Barker, Simon
SIMON B. BARKER
Few men have occupied a warmer position in the hearts of
their fellow citizens than did Simon B. Barker, who was long
a central figure on the stage of activity in Condon. As an
agriculturist, a merchant and a financier he won the full
measure of success, and his salient trait as a business man
was his executive ability. He seemed to know just when the
time was ripe for the inception of a new project, and the
spirit of enterprise which animated his every action made
him a valuable factor in Oregon's development.
Mr. Barker was born in Athens, Maine, October 8, 1863, a son
of Charles F. and Hannah (Bradbury) Barker, and was reared
on the home farm. His education was acquired in the public
schools and the academy at Athens. He aided his father in
the cultivation and improvement of the farm until he reached
the age of twenty-six, acquiring a thorough knowledge of
agricultural pursuits, and then started out in life for
himself. The west attracted him and in 1889 he located in
Condon. Having a small capital, he embarked in merchandising
on a modest scale and gradually enlarged his stock of goods,
eventually becoming the owner of the largest store in the
town. He was secretary, treasurer and one of the directors
of the Oregon Life Insurance Company and was also identified
with the Fithian-Barker Shoe Company, a wholesale firm.
Realizing Condon's need of a substantial moneyed
institution, he founded the First National Bank and
successfully administered its affairs until his death,
tempering progressiveness with a safe conservatism. For many
years he engaged in farming and stock raising and in these
fields also achieved leadership, becoming one of the largest
wheat growers and most successful sheep breeders in the
state. He owned several ranches and other property and was
the largest taxpayer in Gilliam county. His unusual
foresight enabled him to avoid dangerous projects, and his
holdings increased in value as the years passed. He was a
tireless, effective worker and after hours of strenuous
effort had ample reserve of strength for those critical
emergencies which make the greatest demands upon the powers
of apprehension and judgment.
Mr. Barker was married July 24, 1895, to Miss Anna Clark, a
daughter of Barna D. and Laura (Kendall) Clark, who were
natives of Vermont and came to Oregon in 1890, settling in
the eastern part of the state. To Mr. and Mrs. Barker were
born five children: Carroll K., who married Miss Rose
Anderson, of Condon; Verna, who is the wife of Dr. Harry C.
Blair, of Portland; Kenneth, who has charge of his father's
sheep ranches; Charles F., a freshman of the University of
Oregon, and Simon B., who is attending Columbia University.
The oldest son was graduated from the University of
California and is successfully managing the estate of his
father in Condon. During the World war he joined the marines
and was stationed on Mare island.
Mr. Barker was allied with the republican party, and his
religious views were in harmony with the doctrines of the
Presbyterian church, of which he was a consistent member. A
Scottish Rite Mason, he attained the thirty-second degree
and was one of the Nobles of Al Kader Temple of the Mystic
Shrine. The elements were happily blended in the rounding
out of his nature, and his was a many-sided, forceful
personality, finely matured and altogether admirable. His
influence for good deepened as he advanced in years and his
death on October 13, 1918, was a great loss to his community
and state. Mrs. Barker now resides on Summit avenue in
Portland and enjoys the esteem of a wide circle of friends.
History of the
Columbia River Valley - From The Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Campbell, Walter
WALTER A. CAMPBELL
Endowed with the qualities of a leader, Walter A. Campbell
pressed steadily onward and upward, never losing sight of
his objective, and in the fullness of time he became one of
the most popular and successful life insurance men in the
northwest. He was a progressive agriculturist, and also
aided in framing the laws of Oregon. His was a symmetrical,
well rounded development and all that he possessed was won
through his own unaided efforts. For many years he made his
home in Condon, which counted him among its most valuable
citizens, and by his many friends throughout the state he
was affectionately termed "Sandy."
A native of Canada, Mr. Campbell was born in Strathroy,
Ontario, January 8, 1862, and attended the public schools of
that locality, being graduated from the high school, and
later taking a course in the Ottawa Normal School. After his
graduation he taught for a time in Canada and then came to
Oregon. Having reached the conclusion that educational work
was not his real vocation, he turned his attention to
commercial affairs, becoming a member of the sales force of
the Salem Nursery Company. Soon afterward he entered the
employ of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company and located
in Condon, where he maintained his home during the remainder
of his life. His mastery of salesmanship and comprehensive
understanding of the intricate details of the life insurance
business made him one of the most valuable representatives
of the Penn Company and few agents in the northwest were
able to equal his record. Mr. Campbell wisely invested his
savings in land and eventually became the owner of a large
wheat ranch in Ferry canyon near Condon. Through earnest,
systematic effort and scientific methods he improved and
developed the farm, which comprises more than twelve hundred
acres of fertile land and is now the property of his widow.
Painstaking, methodical and thorough, he made his labors
count for the utmost and never failed to accomplish what he
undertook.
On the 16th of April, 1911, Mr. Campbell married Miss Emma
Mary Wood, a native of Wales, England, and a daughter of
William H. and Harriett Campbell. After coming to this
country the family located at Grants Pass, Oregon, and for
years the father was connected with the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company. Since his death Mrs. Wood has lived with
her daughter, Mrs. Campbell. Her son, Dr. Joseph E. Wood, is
a prominent physician of Portland. The family came to Oregon
on the first train following that of Henry Villard, the
noted railroad builder, and experienced many phases of
pioneer life in the west. Mr. Campbell passed away February
3, 1914, leaving two children, Richard and Jane, who reside
with their mother in Portland.
In 1913 Mr. Campbell was elected to the general assembly of
Oregon by a large majority and ably represented the district
comprising Wheeler, Gilliam and Sherman counties. His
support was given to all constructive legislation, and he
espoused the moral side of every issue brought before the
house. He was identified with the Masonic fraternity and a
number of commercial organizations, including the Condon
Business Men's Association, whose members passed resolutions
of respect at the time of his death. J. C. Anderson, then
mayor of The Dalles, wrote a letter of sympathy to Mrs.
Campbell and paid high tribute to her husband, whom he
characterized as "man's masterpiece of God's own handiwork."
A man of progressive spirit, high ideals and admirable
character, Mr. Campbell materially advanced the standards of
citizenship in Condon and his death was an irreparable loss
to the community.
History of the
Columbia River Valley - From The Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
