NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
3 3433 08178479 9
,^J
^ J . SL^U
A HISTORY
OF
The Puget Sound Country
'S RESOURCES, ITS COMMERCE AND ITS PEOPLE
With some Reference to Discoveries and Explorations in North America
from the Time of Christopher Columbus Down to that of George
Vancouver in 1792, when the Beauty, Richness and Vast
Commercial Advantages of this Region Were
First Made Known to the World.
BY
Col. William Farrand Prosser
Ex- President of the Washington State Historical Society.
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
" Examine History, for it is Philosophy teaching by Experience."— Carlyle.
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York Chicago
i9°3
fd NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
241597A
ASTOR, LENOX AND
TfLDEN FOUNDATIONS
R 1026 L
INDEX.
Abel, Anthony M 356
Adams, Charles M 242
Adams, E. M 353
Aldrich, John F 438
Aldwell, Thomas T 355
Alexander. Hubbard F 164
Allen, William B 365
Armstrong, John H 458
Atkinson, < ieorge E 245
Austin, William A 374
B.
Baker. Frank R 200
Balkwill, Samuel R 166
Bar, Lawrence 121
Bardsley, William C 52r
Barlow, Byron 411
Barlow, Calvin S iq
Bartruff, David E 358
Bates, Charles 0 147
Bedford, Charles 384
Bell, George W 81
Bell, John M 526
Benson. Bertil W 399
Berry, John W 21
Bigelow, Harry A 302
Bingham, Charles E 294
Birge. George E 362
Blake, Almon C 363
Blattner, Frank S 101
Bordeaux, Thomas 64
Bothell, David C 163
Boyle, John L 352
Brackett, George 405
Bradley, Luther P 192
Bradley. William R 172
Branin, Alvertis 416
Brautigam, Phil 512
Brawley, Dewitt C 263
Bridges, Jesse B 404
Britton, George C 102
Brown, Arthur H 460
Brown, Neil 455
Brush, William 0 297
Bryan, Robert B 130
Burdick, Henry P 98
Burwell, Austin P 269
Bush, Newti m W 356
Butler, William C 357
Cain, George W 493
Cain, James 494
Calderhead, Samuel C 369
Calkins, D. D 195
Callvert, Stephen A 500
Campbell, Fremont 232
Campbell, Horace 398
Campbell, Louis D 176
Campbell, Richard P 513
Carman, Joseph L 491
Centralia Chronicle 463
Centralia News-Examiner 308
Chambers, James W 561
Chapman, Adam M 379
Chapman, William 0 171
Chehalis Bee-Nugget 290
Clark, Adelbert B 532
Clarke, William D 132
Cleaveland, Elisha B 451
Coady, Michael S 398
Coffman, Noah B 108
Coleman, John T 569
Collins, UMric L 211
Comeford, James P 462
Conrad. Chesley T 392
Cook. Ralph 314
Coon, Charles E 59
Corey. Merton H 219
Cotter, William D 453
Cowden, Harrison 180
Cox, Harvey R 276
Cox, William C 44
Crandall, Sidney G 99
Crawford. Ronald C 274
Crosby, Frank L 252
Cudihee, Edward 367
D.
Dalgleish, John W 450
Darling. Charles A 141
Davidson, Alpheus 133
Davis, George L 435
Davis, Henry C 48
Davis, James H 162
Davis. William H 380
Day, Edwin M 496
Deggaller, Edward 397
Denny. Arthur A 1
Denton, Marion G 199
DeSoto, Alexander 47
INDEX.
Devin, Henry L 251
Dickerson. William W 77
Dickinson, Harvey L 286
Draham, Mark H 5§
Drewry, David T 83
1 (reyer, Frank 437
Drum, Henry 96
Dumon, John H 122
Dunbar, Cyrus V 63
Dunbar, Ralph 0 134
Durrent, James A 155
Dysart, George 510
349
393
38i
170
Glen, Robert J
Glidden, Lewellin M 169
Gormley, Matt H 366
Green, George
Griffith, Luther H
Griggs, Herbert S
Grimm, S. Edwin 5S1
Gross Morris 214
Grove, James T 3°
Gunston, Malcolm E 202
H.
Earles, Michael 539
Eaton, William B 426
Edens. John J 468
Elder, James 495
Elliott, Henry S 19'
Ellison, David 347
Elstercit, August 346
Engle, Abraham W 145
Erbolm, Charles 261
Eshelman, James F _. . . 270
Evans, John 427
Everson, Ever 522
F.
Fairweather, William A 61
Faubert, Henry 66
Ferguson, David 328
Ferguson. Emory C 4°°
Ferry Museum 3°8
Fisher. George C 396
Fisk, Thomas P 187
Flemming, Thomas C 220
Forbes, John B 345
Foss, Louis 360
Fourtner, Samuel 86
Fowler, Charles R 3*9
Fowler, George W 243
Fowler, W. G 450
France, George W 528
Francis, T. P 375
Fratt, Charles D 312
Frost. Robert 124
Fullerton, Mark A 177
Furness, John 343
Furth. Jacob 568
Garretson, Hiram F 168
Gibbs, Sal. in A 284
Gilchrist, Charles 121
Gilday, Roberl 43°
Giles. Thei ><1' ire 395
Gillespie, fames R 4'3
Gillette, Theodore W 281
Gilstrap, William H 272
Gingrich, Christian 0 194
Glasgow, Joseph M 394
Hadley, Hiram E 555
Hadley. Lindlcy H 54 1
Hague, Isaac N 2°3
Hamilton, Edward S 248
Handsaker, Lester S 351
Harm, Frank D 533
Harmon, Ulysses E n7
Harrington, Frederick W 35°
Harris, James McE 126
Harris, Mitchell S63
Harstad, Bjug 38
Hartman, Washington 554
Harvey, Walter M i°3
Haskell, Forbes P., Jr °9
Haskill, Edwin N 33°
Hastie, Thomas P 448
Hatch, George C 311
Hawkins, Harry A 371
Hawks, Archie McL 477
Heberden. William H 477
Hegg, Fred A 137
Henry, Thomas N 69
Hensler, Gus 490
Hill, Bradford L 41
Hill, Frank D 5"
Hinckley, Timothy D 389
Hofercamp. Herman IQ6
Hogan. Frank V 5°6
Hohl, George J MO
Holes, Lucius T 425
Holt, Charles L 239
Hood, Charles 388
Hopkins, James F 464
Horton, Dexter 564
Hoss, Theodore 244
Hovey, John P 543
Howe, Alvah B 214
Hudson, Robert G 215
Huftv, Baldwin 498
Hunter. J. W 391
Huston. Thad 158
Uuth, Anton 218
Hvlak. Anton, Sr. and Jr 537
llvner, Matthew E 146
Idc, Clarence W 489
Irving, Peter 167
Israel. George C 144
INDEX.
J.
Jacobs, Orange 570
Johns, Bennett W 128
Johnson, Harvey L 414
Johnson, James L 548
Jones, Sherman L 558
K.
Kale, C. S 175
Kan die, George B 224
Kearney, Joseph F 82
Kempster, Arthur L 388
Kildall, Simon F 4icS
Kincaid, Robert 138
Kingsbury, Edward P 69
Kirkpatrick, Minor P 344
Kirkpatrick, William D 311
Kline, Robert L 514
Kneeland, Ammi H 556
Knight. Mrs. Mary M 35
Knox, James 51
Kuhn, Albert H 55
Kyle, George A 447
L.
Laffoon, Reuben F 23
Lambert, Ross S 182
Langhorne, William W 531
Larson, John J 107
LaSallc, William no
Latta, Marion C 264
Lawler, George 552
Lewis County Advocate 291
Linck, John W 236
Linn, Oliver V 124
Lister, Alfred 285
Lister, Ernest 79
Lloyd. J. P. D 13
Locke, Phil S 387
London & San Francisco Bank, Limited.. 95
Longden, George R 557
Loose, Ursinus K 432
Lutz, Harry E 518
M.
Mallory, Henry 364
Malloy, William J 323
Manning, Lucius R 94
Marsh, Calvin L 243
Martin, H. H., Lumber Company ^,27
Mason Countv Journal 262
Mathes, Edward T 515
Matthew. Otto L 378
Matthews. Alexander G 446
Mayhew, Lewis 324
Maynard, Charles W 567
McBride, Henry 87
McCarver, Morton M 470
McConnaughey, John W 467
McCoy. George 517
McCready, Norman S 240
McCully, Frank M .538
McDonald, Thomas W 231
McGregor, Daniel 165
McGregor, Henry J 422
McKay, George L 415
McManus, John E 376
McMurray, John L 24
McNeelev, Edwin J 205
McNitt, Frank T 77
Mead, Albert E 333
Meade, William J 185
Meath, Edward 104
Metcalf. Ralph 26
Meyer, Frederick 529
Milhollin. James H 148
Milhollin. John H 14S
Miller. George H 326
Milroy, Robert H 74
Milroy, Valerius A 76
Mitchell, Frank W 300
Mitchell, S. Z 332
Mock, William H 71
Mohn, Jacob E 271
Moon, Harley D 317
Moran Thomas 339
Morgan, Hiram D 402
Morning Olympian, The 462
Morse, Davis W 487
Morse, Frank C 28
Morse. Robert 1 293
Moultray, William R 247
Mount, Wallace 178
Mowed, John W 39
Miinn, Clarence E 331
Munro, Henry L 34"
Munro. William J 246
Munson, Albert J 233
N.
Needham, Arthur 62
Neher, John A 3.tf
Neterer, Jeremiah 289
Newkirk, Israel A 255
Newland. John T 37 '
Nichols, Samuel H 112
Nicholson, Lawson A 18
o.
Olson, Charles A 418
Olympia Daily Recorder 227
Olvmpia National Bank 292
O'Neill, Thomas 573
Opsvig, Peter L 3'
Ormsby, Norris '39
Osborn, George W 33
Owen, Hezekiah S 203
Parks, William 522
Peterson, John H 259
Phillips, S. A 37
Pidduck, George A 34&
Pidduck. Thomas H 34'
Pinckney, William H 142
INDEX.
Pitcher, Hamilton 213
Post, John 431
Powell, William 504
Prefontaine, Francis X 475
Prichard, Arthur G 505
Pritchard, Charles 1 578
Primer, George D. C 186
R.
Ratcliffe, Edward M 459
Rathbun, John C 104
Rea, Oscar E 443
Reavis, James B 73
Redman, lolm T 527
Reeves, Elza A 4°7
Reid, Robert A 406
Reinhart, Caleb S 14
Remsberg, Charles E 4°9
Rhodes, B. H 116
Rice, Alonzo E 115
Richardson, H. G 80
Ricksecker, Eugene 4'7
Riddell, Crockett M 258
Riley, Jean F 67
Kiplinger, John 3°°
Robbins Brothers 540
Robbins, Herbert E 540
Robbins, William L 540
Robinson, J. W 146
Robinson, Martin 222
Robinson, Thomas 278
Robinson, William F 288
Roeder, Otto B '. 368
Roice, Edward A 419
Ronev, Thomas 434
Rosling, Eric E 161
Ross, Frank C 150
Rowe, Lewis S 544
Rowland, Harry G 46
Rucker, Mrs. J. M 184
Russell. Ambrose J 217
S.
Sampson, Lammon E 208
Sargent, John H 250
Saunders. Steve 488
Schmidt, Leopold F 335
Schricker, W. E 420
Scobcy, J. O'B 156
Scott, Alvin B 17
Scott, James B 523
Seaborg, Ernest A 486
Semple, Eugene 534
Shelton Weekly Tribune 287
Shenkenberg, Theodore 29
Shrewsbury, Homer H 386
Simpson, John 85
Slaughter, Samuel C 53
Small, Mrs. R. A 154
Smith. Norman R 265
Smith, Silas T 501
Snell. Marshall K 100
Snyder, Wilson Mel 452
Speirs, George 127
Spencer, George A 549
Spithill, Alexander 410
Sprague, Frank S 92
Springer, C. H 120
Squire, Watson C 479
Stadelman, Charles H 320
Stallcup, John C 27
Stampllir, Jacob 562
Stanbra, Charles 500
Startup, Jeremiah G 174
State Bank 120
Stauffer, Joseph E 424
Steele, Edward 179
Stewart, Carey L 444
Stewart. David 114
St. John. Arthur C Ill
Street, Samuel F 295
Strout, Edwin A 229
Sullivan, John 132
Sumner, Thomas B 428
Swalwell, William G 502
T.
Taylor, Alonzo S 520
Terry, Frank 441
Thayer, Elroy M 316
Thmnas, Robert P 298
Thompson, Charles W 280
Thompson, Edgar 1 209
Tin nne, Chester 197
Titlow, Aaron R 22
Tyler, Thomas 317
U.
Udness, Olaf 260
V.
Vance. Thomas M 499
Van Holderbeke, August 189
Van Valey, Albert L 32
Vernon, James M 304
Vogtliu, George H 256
W.
Wadhams, Arthur E 303
Walker, Richard E 182
Wallace, Thomas B 507
Walters, Abraham L 10S
Walton, Hiram F 440
Waples, William H 105
Warburton, Stanton 16
Warner, Henry H 321
Warren, Albert 383
Warren, Seth 434
Washington, George 325
Washington Standard 227
Watson, Alexander R 190
Watson, J. Howard 546
Weekly Capital 476
Weir, Allen 579
Weisbach, Arthur J 52
W.lls, Charles H 68
INDEX.
Wells, William V 257
West, Harry 572
West, John 109
Wharton. William S 310
White, Chester F 279
White, Francis A 524
White, Harry 456
White, Henry A 516
White, Louis P 338
Whitworth, Frederick H 84
Whitworth, George F 574
Wiestling, Joshua M 225
Wilkins,' Thomas H 198
Willey, Frank C 559
Willey, Lafavette 90
Willis, J. E 118
Wilson. William M 385
Wilson, Zachary T 57
Winchester, Harry 423
Winne, Douglas T 43
Wolten. William M 408
Wood, Frederick J 352
U ■ 11 . Is, William 492
Woodworth, Charles 238
Woolard, Alfred E 436
Woolley, Philip A 466
Worden, Warren A 40
Wright. Albert H 508
Wright, Charles 179
Wynkoop, Urban G 160
Young, Abraham C 207
Young, Robert 512
Zimmerman, Peter 337
HISTORY
OF THE
PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
HON. ARTHUR A. DENXY.
In all ages, the pioneers of the world have occupied a prominent place
in its history. They were usually men of action more than of words, yet many
of them have left a deep and lasting impression, not only upon their own day
and generation, but upon succeeding ages. Abraham was not the first man
to " go west " and become the father and founder of a great nation. When
the people of our own country were looking for a leader, at a great crisis in
their history, they did not go to the cultivated population of its eastern states
and cities, but they went west and took Abraham Lincoln, a pioneer of the
state of Illinois, who led them triumphantly through the most critical period
of their existence, notwithstanding the manifold and extraordinary difficulties
by which he was surrounded. In our own state, the name of Arthur A.
Denny is everywhere recognized as that of a man who has borne a conspic-
uous and an honorable part in its early settlement and in the work of laying
the foundations of a great and prosperous commonwealth. For more than
forty-seven years he faithfully discharged, without fear and without reproach,
every duty devolving upon him, whether personal and domestic or public and
official in its character. From the time of his arrival at Alki Point, on the
13th day of November, 185 1, to the day of his death in Seattle, on the 9th
of January, 189Q, he was never known to falter in the performance of any
trust or obligation he may have assumed, but during all of that time he was
known as an upright, sincere and earnest, God-fearing man, whose highest
ambition it was to serve his country and his fellowmen to the best of his
ability as a useful, progressive, patriotic and law-abiding citizen.
At his death it was realized that " a great man had fallen in Israel."
Yet he came to his grave in a full age, " like as a shock of corn cometh in his
season/' And his loss was deplored by thousands of people who were never-
theless proud of the fact that such a man had lived and died amongst them.
His memory is a priceless legacy, not only to his descendants, but to the en-
tire community in which he dwelt, and to the territory and state of which
1*
2 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
he was so long an honored citizen. It lias been said that " the best com-
mentary upon any work of literature is a faithful life of the author." If this
be true, it is also true that the best memorial which can be framed of such
a man as Mr. Denny is the publication of a plain and straightforward history
of his personal life and character. Fortunately he has left us an autobiog-
raphy which will, beyond question, be more interesting to our readers than
anything which could lie written, no matter how impartial it might lie, by a
surviving friend or acquaintance.
This sketch of his life is written in that direct and unassuming manner
which characterized Mr. Denny, -and, like the " Personal Memoirs of Gen-
eral Grant." it carries with it the conviction that it was written by a man of
strict and sturdy integrity. This autobiography is as follows:
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ARTHUR ARMSTRONG DENNY.
I have been of late so frequently solicited for a sketch of my life that it
has become a source of annoyance, more especially as it has never occurred
to me, and does not now. that my life's history is of any importance or calcu-
lated to be of any special interest to the public at large.
In my life work I have simply endeavored to meet the obligations to
my family and discharge my duty as a citizen to my country and the commun-
ity in which I have lived. It has not occurred to me that I have accomplished
anything above the ordinary, and, if so, I should feel humiliated to claim it
for myself.
My life has been a busy one, and I have not taken time to think of the
estimate which those who are to come after me may put upon what I have
done, or whether they will consider it at all. Having reached a time when
what I can do, or what I may think or say is of but little moment to the active
world, the hard and annoying thing to me is the seeming disposition to dissect
the subject before death. It is not, therefore, for self-exaltation that I have
undertaken to make as brief a sketch as possible, but to relieve myself of the
annoyance referred to, and for the satisfaction of my family.
Arthur Armstrong Denny.
Seattle, November 25th, 1890.
The Dennys are a very ancient family of England, Ireland and Scotland.
I trace my branch from Ireland to America in my great-grandparents, David
and Margaret Denny, who came to America before the Revolution, and
settled in Berks county, Pennsylvania, where my grandfather, Robert Denny,
was born in the year 1753. In early life he removed to Frederick county, Vir-
ginia, where he, in the year 1778, married Rachel Thomas, and in about 1790
removed to and settled in Mercer county, Kentucky, where my father, John
Denny, was born May 4, [793. On August 25, 1814, he was married to
Sarah Wilson, my mother, the daughter of Bassel and Ann Wilson. My
mother was born in the old town of Bladensburg, near Washington city. Feb-
ruary 3, i7<)7- Her mother's name was Scott, but I cannot trace the families
of my maternal grandparents beyond America, hut they, doubtless, came to
America in very early times.
Both of my grandparents rendered service in the Revolutionary war, and
my grandfather Wilson belonged to Washington's command at Braddock's
defeat.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 3
My father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and belonged to Colonel
Richard M. Johnson's regiment of Kentucky volunteers. He was also an
ensign in Captain McAfee's company. He was with Harrison at the battle
of the Thames, when Proctor was defeated and the noted Tecumseh was killed.
He was a member of the Illinois legislature in 1840-41, with Lincoln, Yates,
Baker and others who afterwards became noted in national affairs. He was
a Whig in politics, and a Republican after the formation of that party. For
many years he was a justice of the peace, and it was his custom to induce
litigants, if possible, to settle without a resort to law : I do not think he was
ever himself a party in an action at law. He died July 28, 1875, in his eighty-
third year. My mother died on March 25, 1841, in her forty-fifth year. For
her I had the greatest reverence, and as I now look back and contemplate
her character, it seems to me that she was as nearly perfect as it is possible to
find any one in this world.
About the year 18 16 my parents removed from Kentucky to Washington
county, Indiana, and settled near Salem, where I was born, June 20, 1822.
When I was about one year old they removed to Putnam county, six miles
east of Greencastle, where they remained until I was in my thirteenth year,
when they removed to Knox county, Illinois. The first land entered in
Putnam county by my father was March 12. 1823. My impression is that
he went there and made the selection at that time and moved the family some
time in the summer or fall of the same year.
My education began in the log schooihouse so familiar to the early settler
in the old west. The teachers were paid by subscription, so much per pupil,
and the schools rarely lasted more than half the year, and often but three
months. Among the earliest of my recollections is one of my father hew-
ing out a farm in the beech woods of Indiana ; and I well remember that the
first school I attended was two and a half miles distant from my home. When
I became older it was often necessary for me to attend the home duties one-
half of the day and then go to school, a mile distant ; but by close applica-
tion I was able to keep up with my class. My opportunities, to some extent,
improved as time advanced, but I never got beyond the boarding school
and seminary. I spent my vacation with older brothers at carpenter and
joiner work, to obtain the means to pay my expenses during term time.
On November 23, 1843, I was married to Mary Ann Boren, to whom I
am very largely indebted for any success which I may have achieved in life.
She has been kind and indulgent to all my faults, and in cases of doubt and
difficulty in the long voyage we have made together she has always been,
without the least disposition to dictate, a safe and prudent adviser.
I was eight years county surveyor of Knox county. Illinois, and resigned
that position to 'come to the Pacific coast. On April 10, 185 1, 1 started
with my family across the plains, and reached The Dalles. August II, and
arrived in Portland, August 23. On the 5th of November we sailed for
Puget Sound on the schooner Exact, and arrived at our destination on
Elliott's Bav, November 13, 1851.
The place where we landed we called Alki Point, at that time as wild a
spot as any on earth. We were landed in the ship's boat when the tide was
4 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
well out ; and while the men of the party were all actively engaged in re-
moving our goods to a point above high tide, the women and children had
crawled into the brush, made a fire, and spread a cloth to shelter them from
the rain. When the goods were secured I went to look after the women,
and found on my approach that their faces were concealed. On a closer
inspection I discovered that they were in tears, having already discovered
the gravity of the situation; but I did not for some time discover that I had
gone a step too far. In fact, it was not until I became aware that my wife
and helpless children were exposed to the murderous attacks of hostile savages
that it dawned upon me that I had made a desperate venture. My motto in
life was to never go backward, and in fact if I bad wished to retrace my
steps it was about as nearly impossible to do so as if I bad taken the bridge
up behind me. I had brought my family from a good home surrounded by
comforts and luxuries, and landed them in a wilderness, and I do not now
think that it was at all strange that a woman who had, without complaint,
endured all the dangers and hardships of a trip across the great plains should
be found shedding tears when contemplating the hard prospect then so plainly
in view. Now, in looking back to the experiences of those times, it seems to
me that it is not boasting to say that it required quite an amount of energy
and some little courage to contend with and overcome the difficulties and
dangers we had to meet. For myself, I was for the first several weeks after
our landing, so thoroughly occupied in building a cabin to shelter my family
for the winter that I had not much time to think of the future. About the
time we got our houses completed our little settlement was fortunately visited
by Captain Daniel S. Howard, of the brig Leoness, seeking a cargo of piles
which we contracted to furnish. This gave us profitable employment, and,
although the labor was severe, as we did it mostly without a team, we were
cheered on witli the thought that we were providing food for our families.
A circumstance occurred just at the close of our labor which for a few hours
caused us the greatest anxiety and even consternation, but resulted in con-
siderable amusement afterwards. We finished the cargo late in the after-
noon, and it was agreed between us and the captain that he would settle with
us the next day. The vessel was anchored near the Point, and that night
there was a stiff gale from the south, which caused the anchor to drag, and
carried the brig before it until the anchor caught in the mud at Smith's
Cove. The Indians soon discovered it, and came and reported that the ship
had "clatiwad" (left), which caused in our little settlement great astonish-
ment and concern. We were forced to the conclusion that the captain bad
absconded to avoid paying us for our hard work, and the time we had put in
on the cargo was not counted by eight-hour days, but from daylight until
darkness. The ship's unexpected departure added a sleepless night to our
arduous toil. In the morning, when it grew light enough to see. to our great
joy, we discovered the brig getting under way and she soon returned. The
captain came on shore and gave a most satisfactory explanation, and he was
ever afterwards, to the day of his death, the especial favorite of every one of
our little community.
In February, 1852, in company with William N. Bell and C. D. Boren,
I made soundings of Elliott's Bay along the eastern shore and towards the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 5
foot of the tide flats to determine the character of the harbor, using for that
purpose a clothes line and a bunch of horse shoes. After the survey of the
harbor we next examined the land and timber around the bay, and after three
clays' careful investigation we located claims with a view of lumbering, and.
ultimately, of laying off a town.
I came to the coast impressed with the belief that a railroad would be
built across the continent to some point on the northern coast within the next
fifteen or twenty years, and located on the Sound with that expectation. I
imagined that Oregon would receive large annual accessions to its popula-
tion, but in this I was mistaken, mainly by the opening of Kansas and Ne-
braska to settlement. The bitter contest which arose there over the slavery
question had the effect to attract and absorb the moving population to such
an extent that very few, for several years, found their way through those
territories ; and a large proportion of those who did pass through were gold-
seekers bound for California.
Then came our Indian war, which well nigh depopulated Washington
territory. This was followed by the great rebellion, all of which retarded" the
growth of the territory, and for a long time prevented the construction of the
railroad upon which I had based large hopes. In the spring of 1852, when we
were ready to move upon our claims, we had the experience of the fall be-
fore over again in building our cabins to live in. After the houses were built
we commenced getting our piles and hewn timber mostly for the San Francisco
market ; but occasionally a cargo for the Sandwich Islands. Vessels in the
lumber trade all carried a stock of general merchandise, and from them we
obtained our supplies.
The captain sold from the vessel while taking in cargo, and on leaving
turned over the remainder to me to sell on commission. On one occasion my
commission business involved me in serious difficulty. The captain of one
of the vessels with whom I usually dealt, carried a stock of liquors, but he
knew that I did not deal in spirits, and disposed of that part of the cargo him-
self, or kept it on board. One one occasion, as he was ready for the voyage
from San Francisco with his usual stuck, something prevented his making
the voyage himself ; he put a young friend of his just out from Maine in
command and gave him general directions, but when they came to the whisky,
the young captain said, "What am I to do with that? I will not sell it."
"Well," he replied, "take it up to my agent, Mr. Denny, and if he will not
dispose of it, turn it over to a friend of mine at Alki Point, who is in the
trade." The vessel arrived and the new captain came on shore with a letter
explaining the situation. I told him, "All right. Captain, take it to Alki ;
I have no use for it." In due time the cargo was completed and the captain
came on shore and informed me that the man at Alki had on hand a full
stock of his own and would not take the stuff: and he would throw it over-
board if I did not take it out of his way. My obligation to the owner would
in no way justify me in permitting so rash an act, and I told the captain to
send it on shore with the goods he was to leave, and have his men roll
it up to the house, and I would take care of it until the owner came. I was
cramped for room, but I found places to store it under beds and in safe
corners about my cabin. It was a hard kind of goods to hold onto in those
6 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
days, but there was never a drop cf it escaped until the owner came and re-
moved it to Steilacoom.
I continued in the commission business until the fall of 1854, when I
entered in copartnership with Dexter Horton and David Phillips, in a general
merchandise business, under the firm name of A. A. Denny & Company. Our
capital was very limited; it would hardly purchase a truck load of goods
now, but we did for a time, in a small, one-story, frame building on the
corner of Commercial and Washington streets, afterward occupied by the
bank of Dexter Horton & Company, the leading business of the town.
When the Indian war came on in 1855, the firm dissolved and I went
into the volunteer service for six months.
I served as county commissioner of Thurston county, Oregon, when that
county covered all of the territory north of Lewis county, and when Pierce,
King, Island and Jefferson counties were formed by the Oregon legislature
I was appointed a commissioner of King county. In 1853 I was appointed
postmaster and received the first United States mail in Seattle, August 27,
1853. On the organization of Washington territory I was elected to the
house, and continued a member of either house of representatives or of the
council for nine consecutive sessions, and was speaker of the house the third
session. I was register of the United States land office at Olympia from
1861 to HS65, when I was elected territorial delegate of the thirty-ninth
Congress.
On the 16th of June, 1870, my old friends and business partners, David
Phillips and Dexter Horton, founded the bank of Phillips, Horton & Com-
pany, and at the death of Mr. Phillips, which occurred on March 6, 1872,
Mr. Horton, although alone in business, adopted the firm name of Dexter
Horton & Company. I entered the bank at this time as executor of the
Phillips estate, and, after closing the affairs of the estate, I took a half interest
in the bank under the existing firm name, which Mr. Horton offered to change
at the time, but, being fully satisfied with the name, I declined to allow the
change.
I have been identified with the fortunes and interests of Seattle from
the day of its founding, and during the active period of my life it has been
my earnest endeavor to promote and protect those interests to the best of
my ability.
My work is practically over. If it has been done in a way to entitle me
to any credit. I do not feel that it becomes me to claim it. Should the reverse
be true, then I trust that the mantle of charity may protect me from the too
harsh judgment and criticism of those now on the active list; and that I may
he permitted to pass into a peaceful obscurity, with the hopes that their ef-
forts may lie more successful than mine.
This memoir was written in 1890. Mr. Denny lived more than eight
years afterwards and during much of that time he took an active interest,
not only in his own large business enterprises, but in all matters pertaining
to the public welfare. For (he last three years of his life, however, his fail-
ing health admonished him that his business affairs should be left to bis sons,
who gradually assumed their direction and control.
Personally, Mr. Denny was six feet in height, weighed .about one bun-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 7
dred and seventy pounds, with no superfluous flesh, and was a typical specimen
of the sturdy and stalwart sons of the west, who were prepared physically
and intellectually to grapple successfully with any and all obstacles that might
be encountered. Large in mind and body, with a moral character equally
strong and well developed, he continued to grow in the esteem and regard of
his fellow citizens of Washington from the time when he was elected a mem-
ber of the Oregon legislature in 1852 — Washington being then a part 'of
Oregon — until in 1S97, when he was unanimously supported by the Repub-
lican members of the Washington legislature for a seat in the United States
senate. He did not take his seat, however, or serve in the Oregon legislature
because the time required to obtain the returns from the large extent of ter-
ritory he was elected to represent was so great that the term of the legislature
expired before he could be notified and thereafter reach the seat of govern-
ment. In 1897 his party was in the minority in the legislature, but these and
many other incidents might be mentioned which illustrate the high esteem
in which he was held by the people of Washington. In many respects Mr.
Denny resembled Abraham Lincoln, not only in his personal appearance, but
in his strong mental and moral characteristics, and in his keen perceptions
of right and wrong, with the strength of will which enabled him to choose
and follow the right, regardless of consequences.
Whilst in politics he was an earnest and consistent Republican, from
the organization of that party until his death, he yet enjoyed in an eminent
degree the implicit confidence of all who knew him, without distinction of
party, and his name was a synonym for honorable and upright dealing in
public affairs as well as in private life. Identified from the beginning witli
the history of Seattle, his business enterprise and his high standing for com-
mercial integrity did much to give to this city the favorable place which it
occupies to-day in the financial centers of the world. For what he has done
the citizens of the state owe him a debt of gratitude, and that debt could be
discharged in no more satisfactory way than by studying his character, cher-
ishing his memory and following his example. His acts of charity were
numerous, but without ostentation, and one of his greatest pleasures was to
afford relief to the needy, the helpless and the destitute.
In his domestic relations lie was particularly fortunate. His life-long
companion who became his wife nearly fifty-six years ago, and who was
throughout that long period, his constant and trusted companion, adviser
and a helpmeet indeed, still survives him. From the time they began their
long, toilsome and dangerous journey across the plains in 185 1, until, after
many years of hardship and privation on Puget Sound, they again enjoyed
the blessings of civilization, she endured with bravery and patience all the
trials of frontier life incident to her situation, and thus proved herself worthy
of a high place amongst the noble women of our country, who have ren-
dered so much assistance in the work of laving the foundation of American
commonwealths.
Two daughters and four sons survive the happy union, all residing in
Seattle. The daughters are: Mrs. George F. Frye and Miss Lenora Denny.
The sons are: Robin II. Denny, Orrin O. Denny, Arthur W. Denny and
Charles L. Denny, all prominent and highly respected business men of Seattle.
8 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Denny also left one sister. Miss S. L. Denny, residing in Seattle, and
two brothers, David T. Denny, of Seattle, and A. W. Denny, of Salem, Oregon.
Mr. Denny left a large estate, chiefly in the city of Seattle, of which he
was the principal founder, but his most valuable legacy was an unspotted
character for loyalty and integrity and a long record of priceless and dis-
tinguished services rendered to the people of the state of Washington.
When he took his final departure he left behind him a noble example of
"the high stern-featured beauty
Of plain devotedness to duty.
Steadfast and still, nor paid with mortal praise,
But finding amplest recompense,
For Life's ungarlanded expense,
In work done squarely and unwasted days."
William F. Prosser.
The following extracts from the
"tribute of the chamber of commerce,"
of Seattle, to the memory of Mr. Denny furnish a brief expression of the
sentiment of the entire community on the subject:
Seattle, January n, 1899.
At the usual hour, 3 ^o p. m., the members being assembled, the meet-
ing was opened by the president, Mr. E. O. Graves, who said :
"Gentlemen : — This is the regular weekly meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce, but by common consent it has been agreed that, instead of
addressing ourselves to our usual duties, we shall devote this session to the
memory of Arthur A. Denny, whose life, since our last meeting, has gently
ebbed away. While Mr. Denny was not a member of this chamber, he had
been so potent a factor in the founding and upbuilding of this city, he was so
public-spirited as a citizen, and so universally respected as a man, that it is
eminently fit that this body, representing the commercial interests of the city
which he founded, should pause for an hour to pay a tribute to his memory.
There are others here better qualified than I, by long acquaintance and asso-
ciation with Mr. Denny, to speak of his public spirit, his generous heart,
his sweet and gentle nature, but there is one phase of his character with
which I have been deeply impressed, ever since I became a resident of Seattle,
and which I believe to have been a powerful influence in shaping the char-
acter of the new community which he founded. I refer to his spotless in-
tegrity, his perfect uprightness. No man ever even charged Arthur Denny
with the slightest deviation from the highest standard of truth and honor.
No suspicion of over-reaching or sharp practice ever attached to him. His
word, once given, was sacred. No formal bond could add a jot to the solemn
obligation of his spoken word. No schemer could hope to induce him to
take pari in any unworthy project, or for a moment to countenance any
scheme that savored of unfairness. The healthful influence upon a new and
unformed community of such a character, in its foremost man, cannot be over-
estimated. It left an indelible stamp on this community, and it was an in-
spiration ami example of every citizen of Seattle."
By Hon. Roger S. Greene:
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 9
"Mr. President and Gentlemen: Such a life as Mr. Denny's has special
significance for all who knew him. It is not simply worthy of notice, but
has urgent claims upon our attention and our speech.
"Nothing spoken of or written about among men is so worthy of tribute
from tongue or pen as the worthy man. To pay that tribute is a debt owed
to society by those who have the faculty. Words can be engaged in no nobler
or more faithful mission than to transmit, radiate and multiply, lofty and
inimitable virtues. Mr. Denny, for this city of Seattle, of which he par-
ticipated in the founding and of which, because of his prominent part in its
beginning and growth, he has been deservedly called 'Father,' is the exponent
of every civic virtue. Courage, modesty, resolution, fairness, steadfastness,
industry, business capacity, thrift, public spirit, wisdom, manliness, have been
uniformly his distinguishing characterstics. All varieties of life and work,
from his home here as a center, have felt his positive impress. Although
singularly unobtrusive and retiring, his activity has been largely public, or
of public import and effect. He has many times and most satisfactorily
served the people in stations of highest political trust, and at all times, and
yet more efficiently, as a simple citizen, in less conspicuous ways. His fame
extends justly throughout the state, and is to no inconsiderable degree national.
From his first appearance on Elliott's Bay, his character, more than that of
any other man, has been, and now is the nucleus around which Seattle, as she
has been, as she is, and as she is to be, has been crystalizing, and will con-
tinue to increase, take on form, and develop, along the lines of her perma-
nent features and power.
"When this city or chamber shall in the future see fit, by statue or
memorial shaft, to honor any of her illustrious dead, she can find no more
fitting personage with whom she could begin than Arthur Armstrong Denny.
"Yet nothing of lifeless brass or inert stone that ever his fellow mortals
can rear will equal in appropriateness or glory that which is already his.
Seattle, the living city, is his own, his best, his most enduring monument.
"A very lovable man was Dr. Denny. For true friendship, undemon-
strative, affable, going out to high and low alike, plain-speaking, faithful,
constant, considerate, wise, self-sacrificing, ever ready to grant, but shy to
seek a favor, we will have to travel far and wide to find another such. And
it is here only that we come to touch the full measure of the loss of this
community. He was everybody's friend. All are mourners now. To-morrow
we shall see some imperfect evidence of the estimate in which, he held others
by their expression of their estimate of him. This chamber knows him as a
business man, a representative of business interests, whether in the narrower
field of private enterprise, or the broader one of political concern. But it has
to look outward to realize just what has happened, and it beholds the whole
landscape draped, and the scene filled with the multitude of the bereaved,
many conscious mourners, but, as is always the case, many, very many, even
now unconscious of the fact of their bereavement."
