
the men gave up and lay down exhausted until only the two brothers were
left. These two journeyed hand in hand, each assisting the other as now
one and then the other staggered and seemed about to fall. On reaching
John Day ford they came across an Indian who had a fish weighing about
a pound, for which James gave him a shirt and was glad to make the
exchange. From that point on the journey was a nightmare and at length
they lost hope and the older brother proposed that they, too, lie down
and give up the struggle. Still they staggered on, their weakness
causing them to sway as if drunk. Suddenly James saw a light and,
renewing their efforts, they at length managed to reach it and there
found an emigrant with the surviving members of his party encamped in a
nook somewhat sheltered from the wind. However, there was little hope
to be obtained here, for the family had been living on corn meal gruel
for days and had so little that they could spare none. However, they
gave the brothers a quilt and allowed them to sleep on some boxes in
the wagon. Even so, the cold of that October night chilled them and
James became delirious, but in the morning he was able to again resume
the weary way westward. After they had gone some distance they met an
Indian with a rotten fish on the banks of the Columbia and James traded
a knife for the fish, which the brothers ate in spite of its decayed
condition. When they reached the Deschutes river they gave an old
pistol as pay for being ferried across the stream and on reaching the
other bank, to their great surprise and joy, were overtaken by six of
their comrades whom they supposed to be lying dead on the Alkali flats.
Somewhat heartened by this reunion, they continued their journey and at
length reached The Dalles. James Cornwell was chosen by the party to go
to the commissioners stationed there by the people of Oregon for the
purpose of relieving destitute emigrants, but on asking for provisions
he was told that food was scarce and rations could be given only to
widows or orphans of men who had perished on the way across the plains.
However, at length he succeeded in getting two pounds of flour, which
was made into bread by a kind emigrant woman. Strengthened by this
food, they continued their journey westward and at length reached the
Willamette valley.
The Cornwell brothers engaged in hunting during the first winter in
Oregon and the following summer James farmed land on shares, but it was
almost impossible to find a market and the autumn found him with as
little money as when he reached Oregon. He then took up a ranch in the
timber nine miles southwest of Portland and resided there until 1861.
His brother, Francis M., who had accompanied him on their terrible
journey to the west, lost his health partly as the result of the
hardships endured during those six months and at length settled near
our subject and passed away in February, 1858. Mr. Cornwell of this
review remained upon his homestead in Oregon until 1861, when he sold
that property and went to work in the Oro Fino mines, where he spent
the greater part of the summer. During that time he filed on a ranch
near Dry creek, six miles north of Walla Walla, Washington, and in the
fall he came by wagon with his father-in-law to his claim in Walla
Walla county. That winter was the hardest and longest in this part of
the state and all his cattle starved to death. Although he was thus
compelled to again start with nothing, he was confident that in time he
would win success. He brought his family to Washington and during the
summer of 1862 operated a farm on shares. As he was dissatisfied with
the tract of land which he had taken up he sold it and bought a portion
of the T. P. Denny ranch on Dry creek, which, however, he subsequently
disposed of. In 1868 he purchased the Kimball farm of one hundred and
twenty acres on upper Dry creek, nine miles northeast of Walla Walla,
and for a long period there made his home. He harvested good crops and
so managed his business affairs that he received a good income from his
labors and, recognizing the fact that land would increase in value,
he systematically invested his capital in farm property, becoming at
length the owner of twelve hundred acres of wheat land and one hundred
and sixty acres of timber land.
Mr. Cornwell was married March 16, 1857, to Miss Mary Tucker, who died
on the 25th of April, 1858. On the 20th of October, 1859, Mr. Cornwell
was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Stott and they became the
parents of the following children: Laura, the wife of C. S. Robinson,
of Walla Walla; Oliver T., whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work;
Charles E., a resident of Tacoma; Nannie E., the wife of A. M. Cation,
of Walla Walla; Arthur G., also of Walla Walla; Minnie E., the wife of
Albert Cheney, of Trout Lake, Washington; and Raleigh, who died when
about sixteen years of age. The mother of these children passed away in
June, 1893, and Mr. Cornwell died in Walla Walla about 1898.
Mr. Cornwell was a staunch advocate of republican principles and served
in the territorial legislature as a joint representative from Walla
Walla and Whitman counties. His ability won recognition in that body
and he was acknowledged to be one of its most valued members. Whether
the matter in hand was some question relating to the management of his
large farm properties or some problem of government he was always quick
to distinguish between the essential and the non-essential factors in
a situation and resourceful and sound of judgment in advising a course
of action. The same spirit of dogged perseverance that led him as a
boy of seventeen to refuse to admit defeat and lie down to die when it
seemed humanly impossible to continue further on the way to Oregon was
manifest throughout his entire life and that which he undertook was
successfully accomplished.
JOHN P. ANDERSON.
John P. Anderson is one of the worthy citizens that Sweden has
furnished to the new world and although he came to this country in
limited circumstances, he is today one of the well-to-do ranchmen of
Walla Walla county, owning a valuable tract of three thousand acres.
He was born in Sweden on the 15th of July, 1853, and is a son of
Andrew Bengston and Bula Johnson, who spent their entire lives in that
country. In their family were seven children, four of whom are still
living--one in Sweden and the others in America.
John P. Anderson passed his boyhood and youth in his native land, where
he pursued his education in the public schools. Believing that better
opportunities were afforded young men on this side of the Atlantic,
he came to the United States in 1872 and after spending three years
in Illinois proceeded westward to Washington. Locating near Walla
Walla, he was in the employ of others for two years and then took up a
homestead, where he has since spent the most of his time. As the years
have gone by he has steadily prospered in his farming operations and
has added to his property until he now owns three thousand acres of
land, all improved, and he also has a beautiful home in Walla Walla
surrounded by eight acres of ground, on which he raises all kinds of
fruit.
In early manhood Mr. Anderson married Miss Anna Gamberg, also a native
of Sweden, and to them were born nine children, of whom Arthur and
Mabel are deceased. Those living are Victor, who is now on the ranch;
Bessie, at home, and Melvin, Carl, Bengt, Otto and Alice, all in
school. The wife and mother passed away November 15, 1916, leaving many
friends as well as her immediate family to mourn her loss, and her
remains were interred in Mountain View cemetery. She was an earnest
member of the Christian church, to which Mr. Anderson also belongs,
and in politics he is a staunchrepublican but has never been an office
seeker. He is one of the self-made men of the community, his success in
life being due to his own energy, enterprise and good business ability.
ALONZO L. SANFORD.
Among the citizens of Columbia county who have attained success in
their chosen calling and are now able to lay aside all business cares
and enjoy the fruits of former labor is Alonzo L. Sanford, who for many
years engaged in agricultural pursuits but is spending the sunset of
life in ease and retirement. He was born in Clark county, Illinois, on
the 2d of November, 1845, and is a son of Peleg and Malinda (Greenleaf)
Sanford, natives of New York state, whence they removed to Illinois in
1832. There the father bought a tract of government land at one dollar
and a quarter per acre and built thereon a log cabin, in which the
family lived for several years. Throughout the remainder of his life he
continued to operate his farm and there his death occurred. His widow
subsequently came to Walla Walla, Washington, and here she passed away.
In their family were five sons, of whom three are still living.
Alonzo L. Sanford spent the first nine years of his life in the state
of his nativity and then removed with the family to Iowa, where he
was principally reared and educated, pursuing his studies in a little
log school house. In 1864, when nineteen years of age, he enlisted
in Company D, Tenth Iowa Infantry, for service in the Civil war, and
remained at the front until hostilities ceased. He was with General
Sherman on his famous march to the sea and participated in the battle
of Bentonville. The war having ended he was mustered out at Little
Rock, Arkansas, and honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa, after
which he returned home and resumed farming. In 1871 Mr. Sanford removed
from Iowa to Washington and took up a claim of one hundred and sixty
acres of land northeast of Dayton in Walla Walla county. After living
there for four years, he sold his farm and bought another near Covello
in what is now Columbia county, where he carried on farming for some
years. On disposing of that place he removed to Covello, where he has
since lived retired, surrounded by all the comforts and many of the
luxuries of life. Besides his nice residence he owns some lots in the
village and is one of the well-to-do citizens of the community.
[Illustration: ALONZO L. SANFORD]
In 1881 Mr. Sanford married Miss Alice McBride, a native of Iowa, and
they have become the parents of seven children, as follows: W. G., now
a resident of Dayton, Washington; Bertrand; Christopher; Pearl, the
wife of Jesse Carleton; Bryan; Estella, the wife of Robert Smith; and
Elton, at home.
Politically Mr. Sanford is a staunch democrat and for two years he
acceptably served as assessor of Columbia county. He has also been a
member of the school board and as a public-spirited and progressive
citizen he has done much to promote the interests of his community.
Wherever known he is held in high esteem and he well merits the
confidence reposed in him.
WILFORD H. GROSS.
Wilford H. Gross is actively identified with agricultural interests,
although making his home in the city of Walla Walla. He possesses the
strong and sturdy characteristics that have dominated the west and have
constituted the foundation upon which has been built its upbuilding and
progress. His entire life has been passed in the Pacific coast country.
He was born in Modoc county, California, on the 17th of January, 1874,
his parents being Bailey H. and Julia A. (Rice) Gross, the former
a native of Illinois, while the latter was born in Ohio. They were
married in the year 1862 and soon afterward crossed the plains with ox
teams to Nevada, where the father engaged in the dairy business and
in freighting near Virginia City. He spent ten years in that way in
Nevada, after which he continued his westward journey to California
and located in Modoc county, where he conducted a dairy and stock
farm. He concentrated his efforts and attention upon that business for
a decade and in 1880 removed from California to Walla Walla county,
Washington. Here he purchased a quit claim deed to a homestead and to
a timber claim situated in township 8, range 36 east, about eleven
miles northeast of Walla Walla. In subsequent years, as his financial
resources increased, he bought more land from time to time and became
the owner of thirteen hundred and twenty acres, which he held at the
time of his demise in March, 1915. His life record should serve to
inspire and encourage others, showing what may be accomplished when
there is a will to dare and to do. He had no assistance but earnest
effort promoted his advancement and the sure rewards of labor came to
him in the course of years. His political endorsement was given to the
republican party.
Wilford H. Gross was educated in the Valley Grove school and in the
public schools of Waitsburg, supplemented by a course in the Waitsburg
Academy and by a commercial course in the Walla Walla Business
College. When about twenty-two years of age he bought one hundred and
sixty acres of land and began farming on his own account. He has since
been identified with general agricultural pursuits and is now the owner
of three hundred and twenty acres in township 8 north, range 36 east,
and also one hundred and sixty acres near Eureka. He also cultivates
land belonging to his brothers and a sister, thus utilizing in all
ten hundred and forty acres. He is numbered among the extensive wheat
growers of this section of the state and his business affairs are
carefully and successfully conducted. His energy knows no bounds and
his indefatigable effort has produced splendid results. He has made a
close study of soil and climatic conditions and is thoroughly familiar
with the best methods of wheat growing in the northwest, so that he
annually produces splendid crops.
On the 21st of October, 1903, Mr. Gross was united in marriage to Miss
Grace M. Houghton, of Cowlitz county, Washington, who was a teacher
in the old Seeber school at the time of her marriage. They now have
three children, namely: Dorothy, Charles and Houghton. Mrs. Gross is a
daughter of Henry and Sarah A. (Gardner) Houghton. Her mother located
near Woodland, Washington, in 1851 and in 1867 she married Henry
Houghton, who followed farming in Clarke county, on the Lewis river,
where he still maintains his home. Mrs. Houghton passed away October 9,
1908. The Gardners were among the earliest settlers of Clarke county,
crossing the plains and enduring all the hardships of pioneer life.
In politics Mr. Gross maintains an independent course. Fraternally
he is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, while
the religious faith of himself and his wife is indicated in their
membership in the Christian church. About ten years ago they took up
their abode in the city of Walla Walla, where they make their home and
from that point Mr. Gross has supervised his farming interests, which
are wisely and carefully controlled.
JEROME L. KEISER.
Jerome L. Keiser is now practically living retired in Waitsburg,
although for many years he was prominently identified with building
operations and with mercantile pursuits in the city where he still
makes his home. He is a representative of one of the oldest pioneer
families of the northwest. He was born in Portland, Oregon, on the
12th of July, 1850, when that beautiful city of roses was a hamlet,
containing only a few cabins on the banks of the Willamette. His
parents were William M. and Roxcia (Ingalls) Keiser. The father was a
native of Rensselaer county, New York, born October 7, 1827, while the
mother was a native of Hamilton county, Ohio, the date of her birth
being May 22, 1828. They were married in Pittsfield, Pike county,
Illinois, on the 4th of April, 1849, and on the 10th of that month
they began their journey across the plains with an ox team for the
California gold fields. They arrived in Oregon City, Oregon, on the
18th of September, having traveled for thousands of miles across the
hot stretches of sandy desert and over the mountain passes. In the same
wagon train with them came a married sister and her husband, a married
brother and his wife and two single brothers of Mrs. Keiser. It was
a wedding trip for Mr. and Mrs. Keiser and also for her brother and
wife, but it lacked many of the joyous features and comforts that are
supposed to attend wedding trips. From the time they left Missouri they
passed only a few forts but did not otherwise see a human habitation
until after they had crossed the Cascade mountains, where they
approached a settlement and heard the chickens crowing. With thoughts
of mother and friends back home Mrs. Keiser sat down and had a good
cry. On reaching Oregon City they decided to go into camp and spend a
little time there. There had been talk of a city being built on the
present site of Portland, which at that time, however, was occupied
only by a little store building built of shingles and a few shacks. In
fact they thought that Oregon City would be a much more progressive
place and occupied a much more favorable location than Portland.
However, Mr. Keiser purchased a lot on the site of Portland and built
a frame shack. Liking the country, they determined to abandon their
California trip and live in Oregon. They resided in Portland until the
spring of 1852, by which time the town had expanded to a little village
of about two streets situated along the water front. They then went up
into Clackamas county, where Mr. Keiser took up a donation claim on
which they resided for twenty years and in the meantime although they
experienced all the privations and hardships of pioneer life, the work
of improving and developing the farm was continued and their land was
transformed into rich and productive fields from which they annually
gathered good harvests. In 1872, however, they came to Walla Walla
county, Washington, and settled in Spring valley, where Mr. Keiser
purchased a small farm near a schoolhouse. There he settled down to
agricultural life and devoted five years to the development of his farm
property, at the end of which time his life's labors were terminated
by death. Mrs. Keiser continued to reside upon the farm until 1877,
when she removed to Waitsburg, where she has since made her home. She
yet owns the old homestead farm, however, comprising two hundred and
eighty acres, some of which was purchased by her after her husband's
death. In 1851 the first Masonic lodge was organized in Oregon, this
being at Portland, where meetings were held in a shack, and Mrs.
Keiser, lovingly called Aunt Roxcia by her many friends, was called
upon to make the Masonic aprons, as she was a fine seamstress and her
brother-in-law, J. B. V. Butler, being one of the prominent members of
that organization. She also made some of the wedding clothes for Dr.
D. S. Baker, one of the pioneers of this region, whose sketch appears
elsewhere in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Keiser were born six children
of whom three are yet living, Jerome L., Millard H. and Frank T., all
residents of Waitsburg.
[Illustration: JEROME L. KEISER]
[Illustration: MRS. WILLIAM M. KEISER]
Jerome L. Keiser, whose name introduces this review, was reared amid
the conditions and environments of pioneer life and has for sixty-seven
years been a witness of the growth and development of the northwest.
He was educated in the district schools of Clackamas county, Oregon,
and in early manhood began learning the carpenter's trade, which he
has followed for many years. He was closely identified with that
business until 1906, when he established a furniture and undertaking
establishment in Waitsburg and was thus connected with the commercial
interests of the town for six years. He then disposed of that business
and has since worked at his trade when he so desired, although he has
practically lived retired. Indolence and idleness, however, are utterly
foreign to his nature and at times he cannot resist again taking up
the tools and doing some work along the line of trade in which he
embarked in early manhood. The success, however, which attended him
has obviated the necessity of continued work, for he is now in the
possession of a handsome competence that supplies him with all of the
comforts and some of the luxuries of life.
In his political views Mr. Keiser is a democrat, having supported the
party since attaining his majority. For several years he served on the
school board and the cause of education has found in him a stalwart
champion. He is a member of Touchet Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F., and
he has a twenty-five year gold medal, indicating connection with the
organization for a quarter of a century. He also belongs to Coppie
Encampment, No. 73, I. O. O. F., and he has membership with the United
Artisans. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Old Ladies'
Home at Walla Walla. His religious faith is indicated by his membership
in the Christian church and his belief has actuated him in all of
life's relations, making his an honorable course and one which has ever
commended him to the confidence, good will and high regard of those
with whom he has been associated.
THOMAS DURRY.
In the days when Walla Walla county was famous throughout the west as a
stock country Thomas Durry was a leader among the cattle and sheep men
of this section. He was born in Williamstown, Glengarry county, Canada,
April 20, 1849, a son of John and Isabelle Durry, also natives of the
Dominion and descendants of Irish and Scotch ancestry.
Thomas Durry was reared in Williamstown and there received his
education, but in 1868 he left home and made his way to California,
where he remained for three years. In 1871, in company with his mother
and two sisters, Mary and Isabelle, who had joined him in the meantime,
he came north to Washington territory, locating in Walla Walla county.
He formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, D. McGillivray, and
they turned their attention to the stock business, acquiring a ranch
near Ritzville. They were there extensively engaged in stock raising
for about a quarter of a century and at the end of that time by mutual
consent they dissolved their partnership and Mr. Durry continued in
business alone until 1903, when he retired from ranching and took up
his abode in Walla Walla. He erected a handsome residence at the corner
of Birch and Palouse streets and his last days were spent in well
earned leisure in the enjoyment of the comforts and luxuries of life.
Although during his active career he had extensive herds of cattle,
his chief interest was in sheep raising and he was one of the best
authorities on everything pertaining to that industry in the northwest.
For several years he served as sheep commissioner for the Walla Walla
district. On removing to the city he sold his stock ranch, comprising
five thousand acres, but retained his extensive holdings in wheat
lands, which properties are now owned by his widow.
It was in 1886 that Mr. Durry was united in marriage to Miss Alicia
Lane Thomas, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Thomas, of Walla Walla.
To this union were born two children, Homer and Marie.
Mr. Durry held membership in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks
and in religious faith was a Roman Catholic. He always rather shunned
publicity and his manner was at all times that of the unassuming
gentleman, though all who came in contact with him recognized the quiet
force of his personality, the keen business insight and ready grasp
of the salient points of a situation that enabled him to successfully
manage his large interests and the ability to judge men correctly which
was such a large factor in his success. He passed away July 7, 1905,
and his demise was deeply mourned by his many warm friends. Mrs. Durry
is personally looking after her extensive business interests and has
proven herself a woman of unusual executive ability and knowledge of
business methods and conditions. She also possesses a very attractive
personality and is held in the warmest regard by those who know her
intimately. In religious faith she is a Catholic.
SHERMAN PETTYJOHN.
Sherman Pettyjohn, a retired farmer of Walla Walla county, has spent
his entire life in the county, his birth having here occurred November
10, 1865. He is a son of Jonathan and Hannah (Warner) Pettyjohn,
an account of whose lives appears in the sketch of their son, John
Pettyjohn.
Sherman Pettyjohn became familiar with all the conditions of pioneer
life in his boyhood and youth, as at that time this county was but
thinly settled. The district schools afforded him his educational
opportunities and he early began assisting his father with the farm
work, taking on more and more responsibility as he grew older. On
attaining his majority he took up a homestead and at once began the
task of developing it. His labors were rewarded by abundant crops, and
as the years passed he acquired more and more land, until he now owns
eleven hundred and twenty acres, all of which is wheat land and is
under a high state of cultivation. The improvements upon his holdings
are modern and substantial and the value of his properties reaches a
large figure. He raises both wheat and stock and is convinced that such
a course is more profitable than confining one's attention to either
business exclusively.
In 1892 Mr. Pettyjohn was married to Miss Mabel M. Smith, also a native
of Walla Walla county, and a daughter of Sergeant J. C. and Amanda
(Sheets) Smith, natives respectively of New Jersey and of Illinois. In
1848 Mr. Smith came west to California by way of Cape Horn and Mrs.
Smith crossed the plains by ox team with her family in 1859 and located
in Walla Walla county, Washington, where both her parents passed away.
To Mr. and Mrs. Pettyjohn have been born two children: Hester S.,
who is the wife of Howard Holliday, is a graduate of the University
of Idaho and for a number of years before her marriage engaged in
teaching; and Margaret, a graduate of the Walla Walla high school and
now engaged in the study of music at Whitman College.
Mr. Pettyjohn is a stanch republican and has served capably as a member
of the school board. He belongs to the Farmers Union, which has as
its object the promotion of the interests of agriculturists, and both
he and his wife attend the Presbyterian church, whose teachings they
follow in their daily lives. They are now living retired in Walla
Walla, where they own an attractive residence at No. 530 Division
street. In managing his farming interests Mr. Pettyjohn not only gained
financial independence for himself but also aided in the agricultural
development of the county.
CYRUS T. NELSON.
Cyrus T. Nelson, a resident farmer of Valley Grove, first came to
Walla Walla county in 1861. His life experiences cover a long period
of mining in Idaho, but since 1888 he has resided continuously at his
present place of residence, which is one of the finest farms in the
valley. While he ranks with the leading agriculturists of this section
of the state, he has also been prominent in public affairs and has been
called upon to represent his district in the state legislature. He was
born in Ohio, August 9, 1839, his parents being William and Rebecca
(Stands) Nelson, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Removing
westward, they became residents of Ohio at an early period in the
development of that state and there built a log cabin, living in true
pioneer style. Later they became residents of Indiana, where both the
father and mother passed away. Only two of their ten children are now
living.
Cyrus T. Nelson was reared and educated in Ohio and in 1859 started for
California. He spent two years as a miner in that state and in 1861 he
came to Walla Walla county, Washington, but in the fall of the same
year proceeded onward to Idaho, where he engaged in mining until 1888.
In that year he returned to Walla Walla county and took up his abode
upon his present farm, which he had purchased in 1866. He has developed
it into one of the finest farming properties of the valley, having
here eight hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land from
which he annually gathers very substantial and gratifying harvests. His
agricultural methods are indicative of the latest step along the line
of progress in crop production, and in addition to his farm he owns a
fine residence at No. 333 Whitman street in Walla Walla.
In 1873 Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Miss Julia McInroe,
who was a native of Wisconsin and by whom he had eight children, as
follows: George; Lawrence F.; Cyrus M.; Carrie L., the wife of W. L.
Talbert; Laura A., who gave her hand in marriage to L. V. Warner; Ruth,
the wife of William C. Retzer; and two who are deceased. All those
living are residents of Washington. The wife and mother passed away in
1905 and was laid to rest in Mountview cemetery, her death being the
occasion of deep and widespread regret not only to her immediate family
but to those many friends who had learned to esteem her highly because
of her many sterling traits of character and her kindly spirit.
[Illustration: C. T. NELSON]
In politics Mr. Nelson has long been an earnest republican, voting
with the party since casting his first presidential ballot for Abraham
Lincoln. He has served as county commissioner in Idaho and for one term
was representative of his district in the Idaho state legislature. His
public record, like his private life, is free from blame. His has been
a useful, active and honorable career, guided by high principles. He
has long been numbered among the honored residents of the northwest,
where he has made his home for fifty-six years. There is no phase
of the development of the northwest in its mining and agricultural
interests with which he is not familiar and his broad experiences have
caused him to look at life from a liberal standpoint, with sympathy for
the frailties of men and respect for their sterling virtues.
LUTHER J. CAMPBELL.
Luther J. Campbell, superintendent of the Stubblefield Home at Walla
Walla, has proved very efficient in that difficult position, displaying
the rare combination of executive ability and marked kindness and
patience. He was born in Monticello, Piatt county, Illinois, October 9,
1870, a son of George W. and Margaret R. (Gibson) Campbell, the former
a native of Salina, Ohio, and the latter of Sangamon county, Illinois.
They were married in Sangamon county as the father had located there
in young manhood, and there he engaged in farming for many years. His
death occurred in August, 1907, but the mother is still living and
makes her home with a daughter in Springfield, Illinois.
Luther J. Campbell passed his boyhood and youth under the parental roof
and after completing the course offered in the public schools became
a student in the Central Normal College. In acquiring an education
he displayed unusual persistency of purpose and great energy, for he
worked his way through college, completing the four years' course on a
capital of one hundred and eighty dollars which he earned. He boarded
himself, living chiefly on graham mush sweetened with syrup, and in
order to further decrease his expenses he did his own laundry work at
night. Most young men would never consider for a moment undergoing such
privations, but he realized the benefit of an education and determined
to fit himself for something worth while. After his graduation with the
class of 1892 with the degree of B. A., he took up the work of teaching
and for sixteen years followed that profession. He then turned his
attention to the land business and was also for some time advertising
manager of the Farm Home. On resigning that position he and L. E. Frost
founded the Berkshire World, a stock paper which is now published
in Chicago. His residence in the northwest dates from 1910, when he
removed to Hermiston, Oregon, where for fifteen months he devoted his
time to the study of orchards and irrigation. In 1911 he removed to
Walla Walla and during that winter was the principal of Bernie school.
In 1911 he was appointed probation officer and served for fifteen
months in that capacity and on the 1st of January, 1913, took charge
of the Stubblefield Home, which was founded in pursuance of the terms
of the will of the late Joseph L. Stubblefield, who left one hundred
and fifteen thousand dollars for its establishment and maintenance.
The institution is a home for aged and dependent widows and dependent
children and since its establishment in 1902 has admirably served its
purpose. It is under the direction of three trustees appointed by Mr.
Stubblefield, namely C. M. Rader, E. A. Reser and F. M. Stubblefield.
Mr. Campbell's knowledge of human nature and administrative skill
gained through his years of teaching and in his work as probation
officer admirably fit him for the discharge of his duties in the
important position of superintendent of the home, and the friction so
often found in such institutions is happily lacking.
On the 23d of May, 1893, Mr. Campbell was married to Miss Margaret J.
Wallace, of Brazil, Indiana, and they have a daughter, Beryl C., the
wife of V. O. McWhorter, who is in the government service at Dubois,
Idaho.
Mr. Campbell is a stanch democrat and is commendably interested in
public affairs, although not an aspirant for office. He belongs to
Columbia Lodge, No. 8, K. P., and both he and his wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church. In all the communities in which he has
resided he has made a highly creditable place for himself, and all who
have come in close contact with him hold him in warm regard.
JAMES EMANUEL BERRYMAN.
James Emanuel Berryman, deceased, was well known as an early settler
and prosperous farmer of Walla Walla county. His birth occurred in
England, May 18, 1834, and he was a son of Richard and Martha Berryman,
who were also natives of England. In 1841 they came with their family
to America and established their home in Wisconsin, where both passed
away. In that state our subject received a limited education and there
he remained until 1854. Desiring to seek for gold, he then went to the
sea coast and took passage on a ship bound for California by way of the
Horn. On the voyage the ship was wrecked and he had the misfortune to
lose all of his possessions. For some years he remained in California,
following mining, and then went to Australia, but after two years spent
in the search for gold in that country he returned to California.
In 1861 Mr. Berryman came to Walla Walla county, Washington, which at
that time was unsettled save for the fort, a saloon and a blacksmith
shop; but the lure of the mines was still upon him and he went into the
mountains of Idaho, making his way first to the Elk City mines and then
to Florence, where he was one of the party that discovered the mines
there. In 1862 he went back to Wisconsin for a visit and subsequently
returned to England, where he was married. Not long afterward, in 1863,
he brought his bride to America and located in Wisconsin, working in
lead mines. The following year he made his way to Montana, in which
state he was engaged in mining for some years. In 1869 he came again to
Walla Walla county and this time took up his permanent residence here.
He made his home in the city of Walla Walla for ten years and served as
a member of the police force. He became the first street commissioner,
moved houses, built bridges and did other such work. During this
period, however, he again started out in search of gold, spending
some time in the Powder River country, at Butte, Montana, and near
Florence, Idaho. In 1878 he filed on a homestead and a timber claim in
Walla Walla county and also bought railroad land. There were the usual
hardships of the pioneer community to contend with, but he knew that
such fertile soil and salubrious climate could not fail to attract
settlers, and that in time land here would become highly valuable
and the country the equal of the older east in all that pertains to
civilization. He raised wheat and herds of cattle and horses, and from
time to time he gave evidence of his faith in the country by investing
in land. His widow now owns fifteen hundred and sixty acres of improved
land, a quarter section of which is located on Dry creek. He built the
first schoolhouse in his neighborhood and this is still known as the
Berryman school.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. JAMES E. BERRYMAN]
Mr. Berryman was married in England, on the 16th of April, 1863, to
Miss Mary Berryman, who although of the same name was not a relative.
To them were born twelve children: Richard J., who is a property owner
of Walla Walla county but lives in Portland, Oregon; Lilly, deceased;
Desdemona, the wife of C. Hartman, of Thompson Falls, Montana; Mattie,
the wife of William Falkner, of Walla Walla county; George W., Joe
and William, all three of whom have passed away; Charles M., Ulrich
A. and Paul S., who are operating the ranch; Amyitis; and one son
who died in infancy. There are also fifteen grandchildren and five
great-grandchildren.
Mr. Berryman was a stanch republican and was quite prominent in
politics. He held membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church,
to which his widow also belongs, and contributed liberally to its
support. He passed away in April, 1911, and was laid to rest in the
Mountain View cemetery. He was one of the leading men of his community,
honored and respected both for his ability and his uncompromising
integrity. Mrs. Berryman still resides in Walla Walla and the family is
widely known and highly esteemed throughout the city and county.
HENRY G. MAUZEY, M. D.
For many years Dr. Henry G. Mauzey devoted his time and energies to
the practice of medicine and surgery but is now living retired in the
suburbs of Walla Walla. He was born in Missouri, June 14, 1848, the
son of Judge Stark and Martha Fenning Mauzey, who were natives of
Virginia and Indiana, respectively. About the year 1842 they removed
to Missouri, and both the father and mother spent their remaining days
in that state. They had a family of four children, of whom two are now
living.
Dr. Henry G. Mauzey spent the days of his boyhood and youth in the
state of Missouri and St. Louis and there acquired his public school
education. He began the study of medicine under the direction of Dr.
Isaac P. Vaughan, who was a Virginian and a surgeon in the United
States army in the Mexican war. Later Henry G. Mauzey entered the
McDowell Medical College of St. Louis and after one term became a
student at the Bellevue Medical College of New York city and was
graduated from that institution with the class of 1870. He obtained
a commission in the Cuban army but instead went before the examining
board of the United States army and was given a commission as acting
assistant surgeon and ordered to the Pacific coast. He arrived in San
Francisco in June, 1870, and after a short time was ordered to Fort
Vancouver, Washington. He was on duty a short time at army headquarters
in the city of Portland and from there was ordered to Alaska as a
surgeon traveling with recruits. On February 19, 1873, he arrived in
Walla Walla under orders to report and await the coming of the United
States troops, who had been fighting Indians in northern California.
He opened an office in the city of Walla Walla, where he remained as
an active representative of the profession until 1890. In that year
he removed to Spokane, where he continued in special work--eye and
ear--for twenty-five years. Throughout the intervening years he kept
in close touch with the advance thought and work of the profession.
Broad reading kept him informed concerning the latest scientific
researches and discoveries. In 1909 he again took up his abode in Walla
Walla county, where he is now living retired, his home being situated
about one and a half miles southeast of the city. In early days and for
some years he was associated in practice with Dr. John E. Bingham of
this city.
In April, 1875, Dr. Mauzey was united in marriage to Miss Frances I.
Abbott, a native of Oregon and a daughter of John F. and Susan (Snyder)
Abbott, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of
Ohio. The mother crossed the plains in 1845 with an uncle, the journey
being made with ox teams after the primitive manner of travel in those
days. She was married in Portland, Oregon, to Mr. Abbott and after a
number of years' residence in Oregon, removal was made to Walla Walla,
where Mr. Abbott passed away in 1896. Mrs. Abbott is still alive at
the notable age of ninety-three years and is enjoying good health.
Dr. and Mrs. Mauzey are the parents of two children, of whom one died
in infancy. The younger, a daughter, Linda, became the wife of Major
Andrew W. Smith, who is an officer in the United States army and now
stationed at Camp Meade, Maryland.
Dr. Mauzey has a wide acquaintance in the northwest and all who know
him speak of him in terms of high regard. For many years his position
was that of family physician in many a household of Walla Walla, and
regret was felt on the part of his patients when he determined to
retire from practice. He is also numbered among the pioneer settlers in
the northwest, his residence in this section of the country covering
almost a half century, so that he is largely familiar with its history.
When he arrived at Portland in August, 1870, it had a population of ten
thousand and the territory of Washington had a population of sixty-five
thousand.
WOODSON CUMMINS.
Woodson Cummins, of Touchet, is a retired farmer who was long actively
identified with farming interests, but while still owning valuable farm
property, is leaving its care and development to others. He is now vice
president of the Touchet State Bank and his business record has at all
times been such as has won for him the confidence and goodwill of his
contemporaries.
A native son of Iowa, Mr. Cummins was born on the 6th of July, 1855,
and is a son of Robert and Lucretia (Myers) Cummins, both of whom were
natives of Virginia. They were married, however, in Indiana, to which
state they had removed with their respective parents in childhood
days. Soon after their marriage they left the Hoosier state to become
residents of Iowa, and in 1862 they again started upon a westward
journey, with Walla Walla county, Washington, as their destination.
They crossed the plains with ox teams and a mule team, leaving their
Iowa home on the 1st of April and reaching Walla Walla county about the
16th of September. It was a long and arduous trip across the stretches
of hot sand and over the mountain passes. There were some dangers to be
faced and many hardships to be undergone, but day after day and week
after week the journey was continued with resolute spirit and courage
until they arrived in Washington. Soon afterward Mr. Cummins took up
a homestead about five miles southeast of Walla Walla and in 1869 he
removed to the farm which his son Woodson now owns, situated two miles
west of Touchet. There he acquired three hundred and twenty acres of
land and for several years he was engaged thereon in stock raising,
becoming a prominent representative of the livestock business in this
section. He also engaged in freighting in the early days, continuing in
that business until the building of the railroad. There was no feature
of pioneer life with which he was not familiar and his efforts were
an important element in promoting the early development and the later
progress of this section of the state. He labored diligently and the
intelligent direction of his efforts brought good results. He died in
the year 1916, having long survived his wife, who passed away in 1875.
In fact he was three times married after the death of the mother of
Woodson Cummins, and each of his wives preceded him to the grave.
[Illustration: WOODSON CUMMINS]
[Illustration: MRS. WOODSON CUMMINS]
Woodson Cummins was a little lad of but seven summers when the family
came to the northwest. He was reared under the parental roof and
acquired his education in the public schools of Touchet. In the spring
of 1880 he went to Elgin, Oregon, and for three years was engaged in
the livestock business, after which he returned to Walla Walla county.
In 1882 he purchased the old home farm and continued to engage in the
livestock business. He also cultivated his fields and became recognized
as one of the energetic and representative farmers of the community.
He took up a homestead claim adjoining his father's old farm and in
subsequent years he has purchased other land and now owns six hundred
and forty acres. Year by year his farming and livestock interests
were carefully conducted and his business affairs grew in volume and
importance. He displayed sound judgment in the management of his
interests and utilized the most progressive methods in conducting his
work. Prosperity therefore came to him and at length, having become
the possessor of a very substantial competence, he removed to Touchet
about 1908 and a year later gave up active farming, since which time he
has lived practically retired. He was, however, one of the organizers
of the Touchet State Bank, has been a member of its board of directors
from the beginning and also has filled the office of vice president
from the organization.
On the 12th of September, 1880, Mr. Cummins was united in marriage to
Miss Jemima J. Weaver, of Elgin, Oregon, by whom he has five children,
as follows: Clarence E., who is yard manager of the Touchet yards of
the Tum-a-Lum Lumber Company; Walter R., who cultivates a farm of his
own and also some of his father's land; Hettie, who is the wife of W.
