Goodwin, William
William J. Goodwin was born in Illinois in 1818 and came
west to the Oregon Territory in 1849 He was married to
Catherine Mary Roberts who was born in 1819 in Tennessee.
Arriving in Clark County, they settled on Mill Plain and
filed for a Donation Land Claim on August 15, 1850. William
was sworn in as Clerk of the Probate Court of Clark County
on July 1, 1850, and on December 2, 1851, he was issued a
license to establish a ferry from the head of Lady’s Island
to the mouth of Washougal River. An item in the Vancouver
Independent relates the following: William Goodwin and
family moved to The Dalles March 11, 1880, and leased The
Dalles House for a term of three years.
On Jan. 19, 1885, William Ryan was granted a franchise to
establish a ferry in the same area. In 1851, on December
2nd, a license was "granted" to William Goodwin to establish
a ferry from the head of Lady Island to above the mouth of
the Washougal River. Other licenses granted in that period
were to David C. Parker on June 10, 1854, for the same area;
James Carty, on Lake River slough and O.W. Bozorth on the
Cathlapoodle - present Lewis River - on March 7, 1855.
Contributed by John Brassfield
|
Bolton, Grifford
GRIFFORD VIRGIL BOLTON.
An interesting story of earnest endeavor, intelligently
directed, constitutes the life record of Grifford Virgil
Bolton, who was for many years actively and prominently
associated with banking interests
of The Dalles. Moreover, he was a native son of Oregon and
throughout his life was a supporter of all the well devised
plans and measures for the upbuilding of his city and state.
His birth occurred near The Dalles in the year 1863, his
parents being Daniel and Elizabeth (Fulwider) Bolton. Both
were natives of Virginia and representatives of old families
of that state. At an early day they journeyed westward to
become residents of Oregon and took up their abode on a farm
in the vicinity of The Dalles on Fifteen Mile creek, where
occurred the birth of their son Virgil.
The latter in the acquirement of his education attended the
public schools of The Dalles and then initiated his business
career by entering the bank of French & Company when he
was a youth of nineteen years. He first served in a clerical
capacity but bent every energy toward acquainting himself
with the banking business in principle and detail and his
thoroughness, his industry and loyalty won him promotions
from time to time until he soon became cashier and one of
the chief executive officers of the institution. He
continued to hold that position until his death, which
occurred on the 7th of March, 1895, when he was but
thirty-two years of age. Although he passed away at a
comparatively early age he had accomplished much more than
many a man of twice his years. He had made for himself a
most creditable position in financial circles, enjoying an
unassailable reputation for business integrity as well as
enterprise.
On the 28th of March, 1889, Mr. Bolton was united in
marriage to Miss Nellie J. French and they became the
parents of two daughters: Carmel French, who is now the wife
of Frank A. Ryder of Portland: and Nonearle French, who is
at home with her mother. Mr. Bolton was always keenly
interested in public affairs at The Dalles and recognition
of his public spirit and his devotion to the general good
was manifest in his election to the mayoralty. He belonged
to the Masonic fraternity of which he was an exemplary
representative and his entire life was characterized by
those qualities which in every land and clime awaken
confidence and respect. His widow is now living at Alexandra
Court, in Portland and is well known in the best circles of
the Rose City.
History of Oregon: Volume III
The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company
Chicago - Portland; 1922
Contributed by Jim Dezotell
|
Gates, Daniel
JUDGE DANIEL L. GATES.
The life of Daniel L. Gates is a story of one well spent in
the upbuilding of his native state and in the advancement of
the interests of his fellow citizens. He was born in Lane
county, Oregon, May 7, 1857, a son of John and Sarah E.
(Grice) Gates. The father was born in the blue grass section
of Kentucky, coming of a family of early pioneers of that
state. The mother was a native of Maryland and a member of
the Grice family, whose names are frequently met on the
pages of Maryland's history.
John Gates first came to Oregon in 1849, the journey being
made by ox team across the plains. After a stay of two years
he returned to the east by way of the Isthmus, but in a
short time he again drove his team across the plains to
Oregon and settled in Lane county. In 1859, shortly after
the creation of Wasco county, he located there and for the
succeeding thirteen years he was engaged in the stock
business, at which he was quite a success. It was in 1872
that Mr. Gates moved his family to The Dalles. His wife died
in 1860.
Daniel L. Gates was educated in schools of The Dalles and
entered the sawmill business early in life, continuing in
that line until 1886, when he became deputy sheriff of Wasco
county. In 1890 he received the democratic nomination for
sheriff, and although the county was strongly republican he
was elected by a substantial majority, an evidence of the
esteem in which he was held. His term of office is on record
as being one of the most efficient the county has ever had.
In 1894 Mr. Gates purchased a large tract of timber land
near Cascade Locks and went into the lumber trade. He also
became interested in salmon business, operating two wheels
on the Columbia river, and for a period conducted a
mercantile business at Cascade Locks. During his stay in the
latter place he was interested in the Cascade Locks Water
Company, serving as secretary for a time. In 1910 he
returned to The Dalles, where he had continuously maintained
his residence, and for a period rested from business
activities, but a man like Judge Gates is never permitted to
fully retire, so in 1917 he was prevailed on to emerge from
his retirement and accept the office of city recorder and he
is now serving the people in that office with the same
efficiency that has marked every movement of his business
career.
In October, 1889, Judge Gates was married to Miss Alice
DeHuff, of Portland, whose parents were also pioneers o£
this state. Three children have been born to Judge and Mrs.
Gates, namely: Harold DeHuff and Albert L., of The Dalles,
who are connected with the Motor Service Company, in which
they are stockholders; and a daughter, Ruth, who died in
1914.
Judge Gates is a member of the Knights of Pythias and has
filled all the chairs in that order. He is also a member of
the Woodmen of the World; the Elks; and the Masonic order,
being a Knight Templar and he will encase his feet in ice
and cross the hot sands of the desert with the Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine. He is popular with all classes of citizens
and has ever taken a prominent part in all movements
intended to promote the welfare of the people among whom he
has spent his entire life.
History of
Oregon: Volume III
The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company
Chicago - Portland; 1922
Contributed by Jim Dezotell
|
Nichol, Cook
COOK GARVEN NICHOL.
Cook Garven Nichol, a most enterprising and progressive
merchant, located at Mosier, was born in Missouri in 1869.
His father was a native of Texas county, Missouri, whither
his parents had removed in pioneer times. They had
previously been early residents of Kentucky and also became
identified with the pioneer development of Missouri. The
mother of Cook G. Nichol bore the maiden name of Reuh
Mitchell and came of one of the old families of Tennessee,
in which state her ancestors had settled in 1804.
Cook G. Nichol acquired a limited education in the rural
schools of Texas county and at the age of seventeen years
started out to make his fortune. He was empty-handed but
worked his way to New Mexico and after many trying
experiences reached Silver City. His early years were
fraught with earnest toil and endeavor. Locating at Pinos
Altos he there engaged in mining and through the succeeding
eight years of his life followed mining in New Mexico,
Arizona, Montana and Idaho. Having saved about thirty-five
hundred dollars, he then went to Houstonia, Missouri, and
purchased a lumberyard. For five years he conducted business
at that place, during which time he doubled his capital; but
on account of the health of his eldest son he removed to
Montana, buying a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres and
turned his attention to cattle raising. After eight years'
hard work his ranch was greatly devastated by a flood,
causing him the loss of one hundred and seventy-five tons of
hay and three hundred head of cattle. He then sold his
property at half price and started with his family for the
Pacific coast. After looking around for an opening he
decided upon Mosier, Wasco county, and in 1911 purchased a
half interest in the general merchandise store which he now
conducts. After a brief period he became sole owner by
acquiring the interest of his partner. Not having the
necessary capital with which to buy the half interest he
called upon a banker at Hood river and stated his needs.
After a conversation concerning his chances of success alone
in the business the banker produced a letter from a bank at
Houstonia, Missouri, which had been written to a bank at
Lewistown, Montana, assuring that institution that Mr.
Nichol was in every way worthy of accommodation. Upon the
margin of the letter the bank at Lewistown had written: "We
take pleasure in confirming the contents of this letter.
"Accordingly credit was advanced Mr. Nichol and he purchased
his partner's interest in the store, which he has since
successfully conducted. In the intervening period of nine
years he has built up an exceptionally good credit, a large
trade and a well earned reputation. Mr. Nichol and his store
are alike a credit to the town.
In 1896 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Nichol and Miss
Belle Holly of Licking, Missouri, who belonged to an old New
England family, the ancestral line being traced back to the
family to which belonged Miles Standish. The Holly family
were pioneers of New York before settling in Missouri. The
grandfather of Mrs. Nichol remembers Chicago as a small
village which he passed through, driving an ox team, when
traveling to northern Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Nichol are the
parents of two sons and a daughter: Bernard Eugene was
educated in the graded schools of Mosier and at the
Behnke-Walker Business College of Portland, Oregon. He
obtained employment at the plant of Armour & Company in
Portland as a bookkeeper and within a short time was to
Butte. Montana, and is now branch manager for the company at
Billings, that state. This rise in the business world was
accomplished in less than three years of service; Robert Leo
is a graduate in the Mosier high school; Mildred is a
student in the grades. The family is widely and favorably
known and the hospitality of the best homes of this section
of the state Is freely accorded them. Mr. Nichol was very
active in all the drives having to do with the World war and
served on the committee that put Mosier over the top in the
first bond drives, winning for the town the honor banner
ahead of the entire twelfth district, which embraced
California, Oregon and Washing- ton. Every public enterprise
in his section expects and receives his aid in time and
money and on no occasion has he been found a slacker.
Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow and a Modern Woodman. He has
never held public office in Oregon, despite many requests of
his fellow townsmen that he accept nominations. He says he
is a business man and knows nothing about politics nor has
he any disposition to take up a new line. He is the owner of
an extensive ranch in Deschutes county, where he is breeding
and feeding selected cattle. This he manages in addition to
his commercial pursuits, which for a number of years have
classed him with the leading representatives of mercantile
interests in Wasco county. Those who know him — and he has a
wide acquaintance — speak of him in terms of high regard and
recognize in him a forceful and resourceful man whose well
defined plans for his own advancement and for the general
good are carried forward to successful completion.
History of
Oregon: Volume III
The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company
Chicago - Portland; 1922
Contributed by Jim Dezotell
|
Mays, Franklin
Franklin P. Mays, United States Attorney for the District of
Oregon, is a native of the State, born in Lane county, May
12, 1855. His father, Hon. Robert Mays, now Mayor of Dalles
city, was a native of Tennessee, but went to Illinois when a
boy, and there attained mature years, being reared on his
father's farm. In 1849 he was married to Miss Lodemma
Fowler, and in 1852 they joined the tide of Western
emigration, and after a wearisome journey of six months
arrived at the Dalles; they went down the Columbia river to
Portland, and in the spring of 1853, took up a donation
claim in Lane county. In 1858, Mr. Mays removed to Wasco
county and engaged in stock-farming. He is still in that
business although since 1873 he has resided in the Dalles.
Franklin P. Mays is the third of a family of eight children.
His education was secured under the difficulties that
strongly characterize every pioneer community; the school
session seldom lasted as much as three months during the
year, and the rest of the time he devoted to farm labor.
Until he was seventeen years of age his opportunities were
limited to the log schoolhouse, but he then entered
Willamette University, as was graduated at the institution
June 1, 1876. In the fall of 1877, he entered the office of
Judge William Lair Hill, a distinguished jurist then at the
Dalles; each summer he attended to his usual duties at the
stock-ranch, but diligently continued his studies, and was
admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court, January 9,
1880. He then formed a partnership with Judge Hill at the
Dalles, which existed until 1886; in July of that year it
was dissolved on account of the removal of Judge Hill to
Oakland. The firm of May, Huntington & Wilson was soon
after formed, and still exists at the Dalles.
In February, 1890, Mr. Mays received the appointment of
United States Attorney, and since that date has temporarily
resided at Portland.
He was married at the Dalles, January 31, 1884, to Miss
Genevieve G. Wilson, also a native of Oregon, and a daughter
of the late Judge Joseph F. Wilson, a pioneer of 1852, Judge
Wilson became prominent upon the bench as Circuit and
Supreme Judge, and also represented the State in Congress.
Mr. and Mrs. Mays are the parents of two children: Wilson P.
and Genevieve G.
Politically, Mr. Mays has been a staunch Republican from his
boyhood, ever ready to advance his party's interests, but
not an office-seeker. He was a delegate at large to the
convention at Chicago, which nominated Benjamin Harrison in
1888, and was the State Delegate on the committee selected
to notify Mr. Harrison of his nomination for President of
the United States. He was the first native-born citizen of
the State of Oregon elected as a delegate to attend a
National convention, and the first native son to fill the
position of the United States Attorney.
An
Illustrated History of The State of Oregon
Rev. H. K. Hines, D. D.
The Lewis Publishing Company; 1893
Contributed by Jim Dezotell
|
Patterson, J. M.
J. M. PATTERSON
Although one of the venerable citizens of The Dalles, J. M.
Patterson figures prominently in public affairs as county
treasurer, an office which he has filled with ability for
seven years, and he is also an honored veteran of the Civil
war. Of Scotch and Irish lineage, he was born in Ohio,
November 26, 1845, and his parents, John and Eliza (Glenn)
Patterson, were natives of Pennsylvania. They were married
in the Buckeye state, to which John Patterson migrated when
a young man, and there engaged in farming for a short period
after which he began merchandising in which he continued
until 1862, when he started for Oregon, making the journey
by way of the isthmus of Panama. He located in Salem and
assisted in building its first sawmill. For three
years he was identified with the operation of the plant and
in 1865 vent to Iowa, becoming connected with the same line
of business. In 1868 he disposed of his property in the
Hawkeye state and returned to Oregon, purchasing an interest
in the Salem sawmill, with which he had previously been
identified. Mr. Patterson conducted the business
successfully until his death in 1874 and his wife passed
away about eight years later. Three of their children
reached mature years, namely: J. M.; and Mrs. Angeline King
and Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, who are now deceased.
In the acquirement of an education J. M. Patterson attended
the public schools of New Concord, Ohio, where he also
learned telegraphy and afterward went to Des Moines, Iowa.
On September 9, 1861, when a youth of sixteen, he joined
Company A, of the Fifteenth Ohio Infantry. He served for
sometime in the ranks afterwards being transferred to the
United States signal corps in which he served until the
close of the war. He was released from military duty
September 9, 1864, at the end of his term of three years,
and then reentered the service as a civilian remaining with
the telegraph corps of the United States Army until May 1,
1865, when he returned to private life. After the close of
the war he took a course in a business college at Des
Moines, Iowa, and in 1869 came to Oregon. For three years he
was assistant postmaster of Salem and in April, 1885,
journeyed to eastern Oregon, becoming a clerk on the
Warmspring Indian reservation. A year later he came to The
Dalles as bookkeeper for the A. M. Williams Company, with
which he spent eight years, and then entered the First
National Bank. Mr. Patterson was elected cashier of the
institution, which he represented in that capacity for three
years, and from 1901 until 1905 was postmaster. of The
Dalles. He was secretary of the local Business Men's
Association for three years and in 1908 purchased a fruit
ranch near The Dalles. For sixteen years he was the
owner of the farm, devoting his attention to the production
of cherries with varying success, and in 1927 sold the
property. Meanwhile he had been called to public office,
becoming treasurer of Wasco county in 1921, and at the end
of his term of two years was reelected for a period of four
years. The work of his department is performed with system
and efficiency and his retention in the office proves that
his worth is appreciated.
In 1872 Mr. Patterson married Miss Blanche Gray, whose
parents, G. W. and Prudence Gray, are deceased. Mrs.
Patterson was born in Iowa and passed away February 8, 1913.
She had become the mother of four children, all of whom were
born in Oregon. The son, Edward G., was married and at his
death left two children, Dorothy and Prudence. Beulah, the
second in order of birth, was educated in the local schools
and for twenty-six years has been assistant postmistress of
The Dalles. Her sister, Prudence, was educated in Salem.
During the World war she was acting secretary of The Dalles
Chamber of Commerce and has been clerk of the school board
since 1921. William Glenn, the second son, went to France
with the American Expeditionary Force, serving in the
ordnance department of the army, and is now a traveling
salesman for the Goodrich Tire & Rubber Company. He is
married and resides in Portland, Oregon.
Mr. Patterson belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and
is a past commander of J. W. Nesmith Post, No. 32. He is
also connected with the Woodmen of the World and takes a
keen interest in the affairs of these organizations. For
more than four decades he has witnessed the panorama of
progress in Wasco county and rejoices in what has been
accomplished. His life has been rightly lived and although
eighty-two years of age he is alert and vigorous, deriving
contentment and happiness from the performance of useful
work. By nature he is genial, frank and sympathetic and
enjoys the esteem of a host of friends, by whom he is
affectionately termed "Jerry."
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Barnum, Ladru
LADRU BARNUM
A product of Wasco county, Ladru Barnum has progressed with
its development, giving his best efforts to every task that
he has undertaken, and is now a forceful figure in financial
circles of The Dalles, representing the First National Bank
in an official capacity. He was born in 1877 in Moro and at
that time Wasco, the "largest county in the world," as it
was called, comprised in its area what is now Sherman
county. His father, Henry Barnum, was a native of New York
state and in his youth yielded to the lure of the west,
sailing around Cape Horn. He came to this region when
eastern Oregon was one great cattle range, unfenced for
hundreds of miles. He filed on a homestead in Wasco county,
becoming the owner of the land on which the town of Moro was
afterward built. There he spent the remainder of his life,
raising cattle and horses on an extensive scale, and his
homestead is now the state and federal demonstration farm
for eastern Oregon. Mr. Barnum was a broad-minded man of
generous impulses and in his will provided for the
maintenance of a school. For each of his children who a
pupil at this school the district was to receive a bonus of
seventy-five dollars per annum, provided he or she attended
during three months of the school year. Mr. Barnum attained
the full measure of success and in 1884 death terminated his
useful and upright career. His widow, Mrs. Elmira (Masicker)
Barnum, was born in Yamhill county, Oregon, and passed away
in 1923. They were the parents of four children: E. E., a
resident of The Dalles and one of the large wheat growers of
this part of the state: Ladru; A. H., a breeder of
registered Hereford cattle and one of the leading stockmen
of Sherman county; and Mrs. Ora M. Peetz, whose husband is
county commissioner and maintains his home in Moro.
Ladru Barnum attended the school established by his father
and rode the range until he reached the age of twenty,
becoming thoroughly familiar with the details of stock
raising. When about sixteen he took part in the Moro rodeo,
wearing chaps and riding wild steers, but the life of a
cowboy was not to his liking and he determined to fit
himself for a commercial career. He completed a course in
the Portland Business College and for six months was a clerk
in a general store in Klondike, Sherman county. Afterward he
was employed in a similar capacity by the Moro Mercantile
Company and in 1900 entered the service of the Wasco
Warehouse & Milling Company of Moro as grain buyer, or
chief field man. For twenty years he filled that important
position, traveling throughout eastern Oregon and in
addition he acted as manager of the bank operated by the
company in Moro, assuming the duties of the latter office in
1903. Reared on a ranch, he has never lost his interest in
agricultural matters and in 1912 was the prime mover in
securing for the farmers of Sherman county a loan which
saved them from what at one time looked like ruin, the
amount obtained from eastern sources for that purpose being
nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. On March 6,
1919, he came to The Dalles and has since been vice
president and general manager of the First National Bank.
Mr. Barnum has aided materially in making this one of the
strongest and most important financial institutions of
Oregon and is also vice president of the Bank of Moro, a
director of the Bank of Wasco and of the Eastern Oregon
Banking Company of Shaniko.
The First National Bank of The Dalles was organized in 1885
and started with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars.
Its first election was held December 28, 1885, and David P.
Thompson was called to the presidency of the bank, of which
John S. Schenck became vice president, while Hamilton M.
Beall was chosen cashier. At that time George A. Liebe and
Griffith E. Williams were selected as their associates on
the board of directors. As a result of the annual election
of January 12, 1892, J. S. Schenck became president of the
bank and H. M. Beall continued as cashier. The latter
resigned July 15, 1893, and on July 22, 1893, J. M.
Patterson assumed the duties of cashier. On January 8, 1901,
H. M. Beall replaced G. A. Liebe as vice president and Max
A. Vogt became cashier. The capital stock remained unchanged
until December 28, 1905, when it was increased to one
hundred thousand dollars. W. C. Waldron tendered his
resignation as bookkeeper and on July 25, 1904, F. W. Sims
was selected to fill the position. H. M. Beall resigned as
vice president on January 9, 1906, and G. A. Liebe was then
recalled to that office, of which he was the incumbent until
January 14, 1908. E. M. Williams was then elected vice
president and F. W. Sims was made assistant cashier. On July
5, 1911, the surplus was increased to one hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars. J. S. Schenck died October 16,
1913, and on November 3, 1913, Max A. Vogt was elected
president of the bank, while F. W. Sims was advanced to the
post of cashier. Max A. Vogt died January 23, 1919, and on
March 6, 1919, the following officers were elected: E. M.