By Mr. S. L. Crawford:
"Mr. Arthur Denny was an all-round, well balanced man, and if I were
to select any particular trait of his character as being most conspicuous, it
would be that of his rugged disposition toward justice, and fair dealing be-
10 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tween man and man. This element in his character was early recognized
by the Indians, and I am satisfied that it was largely the carrying out of this
principle in his daily walk and conversation that enabled the little handful
of whites, who first settled on Elliott's Bay, to live peacefully with the vast
number of Indians who at that time inhabited this region. Very soon after
Mr. Denny's arrival here he became acquainted with Pat Kanim, the power-
ful chief of the Snoqualmies. This acquaintance grew into a strong friend-
ship. As early as the fall of 1854 Pat Kanim gave Mr. Denny information
of the growing dissatisfaction among the Indians east of the mountains toward
the whiles, and he it was who in the spring of 1855 came to Mr. Denny,
privately in the night, to warn him of the approaching danger. Shortly
after this friendly act, and just before the Indian outbreak, the old chief
stated to Mr. Denny that he was going up the Steilaguamish to hunt moun-
tain sheep. How this friendship afterwards stood the Indian in good stead,
I will relate in Mr. Denny's own language:
' 'Immediately after the White River massacre, Lieutenant Slaughter
was ordered up the old military road to the Naches Pass, and after reaching
Porter's Prairie he sent down an express to Governor Mason, stating that
Pat Kanim was dogging him at every step, and around bis camp every night.
On receipt of this dispatch Mason sent a dispatch to Captain Sterrett, at
Seattle, instructing him to immediately arrest two of Pat Kanim's brothers,
with all members of the tribe, then camping in Seattle, and put them in irons.
Having previously stated to Captain Sterrett that I bad received information
from I 'at Kanim that convinced me of his friendship, and that of his tribe,
the captain did not feel willing to take so important a step without con-
sulting with me, and sent for me to come aboard the Decatur, when he stated
what he was directed to do, and that he must make the arrest at once, for
the Snoqualmies would certainly leave during the night. This was startling
news to me, and I most earnestly protested, telling him that I knew Lieutenant
Slaughter was mistaken, and that we had enemies enough to look after with-
out attacking our friends: but he was so much disposed to act on Governor
Mason's orders that I finally proposed if he would not disturb the Snoqualmies
1 would be responsible for their good conduct, and would prove to him that
Slaughter was wrong, by going to Pat Kanim's camp and bringing him in.
He positively refused to allow me to leave town, but consented that I might
send an express for Pat Kanim, and stand responsible for them until their
return at a given time.
' 'Very fortunately for me, and probably for Pat Kanim, too, be was on
hand within the time agreed upon. He had his women and children with
him, and also brought a cargo of mountain sheep, venison, horns and hides,
specimens of which be took on board the Decatur, and presented to the
captain, who expressed the greatest surprise, and satisfaction with the con-
clusive proof which I had thus furnished of the good faith and friendship
of the Snoqualmies, and 1 'at Kanim was soon after employed by the governor,
with a number of his tribe, as scouts, and they did good service during the
continuance of the war.'
"Chief Seattle always considered Mr. Denny his friend and adviser, and,
after the death of the old chief, Mr. Denny and two or three other pioneers,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 11
erected a handsome monument over his grave, at the Old Man House reserva-
tion, near Port Madison; and when the old chiefs daughter, Angeline, lie-
came too feehle, on account of age, to earn her livelihood, Mr. Denny had a
house erected for her on some of his vacant property, near the water front,
where she spent her declining years in peace and comfort.
"As with the Indians, so with the whites. They all respected his spirit
of fairness, and placed great store by his judgment, and it was the custom
in this community, before the days of courts and lawyers, to lay all disputes
between parties before Mr. Denny, and from his judgment an appeal never
was taken so far as I have been able to learn.
"In the death of Mr. Denny, Seattle has lost one of her best and noblest —
Peace to his ashes."
By John Leary — a letter:
"I regret that I am unavoidably prevented from being present at the
meeting this afternoon at the Chamber of Commerce to be held in honor of
Mr. Arthur A. Denny.
"Mr. Denny was one of the first men I became acquainted with when
I came to the territory of Washington, something more than thirty years ago.
"A few years after I came here, Seattle became engaged in its first
great fight, against the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, for existence.
In that contest the leadership of Seattle people naturally fell to Mr. Denny.
Under his direction, as president of the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad
Company, it was my fortune, then one-seventh owner in the company, to
take an active part in building the old Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad,
which became Seattle's first bulwark of defense in the long and bitter fight
with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. In this contest for Seattle,
Mr. Denny took an active and leading part. His cool judgment and sound
common sense were invaluable to the little town of Seattle of that day. From
that time on, during my entire acquaintance with him, Mr. Denny could
always be relied upon to bear his full share of the burdens in every move-
ment and every contest for strengthening and building up the interests of
Seattle. His views, however, went beyond the place of his home, and took
in the entire territory of Washington, as it then was. He was always read)
to aid and encourage every movement calculated to promote the interests of
the territory at large.
"In business Mr. Denny's judgment was always excellent. He was
cautious and conservative — qualities more valuable in a niivf community,
which is apt, unless restrained by wise and conservative counsel, to rush to
extremes.
"Mr. Denny endeared himself to all classes of people, both old settlers
and new. by his kindness and uniform consideration."
By Hon. C. H. Hanford, United States District Judge— a letter :
"f regret being at this time so engaged that I cannot attend the memorial
exercises in honor of the first citizen of Seattle, Hon. A. A. Denny.
"We know that his life-work was done, and well done. Having lived
beyond the period allotted to the lifetime of a man, his friends could not
wish to detain him longer from the reward earned by a well spent life; still
all must feel keenly the pain of parting.
12 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
"For nearly half a century Mr. Denny has lived in Seattle, and during
all of that time he has been a kind and considerate neighbor and a patriotic
citizen. For the generosity and gentleness of his nature and the purity of
his life, as well as for his courageous bearing and invaluable services as a
leader in the pioneer period, every citizen must feel a desire to do him honor."
By Mr. Thomas W. Prosch — Memorial.
ARTHUR ARMSTRONG DENNY.
"Seattle has lost one of its founders., its most revered citizen, and its
whole people mourn in consequence. From its inception, now forty-seven
years, this place has known and this people have loved Arthur A. Denny.
When he crossed the continent, in 185 1, it was a trip requiring five months'
time; involving constant peril from beginning to end; the placing of thou-
sands of miles of uninhabited country between the old and the new home;
the breaking up of family and business relations ; the expenditure of one's
whole fortune, and the risk not only of one's own future but those also of
wife and children. It meant more in money, in labor, in time, in deprivation,
in suffering, in danger, and in all that tries the souls of men than it ever
meant to cross the Atlantic two hundred or three hundred years ago, and
settle in Massachusetts, New York or Virginia. It took brave men, heroes,
to make the trip, and one of these was Mr. Denny.
"Seattle owes much to A. A. Denny. He was one of the men who located
the town, and one also of the men who gave it its name. He was one of its
first house-builders, first producers, first merchants, first mill men, first steam-
boat men, first railroad men, first bankers, and first citizens in all that consti-
tutes good citizenship. He was useful to all about him, was discerning,
generous, broad-minded, enterprising, public-spirited, reliable and true. At
home, in his business, in society, in the church, in politics, everywhere, he
was the same. The people about him soon knew him and trusted him. They
sent him to the legislature nine successive terms ; they used him in city and
county affairs ; he went to Congress for them ; they relied upon him in a
thousand emergencies, and he never failed them.
"When a representative citizen was wanted to present the people's cause;
when in time of war a leader was needed; when a university was to be in-
augurated ; when a railroad enterprise was to be started, Mr. Denny was at
once the thought of the people, and upon their call modestly took the place
by common consent assigned to him, and gave his time, his talents, his lands
and his money in aid of the popular cause.
"Mr. Denny's benevolent, kind, broad nature made him the friend, the
defender and the supporter of the Indian, the poor man, the child, the weak
and the helpless. His encouraging word was ever given to them, his strong
hand outstretched to them. What he did in these ways was done unostenta-
tiously, and never known except as told by others.
"The Seattle Chamber of Commerce joins in the common grief at the
loss the city has sustained. It rejoices, however, in the lives and the deeds
of good men, and it is pleased in this instance and in this manner to bear
testimony to one of them, the peer of any, the late Arthur A. Denny."
Upon motion of Major James R. Hayden, the memorial was adopted
as the sentiment of the chamber.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 13
Upon motion of Mr. Griffith Davies, the memorial was ordered placed
upon the record and a copy sent to the bereaved family.
THE REV. J. P. DERWENT LLOYD.
The Rev. John Plummer Derwent Lloyd, rector of St. Mark's church,
Seattle, was born in Manchester, England, on the /th of June, 1861, his
parents, the Rev. Thomas and Emma (Plummer) Lloyd, being descendants
of old Welsh and Yorkshire families of high standing. Part of the early
boyhood of their eldest son was spent with his grandparents upon the Der-
went estate in Derbyshire. At the age of ten he entered the Royal Lan-
casterian Grammar School of Manchester, one of the famous English pre-
paratory schools. For three years he enjoyed the advantage of instruction
in this school until, in 1874, the family removed to the Dominion of Canada.
There his father, the Rev. Dr. Lloyd, took up work as rector of St. James'
church, Gravenhurst, Ontario. After several years spent at Gravenhurst he
became incumbent of the parish of Huntsville, Ontario, where the remainder
of his life was passed. In 1890 Dr. Lloyd was appointed archdeacon of the
diocese of Algoma, which arduous office he held up to the time of his death,
July 25, 1903.
For the four years immediately following the removal of the family to
Canada, Mr. Lloyd's education was continued under the tutorship of the
Rev. Joseph S. Cole, B. A. This was succeeded by three years of teaching
in the schools of Ontario and nearly an equal period of mercantile life in
Toronto. The best traditions and culture of the old world were thus united
in his training with the vigor, activity and enterprise of the new.
In 18S3 Mr. Lloyd began definite preparation for the work of the min-
istry by entering the theological school of Montreal, pursuing the divinity
course there for one year. A second year of study and parochial work was
passed with the Rev. W. S. Rainsford, D. D., in St. George's parish,
New York.
In 1884 Mr. Lloyd was ordained to the deaconate and in 1885 to the
priesthood by the Rt. Rev. D. B. Knickerbocker, D. D., bishop of Indiana.
After two years' ministerial work in that state and in Wisconsin Mr. Lloyd
was called to the rectorship of St. Paul's church, Riverside, a suburb of
Chicago, where he remained for three years. The succeeding eight years
were spent in Omaha, Nebraska, as rector of the Church of the Good
Shepherd. From Omaha he came to Seattle in September, 1897.
Of Mr. Lloyd's work as rector of St. Mark's church, Seattle, it is dif-
ficult to speak with adequate appreciation. During his rectorate a marked
advance has been made along all lines of church activity. St. Mark's church
has been enlarged and beautified, a magnificent organ has been purchased,
additional land has been acquired, and a handsome and commodious rectory
has been built at a cost of six thousand two hundred dollars. The value of
the church property has thus increased in six years from fifteen thousand
dollars to sixty thousand dollars, the present valuation being a very con
servative estimate.
But it is upon the intellectual and spiritual sides of their rector's work
that his people love most to dwell. An ever-increasing ripeness and richness
of scholarship, a personality of great strength and attractiveness, a high
14 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
appreciation and love of the beautiful in nature and art, a rare power of in-
spiration toward that which is noble in life, and, as the groundwork of all,
a deep personal consecration to the work of his calling — all these combine
to render Mr. Lloyd's influence one of the broadest and most effective forces
in the higher life of Seattle.
The services of St. Mark's church are characterized by a simple im-
pressiveness and beauty of ritual as far removed from bareness on the one
hand as from unmeaning complexity of form on the other. The rector's
aim has been to make the services most fully express the thought of worship
and spiritual aspiration. The success of Mr. Lloyd's work is in a measure
attested by the growth in church membership during the past six years, the
communicant list having increased in that time from five hundred to one
thousand. St. Mark's thus becomes the leading Episcopal church on the
Pacific coast.
Not only is Mr. Lloyd a preacher of force and persuasiveness, but his
services as lecturer and speaker upon varied occasions are frequently sought.
Many of the beneficial public movements of Seattle feel the touch and in-
spiration of his personality. As a member of the board of trustees of the
Public Library and chairman of the building committee of the new library,
Mr. Lloyd has a guiding hand in the intellectual life of the city. He is a
director and has twice been elected president of the Charity Organization
Society. He is also interested in several fraternal orders, being a member of
the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen,
the Elks and the Odd Fellows.
On December 28, 1886, Mr. Lloyd was married to Miss Mary Emilie
Thomas, a native of Brantford, Ontario, and a daughter of William H. and
Adeline (Kissam) Thomas, representatives of old Knickerbocker families.
Their five children are Gwendolyn Derwent, Thomas Derwent, Adeline Der-
went, Charlewood Derwent and Margaret Derwent.
CAPTAIN CALEB S. REINHART.
Washington has been a state of the Union only thirteen years, and it
was only a short time ago that paths were made through its dense forests
and the country freed from the dangers of Indians and wild beasts, and
there are few men of middle age who have the honor to have been born in
this state. It is now our pleasure to speak of one of the prominent citizens
of Olympia, Washington, one who was born in Olympia on the 5th of April,
1856. The German ancestors of Mr. Reinhart settled in this country about
the year 1700. His father was Stephen D. Reinhart, and was born in Ken-
tucky and reared and educated in the state of Indiana. He learned the trade
of a millwright, and was married in Indiana to Miss Sarah Cock. In 1852,
with an ox-team, they started out across the plains toward Oregon. The
journey was long and arduous and they experienced many hardships and
dangers. The teams gave out on the road, and they were obliged to double
up with fellow-travelers. Later they had some more trouble, and finally
Mr. Reinhart cut his wagon in two parts, and, putting the tongue to the
hind wheels offered his partner his choice of the two conveyances. With
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 15
this kind of makeshift they finally reached The Dalles, where he built a
raft and loaded his teams and family thereon. They reached the Cascades
safely and then found themselves out of money and provisions. He there
secured employment in loading a small sloop, which he successfully accom-
plished, although he had had no previous experience in that kind of work.
On this vessel he proceeded down the river to Portland, and, continuing his
journey, reached Mound Prairie, Thurston county, Washington. This
country was then covered with dense forests, and very few white people were
living in the country, but many Indians. He started a little home and made
what improvements he could on his property, but was obliged to abandon it
at the Indian war of 1855-6. After the war he completed his home and
worked at the carpenter's trade in Olympia, also building mills and other
mechanical work and running a sawmill. In 1862, on account of the poor
health of his wife, he removed to Grandronde, Oregon, remaining there for
four years and engaging in farming and also in the mercantile line. As
his wife did not recover her health he took her to Napa, California, where
he secured employment as a bridge-builder on the Southern Pacific Railroad.
His wife there died, and he then returned to Oregon and was appointed car-
penter at the Grandronde Indian reservation, and also served as temporary
Indian agent. In 1872 lie removed to Whatcom county, Washington, and
entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, continuing to reside there the
balance of his life and making it one of the finest improved farms in the
county. He possessed excellent judgment in business and served as justice
of the peace for a number of years, and was also a member of the territorial
senate for two sessions, there using his influence to advance the interests of
the county of his choice. In politics he had been a Democrat until the Civil
war and then became an ardent Republican until quite late in life, when, on
account of his advanced views in regard to tenure of office, he became in-
dependent in his political views. He died in January, 1901. He had
brought with him while crossing the plains his young wife and their first
child, William, who died at sea when twenty-three years of age. Later four
children were born to them on the coast.
Captain Reinhart received his education in the San Jose Institute and
Commercial College, and in the Willamette University at Salem, Oregon.
At the age of fifteen he began earning his own living by clerking in a store
in Salem ; later learned typesetting in the Pugct Sound Currier, and followed
the occupation of a printer in a number of offices, among them the Oregon
Statesman. Finally he was in the office of the surveyor general, and in
1879 he engaged in the saddle and harness business with Mr. Downer, first
at Stay ton. then in East Portland, Oregon, and later in Goldendale, Wash-
ington, but in 1884 he sold his interest in that business and purchased a
share in the Klickatat Sentinel. It was then consolidated with the Golden-
dale Gazette, and continued under the latter name, with Judge R. O. Dunbar
as editor and Mr. Reinhart as foreman of the pressroom. In the following
year Judge Dunbar resigned, and Captain Reinhart was elected editor and
manager, continuing in that capacity until March 4. 1S91, at which time he
received the appointment of clerk of the supreme court. He then removed
his family to Olympia, where he has since continued to reside, taking a
1G HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
prominent part in the affairs pertaining to the welfare of the city in which
he was born. Immediately upon being appointed clerk of the supreme court,
Captain Reinhart commenced the study of the law under the instruction of
Mr. James A. Haight, assistant attorney general, and in 1895 was examined
and admitted to the bar by the supreme court and, while he has never entered
into the general practice of law, he has been a member of the committee and
has assisted in examining every attorney who has been examined touching
his qualifications for admission in the state since the May term, 1897. He
has served three terms as mayor of Olympia, and was also elected a member
of the territorial legislature, but before it convened the territory was ad-
mitted as a state in 1889. In 1885 Mr. Reinhart assisted in the organization
of Company B of the Second National Guards of Washington. He was
first appointed sergeant, next commissioned lieutenant and soon afterward
captain, in which capacity he served for four years. Then, at Olympia, in
December, 1891, Company A of the First National Guards of Washington
was formed, and Captain Reinhart was made its captain at once. While
in this position he organized the company and made it one of the best in the
state. At the present time he is filling the important office of supreme
court clerk, and is giving excellent satisfaction. He is also president of the
Olympia National Bank and owns considerable property interests in Thurs-
ton and other counties of the state.
His marriage occurred in 1877, his wife being Clara Downer, a native
of Oregon and a daughter of J. W. Downer, who was a pioneer of 1847.
This union has been blessed with six children: William W., who is now in
the First National Bank of Pendleton; Anna, lone, Eva Ruth, Carroll B.
and Helen Lucile. Mr. Reinhart is a valued member of the Masonic fra-
ternity and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, taking an active part
in both these organizations. His wife is a member of the Christian church,
and the whole family are highly esteemed and respected in the city in which
he has served so faithfully in different offices.
HON. STANTON WARBURTON.
James A. Warburton, who was born in England, came to this country
with his parents when he was but three years old. The family settled in
Pennsylvania in 1833 and remained there until 1869, when they came to
Cherokee county, Iowa, where James still makes his home, being one of the
substantial farmers of that place. The lady who became his wife, Sarah
Bedford, was also of English birth, and is still living.
There were tw-elve children in the family of these worthy people, and
the son Stanton was born in Sullivan county, Pennsylvania, in April, 1865.
Being four years of age at the time of the removal of his father to Iowa, his
boyhood was spent in that state, where he alternately attended the district
school and worked <>n the farm until he was sixteen years old. There was a
constant and inherent desire within him to gain a good education and place
himself on an equal plane of opportunity with other men, so at this age he
entered (he high school and paid his expenses by outside work, and did the
same at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was graduated in June,
oJk^-^L/^^^w^
THE NEW- YORK
PUBUC. LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
JT1LDEN FOUNDATIONS!
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 17
1888. In addition to all the labor required to carry through this undertaking
successfully he had found time to read law for about a year and a half, and
when, August, 1888, he came to Tacoma, he at once continued his study in
the office of Judson, Sharpstein and Sullivan. His energetic efforts gained
him admission to the bar in May, 1889, and since that time he has advanced
into the front rank of the practicing attorneys of the city and county.
Mr. Warburton is secretary and general attorney for the Tacoma Indus-
trial Company, a concern which has been recently organized for the purpose
of developing electricity from the immense water power which annually goes
to waste, thus increasing the industrial and manufacturing facilities of Ta-
coma. Mr. Warburton has taken a leading part in Republican politics, and
in 1896 was elected to the state senate for a term of four years, and in 1900
was re-elected for the same length of time. He has been on the judiciary
committee since he took his seat in that body, and during the last session
was its chairman ; he has also served on labor statistics and other committees.
His law office is at 310 Fidelity building. This brief biography is sufficient
to indicate that Mr. Warburton is a broad-minded man, and has become in-
fluential in politics, business and the law. In October, 1890, he was married
at Garner, Iowa, to Miss Iris Brockway, and. they have three children, whose
names are Leota, Maud and Stanton. Jr.
ALVIN B. SCOTT.
Alvin B. Scott, who is connected with the real estate and loan business
in Tacoma, was born in Penobscot county, Maine, in 1847, being a son of
Luther M. and Caroline (Smith) Scott. The father, who is also a
native of the old Pine Tree state, was of Scotch descent and a member of
an old New England family who traced their ancestry back to the Revolu-
tionary war. Mr. Scott was a farmer and lumberman by occupation, and
in 1883 he made his way to Minnesota, locating near the city of Duluth.
where he lived practically retired from the active cares of a business life until
he was summoned into eternal rest, his death occurring in 1899. His
widow, who also claims Maine as the state of her nativity, is still living in
Minnesota. This worthy couple had four sons who loyally aided their
country during the Civil war, three serving as members of the First Maine
Heavy Artillery, as follows: John B., who was called upon to lay down his
life on the altar of his country, having been killed in the charge at Peters-
burg in June, 1864; David S., who a member of the Sixteenth Maine Infan-
try, and was two or three times wounded in battle; William W., who had
his hand shot away in the last battle in which his regiment took part ; and
Henry H, who was wounded in the side at Petersburg. These brave sol-
dier boys nobly proved their loyalty to the stars and stripes. Another son,
Franklin P. Scott, makes his home at Snohomish. Washington, being one of
the early pioneers of the Puget Sound country.
Alvin B. Scott was reared on the parental farm and after receiving his '
education engaged in the lumber industry during the winter months, as
was then the custom generally of the agriculturists of that section. About
the year 1866 he made his way to Michigan, where for about a year he was
18 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
engaged in the lumber business, returning thence to Maine and resuming the
same occupation. He was also connected with lumber manufacturing con-
cerns at Lewiston and Waterville, that state, and in the former city, in 1873,
he was united in marriage with Miss Urania Babcock, a native of Maine,
and after a residence of about three years in Waterville Mr. and Mrs. Scott
decided to seek a home in the west, accordingly taking up their abode in the
Red River valley in Minnesota. This was during the year 1878 and about
the time of the first rush of settlers into that section, and from that year
until 1883 Mr. Scott was engaged in farming and the retail lumber trade at
Fisher, Minnesota. The latter year witnessed his arrival in Tacoma, Wash-
ington, where for a time he was engaged in the same occupation, but as the
business interests assumed a brighter aspect he readily discerned a good
opening for real estate transactions. Therefore, since 1888 he has been en-
gaged in real estate and loans, his office being located at 306 California
building.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Scott has been brightened and blessed by
the presence of two children, Ernest L. and Bessie G. The elder, Ernest
L. Scott, graduated in the Tacoma high school in 1894 and in the Tacoma
Business College in 1897, in which year he was appointed a clerk in the
postoffice, and he seived in nearly all the departments connected with the
office. In 1900 he was made a deputy under United States Marshal C. W.
Ide, and in August, 1902, was appointed private secretary for that gentle-
man, who is now government collector of customs at Port Townsend.
s^
LAWSON A. NICHOLSON.
Opportunity for advancement is never denied the business man. In
political and military circles only certain prizes can be won, and few there
are who can gain these, but in the field of industrial, commercial or profes-
sional activity opportunity is almost limitless. There is always room at the
top, and it is toward that place that Lawson A. Nicholson has been steadily
advancing until he now occupies a very creditable and enviable position in
the ranks of the civil engineers of the northwest. Fie is the senior member
of the firm of Nicholson & Bullard, of Tacoma, and is widely known for
his ability.
Born in Stockton, California, in 1866, Mr. Nicholson is a son of the
Rev. Albert S. and Mary (Warner) Nicholson, the former an Episcopalian
clergyman who was born in Pennsylvania and in 1862 crossed the plains to
California. He accepted an important charge in Stockton, where he re-
mained until 1868, when he removed to Vancouver, Washington, building
there a church and parish which will long remain a monument to his faithful
work. In later life he removed to Tacoma, where he died in 1893, but his
memory is still enshrined in the hearts of many who knew him. His widow,
who was born in Michigan, is still living near Tacoma.
Lawson A. Nicholson obtained a broad and thorough education under
private tutors, and it was in this way and by private study that he fitted
himself for the work. A native of the Pacific coast and a factor in the up-
building of a new commonwealth, his youth was spent where there were no
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 19
advantages of technical training such as abound to-day, but he took up the
study and mastered the great scientific principles, to which he added knowl-
edge gained through practical experience. He began the practice of his
profession in Tacoma, where he has since remaind with the exception of two
years spent in Everett. In that time he has done much important work. He
was engineer for the state harbor line commission and surveyed the harbors
of Sidney, Marysville and Snohomish; was city- engineer of Everett for one
term, and had charge of some important work for Rucker Brothers of that
city. He does a general engineering business, necessarily covering a wide
range, although his time of late years has been more exclusively devoted to
street railroad construction.
In 1892 Mr. Nicholson was united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth Mar-
tin James, and they have two children, Harold and Charles, while there is
also a stepson, Morton, who is a member of Mr. Nicholson's household.
Mr. Nicholson is a member of the Pacific Northwest Society of Engineers.
His offices are located at Nos. 506-507 Fidelity building. His long resi-
dence in the state adds a comprehensive knowledge of the country to his
other acquirements, and he enjoys the confidence and patronage of a large
clientele. Flis advancement has been worthily won and his success is
richly merited.
HON. CALVIN S. BARLOW.
To the adventurous voyager as he sailed his bark in the early part of
the seventeenth century along the eastern shore of the Atlantic, the country
looked uninviting enough, and the hostile wilderness stretched out before
him so that even the most imaginative could hardly foresee the day when
they would become cleared away for civilization's haunts. And two hun-
dred years later the traveler coasting along the western borders on the shore
of the Pacific would have seen the same dense and primeval wilderness con-
fronting him, and only by revelation would he have seen the wonderful
transformation that has been wrought in a century. But the course of em-
pire has swept from east to west and made this a land of milk and honey
from ocean to ocean. It is an interesting fact that the Barlow family has
been closely identified with this progress and development of three cen-
turies, and its representative whose life history is given here had the fortune
to be born in this unsettled region of the west, just as some of his ancestors
were born in the east when civilization was struggling to gain a foot-
hold there.
The original progenitor of this family was the Rev. William Barlow,
who was a clergyman of distinction in England, also a philosopher, and was
famed as the inventor of the hanging compass, which he perfected in 1601.
His son George was also a minister, and was one of the early emigrants
from England to America. He located at Exeter, Massachusetts, in 1639.
He preached for a while, but. as in many other cases, freedom of belief was
frowned upon, and he was forbidden to promulgate his doctrines by the gen-
eral court of the colony. He then moved to Plymouth, where he carried
on the practice of law. George Barlow's grandson. Aaron, has been known
to posterity as one of the founders of Rochester, Massachusetts, in 1684,
20 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
and in 1701 was a representative or deputy to the general court at Plymouth.
Samuel, the son of Aaron, was a soldier in the French and Indian wars.
His brother Aaron was one of a committee chosen by the town of Rochester
to suppress intemperance, and was a member of Captain Hammond's com-
pany in the Rhode Island alarm of 1776, and in the following year he joined
Captain John Granger's company and was in the campaign along the
Hudson. Samuel was also a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and when it
closed removed to what later became known as Monteville, in Montgomery
county, New York.
George, the son of Samuel, was born in Montgomery county, New
York, in 1S08. The Erie canal was the scene of his activity in his youth,
and he became the captain of one of the boats that plied on that important
highway of commerce. From there he made his way to Michigan, where
he was employed at the carpenter's trade. In 1852 he gathered together
some of his portable property, and with a wagon and an ox-team set out for
Oregon, but it was six months before his eyes were gladdened with the sight
of the beautiful valleys of that territory. In 1854 he moved over into
Washington and settled on a farm in Cowlitz county, situated on the Co-
lumbia river two miles below Mount Coffin. He spent the remainder of his
life here, and in 1887. while on a visit to Portland, died suddenly as he was
sitting in his chair. He was married in 1833 to Mary Ann Purdy, who died
in Cowlitz county in 1864.
Calvin S. Barlow was the son of George Barlow, and he has the dis-
tinction of being born in Cowlitz county, Washington, as long ago as 1856,
a very early date for the states of the west. Flis early life was spent on a
farm. He was ambitious and eager to gain an education, and for five years
engaged in the great industry of the Columbia river, salmon fishing, in
order to pay his way through college ; in this way he was able to attend the
Pacific University at Forest Grove, Oregon, one of the first colleges in that
state. He finished his schooling at the age of twenty-one, and in 1877 went
to Tacoma, then a small village, where he was in the butcher business for
three years. He had some innate faculties as a man of business, and so
much confidence had he gained by this time that he ventured to establish
the Tacoma Trading Company, of which he is now the president and his
son George the secretary. This is now one of the large firms of the city,
and is the oldest and largest house of its kind; the company deals in build-
ing material, sewer pipe, coal, etc., and it has probably supplied three-fourths
of all the lime used in the buildings now standing in Tacoma. Mr. Barlow
is also interested in some large holdings of real estate, and mining and other
business enterprises.
Mr. Barlow is one of the charter members and a trustee of the Chamber
of Commerce of the city. He is popular in the community, and was one of
the few Republicans who were successful candidates in the Populistic year
of 1897, being elected to the state legislature. He was married in 1S81 to
Miss Hertilla M. Burr, who lived on an adjoining farm in Cowlitz county.
They are the parents of six children: George C. Allan B., Calvin R., Doug-
las L., Hertilla and Mildred, lie and his wife are members of the First
Methodist church, and he is one of the trustees. Their home is at 222
St. Helens avenue.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 21
JOHN W. BERRY.
This sketch is concerned with a very successful citizen of Tacoma, one
who has followed a trade for many years, and at the same time his genius
for mechanical invention has enabled him to give to the world a device
which will increase the present wonderful effectiveness of much labor-saving
machinery. The parents of John W. Berry were Preston A. and Martha
Jane (Harris) Berry. The former was born at Greenfield, Illinois, and in
the early days located on a farm near Jacksonville, in Morgan county. Illinois.
He afterward moved into Jacksonville and did a large business in buying
and selling live-stock of all kinds. He was also one of the argonauts of
the early fifties, crossing the plains to California with an ox-team, and he
made considerable money by locating, and then selling, gold claims. He
made another trip in 1862, and the last years of his life were spent in Tacoma
with his son, where he died in 1889. His wife, who was born and reared
in Morgan county, Illinois, and was of one of the old families there, is now
sixty-nine years old and is living with her son John.
John W. Berry was born near Jacksonville, Morgan county, Illinois, in
1857, and until he was fourteen years old remained on the farm and went to
school. At that age he determined to learn a trade, and accordingly went
into a grist mill in Jacksonville, where he wrorked for seven years, and
learned all the ins and outs. of the business. He then took a position in a
mill in Marion, Williamson county, Illinois, but remained there only a year,
during which time the special incident worth noting was that he was con-
verted in a revival at the Methodist church, and has been active in religious
work ever since. Montezuma, Indiana, was the next home of Mr. Berry,
where he was employed as a miller until he was twenty-six years old, and
he then bought out the mill and began business for himself. In 1887 he sold
out and came to Tacoma with the intention of following the same line of
enterprise here. But just at this time there was a building boom on, and
he was diverted from his original plan, and for the following year and a
half was engaged in brick-making; he made the brick for the first four-story
brick building in Tacoma, the Northern Pacific headquarters, and this is
still one of the best structures in the city. Then for six months he and his
father dealt in horses, at the end of which time the opportunity seemed to
be at hand for embarking in his original enterprise. He organized the Cas-
cade Oatmeal Company, which later became the Cascade Cereal Company,
and built the first oat and cereal mill in the west. This mill was erected on
Jefferson avenue, between Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth streets, and is
still standing, although the plant has been greatly improved and added to
from time to time. It has been equipped as a high-grade flour mill, and
the very best of rolled oats, cereals and flours are now manufactured. Mr.
Berry did not have an unbroken course of prosperity, for in the panic of
1893 he lost the mill, but after four years of hard work he regained his
former interest in the company, and has since been its manager; in this
connection it should be mentioned that when the plant was established it
did a business of two thousand dollars a month, which has since been in-
creased to thirty-five thousand dollars a month.
22 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Berry, as has been said, has a knack for mechanical invention, and
in his work with mill machinery he invented an automatic self-tightening
split-wood pulley, with safety set collar. To manufacture this he organized
in 1901 the Deming-Berry Company, and installed a plant on Jefferson
avenue adjoining the Cascade mill. There were but two regular employes
at first, but now it requires fifty to fill the orders, and this phenomenal in-
crease has led to the forming of plans for the erection of a large plant for
the manufacture of this valuable mechanical device. The plant is to be
located on Center street, and is to consist of a two-story brick factory, ware-
house and a brick dry-kiln, and the power will be furnished by electricity,
developed from two boilers to the amount of two hundred horsepower. Very
little new machinery will be needed, as the former plant is well equipped
with a forge and all machinery necessary. This important addition to Ta-
coma's industrial plants will be in operation before the end of the year, and
there is no doubt that the gentlemen who are at the head of the concern will
reap rich profits. The company has the following officers : Charles K.
Harley, of San Francisco, president and general manager; John W. Berry,
vice president and treasurer; Edward C. Grant, secretary; and the board of
directors consists of Charles K. Harley, J. D. Deming, Jr., E. T. Messenger,
of the Hunt-Mottet Hardware Company, John W. Berry and Edward
C. Grant.
Mr. Berry was married at Jacksonville, Illinois, in November, 1879,
to Miss Lillian M. Ball, of that city; they have four children living: Preston
A., aged eighteen, who is the bookkeeper for the Cascade Cereal Company;
Grace McCune Berry, aged ten; John W., who is five; and Harry B., three
years old. Mr. Berry's interest in religion has already been mentioned, and
he has a liking for the old-fashioned Methodism. He is a member of the
Epworth Methodist Episcopal church in Tacoma, has been a member of
the official board ever since it was organized, and for seven years was super-
intendent of the Sunday school, at present being a teacher of a class of
twenty-five young ladies. Fraternally Mr. Berry is an Odd Fellow and a
Forester.
AARON R. TITLOW.
Aaron Titlow was born in the early part of the last century in the state
of Pennsylvania, and was a descendant from a family of Dutch who had
been among the first settlers of that wonderfully cosmopolitan state. When
he was a young man he removed into Ohio, but in 1859 came on farther
west and located in Delphi, Indiana, where he is still living, at the age of
seventy-four. During his vigorous manhood he followed farming, and even
now continues his business activity by engaging in selling ice. The maiden
name of his wife was Jane Casad, a lady born in Ohio, but of English de-
scent ; she is still living.
These worthy people had a farm near Dayton, Ohio, and it was on this
place that Aaron R. Titlow was born on November 22, 1857. He spent
only two years on this farm before bis parents went to Indiana, where he
grew up as a farm lad and during the school season went back and forth
to the Delphi public school. He early conceived the notion of becoming a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 23
lawyer, and he gained his first knowledge of Blackstone at Delphi, but later
entered the law department of Washington University at St. Louis, one of
the foremost law schools of the country. He had the advantage of instruc-
tion from some of the most distinguished lawyers, the dean of the university
at that time being William G. Hammond, a noted attorney and a man of
remarkable scholarship. After his graduation in 1885 Mr. Titlow returned
to Delphi, where he was at once admitted to the bar. He was now amply
prepared for his profession, and the question was where he should first launch
his legal career. There seemed to be great possibilities in the south, and
he made Chattanooga his goal. But, like many aspiring young men who
have since risen to a place of eminence, he was short of the sine qua non.
and was compelled to borrow sixty dollars to keep him going until he should
do some business. He was admitted to practice in Chattanooga in 1886
and remained there eighteen months, first as a member of the firm of Titlow
and Walker, later of Russell, Titlow and Daniels. He had gained a fair
start there, but about this time Washington territory seemed to bid fair to
soon become a state, and the inducements to a man of restless energy and
enterprise seemed better there than in the more developed regions, so in
1888 he came to Tacoma. He has had no occasion to regret this move, for
he has been very successful not only in the practice of his profession but in
business. In 1S96 he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the office of
prosecuting attorney and served a term of two years, with entire satisfac-
tion to his constituents. When he first came to Tacoma he invested heavily
in real estate, and this has now become very valuable, so that he is in "easy"
circumstances. He owns about three hundred town lots, also three farms in
Pierce county.
Mr. Titlow has his office at 202-203-204 National Bank of Commerce
building. On April 26, 1893, he was married at Dayton, Ohio, to Miss
Stella Smart, and three beautiful daughters have come into their home.
The eldest is lone Marguerite, and then come Constance Clara and Mar-
celle Isabelle.
REUBEN F. LAFFOON.
Reuben F. Laffoon, whose law office is located at No. 303 Chamber of
Commerce building, in Tacoma, and who has gained prestige as a member
of the Pierce county bar, was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, in Marcb,
1854, his parents being Drewry and Minerva (Stone) Laffoon, the former
a native of North Carolina and the latter of Tennessee. When a young
man the father left his native state and removed to east Tennessee, living
in Claiborne county, where he followed farming for .a number of years. In
the fall of 1859 the family removed to Cass county, on the western border
of Missouri, making the trip by wagon, and there the father purchased a
farm. During the fierce and bitter border warfare that took place in that
region prior to and during the Civil war, the family suffered many hardships.
Mrs. Laffoon furnished food to all the soldiers, both Union and Confederate,
who sought aid at their house, which was situated upon a much-traveled
public road, and on account of this liberality the family larder was finally
24 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
reduced to one article of food, wheat bran. When the troubles and dangers
became too great to be longer borne, the family went north, settling at
Nebraska City, Nebraska, where they remained until they could return in
safety to Missouri. On again going to Cass county they found that the
farm had been utterly despoiled and burned over. Mr. and Mrs. Lafroon,
being southern people, had sympathized with the Confederate cause, al-
though both of them had several brothers in the Union army. They are
still living upon the old Cass county farm, which they purchased in 1859,
and are now well-to-do people.