E. Burnap, an agriculturist of township 7 north; Leila M., the wife
of K. W. Parsons, who is engaged in farming near Lowden, Walla Walla
county; and Elmer J., the proprietor of a garage in Touchet. Mr. and
Mrs. Cummins also have an adopted daughter, Eva Pearl, now the wife of
A. Hanson, residing near Touchet.
In his political views Mr. Cummins has long been a republican, giving
stalwart support to the party and doing all in his power to promote its
successes, yet never seeking nor desiring office for himself. He holds
membership in Trinity Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F., and he and his wife
are consistent and faithful members of the Primitive Baptist church.
His religious faith has guided him in all of his relations and has made
his business career one of unquestioned integrity and honor. He has
combined high purpose with laudable ambition and his career proves that
success and an honored name may be won simultaneously.
JOHN SPREITZER.
Among the retired farmers residing in Walla Walla is numbered John
Spreitzer, who was born in Austria in 1860, of the marriage of Stephen
and Gertrude Spreitzer, also natives of that country. There the mother
passed away and there the father still maintains his home. To them were
born nine children, of whom three are deceased.
John Spreitzer was reared at home and in the acquirement of his
education attended the public schools of Austria. When twenty-three
years of age, or in 1883, he crossed the Atlantic to America, having
determined to seek his fortune in this comparatively new country. For
six years he lived in Chicago and then went to Colorado, where he
spent one year. At the end of that time, in 1890, he came to Walla
Walla county, Washington, and for five years operated rented land.
He then bought six hundred and forty acres and devoted his time to
the cultivation of that tract until 1911, when, feeling that he had
accumulated a competence, he retired and removed to Walla Walla, where
he purchased an attractive residence on East Chestnut street. The value
of his property is enhanced by the fact that there are many fruit trees
upon the farm which bear abundantly.
In 1897 occurred the marriage of Mr. Spreitzer and Mrs. Katie
Hendricks, a native of Germany. Mr. Spreitzer is a republican in
politics but has confined his participation in public affairs to the
exercise of his right of franchise. Fraternally he belongs to the
Woodmen of the World and has many friends within and without that
organization. He came to America empty-handed, but being quick to
recognize and take advantage of the opportunities here offered, has by
his own efforts gained the prosperity which he now enjoys.
GEORGE A. EVANS.
Among the men who played well their part in the pioneer days of
Walla Walla county, when conditions of life were such as to test to
the utmost a man's mettle, was numbered George A. Evans, who came
to the west by wagon train. He turned his attention to farming, but
his last days were passed in well earned leisure. He was born in
Portsmouth, Ohio, December 6, 1835, and remained there until he reached
mature years. In the meantime he had received but three months of
common school education and had acquired habits of industry and of
perseverance that were to stand him in good stead in the new northwest.
In 1854 he removed to Sidney, Iowa, and two years later, in 1856, he
joined a wagon train of forty ox teams and accompanied by his family,
his parents and brothers and sisters, made the long journey across the
continent to Walla Walla, arriving here in August. At that time the
Indians were quite restive and had attacked several wagon trains and
massacred a number of the emigrants, but the train with which Mr. Evans
journeyed was not molested. For some time he drove a team engaged in
freighting in this state and Idaho, principally between Walla Walla,
Boise and Silver City, and thus became thoroughly familiar with this
section of the northwest and gained a wide acquaintance among the early
settlers. His first winter in Walla Walla, that of 1861, was one of the
worst ever known in this country and it was a serious problem among the
pioneers to make a living. Mr. Evans succeeded in finding employment as
a mule herder for the government on what is now known as Eureka Flats.
After the coming of the railroad he turned his attention to farming and
became the owner of large and valuable holdings. At length, feeling
that he was entitled to a period of rest, he retired and removed to
Walla Walla, where his death occurred April 2, 1916.
[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF WOODSON CUMMINS]
Mr. Evans first married Bethsidia Williams, who died, and in 1886
he married Miss Bessie Bambrick, a native of Nova Scotia, and they
became the parents of two children, one of whom survives, Mrs. W. R.
McDermott, of San Francisco. Mrs. Bessie Evans passed away September 3,
1905, and on December 18, 1907, Mr. Evans married Miss Anna Bower, who
survives him and resides at No. 549 South Division street. She holds
membership in the Presbyterian church and is a woman of many admirable
qualities.
Mr. Evans was a loyal member of the Masonic fraternity and was laid to
his last rest with Masonic honors. For ten years he held membership in
St. Paul's Episcopal church and in his daily life he was a consistent
Christian, thoroughly upright in all his dealings, kindly in spirit and
considerate of others. In his home life he was ever a loving husband
and father and his large capacity for friendship gained him the warm
regard of all who knew him intimately. He had a keen interest in
educational affairs and for sixteen years served as a trustee of St.
Paul's school. With his passing Walla Walla lost one of her prominent
citizens and his demise was the occasion of widespread regret.
SETH W. HESTER.
Since starting out in life for himself Seth W. Hester has followed
agricultural pursuits and is today one of the prosperous farmers of
Columbia county, Washington. He has always been a resident of the
Pacific northwest, being born in Linn county, Oregon, January 2,
1872, and during his infancy he was brought to Walla Walla county,
now Columbia county, by his parents, William M. and Sarah K. (Combs)
Hester, who were natives of Kentucky and Iowa respectively. It was
in 1852 that his father came to the Pacific coast and after spending
four years in California, removed to Oregon in 1856 and in 1872 came
to Walla Walla county, Washington, where he settled on a farm. Here he
and his wife both died. To them were born nine children and five of the
number are now living.
Seth W. Hester passed his boyhood and youth in Walla Walla county and
is indebted to its public schools for the early educational advantages
he enjoyed. He was only thirteen years of age when his father died and
he took charge of the home farm, which he carried on for a few years.
Being a wide-awake, up-to-date farmer, he has steadily prospered as the
years have gone by and is today the owner of valuable land in Columbia
and Garfield counties. He has become interested in other enterprises
and is now a stockholder in different businesses in Walla Walla,
Garfield and Columbia counties.
In 1893 Mr. Hester was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Loundagin,
and they have two daughters: Lucile M., who is a graduate of the Walla
Walla high school and is now a student at Mills College, Oakland,
California; and La Nor C., now attending high school.
Mr. Hester takes a commendable interest in educational affairs and
has efficiently served on the school board. His political support is
given to the democratic party and he never withholds his aid from any
enterprise which he believes will prove of public benefit.
W. H. RICHARDSON.
W. H. Richardson is now living retired in Dayton, but for many years
was actively identified with farming interests and owned and cultivated
an excellent tract of land. He was born on St. Joseph's island in
Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario, Canada, February 1, 1864, his
parents being W. T. and Jane (Holland) Richardson, the former a native
of Ontario, Canada, while the latter was born in Ireland. During her
girlhood days the mother crossed the Atlantic with her parents, who
established their home in Ontario. Soon after their marriage Mr. and
Mrs. Richardson took up their abode on St. Joseph's island, where they
resided until 1869 and then removed to Minnesota, where they lived for
about seven years. In 1876 they came to Washington, taking up their
abode upon a farm about six miles west of Dayton, in Columbia county,
where the father was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits
until the time of his death, becoming one of the big wheat raisers of
the county. At the time of his demise he owned six thousand acres of
farm land, the greater part of which was devoted to wheat, and his
efforts were resultant in producing splendid crops. He closely studied
conditions of soil and climate and his methods were at all times
progressive, so that he gathered abundant harvests. He died in 1900,
at the age of sixty-six years, while his widow, surviving until 1907,
passed away at the age of seventy-two.
W. H. Richardson was educated in the Thorn Hollow public school and
in the Huntsville Academy. In early manhood he began farming in
cooperation with his father and gradually as their operations extended
to a larger scale, W. H. Richardson more and more assumed the burden
of managing the business and cultivating the land. Following the death
of his father he purchased the entire holdings, which he continued
to develop and improve further until 1909, when he disposed of the
last of his farm property and has since lived retired. His business
affairs were wisely and carefully controlled and he became one of the
representative agriculturists and wheat growers of the valley. The
industry which he displayed in all of his business undertakings brought
to him a very substantial measure of prosperity, so that he is now
enabled to enjoy his remaining days in leisure and comfort.
[Illustration: W. H. RICHARDSON]
In 1903 Mr. Richardson was united in marriage to Miss Loretta M.
Frazer, of Ashland, Illinois, who was principal of the Dayton high
school. They became the parents of one son, who died in infancy. In
politics Mr. Richardson is a democrat and keeps well informed on the
questions and issues of the day, but has never consented to become a
candidate for office. Since his retirement from business in 1909 he and
his wife have spent much of their time in travel, having visited many
European countries, also South America and Japan, thus gaining that
broad knowledge and liberal culture which only travel can bring. The
life record of Mr. Richardson should serve to inspire and encourage
others, showing what may be accomplished through individual effort
guided by sound judgment.
ARTHUR G. CORNWELL.
Among those whose extensive farming operations have made Walla Walla
county famous as a wheat producing region is Arthur G. Cornwell, who
is residing in the city of Walla Walla but is personally directing the
operation of about one thousand acres of fine land. He is a native of
the county, born April 11, 1869, and is a son of James M. and Mary A.
(Stott) Cornwell. He was reared at home and as a boy and youth attended
the country schools, thus laying the foundation of his education, and
later he was a student at Whitman College. Following his marriage
he began farming on his own account and from the beginning proved
successful, his early training in agricultural work under his father
proving of the greatest value to him. For about ten years he operated
rented land and then purchased a farm. His holdings now comprise
three hundred and twenty acres of farming land, one hundred and sixty
acres of timber and grazing land, and in addition to cultivating his
own half section he operates leased land, farming in all about one
thousand acres, devoted to the raising of wheat. He keeps his business
well in hand and studies carefully the problems of lowering the cost
of production, of increasing the yield and of marketing to advantage.
He is a stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank of Walla Walla and in
the Farmers Grain Agency and belongs to the Farmers Union, believing
thoroughly in the importance of cooperation.
Mr. Cornwell was married on the 15th of July, 1891, to Miss Carrie E.
Ingram, who was born in Georgetown, Colorado, a daughter of James H.
and Mary J. (Williams) Ingram. In 1847 the family removed to Walla
Walla and the father bought a small tract of land on the outskirts of
the city of Walla Walla. He planted fruit and devoted the remainder
of his life to horticulture. His wife was a writer of ability and
after reaching her seventieth year wrote a book of poems. Mr. and Mrs.
Cornwell have three children: Artemisia May, who was graduated from
Whitman College in 1916 and also in that year completed the course
offered in the Whitman Conservatory of Music, receiving the degree of
B. M.; Edna Genevieve, who was also a student at Whitman College and is
now the wife of Carl Gensel, of Walla Walla; and Elmer Grant, who is
now farming on the home ranch. He was married in September, 1917, to
Miss Ethel Heath.
Mr. Cornwell is a republican in politics and served for several years
as deputy assessor. He and his family belong to the Presbyterian church
and for about ten years he has served on its financial board. He is one
of the most influential citizens and most successful farmers of Walla
Walla county and wherever known is held in the highest esteem.
WILLIAM BOWE.
The life record of William Bowe indicates the opportunities which
the northwest offers, for he arrived in this section of the country
empty-handed and started out in the business world as a common laborer.
Today he is the possessor of a handsome competence and is actively
and prominently identified with agricultural and financial interests,
owning thirteen hundred acres of land in Walla Walla county. He makes
his home in the city of Walla Walla, from which point he directs his
farming interests. He was born in Ireland, March 18, 1861, and is a son
of John and Katherine Bowe, both of whom were natives of Ireland, where
they spent their entire lives, there rearing their family of eight
children, of whom six survive.
William Bowe was reared and educated in Ireland and was a young man
of twenty-five years when he determined to try his fortune in the new
world. Accordingly in 1886 he bade adieu to friends and native land
and sailed for the United States. He did not tarry on the Atlantic
coast but made his way across the country to Iowa, where he lived for
two years. Still he heard the call of the west and in 1888 he came to
Walla Walla. He arrived here in very limited financial circumstances
and his financial condition rendered it imperative that he find
immediate employment. He began work as a farm hand and spent three
years in that way. He was ambitious, however, to engage in business on
his own account, and at the end of that period rented land which he
cultivated for three years. He still continued to save his earnings
and after cultivating a rented farm for three years he purchased land,
to which he has added from time to time until he is now the owner of
about thirteen hundred acres, all of which has been greatly improved.
His life throughout his entire residence in the northwest has been
devoted to general agricultural pursuits and his large farm presents a
most neat and thrifty appearance, indicating his practical methods and
careful supervision. He also owns a fine residence in Walla Walla and
he is one of the directors of the Farmers Bank of that city.
On the 8th of January, 1896, Mr. Bowe was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth Davis, a native of Ireland, and they have become the parents
of two children, but John C. has passed away. William E. married Miss
Alice C. Ennis and in 1917 leased his father's ranch about fourteen
miles from Walla Walla, where he now resides. Mr. Bowe of this review
was nearly killed in 1909 while riding a young horse. The horse became
frightened and fell from a bridge about nine feet with Mr. Bowe under
him. He was so severely injured that he was picked up for dead.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM BOWE]
Mr. and Mrs. Bowe are communicants of the Catholic church and in
politics Mr. Bowe is a democrat, while fraternally he is connected
with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and also with the Knights
of Columbus. His life record should serve to encourage and inspire
others, showing what may be accomplished when there is the will to dare
and to do. He has never been afraid of hard work, and persistency and
diligence have brought to him the measure of prosperity which is now
his.
W. H. H. BRUNTON.
W. H. H. Brunton, a pioneer of Walla Walla county, was engaged in
farming for many years and won gratifying success in that connection.
He was born in Schuyler county, Illinois, January 27, 1841, a son of
Cyrus and Martha (Restine) Brunton, who removed with their family to
Missouri during the childhood of their son, W. H. H. Brunton. There
he was reared and received his education. In 1862 he made the journey
across the country to Walla Walla county, Washington, with ox teams
and during the following winter resided on the Walla Walla river. The
next year he removed to Columbia county and for four years engaged in
teaming. In 1866 he was married and then took up a homestead adjoining
his father-in-law's farm. He devoted his time and attention to
agricultural pursuits until 1899 and then, feeling that he had earned
a rest, retired and removed to Walla Walla. From time to time he added
to his holdings until he became the owner of almost seven hundred
acres of land, which is still in possession of the estate. He passed
away September 7, 1901, and his demise was the occasion of deep and
widespread regret, for he was a man of sterling worth.
Mr. Brunton was married in 1866 to Miss Sarah A. Lewis, a daughter of
Reese Lewis, who removed to Oregon with his family from Wayne county,
Iowa, in 1863. After spending two years on the Touchet he took up a
homestead claim three miles east of Dixie.
Mr. Brunton was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church,
to which Mrs. Brunton also belongs. He was known as a man strictly
honest in all his dealings and his uncompromising integrity gained
for him the respect of all with whom he came in contact. He had many
personal friends and found his greatest pleasure in their companionship
and in that of his wife. She resides in a comfortable home at No. 716
Catherine street and is well and favorably known in Walla Walla.
WILLIAM THOMAS DOVELL.
William Thomas Dovell was a native of Walla Walla, his birth occurring
September 21, 1869, and his parents were John and Margaret (Ford)
Dovell, natives respectively of the Azore islands and Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. In early boyhood the father emigrated to the United
States and at an early date became a resident of Walla Walla, where
both he and the mother passed away. To them were born four children, of
whom two survive.
William Thomas Dovell grew to manhood in Walla Walla and attended
the public schools and Whitman College in the acquirement of his
education. He prepared for the practice of law under the direction of
the firm of Allen & Crowley, and in 1890 he was admitted to the bar. He
opened an office and for thirteen years was numbered among the capable
attorneys of the city. In 1903, however, he removed to Seattle, where
he was active in the practice of his profession until called by death
in February, 1916. One of the factors in his success was his habit of
careful preparation of his cases, this practice making it difficult for
his opponents to gain an advantage over him.
In 1901 Mr. Dovell was united in marriage to Miss Ruth H. Allen, a
daughter of the Hon. John B. and M. C. (Bateman) Allen, the former
born in Indiana and the latter in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Dovell became
the parents of four children, Ruth C.; Allen Thomas, deceased; William
Thomas, Jr.; and Mary D.
Mr. Dovell was a careful student of public affairs and his views on
political issues were in accord with the principles of the republican
party. He was chosen attorney for Walla Walla county when but
twenty-one years of age and although extremely young to fill such
an important position he discharged his duties with marked ability.
Fraternally he belonged to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks,
and his attractive social qualities gained him many friends within
and without that organization. Those who had been associated with him
during his residence in Walla Walla felt deep regret on receiving the
news of his death in Seattle. He was buried in that city.
ADOLPH HOLM.
Adolph Holm, deceased, belonged to that class of substantial citizens
that Norway furnished to the new world. He was a man of business
ability and enterprise and possessed marked skill as a wood worker.
Laudable ambition actuated him at every point in his career and an
orderly progression brought him to a prominent position among the
successful business men of Walla Walla county. Each forward step in his
career gave him larger opportunities which he readily recognized and
promptly utilized.
Mr. Holm was born in Norway, August 20, 1847, a son of Peter Holm,
who was a wood worker and contractor of that country. At the age of
nineteen years Adolph Holm bade adieu to friends and native land and
sailed for the new world, having heard favorable reports concerning its
opportunities, so that he was thus induced to seek a home on this side
of the Atlantic. He had previously learned the trade of a wood carver
under the direction of his father in Norway and he had also enjoyed
liberal educational training. He had attended a Latin school there and
was master of four or five languages. Thus well equipped he reached
the new world, without capital but possessed of marked intellectual
force and ability in the line of his trade. Making his way westward
to Chicago, he there worked as a wood carver for a time and was also
employed at various points in Michigan. Still later he went to Sioux
City, Iowa, where he took up the business of contracting and building.
[Illustration: ADOLPH HOLM]
[Illustration: MRS. ADOLPH HOLM]
It was while a resident of Sioux City that Mr. Holm was united in
marriage, in August, 1870, to Miss Charlotte Peterson, a native of
Sweden, who had come to the United States when seventeen years of
age. In the year 1872 Mr. Holm came to the west with Oregon as his
destination. He located first in Salem and was employed on the building
of the state capitol in that city, remaining there for six years. On
the expiration of that period he removed to Walla Walla and after two
years took up his abode in Asotin county, Washington, where he resided
for twenty-one years. During that period he was engaged in farming
and in May, 1902, he purchased land and removed to the home farm upon
which his widow now resides. There he continued to carry on general
agricultural pursuits until his demise, which occurred February 3,
1904. He was a very skilled wood turner and he did much of the interior
finishing of the Washington building for the Columbian Exposition held
in Chicago in 1893. He proved equally efficient along other lines, both
industrial and agricultural. In a word he possessed marked adaptability
and accomplished whatever he undertook by reason of his unfaltering
diligence and perseverance. His persistency of purpose, his laudable
ambition and his splendidly directed efforts constituted an example
that is well worthy of emulation.
To Mr. and Mrs. Holm were born eight children, seven of whom still
survive, as follows: Anna, at home; Oscar, who is a member of the
police force in Seattle; Harry, a resident of Roswell, New Mexico;
Edgar, who is engaged in merchandising at Yuma Pine, Oregon; Emma, the
wife of Professor W. M. Davis, who is principal of the College Place
schools; Maurice, who formerly lived in Boston, Massachusetts but is
now with the United States troops somewhere in France; and Roy, who
operates the home farm.
Mr. Holm gave his political allegiance to the democratic party, and
while he always kept well informed concerning the political conditions
and questions of the country, he never had aspiration for office.
He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years
and was a loyal representative of that society. He never regretted
his determination to come to the new world, for he here found the
opportunities which he sought and in their utilization made for himself
a most creditable position in business circles. He won success by
honorable effort and his record is one which reflects credit upon the
land of his birth and the land of his adoption. That his life was well
spent is indicated by the fact that those who knew him longest were
his stanchest friends, for throughout his entire career he displayed
characteristics that were worthy of the highest regard of his fellowmen.
E. J. CANTONWINE.
E. J. Cantonwine, a prosperous farmer of Walla Walla county, has
passed his entire life in the county, as he is a native of the city
of Walla Walla. His birth occurred November 12, 1887, and he is a son
of W. J. and Clara E. (Cram) Cantonwine, natives of Iowa and Oregon
respectively. In 1863 the father made the long overland journey with
ox teams to Washington and located on Dry creek, where he engaged in
farming for many years. He died in California, having gone there in
the hope of benefiting his health. The mother survived for some time,
passing away in April, 1917. Two of their three children are still
living.
E. J. Cantonwine attended the schools of Dixie in the acquirement of
his general education and prepared himself to manage his affairs in a
businesslike manner by taking a course in a commercial college at Walla
Walla. He remained at home, assisting his father with the farm work,
until he attained his majority and then took charge of the operation
of the homestead, which he managed for ten years. In the meantime he
had acquired title to personal property which he sold at the end of
that period. He then engaged in the undertaking business for five
years, after which he disposed of his interests in that line and again
turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He owns four hundred and
seventy-five acres of well improved land north of Dixie, Washington,
and keeps its operation well in hand, realizing that farming is as much
a business as manufacturing or merchandising and that to succeed the
farmer most study both the problems of production and of marketing.
In 1900 Mr. Cantonwine was married to Miss Bessie Kershaw, a daughter
of J. S. Kershaw, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume.
Both belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Cantonwine
is a trustee, and he is also now a member of the building committee
which has in charge the erection of the new house of worship. He
belongs to Enterprise Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., in which he has
filled all the chairs, and he is likewise a member of the Modern
Woodmen of America and of the Loyal Order of Moose, in which he is
also an officer. He is a typical western man, alert, confident of the
future, self-reliant and resourceful, and he has been a factor in the
advancement of the agricultural interests of Walla Walla county.
HENRIK P. PETERSEN.
Henrik P. Petersen is one of the progressive business men of Waitsburg,
where he is prominently associated with banking interests. He was born
at Lukomkloster, Nord Slesvig, Germany, on the 12th of January, 1878,
and was brought to America in 1881, when but three years of age. He is
a son of Martin C. and Magdalene Petersen, both of whom are now living
at Dannebrog, Nebraska.
The family home was established in Dannebrog when the parents came
to the new world and in the schools of that place Henrik P. Petersen
pursued his education, passing through consecutive grades to his
graduation from the Dannebrog high school. When his textbooks were put
aside he turned his attention to banking and became familiar with that
business in Dannebrog, so that he was well qualified by experience to
enter upon a similar field when he came to Waitsburg, Washington. Here
he has resided for the past thirteen years and is now occupying the
responsible position of cashier in the Exchange Bank at Waitsburg, of
which he is also a director. He has made a creditable record in this
connection and is now bending his energies to administrative direction
and executive control. He has a thorough knowledge of the banking
business and his ability has been manifest in the continued growth and
success of the institution with which he is identified.
[Illustration: HENRIK P. PETERSEN]
Mr. Petersen is also well known as an exemplary representative of
the Masonic fraternity and he has been honored with the position of
worshipful master of Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, A. F. & A. M. He has a
wide acquaintance in Waitsburg and his many substantial qualities have
gained for him the high regard of those with whom he has been brought
in contact. In all matters of citizenship he stands for progressiveness
and improvement and gives his aid and cooperation most liberally and
earnestly to those measures and movements which are a matter of civic
virtue and civic pride.
HERMAN C. ACTOR.
A most interesting and eventful career was that of Herman C. Actor, who
passed the last years of his life in the restfulness and the quietude
of the farm. He was familiar with every phase of frontier life in the
northwest and four times he was wounded by the Indians in the early
struggles for supremacy between the white race and the redskins. He
came to this section of the country when the work of progress and
improvement seemed scarcely begun and when the red men were yet more
numerous than the white settlers. Only here and there some venturesome
spirit had penetrated into the wilderness of the Pacific northwest to
establish a home and if possible utilize the resources of the country
in the attainment of a competence or a fortune.
Mr. Actor was born in Ohio, September 18, 1832, and had passed the
Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten at the time of
his demise. In fact, he had reached the eighty-fifth milestone on
life's journey and was the only survivor of a family of nine children
when he passed to the Great Beyond. His parents were Herman and
Margaret (Daterman) Actor, both natives of Germany, who had crossed the
Atlantic to the new world in 1828 and established their home in Ohio,
where they continued to reside until their deaths.
It was in that state that Herman C. Actor spent the days of his
boyhood and youth and acquired an education in such schools as were
available in that early day. He went to Missouri in 1852, when a young
man of twenty years, and there remained for a year. He then entered
the employ of the American Fur Company and purchased furs for that
concern at their fort for two years. It was in the fall of 1855 that
he came to Walla Walla, Washington, in company with Governor Stevens,
and for one year he acted as one of the governor's guard. Later he was
in the employ of the government for some time and while thus engaged
was four times shot by the Indians, sustaining three wounds in the
leg and one in the shoulder. Wild as was the life of the northwest
and undeveloped as was the country, he felt the spell upon him and
determined to remain, eager to take active part in the improvement and
progress of this section. He purchased a farm where Dixie now stands
and cultivated his land there for some time, but afterward disposed
of that property and purchased the farm on which he died, on section
23, township 8 north, range 37 east, comprising four hundred acres.
With characteristic energy he bent his efforts to the cultivation and
improvement of the property and in the course of years his labors
wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of the place. He
carefully and wisely utilized his fields and as the years passed his
crops multiplied and brought him a substantial competence, permitting
him the well earned enjoyment of the comforts of life.
In 1858 Mr. Actor was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Davis, a native
of Iowa, and they became the parents of six children: Margaret, who is
the wife of George La Rue; Mary, the wife of Lincoln Kenwine; Louisa,
the wife of P. Collinwood; Frank; George; and Arthur. The wife and
mother died in 1908 and was laid to rest in the Dixie cemetery, her
death being the cause of deep regret to her many friends and great
sorrow to her family. Only recently Mr. Actor was also gathered to his
fathers and with him there passed away one of those sturdy pioneers who
had carried the banner of the white man's civilization into the wilds
of the west and who planted well for the coming generations to reap.
Mr. Actor belonged to the Masonic lodge at Dixie and gave his political
allegiance to the republican party. He never sought office but was
public spirited and served as a member of the school board to good
purpose. He was a self-made man who owed his success to his industry
and perseverance alone. He met many hardships and difficulties incident
to pioneer life and encountered many obstacles such as always are
factors in a business career, but he did not allow himself to become
discouraged and with resolute will pushed forward and in the span of
his life he won for himself an honored place as one of the substantial
men of the county. He was one of its venerable citizens, respected by
all, and his worth to the community was widely acknowledged. While he
has gone to the Beyond, his work lives and his memory is enshrined in
the hearts of all who become cognizant of his sterling character.
H. F. CLODIUS.
Since the winter of 1882-3, H. F. Clodius has resided upon the Pacific
coast and through more than a third of a century has been identified
with farming interests in Walla Walla county. He is now living retired
in Waitsburg, although he still owns valuable property holdings,
constituting some of the best farm land in this section of the state.
He was born in Germany on the 10th of November, 1847, and is a son
of Claus H. and Catherine M. (Biernstein) Clodius, both of whom
spent their entire lives in Germany. His paternal great-grandfather,
Christopher Clodius, removed to that country from Denmark. The father
was one of the prominent farmers of his section and was a man in
affluent circumstances.
His son, H. F. Clodius, was given liberal educational opportunities and
in his later years has been a broad reader, so that he is said to be
one of the best informed men on general subjects in Walla Walla county.
In his wide scope of reading he has twice read the Bible through from
cover to cover. When he was a lad of but fifteen years of age the life
on the seas attracted him and for three years he sailed, during this
time visiting the countries of France, England, Belgium, Sweden, Norway
and Russia. In 1865 his father died and H. F. Clodius then left the sea
and returned home. He was the eldest in a family of four sons and he
practically became the head of the family, assuming the responsibility
of managing the valuable estate which his father left. He proved
adequate to the duties that devolved upon him, for he has ever been
a man of enterprise and adaptability who has readily and capably
undertaken the tasks which have come to him.
[Illustration: H. F. CLODIUS]
[Illustration: MRS. H. F. CLODIUS]
In 1868 Mr. Clodius was united in marriage to Miss Catherine M. Rohde.
Following his marriage he continued to cultivate his father's farm
until 1875, when he determined to try his fortune on this side of the
Atlantic and with his wife and one son sailed for the United States.
On reaching American shores he penetrated into the interior of the
country and established his home in Woodford county, Illinois, where
he resided for eight years. It was in the winter of 1882-3 that he
came to the Pacific coast, making his way by train to San Francisco
and thence northward by boat to Portland, Oregon. From that point he
traveled by train to Walla Walla county, Washington, arriving in the
city of Walla Walla on the 1st of February, 1883. He remained in the
town for a couple of months and then purchased a farm on Mill creek,
ten miles from Walla Walla. He continued to reside upon that place
for fifteen years, at the end of which time he sold the property and
purchased a portion of his present farm in Spring Valley, about four
miles southwest of Waitsburg. His holdings he has since increased by
additional purchase until he now has thirteen hundred acres, and upon
this property he continued to reside until 1914, when he removed to
Waitsburg, where he has since lived retired. His business affairs were
most carefully and wisely managed and his well directed interests
brought to him a very gratifying and substantial measure of success,
so that, possessing a very desirable competence, he is able to rest
from further labor and yet enjoy all of the comforts and some of the
luxuries of life.
Mr. and Mrs. Clodius became the parents of nine children, seven of whom
are yet living, as follows: H. F., who is a farmer residing in Garfield
county, Washington; Catherine M., the wife of David Kibler, of Mill
Creek, Walla Walla county; Marie C., the wife of Charles Kibler, who
is an agriculturist living on Spring creek, Walla Walla county; Rosa,
who gave her hand in marriage to William Weller, of Columbia county;
Augusta, who is the wife of Emory McCown, a farmer of Walla Walla
county; Ella, the wife of Henry Züger, who also follows farming in
Walla Walla county; and John W., who operates the home farm. Two of the
children, H. F. and Claus, deceased, were born in Germany.
Mr. Clodius votes with the democratic party and he has twice been a
candidate for the office of county commissioner but failed of election.
He belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, K. P. He is one of the wealthy farmers
of Walla Walla county, is one of its broad gauged men and enjoys the
friendship and regard of a great majority of those with whom he has
come in contact. He is forceful and resourceful, has ever accomplished
what he has undertaken and in the attainment of his success has
followed well defined plans and purposes.
LEWIS SCHMUCK.
Lewis Schmuck, now living retired, was for many years a prominent
figure in the business circles of Walla Walla, where he operated
extensively in connection with the lumber industry as a member of
the firm that established the business now conducted under the name
of Whitehouse-Crawford Company. His start in business life was most
humble. He began earning his living by selling newspapers and shining
shoes. His educational advantages were naturally limited but he made
such good use of his time and opportunities for securing intellectual
advancement that in young manhood he was able to secure a teacher's
certificate and for a time engaged in teaching school. Each point in
his career has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities
and his life has been characterized by a most splendid and steady
progression.
Mr. Schmuck was born in Peoria, Illinois, June 2, 1852, a son of Xavier
and Mary Schmuck. The father was born in Alsace, and as a member of
the French army fought against the Germans. The mother died when Lewis
Schmuck was but a young child and at the early age of ten years he left
home and began to shift for himself. He sold newspapers on the streets
of Peoria during war times, when many extras were being published, and
he also shined shoes, thus picking up many a stray nickel wherever
possible. Later he drifted into the country, where he worked as a farm
hand, and immediately following the close of the Civil war he went to
Nebraska, where he engaged in farm work. Still later he was employed
in a stone quarry and worked on the building of the state prison. He
continued in Nebraska for almost seven years and by reason of his
continuous employment that he might provide for his own support he
had little chance to obtain an education. However, he was desirous of
progressing along the line of intellectual culture and when possible
attended a few months' school. He had pursued his studies to a limited
extent before he left home in his tenth year and he did not again
attend school until after he had attained his majority, when he devoted
three months each winter for three years to improving his education in
Nebraska. In the school of experience, however, he had learned many
valuable lessons and, possessing an observing eye and retentive memory,
was continually adding to his knowledge. After his nine months' school
training in Nebraska he was able to secure two third grade certificates
and later a second grade certificate. He taught one summer term in
Nebraska, after which he resolved to try his fortune in the northwest,
having heard favorable reports concerning this section of the country.
Arriving in Walla Walla on the 24th of December, 1877, Mr. Schmuck
spent the following winter as an employe in the sawmill of Dr. Blalock
and thus he obtained his initial experience in connection with the
lumber industry. In the summer of 1878 he carried the hod in connection
with the erection of the Schwabacher store building on the present site
of the Gardner building. In the fall of that year he was employed in
a wheat warehouse, loading grain on the Dr. Baker Railroad. Late in
the fall of that year, in company with Charles Cooper, he established
a small chop mill adjoining the Glassford planing mill, securing
power from the latter plant. Subsequently they built a factory on the
present site of the Whitehouse-Crawford Company and engaged in the
manufacture of the cheaper kinds of household furniture. This business
was conducted successfully for several years and was finally developed
into the lumber business. In the meantime Mr. Schmuck and his partner
acquired a ranch of nine hundred and sixty acres in Whitman county and
stocked the ranch, after which Mr. Schmuck located thereon in order
to look after their cattle business, while his partner attended to
their lumber interests in Walla Walla. This business was subsequently
purchased by the firm of Whitehouse & Crimmins and later became the
Whitehouse-Crawford Company. Mr. Schmuck remained upon the ranch for
twelve years and then established his home in Colfax, where he engaged
in the farm implement business for five years. On the expiration of
that period, or in 1911, he sold out and returned to Walla Walla,
where he has since lived retired. He is still, however, the owner of
twenty-two hundred and seventy acres of wheat land in Umatilla county,
Oregon, and a tract of four hundred and twenty-seven acres in Dixie,
Walla Walla county. His investments have been most judiciously made and
from his realty holdings he derives a very gratifying annual income.
On the 30th of July, 1883, Mr. Schmuck was united in marriage to Miss
Bettie Wade, a niece of T. T. Burgess, by whom she was reared. They
became parents of a daughter, Sarah E., who is now the wife of Frank
Vollendorff, state clerk of the penitentiary. The wife and mother
passed away July 6, 1906, and Mr. Schmuck was again married on the 26th
of September, 1907, when Mrs. J. B. Chamberlain became his wife. They
had become acquainted in early life while he was boarding with her
parents in Nebraska. In her maidenhood she was Miss Martha Gerking and
was a native of Missouri. By her former marriage she had a daughter,
Blanche, who is the wife of C. A. Sprague, owner and editor of the
Journal-Times of Ritzville, Washington.
Mr. Schmuck has always given his political allegiance to the republican
party and has served for one term as justice of the peace of Whitman
county but has never been an aspirant for public office. He and his
wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mrs. Schmuck
belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star and to the United Artisans.
Mr. Schmuck is one of the well known and highly esteemed citizens
of Walla Walla. He has always been a liberal contributor to church
and charitable work and has been foremost in all movements for the
advancement of the community and its substantial upbuilding. He gave
to the city of Colfax what is known as Schmuck Park and many other
evidences of his public spirit could be cited. In business affairs he
has always displayed sound judgment that has enabled him readily to
discriminate between the essential and the non-essential. The methods
which he has employed in the attainment of success awaken approval and
admiration, for his course has been characterized by enterprise, by
indefatigable energy and clear judgment which has won advancement in
the business world without infringing on the rights of others. He is
a man of well balanced capacities and powers and has long occupied a
central place on the stage of action, being accorded leadership almost
from the time when he made his initial effort in the field of business
in the northwest.
HERBERT McARTHUR.
Herbert McArthur, deceased, was one of the representative residents
of Walla Walla county and a self-made man who in his business career
steadily progressed. He started out to earn his living when a little
lad of but nine years and from that time forward depended entirely upon
his own resources. He was born in the state of New York, November 11,
1868, and was a son of Albert and Grace (Scoville) McArthur, both of
whom are natives of the Empire state and are still living there. In
their family were four children, two of whom survive.
Herbert McArthur pursued his education in the schools of his native
state but his opportunities in that direction were quite limited, for
he left home when only nine years of age and began to earn his living.
He came in time to be one of the most successful men of the Walla Walla
valley. In 1890 he arrived in the city of Walla Walla without a cent.