Williams, president; E. 0. McCoy and L. Barnum, vice
presidents; and F. W. Sims, cashier. There were no further
changes until June 15, 1927, when J. W. Hoech was elected a
director and vice president. The present officers are: E. M.
Williams, president; E. 0. McCoy and J. W. Hoech, vice
presidents; L. Barnum, vice president and general manager;
F. W. Sims, cashier; and W. H. Wilhelm, L. A. Littleton, Max
Kasberger, J. F. Tureck and J. L. Secton, assistant
cashiers. The directorate is composed of L. Barnum, J. W.
Hoech, J. L. Kelly, E. 0. McCoy and E. M. Williams.
The statement issued by the bank at the close of business on
October 10, 1927, showed a capital of one hundred thousand
dollars; a surplus and undivided profits of one hundred and
eighty-eight thousand, four hundred and forty-six dollars,
deposits amounting to two million, four hundred and
seventy-seven thousand, nine hundred and eighty-two dollars,
and total resources of two million, eight hundred and ninety
thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight dollars.
In 1911 the old home of the institution was replaced by a
new modern, class A bank building, five stories in height.
It is made of pressed brick and stands in the center of the
business district. The bank occupies all of the lower floor
and the remaining stories of the building contain office
suites leased by local business and professional men. The
bank pays three per cent interest on savings accounts and
has safe deposit boxes for rent. Up-to-date banking
appliances facilitate the work and the service is adapted to
every need. On January 13, 1927, the First National Bank of
The Dalles took over all the deposits of the Wasco County
Bank, making this one of the largest and foremost moneyed
institutions in eastern Oregon.
Mr. Barnum was married June 30, 1900, in Moro to Miss May
Kunsman, a native of Ohio and a daughter of John and Mary
Kunsman, both of whom passed away in Oregon. Their younger
children, Roy and Mary Kunsman, were reared by Mr. Barnum
and carefully nurtured. Roy is engaged in business at
Arlington, Oregon, and has a wife and one child, Barbara
May. Mary is now Mrs. Newton Crosfield, of Wasco, Oregon,
and has a son, Newton Ladru.
During the World war Mr. Barnum was head of the local Red
Cross organization and food administrator for his county. He
was chairman of every bond and stamp drive in Sherman county
and also participated in the campaigns promulgated by the
Young Men's Christian Association. For a considerable period
he was chairman of the republican county committee of
Sherman county and for seventeen years was its
representative on the republican state central committee.
While a resident of Moro he was a school director for eight
years and also filled the offices of councilman and mayor.
For four terms he was president of The Dalles Chamber of
Commerce and acted as district trustee of the local Kiwanis
Club for a similar length of time. He is also a member of
The Dalles Golf & Country Club and a Knight Templar
Mason, holding the thirty-second degree in that order. In
the blue lodge he is past master and is a Noble of the
Mystic Shrine. He has been through all of the chairs in the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is likewise connected
with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is a past
patron of the Eastern Star. His wife belongs to the last
named order, is past worthy matron and was active in the
Grand Chapter. Enterprising, broad-minded and unselfish, Mr.
Barnum has demonstrated his public spirit by actual
achievements for the general good and the rules which govern
his life are such as constitute the basis of all honorable
and desirable prosperity.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Chrisman, Levi
LEVI CHRISMAN
No public official of Wasco county enjoys a higher
reputation than Levi Chrisman, who has served continuously
as sheriff for a period of twenty-two years, and represents
the third generation of the family in Oregon. He was born
May 18, 1869, in Dufur, Wasco county, and his father,
Campbell Ewing Chrisman, was a native of Pike county,
Missouri, His natal day was January 4, 1835, and his parents
were Joel D. and Margaret Chrisman, the former also born in
Pike county, while the latter was a native of Ireland. In
1844, when their son Campbell E. was a boy of nine, they
journeyed to Oregon in a covered wagon and located on a
donation land claim of six hundred and forty acres, situated
one and a half miles south of Dayton, in Yamhill county.
Margaret Chrisman there passed away in 1852 and her husband
remained on the ranch until 1872. He then sold the place and
came to The Dalles, where he lived retired until his death a
few years later. He had a family of eight children: Gabrile,
Ann, Elinor, Elizabeth, William, Campbell E., Chelnessa and
Izza.
Campbell E. Chrisman was educated in the public schools of
Dayton and remained at home until 1859, when he moved to The
Dalles. For a time he leased the ranch near Dufur and about
1862 purchased the property. He cultivated the farm until
1870 and then sold the tract. Returning to The Dalles, he
became a dealer in grain and conducted a grocery and a feed
store. Catering to both the wholesale and retail trades, he
established a large patronage and continued the business
until 1887, when he retired. He served on the school board
and manifested a deep interest in matters touching the
welfare and progress of his community. On September 10,
1863, he married Miss Mary Adeline Murphy, who was born June
28, 1847, in Peoria, Illinois. Her parents, John E. and
Frankie Murphy, were born in the east and came to Oregon in
1852, settling on a donation land claim near Independence,
in Polk county. Her father was a Christian minister and one
of the early circuit riders of Oregon, traveling on
horseback to isolated districts in order to spread the
Gospel. He passed away early in the '70s and his widow
survived him by ten years. The demise of Campbell E.
Chrisman occurred May 15, 1908, at the home of his daughter,
Mrs. Taylor, a resident of The Dalles, and on February 20,
1922, his widow was called to her final rest. To their union
were born seven children. Lulu, the eldest, was born on the
homestead near Dufur and is the widow of Henry Taylor. She
has two children: Mrs. Lulu P. Hay, who is the mother of a
daughter, Norma Jean; and Henry Clay Taylor, who is married
and has a son, Richard Clay Taylor. Hugh Chrisman is sheriff
of Sherman county and has been the incumbent of the office
for eight years. Levi is the next of the family and his
brother Frank lives in Oakland, California. Eugene makes his
home in Toledo, Oregon, and Fred is a resident of Bradley,
California. Emma, the seventh in order of birth, died in
infancy.
Levi Chrisman attended the public schools at The Dalles and
the old Wasco Academy. For four years he was a railroad
employe and in 1890 ventured in business for himself at The
Dalles. In partnership with his brother Frank he opened a
meat market, which he conducted successfully for sixteen
years, also dealing in live stock. He was elected sheriff of
Wasco county on the republican ticket in 1906 and his long
retention in this office is an eloquent testimonial to the
quality of his service. In the discharge of his important
duties he is conscientious, efficient and fearless and
during his tenure of office the percentage of crime in the
country has been appreciably lowered. His record is
unsullied and in length of service has never been equaled by
any other sheriff in the state.
In 1893 Mr. Chrisman married Miss Edna C. Martin, who was
born in Illinois, and died February 13, 1912. She had become
the mother of five children. Edna, the first born, is the
wife of Robert P. Johnson, of Portland, Oregon, and has two
daughters, Margaret and Virginia. The other children of Mr.
and Mrs. Chrisman are: Mrs. Neva M. Rasmussen, of Seattle,
Washington; Robert, who was admitted to the bar in 1926 and
is practicing in Wallowa, Oregon; Cecil, who is a junior at
the University of Oregon and is preparing to enter the legal
profession; and Elsie, who was graduated from the high
school at The Dalles and is taking a course in a Portland
business college. The children are natives of The Dalles and
all have received the benefit of a good education.
Mr. Chrisman is a Knight Templar Mason and a Noble of Al
Kader Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Portland. In the local
lodge of the Knights of Pythias he has filled all of the
chairs and is also affiliated with the Woodmen of the World
and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He has a wide
acquaintance and draws his friends from all walks of life,
possessing those qualities which inspire strong and enduring
regard.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Stadelman, Joseph
JOSEPH STADELMAN
Although a native of the east, Joseph Stadelman has spent
practically his entire life in Oregon, becoming one of the
leading merchants of The Dalles, and his success has been
commensurate with his industry and ability. He was born on
Hempstead, Long Island, and when a child made the journey to
the west with his parents, Joseph and Mary (Rath) Stadelman,
who settled on a donation land claim near The Dalles in
1881. Here the father engaged in farming until his death in
1923 and the mother still lives at The Dalles.
Joseph Stadelman, Jr., attended the public schools of this
city until he reached the age of twelve years, when he
became a wage earner, obtaining work in the fruit and
produce store of Seufert Brothers, local merchants. His next
position was that of messenger boy for the Western Union
Telegraph Company, with which he spent about six months,
afterward becoming a clerk in the D. Herbring dry goods
store. In the shop of Maier & Benton he learned the
trade of a tinsmith, working for the firm for three years,
and later was employed for six months in the hardware store
of Mays & Crowe. In 1898 he became associated with his
brother, P. J. Stadelman, a dealer in fruit and ice,
acquiring a third of the stock. They also handled coal and
wood and in 1909 erected a large plant for the manufacture
of ice, afterward constructing a cold storage building,
likewise of extensive proportions. In 1925 Joseph Stadelman
disposed of his holdings in the Stadelman Ice Company and
his brother has since been the owner of the business. On
June 24, 1914, Joseph Stadelman and N. A. Bonn had purchased
the hardware business of the Waither-Williams Hardware &
Implement Company on Second street but did not take over the
stock of implements. The store was established in 1887 by
Grant Mays and L. E. Crowe. It was afterward conducted by
the firm of Sexton & Waither and on the retirement of
the senior partner the business was reorganized, at which
time the style of the Walther-Williams Hardware &
Implement Company was adopted. The firm of Stadelman &
Bonn carries a complete line of hardware and the stock
includes paint and oil, house furnishings, stoves and
ranges, plumbers' supplies and glassware, as well as guns,
ammunition, fishing tackle and other articles used by
sportsmen. The stock is valued at thirty thousand dollars
and the firm handles goods of the highest quality. This is
one of the best hardware stores in eastern Oregon and its
patronage is drawn from a wide territory. Throughout his
residence in Oregon, a period of forty years, Mr. Bonn has
been connected with this establishment and knows every phase
of the trade. The partners are experienced business men of
mature judgment and their commercial transactions have
always balanced up with the principles of truth and honor,
which constitute the foundation of success in every line of
endeavor and without which no commercial organization can
long endure.
Mr. Stadelman was married October 8, 1909, to Miss Nellie M.
Gilhousen, a native of Kahoka, Missouri, and a daughter of
John and Julia Gilhousen. For many years the father was
engaged in farming in Missouri and since his retirement has
resided at The Dalles. He has reached the eighty-eighth
milestone on life's journey and his wife is eighty-four
years of age but as alert and active as most women of fifty.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gilhousen were born seven children, two of
whom died in infancy. Those who survive are: William, who
lives at The Dalles; Charles, of New York city; Paxton, a
resident of Des Moines, Iowa; Ernest, of Portland, Oregon;
and Nellie M. All are natives of Missouri. Mr. and Mrs.
Stadelman have a daughter, Joan Catherine, who was born
February 14, 1914, at The Dalles and is attending high
school.
The Stadelman residence was erected a few years ago and
ranks with the finest in the county. It is a pressed brick
structure of attractive design and has nine rooms in
addition to a full basement. The house contains hardwood
floors and is supplied with all modern conveniences. Mr.
Stadelman is an accomplished musician as well as a capable
business man and in 1891 played the cornet in the Third
Regiment Band of the Oregon National Guard. Resolute and
energetic, he has converted his opportunities into tangible
assets and is esteemed for the qualities to which he owes
his success.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Keller, Andrew
ANDREW KELLER
Along the path of opportunity open to all Andrew Keller
arrived at the goal of success, placing his dependence upon
the indispensable qualities of industry and perseverance,
and is now living retired at The Dalles, which for
forty-five years has numbered him among its loyal and
valuable citizens. A native of Baden, Germany, he was born
August 16, 1861. His parents, John G. and Annie Keller, were
lifelong residents of that country, and in their family were
nine children, five of whom survive.
Andrew Keller was reared on his father's farm and attended
the public schools of Baden, afterward becoming a baker's
apprentice. In 1877 he sailed for America in company with an
uncle, J. S. Keller, who had emigrated to this country in
1849, when gold was discovered in California. Fortune eluded
him and in the '60s he opened a meat market in Portland,
Oregon. While thus engaged he revisited his old home. in
Germany, returning to the United States with his nephew, and
conducted the business in Portland until his death.
At the age of sixteen Andrew Keller severed home ties. His
education was completed in the old Central school in
Portland and while learning how to read and write English he
was employed in his uncle's shop, working from four in the
morning until it was time for school to open. When the
pupils were dismissed for the day he returned to the market
and frequently remained there until eleven o'clock at night
in order to complete his tasks. In 1878 he entered the Force
& Fieur Bakery on Washington street, between Second and
Third, and spent two years with that firm. He went to
California in 1880, following his trade for a few months in
San Francisco, and in the same year returned to Portland. In
1883 he left the Rose city, locating at The Dalles, and for
a short time was employed in the Newman bakery. Having
accumulated sufficient capital, Mr. Keller ventured in
business for himself and opened a high class bakery, of
which he was the proprietor until 1907. After disposing of
the enterprise he purchased an interest in the August Bigler
brewery, with which he was connected until 1911, when he
disposed of his interest and entered the field of
contracting in partnership with Charles Johnson. From the
start the undertaking was a success and among the notable
structures which they erected in The Dalles were the Wasco
warehouse and elevators, a large flour mill and the new home
of the First National Bank, an imposing building which is
five stories in height. In the execution of contracts they
were prompt, reliable and efficient, displaying keen
sagacity in the management of their affairs, and in 1920 Mr.
Keller was able to retire.
Mr. Keller was married in 1882 to Miss Klootz, also a native
of Germany, and their union was severed by her death in
October, 1926. She had become the mother of five children.
The eldest, Mrs. Emma Miller, who was born in Germany and is
living in Lodi, California, has a family of three children:
Lena, Grace and Otto. Annie, the second daughter, became the
wife of William Ross, of Seattle, Washington, and is
deceased. Josephine, a native of The Dalles, was married to
Edward Boyd, a locomotive engineer for the Union Pacific
Railroad Company, living at The Dalles and they, have a son,
Lloyd. Bertha, the next of the family, is the wife of
Benjamin Pundt, of The Dalles. Otto, the fifth in order of
birth, also a native of The Dalles, is married and has a
daughter, Bertha, whose brother, Andrew, the first born, is
deceased.
Mr. Keller is identified with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His
service as water commissioner covered three terms and for
four years he was one of the councilmen of The Dalles,
discharging his public duties in a manner that won strong
approbation. The community has profited materially by Mr.
Keller's constructive efforts and a useful, upright life has
enabled him to win and retain the esteem of his fellowmen.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Stadelman, Peter
PETER JOHN STADELMAN
At an early age Peter John Stadelman manifested that spirit
of energy and self-reliance which spurs the individual ever
onward and upward and for thirty-five years he has been an
outstanding figure in business circles of The Dalles. lie is
also a financier of high standing and for a decade has been
mayor of the city, which has made notable progress during
that period. He was born in Hempstead, New York, and his
father, Joseph Stadelman, was a native of the Austrian
Tyrol. In 1869 he sailed for the United States, settling on
Long island, and for a time followed the trade of a
carpenter at Hempstead. Next he purchased a tract of land
and raised garden truck, which he marketed in New York city.
Learning of the opportunities afforded in the west, he sold
the property and in 1881 came to The Dalles, Oregon. He
leased the old Catholic mission donation land claim of six
hundred and forty acres and devoted the remainder of his
life to the cultivation of the farm. His wife, Mary (Rath)
Stadehnan, was born in the state of New York and they became
the parents of two sons, Peter John and Joseph, whose
biographies are published in this volume. The father's
demise occurred in March, 1923, but the mother still resides
at The Dalles.
Peter J. Stadelman attended the public schools of this city
until he was twelve years of age, when he became a newsboy,
and carried the Oregonian, Portland's leading paper. At the
same time he obtained a position in The Dalles post office,
in which he spent about four years, serving under Michael
Nolan, who was then postmaster and also the mayor of the
city. Much of the work devolved upon Mr. Stadelman, who
acted as assistant postmaster before he reached the age of
sixteen. In 1893 he ventured in business for himself,
opening a fruit and vegetable store at The Dalles, and a
year later he broadened the scope of his activities. During
the winter he cut ice from the nearby lakes and with the
assistance of his brother peddled it in the summer. In 1898
the business was expanded to a wholesale and retail fruit
and ice company, in which P. J. Stadelman owned two-thirds
of the stock, and the remainder was held by Joseph
Stadelman. They handled Oregon and California fruits for the
eastern markets, also supplying the western markets with
fruit from the east and south, and likewise became dealers
in coal and wood. In 1909 they completed a large plant for
the manufacture of ice and later erected a cold storage
building provided with ten large rooms supplied with
facilities for keeping perishable fruit. The building is
usually filled with apples, which are secured in the fall
and kept in cold storage until spring. In 1925 Joseph
Stadelman withdrew from the concern and the business is now
controlled by Peter J. Stadelman, who has admitted his sons,
Wilbur and George P., to a partnership. To the Stadelman
Company belongs the distinction of having the largest ice
and cold storage plant in eastern Oregon. In 1927 the firm
shipped over one hundred thousand dollars worth of cherries
alone and in addition sent out peaches, pears, apricots,
strawberries, apples and vegetables in large quantities. The
cars are iced at The DalIes plant and the shipments extend
throughout the eastern states. Each step in the development
of this large enterprise has resulted from carefully matured
plans and tireless effort, and in its conduct Mr. Stadelman
brings to bear unerring judgment and marked administrative
power. These characteristics are also displayed in the
control of the Citizens National Bank, a local institution,
of which he is the president. In 1920 he was one of the
organizers of the bank, of which Dr. J. A. Reuter is vice
president, and H. E. Green serves as cashier. Their
associates on the board of directors are John Van Dellen,
John Heimrich, Arthur Senfert, Dr. B. C. Olinger, H. L. Huck
and George Abarr. The bank is capitalized at one hundred and
sixty thousand dollars and its resources amount to more than
one million dollars. This is a reliable, prosperous moneyed
institution and the spirit behind its service is one of
helpfulness. In 1907 Mr. Stadelman and his brother purchased
from their father the old mission farm, which adjoins the
city, and they still own the property, which they have
converted into one of the finest ranches in Wasco county.
In 1904 Peter J. Stadelman married Mrs. May Hicks, a native
of Wasco county and a daughter of Robert Kelly, who served
as sheriff of the county for many years. Mrs. Stadelman
passed away July 10, 1924, leaving two sons, Wilbur and
George Peter, both natives of The Dalles and graduates of
the local high school. Wilbur Stadelman attended the
University of Oregon at Eugene for one and a half years and
has charge of the fruit department of his father's business.
His brother is a sophomore at the State University and a
member of its football team, taking a prominent part in
athletic sports. The sons are keenly interested in the
business and give very promise of being able to continue it
successfully when their father is ready to retire.
Mr. Stadelman is affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and
the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In 1910 he became a
member of the city council, with which he was identified for
four years, and made an excellent record. On November 4,
1918, he was elected mayor of The Dalles and has since been
retained in that office. The welfare of the city has ever
been his first concern and his administration has been
beneficially resultant. He is an earnest advocate of good
roads and schools and his personality has been an
inspiration to progress. Mr. Stadelman has never deviated
from the course sanctioned by conscience and honor and
belongs to that desirable class of citizens who constitute
the strength and the motive power of every community in
which they are found.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Pepper, Carlton
CARLTON LEE PEPPER
Canton Lee Pepper, practicing attorney-at-law in The Dalles,
Oregon, was born on the 18th day of November, 1876, at
Shenandoah, Iowa, where his father and mother, pioneers of
the state of Iowa, were then living on a homestead. At the
age of four years his family moved to Kansas, and in 1883
his father and mother again became pioneers, then moving to
and settling in the Territory of Dakota. In 1890 the family
moved to Piano, Illinois, where the father died, and where
Canton Lee Pepper attended the public schools. In 1905 he
graduated from the law department of Lake Forest University,
and was then admitted to the bar in Illinois.
His father was Thomas Derth Pepper, who was born at
Brimfield, Massachusetts, March 25, 1844, and served under
General Burnside in the Civil war. The father died at Plano,
Illinois on May 16, 1910. His mother, whose maiden name was
Ellen Minerva Hunt, was born at Bridgeport, Connecticut,
January 7, 1840, and died at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October
5, 1920.