In the schools near his home Reuben F. Laffoon acquired his early lit-
erary education, which he completed in the Southwest Missouri State Normal
School at Warrensburg. At the age of nineteen years he left home and
became a pioneer in western Kansas, then a frontier region. For several
years he taught school in both Missouri and Kansas and read law in the
meantime. He traveled extensively all over the western and southwestern
country, including Texas and Colorado, having a liking for western pio-
neer life.
When he had mastered the principles of jurisprudence demanded for
law practice, Mr. Laffoon was admitted to the bar at Coldwater, Kansas,
in 1886, and, after practicing there for a few months, came to Tacoma in
1887. During his first year"s residence here he engaged in the real estate
business, and then resumed the active practice of law, in which he has been
engaged ever since, with the exception of nearly three years, which he spent
in the mining business in Nevada. He takes considerable interest in mining
and is financially connected with some mining companies, both in Washing-
ton and Alaska. In his law practice he is making somewhat of a specialty
of mining law, for which he has thoroughly equipped himself, his practical
as well as theoretical knowledge being such as to make him unusually com-
petent in that branch. Mr. Laffoon is devoted to his profession, devotes
deep study and careful research to every point coming up in connection with
his practice, and is a successful and well trained lawyer, whose devotion to
his clients' interest is proverbial.
In 1880, in Missouri, Mr. Laffoon married Miss Emma Pearman, and
they have two daughters, Agnes and Emma, and their home is at 3522
South Eighth street. Owing his advancement to no outside aid or influence,
but to the development and application of his inherent qualities and talents,
he has steadily worked his way upward, and is now classed among the
prominent lawyers of his adopted city.
JOHN L. McMURRAY.
The name of John L. McMurray is inscribed on the pages of Wash-
ington's history in connection with the records of her jurisprudence. In ad-
dition to the duties connected with his legal practice he is also serving as the
president of the Washington Power Company, of Tacoma, as well as di-
rector in several other financial and industrial companies. He was born in
Wood county, Ohio, January 10, 1862, and is a son of James W. and Jane
(Leathers) McMurray. On the paternal side he is of Scotch-Irish descent,
*xd*^
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XSTOR. LENOX AND
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 25
his ancestors having come from the north of Ireland, while maternally he is
of New England ancestry. James W. McMurray, the father, was born in
Ohio, and was noted as being a very fine mechanic, while he was also a land
proprietor. During the Civil war he enlisted for a three months' service,
and owing to physical disabilities was discharged on the expiration of that
period. One of his brothers was called upon to lay down his life on the
altar of his country during that memorable struggle, having been starved to
death in Andersonville prison, while his brother-in-law, John Leathers, was
killed in battle during the war of the rebellion. A second cousin of our
subject died of wounds therein received, and three or four other members of
this patriotic family nobly served their country in its hour of need, but came
out of the war unscathed. After the close of the struggle James W. Mc-
Murray removed with his family to Allen county, Indiana, where in 1868
he was murdered by robbers who waylaid him one night on his way home
from Fort Wayne. After his death the family returned to Ohio, and there
the mother's death occurred in 1872..
John L. McMurray was the eldes.t .of his parents' five children, four sons
and one daughter, and was but six' years old at the time of his father's death.
At a very early age he began work on his uncle's farm near Van Buren, Han-
cock county, Ohio, with whom he remained tor thirteen years, during which
time he worked incessantly to procure an education, attending district school
three months each winter. When but fifteen years of age he was granted a
teacher's certificate, following the occupation of teaching during the winter
months, while during the summer seasons he worked at farm labor, and
during this time he also attended school to some extent in Findlay, Ohio.
Desiring to prepare for college, at the age of eighteen he matriculated in the
Phillip Exeter Academy, at Exeter, New Hampshire, where he spent two
and a half years, during which time he not only received a thorough pre-
paratory education, but in addition had the advantage of holding the position
of private secretary to the academy's president, Professor Walter Quincy
Scott, a man of brilliant scholarly attainments. In discharging the duties
connected with that position it was Mr. McMurray's privilege to become ac-
quainted with and to come in close personal relations with some of the most
distinguished scholars and educators in this country, among them being Presi-
dent Eliot, of Harvard; Porter, of Yale; McCosh, of Princeton; C.ilman,
of the Johns Hopkins; Edward Everett Hale and Bishop Phillips Brooks.
At Exeter he made a special study of mathematics under Professor George
A. Wentworth, the well known author of mathematical text-books. After
this experience he returned to Columbus, Ohio, and studied at the State Uni-
versity there for the following two and a half years, pursuing physics under
Thomas C. Mendenhall, Ph. D., and chemistry under Percy D. Norton,
Sc. D., noted educators and authors of text-books in their respective branches.
During this time Mr. McMurray had also studied law privately to some
extent, and in 1886 went to New York to complete his legal studies.
Through introduction secured for him by Principal Scott, of Phillip Exeter
Academy, he was enabled to pursue his legal training under the former's
brother, "Hon. William F. Scott, in the law office of Schell, Hutchins & Piatt,
one of the leading firms of New York city. Here again he was enabled to
20 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
come in contact with men of large affairs, such as Abram Hewitt, mayor of
New York city; Augustus Schell, a Tammany leader; Hon. Waldo Hutch-
ins, Hon. William Sulzer, and Roscoe Conkling. He remained there for
three years, at the expiration of which period he was admitted to the bar. In
1889 Mr. McMurray came to the northwest Pacific coast, and, stopping at
Tacoma, was so favorably impressed with the surroundings that he decided
to remain, accepting a position as reporter on the Tacoma Ledger, which he
continued to fill for the following fourteen months. On the 1st of January,
1 89 1, he opened a law office in this city, where he has since continuously re-
mained, now controlling one of the largest private practices in Tacoma. He
served as a justice of the peace for four years, during which time he handled
about two thousand cases, and for two years was the deputy prosecuting
attorney for Pierce county. He is a prominent Republican leader, and at
one time was a candidate for nomination to the judgeship of the su-
perior court.
After his arrival in the northwest Mr. McMurray secured a quarter
section of government land in the southern part of Pierce county, four miles
southwest of Eatonville, on which he has a pleasant residence and on which
there is a splendid timber tract and other valuable resources. On this claim
the Nisqually river flows through a gorge and makes a waterfall of such
power as to render it of great value in the future industrial development of
this section. For the purpose of utilizing this Mr. McMurray has organized
the Washington Power Company, of which he is the president. Across the
Nisqually he has built an aerial tramway, and has also constructed a sub-
stantial bridge two hundred and fifty feet above the water. The Tacoma
Eastern Railroad now runs through this property.
Mr. McMurray is accorded a prominent position in the business and
professional circles of the state of Washington, and his career is proving an
honor to the commonwealth of his adoption. In his fraternal relations he is
a Royal Arch Mason. He is also a past exalted ruler of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks, and past great sachem of the Improved Order of
Red Men, having been the first great sachem for the order in the state of
Washington.
RALPH METCALF.
The great forests of the northwest are the source of much of the wealth
and the business activity of this portion of the country. From the time when
the trees are felled until they are converted into marketable commodities for
constructive purposes, the work comprises various kinds and processes of
labor, and many men are employed in carrying on the logging and lumber
business and kindred industries. Mr. Metcalf, who won considerable reputa-
tion west of the Mississippi as a journalist and was first known to the people
of Tacoma in that capacity, is now a representative of one of the lines of busi-
ness to which the forests give rise, being the secretary and treasurer of the
Metcalf Shingle Company of Tacoma.
A native of Providence, Rhode Island, he was born in 1861, a son of
Alfred and Rosa Clinton (Meloy) Metcalf. The father was born in Provi-
dence, where he is still living, and the city has been the home of the Metcalfs
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 27
through many generations. The progenitor of the family in this country
landed in America in 1629. The mother of our subject is also living, and
is of English descent.
Ralph Metcalf is a college-bred man, and until within the last few years
was prominent in newspaper work. He was fitted for responsible positions
in business life by attendance at Brown University, at Cambridge, and the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, being graduated from the last-named
institution in 1883. During his college days at Ann Arbor he was prom-
inent in athletic circles, and was manager of the baseball team. On leaving
college he entered the newspaper field at Winona, Minnesota, where he pur-
chased the Daily Herald and became its editor. Most of his best newspaper
work, however, was done at St. Paul, on the Pioneer Press. For several
years he was located in that city, and then came to Tacoma in 1889.
Here Mr. Metcalf became editor and proprietor of the Tacoma Morn-
ing Globe, with which journal he was thus connected until 1893, when he
sold his interests in the paper, which at that time was absorbed by The
Ledger. He then went into the shingle mill business, which resulted in
the formation of the Metcalf Shingle Company. In 1902 the business was
incorporated, with a paid-up capital of one hundred thousand dollars, with
Louis D. Campbell, now mayor of Tacoma, as the president, and Mr. Met-
calf as the secretary and treasurer. This is a flourishing and growing en-
terprise, with a daily output of nearly one million shingles, and the demand
equals the capacity of the plant. The business has reached profitable pro-
portions, and the office is now located at 508 Fidelity building, while the
mills, two in number, are situated at Kelso and Castle Rock.
Mr. Metcalf was married in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Miss Edith Simp-
son, and they have one child, Elizabeth. In Tacoma they are now widely
and favorably known, and Mr. Metcalf possesses the typical spirit of western
enterprise and progress, which, brooking no obstacles that can be overcome
by persistent and honorable effort, has led to the wonderful commercial and
industrial development of Washington.
JUDGE JOHN C. STALLCUP.
One of the distinguished citizens of Tacoma is Judge John C. Stallcup,
prominent in citizenship and as a lawyer and jurist. He is one of the recog-
nized leaders of Democracy in Washington, and has for a number of years
been recognized as a molder of public thought and opinion here. He has
carved his name deeply upon the political and legal records of the state, and
his career has been an honor to the commonwealth which has honored him.
Judge Stallcup was born in Georgetown, Columbiana county, Ohio,
February 8, 1841, and is a son of Moses D. and Mary (Chamberlain) Stall-
cup. His father was torn in Virginia of an old family of that state, and
when a young man removed to Ohio, where he entered upon the practice of
law and for many years continued a member of the bar there. He died in
Ohio in 1867, and his wife also passed away in that state. She was born in
Ohio of Pennsylvania Quaker parentage.
2S HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
When the Judge was about four years of age his parents removed from
Columbiana to Stark county, Ohio, locating at Mount Union, which is now
a part of Alliance, Ohio. He there attended the public schools and later con-
tinued his education in Mount Union College. When he had completed his
collegiate work he removed to New Lisbon, Columbiana county, in order
that he might there take up the study of law, and, having mastered many of
the principles of jurisprudence, he was admitted to the bar at that place in
1864. There he opened an office and practiced for two years, after which
he returned to Alliance, where he lived until 1877, when he started west-
ward and established his home first in Denver, Colorado. For twelve years he
was a prominent practitioner in that city, having a distinctively representative
clientage, which connected him with much of the important litigation tried
in the courts of his district. He was also prominent in political circles, and
was appointed by Governor Adams of Colorado as judge of the supreme
court commission, which position he held for several years, discharging his
duties in a manner that won him high encomiums from the public. He was
a leading figure in local Democratic circles, and for three times was unani-
mously chosen chairman of the Arapahoe county Democratic central com-
mittee. Again he was urged to accept the chairmanship, but on the fourth
occasion he refused. He was also nominated for state senator. His sterling
qualities had won for him the friendship of Senator Wolcott, who voted for
Judge Stallcup, although he was a Republican. He also gained the close
friendship of T. M. Patterson, Alva Adams and other distinguished leaders
of the Republican party in Colorado.
In 1880 Judge Stallcup was united in marriage in St. Louis, Missouri,
to Miss Mary Pindle Shelby, a representative of one of the aristocratic families
of Lexington, Kentucky. Her great-grandfather, Dr. Pindle, was a surgeon
of the Revolutionary war, and others of the name have been co-operant fac-
tors in affairs that have shaped the history of their respective states. To the
Judge and his wife have been born three children : Margery, John and Evan
Shelby.
The year 1889 witnessed the arrival of Judge Stallcup in Tacoma, where
he opened a law office and began practice. In 1892 he was elected judge of
the superior court on a non-partisan ticket, and for four years filled that
position, after which he served for a short time as city attorney by appoint-
ment of Mayor Fawcett. His office is at 308-311 Equitable building, and his
residence at 317 Park Heights. His preparation of cases is most thorough
and exhaustive ; he seems almost intuitively to grasp the strong points of law
and fact ; while in his briefs and arguments the authorities are cited so exten-
sively and the facts and reasoning thereon are presented so cogently and unan-
swerably as to leave no doubt as to the correctness of his views or of his con-
clusion. No detail seems to escape him; every case is given its due promi-
nence, and the case is argued with such skill, ability and power that he rarely
fails to gain the verdict desired.
FRANK C. MORSE.
There are not many whose lives are recorded in this volume who are
native to the west; most of those who have arrived at middle age have been
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 29
born farther east and have cast in their lot with this country. But Mr. Frank
C. Morse, the genial assistant postmaster at Tacoma, has spent all his life in
the region west of the Rockies, and is therefore thoroughly imbued with the
enterprising spirit of the west. His father, Charles A. Morse, was born in
Boston, but in 1856 he went to San Francisco to take a position with the
extensive navy yard located on Mare Island. President Lincoln appointed
him to the position of naval storekeeper for the Mare Island navy yard, and
he held this office under successive administrations until 1875, 'when he
resigned. His death occurred in San Francisco in 1889. He married Caro-
line M. Sawyer, who was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, and died at
Alameda, California, in 1901. On both sides of the family the ancestors for
several generations back resided in this country, but the paternal stock was
originally English and Irish.
So it was that Frank C. was born in the west, his birth taking place at
the Mare Island navy yard on April 8, 1859. His boyhood was thus passed
among the interesting and sometimes stirring sights of the din and prepara-
tion for war, home-comings of the troops, and all that lends variety to such
a place. His education was completed at St. Augustine College^ Benicia,
California, where he studied three years, from 1874 to 1877. He first en-
gaged in business with the California representative for the Centemerie kid
gloves, made in Paris, continuing this for a little over a year. In 1879 ne
went to Portland, and after remaining there for seven months moved to the
young village of Colfax, Whitman county, Washington. He remained here
for ten years in the employ of Lippitt Brothers, general merchants, and in
May, 1889, President Harrison appointed him postmaster of Colfax, the
duties of which office he discharged for five years. Then being appointed
state bookkeeper by State Auditor Grimes, during Governor McGraw's ad-
ministration, he removed to Olympia to perform the duties of that position
and remained there for three years. Mr. Morse has lived in Tacoma since
1897, and on September 17, 1899, was made assistant postmaster under John
B. Cromwell, which position he now holds. He has had much experience in
Uncle Sam's service and is a very competent official.
Mr. Morse was married in 1887 at Lewiston. Idaho, to Miss Belle S.
Sullivan. She is the sister of Judge Sullivan, of Spokane, and of linn. P. C.
Sullivan, who is a prominent politician, was at one time candidate for gov-
ernor of Washington, and is now in Nome, Alaska. One child has been
born of the marriage, who died when two years of age. They live at their
nice home at 416 North Tacoma avenue. Mr. Morse is a Republican, hut
devotes all his time to his official duties. He is very loyal to his adopted
state, being especially fond of the eastern part, around Colfax, where he
made his home for so long.
THEODORE SHENKENBERG.
The city of Hamburg, Germany, has been famous in the world of com-
merce for centuries, and it was one of the strongest members of that greal
commercial union, known as the Hanseatic League, the most powerful indus-
trial alliance of the Middle Ages. And at the present time it is the center
for much of the world's trade by sea. It is not at rdl surprising, therefore,
30 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
that it should have given birth to many men who were noted in the counting
house, the bank, and in all lines of business and trade, and one of these, who
has cast his lot in with America and is now known as one of the best account-
ants in the state of Washington, is Theodore Shenkenberg, who occupies
several important positions with firms of high commercial standing in
Tacoma.
Mr. Shenkenberg was born in Hamburg in February, 1849. Tne
fact that he received his education in this German town is evidence enough
that he acquired a thorough, well rounded training, and, as he entered mercan-
tile life at a very early age, he became a skilled and careful accountant. It
happened that he was connected with a house which carried on correspondence
with England and the United States, and he therefore learned the English
language before coming to this country. He was only twenty years of age
when he came to this country in 1869, but he was thoroughly equipped for
his life work. He came west to Illinois and was employed in the capacity
of bookkeeper at a large nursery at Normal, but after a year he went to St.
Paul, Minnesota, and was a bookkeeper in several wholesale houses for two
years. We next find him at Fargo, North Dakota, acting as bookkeeper for
the Northern Pacific Railroad for a year. At Bismarck he was employed by
the Northern Pacific Coal Company, and while here his efficient work gained
the favorable attention of the president of the company, Colonel C. W.
Thompson, who is well known in Tacoma and is mentioned elsewhere in this
volume. Mr. Shenkenberg became the bookkeeper and chief clerk for Colonel
Thompson, and has been connected with that gentleman in business ever
since. They came to Tacoma in 1889, and Mr. Shenkenberg has become
an officer in each of the large concerns organized by Colonel Thompson, who
is the president of each. He is treasurer of the Washington Co-Operative
Mining Syndicate, which operates extensive coal and copper mines in the
Carbon river district in Pierce county ; is secretary of the Montezuma Mining
Company, which has copper and coal interests in the Tacoma mining district
of Pierce county ; and is secretary and treasurer of the Bella Coola Pulp and
Paper Company, which was recently organized for the purpose of building a
large paper mill in British Columbia.
Mr. Shenkenberg has been dependent on his own resources throughout
his life, and it was with his own earnings that he came to this country. It
has been through industry and painstaking endeavor that he has made his
present success, and no better proof of his ability can be asked than that he
has retained the utmost confidence of Colonel Thompson all these years and
has been entrusted with the details of his important business. Mr. Shenken-
berg was married in July, 1879, while he was residing at Bismarck, Miss
Elizabeth Glitschka becoming his wife. Their children are: Hortense, who
is deceased : Carl ; Theodore, deceased ; Ethel ; and Elizabeth.
JAMES T. GROVE.
Although a resident of Everett for but a brief period, James T. Grove
has already left the impress (if his individuality upon the business interests of
this city and is now the vice president of the Union Transfer Company. He
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 31
is a man of marked energy and force of character, readily comprehending
intricate business situations and carrying forward to successful completion
whatever he undertakes. Such a man is always of value to the industrial,
commercial and professional circles of any city.
Mr. Grove was born in Galena, Illinois, his birth occurring on the 29th
of December, 1857. He is a son of Frederick Grove, a native of Cornwall,
England, and who with his parents came to Illinois, settling in that state
about 1833. He was a butcher by trade, long following that calling in order
to provide for his family. He wedded Mary Jane Lawrence, who was born
in Illinois, representing one of the old families of that state, and of English
lineage. Mr. Grove passed away at the age of fifty-five years, and his wife
died when fifty-three years of age. They were the parents of three sons and
two daughters: Laurence; Charlie; Clara, who is the widow of W. J. Fair;
and Mary Ellen, who is now deceased.
The eldest member of the family is James T. Grove, who spent his boy-
hood days under the parental roof in the usual manner of lads of that period
and locality. Work and play occupied his time and attention, and in the
public schools of Galena he pursued his education until he attained the age
of eighteen years. He worked with his father in the butchering business after
leaving school, being thus engaged for about twelve years, and in 1887 he
went to Chicago, where he entered the employ of the West Division Chicago
Street Railway Company. His connection with that corporation continued
until 1898, when he came to the northwest, settling first in Seattle. After
working for Moran Brothers, ship-builders of Seattle, for a short time, he
came to Everett in the fall of 1898 and has since been engaged in the transfer
business here, buying out the Union Transfer Company. He incorporated
his business in 1903 with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars, and the
present officers are B. H. Vollans, president; J. T. Grove, vice-president; and
D. Darling, secretary. The company operates a general livery and also does
an extensive transfer business, of which Mr. Grove is general manager. The
business methods of the company are such as to gain public confidence, and,
therefore, the public support, and the success of the enterprise is largely due
to Mr. Grove.
On the 21st of January, 1887, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Grove
and Miss Isabella Gray, a native of Illinois and a daughter of John and
Isabella Gray, who were pioneer settlers of this state. Mr. Grove is a member
of the Modern Woodmen of the World, and also has membership relations
with the Knights of the Globe. In his political views he is a Republican, but
has had no time for public office, preferring to devote his energies to his
business affairs, wherein he is winning advancement and gaining for himself
a comfortable competence.
PETER L. OPSVIG.
Peter L. Opsvig is one of the younger representatives of the medical
fraternity, but his ability does not seem to be limited by the years of his
connection with the profession. He established his home and office in
Everett in the fall of 1900, and already has secured a good patronage here.
32 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Dr. Opsvig was born in Norway on the 3th of December, 1868, and is a
son of Lars and Karen Opsvig, both of whom were natives of Norway and
belonged to old families of the land of the midnight sun. The father fol-
lowed farming during the years of his active business career, thus providing
for the wants of his family. He is now living in Norway at the very advanced
age of eighty-six years, while his wife passed away in 1877. Peter Opsvig has
a brother, Louis P., who is residing in Everett, and also has a brother and
three sisters who are still living in the old country.
Peter L. Opsvig obtained his early education in the public schools of
Aalesund and afterward attended college there. He was graduated from
college in 1886, and later entered the University of Christiania, where he
completed the course with the class of 1889, winning the degree of Bachelor
of Arts. He began the study of medicine in the same institution, but after
one year he came to the United States and made his way to California, where
he matriculated in the medical department of the University of California.
In that institution he was graduated in 1900, and in the succeeding fall came
to Everett, where he has since been located. He was not long in demon-
strating his worthiness of public confidence, for in his practice he showed
marked skill and ability. He belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks, to the Royal Arcanum, to the Ancient Order of United Workmen
and the Fraternal Army of America, and in all of these organizations is a
valued representative, being true to the beneficent teachings upon which
they are founded and to the spirit of brotherly kindness and helpfulness
which they inculcate. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the
men and measures of the Republican party. Mr. Opsvig is a young man of
strong mentality and broad intellectual training, of laudable ambition and of
strong purpose, and in the land of his adoption he has already won recogni-
tion by reason of his professional skill and his many admirable personal
characteristics.
ALBERT L. VAN VALEY.
Albert Louis Van Valey, proprietor and manager of the Van Valey
Bottling Works of Everett, an enterprise which he has developed from a
small beginning to one of extensive and profitable proportions, was born on
the 9th of May, 1868, in Washington county, Ohio, a son of Moses A. and
Ruth A. (Morris) Van Valey, both of whom were natives of Ohio, while
the former was of Holland descent and the latter belonged to an old Ameri-
can family. The Van Valey ancestors came to the United States during the
early period of the country's development and established a home in the
state of New York long prior to the Revolutionary war. The father of our
subject was a farmer by occupation and removed from Ohio to Kansas,
where his wife died in 1875, when forty-four years of age. He long survived
her, and in 1893 came to Washington, where he spent his remaining days,
his death occurring in 1898. The onlv daughter of the family is Evvie L.,
now the wife of J. A. Cooper.
Albert L. Van Valey was but three years of age when his parents
removed to Kansas, and be pursued his education in the public schools of
Neosho county, that stale, until he was thirteen years of age, after which he
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 33
put aside his textbooks and worked on his father's farm, following that pur-
suit until 1890, when he came to Seattle, where he engaged with George T.
Maginnis & Company, as an employe in their bottling works. He spent six
years there, during which time he gained a thorough and comprehensive
knowledge of the business, becoming familiar with it in every detail. With
the capital he had acquired through his industry and enterprise, and well
qualified to carry on a similar enterprise of his own. he came to Everett in
September, 1896, and opened his business, beginning the bottling business,
however, on a small scale on Riverside. There he continued his operations
until he removed to his present location at 31.24 Paine avenue, where he now
conducts a general bottling business and manufactures all kinds of mineral
water and carbonated beverages. The plant is equipped with the latest im-
proved machinery, with appointments for carrying on an extensive trade,
which extends throughout the county.
On the 24th of December, 1892, at Seattle. Mr. Van Valey was united
in marriage to Miss Ella M. Ducey, a native of Missouri, and a daughter of
Patrick Ducey, who was of Irish lineage and came from the Emerald Isle to
America when a boy. He first resided in Missouri, and about 1870 removed
to Kansas. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Van Yaley has been blessed with
two daughters: Ruth Marie and Esther May, aged respectivelv six and
four years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Van Valey are we'll known in Everett, and
have gained the favorable regard and warm friendship of many with whom
they have come in contact. Mr. Van Valey belongs to a number of civil
societies, in which he takes a deep interest, holding membership with the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
In his political affiliations he is a Republican, but has never turned aside into
political paths to seek the honors and emoluments of office. Instead he has
given his undivided attention to his business interests, and through his close
application and capability has built up an enterprise which has grown to large
and profitable proportions.
GEORGE W. OSBORN.
George W. Osborn, a successful and well-to-do farmer who formerly
served as county commissioner of Thurston county, is a native of Ohio, his
birth having occurred in Fairfield county on the 27th of February, 1834.
His grandfather, Jacob Osborn. was born in Germany and emigrated to
Pennsylvania, in which state occurred the birth of Joshua Osborn. The
grandfather died in the Keystone state, and the widow and her family then
removed to Ohio, where Joshua became a farmer. Ultimately he removed
to Indiana, later becoming a representative of Branch county. Michigan,
where he spent his remaining days. He was married to Miss Harriet Rigby,
a native of West Virginia, who departed this life in the fifty-seventh year
of her age ; he died in 1893 in his eightieth year. They were valued mem-
bers of the Methodist church and were people of the highest respectability.
In their family were eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, five of
whom are now living, but George W. Osborn is the only representative of the
34 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
family in Washington. Four of his brothers served in the Civil war, and
one of them lost his life in the battle of Murfreesboro.
George W. Osborn obtained his education in the public schools of Indi-
ana, and when he reached the age of nineteen years he bought his time of his
father and worked as a farm hand, thus earning the money to pay his father
for the years which still remained of his minority. In 1869 he migrated to
the Pacific coast, and after one year spent at Shoalwater Bay made his^ way
to Thurston county, soon afterward locating upon his present farm at South
Bay.
In the spring of 1861 Mr. Osborn had been united in marriage to Mrs.
Minnie A. Carpenter, a daughter of Warren Wheaton. Three of her brothers
were also defenders of the Union cause in the Civil war, and the health of
each was undermined by the sufferings and hardships of that great sanguinary
struggle. By her first marriage Mrs. Osborn had four children, and to our
subject and his wife has been born a son, Louis W. Osborn, whose birth
occurred in 1862. He was educated in the public school, and is a talented
and capable young man, still with his parents.
In 1 87 1 Mr. Osborn erected a little log house in the midst of the forest;
a blanket was hung at the door, and the furnishings were of the most primi-
tive nature. All' around stood the forest of heavy pine timber, including
nineteen large trees upon the rise of ground where he decided to build his
house. One of these trees was nine feet in diameter, and when it had been
cut down streched along the ground the length of an entire acre. There were
many Indians in the country, and there was but one white woman between
the Osborn home and Olympia, and Mrs. Osborn. one of the brave pioneer
women of the early times, remained alone in the little cabin while her husband
was off earning a living at the carpenter trade. The first purchase of land
comprised forty acres, and to this additions were made from time to time as
the financial resources of Mr. Osborn increased. He now owns a good stock
farm, and is not only engaged in the raising of stock but also in the produc-
tion of hay. He bought one of the first Polled Angus cattle introduced here,
and later secured some fine Jersey stock. Pie now is the possessor of a
splendid bull of the Roan-Durham breed, and that stock will now have pref-
erence upon his farm. Mr. Osborn has also a number of choice fruit trees
which he has planted, and upon his place he raises nearly everything needed
for home consumption. The house is a pleasant and substantial farm resi-
dence sheltered by trees of his own planting, and there he and his wife enjoy
many of life's comforts. They are good Christian people, spending the even-
ing of their honorable lives surrounded by many comforts that go to mak<*
life worth living.
Mr. Osborn has always been a stanch Republican, and was nominated
and elected by the party in 1892 to the responsible office of county commis-
sioner. After his term of two years expired he was re-elected in 1894 for
four years, proving how capably he had served his fellow townsmen and how
promptly and efficientl) he had discharged the duties of his position. He is a
man of sin mg business sense, and this quality characterized his official service.
He put forth his best efforts to reduce the indebtedness of the county and at
the same time to advance its interests in every possible way. and his services
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 35
were most commendable and received the hearty endorsement of his fellow
citizens. His life has ever been honorable and upright, and Thurston county
owes him much for what he has done in its behalf, his labors resulting great 1\
to the benefit of the community.
MRS. MARY M. KNIGHT.
Woman seems to have reached her political ideal in several of the states
of the extreme west. In these robust young commonwealths that have
sprung up along the slopes of the Rocky mountains the people are as fresh
and free as the air they breathe, and the very atmosphere seems hostile to
anything like discrimination between classes or on account of sex, nationality
or religion. In some of the older states of the east the medieval notion still
lingers that woman is an inferior sort of creature, not able to govern herself
much less a body of people in organized form. Not so in the boundless
expanse of the great northwest. There woman is accorded all her rights,
political and business as well as social and civil. In these newly formed
commonwealths at least, there are no hard or hateful lines drawn on account
of race, color or previous condition of servitude. In several of these states
woman has been accorded full rights of suffrage, and hence it is no unusual
sight to see them filling all sorts of offices as well as assisting to make the
laws as members of legislatures. For this reason no one is surprised when
he drops into Shelton and sees a woman acting as superintendent of county
schools. And should he be an easterner who still retains the idea that
women are unfit for such places, he will certainly be convinced to the con-
trary if he inspects the schools and sees how well Mrs. Knight has discharged
the duties of superintending them. He will find that no man could have done
better and but few as well, and will doubtless return home with a decided
acquisition of new impressions on the woman question after contact with the
progressive people of the coast states. The truth is that women have a
natural aptitude for everything relating to the government of children, and
while, as every one admits, they make ideal teachers, they are equally success-
ful as principals and superintendents.
Mrs. Mary M. Knight, whose brilliant record in educational work at
Shelton suggested the foregoing remarks, is descended from Scotch ancestors
who came to the United States at an early period. Fler grandfather married
a Stark, related to that famous old Revolutionary general who declared on
the eve of a historic engagement : "Either I will defeat the British or Molly
Stark sleeps a widow to-morrow night." Eventually representatives of the
family found their way west and effected a settlement in the southern part
of Michigan.
Mrs. Knight, who was born in Ingham county of that state. September
2, 1854, was the eldest of the five children of C. S. Dunbar, and his only
daughter. She was educated in the high school at Eaton Rapids, Michigan,
imbibed a desire to teach at an early age. and studied with a view to qualify-
ing herself for that exalted calling. Her career as an educator, begun when
she was sixteen years old. has continued uninterruptedly until the present
time, and has embraced work in three different states. After going through
30 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
her apprenticeship by teaching a few terms in Michigan, she had an oppor-
tunity to exercise her talents on a wider field, as the result of her family's
removal to Dakota. Obtaining a position in the city schools at Huron, she
taught there with marked success for a number of years, and would probably
have remained but for the fact that her father and brothers changed location
to the state of Washington. Desiring to be near her relatives and especially
the parents as they approached old age, Mrs. Knight joined them in 1890.
She immediately began work in the Shelton city schools, where she taught
most acceptably' for "four years, and later was engaged for five years in the
schools at Whatcom, where her success was equally pronounced. The educa-
tional work of Mrs. Knight, especially her skill as a disciplinarian, had at-
tracted so much attention by 1900 that the Democrats nominated her their
candidate for county superintendent of schools. At the ensuing election she
was chosen by the people for that responsible office, and shortly afterward
entered upon the discharge of her duties. Having made a life study of the
subject of education, and being thoroughly familiar with the art of teaching
as the result of long and varied experience, Mrs. Knight's equipment for
such an office as county superintendent is exceptional. It goes without the
saying, therefore, that she has made an excellent official in all respects, and
had an opportunity to display that enthusiasm for school work which has
been the ruling passion of her life.
As like seeks like in the matrimonial as well as the natural world, Miss
Dunbar found her affinity in Marcus F. Knight, who, like herself, was a pro-
fessional teacher and filled with enthusiasm for his work. Mr. Knight was
born at Hamlin, Michigan, and attended the high school at Eaton Rapids,
where the Dunbar children were his schoolmates. His boyish affection for
Miss Mary ripened into love at maturity, and culminated in their marriage
June 29. 1876. Similarity of tastes and employment, aside from the endear-
ing recollections arising from their early association at school, combined to
make their union as eminently fitting in its beginning as it has remained ideal
in its continuance. Mr. Knight has taught with success at various places in
different states, and for two years was principal of the city schools at Shelton.
Their household is brightened by the presence of two daughters, whose names
are Jessie and Gyneth, and the family circle is one of the happiest imaginable.
Mrs. Knight's father, though somewhat advanced in years, is still living at
Shelton, as is also her brother, C. V. Dunbar, the prominent druggist of the
same city whose biography appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs.
Knight, 'like all sensible people, are fond of the comforts of life as well as
those things which contribute to the finer tastes, so we find their home at
Shelton surrounded by a small acreage devoted to a variety of fruits in-
digenous to that section. Prudent housewifery also supplies the domestic
table with honey, poultry and eggs of their own raising, and thus it will be
seen that the Knight home is a" typical American one in its comforts and
luxuries as well as its robust self-dependence. It is natural that such a
household should attract many visitors and that such occupants should make
many friends, and both propositions are found on inquiry to be true in the
case'of the estimable couple so largely responsible for the educational interests
of Shelton.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 37
S. A. PHILLIPS.
The old pioneers, even of the newest countries, are fast passing away,
and soon only their names and the memory of their brave deeds will be left
as a blessed heritage to the less hardy descendants, who reap the golden
results but not the hardships and toil of those who went before them. A
half century is not a long period in the general history of the world, but fifty
years ago the present state of Washington existed' only as the great oak
lives in the little acorn; and of the men who were there to bring about this
wonderful growth only a few survive and witness the fruit of their early
toils. In this small number of sturdy pioneers may well be counted Mr.
S. A. Phillips, who still retains the old donation claim which he took from
the government fifty years ago, located three miles south of the city of
Chehalis, Lewis county.
On both sides of the house the grandfathers of Mr. Phillips were partici-
pants in the struggles of the Revolutionary war. Edward Phillips, his
father, came to Monroe county, Michigan, in 1835, and was one of the
pioneer settlers of Oakland county of that state. He died in Macomb
county, Michigan, in 1849, aged seventy-seven years.
Mr. S. A. Phillips and his brother James T. are the only survivors of
the family, and both reside in Lewis county. S. A. Phillips was born in
Cayuga county, New York, November 1, 1830, came with his father to
Michigan, and when twenty-one years of age left his home in that state,
took passage in a steamer and by way of the Isthmus arrived in San Fran-
cisco in 1852. From there he came to Olympia, near which place he took a
donation claim and built a little home. During the Indian war of 1855-56
this house and all his moveable property and crops were destroyed by the
Indians. He enlisted and did active service in the campaign against the
redskins until the close, furnishing his own horse and equipment ; he was
never reimbursed for his losses or his services until by a recent act of Con-
gress he was allowed a pension of eight dollars a month, which he will soon
begin to receive. He settled on his present ranch in Lewis county in 1858.
During the first years of his residence here he was compelled to go to Port-
land and Olympia for his supplies, fording all the rivers and undergoing all
the hardships incident to pioneer life, paying a dear price for his simple
frontier home. He was industrious, and by his diligence has made a fine
farm and on it has erected a nice residence. As time passed and he was
prospered he added to his land one hundred and sixty acres, so that he
owned four hundred and eighty acres.
In the same year that he took up his residence in Lewis county he was
united in marriage to Miss Jane Moore, who died in 1868. leaving two
children. The daughter is now Mrs. Adela Cregg and lives in Lewiston,
Idaho; Edward Phillips, the son. was born in 1859, married Margaret John-
son, a native of Scotland, and had two children, Elva and Nbrval. Mr.
Phillips has given his son one hundred and thirty acres of his estate. In
1870 he took for his second wife Miss May Jackson, whose father was one
of the oldest pioneers of this county, and it will be of interest to briefly sketi h
his life.
38 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
John R. Jackson was a native of England; he came" to this country and
emigrated to the state of Washington in 1844. He located in Lewis county,
and the prairie on which he settled took his name and has ever since been
known as Jackson's Prairie. In the primitive log house which he budt on
his claim was held the first court of justice in the county; he served as
probate judge of the county for many years, and was a successful farmer
and respected citizen. He died May 24, 1873, when seventy-three years of
age. His religious views were those of the Episcopalian church. His wife
crossed the plains in 1847 and was one of the brave pioneer women of the
country. She was a widow, Mrs. Koontz, and she married Mr. Jackson in
May, 1848, and her son, Barton Koontz, now lives on the old home. This
estimable lady passed away February 14, 1901, when ninety years old, and
she was the oldest woman pioneer of Lewis county at the time of her death.
There were six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, and the two daugh-
ters are still living: Louisa is now the wife of Joseph Weir, and May is
Mrs. Phillips.