He was then a young man of twenty-two years, and though he lacked
capital, he possessed ambition, determination and energy. He utilized
every opportunity that promised advancement and he was not afraid of
hard work. After a time he embarked in merchandising in Walla Walla
and so continued for eight years, after which he sold his business and
took charge of the interests of the Blalock Fruit Company, of which he
became a large stockholder. This company owned seventeen hundred acres
of valuable land devoted to fruit cultivation and Mr. McArthur remained
in charge until his death. He closely studied every phase of fruit
culture in the northwest, knew where to secure the best nursery stock
and also knew just what soil conditions were required for the best
production. He studied scientific methods for the care of his trees and
the fertilization of the soil, the spraying of the trees, and in fact
every branch of work that could facilitate the interests of the company
was carefully looked after by him. Following his death Mrs. McArthur
purchased two hundred and twenty-five acres of raw prairie land which
she has since improved, erecting thereon fine buildings and bringing
the fields under a high state of cultivation. She now has one of the
finest farms in the state of Washington. All of the trees upon the
place have been planted since it came into possession of Mrs. McArthur,
who is a most capable business woman, readily recognizing and utilizing
opportunities and discriminating quickly between the essential and the
non-essential in all business affairs.
It was in 1886 that Mr. McArthur was united in marriage to Miss
Jennie Abel Gee, who was born in Cuba, New York, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Aaron G. Gee, who were also natives of the Empire state, where
her father passed away, as did the mother, whose death occurred in
Cuba. Both were laid to rest in New York. In their family were three
children, two of whom are now living.
The death of Mr. McArthur occurred in June, 1908, and he was laid
to rest in Walla Walla cemetery. His demise was deeply regretted by
many friends, for he had won for himself a creditable position not
only in business circles but in the regard of those with whom he was
associated. Mrs. McArthur is also widely and favorably known in Walla
Walla county and ranks with the most representative business women,
controlling an estate valued at over three hundred thousand dollars.
She possesses notable energy and sound judgment and carries forward to
successful completion whatever she begins.
HENRY A. JOHNSON.
Henry A. Johnson, a well known stock raiser of Columbia county, has
been a resident of Washington for forty years and has therefore been a
witness of much of the growth and development of this section of the
state. A native of Ontario, Canada, he was born in Lincoln county,
August 18, 1844, a son of W. G. D. and Catherine (Miller) Johnson, who
were also natives of Canada, where they spent their entire lives. They
had a family of ten children, eight of whom are now living.
[Illustration: HENRY A. JOHNSON]
[Illustration: MRS. HENRY A. JOHNSON]
Henry A. Johnson spent his youthful days in Canada and acquired his
education as a public school pupil there. In 1865 he removed to the
middle west, settling in Champaign county, Illinois, where he resided
for a decade. In 1875 he made his way to the Pacific coast and located
in California, where he spent two and a half years upon a farm. In
1877 he arrived in Walla Walla and in May, 1878, he purchased a herd
of cattle and came to Starbuck. He rented a farm for several years but
during that period carefully saved his earnings until his industry
and economy had brought to him a capital sufficient to enable him to
purchase land. He then invested in property which he owned for a time
but afterward sold that farm. His wife, however, owns eleven hundred
and twenty acres near Starbuck, which is excellent valley land, devoted
to the cultivation of hay, fruit and vegetables.
In August, 1909, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Mrs. Nancy A.
Pearson, a native of Restigouche county, New Brunswick, and a daughter
of Robert and Mary Ann (Reid) Watson. Her father was born in Scotland,
but her mother was a native of New Brunswick, where they were married.
To them were born eight children in New Brunswick and two others were
added to the family after their removal to California, Mrs. Johnson
being the oldest. It was in 1868 that they came to the Pacific coast
and settled in Rio Vista, California, where Mr. Watson owned and
operated a ranch and where both he and his wife died. They have three
sons still living: William, of San Jose, California; and R. W. and
Alex M., both of Great Falls, Montana. Their daughter, Nancy A., was
married in Rio Vista to J. S. Pearson and in 1878 they came to Dayton,
Washington, being among the pioneers of that locality. Two years later
they became residents of Starbuck. Mr. Pearson died at Spokane in 1908.
The children born of that union were: Charles W., now an extensive
wheat farmer of Eureka flats, Walla Walla county; Margaret J.,
deceased; Sadie M., the wife of a prominent physician of Sacramento,
California; Marian E., whose husband is a prominent railroad man of
Spokane; Florence P., the wife of an eminent physician of Sacramento;
Robert G., also a prominent physician of that city; and Joseph N.,
a rancher of Marysville, California. All of the children were given
excellent educational advantages, attending colleges in this state and
finishing their course at the University of Washington. Charles was
one of the first children to attend public school in Starbuck, Mr. and
Mrs. Pearson with one or two others having organized the first school
district in 1880, before the village of Starbuck had been started. Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson now spend their winters in California but during the
summer months occupy the ranch at Starbuck, where they have a beautiful
and attractive home located on a knoll overlooking the Tucanon river
which is modern in every respect, being lighted by electricity and
supplied with all conveniences.
Mr. Johnson is prominent in Masonic circles, belonging to Starbuck
Lodge, No. 106, F. & A. M., in which he has filled all of the chairs,
and both he and his wife are connected with the Order of the Eastern
Star. In politics he is a stalwart republican and has served as justice
of the peace and as mayor of Starbuck, while for several years he
has been a member of the school board. His public duties have been
discharged with promptness and fidelity and he has manifested marked
capability in the performance of every task that has devolved upon him.
During the long years of his residence in Washington he has contributed
much to the upbuilding and progress of his section of the state and has
always stood for advancement, reform and improvement.
JOHN HUNTINGTON, M. D.
Dr. John Huntington, enjoying a lucrative practice at Starbuck, was
born April 14, 1860, at the old home at Monticello, Washington, being
the third son of Harry D. and Rebecca J. Huntington, who were early
pioneers of western Washington. They had crossed the plains with ox
teams in the year 1848 and on the journey met Joseph Meek conveying
the news of the Whitman massacre to Washington. Mr. Huntington with
his family spent the first winter at Oregon City and in the following
spring removed to his donation claim, situated at the mouth of the
Cowlitz river, on which was located a warehouse of the Hudson's Bay
Company. There the pioneer town of Monticello grew up and was made
memorable by the fact that the first convention was held there to
organize the territory of Washington. It is a pleasing memory to Dr.
Huntington to know that he as well as others of his brothers and
sisters were born in the same house in which that convention was
held. His father was a member of the first territorial legislature
and his brother, Chandler Huntington, was a member of the first state
legislature. Dr. Huntington attended the Territorial University, from
which institution he won his Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation
with the class of 1885. He was there a classmate of Professor Meany
of the State University and of Charles V. Piper, who taught for many
years in the Washington State College and for the past decade has
been connected with the agricultural department of the United States
government at Washington, D. C.
Dr. Huntington pursued his course in medicine in the medical department
of the University of Oregon at Portland and was there graduated on
the 1st of April, 1891. He located for practice near his old home in
Cowlitz county, where he remained until the fall of 1898, when he
entered the employ of the Oregon & Washington Railroad & Navigation
Company as local surgeon at Starbuck. There he has since remained and,
in addition to his work with the railroad company, he has enjoyed a
lucrative practice. He is very conscientious in the performance of all
professional work and by broad reading and study keeps in touch with
the latest scientific researches and discoveries so that he is familiar
with the most progressive methods.
[Illustration: DR. JOHN HUNTINGTON]
For many years Dr. Huntington has been an active member and worker in
the Masonic lodge and derives much pleasure therefrom, while in his
life he exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft that is based
upon a recognition of the brotherhood of mankind and the obligations
thereby imposed. While a student at the university he became a member
of the Presbyterian church, of which Dr. Matthews is now pastor, and is
a member of that church at Walla Walla. He represents one of the old
and honored pioneer families of the northwest, his parents having come
here at a very early day, while in the same party was Captain Miller,
who is well known in Walla Walla and along the Columbia and Snake
rivers. His father was acquainted with Dr. McLoughlin, Rev. Eells and
other notable pioneers. The work which the father began in the early
days has been continued by the sons and the name of Huntington has
ever stood as a synonym for progressiveness and loyalty in citizenship
and for the support of all interests looking toward the upbuilding and
betterment of the state.
FRANCIS M. CORKRUM.
Francis M. Corkrum is extensively engaged in farming in Walla Walla
county, having supervision over fourteen hundred acres of land. He
resides on section 19, township 8 north, range 37 east. It was in
this township that he was born, April 11, 1892, a son of Uriah F.
and Ida May (Chew) Corkrum, both of whom were natives of Walla Walla
county. The paternal grandfather, Francis M. Corkrum, was one of the
earliest pioneer settlers of this section of the state, arriving here
in the late '50s. He figured most prominently in connection with the
pioneer development of the county and is classed with those who aided
in reclaiming this region for the purposes of civilization. At the
time of his arrival the red men far outnumbered the white settlers in
the state, the great forests were uncut, the streams unbridged and
the lands uncultivated. In fact the work of progress and improvement
seemed scarcely begun, yet here and there a few venturesome spirits had
planted the seeds of civilization in the northwest. Mr. Corkrum bore
a most active part in the work of general progress and improvement in
that early period and this work has been carried on by his descendants
to the present time. Uriah F. Corkrum is now living in Walla Walla and
is the owner of seven hundred acres of land in this county.
Francis M. Corkrum, whose name introduces this review, spent his
youthful days under the parental roof and acquired a district school
education, supplemented by a course in the Empire Business College in
Walla Walla. He was early trained to the work of the farm and at the
age of twenty years began farming on his own account, renting land.
He secured seven hundred acres owned by the Kibler brothers in the
township where he now makes his home. This farm he is still cultivating
and on the 1st of September, 1916, he took over the management of his
father's farm and is now operating fourteen hundred acres of land,
which places him among the most extensive farmers of his section of
the county. He follows the most progressive methods and his enterprise
and industry are producing splendid results. He is familiar with
every phase of modern farming and he has secured the latest improved
machinery to promote the work of the fields. Annually he harvests
good crops and the neat and thrifty appearance of the places which he
cultivates indicates his practical and progressive spirit.
On the 16th of October, 1913, Mr. Corkrum was united in marriage to
Miss Edith Gwin, a daughter of J. A. Gwin, one of the substantial
farmers of Walla Walla county. They are now the parents of two
children, Mary Jane and Uriah F., Jr.
Fraternally Mr. Corkrum is identified with Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287,
B. P. O. E. Mrs. Corkrum is a member of the Christian church. Mr.
Corkrum gives his political allegiance to the democratic party, which
he has supported since age conferred upon him the right of franchise,
but he does not seek nor desire office as a reward for party fealty. He
prefers to concentrate his time and energies upon his business affairs,
which, wisely directed, are bringing to him substantial success.
FREEMAN C. ROMAINE.
Freeman C. Romaine, deceased, was one of the representative farmers
of Columbia county, carrying on operations six miles north of Dayton.
He was born on the 15th of July, 1867, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin,
which state was also the birthplace of his parents, Garrit and Martha
Romaine, and he was only five years of age when the family crossed
the plains and settled in Oregon, where the following three years
were passed. In 1871 he came to Walla Walla county, Washington, and
throughout the remainder of his life was actively identified with its
agricultural interests. He took up a farm of three hundred and twenty
acres six miles north of Dayton, which is still owned by his widow,
and as time passed he became one of the most extensive farmers of his
community, operating about twelve hundred acres. He not only raised
grain but also devoted considerable attention to the raising of stock.
In 1898 Mr. Romaine was united in marriage to Miss Mary Bosqui, a
native of California and a daughter of K. J. and Elizabeth (Wilson)
Bosqui, who were also born in that state and removed to Washington
about forty years ago. Here the mother died but the father is still
living. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Romaine are as follows: Helen
E. and Doris E., now attending high school; and Donald Kenneth.
Mr. Romaine passed away on May 10, 1914, and was laid to rest in the
Dayton cemetery. He was a very public-spirited and enterprising citizen
who did much to promote the interests of his community, and he served
as president of the Fair Association. He was a member of the Commercial
Club and was a republican in politics. In his death the county realized
that it had lost a valued and useful citizen and wherever known he was
held in the highest regard. Mrs. Romaine still owns the farm of three
hundred and twenty acres and also has a nice residence in Dayton, where
the family now live. They are members of the Congregational church and
have a host of warm friends in the city and surrounding country.
EDWARD A. LYONS.
Edward A. Lyons, a representative citizen and progressive farmer living
on section 22, Russell Creek township, in Walla Walla county, was born
on the old Lyons homestead in this township July 9, 1882, his parents
being Patrick and Frances Lyons. The father became a very prominent and
successful man, actively and extensively connected with agricultural
interests. His business affairs were the result of carefully directed
effort, indefatigable energy and perseverance, and as the years passed
on he kept adding to his holdings until he was one of the wealthy men
of this section of the state. He belonged to the Catholic church and
his life was guided by high and honorable principles, while the circle
of his friends constantly increased as the circle of his acquaintance
broadened.
[Illustration: FREEMAN C. ROMAINE]
Liberal educational opportunities were accorded Edward A. Lyons, who
attended St. Vincent's parochial school in Walla Walla, also the
Lincoln public school and the Binkey-Walker Commercial College in
Portland, Oregon, from which institution he was graduated with the
class of 1903. After his return home he began the management of his
father's farming interests, of which he had charge during the following
fourteen years, this bringing him broad experience and wide knowledge
concerning the most effective and progressive methods of farming. In
1914 he began business on his own account, taking up his abode on his
present farm in Russell Creek township. His place comprises three
hundred and sixty acres of good land which he purchased in 1909. He has
brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and the enterprise
and energy with which he has directed his efforts have gained for him a
very substantial measure of success.
On the 24th of January, 1912, Mr. Lyons was united in marriage to Miss
Gladys Edna Field, a daughter of Simon Field, one of the early pioneer
settlers of Walla Walla county. To Mr. and Mrs. Lyons have been born
three children, two of whom are living, Andrew Edward and Dorothy Jane.
Politically Mr. Lyons is a democrat, exercising his right of franchise
in support of the men and measures of that party. Both he and his
wife are members of the Catholic church and he is identified with the
Knights of Columbus. He also belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B.
P. O. E. He has made for himself a very creditable position among the
successful farmers and substantial men of Walla Walla county and is a
well known representative of one of the honored pioneer families long
connected with the development and progress of this section of the
state.
PASQUALE SOTURNO.
It was a man of Italian birth who discovered America and thus brought
to the world the knowledge of the resources of a new continent. Since
that time many men who have had their nativity in the sunny land of
Italy have crossed the Atlantic and have become valuable residents of
America, their enterprise and business activity contributing to the
upbuilding and progress of the districts in which they have resided.
Pasquale Soturno is among those who have become identified with the
development of the northwest. He makes his home in College Place, where
he is now most pleasantly situated, occupying one of the beautiful
residences in that town, while his attention is given to the conduct of
an extensive gardening business. He was born in Italy, March 3, 1850,
and was there reared and educated. He came to America in 1875, when a
young man of twenty-five years, and for a brief period was a resident
of the state of New York. The opportunities of the west attracted
him and he made his way across the country to Walla Walla county,
Washington, where he settled in 1876, becoming the first commercial
gardener of the valley. He is today the owner of forty-six acres of
very rich and productive land upon which he is now extensively engaged
in gardening. He has followed this business for forty-one years and
he has ever held to the highest standards in his work. He produces
vegetables of most excellent quality, size and flavor, and by reason of
this he has been assured of a very liberal patronage. His business has
grown year by year and today he has a splendidly improved farm, having
secured all of the improvements that facilitate work of that character.
Mr. Soturno was married in Italy before he left his native land. His
wife died in 1916. In their family were three children: Carmen, who is
at home with her father; Josephine, also at home; and Nicholas, who
died at the age of twenty-eight years.
Mr. Soturno and his family are communicants of the Catholic church. He
has long since become a naturalized American citizen and has always
given his political allegiance to the republican party. He has never
had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the new
world, for here he found the business opportunities which he sought and
in their utilization he has won a handsome fortune, being now numbered
among the substantial citizens not only of College Place but of the
county at large. Moreover, he was a pioneer in his field of labor and
demonstrated the possibilities for successful gardening as a commercial
venture in this section of the state.
LARS NILSSON.
Lars Nilsson is a hardware and implement dealer of Dayton, who for
many years has ranked with the foremost business men of the city. The
secret of success is not a difficult one to find. Careful analyzation
of the careers of those men who have prospered indicates the fact
that industry has constituted the foundation of their progress and
close application and enterprise have enabled them to overcome all
difficulties and obstacles and in time reach the goal of prosperity.
Such is the record of Mr. Nilsson, who came as a young man to the new
world, well qualified to meet business demands in America by reason of
the thorough training which he had received as a wagon maker in his
native country.
[Illustration: LARS NILSSON]
[Illustration: ANDREW NILSSON]
Mr. Nilsson was born in Sweden, September 19, 1859, a son of Nils and
Elna (Knudson) Larson. The father died in Sweden when his son was a lad
of but ten years and the mother passed away when he was a youth of only
twelve, so that he was early left an orphan. Following his mother's
demise he was thrown upon his own resources and from that time forward
has been dependent entirely upon individual labor for advancement. Ha
was employed at farm work until his eighteenth year, at which time
he apprenticed himself to the wagon maker's trade. He finished his
apprenticeship in Sweden, where thoroughness is the watchword in every
factory. After becoming a master builder of wagons he determined to
try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic and in the spring of 1880
sailed for the United States, where his brother, Andrew Nilsson, had
located ten years before. The brother had become a resident of Dayton,
Washington, in 1877, and in the fall of 1879 he returned to Sweden on
a visit. The following spring he again came to the United States and
brought with him his younger brother, Lars, and a sister, Sophia, who
is now the wife of John Ruply, of Portland, Oregon. Andrew Nilsson
had previously established himself in the blacksmithing business in
Dayton and on his return, Lars Nilsson entered the brother's shop,
adding the wagon making industry to the blacksmithing business. He
continued to work for his brother for eleven years and in 1892 they
entered into partnership relations, conducting their business under the
firm style of Nilsson Brothers for fourteen years. During that period
they extended the scope of their interests and added new departments,
opening a farm implement store. In 1905 Lars Nilsson purchased his
brother's interest in the business and as his trade grew he was forced
to give up the blacksmithing shop in order to concentrate his efforts
and attention upon the mercantile branch. He also disposed of the
machine shop, devoting his entire time to looking after the implement
and vehicle business, which was removed to a handsome new brick
building erected at the corner of Main and Third streets by Andrew
Nilsson. In 1913 Arthur Nilsson became associated with his father
in the business and displays marked enterprise in carrying on their
interests. Mr. Nilsson has always maintained the highest standards
in the line which he handles. For years he has sold the Studebaker
vehicles, the Canton plows, Superior drills and the Holt combine and
in more recent years he has handled the Studebaker motor car. He also
handles engines and pumping outfits and in fact almost everything
necessary to the complete equipment of a farm, including a line of
power machinery. A local paper said of him: "He is known throughout
the county as a conscientious, progressive, accommodating and capable
business man and some of his customers have been doing business
with him for many years with complete satisfaction to themselves."
His brother Andrew died October 22, 1916, in Dayton, at the age of
seventy-two years, leaving no family and, according to the terms of his
will, our subject is sole executor of the estate and is acting as such
without bar or any court proceedings.
On the 10th of May, 1890, Mr. Nilsson was united in marriage to Miss
Johanna Stahlberg, a native of Sweden. He went to Sweden in the fall
of 1889 and brought his prospective bride to this country with him in
the spring of 1890, for having been naturalized in the United States,
the laws of Sweden would not permit of his marriage there. To them
were born two children: Esther J., who died in 1913, at the age of
twenty-two years; and Arthur N., who is connected with his father
in business. The wife and mother passed away March 16, 1894, and on
Christmas day of 1895 Mr. Nilsson was married to Miss Lydia Stahlberg,
a sister of his former wife. There have been two children of this
marriage: Andrew L., who is taking a course in electrical engineering
in the Washington State College; and Albert E., a lad of ten years, at
home.
Mr. Nilsson is prominent in Masonic circles, belonging to Dayton Lodge,
No. 26, F. & A. M.; Dayton Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M.; and Washington
Commandery, No. 1, K. T., of Walla Walla. He is also a member of Dayton
Lodge, No. 3, K. P., which he joined in 1886, and he belongs to Patit
Lodge, No. 10, I. O. O. F. He has passed through all of the chairs
in these different organizations save the commandery and is a most
faithful follower of Masonic teachings, exemplifying in his life the
beneficent spirit of the craft. He and his wife are consistent members
of the Congregational church and they enjoy the high regard of all with
whom they have been associated because of the many sterling traits
which they display. Mr. Nilsson is a self-made man. He borrowed the
money from his brother with which to pay his passage to this country
and as the years have gone on he has steadily progressed in a business
way until he is today one of the most substantial citizens of Dayton.
He has ever been watchful of indications pointing to success and has
never feared to venture where favoring opportunity has led the way.
He has closely studied the market and the public demand in his line
and has ever carried a stock that has been able to meet the needs of
the most particular. In all his dealings he is thoroughly reliable as
well as progressive and his word is considered as good as any bond
solemnized by signature or seal.
OLIVER DEWITT.
On the 4th of July, 1864, Oliver DeWitt arrived in Walla Walla, a
young man of twenty years, with twenty-three cents in his pocket,
representing his entire capital. Today he is the owner of valuable
farming property, from which he derives a gratifying annual rental that
supplies him with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
The intervening period was at the outset a struggle for existence but
since then, step by step, he has steadily progressed and his record
indicates clearly what may be accomplished when there is a will to
dare and to do. Never afraid of hard work, he has also displayed sound
business judgment in the management of his interests.
Mr. DeWitt was born in Knox county, Ohio, on the 7th of January, 1844,
a son of David H. and Rachel (Starner) DeWitt, who removed from Ohio
to Iowa in 1850, settling in Mahaska county near Oskaloosa, where they
remained until called to their final rest.
Oliver DeWitt had very limited educational opportunities. In fact
he is a self-educated as well as self-made man and many of his most
valuable lessons have been gleaned from the school of experience. On
reaching his twentieth year, in 1864, he decided to leave home and seek
his fortune in the far west. Accordingly he bade adieu to friends and
family and crossed the plains with an ox team to Boise City, Idaho,
and from there made the journey to Walla Walla on foot, arriving as
previously stated on the 4th of July, with twenty-three cents as his
entire capital. The following day he secured employment with a farmer
to pull onions. He worked for wages that fall and winter and in 1865 he
engaged in teaming and packing, which business he followed for about
ten years. He then became actively engaged in the live stock business,
settling four miles northeast of Walla Walla. In 1877 he purchased two
hundred and forty acres of land on Dry creek, nine miles northeast
of Walla Walla, and taking up his abode upon that place, turned his
attention to general farming. He subsequently increased his holdings to
four hundred and fifty acres, which he still owns. For the past twenty
years or more he has spent the winter seasons in Walla Walla in order
to give his children the advantages of the city schools. The summer
months were largely spent upon the home farm but for three years he
has remained steadily in Walla Walla, renting his farm to others. He
belongs to the Farmers Union and is one of the directors of the Farmers
Union Warehouse Company.
[Illustration: OLIVER DEWITT]
[Illustration: MRS. OLIVER DEWITT]
In May, 1874, Mr. DeWitt was united in marriage to Miss America A.
Roff, a daughter of Frederick and Rachael (White) Roff, who crossed
the plains with ox teams from Missouri to Washington in 1864, settling
in what is now Walla Walla. They made the trip with nine children and
were six months and one day en route. On reaching his destination Mr.
Roff had but fifty cents in his pocket. However, some of his Masonic
brethren came to his assistance and after a short time he had made
a good start. Four of his nine children were old enough to work and
wages were good, the girls receiving nine dollars per week. The father
engaged in farming and with the exception of a year and a half spent
in Oregon he made his home continuously in the vicinity of Walla Walla
up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1902. He was one of the
well known and valued pioneer settlers of this section of the state.
His widow survived him for six years, passing away in 1908. Mr. and
Mrs. DeWitt are the parents of four children, as follows: Ella, who
is the wife of Edward Bradbury, of Waitsburg; Harry L., who owns and
operates a large ranch near Starbuck in Columbia county; Arthur Clyde,
who is engaged in the grain business in Waitsburg; and Elsie D., who
gave her hand in marriage to William L. Estes, a farmer of Walla Walla
county. Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt have also reared a nephew, Charles F.
Myers, whose parents died when he was seven years of age and he is now
living on the farm.
In politics Mr. DeWitt is a stanch republican, exercising his right of
franchise in support of the men and measures of that party. Fraternally
he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging
to Washington Lodge, No. 19, and also to the encampment, while both
he and his wife are identified with the Rebekahs. Narcissa Lodge, No.
2, presented Mrs. DeWitt with the veteran's jewel, given for long and
faithful service in the order. Mr. DeWitt belongs to the Methodist
Episcopal church, while his wife holds membership in the Christian
church. They are people of genuine personal worth and Mr. DeWitt is
ever ready to extend a helping hand to those who need assistance. He
comprehends what difficulties mean, having had his own hard knocks.
He sympathizes with those whose lot has not been as fortunate as his
and yet he does not condone the shirker nor have patience with the
shiftless, because his life has been organized along lines that call
for a full dole of labor within each turn of the wheel. Because of his
industry and perseverance, obstacles and difficulties have vanished
before him like mist before the morning sun and step by step he has
advanced until he has reached the heights of prosperity.
JOSEPH W. LYONS.
The name of Lyons has long been associated with the agricultural
development of Walla Walla county and has always been a synonym for
progressiveness and advancement in that field of activity. Joseph W.
Lyons, who now follows farming on section 16, Russell Creek township,
was born upon the place where he still lives on the 6th of November,
1879, his parents being Patrick and Frances Lyons, who were well known
and worthy pioneer people of this district. He was educated in the
district schools, also attended Whitman College in Walla Walla and
Gonzaga College at Spokane, now the University of Gonzaga. Following
the completion of his school days he worked for his father for a time
and subsequently was in the employ of the Great Northern Railroad
Company for about five years. The major part of that period was spent
in the general offices of the company at Spokane. At length he resigned
his railroad position and returned to Walla Walla county, where he
took up the occupation of farming, to which he had been reared, and
with this pursuit he has since been identified. He has charge of his
father's estate, operating two thousand acres of land, and is thus one
of the extensive and representative farmers of the valley. His business
affairs are most carefully managed. He is systematic in all that he
does, is progressive and employs the most modern methods in carrying on
his farm work, so that excellent results accrue.
On the 28th of September, 1910, Mr. Lyons was united in marriage to
Miss Hattie Denzel, of Spokane. Following the completion of a course in
the Holy Name Academy at Spokane, Mrs. Lyons attended the State Normal
School at Cheney, Washington. By her marriage she has become the mother
of four children, namely: Helen F., Joseph D., Louise E. and William R.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Lyons are consistent members of the Catholic church
and he is identified with Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E.
In politics he maintains an independent course, voting for men and
measures rather than for party. He has a wide acquaintance in his
native county and enjoys the friendship and high regard of many with
whom he has been brought in contact. He is a typical western man,
alert, energetic and progressive, and as the years have gone on he has
made for himself a creditable position among the agriculturists of
southeastern Washington.
JUDSON A. CORBETT.
Judson A. Corbett, a prominent representative of the milling industry,
has conducted a feed mill at Dayton since 1907 and was also the
proprietor of the Touchet Flouring Mills at Huntsville, Washington, for
a quarter of a century but has recently disposed of his interests in
the latter connection. His birth occurred in Ontario, Canada, on the
10th of October, 1857, his parents being John and Jane (Lewis) Corbett,
both of whom were natives of Ireland. They emigrated to Canada in
childhood with their respective parents, who settled near Ottawa, and
it was there that they were reared and married, continuing residents of
the province of Ontario throughout the remainder of their lives. John
Corbett was a mill operator, conducting both a grist and sawmill.
Judson A. Corbett, whose name introduces this review, learned the
milling business under the direction of his father, with whom he was
identified in operations of that character until 1890. At that time,
when a young man of thirty-three years, he made his way to Victoria,
British Columbia, and two years later came to Huntsville, Washington.
Here, in association with his brother, Albert E., he purchased the
Touchet Flouring Mills, of which he continuously remained co-proprietor
for a quarter of a century or until August, 1917, when he disposed of
his interest therein to E. S. Isaacs. The widow of Albert E. Corbett,
who passed away in 1906, still retains his late brother's interest. It
was in 1907 that J. A. Corbett bought the feed mill in Dayton and this
he has successfully operated to the present time. He owns an equity in
a farm north of Dayton and is likewise the owner of a farm in Ontario,
Canada, and of a section of land in Alberta, Canada.
[Illustration: JUDSON A. CORBETT]
In October, 1887, Mr. Corbett was united in marriage to Miss Jane
Baker, of Ontario, Canada, by whom he had seven children, five of whom
survive, namely: Fern W., the wife of Wilbur Bateman, who follows
farming near Huntsville; Evelyn, who gave her hand in marriage to
Lawrence Johnson of Huntsville, for many years a teacher in the public
schools; and Gladys, Kenneth and Phyllis, all at home. Fraternally
Mr. Corbett is identified with the Woodmen of the World, while his
religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Episcopal church,
to which his wife also belongs. The prosperity which has come to him
in business is the merited reward of his enterprise and ability, while
the regard and esteem which he enjoys in social circles has come in
recognition of his high standards of conduct in every relation of life.
RALPH F. COFFIN.
Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to
lose. It was with deep regret that the friends of Ralph F. Coffin
learned of his demise, for he was a worthy and substantial citizen,
loyal to his associates and devoted to his family. He was born in
Oregon, March 7, 1876, and his life record covered the intervening
years to the 28th of December, 1915. His parents were George D. and
Lucinda (Haynes) Coffin, the latter a native of Iowa. The father was a
native of England and at an early day crossed the plains to the Pacific
coast and later removed to the Walla Walla valley. Both he and his
wife spent their remaining days in this section of the state and were
numbered among its worthy pioneer settlers. They had a family of seven
children, of whom but two sons are now living.
Ralph F. Coffin, although born in Oregon, was reared and educated in
Walla Walla county, having been brought to this section of the state
by his parents when very young. When not busy with his textbooks his
attention was given to the home farm and he was thus well qualified to
undertake any branch of farm work. After putting aside his textbooks he
accordingly began farming on his own account and devoted his attention
to that business until his death. He became the owner of forty-one
acres of valuable farm property on section 31, township 7 north, range
35 east, and his labors made it a splendidly improved tract of land,
equipped with all modern conveniences and all of the accessories of the
model farm and his careful cultivation of the tract brought to him and
his family a substantial annual income.
In 1900 Mr. Coffin was united in marriage to Miss Ella Kroll, who was
born in Wisconsin, a daughter of Lawrence and Tressa Kroll, both of
whom were natives of Germany. They came to America in early life and
established their home in Wisconsin, where they continued to reside
until called to their final rest. They had a family of nine children,
of whom seven are yet living. It was in the year 1908 that Mrs. Coffin
crossed the country to Washington, becoming a resident of Walla Walla
county, where in the following year she was married. To Mr. and Mrs.
Coffin was born a daughter, Mary Estella. Mrs. Coffin and her daughter
are favorably known and have many friends in the section of the county
in which they reside.
THOMAS H. CROCKER.
Thomas H. Crocker, a retired agriculturist residing in Walla Walla,
was long and successfully identified with farming interests in Walla
Walla county. His birth occurred in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada,
on the 30th of August, 1854, his parents being John R. and Clarissa
(Hill) Crocker, who spent their entire lives in that province. He was
reared under the parental roof and attended the common schools in
the acquirement of an education. At fifteen years of age he became a
sailor on an American vessel, sailing "before the mast" and for five
years sailed on different ships along the Atlantic coast. On one trip
he acted as "sailing mate." This experience led him to the decision
to go to the United States. Accordingly, soon after attaining his
majority he left his native country and went to Reno, Nevada, where he
spent one year. On the expiration of that period he made his way to
California, in which state he was engaged in placer mining for three
years and then spent a year on a ranch. Subsequently he resided for
one year in Lakeview, Oregon, and at the end of that time returned to
Wyoming, where he spent about twelve years in the stock business and
in railroading. In 1888 in New Brunswick Mr. Crocker was united in
marriage with Miss Edith Diffin, daughter of Thomas and Susan Diffin
of that place. In 1895 they came to Walla Walla county, Washington,
and have remained within its borders throughout the intervening
twenty-three years. They took up their abode on a rented farm near
Prescott and continued its cultivation for about ten years but in
the meantime had purchased a farm of three hundred and twenty acres
sixteen miles northwest of Walla Walla and later bought an adjoining
half section, to which they removed in 1905. Thereon they continued
to reside until 1914, when they took up their abode in the city of
Walla Walla and have since lived retired. The property, which has been
operated by a tenant during the past three years, now embraces eight
hundred and eighty-seven acres of rich and productive land, all in one
body. Mr. Crocker was long numbered among the active, enterprising,
industrious and progressive farmers of the community and the rest which
he now enjoys is the merited reward of his intelligently directed
labors.
[Illustration: THOMAS H. CROCKER]
[Illustration: MRS. THOMAS H. CROCKER]
Mr. and Mrs. Crocker have their home at 628 Pleasant street and
they occupy an enviable position in social circles of Walla Walla.
Mr. Crocker gives his political allegiance to the republican party,
believing firmly in its principles. Fraternally he is identified with
the Foresters of America, while his religious faith is indicated
in his membership in the Congregational church, to which his wife
also belongs. His record is indeed commendable and he well deserves
representation in this volume as one of the leading agriculturists and
respected citizens of Walla Walla county.
L. P. BERRYMAN.
L. P. Berryman is one of the younger representatives of successful
farming operations in Walla Walla county. He was born April 8, 1887,
on the farm on which he yet resides, on section 35, township 9 north,
range 35 east. His place comprises three hundred and twenty acres of
rich and valuable land which was originally the old family homestead.
His parents were J. E. and Mary Berryman, both of whom were natives of
England. They came to America in early life and established their home
in Walla Walla county, where the father passed away, but the mother is
still living.
L. P. Berryman acquired a public school education in Walla Walla county
and was reared to the occupation of farming, which he has successfully
followed as a life work. He continued to assist his father in the
development of the fields until he attained his majority, when he began
farming on the old homestead, which he afterward purchased. He has
here a half section of land which he has brought under a high state
of cultivation and to which he has added many improvements, making it
a valuable and attractive farm which constitutes one of the pleasing
features of the landscape. He also owns and operates the warehouse at
Berryman Station and his business affairs are wisely, carefully and
successfully conducted.
In 1907 Mr. Berryman was united in marriage to Miss Grace Mallory, who
was born in Ohio and is a daughter of Charles Mallory, now a resident
of Tennessee. To Mr. and Mrs. Berryman have been born three children,
Joseph L., Jacqueline A. and Margaret. The parents attend the Methodist
Episcopal church and Mr. Berryman gives his political allegiance to the
republican party but the honors and emoluments of office have never
had any attraction for him. He has served, however, as school director
and has been interested in having good schools in the district, for he
regards public education as one of the nation's strongest bulwarks.
His thought, purpose and energy have been concentrated upon his
agricultural pursuits and the careful management of his interests has
brought to him a substantial measure of success.
HARRY LASATER.
Harry Lasater, one of the large landowners of Walla Walla county, is a
representative of a prominent pioneer family of this section and is a
native of the county, his birth occurring May 18, 1865. His parents,
James H. and Emily (Moore) Lasater, were born respectively in McMinn
county, Tennessee, and in Illinois.
Harry Lasater attended the Walla Walla city schools and completed
his education in Whitman Academy and in Whitman College. When about
eighteen years old he began farming in partnership with his father and
so continued for about six years. Since then he has been alone in his
agricultural operations, and as the years have passed he has acquired
additional holdings, until he is now one of the leading farmers of the
Walla Walla valley. Following the death of his father he acquired by
inheritance and purchase the old home farm of three hundred and sixty
acres, and to this he added adjoining land until the place comprised
five hundred and forty-three and a half acres. He has since sold four
hundred and fifteen acres of that property, so that his home farm
now includes but one hundred and twenty-seven acres. He also owns,
however, five hundred and thirty-three acres of excellent wheat land
on Birch creek, in Umatilla county, Oregon, ten miles southeast of
Walla Walla, three hundred and twenty acres of timber land in Umatilla
county and one thousand acres of wheat land near Prescott, in Walla
Walla county. The fact that he gives close personal supervision to his
extensive farming operations indicates that he manages his affairs in
a systematic manner and that he possesses marked business ability.