The father of Thomas Derth Pepper was an early settler of
the state of Massachusetts, whose brother, David Pepper, was
a merchant and the owner of a large amount of property in
Philadelphia and who was the founder of Strathmore College.
He was a millionaire and philanthropist, and the father of
George Wharton Pepper, present United States senator.
The father of Ellen Minerva Hunt was Reuben Hunt, one of the
early settlers of Litchfield, Connecticut. Her mother was
Emmeline Hunt, whose father, Amos Hunt, was a Yale graduate,
as was also his father who was one of the first students to
enter Yale College when it was founded in 1702.
The progenitor of the Hunt family was an officer in William
the Conqueror's army. Following the battle of Hastings and
the conquest of England in 1066, he received a large area of
land in the north of England where he founded the Hunt
family. In 1635, two brothers of the Hunt family, in company
with twenty-three others, received a grant of land in New
York, later a part of the state of Connecticut. One of the
company, Sir William Hunt, settled in Canaan, Connecticut,
and was the founder of the branch of the Hunt family of
which the mother of Carlton Lee Pepper was a member.
At a reunion of the Hunt family held in 1885, three thousand
descendants personally registered at the meeting. More than
ten thousand registered by mail. The meeting being the two
hundred fiftieth anniversary of the advent of the Hunt
family in America. The Hunt family has produced a number of
prominent people, among them being Governor Hunt of Arizona;
Rockwell Hunt, historian of the University of California;
and Russell Hunt and William Hunt, both artists. At one time
the Hunt brothers operated a foundry in New York, which was
the only one in America fitted for making cannon for the
Revolutionary army.
Following his graduation from the Lake Forest University in
1905, in Chicago, Carlton Lee Pepper was admitted to the bar
in the state of Illinois. In 1906 he moved to Portland,
Oregon, where, for a period of nine months, he occupied the
position of advertising manager for a large wholesale
grocery house, going to The Dalles, Oregon, on July 1, 1907,
where he entered into a partnership with S. W. Stark for the
practice of law. Since the first day of July, 1907, he has
continuously lived in and practiced law in The Dalles.
Soon after coming to The Dalles, Canton Lee Pepper was
elected to the board of directors of the local Chamber of
Commerce where he served for several years, and in 1915 he
was elected to the office of and served as president of the
Chamber. He was city attorney of The Dalles during the years
1914 and 1915. In 1917 he organized what is known as The
Dalles National Farm Loan Association, since which time he
has acted as secretary-treasurer of the Association, and is
now filling such office. For five years he has been
president of the Central Oregon District Association of Farm
Loan Associations, which office he is also filling at the
present time.
During the time Mr. Pepper has been living in The Dalles he
has endeavored to perform his share of the civic duties
falling on the ordinary individual living in a rural
community, serving as needed on the various committees
connected with the Chamber of Commerce and civic
organizations. He has been active in fraternal affairs,
being a member of the Masonic and Elk lodges of The Dalles,
a Knight Templar, Royal Arch Mason and a life member of Al
Kader Temple of the Shrine in Portland. He is Past Master of
Wasco Lodge, No. 15, A.F. & A.M. in The Dalles.
On September 22, 1902, Mr. Pepper was married to Grace
Clarkson, and his family now consists of himself, his wife
Grace Pepper, and one daughter Ruthe Eleanor, of the age of
nineteen years, now attending the State Normal School at
Monmouth. Mrs. Pepper is the daughter of James and Margaret
Clarkeon of Mendota, Illinois, where Mrs. Pepper was born,
her father being born in Glasgow, Scotland, and her mother
in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Pepper has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of The
Dalles since its organization in 1921, being a charter
member of the Club and its first secretary, which office he
held for a period of three years following the organization
of the Club. In 1924 he acted as delegate of the Club to the
international convention held at Denver.
Mr. Pepper has one brother and two sisters. His sister, Mrs.
A. W. Hunt, residing in Los Angeles, California, and the
other sister, Mrs. James Motter, living in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. His brother, F.M. Pepper, is connected with the
main office of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company
in New York, where he has charge of the vocational training
department of such institution.
While living in Illinois Mr. Pepper served six years as a
member of the Illinois National Guard, being connected with
the Signal Corps. In 1898 the Signal Corps of which he was a
member was called for service in the Spanish-American war,
but was recalled before reaching the front.
By choice and because of his father's views, Mr. Pepper is
affiliated with the republican party. He is a member of the
Congregational church at The Dalles. His chief recreational
sports are golfing, fishing and hunting, which he enjoys at
all times with a reasonable degree of success
Mr. Pepper's valued possessions are his family, relatives
and his friends. His physical possessions are his law
business, his property in The Dalles, and a wheat ranch in
Sherman county.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Hage, C. A.
C. A. HAGE
That success is the legitimate outcome of persistent
industry, backed by good judgment in taking advantage of
opportunity, has been exemplified in the business career of
C. A. Hage, of Mosier, Wasco county, Oregon, who has gained
a wide reputation as a maker of high grade cider, his
product being known from coast to coast. Mr. Rage was born
in Bavaria, Germany, on the 8th day of February, 1868, and
is a son of Jacob and Katie Hage, also natives of that
country. His father was a farmer and a preacher of the
Mennonite church. Both parents are deceased, the father
dying in 1877 and the mother in 1887. They were the parents
of eight children, Joseph, Otto, Bertha, Gustaf, Oswald,
Elizabeth, Jacob and C. A., of whom Joseph and Gustaf are
deceased.
C. A. Hage received a good education in the public schools
of his native land, walking two miles to and from the
schoolhouse, and from the age of nine years he also worked
on the home farm every day outside of school hours. After
leaving school he worked on farms in his home neighborhood
for several years, and also resided for about seven months
in Munich, the capital of Bavaria. In 1885, when seventeen
years of age, he came to the United States, and went direct
to Pekin, Illinois, near which place he worked on farms for
four years. He went from there to Wisconsin, where he was
employed at railroad work during the winter, which proved to
be the coldest winter in the history of that state, the
thermometer registering sixty-seven degrees below zero. In
1890 Mr. Rage went to Spokane, Washington, where he worked
for the Northern Pacific Railroad until 1905, when he came
to Wasco county, and located on one hundred and sixty acres
of land which he had bought in 1901 and which was located
about four miles south of Mosier. The land was covered with
oak grubs and after clearing off about ten acres and finding
that the soil was not adapted for fruit raising, he sold the
place and in 1912 bought fifty-five acres of land adjoining
the town of Mosier on the west. This was raw land, being
covered with timber, brush and stones, but the soil was good
and the location ideal, so he at once erected a good house
and in the fall of that year started an apple cider plant.
He bought a small power cider press and during that season
made one hundred barrels of cider. Owing to the lack of a
ready market, most of this cider turned to vinegar, but as
the superior quality of his product became better known his
market gradually increased and during the subsequent years
has grown to enormous proportions, so that in 1925 he made
twenty-five thousand gallons of cider, for all of which he
found a ready market. In 1918 Mr. Hage bought a large,
modern press, added a boiler to the plant, and from time to
time has made other additions to the plant, so that he is
now the owner of one of the best equipped cider factories
in. this section of the country, the mill now having a
capacity of two thousand gallons a. day, equivalent to forty
fifty-gallon barrels. He ships his products to all states
west of the Rocky mountains and, through the advertising
which he receives from the many tourists who stop and buy
the cider, he has received orders for it from every section
of the country. During the past two years Mr. Hage has been
making a new drink, composed of half cider and half
cranberry juice, which has become exceedingly popular. He
has a fine supply of pure spring water, which he keeps in
storage tanks under pressure. His equipment includes a
machine for washing the apples and one for washing bottles
and jars, both of which are electrically operated. All of
the containers are thoroughly sterilized before being
filled, and the cider is sterilized before being bottled, so
that it will keep sweet indefinitely until opened. He always
provides in spring time for the tourists' trade with about
ten thousand gallons of cider, all being put up in glass,
from one pint to five gallon containers, handsomely labeled.
Mr. Hage erected the buildings and installed all of the
equipment himself, being an all-round mechanic, stone-mason,
carpenter and machinist, and can personally operate any part
of the plant. His home is surrounded by a splendid lawn, the
grounds having been laid out and improved by him, and he now
has one of the most attractive homes in this locality. He is
a keen lover of nature in all of its forms and has made a
game sanctuary of his property, from which hunters are
excluded, and during the months of cold and deep snow, he
feeds the wild birds, which recognize him as a friend and
protector and flock to his place. Shade trees and flowers
abound on the place and Mr. Hage has as far as possible
indulged his love for the beautiful in nature. He is
unmarried, his home being kept by his sister-in-law, whose
husband, Mr. Hage's brother, assists in the operation of the
ranch. Mr. Hage is a man of kindly and genial manner,
hospitable and courteous to all who come :his way, and many
tourists have found his place a real oasis, where they can
rest and refresh themselves on their travels. Throughout the
community he is held in high regard by his fellowmen and is
considered one of Wasco county's best citizens.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
McInerny, J. P.
J. P. McINERNY
Strong, courageous and resolute, J. P. McInerny surmounted
many obstacles, never losing sight of his objective, and was
long numbered among the leading merchants of The Dalles, but
is now enjoying a well earned rest. He was born May 9, 1847,
in County Clare, Ireland, of which country his parents,
Patrick and Mary McInerny, were also natives. They came to
the United States in 1865 and established their home in
Chicago, Illinois, where the father spent the remainder of
his life.
J. P. McInerny received a good education in Ireland, which
he left when a youth of eighteen, and afterward attended the
Bryant & Stratton Business College of Chicago, from
which he won a scholarship in 1868. In the same year he went
to Toronto, Canada, and while in that city assimilated the
details of the dry goods trade. On his return to Chicago he
opened a dry goods store but lost everything in the
memorable fire of 1871 and was obliged to start life anew.
Choosing the Pacific coast region as the scene of his
labors, he went to San Francisco, California, in 1872 and
obtained a position in the store of J. J. O'Brien, at that
time the foremost dry goods merchant of the city. In 1872
Mr. McInerny moved to Los Angeles, California, and was
employed as a clerk by Eugene Meyer & Company, the
owners of the largest dry goods establishment in that city.
Later Mr. Meyer went to the eastern coast and became one of
the prominent bankers of New York city. Tn February, 1878,
Mr. McInerny journeyed to Oregon, locating at 'Ike Dalles,
where he has since made his home. For one and a half years
he was a salesman in the dry goods store of Max Vogt &
Company and in the fall of 1879 embarked in merchandising as
a member of the firm of Herbering & McInerny, handling
dry goods exclusively. They established a high standard of
service, giving to each patron good value for the amount
expended, and their employes were always courteous and
obliging. As a result the business steadily increased and
the store became a vital factor in the life of the
community. Mr. McInerny formulated well devised plans for
the development of the business and devoted his energies to
its conduct until 1925, when he retired from the firm.
In 1881 Mr. McInerny married Miss Josephine Bettengen, a
native of Corvallis, Oregon, and a daughter of Albert and
Carolyn Bettengen, both of whom were born in Luxemburg,
France. Mr. Bettengen emigrated to the United States about
the year 1850 and spent some time in New York, afterward
going to California by way of the isthmus of Panama. For a
few years he was a hardware merchant of San Francisco and in
1855 came to Oregon. Locating at Corvallis, he there engaged
in the hardware business for nine years and in 1864 allied
his interests with those of The Dalles. For many years he
was the owner of a hardware store in this city and also
became well known as a tinsmith. He passed away in this city
in 1897 and his wife died in 1893. Mr. and Mrs. McInerny
became the parents of seven children: Mrs. Mary Hansen, who
is the mother of three children, Carl, John and Doris, and
who lost two sons, Lawrence and Leo; Joseph, at home;
Josephine, who is Mrs. Paul McCoy, of The Dalles, and has
two sons, Paul and Owen; Francis, deceased; Gertrude, who
died in infancy; Leo, who is married and lives in San
Francisco; and Edwin, a talented singer, who is making
records for the Victor Company and resides in New York city.
Mr. McInerny was chosen a member of the board of water
commissioners and for several years was one of the
councilmen of The Dalles, exerting his best efforts in
behalf of the city. He has passed the eightieth milestone on
life's journey and enjoys the contentment of mind and
tranquility of spirit which result from the knowledge of
tasks well done and duties faithfully performed. For fifty
years a resident of The Dalles, he has watched its growth
with deep interest, contributing his share toward the city's
development and progress, and an upright, useful life has
won for him the unqualified esteem of all with whom he has
been associated.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Fleming,
Frank
FRANK S. FLEMING
Agricultural progress in Oregon has received marked impetus
from the well directed efforts of Frank S. Fleming, a well
known pioneer of Wasco county and one of its largest
landowners. He was born in 1859 in Wayne county, Kentucky,
and his parents, G. W. and Eliza (McBeth) Fleming, were
natives of the same county. The father engaged in farming,
also following the carpenter's trade, and was a lifelong
resident of the Blue Grass state. He had a large family and
five of the children survive, namely: Frank S.; Carrie, who
lives in Tennessee; Lizzie, whose home is in Alabama;
Minnie, a resident of The Dalles; and Vivian, of Hot
Springs, Arkansas.
Frank S. Fleming received a public school education and
aided his father in tilling the soil and harvesting the
crops, also working on neighboring farms at intervals. In
1879, when a young man of twenty, he responded to the call
of the west and hired out to break sod on a ranch near
Wakeeney, Kansas, working for a year for his uncle. Mr.
Fleming then went to Alamosa, Colorado, becoming a driver of
mule teams, and for two years was connected with the
construction department of the Denver & Rio Grande
Railroad. On the expiration of that period he made his way
to Bacon Springs, New Mexico, and with his own outfit of six
mules hauled ties from that place to Flagstaff, Arizona, for
the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. Next he journeyed to
Grand Junction, Colorado, and secured the contract for
grading the roadbed of the Denver & Rio Grande system.
After the work was completed he took his outfit to Idaho and
was engaged in freighting supplies for the Oregon Short Line
until the road was extended to Pendleton. He then came to
the Willamette valley and continued his activities as a
railroad contractor. His work was principally along the
coast and in 1885 he was obliged to make a change as the
climate did not agree with him. Coming to Wasco county, he
filed on a homestead and timber claim near what is now
Maupin, situated on the old Canyon City road, a portion of
which traversed the farm. For ten years thereafter he
continued to engage in freighting, becoming widely known in
that connection. This was before the construction of the
South Central & Eastern Oregon Railroad and supplies had
to be hauled by mule teams and pack trains hundreds of miles
to the mines near Canyon City. The roads were unpaved and in
the spring the wagons were often mired. The old-time
freighters were resourceful and through the skillful
handling of their mules and outfits nearly always managed to
find their way out of a tight place. The big sheep ranches
made use of large wool clips which were also hauled back to
the railroad at The Dalles by means of the freight teams.
About 1895 Mr. Fleming began to farm in earnest, planting
wheat on the land on which he had previously cut hay for his
own stock, and also sold a portion of the crop to other
freighters who had mules to feed. Success rewarded his
labors and from time to time he increased his holdings,
which now comprise six thousand, five hundred acres of wheat
and grazing land in Wasco county. Fifty per cent of the
property is arable land, well improved. In its cultivation
Mr. Fleming used the most advanced methods, keeping abreast
with the latest developments along agricultural lines, and
farmed with tractors as well as horses. In 1916 he leased
the land and retired, erecting a modern home at The Dalles,
where he has since resided.
In 1885 Mr. Fleming married Miss Eva Newton, a native of
Fayette county, Iowa, and a daughter of William I. and
Rachel J. (Leininger) Newton, who came to Oregon in 1883.
They located in Antelope, Wasco county, and the father
followed the carpenter trade. There he spent the remainder
of his life, passing away in 1895, and Mrs. Newton's demise
occurred at Scappoose, Oregon, in 1925. In their family were
eleven children, seven of whom survive: Frank, a resident of
Denver, Colorado; Henry, who lives in Medford, Oregon; Fay
Newton and Mrs. Minnie Bennett, both of Scappoose; Mrs.
Stella Menefee, whose home is in Seattle, Washington; Eva;
and Delta, of Medford, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Fleming have two
children, both of whom were born in Wasco county. The
daughter, Leo Dorcas, received the degree of Bachelor of
Arts from Linfield College at McMinnville in 1910 and
engaged in teaching until her marriage to Dr. Olaf Larsell,
who is an instructor in the Portland Medical School. They
are the parents of three children: John, Franklin and
Robert. The son, Jesse R. Fleming, was graduated from the
Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis in 1913 with the
degree of Bachelor of Science. He is associated with his
father in the management of the large wheat ranches and
operates independently a valuable farm of two thousand, one
hundred acres, which he has brought to a high state of
development.
The father is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America,
belonging to the local camp. His activities as road
supervisor covered twelve years and for thirty years he was
a school director. Mr. Fleming has served his district to
the extent of his ability and is a broad-minded,
public-spirited citizen who would be a valuable acquisition
to any community. He has experienced many phases of frontier
life in the west and occupies a high place in the esteem of
his fellowmen.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Greene, Harry
HARRY E. GREENE
Harry E. Greene is one of the efficient officers of the
Citizens National Bank, an institution which means much to
The Dalles, and brings to the discharge of his important
duties the knowledge and wisdom acquired by twenty-three
years of practical experience in financial affairs. He was
born November 28, 1877, and is a native of Chicago,
Illinois. His father, Horace 1). Greene, was a native of the
state of New York and served throughout the Civil war with
the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, gallantly defending the Union
cause. He became one of the prominent insurance men of
Chicago and there passed away in 1912. His widow, Mrs. Susan
A. (Walters) Greene, was born in Walworth, Wisconsin, and
still makes her home in Chicago. She has reached the
venerable age of eighty-four years and is the mother of six
children: Mrs. Effie Dawson and Arthur Greene, of Chicago;
Walter, who lives in Lansing, Michigan; Harry E.; and Roland
Greene and Mrs. Ruth Ives, residents of Chicago.
In the acquirement of an education Harry E. Greene attended
the public schools of the Windy city and also took a
commercial course. For a few years he worked in the Chicago
office of the Indiana Natural Gas & Oil Company and his
next position Was with the Armour Packing Company. He
remained with the latter corporation until 1901 and then
left Chicago. Coming to Oregon, he entered the Portland
establishment of Allan & Lewis, the oldest firm of
wholesale grocers on the Pacific coast, and was with the
house for two years. In 1903 he came to The Dalles and for
two and a half years had charge of the office of the Edward
C. Pease Company, the owners of a department store. It was
in 1905 that Mr. Greene accepted the position of teller in
the Bank of French & Company, the oldest in eastern
Oregon, and later was made its assistant cashier. He
remained with the institution for fifteen years and was
elected cashier of the Citizens National Bank in 1921, at
the time of its organization. In this capacity he has since
served, contributing materially toward the success of the
institution by able, conscientious work.
The bank was opened for business January 3, 1921, with a
capital stock of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars.
Sixteen thousand dollars was oversubscribed and paid up. The
statement issued at the close of business on October 10,
1927, showed a capital of one hundred and sixty thousand
dollars, a surplus and undivided profits of fifty-nine
thousand, one hundred and seventy-one dollars and deposits
of eight hundred and seventy-four thousand, three hundred
and forty-three dollars. The deposits have now reached the
sum of eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand, one hundred
and ninety-nine dollars and the total resources amount to
one million, one hundred and seventeen thousand, one hundred
and eight dollars. The institution transacts a general
banking business and the policy followed in its conduct is
one which inspires public trust and confidence.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Blakeley, George
GEORGE CLARENCE BLAKELEY
George Clarence Blakeley, a pharmacist of state-wide repute,
enjoys the distinction of being the oldest established
druggist in The Dalles, which for more than forty years has
numbered him among its useful and influential citizens. His
talents have been exerted as readily for the public welfare
as for his own aggrandizement and his record reflects credit
upon an honored family name. A native of Oregon, he was born
in Brownsville, Linn County, August 29, 1855, and represents
one of the oldest and most prominent families of the state.
His great-grandfather, Charles Blakeley, was a native of
Ireland and when a small boy came to the new world with his
parents, who were among the colonial settlers of Virginia.
As a soldier in the Revolutionary war Charles Blakeley aided
in winning American independence and afterward went to
Tennessee. The remainder of his life was spent in that state
and when eighty years of age he was called to his final
rest. He was the father of Joseph Blakeley, who was also a
patriotic citizen and fought in the War of 1812. In 1838 he
migrated to Platte county, Missouri, where he engaged in
farming and stock raising until his demise, and for
twenty-six years served as a circuit judge.