Mr. S. A. Phillips is an honest, self-reliant man, has preferred to paddle
his own canoe throughout his life, has never joined any society or taken a
pledge; thinks liquor is a good thing in its proper place, has not hesitated to
drink when he wished, but has always known when was the right time to
stop; he has always based his moral conduct on the Golden Rule, although
he does not profess to have never fallen short in its practical application;
always punctual in the payment of his debts, he has gained a most enviable
reputation in the business world, and now in the seventieth year of his life
his past is one in which he may feel a justifiable pride, and his future is not
an object of fear.
REV. BJUG HARSTAD.
This prominent minister and educator of Parkland, Washington, is a
native of Norway, born near Christiansand in 1848, and was about thirteen
years old when his parents emigrated to this country, in 1861. The family
located in La Salle county, Illinois, on a farm, and this place was the scene
of his boyhood days. His parents were poor, and he was forced from a very
early age to earn his own living, but he was from the first consumed with a
thirst for knowledge and an ambition to become a minister. To accomplish
this purpose he entered the Lutheran college at Decorah, Iowa, where he
studied for six years, in the meantime supporting himself by farm work and
teaching. He graduated in 1871 and then went to St. Louis, where the next
three years were spent in the preparation for the ministry at the Concordia
Theological Seminary, and he completed the course in 1874.
The enthusiasm and earnestness which were his characteristics in this
earlier training were still more strikingly illustrated in his first real work.
He came out to what was then a raw frontier country, the Red River valley
of North Dakota, where he was a missionary preacher for the Norwegian
Lutheran synod. Almost no salary was attached to this labor, and he helped
support himself by taking up a claim and farming it in addition to his other
strenuous toil. He experienced all the hardships of pioneer life, but was of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 39
such a nature that he enjoyed it, and his zeal was rewarded by the establish-
ment of churches throughout the Red River valley, a church and people that
have since become powerful in that section of the country. He remained
there until 1890, when he was chosen by the church to be president in charge
of the Pacific district of the Norwegian Lutheran synod, an office somewhat
similar to that of bishop in the Episcopal church; the district embraces
Washington, Oregon, California, those parts of Montana and Idaho which
are west of the grand divide, and Alaska. On coming here he established
himself in the beautiful suburb of Tacoma, Parkland, where he built a church.
In 1 89 1 he began the task of building a Norwegian college at Parkland.
The building was begun during the good times of the western part of the
country, but about the time the building was ready for dedication the panic
of 1893 was at its height, and only by the efforts of Rev. Harstad did the
undertaking succeed. The school was dedicated in 1894, and from then till
1899 Rev. Harstad traveled all over the district soliciting aid to pay off the
indebtedness, and in 1898 he even went to Alaska, where he remained a year,
building up the church, establishing missions, ordaining ministers and getting
contributions for the college. But the task was finally successfully completed.
The Pacific Lutheran Academy, as the school is known, has a beautiful
situation, and the building is a large four-story brick, erected at a cost of
between ninety and one hundred thousand dollars. The doors are open to
both sexes, and there are about one hundred and fifty pupils. Five courses
of instruction are offered, ranging from two to four years each, and every
department is in the hands of thoroughly competent instructors, so that a
brilliant future awaits the school. The principal is Professor N. J. Hong,
and Rev. Harstad is himself professor of religion, Norwegian and Greek,
and also teaches in the local parochial school. For several years he has been
the editor of the Pacific Herald, a semi-secular Norwegian weekly, published
at Parkland. He has given up his presidency of the district, preferring to
remain constantly at Parkland, where he is also the minister of the local
church. He has built a fine home here, has eight children, and conducts his
orchard and farm with the aid of his sons.
JOHN WILSON MOWELL.
The profession of medicine now numbers in its ranks some of the
most eminent men of the country, men of great force of character, who arc
devoting their lives to saving and promoting the life of mankind. And as
the standard of the profession rises, the class of men attracted to it becomes
higher. One of the prominent physicians and surgeons of Olympia, who has
not only made a splendid record as a medical practitioner but has also become
one of the leading business men of the city, is Dr. Mowell. The Vfowell
family comes of the sturdy Teutonic stock, and grandfather Nicholas Mowell
was born in Germany, spent fourteen years of his life in the German army,
and then emigrated to Indiana county, Pennsylvania, where lie was a suc-
cessful agriculturist and where he resided until his death in the eighty-sixth
year of his life.
His son, George W. Mowell, was born in Indiana county on March 26,
I" HISTORY OF THE PI GET SOUND COUNTRY.
1836, remained on his father's farm until he became of age, at the beginning
of the Civil war offered his services as musician, and acted for some time in
this capacity and also was engaged in the recruiting office part of the time,
continuing in the service to the end. Before entering the service he married
Elizabeth B. Smith, also of German ancestry and a native of Shamokin,
Northumberland o unty, Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1866 they removed
enton county, Missouri, and settled upon the farm where they have ever
since made their home. -Mr. Mowell is an active citizen of his county and
held van. ms offices, being one -1 the commissioners of the county. In
religious belief the) were Lutherans, but, there being no church of that
denomination near them, they joined the Baptist church and have been de-
voted and useful members in that organization.
John Wilson Mowell is the only member of the above family residing
m Washington. His birth occurred in Davidsville, Pennsylvania, on the
5th of March, [861, and he was accordingly only live years of age when his
tits brought him to the state of Missouri, lie received his education in
Warrensburg, Missouri, at the State Normal School. He taught school for
live terms and studied medicine in the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis,
where he graduated in [888. lie served his novitiate as medical practitioner
in his native state for three years, and then in [891 arrived in Olympia. At
first he experi ome rather hard times, but he soon became acquainted
and has built up a large practice, and not only stands in the front rank of the
local physicians, but has made a reputation as a good, progressive business
man. He is a director, stockholder and vice president in the Olympia National
Bank, and is a stockholder and director in the Puget Sound Sea Fruit Com-
pany; this company is engaged in the manufacture of clam chowder, thus
Utilizing the large number of clams to be found in the bay and furnishing
the town another useful industry. The Doctor is the official physician of
the Northern 1'acilic Railroad and of the Port Townsend and Southern
Kail 1
In [898 Mr. Mowell was married to Ada Sprague, who is a native of
blah- mes Erom a Puritan ancestor who came over in the Mayflower.
The Doctor is a membei oi Olympia Lodge No. [, F. & A. M. In politics
' lican. He is a prominenl member of the State Medical Society
and secretarj of the Count) Medical Society.
WARREN A. WORDEN.
Since tin- earl) days of the country's history the Worden family have
occupied a distinctive place, and b borne their part in the upbuilding
and development in the regions in which they have resided. They are of
Welsh and English ancestry, and tin progenitor of the family in this country
!-M. ned in Massachusetts in the seventeenth century, but gradually they be-
came scattered, a part locating in Fairfield county. Connecticut, and part in
Sarat inty, New York, and at the present time our subject has
numerous relatives living in Xew Haven and Fairfield countv. Connecticut.
Representatives of this old and honored family participated in the Revolu-
tionary war and in the other early struggles of this country.
/4— ^-<
THE REW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 41
Warren T. Worden, the father of Warren A., was born in Galway,
Saratoga county, New York, but in his early age the family moved to
Auburn, that state, where he became a lawyer, reputed to be one of the best
in the state of New York in his day, and he enjoyed a large general practice.
His brother was a brother-in-law of William H. Seward, of Auburn, and
secretary of state. Air. Worden's death occurred in that city in 1891, at the
age of eighty-four years. The mother of our subject, who was born in
Saratoga county, New York, was a second cousin of her husband, and her
death occurred in Tacoma, Washington, to which city she had removed with
our subject.
Warren A. Worden was born in Auburn, New York, in 1847, and there
received his elementary education, which was later supplemented by a course
in Hobart College, of Geneva, in which he was a member of the class of
1869. He then made an extensive tour through Europe, visiting all of its
principal cities and countries, and returned to his home in 1869, where he
began the study of law in his father's office. He was admitted to the bar at
Syracuse in 1871, and on the 16th of Qctpber^ 1873, at Washington, was
admitted to practice in the supreme '■court' iff 'the' United States, upon motion
of Attorney General Williams during Grant's admifiistration, and who is now
mayor of Portland, Oregon. After successfully following the practice of his
chosen profession for a time in his native city, his health became impaired
and he accepted a consular position in Canada, under the Hayes administra-
tion, serving in different cities -in mat country niltil Cleveland's administra-
tion in 1885, after which he returned to Auburn to take charge of his father's
business, this continuing until the latter's death. The year 1891 witnessed
the arrival of Mr. Worden in Tacoma, Washington, where he has ever since
been numbered among the legal practitioners. He is an indefatigable and
earnest worker, and is proficient in every department of the law. He is also
serving as master in chancery for the United States circuit court, and referee
in bankruptcy for the United States district court.
The marriage of Mr. Worden was celebrated in 1871, in Auburn, New
York, when Miss Mary S. Carpenter became his wife. She, too, is a native
of that city, and she and her husband were schoolmates in their youth. They
have three daughters, Mrs. Clara W. Hall, Emily B. and Mary T. Mr.
Worden is a member of the Episcopal church.
BRADFORD L. HILL.
Bradford L. Hill, the leading Olympia druggist, is a descendant of a
New England family which came to this country two hundred and seventy-
five years ago, and have accordingly been among the makers of history of
this country. The original progenitor of the family in America was Reuben
Hill. Bradford, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Middlebury,
Addison county, Vermont, in 1805, and when seven years old was taken by
his parents to Genesee county, New York, where he grew to manhood and
learned the carpenter's trade and engaged in contracting and building. In
1836 he embarked his wife and three children in a "prairie schooner" and
drove across the country to Galena, Illinois; at that time it was thought that
42 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
this city would be the metropolis of Illinois. From here he removed to La-
porte, Indiana, but because of sickness in his family he took them to Waterloo,
Jefferson county, Wisconsin, settling there in 1842, on a farm nine miles
from the nearest neighbor; here he remained for nineteen years, engaged in
farming. His next move was to Dodge county, Minnesota, and in 1868 he
came to towa, where he built a grist mill at Lime Spring, Howard county.
His long and eventful life was ended in death in 1885, and his wife passed
away four years later, at the age of seventy-six; they had lived in conformity
with the teachings of the Universalist faith.
Henry Reuben Hill, the father of Bradford L., was born on his father's
farm in Wisconsin, January 2, 1843, and passed his early life in the labor of
the farm and in attendance of the country schools. At the age of eighteen
he enlisted in the army for service in the Civil war, but was removed by his
father. In the fall of [862, however, he enlisted in the First Regiment,
Minnesota Mounted Rangers, and served with Pope against the Indians in
Minnesota and Dakota; he was in all the battles of Sibley's campaigns and
received an honorable discharge in December, 1863. He then enlisted in
Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry,
and was on the picket line at .Memphis when General Forest made his attack
on August jo, 1864. He was discharged September 25, 1864, and in the
spring of the next year again enlisted, but was rejected on account of disa-
bility received in the service. Since the war he has engaged in farming,
painting, merchandising, and in the drug business for a number of years,
spending a large part of the time in Jewell, Washington and Republic coun-
ties, Kansas. In 1890 he came to Olympia, where he has been engaged in
painting and oystering, but is now retired from active pursuits. He is inde-
pendent in politics, but has great admiration for President Roosevelt. He is
a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and is past commander of his
post; he i- secretary of Olympia Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M., and has been a
Knight of Pythias lor the past twenty-two \ears. On December 12, 1867, he
was man led to Miss Amanda M. Loring, and a son and a daughter have
been born, the latter being now a successful teacher in the Tacoma public
schi k 1]
The smi. Bradford I.. Hill, claims Iowa as the state of his nativity, being
Dun there in the town of Lime Spring, on the 1 ith of September, 1868. He
was educated in the public schools and received his technical training in the
pharmacy department of the University of Kansas. He has been in the drug
business all his life, in Nebraska and other states. He came to Washington
in [890, and for eight years was clerk in the store of Sawyer & Filley, but
in [900 organized the 1'.. I.. Hill Drug Company, of which K. R. Brown was
thi , ent. Under his energetic and capable management the business has
increased until the firm takes front rank among the drug houses of the city.
The store is in tin- < entei of the business district and has a large stock of pure
drugs and all articles making up a first class establishment. The firm manu-
factures large qua! tii of baking powder and its own corn, headache and
similai Mi. Hill is a member of the Pharmacy Alumni Association
of the University of Kansas, In politics he is a Democrat, and belongs to
( llympia lodge X". 1. I. 0. O. !■'.. the Woodmen of the World, ami Olympia
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 43
lodge No. i, A. F. & A. M. He is in every way a representative business
man of Olympia and deserves especial mention in this volume.
DOUGLAS T. WINNE.
Douglas Thompson Winne, a practitioner at the bar of Whatcom, was
born in Waterloo, Iowa, October 6, 1869, and on both the paternal and ma-
ternal side comes of ancestry honorable and distinguished. His father, John
L. Winne, a native of New York, was descended from the second burgomaster
of New York. He was of English and Scotch descent, and early in the seven-
teenth century located at what was then Fort Orange, but is now Albany,
New York. The father of our subject became an extensive stock-raiser. Re-
moving to the west, he became the owner of large ranches in Iowa and
Nebraska, on which he herded many hundred head of cattle, doing a profitable
business. He died in 1877. His wife, Mrs. Clarissa J. Winne, was a native
of New York and bore the maiden name of Thompson. She was descended
from English ancestry who came to America in early colonial times, the family
being founded here in 1630, when representatives of the name located at
Salem, Massachusetts. Mrs. Winne numbers among her ancestors Count
Rumford, an American scientist of note; General De Witt Clinton, who was
governor of New York, and also Governor Bradford of Massachusetts and
Colonel Eben Francis Thompson, of that state. Mrs. Winne belongs to the
Daughters of the American Revolution, by virtue of the service which her
ancestors rendered the patriot army in the struggle for independence. She
was regarded as one of the best read women in Wisconsin during her residence
in that state, and she is now held in the highest regard in Whatcom, where
she is living with her son. Mrs. Winne has during the last fifteen years been
active in church and temperance work, has contributed various literary and
other articles to different magazines and newspapers for publication.
Douglas T. Winne acquired his early education in the public schools and
supplemented it by study in Lawrence University, of Wisconsin, where he
pursued the ancient classical course, and was graduated in 1892 with the
degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then took a post-graduate course in the same
institution and won the degree of Master of Arts. Desiring to make the prac-
tice of law his life work, he prepared for the profession as a student in the
law department of the University of Wisconsin, of which he is a graduate of
the class of 1894. Biographical mention of the Winne family m;i\ lie Hound
in the " Bench and Bar of Wisconsin," published in 1883; in the " History of
the University of Wisconsin"; and also in "The Men of Progress of Wis-
consin." While in law school our subject made a reply which became noted.
He was asked by the dean of the department how he would advise a client
on a given proposition of law, and, being unable to answer, said to the dean
that he would advise the client to consult a lawyer. This reply has been pub-
lished in frequent editions of the Annual of the University.
Leaving college Mr. Winne began the active practice of law in Appleton,
Wisconsin, where he remained until the fall of 1899, when he started west-
ward. He traveled for a number of months for the benefit of his mother's
health, and then settled in Whatcom, in June. 1900. where he opened his
office and has since built up a fine practice, which is rapidly increasing. He
44 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
now has a distinctively representative clientage, and his legal learning and
careful analysis of cases have made him a forceful member of the bar. He
has also been connected with some important industrial companies of What-
com, and has represented a number of corporations as attorney.
Mr. Winne belongs to the Congregational church, and socially is con-
nected with several secret societies. In politics an earnest Republican, he is
active in the ranks of the party, and while in Appleton, Wisconsin, he served
as city attorney in 1896, and during '98 and '99 was attorney for the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company. He attended different state con-
ventions there, and was also delegate from Wisconsin to national conventions
of his party. He does not seek office as a reward for party fealty, content to
do his duly without this recognition of his service.
WILLIAM COLUMBUS COX.
During the years which marked the period of the professional career of
Dr. Cox. he has met with gratifying success, and, though his connection with
the medical fraternity here dates back for only a comparatively brief period,
he has won the patronage of many of the leading citizens and families of
Everett. 1 te als< 1 has the good will of the public. A close and discriminating
student, he endeavors to keep abreast with the times in everything relating
to discoveries in the medical science, being a reader of the leading journals
devoted to the discussion of the " ills to which flesh is heir" and the treat-
ment thereof. Progressive in his ideas and favoring modern methods as a
whole, he vet does not dispense with the true and tried systems which have
stood the test of years.
Dr. t ox was bom on the 20th of September, 1858, in Flint Branch,
.Mitchell county, North Carolina, and is the eldest son and second child of
Samuel W. ami Cynthia (Blalock) Cox. The father was born in North
Carolina of an old American family of English and German lineage. He was
a fanner b) 06 upation, and in the year 1873 left the Atlantic coast to find a
home upon the Pacific seaboard, lie made his way to Walla Walla, Washing-
ton, and after twenty years spent in this section of the country died in Janu-
ary. [893, at the age of sixty six years. I lis wife was also a native of North
I 1 ! na mkI belonged to a family that was early established in the new
world. She. too. was of English and German descent, and she was a sister
of Dr. N. G. Blalock, who has been for many years a distinguished physician
of the northwest, was graduated in the Jefferson Medical College at Phila-
delphia. Pennsylvania, in the class of 1861, and for thirty years has been a
medical practitionei of Walla Walla, prominent in his profession and having
a very large patronage, which was accorded him in reward of his marked capa-
bility. I lie mothei 1 1 our subject passed away while the family was still living
in North Carolina, her death occurring in [867, when she was only twenty-
nin< 1 age. Four daughters and two sons were born of her marriage:
Addie. who is now the wife of (leorge Rasmus, a resident of Walla Walla;
William C; Huldah, who 1, the wife of S. S. Parris, who is living near
Athena. 1 Iregon; Nelson D., who makes his home at Prosser. Washington;
Ura, who is the wife of 1 >r. J. I'. Trice, of Nfez Perce, Idaho; and Victa, who
is the wife of Thomas Yoe, of Davton, Washington.
/ /
'Ox
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. ^
William Columbus Cox was a youth of fifteen when he accompanied his
father to Walla Walla in 1873. He there continued his education in the pub-
lic schools, pursuing his studies until nineteen years of age. He afterward
worked upon his uncle's farm until 1882, and in the fall of the same year,
having determined to devote his life to professional work, he matriculated in
the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from which he was graduated on
the completion of a thorough course, on the 2d of April, 1885, winning the
degree of M. D. Well equipped for his chosen profession, he then returned
to Walla Walla, where he took up the practice of medicine in connection with
his uncle, the distinguished Dr. Blalock. This relation was maintained until
April, 1886, at which time Dr. Cox removed to Genesee, Idaho, where he
remained in the active practice of medicine for five years. On the 6th of July,
189 1, he came to Everett, where he again opened an office and where he has
continued in practice up to the present time, covering a period of twelve years.
His knowledge of the science of medicine is comprehensive and exact, and in
his application of his learning to the needs .of suffering humanity he displayed
marked skill, his labors being attended with a high degree of success. Owing
to this he has secured a large patronage, .and' thereby has a good annual in-
come. He is now serving as local surgeon for the Great Northern Railroad
Company, for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company and the Everett Rail-
way & Electric Company. ' .
Prominent and influential, Dr. Cox has been elected to various positions
of public trust. In 1S90 he was chosen mayor of Genesee, Idaho, serving for
one year, and in 1894 he was elected councilman of Everett, but when he had
filled that position for four months he resigned. In 1895 he was nominated
and elected mayor of Everett, and served through the succeeding year. In
1900 he was a member of the state board of medical examiners, and has acted
in that position up to the present time, being at this writing, in 1903, the vice-
president of that body. His political support has ever been given to the
Democracy, and in positions of public trust he has been found most loyal to
his duty and the trust reposed in him.
Dr. Cox has been twice married. On the 4th of March, 1888, he wedded
Miss Grace Jain, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Louis and Adelia
Jain, of Genesee, Idaho. She died on the 10th of October, 1891, after a
happy married life of a little more than three years. On the 1st of November,
1894, the Doctor was again married, his second union being with Hattie G.
McFarland, a native of Maine and a daughter of Captain R. and Georgia B.
McFarland, of Everett. Fraternally Dr. Cox is connected with the Masons
and the Knights of Pythias. He also belongs to the Improved Order of Red
Men, the Benevolent' and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. He also holds membership with various organizatii ms
tending to promote medical knowledge and the efficiency of practitioners. I fe
is now the president of the Snohomish County Medical Society, and belongs
to the Washington State Medical Society, the American Medical Association,
the International Association of Railway Surgeons and the American Academy
of Railway Surgeons. Professionally and socially Dr. Cox is prominent, stand-
ing to-day as one of the leading and representative men of Everett. His
unfailing courtesy, genial nature and ready sympathy have gained him many
t6 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
friends among those whom he has met outside of professional duties. He is
also ver popular with his patients, and in a profession where promotion de-
pends upon merit he has gained a position of distinction.
HARRY G. ROWLAND.
Harry G. Rowland makes his home in Puyallup, but engages in the prac-
tice of law in Tacoma, where he has gained distinction as an active, forceful
and learned member of the bar. A native of Pennsylvania, his birth occurred
in Potter county in 1865, his parents being the Rev. Henry and Harriet
1 Knapp) Rowland. His father was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal
church. He was a prominent and honored resident of Tioga county, Penn-
sylvania, and at one time served as the treasurer of that county. He is now
deceased, but his widow still survives and is now living with her son, Dix H.
Rowland, in Tacoma. She is a lineal descendant of Halsey Kelly, who was
a soldier of the Revolutionary war.
Harry G. Rowland was provided with good educational privileges.
\fler obtaining his preliminarv education in the public schools of Wellsboro,
Pennsylvania, he entered Allegheny College at Meadville, Pennsylvania, and
Ir.mi thence he entered the Syracuse University at Syracuse, New York, where
he was graduated with the class of 1888. During his college course and for
some time thereafter he was engaged in newspaper work on the Syracuse
Journal. Returning to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, he took up the study of law
in tin- office and under the direction of the firm of Elliott & Watrous. The
1101 partner, Mortimer F. Elliott, is a very distinguished lawyer, now
. rving a- chief counsel of the Standard Oil Company in New York city,
l arly in the year [890 Mr. Rowland was admitted to the bar in the court of
common pleas al Wellsboro, and immediately after followed the advice of
Horace Greeley and came to the west. This rapidly developing country
seemed to him to offer a splendid field of labor, and he resolved to seek his
fortune on the Pacific coast. <h\ reaching Puget Sound he located at Puy-
allup in Tierce county, about nine miles from Tacoma. He is a member of
the Washington supreme court and of the United States district and circuit
court, lie has won distinction in his profession because of his broad legal
'. Lining, his analytical mind and his careful preparation of cases. He has
(•.•nil,] for himself distinction as a lawyer of broad learning and one who
is mo<i careful in the presentation of his cases before judge or jury. Thus he
has gained a distinctively representative clientage that has connected him
with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of his district. He
is also a direi tor of the Citizens' State Rank of Puyallup. In February, 1903,
in 1 in with his brother. I)i\ II. Rowland, he opened a law office on
tin- third Hour of the I idelitj building in Tacoma in order to meet the en-
larged demands of their practice. The other brother of the family is the
Rev. Frank S. Rowland, pastor of the Asbury Methodist Episcopal church,
one of tin- leading churches in Buffalo, New York.
(hi the _'7th of June. iX<)<). Mr. Rowland was united in marriage, in
l.i.i ma, t" Mi^- \nneiie E. Clark, a daughter of Dr. 1). C. Clark. At the
time of her marriage and previous thereto she was a teacher of English history
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 47
and literature in the Tacoma high school. Mr. and Mrs. Rowland now have
one son, De Witt Clark. In his political views Mr. Rowland is a stalwart
Republican, and in 1896 was nominated on the ticket of that party for the
office of prosecuting attorney of Pierce county. That, however, was a Popu-
list year in this section of the county, and the entire Republican ticket was
defeated, but Mr. Rowland, nevertheless, ran from three to four hundred
votes ahead of his ticket. He has been three times elected city attorney of
Puyallup.
DR. ALEXANDER DE SOTO.
Dr. Alexander DeSoto, of Seattle, Washington, is a native of the Caro-
line Islands, the date of his birth being July 28, 1840. His father, Fernando
DeSoto. was born in 1793, on the DeSoto estate near Barcelona, and was in
diplomatic service all his life until he was past eighty years of age, when he
retired. He was governor of the Caroline Islands and also was lieutenant
governor of Puerto Rico. Dr. DeSoto's mother was Hedwig Leonora
DeSoto. She was of Austrian birth, a member of the old Hoffman family,
and died in 1862.
Alexander DeSoto in his early life had excellent educational advantages.
In the University of Spain, at Madrid, he received the degree of M. D. ; at
Heidelberg, Germany, the degree of LL. D., and he concluded his regular
course of studies in Upsala, Sweden, in 1870. Then for two years be was
demonstrator of surgery in Upsala. In 1862 he came to this country, to
Washington, D. C, as a member of the Spanish legation, for the purpose of
studying American naval tactics. He returned to Spain in 1868 and was
one of the leaders in the Carlist movement, and it was during that time that
he was compelled to leave and go to Sweden. He was in France a short
time, and in 1872 returned to America. After remaining here a short time
he went to South America, and for about two years practiced medicine and
engaged in mining in Argentine Republic. Chili and Peru. He went to Bos-
ton in 1875, where he had previously established a home, and while maintain-
ing that as his headquarters he took trips all over the world, and was in the
Chilean war as an army surgeon, 1879-80. In 1880 he went to London, Eng-
land, and after a short stay there returned to this country and located in New
York city, where he remained for a number of years.
During the year 1867 Dr. DeSoto "rounded the Horn'" in the schooner
Albatrose, and came to Seattle, when the Queen City's industrial interests
were measured by the output from a single sawmill. He returned to Seattle
in 1897, and, as people were returning from Alaska in a sick and destitute
condition, he saw the need of a free hospital and established the present Way-
side Mission Hospital. He is spending his spare time and his money in
lightening the burdens of the sick poor. During the past six years he has
cared for no less than nine thousand people in this hospital. In addition to
his present charities he proposes to build at the foot of Jackson street, in
Seattle, a Wayside Hospital, at a cost of eighty thousand dollars, and this
structure is now in course of construction. He will also build in Seattle a
free American Medical College, on which it is the intention to commence
active work next year.
48 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Dr. DeSoto is largely interested in mining and railroad enterprises,
which lie personally manages, and in which he has been very successful. He
is operating the Wayside gold mine at Granite Falls, and this mine he has
dedicated to charity, to the building of colleges and hospitals. This mine,
estimated, will produce millions, and is said to be one of the most mar-
velous in tin- country in that it carries values in something comparatively new
in mining- telluride of copper. He owns the controlling interest in the
Philadelphia Crude Ore Company on Unalaska Island, across from Dutch
Harbor. Thjs is said to be the largest sulphur deposit known. Also he
own- the controlling interest in and is president of the Alaska Iron Com-
pany, owning properties which have fifty million tons of iron in sight, near
Haynes Mission, ju^t over the boundary line in British Columbia. He is
vice presidenl and general manager of the DeSoto Placer Mining Company,
which owns much valuable mining property in Council City, Alaska, in one
place bavin- forty-five million cubic yards of pay gravel, averaging three
dollars per yard. It is said to be the largest in the world. They own twelve
miles on (lie Xeucluck river. Alaska; thirty-seven claims on Ophir creek, one
of (lie richest creeks in Alaska; twenty-seven claims on Warm creek, which
runs parallel to Ophir creek. On the first of last June the DeSoto Placer
Mining Company took to Alaska the largest dredgers and steam shovels in
oiid. in all, two hundred and seventy thousand dollars worth of ma-
chinery and supplies; seventy-four men accompanied the machinery and the
expedition has proved a great success.
Dr. DeSoto has organized the Everett & Snohomish Rapid Transit Com-
pany, and after constructing the road between Everett and Snohomish, a
distance of eight miles, will build seventy-six miles leading into Seattle. The
er will he supplied from the Sultan river falls. The Doctor is president
of the Behring Sea & Council City Railway, which will run from Nome to
Council City, a distance of eighty miles. The surveys were completed last
year, and the construction will be commenced this year, five years being re-
quired to complete it. The cost of the road will be two million eight hundred
thousand dollars, and it will tap a country rich in various resources. Dr.
DeSoto is the owner of the DeSoto Transportation Companv, owning and
operating the river steamer Aurum and barges between Golovin Bay and
I ouncil City, a distance of sixty miles. All these enterprises above named
« on.d attention. 1 lis broad enterprise, his public spirit
and his great work along charity lines place Dr. DeSoto among the leading
men of the northv
HENRY C. DAVIS.
I he I h been for half a century intimately connected with
th and pi of Lewis county, il^ members have filled many
''I th. pul county and state, and they may now be found in
'"on, walks of life not only bringing credit to themselves hut reflecting
1 "I""1 their community. If ancestry counts for anything in the success
of men, the mingling of the Welsh and German stocks in this family is cer-
tainlv an excellenl hei itai
*S6. (Lt&^^L^
W YORK
labile LlBRARvl
ASTOR. LENOX AND
jTlJ.DENFOUNOATr0Nsl
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 49
The oldest member of the family who was connected with the history of
this state was Lewis H. Davis, the father of Henry C. He was born in
Windsor county, Vermont, in 1794, and while in the east he married Susan
Clinger, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Of this marriage two daugh-
ters and five sons were born, who are now identified with the interests of
the state of Washington. With this family Mr. Davis crossed the plains to
Oregon in 185 1, six months being consumed in the journey which now takes
less than a week. They remained one year in Portland, Oregon, which was
then but a village in the midst of the forest. They next came into Lewis
county and settled at a place called Drew's Mill, near Cowlitz. But Mr.
Davis, not liking the location, went to Olympia, where he found no suitable
place, and then returned to where Chehalis now stands, where he met a Mr.
Sanders, who informed him of a spot which would probably suit him. They
set out on an Indian trail and reached a beautiful little prairie, shut in by
strips of green woodland and with the white peaks "of three mountains tower-
ing aloft, Mount Takhoma (Mount Rainier ). .Mount Adams and Mount
Hood; here the charm of the scene ;ahd -the fertility of the soil induced Mr.
Davis to locate, and he entered three hundred and twenty acres, while his
eldest son, Levi Adrian Davis, took an adjoining half section. After erect-
ing a sawmill and later a grist mill he proposed to the county to build and
donate the courthouse if the county seat should be established in this locality.
This proposition was accepted, and the courthouse was constructed at the
cost of one thousand dollars. Upon one corner of the lot was placed a tall,
supple flag-staff, the largest ever raised in the state, the upper section of
which was arranged to be lowered at need, and the subject of this sketch
and his sist( r Caroline still recall the fact that they solicited donations with
which to buy a flag. Here Mr. Davis laid out the town of Claquato, built a
cozy church and school and constructed many miles of road leading through
the forests to the town, now called Centralia, formerly called Kookum-
chuch, and south to where the town of Napavine stands. In every way
he sought to make it the center of trade and to develop a city of importance
in the state. But some time after, when the Columbia and Puget Sound
road was built, the courthouse was removed to Chehalis, and the place for
which he had worked so hard was deserted, and now only the delightful
home of our subject marks the spot, surrounded by the trees which the old
pioneers planted, and the little church is also standing as a monument to the
zeal and enterprise of its builder.
Mr. Davis had been a captain in the war of 18 12 and in the Black Hawk
war, and when the Indian war of 1855-56 threatened he was foremost in
building a fort for protection : it was constructed one hundred feet square,
and on the palisade of closely set posts were placed cone-shaped structures
from which the sides of the fort could be raked by the guns. One night Mr.
Davis and one of his sons were sent to Olympia to secure ammunition, and
they made the trip safely. He used his influence in keeping the settlers in
the fort during the war and in inspiring them with confidence, and he was
thus an important factor in the war. By order of Governor Stevens he also
conducted a block-house at Centralia. General McLetlan, Governor Slovens.
Halleck, Sheridan, Grant, and all the young military officers often stopped
50 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
and enjoyed Mr. Davis' generous hospitality, and he was much esteemed for
his integrity and bravery. He continued to operate his mill until his death,
and he passed away in the seventieth year of his life, in 1864; his wife died
in her seventy-second year. Before detailing the life of the immediate sub-
ject of this sketch a short account of the other children would be interesting.
The eldest son. Levi Adrian, and his brothers, were engaged in milling
and ran a stage from Olympia to Monticello. He assisted his father in all
his pioneer enterprises and shared in much of the credit due to those under-
takings. He resided in Claquato until 1888 and afterward for some years at
Cora, near Mount Tacoma; he conducted the postoffice there and named the
town in honor of his niece, Cora Ferguson. On March 8, 1854, he married
Mary Jane King and they had four sons and two daughters. He died Octo-
ber 1, 1 90 1, aged sixty years, and, like his father, was one of the esteemed
men of the state. He had been elected to the state legislature and was a
member of the Republican national convention which met at Indianapolis and
nominated Benjamin Harrison for the presidency. He was also county com-
missioner for several terms.
The daughter, Melinda Browning, has also passed away. The second
son, Austin Davis, was a farmer and was connected with his father in the
pioneer work, being the first postmaster of Claquato and filling the office of
treasurer of the county; he died June 16. 1892, in his fifty-fifth year, and be
left a wife, three sons and a daughter. The third son, who was named
William Henry Harrison Davis because of bis father's admiration for Gen-
eral Harrison, was a farmer and died May 6, 1901. The daughter, Caro-
line E., became tin- wife of Javen Hall. The youngest son, Luther Tower
Davis, was bom at Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1848, crossed the plains when
threi years old and was reared and educated in Lewis county; he is married
and has one child and resides in South Tacoma.
Henry C. Davis, who is the son of Lewis H. Davis, was born at Fort
Wayne, Indiana, Jul) iJ. 1815. and was only five years old when his parents
made their long trip across the plains. He was educated in the public schools
of Lewis county, and the scenes of pioneer life made a vivid impression upon
his young mind. When old enough to work he assisted in the farm work,
and after his father's death followed various occupations until 1878, when
he removed to Tacoma and engaged in (lie drug business in partnership with
Dr. H. C. Bostwick. They suffered severe losses by fire, being burned out
three times, and Mr. Davis then quit the business. He built the first three-
story brick block in Tacoma, and he still owns this property, which pays him
handsome profits in rent. lie was elected treasurer of Tacoma and served
for three wars. In 1888 he returned to his farm at Claquato. For many
years Mr. Davis has been interested in the anthracite coal mines at the head
waters of the Cowlitz river, where are situated the purest veins of anthracite
coal in the state or in the west, and this is destined to develop into a very
valuable property. Mr. Davis donated five acres of land at Claquato to the
tndepi Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery. This land was Worth one
hundt ed di 'liars per ...
In [889 Mi'. Davis was married to Miss [,1a Scott, a native of the state
"i Pennsylvania; Mrs. Caroline Scott Harrison, the wife of President Harri-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 51
son, was her father's cousin. Two children were born to them on the old
homestead at Claquato, Ethel Lillian and Donald Jerome. Mr. and Mrs.
Davis are members of the Presbyterian church and very deservedly rank
among the foremost citizens of the county, where Mr. Davis has been reared
and has spent his entire life in the active prosecution of many private and
public enterprises.
JAMES KNOX.
On the list of federal officers in the state of Washington appears the
name of James Knox, who is now serving as United States shipping commis-
sioner for the Puget Sound district. The country would be fortunate if all
of its public offices were filled by men of such known ability, patriotism and
practical business sense. All three qualities are essential to the officer of
worth, and in none of these is Mr. Knox lacking.
A native of Peoria, Illinois, he was born April 2, 1855, and is a son of
James and Elizabeth (Johnston) Knox, both of whom were natives of New
York. The father went to Illinois in 1835, locating in the town of Knox
in Knox county. That name was bestowed in honor of his uncle, Hon. James
Knox, who was at one time a member of Congress from Illinois in the early
clays. The maternal grandfather and grandmother of our subject were born
in Ireland and Mr. Knox's father was also of Irish descent. The father was
a successful man, who prospered in his undertakings and left to his family
a moderate estate. He died before the birth of our subject, and the mother
is still living and now makes her home in San Jose, California.
James Knox obtained his education in Knox College at Galesburg,
Illinois, and in Racine College, of Wisconsin. When he had finished his
school life he engaged in the stock business in Knox county, where he re-
mained for a year and a half. He was then married to Miss Bessie Fuller,
of New- London, Connecticut, and the young couple started for the west.
They located in Eldorado, Butler county, Kansas, where Mr. Knox became
extensively engaged in dealing in fine stock. He was the first man to intro-
duce pedigreed Durham cattle and Poland China hogs into that county, and
in his operations he was very successful. After a four years' residence in
Eldorado, however, he came to the Puget Sound country in 1879. locating
in Puyallup, Pierce county. At that time the development of the trans-
continental railroad had just begun at this end of the land, and Mr. Knox's
first enterprise was to secure the contract for supplying meats for the railroad
contractors and their men. He was engaged in this business on a large scale,
and from that time until 1895 was extensively interested in live-stock and
irrigation and other development enterprises of this section of the state. He
also served as mayor of the town of Puyallup. and his public service and pri-
vate endeavors proved of much benefit to the place in which he made his home.
In 1895 Mr. Knox removed to Tacoma, where he became connected with
the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company as an outside man. For three
years he occupied that position, and in 1899 received the appointment of
United States shipping commissioner under the treasury department for the
Puget Sound district. His jurisdiction extends over the shipping ports of
Puget Sound and Gray's harbor, and he has a deputy stationed at each port.