He is a director of the Farmers Savings Bank of Walla Walla and is a
member of its finance board, and he is likewise a stockholder in the
Whitehouse & Drumheller Company.
In 1897 occurred the marriage of Mr. Lasater and Miss Jessie Crawford,
who was born in Walla Walla county but later was a resident of Umatilla
county, Oregon. To this union have been born three children: Thelma
May, who is a student in Whitman College; Wythel Mary, who is a student
in the Walla Walla high school; and Jessie Orena, who is in the grade
school.
Mr. Lasater has followed in his father's political footsteps and is a
stanch adherent of the democratic party. At one time he was a candidate
on its ticket for treasurer, and in his early manhood he filled the
office of county road supervisor for three terms. Fraternally he
belongs to Enterprise Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., and Blue Mountain
Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M. Both he and his wife hold membership in the
Central Christian church and they give hearty support to the various
phases of its activities. Both have passed their entire lives in the
Pacific northwest and they are at all times loyal to its best interests.
WILLIAM RESER.
William Reser, a substantial farmer and representative citizen of Walla
Walla county, living on section 4, township 6 north, range 35 east,
came to the northwest from Davis county, Iowa, where he was born on
the 18th of April, 1859, his parents being George and Mary (Waterman)
Reser, who were reared and married in Iowa and in 1863 crossed the
plains with horse teams to Washington. On reaching Walla Walla county
the father homesteaded, securing one hundred and sixty acres of land in
the valley near where is now seen the Whitman monument, and upon that
place he and his wife lived until called to their final rest.
William Reser was a little lad of four years when the parents came
to Washington. He acquired his education in one of the old-time log
schoolhouses common at that frontier period. During his youth he
rode the plains as a cowboy and he experienced all of the hardships
and privations of frontier life. He has lived to witness marked
transformation in all that pertains to agricultural progress and
development in this section. An important event in his life occurred on
Christmas day of 1883, at which date he was united in marriage to Miss
Sarah J. Kirkland, a daughter of Andrew J. Kirkland, who crossed the
plains from Arkansas to Oregon in 1852 and became a resident of Walla
Walla county, Washington, in 1864. Here he took up a homestead claim in
the township where his daughter still resides, and upon that place he
spent his remaining days.
Following his marriage Mr. Reser purchased land in Umatilla county,
Oregon, and there carried on farming for seven years. On the expiration
of that period he purchased a farm in township 6 north, Walla Walla
county, and to his property has since added from time to time as his
financial resources have increased until he and his wife today own
three hundred and sixty-five acres, constituting one of the valuable
farm properties of this section of the state. He has carefully tilled
his fields and developed his farm and as the years have gone by his
labors have brought good results. To the household were added two sons:
Byron E., who is now engaged in the automobile business in Kennewick,
Washington; and Raymond K., who is operating the home farm for his
father.
In his political views Mr. Reser has long been a stalwart democrat and,
while not an office seeker, he has served as a member of the school
board. He is interested in the cause of public education and in all
that pertains to progress and improvement along any desired line. He
ranks with the leading and representative citizens of Walla Walla.
There have been no spectacular phases in his career. Almost his entire
life has been devoted to the quiet pursuit of farming and through
energy and persistency of purpose he has won success. His business
affairs are always carefully managed and directed and the integrity of
his business methods in trade transactions is questioned by none. Those
who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, acknowledge his sterling
worth.
HON. H. H. HANSON.
Hon. H. H. Hanson is a wide-awake and progressive business man who
figures prominently in connection with the agricultural and financial
interests of Walla Walla county. He is the president of the Touchet
State Bank and since 1900 he has been actively identified with farming,
giving his attention largely to fruit growing and to dairying. He is
a representative of one of the old pioneer families of this section
of the state. His birth occurred in New Hampshire, February 24, 1865,
his parents being John and Frances Hanson. The father was a native of
Maine, while the mother was born in the old Granite state and there she
spent her entire life. In 1876 the father left New England and made
his way westward to California, where he remained until 1879, when he
came to Walla Walla county and entered the employ of Mr. Baker. Here he
continued to reside until called to his final rest. In the family were
but two children: H. H., of this review; and Ena, now deceased.
H. H. Hanson was reared and educated in the east, continuing his
residence in that section of the country until 1883, when owing to
the fact that his father was living in Washington, he made his way
to this state. Here he entered the employ of the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation Company, which he represented as an operator until 1900.
He preferred, however, to engage in business on his own account and in
that year turned his attention to farming on the place on which he now
resides on section 34, Hill township. Here he owns two hundred acres of
alfalfa land and he is also engaged quite extensively in dairying and
in fruit raising. He is thoroughly familiar with progressive methods of
horticulture and his orchards indicate the most thorough and scientific
care. His dairy interests, too, are characterized by the most capable
management and the sanitary conditions that prevail make the products
of his dairy a very much desired article. His business interests are
wisely and carefully managed and he pursues with thoroughness anything
that he undertakes, so that successful accomplishment crowns his labors.
In 1888 Mr. Hanson was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Hall, a
native of Pennsylvania, by whom he has twelve children, namely: Hayden,
Fred, Preston, Ollie, Helen, Oliver, Francis, Allen, Ena May, Harry,
Lawrence and Georgie.
Mr. Hanson is a member of the Grange and is interested in everything
that has to do with advancing agricultural progress and welfare in
the state. He thus cooperates in the organized movements to promote
the interests of farmers and to promulgate knowledge that will render
their labors of greatest effect in crop production and in stock
raising. Moreover, Mr. Hanson is a recognized leader in the ranks of
the republican party in Walla Walla county. For one term he filled the
office of county commissioner and in 1908-9 he represented his district
in the general assembly, where he gave careful consideration to all
the vital questions that came up for settlement. His position upon any
important subject is never an equivocal one. He does not hesitate to
express his honest convictions and in fact he puts forth every effort
to support his views and secure their adoption. In all matters of
citizenship he is very progressive and has displayed as well the spirit
of enterprise in all of his business undertakings, so that he now ranks
with the leading bankers and farmers of his part of the state.
ORLANDO DEMARIS.
Orlando Demaris, who throughout his active business life followed
farming but is now living retired in the city of Walla Walla, was
born in Iowa on the 7th of January, 1851, and is a son of James and
Eliza J. (White) Demaris, the former a native of Ohio and the latter
of Kentucky. They came to Washington in 1863 and located on a farm in
Walla Walla county on Dry creek, where the father built a log cabin
with a clapboard roof, board floor and stick chimney, which was the
home of the family for several years. Later the parents removed to
Walla Walla, where both died. In their family were twelve children, of
whom nine still survive.
Orlando Demaris was twelve years of age when he accompanied his parents
on their removal to Walla Walla county, where he grew to manhood and
attended school. After completing his education he remained under the
parental roof until he attained his majority, giving his father the
benefit of his labors. He then purchased a farm and engaged in its
operation until his retirement, since which time he has made his home
in the city of Walla Walla. He is still the owner, however, of seven
hundred acres of land, well improved and under cultivation.
[Illustration: ORLANDO DEMARIS]
In 1875 Mr. Demaris married Miss Mary M. Lewis, a native of Iowa, which
state was also the birthplace of her parents, Reese and Mary (Jackson)
Lewis, who brought their family to Walla Walla county in 1863 and
settled on a farm, where they continued to make their home throughout
the remainder of their lives. They had four children and three of the
number are still living. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Demaris
are as follows: Laura and Frankie, both deceased; David, Fred, Guy,
Alva and Edwin. Guy and Alva are now in the government service at Fort
Riley, Kansas. The three other sons now operate their father's farm.
By his ballot Mr. Demaris supports the men and measures of the
democratic party and he has served as school director. He is a member
of the Odd Fellows lodge at Dixie and his wife belongs to the Rebekahs,
taking a very active and prominent part in its work. She is now past
noble grand. They attend the Methodist Episcopal church and are held in
the highest esteem by all who know them.
R. C. McCAW.
When one views the great and growing cities of the northwest it seems
hardly credible that any living man should have witnessed the entire
development of this section of the country. Yet personal knowledge of
the wonderful progress of the northwest enables R. C. McCaw to speak
with authority concerning the events which have shaped its history.
He was born in Linn county, Oregon, on the 11th of February, 1856, at
which time Washington was still a part of the territory of Oregon and
all of this vast region was practically undeveloped. Its coal deposits
were untouched, its forests uncut and its wealth and natural resources
awaited the demands of the white men who were yet to penetrate within
its borders. The Indians far outnumbered the white settlers and the
most farsighted could not have dreamed of the marvelous transformation
which would take place within a few decades until today the west
is not only abreast with the east in all of its advantages and its
opportunities but has taken a position of leadership along many lines.
The parents of Mr. McCaw were William and Sarah (Findley) McCaw, the
former a native of Indiana and the latter of Illinois. They were
married in Illinois and in 1847 started across the plains with ox teams
for Oregon, reaching Oregon City on the day of the Whitman massacre.
During the latter part of the journey Mr. McCaw had suffered with fever
and his attack was so severe that it burst one of his eyeballs and
he was carried into Oregon City on a stretcher. Finally, however, he
recovered and continued his residence in Linn county, Oregon, up to the
time of his demise.
There R. C. McCaw was reared and educated, experiencing many of the
hardships and privations incident to frontier life and the development
of a farm under pioneer conditions. He attended the district schools
but his opportunities for the acquirement of an education were very
limited, as the school system had not then been developed. On his
twenty-first birthday he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Gorsline,
of Linn county, Oregon, who had come to the northwest with her parents
in 1875, the family removing from Kansas. Following his marriage Mr.
McCaw brought his bride to Walla Walla county and here they began
their domestic life. For two years after his arrival he was employed
as a farm hand and in 1879 he went to the Big Bend country and filed
on the second homestead that was taken up in that section. There he
lived for eighteen years, performing the arduous task of developing
and cultivating a new farm. The work of improvement was carried on,
however, year by year and he brought his land under a high state of
cultivation and derived a good profit from his labors. In 1897 he sold
his interests there and in February following he returned to Walla
Walla county, where he purchased four hundred and thirty-six acres
of land, constituting his present home farm, situated on section 1,
township 9 north, range 36 east. Upon this place he has since resided
and in the intervening period he has purchased more land from time to
time as his financial resources have permitted and is now the owner of
between eleven and twelve hundred acres, constituting one of the most
valuable farm properties in the Touchet valley. He has placed splendid
improvements upon his land and his farm presents a most attractive
appearance with its highly cultivated fields, its well kept fences, its
substantial buildings and all the accessories of a model farm of the
twentieth century.
To Mr. and Mrs. McCaw have been born ten children, nine of whom are yet
living, namely: William O., a farmer of Walla Walla county; Samuel E.,
also engaged in farming in this county; Edith M., the wife of Robert
McSherry, of Toronto, Nevada; Fred L., Benjamin H. and Edward Guy, all
of whom are engaged in farming in this county; Jay M., who is assisting
in the operation of the home farm; and Sarah E. and Robert Glenn, both
at home.
Politically Mr. McCaw is a republican, having given stalwart support to
the party since age gave to him the voting privilege. He is a member of
Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M., and exemplifies in his life the
beneficent spirit of the craft. He and his wife are also consistent
members of the Presbyterian church. The story of his life if written
in detail would present a clear and interesting picture of the entire
development of the northwest, for within his memory there has occurred
a change so great as to seem almost magical. He can relate most
interesting incidents of the early days and his name should be placed
high on the record of honored pioneer settlers of this section of the
country.
MARTIN MARBACH.
Martin Marbach, a farmer living on section 2, township 8 north, range
34 east, has been a resident of Walla Walla county for almost three
decades and as the years have passed has prospered in his undertakings
until he is now the owner of over two sections of wheat land. His birth
occurred in Alsace-Lorraine on the 8th of February, 1863, and there he
was reared to manhood, acquiring his education in the common schools of
his native country.
[Illustration: MARTIN MARBACH]
[Illustration: MRS. MARTIN MARBACH]
In 1884, on attaining his majority, Mr. Marbach determined to try his
fortune in the new world and crossed the Atlantic to the United States,
landing in New York city. From the eastern metropolis he made his
way westward to Missouri and for four years worked as a farm hand in
Lafayette county, that state. The year 1888 witnessed his arrival in
Walla Walla county, Washington, and here he secured employment, working
for wages for a period of six years or until 1894. In that year, having
carefully saved his earnings, he started out as an agriculturist on
his own account, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of his present
home farm. From that period forward he prospered and kept adding to his
holdings by additional purchase from time to time until he now owns two
sections of wheat land and has won an enviable reputation as one of
the substantial and enterprising agriculturists of the county. Close
application and indefatigable energy have characterized him at all
times, and the prosperity which he now enjoys is the merited reward of
his intelligently directed activity.
On the 23d of October, 1894, Mr. Marbach was united in marriage to
Miss Lizzie M. Rondema, of Walla Walla, by whom he has eight children,
namely: Theodore, Margaret, Lizzie, Ludwine, Martin, Gertrude, Philip
and George. Mrs. Marbach is a daughter of Andrew and Anna (Brower)
Rondema, who were born, reared and married in Amsterdam, Holland, and
came to America in 1870, locating first in Chicago, where Mr. Rondema
engaged in business as a contractor and builder. In 1887 he came to
Walla Walla and while residing in this state turned his attention to
farming. Here he died in June, 1889, and his wife passed away in 1906.
Of their ten children only two are now living, these being Mrs. Marbach
and Theodore, a resident of Walla Walla. They were members of the
Catholic church.
Mr. Marbach exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and
measures of the democratic party, believing firmly in its principles.
The religious faith of his family is that of the Catholic church and
they attend church in Walla Walla. He has never had occasion to regret
his determination to seek a home in the new world, for here he has
found the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization has
won a most creditable measure of success.
JAMES H. LASATER.
James H. Lasater became one of the pioneer residents and early
attorneys of Walla Walla and for many years was closely associated with
public events of importance which left their impress upon the growth,
development and progress of city and state. He arrived in the northwest
in April, 1863, and from that date until his death, or for a third of a
century, was closely connected with interests which have had important
bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of Washington.
The birth of James H. Lasater occurred in McMinn county, Tennessee, on
the 19th of October, 1823. He was reared in his native county, where he
spent the period of his boyhood and youth and in fact there remained
for a few years after reaching adult age. In 1850 he crossed the plains
to California, where the gold fields were attracting thousands of
fortune seekers, but in 1851 he returned to Tennessee, again making
his way over the plains until he reached Illinois. Through the two
following years he devoted his attention to the study of law under
the direction of Judge William Kellogg in Canton and in Bloomington,
Illinois, but in the fall of 1852 he again made his way westward, this
time settling in Oregon City, Oregon, where he arrived in October. In
1855 he was admitted to the bar at Salem, Oregon, and became one of the
well known attorneys of that section of the Sunset state.
There Mr. Lasater continued until April, 1863, when he removed to
Walla Walla, where he opened a law office and entered upon the active
practice of his profession. He was connected with much of the principal
litigation heard in the courts of the district and was also prominent
in public affairs. He was one of the leaders of the democratic party
and was for years chairman of the county central committee. In 1864 he
was elected district attorney but refused to qualify, and in 1869 he
became a member of the legislature. He proved one of the ablest men
in that body and contributed largely toward shaping the laws enacted
in that session. In early manhood he had taken a medical course and
received his degree and for a short time practiced, but disliking many
features of the work, he abandoned that profession and turned his
attention to law, in which he found a congenial field. He was quick
to recognize the opportunity for becoming the owner of valuable lands
open to the early settler and in the course of time acquired title to
nineteen hundred acres in Walla Walla county and in Oregon. Much of his
land is located in the richest part of Walla Walla valley and is now
very valuable. He also owned city properties and was one of the men of
affluence of Walla Walla county.
James H. Lasater was united in marriage to Miss Emily Moore, a
native of Illinois, and for many years they traveled life's journey
happily together, sharing with each other in the joys and sorrows,
the adversity and prosperity which checker the careers of all. Mr.
Lasater passed away on the 20th of August, 1896, and thus was brought
to a close a life that had been instrumental in the upbuilding of his
county along many lines. He was familiar with every phase of pioneer
experience in the west and his spirit of enterprise and progress
wrought results the benefits of which have been most lasting.
EDWARD BYRNES.
Edward Byrnes was a very substantial citizen of Walla Walla county
whose death in 1916 was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.
He belonged to that class who proudly wear the American title of a
self-made man. He owed his progress and his prosperity entirely to his
individual efforts, for he started out in life when very young and had
no assistance from others as the years went on.
[Illustration: MRS. EDWARD BYRNES]
Mr. Byrnes was born in Ireland, February 2, 1833, and was a youth of
but fifteen years when he bade adieu to friends and native land and
sailed for the new world. For a time he was a resident of Pennsylvania,
where he worked as a farm hand. While still a resident of that state
he was united in marriage, in 1854, to Miss Elizabeth Estell, who is a
native of Pennsylvania, and they traveled life's journey together for
sixty-three years and six months, lacking ten days. They began their
domestic life there and remained residents of the east until 1857,
when they removed westward to Minnesota, establishing their home upon
a farm. For five years they continued in that state and then crossed
the plains in 1862 with team and covered wagon. Their destination was
Baker county, Oregon, but after living there for about a year they made
their way northward to the Walla Walla valley, where Mr. Byrnes engaged
in the live stock business. Later he purchased land and to his widow
he left a tract of five hundred and forty acres, constituting one of
the well improved properties in Hill township, the place being located
on section 34. He was a very energetic man, was never afraid of hard
work and his persistency of purpose and intelligently directed effort
brought to him a substantial measure of success.
Mr. and Mrs. Byrnes became the parents of the following children, four
of whom still survive: John E., a resident of Gardena, Washington;
Ellen, the wife of G. E. Crow of Richland, Washington; Addie E.,
the deceased wife of James Cummins; Albert, a stock farmer and
administrator of the estate residing in Hill township, Walla Walla
county; Caroline, the wife of George Accuntius of Starbuck; Allen,
who was deputy under Sheriff Painter and was accidentally killed; and
Winfield, deceased.
The family circle was again broken by the hand of death when on the
10th of November, 1916, Mr. Byrnes was called to the home beyond. As
the architect of his own fortunes he builded wisely and well. In early
life it was necessary that he practice the strictest economy in order
to gain a start, but difficulties and obstacles did not discourage
him and with persistent energy he worked his way upward, becoming one
of the prosperous residents of Walla Walla county. His personal worth
was widely attested by his many friends and he possessed a genial
disposition and kindly spirit that gained for him the warm regard
of all with whom he was brought in contact. His family attends the
Congregational church and the hospitality of the best homes of the
community is freely accorded them. For more than a half century the
family has been represented in this county, the parents arriving in
1863, so that Mrs. Byrnes has long been a witness of the growth and
development of this section of the state, while her memory forms a
connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present.
She now has twenty-six grandchildren and forty-four great-grandchildren.
CHARLES SEELIGER.
Charles Seeliger is the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and
twenty acres on section 2, township 7 north, range 35 east, and during
the period in which this place has been in his possession he has made
many excellent improvements thereon, converting it into one of the
model farm properties of the county. He was born on Long Island, New
York, March 1, 1864, a son of August and Catherine (Tauber) Seeliger,
both of whom were natives of Germany. They came to America in 1861 and
settled in the state of New York, where they resided for fifteen years,
and in 1876 they removed to Butler county, Iowa. Subsequently they
became residents of Walla Walla county, Washington, and both passed
away here.
Charles Seeliger was largely reared in Iowa, the public schools
affording him his educational privileges. It was in 1888 that he came
to the northwest, then a young man of twenty-four years, thinking to
find good business opportunities in this section of the country. He
first made his way to the city of Walla Walla and after a considerable
period determined to engage in farming on his own account and in 1902
purchased the land upon which he now resides. He acquired one hundred
and twenty acres, which is highly cultivated and splendidly improved.
Most of the improvements have been put upon the place by Mr. Seeliger,
who is a most progressive farmer and enterprising business man. His
place presents a very neat and attractive appearance and constitutes
one of the pleasing features of the landscape. His work is carefully
performed and the results are certain by reason of the fact that his
industry is guided by sound judgment.
In 1886, in Iowa, Mr. Seeliger was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Ide, a native of that state, and they have become the parents of ten
children, Paul, Frank, Esther, Hilda, William B., Mary, Charles, Lena,
Louis and Margaret.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Seeliger is connected with the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Politically he is a republican
and strongly endorses the principles of the party, for he believes
that its platform contains the best elements of good government. He
served on the school board for several years and he has ever been a
faithful friend of the cause of public education. Mr. Seeliger came to
the northwest empty-handed, but he possessed energy and perseverance
and his persistency of purpose has enabled him to overcome all the
obstacles and difficulties with which one is continually confronted in
the business world. His worth as a citizen and as a business man is
widely acknowledged by all who know him. His character is one which
will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny and Walla Walla county
has reason to be congratulated on the fact that he became one of its
citizens. The opportunities of this section of the country he realized
and he has done much to further public progress in the Inland Empire.
CASSIUS S. ROBINSON.
In the death of Cassius S. Robinson Walla Walla county lost one of its
honored pioneer settlers--one who participated in the early Indian wars
and took part in many of the events which shaped the pioneer history
of this section of the state. He was born in Sidney Center, Maine, in
1847, a son of Seth and Harriett (Frost) Robinson. The family is of
Scotch and English descent. The parents spent their entire lives in
Maine, where they reared their family of five children.
Cassius S. Robinson left his native state when a youth of eighteen
years and made his way westward to Chicago, where he resided for a
number of years. He afterward remained in various cities of the middle
west until 1876, when attracted by the opportunities of the growing
west, he came to Washington, settling in Walla Walla county, where he
remained until his death. He always took an active part in community
affairs and his aid and influence were always on the side of progress
and improvement. He joined the volunteers at the time of the Nez Percé
Indian war and rendered distinguished aid in subduing the Indians and
reclaiming the region for the purposes of civilization. Mr. Robinson
was a painter and glazier by trade and in Walla Walla engaged in
business along that line until about fifteen years before his death
when he retired. His activities were carefully directed and the
success which he achieved and enjoyed was attributable entirely to his
capability and skill in his chosen trade. Mr. Robinson was one of the
directors of the Third National Bank of Walla Walla and was such at the
time of his death.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. CASSIUS S. ROBINSON]
In 1886 Mr. Robinson was united in marriage to Miss Laura Cornwell,
who was a daughter of James M. and Mary Ann (Stott) Cornwell. She
survives her husband and is widely and favorably known in Walla Walla,
where she has an extensive circle of warm friends. On the 4th of
December, 1915, she was called upon to mourn the loss of her husband,
who on that day was called to his final rest. He was a member of the
Foresters and of the Masonic fraternity and exemplified in his life the
beneficent spirit of the craft which is based upon a recognition of the
brotherhood of man. He was ever ready to extend a helping hand where
aid was needed and he possessed many sterling traits of character which
won for him the high regard, confidence and goodwill of all with whom
he was associated.
Since her husband's death Mrs. Robinson has resided in Walla Walla,
where she is well known. She is a member of the Sunshine Club; the
Shakespeare Club; the Eastern Star; and the Presbyterian church. She is
also an active worker for the Red Cross. During the latter years of his
life Mr. and Mrs. Robinson spent much time in travel, making a trip to
Europe in 1910 during the Oberammergau sacred festival which they saw.
They also visited Alaska and spent much time on the Sound and several
winters in California.
BEN M. TURNER.
Ben M. Turner is a self-made man of Columbia county who from pioneer
times has been identified with the agricultural development and
with kindred interests in southeastern Washington. Starting out
empty-handed, he possessed energy and determination, together with
a keen sagacity that has enabled him to recognize and utilize
opportunities which others have passed heedlessly by. He now resides
on section 19, township 11 north, range 40 east, in Columbia county,
and has become well known as a farmer, as a breeder of Belgian horses
and as a grain dealer and warehouse man. He was born in Scotland
county, Missouri, March 15, 1854, a son of John and Mary (Powers)
Turner, the former a native of Virginia, while the latter was born in
Indiana. They were married, however, in Missouri, having removed with
their respective parents to that state in early life. In 1865 they
crossed the plains with ox teams to Oregon, being six months in making
the journey. On their arrival they located in Yamhill county, that
state, where they lived for about six years and in March, 1871, came
to Washington. They took up their abode on Whiskey creek, in what is
now Columbia county but was then a part of Walla Walla county, and the
father preempted a quarter section of land, upon which he continued to
reside until called to his final home.
Ben M. Turner was educated in the district schools but his
opportunities in that direction were quite limited. He was a youth
of eleven years at the time of the emigration to the northwest and he
became an active factor in assisting his father in the arduous task
of developing and improving a new farm. Day after day saw him in the
fields working to break the sod and cultivate crops, and on reaching
his twenty-first year he began farming for himself. He purchased a
quit claim to a preemption of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he
proved up, and with that tract as a beginning he had extended his farm
holdings until he was one of the largest landowners of this section of
the state. Of recent years, however, he has disposed of all but two
sections of land, which is now being operated by tenants. He retired
from active farming, although for many years he was extensively and
successfully engaged in the tilling of the soil. He not only brought
his fields under a high state of cultivation and demonstrated the
possibility of producing fine crops in this section of the state but he
also engaged in the breeding of Belgian horses. He secured two of the
best mares in the northwest and his horses afterward received awards
at the Washington State Fair at North Yakima, the Walla Walla fair and
the Cascade Stock Show at North Yakima. In fact he has won premiums on
his stock at many fairs in the northwest. Since retiring from active
farm work he has given his attention to the grain business and owns and
operates an elevator at Turner and is also in charge of the warehouses
of the Portland Milling Company at Turner, handling about two hundred
and fifty thousand bushels of grain in 1916. He is thus connected
with extensive and important business interests, which are carefully
directed, for he is a man of sound judgment, keen discrimination and of
unfaltering industry.
In January, 1905, Mr. Turner was married to Miss Anna Brofsky, of
Dayton. He belongs to Columbia Lodge, No. 26, F. & A. M., and Dayton
Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M., and is a most worthy follower of the craft,
exemplifying in his life its beneficent teachings concerning the
brotherhood of mankind and the obligations thereby imposed. In politics
he has always been a democrat but never has he sought public office,
preferring to concentrate his energies and attention upon his business
interests, which have gained him place among the most substantial
citizens of southeastern Washington.
CHARLES M. TAYLOR.
Charles M. Taylor, who in former years was prominently and actively
associated with the agricultural development of Walla Walla county,
is now living retired in Waitsburg, having put aside the more active
work of the fields in order to enjoy a rest which he has truly earned
and richly merits. His former activities brought to him a comfortable
competence, so that he is now enabled to meet all of the necessities of
life and also to enjoy many of its luxuries.
[Illustration: CHARLES M. TAYLOR]
[Illustration: MRS. CHARLES M. TAYLOR]
Mr. Taylor was born in Johnson county, Missouri, January 10, 1859, a
son of Simon and Harriet (Burgess) Taylor, both of whom were natives
of West Virginia. In young manhood, or about the time he attained
his majority, the father removed westward to Missouri. The mother
accompanied her parents to that state when she was but two years
of age. There she was reared and eventually they were married in
Missouri, where they resided until 1880, when they started for the
west, accompanied by their five sons and daughter-in-law, Mrs. C. M.
Taylor. Besides the five sons there was one daughter born to them in
Missouri but she remained in that state. The family continued their
journey to the Sunset state, arriving in Walla Walla on the 20th of
March, 1880. The father brought with him some capital and here he
purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Wilson Hollow,
about six miles southeast of Waitsburg. With the assistance of his
sons he at once began the development and improvement of that place
and not long afterward he bought a half section of land, which he and
his sons continued to cultivate for a number of years. The father then
had the misfortune to lose a leg which was cut off in a horse power
machine. His sons then persuaded him to leave the farm and remove to
Waitsburg that he might be free of all care and responsibility, and
there the last seven or eight years of his life were passed. He died in
1899, while his widow survived him for a considerable period, passing
away on the 1st of August, 1911. They were worthy pioneer people of
this section of the country, enjoyed the respect and goodwill of all
who knew them and Mr. Taylor contributed in no small degree to the
agricultural progress in pioneer times.
Charles M. Taylor was reared to manhood in Missouri, being about
twenty-one years of age when the family started for the west. He
pursued a public school education in his native state and on the 4th
of February, 1880, he was united in marriage to Miss Nannie White, a
native daughter of Johnson county, Missouri. Within less than a month
he and his bride started on their wedding journey to Washington,
accompanying his father and brothers, and after reaching this state
Charles M. Taylor worked for two years on the Baker Railroad. He was
also employed on the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company's line, after
which he concentrated his attention upon farming.
In 1890 Mr. Taylor made his first purchase of land, becoming owner
of two hundred acres, which he bought at thirty dollars per acre.
This was situated two and a half miles from Waitsburg and is located
in Wilson Hollow, the Walla Walla and Columbia county division line
passing through his property. Subsequently he bought one hundred and
eight acres adjoining, making his home place a valuable tract of
three hundred and eight acres. For the the second purchase he paid
ninety-five dollars per acre, but today he would refuse one hundred
and fifty dollars per acre for the entire farm. In addition to his
interests in Walla Walla county he owns six hundred and forty acres
in Dawson county, Montana, and an equity in one hundred and sixty
acres in the mountains. His farming interests have always been wisely
and carefully conducted. He has brought his fields under a high state
of cultivation and well kept fences divide his place into tracts of
convenient size for development. He practices the rotation of crops and
the latest improved methods of farming and understands the scientific
principles which underlie his work. His efforts are of a most practical
character and it seems that he makes the wisest possible use of his
time and opportunities. In addition to his farming interests he became
one of the incorporators of the Exchange Bank of Waitsburg and was
elected a member of the board of directors, in which capacity he has
since served.
To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor was born a daughter, Estella, who is now the
wife of Milan Smith, a merchant of Waitsburg. They also have a foster
daughter whom they have reared from a child of four years--Isabelle
Taylor, who is a graduate of the Waitsburg high school and is now at
home.
Mr. Taylor belongs to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, A. F. & A. M., also
to Touchet Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F., while his wife is connected
with the Order of the Eastern Star and also with the Rebekah degree
of Odd Fellows. Mr. Taylor left the farm and removed to Waitsburg in
1900, after which he continued to operate his land from that point
until 1917. He is now living retired, however, leaving the care and
management of the property to others. He is one of Waitsburg's foremost
citizens. He has one of the handsome homes of the town, with all modern
improvements, and he is enjoying in the fullest degree the comforts of
life. His success is indeed well merited, for it has been honorably
won and his life record proves what may be accomplished when there is
a will to dare and to do. He had no assistance when he started out for
himself, but he early learned to place his dependence upon industry
and indomitable energy and his progressive farming methods enabled him
year by year to add to his capital until he is now the possessor of a
substantial competence that classes him with the more successful men of
Walla Walla county.
FRANCIS M. LOWDEN.
A notably successful career is that of Francis M. Lowden, who is
engaged in farming and stock raising and still remains an active
factor in business, although he has passed the eighty-sixth milestone
on life's journey. He was born in Boone county, Kentucky, February 7,
1832, but much of his youth was passed in Brown county, Illinois, where
he resided until 1849, when at the age of seventeen years he crossed
the plains with a party of four. The young men traveled on horseback,
bringing with them a light wagon pulled by four horses to carry their
effects. They first went to Sacramento and from that point Mr. Lowden
proceeded to Downieville, where he followed placer mining for a season.
Later he went to Nevada City and in 1851 he returned to Sacramento,
where he invested the proceeds of his successful mining ventures in
mules and engaged in packing, a business which he followed profitably
for twenty-one years. His train conveyed freight into various parts of
California, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana and thus he
became familiar with all of the west and its development. Hostile bands
of Indians who were on marauding expeditions throughout the country
were a menace to him, but by continued watchfulness he managed to avoid
loss, standing guard himself and never trusting hired help to this
duty. He allowed no fires to be built near his herd and his constant
care was rewarded by success. In 1878 he sold his packing business
and established his home between Walla Walla and Wallula, Washington,
where he engaged in raising and dealing in cattle, but in 1880 he lost
about ninety per cent of his herds. He did not allow himself to become
discouraged but with resolute purpose sought to retrieve his losses and
purchased about five thousand acres of land in Walla Walla valley with
the view of again engaging in the business on an extensive scale. By
means of ditches he brought water into every field of this vast tract
and soon developed a most excellent stock ranch. This land is still in
possession of the family, being owned by the Lowden Company, which was
incorporated for the purpose of raising horses, cattle, sheep and hogs.
They have imported many costly thoroughbred animals, never sparing
expense to secure the best stock, and they have done much to promote
the standards of stock raising in Washington. They have high grade
horses, cattle, hogs and sheep upon their place and theirs is one of
the leading stock ranches in southeastern Washington. Mr. Lowden has
ever been a very active and enterprising man, possessed of courage,
fortitude and resourcefulness--the characteristics of the true pioneer.
Moreover, he is a very efficient business man, alert and enterprising
and watchful of every opportunity pointing to success. His interests
have ever been most wisely and carefully controlled and his sound
judgment has ever stood as an important feature in his progress.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. SIMON TAYLOR]
Notwithstanding his large private interests, Mr. Lowden has always
found time to perform well the duties of a citizen and member of
society. He served as county commissioner for seven years and was a
member of the state penitentiary board which built the third wing and
the outbuildings, the stables, etc., of the penitentiary. In spite of
opposition, he succeeded with the help of others in building a jute
mill at the penitentiary in order to give employment to the prisoners
and in placing the mill in successful operation. He was also a member
of the school board for ten years and has ever been a faithful and
loyal friend of public education.
In May, 1868, Mr. Lowden was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary E. Noon,
who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but was reared in California.
They have become the parents of three children, namely: Marshall J.,
Francis M., Jr., and Hettie Irene. Mr. Lowden is a stanch adherent
of the Masonic fraternity and exemplifies in his life the beneficent
spirit of the craft. He is still very active, although he has now
reached the age of eighty-six years. Old age need not necessarily
suggest idleness nor want of occupation. There is an old age which
grows stronger mentally and morally as the years go on and gives out
of its rich store of wisdom and experience for the benefit of others.
Such is the record of Mr. Lowden. He keeps in touch with the trend of
modern thought and progress and in spirit and interests seems yet in
his prime. His life should serve to inspire and encourage many others
who at a much younger age grow weary and endeavor to shift to other
shoulders the burdens that they should bear.
J. A. MACLACHLAN, M. D.
Dr. J. A. MacLachlan, for many years actively and successfully
engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Dayton, was born
near Springfield, in the province of Ontario, Canada, in 1860.
After acquiring a public school education in his native country he
became a student in the University of Michigan, where he pursued his
professional course, winning the degree of M. D. upon graduation
with the class of 1889. He had studied the homeopathic methods and
following his graduation at once began a search for a suitable
location. Making his way westward, he decided to establish his home
in Columbia county and has since been identified with the medical
profession in southeastern Washington. Through the long years of
his residence in Dayton he has occupied a foremost place among the
medical practitioners. He is extremely modest and free from ostentation
but public opinion establishes his position and colleagues and
contemporaries acknowledge him the peer of the ablest physicians and
surgeons of the Inland Empire. He was elected to the position of vice
president of the state board of medical examiners and he belongs to the
Washington State Medical Society, thus keeping in touch with the trend
of modern professional thought, research and investigation.
Dr. MacLachlan was united in marriage to Miss Daisy Ping, a daughter of
Robert Ping, one of the well known pioneer settlers of Columbia county,
and with his family he occupies an attractive home in Dayton. He
belongs to the Dayton Club and has been identified with many movements
looking to the welfare and betterment of his community. He stands at
all times for progress and improvement and his aid and influence are
given on the side of those activities which are a matter of civic
virtue and of civic pride. He served in 1890 and 1891 as health officer
of Columbia county. He is well known as a leading member of the Knights
of Pythias and of the Odd Fellows lodges, having been identified with
those organizations for many years.
JOHN McFEELY.