His son, James Blakeley, father of George Clarence Blakeley,
was born November 26, 1812, in Knox county, Tennessee, and
received his education in the district schools of that
state. He remained at home until he was twenty-two years of
age and in 1834 married Miss Sarah Dick, who was born
November 24, 1815, in Knox county, Tennessee. Mr. Blakeley
followed agricultural pursuits in his native state until
1838, when he went to Missouri and filed on a homestead. He
cleared and developed the tract, on which he resided until
1846, when he disposed of the property and started for
Oregon, joining a large wagon train, of which he was chosen
captain. In the fall of 1846 he arrived in Linn county and
entered a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres,
settling where the town of Brownsville is now located. Here
he built a small log house and zealously applied himself to
the arduous task of clearing the land and preparing it for
the growing of crops. In order to obtain a plow he had to go
to Oregon City, a distance of seventy-five miles, and made
the trip with a team of oxen. There were no bridges or roads
and two weeks were required to complete the journey. In 1847
he produced his first crop of grain and this was probably
the first yield in Linn county. A successful stockman, he
raised marry head of cattle, horses and hogs and took large
herds of cattle to the ranges in eastern Oregon. He fattened
cattle for the market and drove them to California,
disposing of them to the miners. Mr. Blakeley built the
first flour mill in Oregon and in 1848 erected the first
store in Brownsville. His trade was largely with the
Indians, as there were few white settlers in the locality at
that time. For several years he successfully conducted the
store and then sold the business to George C. Cooley, his
son-in-law. He enlisted in Company D, of the Second Oregon
Regiment, and as a captain served throughout the Rogue River
Indian war of 1855-56. After retiring from the field of
merchandising Captain Blakeley resumed the occupations of
farming and stock raising which he followed during the
remainder of his active career. He represented Lina county
in the state legislature and filled other public offices of
importance, faithfully discharging every trust reposed in
him. Captain Blakeley long survived his wife, who died June
14, 1888. On November 26, 1912, he celebrated the one
hundredth anniversary of his birth and in commemoration of
the event a medal was made, which is now in the custody of
the State Historical Society. During the latter part of his
life Captain Blakeley resided in the home of his son Henry
in Brownsville and there passed away January 19, 1913. He
was a man of exceptional worth and his death was mourned
throughout the state. To Captain Blakeley and his wife were
born eleven children: Mrs. Ellen Montgomery and Mrs.
Catherine Lewis, who are deceased; William Blakeley, whose
home is in Pendleton, Oregon; Mrs. George C. Cooley, who has
passed away; Mrs. Margaret Smith, who lives in Montana;
Caroline, deceased; Henry, a resident of Brownsville; James,
of Baker, Oregon; George Clarence; Joseph, who makes his
home in Pendleton; and Mrs. Sarah McFarlane, of Brownsville.
In 1926 a splendid granite shaft fourteen feet tall was
erected by Captain Blakeley's surviving children te the
memory of their father at Main and Blakeley avenues, the
original site of his claim. When the shaft was dedicated
"Peggy" Chessman, the thirteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Merle Chessman of Astoria, delivered the following
address of presentation:
"Mr. Mayor and friends: I have come here as the
great-great-granddaughter of Captain and Mrs. James
Blakeley, in whose memory this monument has been erected. It
was placed here by their children to stand as a lasting
tribute of love and honor to their parents, who settled on
this spot when Oregon was almost a virgin wilderness and who
made it their home for more than half a century.
"It is the wish of those who caused the monument to be
raised that it become the property of the people of
Brownsville, that they may ever remember the founders of
their city. In a broader sense, it is dedicated to all these
early-day pioneers, of whom Captain and Mrs. Blakeley were
typical; those pathfnders who blazed the trail to Oregon,
enduring the hazards and hardships of frontier life while
they builded the foundations of the state, and the fruits of
whose labors we of later generations enjoy.
"Acting for the Blakeley family, I am happy to p resent at
this time to you, Mr. Mayor, as a representative of the city
of Brownsville, a deed to the monument and the plot of
ground upon which it stands, that the people of this
historic town may have and hold it as theirs forever."
Following is a copy of Mayor Snyder's speech: 'In accepting,
on behalf of the city of Brownsville, this document,
conveying title to the property upon which we stand, I do so
with the greatest appreciation and admiration, not for the
intrinsic value represented, but rather for the motive that
influenced the donors of the offering.
represented, but rather for the motive that influenced the
donors of the offering. "The stately shaft before you,
erected to the memory of a man and woman who represented a
high type of American citizenship, speaks to you in a
language more forcible and delivers the message in a more
beautiful and impressive manner than can be conveyed by
mortal tongue. It represents an expression of one of the
fundamental principles of American citizenship. The great
nations of the past have risen in prominence and influence,
flourished for a period and passed into a decline. The
beginning of this decline may invariably be traced to the
loss of the patriotic spirit that predominated during the
period of the nation's ascendancy.
"Reverence for an ancestor is a trait very closely allied
and akin to patriotism. Just as long as expressions of this
nature are in evidence we may rest assured that the spark of
patriotism that in times of national peril has been the
impelling force to call to the defense of the native land
the flower of our sturdy manhood, needs but the call of
necessity to fan to the flame that has assembled the mighty
armies that have decisively repelled the invader,
overwhelmingly put down internal opposition and emerged in
triumph from an effort to end a struggle in which
civilization itself was threatened.
"A mighty oak stood on the brow of the hill. During the
course of years it had grown and developed, attaining the
fullness of its sturdiness and splendor. In the strength of
its fiber it withstood the storms of the succeeding seasons.
In its allotted time strength declined; this, the peer of
the forest, bowed before the grim reaper, and the spot upon
which it had stood gave no evidence of a former greatness.
During the period of its strength and vigor, in accordance
with nature's plan, acorns had fallen from its branches, and
in passing, the sturdy oak left behind a young and vigorous
forest that gave mute testimony that a predecessor had
fulfilled its destiny.
"Captain James Blakeley settled on a homestead, on a part of
which we are now standing, at a time when the state of
Oregon occupied a very meager position in the national
government, when the settler faced the problems of existence
under conditions most primitive.
"As a nation we are prone to worship at the shrine of
heroes, individuals who have reached an eminence through
achievements in political, industrial, military or other
channels. The power of this republic does not lie in the
accomplishment of a few supermen, but rather in the
steadfastness, loyalty and, patriotism of the men and women
who take up the every-day tasks of existence.
"This splendid column, beautiful in its simplicity,
impressive in the significance of its purpose, of which the
citizens of this community and county are justly proud, will
stand as an inspiration for coming generations in
perpetuating the memory of a man and woman who cheerfully
assumed the obligation of taking a part in the subduing of
the western wilderness, building a home amidst conditions
which were at times most discouraging, giving to their
country stalwart sons and comely daughters who have earned
their rightful place in the affairs of this great state and
whose influence and achievements are a living tribute to the
memory of the man and woman whom we are her assembled to
honor."
In the rural schools of Linn county George C. Blakeley
obtained his rudimentary instruction and was next a pupil in
the public schools of Brownsville. He attended Albany
College for a year and for three years was a student at the
Oregon Agricultural College in Corvallis. Entering the
educational field, he became a teaeher in the public schools
of Brownsville and was made principal, filling the position
for three years. He completed a pharmaceutical course and in
1876 went to Detroit, Michigan, becoming a traveling
salesman for Frederick Stearns & Company, manufacturing
chemists. For six years he represented the firm in that
capacity and then went to Canada, spending a year in
Victoria, British Columbia. In 1886 he returned to Oregon,
locating at The Dalles, and in May of that year entered the
employ of R. B. Hood, a local druggist. In January, 1887,
Mr. Blakeley purchased the business, of which he has since
been the owner. He carries a full line of drugs and medical
supplies and the filling of prescriptions is one of the
chief features of his establishment, which is not a
cafeteria and soda fountain pharmacy. It is known as the
Rexall Drug Store, whose trade exceeds the boundaries of the
city, extending into the surrounding country. Enterprising,
efficient and thoroughly reliable, Mr. Blakeley has won and
retained a position of leadership in local drug circles and
is also an astute financier. In 1919 he aided in organizing
the Wasco County Bank and was elected president of the
institution, which is capitalized at one hundred thousand
dollars and occupies an imposing building on East Second
street. Mr. Blakeley is likewise a successful fruit grower
and has a valuable cherry orchard of thirty acres. The ranch
is located near The Dalles and irrigated with water from the
city.
Mr. Blakeley was married January 29, 1887, to Miss Mary T.
Gorman, a native of New York state and a daughter of John
and Margaret Gorman. The family went to San Francisco,
California, by the water route, making bhe voyage around
Cape Horn, and in 1860 came to Oregon. For an extended
period Mr. Gorman was engaged in the transfer business in
Portland and his demise occurred in the Rose City in 1926,
when he had reached the advanced age of ninety-seven years.
Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gorman, two are now
living: Mrs. Blakeley, and Mrs. Margaret Ordahl, a resident
of Portland.
for the municipality needed reforms and improvements and is
always ready to serve his community to the extent of his
ability. When he became county judge of Wasco and Hood River
counties the public funds were depleted and there was an
indebtedness of two hundred thousand dollars. For eight
years he was the incumbent of the office and during that
period removed this burden of debt from the counties without
increasing the taxation. During the World war he was
chairman for four years of the committee in charge of the
Red Cross activities in Wasco, Sherman, Wheeler and Gilliam
counties and succeeded in raising a large amount of money
for the organization.
Mr. Blakeley joined the Masonic order, with which, his
father was also affiliated, and has attained the
thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite Consistory. He is
a past master of the blue lodge, past high priest of the
chapter and past eminent commander of the commandery. Mr.
Blakeley is one of the Nobles of Al Kader Temple of the
Mystic Shrine at Portland and a life member of The Dalles
Lodge of Elks, of which he is a past exalted ruler. Mr. and
Mrs. Blakeley are charter members of Columbia Chapter of the
Eastern Star and also belong to the Country Club. For a year
Mr. Blakeley was the executive head of the Rexall Club, an
international association, which draws its members from the
United States, Canada and Great Britain. He was the first
president of the club elected west of the Rockies and on his
retirement from the office in 1916 was presented with a
handsome watch, suitably inscribed, as a testimonial of
appreciation of his services. Mr. Blakeley was the second
president of the Oregon Pharmaceutical Association and
served for fifteen years on the state board of pharmacy. In
addition to his attractive residence in The Dalles, he has a
fine home at Seaside, where he spends a portion of each
summer, and is one of the disciples of Izaak Walton. He is
also a devotee of golf and an expert player. Worthy motives
and high principles have actuated Mr. Blakeley at all points
in his career and throughout eastern Oregon he is admired
and respected.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Kirk, J. B.
J. B. KIRK
An expert mechanic, as well as a capable executive, J. B.
Kirk has developed an industry of much importance to The
Dalles and also to the agriculturists of this district. He
was born August 28, 1868, in Neosho, Missouri, and in the
maternal lines is of Scotch and French descent. His parents
were William H. and Harriet (Crane) Kirk, the former a
native of Dumfries, Scotland, while the latter was born in
Illinois. About the year 1850 William H. Kirk crossed the
Atlantic and lived for some time in Illinois. In 1858 he
started for Salt Lake, Utah, and spent the following winter
at old Fort Laramie in Wyoming. He was in the employ of the
firm of Russell & Waddell, government contractors, and
carried supplies to the soldiers at the fort. In the spring
of 1859 he went to Iowa, where he engaged in farming for
about a year, and in 1861 enlisted in the Second Illinois
Cavalry. For three years he was a soldier in the Union army
and after receiving his honorable discharge returned to
Illinois, where he was married in 1866. He then migrated to
Missouri, locating on a farm, which he cultivated for a few
years, and next followed agricultural pursuits in Kansas. In
1882 he went to the territory of Washington, making the
overland trip in a wagon drawn by a team of horses, and
filed on a homestead in Lincoln county. Mr. Kirk cleared and
developed the ranch, on which he lived until his retirement
in 1909, and afterward moved to Seattle, Washington, where
he passed away on the 5th of February, 1918. His widow
resides in Davenport, Washington, and has reached the
venerable age of eighty years. To their union were born
seven children: J. B.; Mrs. Harriet McInnis, whose
home is in Spokane, Washington; William H. Jr., who lives on
the old homestead at Almira, Washington; Mrs. Mary Burke, of
Spokane; Mrs. Effie A. Nelson, who resides in Seattle; Mrs.
James Goodwin, of Davenport, Washington; and Mrs. Viva
Hansell, who is living in La Grande, Oregon.
In the acquirement of an education J. B. Kirk attended
public schools in Missouri, Kansas and Washington, after
which he learned the machinist’s trade, serving his
apprenticeship in Walla Walla, Washington, and Portland,
Oregon. He worked as a journeyman machinist until 1896, when
he enlisted in the United States navy, and was sent to the
Philippines. Mr. Kirk was a seaman on the old battleships,
Monitor and Monterey, and served until the close of the
Spanish-American war. He then secured work at his trade and
in 1905 ventured in business for himself, opening The Dalles
Iron Works, of which he has since been the owner. His shop
is equipped for all kinds of machine work but he specializes
in tractors. He also manufactures the Kimball cultivator,
used largely by the farmers of Wasco county and all other
sections of the northwest. In 1907 he opened the first
garage at The Dalles and at that time there were but two
automobiles in the entire county. Mr. Kirk discontinued the
garage in 1918 and has since devoted all of his attention to
the machine shop. No inferior piece of work ever leaves the
plant and under his wise management the industry has
constantly expanded.
In 1899 Mr. Kirk married Miss Lillie H. Johnson, a native of
Sweden. At the age of eight with her parents she came to the
United States. Mr. and Mrs. Kirk have five children. Bonita,
the eldest was born in Portland, Oregon, and was graduated
from the high school at The Dalles. For two years she
attended the University of Oregon and is now the wife of
Roscoe Roberts. They reside in Wasco county and are the
parents of a son, Roscoe Kirk Roberts. William L. is also a
native of Portland and a graduate of The Dalles high
school. He is married and assists his father in the
conduct of the business. Grant, the second son, was born in
Corvallis, Oregon. He completed a course in The Dalles high
school and is employed in the office of the Equitable
Corporation of Portland. Elbert, a native of The Dalles, was
graduated from the local high school and aids in the
operation of his father’s machine shop. Letha, the fifth in
order of birth, was also born at The Dallas and is a junior
in the high school.
Mr. Kirk is identified with the Masonic order, is Junior
Warden of Wasco Lodge, No. 15, A. F. & A. M. and Eminent
Commander of Columbia Commandery, No. 13, K. T., and is a
Noble of Al Kader Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Portland.
He is a past patron of the local chapter of the Eastern Star
and his wife has filled the office of matron. An
enthusiastic Kiwanian, he is an ex-president of the local
club and also an energetic member of the Chamber of
Commerce. The cause of education finds in Mr. Kirk a strong
advocate and for ten years he has served on the school
board. Unselfish, broad-minded and public-spirited, he
exerts his efforts as readily for the general welfare as for
his own aggrandizement and is a citizen of worth 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
|
Schenck, Naomi
MRS. JOHN S. SCHENCK
In 1846 William M. Pike undertook the long and hazardous
overland journey to The Dalles and is a California and
Oregon pioneer who has an intimate knowledge of events that
have shaped the destiny of the coast. A native of St. Louis,
Missouri, she was born November 13, 1843, and her maiden
name was Naomi Lavinia Pike. Her parents were William M. and
Harriet (Murphy) Pike, the latter a native of Tennessee. The
father was a nephew of General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, the
noted American explorer, who commanded an expedition to the
western frontier in 1806. He was the discoverer of one of
the highest summits of the Rockies and the mountain was
later named Pike’s Peak in his honor
In 1846 William M. Pike undertook the long and hazardous
overland journey to California, traveling in a prairie
schooner, but died en route. His widow was left with two
small children to provide for and continued with the main
body of emigrants until they reached the northern trail
leading to Oregon. She took the southern route, going to
California with the ill-fated Donner party, whose members
were snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and nearly
all of them died of starvation. Leaving her two babies in
the camp, Mrs. Pike joined the relief party of seventeen
persons, less than half of whom were able to reach
Sacramento. Mrs. Pike suffered incredible hardships and when
the rescue party returned to the camp her younger daughter,
Catherine Elizabeth, was dead. The other child, Naomi L., at
that time three years old, was rescued by an Englishman
named John Rhodes, who was a member of the relief party
organized in Sacramento and who had promised the mother to
accomplish this ask. Wrapping the child in a blanket, he
strapped her to his back and started for Sacramento, a
distance of forty miles. His pockets contained some dried
heel, which he soaked in water obtained by melting snow, and
this food nourished the little girl until she was returned
to the arms of her mother. The daughter was the youngest
surviving member of the Donner party and the terrible
experience left an ineffaceable impression upon her mind. In
1849 her mother remarried, becoming the wife of M. C. Nye,
who had migrated to California in 1841. He secured a Spanish
land grant in the Sacramento valley and Marysville was
afterward built on that ranch. Mr. Nye took his bride and
stepdaughter to the east in 1849, by way of the isthmus
route, and returned to California in the following year. He
was a prosperous merchant and the executive head of the firm
of Nye, Foster & Company, known to all of the ‘49ers who
sought gold in the Marysville district and along the
Columbia river. In 1853 he revisited the east, going by way
of the isthmus of Panama, and returned by the overland route
with a fine outfit, including a carriage, made especially
for his wife and stepdaughter to ride in and drawn by horses
and six teams of oxen. The wagons were loaded with supplies
and men were hired to care for them. Mr. Nye then
settled down to ranching in the Sacramento valley, where he
remained until 1881, raising cattle and horses, and then
disposed of his holdings in California. Coming to Oregon, he
located at Prineville and here spent the remainder of his
life, devoting his attention to the sheep business. His
demise occurred about the year 1884 and Mrs. Nye passed away
at Hood River, Oregon, in 1870.
Naomi L. Pike attended the public schools of Marysville and
continued her studies in the old Benecia Academy, now known
as Mills College, a noted school for women. In 1864 she was
married to Dr. B. W. Mitchell, who had opened an office at
The Dalles in that year, and here resided until his death in
1871, becoming recognized as the leading physician of this
locality. In 1877 Mrs. Mitchell became the wife of John
Sylvester Schenck, who was born in Auburn, New York, a son
of Sylvester and Eliza (Hughes) Schenck, whose ancestors
were members of the Dutch colony of New York and aided
materially in developing that part of the country.
John S. Schenck was reared in his native state and received
a public school education. In 1862 he yielded to the lure of
the west, locating at The Dalles, and for several years was
local agent for the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company,
terminating his connection with the corporation in 1883. At
that time he turned his attention to financial affairs,
establishing the banking house of Schenck & Bell, which
he conducted at The Dalles for two years. In 1885 the First
National Bank was organized at The Dalles and Mr. Schenck
was elected its first president, serving in that capacity
until his death in 1913. Sagacious, farsighted and
efficient, he placed the institution upon a paying basis and
under his able administration it became one of the strongest
and most reliable banks in this part of the state. The home
of the bank is a five-story structure, which covers a
quarter of a block and constitutes the city’s chief
architectural adornment. It was planned and erected by Mr.
Schenck against the advice of many, for at that time it was
the general opinion that The Dalles would never grow
sufficiently to warrant so elaborate a building. In addition
to this achievement, Mr. Schenck rendered timely assistance
to many of Wasco county’s leading agriculturists, who owe
their success to his spirit of helpfulness and faith in the
future. A stanch republican, he was a delegate to
conventions of the party, sometimes acting as chairman, but
never held public office. In Masonry he attained the
thirty-second degree, belonging to the Scottish Rite
Consistory, and was a charter member of Al Kader Temple of
the Mystic Shrine. He was also identified with the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and took a keen interest
in the activities of these organizations. To all movements
for the benefit of his city he was quick to respond and its
progress was a matter in which he took much personal pride.
His was an exemplary life of conspicuous usefulness and his
passing was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. Mrs.
Schenck occupies the fine old home, which was erected at The
Dalles in 1881, and is also the owner of a valuable farm of
twelve hundred acres, situated in the Grass valley of Wasco
county. Time has dealt kindly with her and although
eighty-four years of age, she appears much younger, being
exceptionally well preserved. She has lived to witness
notable changes, as pioneer conditions have been replaced by
the advantages of modern civilization, and her reminiscences
of the early days are interesting and instructive. Mrs.
Schenck possesses the admirable qualities of the true
pioneer and enjoys the unqualified esteem of all who have
been brought within the sphere of her influence.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Davis, James
JAMES ALEXANDER DAVIS
On the roster of Wasco county’s public officials appears the
name of James Alexander Davis, whose work as assessor has
won for him high encomiums, and as a capable educator he
also performed pubic service of value. He was born June 6,
1862, in Jefferson county, Tennessee, and his parents,
Alexander E. and Martha (Scruggs) Davis, were also natives
of that state. His mother was reared in Greeneville,
Tennessee, and among her schoolmates was Andrew Johnson, who
became the seventeenth president of the United States.