5l< HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
The duties of this office are of a responsible and complex nature. That Mr.
Knox has been expert in his work and is thoroughly familiar with the many
important details of the position goes to show how quickly the average western
man adapts himself to different occupations and duties.
When Mr. Knox has been interested in political affairs and a factor in
political circles he has always met with the same success as has attended him
in his business ventures. In the senatorial contest of 1899 his labors were
largely effective in bringing about the election of Addison G. Foster, vice
president of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company, with which our sub-
ject has been connected. He is a large man of almost limitless energy, is
liberal, broad-minded and of a free and easy disposition. He has a nice
home in Tacoma at 1902 South J street. To him and his wife have been
born four children: James 'Ward, Elizabeth Miller, Jane Anne and Sara E.
Mr. Knox is an excellent type of an American citizen. Manliness, pa-
triotism, sincerity and friendship are instinctively associated with his name.
The common testimony of him is that he is a man of remarkable sagacity, a
quality in the human mind that we can scarcely overestimate, in business and
in many relations of life. Washington has profited by his efforts in her
behalf. and in public office he is now proving a capable and reliable official.
ARTHUR J. WEISBACH.
During the revolutions and political disturbances in Germany in 1848,
when the conditions imposed upon the private citizen were almost intoler-
able and freedom of conscience seemed almost impossible, thousands of
native Germans left their fatherland and sought relief in other lands, princi-
pally America. These emigrants consisted of the very flower of the popula-
tion, and were men of sturdy character and noble purposes, entirely free from
the taint which adheres to a later class of emigrants, and were destined to
amalgamate and form one of the very best parts of American citizenship.
One of these was Jacob Weisbach, who, on his arrival in this country,
came to what was then an almost wild and unknown country, eastern
Kansas. lie became a merchant in Marysville, and obtained his goods by
means of tin- old freighl and express conveyances of the clay. He was very
prosperous and became prominent not only in his own community but in the
-talc at large, being a member of the legislature and the incumbent of other
important positions. During the Indian outbreaks of the sixties he joined
a home company, anil thus had experience as a frontier soldier. He re-
mained in Marysville for a number of years, but in 1881 he determined to
keep on the advancing wave of civilization by going to the extreme west.
Tacoma was then onlj a small village and almost unheard of in the outer
world, but Mr. Weisbach. after disposing of his interests in Kansas, estab-
lished a mercantile business here, and repeated his former success. He soon
tool a prominenl part in the affairs of the city, was elected a member of
iIm' 1 itv council and in iSS^ was made mayor. In November of that year he
was chairman of tin- committee of fifteen which was organized to cope with
the Chinese riots and exclude these undesirables from the city. Mr. Weis-
bach's splendid executive ability in that crisis is a lasting record in the history
of the city, and is still spoken of by the "old-timers." But in 1887 he retired
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 53
from his long and active career, and two years later he died, leaving behind
a beautiful memorial of a useful and honorable public and private life.
Of the different members of Hon. Jacob Weisbach's family, mention
should be made of Professor Robert Weisbach, a foremost musician of Ta-
coma, and of his sister, Mrs. O. J. H. Swift, wife of the Deputy United States
Shipping Commissioner at Tacoma.
The remaining child is Captain Arthur J. Weisbach, who was born in
Marysville, Kansas, in 1867. He received his education in his native place,
and in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he lived for about ten years of his youth.
He was an independent lad and never relied on his father's success for help,
but made his way by his own efforts. When he was twenty years old he
decided to come out to the country where his father had located, and arrived
here in the spring of 1887. He was engaged in various occupations until
1897, when he secured a position as clerk in the land department of the North-
ern Pacific Railway at Tacoma, and in March, 1901, was promoted to his
present responsible position, that of chief clerk of the department. He took
an active interest in the organization of the Washington militia, and is now
the captain of Company A, First Infantry, of the Washington National
Guard. He is also a very popular man in both business and social circles.
SAMUEL C. SLAUGHTER.
Samuel C. Slaughter, who is engaged in the real estate business in
Tacoma, was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, in 1848, and comes of an
ancestry honorable and distinguished in the south. His parents were Dr.
Philip C. and Mary (McDowell) Slaughter, the latter of Scotch ancestry.
The paternal ancestry was represented by valiant soldiers in the Revolution-
ary war. Dr. Philip C. Slaughter was born in Virginia and there spent his
entire life, his death occurring in Culpeper county. His family was a very
old one in that region, and was of Welsh origin, the progenitors of the
Slaughters in America having taken up their abode in the Old Dominion in
1620. Dr. Slaughter served as a surgeon in the Confederate army in the
Civil war, and was made chief surgeon at Camp Lee during the presidency of
Jefferson Davis. His cousin, General James E. Slaughter, was a classmate
of Genera! Grant at West Point and was in command of the Confederate
forces on the Rio Grande river in the Civil war. General H. G. Wright of
the Sixth Army Corps was a relative of Dr. Slaughter, as was also General
Bradford, while General McDowell, prominent at the battle of Bull Run, and
( ieneral Ord were relatives of Mrs. Slaughter, the mother of our subject.
In taking up the personal history of Samuel C. Slaughter we present to
our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in
Tacoma. He was reared in Culpeper county and there obtained his educa-
tion. After attaining his majority he went to New York city, where he
entered business life, and remained for more than fifteen years as a member
of the well known banking firm of Norton, Slaughter & Company, which did
business at 41 Broad street. For the past twenty years Mr. Slaughter has
been a prominent resident of Tacoma, and has here engaged in real estate
operations. Since coming to Washington in 1882 he has been one of the
5J HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
most progressive and enterprising citizens of this portion of the state, closely
identified with its development, upbuilding and material progress. He is
now one oi the few remaining pioneer real estate men of the state of Wash-
ington. What is now known as the central addition to Tacoma, bounded by
South Ninth, K and M streets, and Sixth avenue, was at the time of his arrival
Mth the forest trees of gigantic growth which sheltered the Indians
ere the advent of the white men into this section of the country. Now this
district is covered with some of the handsome homes of civilization. One
of the first lots that Mr. Slaughter sold at that early date is situated on Pacific
avenue at the corner of Eleventh street, known as the Pincus & Packsher
■ rty, and is now one of the most prominent business corners in Tacoma.
It was sold to Colonel Harbine, of Nebraska, the father-in-law of Judge
Snell, for twelve thousand live hundred dollars, and upon it is located the
Fie National Bank. This property was recently purchased by Miles C.
Moore, of Walla Walla, for one hundred thousand dollars. After the finan-
cial depression of [883-4-5 local realty was again very low, and Mr. Slaughter
recalls that another lot on Pacific avenue was sold by Dr. H. C. Bostwick to
Dickson Brothers as a location for their clothing store for the sum of six
and dollars. Many now well known landmarks passed through Mr.
Slaughter's hands in those days, and few real estate agents of the city have
handled so much property or negotiated so many important realty transfers,
lie is still in the business under the firm name of S. C. Slaughter & Com-
pany, at [09 South Ninth street, where he is always ready to welcome his
own friends and customers, lie has as firm faith in the future of the city as
he always had, and his belief in Tacoma has been well founded, for its ad-
vancement has been marked and its growth continuous.
Mr. Slaughter was united in marriage in San Francisco, in 1889, to
Miss Julia C. Widgery, and for a number of years she has been a most
prominent factor in social circles and in public interests in Tacoma and the
thwest. She was born iii Essex, Devonshire, England, the daughter of
a well known artist. She represented Washington as a member of the board
of lady managers of the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893.
She also organized and was the president of the Washington State Co-opera-
tive : the purpose of which is to encourage the patronage of home
industries, and was the means of doing a great deal of good in that respect.
She is now a member of the board of trustees of the Ferry Museum, Ta-
coma's most notable public institution, and is the only woman on that board.
Both Mi. and Mrs. Slaughter enjoy the high respect and warm friendship of
the mosl prominent pe pl< ol racoma and this section of the state, and are
rded as valued additions to the social functions here held. That Mr.
Slaughter is personally popular and enjoys the high regard of his fellow-
townsmen is indicated by the fact that he was elected by popular suffrage in
\|nil. [892, to the position of city comptroller, and was the only successful
Democral on the ticket. Public spirited and progressive, since coming to
the northwest he has co operated in ev< r) measure for the general good, and
his influence and labors have been a marked factor in the improvement and
the city.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 55
ALBERT H. KUHN.
Mr. Kuhn is the superintendent of the Hoquiam Lumber ami Shingle
Company, and the history of his family connections and of his business career
will form an interesting chapter in the annals of Puget Sound. His father
was Henry Kuhn, a native of Switzerland, and of French and German
origin. At the age of fourteen he left home, and after living in France for
a time came to the United States, finally taking up his permanent residence
in Wisconsin. He was a prosperous farmer of that state till his death, which
occurred at his home near Oshkosh in 1900. After he had come to Wis-
consin, Henry Kuhn married Soloma Wellauer, who was also of German
ancestry and a native of Switzerland, coming to this country when a young
lady. She was a sister of Jacob Wellauer, of Milwaukee, a wealthy and
prominent citizen of that place, and at one time owner of nearly one-half the
land of the city. Mrs. Kuhn died at Oshkosh in 1902.
Albert H. Kuhn was born at Waukesha, Wisconsin, in i860, but when
an infant was taken by his parents to a farm near Oshkosh, where he grew
to manhood and received a good education. After finishing at the State
Normal School at Oshkosh he taught for a year at Dale. In the meantime he
had learned telegraphy, and when his school year was over he went to Chicago
and secured a position as operator with the Western Union. He was next
a railroad operator and was appointed agent at Fridley, Minnesota, for the
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad, afterward the Great Northern.
In 1881 he became agent for the Northern Pacific at Medora. Dakota, and
was there during the trouble between the Marquis de Mores and the cattle
men, being the chief witness for the state in the murder trial of the Marquis.
Roosevelt was there on his ranch during the summer.
In 1883 Mr. Kuhn came to the Pacific coast, and made one trip from
San Francisco to Australia as a sailor, but in 1884 he came to Hoquiam,
Washington, where he has made his home ever since. He became engaged
in lumbering, and for eighteen years was foreman of the logging and all
outside work of the Northwestern Lumber Company. He was an interested
party in the formation of the Hoquiam Lumber and Shingle Company, and
early in 1902 he designed and built for that company a shingle mill which is
pronounced by experts to be the finest mill of the kind in the northwest, as it
cuts more and better shingles and more cheaply than any other mill in this
region. Mr. Kuhn is superintendent of this plant, and is now engaged in
building for the same company a large lumber mill which he will also operate.
These interests now form Mr. Kuhn's principal business.
In 1900 Mr. Kuhn was married to Mrs. Ida Soule Howes, of Hoquiam.
Mrs. Kuhn organized and is regent of the Robert Gray Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution, and is a member of the Society of
Mayflower descendants. From these connections it will be inferred that
Mrs. Kuhn has a line of famous ancestors, and the following paragraphs will
be devoted to them.
This branch of the Soule family traces its authenticated ancestry with-
out a single break through Constant South worth back to Childric, King of the
Franks, born in 458. The line comes down through Charlemagne; his de-
scendant, Louis IV. of France called "D'Outremer" ; his descendant, Robert
50 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
de Bellomont, who was associated with William the Conqueror in the in-
vasion of England, and was created the first Earl of Leicester. He was de-
fended on Ins mother's side from Alfred the Great of England. There were
many succeeding Earls of Leicester in the Bellomont name whose wives were
of the ducal houses of Pembroke, Hertford, Gloucester, Winchester, Norfolk,
March, Salisbury, etc. The line then comes down through females to Lady
[sabell de Dutton, who married Sir Christopher Southworth, of Salmesbury,
in 1465. From them was descended Constant Southworth, whose grand-
daughter Men hworth married Moses Soule, grandson of George Soule,
a passenger on the Mayflower, and thirty-fifth signer of the famous "Com-
pact.'- Mercy Southworth was also a great-granddaughter of John Alden
and Priscilla Mullens. Seven of the Southworth ancestors were signers of
the Magna Charta, four were among the founders of the Order of the Garter,
and one, William Marshal, third Earl of Pembroke, was Lord Protector of
the Realm during the minority of King Henry III. of England. Another
ancestor, Ralph de Stanley, second Baron Stafford, had a principal command
al Cressy.
Barnabas Soule, grandson of Moses and Mercy, founded the Soule ship-
yards at Freeport, Maine, one of the oldest in the country and in active opera-
tion up to a few years ago, twelve of the Soule ships being now in commis-
sion on the Pacific coast. Nearly all the descendants of Barnabas have been
engaged either in shipbuilding or in seafaring life. His son Thomas was
captain of their privateer Fairplay in the war of 1812, and was captured by
the British and confined in Dartmoor prison. Joseph, the son of Thomas
Soule, was horn in Freeport, Maine, and was descended, through his mother,
Sallie Follansbee, from David and Daniel Currier, of Amesbury, Massa-
chusetts, father and son, who were patriots in the Revolutionary war. Joseph
Soule continued in the shipbuilding business for many years. He made a
trip to ( alifornia in one of the family ships in 1852, and a few years later
moved from Maine to Illinois, where he engaged extensively in the manu-
facturing of Farm machinery, which he continued until 1879, when he located
in < alifornia. In 1885 he removed with his family to Hoquiam on Gray's
Harbor, but again returned to the east and died in New York in 1900. His
I) all reside in 1 loquiam.
Joseph Soule married Miss Frances Fensley, now living at Hoquiam,
who is a line, intellectual and well preserved woman. She is a direct de-
scendanl of General Schuyler 0,1" Revolutionary fame; of John Folsom of
mouth, Xew Hampshire, another patriot and an ancestor also of Mrs.
Grove: l li /eland, and, on her mother's side, from Sir Robbie Murray of
Stirling, Scotland, and Timothy Pickering, Washington's secretary of state.
In the collateral branches of the Soule family are some interesting char-
acters, among them I" despotic Rev. John Wheelwright, brother of
Mrs. \nne Hutchinson, and the founder during his enforced exile from
colon) of Wells, Maine, and Essex, Xew Hampshire; the Rev.
(he saintrj founder of I oncord, Massachusetts; Major Robert
Pike, the famous lawyer and Indian lighter, who saved many an old woman
. and who was one of the founders of
Salisbury, Massachusetts; and the above mentioned Constant Southworth,
n of Governor Bradford, who came to the country in 1628. During
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 57
his long life he held many important offices in Plymouth colony, being deputy
governor for twenty-two years, treasurer for sixteen years and commissary
general during King Philip's war.
Mrs. Kuhn is one of the children of Joseph and Frances Soule, the others
being John Fensley Soule, secretary of the Northwestern Lumber Company ;
Mrs. Sarah Soule McMillan, Captain Thomas Soule and Mrs. Josiah Onslow
Stearns, all of Hoquiam.
ZACHARY T. WILSON.
James Harvey Wilson was a native of Ohio, and by occupation was a
farmer and also a railroad contractor. About 1874 he removed with his
family to northwestern Missouri, locating near St. Joseph, where he died in
1875. He married Henrietta Melick, who has survived him and resides in
Dekalb county, Missouri.
Before this worth)' couple had left their home at Lancaster, Ohio, their
son Zachary T. was born to them, in 1850. A part of his boyhood was spent
on a farm, where he grew up strong and vigorous. He was large for his age,
and, taking advantage of this fact, during the last year of the Civil war, he
tried three times to enlist, and would have succeeded in spite of his age, had
his father not taken him out. But the soldier instinct was so strong in him,
that, failing to gain permission to enlist in the regular army, he joined the
artillery branch of the Ohio Home Guards, and had charge of a gun at
Camp Chase for three months. While in performance of duties connected
with this position he yielded to one of the powerful impulses of boys and
chipped his name on the gun, which will remain as a lasting memorial of
his "soldiering," since this now antiquated piece of artillery is preserved on
the grounds of the state arsenal at Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Wilson afterward
finished his education at Union Academy at Fairfield. Ohio, where he was
graduated in 1870.
On leaving home he became an employe of a large grain firm at Win-
chester, Ohio. He later taught school in Fairfield county, and when he re-
moved with the family to Missouri he became principal of a school in thai
section. But in 188 1 he gave up school teaching" and set out for the territory
of Washington. For the following ten years he was in the mercantile busi-
ness at Walla Walla, and then came to the Gray's Harbor district, locating
first at the town of Gray's Harbor, which, however, was a place of mushroom
growth and soon withered out of existence. In 1892 he established his resi-
dence at Hoquiam, where he has remained ever since. For the six years
following his location here he was connected with the E. K. Wood Lumber
Company, a part of which time he had charge of their general store. Since
leaving the lumber company he has been employed in various capacities, gen-
erally as a bookkeeper, until December, 1901. when he was elected city clerk
of Hoquiam, and was re-elected a year later. Besides attending to the faith-
ful discharge of the duties of this office, he conducts a real estate business and
is meeting with increasing success.
Mr. Wilson has four children by his two marriages. His first wife was
Helen Perry, to whom he was married at St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1878; she
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
was a native of northwestern Pennsylvania and was a member of the Commo-
dore Perry branch of the family of that name. The three children of this
union are Fannie M., Chester A. and Agnes. Mr. Wilson's present wife is
Beatrice (Hamilton) Wilson, to whom he was married at Hoquiam. They
have a son by the name of Winfkld D. Mr. Wilson is a firm believer in
Republican principles and policies, and it was on the ticket of that party that
he was elected to his present position.
MARK H. DRAHAM.
The above named gentleman, who occupies a very prominent position in
connection with the lumber interests of Washington, has been engaged in
this line of business all his life. From earliest boyhood he has been familiar
with the sights and scenes of logging camps, the stubborn oxen pulling their
lumber loads, the resounding blows of the ax, the busy whirr of the saw, the
shouts and oaths of the drivers, the loud explosions that shake the earth
when some monarch of the forest topples to the earth with a tremendous
crash. He understands this vast industry in every detail, from the first
stroke of the ax or saw at the base of the tree to the business of financing a
great corporation with an enormous capital to manufacture and handle
lumber on a vast scale. It has been his fortune to be engaged in this busi-
ness in many states and in widely different sections of the Union, from the
upper Atlantic coast to the magnificent forests that border on Puget Sound.
Mr. Draham first smelled the odors of pine in the woods of Maine, but his
ancestors, who were of Irish origin, had previously settled in Massachusetts.
Lawrence Draham, who was born in the last mentioned state, was a
man of bold spirit and adventurous disposition. He joined the "forty-
niners" in the middle of the century and went to California in the wild rush
for gold. Ten vears later he joined the Union army and served with courage
and fidelity until the close of hostilities. This veteran, now no more, was
married in early manhood to Alary I'lunkct and had a family of eleven chil-
dren, of whom eighl are living, and three are residents of Washington. Mrs.
Dell Roger-, one of the daughters, resides at Omaha.
Mark 11. Draham, one of the sons who came to Washington, was born
in Maine in 1S5S, and remained there until early manhood. At the age of
Fourteen he was compelled to make his own living, and the stimulus of
poverty, connected with energy and industry, enabled him in a comparatively
short period to rise several rungs on the ladder of success. With his boyish
experience- in the pineries of Maine as practically his only capital he came
to Washington in (877, and soon he became active in the lumber industry of
that -tate. Locating at Shelton, he took stock in the Mason County Logging
1 ompany, hut later disposed of this interest for the purpose of organizing the
company with which he has since been so conspicuously identified. This or-
ganization, known as the Western Washington Logging Company, is one
of the most important of its kind iii the state. It controls nearly all the
timbered lands along the line of the Shelton & Southwestern Railway, a dis-
tance oi over iwent\ miles, owns live thousand acres of timber, employs
litv men, and their annual output is over twenty live million feet of lumber.
tITFnewTorF i
ASTOR LBNOX AND
lI.DENPor,NDArrONSl
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 50
All the logs are shipped to the bay and towed to the different mills on the
Sound. Mr. Draham is president of the company, and his brother, G. \Y.
Draham, is the secretary, while W. H. Kneeland, the vice president and treas-
urer, is also owner of the railroad above mentioned. The officials and
owners are all men of fine business ability and high standing in financial cir-
cles and thoroughly experienced concerning everything connected with lum-
ber industry. This is especially true of Dr. Draham himself, whose life-long
training, united with broad business views, makes him a very valuable man
for the company of which he is the executive head.
Mr. Draham's social relations are in keeping with his business qualifica-
tions and make him, both as man and citizen, one of the favorites among
the people with whom he has cast his lot. He accepted election to the Shelton
city council for the purpose of being able to push forward improvements and
bring about repairs that would make the capital of Mason county one of the
model towns of the Puget Sound country. In 1890 Mr. Draham was mar-
ried to Miss Margaret Marshall, a lady of Canadian birth and English an-
cestry, by whom he has a daughter named Margery'. Mr. Draham acts politi-
cally with the Republican party, and holds fraternal relations with the
Ancient Order of United Workmen.
HON. CHARLES E. COON.
Hon. Charles E. Coon, president of the Port Townsend Mercantile Com-
pany, mayor and president of the Chamber of Commerce of Port Townsend,
was born at Friendship, Allegany county, New York, in 1842, and is a son
of Arthur A. and Emeline (Evarts) Coon, the latter of whom was a grand-
daughter of Brigadier General Gideon Brownson, commander of a brigade
of "Green Mountain Boys" in the Revolutionary war. Hon. William M.
Evarts belonged to the same family. The maternal ancestry is English,
while the paternal is Scotch.
Charles E. Coon, whose services as a statesman have distinguished him,
received only a common school education. On April 24, 1861, at the age of
eighteen years, he enlisted in the Twenty-third New York Volunteer Infantry,
serving in the Army of the Potomac until 1863, when he became chief clerk
and deputy provost marshal of the Twenty-seventh Congressional district
(his own) in New York. In 1864, on coming out of the army, he was given
a position in the office of the United States treasurer, at Washington, and
from thence, for a long number of years, his life was a story of promotions
and success in the government service, until he became assistant secretary of
the treasury, under President Arthur. He served in different capacities in
the treasurer's office and was finally transferred to the office of the secretary.
In 1871 Mr. Coon was selected as one of the staff of Hon. William A.
Richardson, assistant secretary of the treasury, on a mission the purpose of
which was to refund the United States bonded debt. He was engaged in
this work almost continuously for ten years, making ten trips back and forth
between the two countries. At first he was assistant funding agent, but later
became agent in charge. It has been computed that, during all this time,
the money and securities passing through his hands amounted to one thousand
million dollars.
60 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Coon was in the office of the secretary of the treasury when Secretary
John Sherman brought about the resumption of specie payments. By Mr.
Sherman's direction he prepared an exhaustive report to Congress, which
was published under the title of "Refunding and Resumption of Specie Pay-
ments." The last notable service performed by Mr. Coon was at the outset
of the Garfield administration, when a disturbance of the balance of trade
was threatened by the return from abroad of a large amount of United States
bonds, about to fall due. He proffered his services to Secretary Windom
and expressed the opinion that he could exchange these bonds in Europe for
long-term bonds bearing a lower rate of interest. He was given authority
to show what he could do in this line, and accordingly he went to London,
with one clerk, mainly at his own expense, and through his acquaintance with
financiers over there, both in England and on the continent, succeeded in
refunding seventy-five million dollars of these bond-holdings into four per
cenl. bonds. The saving in interest was enormous, and Congress reimbursed
him for all expenses incurred.
In April, 1884, Mr. Coon was selected by President Arthur to be assist-
ant secretary of the treasury, and he was immediately confirmed by the senate,
a promotion that was very gratifying to Mr. Coon, as a suitable recognition
of his abilities and long service. After Charles J. Folger's death, and until
his successor was appointed, he was designated as acting secretary. When
the Cleveland administration took hold in 1885, Mr. Coon, although a Repub-
lican, was requested to remain, and served under President Cleveland foi
nine months, when he resigned. His continuous service in the treasury de-
partment lasted from Salmon P. Chase, in 1864, to Daniel Manning, in 1885.
lie was widely known as an authority on matters in connection with fiscal
operations of the government, and the newspapers in those days made con-
stant use of him as a source of information and as an authority on govern-
ment finance. Although a strong Republican, it should be stated that Colonel
(nun wuii bis promotions solely on merit, and on account of his hard work,
knowledge and ability. Alter coming out of the treasury department, in
[888, be was nominated for Congress from the tenth congressional district
of New York, which was hopelessly Democratic. Although defeated by
General Daniel P. Sickles, Mr. Coon ran one thousand votes ahead of Benja-
min Harrison, the presidential candidate.
Mr. Coon continued to live in New York until 1895, when he came on
a visit to bis niece at Tacoma, and was so favorably impressed with the Puget
Sound country that he decided to remain here and go into business. In 1897
he located permanently at Port Townsendj establishing the Port Townsend
Mercantile Company, of which lie is president. This is a wholesale and retail
grocery and ship supply house, and does a large business. He is president
ol the Chamber of Commerce of Port Townsend. having been re-elected to
that position four times. In December, 1901, be was elected mayor, and in
I (ecember, 1902, he was again elected, for another year, receiving all the
\i ites cast.
Mr. Coon was one of the first members of the Grand Army of the Re-
public when it was organized at Washington, and was a member of Burnside
I 'list in that city until 1901, when be transferred his membership to the Port
Townsend post, lie also belongs to the Society of the Army of the Potomac
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 61
and to the Union Soldiers' Alliance, is a prominent Mason and is a member
of the Masonic Veterans' Association of Washington city. His member-
ship is also a prominent and valued one in local Elk circles and in the Society
of the Sons of the Revolution, in New York city. He is locally known as
Colonel Coon.
WILLIAM A. FAIRWEATHER.
When the present site of the city of Tacoma was largely covered with
forest trees that stood in their primeval strength, William A. Fairweather
made his way to this section of the country, and through the intervening years
he has watched with interest the progress and development here, and has
contributed in no small degree to the growth and improvement of this section
of the state. He is now serving as deputy collector of United States customs
in charge of the port of Tacoma, and all who are at all familiar with his life
know that in the discharge of his duties he will ever prove faithful, prompt
and reliable.
Mr. Fairweather was born at St. John, New Brunswick, in 1853, a son
of Peter and Elizabeth Fairweather. The father belonged to an old New
Brunswick family of Scotch descent and was born in Essex county, New
York, where the family was residing at that time. Later, however, the
parents returned to New Brunswick, where Peter Fairweather spent his re-
maining days. H. W. Fairweather, a brother of our subject, is a prominent
citizen of Spokane, where for a number of years he has been engaged in the
banking business. He came to the northwest in 1871 as a representative of
railroad interests, and was finally made auditor and general freight and pas-
senger agent of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company at Portland,
filling that position until he resigned in order to engage in banking east of
the mountains.
William A. Fairweather spent the first sixteen years of his life in his
parents' home, and then left New Brunswick, going to Nashua, New Hamp
shire, in order to finish his education. On putting aside his text-books he
became connected with the Underbill Edge Tool Company of Nashua, and
was thus employed for a number of years. In 1873, however, he left the old
Granite state and came to the Pacific coast by way of the Isthmus of Panama.
Eventually he arrived at San Francisco and there he took passage on the
old steamer John L. Stevens bound for Portland. On reaching his destina-
tion he entered the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, which
had just completed its line from Portland north to Tacoma. For a time he
was located at Kalama, but in 1875 he came to Tacoma. becoming one of the
first settlers here. The future city was yet in its infancy and gave little
promise of speedy development or rapid growth. Where are now seen line
business blocks stood forest trees, and the most far-sighted could scarcely
have dreamed of the marvelous changes which were soon to occur. Mr.
Fairweather remained at Tacoma for about four years, and in 1879 crossed
the Cascade mountains and established the first store in the new (own of
Ainsworth on the Snake river. Subsequently he engaged in general mer-
chandising at Sprague, and, thus connected with different business enter-
prises, his absence from Tacoma covered ten years. In [886 lie served as
mayor of Sprague and was elected to other local offices in that place.
62 " HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
On returning to Tacoma Mr. Fairweather became an active factor in
business and political circles here. He was elected on the Republican ticket
to the office of clerk of Pierce county for a term of two years, and in May,
1899, lie was appointed deputy collector of customs for the Puget Sound
district in charge of the port of Tacoma. This is an important office, for
the import business at Tacoma has already assumed vast proportions and
the work requires the services of a number of collectors and inspectors, who
discharge their duties under the guidance of Mr. Fairweather. He has the
business of the office well in hand, and is prompt and faithful in the execu-
tion of every duty which devolves upon him.
In [88] was celebrated the marriage of William A. Fairweather and
Miss Annie Myers, the wedding taking place in Oregon City, Oregon. The
lady is a daughter of the Hon. John Myers, who was a member of the
Oregon legislature for twelve years and served as United States marshal
under President Cleveland's administration. The home of Mr. and Mrs.
Fairweather has been blessed with four children: Eva, Allen M., John and
Frances. They reside at 31 10 North Twenty-fourth street. Mr. Fair-
weather is a prominent Mason and for five years served as master of the
e at Sprague. He is a past grand master of the state of Washington
and also a past grand priest of the Royal Arch chapter of the state. His
knowledge of Masonry is broad and comprehensive, and his life has been in
harmony with the teachings and the benevolent spirit of the craft. In politics
he has also been long and deeply interested, and he takes an active and ef-
fective part in promoting the growth and welfare of the Republican party.
' lc has served as chairman of campaign committees, and his labors have been
so directed as to produce good results. As a pioneer settler of the northwest
Mr. Fairweather certainly deserves representation in this volume, and, more-
over, be is entitled to honorable mention because of his activity in business
affairs, his patriotic devotion to the principles in which he believes, and his
earnest efforts for the welfare and progress of Tacoma and the state of
Washington.
ARTHUR NEEDHAM.
In all heavily wooded countries where lumbering is an important in-
dustry there is a class of men known as cruisers, who are factors of moment.
The business of the cruiser, or estimator, is to go through the forests, care-
fully inspect the growing timber and be able to report as to the quantity as
well as quality, the amount growing on a specified area of acres and other
information to be used by purchasers. It takes a man of long experience
and natural ability to do this work with the accuracy required, while it is of
the utmost importance to those intending to buy large quantities of timber
that they should be able to form some estimate of what it is worth. One of
these experts can tell at a glance all about a tree — its probable age. its sound-
ness or unsoundness, the particular botanical group to which it belongs, its
it and si/e. and everything else that a man about to buy would be de-
irou of knowing before purchasing, Thus the work of these experts
; regular business, or perhaps profession would be a better name
lor it, as it requires educated skill of a high order. This subject is men-
tioned here because Mr. Needham, of whom this biography treats, was once
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 03
in this business of "spying" out the forests and reporting to his employers
as to their timber supply. He was formerly in the employment of the cor-
poration now known as the Peninsular Railroad Company, and after five
years' service he was made superintendent of building and operating. Sub-
sequent to this he was engaged to do the work which has been sufficiently
described above.
Arthur Needham is of English nativity, his birth having occurred at
Sheffield, February 5, 1859. In 1868, when he was nine years old, the boy
was brought to America and placed in charge of friends at Saginaw, Michi-
gan, to be educated. He grew to manhood in this city, and, as it was the
center of a large lumbering industry, his attention was naturally turned in
that direction as he grew toward manhood. When, in 1883, he removed to
Washington he found himself in another lumber state with enormous capital
and scores of thousands of men employed in the various branches of the
business. Mr. Needham, as stated, became connected with the industry, and
was regarded as an expert in his line. He received good wages, and being
careful with his money soon had capital sufficient to go into the mercantile
business. He opened his store in 1894, and was the pioneer haberdasher of
Shelton. He is also the only one in this line of business at the county seat,
and enjoys a thriving trade, supplying the surrounding country with hats,
caps, shoes and all kinds of gents' furnishing goods. Adjoining his general
store he keeps an establishment devoted to millinery, which is in charge of
his wife. As Mr. and Mrs. Needham are attentive to business, honorable in
their methods and courteous to customers, they have built up an excellent
business, while acquiring along with it many friends and well wishers.
In 1888 Mr. Needham married Miss Ida Day, by whom he has five chil-
dren: Arthur N.. Ida M., Maurice H., Elva Rovena and Earl. Mr. Need-
ham is fond of the sociabilities and material benefit which comes from joining
the fraternities, and holds membership in a number of the most prominent
secret societies. He belongs to the Odd Fellows, Maccabees. Eagles, Yeo-
men, Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
With his family he lives in a comfortable home at Shelton and enjoys general
respect as a good neighbor, a good citizen and an enterprising business man.
CYRUS VADER DUNBAR.
Cyrus V. Dunbar is the pioneer druggist of Shelton. He arrived in
this city in 1888, when it was a village of but few inhabitants, and in De-
cember of the same year he opened his drug store, in which he has since kept
pace with the needs of the town and has met with gratifying success in his
chosen vocation. A native of the state of Michigan, he was born at Eaton
Rapids, Eaton county, on the 15th of June. 1856, and is of Scotch descent,
but his ancestors have resided in America since an early day. His father,
Charles S. Dunbar, was born in New York in 183 1, was there educated and
learned the blacksmith trade, and also engaged in the hotel business and
farming. He married Miss Orphia S. Norton, and seven children were born
of the union, of whom five are living on the Pacific coast: William H., an
expert accountant of Seattle; Hiram N., a blacksmith of Shelton; Mrs.
Knight, superintendent of the Mason county schools; and E. Prentis, who
Gi HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
is engaged in the paint and wall paper business in Bremerton, Washington.
Charles S. Dunbar loyally served in the Union army during the dark days of
the rebellion.
Cyrus V. Dunbar was educated in the schools of Eaton Rapids, Michi-
gan, and in his native city he also learned the drug business. Going to Port-
land, Oregon, in 1882, he was there engaged at his chosen vocation until
1888, when he came to Shelton and has since been recognized as the leading
druggist of the place. On Christmas day of 1877 Mr. Dunbar was happily
married to Miss Sarah Ann Laverock, a native of New York and of English
ancestry. One daughter has been born to brighten and bless the home of
our subject ami wife, Cecil Veva, and she is a graduate of the pharmacy de-
partment of the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor. Mr. Dunbar
.- :ercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the
Republican party, and has served with efficiency as a justice of the peace
and as town clerk. His fraternal relations connect him with the Ancient
Order of United Workmen and the Knights of Pythias, being a valued and
active worker in both orders. He is a great lover of music and plays the
1 ornet in the Shelton band, of which three of his brothers are also members.
Since coming to the Evergreen state Mr. Dunbar has achieved excellent suc-
cess, and is now numbered among the substantial citizens of Shelton.
THOMAS BORDEAUX.
In this age of marked enterprise and intellectual energy the prominent
and successful men are those whose abilities, persistence and courage lead
them into large undertakings, and wdio assume the responsibilities and labors
of leaders in their respective vocations. Success is methodical and consecu-
tive, and however much we may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to its ele-
ments and causation in any isolated instance, yet in the light of sober in-
vestigation we will find it to be but a result of the determined application of
one's abilities and powers along the rigidly defined lines of labor. It has
certainly been in this way that Thomas Bordeaux has gained the position
which he now occupies in the business world, a position which makes him a
1 in industrial and commercial circles in his part of the state. He is the
president of the Mason County Logging Company and makes his home in
Shelton, from which place he directs his business, which has become the most
extensive in its line in this part of the state.
Mr. Bordeaux was born in Canada, just across the St. Lawrence river
from Montreal, on the toth of June, [852, and is of French ancestry. His
grandfather, Jerenne Bordeaux, was born in 1 "ranee and became a pioneer
settler of Canada, where Theofield Bordeaux, the father of our subject, was
born and reared. The early French settlers in the Dominion had to contend
with many difficulties and hardships, and often times had to face dangers
which demanded the utmost personal courage, for the Indians frequently
attacked the white nun. who had to defend themselves with pitchforks or
any weapons which they could procure. Theofield Bordeaux married Miss
I.ucile Ba mm iie. and the) became the parents of four sons, three of whom
n Washington, namely. Joseph, Gilberl and Thomas. The mother died,
THF IV TV YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY 65
and the father has since married twice. He is now living in the seventy-
fifth year of his age.
Thomas Bordeaux had very little opportunity to acquire an education,
merely attending a French school until he had learned to read and write the
French language, but in the school of experience he has found the oppor-
tunity of broadening his knowledge and is now a well informed gentleman,
of strong mentality and keen discrimination. He came to the United States
in 1872, when he was in his twentieth year, and spent some time in prospect-
ing for gold in Montana, Idaho and eastern Washington, but without success,
and in 1885 he became connected with the lumber industry, beginning busi-
ness alone on a small scale, hauling logs with oxen and employing only eight
or ten men in his logging camp. He superintended the camp, the purchase
of the timber and his sales, and as time passed his business grew in extent
and importance until he became a recognized factor in the lumber business
and a leader in his line. He continued operations until 1890, when the
Mason County Logging Company was incorporated, and he has been its
president and manager continuously since.'' "'Tltis company has become one
of the foremost representatives of the''4ttmfer.!lH(&vs'try of Washington, and
owns much timber lands in Mason and other counties, while in its large
logging camps three hundred men are employed. In connection with the
business there is also operated a large shingle, mill in the Black Hills, in
Thurston county, in which two hundred and fifty thousand shingles are
manufactured daily. The company owns large togging engines, which haul
the logs from where the trees are felled to the log-ways, where they are
loaded on the cars, which carry them to the bay. and thence they are towed
in large rafts to the mills, where they are converted into lumber and timbers
of all lengths and dimensions. One of the largest logs hauled by them was
converted into twenty-two thousand feet of lumber, and this also indicates
the ability of the company to handle timber of any size, even that which
forms the great and wonderful forests of Washington. In addition to Mr.