John McFeely, of Walla Walla, has for years been one of the city's
prominent business men, and he is also connected with the agricultural
interests of the county, being the owner of a large farm devoted to
the raising of wheat. He has resided in the city for many years and
has an unusually wide acquaintance here and throughout the county as
well. His birth occurred in Fairfield, Ohio, near Dayton, March 3,
1868, and he is a son of John and Ann (Miller) McFeely. He received
his public school education in the Buckeye state and in youth learned
the blacksmith trade. He then started west to seek his fortune, being
convinced that there were better opportunities for advancement in the
country west of the Mississippi river than in the east. For a time he
lived in Kansas and then returned to Ohio, but could not be content
there and removed to Portland, Oregon, whence he came to Walla Walla,
Washington, in the spring of 1891. Here he found employment as a
horseshoer, but in the fall of 1891 he went to Milton, Oregon, where he
worked in the same line.
Subsequently Mr. McFeely returned to Walla Walla and bought an interest
in the horseshoeing shop of D. Sloan, now known as the Wigwam, and then
located at the corner of Second and Alder streets, where the Drumheller
four-story brick block now stands. The horseshoeing business was
booming and returned good profit to its owner. At length Mr. McFeely
purchased the lots on the corner of Fourth and Alder streets, then
known as the old Baldwin property, at that time covered with a growth
of locust trees. He cleared the timber and there erected a shoeing
shop, where he engaged in business for a considerable period. Later
he built a one-story brick building which he used as a shoeing shop
until he erected the McFeely Hotel, which is a three-story building
with basement. It is thoroughly modern in its appointments and is well
patronized. He also owns eight hundred acres of excellent wheat land in
Dry Hollow, near Prescott, all under cultivation and well improved. He
resides in one of the attractive homes at the edge of the city of Walla
Walla, and takes a justifiable pride therein. The grounds comprise two
acres and contain several cold water springs and a trout lake. The many
large shade trees add much to the comfort and beauty of the place.
[Illustration: JOHN McFEELY]
[Illustration: MRS. JOHN McFEELY]
Mr. McFeely was married December 9, 1899, to Miss Martha Besserer, a
daughter of the Hon. Charles and Ida (Sanderson) Besserer, who are
mentioned on another page of this volume. To Mr. and Mrs. Besserer were
born seven children, of whom three survive, namely: Charles, a resident
of California; Lucile, the wife of A. McAlaster, also of California;
and Mrs. McFeely. The latter is the mother of two children: Martha
Yvonne, who was born August 5, 1903, and is now in high school; and
John Miller, born September 9, 1907.
Mr. McFeely possesses the qualities that command respect and win
regard, and he has been honored by election to the office of president
of the National Association of Master Horseshoers. Fraternally he
belongs to the Elks, and he and his wife both hold membership in
the Protestant Episcopal church. He has been quick to recognize
opportunities, prompt and energetic in taking advantage thereof, and as
the result of his sound judgment and enterprise he is now financially
independent.
C. A. HOLLENBECK.
C. A. Hollenbeck is now living retired in Asotin but for a long period
was actively identified with ranching in Washington. In 1912, however,
he put aside the work of the farm and has since spent his days in the
enjoyment of a well earned rest. A native of New York, he was born in
Cortland county, December 18, 1845, a son of Casper C. and Henrietta
(Egbertson) Hollenbeck, who were also natives of Cortland county, New
York. The great-grandfather in the Egbertson line was a soldier of
the Revolutionary war and also of the War of 1812. He passed away in
Cortland county, New York, at the advanced age of ninety years. The
grandfather of C. A. Hollenbeck in the paternal line was a native of
Holland, and on coming to the new world settled in Cortland county, New
York, where he followed the occupation of farming until his death. His
son, Casper C., was also a farmer and with his family removed westward
to Sedalia, Missouri, where he and his wife lived retired. There he
passed away in the spring of 1881.
C. A. Hollenbeck acquired a public school education in New York and
assisted in the work of the farm from early boyhood, taking his place
behind the plow almost as soon as old enough to reach the plow handles.
He left home in 1868 and made his way to Linn county, Iowa, where he
resided for two years, devoting his attention to general agricultural
pursuits there. In 1870 he removed to Ness county, Kansas, where he
hunted buffaloes and antelope while working with the Texas cattle.
He devoted eleven years to herding on the plains of Kansas and in
1881 he arrived in Washington, taking up his abode in what was then
Columbia but is now Asotin county. He took up a preemption claim in the
Montgomery Ridge district and during his active identification with
agricultural pursuits he accumulated thirteen hundred and sixty acres
of land in Asotin county, of which he has since sold all but three
hundred and twenty acres, now being cultivated and managed by his son.
In 1912 Mr. Hollenbeck retired from active business life and took up
his abode in the city of Asotin, where he now occupies an attractive
modern residence and is living retired, enjoying the fruits of his
former toil in a well earned rest.
Mr. Hollenbeck was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Story, a native
of Onondaga county, New York, who passed away November 1, 1917, her
death being deeply regretted not only by her immediate family but
also by many friends, for she was a lady of excellent traits of heart
and mind, kindly in manner and generous in spirit and most devoted to
the members of her own household. She found her greatest happiness in
providing for the comfort of her husband and children and her memory is
enshrined in the hearts of all who knew her.
"I cannot say and I will not say
That she is dead. She is just away!
With a cheery smile and a wave of the hand
She has wandered into an unknown land,
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be since she lingers there."
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hollenbeck: Carrie, the wife
of Henry Talbott, a rancher living in Asotin county; Martha, the wife
of William McMullan, who has a ranch near Spokane; Ettie, the wife of
Jake Blyen, who is a ranch owner at Crabtree, Oregon; Casper J., who
married Rose Miller and follows ranching in Asotin county; Frank, who
married Maggie Venette and lives in Asotin county, managing the old
home ranch, in addition to which he owns nine hundred acres; George H.,
who married Ethel M. Cannon and resides in Canada; and Mary, the wife
of H. L. McMillan, of Asotin county.
In politics Mr. Hollenbeck has been a republican from the days of
Abraham Lincoln, whom he saw at Syracuse, New York, on his way to
take the presidential chair in Washington in 1861. His has been an
active and useful life in which his business affairs have been wisely
directed, his efforts proving an element in the growth and progress of
the section of the state in which he lives, and among its valued and
representative citizens he is numbered.
JAMES P. WATSON.
Among the valued citizens of Garfield county who have been called to
their final rest was numbered James P. Watson, who lived on section 33,
township 13 north, range 43 east, and was closely associated with the
agricultural development and improvement of this section of the state.
He was born in England on the 31st of December, 1854, and was a son of
Porter and Susan (Talbot) Watson, both of whom were natives of England,
where they spent their entire lives. James P. Watson was educated in
the public schools of his native country and in 1871, when a youth of
seventeen years, bade adieu to friends and country in order to come to
the United States. He first made his way to Kansas, where he remained
for four years, and in 1875 he came west to the Pacific coast country.
He did not at once make a final settlement, however, but cast around
for a desirable location and in the meantime worked for wages, thus
becoming a factor in the business life of the community.
[Illustration: JAMES P. WATSON]
In 1877 Mr. Watson took up his abode in what is now Garfield county
and the following spring filed on a homestead, which he continued to
own throughout his remaining days and on which his widow still lives.
He was a man of energy and was ambitious to succeed. Indolence and
idleness were utterly foreign to his nature. Every hour was utilized to
the best advantage and as the years passed he prospered, so that from
time to time he was able to add to his homestead by additional purchase
until prior to his death he had become the owner of about a thousand
acres of valuable pasture and wheat land in Garfield county. Mr. Watson
had come to this country as a youth without money and without friends,
but he employed every moment of his time to good advantage, realizing
the eternal principle that industry wins. He also carefully saved his
earnings and invested the money thus gained wisely and well, so that
in the course of years he acquired a snug little fortune. Moreover, he
was a broad reader and deep thinker and became well informed on public
affairs. When he crossed the Atlantic it was to become an American
citizen, not to remain a subject of Great Britain, although he never
lost his love for his native land. He ever felt that his allegiance
should be given to the land of his adoption, under whose laws he lived
and found protection, and he ever stood for those plans and measures
which sought to upbuild the community in which he resided, to advance
the welfare of the commonwealth and of the country.
In 1880 Mr. Watson was united in marriage to Miss Emma I. Perkins, a
native of Oregon and a daughter of John N. Perkins, who was a physician
and philanthropist. Her father was a native of Ohio and crossed the
plains in 1851, settling in Oregon. In 1878 he came to what is now
Garfield county, establishing his home on the present site of Pomeroy.
His grandfather, Thomas Perkins, was a soldier of the Revolutionary
war. The mother of Mrs. Watson bore the maiden name of Derisa A.
Matsler and was a native of Ohio, where her marriage to Mr. Perkins
occurred. She afterward made the journey across the plains with her
husband to the northwest. She had three brothers--George, David and
John, who served throughout the Civil war in defense of the Union. To
Mr. and Mrs. Watson were born thirteen children, of whom two died in
infancy, and Inez D., who married J. C. Kimble died leaving two sons,
Vergel L. and Cecyl L. Those still living are as follows: Charles E.,
Alva N., Elsie I., James A., William C., Edna E., John P., Joseph F.,
Iva N. and Alma M. Most of the children are married and with their
families they are all residing in Garfield county, with the exception
of James A., who is now a resident of Whitman county. Mrs. Watson now
has seventeen grandchildren. She is a woman of pronounced ability who
has capably managed her property interests since the death of her
husband, which occurred on the 5th of September, 1915.
Mr. Watson was a man of sterling character, was a devoted husband
and kind and loving father. He was also an obliging and charitable
neighbor and his many sterling traits of character gained for him
the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. In
politics he was a democrat until the free silver plank was inserted in
the party platform, after which he became a supporter of republican
principles. He never failed to earnestly espouse any cause in which he
believed and his position was never an equivocal one. He expressed his
opinions honestly and fearlessly and men came to know that his word was
thoroughly reliable. He never had occasion to regret his determination
to come to the new world, for on this side of the Atlantic he found
the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization won a
substantial measure of success. Moreover, America gained a valued
citizen and southeastern Washington profited much by his efforts.
JOHN M. ROBINSON.
Among the representative business men of Garfield county is John M.
Robinson, a well known farmer and grain dealer of Pomeroy. He comes
from the middle west, being born in Missouri, September 6, 1859, and
is a son of Thomas W. and Pauline (Forshey) Robinson, the former also
a native of Missouri and the latter of Ohio. It was in 1874 that the
family came to the Pacific coast and after spending three years and a
half in California became residents of Walla Walla county, Washington,
in 1877. About a year later the father took up a homestead in what was
then Columbia county but is now Garfield county, locating on a farm
fifteen miles southeast of Pomeroy. There the mother passed away in
1878 and he died in Pomeroy in February, 1892. Of their nine children
four have also departed this life.
John M. Robinson was fifteen years of age when the family located in
California and in the schools of that state he began his education,
continuing his studies in Walla Walla county after their removal to
this state. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-two years
of age and then in 1881 took up a preemption claim, which is now within
the city limits of Pomeroy and he still owns eighty acres of that. He
engaged in farming until 1885, at which time he took twenty head of
work horses to California and spent one year in that state. He then
returned to Washington and purchased another farm, living thereon until
1892. Since then he has made his home in Pomeroy, where he bought a
warehouse and has engaged in buying grain. He is now the owner of
four thousand and ninety-five acres of land, all improved and under
cultivation.
Mr. Robinson was married in 1881 to Miss Melinda F. McKey, a native of
Kansas and a daughter of Rev. W. P. and Jane (Wilkinson) McKey, and to
this union have been born seven children, namely: Walter J.; Josie May,
now the wife of D. A. Taylor; Clare Marie, the wife of P. C. Clark of
Walla Walla; Dora Bell, the wife of G. Z. Ickes, Jr.; Ruth, the wife of
J. D. Lyon, Jr.; Vernon H. and Florestine, at home.
[Illustration: JOHN M. ROBINSON AND FAMILY]
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are active and consistent members of the
Christian church of Pomeroy and he is serving as one of its elders.
He is also prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, having filled all of the chairs in Pomeroy Lodge, No. 16.
In business affairs he has steadily prospered until he is now the
possessor of a handsome fortune and the success that has come to him
is but the just reward of his own industry, fair dealing and good
management, for he is a man of good business and executive ability and
sound judgment.
RICHARD D. ROBERTS.
More than a century ago Washington said that agriculture is the most
useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man, while Thomas
Jefferson said, "The hope of the nation lies in the tillers of the
soil." It is a well known fact that agriculture is the basis of all
advancement and prosperity and no country reaches the highest point
of its attainment if its farm lands are not properly and carefully
cultivated. Among those progressive men who are now concentrating
their efforts and attention upon the further development of the soil
in Walla Walla county is Richard D. Roberts, who has extensive farming
interests on section 13, township 9 north, range 37 east. He was
born upon this farm January 6, 1875, and is a son of David and Jane
(Anderson) Roberts. The father was a native of Wales and came to the
United States in young manhood. He made his way westward to Illinois,
where he took up his abode and there he formed the acquaintance of Jane
Anderson, who was a native of that state. They were married and about
1870 they left Illinois for Oregon. After spending one year in Forest
Grove of the latter state they came north to Washington and for a year
were residents of Waitsburg. At the end of that time David Roberts
purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the home farm upon which his
son Richard now resides. Not long afterward he preempted an eighty-acre
tract adjoining the original purchase and then bought another eighty
acres, continuing to give his time, attention and energy to his farming
interests until his death, which occurred in December, 1898. For
several years he had survived his wife, who passed away in 1892.
At the usual age Richard D. Roberts became a pupil in the district
schools and there mastered the elementary branches of learning. He
afterward attended the public schools of Waitsburg and also spent
one term as a student in the Waitsburg Academy. In the spring of
1898, prior to his father's death, he took over the management and
development of the home farm, which he has since operated. He owns
a five-sevenths interest in the home place, together with a half
interest in another farm of five hundred and twenty acres in Columbia
county. He also has two hundred and forty acres in the Imperial valley
of California. He cultivates the home place of three hundred and
thirty-five acres, the Columbia county farm of five hundred and twenty
acres, of which he owns a half interest, and he leases five hundred
and eighty acres, thus farming in all fourteen hundred and thirty-five
acres of land in the Inland Empire. His extensive operations are most
carefully and wisely conducted. Scientific methods underlie his work.
He early realized the fact that farm interests should be as carefully
systematized as a commercial undertaking and in all of his work he
is methodical and progressive. His farm machinery is of the latest
improved kind and there is no accessory of a model farm property of the
twentieth century that is not to be found upon his place.
In 1900 Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Bateman, a
daughter of Henry Bateman, who was one of the earliest of Walla Walla
county's pioneers, first coming here in 1849 and the following year
settling on a claim on Coppei creek. He was an Indian war veteran and
one of the conspicuous figures in the early pioneer life of Walla Walla
county. His demise occurred in Waitsburg in December, 1915. Mr. and
Mrs. Roberts now have two sons, Harold and Henry.
In politics Mr. Roberts maintains an independent course, not caring
to bind himself by party ties. He belongs to Waitsburg Lodge, F. & A.
M.; to Touchet Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F.; and to the Ancient Order of
United Workmen; and his wife holds membership in the Methodist church.
Their lives are guided by high and honorable principles and in all
business affairs Mr. Roberts is regarded as thoroughly reliable as
well as energetic. His life record is as an open book. He has always
lived in this section of the state, has always carried on general
agricultural pursuits, and although there are no spectacular phases
in his career, he has ever been regarded as a substantial and valued
citizen because of his loyalty to the best interests of the community
and his cooperation in plans and measures which are calculated to
advance and uphold civic standards.
JAMES H. BOWLES.
The consensus of public opinion names James H. Bowles among the leading
citizens of Walla Walla county. He is the owner of a valuable farming
property and also of a fine residence in Prescott, where he makes his
home. He was born in Warren county, Missouri, November 11, 1854, and
is a son of Thomas H. and Lucinda (Gibson) Bowles, the former a native
of Virginia, while the latter was born in Missouri. They became the
parents of eight children, six of whom survive, but both the father and
mother died in Missouri.
James H. Bowles was reared and educated in the state of his nativity
and had reached the age of thirty-five years when in the spring of
1889 he came to Walla Walla county, Washington. He established his
home in Prescott and later he bought a farm of one hundred and eighty
acres, which he has carefully and persistently cultivated, bringing
the entire place under a high state of development. Upon the farm are
excellent improvements and everything about the place indicates the
careful supervision of a practical and progressive owner. He makes his
home, however, in Prescott, where he owns an attractive residence.
His business affairs have been carefully managed and his thorough
reliability has gained for him the respect and confidence of all, while
unfaltering energy has furthered his prosperity.
On the 14th of November, 1880, Mr. Bowles was united in marriage to
Miss Elizabeth Reavis, a native of Missouri and a daughter of Woodson
Reavis. They have become the parents of the following children: Thomas
Woodson, who died at the age of seven months; Mary Almeda, the wife of
J. T. Janes, who is living near Prescott; James William, residing near
Prescott, who married Lillian N. Coble and has one child, James Eugene;
Sarah Ann, who is the wife of F. E. Grubb, also living near Prescott,
and they have two children, Ora Vale and James Roy; Virginia Frances,
who is the wife of Vergil N. Harris, of Prescott, and has two children,
Genevra Elizabeth and Virginia Ann; one child who died at the age of
nine months; Pearl Margaret, who is the wife of C. L. Jones, living
near Prescott, and they have five children, William Lawrence, Dale
Walter, Ernest Monroe, Alma Elizabeth and James Dewey; Archie Eugene,
who married Elizabeth Helms and resides in Prescott; Walter Jennings,
who married Fay Hazel Nail; and Elizabeth.
[Illustration: JAMES H. BOWLES]
[Illustration: MRS. JAMES H. BOWLES]
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bowles are faithful members of the Christian church
and take an active interest in its work, while contributing generously
to its support. In politics Mr. Bowles is a democrat and has been
called upon to fill public office. He has served as a member of the
city council of Prescott; has also been a member of the school board;
and was deputy assessor for two years. Fraternally he is connected
with the Woodmen of the World. He has never had occasion to regret his
determination to establish his home in the northwest, for here he found
the opportunities which he sought and in the business conditions of
this section of the country he has so directed his efforts that a most
substantial competence has been acquired.
BERT LOGAN JONES, B. S., M. D., C. M.
The alumni of McGill University are found in all sections of the
American continent. The thorough training of that school well
qualifies its students for the various lines of work which they may
undertake and in the main the graduates of that institution have been
most successful. Dr. Bert Logan Jones is among the number who are
actively engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Walla
Walla. Pennsylvania numbers him among her native sons, his birth
having occurred in Allegheny on the 11th of May, 1882, his parents
being Reuben Reynolds and Maggie Elizabeth Jones. With the removal
of the family to the west he became a pupil in the public schools
and was graduated from the Baker school in 1898. He then continued
his education in the Washington State College and won the Bachelor
of Science degree in 1907. He afterward entered McGill University as
a medical student and was graduated from the Montreal institution
with the degree of M. D., C. M. He has since practiced his profession
in Walla Walla and in 1914 he was appointed surgeon in the state
penitentiary. In general practice he has made for himself a creditable
position. He is thoroughly conversant with the latest discoveries and
scientific researches that have to bear upon medical and surgical
practice, is most careful in the diagnosis of his cases and seldom if
ever at fault in matters of judgment regarding the outcome of disease.
Moreover, he holds to the highest professional standards and his course
has been an expression of the most advanced ethics of the profession.
On the 25th of December, 1916, in Pullman, Washington, Dr. Jones was
united in marriage to Miss Jessie Elliott Hays, a daughter of the
Rev. W. G. M. Hays, D. D. Dr. Hays was the founder of the United
Presbyterian church and the academy at Waitsburg, Washington, in 1886
and was the organizer of the United Presbyterian church at Olympia
in 1895. He also founded the United Presbyterian church at Pullman,
Washington, in 1898 and remained as pastor there for eighteen years.
He has thus had much to do with the moral progress and development of
this section and in his labors has not been denied the full harvest
nor the aftermath of his efforts. Mrs. Jones was graduated from the
Washington State College in 1906, from the State Normal School at
Cheney, Washington, in 1912, and from 1906 until 1916 taught in the
graded and high schools of this state.
Dr. and Mrs. Jones hold membership in the First Presbyterian church of
Walla Walla and he belongs to the Walla Walla Commercial Club and to
the Masonic fraternity, associations which indicate much of the nature
of his interests and the rules which govern his conduct. He is a man of
genuine personal worth, esteemed by all who know him and most of all
where he is best known. While he holds to high professional standards
and gives the greater part of his attention to his profession, he
also recognizes and meets the duties and obligations of citizenship
and in many ways has cooperated in bringing about public welfare and
improvement.
JOHN P. KENT.
While for many years Mr. Kent was one of the best known and most
prominent business men of Walla Walla, he always found time to
cooperate in public interests and the waterworks and the park systems
of the city were largely due to his initiative and to his untiring
effort. His determined purpose and indefatigable energy enabled him
to accomplish whatever he undertook and his worth in matters of
citizenship as well as in business circles was widely acknowledged.
Mr. Kent was born in Boston, Massachusetts, June 29, 1858, and when
about fifteen years of age removed to the Sunset state, arriving
in Walla Walla, where for forty-four years he occupied a prominent
position in connection with the commercial activity of the community.
In 1880 he became engaged in the meat business and later was associated
with William Kirkman, Chris Ennis and A. Beard in organizing the Walla
Walla Meat Company. He retained the active management of the business
until November, 1898, when he retired from that field in order to turn
his attention to insurance. From that time forward until his demise
he maintained an insurance office in the Dooly building and gained a
very prominent position in insurance circles. Mr. Kent was one of the
organizers of the firm of Gardner & Company and served as its second
vice president until his death. He did with thoroughness everything
that he undertook and therefore he mastered every phase of the
insurance business.
On the 12th of November, 1890, Mr. Kent was united in marriage to Miss
Delia A. Lyons, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. Lyons, and to them were
born four children: Ruth, the wife of Harry Paxton, Jr.; John Paul,
Mildred Agnes and Omer James, all of whom are living in Walla Walla.
Besides his activity in business circles Mr. Kent took a prominent part
in politics and in lodge, social and church affairs. He was a member
of the city council for two terms, beginning in 1896, and he was a
most aggressive advocate of the rights of the people. It was through
his instrumentality that Walla Walla secured its waterworks. He was
also particularly interested in public park development and did much
toward securing Walla Walla's present chain of city parks. He served
as a member of the first park board and lost no opportunity to further
the interests which he espoused, making the park system one which is
most attractive and creditable. He was one of the most trusted leaders
of the democratic party in the state of Washington and served as a
delegate to nearly every state and county convention of his party.
[Illustration: JOHN P. KENT]
In religious faith Mr. Kent was an earnest and loyal Catholic and
was twice representative of the state of Washington in the supreme
council of the Catholic Knights of America. He was also an earnest and
effective worker in behalf of the United Relief Society and was filling
the office of vice president at the time of his demise. For many years
he was a director of the Walla Walla County Fair Association and in
that connection did much to further public progress. He was also a
trustee of the local lodge of Elks and was a past grand knight of the
Knights of Columbus in Walla Walla. Death called him on the 8th of May,
1917, when he passed away at his home on Poplar street. He had been in
failing health for about a year but was confined to his home for only
the last week. One who knew him well paid to him the following justly
merited tribute:
"In the death of John P. Kent, Walla Walla has lost one of her best
citizens. He was always active in every progressive enterprise and a
factor in everything that had for its object the benefit of his home
city. He was eloquent of speech, which, combined with his recognized
probity and force of character, gave him great influence in the council
of his fellows. He was no trimmer but expressed his opinions on all
questions openly and frankly and even those who disagreed with him
acknowledged and admitted his sincerity of purpose. He was one of the
kindest of husbands, the most loving of fathers and a true and loyal
friend."
GEORGE F. MOTTET.
George F. Mottet is a retired stock man of Walla Walla who at the age
of twenty-seven years came to the new world and established his home
in this section of the state. Throughout the intervening period he has
been connected with the sheep industry but has now largely put aside
the active cares of business life to enjoy in well earned rest the
fruits of his former toil. He was born in France, February 17, 1859,
and is a son of Francis and Virginia Mottet, who were also natives of
France, where they spent their entire lives. They had a family of seven
children, but George F. is the only one now living. He was reared and
educated in France, enjoying liberal opportunities. He completed a high
school course and afterward served for four years in the French army.
He then determined to try his fortune in the new world and in 1886 he
came to America, making his way at once to Walla Walla. He has since
been identified with the interests of the northwest. He was engaged in
the sheep industry for twenty-four years and his affairs were wisely
and successfully managed, so that he derived therefrom a handsome
competence. After almost a quarter of a century he sold out and retired
from active business life, making his home at the present time at No.
440 Chase avenue in Walla Walla, where he occupies a fine residence.
In 1895 Mr. Mottet was united in marriage to Miss Leonie Vincent, a
native of France, and they have become parents of three children:
George, who died at the age of eleven years; Anna, who is a high school
graduate of Walla Walla; and one who died in infancy.
In his political views Mr. Mottet has always been a stanch republican
since becoming a naturalized American citizen but has never been an
aspirant for office. He and his wife belong to the Catholic church.
He is a self-made man--one who deserves much credit for what he has
accomplished. He has never had occasion to regret his determination
to come to the new world, for here he found the opportunities which
he sought and in their improvement has acquired a handsome fortune.
In addition to the home which he occupies in Walla Walla he has seven
other residence properties there, from which he derives a gratifying
annual income. His business interests have been carefully managed, his
methods have been characterized by the utmost integrity and the results
which have accrued are most satisfactory and creditable.
JOSEPH UTTER.
Joseph Utter, residing in Prescott, is identified with several
important business enterprises of the town and is also actively and
successfully engaged in farming in Walla Walla county. He was born in
the state of New York, February 22, 1855, a son of Alex M. and Alida
(Putman) Utter, both of whom were natives of the Empire state. They
removed to Wisconsin in 1859 and there resided until 1861, when they
became residents of Minnesota, establishing their home upon a farm. In
1862 the father enlisted for service in the Civil war, his patriotic
spirit prompting his ready response to the country's call for aid. He
joined Company G of the Third Minnesota Infantry and served until the
close of the hostilities, after which he returned to Minnesota, where
both he and his wife passed away. In their family were nine children,
eight of whom are yet living.
Joseph Utter was reared and educated in Minnesota and in 1882 arrived
in Walla Walla county, Washington, taking up his abode on a farm near
Prescott which he still owns. His place comprises eight hundred and
five acres of rich and productive land, all of which is improved. It is
largely devoted to the cultivation of wheat, for his farm is situated
in the midst of the rich wheat belt of Washington, famous throughout
the entire country. The methods which he employs in his farm work are
productive of excellent results. In addition to the growing of wheat
he is also engaged in stock raising and both branches of his business
are proving profitable. He is likewise a stockholder and manager of
the Prescott Warehouse Company and is the president of the Prescott
Telephone Company. In all business affairs he displays keen discernment
and unfaltering industry and his carefully directed labors are bringing
to him substantial returns.
[Illustration: JOSEPH UTTER]
In 1878 Mr. Utter was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Pettijohn, a
daughter of Thomas and Charity (Wisby) Pettijohn, both of whom were
natives of Ohio but spent their last years in Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs.
Utter became the parents of eleven children: Arabelle, who is the wife
of W. H. James, now of California; Thomas H., who is living on the home
farm; Carrie May, the wife of A. W. Reser; Richard, who is married and
follows farming; Mildred, the wife of Henry Goe; Juliette, the wife of
John Reid; Ralph, who is married and resides in Prescott; Lilian and
Walter Wayne, who are living at home and two have passed away. The wife
and mother died in July, 1916, and was laid to rest in the Odd Fellows
cemetery. She was a consistent member of the Congregational church and
was most devoted to the welfare of her family. Her loss was also deeply
regretted by her many friends.
Mr. Utter holds membership in Prescott Lodge, No. 46, I. O. O. F.,
in which he has filled all of the chairs, and he also belongs to
the Woodmen of the World. In politics he is a republican but not an
office seeker. He has through individual effort and determination
become one of the prosperous farmers of Walla Walla county and one
of its representative business men. His worth is widely acknowledged
by all with whom he has come in contact and his business career is
characterized by a forcefulness and resourcefulness that is most
resultant.
DAVID W. MILLER.
David W. Miller, one of the representative and prosperous
agriculturists of Walla Walla county, within the borders of which he
has spent almost his entire life, makes his home in the city of Walla
Walla. He owns six hundred and twenty acres of productive land in
Spring Valley and operates altogether about fifteen hundred acres. His
birth occurred in Wyoming on the 22d of August, 1874, his parents being
David and Isabelle (King) Miller, who were born, reared and married in
Scotland. About 1870 they crossed the Atlantic to the new world and in
subsequent years resided in Pennsylvania, Utah and other states but
eventually came to Washington and about 1877 took up their abode in
Walla Walla county. Here David Miller gave his attention to general
agricultural pursuits, locating in Spring Valley, where he acquired
a section of land and in his undertakings won gratifying prosperity.
He was chosen to represent his district in the state senate for eight
years, being first elected in 1893 and making a splendid record that
gained the approval and continued support of his constituents. He was
one of the dominant factors in the organization of the Farmers Alliance
and was always foremost in any movement instituted to promote the
interests and welfare of the community. Fraternally he was identified
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His demise, which occurred
on the 6th of October, 1902, was the occasion of deep and widespread
regret, for in his passing the community lost one of its most valued
and esteemed citizens. His widow, surviving him for a number of years,
was called to her final rest in November, 1911.
David W. Miller, whose name introduces this review, was reared under
the parental roof and in the acquirement of an education attended the
district schools and also spent one year in study in Whitman College.
He then devoted about six years to farming and on the expiration of
that period embarked in the furniture and undertaking business at
Waitsburg, conducting an enterprise of that character for two years.
At the end of that time he engaged in the coal and wood business at
Walla Walla, being thus occupied until 1910, when he again turned his
attention to agricultural pursuits, which have since claimed his time
and energies. He owns six hundred and twenty acres of valuable land
in Spring Valley and operates altogether about fifteen hundred acres,
his interests being thus extensive and important. Success has attended
his efforts in this connection by reason of the fact that he utilizes
the most modern and progressive methods of agriculture and has ever
manifested industry, enterprise and unremitting energy.
On the 12th of August, 1903, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to
Miss Ida Breeze, a daughter of R. M. Breeze, of Waitsburg. They now
have three children, namely: James T., Earl W. and Ella Isabelle. In
his political views Mr. Miller is a democrat and fraternally he is
identified with Trinity Lodge, I. O. O. F., and with Columbia Lodge No.
70, K. P. His life has been upright and honorable in every relation and
he well merits the warm regard and high esteem in which he is uniformly
held.
SILAS W. SMITH.
For almost sixty years Silas W. Smith made his home upon the Pacific
coast and was long identified with its mercantile interests, conducting
a store in Walla Walla during the last years of his business career.
He was born in Monmouth, Illinois, August 16, 1844, a son of Isaac
and Margaret (Butler) Smith, who were also natives of that state. In
1853 the family crossed the plains and located on a farm near Dallas,
Oregon. They traveled in covered wagons drawn by horses and experienced
the usual hardships of such a journey. Upon a claim of three hundred
and twenty acres the father built the first log cabin in that locality
and he became one of the prominent and influential men of the valley
where he and his wife continued to make their home until called to
their final rest. He always took a very active part in politics and for
two terms was an honored member of the legislature. In his family were
nine children, only four of whom are now living.
Silas W. Smith was about nine years of age when he came with the family
to the far west and he was reared and educated at Dallas, Oregon,
graduating from the academy at that place. After leaving school he was
engaged in mercantile business at Independence, Oregon, for several
years, but in 1888 removed to Waitsburg, Washington, where he conducted
a store for some time, and later engaged in the same business in Walla
Walla in partnership with John Fitzgerald. He finally sold out and
lived retired until his death in 1912.
On the 5th of November, 1867, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss
Esther M. Barney, a native of Keokuk, Iowa, and a daughter of Harlow
and Mary A. (Curtis) Barney. Her father was born in Pennsylvania and
her mother in Vermont. They were among the pioneers who crossed the
plains with ox teams in 1853 and settled near Dallas, Oregon, where
Mr. Barney took up six hundred and forty acres of land, making his
home thereon until his death. His wife also died there. Two of their
three children are still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith were born five
children, namely: Mary Ellen, the deceased wife of W. W. Maxwell; E.
H., also deceased; O. B., a resident of Waitsburg, Washington; Lenna,
the wife of Laverne Bartlett of Walla Walla; and Milan W., a merchant
of Waitsburg.
[Illustration: SILAS W. SMITH]
[Illustration: MRS. SILAS W. SMITH]
Mrs. Smith owns a valuable ranch of five hundred and forty acres,
all in a high state of cultivation. She is a faithful member of the
Christian church, to which her husband also belonged, and he took
quite an active part in all church work. He also held membership in
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was a stanch republican in
politics, exerting considerable influence in local affairs and serving
for two terms as mayor of the city with credit to himself and to the
entire satisfaction of his constituents. In his death the community
realized that it had lost a valued and useful citizen--one devoted to
the best interests of the community. Mrs. Smith is a member of the
Rebekah Lodge at Waitsburg and has filled all the chairs in the same.
Like her husband, she makes friends wherever she goes and is held in
the highest esteem by all who know her.
F. J. ALDRICH.
F. J. Aldrich is a representative farmer of Columbia county who
utilizes the most progressive methods in tilling the soil and caring
for his crops. Western enterprise finds expression in his life. He is
a western man by birth, by training and by preference. He was born in
Walla Walla county, Washington, July 1, 1872, and is a son of Milton
and Sarah (Stanfield) Aldrich, the former a native of Michigan, while
the latter was born in Iowa. In 1850 the father crossed the plains to
California, where he engaged in prospecting and mining, continuing his
operations from California clear into Canada. In 1860 he made his way
to Walla Walla county, Washington, where he took up a homestead on Dry
creek, seven miles east of the city of Walla Walla. Later he acquired
other lands until he became owner of eight hundred and fifteen acres
in the home place and nine hundred and twenty acres on Coppei creek,
five miles from Waitsburg. He devoted many years to the development
and improvement of his farm land and about five years prior to his
death removed to Walla Walla, where he passed away about 1912. His
widow is still living and yet occupies the home ranch. Mr. Aldrich
was a republican in his political views and was twice elected county
commissioner of Walla Walla county. He took an active and helpful
interest in community affairs and was actuated by a public-spirited
devotion to duty. His wife is a member of the Methodist church and a
lady of many admirable qualities which have gained for her the high
esteem and goodwill of all with whom she has been brought in contact.
F. J. Aldrich was reared upon the home farm and acquired his education
in the common schools and in Whitman College, where he won his academic
degree, although he lacked three months of graduation. On attaining
his twenty-first year he began farming for himself and has since been
prominently identified with agricultural interests in Walla Walla and
Columbia counties. In 1902 he removed to his present farm in Columbia
county, where he owns one thousand acres of land and in addition to
that tract he also operates another thousand acres under lease. He is
thus one of the extensive farmers of his section of the state, his
great, broad fields annually producing excellent harvests, while the
methods that he employs are of the most progressive character. In fact
his farm work is an indication of the last word in modern scientific
agriculture.
In 1895 Mr. Aldrich was united in marriage to Miss Angeline Lloyd, a
daughter of Albert G. Lloyd, now deceased, of whom extended mention is
made elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich have become parents
of two children, Elmo and Erick.
In his political views Mr. Aldrich is a stalwart republican, always
supporting the party at the polls yet never seeking office as a reward
for party fealty. He belongs to Waitsburg Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M.,
and also to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E. He ranks with the
foremost citizens of Columbia county and is honored and respected by
all, not alone by reason of the success which he has achieved but
also owing to the straightforward business methods which he has ever
followed. He has never been known to take advantage of the necessities
of another in any business transaction and through legitimate channels
has won his prosperity.
WALLACE R. COPELAND.
Wallace R. Copeland, residing in Walla Walla, is actively identified
with the agricultural development of this section of the state. He
is a western man by birth, training and preference and in his life
exemplifies the spirit of enterprise which has ever been the dominant
factor in the upbuilding of this section of the country. He was born in
Yamhill county, Oregon, March 26, 1860, a son of Henry S. and Mary Ann
(Morton) Copeland, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work. He was but
two years of age when his parents removed from Yamhill county to Walla
Walla county, Washington, and here he was reared to manhood upon the
old homestead farm, early becoming familiar with the best methods of
tilling the soil and caring for the crops. In 1882 his parents left the
farm and removed to Walla Walla, where both died.