Alexander E. Davis enlisted in the Confederate army,
offering to take the place of his brother, who had several
children, and was killed during the siege of Vicksburg. His
widow after remarried, becoming the wife of S. V. Moser in
1874, and five children were born to them: William A. and
John P., residents of Portland, Oregon; Charles Edward, of
Oakland, California; Robert G., who is a locomotive engineer
in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and
lives in Roseburg, Oregon; and Walter J. Moser, of Starbuck,
Washington.
An only child, James A. Davis was but fourteen months old at
the time of his father’s death and, in compliance with an
agreement entered into during the Civil war, was reared by
the brother whom Alexander E. Davis had replaced in the
Confederate service. The favorite playground of James A.
Davis was in the vicinity of the mill owned by his uncle,
with whom he often rode on the carriage that conveyed logs
to the saw, and when a boy of eight he had the misfortune to
lose a leg in this sawmill, which was in operation at
Greeneville. In spite of that handicap he walked regularly
to the nearest schoolhouse, a distance of three and a half
miles, often trudging through the snow in the winter.
Afterward he attended Oakhill Academy at Leadvale, receiving
instruction from George T. Russell, and later took a
postgraduate course under the same teacher, who had migrated
to Roseburg, Oregon.
Mr. Davis studied law at Emory & Henry University but
before he had finished his course in that institution his
mother was obliged to seek a more healthful climate and he
came with the family to the Pacific coast, reaching Oregon
on the 4th day of May, 1884. The change proved beneficial to
Mrs. Moser, who resided in the west for many years, passing
away in 1915, and her husband’s demise occurred in 1918.
In Sheridan, Yamhill county, Oregon, Mr. Davis began his
career as an educator, remaining there for two years, and in
1886 proceeded to Roseburg, where his studies were directed
by Professor J. B. Homer, now a member of the faculty of the
Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis. For more than
twenty years Mr. Davis engaged in teaching, constantly
advancing in the profession, and was principal of the high
school at Oakland, Oregon, for two years, during which he
established the first school library in Douglas county. He
had charge of the Yoncalla high school for four years and
came to Wasco county in 1905. For two years he was principal
of the high school at Antelope and in 1907 came to The
Dalles. He was appointed deputy county assessor by J. W.
Koonts and acted in that capacity until 1913, when he became
assessor, filling the position for four years. In 1921 he
was reelected to the office, in which he has since been
retained, and has served for a longer period than any other
county assessor in Oregon. Mr. Davis has devoted deep
thought and study to his work and enjoys the confidence of
the voters and taxpayers of Wasco county. Methodical and
conscientious, he has made his department a model of
efficiency, inaugurating the system whereby assessment
notices and tax receipts are made out at one time, and this
system, under various forms, is now in use throughout the
state. In commercial affairs he has also demonstrated his
ability, opening an insurance office in 1917, and soon
established a profitable business.
In October, 1891, Mr. Davis married Miss Ruth Bridges, a
native of California and a daughter of the Rev. Daniel and
Euselia (Owens) Bridges, who crossed the plains in a covered
wagon during the ‘50s, settling in Scio, Oregon. Rev.
Bridges was a Methodist minister and one of the early
circuit riders of Linn county. Later he went to Missouri,
where he remained until his demise, but his wife passed away
in Oregon. To their union were born thirteen children, seven
of whom survive: Mrs. Emma Miller; Mrs. Laura Applegate; W.
C. Bridges, a resident of Drain, Oregon; Mrs. Amanda Smith;
Mrs. Ruth Davis; Isom C. Bridges, of Oregon City; and Mrs.
Martha Looney, who lives in Jefferson, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs.
Davis became the parents of four sons. Harold L., the
eldest, who was born October 18, 1894, in Oakland, Oregon,
and is a high school graduate, is a writer of note and acts
as deputy assessor of Wasco county. Percy V., the second
son, is deceased. Dudley Quentin, also a native of Oakland,
born December 16, 1901, enlisted in the United States navy
and was in the service of his country for three years. He is
married and has one child, James Quentin, who was born July
2, 1924, at The Dalles. Richard Harding, who was born
September 6, 1911, and is a junior in the local high school,
has a talent for music and plays in the high school band and
also in an orchestra.
During the World war Mr. Bridges devoted much of his time to
patriotic activities and furthered the success of the
various drives. In politics he is a stanch republican and
for three years was clerk of The Dalles school board. He
takes a keen interest in fraternal affairs and is a past
noble grand of five lodges. In the Woodmen of the World and
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows he has filled all of
the chairs and is also connected with the Neighbors of
Woodcraft. Mr. Bridges has discharged life’s duties and
obligations to the best of his ability and occupies a high
place in the esteem of his fellowmen.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Nicholson, J. A.
J. A. NICHOLSON
Fifty years have passed since J. A. Nicholson first came to
Wasco county and during this period he has held a place
among the extensive and successful ranchers of this section
of the Columbia River Valley, having through his persistence
and well-directed efforts gained a competency which has
enabled him to retire from active pursuits, and he is now
living in Boyd. Mr. Nicholson was born in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, on the 15th of October, 1847, and is a son of
John and Nancy (Frew) Nicholson, both of whom also were
natives of Pennsylvania and were of Scotch descent. The
father, who was a successful farmer, was also active in
local public affairs, having served as a justice of the
peace, a notary public and a member of the school board. He
and his wife spent their last years on their farm and both
are deceased. They became the parents of seven children,
namely: J. A.; Sarah, who still lives in Pennsylvania; Mrs.
Nellie Gregg, of Pennsylvania; Mrs. Annie Carroll, deceased;
Homer, deceased; Charles, who resides at Bend, Oregon; and
Mrs. Mary Sproules, deceased.
J. A. Nicholson received the advantage of a good education
in the public schools of his native state, and remained at
home until 1873, when he went to Illinois, where he was
employed at farm work for one year. He then went to
Sacramento, California, and from there to Live Oak, Sutter
county, that state, where he worked on a ranch for three and
a half years. In 1878 he went to Salem, Oregon, from which
place he drove a band of sheep to Wasco county, wintering
them on Pine creek, near the John Day river. In the
following spring he came to The Dalles and soon afterward
filed on a preemption claim of one hundred and sixty acres
of land seven miles southeast of Dufur. In order to pay
current expenses he went to work for the Oregon Railroad and
Navigation Company at The Dalles, but later went to his land
and proved up on it, after which he returned to his railroad
job and for four years was employed as a watchman in the car
shops and lumber yard at The Dalles. In 1891 he took up the
active operation of his ranch, raising grain, and in
partnership with Menzo Selleck, also bought one hundred and
sixty acres additional. They operated together until 1896,
when they dissolved partnership, after which Mr. Nicholson
made his home with his brother, Charles, until 1909, when he
went to Sherman county, this state, where he remained about
ten years. After his marriage, in 1910, he again took up his
residence on the farm, to the operation of which he devoted
his attention closely until April 4, 1919, when he leased
both of his farms and moved into Boyd, in order to afford
better educational advantages for his children. He is the
owner of three hundred and twenty acres of well improved
land, which is devoted mainly to the raising of hay and
grain.
On April 12, 1910, at The Dalles, Mr. Nicholson was united
in marriage of Miss Marcia Maie Rust, who was born in
Colusa, California and is a daughter of Lot Morol and Martha
Lethalena Harriet (Cooper) Rust, of whom the former was
named after Lot Morol Merrill, who was three times governor
of Maine. The Rust family has long been established in this
country, the American progenitor having come over as a
passenger on the “Mayflower” in 1620, and Mrs. Nicholson
traces her ancestry back in direct line to John Paul Jones.
Mr. Rust made the voyage around Cape Horn to California in
1857 and for ten years was engaged in gold mining. He then
sent east for his fiancee and they were married in
Sacramento on November 24, 1867. Mr. Rust farmed for some
years in Colusa county, California, and in July, 1881, he
came to Oregon, driving through with a covered wagon and six
head of horses. He arrived in Wasco county on November 1st
and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, one
and a half miles south of Moro, on which he engaged in
farming. He also ran freight teams, hauling wool and grain
to The Dalles, and became a man of prominence in his
community. His death occurred on his ranch, July 19, 1907,
and his wife passed away October 18, 1918. They became the
parents of five children, namely: Pearl A., who was
born in Colusa, California, is the wife of M. A. Leslie, of
North Yakima, Washington; Ruby B., who married C. W.
Fairchild by whom she had five children, and later married
Lester Pettys, of Sherman county, Oregon; Lot W., of Sherman
county; Maude E., who is the wife of J. F. Watson, of The
Dalles, and Mrs. Marcia M. Nicholson. The last named was
educated in the public schools at Moro, Oregon, and remained
at home until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson are the
parents of two children, James Alexander, who is a graduate
of the Boyd high school, and Jereld Rust, who is in the
eighth grade, stands exceptionally high in his studies and
during the past six years has never missed a day nor been
tardy at school. Mr. Nicholson has been a lifelong supporter
of the republican party and has always shown the proper
interest in public affairs, though never an aspirant for
office. He and his wife are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, to which they give liberal support. Mr.
Nicholson is a man of scrupulous honesty in all of his
dealings, is hospitable and charitable, and possesses to a
marked degree the traits of character which commend a man to
the favor and good opinion of his fellowmen.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Lane, Louis
LOUIS LINCOLN LANE
The Dalles has directly benefited by the constructive
activities of Louis Lincoln Lane, an enterprising business
man of wide interests and a worthy scion of one of Oregon’s
old and honored families. He was born July 24, 1861, in
Harrisburg, Linn county, and is of English lineage. His
great-grandfather was one of the colonial settlers of
Virginia and proved his loyalty to American interests by
gallant service in the Continental army during the
Revolutionary war. His son, David Lane, was born in Virginia
and fought in the War of 1812. For a time he lived in
Indiana and in 1852 started for the west as captain of a
wagon train. He made three journeys across the plains,
piloting emigrants each time, and on the last trip died of
cholera.
His son, Andrew W. Lane, the father of Louis L. Lane, was
horn in 1830, while the family was living on the bank of the
Wabash river in Indiana, and was a third cousin of Joseph
Lane, the first territorial governor of Oregon. Andrew W.
Lane, was a wheelwright and made wagons. For a number of
years he conducted a shop at Harrisburg, Oregon, and in 1865
embarked in the same line of business at Springfield, Lane
county, remaining there until 1876. After disposing of the
business he purchased a ranch on the McKenzie river in Lane
county and located near the present site of Leaburg. His
tract was covered with a dense growth of timber and through
patience and industry he succeeded in clearing a portion of
the land. In 1879 he sold the property and moved to Wasco
county, purchasing a relinquishment to a farm near Tygh
valley. Two years later he sold the place and went to Lassen
county, Ca1ifornia. He was the proprietor of a wagon shop at
Susanville, California, for a time and in 1889 went to
Kansas, where he resided for several years and then returned
to Oregon, spending the remainder of his life in The Dalles.
His wife, Indiana (Smith) Lane, was also of English stock
and her forebears were early settlers of Tennessee. Her
father came to Oregon in 1847 in a covered wagon and located
ten miles from Albany on a donation land claim of six
hundred and forty acres in Linn county. He cultivated the
ranch until about 1863, when he returned to the east, and
made his home in Illinois until his death at the advanced
age of ninety-nine years. Mrs. Lane died at Brownsville in
1876 and was long survived by her husband, who passed away
at the home of his son, Louis L. Lane, in 1916, when
eighty-six years of age. They were the parents of thirteen
children: Cynthia, who died in infancy; Alice, deceased;
Louis L.; Agnes; A. W., who lives in California; Norris M.
Lane, Mrs. Hattie M. Stewart and Mrs. Belle Williams, all of
whom reside in Oregon and five who died in infancy.
Louis L. Lane attended the public schools of Springfield,
Oregon, and afterward served an apprenticeship under his
father, becoming an expert blacksmith and wheelwright. He
worked in his father’s shops in Oregon and California and in
1891 embarked in business for himself in Bakeoven, Wasco
county. In September, 1894, he disposed of the business and
came to The Dalles, opening a wagon and blacksmith shop,
which he operated for several years in partnership with his
brother Norris. When the latter withdrew from the firm Louis
L. Lane conducted the shop alone, turning out high-grade
work, and his wagons and stage coaches were used throughout
Oregon for years. They were prize winners at the fairs and
expositions held in this part of the country and constituted
important factors in the industrial progress of the state.
In 1906 Mr. Lane sold the business and formed a partnership
with F M. Sexton, with whom he has since been associated
under the firm style of Land & Sexton. They carry a full
line of shelf and heavy hardware and the stock includes
stoves, glassware, crockery, sporting goods and automobile
accessories. Their store is situated at the corner of Second
and Jefferson streets and affords a floor space of ten
thousand square feet. The firm operates an extensive
plumbing and tinsmith shop, and also sells the John Deere
farm implements, which are stored in another building. The
partners have established an extensive trade at The Dalles
and also enjoy a large country patronage, which is drawn
from Wasco and Sherman counties. They are thoroughly
conversant with the details of the business in which they
are engaged and their enterprise and probity are well known.
The firm owns and operates a blacksmith and wagon shop at
The Dalles and also owned a productive farm of two hundred
and eighty acres, forty of which are planted to fruit.
In 1884 Mr. Lane married Miss Hattie E. Miller, a native of
Pennsylvania and a daughter of Josiah and Marietta (Post)
Miller, who were born in the same state. The father was a
Union soldier, and lost his life in the service of his
country. They moved to California and became the owners of a
large stock and dairy ranch in Lassen county. After the
death of Mr. Miller his widow remarried, becoming the wife
of H. I. Washburn and both passed away at Mount Vernon. Mr.
Washburn was also a veteran of the Civil war, a member of
the G.A.R. and served during the entire duration of the war.
Mr. and Mrs. Lane have a daughter, Gladys May, who is the
wife of E. J. Gilpin of Chehalis, Washington. She has two
children: Dewey, who was horn at The Dalles in 1919 and
resides with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lane, by who he
has been adopted and Jean, born in 1922.
Mr. Lane belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and his
fraternal affiliations are with the Masons, the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World and the
United Artisans, In politics he in nonpartisan, supporting
the candidate whom he considers best qualified for office,
and his public spirit has been expressed as councilman. The
growth and progress of the city is a matter in which he
takes much personal pride, and his worth to the community is
uniformly conceded.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Crate, John
JOHN B. CRATE
Among the most interesting features of the Oregon Daily
Journal are the articles of Fred Lockley, who wrote the
following account of the life of John B. Crate, the oldest
pioneer resident of The Dalles:
“When did you come to The Dalles? I asked of Mr. Crate. ‘I
came here in May, 1850, just seventy-five years ago this
month,’ he replied. ‘My father worked for the Hudson’s Bay
Company. In 1838 Dr. McLoughlin sent him up to Stuart lake
in British Columbia, to bring down the furs from their post
there. He was given command of ten three-ton boats. He
piloted the leading boat himself and the others followed the
lead of his boat. These boats made the round trip each
summer from Stuart lake to Fort Vancouver. Coming down the
Columbia, they shot the rapids at the cascades, but on the
return trip they had to make a portage there. They carried
their loads around the cascades at what is now Cascade locks
and towed their boats or carried them around the swift
water. At the big eddy, sometimes called The Dalles rapids,
they made another portage, carrying their loads clear beyond
Celilo falls. They put their boats into the river above
Celilo and paddled them to the mouth of the Okanogan, where
they put their trade goods on pack horses and took them over
the divide to the waters of the Frazier river, where they
had boats in which they took the goods to Stuart lake.
Father stayed with this work for some years—in fact, until
1846, when they transferred him to Fort Walla Walla, now
called Wallula.
“‘In 1847 Peter Skene Ogden detailed my father and another
employe named Champagne to take H. H. Spaulding down the
river to Fort Vancouver. This was immediately after the
killing of Dr. Marcus Whitman, Mrs. Whitman and the other
white people at Wai-lat-pu mission. The Indians fired at my
father and the other two men from the bank but did not hit
them. They brought the news of the massacre to the
Willamette valley, and soon the whole valley was humming
with excitement like a hive of angry bees. My father and
Champagne joined their own people from French prairie to go
up to Wai-lat-pu to punish the Indians. They fought with the
volunteers from French prairie until the Cayuse war was
over. Then they returned to the employ of the Hudson’s Bay
Company at Fort Walla Walla.
“‘In 1847 my father took up a place called Crates Point,
which my mother left during the trouble with the Indians in
1849 and went to Oregon City. She was at Dr. McLoughlin’s
mill on the island at what they sometimes called Willamette
falls when I was born on April 27, 1850, and when I was a
few weeks old she returned to our place here. My mother’s
name was Sophia Berchier. She pronounced it “Bushey.” She
was from the Red river of the north. She lived to be
ninety-four years old. When she was coming here by the old
Hudson’s Bay trail my brother Ed, who retired from the
Portland police force recently after forty years of service,
was born. The Indians attacked the party when Ed was one day
old, so mother had to grab him up, catch her horse and get
away from there as fast as the animal could travel.
“‘My father, Edward Crate, was a French Canadian. In the
fall of 1849 he purchased from the Hudson’s Bay Company a
boat which he operated on the river between The Dalles and
Fort Vancouver. He took emigrants from The Dalles to Oregon
City while the men of the party drove their cattle overland
to the Willamette valley. Father had the contract to
transport the soldiers from Vancouver to The Dalles in 1852,
when the United States government built the fort here. After
this for three years he stayed on his land at Crates Point
and farmed the place. In the summer of 1856 he operated his
boat between Celilo and Wallula. Father acted as pilot on
the first boat than ran from Celilo to Wallula and thence to
the mouth of the Snake river. I believe Captain Gray was
skipper of the boat. After serving as pilot on this
river for a while father returned to his ranch, later going
to the newly discovered gold mines in Idaho, near where
Lewiston now is. Father and mother had fourteen children,
seven of whom are now living.
“‘When I was eighteen—that would be in 1868--I started
riding the range. In 1872 1 was riding for Ben Snipe, whose
horses ranged all over the Yakima country and along the
Columbia. He had about twenty thousand head of cattle. In
1875 my horse fell with me and broke in a lot of my ribs, so
I came to The Dalles and went to work fur John Michaelbach,
who ran a butcher shop here in those days. In 1880 my
brother Ed and I purchased the shop. After a few days I
bought Ed’s interest and he went to Portland to work for
O’Shea Brothers, the meat packers. Ed soon went on the
Portland police force. I ran the butcher shop for some years
and sold out when I was appointed a member of the police
force here. Ed Word, later with the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation Company, and I were put on the police force the
same day. He was day man and I had the night shift.
There were thirty-two saloons here then. Yes, I have had to
take guns away from hundreds of men. You see, when they get
drunk they hardly know what they are doing and they
frequently get ugly and pull their guns. If I didn’t take
the gun away they might kill someone, or someone might shoot
them in self-defense. I served on the force over twenty
years. Yes, I have lots of friends. The lawbreakers and
bootleggers don’t like me, but the wolves and coyotes don’t
like a watchdog, and for the same reason.
“‘Was I ever city marshal? Yes, when Gibbons, the city
marshal was shot and killed I was appointed in his place.
Did I ever have any fights? Look at the knuckles of my right
hand. I couldn’t tell you how many times I have broken my
knuckles fighting with drunken men or gangs of men who
resisted arrest. No, I never used a gun or a billy. One
morning at about five o’clock I was called to a saloon to
stop a fight between Frank Summers, a gambler, and a small
man. Summers, who weighed about three hundred pounds, was
holding the small man with one arm around his neck and
beating him with the other arm. I managed to separate the
two men and dragged Summers outside the saloon. While I was
taking Summers to the jail he promised to behave if I would
take him to his room instead, which I did, and left him
there. In the melee Summers lost his hat and a man named
Gentry took it up to his room. The gambler told Gentry he
was going to get his gun and kill me. Meanwhile I had gone
downtown and was told later on that Summers was back in the
saloon and boasting of what he intended to do. I returned to
the saloon and when I reached the swinging door Summers
opened fire. The first bullet hit me in the left breast, an
inch above the heart, and penetrated my body. I grabbed a
heavy chair of oak, using it as a shield, and closed with
Summers, who fired two more shots before I was able to knock
him down with the chair. I took away Summers’ gun, handing
it to my deputy, who had arrived on the scene by that time,
and then fainted from loss of blood. They took me to a
hospital and probed for the bullet, but the probe ran clear
through me and when they took off my shirt the bullet fell
to the floor. I had to stay in the hospital for over a
month. The fight took place at The Dalles in 1902 and
Summers was sent to the penitentiary for a term of five
years.’”