Bordeaux the other officers of the company are his brother, Joseph Bordeaux,
who is the treasurer, while A. H. Anderson is the secretary and Fred Staben-
feldt is bookkeeper. All are men of marked business ability and interested
in other important enterprises, all of which contribute to the upbuilding and
prosperity of the city. The company owns over fifteen thousand acres of
timber lands, and logs amounting to two hundred and fifty thousand feet are
daily unloaded at the bay. The company also owns forty-five acres of tide
lands in Olympia harbor, of which six acres are in oyster beds, and their
products also return a very satisfactory income. Mr. Bordeaux is likewise
a stockholder in the State Bank of Shelton and also in the Lumber Mercan-
tile Company, which owns a store thirty by one hundred and forty feet, con-
taining a stock of merchandise valued at fifty thousand dollars, while an-
nually they handle goods to the value of two hundred thousand dollars.
In 1889 occurred the marriage of Mr. Bordeaux and Miss Mary Ritner.
and two children bless this union : Ray and Russell. Mrs. Bordeaux died
in 1898, and in 1900 our subject married Miss Essie Webb, a daughter of
Thomas Webb, one of Mason county's best known and most prominent
pioneers. They have a son, Theofield K. In his political views Mr. Bor-
66 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
deaux is a Republican, and belongs to Mount Moriah Lodge No. n, F. &
A. M., of Shelton, and to the commandery. He and his family have a very
attractive In -me in Shelton and are numbered among the leading people of
the city. To him there has come the attainment of a distinguished position
in connection with the great material industries of the state, and his efforts
have been so descerningly directed along well defined lines of labor that he
seems to have realized at any one point of progress the full measure of his
possibilities for accomplishment at that point. For years he has been an
important factor in the development of the natural resources of the state,
in the upbuilding and in the promotion of its enterprises, which add not
alone to his individual prosperity, but also advance the general welfare and
prosperity of the city in which he makes his home.
HENRY FAUBERT.
Henry Faubert is the popular and hospitable proprietor of Hotel Webb,
the leading hotel of Shelton, Washington. This building was erected in
[890, and is a three-story, frame structure, with sixty-six bedrooms, a mag-
nificent ladies' reception room and parlor, a large office, a commodious dining
room, and a kitchen tilled with the latest conveniences of the culinary art, and
a laundry; it is lighted throughout with electricity, and is, in short, just such
a hotel as the business man or the luxurious traveler would seek for the
enjoyment of all the conveniences of home life, and the genial landlord is
ever eager to provide for the comfort of his guests. A free bus is run to
and from the hotel, and it is the center for all the traveling men who visit
Shelton.
For the ancestry of Mr. Faubert we must look back to that fascinating
and early period concerned with the settlement of the pioneers of France in
the new world, and he springs from a French nobleman who resided in
1 anada thn e hundred years ago and whose descendants have ever since taken
pari in the development of that country. His father. Jacques Faubert, was
born in Canada and married Miss Josephine Daigneault, who was also of an
old French Canadian family. He died in his thirty- fourth year, leaving a
family of live children, but his wife, now in her seventy-eighth year, resides
in the old home ai \ alleyfield, Canada. The only members of the family in
Washington art- our subject and his brother Joseph, both in Shelton.
ry Faubert was born in Valleyfield, Canada, August 18, 1858. and
'us education in his native country up to his twelfth year, when he
to Glens Falls, New York, where he remained five years;' he then came
to Bodie, California, where he engaged in mining; in 1880 he was in
Montana, in the lumber business, and from Butte he made the trip on
horseb ; to Spol ine, Washington, thus having an excellent opportunity to
the country. Coming to Skagit, Washington, he was employed 111 a,
camp, but in [890 built a hotel at Hood's Canal; after conducting'
this i 1 he rented it and then became the proprietor of Hotel Webb,
which he has since managed with most gratifying success and in such a way
1 redil upon the town.
In [89] Mr. Faubert was united in marriage to Miss Virginia A. Bor-
l\ of French ancestry and a sister of Thomas, Joseph and Gilbert
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 67
Bordeaux, respected business men of Shelton. Five children have been born
to them, Stella, Corine, Edward Henry, Alice and Florentine. They reside
in a nice home a block from the hotel, and there they enjoy the company of
many friends. Mr. Faubert is a Royal Arch Mason and an Elk, in politics
is a Republican and is awake to the best interests of the town. He owns stock
in the Skookum Oyster Company, and has property both in and out of the
city, being everywhere rated as one of the prominent business men of
the state.
JEAN F. RILEY.
Honored and respected by all, there is no man in Shelton who occupies
a more enviable position in financial and commercial circles in this place than
does Jean F. Riley, the founder and cashier of the State Bank. His success
in all his undertakings has been so marked that his methods are of interest to
the commercial world. He has based his business principles and actions upon
strict adherence to the rules which govern industry, economy and unswerv-
ing integrity, and his enterprise and progressive spirit have brought him a
high degree of success and made him a valued citizen of his adopted county.
A native of the state of New York, lie was born in Orleans county, April
26, 1866, a son of James and Frances (Fleming) Riley, the former born in
the west of Ireland, the latter in the southern district' of the Emerald Isle.
They were married in Orleans count}-. New York, in 1855. and then took
up their abode in the state of Nebraska in 1879, after having lived for many
years in New York. In early life- the father learned the stonemason's trade,
and later gave his attention to farming, being an industrious, reliable man
of genuine worth. He departed this life in Nebraska, in 1886, and his
widow, still surviving him, now resides in Shelton with her son Jean, at the
age of seventy-four years.
Jean F. Riley is the only surviving member of a family of six children.
He pursued his education in New York and in Nebraska, attending the
public schools until appointed a naval cadet in 1883, but after two years of
study he put aside his text books to enter the business world, and joined his
brother, John D. Riley, who was engaged in the mortgage loan business in
Hastings, Nebraska. This was in 1887, and in 1890 the brother went to
Seattle, Washington, where Jean F. Riley joined him in 1893. There they
engaged in handling municipal bonds, Mr. Jean Riley going to New York
to superintend their business affairs in that city; but they foresaw the finan-
cial panic of 1893 and sold out. Removing to Shelton in that year they here
opened the State Bank in the month of April, and it soon became established
as a flourishing and reliable financial concern. A general banking business
has been carried on with ever increasing success, and among the patrons are
numbered the leading business concerns of this city and vicinity. In 1895
Mr. Riley organized the Lumberman's Mercantile Company, which entered
upon a prosperous career and is to-day controlling the leading mercantile
enterprise in the state outside of the large cities, the annual sales amounting
to over two hundred thousand dollars. Since leaving school Mr. Riley had
been associated in business with his brother, but the latter's health began to
fail, and, hoping to be benefited by travel, he visited Californin. Colorado and
68
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mexico returning in June. 1898. The trip, however, did not accomplish the
S so much desired, and on the 5* of September following his return
home |ohn Riley passed away. He had hosts of friends and was veiy high y
esteemed both as a business man and citizen, so that his loss has been deeply
felt throughout the community as well as by his brother and mother.
lean F Riley is still continuing his connection with the banking and the
mercantile enterprises, both of which are leading business concerns of this
part of the state and owe their successful conduct in large measure to his
efforts Ins keen foresight and marked capability. In matters pertaining to
the welfare of the city he has also been potent, has served on the city; council,
lias acted as mayor and has effectively favored many measures which have
proved of marked benefit to Shelton. Socially he is connected with the In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows, the Elks, with the Woodmen of the World
and with the Knights of Maccabees. In these organizations as well as in
other walks of life he has gained many warm friends.
CHARLES H. WELLS, M. D.
!
In the extensive lumber industry about Puget Sound, with all the dan-
gers incident to logging, there is especial need of the skilled surgeon and
physician, who often comes like the angel of mercy to the hardy men who
pass their time in the depths of the forests deprived of the comforts which
alleviate to some degree the sufferings of more fortunate mortals. In the
camps about the city of Shelton in Mason county Dr. Wells is a familiar figure
to the lumbermen, and in the ten years that he has resided here he has taken
rank as the leading physician and surgeon of Shelton and the country
adjacent.
His father. William H. Wells, was a native of Ohio, and when the
country called for his services during the Civil war he enlisted in the Elev-
enth Illinois Cavalry and died of typhoid fever at Jefferson City, Missouri.
He had married Miss Jennie Webb, a native of Potsdam, New York, and,
like himself, of old English ancestry. She now resides in southern Michigan
at the age of sixty three, and her daughter is now Mrs. Gale of Toledo, Ohio.
The son born of this marriage was Charles II. Wells, and his birth oc-
curred in Pecatonica, Illinois, June 20, 1861. He received a good education
in the public schools and then studied medicine in the Michigan Medical Col-
1 ! (etroit, where he was graduated in 180,2; since this time he has taken
three posl graduate courses in New York, and keeps fully abreast of the times
isive reading and study. With his diploma as a guarantee of bis
preparation he began his practice in Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, but was for-
tunate in having the courage to seek a better field far from home, and in 1893
he came to Shelton, where he soon procured the patronage and confidence of
the best citizens and became known as a master hand in the treatment of dis-
and surgical cases, taking especial pride in the latter branch of his work.
Bui I '1 \\ ells has also taken an interest in affairs outside of his regular
calling and has done much for the advancement of the permanent good of
Shelton. He is a Republican in politics, and on the ticket of that party was
elected to the posl of mayor. In [886 he was married to Miss Lucy Brown,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 60
a native of Blissfield, Lenawee county, Michigan, and a daughter of Alonzo
Brown, of that state. Dr. Wells is a prominent Mason, being a member of
the blue lodge, the chapter and the commandery, and a Shriner.
HON. EDWARD P. KINGSBURY.
In the early history of this country no profession was more necessary
than that of surveying. One can hardly realize the great labor and courage
required and dangers overcome in classifying and laying out sections, town-
ships and ranges in the vast areas of this country, and it is one of the oldest
and most venerable professions. In modern times it is also required to
clearly define boundaries of property. In this profession, to which the father
of our country also belonged, the Hon. Edward P. Kingsbury, now United
States surveyor general of Washington, occupies a prominent place.
The old English ancestors of this family came to Massachusetts at an
early day, and in that state all of the descendants lived and died except our
immediate subject. Elijah Kingsbury, the father of Edward P., was born in
1802, was a carpenter and farmer and lived and died in his native place.
His wife was Joanna W. Phipps, and was a daughter of Eli Phipps and
traced her ancestry back to Godfrey Phipps, who was governor of Massa-
chusetts in the early colonial days. Mr. Kingsbury was a worthy citizen
and held various offices of trust in his township. He passed away in No-
vember, 1888, in his eighty-sixth year, and his good wife died in 1877, at
the age of sixty-six years. Of their six children only two are living, the
eldest son of whom, W. A., is an eminent attorney and a judge of the district
court at South Framingham, Massachusetts.
Edward P. Kingsbury, the son of the above, was born September 25,
1855, >n Holliston, Massachusetts. He received his rudimentary education
in his native town and later attended Harvard .College, graduating in the class
of 1879. For several years after graduation he engaged in teaching, and
was superintendent of the schools of his town. He first arrived in Washing-
ton in June, 1889, settling at Centralia, where he engaged in the hardware
and grocery business. Mr. Kingsbury has always been prominent in politics,
has served in the city council and was elected mayor. In 1898 he was chosen
a member of the state legislature, and in the following year President Mc-
Kinley appointed him United States surveyor general for the state of Wash-
ington, an office which he at the present time is most creditably filling.
Socially he is a member of the Seattle Chapter of the Sons of the American
Revolution. Wholesouled and popular among his townsmen, he ljves a life
of honorable activity and one of benefit to his city and state.
THOMAS NEWTON HENRY.
There are many worthy and honorable occupations in life, and one's suc-
cess is not measured by the pursuit he follows. But surely none should
receive more honor for their life work than the patient, enthusiastic teacher,
who has so much to do with the formative period of youthful character.
Among these leaders of youth Professor Henry, superintendent of schools of
Thurston county, stands prominent.
70 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
His ancestors were Scotch-Irish. His great-grandfather and grand-
father li< ith 1" ire the name of George Henry. In 1836 his grandfather moved
from middle Tennessee to northwest Arkansas, settled on land there and
was a sturdy pi. nicer of that state. He and his wife lived to a great age on
their old home in .Madison county, and both died in 1894, aged respectively
eighty-five and eighty-four years.' They were Baptists in religion, and their
lives were long and useful.
Superintendent Henry's father was Rev. Jasper Jay Henry, a minister of
the Cumberland Presbyterian church and now a resident of San Francisco,
California, having spent a long and useful life in the ministry. During the
Civil war he was in the First Arkansas Cavalry, under Colonel Harrison, and
in the battle of Prairie Grove, in Arkansas, he received a shot in the leg,
which incapacitated him for service and made him a cripple for life. After
receiving an honorable discharge he devoted himself to the study of theology
and has since been in the ministry. He chose for his wife Emily Adair, a
lady of Scotch ancestry, who was born in northwest Arkansas, in Kingston,
which was also his own town; she was the daughter of Benjamin Adair,
i ancestors were from North Carolina and Alabama. Nine children
were bin to them, and three sons reside in the state of Washington, two
in Seattle.
Thomas Newton Henry records his birth as occurring in the city of
Sedalia, Missouri, on the inth of August, 1865. In Exeter Normal Academy,
in the same state, his special training was received, and after graduating
there in 1887 lie taught one year in that vicinity. The following year he came
to Olympia and served continuously as teacher in the schools until 1894; in
this year he was elected county superintendent of schools, and has most ably
fulfilled the duties of that position until now, except that for two years he
was principal of "lie of the public schools of Olympia. It is by his efficient
Systems introduced into the management of the county school system that
Superintendent Henry is best known. The schools have been brought to a
very high state of efficiency, and the interests of the people in the vital ques-
tion of education has been increased. ( >ne method which has been especially
:ssful is the publication of all the written reports of the various schools,
copies of which are distributed to all the teachers and school officers; by this
the work of all the schools is brought into closer relationship. He
also publishes a twenty- four-page local school paper, called the Thurston
ity School Bulletin; in this are published matters of educational interest,
small pictures and a brief history of all pupils graduating from the grammar
schools "i the county. By means of advertising matter the magazine has
been made elf supporting, and has proved to be a valuable auxiliary in ad-
vancing the public schools. Through such methods and the capable manage-
ment of Superintendent Henry, the schools of Thurston county are now well
known for their high standard and effective work. A thinker as well as an
enthusiastic educator, Superintendent Henry well deserves the success he has
ed and may take just pride in the results of his efforts. Superintendent
ry, having been for a number of years a member of the legislative com-
mittee of the State Teachers' Association, and by reason of his residence at
the capital, has had much to do with school legislation. He was the 'author
of the union high school law passed in [899; the law creating county boards
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 71
of grammar school examiners passed in 1901, and the compulsory education
bill passed 1903.
Superintendent Henry was happily married in 1896 to Margaret E.
Griffith, born in Lewis county, this state, and the daughter of Richard Grif-
fith, who was a native of Wales and came to the Pacific coast in 1849 and
to Lewis county in 1853. Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry
only one. survives, Vivian Adair Henry. They are both members of the
First Presbyterian church of Olympia. Mr. Henry is a member of Olympia
Lodge No. t, of the Masonic fraternity, the oldest Masonic lodge in the state.
But the entire interest of his active life is absorbed in the great cause of
education.
WILLIAM H. MOCK.
William H. Mock, who is now engaged in the undertaking business in
Whatcom, has resided here only since May, 1902, but has made his home in
Washington for more than twelve years. He has been connected with agri-
cultural and horticultural pursuits, and has also devoted much time to the
work of the ministry, for through much of his life he has been engaged in
preaching the gospel, never neglecting the higher, holier duties of man toward
bis fellow-men and his Creator. Well worthy of mention as a representative
citizen of Washington, we take pleasure in presenting to our readers this
record of the life of Rev. William H. Mock.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, he was born on the 13th of March, 1848, a
son of Samuel and Mary Ann (Keys) Mock, both of whom were natives of
Pennsylvania, and their respective ancestors had lived for many years in this
country. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a volunteer in the
war of 1812, and also rendered valiant service to the government in the war
with Mexico. To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mock were born five sons : Wil-
liam H., Michael F., George W., Orlando and Lafayette. The family was
well represented in the Civil war, and in fact loyalty and patriotism have
ever been among the characteristics of those who bear the name of Mock.
Four of the brothers fought for the Union cause, and George was killed in
the battle of Guntown, Mississippi, in 1863, thus laying down his life on the
altar of his country. He was a member of the Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry; Michael was a member of the Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer In-
fantry ; George also served with the Ninety-fifth Infantry Regiment from
Ohio, and William was with the boys in blue first of the Forty-sixth Regi-
ment and afterward with the One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Infantry.
William H. Mock attended the public schools of Columbus, Ohio, until
thirteen years of age, and then put aside his text-books, for the patriotic
spirit of the boy was aroused and he resolved to aid in the defense of the
Union. Accordingly he volunteered, becoming a member of the Forty-sixth
Ohio Infantry, in 1861. Later he again joined the army, becoming a member
of the One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment of Ohio troops, with which
he fought for the nation's starry banner, serving almost four years.
When hostilities had ceased Mr. Mock returned home with a most credit-
able military record, for though but a boy his valor and loyalty were equal
to that of many a soldier of twice or thrice his years. He then resumed his
72 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
school life, and in 1867 entered Carleton Academy of Carleton, Illinois, where
he remained until 1868, after which he returned to Columbus. In that city
he was appointed a junior preacher on the Maxville circuit and began his
labors near Logan, Ohio. He traveled for several years or until the fall of
[872, delivering the gospel message and putting forth every effort in his
power to advance the cause of the church. In 1872, after casting his first
dential vote for General Grant, he removed to Minnesota, where he took
up one hundred and sixty acres of land, a soldier's homestead claim. He
continued his ministerial work, and was assigned to different circuits
there until [876. In the previous year he had been ordained in Red Wing,
Minnesota, as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1876 his
health failed and he was compelled to rest from further labor until the fall of
[877. At that time he removed to Kansas, where he engaged in the real
estate business and farming. He also served as pastor of the First Methodist
copal church in Anthony, Harper county, Kansas, remaining there until
1891. In 1888 he was a lay delegate from the Southwestern Kansas Meth-
odist conference to the general conference held in New York city. In the
same year he was ordained as an elder at the annual conference of the Meth-
odist church, at Wichita, Kansas.
In April, [891, Rev. Mock came to Washington and settled on a fruit
farm near Seattle, devoting his attention for some time to horticultural pur-
suits. I [e was also appointed to fill out the unexpired pastorate of the church
at Vashon, on Vashon Island. In 1896 he removed to Port Angeles, where
■ igaged in the undertaking business until May, 1902, when he came tc
Whatcom and established business in the same line at 1202-6 Elk street,
being now the senior member of the firm of W. H. Mock & Son. He is the
only licensed enibalnier in the county. He carries a complete line of under-
taker's goods, including caskets and robes, and in connection with his place
he ha.> a fine chapel, elegantly fitted up and comfortably arranged with a seat-
ing capacit) of .'bout one hundred.
Since coming to Washington Mr. Mock has also taken an active part in
political affairs, and was nominated on the Republican ticket for representa-
tive to the state legislature. He made a very strong race, being defeated by
. votes, 111 a year and in a district which gave a very large
Populist majority. The vote which he received was certainly a testimonial
to his pel sonal worth and an evidence of the confidence reposed in him by his
fellow-citizens. Mr. Mock is a member of several civic societies, belonging:
to the vncient Order of Foresters, the Independent Order of Lions, and the
Masonic fraternity. I le is also a prominent and valued member of the Grand
\rmv of the Republic, and is now serving for the third term as department
chaplain of Washington and Alaska, having filled the position since 1900.
In March, (869, Mr. Mock was united in the holy bonds of matrimony
to Miss Margaret R Smith, a native of Ohio, who died in Kansas in 1880.
They were the parents of five children: Lewis W\. who died at the age of
twenty-one year-: John M\. now thirty years of age; George W.. aged twenty-
eight; Mary J., the wife of George Sykes, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; and
rles W.. a young man of twenty-two. In June. 1881, Mr. Mock was
again married, hi 1 union being with Susan L. Fawcett, a native of
Morgan county, < >hio, and the) have three children: Jessie W., who died at
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 73
the age of seventeen years; and Harrison Morton and Carrie H., twins, fifteen
years of age, and who were named for President Harrison and his wife.
Mr. Mock has exerted a wide influence on puhlic feeling, thought and
action, in the various communities in which he has made his home. He has
labored earnestly for the cause he has believed to be right in political and
public affairs, and his efforts in behalf of the church have been far-reaching.
He is inflexible in his adherence to his principles, and yet is not aggressive,
and accords to others the right of private opinion and belief. His genuine
worth has made him much respected, and well does he deserve mention among
the leading citizens of his adopted county.
HON. JAMES B. REAVIS.
Tbe administration of justice from the higher courts of the land requires
great discrimination, remarkable talent and wisdom, and he sits high in honor
who serves successfully in this capacity. Upon such men depends not only
the welfare of individuals but the good of whole communities. It is with
pleasure that we record the history of one who has been so prominent as a
citizen and jurist in the state of Washington and lias done so much to advance
the welfare of his state.
Hon. James Bradly Reavis comes from a long line of Scotch ancestors
who emigrated from England under the auspices of Ashley Cooper and
settled in Virginia in the Roanoke valley, later removing to North Carolina.
The great-grandfather of our subject, Isham Reavis, was a valiant soldier in
the Revolutionary war and among other engagements he participated in the
expedition to King Mountain, where the British were so signally defeated.
His birth occurred in 1748, in Virginia, and later he was a resident of North
Carolina. In 1800 he removed to the growing country of Kentucky, settling
in Warren county, and later, in 1817, he took up his residence in Saline county.
Missouri, where he was a large landowner and planter. The family were com-
municants of the Baptist church, and he was one of the pillars of that denomi-
nation. His death occurred when he was eighty-five years of age. His wife
was a Miss Jones and was a lady of Welsh ancestry. Among their sons was
Marcus Reavis, who was born in Virginia in 1772 and came west with his
father to Warren count}', Kentucky, and then to Missouri. He died in 1835,
aged sixty-three years. He was married in North Carolina to Lucy Bradly,
who was a descendant of a prominent South Carolina family. They were for
many years valued members of the Baptist church. Their family consisted
of six sons and four daughters, and of the former was John Newton Reavis,
our subject's father. His birth occurred in Warren county, Kentucky, on the
21st of October, 1817, but he later removed with his father to Missouri. He
there married Elizabeth Preston, a native of Clark county, Kentucky, and a
daughter of John Preston, a prominent and early settler of that state. Mr.
Reavis has long been a prominent stock farmer and is now a resident of
Monroe county, Missouri, in his eighty-fifth year. His good wife died in
1889. aged seventy-three years. They were always devoted members of the
Christian church.
Of their six children. Judge Reavis was the third child and the only
71 HISTORY O] ["HE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
member of the family living in the state of Washington. He was born on the
27th of May. 1848, 111 Boone county, Missouri, and was reared on his father's
farm until his eighteenth year, learning there many valuable lessons to help
him in his after life. His education was received in the public schools and in
a pri demy, and he also spent three years in the Kentucky University
.at Lexington. He then read law at Hannibal. Missouri, and was admitted to
bar in [874. lie practiced there until 1 S75 and then went west to the
city of ( hici rnia. His law practice was continued there until 1880,
at 'which time he settled m Washington territory, at Goldendale, and entered
into partnership with Judge Dunbar. They practiced together for several
years, having an office in Yakima and Klickitat counties and they did a large
and pn Stable general law business. In 1884 Judge Reavis was elected a
member of the territorial council, his district including the counties of Yakima,
kitat. Lincoln, Douglas, Spokane and Stevens. He was active in the
ige of the law making important changes in the method of taxing (ail-
- and also introduced the bill providing for the building of a school for
defective youth of the territory at Vancouver. He was also regent of the
university from (888 until the state was admitted in 1889. At the first
state election, in [889, Judge Reavis was a candidate of his party, the Demo-
cratic. ior judge oi the supreme conn, being nominated by acclamation, but
during t' m he was defeated. In [896 he was elected to the supreme
bench, and because of the seniority of Ins commission became chief justice, and
-nice that time has been one of the most able members of the supreme bench,
having had the settlement of many important cases of great value to the state
and it- pe 'pic.
Mr. Reavis was married in [89] to Miss M. Freeman, a native of Nash-
ille. Tennessee, ami a daughter of Smith and Martha ( Butler) Freeman, of
try and earl) settlers of New Jersey. The Butlers were of
rigin and went to Virginia at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Reavis are
the parent- of two children, Smith Freeman and Ann Preston. Judge Reavis
and prominent members of the Christian church, of which he is an
is a!— passed ill the chairs in both branches of Odd Fellowship.
11 and business man he has taken an active interest in the prosperity
hairman of the ( hamber of Commerce in Yakima, and
lity and influence to advance ever) worthy enterprise.
GENERAL ROBERT HOUSTON MILROY.
the farm us men who during his life reflected honor upon
Olympia ' e, was General Milroy. He was of Scotch-
""'" "'"' played .1 prominenl pari in the history of the old
well a- in America. His great grandfather was Henry McElroy,
Vnnandale, born in Scotland and a descendant of Sir Robert Bruce:
■hit ion in 1771. and. being defeated by the Duke
le in the battle of Culloden, he was obliged to flee, taking his wife
with him to Ireland: where he changed his name to Milrov. and as soon as
'•d get pat me to \.m ettling in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Samuel Milroy. the grandson of the above, was borri in Kisha-
?v%
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. r> Ml IX *
TILm ' .7K iNS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 75
coquillas Valley, Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, August 14, 1780, was one
of the first to come to the state of Indiana, where he founded the town of
Delphi and engaged in wars with the Indians, and was a man of great in-
fluence in that part of the country. His wife was a second cousin of General
Sam Houston, of Texas fame.
Robert Houston Milroy, one of their children, came into the world
in Washington county, Indiana, on the nth of June, 1816. His education
was received in the Military Academy at Norwich, Vermont, where he
graduated in 1843, Master of Arts, of Law. and of Civil Engineering and
Military Science, being valedictorian of his class. In 1850 he received a
diploma from the law school of Bloomington, Indiana, conferring on him
the degree of B. L. In 1845 he had gone to Texas, taken the oath of alleg-
iance and became a citizen of that flourishing young republic, when he was
called home by the death of his father. He remained to settle the estate,
and at the earnest entreaty of his mother did not return to Texas. He prac-
ticed law only a short time when he was called to take part in the war with
Mexico, in which he rendered gallant service as captain of the First Indiana
Regiment, After the war, in 1852, he was commissioned by the governor
of Indiana presiding judge of the eighth judicial district. In 1854 he re-
moved to Rensselaer, Jasper county, Indiana, where he engaged in success-
ful law practice until the breaking out of the Civil war. He was then com-
missioned colonel of the Ninth Indiana Volunteers on April 26, 1861, serving
under General McClellan in western Virginia, and taking part in the battles
of Grafton, Philippi, Laurel Hill and Garrick's " Ford. His three months'
service having then expired, he was mustered out on July 30, 1861, but re-
entered the service on the following September 5, and on the next December
attacked the Confederates in front of Cheat Mountain pass. On the 6th of
February, 1862, he was appointed brigadier general to rank from Septem-
ber 5, 1861. He then assumed command of the Mountain department and
put an effective stop to the guerrilla warfare in western Virginia; he issued
the order that if the property of a loyal citizen was destroyed or the citizen
killed, an appraisement of the property was to be taken and a list of those
killed to be made by federal officers, and if the amount was not paid over to
the widow or heirs within twenty-four hours, the rebel sympathizers in the
neighborhood were to be shot, and their property confiscated. President
Jefferson Davis applied through General Lee to General Ilallcck for a rescind-
ing of this order, but General Milroy refused to do so and was upheld by
President Lincoln. President Davis afterwards made this order the subject
of a special message to the legislature and that body offered a reward of ten
thousand dollars for GenerarMilroy, dead or alive. He and General Butler
were the only Union generals who were thus honored by the southern con-
gress.
He was attacked by the forces of General Jackson at McDowell and held
his ground until re-enforced by General Schenk, who assumed command,
and "there, on May 8, 1862, the'battle of McDowell was fought, after which
the Union forces retired to Franklin, and Jackson to Richmond. General
Milroy's brigade was then attached to General Sigel's corps of the Army of
Virginia and took part in the second battle of Bull Run on November 29,
76 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
1862. I [e was then made major general of the second division of the Eighth
Army Corps, nine thousand strong, and with McReynold's brigade occupied
Win. I ine 1 1. 1863. On being asked if it would not be advisable to
evacuate and join Kelly at Harper's Ferry, he replied that he could hold
the place against any force then in the valley; but he was unaware that at
thai momenl Lee was marching toward him to carry the war into the north.
of Ewell, Early and Johnson attacked him on two sides on
June 15, and after three days of hard fighting he was compelled to destroy
iiis artillery and baggage trains and retire to Harper's Ferry, losing thereby
a portion of his forces, but having delayed the advance of Lee and thus given
e an opportunity to collect his forces at Gettysburg. He was, never-
theless, placed under arrest for evacuating Winchester without receiving or-
ders from General Schenk, his superior in command, but was afterward re-
ted and ordered to Nashville. There he fought his last battle of the
war against Generals I'orrest and Bates on the field of Murfreesboro, and
defeated their combined forces, lie resigned his command July 26, 1865,
after having served valiantly in the great struggle for the upholding of the
I 'nion.
r the war General Milroy was appointed trustee of the Wabash and
Erie Canal Company. Later he became superintendent of Indian affairs in
Washington territory and served in that capacity from 1869 till 1874; he was
Indian agent in Washington from 1875 to 1885, when a change in the acl-
ministratii >n di placed him.
General Milroy was married in 1849 t0 Mary Jane Armitage, daughter
of Valerius Armitage of Delphi, Indiana. There were seven children born
to them, of whom only three are now living. General Milroy departed this
1 I mpia on the 29th day of March, 1890, aged seventy-four years,
and in this death not only the family lost one who was above all dear to
them, but the whole country had Inst a patriot, brave warrior, and public-
spiriti n. Ill-- devoted wife still survives at the age of seventy-eight,
and loved, the sweetness of her disposition increasing with the ad-
the years. She resides with her son, Valerius A.
Valerius A., the m of General Milroy. who has kindly furnished the
material for the above -ketch, is now one of the well known and respected
men of < Hympia. I te was horn in Rensselaer, Jasper county, Indiana, August
17, 1855, ' Ins education in the public schools of his native county,
in Olympia and in a business college in Portland, Oregon. When he was
eighteen yeai he came to Washington territory and acted as clerk
in Ins lather's office while that one had charge of the Indian affairs; for
iged in surveying, was employed at the printer's trade,' and
years was in the livery business with Mr. O'Connor. Until 1889
i mercantile pursuits, at which time he received the appointment
tmaster of Olympia by President Harrison. In this he showed great
1 ability: under his capable management the office was raised from
the third 1 id class; the receipts were increased from four
sand dollars annually to twelve thousand; and a free delivery system
His term expired m 1S04, and 1901 he was elected city
clerk of 1 Hympia. which place he is at present filling most satisfactorily. His
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 77
politics are Republican, and he is connected with all movements with the
welfare of his city and county in view.
WILLIAM WILEY DICKERSON.
There are in common use in the language of this country many terms
expressive of a combination of qualities which is the characteristic of a certain
class of men, and terms which, when applied to an individual, need no other
commentary, for they are at once indicative of his standing in the business,
social, or whatever place he may occupy before the world. The word
" hustler " is one of these expressive epithets, and the man so designated is
known to be one of those wide-awake, energetic and persevering Americans
who is successful in his undertakings and never knows when he is defeated.
And as a hustler may we speak of William Wiley Dickerson, who is one of
the leading produce and grocery men of the city of Centralia, Washington,
and has been engaged in that line of business since 1892.
For the immediate ancestors of this gentleman we must go to the state
of North Carolina, and going still further he is found to be of good old
English stock. Grandfather Wiley Dickerson was one of the first settlers of
North Carolina, was an industrious and well-to-do farmer, and lived to be
ninetv vears of age. His son, James Dickerson, was born in North Carolina
in 1820. and he took for his wife Sarah Stout, a native of his own state; his
wife died in 1873 at the age of fifty-five, but he survived many years and
died when seventy-four years old. in 1894. They had ten children; eight of
them are now living, but William Wiley is the only one in Washington.
William Wiley Dickerson was born in North Carolina, March 24, 1848,
and was there reared to years of maturity. He early took to merchandising
as a career, and for a number of years followed that pursuit in Texas. In
1889 he decided to try new scenes, and, as Washington had just been admitted
to the sisterhood of states, he came here, and in 1892 located in Centralia; he
at once opened his grocery, and has paid such close attention to business and
has been so honorable in his dealings with his customers that his trade has not
been confined to the limits of the city but extends in a radius of nearly forty
miles around the city.
In 1878 Mr. Dickerson was united in marriage to Miss Lela Cordelia
Fleming, who is a native of his own state and a daughter of Franklin Fleming;
three daughters have been born of this union, Nora Ethel, Vera and Viola,
twins. The family are members of the Methodist church and reside in a nice
home in the north part of Centralia. Mr. Dickerson belongs to tin- Masonic
order, the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen;
he has the honor of being the treasurer of the last named order, and also of his
blue lodge.
FRANK T. McNITT.
The city of Centralia contains no more enterprising and successful busi
ness man than Frank T. McNitt. From a small beginning lie has developed
his hardware store until he now owns one of the most complete stocks to he
found in anv city of the size in the state. This gentleman is a descendant of
78 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
worthy Scotcli forefathers; at an early date in the history of this country
four are said to have come from Scotland to Pennsylvania and
founded the family whose members are now in different parts of the Union.
Thomas Brown McNitt, the father, was bom in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania,
and when a young man removed to Montgomery county, Illinois, where he
was one of the early settlers of that agricultural region; he was one of the
founders and was active in promoting the interests of the Lutheran church,
which was founded in behalf of the many German inhabitants of that locality.
ife was Sarah Cress, a native of North Carolina and a daughter of
I i Mr. and Mrs. McNitt were farmers and resided near Hillsboro,
Montgomer) county, and he held a number of local offices and was an influ-
ential citizen and an excellent man in every respect. He died in 1859, aged
one years, while his wife still resides on the old homestead and has
reached the advanced age of eighty-three. They had eleven children, three
daughters and one son surviving.
I r; 11k T. McNitt is the only son and the only member of the family in
Washington, Montgomery county, Illinois, is the place of his nativity, and he
wash 0, 1845. The farm of his father and the country schools
if his early preparation for life, and he followed farming
until he was twent] seven, when he engaged in dealing in live-stock and
running a livery stable. About this time he suffered a bereavement in the loss
of his first wife and he soon after removed to Colorado; he first located in
Canon City and then went to Rosita, where for five years he met with con-
siderable success in conducting a grocery store. The next three years were
ess in Silver Cliff, but in 1882 he sold out and removed to Los
Vngeles, I rnia, where he bought an orange farm and devoted five years
iltivation of that luscious fruit, finding it a profitable investment.
\t't'-; his farm he made his first venture in the hardware line and
it for two years. The year 1889 is the date of his coming to Cen-
tralia. He opened a store in a small building which he had bought from
Woodam and Sprague, and his enterprise proved so successful and expanded
-1 rapidly that in [897 he purchased his present commodious two-story
structure, nin< I inety feet, in which he occupies the middle store; he has
a tin \ t'eet. an ell one hundred by thirty, and other ware-
provide C Iter for his extensive stock; these buildings are located
in the heart of the business district. He carries fourteen thousand dollars'
1;. including all kinds of shelf and heavy hardware, farm ma-
chinci lies doors and all kinds of housebuilding
. and has a large tin shop and does plumbing, lie is also an extensive
1 fine home in the residence part of the city and
; in 1'"' -'iint'.-. Mr. McNitt's success may
bed t" his hard work more than any special genius, for in persistent,
intelligent effort is found the ke\ to nearly every portal of wealth and
the we Mi McNitt was married, in 1864, to Miss
M;»": han, a . Nova Scotia, and two children were born of
ives, Mary, the wife of L. M. Anderson, of Los Angeles. Cali-
McNitl died in tS;;v He married his present wife at Colorado
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 71)
Springs in 1875, his bride being Miss Lucy A. Pastor, the daughter of Adam
Pastor, a Colorado pioneer from Indiana. They have three children: Eva-
lene, now Mrs. Oscar Nielson, of Walla Walla; Pearl, at home; and Frank,
Jr.. who is helping his father in the mercantile business. The family are
members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. McNitt is a trustee and one of
its most earnest supporters. He is a Knight of Pythias of the uniform rank,
and has been master of the exchequer for the past twelve years; he is also a
member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is one of Centralia's
best known and most respected citizens.
HON. ERNEST LISTER.
The subject of this brief biography is a native of England, and his an-
cestors were an old established family. His father was J. H. Lister, born and
reared in his native land, and there married Ellen Hey, who became the
mother of four children, all born in England: Arthur, Albert T., Alfred and
Ernest. In 188 1 the father emigrated to Philadelphia, his family following in
1884; he had been long engaged in the iron foundry trade, and his brother,
David Lister, had preceded him to Tacoma, Washington, where he had started
the pioneer foundry and iron works in that city, and here J. H. came with his
family and has since resided. He carried on a flourishing business for a
number of years, but is now retired from active life, having attained the age
of seventy-three years; his wife passed away in 1893, at the age of sixty.