Wallace R. Copeland pursued his education in the district schools
and began his studies in one of the old-time log schoolhouses with a
puncheon floor, slab benches and sod roof. The methods of instruction
were also somewhat primitive, but he has lived to see marked
development in the educational system of the state until Washington
stands foremost in many respects in regard to its public school work.
He remained at home through the period of his youth and continued
to assist his father in the farm work until he reached the age of
twenty-two years. He then started out independently as a farmer and as
time has passed on has made for himself a most creditable and enviable
position among the leading agriculturists of the state. He at first
rented land from his father, cultivating four hundred and fifteen acres
on the Cottonwood creek. This was in 1882. For ten years he farmed that
place successfully as a renter and during the financial panic of 1892-3
he bought the farm of his father and has since extended his farming
interests by the purchase of one hundred and seventy acres, so that he
has in all five hundred and eighty-five acres. This is very valuable
wheat land and upon it are produced some of the finest wheat crops
that are grown in this section of the state. About 1911 he purchased
five hundred and eighty-four acres of wheat land on Mill creek, for
which he paid one hundred dollars per acre. He also owns a section of
grazing land in the foothills. In the year 1916 he planted five hundred
and sixty acres to wheat and there was an excellent yield. He is most
progressive in his methods and has closely studied every phase of wheat
cultivation, so that sound judgment directs his efforts and produces
splendid results.
[Illustration: WALLACE R. COPELAND]
On the 9th of March, 1884, Mr. Copeland was united in marriage to Miss
Augusta Kaseberg, of Walla Walla, a daughter of John and Henrietta
Kaseberg, natives of Germany, who came to this country when children
and were married here. For a time they made their home in Illinois,
but in 1882 came west and settled in Walla Walla county, Washington.
By trade the father was a wagon maker but his last years were devoted
to farming. He died in 1905 and the mother passed away about three
years later. In their family were eight children, of whom six are still
living. To Mr. and Mrs. Copeland have been born five children: Henry,
who is engaged in farming in Walla Walla county; Laura, the wife of
Chester Offner, of Walla Walla; Elizabeth, the wife of Mathew Ennis, a
farmer of this county; Ella, at home; and Edwin, who attended school
at Pullman and later engaged in farming in Walla Walla county, but in
December, 1917, he enlisted as machinist mate in the aviation service
of the United States navy and went to San Diego, California.
Mrs. Copeland is an active member of the Presbyterian church and its
auxiliary societies and is also an earnest worker in the Red Cross
service. In his political views Mr. Copeland is a republican and gives
stalwart support to the party, but is not an office seeker. He belongs
to the Farmers Union of Walla Walla and there is no resident of this
section of the state who is more able to speak with authority upon
agricultural questions, especially those relating to the cultivation of
wheat. His career has been notably successful. He had no assistance at
the outset but has steadily worked his way upward and his persistent
energy has brought him to a most enviable position. He has extensive
holdings and his labors have been the foundation of his present
prosperity.
J. R. AULT.
J. R. Ault, residing on section 26, township 11 north, range 37 east,
is well known as one of the leading farmers and representative citizens
of Columbia county. His birth occurred in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, on
the 7th of May, 1884, his parents being John N. and Rebecca (Kinnear)
Ault, who were born, reared and married in that province. The father
was for a number of years engaged in wool buying at Cornwall, where he
is now living retired. The mother, however, is deceased, having been
called to her final rest in 1898.
J. R. Ault was reared under the parental roof and acquired his
education in the city schools of Cornwall. In 1904, when a young man
of twenty years, he came to the state of Washington and took up his
abode in the vicinity of his present home, here beginning farming
as a renter. In 1909 he came into possession of his first property,
purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land in association with
his brother, S. C. Ault, in partnership with whom he operated the
place until the fall of 1916, since which time he has carried on
his agricultural interests independently. He now owns three hundred
and sixty acres of land and leases one hundred and sixty more, and
in the conduct of his farming operations he has won a well deserved
and gratifying measure of success by reason of his enterprise, close
application and progressiveness.
In the exercise of his right of franchise Mr. Ault supports the men
and measures of the democratic party and fraternally he is a prominent
Mason, belonging to Tucanon Lodge, No. 106, F. & A. M., of Starbuck;
Dayton Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M.; Washington Commandery, No. 5, K. T.,
of Walla Walla; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane.
He has already won a most creditable position as an agriculturist of
Columbia county, and all with whom he comes in contact recognize him as
a young man of sterling personal worth and many commendable qualities.
JAMES P. SEITZ.
James P. Seitz, who from the age of sixteen years has been a resident
of Walla Walla county, is now actively engaged in farming, his land
being situated on section 9, township 6 north, range 36 east. He is a
progressive man, alert and energetic, and his well defined plans have
been carried forward to successful completion. He was born in Missouri,
April 13, 1870, and is a son of John P. and Lydia J. (Chambers) Seitz,
whose family numbered eight children, five of whom are yet living. The
father was a native of Germany and when a young boy came to America,
the family home being established in Illinois, and for a time they
also lived in Indiana. Subsequently a removal was made to Missouri and
there John P. Seitz met and married Miss Chambers, who was a native of
Ohio and was of English descent. For twenty-five years he continued
his residence in Missouri and in 1886 came to the northwest with Walla
Walla county as his destination. After reaching this section of the
country he invested in farm land, which his son James now owns. Here
he continued to devote his time and energies to general agricultural
pursuits until his life's labors were ended in death in 1911. His wife
had passed away in 1910. In early life Mr. Seitz had learned the trades
of millwright and blacksmith, possessing much natural mechanical skill
and ability. He was a soldier of the Civil war, responding to the call
of his adopted country for aid to crush out the rebellion in the south,
and upon the field of battle he proved his loyalty to his adopted land.
He was also greatly interested in the cause of education and insisted
that English should be more thoroughly taught in our schools even if it
was necessary to exclude foreign languages.
[Illustration: JAMES P. SEITZ]
[Illustration: MRS. JAMES P. SEITZ]
James P. Seitz spent the first fifteen years of his life in the state
of his nativity and then came with his parents to Washington. He
supplemented his public school training by a high school education
and also attended Whitman College. He thus became well qualified for
life's practical and responsible duties. He was reared to farm work
and has never sought to change his occupation, for he finds farming
congenial and has made it profitable as a result of his indefatigable
energy and close application. He first rented the old homestead and
later he purchased the property, which is situated on sections 9 and
10, township 6 north, range 36 east. His farm comprises three hundred
and twenty acres in the valley between the foothills and constitutes
a desirable, beautiful and valuable property, for it has been highly
improved. In fact it is one of the finest farms in this section of the
state. Substantial buildings furnish ample shelter for grain and stock.
Mr. Seitz has erected a large, modern, circular barn, for which he made
the plans, and he also did much of the work of construction himself.
He even cut and sawed the timber and in this and other ways did much
toward completing the structure. He has also erected other buildings
upon his farm, including one containing the large engine which is the
motive power for his machinery, drill forge, electric dynamo, etc. His
residence is as complete and modern as a city home and is a monument to
the enterprise and progressive spirit of the owner. Everything about
his place is kept in good repair and fences divide the farm into fields
of convenient size, so that the work is carried on more advantageously.
He utilizes the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of
plowing, planting and harvesting, and in wheat production he displays
the most progressive methods in handling the crop, which is a very
large one, as the soil is excellently adapted for the production of
that cereal. He is also successfully engaged in stock raising. He is a
man of pronounced business ability in his chosen line of endeavor and
is constantly seeking out new methods which will promote his interests
and augment the productiveness and the general value of his farm.
On the 8th of April, 1903, Mr. Seitz was united in marriage to Miss
Adina Chambers, a native of Washington and a daughter of Joseph and
Mollie (Bulen) Chambers, the former a native of Missouri, while the
latter was born in Dayton, Washington. They had a family of two
children, Mrs. Seitz and Richard Chambers, who is now a soldier in
the United States army. To Mr. and Mrs. Seitz have been born seven
children: Lydia V., Helen, John P., May, Ina, Ara and Earl.
Mr. and Mrs. Seitz attend the Presbyterian church and are people of
genuine worth, enjoying the confidence and goodwill of all with whom
they have been associated. Mr. Seitz belongs to the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, his membership being in Lodge No. 121. In politics
he maintains an independent course, voting for the candidate whom he
regards as best qualified for the office without considering party
ties. He is actuated by a patriotic desire to stand for all that tends
to promote the best interests of the community and of the commonwealth
and his cooperation can always be counted upon to further various
movements and measures for the public good.
SMITH F. HENDERSON.
Smith F. Henderson, a prominent brick and cement contractor of Walla
Walla, was born in Pennsylvania, January 28, 1849, a son of R. S. and
Margaret (Keys) Henderson, who were born in the Keystone state, of
Irish descent. Both passed away in Pennsylvania and three of their ten
children are also deceased.
Smith F. Henderson spent the days of his boyhood and youth under
the parental roof and received the usual educational advantages,
attending the public schools. In 1875, in early manhood, he went to
California but three years later came to Walla Walla, where he has
since remained. He has always followed the brick and cement contracting
business and his thorough knowledge of the principles of construction
in those materials and his scrupulous fulfillment of every detail of
his contracts have enabled him to build up a large patronage. He has
erected many of the better buildings in the city and ranks as one of
its leading contractors. He holds title to an excellent building, from
the rental of which he derives a gratifying profit.
Mr. Henderson was married in 1880 to Miss Katherine Root, who was born
in Tennessee, but who has resided in Walla Walla since the early '60s.
To them have been born four children, of whom three have passed away,
one son, Arthur G., surviving.
Mr. Henderson gives his political allegiance to the republican party
and his religious faith is that of the Methodist church, to which his
wife also belongs, and of which he has served as chairman of the board
of trustees. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows in which local lodge he has filled all the chairs, and with
the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His integrity, his public spirit
and his business ability are generally recognized and his personal
friends are many.
O. M. RICHMOND.
O. M. Richmond, a well known resident of Walla Walla, owns twelve
hundred acres of fine land in Walla Walla county and derives a
gratifying profit from its rental. He was born in Illinois, July 12,
1860, a son of Andrew J. and Mary J. (Lane) Richmond. The father was
born in Ohio but for a number of years resided in Illinois. In 1880 he
came to the Pacific northwest and took up his home in Oregon, where
both he and his wife passed away. All of their six children survive.
O. M. Richmond was a student in the public schools of his native state
and thus obtained his education. He was nineteen years of age when
he accompanied his parents on the long journey across the plains and
he assisted his father in developing the homestead. He continued to
farm in that state until 1913, when he came to Walla Walla, where he
has since resided. He purchased land in Walla Walla county and now
owns twelve hundred acres but rents it to others, preferring to live
retired. He has gained the success which is his through industry and
sound judgment and the rest which he is now enjoying is well deserved.
Mr. Richmond was married in 1889 to Miss Nellie Preston, who was born
in Illinois and is a daughter of William and Margaret (Hatch) Preston,
natives of Illinois. In 1879 the Preston family removed to Oregon and
for a number of years resided on a farm in that state. The father
died in Oregon and the mother subsequently came to Walla Walla and is
now living with Mr. and Mrs. Richmond. The latter have two daughters:
Gladys, the wife of O. Taylor, of Walla Walla county; and N. Bernice,
who is a graduate of Whitman College and is teaching music.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. O. M. RICHMOND]
Mr. Richmond belongs to the Baptist church and seeks to further its
work in every way possible. In politics he is a democrat and has served
capably on the school board. Fraternally he belongs to the Artisans.
Although he has resided in Walla Walla for only a few years he has
already won the sincere friendship of many, his salient characteristics
being such as invariably command respect and regard.
ALVIN G. BAUMEISTER.
Formerly as a clothing merchant and later in the real estate and
insurance field Alvin G. Baumeister has made for himself a most
creditable position in the business circles of Walla Walla, where he
has been conducting his interests as a member of the firm of Shaw &
Baumeister. He is a native son of the city in which he resides and the
course which he has pursued throughout his entire life has been such as
to commend him to the confidence, goodwill and high respect of all with
whom he has been associated. He was born in this city January 23, 1883,
and is a representative of one of its oldest and most honored pioneer
families, his parents being Max and Alvine (Schweiker) Baumeister, of
whom more extended mention is made on another page of this work.
Alvin G. Baumeister began his education in the schools of Walla Walla,
passing through consecutive grades to the high school. On the 1st of
February, 1905, when he was a young man of about twenty-two years, he
was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle E. Wilson, a daughter of P. H.
Wilson, one of the prominent farmers of Walla Walla county and one of
its well known pioneer citizens. With a good education and now with a
home for which to provide, Mr. Baumeister seriously took up the duties
of life and in the year of his marriage became identified with the
commercial interests of Walla Walla, establishing and conducting a
clothing and furnishing goods store. He carried on the business with
growing success for about three years or until 1908, when he disposed
of his store and removed to Seattle. He remained for nine months in
that city and was employed in a clothing store, but upon his father's
death in 1909 he returned to Walla Walla and became his successor in
the real estate and insurance business, in which he has been engaged
until recently. He had one of the large agencies of this character and
negotiated many important realty transfers. He thoroughly understands
property values and has handled business interests of importance
in this line. He also had a well organized insurance department,
representing a number of the most reliable companies, and he wrote
a large amount of insurance. Thus his interests were profitably
managed and his course illustrates what may be accomplished by serious
endeavor. Recently he has sold his insurance business in Walla Walla
and has now identified himself with a new organization, established in
St. Louis, Missouri. This new company is to be known as The Liberty
Insurance Corporation of which all capital is to be invested in liberty
bonds.
Mr. Baumeister also figures prominently in fraternal circles. He has
membership in Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, A. F. & A. M.; in Walla Walla
Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; in Washington Commandery, No. 1, K. T.;
in Oriental Consistory, A. & A. S. R., of Spokane; and in El Katif
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., also of Spokane. His name is likewise on
the membership rolls of Trinity Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., and of the
encampment, and he belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O.
E. He likewise belongs to the Commercial Club and is a member of the
Walla Walla Golf Club--associations that further indicate the nature
of his interests. In politics he is a republican, well versed on the
questions and issues of the day and believing firmly in the principles
of his party, yet he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to
concentrate his energies and attention upon his business affairs. He
ranks with the leading and representative business men of Walla Walla,
where his entire life has been passed. His record is a commendable one,
for at all times his course has displayed no esoteric phase. In all
things he is open and aboveboard and an analyzation of his career shows
that it is close application and indefatigable energy which have placed
him in his present enviable position in real estate and insurance
circles.
EDWARD BAUMEISTER.
In Saxe-Weimar, Germany, on June 24, 1848, was born the subject of this
sketch. His father, Ernest Baumeister, was a native of Erfurt, Germany,
and came to the United States in 1854, bringing his family. Settlement
was made in New York state and so thoroughly did the elder Baumeister
identify himself with the interests of the country of his adoption,
that upon the breaking out of the rebellion, he promptly enlisted in a
New York regiment of volunteer cavalry and served with distinction and
valor until the last conflict at Fredericksburg when he was wounded
and soon gave his life for his country. He had married Miss Charlotte
Schroeder, also a native of Germany.
Our subject was but a lad when his father died and the same spirit that
pervaded the breast of the ancestor, was found well planted in the
heart of his son. He, too, has taken up the cause of his country in a
determined and loyal way, championing those measures and principles
which are for the upbuilding of our free institutions. After attending
the common schools of New York until he was twelve years old, he
accompanied his brother, Max, to California. For two years he served an
apprenticeship there as a barber and in April, 1863, he and his brother
moved to Washington and settled in Walla Walla where for nineteen years
they followed the barber trade. Then selling out they engaged for two
years in the real estate and insurance business.
In 1885 Edward Baumeister moved to Lewiston and accepted a position
in the general store of John P. Vollmer & Company. For seven months
he served faithfully there and in the fall of 1885, came to the town
of Asotin, then located farther up the river than at present. Mr.
Baumeister selected the place where Asotin now stands and opened a fine
general merchandise establishment. This general store was, for many
years, the commercial center of the county. The upper rooms of the
building were used for lodge and court room purposes. During the panic
of 1893-5, the firm practically financed the county. Much of the grain
and live stock of the county was bought by the company and shipped
away. At one time, several hundred horses were driven by the firm back
to Missouri and Illinois. During these years, the store acted as the
bank and financial clearinghouse of the county and in 1900, the first
bank in the county was opened in connection with the business. In 1908,
the general store was sold but the bank was retained, and is still
doing a leading business in the county.
[Illustration: EDWARD BAUMEISTER]
In addition to the property already mentioned, Mr. Baumeister has
extensive holdings in real estate in Asotin county as well as in other
places in Washington and Idaho and is considered one of the wealthy and
substantial men of the state.
In political matters, Mr. Baumeister has been a life long republican
and it can be said that throughout his public career he has shown
the same care and painstaking effort in public matters as that which
brought him success in his own business. Fraternally, he is an Odd
Fellow, having joined that order in Walla Walla, in 1869. At the
present time, January, 1918, he is the only man living who was a member
at the time of his initiation in Enterprise Lodge, No. 2. He was the
first representative from the Grand Encampment of the then territory
of Washington, to the Sovereign Grand Lodge, which met that year at
Minneapolis. He is also a charter member of Riverside Lodge, No. 41,
of Asotin, and a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, at
Lewiston, Idaho.
Edward Baumeister is practically the father of Asotin county and
has been for many years one of the leading men of the state. For
two terms, he represented Asotin, Garfield and Columbia counties in
the state senate and for fifty-four years he has been associated
with every financial, political and social movement in southeastern
Washington. He has been personally acquainted with every governor
of the territory, and the state, up to the present time except the
first four. For thirty-two years, he has lived and labored in Asotin
and been intimately associated with every step in the growth of the
county and city. Throughout all these years, Mr. Baumeister has borne
an unblemished reputation for honesty, kindness and genuine goodness.
At the time of this writing he is undoubtedly the best known and best
loved man in Asotin county. He is a striking example of what can be
accomplished by courage, optimism and persistency in spite of the
handicap of lack of scholastic training and financial resources. He
is, in fact, a self made man who has done a good job. His life is thus
an example worthy of imitation by every young man, and this, in the
opinion of the writer, is about the highest praise anyone can be given.
Although now seventy years of age, he is still an active and
progressive citizen. At the present time, he is president of the local
commercial club, chairman of the Red Cross war fund and the thrift
stamp and war saving certificate fund of the county. All these public
interests he carries in addition to his regular duties as president of
his bank.
At College Point, New York, May 3, 1870, Mr. Baumeister married Miss
Elizabeth Miller. They will soon celebrate their golden wedding and it
may be truthfully said of Mrs. Baumeister that her interests in the
development of the Inland Empire, have been as great as those of her
husband. She is widely known, interested in every good movement and
many a cause has been aided by her during her life as a pioneer woman.
To Mr. and Mrs. Baumeister were born two children: Anna C., wife
of Dr. Stephen D. Brazeau of Spokane; and Alletta W., wife of W.
L. Thompson, president of the American National Bank, of Pendleton,
Oregon. Mrs. Baumeister has been, for many years, a member of
the Protestant Episcopal church and a liberal supporter of all
benefactions. Though not directly allied with the church, Mr.
Baumeister exemplified in his life, many of the virtues of the
Christian, and really tries to carry out, in his life, the principles
of righteousness.
MORDO McDONALD.
Mordo McDonald, one of the prominent men of Walla Walla county, is
not only successfully operating large tracts of land but is also
active in public affairs, his energy and capability enabling him to
accomplish much. He was born in Stark county, Illinois, February 18,
1863, the son of John and Jane (Grant) McDonald, both natives of
Scotland, the former being born in the village of Sheldaig, Apple
Cross parish, in the northern part of Scotland, July 10, 1823. The
parents were reared and married in their native country and the father
followed the career of a sea captain. In 1857 they came to the United
States and, continuing their journey, traversed the continent as far
as Stark county, Illinois, where they located. The father farmed
there until 1863, when he removed with his family to the far west,
crossing the seemingly illimitable plains with one yoke of oxen and
one yoke of cows, which they milked every day on the journey. Under
the most favorable conditions the long trip overland to the coast was
fraught with many hardships, but the difficulties of the journey were
increased by the fact that the father broke his leg on the second day
out. However, he was confined to his bed but eighteen days, and then
he was able to walk on crutches. At length Oregon was reached and he
took up a homestead not far from the town of La Grande. He brought the
place under cultivation and met with gratifying success in his farming
operations, continuing to reside upon the homestead. He passed away
November 17, 1903, and his wife died two years later, November 16, 1905.
Mordo McDonald was but an infant when brought by his parents to Oregon
and was reared at home with the usual experiences of the boy brought
up in pioneer surroundings. His education was that afforded in the
district schools but he received thorough training in farming through
assisting his father. In early manhood he was associated with his
brothers and his father in the operation of the home place. When he was
twenty-five years old he and his five brothers bought a tract of land,
which they cultivated in addition to operating the homestead. This
partnership was maintained until 1895, when Mr. McDonald of this review
removed to Walla Walla county, Washington. For a year he conducted a
butcher business in partnership with Chris Ennis, and then, with three
other men, went into the horse business, furnishing eight thousand
horses to the government for service in the Philippine islands. He
became interested in raising horses and for a number of years devoted
his time to that work, becoming well known as a horse dealer and
breeder and confined his business entirely to handling government
horses. In 1908, however, he gave up that work and began cultivating
his present home farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 8,
township 6 north, range 36 east. He raises the crops best suited to the
soil and climate of this section and receives a good profit from his
labors.
On December 24, 1889, Mr. McDonald was united in marriage to Miss Belle
Cameron, a daughter of Alex Cameron, who came to Oregon on the same
emigrant train of which the McDonald family were a part. To this union
were born two children: Jessie, the wife of W. C. Marsh, a resident of
Los Angeles, California; and Hector, at home. The wife and mother died
in 1906 and on June 2, 1909, Mr. McDonald was united in marriage to
Miss Florence Halvor, of The Dalles, Oregon.
Mr. McDonald is well known as an active worker in the republican party
and in the fall of 1906 he was elected to represent his district in
the state legislature, in which connection he made a record creditable
alike to his ability and public spirit. For several years he served as
chairman of the republican central committee and at one election in
that period every man on the ticket was successful with the exception
of the candidate for constable, who was sick in the hospital and was,
therefore, unable to canvass the county. Mr. McDonald was a member of
the board that had charge of the Walla Walla county exhibit, held in
Portland, and the fact that the exhibit won many prizes is proof of
the energy and efficiency which the board brought to their task. The
other members were, Dr. N. G. Blalock and C. L. Whitney. Mr. McDonald's
fraternal connections are with Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A.
M.; Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; Washington Commandery, No.
1, K. T.; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane. He is
thoroughly western in spirit and interests and has full confidence in
the prosperous future in store for Washington.
JOHN B. DUNHAM.
No matter in how much fantastic theorizing one may indulge as to
the cause of success, he must eventually reach the conclusion that
prosperity is the outcome of persistent effort and indefatigable
industry combined with close application. This statement finds
verification in the life record of John B. Dunham, a prosperous stock
dealer now residing in Walla Walla. He was born in Logansport, Indiana,
November 13, 1842, a son of John and Matilda (Griffin) Dunham, both
of whom were natives of the Hoosier state, where they were reared and
married. The father, attracted by the discovery of gold in California,
was among those who made their way to the Pacific coast over the
Isthmus route in 1849. He was reasonably successful in his search for
the precious metal and in 1850 he returned to Indiana with the rewards
of his labor. Soon afterward he removed to Champaign county, Illinois,
where he was engaged in farming up to the time of his death.
John B. Dunham spent his youthful days under the parental roof and
acquired a district school education. When not busy with his textbooks
his attention was given to the work of the farm and he assisted in
the tasks of plowing, planting and harvesting. In June, 1864, when in
the early twenties, he responded to the country's call for military
aid, enlisting as a member of Company A, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth
Illinois Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war,
being mustered out in September, 1865. When the country no longer
needed his aid he engaged in farming in Champaign county, Illinois,
there remaining until 1888, when he came to the coast, settling first
at Roseburg, Oregon. There he engaged in the feed business for three
years and afterward removed to Eugene, Oregon, where he was engaged in
merchandising for five years. In 1896 he came to Walla Walla, where he
has since made his home and during the period of his residence here,
covering twenty-one years, he has been successfully engaged in the
livestock business. Persistency of purpose has ever been one of his
marked characteristics and, guided by sound judgment, has brought him a
very substantial measure of prosperity.
On the 19th of December, 1883, Mr. Dunham was united in marriage to
Miss Eliza J. Hull, a daughter of John Hull, of Champaign county,
Illinois. They have become the parents of four children, as follows:
Lena E., who is the widow of W. G. Osborne and resides in Los Angeles,
California; Charley, who makes his home in Baker, Oregon; Fannie M.,
the wife of John Shaddick, who is proprietor of an automobile garage in
Walla Walla; and Victor B., a resident of Montana.
In his political views Mr. Dunham is a stalwart republican but has
never been an office seeker. For the past three years he and his wife
have spent the winter seasons in southern California but return to
Walla Walla for the summer months. They have gained many friends during
the period of their residence in this city and the hospitality of their
home is greatly enjoyed by their associates. In business affairs Mr.
Dunham sustains an unassailable reputation for integrity as well as
enterprise and in matters of citizenship he has always been as true and
loyal to his country as when he followed the nation's starry banner on
the battlefields of the south.
MATTHEW LYONS.
Matthew Lyons, who is successfully engaged in farming in Walla Walla
county, was born in Ireland, March 22, 1869, and is a son of Thomas and
Anne (Touey) Lyons, also natives of that country. When about twenty-one
years of age the father went to Australia, where he engaged in mining
for some time, and while there he met Miss Anne Touey and they were
married. After spending twelve years in that country, during which time
four children were born to them, they returned to Ireland, where the
following two years were passed. In 1871, however, they again left the
Emerald isle and this time came to the United States, bringing with
them their family of six children. The father having a brother, Patrick
Lyons, residing in Washington, the family proceeded to this state
and here Thomas Lyons homesteaded a tract near Dixie, in Walla Walla
county. As time passed he steadily prospered in his farming operations
and became the owner of two thousand acres of land in one body. He also
acquired a large tract of fourteen hundred acres on Russell creek.
He continued the operation of his land for many years, but in 1902
purchased a home at No. 204 Newell street, Walla Walla, and there spent
the remainder of his life, dying on the 1st of February, 1914, at the
age of eighty years. His wife survived him only one week and passed
away at the age of seventy-eight. Their three youngest children were
born in Washington and of the nine, eight are yet living: John, now
a resident of Valdez, Alaska; Frank P., a physician of Kansas City,
Missouri; Delia C., who is living at the old home in Walla Walla;
Thomas R., an ex-judge of Juneau, Alaska, and now an attorney of
Seattle, Washington; Matthew, of this review; Annie, deceased; James
C., who is engaged in farming on Russell creek; Eleanor B., a resident
of Walla Walla; and Margaret E., the wife of Frank Shaw, of Seward,
Alaska.
[Illustration: THOMAS LYONS]
[Illustration: MRS. THOMAS LYONS]
Matthew Lyons was a mere infant when brought by his parents to this
state and here he grew to manhood. He attended the district schools
and completed his education at the Empire Business College of Walla
Walla, from which he was graduated. During his boyhood and youth he
assisted his father in the farm work and on attaining his majority took
charge of a portion of the homestead, of which he now owns four hundred
and eighty acres. He also rents a large tract of land and is today
operating two thousand acres devoted to wheat. Although his attention
is principally given to the raising of grain, he raises stock to some
extent and has steadily prospered in his business undertakings.
In 1903 Mr. Lyons was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Chandler, a
native of Detroit, Michigan, and a daughter of Joseph and Matilda
(Smith) Chandler. To Mr. and Mrs. Lyons have been born five children,
as follows, Margaret G., Eleanor M., Mary B., Matthew J. and Gerard, of
whom the last named is deceased. In 1916 Mr. Lyons erected a commodious
modern residence on South Third street, Walla Walla, and here the
family now reside.
He has never been an office seeker but has nevertheless manifested a
commendable interest in public affairs and has staunchly supported the
candidates and measures of the democratic party. He holds membership
in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus
and the Maccabees and is deservedly popular in those organizations.
Both he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic church. He is
enthusiastic concerning Walla Walla county and its opportunities and
finds pleasure in cooperating in movements calculated to advance its
interests.
JAMES McGREEVY.
James McGreevy, a prosperous retired farmer residing on section 8,
township 13 north, range 43 east, Garfield county, was born in Ireland,
March 22, 1867, a son of Hugh and Rose (Flynn) McGreevy, both of whom
passed their entire lives in Ireland. They had two children, of whom
the daughter, Jennie, is still a resident of the Emerald isle.
The son, James McGreevy came to the United States when only eleven
years of age and joined an uncle living in Pittsburgh. After remaining
there for five years he went to Iowa, where he lived for one year. It
was in 1889 that he settled in Columbia county, Washington, and for one
year he engaged in the stock business, after which he purchased his
present farm in Garfield county. It comprises four hundred and eighty
acres, all of which is under cultivation, and the improvements thereon
are excellent and add much to its value. He operated the place until
1914, when he retired, but he still retains his residence thereon.
Mr. McGreevy was married in 1898, in Washington, to Miss Rose Glennon,
who was born in Clayton county, Iowa. He casts his ballot in support of
the democratic party and has served acceptably as a member of the local
school board. He holds membership in the Woodmen of the World and in
the Farmers' Union and is deservedly popular in those organizations. He
was thrown upon his own resources at an early age and his educational
opportunities were limited, but his native soundness of judgment,
combined with industry and the determination to succeed, has enabled
him to distance many who started with greater advantages.
CHARLES E. BERG.
Charles E. Berg, the proprietor of the Lily mills in Walla Walla, has
been engaged in that line of business for thirty-five years and is one
of the pioneer mill men of eastern Washington. He was born in Polk
county, Oregon, March 28, 1854, a son of John and Margaret (Donnelly)
Berg, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Ireland. They
came to America in young manhood and young womanhood and were married
in San Francisco, California, whence they removed to Polk county,
Oregon, in 1853. They took up their residence on a small ranch there
and the father built a log cabin with a clapboard roof and stick
chimney, which was the family home during the year they remained in
Oregon. At the end of that time they returned to California, where the
father engaged in mining for four years. In 1862, however, he removed
to Walla Walla county, Washington, and remained here until his death.
There were nine sons in his family, but only three are now living.
Charles E. Berg was a child when his parents removed to Walla Walla
county and here he received his education, attending the pioneer
schools. His first school stood at the corner of Fifth and Main
streets, in Walla Walla, and in those early days each scholar had to
pay fifty cents each week as the teacher's compensation. During his
youth he learned the miller's trade and for thirty-five years has
engaged in the milling business, being now the proprietor of the Lily
mills of Walla Walla. He himself erected the plant in 1917 and he takes
the greatest care in the manufacture of his flour, which is of the
highest grade and for which he finds a ready sale. On investigation
he found that about twenty-five thousand dollars per year was going
out of the city for pancake flour, self-rising flour, corn meal and
graham flour and that no mill here was manufacturing these products.
Accordingly he erected his mill to supply the demand, believing he
could do a good business and supply the people of his home vicinity at
a considerable saving on these articles. His mill was completed and put
in operation in January, 1918. Besides this plant he also owns forty
acres of land and has a nice residence in Walla Walla.
[Illustration: CHARLES E. BERG]
Mr. Berg was married in 1901 to Miss Matilda Gear and for his second
wife chose Mrs. Etta Jones. The democratic party has a stanch supporter
in Mr. Berg and for two terms he served efficiently as street
commissioner of Walla Walla, while for twenty years he supervised the
work of the prisoners at the state penitentiary. The competence which
is now his is evidence of his industry and good management, for all
that he has he has made by his own labors. He is highly esteemed by all
who know him and has many warm personal friends. He was a member of the
old Walla Walla Volunteer Fire Department until the paid department was
created. While a lad in his teens he was "torch boy," whose duty it
was to carry the light by which the firemen found their way to fires
and for working about their apparatus, for at that time there were no
street lights in Walla Walla. At the age of twenty-one years he became
a full fledged fireman, his company being "Tiger" Engine Company No. 2.
The machines were then pulled by hand and the water likewise pumped.
Later they secured a steam engine. When the paid department was formed
Mr. Berg retired from the service. He remembers the first fire in Walla
Walla, which was the burning of the Robinson Theater at Seventh and
Main streets, and the soldiers from the garrison helped in fighting
the fire with a "bucket brigade." He also has vivid recollections of
the early days when the Vigilantes were the law enforcers and often
the law breakers. There was a secret society known as the U. F. F. Us,
whose purpose was a mystery, which used to parade with torches and did
mysterious things. On one occasion the Vigilantes had warned a negro
called Slim Jim to leave the town. He was accused of making keys and
releasing prisoners from the old jail. He was given a certain time to
leave and warned that if he was not then gone he must hang. He failed
to go, so one night they forced his room at the old City Hotel, took
him in a wagon to South Second street and hanged him on a tree which
now stands in the yard of Frank Singleton. His body was informally
buried on a ridge not far from the place of execution, where was an old
burying ground.
HENRY F. ZÜGER.
Henry F. Züger, a prosperous and up-to-date farmer of Walla Walla
county engaged in the raising of both wheat and stock, has spent his
entire life in this county, as his birth here occurred August 20,
1883. An account of the life of his father, Marcus Züger, Sr., appears
elsewhere in this work.
Henry F. Züger was reared at home and received a good education in
the public schools and in high school. On attaining his majority he
entered into partnership with his brother, Marcus, and for five years
they operated the homestead. At the end of that time Mr. Züger of
this review took up his residence on his present farm on section 12,
township 9 north, range 36 east. He holds title to six hundred acres
and rents other land, operating in all twenty-one hundred acres.
Although the land is all excellently adapted to wheat raising, he has
found it more profitable to raise stock as well as wheat, and he has
gained gratifying success along both lines. He realizes that while hard
work is necessary in farming, industry alone is not enough; that the
farmer as well as the business man must plan his work carefully and
give attention to the proper marketing of his products.
Mr. Züger was married in 1908 to Miss Ella Clodius, a native of Mill
Creek, Washington. They are the parents of a son and daughter, Charles
V., and Helen M.
Mr. Züger is an advocate of the principles of the republican party
and casts his ballot in support of its candidates. He has served as
school clerk and has been instrumental in furthering the interests
of the local educational system. He is well known as a member of the
Elks and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the principles of
fraternity underlying these organizations find exemplification in his
daily life. Both he and his wife are communicants of the Roman Catholic
church and manifest a praiseworthy interest in its varied activities.
NATHANIEL WEBB.
Nathaniel Webb, who for many years was actively engaged in sheep
raising and farming, is now living retired in Walla Walla at
the advanced age of eighty-four years. He was born in Stamford,
Connecticut, December 17, 1833, and is a son of John Webb, who was also
born in Stamford and who devoted his life to farming. He removed to the
middle west and his death occurred in Minnesota. The mother bore the
maiden name of Sallie Davenport and was also a native of Connecticut.
Nathaniel Webb, who is one of two sons, went to California by the
Nicaragua route in 1854 and ten years later removed to Oregon, whence
in 1876 he came to Walla Walla county. For eight years he engaged in
mining in California and Idaho and after removing to Oregon taught
school for two or three terms at Roseburg, that state. In 1868 he
purchased sheep and turned his attention to sheep ranching, in which
he continued to engage for a number of years after taking up his
home in Washington. He was one of the earliest and most successful
sheep ranchers, owning large numbers of sheep on the range in Oregon
and Idaho, as well as in Washington. In 1882 he bought about three
sections of land, one-half of which was railroad land and sold at two
dollars and sixty cents an acre, and he also took up a homestead claim,
a timber claim and a preemption right, acquiring in all about five
hundred acres from the government. Later as this region became more
thickly settled he to a great extent gave up sheep raising and turned
his attention to farming, in which he likewise met with a signal degree
of success. He owns about three thousand acres of land, from which he
derives a handsome income, but leaves the management of his affairs to
others and is enjoying well deserved leisure. He resides in Walla Walla
and is surrounded with all of the comforts of life.