Mr. Crate was married. June 1, 1882, to Miss Elizabeth Bill,
a native of Steuben county, New York, and a daughter of
Nicholas and Mary Bill, both of whom were born on the Rhine,
in Germany. About 1850 they came to the United States,
settling in Steuben county, New York, and there Mr. Bill
engaged in farming until 1875. He then sold the place and
migrated to Oregon, arriving at Hood River on November 15,
1875. There he spent the winter and in the spring of 1876
came to Wasco county, taking up a preemption claim and
homestead of one hundred and sixty acres near Mosier. He
removed a portion of the timber, which he cut, and sold the
wood. Mr. Bill cultivated the ranch until his demise in 1880
and his wife passed away a few days later. They had ten
children, seven of whom survive: Mrs. Mary Britten, who
makes her home at The Dalles; Mrs. Barbara Dunsmore, of
Mosier; Mrs. Eva Hall, who lives in Portland, Oregon;
Elizabeth; George C., of Calistoga, California; Mrs. Louise
Shepard, a resident of Oakland, that state; and Henry A.
Bill, also of Oakland. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Crate
were two children. Violet was born in 1884 and died in
infancy. The other daughter, Anna Lucille, who was horn at
The Dalles and has become a well known concert singer, is
the wife of James W. Purcell, who is manager for the
Ellison-White Chautauqua Company and travels extensively in
the interests of the firm. Mr. and Mrs. Purcell reside in
Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of two sons: James W.
Jr., a student at Reed College in Portland; and James
Bardell Purcell, a junior in high school.
A lifelong resident of Oregon, Mr. Crate has an intimate
knowledge of the history of the state, to which he is deeply
attached, and his conversation is enriched with interesting
reminiscences of the past. He has been loyal to every trust
reposed in him and faithful to every duty and the years have
strengthened his position in public esteem.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Frank, Sherman
SHERMAN J. FRANK
Sherman J. Frank is another of the sons of Oregon who have
seen no good reason for leaving their favored state. He has
here lived a busy and useful life, during which he has been
rewarded with a satisfactory measure of success, and is now
one of the respected and popular citizens of the Hood River
valley. Mr. Frank was born at The Dalles, Oregon, February
2, 1877, and is a son of Leonard and Etta (Dailey) Frank,
both of whom were natives of Geneseo, Illinois. His paternal
grandfather, Jacob Frank, who was of German descent, came
overland to Oregon in the early '70s and located on a tract
of land a few miles southwest of Hood River, in Oak Grove
district. It was heavily timbered land and there he built a
sawmill, which he ran for about a year, at the end of which
time he sold out and returned to Illinois, where he spent
his remaining years, dying about 1900. Leonard Frank learned
the trade of a saddle and harness maker under his father,
whom he accompanied to Oregon. He ran his father's sawmill
near Hood River until about 1876, when he sold it and moved
to The Dalles, where he opened a harness and saddlery shop,
in which business he met with marked success, having from
eighteen to twenty employees during the greater part of the
time. Among them were a number of Spaniards, who were
experts in silver inlay work on saddles and bridles, and Mr.
Frank's saddles were famous all over the range country of
the northwest. He continued his business until his death,
which occurred in 1884. To him and his wife were born two
children, Sherman J., of this review, and William, who was
in the moving picture business in Hollywood, California, and
died there in 1925. Some time after the death of her
husband, Mrs. Frank became the wife of G. J. Fancy, and to
them was born a daughter, Etta, who now lives in Eugene,
Oregon. Mr. Frank took an active interest in the welfare of
his community and in the early days served as chief of the
fire department at The Dalles. He was a member of the
Masonic order.
Sherman J. Frank received a good education, attending the
public schools at The Dalles and old Wasco Independent
Academy, under Professor Gatch, where he was a schoolmate of
Congressman N. J. Sinnott, Judge Fred W. Wilson and other
noted citizens of The Dalles. He later went to Portland and
took a commercial course in Armstrong's Business College. He
then returned to The Dalles and learned the trade of saddle
and harness making under his father, continuing there until
1903, when he moved to Hood River and established a harness
shop, which he ran until 1909, when he sold it and bought a
twenty-acre apple orchard near the town. He lived there
until 1915, when he sold the place and bought twelve acres
of land on the Belmont road, adjoining the city limits of
Hood River, and entered the employ of the Dupont Powder
Company, having charge of the distribution of explosives in
the eastern Oregon territory. For several years Mr. Frank
also ran a dairy, keeping a herd of purebred Guernsey
cattle, and retailed milk in Hood River.
On October 24, 1904, in The Dalles, Mr. Frank was united in
marriage to Miss Annie O'Brien, who was born at Happy Home,
Klickitat county, Washington, and is a daughter of L. and
Margaret (Macken) O'Brien, both of whom were natives of
Ireland. Her father came to the United States in young
manhood and located on a homestead in Klickitat county,
where he engaged in the stock business, running cattle and
sheep, and as he prospered he bought more land, until today
he is the owner of several thousand acres of fine farming
and grazing land in that county. A few years ago he leased
his holdings and, retiring from active business, is now
living in Goldendale, Washington being now ninety-five years
old. His wife is deceased. Mrs. Frank, who is an only child,
was educated in St. Mary's Academy, at The Dalles. Mr. Frank
is a keen sportsman, loving to hunt and fish, and every
autumn he takes his guns to eastern Oregon, and never fails
to secure his limit of deer. He is a man of cordial and
friendly mariner, enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout this
section of the state, and is held in the highest respect and
esteem.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Fargher, Horatio
HORATIO FARGHER, an Oregon pioneer, was long an outstanding
figure in agricultural affairs of Wasco county and is
spending his declining years in Dufur, enjoying the fruits
of a well spent life. He was born March 13, 1847, in Ramsey,
on the Isle of Man, where his parents, Thomas Cannell and
Susan (Christian) Fargher, always resided. In their family
were seven children, two of whom survive — Horatio and
Arthur Wellesley, both of whom are living in Wasco county.
Reared on his father’s farm, Horatio Fargher received a
public school education and aided in the work of cultivating
and improving the homestead, becoming well acquainted with
agricultural pursuits. In 1867, when a young man of twenty,
he responded to the call of adventure and shipped as a
sailor on the Cairnsmore, a Scotch sailing vessel, which was
built in a shipyard on the Clyde river and owned by a local
firm. On this boat, which was a wheat carrier, Mr. Fargher
made two round trips from Liverpool to San Francisco, via
Cape Horn, and left the ship in 1868 on reaching the latter
city. Soon afterward he revisited his home and in March,
1870, returned to the United States in company with his
father and brother, crossing the Atlantic on the steamship
Erin of the National line. After his arrival in New York
city he went by rail to Sacramento, California, and thence
by boat to San Francisco. From there he journeyed to
Portland by the water route, as there were no railroads in
Oregon at that time. He followed steamboating on the
Columbia river in the vicinity of Portland for five years,
working on freight and passenger boats, and in 1874 started
for Alaska with a party of gold seekers. When they reached
the Stikeen river their supply of food was exhausted and
they were obliged to abandon the project. In 1875 Mr.
Fargher decided to locate in Wasco county and preempted land
six miles south of Dufur. He took up both timber and rock
claims and subsequently acquired additional tracts, becoming
the owner of four thousand acres of land in the county. For
many years the ranch was used chiefly for grazing purposes
and Mr. Fargher was numbered among the most successful sheep
raisers in this part of the state. Afterward he became a
prosperous grain owner and continued his farming and stock
raising operations until about the year 1915, when he sold
the ranch to his sons. At that time he removed to Dufur,
erecting a modern residence, in which he established his
home, but still supervised the management of his ranch. In
1922 he retired from farming and divided the property among
his children. The son, Walter Fargher, is now cultivating
this extensive tract of land and, like his father, is an
expert agriculturist, whose labors count for the utmost.
On November 7, 1889, Horatio Fargher was married to Miss
Emma Roth, who was born in Minnesota and completed her
education in the old Wasco Academy at The Dalles. Her
parents, John M. and Margaret (Unselt) Roth, were natives of
Germany. The father’s birth occurred in 1839 and the mother
was born in 1849. John M. Roth came to the United
States in 1861, casting in his lot with the pioneers of
Minnesota, and soon after the outbreak of the Civil war
enlisted in the Union army, in which he served for three
years. In Wisconsin he married Margaret Unselt, who had made
the voyage to the new world in 1851 in company with her
parents and lived for some time in the city of Madison. Mr.
Roth followed the occupation of farming in Minnesota until
1875, when he came to Oregon and purchased a large, tract of
land on Tygh Ridge in Wasco county. For about twenty years
he was there engaged in ranching and then disposed of his
holdings. At that time he became the owner of a farm in the
state of Washington but subsequently returned to Oregon and
made his home at The Dalles. There he lived retired until
his demise in 1923 and his wife passed away October 23,
1916.
Mr. and Mrs. Fargher have a family of seven children. Susan,
the eldest, became the wife of Harry Whitten and their home
is in Wasco county. They have two daughters, Dorothy and
Kathleen Whitten. Albert Fargher married Nadine Stevens, by
whom he has two daughters, Vannan and Margaret Fargher.
Marguerite is Mrs. Charles Pamment, of Dufur, and has become
the mother of two children, Dorcas and George Pamment.
Walter Fargher married Frances Morley and they reside on the
old homestead. They have two children, Malcolm and Pauline
Fargher, Stanley wedded Grace Fraley, by whom he has two
sons, William and Horatio Fargher. Cecil Fargher, the
sixth in order of birth, was graduated from the medical
department of the University of Oregon and also completed a
course in the Portland Medical College. Victoria Ellean, who
completes the family, won the A. B. degree from the
University of Oregon in 1927. She specialized in physical
culture and gymnasium work and excelled in athletic sports
while attending high school and the university.
All of the sons are Masons and the father is a member of
Morris Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M., at Dufur. The
mother is connected with the Eastern Star, belonging to the
chapter at The Dalles. Mr. Fargher was a member of the
school board for six years and his efforts have been exerted
as readily for the general welfare as for his own
aggrandizement. He has lived in Wasco county for more than a
half century, witnessing a notable change in the appearance
of this region, and is deeply attached to the country and
state of his adoption. His success was gained by hard work
and good management and throughout life he has adhered to a
high standard of conduct, thus winning and retaining the
esteem and goodwill of his fellowmen Mr. and Mrs. Fargher
are members of the Church of Christ and by precept and
example try to follow in the steps of the Master.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Fleck, J. A.
J. A. FLECK
Few men have held a higher place in public esteem than did
the late J. A. Fleck, whose splendid, well improved ranch
lies on the west side of The Dalles. He was enterprising and
progressive in all of his affairs, being painstaking and
thorough in whatever he undertook, and his labors were
distinctive in their results, for he earned a reputation as
one of the most successful fruit raisers in the Pacific
northwest. In his private life he exemplified the highest
type of citizenship and was regarded as one of the
representative men of his section of the state. Mr. Fleck
was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1853, and was a son of
Joseph and Katherine Fleck, both of whom were natives of
that country and there spent their lives. The father learned
the trade of a brickmason and eventually became the owner of
a brickyard.
J. A. Fleck secured a good education in the public schools
of his native land and remained at home until 1879, when he
emigrated to the United States, locating in Portland,
Oregon. He remained there a few months and then went to work
in the machine shops of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation
Company, in The Dalles, where he was employed for several
years. He then turned his attention to farming, taking up a
homestead on Chenoweth creek, six miles west of The Dalles,
onto which he moved in 1887. He built a house and farmed
that place until 1893, when he sold it and bought sixty
acres of the old Catholic mission farm, along the west city
limits of The Dalles. After building a house, he engaged in
fruit raising, giving his attention chiefly to grapes, and
was the first man in eastern Oregon to plant grapes on a
commercial scale. He planted twenty different varieties, all
of which were standard, and now has fifteen acres planted to
this luscious fruit. When he first located here the land was
mostly covered with pine timber and oak grubs and a vast
amount of hard labor was required to put it in shape for
cultivation. Much of his land was also planted to other
fruits, which he later sold, and during the ensuing years he
bought and sold a number of tracts. He gave intelligent and
thoughtful direction to the care and cultivation of his
grapes, in the growing of which he took great pride, and
some idea of the success which crowned his efforts may be
gathered from the fact that he won many prizes at various
fairs and expositions in various parts of the country. He
won a gold medal at the Lewis and Clark exposition at
Portland in 1905; at the Pan-American exposition at Buffalo,
New York, in 1901, he won a gold medal on his Pond prunes;
at the World’s fair, at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904, he won
a silver medal on his grapes; at the Oregon state fair, at
Salem, in 1908, he won seven first prizes on fruit and a
number of second prizes; at the same fair in 1909 he won six
first prizes on fruit, and at the Alaska-Yukon fair at
Seattle, Washington, in 1909, he won the grand sweepstakes
on grapes, besides which he won many other prizes and
ribbons at county fairs in this state. Mr. Fleck continued
his close attention to his ranching interests until his
death, which occurred September 13, 1917, an event which was
deeply regretted throughout the community, for he was a man
of unusual strength of character, stood for all that was
best and uplifting in life and by his individual efforts had
contributed to the general welfare and prosperity of his
locality. Cordial and unaffected in manner, he made many
loyal friends and throughout the range of his acquaintance
commanded confidence and respect.
On May 29, 1887, Mr. Fleck was united in marriage to Miss
Katie Herke, who was born in Hesse Nassau, Germany, and is a
daughter of Anthony and Gertrude (Kremer) Herke, also born
in Germany, the mother’s ancestral home having been at
Frankfort-on-the-Rhine. Anthony Herke came to the United
States in 1870 and located at Athanam valley, near Yakima,
Washington, where he took up a homestead, which was mostly
covered with timber. He was one of the pioneer settlers in
the Yakima valley, as may be inferred from the fact that as
late as 1879 there were but thirty-six families resident in
the territory now included in Benton, Yakima and Klickitat
counties. He cleared off most of his land and engaged
extensively in raising vegetables, which he traded to the
Indians for cattle and horses, there being no other markets
near by. Ready money was scarce and in order to support his
family he went to work at The Dalles. While there, he was
notified of the death of his wife, which occurred July 5,
1879, and he at once started to walk home, a distance of
about one hundred miles, which he covered in two days,
arriving in time for the funeral. He took an active
interest in the development of his locality and helped to
open up the stage road to The Dalles, known as the Canyon
road, by which the freight from his district was hauled to
The Dalles. In the early days he worked away from home much
of the time, mostly at The Dalles, which even at that time
was a busy and thriving town. He helped to construct some of
the first buildings in the town of Yakima and lived to see
the Yakima valley transformed into one of the richest and
best agricultural sections of the west. During the early
years there the family passed through many trying
experiences, one of which occurred during the Indian scare
of the early ‘70s. While Mr. Herke was away from
home, his place was attacked by Indians, who broke down the
front door with an ax. The children, who were at home with
their mother, escaped through a trap door into the cellar,
thence out into the brush, in which they hid all night until
the Indians disappeared, after sacking the home. Mr. Herke
was one of the first to make use of irrigation in the Yakima
valley and, through his enterprising and energetic efforts,
became a well-to-do man. At his death, on December 26, 1908,
he left several fine ranches, which are still owned in the
family. To him and his wife were born six children, namely:
P, J., who lives at Donald, in the Yakima valley; Mrs. Katie
Fleck; Antone, who lives on the old homestead in the Yakima
valley; Gertrude, who also resides at the old home; Frank,
of the Yakima valley; and Joseph, who lives on the upper
homestead ranch. Mr. and Mrs. Fleck became the parents of
nine children, as follows: Gertrude, who became the wife of
George E. Moore and is the mother of eight children,
Catherine, Gertrude, John, George, Mary Alice, Robert, Helen
and Mildred; Mary Ann, who remains at home; Emma Josephine,
who is the wife of Lee Mead, of Boardman, Oregon, and is the
mother of three children, Paul, Helen and Catherine; Helen,
who is teaching school near The Dalles; Joseph, who is
operating the home place in partnership with his mother, and
is married and has three children, Kenneth, Ellen and
Mildred Jean; Rosina, who is employed as a stenographer in
The Dalles; Catherine, who is the wife of O. W. Kortge and
they have four children, Madeline, Winifred, Uldene and
Bernard; Antone, who died on December 11, 1915; and Francis,
who remains at home and assists his mother in the care of
the vineyards and farm. Mrs. Fleck attended the Sisters
Academy at Yakima and completed her studies in St. Mary’s
Academy at The Dalles. All of her children also attended St.
Mary’s Academy, from which four of them graduated, and at
one time all nine children were attending school. Mrs. Fleck
is a woman of kindly and hospitable disposition, gracious
and friendly in manner, and throughout the community she has
a large circle of warm and devoted friends.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Wilson, Fred
JUDGE FRED W. WILSON
In that department of the Oregon Journal reserved for the
impressions and observations of Fred Lockley, a well known
jurist of The Dalles was thus characterized in the issue of
July 11, 1927.
“Said Detective Joe Day to me when I met him recently, ‘They
spoiled a mighty good river man when they made Fred Wilson a
judge.’ When I interviewed Judge Fred W. Wilson recently I
told him what Joe Day had said. He nodded and said: ‘I think
Joe is right. I loved the river as a boy and a young man and
I have never gotten over my first love. I am a native son of
The Dalles, but it happened I was born away from home. I was
born at College Hill, near Cincinnati, where my father’s
people lived, on September 10, 1872. Judge C. H. Carey was
also born at College Hill.
“‘My father, Judge Joseph G. Wilson, was born at Acworth,
New Hampshire, December 14, 1827. His people were Scotch
Presbyterians and came over from Scotland, settling at
Londonderry, New Hampshire, in 1719. In 1828 he moved with
his parents to Cincinnati and when he was fourteen he
attended Cary’s Academy. Later he was a student at Marietta
College, in which he completed a course in 1846, and after
his graduation taught in Farmer’s College near Cincinnati.
He graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1852 and was
admitted to the bar. In the same year he came to Oregon and
soon afterward became clerk of the supreme court, serving
from 1852 to 1855. From 1860 to 1862 he was prosecuting
attorney and from 1862 to 1870 he was circuit judge. My
father was the first circuit judge east of the mountains,
with jurisdiction extending from the summit of the Cascades
to the eastern boundary of the state. His nephew Samuel I.
Wilson is president of Maryville College in Tennessee.
“‘My mother, Elizabeth (Millar) Wilson, was born in South
Argyle, New York, June 8, 1830. Her father, Rev. James
Millar. was a Presbyterian minister and, with Rev. Wilson
Blaine, organized the United Presbyterian church at Albany,
Oregon. He came to Oregon in 1851. He built what was known
as the Octagon House at Albany as a boarding school for
girls. He was killed while a passenger aboard the Gazelle
when it blew up at its dock at Canemah in April, 1854. My
mother taught school here in Oregon prior to her marriage
with my father, which occurred in 1854. Her brother, James
Franklin Millar, was killed by the Apache Indians in
Arizona. Her sister Mary, who married United States Senator
J. K. Kelly, lives in Washington, D. C.
“‘My uncle, James K. Kelly, went to California in 1849. He
practiced law in San Francisco till the spring of 1851, when
he came to Oregon City and formed a partnership with A. L.
Lovejoy. In 1852 the legislature designated my uncle, J. K.
Kelly, Reuben P. Boise and D. R. Bigelow as code
commissioners to compile the first code of Oregon. My uncle
served as a member of the legislative council from 1853 to
1857 and was president of the council for two terms. During
the Indian war of 1855 he served as lieutenant colonel of
the regiment of volunteers commanded by Colonel J. W.
Nesmith. He was a member of the constitutional convention
held in 1857 and was a member of the Oregon state senate
from 1860 to 1864. In 1870 he was elected United States
senator from Oregon and in 1878 became chief justice of the
supreme court of Oregon. My mother’s other sister, Ella,
married General Cuvier Grover, a brother of L. F. Grover,
who served as governor of Oregon and as United States
senator from Oregon. She lives in Rome.
“‘In 1870 my father was nominated for congress and was
defeated by J. H. Slater. He was nominated again in 1872 and
was elected. He died at Marietta, Ohio, on July 2, 1873,
when I was nine months old. Mother, with her four
children, came back to our home at The Dalles. Shortly
thereafter President Grant appointed mother postmaster at
The Dalles. Mother was the first woman to be appointed to a
post office of presidential class in the United States. She
served for twelve years.
“‘The old river captains were my heroes. I became purser
aboard the Regulator and was later purser of The Dalles
City. Mother wanted me to be a lawyer. One day when I came
in from the run one of the officials said, “I see you have
resigned.” I told him that was news to me, so I went to
headquarters to see what the trouble was. They told me
mother had come in and said; “Fred has quit.” She resigned
for me without even consulting me, for she knew that of my
volition I would never leave the river. I studied law with
Huntington & Wilson at The Dalles and was admitted to
the bar in 1896. In 1908 1 was elected district attorney for
Wasco, Hood River and Crook counties and served four years.