They were members of the Methodist church, and people of great worth and
character.
Ernest Lister was born on the 15th day of June, 1870, and was but four-
teen years of age when he arrived in Tacoma. There he completed his educa-
tion in the public schools and in the Tacoma Business College. After com-
pleting his education he learned the iron moulder's trade with his father, and
later embarked in the real estate and insurance business, in which he had con-
siderable success. He took an active interest in politics and in April. 1894,
he was elected a member of the city council, in which he served very efficiently
until 1896; in that year he was an able worker in the fusion campaign for tin-
election of Governor Rogers. The large vote secured in the Tacoma district
aided materially in the election, giving Mr. Rogers a large majority in the
former Republican state, and the fusion party was greatly gratified by its
success. As a reward for his services Governor Rogers appointed him a com-
missioner of public institutes under the first board of auditors. Soon after
the legislature passed a bill providing for a state board of control which
should have charge of the two hospitals for the insane, the state penitential}.
reform school, the school for defective youth, the state soldiers' home: it was
to have the whole care of these institutions and to purchase all supplies. Mr.
Lister was appointed chairman of this important board, and upon the suc-
cession of Lieutenant Governor McBride to the governorship he was retained
in the office in recognition of his faithful services, being now the Democratic
member on the board. In politics Air. Lister has been a Populist, but in the
fusion came over to the Democratic side.
Mr. Lister's marriage was celebrated on the 28th of February, 1S92,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Alma Tlmm: -liter of Samuel Thornton, of Tacoma, becoming his
her birthplace was at Salem. Oregon. They have a little daughter,
their pleasant home they entertain many friends, and their
home life is ideal.
II. (;. RICHARDSON.
te o) Washington is now one of the great centers of the lumber
industry, and its immense timber areas are supplying many of the less favored
prairi with the material which is so necessary in this twentieth cen-
tury civilization. Among these manufacturers is the subject of this article,
the leading shingle-maker in Thurston county and a representative business
In the early history of the country three Richardson
brothers came from England, and, landing in Massachusetts, one settled in
New England, another went south and the third moved westward; and our
- of the New England branch. David Richardson, the
grandfather of 11. < i. Richardson, was born in New Hampshire and was a
i and influential farmer of that state.
i. Richardson, the father of II. G, was horn in Lisbon, Grafton
lunty, Xew Hampshire, on the old homestead that for many generations
lown from fall ■ Reared and educated in his native town,
a millwright, building many of the mills in his county, and he
owned a farm. His wife, Julia II. Whiting, of the same state, became
f five children, three sons and two daughters, all living. When
. third year the father died in 1890, but his good wife still re-
' seventy-three. lie became a Republican when that party
inized in [851 a reputation as a valuable citizen.
H. G. R on of the above and the only representative of
ishington, was born Vpril _•_•, 1854, in Lisbon, New Hamp-
111 in the public schools of his town and in the
me Institute. Like his father he learned the trade of millwright,
and built and operated mills.
twenty three he hade adieu to his native home and went
lenl five years in Florida, from there going
1 and finally came, in [889, to this state, residing first at Tacoma.
95 that Mr. Richardson came to Olympia and opened up
His eaM side mill at first had a daily capacity of only
iv. but in [9 he bought the mill on the west side,
there are daily produced two hundred and
red • r A shingles, lor which there is a large
niddle west as well as in the local market. In the
e employed, and in cutting and bringing the material
Me owns a large tract of timber land from
He i president of the Six Eagle Mining
s marriage was celebrated in [886, when he be-
Mary E. Knickmeyer, of Apalachicola, Florida, the
tin Robert Knickmeyer. a captain of the Confederate armv.
r
ASTOI- L«N.>X AND
T1LDEN FOIJNOATtONS
J
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. SI
Three daughters have been born to them: Hortense A., Louisa and Leonora.
Their home is one of Olympia's beautiful residences.
In politics Mr. Richardson is a Republican. He serves in the city coun-
cil, and is active and ready to advance the interests of Olympia. He is a
member in the fraternity of the Royal Arch Masons, a member of the Ancient
Order United Workmen and is identified with the Hoo Hoos, an extensive
organization of lumbermen. His wife belongs to the Episcopal church, and
the family is a well known one in the city.
GEORGE W. BELL.
George W. Bell, who is one of the representative farmers of Thurston
county and one of its county commissioners, came to the territory of Washing-
ton in 1878. He is a native of Nova Scotia, born April 7, 1850, and is of
Scotch ancestry. His parents, James and Alary (Roddick) Bell, were natives
of Dumfrieshire, Scotland, and were marrie^-jri: that country. Soon after-
ward they bade adieu to home and friends and sailed from the land of the
heather to Nova Scotia, where the father followed his trade of milling, be-
coming the owner of a custom flour mill. Both Ire and his wife were Scotch
Presbyterian people of the highest respectability and' integrity, and upon the
minds of their children they impressed lessons of industry and honesty. They
had ten children, seven of whom are yet living, but George W. Bell is the
only one who resides in Washington. The father died in 1892, at the age of
seventy-three years, and the mother is living, in the eighty-first year of
her age. >i
Reared to manhood and educated in his native town, George W. Bell
remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority, and in
1873 went to Boston, Massachusetts, where he began life on his own account,
following any pursuit that he could get that would yield him an honest living.
He spent four years in Boston and then went to the Black Hills country, but
lost money in his venture there and had to drive a freight team in order to
get back again. He spent the winter of 1877-8 in Hutchinson, Colorado, and
then came to Olympia, where he was employed in a sawmill for forty-five
dollars per month. In the fall of 1879 he became engaged in the Indian
service under General Milroy, and thus his time was passed until 1882, and
then for seven years was in the Indian service with Agenl Edwin Eels, lie
removed to a farm five miles northeast of Olympia. At first he purchased one
hundred and sixty-five acres of land, and as he prospered lie added to this
tract until within the boundaries of his farm at the present time is a tract of
three hundred acres of rich, arable and productive land. He has erected a
good residence and other farm buildings, and is actively engaged in general
farming and stock-raising, his efforts being attended with good success.
In politics Air. Bell has been a stalwart Republican since becoming an
American citizen, and by his party lie was nominated and elected to th
of county commissioner,' which position he is filling mosl aci eptably, d
ing his duties conscientiously, promptly and earnestly, I ing assidu-
ously to benefit the county in its financial features and every way possible.
In 1881 was celebrated the marriage of Air. Bell and Miss ' ina F.
6*
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Thompson, a native of Prince Edward Island. They had one child, who
died in infancy, and .Mrs. Bell departed this life in 1895. Four years later,
was married to Miss Mary A. Thompson, a sister of his first
wife. Sh( ■ sbyterian in religious truth, and both have a wide acquaint-
ance and are very highly esteemed citizens of Thurston county.
JOSEPH F. KEARNEY.
Kearney, the father of the prosperous merchant whose name
heads this brief biography, was born in Ireland in the town of Kildare, Janu-
$7. Aiter being educated in his native country, in 1S66 he decided
eek his fortunes in the new world, and accordingly emigrated and settled
in Auburn, New York. Here lie was married, and in 1874 came west to
lington, bringing his family with him. In the east he had worked as a
quarryman and had managed t<> save a considerable sum of money; and with
this he bought, on his arrival in the territory of Washington, one hundred and
sixty acres of land and built a good home. He still owns the farm but has
retired from active work, and the family live in a pleasant place in Olympia.
They are devoted members of the Catholic church and are highly respected.
While in New York Thomas Kearney married Miss Mary Byrne, born in
Ireland in 1845, ant' sne came to America in the same year that he did. Four
child' born to them in New York: Margaret Ellen, the wife of James
T. Twohej and residing near Olympia; William is in Olympia; Joseph F. ;
and Mary Ann. the wife of John O'Hara, of Aberdeen. Since coming to
three other children have been born, Thomas John, in the store
with Joseph F. ; Henr) lames and Elizabeth Agnes are at home with their
parents.
Ilic birth of Joseph F. Kearney occurred in the town of Auburn, New
York I1' [872. He enjoyed a good education, attending St.
Mai ind taking the commercial course in St. Martin's
where he wa in [889. lie had learned the valuable les-
try and honest toil on his father's farm, and on the completion
and his return to 1 >!■ mpia he began clerking in the store of
II. .11. John Byrne. Fortified with this experience, in 1897 he opened
1 in Olympia, and almost from the start
Rourishii carefully increased by his honor-
led that he has the largest grocery
He J . and well kept store and supplies to the
and produce, hay and grain; he does a
'i men in his employ, and his trade extends throughout
Thui v a part ,: county.
In 1898 M' - husband of Miss Emma McMahan,
I tarold and ! io \gnes. Mr. Kearney
belief and devotes his whole time and attention to
lie has mad. 1 nspicuous a success, and, as be is
l,K ,,r ' 'ng and prosp uture may he expected
him.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 83
DAVID T. DREWRY.
In the life of every man who has made a success in business or other
lines there are usually some predominating characteristics to which we may
ascribe the larger share of his material prosperity, and in the case of the
subject of this brief sketch we should say it was due to his persevering in-
dustry and his absolute self-reliance, for it is a matter of pride with him that
he has always paddled his own canoe. And as a representative farmer and
early pioneer of Thurston county, David T. Drewry here deserves prominent
mention.
Silas O. and Elizabeth Drewry were both natives of the state of Ken-
tucky, and the former was the owner of a grist mill and engaged in lumbering.
While they were- residing in Livingston county of that state, there was born
to them on the 6th of November, 1836, the subject of this biography. Five
years later he lost his father, and the following year his mother. After this
sad event the boy David lived with his uncle in Nodaway, Missouri, where he
worked on the farm and attended school. In 1853, when seventeen years of
age. he crossed the plains in company with Colonel William Cock; they drove
six yoke of oxen all the way, and, crossing the Missouri river on the 10th of
May, they completed the trip in one hundred days, which was good traveling
for those primitive times. With them was a man who had made the journey
several times before, and they were thus able to take advantage of all the
cut-offs, being also spared trouble with the Indians or the ravages of disease.
On arriving in the Willamette valley Mr. Drewry worked for a short
time, and then coming to Olympia he assisted Colonel Cock in the building of
the Pacific House, remaining in his service for two years. On the outbreak
of the Indian war in 1855 he enlisted in the first company formed, called the
Puget Sound Rangers, and continued on active duty until the insurrection was
quelled; in the latter part of the service he was under Captain Shed. In this
war each trooper was obliged to furnish his own horse and outfit. After the
war David employed himself at different things in Olympia and in the country.
In the year 1857 he was employed on the farm of Charles Weed, and there
had what lie has always considered the good fortune to fall in love with his
employer's sister. Miss Emaline Weed, who was born in Connecticut in 1841
and came to Washington by way of the Isthmus in 1855; in 1858 they were
happilv married. For a time Mr. Drewry conducted a hotel in Olympia, and
then bought the Gabriel Jones farm of three hundred and twenty acres. To
this he has since added eighty acres, and now owns one of the finest farms in
Thurston county, two hundred acres being improved, with wells, windmills,
commodious barns and all the latest farm machinery. He raises good horses
and cattle, and grains of all kinds, sometimes his land producing forty-five
bushels of oats and thirty-five of wheat to the acre. He also carried on a
dairy with success for a time, and was interested in a livery stable in Olympia.
He now keeps twenty head of cattle on his ranch and raises his own horses of
the Norman Percheron breed. As a careful, successful farmer he takes front
rank in his county.
By his marriage Mr. Drewry had five children ; Almon D. is married
and lives near his father; Harvey O. is married and resides in Seattle; Ed-
-i HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ward V. and his wife arc on the farm with his father; two of the children
died in infancy. Mrs. Drewry is a member of the Christian church and is a
represent I the ] neer women of Washington. Mr. Drewry has been
rat, and has never joined any society, as he has been too
deep: in his own affairs, wherein lies the secret of his prosperity.
FREDERICK HARRISON WHITWORTH.
lerick Harrison Whitworth, of the firm of Cotterill, White & Whit-
,-il engineer-. Seattle, Washington, was born in New Albany, Indi-
ana. March j nd comes of English ancestry on the paternal side and
naternal. George F. Whitworth. his father, was born
in B ngland, in [816; came to the United States in 1828, and has
spent the greater part of his life in Washington, as a minister in the Presby-
terian chi living retired, in Seattle, His wife, who before mar-
Elizabeth Thomson, was a native of Kentucky. She died
in [882. I h( n of this worthy couple number five, three sons and two
(iters, i th< subjed of tins' sketch and James Edward,
.il engineers, the latter in Columbia City, Washington; George F. Whit-
1, Jr., is a physician of Berkeley, California; Clara is the wife of William
judge in Los Angeles comity, California; Etta B. is the wife
of ( Jarence I- White, of
When hi .en years of age. Frederick II. Whitworth came with
'lie far west, their location being in Washington territory, where
irly education in the public schools. Then he took a course
School in Oakland, California, and a collegiate
1 nia, where he graduated in 187 1, receiving
V B. Two years later the degree of A. M. was conferred upon
him. He spent on work in Princeton University.
Returnii in 1874, Mr. Whitworth accepted the position of
1 rritorial University of Washington, which he filled
1 f thai time he took up civil engineering, in which he
d. in \\ on and Alaska, at the latter place in
\ part of the time he was occupied in the examination
of mineral pn in [898 put in the water works at Skagway. A
irk in Washington has keen in connection with coal
I fe v 1 1 1 cted largely with the first opening up
ew Ca tie, Renton and Talbat coal mines, and
d the Gili 0 tl mines, also the Leary mines.
ted with the South Prairie and Wilkinson mines in Pierce
1 \amined nearly till the other coal mines
His ering work was the building of
n the New Castle mines to Lake Washington, across the
nion;and from Lake Union to Pike street in Seattle where
That was in 1875-6. He was connected with the
rk, under T. 1!. Marsh, in [875. It was
d that united the people and was really the beginning
>"""<: ttle spirit," and it ultimately forced recognition
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 85
on the part of the Northern Pacific Railroad. When that road passed into
Henr}' Villard's hands, Mr. Whitworth was still connected with it, and made
the first preliminary surveys on which was constructed the line to Black Dia-
mond and Franklin. He was the chief engineer of the Seattle, Lake Shore &
Eastern Railroad in its inception. This line saved the city in its second fight
against the Northern Pacific, which had gone into the hands of Wright, who
had decided to eliminate Seattle from the railroad maps. In 1874 Mr. Whit-
worth was one of the organizers and was chief engineer and manager of the
Washington Improvement Company, organized for the purpose of cutting a
canal from Lake Washington through to tide water. The other members of
the company were D. T. Denny, H. B. Bagley, J. J. McGilvra. B. F. Day and
E. M. Smithers. This company finally succeeded in cutting a small canal
between lakes Washington and Union, and opening the outlet to tidewater,
on or near the line of the present proposed government canal. In 1876 he
was a member of the firm of Eastwick, Morrison & Company, engineers,
which by city authority was employed to establish the first city grades and
locate and monument most of the street lines in the central part of Seattle.
As a member of the firm of Cotterill, White & Whitworth, he is associated
with George F. Cotterill and his brother-in-law, Clarence White.
Politically. Mr. Whitworth is a Republican. He has always taken an
active interest in politics, has frequently represented his constituents in county
and state conventions, and before the admission of Washington to statehood
served on the county central committee. He was elected county surveyor of
King county, and served most of the time for ten years, from 1876 to 1886,
and for eight years, 1878 to 1886, was city engineer.
Mr. Whitworth is a man of family. April 28, 1881. he married Miss
Ada J. Storey, a native of Machias, Maine, and a daughter of a prominent
lumberman of that state. They have one son, Frederick H.. Jr., who is as-
sisting his father as engineer and preparing himself for an electrical .engineer.
Mr. Whitworth and his family attend worship at the First Presbyterian
church, of which they are members.
»
JOHN SIMPSON.
John Simpson, farmer and prosperous resident of Everson, Washington,
was born at Perth, Lanark county, Ontario, Canada, in i860, and is a son of
Peter and Jessie (McDonald) Simpson, the former of whom was born in Scot-
land and came to Canada when a young man. 1 le learned the trade of miller
when a young man and has followed that calling during the greater portion of
his active life. He is still living, residing in Lanark county, as is the mother,
who was also born in Scotland.
At the age of nineteen years John Simpson left home and came west,
locating in British Columbia,' where he lived from [879 to 1883, working in
the logging camps and where now stands the flourishing city of Vancouver.
This city did not spring into prominence until the completion of the Canadian
Pacific Railroad to that point.
In 1883 Air. Simpson came to Washington, locating in Whatcom rounty,
in the upper Nooksack valley, where Everson now stands, and was one of the
HISTORY OF nil. PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
. Itlen here. For six years he drove a freight team between Whatcom
1 the I settlement, the railroad nut being completed here until the
891. In (888 he married .Mrs. Annette Harkness, who owned a
Nooksack Crossing, one-half mile down the
from where Everson now stands. She is of English extraction, and was
alia. "1'wo children have been born to this happy
111* 'ii . namely: J< • . aged fourteen years, and Bertha, aged eight years.
meanwhile Mr. Simpson had bought land fur a farm which was
g cif Ins present line ranch, adjoining the town of Everson. In
■Id out his mercantile interests and has thenceforth devoted all his
i" building up and developing his farm, which consists of one hun-
sixty acn ery rich land. I lay and barley are the principal
s place he has built the finest residence in Everson, and he
illy takes a deep pride in the fact that he has made by his own energy
■st excellenl farm from a trad of land that until very recent years was
all forest, and that he cleared it all himself.
April [5, [903, he helped to institute a lodge of Odd Fellows at
is vice grand, lie and his wife belong to the Presby-
n church, audi are prominenl in the pleasant social life of the flourishing
Mr. Simps' in is one of the mosl prominent and substantial citizens
I bis prosperity is increasing with every year.
S \.\ll I.I. It IURTNER.
tner, one of the /erj prominent residents of Edmonds,
• was in. I ebruarj ..7. [851, in Hancock, Ohio, and is a son
ourtner, born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. By occupation the
ic, and died 111 [888, having come of an old American
cent. The maiden name of the mother was Susana
1 Hancock county, and her father participated
following family was bor-n to the parents of our
Henr) J., feed and grist mill owner "in Hazleton, Iowa;
amier n of Nebraska ; 1 ieorge, a farmer of Oklahoma;
of Oswego, Oregon; Franklin, a blacksmith of Ne-
ur subject; Mary, who married William Fisher, a farmer of Ne-
niel Fourtner was 1 ; in the public schools and normal of Inde-
l"ua. graduating from the latter institution in 1874. He then
■'"'« "" business at Hazleton, towa, and later went to
Nebra k for six years. In December, 1885 he
I "'1 January 5. [886, went to Edmonds, Washington
ul"'" families had 1 led themselves, the men being engaged in
hing lumber and timber for a wharf. Samuel embarked
hundred and sixty acres one mile from the present
ind has continued on tin- Farm ever since. This property
has ' fine farm and is held at a high figure,
1,1 March, to..-. M, Fourtner, with his son-in-law, L. C. Fngel and
u " K"ss- purchased a building on water from and established the ma-
1 p
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 87
chinery for manufacturing shingles. Later they intend to manufacture lum-
ber. The company is incorporated under the name of the Keystone Mill
Company, with a capacity of one hundred thousand shingles per day. and of
it Mr. Fourtner is president and general manager. He is a stockholder of the
Edmonds Co-Operative Improvement Company, which owns and operates
the only public wharves in Edmonds. In politics he is a Liberal. He was a
school trustee and school clerk in Illinois, and a member of the city council
for the past three years, but recently resigned. Mr. Fourtner was in Nebraska
during the grasshopper plague, and was appointed by the government to dis-
tribute aid, he being general distributor for the counties of Jefferson in Ne-
braska and Washington in Kansas.
On April 5, 1874, he was married in Makanda, Jackson county, Illinois,
to Ellen Goodman, who was born there, a daughter of Calvin Goodman, a
farmer of Makanda, who was killed in the battle of Belmont. Missouri, in the
northern army. The Goodman family is an old one in America and comes of
English descent. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Fourtner, namely: Frederick Arthur, assisting his father in the mill; Mary
Zetta, who married L. C. Engel, of the Keystone Mill Company. Samuel
Fourtner and L. C. Engel were the original locators of the now famous Ethel
copper mines of Index, Washington.
HON. HENRY McBRIDE.
There are few lives crowned with the honor and respect accorded to
Henry McBride, the present governor of Washington. Through the years
of his residence in the state his has been an unblemished character. He has
displayed none of those dazzling, meteoric qualities which command world-
wide, but transient, attention; but has been one of the world's workers, as-
sisting materially in laying the foundation for the stability, progress and sub-
stantial growth of the commonwealth, and thus his name is enrolled high on
the scroll of honored and representative men of his adopted state.
A native of Utah, Henry McBride was born in Farmington, in February,
1856, and, on the paternal side, comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry, his grand-
father having emigrated from the old world to America when a young man
and established his home in the state of New York. • George McBride. the
Governor's father, was born in western New York and, after arriving at
years of maturity married Miss Ruth A. Miller, a native of the state of
Indiana. Miss Miller was of English ancestry, the family having been
founded in America several years before. In 1857 George McBride was
killed by the Indians, in Idaho. His widow still survives, in the seventieth
year of her age, and her mother is still living, at about the age of one hundred
years, the family being noted for longevity.
Governor McBride attained his education in the east, and in [880 went
to California, where he remained two years. In 1882 he took up his abode
in the Puget Sound country, and, after teaching school for a time in Island
county, removed to Skagit county, where for three terms he was employed as
the teacher of the Laconner school. During that time he read law, prepara-
tory to taking up its practice as a life work, and, in the spring of 1884, having
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
le principles of jurisprudence, he was admitted to the bar
in J. . by Judge Green, who was then on the bench. He entered at
upon the practice of his chosen profession, wherein he was destined to
le and prominent position. The young lawyer, in his con-
s with older and experienced men, whose reputation and patronage were
hard school, but it afforded excellent training, and,
with the best, his mind was developed, his intel-
lectual p quickened and strengthened, and he acquired a readiness
tion, a fertility of resource, and a courage under stress, which have been
ential factors in his successful career.
While still residing in Laconner, Governor McBride was united in mar-
i Alice i larrett, a native of Island county, Washington, her father
a prominent pioneer of that county and of English ancestry. Mr. Mc-
ntinued to practice in Laconner and became also a recognized leader
in political circles there, being a pronounced Republican. He attended the con-
ins aid and inlluence to promote its success, and
his I • re not without results. In 1888 he received the nomination of
was elected prosecuting attorney of Skagit and Whatcom coun-
term in thai office. Then Skagit and Island counties were
nd Mr. McBride was appointed to that office, which
he filled until [892. In 181/) he was defeated at the polls, as were all
ther candidates seeking election on the Republican ticket, owing to a
n of Democrats a; lists. In 1898 he was a member of the county
convention and was made chairman of the Republican county central com-
mittee, instituting a county campaign which was so capably planned and
carried (ait that it resulted in a splendid victory for the entire Republican
l'i ed with the nomination for lieutenant-governor
a strong state canvass. He received the public
•nt through Ins 1 Upon the death of Governor Rogers, De-
liis office, he became the chief executive of his
ernor McBride at once entered upon the duties of the
• administration evinces that he has superior executive ability,
king and careful ,, and his whole energies are directed
igh which flows the greatest good to the greatest mim-
is, courteous and agreeable, so that he wins friends easily,
m behalf of the ire sustained by the best element of
3 of party affiliation. He is conservative
Force resultant for good.
■Nl' B d member of the Masonic fraternity, also
! fellows and of the Benevolent and Pro-
ln religious faith he and his wife are Episcopalians
of the very high esteem in which they are held
'I he Governor is a conservative man and' must be
in. always striving to build up for the benefit of the
in the commonwealth believing
innol Maud still: they must g0 forward; they cannot
His mental characteristics are of the solid and
'■'■ than 1 itious and brilliant order and he is essen-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 89
tially strong in his intellect, and capable of reaching safe, prudent and reason-
able conclusions. Such a man is well worthy to guide the ship of state.
FORBES P. HASKELL, JR.
Forbes P. Haskell, Jr., assistant cashier of the Fidelity Trust Company
of Tacoma, was born at Oakland, California, on the nth of May, 1873, and
is a son of the Hon. Forbes P. and Emma (Howard) Haskell. His paternal
grandfather, Henry Haskell, was a native of Essex county, Massachusetts, in
which the famous city of Gloucester is situated, and there also were born the
great and the great-great-grandfather of our subject, the family history
being closely connected with that locality. Henry Haskell married Sarah
Coffin Phelps, a descendant of one of the oldest families in Essex county. Her
father, Dr. Phelps, was a medical graduate of Harvard University and was
the first physician and apothecary in Gloucester, in the days when the local
physician was obliged to have an apothecary shop of his own. Three Phelps
brothers came to America from Great Britain in the seventeenth century,
and Mrs. Haskell was a descendant of the one who located in Massachusetts.
The first minister to locate in Gloucester was Parson Forbes Phelps. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Haskell have long since passed away.
Hon. Forbes P. Haskell was born near the historic old town of Glou-
cester, Massachusetts, in 1844. In 1861, at the age of seventeen years, he
enlisted on the United States brig Kingfisher for naval service in the Civil
war, serving throughout the entire struggle on that and other vessels, and
sailing from the west coast of the Gulf to the Carolinas. His experience was
dangerous and exciting, and he participated in both battles of Fort Fisher on
the South Carolina coast. He enlisted for service as a boy, but was dis-
charged as a master mate, his military career continuing until August, 1865.
After the close of the struggle Mr. Haskell journeyed westward, being a
member of one of the surveying parties sent out by the Kansas Pacific Rail-
road Company to locate the first railroad into Denver. He was next engaged
in the preliminary survey over the old Atchison trail through New Mexico
and Arizona for what has since become the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railroad Company, that party having been among the first white people to
traverse the region which they explored. Reaching Los Angeles, California,
in the spring of 1868, Mr. Haskell went with others of his party from that
city to Washington, D. C, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, for the pur-
pose of procuring a subsidy from Congress to build a railroad, presenting their
notes of the survey for that purpose, but the attempt proved unsuccessful.
Failing in this venture, Mr. Haskell again came to the west and was engaged
in railroad-building in Missouri and Kansas for the succeeding two or three
years. Returning thence to the Golden state, he was in the service of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company for some time, but, wishing to take care;
of his parents in their declining years, he returned to the east, and for a period
of nearly fifteen years resided in Gloucester, Massachusetts. While in that
city he served as one of the customs officers, and on the Republican ticket was
elected a member of the Massachusetts legislature, serving during the session
of 1888-9. In tne spring of the latter year he made a visit to the city of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Taenia, and, being so favorably impressed with this section of country, he
ded to make it the future place of his abode. When the Fidelity Trust
pany was organized, in June, 1891, he was given charge of the safety
deposit vaults, which position he has ever since continued to fill, a faithful
and competent employe, enjoying to the utmost the confidence and esteem of
tin- i the hank as well as the clients and public generally. He has
been recognized as an efficient worker for Republican principles, and his
interest in the issues of the day that affect the national weal or woe has never
ed. The marriage of Air. Haskell was celebrated in Gloucester, Massa-
chusetts, in .March. 1S70, when Miss Emma Howard became his wife, and
they have four children. Fletcher O., Forbes Phelps, Charles Howard and
Ro3 G
Phelps Haskell, Jr.. received his education in the old parental
home 'i ( rloucester, and when sixteen years of age came to the west, arriving
three months after his lather's advent into Tacoma. During a period of
years he was employed in the Northern Pacific Railroad Company's
offices here, leaving their employ to accept a position with the same institu-
tion with which his father is connected, the Fidelity Trust Company. Start-
ing >! iffice hoy and collector, he has made remarkable progress, passing
1 ssively through the positions of individual bookkeeper, general book-
er, paj ing teller, and at the annual meeting for 1902 was
elected assistant cashier.
<>n tiie 26th of August, 1896, Mr. Haskell was united in marriage to
Mary E. Lovell, of Tacoma. and a daughter of Major Don G. Lovell,
a prominent old settler of this city. ( )ne child has heen born to brighten and
s home. Donald 1'".. and the family reside in a pleasant residence at
S'orth I 1 si reel, where they dispense a gracious hospitality to their many
'•' kell treasurer of the Tacoma Baseball Club. He is a
u"g m;m of ' nal attainments, ami Washington numbers him among
her 111 .in 'led s, ins.
LAFAYETTE WILLEY.
Captain Lafayette Willey was a well known figure in the Sound country,
■ oi his friends was an extensive one. He attained to promi-
se, and his earnest and well directed labors were abundant-
neriti ss that enabled him to spend his last four
- "i retirement From business an. I to leave his family in very comfortable
He was actively identified with the promotion of the inter-
'v. where for almost a third of a century he resided
He w..- lamihar with the historj ..I the state from pioneer times to the
nt, and took no inconsequential pari in the work of pro-ress and im-
ement.
tin Willey was born in Cherryfield, Maine, in 1854, and traced his
mas Willi who resided in New Hampshire as early
• K>" of that y. 11 howing him to be a taxpayer there at
Samue D and Hannah (Conley) Willey, the grandparents of
the < aptain, were both natives of the Pine Tree state, and Samuel Willey
f h't/^x^
uc "entity!
, AsToH , ,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 91
his father, was born in Cherryfield, Maine, on the 14th of April, 1826. He
remained with his parents until he arrived at years of maturity, and was
reared upon a farm, while later he engaged in lumbering. On the 2d of
July, 1848, he married Miss Lydia Moss, and in 1859 he left his family in
the east, going to California by way of the Isthmus route. He mined in Sis-
kiyou county with fair success and afterward returned to his family, remain-
ing with them until 1867, when he again went to California, where he con-
tinued until 1870. when he removed to Mason county, Washington. He
then sent for his family to join him, and for some years he was engaged in
logging. In 1880 he removed with his family to Olympia, where he built a
nice residence, and with his sons was engaged in the steamboat business until
his death, which occurred in 1897. He was an honorable, upright citizen,
and with his sons had built up a large business, being the owner, in con-
nection with his sons, of the steamers Multnomah and the City of Aberdeen,
carrying passengers and freight between Olympia and Seattle.
Captain Lafayette Willey was sixteen ,-years- of age when he came with
his two brothers and a sister to San Francisco, journeying overland to that
place and thence going by steamer to PbrtlaYnl, by river boat to Olequa on the
Cowlitz, and by stage to Olympia. They had not been long in Olympia be-
fore the brothers obtained the contract for carrying the mail- between Olympia
and Oakland, then the county seat of Mason county,' located near, the present
city of Shelton. Thus the brothers began their seafaring life, carrying the
mail twenty-five miles in a rowboat and taking it twelve miles by land along
a dreary country road. For two years the mail was carried in this way, at
the end of which time they purchased the little steamer Hornet and a little
later bought the Susie, which was somewhat larger and which until lately
has been plying on the Tacoma and North Bay River route. Afterward they
sold the Susie and purchased the Willie, which was still larger, being sixty-
five feet long. This they ran between Olympia and Shelton. In 1889 they
purchased the Multnomah and put her on the river between Seattle and
Olympia. She is a fast steamer, well fitted up, and does a large business.
She is one hundred and fifty feet long, carries one hundred and fifty passen-
gers and one hundred and fifty tons of freight. The business continued to
increase, and the Willey brothers purchased the City of Aberdeen, which they
put on the same run with the Multnomah. She is one hundred and thirty-five
feet long and carries one hundred tons of freight. The brothers became the
captains and managers of their own ships, did a very extensive business
and were popular, not only with their many patrons, but also with all who
knew them. The Multnomah is a very economical steamer for her size and
very rapid, and when in competition has been found able to out-sail anything
in her class.
Captain Lafayette Willey took just pride in owning and sailing this
vessel. He served as the captain, and his brother George as the purser.
When their father joined them the company was named in his honor the
S. Willey Navigation Company. The volume of business done has become
extensive, and thus the brothers by their energy, perseverance and skill had
secured a large patronage and had become men of wealth. Captain P. L.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Willey now resides in San Francisco and George B. in Seattle. Their sister
is now Mrs. Lecretia Leighton.
tain Lafavettc Willey was happily married November I, 1874, to
Miss Belli , a native of' Missouri and a daughter of Alexander Yantis,
: in, plains with an ox team in 1854, when Mrs. Willey was but
three months old. They located in Thurston county, Washington, on a
donation claim of six hundred and forty acres, and Mr. Yantis improved
his farm and lived upon it throughout the remainder of his life. He was
married in Missouri to Miss Sarah Green, who departed this life in 1878,
when sixtj six years of age. while his death occurred in 1884, when he was
sevent) two wars of age. for he was horn in 1812. The Captain and Mrs.
Willey her. une i lie parents of four children, three sons and a daughter:
Samuel, Chester, George and Mrs. Ollie Shaw, the last named residing near
her mother, while the three sons are at home. By reason of ill health Captain
Willey had retired from active business four years before his demise. He
nol onl) a worthy and highly esteemed citizen, but also a loving and
devoted husband and father, and was a valued member of the Independent
Order of ( )'h\ Fellows and the Improved Order of Foresters. In his political
views he was a Democrat. Coming to the west when a young man and not-
ing the business possibilities which arose in this growing country, he took
advantage of these and through the exercise of his sound judgment and his
untiring labor won a place of prominence among the successful and honored
men of his adopted st;
FRANK S. SPRAGUE.
Commercial travelers of to-day, who go from place to place in lordly
i great distances in a few hours in magnificently appointed palace
cars, will be interested to learn how these things were done in the formative
1 of the great northwest. In the biography of the gentleman whose
name is given above the) will he introduced to an era, now passed away for-
w hen the merchant's customers were lew and far between and reached
onl) under the greatest difficulties. At the time Mr. Sprague made his first
as a distributor of goods, there were no railroads through Washington
and adjacent territory, the onl) means of communication being by way of
Streams and rude nails made here and there by the red men or their legiti-
mate l11 wild cowboys. Instead of ordering a lower berth
and arranging for tho of pounds of extra baggage, the traveling sales-
man inquired at the nearest Indian shack for a canoe or looked for a bronco
on which to load his pack, lie was glad to get across the river, or over the
•n any kind of extemporized b it his lone customer, wdio, perhaps,
twenty miles away and b) no means crowded with neighbors. Such
the rude beginn i crude methods which preceded the Northern
ireat Northern, and the 0 >u Short Line through the territory
hich the vigorous young commonwealth watered by the
nbia and its tributaries, with their busy commercial marts at Tacoma
Othei thru ing capitals.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 93
In 1854 Henry Sprague and his wife, who had been Miss Margaret
Foster, determined to leave their native state of New York and seek better
fortunes in the rapidly developing state of Iowa, buying a large tract of land
in Floyd county, where Floyd Center now stands, and engaging quite exten-
sively in farming. During the Civil war he was in the employ of the govern-
ment, as a builder of hospitals for the Union soldiers, but this occupation of
course ceased with the return of peace. Mr. Sprague removed to the state of
Michigan in 1867, but only remained a year and then returned to Iowa, and
located in Cherokee, Cherokee county, where he engaged in farming, but
worked mainly at his trade of constructing flouring mills. In 1875 he re-
moved to Oregon, where he spent the remainder of his days, and closed his
earthly career when about fifty-nine years old. Henry Sprague was a member
of the Baptist church, strongly Republican in his politics, and a man of
exemplary habits, as well as excellent business judgment, and these good qual-
ities were not lost on his son. who became the successful merchant now under
consideration. His wife and widow met her death in a railroad acciden*
which occurred August 25, 1902, and at the time of this untoward event
was in the eighty-fourth year of her age. Of their five children three are
living, and two are residents of the state of Washington, James being a citizen
of Kelso and Frank S. of Centralia.
Frank S. Sprague was born July 15, 1858, on his father's farm, during
the first residence of his parents in Iowa in Floyd county. Until seventeen
years old he attended the public schools and remained at home, deciding on
plans of future employment. He was still a boy when he made his first busi-
ness venture as an employe in a hardware store at San Francisco, and re-
mained there long enough to master the details as well as some of the large
features connected with this branch of the mercantile business. From Cali-
fornia he came up to Portland, Oregon, and from that as headquarters traveled
for years all over the Puget Sound country in search of trade for his house.
A pleasant hour may be spent any time listening to Mr. Sprague' s recital of
his experiences in those days, as a pioneer salesman in this sparsely settled
section. No locomotive whistle awakened the echoes, nor were there any
comfortable hotels at easy stages to welcome the weary traveler. All was raw
and wild and rude, and Mr. Sprague was glad to get from town to town in
canoes rowed by the Indians, whom he utilized as guides in his peregrinations.
His experiences, adventures and mishaps would furnish material for an inter-
esting serial story, but they were such as have been rendered impossible of
recurrence on account of the subsequent rapid development of the northwest.
All this, however, proved a valuable training for the future merchant, and
when Mr. Sprague engaged in the hardware business at Centralia, in 1888,
it was not as a novice, but as an experienced hand. What he had learned con-
cerning the inside of this business as well as the special needs in this line of the
population to which he catered, enabled him to make a success of his first
mercantile adventure on his own account. He " made money," as they say
out west, in hardware, but eventually disposed of his interests to Frank T.