[Illustration: MRS. NATHANIEL WEBB]
[Illustration: NATHANIEL WEBB]
Mr. Webb was married November 17, 1875, to Mrs. Eliza J. Smith, who
was born in Hannibal, Missouri, December 28, 1843, a daughter of James
and Almeda (Barney) Boggs, who in 1853 went to Oregon by ox team. The
father took up a donation claim of three hundred and sixty acres near
Dallas, in Polk county, and engaged in operating that place until
1860, when he removed to Roseburg. He, too, was chiefly engaged in the
raising of sheep, which business many of the early settlers followed.
Mrs. Webb was the eldest of a family of ten children, of whom only
four now survive. In 1857 she was married to F. W. Smith, by whom she
had four children, namely: J. Cy, who died, leaving a wife and six
children, Orville, Jessie, Nate, Melvin, Helen and Mollie; George W.,
at home; Mary E., who became the wife of J. Valaer and died, leaving
one son; and one who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Webb have become the
parents of three children: Nat, who is a graduate of Whitman College
and is now farming; Paul, who is married and resides at Heppner,
Oregon; and Kate, who died in infancy.
Mr. Webb is a stanch republican in politics and has supported the
candidates of that party ever since it came into existence. His wife
holds membership in the Methodist church and both can be counted upon
to use their influence on the side of right and justice. For more than
six decades Mr. Webb has been connected with the Pacific coast and
for more than forty years has been a resident of Washington and has
seen the open ranges where thousands of sheep fed give way to finely
improved and highly cultivated wheat fields and has witnessed many
other changes as the development of eastern Washington has progressed.
He has thoroughly identified his interests with those of his county
and state and has always placed the public welfare above his private
interests.
HON. JAMES M. DEWAR.
One of the prominent figures in the early history of Walla Walla
county was the Hon. James M. Dewar, stockman, farmer and member of
the territorial legislature. He was born in Scotland, in the county
of Perth, near the ancient castle of Doune, February 12, 1824. His
father was a farmer and he grew up on the northern slope of the
Grampian hills, becoming familiar with the scenes of Scottish legend.
He received his education in his native country and remained at home
until 1853, when he decided to try his fortune in America. For five
years after his arrival in this country he traveled over the northern
states and in 1858 he came to the Pacific coast country. While making
his home at Champoeg, on the Willamette river, he met a relative,
Archibald Mackinley, who was known to practically all the pioneers
of the northwest as one of the most daring trappers in the employ of
the Hudson's Bay Company. Mr. Mackinley advised Mr. Dewar to settle
in the Walla Walla valley, describing in detail its many advantages,
but also pointing out the fact that there existed considerable danger
from Indians. Taking everything into consideration, Mr. Dewar decided
to act on the advice of the trapper and on the 4th of January, 1859,
arrived within the limits of the present Walla Walla county. His first
home was a log cabin on Cottonwood creek and, liking the surroundings,
he bought it and the claim on which it was built, paying the owner
fifty dollars for the whole. At first it was not his intention to make
this his permanent home but rather to make it a base for his stock
raising activities, as he saw in the fine grazing land of the Walla
Walla valley a fine opportunity to raise stock for the Pacific market.
However, the more he learned about this section the more confident
he became that it offered opportunities which could not be surpassed
elsewhere and accordingly when the country became settled and his range
began to narrow he sold off his surplus stock and turned his attention
to farming. His first purchase of land consisted of three hundred and
twenty acres, to which he later added one hundred and seventy-four
acres, and his well directed labors resulted in transforming the entire
tract into a highly improved farm in a high state of cultivation. He
fenced his holdings, erected good buildings, including a beautiful
modern home which took the place of the pioneer log cabin, and he also
planted an orchard, the oldest in the county with one exception.
On the 27th of January, 1864, Mr. Dewar was married in Walla Walla to
Miss Margaret McRae, who survives. To them were born seven children,
of whom three are living, Alexander, Alida and Gordon M. The others,
John, James M., Elizabeth and David are deceased, the last two dying of
diphtheria on the same day.
Mr. Dewar was a stanch advocate of republican principles and was
recognized as a leader in party circles. In 1878 he was chosen as a
member of the territorial legislature and while serving in that body
was the author of the celebrated railway freight bill which bore his
name. In 1882 he was again elected to the legislature and a third
time was chosen to represent his district in 1888, but before that
legislature convened the territory had become a state. He was also a
delegate to the convention which nominated candidates for membership in
the body to which the drafting of the state constitution was entrusted.
To him a public office was a sacred trust and his course was dictated
solely by considerations of the general welfare. Through the honest
and capable discharge of his duties he won the right to rank among
the builders of the state. The guiding principle of his life was his
religious belief and the Presbyterian church found in him a loyal and
active member. His widow is still identified with that denomination and
likewise takes a hearty interest in its activities. The death of Mr.
Dewar occurred March 27, 1892.
ELI BOLICK.
Eli Bolick is now practically living retired in Asotin but still
has extensive investments in farm lands and mercantile interests.
He was born in North Carolina in 1854 and there spent the period of
his boyhood and youth, during which time he acquired a common school
education. The period of his minority was passed in the home of his
parents, Abner and Nancy Bolick, who were farming people of the Old
North state. On his way westward Mr. Bolick stopped for one year in
Missouri in order to earn money with which to continue the trip. He
then came on to Washington, where he arrived in 1878, and settled on a
homestead on the flat above Asotin. From time to time he added to his
property until he now has eighteen hundred acres of rich and valuable
land, which his sons are now cultivating. For many years, however, he
personally gave his time and attention to his farm work and his life
has ever been one of untiring energy and thrift. However, about two
or three years ago he retired from the farm. While busily engaged in
tilling the soil he made wheat his principal crop. It was in the latter
'90s when the people began to realize that their land was valuable and
it has since steadily advanced in price until it is now selling on an
average of from fifty to sixty dollars per acre. In addition to his
farming interests Mr. Bolick has a large hardware and implement store
in Asotin which is supervised by Robert Anderson, who is half owner of
the business. This is the only store of the kind in the town and the
trade has steadily grown.
[Illustration: ELI BOLICK]
In 1886 Mr. Bolick was united in marriage to Miss Elvinia Forgey, who
was born in the Willamette valley, Oregon, and was a daughter of Elias
and Calistine Forgey, pioneers of that section. In 1882, however, her
parents removed to Asotin county, Washington, and took up a homestead,
where Mr. Forgey engaged in the raising of grain and stock. Mrs. Bolick
passed away July 7, 1916. By her marriage she had become the mother of
nine children: Maude, who died at the age of seventeen years; Wallace
and Alice, twins, the former a large rancher of Alberta, Canada, while
the latter is the wife of Ray Adams, of Cheney, Washington; Mollie, the
wife of B. Hughes of the Willamette valley; Grace and Nettie, who are
engaged in teaching; Dell, who married Ruby Sargent and is upon his
father's farm; and Russell and Fern, both at home.
In politics Mr. Bolick has always been a republican but not an active
party worker. He served for six years as county commissioner although
he was never ambitious to hold office. He has ever been a friend of
education and the public schools have found in him a stalwart champion.
He stands for progress and advancement along many lines and in his own
business career has illustrated the force of unfaltering industry and
close application guided by sound judgment.
HON. GEORGE C. GINN.
Hon. George C. Ginn, of Walla Walla, is prominent both in agricultural
circles of this section and in public affairs, having served as a
member of the state legislature. He was born in Umatilla county,
Oregon, November 27, 1875, a son of Richard and Catherine (Kinnear)
Ginn, the former a native of Scotland, whence he emigrated to Canada
in 1840. He was married there and in 1860 removed with his family to
Minnesota, where he resided for a decade. He then came to the Pacific
northwest and settled on a farm in Umatilla county, to the operation of
which he gave his entire time and attention until 1898, when he retired
and removed to Walla Walla. Here he passed away in 1899 and his wife
died five years later.
Hon. George C. Ginn, who is one of six living children of a family of
ten, received his education in the common schools and in the State
Normal School in Oregon. During his boyhood and youth he also received
thorough training in agricultural work which proved very valuable when
he began farming on his own account. On beginning his independent
career he purchased land in Umatilla county and still owns five hundred
acres there, the operation of which he supervises, although he makes
his home in Walla Walla. In the management of his farming interests
he has displayed sound judgment, a progressive spirit and excellent
business ability and is one of the substantial residents of Walla
Walla. He is also a stockholder and a director in the Third National
Bank of this city.
In 1903 occurred the marriage of Mr. Ginn and Miss Rowena Evans.
Following her death in 1910 he was married in 1912 to Miss Linnie
P. Riggs, a native of Oregon. Mr. Ginn is prominent in the councils
of the republican party, which he has supported since becoming of
age, and in 1914 he was elected a member of the state legislature.
His thorough grasp of public questions, his ability to differentiate
between the essential and the non-essential and his consistent regard
for the public welfare soon attracted favorable notice in that body and
his work as a legislator reflected credit upon himself and upon the
district which he represented. Fraternally he belongs to Lodge No. 121,
I. O. O. F., to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, in which he
has held a number of offices, and to the Woodmen of the World. He is in
hearty sympathy with the work of the Commercial Club, of which he is an
active member, and every project calculated to promote the interests
of Walla Walla depends upon and receives his moral and material
support. He possesses the physical and mental vigor that enables him
to accomplish much with seeming ease and although his has been a busy
life he has always been characterized by a hearty good nature that has
endeared him to his many friends. Both he and his wife belong to the
Presbyterian church and his generous spirit has found expression in a
liberal support of its various activities.
FRED L. MILLER.
Among the native sons of Washington who have elected to continue
residents of the state is Fred L. Miller, a prominent farmer and stock
raiser of Garfield county. He was born on the site of Dayton, Columbia
county, February 12, 1866, and is a son of George W. and Sarah E.
(Ping) Miller, an account of whose lives appears in the sketch of Judge
Chester F. Miller, elsewhere in this work.
Fred L. Miller grew to manhood in his native county and as a boy
attended the Dayton public schools and continued his studies in the
high school, from which he was graduated in 1888. On beginning his
independent career he took up his residence upon the farm where he
still resides, which is located on the Snake river. He divides his
time between grain farming and breeding cattle for the market. He owns
forty-two hundred acres and in addition to this operates six hundred
acres of state land under lease. He is recognized as an authority upon
the different problems relative to the production of grain and on
the various phases of cattle raising and each branch of his business
returns to him a good profit. He specializes in registered white faced
Hereford cattle and feeds from three hundred to four hundred each
winter.
On the 16th of October, 1888, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss
Laura A. McMorris, a daughter of J. E. McMorris, who in 1879 removed to
Columbia county, Washington, from California. Ten children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller, namely: George E., at home; F. Albert, who
is in the United States Army; Harry B. and Nell B., at home; Jessie R.,
the wife of Jack Phillips, of Garfield county; and Otis D., Sarah E.,
Merritt and Merrell, twins, and John, all at home.
Mr. Miller is a republican and his advice is often sought in local
party councils. In November, 1908, he was elected to the board of
county commissioners for the short term and in 1910 was elected to the
office for the long term, serving in all for six years as a member of
the board, and in that connection he did valuable work for the county,
giving the same careful attention to the management of its affairs that
he gives to the direction of his private interests. He is identified
with the Woodmen of the World and has many friends within and
without that organization. Among his salient characteristics are the
ability to discriminate between the essential and the non-essential,
resourcefulness in adapting himself to new conditions and sound
judgment and these qualities have proved as valuable in his work as a
farmer as in any other field of activity.
JOHN R. LYONS.
That John R. Lyons possesses good business ability is evident from the
fact that he is successfully operating a fine ranch of nine hundred
acres devoted to the raising of wheat and of stock. He was born in
Ireland, April 28, 1867, and is a son of Patrick and Frances Lyons, a
sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Our subject was brought
to Walla Walla county, Washington, in childhood and here received a
good common school education. He remained under the parental roof until
he attained his majority, during which time he aided his father in
farming, and then began cultivating land on his own account. He took
up his residence upon the ranch which he now owns and which comprises
nine hundred acres of fertile land in Walla Walla township. The place
is well improved and his work is facilitated by the most modern and
up-to-date equipment. He raises stock extensively and also grows a
large quantity of wheat annually. He is energetic and progressive
and the success which he has gained is the direct result of his good
management and industry.
Mr. Lyons was married in 1903 to Miss Frances O'Brien, who was born in
Nebraska and is a daughter of George and Katherine O'Brien, both now
deceased. Mrs. Lyons has also passed away, her death occurring March 8,
1906. She was buried in the Catholic cemetery in Walla Walla. Her two
daughters, Mary L. and Anna M., are both now students in St. Vincent's
Academy.
Mr. Lyons gives his political support to the democratic party but
has never had time to take an active part in public affairs. His
fraternal relations are with the Knights of Columbus and the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks, in both of which organizations he is
popular. He has not only gained financial independence but he has also
contributed in considerable measure to the development of Walla Walla
county along the lines of scientific agriculture and stock raising and
is recognized as a prominent citizen.
FRANK McCOWN.
Frank McCown, who is living retired after many years devoted to
agricultural pursuits, was born in Clakamas county, Oregon, November
15, 1855, a son of William and Sarah (Best) McCown, both natives of
West Virginia. In 1846 they removed to Kansas and six years later
crossed the great plains by ox team to Oregon. The father took up a
donation claim of four hundred and eighty acres in Clakamas county and
erected a large cabin, which remained the family home for a number of
years. In 1878 removal was made to Walla Walla county, Washington, and
later the father purchased land which he operated until his death. To
him and his wife were born seven children, but only two are living, the
brother of our subject being J. L., now a resident of Portland, Oregon.
Frank McCown was reared and educated in Oregon, and during his boyhood
and youth received valuable training in farm work. When he was
twenty-three years old he came to Washington, and has since resided
in Walla Walla county. He devoted his active life to farming and from
time to time added to his holdings until he now owns fifteen hundred
acres of land which he leases, having retired in 1902. He maintains his
home in Waitsburg but spends his winters in California. The success
which he has gained has proved that he is quick to recognize and take
advantage of business opportunities, and in the development of his farm
he was always willing to profit by the work of investigators along
agricultural lines.
Mr. McCown was married in 1881 to Miss Laura Walker, and they have
become the parents of five children, namely: Emory D.; Malcolm W.;
Annie N., the wife of Walter Minnick; Hazel B.; and Frank Jr.
Mr. McCown supports the democratic party at the polls but has not taken
an active part in public affairs although he has taken the interest of
a good citizen in matters of government. He belongs to Lodge No. 5, I.
O. O. F., in which he has filled all of the chairs. The standards by
which he has governed his life are further indicated in his membership
in the Christian church, to which his wife also belongs. His friends
are numerous and his qualities are such that all who come in contact
with him hold him in high esteem.
JOE MARTIN.
Among the men who have aided in the development of Walla Walla county
as a leading wheat producing section is Joe Martin, who is engaged in
wheat raising on an extensive scale on section 36, township 8 north,
range 35 east. He was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, April 26,
1869, a son of John and Bridget (Feely) Martin, who passed their entire
lives in that country.
Joe Martin was reared at home and received his education in the common
schools of Ireland. About the time he became of age he emigrated to
America and took up his residence in Fremont, Iowa, where he spent six
or seven years. At the end of that time he decided to identify his
interests with those of the Pacific northwest and came to Walla Walla
county, Washington. After working as a farm hand for several years
he was able to rent his present farm, which he has since purchased.
He owns nine hundred acres and specializes in wheat raising. His
practical knowledge of the methods best adapted to conditions in this
locality, combined with his energy and good judgment, has enabled him
to gain financial independence. His farm is excellently improved and is
equipped with the most up-to-date machinery.
[Illustration: JOE MARTIN]
[Illustration: MRS. JOE MARTIN]
At Walla Walla, January 27, 1903, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to
Miss Mary Martin, who although of the same name is not a relative. An
account of the life of her father, John Martin, appears elsewhere in
this work. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin: Alicia
S., Michael, James F., Mary T., Catherine B., Esther R., Helen M., and
Rose Anna.
The parents hold membership in the Catholic church of Walla Walla and
give their influence and support to movements whose object is the
promotion of the moral welfare of the community. Mr. Martin supports
the democratic party at the polls and is now serving efficiently as
clerk of the school board. He has not been otherwise active in public
affairs, the management of his farming interests leaving him little
time for other activities. The success which he has gained is due
to his own efforts and he is fully entitled to the credit given a
self-made man.
JAMES C. ROBERTS.
James C. Roberts, a well known and prosperous farmer residing on
section 4, township 7 north, range 35 east, was born in Lee county,
Virginia, July 17, 1866, a son of Robert and Mary Roberts, also natives
of that state, where the mother is still living.
There James C. Roberts was reared and received his education, but when
twenty-one years of age he crossed the continent, locating in Walla
Walla county, Washington. For some time he was employed as a farm hand
but in 1888 he took up a homestead on Dry creek and remained there
until 1905, when he purchased his present farm, which comprises one
hundred and sixty acres and is improved with excellent buildings. The
place is all fine alfalfa land, valued at three hundred dollars per
acre, and it produces such excellent crops that it yields a good profit
on the capital invested.
Mr. Roberts was married in 1889 to Mrs. Martha Kelley, also a native
of Virginia. In 1886 she came west and has since resided in this part
of the country. By her first union she had five children, all of whom
survive, and by her marriage to Mr. Roberts she has become the mother
of twins: Elnora, deceased; and James Austin.
Mr. Roberts is a republican and for three terms served on the school
board, during which time he did effective work for the local schools.
His wife is a member of the Congregational church. Both are well known
in the county and the prosperity which they have gained is the result
of their own industry and good management.
W. L. TAYLOR.
W. L. Taylor, a successful farmer of Garfield county, Washington,
residing on section 19, township 13 north, range 43 east, was born in
Adams county, Illinois, in 1840, a son of Adam and Barbara (Grimes)
Taylor, both natives of Kentucky, who removed to Illinois at an early
day and there passed away upon the homestead. Five of their seven
children are still living.
W. L. Taylor was reared in his native state and is indebted to its
public schools for his education. He remained there for a number of
years after attaining his majority but in 1878 removed to Walla Walla
county and settled on land on section 19, township 13 north, range 43
east, where he has ever since resided. He has added to his original
homestead and now owns three hundred and twenty-five acres of as fine
wheat land as can be found in Washington. He has never regretted his
choice of farming as an occupation, for he has found the work congenial
and has gained a competence. He supervises the operation of the place
but leaves the greater part of the actual work of its cultivation to
others.
In 1866 Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Lucretia Vannest, who was born
in Illinois, and to them were born three children: Willard; Edward, who
is farming the home place; and James, now a resident of Idaho. The wife
and mother passed away in 1915 and was buried in the May View cemetery.
Mr. Taylor supports the democratic party at the polls but he has never
held office, with the exception of serving on the school board. He
belongs to the Grange and to the Farmers' Union and believes that
much can be accomplished for the advancement of country life through
cooperation on the part of the farmers. He is an honored pioneer of the
county and his accounts of early day conditions are of great interest
to the younger generation.
GODFRED HANSON.
Godfred Hanson, who has been actively and successfully identified with
the farming interests of Walla Walla county for the past three decades,
is the owner of sixty-one acres of productive land on section 1, Ritz
township. His birth occurred in Denmark on the 17th of March, 1856, his
parents being Hans and Cecil (Rasmussen) Hanson, who were also natives
of that country. In the '70s they crossed the Atlantic to the United
States and here spent the remainder of their lives. They became the
parents of nine children, but only two are now living, the surviving
brother of our subject being Fred, who makes his home in Wisconsin.
Godfred Hanson was reared and educated in the land of his nativity,
there spending the first seventeen years of his life. In 1873,
attracted by the greater opportunities of the new world, he emigrated
to the United States and took up his abode in Wisconsin, where he
remained for fourteen years. On the expiration of that period, in 1887,
he made his way westward to Washington, settling in Walla Walla county
and purchasing a farm of sixty-one acres in Ritz township which he
has operated continuously to the present time, covering a period of
three decades. He erected substantial and commodious buildings on the
property and now has a well improved farm on which he makes a specialty
of the raising of alfalfa. His undertakings as an agriculturist have
been attended with well merited success, so that he has long been
numbered among the prosperous and representative citizens of his
community.
In 1888 Mr. Hanson was united in marriage to Miss Anna Jensen, a native
of Denmark, by whom he had four children, namely: Cecelia, Howard and
Mildred, all at home; and Fred, who is deceased.
In politics Mr. Hanson is a stalwart democrat and at present he is ably
serving as school director and clerk. He was reared in the Lutheran
faith and still adheres to the teachings of that church. He is indeed
a self-made man and deserves all the praise that term implies, for the
success which he now enjoys is attributable entirely to his industry,
energy and perseverance.
WILLIAM E. BRUCE.
William E. Bruce, who is devoting his time to farming on section 25,
township 9 north, range 37 east, is a native son of Washington as his
birth occurred in Columbia county, September 18, 1880. His father was
James W. Bruce, and his mother, who bore the maiden name of Addie
Harmon, was a native of Oregon, but in 1857 came to Walla Walla county.
James W. Bruce engaged in farming in this county for many years and met
with gratifying success in that connection.
William E. Bruce, who is one of a family of four children, all of whom
survive, was reared in Walla Walla county and began his education in
the public schools, continuing his studies in Pullman College. He
remained at home, giving his father the benefit of his labor until he
attained his majority, when he began operating three hundred and twenty
acres of wheat land and three hundred and seventy acres of pasture
land. He is still farming those tracts and derives a gratifying income
from both his wheat raising and his stock raising.
In 1914 Mr. Bruce was married to Miss Clarabel Weatherford, of Dayton,
a daughter of Hon. F. M. Weatherford, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this work. Mr. Bruce has never been active in public or
political affairs. He holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church and fraternally is identified with Lodge No. 16, A. F. & A.
M., at Waitsburg and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at
Waitsburg. These connections indicate the high standards which have
governed his life and have gained him the respect of all who know
him. As a farmer he is progressive and businesslike, as a citizen he
manifests a commendable public spirit and in the private relations of
life he is scrupulous in his recognition of the rights of others.
JOHN E. WEBB.
Having gained financial independence John E. Webb is now living
retired in Walla Walla, save for the supervision which he gives to his
extensive landed interests. He was born in Illinois, August 13, 1870,
and was reared in that state. He received a public school education and
was also trained to agricultural pursuits during his boyhood and youth.
In early manhood he went to Nebraska, whence, several years later, he
came to Walla Walla county, Washington. He readily adapted himself
to the crude conditions here, and as the years passed he purchased
additional land and now owns about nine thousand acres. His property
affords him double pleasure in that it is the direct result of his own
business insight, resourcefulness and enterprise. He is one of the
largest land holders in the county and he has always been among the
first to adopt new methods or improved equipment.
In 1906 Mr. Webb was united in marriage to Mrs. Annie Pickard, the
widow of Charles F. Pickard. By her first marriage she had six
children, namely: Clara, who married O. L. Compton; Thetford; Anita;
Russell; Olive, the wife of C. W. Cornelius; and Beatrice. To Mr. and
Mrs. Webb has been born a son, Harry E.
Mr. and Mrs. Webb spend their winters in California and all the
comforts of life are theirs. Mr. Webb has never been ambitious to
hold public office, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his
individual interests. However, in developing his large farm holdings,
he has played an important part in the upbuilding of Walla Walla county
along agricultural lines. He has a number of fraternal connections,
belonging to the Masonic lodge, the Knights of Pythias lodge and the
Elks. Few men are more widely known or more highly esteemed in Walla
Walla county than he, and it is largely recognized that his integrity,
as well as his ability, is above question.
JOHN CHANDLER.
John Chandler, for many years a resident of Whitman county, where
he still owns twenty-five hundred acres of fine land, is now living
retired in Walla Walla, enjoying well deserved leisure. His birth
occurred in Gloucestershire, England, January 14, 1854, and he is a son
of Joseph and Eliza (Surman) Chandler, also natives of that country,
where the father passed away. In 1882 the mother and her family of
eight children came to America and proceeded at once to Washington, as
at that time our subject's uncle, William Yend, was living six miles
north of Walla Walla. Mrs. Chandler continued to make her home with her
children in that region until her death, which occurred in 1904. Of the
eight children five still survive.
John Chandler received his education in his native land and there grew
to manhood. In 1882 he accompanied the family on their emigration
to the United States and on reaching Washington took up a homestead
in Whitman county. As soon as possible he placed his land under
cultivation and was so successful in his farming operations that from
time to time he was able to purchase more land until he now owns
twenty-five hundred acres. For a few years after locating here he
engaged in the cattle business to quite an extent but since then has
given his attention principally to the raising of wheat. His holdings
consist of some of the finest wheat land in the county and he now
derives a good income from the rental of his property. In 1909 he
retired from active labor and removed to Walla Walla, where he erected
a fine residence on Roosevelt street, and here he has gained a high
place in the esteem of his fellow citizens.
Mr. Chandler was married in 1901 to Miss Ada Fowler, also a native of
England, and they have five children, namely: John F. and Ruth, both of
whom are high school students; Dorothy; Theodore W.; and Elizabeth.
[Illustration: JOHN CHANDLER]
Mr. Chandler has supported the republican party since acquiring the
right of franchise and for a considerable period served on the school
board in Whitman county. Both he and his wife are communicants of the
Protestant Episcopal church and its work receives their hearty support.
Their residence is one of the attractive homes of Walla Walla and it is
known for its cordial hospitality.
JOSEPH W. TONER.
Joseph W. Toner, who is successfully farming in Walla Walla county, was
born in Vermont, April 22, 1875, a son of Daniel and Bridget (Ferrell)
Toner. The father was born in Vermont and the mother was a native of
Ireland, but they were married in the Green Mountain state, where they
resided until called by death. To them were born seven children, of
whom five survive.
Joseph W. Toner was reared at home and as a boy and youth attended the
public schools. In 1892, when seventeen years, he came to Walla Walla,
Washington, and for some years engaged in dairying. He now, however,
gives his attention to general farming. He owns thirty-seven and a half
acres of finely improved land within the city limits of Walla Walla and
has refused nine hundred dollars an acre for the place.
Mr. Toner was married in 1895 to Miss Permelia C. Hammond, a native
of Walla Walla and a daughter of William R. and Permelia Hammond. To
this marriage have been born seven children: Helen, the wife of Milton
Carter; Mildred, Edward and Mary, all high school students; Daniel,
Jeanie and Ferrell.
The family attend the Presbyterian church and contribute to its
support. Mr. Toner holds membership in the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows of Walla Walla and is popular in that organization. In
political belief he is a democrat and he is now capably serving as a
member of the school board.
JOHN A. BAILEY.
For thirty years John A. Bailey has resided upon the Pacific coast and
since 1898 has made his home in Walla Walla, where he is now actively
engaged in business as the president of the Lumber & Fuel Company. He
was born in Colchester county, Nova Scotia, January 10, 1862, a son
of Alexander and Jane (Ferguson) Bailey, both of whom were natives of
that country, where the father passed away, while the mother is still
living there. They had a family of four children, all of whom are still
residents of Canada with the exception of John A.
The last named was reared and educated in his native country, pursuing
a public school course, and in 1883, having attained his majority, he
left home and crossed the border into the United States, taking up his
abode in Boston, Massachusetts, where he remained for a brief period.
The west attracted him, however, for he believed that its opportunities
were limitless and in 1887 he crossed the country to California. There
he remained for about two and one-half years, after which he went to
Portland, Oregon, and there resided until his removal to Grays Harbor.
He came to Walla Walla, Washington, about 1898, and here took up the
business of contracting and building, which he followed successfully
until 1916. He then became connected with the Lumber & Fuel Company,
of which he is now the head, and in this connection he is conducting a
business of extensive and gratifying proportions.
In Los Angeles, California, in 1887, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage
to Miss Christina M. Bailey, who, though of the same name, was not a
relative. She, too, was born in Canada, where her mother, one sister
and two brothers still reside, and by her marriage has become the
mother of a daughter, Edith M., who is now the wife of Clarence G.
Ludwigs. She is a graduate of the high school of Walla Walla and also
of the Washington State University. Mrs. Bailey and her daughter
hold membership in the Presbyterian church and are prominent in the
social circles of the city. Mr. Bailey is identified with the Masonic
fraternity and has taken all of the degrees of the York and Scottish
rites and has crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine. He likewise belongs to the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. His political endorsement is given to the republican party,
which he has supported since becoming a naturalized American citizen.
Opportunity has ever been to him the call to action and in his business
career he has so wisely utilized his opportunities that success in
substantial measure has come to him. With him every day must mark
off a full-faithed attempt to know more and to grow more. He early
recognized that where there is no advancement there has been no effort,
and putting forth earnest and persistent effort, he has passed many
others who perhaps started out ahead of him on life's journey. He is
stable in purpose, quick in perception, swift in decision, energetic
and persistent in action; and thus he has made for himself a most
creditable position on the stage of business activity in Walla Walla.
J. H. COYLE.
The business upbuilding of a city is attributable not to one individual
but to the combined efforts of many. However, there are some who
occupy positions of leadership in their respective lines--men well
trained in a given field and whose intelligently directed efforts
produce substantial results that work not only for their own benefit
but constitute a most important force in general business progress
and prosperity. Such a man is J. H. Coyle, the president and manager
of the Walla Walla Mill Company, and thus prominently identified
with the milling interests of Walla Walla. He was born in Crawford
county, Wisconsin, December 5, 1859, a son of J. B. and S. A. (Lemons)
Coyle. The father was a native of Ohio, while the mother was born in
Wisconsin, and they became the parents of four children, two of whom
are now living.
[Illustration: J. H. COYLE]
J. H. Coyle of this review spent the days of his boyhood and youth in
the state of his nativity and is indebted to its public school system
for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. He early began
learning the miller's trade, which he followed in Minnesota, leaving
his native state when eighteen years of age. He continued a resident of
Minnesota until 1897, when he came to Walla Walla county, Washington,
and purchased what was known as the old McKennan mill. Since that time
he has been identified with the milling interests of Walla Walla and is
today at the head of an important enterprise of this character. After
some years he admitted his son, J. D. Coyle, to a partnership in the
business, which has been incorporated with J. H. Coyle as the president
and manager and J. D. Coyle as the secretary. Their mill has a capacity
of seventy barrels. The plant is splendidly equipped with the latest
improved machinery and the most modern processes of flour manufacturing
are utilized, so that the output is of excellent quality, insuring a
ready sale on the market.
In Minnesota, in 1887, Mr. Coyle was united in marriage to Miss Emma
Buehler, a native of Wisconsin, and they have become the parents of
eight children: John D., who is associated with his father in business;
Velma, the wife of A. W. Hancock; W. F.; Vida; Clarence, who has
passed away; Victor; Emma; and Erma. The parents attend the Methodist
Episcopal church.
In his political views Mr. Coyle is a republican and has served on
the school board for a number of years but has never sought strictly
political office. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and
the Odd Fellows and exemplifies in his life the beneficent spirit of
these organizations. His has been an active and useful life fraught
with good results. His business affairs have been successfully and
wisely managed and he is now the owner of six acres of land, upon
which is a fine property. His milling business has become one of the
important productive industries of Walla Walla and his colleagues
and contemporaries in business circles speak of him in terms of high
regard, not only by reason of the success which he has achieved but
also owing to the straightforward business policy which he has ever
followed.
EMERSON E. WOODS.
Emerson E. Woods, who resides on the old Woods homestead on section 9,
township 9 north, range 37 east, is one of the alert and enterprising
young farmers who have chosen agriculture as a life work because
of their recognition of its many possibilities. He was born in the
township in which he still resides on the 12th of February, 1893, and
is a son of Joel and Viola M. (Hull) Woods, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this work. He received a good education in the Waitsburg
public schools and also received thorough training in farm work under
the guidance of his father. When he was twenty-two years old he began
his independent career, renting six hundred and sixty acres of land,
which he has since operated. In December, 1916, he also took charge of
the Woods homestead of five hundred and fifty acres on which he now
resides, and although he has only reached the middle twenties he has
proved his capability as an executive, ably managing the operation
of the twelve hundred and ten acres. It is needless to say that he
utilizes the most improved methods and the latest implements in his
work, and that he gives careful study to the markets.
On the 22d of December, 1915, Mr. Woods was married to Miss Estella
H. Hazelton, of Waitsburg, a daughter of Thomas and Leona (Parker)
Hazelton, pioneer settlers of Walla Walla county, both now deceased.
Mr. Woods votes the republican ticket but has not otherwise been active
in public affairs, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his
farming interests. He belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen,
and his religious faith is that of the Christian church. He is a
typical western man, self reliant, enterprising and confident of the
future, and he has thoroughly identified his interests with those of
his county and state.
BYRD COYLE.
Byrd Coyle, a well known dairyman and substantial farmer of Walla
Walla county, was born in Lebanon, Oregon, February 7, 1860, and is a
representative of a very old and prominent family of that state. His
father, James B. Coyle, was born in Peoria, Illinois, March 4, 1832,
and throughout life followed farming. In 1852 he crossed the plains
with ox teams and located in Oregon, where he made his home until
coming to Walla Walla county, Washington, in 1866. Here he homesteaded
one hundred and sixty acres of land, to which the family have since
added from time to time until now the home place comprises five hundred
and sixty acres. The father died on the 29th of April, 1901, but the
mother of our subject is still living and continues to reside on the
home farm. She bore the maiden name of Jane Summers and was born in
Iowa, August 23, 1841. She was only five years of age when she crossed
the plains with her parents in 1846, her father being captain of a
large company traveling with ox teams. They reached the Whitman Mission
in Oregon so late in the fall that they resolved to spend the winter of
1846-7 at that place and there Mrs. Coyle attended the school conducted
by Dr. Whitman, who was killed in the Whitman massacre the following
fall. In the spring of 1847 Captain Summers proceeded with his family
to Lebanon, Oregon, where Mrs. Coyle grew to womanhood and was married.
She is today one of the oldest settlers of the Pacific northwest and is
thoroughly familiar with the entire development of this region.
Byrd Coyle is one of a family of ten children, nine of whom are still
living. Two sons are now residents of Canada and a daughter lives in
Kennewick, Washington, but the remainder are all living in Walla Walla
county. Here Byrd Coyle attended the district schools and his early
education was supplemented by a course at Whitman College and later
at the Oregon State University, where he was a student for two years.
After putting aside his textbooks he engaged in railroad work for
several years and then spent three years and a half in Alaska, but in
November, 1900, he returned to Walla Walla county. His father died soon
afterward and he and his brother Charles have since had charge of the
home farm, which they have operated with most gratifying success. In
connection with general farming they give considerable attention to the
dairy business, having a creamery upon his place and selling both milk
and butter, and they furnish employment to from twenty-five to forty
men.
On the 27th of June, 1916, Byrd Coyle was united in marriage to Miss
Lenora Stewart, a native of Virginia and a daughter of Moore Stewart.
They are earnest and consistent members of the Congregational church,
and Mr. Coyle is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order
of Elks. In politics he is a democrat and takes a deep and commendable
interest in public affairs.
H. D. CONOVER.
H. D. Conover, who is farming extensively in Columbia county,
Washington, is now financially independent, although he began
his career empty-handed. He is a western man by birth as well as
preference, as he was born in Linn county, Oregon, March 28, 1859, a
son of W. S. and Margaret (Crawford) Conover, both of whom were born in
Indiana. In 1852 both came to Oregon as members of a train of emigrants
journeying by ox team. They were married in Oregon and remained
residents of that state until called by death. To them were born two
sons, the brother of our subject being O. M. Conover, of Waitsburg.
H. D. Conover attended the district schools in his early boyhood, but
in 1872, when but thirteen years, came to Washington and found work on
a stock farm. He was so employed until he was thirty-five years old,
since which time he has followed agricultural pursuits independently.
He now operates fourteen hundred acres of land, growing large crops of
grain annually and also raising some stock. His long experience and his
keen powers of observation have taught him the most effective methods
of carrying on his work and he manages the business phase of farming
excellently and as a result receives a good return on the capital
invested in his holdings.
Mr. Conover was married on the 6th of December, 1885, to Miss Rachel
McKinney, a native of Washington county, Oregon, and they have three
children: Lettie A., the widow of J. W. Roberts; Henry M., a prosperous
farmer; and Louise, the wife of F. P. Kinder, of Waitsburg, Washington.