Upon the death of Judge Bradshaw I was appointed circuit
judge. This was on June 27, 1917, ten years ago, and I am
still holding that position.
“‘I was married in 1914 to Content Elton. My wife was born
in Bridgeport, South Dakota, and is a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. James A. Elton. We have two children. Our son, Joseph
G., named for my father, is nine years old and our daughter,
Elizabeth Elton, six years of age, is named for her
grandmother.
“‘Not long ago I was talking to Captain Arthur Riggs. He is
one of the few old-time river men who knows the upper river
thoroughly. During his many years on the river he has
studied out the various places along the river where Lewis
and Clark camped. He and I both think it would be a
wonderful thing if Joe Teal and some other well known
citizens of Portland organized an excursion to make the trip
from Lewiston to the sea, marking with a bronze tablet every
one of those old camps made by Lewis and Clark. The
Woodland, a government boat here in Portland, could be used
for the trip. I believe such an excursion would prove
popular and of great historic value. I am hoping to see the
day when some company will put on the river an excursion
boat to run from Portland to The Dalles. I believe it would
be a popular feature with tourists, as much so or even more
so than the boat trips on the Hudson. It would add a spice
of adventure to the trip, to shoot the rapids. Captain
Archie Geer brought one hundred and twenty-five passengers
over the rapids in the Bailey Gatzert. Boat lines on the
Hudson have proved not only popular but profitable, and the
same condition should exist here on the Columbia.’”
Judge Wilson is a graduate of Whitman College, 1891, and
Johns Hopkins University, 1893. In 1926 Whitman College
conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws and
he is now a member of its Board of Overseers. In 1916 he was
chosen exalted ruler of the local lodge of Elks and is also
connected with the Knights of Pythias. He is an adherent of
the republican party and lends the weight of his support to
all measures of reform, progress and improvement. In 1924
Judge Wilson was elected president of the State Bar
Association of Oregon and in his administrative plans for
reorganization and greater strength were begun which have
since been perfected.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Cates, Daniel
DANIEL L. CATES
Conscientious and efficient, Daniel L. Cates has thoroughly
demonstrated his worth as a public servant and for eleven
years has been city recorder of The Dalles. He is a
loyal Oregonian and a member of one of the honored, pioneer
families of the state. The following account of his career
was written by Fred Lockley and published in the Oregon
Journal under date of November 29, 1927:
“‘I was born in a log cabin on the Long Tom, near Starr’s
Point, in Benton county, May 7, 1857,’ said Mr. Cates. ‘My
father was John Cates, who was born on September 30, 1825,
in Hopkins county, Kentucky. His father’s name was Alexander
Cates. His mother’s maiden name was Nancy Phipps and she was
also a Kentuckian. My father left the Blue Grass state in
1844, when he was nineteen years of age, and went to
Missouri with an uncle, John Newton. They settled near
Linneus, in Linn county, and there father was married
February 14, 1847, to Sarah Ellen Grice, who was born in
Baltimore, Maryland. She was a daughter of Daniel Grice, who
went from that state to Kentucky and later located in Linn
county, Missouri. Father and his brother-in-law,
Daniel Grice, built houses. In those days all lumber,
including the flooring, was dressed by hand. Father had
taken up a place in Linn county and in addition to working
at his trade, raised corn and tobacco.
“‘In April, 1850, father started for the gold fields of
California, crossing the plains with F. B. Flournoy and his
relatives. They took the usual emigrant route during the
first part of the trip and went by way of the cut-off to
Fort Hall. The Nemaha river was crossed on rafts built by
members of the party and at Salt creek they were detained
for two days. After crossing the Salt river they struck the
Platte in Nebraska at the foot of One Hundred Mile island.
There were few accidents on the trip, though in the early
part of it an exciting incident occurred in the Pawnee
country. One morning a man came riding toward them at top
speed on a fine grey horse and warned them of Indians who
had attacked a train in advance of them. Three parties
of emigrants had left Missouri at about the same time, the
Flournoy train, the one attacked by Indians and what was
called the Ohio train. The last consisted of forty men
without a woman or child among them. There were two Indians
in sight in an elevated position, signaling to the band that
led in the attack and informing them of the movements of the
whites. The Ohio train rushed in from the rear on horseback
and soon reached the Indians. The wagons of the Flournoy
train were placed in a double row and the party advanced as
rapidly as possible. After robbing the women of their
jewelry and taking as much food and clothing as they could
lay hands on, the Indians escaped and no one was injured.
The Flournoy train followed the route to the crossing of the
Portneuf, which runs into the Snake river, and then traveled
to the south, crossing the Raft river. As they followed its
course they came to that remarkable creation of nature, the
Thousand Spring valley, containing those famous soda springs
which vary in temperature from boiling hot to ice cold and
which cover an area of several square miles. Proceeding
through what was afterwards called the Landers cut-off, they
came out on the Green river and followed its course to St.
Mary’s river. After passing the three Humboldt lakes they 1
were warned by a note tacked up by the roadside of danger
from Indians. Two men had been killed and a little farther
on the body of an Indian was found lying in the road. At the
foot of the last lake two roads separate, one leading to the
Carson river and the other to the Truckee river. The party
followed the Truckee road and about September 17, 1850,
camped where the Donner party endured their sufferings and
where some met their tragic deaths in 1846. They could see
plainly where the trees had been cut down and limbs cut off
of others ten or twelve feet above the ground, showing how
deep the snow must have been when they camped on it.
“‘The Sierras were crossed and they soon reached Nevada
City, where father worked for a while at four dollars a day.
Later he took up a claim on Poor Man creek, finding dirt
which paid him thirty dollars a day with pick and pan. After
working the claim for a month the heavy snow drove him out
and he went back to Nevada City, where he spent the winter.
Next spring he found a claim from which. he averaged eight
dollars a day. In company with three other miners he engaged
in prospecting on Kanaha creek. They struck a claim where
they took out fifty dollars a day. As soon as their grub was
gone they went back to Nevada City and brought out twelve
hundred pounds of supplies on seven pack horses. They found
their claim had been jumped, so they struck out down the
creek and struck another claim even richer than the first.
On July 4, 1851, the four of them took out over six hundred
dollars. They averaged about one hundred dollars a day. My
father’s partners became dissatisfied and thought they could
find a richer ground, so he bought them out and worked the
claim until late in the fall of 1851. Downieville, the
nearest post office, was twelve miles distant by mountain
trail.
“‘In the fall of 1851 father went to Grass valley and
followed the carpenter’s trade. He worked on a hotel and was
paid ten dollars a day. After the hotel was built he went to
Sacramento and from there to San Francisco, where he bought
a ticket for Panama. He had to pay sixteen dollars for the
use of a mule to ride twenty-six miles across the isthmus to
connect with a boat. After he had ridden about two-thirds of
the way he overtook a miner, who offered him eight dollars
for the use of the mule for the remaining eight miles, so
father walked the rest of the way. He had to pay a fare of
ten dollars on a rowboat which took him to the Atlantic side
of the isthmus. The natives were having a revolution and
told the Californians to keep off the streets so they
wouldn’t get hurt. However, the Americans wanted to see what
was going on, so one of them was killed, as well as a number
of natives. The American consul sent out to the Cherokee and
Ohio, which were anchored in the stream, and got a brass
six-pounder and an iron cannon. He put these so he could
sweep the street and told the natives that if they fought
any more or killed any more Americans he would turn the
cannon loose, so they decided to quit fighting.
“‘Father’s baggage consisted of a pair of blankets, a
carpetbag and a six-shooter. He bought a steerage
ticket for New York for fifty dollars. The first cabin
ticket was seventy-five dollars. After he got on the boat he
paid the purser five dollars extra to sit at the first cabin
table and have a cabin like the first class passengers. The
Ohio was a sidewheeler and there were about two hundred
returning gold miners aboard. At Havana they transferred to
the Georgia for New Orleans. In the Crescent city he paid
sixteen dollars for a ticket to St. Louis and made the trip
of about twelve-hundred miles on the Patrick Henry. At St.
Louis he took passage on a small boat called the Lewis F.
Linn, for Brunswick, the great tobacco trading point on the
Missouri, traveling with Washington Leach, who had been his
companion in the mines of California and on the returning
sea voyage.
“‘Father had been gone nearly two years and had never
received a letter from home, so he didn’t know whether his
wife was alive or dead. At Brunswick he hired a rig to drive
to Linneus, where he had left mother. When he arrived there
he found that his father-in-law had sold out and that mother
had gone to Jive with Uncle Newton. He hired a man to drive
him out to the Newton place. He bought a house and lot for
three hundred dollars and got a job as carpenter at a dollar
and a quarter a day.
“‘In the spring of 1853 father started overland for Oregon,
leaving Linn county on April 10 with a company of ten
wagons. In the party were father’s cousin, Ambrose Newton,
who brought his wife and three children. He had two wagons,
with four yoke of oxen to each, and was accompanied by three
young men, who came along to work for their board. Father
had one wagon, three yoke of oxen and two cows. In his wagon
were himself, mother, Sarah, the baby, and a young man named
Washington Ward, who went along to work for his hoard. The
members of the train chose father as their captain because
of his previous experience in crossing the plains. The
emigrants drove to St. Joseph, Missouri, and thence up the
river, which they crossed at Council Bluffs. They took the
south side of the Platte. A large party of Pawnee Indians
accompanied them almost to Ash Hollow. There my father and
Mr. Wiley went on a hunting expedition. Father killed a big
buffalo and they loaded their horses with meat. When they
were hunting a hail storm came up which was so severe that
the cattle couldn’t face it. They turned around and drifted
with the storm.
“‘One night a buffalo cow and calf came into the camp, and
as the members of the party had just killed a fat antelope,
they stopped over next day and jerked the meat of the two
buffaloes and the antelope. On the Bear river in Utah six
saddle horses were stolen. Father lost a good horse. He said
that when he and Fowler were looking for the horses they met
an Indian on a cayuse,while his squaw was mounted on a big
roan horse. Father had a rifle with inlaid silver work and
the Indian tried to take it. Father pulled out his Colt
revolver and the Indian changed his mind, and the last
father saw of him and the squaw they were making their
horses go as fast as they could. The next day the party
arrived at Steamboat Springs, where an Englishman had a
trading station. After crossing the Malheur river they went
down the Snake and struck Burnt river at a point where
Huntington was afterward built. They passed through the
Powder River valley below the place where Baker City is now
located and there father suffered from blood poisoning,
which endangered his life. After coming into the Grande
Ronde valley they passed Medical lake and in the Blue
mountains stayed over night at Lee’s encampment, now Bingham
Springs. Then they proceeded down the Wild Horse through
what is now the Umatilla Indian reservation, finding Indians
there who were raising corn and potatoes. After reaching
Deschutes they made their way down Ten-Mile creek and thence
to Tygh valley. They passed through the Barlow tollgate and
down Laurel Hill, soon afterward coming to the Big Sandy
valley. On September 9 they reached Foster’s famous ranch
and on the 11th crossed the Willamette at Portland on a
capstan and two horses.
“‘In crossing the plains father lost both cows and one of
the steers. On leaving Portland he went to Wapato lake, in
Washington county, Oregon, and lived in the house of Isaac
Peet. In 1854 father and Fred Flora took a contract to get
out timbers and build a barn for Captain Doty in Yamhill
county. Father next built a granary for Mr. McLeod on
Tualatin plains. Later he built one for Dorris Young and
also erected a grist mill on the Tualatin river for Parsons
& Gibson. They paid him seven dollars a day and he took
his pay in flour, which he sold in Portland. From Tualatin
plains he moved to the Long Tom, in Beaten county, where he
bought, for three hundred dollars, a quarter section. Forty
acres of the tract had been fenced and there was a good
house on the place. Father bought a land entry of one
hundred and sixty acres for one hundred and twenty dollars
and took up the adjoining quarter section. The first loom on
the Long Tom was constructed by father, who built it for
Mrs. Ferguson. He was paid forty dollars for the job. Mrs.
Ferguson wove homespun cloth.
“‘In the fall of 1859 father sold the ranch and moved east
of the mountains. He bought a new wagon, a span of mules and
ninety head of cattle. He hired John Florence to drive the
stock over the Barlow trail to the Dennis Maloney place,
near the present site of Dufur. Father traded our place to
Mrs. Upton for two large mares, Pet and Pigeon. Afterward
father moved to Eight-Mile creek, purchasing a farm from
“Big Steve” Edwards, and there mother died in the fall of
1862, leaving two sons and two daughters, one a baby less
than a year old. The hard winter of 1861-62 nearly wiped
father off the map financially. He had only thirty head of
stock left when the snow went off in the spring.
“‘In 1863 father made arrangements with Jake Broadwell to
run the farm and took us to the Griffin place, on the Long
Tom. Mrs. Susan Griffin, my mother’s sister, died shortly
alter we children went there. Father and Fred Flora had
started in the spring of 1863 with a herd of cattle for the
Orofino mines in Idaho. Hearing of Aunt Susan’s death, he
came and got us, taking us up to Eight Mile, near The
Dalles. My sister did the housework. When J. C. Broadwell
bought the place my sister Sarah and I stayed with him for
two years. After that Sarah went to The Dallas and stayed at
the home of Pete Ruffner. My brother Willie went to Idaho
with my father, who purchased a mine in the Boise basin and
later moved to Rocky Bar, in Alturas county, that state. He
was absent two years and brought home fourteen hundred
dollars.
“‘Afterward father moved to The Dalles and turned his
attention to the lumber industry. He built a mill on
Fifteen-Mile creek near the Meadows, also owning a mill on
the Columbia, opposite Wind river, and this he later sold to
Joseph T. Peters. While operating the plant he built a small
steamboat to handle the lumber. After disposing of his mills
father worked for a time at his trade and aided in
constructing the shoe factory in North Dalles. In 1873
father married Mrs. Elizabeth Herbert, a widow, who had two
children: Mrs. Jane Sherer, deceased; and George A. Herbert,
now a resident of Baker, Oregon. The mother of these
children passed away at The Dalles and father’s death
occurred at Cascade Locks, Oregon, in 1909. My sister Sarah,
the oldest of the family, was born in Missouri in 1849. On
May 10, 1870, she became the wife of William Frizzell, and
her demise occurred in 1924 at Cascade Locks. My brother
William was born in Benton county, Oregon, in 1854 and is
now living in Oakland, California. I was the third child and
my full name is Daniel Lycurgus Cates. My sister Susan was
born February 14, 1860, in Wasco county, Oregon. She became
the wife of W. H. Wilson, a well known attorney of Portland,
Oregon, and died February 14, 1922.’”
In the acquirement of an education Daniel L. Cates attended
the public schools at The Dalles and one of his instructors
was Professor S. P. Barrett. From 1878 until 1882 he was in
the employ of his father, who at that time was operating a
saw mill above Cascade Locks, where the town of Wyeth is now
located. His lumber yard at The Dalles was managed by Daniel
L. Cates, who afterward became a bookkeeper for John H.
Larsen, a dealer in wool and hides. His commission house was
located on East Second street at The Dalles, where Mr. Cates
remained until 1886, when he was appointed a deputy under
George Herbert, sheriff of Wasco county, and acted in that
capacity for four years. In 1890 he was elected sheriff and
served for two years, thoroughly justifying the trust
reposed in him. In August, 1892, he located at Cascade
Locks, opening a general store, which he conducted during
the construction of the locks. About five hundred men were
at work and in 1896 the locks were completed by J. G. and I.
N. Day. At that time Mr. Cates disposed of the business and
established a drug store, of which he was the proprietor for
two years. Crossing the Columbia river, he purchased a tract
of three hundred and twenty acres in Skamania county,
Washington, and applied himself to the task of clearing the
land. He cut down the timber, which he sawed into logs, and
disposed of them at a good figure. A few years later he sold
the ranch and in November, 1909, returned to The Dalles.
Prosperity had attended his various undertakings and for a
time he lived retired. In 1917 he was prevailed upon to
reenter the arena of public affairs and has since been city
recorder. His duties are discharged with characteristic
thoroughness and fidelity and his continued retention in the
office proves that his services are appreciated.
On October 9, 1889, Mr. Cates married Miss Alice DeHuff, who
was born February 23, 1865, in Portland, Oregon. Mrs. Cates
is the ninth in line of descent from Jan Stryker, who was
horn in Holland in 1615 and emigrated from Ruinen, a village
in the province of Drenthe, with his wife, two sons and four
daughters, arriving at New Amsterdam in 1652. The mother of
these children was Lambertje Seubering, who died several
years after the family came to America. On April 30, 1679,
Jan Stryker married Swantje Jans, who was the widow of
Dornelis de Potter, of Brooklyn, and died in 1686. On March
31, 1687, Jan Stryker was again married, his third union
being with Teuntje Teunis, of Flatbush, the widow of Jacob
Hellakers, of New Amsterdam. She survived her husband, who
was a man of prominence in colonial days. In 1654 he was
elected chief magistrate of Midworet and according to the
Colonial History of New York” he was a member of the embassy
sent from New Amsterdam to the lord mayors in Holland. The
history also states that he became a representative in the
general assembly on April 10, 1664, a member of the
Hempstead convention of 1665, and was commissioned captain
of a military company on October 25, 1673. His brother, who
also came to this country, was named Jacobus Garretsen
Stryker. Jan Stryker and his first wife had a large family.
Pieter Stryker, their ninth child, was born November 1,
1653, in Flatbush, New York, and on May 29, 1681, married
Annetje Barends. She died June 17, 1717, and his demise
occurred June 11, 1741. He was high sheriff of Kings county,
Long Island; judge of the court from 1720 until 1722, and
was made captain of a foot company in 1689. On June 1, 1710,
he purchased four thousand acres of land on Millstone river
in Somerset county, New Jersey. It does not appear that he
ever lived on this property but his sons, Jacob and Barends,
and his grandsons, the four sons of Jan, removed from
Flatbush to New Jersey. Pieter and Annetje (Barends) Stryker
had eleven children.
Jan Stryker, their third child, was born August 6, 1684, and
in 1704 married Margarita Schenck. She was a daughter of
Johannes Schenck, of Bushwick, Long island, and died in
August, 1721. His second wife was Sara Bergen, a daughter of
Michael Hansen Bergen, of Brooklyn, New York. She was
baptized June 2, 1678, and married February 17, 1722. Her
death occurred July 15, 1760, and her husband passed away
August 17, 1770. He was a member of the Kings County
militia. Jan Stryker had nine children by his first
wife and five by the second.
Pieter Stryker, the eldest child of his first wife, was born
September 14, 1705, at Flatbush, Long island, and about 1723
married Antje Deremer. About 1730 he removed to Somerset
county, New Jersey, and on November 9, 1750, both he and his
wife joined the Dutch Reformed church of New Brunswick, New
Jersey. His second wife was Cabrina Buys and on August 17,
1766, both were members of the church at Millstone, New
Jersey. Death summoned him on December 28, 1774. He had
eleven children by his first wife and one by the second.
His son, John Stryker, the eighth child of his first union,
was born March 2, 1740, and became captain of the Somerset
County militia but was afterwards attached to the state
troops. His marriage with Lydia Cornell was solemnized
November 13, 1763, and on March 25, 1786, he responded to
the final summons. His wife was born March 15, 1746, and
died November 4, 1795. John and Lydia (Cornell) Stryker were
the parents of ten children.
James I. Stryker, the ninth, was born October 25, 1780, and
on March 7, 1804, married Ann Margaret Friese. She was born
November 5, 1782, and died about 1826 in Cayuga county, New
York, while his demise occurred December 14, 1825. Their
family numbered eight children.
The seventh, Henry Francis Stryker, was born April 20, 1821,
in Auburn, New York, and in Plattsville, Grand county,
Wisconsin territory, was married December 13, 1843, to Mary
Ann Hart. She was born July 3, 1827, in Montgomery county,
and was a daughter of William and Clarissa Hart. Mrs.
Stryker died December 2, 1860, in Vancouver, Washington, and
her husband’s death occurred in that city on December 21,
1861.
Their oldest child, Emily Frances Stryker, was born October
18, 1844, in Southport, Wisconsin, and at Portland, Oregon,
was married May 10, 1864, to Peter Wolf DeHuff. He was born
September 1, 1835, in York, Pennsylvania, and died June 20,
1916, at The Dalles, Oregon, while his wife passed away May
25, 1918, at Spokane, Washington. In their family were four
daughters, of whom Alice is the eldest. By her marriage to
Daniel L. Cates she became the mother of four children.
Harold, the first son, was born November 20, 1890, at The
Dalles and is cashier of the Mexico Development Company at
Tia Juana. His brother Albert was born July 22, 1894, at
Cascade Locks and is employed in a hardware store at The
Dalles. The daughter Ruth was born August 29, 1892, at The
Dalles and her life was terminated at Pendleton, Oregon,
January 16, 1916. The fourth child died in infancy. Mr. and
Mrs. Cates have two grandchildren, Albert Cates and Robert
DeHuff Cates.
Mr. Cates takes a keen interest in fraternal affairs and is
a charter member of The Dalles Lodge of the Knights of
Pythias, in which he has filled all of the chairs. While a
resident of Cascade Locks he aided in forming the Elks lodge
of that place and is a life member of The Dalles Lodge, No.
1, of that order. He is a York Rite Mason and holds a life
membership in Al Kader Temple of the Mystic Shrine at
Portland, while he also belongs to the local camp of the
Woodmen of the World. In all matters of citizenship he is
loyal, progressive and public-spirited and his personal
qualities are such as make for popularity.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Litfin, Ben
BEN R. LITFIN
Beginning his business career as a newsboy, Ben R. Litfin
has steadily advanced and is now classed with the leading
journalists of Oregon. He has devoted his life to the
newspaper business and exerts a strong and beneficial
influence as the owner and editor of The Dalles Chronicle,
which has a record of thirty-eight years of continuous
service. His birth occurred in Stillwater, Washington
county, Minnesota, on the 2d of February, 1887, and his
father, Frank Litfin, is a native of Germany, in which
country he learned the millwright’s trade. In 1873 he made
the voyage to the new world and for a time was employed as a
wheelwright in Wisconsin, afterward going to Minnesota. In
the early days he aided in building many sawmills in the
lumber districts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, becoming an
expert at his trade, which he followed until a few years
ago, and since his retirement has lived in the city of St.
Paul. His wife, Emma (Kollertz) Litfin, was born in
Logansport, Indiana, and passed away in 1924. To their union
were born three children: Frank, who lives in Grand Rapids,
Michigan; Joseph, a resident of Hudson, Wisconsin, and Ben
H.
The last named was reared and educated in his native
state. Said Mr. Litfin when conversing with Fred
Lockley, one of the editors of the Oregon Journal: “I earned
my first money selling papers when I was ten years old. I
also picked up quite a bit of money shining shoes. When I
was older I carried a route on the Daily Gazette. I started
what has proved to be my life work when I was fifteen years
old by landing a job as printer’s devil at three dollars a
week. By the time I was nineteen years old I was getting
eight dollars a week and was a pretty fair compositor.
“When I was nineteen I went to Yakima, Washington, with a
pal of mine and from there we went to Seattle. I had a union
card and thought I could land a job, but work was scarce. We
had enough money to buy a ticket for each of us to Portland,
Oregon, after which we found that our total resources
amounted to seventy-five cents. The conductor on the
train when we asked his advice said, ‘Go to the Oregon Hotel
and say I sent you; they will put you up for the night.’ In
the morning my pal got in touch with his aunt, so he was
“hunkydory,” and I was out in the cold. Next morning at 4:30
o’clock I arrived at the Oregonian office and went into the
mailing room. The man operating the Dick mailer was
having trouble with it. He said, ‘Can you operate this
mailer?’ I told him I could and he said, ‘Well, get to work
then.’ After I had cleaned up the mailer he took me out to
breakfast and told me that he thought I could land a job on
the Telegram. The foreman of the Telegram put me to work in
the ad alley.”
In December, 1906, Mr. Litfin made the journey from Portland
to The Dalles and became connected with the Chronicle, which
at that time was owned by a stock company. His proficiency
in setting type and in make-up work was soon recognized and
at the end of a year he was made foreman of the plant, on
which he secured an option in 1909. Soon afterward Mr.
Litfin and his partner, H. G. Miller, purchased the paper
from the Chronicle Publishing Company and remained its
proprietors until 1915, when C. Hedges, of California,
acquired the business. Mr. Litfin was retained as manager
and acted in that capacity until 1920, when he was joined by
W. P Merry in purchasing the business from Mr. Hedges. Mr.
Merry, a Portland business man, was a silent partner in the
enterprise and in 1923 sold his holdings therein to Mr.
Litfin, who has since owned the paper. Established in 1890,
it now has a large circulation and ranks with the leading
dailies of eastern Oregon. The paper has United Press leased
wire service and is connected with the Audit Bureau of
Circulations. After acquiring full ownership of the
Chronicle, Mr. Litfin installed up-to-date machinery at a
cost of twenty-five thousand dollars and now has a
thoroughly modern printing plant, equipped to do all kinds
of job work. He also publishes the Weekly Chronicle, a
ten-page journal, filled with good reading matter. This is
one of the best smaller town weeklies in the state and has a
large list of subscribers, drawn from the rural districts of
eastern Oregon.
Mr. Litfin was married July 20, 1916, to Miss Elizabeth
Knappenberger, the former now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Litfin
have become the parents of a son, Richard, who was born
September 9, 1918, at The Dalles and is attending the public
schools.
Mr. Litfin is identified with the Benevolent Protective
Order of Elks and in 1915 was the youngest exalted ruler
ever elected by the members of The Dalles Lodge. He also
belongs to the local lodge of Masons, the Chamber of
Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and The Dalles Golf and Country
Club. His standing as a journalist is indicated by the fact
that he has been chosen vice president of the Oregon State
Editorial Association, which office he is now filling, and
is also vice president of the Northwest Circulation Managers
Association. An eloquent advocate of good roads, he is
largely responsible for the building of the Sorosis
boulevard - a beautiful road overlooking the city and the
majestic valley of the Columbia. His editorials are
forceful, timely and well written and through the columns of
his papers he has fostered many movements for the
development and betterment of the community and the state of
his adoption. Mr. Litfin is a man of high ideals, with the
courage to uphold them, and his worth is uniformly
recognized.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Dick, Frank
Frank G. Dick, an outstanding figure in legal circles of The
Dalles, has been particularly successful as a trial lawyer,
becoming well known in this connection, and is also classed
with the leading agriculturists of Wasco county. His life
from an early age has been one of unremitting industry and
he deserves much credit for what he has accomplished. He was
born March 10, 1885, in Polk county, Iowa, and his parents
were Franz and Franie O’Brien, the former a native of
Germany, and of Portuguese descent, while the latter was
born in Dublin, Ireland. His father became an able lawyer.
In 1885 he came to the United States but returned to Europe
the same year. Frank G. Dick never saw his father and his
mother died in 1891, when he was a child of six, leaving him
in the care of her relatives.
Mr. Dick was reared by a family named O’Brien and obtained
his early education in the public schools of Iowa, which he
attended during the morning session. In the afternoon he was
obliged to work and this program was continued until his
grammar school course was completed. For one and a half
years he was a high school pupil and in 1908 came to The
Dalles where he pursued a special course of study under the
tutelage of Rev. G. S. Clevenger, a former teacher at
Princeton University. He obtained a position as clerk in the
drug store of George C. Blakeley in which he spent half of
the day, and during the remainder studied law in the office
of Bennett & Sinnott, at that time the leading firm of
attorneys in The Dalles. Judge Bennett has passed away and
his partner, N. J. Sinnott, is now a member of congress. Mr.
Dick also took a correspondence law course and in May, 1913,
was admitted to the bar at Pendleton, Oregon. For fifteen
years he has engaged in general practice at The Dalles and
during that period has handled at least fifty per cent of
the criminal cases tried in Wasco county as well as in
several adjoining counties in eastern Oregon and Washington.
He is a formidable adversary in legal combat, marshaling his
evidence with the precision and skill of a military
commander, and seldom fails to convince his audience of the
justice of the cause he pleads. His offices are located in
the Vogt building and his clientele is extensive and
lucrative. Several years ago Mr. Dick began to invest his
savings in Wasco county land and he now has a wheat ranch of
seventeen hundred acres. Scientific methods are utilized in
its cultivation and he also owns a desirable home in The
Dalles.
Mr. Dick was married October 20, 1915, to Miss Louise
Cramer, who was born in Nebraska. Her parents, Fred
and Johanna (Vogt) Cramer, were natives of Germany and came
to the United States about 1857, locating in Wisconsin.
Later they moved to Nebraska and about 1892 migrated to
Oregon. Mr. Cramer engaged in farming near Forest Grove and
was also a cigarmaker. There he began the manufacture of
cigars and also established a factory of the same kind at
Oregon City. In 1901 he transferred his industrial
operations to The Dalles and operated a cigar factory in
this city until his death in 1903. His widow has reached the
venerable age of eighty-two years and still resides at The
Dalles. Her daughter Louise was educated in Oregon and
became a dressmaker. Endowed with more than average ability,
she was placed in charge of the dressmaking department in
the Williams store at The Dallas and filled the position
until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Dick have four sons all of
whom are natives of The Dalles. William was born in 1916,
John H. in 1918, Roger L. in 1922 and Edgar in 1924.
Mr. Dick belongs to The Dalles Lodge of the Knights of
Pythias of which he is past chancellor commander and his
interest in the development and prosperity of the city is
denoted by his affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce. He
is a member of the local Golf Club and also enjoys the sport
of hunting. Along professional lines he is connected with
the Wasco County and Oregon State Bar Associations. His time
and money were donated toward the building of good roads in
the district in which his ranch is situated and to all
movements for the advancement of his community and the
development of this section of the state he lends his hearty
support. Possessing a strong will, an energetic nature and
self-reliance, Mr. Dick has overcome adverse circumstances,
bending them to his will, and is accorded the respect which
world ever yields to the self-made man and useful citizen.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
Mosier, Jefferson
JEFFERSON N. MOSIER
One of the best known and. most highly respected citizens of
Wasco county, Washington, was Jefferson N. Mosier, who was a
native of the Columbia River valley, in which he practically
spent his life, and was long an honored resident of Mosier,
of which place he was the founder. He died May 5, 1928, and
was buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery at Mosier, his death
being deeply regretted by all who knew him. In the Journal
of December 7 and 8, 1927, Fred Lockley wrote of his
interview with Mr. Mosier as follows: “I was born at The
Dalles on September 28, 1860,” said Jefferson Mosier, when I
interviewed him recently at his home at Mosier. “My father,
Jonah H. Mosier, was born in Pennsylvania and went to
California in 1849. In 1852 he came overland to the
Willamette valley. My mother’s maiden name was Jane Rollins.
Father and mother were married at Paradise, Missouri. Before
coming west, my father ran a store. He was a millwright,
ironworker and carpenter. Be came up to The Dalles in the
fall of 1862. He built a store for M. M. Cushing. A square
hewed log served as counter.
“In 1854 he looked around for a location for a sawmill. He
took up land here on Mosier creek . Mosier creek and the
town of Mosier are both named for my father. He sent to San
Francisco and bought a balance wheel, two gudgeons for the
wheel shaft, a carriage cog wheel, segments for the carriage
and two nine-foot muley saws. He made his pulleys and
the rest of the equipment from wood growing on the
place. He operated the mill by water power. He
built a landing here, which in steamboat was known as Mosier
Landing. He cut about four thousand feet of lumber a day,
and he found a ready market for it at twenty-five to fifty
dollars a thousand. To save the cost of freight; he built a
scow, which he operated by sail or sweep, and took his
lumber to The Dalles. He bought lots on the river
front at The Dalles and put up a number of stores. He was
offered a good profit on his lots and stores, but he hung
on, thinking they would increase in value with the growth of
the town, but the town grew back from the river, so he
eventually sold them for a tithe of what they cost him. High
water washed his mill away. He rebuilt, and once more his
mill was washed away. After it had been washed away
the third time — this was about 1868 — he quit the saw mill
business.
“Father had taken up three hundred and twenty acres of land,
so in the late ‘60s he went into the stock business. He
raised horses, cattle and hogs. He found a ready sale for
his horses to freighters and to the stage companies. For
years he ran pack trains to the placer diggings in Idaho. He
also drove bands of cattle into the Coeur d’Alene country
and to the camps in Montana
“Father came west with the intention of cleaning up ten
thousand dollars and then going back to Missouri. From the
profits of his first band of cattle driven to the mines, and
his pack train the first season, he cleared twenty thousand
dollars. He sold the gold dust at The Dalles and was paid in
twenty-dollar gold pieces. He had over one thousand
twenty-dollar gold pieces. He used to pour them on the floor
and we children built corrals and houses of them. We played
with these double eagles all winter, using them as children
of today use building blocks. Father said, ‘I have my stake,
but I am making money so easily that I would he foolish to
quit, so I will make a little more while the making is
good.’
“One summer he bought a lot of cattle in the Willamette
valley and drove them up to the Coeur d’ Alene country.
Winter caught him, so he came back home. He felt pretty
blue, to think that his cattle would be winter-killed. Next
spring he saddled his favorite cow horse and rode up to
where he had left his cattle, hoping a few might have pulled
through the winter. He found the cattle had wintered
in the tules long the lake and were fat and hearty.
Apparently they had all lived and were in prime condition to
be sold in the Montana mining camps.
“Mother took sick, so they sent an Indian runner to overtake
father. He followed him to Montana and delivered the
message. Father turned the cattle over to E. B. Warbass,
with instructions to sell the cattle for cash and to dispose
of the pack train and return at once to Mosier with the
money realized from the sale. Mother died, so father had to
stay on the place to take care of us children. Warbass did
not return, nor did he write; so, after waiting a year
father went up there to see if he could hear anything of
him. In place of following instructions, Warbass had decided
to use his own judgment, so he traded the band of cattle and
the pack train, which together were worth about twenty-five
thousand dollars, for a log store and a stock of goods. When
he made the trade there were very few miners around, but he
supposed they would be back. What he did not know was that
the diggings were worked out, and the few miners who had
stayed pulled out to new camps. Father found him holding the
store down and acting as custodian of the goods, for there
were no customers. Father could not sell the goods at
any price and the bacon, hams, flour and other goods would
not pay to ship by pack train; so he called in the Indians
and told them to help themselves.
“Father and Warbass came back to Mosier, broke. Warbass
said, ‘Mr. Mosier, it was all my fault. I should have obeyed
orders. I will write you a note on buckskin for twenty- five
thousand dollars.’ In those days a note written on
buckskin was never outlawed. It was an obligation as long as
the man who made it lived. Father studied awhile as to
whether he should send Warbass to the pen or take the
buckskin note. Finally he decided to take the note.
Warbass never paid a dime on the obligation, and the note
was outlawed at his death.
“There were seven children of us at the time of my mother’s
death. Father married Mrs. Martha Lewis, a widow with three
children, and father and my stepmother had two more
children, making twelve of us in all.
“I was sixty-seven years old on the 28th of last September.
Father and mother took up six hundred and forty acres here
in 1854. The east half section was my father’s, the west my
mother’s. In 1894, at the time of my father’s death, I
bought the interest of the other heirs and I platted the
town of Mosier.
“Where did I go to school? We had no schools here in
early days, so father hired a man named George James Ryan to
come and live with us and teach us children. Mr. Ryan had
been educated for the priesthood, but for some reason had
given up his work as a priest. I started to school to him in
1864, when I was four years old. I cannot remember when I
could not read and write, for I was able to read three
letter words when I started to school at the age of four. We
attended school from January 1 to December 31. We had a
half-day holiday on Saturday and an all-day holiday on
Christmas and Fourth of July. Father had a sawmill, so he
built a small cabin near the house, to be used as a school
house. I went to school there on our own farm to Professor
Ryan for fourteen years.
He believed in classical culture, so he made all of us study
Latin and French as well as the common branches. He had a
good library, most of the books being in Greek and Latin. He
was a profound scholar, a gentleman, and a lovable man. He
never drank and, so far as I know, had no vices. Toward the
last, Mandy McClure and the three Bradshaw children came to
our school. They lived in Washington territory and rowed
across the Columbia morning and evening. Several other
children also came to our school. They boarded at our
home. After teaching for many years at our home he
became state librarian at Salem. Later he came back to our
home. He told father he felt the time of his departure was
at hand. Father said, ‘Tell me the names of your relatives
in Ireland. I will write to them.’ He said, ‘Do not write,
or attempt to look them up. I have been dead to them for
many years.’ So we buried him here on our place.
“The railroad came here in 1882. J. J. Lynch was the first
telegraph operator and agent. He built a small building
across the track and ran a store, and he was the first
postmaster. Most of the men working for my father in the
‘50s took Indian wives. At about the time of the
Indian massacre at the Cascades, during the Indian war of
1855-56, the Klickitat Indians, not being able to buy
bullets, bought endgate rods to wagons and cut them into
inch lengths and used them for bullets in their
muzzle-loading muskets. As father and one of his hired men
were taking a scow-load of lumber up to The Dalles the scow
swung in toward Klickitat Landing, on the north bank of the
Columbia. The Klickitat Indians were hiding back of the big
boulders and fired at father and the hired man. Father
picked up his musket and said, ‘I’ll stand them off. You
grab a sweep and pull out into the current.’ The man said,
‘I wasn’t hired to be a target for the Indians. I’ll hide
back of the lumber.’ So he did. Father threatened the
Indians with his gun, and with one hand began working the
sweep. The iron slugs sang over his head, and some buried
themselves in the lumber. Fortunately, a breeze sprang up
and father handled the sail and got out of range. He fired
the hired man and set him ashore. Father tied up his
scow-load of lumber at Rowena Landing and walked home.
“A steamer went up the river whistling as a signal to the
settlers that the Indians had broken out. Father and mother
saddled some horses and with the children rode up the trail
fourteen miles to The Dalles, where word soon came of the
attack on the Cascades.
“I was married at Caldwell, Idaho, to Mary E. Mahady. Our
little boy, three and one-half years old, died from loss of
blood when he had his tonsils removed. Our little girl,
Jane, is three years old and is a regular little
fairy. She is as smart as she is good looking.
“When I was a young man, along about 1880 and 1881, I worked
in a surveying crew for the Oregon Railroad and Navigation
Company. Later I worked for the Northern Pacific Company.
For some time I was in charge of the beef supply between
Sandpoint and Missoula during the construction of the
road. I was the accountant for Bingham county, Idaho,
at the time they issued six hundred thousand dollars worth
of bonds to build eighty-five miles of highway from
Aberdeen, Idaho, to the Bonneville county line. I also kept
books during the construction of the highway between Weiser
and Ontario. I was the first president of the Mosier Valley
Bank, and I started the Mosier Bulletin. I built and own the
water system here. I was the first school clerk of Mosier
and I was president of the library board.
“You ask me abort my brothers and sisters. Sarah Alice was
the first child. She is seventy-four and lives in Walla
Walla. Her name is Mrs. John Faucette. Emily Ann married B.
F. Mansford. of Weston. She is dead. Mary S. married Dr. W.
L. Adams, of Hood River, who in early days was the editor of
the Oregon Argus, published at Oregon City. After his death
she married John Leland Henderson, who was found dead
recently at Tillamook. Josephine married E. J. Willoughby,
of Linn county. She is dead. The next child, Benjamin
Franklin, is dead. I was the next child. Lydia, my youngest
sister, died a few months ago in Walla Walla. The names of
my stepmother’s three children are James, Emma and Ida
Lewis. The children born to my father and stepmother are
Effie Jane, who married E. U. Phillips and who lives in
Portland, and Dolly, who married Dr. David Robinson. They
live at Tillamook.”
Mr. Mosier’s sister, Emily, taught the first school at Hood
River in the early ‘60s. His mother was a direct descendant
of William Penn. Mrs. Mosier graduated from the State Normal
School at Duluth, Minnesota, and taught school in that state
and in Oregon prior to her marriage. Both of her parents are
deceased, and she has two sisters and a brother living in
Minnesota.
Mr. Mosier rendered effective service during the World war
in various ways, having served as president of the Red Cross
food distribution, as chairman of the Liberty Loan drives,
was president of the Liberty Loan board, was director of
public information and chairman of the Four-Minute speakers.
In recognition of his tireless and patriotic service, he was
awarded a Victory Liberty Loan medal by the United States
treasury department. He was a stanch democrat in his
political views and the member from his district on the
county central committee. He was a member of the Knights of
Pythias, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Modern
Woodmen of America, the Royal Neighbors and the United
Artisans. He was vice president of the Commercial Club and
belonged to the Oregon Development League. His father was a
member of the Masonic order. Mr. Mosier’s favorite
diversions were hunting and fishing. During all the years of
his residence here he stood consistently for the best things
in community life and was a potent factor in the development
and progress of the locality in which he lived, a worthy
representative of one of the honored pioneer families of
this section and because of the high type of citizenship
which was exemplified in his own life, he commanded the
uniform confidence and respect of all who knew him.
History of the Columbia River Valley - From The
Dalles to the Sea
Volume II - Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1928
|