Mr. Conover belongs to Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 70, to Occidental
Lodge, No. 11, A. O. U. W., and to the Woodmen of the World. His
political belief is that of the republican party and its candidates
receive his support at the polls. He is respected wherever known
for his strength of character, his enterprise and his unquestioned
integrity, and his personal friends are many.
WILLIAM M. WEATHERFORD.
William M. Weatherford, president of the Weatherford-Wallace Company,
of Dayton, conducting a loan, real estate, insurance and abstract
business, was born in Columbia county, the 4th of October, 1879, a son
of Francis M. and Harriett A. Weatherford, who were pioneer residents
of Oregon and Washington, having crossed the plains with ox teams at a
period when that was practically the only method of travel between the
east and the west. The father is now the owner of an extensive farm in
Columbia county and is one of the leading citizens of the district. He
has served as a representative of the county in the state legislature
and has otherwise been prominently connected with public affairs.
In the public schools of his native county William M. Weatherford
pursued his early education and afterward became a student in the
Portland Business College of Portland, Oregon, from which in due course
of time he was graduated. He was reared to the occupation of farming
and after his textbooks were put aside devoted his attention for a time
to general agricultural pursuits, but thinking to find other business
activities more congenial and perhaps more profitable, he concentrated
his efforts upon the banking business for a period. Later he became
identified with the insurance, mortgage loan and real estate business
and his efforts have since been directed along those lines. At the
present time he is at the head of the Weatherford-Wallace Company, of
Dayton, as its president and is thus conducting a profitable loan, real
estate, insurance and abstract business.
On the 2d of June, 1906, Mr. Weatherford was united in marriage in
Walla Walla, Washington, to Miss Roselle M. Carpenter, a daughter
of G. W. and Mary A. Carpenter, the former a druggist of Waitsburg,
Washington. Mrs. Weatherford was born in Olympia, Washington, and
acquired her education in the public schools of this state and in
the Washington State College at Pullman. Her mother is one of the
descendants of John Quincy Adams. To Mr. and Mrs. Weatherford has been
born a daughter, Marybelle. Mr. Weatherford supports the Congregational
church and he gives his political allegiance to the democratic party.
He has membership with the Knights of Pythias and with the Masons
and in his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit upon which these
organizations are founded. He is likewise connected with the Dayton
Commercial Club and he stands for progress and improvement, advocating
all those interests which have to do with the welfare and upbuilding of
the city in which he makes his home. He has always lived in Washington
and the spirit of western enterprise has found expression in his life.
There has been nothing spectacular in his career but his course has
been marked by that steady advancement which follows persistent and
earnest effort, and his substantial traits of character have won for
him the kindly regard and goodwill of his associates in both business
and social life.
MARTIN CAMPBELL.
No history can surpass in picturesque detail the life record of Martin
Campbell, who as prospector and miner is familiar with the development
of the Fraser river country and who as farmer and miller has been
closely associated with the progress and upbuilding of Walla Walla
county. He is now living retired, enjoying a rest which he has truly
earned and richly deserves. He has passed the eighty-fourth milestone
on life's journey, his birth having occurred in Flemington, New Jersey,
February 13, 1833, his parents being Daniel and Charlotte Campbell, who
were also natives of New Jersey, the town of Campbellsville in that
state being named after the paternal grandfather, Martin Campbell. His
father was miller by trade and for several years operated a mill on the
Riarton river. Both he and his wife spent their entire lives in New
Jersey.
[Illustration: MARTIN CAMPBELL]
[Illustration: MRS. MARTIN CAMPBELL]
Martin Campbell was reared under the parental roof and pursued his
education in one of the old-time subscription schools of that early
period. When but seventeen years of age he went to sea and on the
vessel on which he shipped was the captain's wife and little daughter.
Shortly after they sailed away the little girl fell overboard and
Mr. Campbell jumped in and rescued her. He was then taken out of the
forecastle and given a berth in the cabin, while the captain's wife
made it her duty and pleasure to look after his education and to her
he owes much of his early intellectual development. In 1856, after
sailing round Cape Horn, he landed at San Francisco and made his
way up through the Puget Sound country. He began work in the mills
of the Fort Gamble Lumber Company and in 1858 was attacked by the
mining fever, which it is said some time or other gets everyone who
resides in the vicinity of a developing mining district. Accordingly
he went to Victoria, British Columbia, where he fell in with some of
the clerks of the Hudson's Bay Company and through them he learned of
the gold dust that was being brought down from the Fraser river. The
Indians had scratched the gold out with sticks and brought it to the
Hudson's Bay Company. Although forbidden by Governor Douglas of British
Columbia, Mr. Campbell raised a company and began prospecting for gold
up the river, returning that fall. In the spring of 1860 he made an
overland trip to the Similikameen country in British Columbia and while
crossing the mountains lived on rice and sugar. There is scarcely an
experience which comes to the prospector and the miner with which he
is not familiar. He met all of the hardships and privations incident
to such a life and, like many another, he did not gain the fortune for
which he was striving in that way, although in later years he made
for himself a most substantial place in business circles. In the fall
of 1860 he crossed the border into Washington and spent the winter at
Fort Colville. In the following spring he engaged in prospecting on the
Pend Oreille river and later engaged in prospecting and mining on the
Columbia river, thus spending his time until 1863.
In that year Mr. Campbell came to Walla Walla county and through the
following two years was variously employed. In 1865 he turned his
attention to farming, making a specialty of the raising of wheat, which
he hauled to Wallula, selling it for from thirty-five to fifty-five
cents per bushel. He was afterward a member of the firm of Coyle &
Campbell, millers, and for several years, engaged successfully in the
milling business in Walla Walla. In recent years he has disposed of
his farm holdings but still owns various city properties, from which
he derives a very gratifying annual income. His investments have been
judiciously made and his sound judgment is manifest therein.
In 1869 Mr. Campbell was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Ernest,
who came to Walla Walla county from Iowa in 1862. They are well known
as a most honored pioneer couple of the northwest. The experiences
which have fallen to the lot of Mr. Campbell would rival any tale
of fiction and he can speak with authority concerning the phases of
development and progress in this entire section of the country. He
came here when the red man largely held dominion over the northwest,
regarding its great forests as his hunting ground and its streams as
his especial place for fishing. But the country, rich in its natural
resources, beckoned the progressive man of the east--the man who is
not afraid to face danger, hardships and privations in order to aid
in reclaiming this great region for the purposes of civilization. To
this class belongs Mr. Campbell and the work which he has done in
the development and upbuilding of the west entitles him to more than
passing notice. He has left his impress upon the work of progress and
improvement and his reminiscences concerning the early history of the
country are most interesting.
JOHN D. JONES.
John D. Jones is an important factor in the industrial circles of
southeastern Washington as he is president of the Self-Oiling Wheel &
Bearing Company of Walla Walla, many of whose products are manufactured
under patents which he has taken out. He was born in Wales, November
15, 1863, a son of Richard N. and Ellen Jones, who in 1881 emigrated
to Canada. For a year they resided in Montreal and then removed to
Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they have since made their home.
John D. Jones was educated in the public schools of his native country
and in the night schools of Minneapolis. When he accompanied his
parents to the United States at the age of nineteen years he entered
the shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. When fifteen
years old he had apprenticed himself to the machinist's trade in Wales
and during his residence in Montreal he worked in the shops of the
Grand Trunk Railway. While there he assisted in putting the first air
pump on an engine on the Grand Trunk system. For several years he was
connected with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Minneapolis,
St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie railways and was the first machinist to be
employed by the latter road in Minneapolis. In the fall of 1888 he came
to the Pacific northwest, entering the shops of the Oregon-Washington
Railway & Navigation Company at The Dalles, and later he worked at
various points along their system. On severing his connection with that
road he engaged in the butchering and restaurant business in La Grande,
Oregon, after which he went as far east as Marshalltown, Iowa, where
he was employed by the Iowa Central Railway. However, after his life
in the west he found the east too restricted and unenterprising and
again came west. He entered the shops of the Oregon-Washington Railway
& Navigation Company at Portland and was later transferred to the
Umatilla shops. In 1895 he left there and came to Walla Walla, where
he entered the employ of Gilbert Hunt. Subsequently he was appointed
master mechanic of the Washington & Columbia River Railroad under
Joseph McCabe and about that time was also appointed chief engineer of
the state penitentiary by Governor Meade, which appointment, however,
he refused to accept. He became superintendent of the Mill Creek
Railway and held that position during the time that its track was
changed from narrow gauge to standard gauge. In addition to his other
railroad experience he has at times served as an engineer and ran one
of the first narrow gauge engines that entered Walla Walla, it running
on the old Dr. Baker railway.
[Illustration: HOME OF MARTIN CAMPBELL]
In 1905 Mr. Jones went into business for himself, opening a machine
shop on South Second street, Walla Walla. He built up a large business
and also took out a number of patents and in 1914 he organized the
Self-Oiling Wheel & Bearing Company, which manufactures goods under his
patents. Up to the present time he holds about twenty-eight patents on
automobile parts and harvesting machinery. The plant of the company is
one of the best equipped in Washington and the employes are skilled
mechanics. The goods manufactured include farm machinery of all kinds,
gas engine pistons and ring stocks, self-oiling devices for pulleys,
hay blocks and warehouse truck wheels. The company's most important
product is without doubt one of the most successful combined harvesters
ever built. This machine, which is manufactured under patents owned
by Mr. Jones, is capable of harvesting and sacking grain under four
cents per bushel and is so simple in its design that it can be operated
with only a third of the usual horse power. The great wheat country
of eastern Washington, of which Walla Walla is the center, affords an
unsurpassed market for improved farm implements and it is but natural
that the Self-Oiling Wheel & Bearing Company should have built up a
large trade, even within the few years of its existence. From the
organization of the concern Mr. Jones has served as its president and
has given his entire time and attention to looking after its interests.
To his thorough and practical knowledge of mechanics he adds executive
ability and keen business insight and is generally recognized as an
industrial leader.
In 1887 Mr. Jones was married to Miss Catherine L. Morris, of
Langollen, North Wales, and to them have been born three sons:
Griffith, who is athletic instructor in the high school at Pendleton,
Oregon; Wynne, superintendent of the foundry of his father's plant; and
Richard L., a student at Whitman College.
Mr. Jones belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M., and to
Oriental Consistory, A. & A. S. R., of Spokane. He is also connected
with the Woodmen of the World and has many friends in fraternal
circles. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian Science
church and give their support to all good works. His career from the
time that he apprenticed himself to the machinists's trade has been one
of continual advancement, gained through his industry, determination
and sound judgement.
HENRY C. BAKER.
Prominent and important business interests have come under the
direction of Henry C. Baker, who is a leading figure in real estate
circles of Walla Walla and one of the best known orchardists of the
Pacific northwest. The spirit of western enterprise and progress has
ever found expression in his life. He was born in Portland, Oregon,
November 17, 1858, a son of Dr. Dorsey S. Baker, of whom extended
mention is made elsewhere in this work. He acquired his early education
in the schools of Walla Walla and in the Whitman Seminary and afterward
attended the high school at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he spent two
years as a student. He then entered his father's bank and devoted two
years to that business, after which he went to Moscow, Idaho, where he
again engaged in the banking business. He is now president of the firm
of Baker & Baker, dealers in farm loans, and is also one of the owners
of the Baker-Langdon orchards, the greatest orchards on the coast.
He is likewise one of the stockholders of the Baker-Boyer Bank. In a
word, his business connections are of a most extensive and important
character and have been most wisely managed, so that splendid results
have accrued.
In 1887 Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Clara E. Young, of
Oakland, Oregon, a daughter of E. G. and Martha (Barnett) Young, who
crossed the plains in an early day, settling in the Umpqua valley.
The father is still a resident of Oakland, Oregon, but the mother
has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have become the parents of one
daughter, Henrietta Lucile, who is a graduate of Whitman College and is
at home with her parents.
In his political views Mr. Baker is a stalwart republican, and while
never an office seeker, he has done everything in his power to advance
public interests both along the lines of political activity and
otherwise. In his business life he has been a persistent, resolute
and energetic worker, possessing strong executive powers and keeping
his hand steadily upon the helm of his business. He is strictly
conscientious in his dealings with debtor and creditor alike. Keenly
alive to the possibilities of every new avenue opened in the natural
ramifications of trade, he has passed over the pitfalls into which
unrestricted progressiveness is so frequently led and has been enabled
to focus his energies in directions where fruition is certain. If a pen
picture could accurately delineate his business characteristics, it
might be given in these words: a progressive spirit ruled by more than
ordinary intelligence and good judgment; a deep earnestness impelled
and fostered by indomitable perseverance; a native justice expressing
itself in correct principle and practice.
JOSEPH DAVIN.
Joseph Davin, of Walla Walla, is one of the foremost citizens of
Walla Walla county, owning in addition to a ten thousand acre sheep
ranch large tracts of excellent farming land, and the success which
he has gained seems doubly remarkable when contrasted with his
financial circumstances when he arrived in the United States a young
man of eighteen years. He was then empty-handed, but he believed that
opportunities were open to all in this country and was energetic and
determined to gain prosperity. He was born in France, March 1, 1856, a
son of Joseph Davin, an account of whose life appears in the sketch of
his son, S. V.
Joseph Davin of this review grew to manhood in his native country
and was indebted for his education to its public schools. In 1874 he
came to the United States and for eight years remained in California,
whence he came to Walla Walla county, Washington. For two years he
was employed as a sheep herder but at the end of that time was able
to buy a small flock of sheep, and has since engaged in ranching
on his own account. He now owns ten thousand acres devoted to the
raising of sheep and is one of the largest operators in that line of
activity in this part of Washington. He also owns another ranch of
fifteen hundred acres, eight hundred acres of wheat land and a stock
ranch of six hundred and forty acres, and likewise holds title to a
number of valuable properties in the city of Walla Walla. His business
interests include as well, a large block of stock in the mercantile
business conducted by Gardner & Company. He still gives careful
personal supervision to his extensive interests and ranks as one of the
capitalists of Walla Walla county.
Mr. Davin was married in 1892 to Miss Mary Ayraud, also a native of
France. To them have been born eight children: Alix, the wife of
Captain August Stemer, U. S. A.; Mary, at home; Sarah, the wife of
Peter Reno; Bertha, who is a graduate of the Walla Walla high school
and is at home; Anna; Ida; Joseph, Jr.; and Margaret.
Mr. Davin, although faithful in the discharge of the duties devolving
upon him as a citizen, has never had the time nor inclination to seek
office. His political views accord in the main with the principles of
the democratic party, and its candidates receive his support. He and
his wife both belong to the Catholic church and take a considerable
interest in the furtherance of its work. There are few men in Walla
Walla with a wider acquaintance than he, and his genuine worth is
indicated by the fact that those who have been most closely connected
with him hold him in the highest esteem.
CHARLES J. BROUGHTON.
Charles J. Broughton, a capitalist of Dayton, was born in Maryland,
September 7, 1854, a son of Elijah S. and Harriett A. (Buck) Broughton,
the former a native of Maryland, while the latter was born in Vermont.
Both passed away, however, in the state of Maryland. In their family
were four children, of whom three are yet living.
Charles J. Broughton was reared and educated in the state of his
nativity and started out in life on his own account when a youth of
seventeen years. He made his way westward to the Pacific coast and
acted as cook for a pack train for six months, working at a salary of
forty dollars per month. He afterward became clerk in a store and was
thus engaged for three years. In 1877 he purchased a pony and thus came
to Walla Walla. After reaching his destination he obtained a position
at Dayton in the employ of Alexander McDonald, who was proprietor
of a general store and with whom he remained for ten years. On the
expiration of that period he purchased a half interest in the business,
which he continued to carry on and develop for thirteen years, the firm
being known during that period as Fallbacher & Broughton. At the end of
that time he purchased the interest of his partner in the business and
thus became sole owner. He carried on the store for five years longer
and then sold the stock but is still owner of the store building. As
the years have passed and he has prospered in his undertakings he has
added to his holdings from time to time and he now owns over eight
thousand acres of wheat land in the northwest. He is also the president
of the Broughton Bank of Dayton, which was organized in 1909.
In 1890 Mr. Broughton was united in marriage to Miss Ina McCleary and
to them have been born eleven children: Mary, who is a graduate of
Smith College of Massachusetts; Charles; Hattie, who is now in college
in Massachusetts; E. Van, a high school pupil; Helen, also attending
high school; Francis; Ruth; James; Elizabeth; and two who have passed
away. Mrs. Broughton is a member of the Congregational church. Mr.
Broughton is a republican in his political views and for one term
served as county treasurer but has never been ambitious to hold office,
preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business
affairs, which have been wisely conducted and have brought to him a
substantial measure of success. His plans have always been carefully
formulated and promptly executed, and his sound judgment has been
manifest in his judicious investments, which have made him one of the
capitalists of his section of the state. Fraternally he is identified
with the Masons, belonging to the blue lodge and also to the commandery
at Walla Walla, in which he has filled some of the chairs.
MAX BAUMEISTER.
Max Baumeister was for many years a prominent figure in real estate,
insurance and loan circles in Walla Walla and belonged to that class
of men whose business enterprise and ability won them prominence and
success. His indefatigable energy, his marked strength of character and
his persistency of purpose featured largely in the attainment of the
handsome competence which he ultimately won. A native of Germany, he
was born on the 13th of March, 1840, a son of Dr. Ernest Baumeister,
who crossed the Atlantic to the new world with his family when his son
Max was a youth of fourteen years. At the time of the Civil war he
responded to the call of his adopted country for military aid and was
killed on the field of battle, his remains being laid to rest in the
National cemetery at Arlington.
Max Baumeister spent the first fourteen years of his life in his native
country and during that period attended the public schools after
reaching the age of six years. He then left Germany for the United
States in company with his parents, the family home being established
in New York city, where he remained until after he had attained his
majority. It was in 1859 that he came to the Pacific northwest by way
of the Panama route to California, and after residing in that state
for two years he returned to New York and thence made his way to
Europe, where he traveled extensively. At a later period, however, he
once more went to San Francisco and in 1862 established his home at
Portland, Oregon, where he remained for a brief period and then removed
to Walla Walla, coming up the river by boat to Wallula and thence
walking across the country with Henry Ankeny. At that early day there
was but little employment to be had and in order to provide for his own
support he opened a barber shop after he had worked for a time in other
connections. He had but fifteen dollars when he reached Walla Walla.
He was of a saving disposition and was a hard worker. He understood
but little English at the time of his arrival and thus encountered
some difficulties owing to lack of knowledge of the language. However,
he was quick to learn and he made the best possible use of his
opportunities. He often worked from three o'clock in the morning until
nine o'clock at night and on Saturdays until midnight. At 3:00 A. M. he
would rise to heat water for the miners' baths. For a time he acted as
hired man but after three months he bought out his employer and thus
began laying the foundation of his later success. He conducted his
barber shop until about 1882, after which he engaged for a little time
in merchandising and later established himself in the real estate, loan
and insurance business. He also engaged in farming quite extensively.
He readily recognized and utilized opportunities and such were ever to
him the call to action, to which he made immediate response. He was
prominently identified with real estate, loan and insurance interests
up to the time of his demise, which occurred February 3, 1909, and
through all these years he occupied a prominent position in business
circles because of the enterprise which he displayed, by reason of his
initiative and also owing to his thorough reliability.
In Walla Walla, in 1864, Mr. Baumeister was united in marriage to Miss
Anna Hauer, who passed away in 1879. The following year Mr. Baumeister
was again married, his second union being celebrated on Long Island,
Miss Alvine Schweiker becoming his wife. They had been acquainted
during the period of Mr. Baumeister's residence in New York, when his
wife was but a little girl, and after returning to New York he renewed
his acquaintance with his former friend and they were married, after
which he brought his bride to Walla Walla. They became the parents of
six children: Charlotte Anna, the wife of B. F. Thompson, of Walla
Walla; Alvin Garfield, living in Walla Walla; Max E., who is engaged in
trout growing at Stevenson, Washington; Olga S., the wife of Clifton
N. Draper, of Schenectady, New York; Werner W., who is a student in
Whitman College; and Karl Edward, who is attending high school.
The old home of the family was on Alder street. As the years passed
on Mr. Baumeister made extensive investments in property and acquired
between five and six thousand acres of wheat land in Garfield county.
He afterward disposed of that and purchased a farm of several hundred
acres now just outside the city limits of Walla Walla. In 1900 he
erected thereon the present beautiful home of Mrs. Baumeister, which
has since been occupied by the family. The house, spacious, modern and
attractive in style of architecture, is surrounded by thirteen acres of
ground laid out in beautiful lawns shaded by fine trees and with well
planned drives.
Mr. Baumeister was a charter member of Enterprise Lodge, I. O. O.
F., but in later years was not an active worker in the organization.
He also became a member of Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M., and
in his life exemplified the beneficent spirit of the craft, which is
based upon a recognition of the brotherhood of man and the obligations
thereby imposed. He was also one of the charter members of the Pioneer
Society of Walla Walla and maintained most pleasant relationships with
those who became early residents of this section of the state and
aided in advancing the work of general progress and improvement. He
became an American citizen after crossing the Atlantic and long gave
loyal support to the republican party. During the early period of his
residence in Walla Walla he was a dominant factor in civic affairs
but in later years took no active part in politics beyond assisting
and promoting any movement for the advancement of the interests of
the town. There was no movement, however, which looked to the benefit
and further upbuilding of the community that sought his aid in vain.
He stood for progress and improvement at all times and Walla Walla
numbered him for many years as one of its foremost citizens, and his
death was the occasion of profound and widespread regret throughout
eastern Washington. Mrs. Baumeister and her family are members of the
Christian Science church and she is deeply interested in all those
things which have cultural value or which promote benevolent interests.
She has been president of the Walla Walla Symphony Club, is a member
of the Parent Teachers' Association, is an active worker in the Young
Women's Christian Association and is the secretary of the Red Cross.
She has much influence in these connections and her work is of the
greatest benefit.
JOHN GRANT KELLY.
John Grant Kelly, manager of the Daily Bulletin, published at Walla
Walla, has made this one of the most influential dailies of the
northwest outside of the large cities and he has ever been recognized
as a fearless defender of what he believes to be for the best interests
of the state. He was born in Peoria, Illinois, July 16, 1872, a son of
William and Sarah Ann (Roberts) Kelly, the former a native of New York
city, of Irish parentage, while the latter was born in Clay county,
Missouri, and is of Scotch descent. The father was a veteran of the
Civil war, having served with Company I of the Ninety-first Illinois
Infantry. He died in the year 1914 and is still survived by his widow.
John Grant Kelly acquired a public school education in Kansas City,
Missouri, being graduated from the Central high school there with the
class of 1892. After his textbooks were put aside he became connected
with the Kansas City Journal, with which he was identified for seven
years. Later he was advertising and business manager of the Drovers
Journal-Stockman of Omaha, Nebraska, for a decade and on the 1st of
February, 1910, he purchased the Walla Walla (Wash.) Daily Bulletin,
which he has since published and which is owned by himself and Mrs.
Kelly. As editor and publisher of this paper he has made the Bulletin
thoroughly independent in its espousal of issues strictly on a merit
basis. He was the leader in the movement that brought the commission
form of government to Walla Walla in 1911, and the Bulletin was
the only daily newspaper in the state of Washington that supported
state-wide prohibition in 1914. It has ever been an advocate of
measures of reform and improvement and is regarded as one of the most
influential dailies in the Pacific northwest outside of those published
in the larger cities. It has ever stood consistently for clean and
efficient government and has disregarded party lines.
On the 22d of June, 1900, in Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Kelly was
united in marriage to Miss Martha Violet Miller, a daughter of Jacob
J. and Laura E. Miller, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The father, a native
of Switzerland, engaged in jewelry manufacturing in both Milwaukee and
in Kansas City. To Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have been born three children:
Norman Miller, Eugene Armand and Virginia. The parents are members of
the First Congregational church of Walla Walla and Mr. Kelly is also
identified with the Young Men's Christian Association. Fraternally he
is connected with several Masonic bodies and also with the Knights
of Pythias and he belongs to the Shrine Club and to the Walla Walla
Commercial Club. In his political views he is independent and has
favored non-partisan government of city, county and state affairs. His
military record covers ten years' connection with the Third Regiment of
the National Guard of Missouri at Kansas City, during which time he
rose from private to first lieutenant and served as first lieutenant of
Company G of the Third Regiment of the Missouri National Guard during
the Spanish-American war. He has never aspired to public office but has
ever given his aid and influence on the side of reform and progress
and he is now serving on the State Council of Defense in the state of
Washington.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX
Abel, A. J., 372
Actor, C. F., 347
Actor, H. C., 659
Aldrich, F. J., 765
Aldrich, P. S., 509
Alexander, G. C., 533
Allen, J. T., 314
Anderson, A. F., 121
Anderson, J. P., 611
Ankeny, Levi, 16
Arnold, W. L., 377
Ashby, J. D., 289
Ashby, J. J., 286
Atwood, S. F, 46
Ault, J. R., 769
Bachtold, John, 466
Bailey, G. L., 519
Bailey, J. A., 819
Baker, D. S., 8
Baker, H. C., 835
Barnes, Lee, 304
Barnhart, W. H., 68
Barr, H. E., 110
Bateman, H. B., 394
Baumeister, A. G., 779
Baumeister, Max, 838
Baumeister, Edward, 780
Berg, C. E., 792
Bergevin, C. O., 130
Bergevin, Damase, 151
Berryman, J. E., 628
Berryman, L. P., 701
Besserer, Charles, 538
Blalock, N. G., 5
Blalock, Y. C., 480
Blessinger, John, 405
Bloomfield, A. P., 334
Bolick, Eli, 802
Bolter, A. J., 201
Bourgeois, E. F., 596
Bowe, William, 646
Bowers, C. J., 592
Bowles, J. H., 746
Brewer, B. F., 420
Brewer, J. F., 236
Brooks, J. W., 271
Broughton, C. J., 837
Brown, C. H., 179
Brown, H. N., 390
Bruce, W. E., 815
Brunton, I. D., 71
Brunton, J. G., 428
Brunton, O. W., 573
Brunton, W. H. H., 649
Byrnes, Edward, 714
Cahill, R. R., 307
Cahill, W. E., 395
Campbell, L. J., 627
Campbell, Martin, 826
Cantonwine, E. J., 655
Chandler, John, 816
Christensen, James, 449
Clague, Charles, 73
Clark, E. W., 544
Clark, W. S., 86
Clodius, H. F., 660
Clodius, J. W., 243
Cluster, W. F., 340
Coffin, R. F., 695
Coffin, D. H., 514
Coleman, W. G., 344
Conover, H. D., 825
Copeland, H. S., 270
Copeland, Thomas, 276
Copeland, W. R., 766
Corbett, A. E., 316
Corbett, J. A., 692
Corkrum, F. M., 677
Corkrum, U. F., 384
Cornwell, A. G., 645
Cornwell, J. M., 609
Cornwell, O. T., 138
Cox, D. H., 149
Coyle, Byrd, 824
Coyle, Charles, 178
Coyle, J. H., 820
Crawford, J. M., 364
Crocker, T. H., 696
Cropp, J. F., 542
Cummings, C. H., 385
Cummins, Woodson, 632
Dague, G. B., 158
Danielson, J. A., 518
Darby, J. A., 285
Davin, Joseph, 836
Davin, S. V., 349
Davis, C. D., 484
Delany, Berton, 497
Demaris, G. S., 313
Demaris, Orlando, 704
Dement, F. S., 56
De Ruwe, Jules, 206
De Ruwe, Reme, 60
Dewar, J. M., 801
DeWitt, Oliver, 686
Dice, T. F., 67
Dimmick, Ziba, 55
Dovell, W. T., 649
Dowling, P. B., 229
Drumheller, Jesse, 328
Dumas, J. L., 414
Dunham, J. B., 785
Dunlap, E. F., 411
Durry, Thomas, 622
Edmiston, J. E., 202
Eaton, D. C., 468
Edwards, J. H., 552
Edwards, J. J., 35
Eldridge, H. D., 574
Evans, G. A., 638
Fair, J. C., 72
Fall, J. N., 83
Farrish, William, 188
Faure, Frank, 315
Feider, Anthony, 33
Ferrel, Brewster, 302
Ferrel, D. B., 29
Fisher, W. P., 413
Fitzgerald, Frank, 304
Flathers, C. F., 45
Flathers, Emery, 200
Fleischer, F. J., 192
Foley, J. W., 371
Ford, W. E. L., 116
Frazier, C. R., 264
Gilbreath, S. L., 144
Gilkerson, Thomas, 483
Gillis, W. H., 343
Ginn, G. C., 805
Goodyear, William, 425
Gose, J. R., 104
Gose, M. F., 42
Gose, T. P., 301
Grant, O. E., 606
Greenville, Fred, 531
Gross, B. H., 452
Gross, J. A., 442
Gross, W. E., 169
Gross, W. H., 615
Grote, Joseph, 441
Grote, Theodore, 244
Guernsey, D. C., 220
Guichard, R. E., 579
Guthridge, G. J., 467
Gwinn, S. O., 375
Hales, C. A., 393
Halle, A. H., 111
Halsey, E. E., 580
Hannas, Ole, 329
Hansen, Martin, 337
Hanson, Godfred, 814
Hanson, H. H., 703
Harbert, J. W., 292
Harer, J. H., 339
Harper, Dick, 225
Harris, P. N., 497
Hart, H. G., 186
Hawley, P. B, 123
Hayes, Daniel, 487
Henderson, S. F., 775
Hennessey, E. S., 455
Hester, S. W., 641
Hoffmann, John, 378
Hollenbeck, C. A., 737
Holm, Adolph, 650
Holman, J. W., 21
Hoover H. M., 431
Hull, Orley, 479
Hunt, L. L., 320
Huntington, John, 674
Isaacs H. P., 590
Isecke, Charles, 386
Jensen, A. M., 551
Johnson, E. J., 461
Johnson, H. A., 668
Jones, B. L., 751
Jones, J. D., 832
Kaseberg, C. H., 322
Kausche, C. A., 14
Kausche, H. A., 230
Keiser, J. L., 616
Kellough, G. E., 261
Kelly, J. G., 840
Kennedy, Robert, 233
Kent, J. P., 752
Kenworthy, L. B., 281
Kibler, C. F., 95
Kibler, Frank, 33
Kimmerly, Mary A., 537
King, O. E., 419
Kirkman, William, 124
Kuykendall, E. V., 132
Lamb, J. M., 584
Lambdin, G. E., 131
Lambert, C. B., 451
Lambie, William, 474
Lane, J. A., 327
Lane, W. T., 242
Langdon, J. W., 462
Larson, Alfred, 263
Lasater, Harry, 701
Lasater, J. H., 713
Ledgerwood, Joseph, 59
Leonard, E. H., 234
Leonard, W. H., 389
Lewis, J. C., 400
Lloyd, A. G., 247
Loney, C. C., 137
Long, J. O., 291
Loundagin, R. W., 417
Low, Grant, 369
Lowden, F. M., 728
Lyman, W. D., 106
Lyons, E. A., 678
Lyons, J. R., 807
Lyons, J. W., 691
Lyons, Matthew, 786
McArthur, Herbert, 667
McCabe, C. A., 275
McCaw, R. C., 707
McClung, Peter, 258
McCown, Frank, 807
McDonald, Harvey, 30
McDonald, Mordo, 784
McFeely, John, 732
McGreevy, James, 791
McInroe, L. O., 403
McKay, Angus, 370
McKinney, W. E., 426
McMorris, Lewis, 36
McSherry, Nelson, 130
MacLachlan, J. A., 731
Malloy, W. S., 160
Marbach, Martin, 708
Martin, H. W., 507
Martin, John, 344
Martin, Joe, 808
Martin, J. F., 433
Martin, Michael, 40
Martin, Ossie, 445
Martin, William, 47
Mattoon, A. R., 185
Mauzey, H. G., 631
Maxwell, C. T., 498
Melger, J. C., 502
Miller, C. F., 170
Miller, Christian, 15
Miller, D. W., 759
Miller, F. L., 806
Miller, Frank, 159
Miller, W. H., 216
Milne, Alexander, 501
Mojonnier, F. E., 207
Moore, Charles, 152
Moore, J. M., 194
Moore, M. C., 396
Moritz, S. S., 66
Mottet, G. F., 755
Mulkey, L. P., 564
Neace, J. C., 427
Neal, J. P, 459
Nelson, C. T., 624
Nelson, E. J, 168
Nichols, Mary C., 319
Nilsson, Lars, 682
Nixon, E. H., 62
Nye, C. E., 105
O'Connor, Patrick, 548
Olds, A. R., 333
Osterman, Henry, 97
Paine, F. W., 74
Paine, J. G., 570
Painter, W. C., 112
Paul, W. D., 85
Petersen, H. P., 656
Pettijohn, Jonathan, 167
Pettijohn, W. T., 214
Pettyjohn, Sherman, 623
Plucker, Charles, 118
Pollard, G. T., 272
Preston, W. G., 434
Price, Alexander, 187
Price, G. F., 321
Rader, C. M., 20
Rees, R. R., 48
Reith, John, 601
Reser, William, 702
Reynolds, Allen H., 96
Reynolds, Almos H., 98
Reynolds, H. A., 532
Reynolds, Lettice J., 98
Richardson, W. H., 642
Richmond, O. M., 776
Roberts, J. C., 813
Roberts, R. D., 745
Robertson, John, 363
Robinson, C. S., 718
Robinson, F. C., 13
Robinson, J. M., 742
Robison, J. L., 440
Robison, L. L., 357
Rockhill, J. F., 350
Rogers, J. W., 595
Rogg, C. R., 12
Rohn, J. J., 583
Romaine, F. C., 678
Romaine, Garrit, 92
Romaine, J. H., 54
Rommel, C. H., 145
Rose, J. J., 282
Ross, J. A., 122
Rothrock, A. B., 513
Ruark, G. J., 28
Russel, T. A., 145
Sanders, F. M., 34
Sanders, R. O., 199
Sanford, A. L., 612
Schmitt, Henry, 452
Schmuck, Lewis, 665
Schneckloth, J. H., 338
Scott, W. M., 256
Seeliger, Charles, 717
Seitz, J. P., 770
Semrow, A. C., 563
Sharpstein, B. L., 22
Short, J. E., 456
Siebert, V. E., 241
Singleton, Frank, 84
Spreitzer, John, 638
Skinner, O. Z., 163
Smith, John, 490
Smith, S. W., 760
Soturno, Pasquale, 681
Spreitzer, John, 638
Sprout, W. E., 355
Stimmel, D. B., 534
Stine, Frederick, 208
Stonecipher, W. H., 412
Strahm, J. U., 136
Sturm, Christian, Sr., 250
Sweazy, J. W., 41
Sweeney, A. W., 308
Sweeney, S. B., 517
Swegle, M. W., 348
Tachi, J. F., 40
Taggard. J. D., 460
Taylor, Andy, 180
Taylor, C. M., 722
Taylor, W. L., 813
Taylor, W. M., 249
Thomas, Bert, 547
Thomas, Mary J., 541
Toner, J. W., 819
Trippeer, H. A., 478
Turner, B. M., 721
Utter, Joseph, 756
Vollmer, Gustav, 446
Walla Walla Union, 279
Wallace, J. L., 280
Walter, Clark, 174
Walter, J. D., 562
Walter, W. W., 557
Walters, Samuel, 404
Warren, J. B., 330
Watrous, H. F., 406
Watson, J. P., 738
Weary, A. G., 510
Weatherford, F. M., 146
Weatherford, W. M., 825
Webb, J. E., 815
Webb, Nathaniel, 796
Weimer, Joseph, 338
Weyrauch, P. H., 602
Whiteman, C. H., 226
Whitney, C. L., 61
Wickersham, A. L., 164
Wills, B. O., 541
Wills, F. G., 473
Winchell, M. B., 361
Wood, W. H., 432
Woodend, J. G., 358
Woods, C. J., 257
Woods, E. E., 823
Woods, E. L., 84
Woods, J. W., 489
Woodward, W. C., 362
Wright, J. C., 450
Yenney, L. O., 526
Yenney, Philip, 520
Yenney, W. H., 525
Young, F. M., 297
Younger, W. H., 376
Züger, Frank, 508
Züger, H. F., 795
Züger, Marcus, Sr., 488
Züger, Marcus, Jr., 262
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
--Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Lyman's History of old Walla Walla
County, Vol. 2 (of 2), by William Denison Lyman
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