McNitt for the purpose of dealing in real estate in Centralia. He prospered
in this line also, but. as often happens in the speculative periods "I" new towns,
he lost his accumulations in subsequent unfortunate adventures. Occurrence
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of this kind, however, are looked upon as matters of course by these resource-
ful westerner.-, and soon we find Mr. Sprague challenging fate and fortune in
an entirely new role. In 1894 he established at Centralia a dry-goods store,
which he gave the name of " Up-to-date store," and any one who inspects its
e methods of the proprietor is apt to admit that the
title ■ nomer. The establishment consists of a building thirty by ninety
feet, two stories in height, and both floors are filled with well selected stock
of ladies' dress and fancy goods, and dress furnishings of all kinds, both for
men and women. Mr. Sprague thoroughly understands what is wanted or
ed by his trade, and his long experience both as a buyer and seller enables
him to lake advantage of the market so as to obtain the most profitable results.
much in sa\ that he is the most enterprising, as he certainly is
the mosl popular, of all the dry-goods merchants in or near Centralia, and his
energetic methods and business skill have enabled him to score very satisfac-
tory financial results. Certainly the Up-to-date Dry-goods Store, considering
that it has been in operation only eight years, has achieved a standing in the
mercial world quite complimentary to its founder and conductor.
Mr. Sprague, though voting the Republican ticket, has had little time for
ral politics, and his civic services have been confined to brief membership
n the city council. He holds fraternal relations with the Masons and Wood-
f the World, and on the social side of life is regarded as one of the
pleasanl companions to be found in the city. In 1886 Mr. Sprague was
happily married to Miss Elvena, daughter of John Dun fee, an eastern man
who gave hi- life to the Union while serving as a soldier during the Civil
war. In [902 was planned and built the dwelling house which they now
and whose contents and general surroundings indicate more plainly
words that the inmates are people of taste and refinement. In this com-
fortable residenci . one of the handsomest in Centralia, Mr. and Mrs. Sprague
"at home" to their friends, and here they entertain all visitors
with cordial but 1 ttious hospitality.
LUCIUS R. MANNING.
>ne of the rep e business men of Tacoma and one who has been
inently identified with much of its financial and industrial activity is
Manning, the subjeel of this brief review. In both business "and
I circles Mr. Manning occupies an enviable position, and certainly de-
■ cognition in this volume.
g line of ancestors on bis paternal side, and the
iled in book form. His great-grandfather was a
n the Revolution" and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill. Gur-
ominent business man of Tioga county, New York.
on merchandising at Owego and later at
successful career he retired in [890, and came out to
; in [893. His wife. Sarah Adams, was a native of
New York, and died several years ago.
wen thi parents of Lucius 1L, who was born at
unty, New York. July 15. 1856. The family moved to
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 95
Waverly when lie was a young lad, and therefore he received most of his
education in that city. His business training was gained in his father's store.
Which he entered at an early age. He later began working in a bank, and
so rapidly did he learn that intricate business that he was soon promoted to
the position of cashier. By 18S5 he had acquired much ability as a business
man and banker, and he came to the northwest to begin banking in the wide
field that was there open to capital. In 1885 he and Charles P. Masterson,
of Elmira, New York, organized the Pacific National Bank of Tacoma, and
this is one of the very few banks established in those days which have sur-
vived the stormy seas of financial panics and are still riding on smooth and
"safe waters. Mr. Manning was made the vice-president and held some office
in the bank until 1898. when he resigned to devote all his attention to his
private financial enterprises, although he still retains some interest in that
institution. Mr. Manning and his partner, Robert G. Walker, have offices at
402-403-404 Equitable building, and do a thriving business as real estate and
investment brokers. In 1900 Mr. Manning, with Edward Cookingham and
his associates in the Pacific National Bank, organized a company and built
the Tacoma Eastern Railroad, which is now a valuable property. He is
interested in other corporations, and is the treasurer of the Tacoma and Roche
Harbor Lime Company, the most extensive manufacturers and wholesalers of
lime on the Pacific coast.
Notwithstanding his close attention to business, Mr. Manning is a lead-
ing member of the principal clubs and societies and of the Chamber of Com-
merce, and is well liked for his genial and pleasant manners. His marriage
took place at Columbia. Missouri, on October 10, 1888, when he became the
husband of Miss Lucy Bass. On August 18, 1894. a son was born to them,
who is the bearer of his father's name, Lucius.
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO BANK, LIMITED.
In the days of barter and exchange, when men carried their produce
around until they came to some one who happened to possess the article he
was looking for and also a desire for the other man's goods, money was not
needed, and therefore the mediums through which it passed and was stored
for convenience of commerce, the bank, did not enter into the general scheme
of the world's institutions. But to-day banks and the banking system are
the means through which are transacted the complications of the world's trade,
and it is one of the most stable as well as the most important of the elements
of organized society. Some of these banking firms have become known to
men engaged in business the world over, and have been important factors in
financing many large enterprises, and it is of the branch of one of these that
this article has to speak, the London and San Francisco Bank, limited, at
Tacoma. Washington.
This bank was established at San Francisco the first day of January.
1864, and the American headquarters of the corporation are still in that city.
The first president was Milton S. Latham, who is now deceased, and was in
his day a very prominent California financier. It was mainly through his
influence with London capitalists that he was enabled to found this banking
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
establishment, with houses in both cities and having the best backing in Lon-
don and San Francisco. The present chairman of the board of directors in
ii is I !<in Goschen, brother of the distinguished English statesman of
that name, and the chairman of the board in San Francisco is N. D. Rideout,
an eminent man of that city.
i the growth and development of the bank branches were established
in different cities of the west, [n 1880 one was put in operation at Portland,
"ne at Tacoma in [890, and another in Seattle in February, 1901. The bank
at Tacoma is under the management of S. M. Jackson, whose connection with
the corporation .^ocs back twenty years. This bank is now located in the
'i building, corner of Thirteenth street and Pacific avenne, and its beauti-'
fnl quarters have heen elegantly fitted up in a modern style.
The bank's eastern correspondent is J. P. Morgan & Company. Al-
though it has unlimited hacking the management is very conservative, and the
field nf its influence is constantly growing. So closely has this institution
identified with the growth and business life of the west that it is looked
I hi to affection by many of the older residents, and there
doubt that its future is filled with promise of greater things than was
■ ' 1st.
HON. HENRY DRUM.
rhe name of I Ion. Henry Drum is inseparably interwoven with the
iv of Washington, and an enumeration of the men who have con-
ferred honor and dignity upon the state would be incomplete without definite
reference to the subject of this review. Now a leading business man of
Olympia, lie has served as mayor of the city of Tacoma, and was a mem-
I the state legislature during its first two sessions, at which time he
"I1";"'! Factor in framing the laws of the state and shaping the
destiny oi this now great commonwealth of which he is a most worthy
citizen.
Mr. Drum is a native of Illinois, horn in Macoupin county, November
21, [857, and is of German and Scotch-Irish ancestry. His grandfather,
Silas Drum, was born in tin tate of North Carolina and removed to Illinois
ii earl) settlement, locating upon a farm in Macoupin
county. There William Drum, the father of our subject, was born December
i;. 1831, and he spenl his entire life in his native county, becoming one of
merchants, lie married Miss Sarah McConaughey, a lady of
try, who died during the early childhood of'her son Henry,
the father contracted a second marriage. He was a prominent
member -1 the M Ei tternity and served as master of his lodo-e for
many years.
Drum was educated in the public schools of Illinois and in the
g Cl 1 in his native state for two
where he engaged in teaching for one year In
'"• U("' '" racoi hington, and became interested in manufactur-
me of the organizers of the Merchants National
City, lie served as its vice president and cashier and con-
THf
ffFty
^RfT
Lte%AK]
AST.
■nLDh
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 97
tinned his connection with the institution until 1893, having in the mean-
time also become interested in many other enterprises. He had become
recognized as a leader in the ranks of the Democracy, and upon its ticket was
elected mayor of the city. During his administration he instituted many
improvements, and the city made rapid progress along many lines of material
upbuilding. For three years he was the president of the school board of the
city, during which time a number of Tacoma's fine school buildings were
erected, and while serving as a park commissioner he labored effectively for
the city in that direction.
In 1889, the state having been admitted to the Union, he served as a
member of the first state senate, being the only Democrat in the upper house.
He served on the revenue, taxation and educational committees, and was
prominent in securing the passage of the special educational bill for the
cities of Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Spokane, which resulted in giving
these larger cities power to inaugurate the present school system, under
which they are enjoying superior educational facilities. His long business
experience eminently fitted him for usefulness in formulating the first state
legislation of the newly organized state. During ithree' different compaigns
he has been chairman of the Democratic state central committee, and has
rendered his party much valuable service. During President Cleveland's
second administration, in recognition of his value to the party, he was offered
the position of collector of customs but declined it ; after the great financial
panic of 1893, however, in which he was forced to sustain very heavy losses,
he accepted the deputy collectorship and acted in that capacity for two years.
At the close of this service he received a letter from the collector of customs
stating that he was the best posted collector in the state of 'Washington.
In 1898 Mr. Drum made a business trip to Alaska, and upon his return
established his office in Spokane. Soon after he was appointed a member
of the state board of control, and this necessitated his removal to Olympia,
the state capital, but upon the death of Governor Rogers the political com-
plexion of the board was changed and he resigned. In 1893-4 he received
from Governor Ferry the appointment of World's Fair Commissioner and
discharged his duties as a member of that commission in a manner highly
conducive to the best interests of the state. He was appointed by Governor
McGraw a member of the board of the state reform school, and in that work-
took much active interest, doing all in his power to forward the commend-
able aims of the institution. In recent years he has been actively engaged
in the handling of real estate in Olympia, also is engaged in the insurance
business, and is stockholder in large oyster bed enterprises, which are yield-
ing very satisfactory returns.
In 1884 Mr. Drum was married to Miss Jessie M. Thompson, a native
of Burlington, Wisconsin, and they have five children: William Howard,
Laura, Barbara B., Dorothy F. and Rachael. The parents are members of
the First Free church of Tacoma, and Mr. Drum is a York and Scottish Rite
Mason. In the field of political life and business activity lie has won dis-
tinction, and is numbered among the leading, influential and honored citizens
of Washington. In the front rank of the columns which have advanced the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
civilization of the northwest he has marched; he has been a student of the
the times and of existing conditions, and with clarity of view he
has rward to the future and labored conscientiously and effectively
: vat ion and promotion of the best interests of Washington. He
has wielded and is wielding a wide influence in public affairs, and his abil-
both natural and acquired, make him a leader of men and molder of
public opinion.
HON. II ENRY PELEG BURDICK.
m constantly receiving new additions to its population from the
east,- in fact only a very small portion of its inhabitants can claim nativity
the prominent men who have recently made this the abiding
place of their home and fortunes is the Hon. Henry Peleg Burdick, a lawyer
oi much ability, who made his reputation as a man of business and political
affairs in the state of Wisconsin.
Ills father, Peleg, was born in New York state, removed to Pennsyl-
and in [854 came on to Wisconsin. His occupation was that of mill-
right and lumberman, and he died in Polk county, Wisconsin, in January,
111-- wife. Lucretia Stocking, who was also a native of New York
Mate, was killed in a terrible cyclone which, devastated that part of the state
September, 1884, and tore their home all to pieces.
The birth of Henry Peleg Burdick occurred in Warren county, Pennsyl-
'■'■ bi 1849. \t the age of five he came with his parents to Jefferson
nty. Wisconsin, two years later removed to St. Croix county, the same
here with tl ition -1 a brief period spent in Minnesota he lived
1 [877, when all the family went to Polk county. Henry attended the
publii of ill.- neighborhood, but when he was fifteen years old the war
ime too strong for him to resist, and in November, 1864, he enlisted
Paul in the first Minnesota Heavj Artillery, doing garrison duty at
a and receiving an honorable discharge in October, 1865. He
d continued to assist his father in his lumber and sawmill
and. as tlu- latter had considerable legal business to transact, it
Burdick that if he had the requisite knowledge of the pro-
mighl be- -1 material service to his father, and subsequently find a
d for himself. This was the way he became a lawyer. He
! the necessary books, and during all his spare time was to be found
11 w»a1 mighl have seemed to others very dry reading, which bore
in his admission to the bar in Polk county, Wisconsin, in Tanuary,
twent) iwo years he was one of the prominent practi-
inty, and during that time became known not only
1 the town but in the state as well. His record of public service
the time he was allowed to practice law. for in 1880 he entered
'in as a member of the board of county commissioners of
m 1884 to 1887. four years, he was district attorney for his
I m 1892 was elected a member of the state assembly, receiving a
I fere he performed a leading part, being on 'the important
tee ->nd chairman of the judiciary committee. In the last
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 09
session, during the sickness of the speaker, George D. Burrows, he was made
speaker pro tern. For seven or eight years the citizens of Osceola kept him
in the office of president of the village, he was president of the school board
for ten years, and was chairman of a board of special commissioners appointed
to supervise the construction of the fifty thousand dollar courthouse for Polk
county.
By his constant application to business Mr. Burdick had impaired his
health, and this led him in the spring of 1902 to come with his family to
Tacoma. On May 1 he opened his office in the Fidelity building and has
since been establishing: himself in the esteem of the business circles of the
...
city, so that he already enjoys a fair practice; his specialty is corporation law.
He has not given up his interest in political matters, and in the campaign of
1902 made several effective speeches for Republican candidates. He is fra-
ternally connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, and with the Masons
and the Maccabees. He was married' on February 14, 1876, in St. Croix
county, Wisconsin, to Miss Angelia Gould, a native of Maine, and the four
children who have been born to them bear the names : Lucile M., Marchia L.,
Harold Peleg; and Thelma Ruth.
"S
SIDNEY G. CRANDALL.
A glance at the history of past centuries will indicate at once what would
be the condition of the world if the mining interests no longer had a part in
the industrial and commercial life. Only a few centuries ago agriculture was
almost the only occupation of man. A landed proprietor surrounded himself
with his tenants and his serfs, who tilled his broad fields, while he reaped the
reward of their labors ; but when the rich mineral resources of the world were
placed upon the market industry found its way into new and broader fields.
minerals were used in the production of hundreds of inventions, and the
business of nations was revolutionized. When considering those facts wo
can in a measure determine the value to mankind of the mining interests.
One who is connected with the rich mineral resources of the northwest is
Mr. Crandall, now the president of the Cascade Copper Company of Tan una.
A native of Binghamton, Broome county. New York, he was born in the
year 1851, and is a son of Welch and Mary (Smith) Crandall. The father
was a farmer in early life. He was born in Connecticut, but came of an old
Rhode Island family, the Crandall ancestry being traced back in that state for
two hundred and fifty years. When a young man Welch Crandall removed
from New England to Chenango county, Xew York, settling upon a farm
where he reared his family. In 185 1, attracted by the discovery of gold in
California, he made an overland trip to that state and was engaged in mining
there for a while. He spent the last days of his life in Binghamton, where he
died several years ago. His wife is also deceased.
Sidney G. Crandall obtained a good education, which he completed in
the Binghamton high school, and at the age of twenty years started out in
life on his own account, going to Milwaukee. There he found a g 1 position
as traveling salesman for a wholesale house, his territory being the Lake
Superior country. Later he traveled from the same city, representing the
>A 59
100 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Milwaukee Lithographing Company. In 1876, however, he again started
westward and this time located in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he began busi-
ness ^n his own account, lie-coming- a prominent real estate and financial agent
there. It was in that city that he first became interested in the banking busi-
nting in Lincoln the New York banking firm of Austin Corbin
m. In [880 he removed to Grand Junction, Colorado, where he also
engaged in hanking as the representative of the Corbin house, and he erected
the first frame building in ('.rand Junction. To the development and im-
emenl of that portion of the state he contributed largely by his able
efforts, and was \er\ prominent in public affairs, serving at one time as treas-
urer of Mesa county. In 1883 Air. Crandall left Colorado, and after visiting
Portland and other points in Oregon and in Washington he located at Pome-
''in, engaging in the banking business as a representative of the
firm of Austin Corbin & Son. In [888 he removed to Tacoma, where be has
ed, a prominent business man of this city. From that year until
1893 he was engaged in the wholesale grocery business as a member of the
firm of Ree e, I randall & Redman, owners of one of the largest wholesale
limenl al that time.
In (893, r, Air. Crandall retired from mercantile life and became
in mining, with which branch of industrial activity he is now promi-
nenth identified, and he has been an active figure in developing the great gold
I interests of tin- northwestern coast, and is the president of
the < per Company, which owns and is developing rich and valu-
able copper and gold mines in the Cascade mountains. He is also the presi-
ded "I the !•• ■ Mining Company, owning a gold property, and is finan-
cially interested in mines in Montana and other places. He is considered an
authority on mining questions, and his investments have been judiciously
s now reaping a good financial reward for his labor. His
; in the National Bank of Commerce building, and from
this |wiint in- controls his various properties.
fn O 1 indall was united in marriage to Aliss Mary Kelsey,
and they now hav< I m 'liter, Ruth, who is residing with them at their
lence al 8] 1 South Tenth street. This home is the abode of
al functions are greatly enjoyed by the friends
family. Through almost fifteen years Air. 'Crandall has resided in
and is well known as ., pi inent and successful business man. His
direct n ird "I" his own labors, and results not a little from
abilitj to quickly recognize and improve an opportunity. He stands to-
man, strong in his honor and his good name, and in the
history of the Pugel Sound country he well deserves mention.
M \RSII \l.l. KING SNELL.
I King Snell, an attornej of Tacoma, was born in Ottumwa,
nd is a son of Dr. John Marshall King, having
arna.me from foster parents. His father was born in Fau-
1 descendant on th< maternal side of Chief
■ I nited States supreme court. Dr. King, having
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 101
located at Ottumwa, Iowa, at the outbreak of the Civil war, enlisted as a
surgeon in the Union army, and served until injured, when he returned to his
home on the ist of November, 1864, and died on the 3rd of the same month.
The tragic chapter which witnessed the complete orphaning of the subject of
this sketch was closed when, during the same month, his mother, sister and
brother died from an epidemic of smallpox, leaving him the sole survivor of
the family.
He was taken to the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home, then located at
Farmington, from which he was taken and adopted when seven years of age
by William J. Snell and wife, of Primrose, Iowa. Soon afterwards he removed
with his foster parents to Wisconsin, locating on a farm near Trempealeau,
where his boyhood days were spent in farm work and in attendance at the
district school in winter. At the age of fourteen his ambition reached beyond
the narrow environment of his adopted home, and he left the farm to make
his own way in the world. At eighteen he taught school, and devoted his
evenings to the study of law. Finally, with money accumulated by work
on farm, winter teaming and teaching, he was enabled to enter the Madison
State University, Wisconsin, and graduated from the law department. He
first located at Seymour, Wisconsin, and practiced law there until March, 1888,
when he removed to Tacoma, Washington, where he has ever since continued
in the active practice of his profession, his distinguishing qualities being
energy, aggressiveness and precision, which have given him success as a trial
lawyer. Though of late years making somewhat of a specialty of corporation
law, he has had unusual success in the defense of criminal cases. He has a
large law library, and has for thirteen years occupied the same fine suite of
law offices in the Equitable building. He is well known as a sportsman ; and
is a member of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce, one of the hoard of
curators of the Washington State Historical Society, and is associated with
many public enterprises and undertakings.
Coming to Washington ere the days of statehood, and casting in his
fortunes with the city of Tacoma, Mr. Snell has prospered financially, and is
the owner of considerable real estate, and has his home fronting the beautiful
Wright park. His wife was formerly Bertha M. Denton, a cousin of the
gallant Colonel Elmer Ellsworth of the Zouaves, and she is associated with
him in the practice of law, being the first woman to actively engage in the
practice of that profession in the state. Marshall K. Snell has one son, William
Arthur Snell, by a former marriage.
FRANK S. BLATTNER.
Frank S. Blattner is actively connected with a profession which has im-
portant bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of any section or com-
munity, and one which has long been considered as conserving the public
welfare by furthering the ends of justice and maintaining individual rights.
His reputation as a lawyer has been won through earnest, hones! labor, and
bis standing at the bar is a merited tribute to his ability. He now has a very
large practice, and his careful preparation of cases is supplemented by a power
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of argumenl and forceful presentation of his points in the courtroom, so that
lie never fail t impress court or jury and seldom fails to gain the verdict
desired.
Mr. Blattner is a native of Auburn, De Kalb county, Indiana, born in
[867, a son of E. R. and Margaret (Rhodenbaugh) Blattner. The father was
born in Philadelphia, and about i860 removed to Indiana, living at Auburn
until [892, when he came to Tacoma, where he now makes his home. During
reater part of his business career he was a commercial traveler. His
wife is a native of Stark county, Ohio.
Having acquired a good education in the public school, Frank S. Blattner
studied shorthand and became an expert stenographer, and from the time he
M until he attained his majority he was official court stenographer
for the thirty-fifth judicial circuit of Indiana, embracing the northeastern part
of the state. 1 Ih attention being thus called to the law, he resolved to become
a member of the bar, and having studied for some time, he was admitted to
ar at Auburn, tndiana, in 1888, after which he became a partner of the
Hon, \\ . L. Penfield, who is now solicitor for the department of state and
has represented the United States in some important international disputes
the Hague conference, and is a distinguished lawyer.
After practicing law at Auburn for two years Mr. Blattner came to
ma, and for the first two months after his arrival was employed as a
i.i|i1ht in a law office, and then, resuming practice, became associated,
at different times, with partners of well known ability and reputation, includ-
ing \V. II. Doolittle, B. S. Grosscup, D. K. Stevens and others. For the past
few years he has practiced alone, and the litigation with which he has been
ted has been of an important character, involving large interests and
calling for marked ability and broad legal learning.
At Auburn, in [889, Mr. Blattner was united in marriage to Miss Dora
I le 1- 11 ■ ly known in this city, for his social qualities have made
skill and legal ability have gained him prominence in
bis profession. He 1- a student, earnest and discriminating, and this stands
if the strong elements in his advancement at the bar.
HON. GEORGE C. BRITTON.
Whatev< aj be said of the legal fraternity, it cannot be denied
that members of the bai have been more prominent actors in public affairs
thi community. This is but the natural result of
manifest and require no explanation. The ability and train-
> which qualify one to practice law. also qualify him in many respects for
duties which lie outside the strict path of Ins profession and which touch the
""en ■ iety. I folding marked precedence among the members
oi the bai of Tacoma is the Hon. George C. Britton, who for several years
ictised here with constantl) growing success and has also been promi-
in public affairs.
Mr. Britton was born near Tipton in Cedar county, Iowa, and is the son
of Thomas II. and Frances (1 1 ford) Britton, both of whom are now
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 103
deceased. At an early day his father removed from Virginia to Iowa, and his
mother removed there from the state of Indiana when a child with her father.
Upon their marriage they commenced life upon a farm in the state of Iowa,
where upon the old homestead George C. Britton was reared. His literary
education was completed in the Northern Indiana Normal Collage at Val-
paraiso, Indiana, where he was a student in the scholastic year of 1877-8.
Subsequently he took up the study of law in the law department of the State
University at Iowa City, where he was graduated in the class of 1881. He
early displayed the elemental strength of his character in the methods by which
he acquired his education. In order to secure advanced mental training he
engaged in teaching school, thus winning the funds which enabled him to
continue his own studies. He was admitted to the bar in Iowa City, Iowa,
the 21st day of June, 1881, and practiced in Tipton, Iowa, for a year, after
which he removed to Northville, Spink county, South Dakota, where he suc-
cessfully practiced law for a number of years. He was also prominent in
public affairs there, and served as a member of the constitutional convention
which framed the organic law for the new state upon the division of the ter-
ritory into North and South Dakota. In February, 1889, Mr. Britton located
in Tacoma, where he has since engaged in practice.
His legislative career is equally noticeable with his service as a repre-
sentative of the legal profession. In 1900 he was elected a member of the
seventh general assembly of Washington, representing Pierce county. The
most important work which he undertook in that session was the preparation
and introduction of house bill No. 28, "An act to establish a code of probate
law and procedure." This bill passed the house without a dissenting vote, but
on account of the large amount of business before the senate that body was
not able to act upon the measure before the adjournment of the legislature,
although it was a measure that met with general indorsement.
In April, 1901, he was elected a member of the city council of Tacoma
from the fifth ward and takes a very active part in the work of that bod}-.
This election came to him entirely unsought. He is now serving as chairman
of the judiciary committee and is a member of the committee on finance, of
the light and water committee and the salaries committee, and is exercising
his official prerogatives in support of every movement calculated to advance
reform and improvement in the city.
While residing in Dakota Mr. Britton was united in marriage to Miss
Clara A. Wheeler, who was to him a loved companion and helpmate on life's
journey until 1894, when she was called to her final rest, leaving two daugh-
ters. Jasmine and Helen. The family home is at 4608 South J street, and Mr.
Britton maintains his law office at 408-9 Berlin building. His law practice
is of a general nature, although he makes somewhat of a specialty of probate
matters. Admitted to the bar, he at once entered upon the practice and from
the beginning has been unusually prosperous in every respect. The success
which he has attained has been due to his own efforts and merits. The pos-
session of advantages is no guarantee nor can it be secured without integrity,
ability and industry. These qualities he possesses to an eminent degree and
is faithful to every interest committed to his charge. Throughout his whole
life, whatsoever his hand finds to do, whether in his profession or in his official
104 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
duties, or in any other sphere, he does with all his might and with a deep
se of conscientious obligation.
EDWARD MEATH.
Edward Meath is one of the numerous young men of Tacoma who have
taken the management of affairs largely into their hands, and to the restless
spirit and energy of these is due much of the phenomenal development of this
busy western city, fur some years he has been identified with a large firm of
ently has entered the field of public service, where he
shows marked ability. His father was Richard G. Meath, who was born
in the provino ! rio, Canada, but when a young man came to the United
ik up his residence at Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He became one of
mi rch ml-, of that place, and was also engaged in the operation
lumber mill, [lis experience in the latter capacity induced him in 1876
["acoma and take charge of the old Tacoma mill; he made this
ey by rail to San Francisco and from there to Portland by the water
route, lie was thus one of the early settlers of the place, and has been here
ever since, lie was al our tune a town trustee and later a city councilman.
lie is not now actively engaged in business, and has his home at the little
eight miles south of Tacoma called Larchmont. His wife was Margaret
Miller, a native of Canada, and she died in Tacoma.
Edward .Meath was bom to these parents at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in
1871. As he came to Tacoma with the remainder of the family in 1877, his
boyhood was passed in the eager scenes of a booming town of the coast, and
he retains a clear memory of the development of the city from its incipient
up to its pi I 1 ismopolitan aspect. However, as the town-fathers
provided well i< r education, young Meath did not lack for a good mental
train ter li chool he accepted a position with the Fidelity Security
t Company, which had just been organized, and his interest has been
ied in this compa nice, with the exception that for the two years,
1895 ''''■ wnen tne h;inl times still grappled the throat of business, he held
in the county treasurer's office. Starting in as a
inn he made himself so useful that he now occupies the place of
' I01 experience and ability have made him an
expert in the abstract busir
In loo' Mr. Meath received the Republican nomination for the office
"I" l'i and was elected by a large majority, and this
his ability as a man who was only thirty years old.
,n f' | the Red Men and is president of the
icoma. In [896 he was married in Tacoma to Miss
lith Moorman, and their 1 ince been mad. happy by the advent of
children, j rman and Dorothy Gertrude.
JOIIX ('. RATHBUN.
John (' Rathbun was born in New Haven. Connecticut, December 19,
When at the aj his parents removed to Buffalo county^
JOHN C. RATHBUH.
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX
T1LDBN FOUND-*:
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 105
Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood on a farm. In the fall of 1872 he
entered the State University of Wisconsin and graduated in the scientific
department in June, 1877. In November of the same year he was elected
county school superintendent of Buffalo county, and was re-elected in 1879.
In 1882 he purchased the Buffalo County Herald at Mondovi, Wisconsin,
which he published until 1885, when he removed to Midland, Texas, where
he published the Staked Plain and practiced law until 1889. In that year he
removed to Olympia, Washington, and engaged in newspaper work. He was
justice of the peace and judge of the police court of Olympia from 1891 to
1895. He was member of the board of school directors of Olympia for six
years, and president of the board in 1893 and again in 1897. During these
years he published newspapers and practiced law, and also wrote a history
of Thurston county, Washington. In the latter year he became connected
with the Seattle Times as editorial writer. In 1902 he engaged in mining.
In June) 1878, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Goldenberger, of Mad-
ison, Wisconsin. His family consists of three sons, Chauncey B., John
Charles and Vilas B.
WILLIAM H WAPLES.
William H. Waples, owner of the Lynden Department Store of Lynden,
Washington, was born at Milford, Delaware, in 1X75. His parents are Magnus
and Anna E. (Robinson) Waples, the former of whom was born in Dela-
ware, but in 1880 removed with his family to Chicago and made that city his
home until 1888. In 1889 he located in Washington, settling at Montesano
in Chehalis count}', and lived there until 1896, when he removed to What-
com, where he still resides. The Waples have a long and somewhat noted
ancestry on the paternal side. It was founded in this country by Peter
Waples, an Englishman, in 1698, he having obtained a grant to some land
from the King, on the Indian river in Delaware. The great-great-grand-
father, Joseph Waples, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and other
members were equally prominent.
William II. Waples was educated in the schools of Chicago and later
attended school in Washington. From his first business venture, he has
been in a mercantile line. After clerking for a few years, he decided to go
into business for himself, and in 1897, with less than one hundred dollars,
he came to Lynden and established a store. His success shows what enter-
prise and ability were possessed by this young man. The business house
known as the Lynden Department Store is one of the show places of the
town. Everything is sold here used in a home, farm or ranch, including dry-
goods, clothing, shoes, furnishings, hardware, groceries, farm and mill ma-
chinery, vehicles, etc., and employment is constantly furnished twelve people.
In addition to this enterprise Mr. Waples owns the Lynden livery stables, and
is now building near town a shingle mill with a capacity of from seventy-five
to one hundred and fifty thousand shingles a day. He also owns a large tract
of timber land, and is certainly one of the most prosperous men of the locality.
In 1900 Mr. Waples was married at Whatcom to Miss Arvilla Cissna,
L06 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
He is a Mason and a member of the Commercial Club. In his social and
fraternal relations be is as energetic and popular as be is in business life, and
considering bis success that is saying a good deal.
HERMAN HOFERCAMP.
Few are the residents of Whatcom who can claim as long connection with
the city as can Herman Hofercamp, for since 1867 he has resided here and
been identified with pioneer development as well as later-day progress and
advancement. He is now conducting the store of the Bellingham Bay &
British Columbia Railroad Company, a position which he has occupied for
time, lie is among the worthy citizens that the fatherland has furnished
to tin- northwest, bis birth having occurred in Germany, on the 28th of Decem-
[835. I lis parents. George and Wilhelmina Hofercamp, were also born
in that country, and in the year 1870 they came to the United States, settling
in St. Louis, Missouri, where both died. Their daughter, Anna, died in
Germany, and their son had preceded them to the new world.
1 [erman I [ofercamp was educated in the schools of Hanover, continuing
tudies until sixteen years of age, when he began clerking in a grocery
I [earing much of the opportunities afforded to young men in the new
world, be decided to try bis fortune in this country, and in 185 1 bade adieu
ti home, friends and fatherland. He crossed the Atlantic in a sailing vessel
which dropped anchor in the harbor of New Orleans, and thence be proceeded
northward, going first to St. bonis and afterward to Cincinnati. Ohio. In
[856 be went to California, making the journey by way of the Isthmus of
Panama to San Francisco, where he was employed as a salesman in a general
For ten yeai I >ii the expiration of that decade he came direct to What-
c where he arrived in [867. The place at that time, however, was called
Sehome. Mr. I [ofercamp accepted the position of storekeeper with the Belling-
ham Bay Coal Company, with which he remained until 1875, when he left
that companj and took up a homestead, on which be lived for seven years,
cultivating the land and improving the property.
In [88] he returned to Whatcom and again become storekeeper for the
same company. I le was also postmaster of Sehome. In 1887 aIter closing out
the stock for that company he was appointed postmaster and gave his entire
ittention to the administration oi the duties of the office until 1891, when he
1 'tin ncd to the company, which in the meantime had been merged into the
Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad Company. He has continuously
served as storekeeper from [89] to the present. He has bad long experience
in this position, and his services give entire satisfaction to those whom he
represents.
1 '" the 10th of Apnl. [860, Mr. Hofercamp was united in marriage t.
Miss Jane Cecelia Francis, a native of Springfield, Illinois, who died in 1900,
leaving three sons and two daughters: Francis, Cecelia, Hulda, Edward and
Charli l he eli 1 ecelia, is the wife of Wadell Connell and is
living in Whatcom Mr, I [ofercamp votes with the Republican party, to which
he has given his support since becoming an American citizen.
o
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 107
JOHN J. LARSON.
John J. Larson, a prominent and successful business citizen of What-
com, owning and operating the finest livery line in this city, was born in
Yoss, Norway, January 27, 1864. He is a son of Lars and lngeborg (Ma-
ringa) Larson, the former of whom was born in 1817 and is a resident of
Graue, Norway, where he was engaged in farming and logging. The mother
is also a native and resident of Norway. Our subject has three brothers and
two half-brothers, two half-sisters and two sisters : Anders, aged fifty-four
years; Lars, aged fifty-two years; Neils, aged forty-three years; William B.,
of Whatcom ; Mrs. Anna Heigeson, of Britt, Iowa ; Bertha, of Wisconsin ;
Mrs. Sarah Larkin, of Chicago ; and Mrs. Belle Olson, of Seattle.
John J. Larson attended school in his native country until the age of six-
teen years and then worked on a farm for two years. He then took advantage
of an opportunity to come to the United States, and landed in the city of
New York, October 10, 188 1. As he was a farmer by occupation, he started
for the farm lands of the west, reaching Woodstock, Illinois, and in that
locality he remained for five years. He then went to Minneapolis and worked
there for three years in a mill, and it was in 1888 that he came to Whatcom,
looking about for a suitable place for permanent settlement. He was soon
employed by the Bellingham Bay Railroad Company, and continued with that
company for eight years in the capacity of coachman and stableman, thus
gaining a practical knowledge of a business in which he has been very success-
ful. Mr. Larson took care of his money and later invested it in a small livery
business at 1375 Elk street, and continued at that location until he moved into
stables which he had erected on the corner of Elk and Magnolia streets. The
building is a convenient and commodious one, a three-story brick structure.
with the first floor taken up with offices, harness room, rigs ; the second floor
with stabling, with a capacity of eighty-six head of horses. The size of this
modern and well appointed building is fifty-five by one hundred and twenty-
five feet, and cost Mr. Larson eighteen thousand dollars. He has now a fine
equipment, including sixty-six head of stock, and all kinds of carriages and
hacks, and he also conducts a general transfer and hauling business. This he
has acquired since August, 1896, when he owned but two head of horses and
two single buggies.
On October 1, 1892, Mr. Larson married Sophie Peterson, who was horn
in Sweden, and two children have been born to them : Ruth, aged seven years ;
and Elvin, aged three years. Mr. and Mrs. Larson belong to the Lutheran
church. In politics he is a Republican. He is an active member of these
secret organizations : the Odd Fellows, the Maccabees, the Woodmen of
America, the Eagles, the Elks, Rebekah lodge of the order of Odd Fellows
and Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Larson is one of the city's most progressive business men. He
has built up his own business by energy and industry, and is interested in all
the movements looking to making Whatcom one of the great commercial
centers of the western coast.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ABRAHAM L. WALTERS.
Abraham L. Wallers, superintendent of streets, sewers and parks, Seattle,
Washington, was born October 3, 1861, in Muskingum county, near Zanes-
ville, Ohio. The Wallers family were Pennsylvania Dutch. They made
settlement in this country previous to the Revolutionary period, and were
represented in that war and also in the war of 1812. William Walters, the
father of Abraham L., was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, and was a
farmer in thai county for a number of years. He died in 1881. During the
war he enlisted for service in the Union army, but was refused admittance
to the ranks on account of age. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary J.
Oatley, was a native of the same county in which lie was born. Her father
was born in this country, of Welsh descent, and he was at one time sheriff of
Muskingum county. William Walters and his wife had two sons and six
daughters, the daughters being: Miss Manuella C. Walters, a teacher in the
publii of Denver, Colorado; Mary Ida, wife of Milton Sperry, pn>
; languages, New Salem, Ohio; Anna Belle, wife of Gustave Steinke,
a wheat grower of Walla Walla. Washington; and Laura Brown, Elizabeth,
and .Martha Olive, deceased. One son, James G, died February 10, 1887.
Abraham L. Walters was educated in the common and high schools of
erset, Ohio, finishing his studies there in 1878, and that year going to
where he engaged in mining on Frying Pan river, and at Canyon
City and Colorado Springs. He remained in Colorado until August, 1888,
he came to Seattle and clerked for James Park, the contractor for the
Central and South schools. After two years spent with Mr. Park, he was
ed in the n al e tate business two years. In 1895 he went to work under
Mayor Byron Phelps, as foreman of the street department, and continued
thus occupied until December 10, 1902, when he was appointed street com-
ssioner by Mayor T. J. Humes, which makes him a member of the board
ublic works.
Mr. Walters was married February 6. 1896, to Clara A. Smith, a native
of Minnesota, and a daughter of !'.. F. Smith, a carpenter of Seattle, Washi-
ngton. £ her ancestors also fought in the Revolutionary war and
the war <>f [812, and her maternal grandfather, Rev. E. R. Pinney, was prom-
inently associated with Horace Greeley, Henry Ward Beecher and others in
the a ment. She is of French and English descent. Mr. and
Mis. Walters ha • m, Frank Oatley Walters, who was born October
Fraternally, Mr. Walters is a member of the Independent Order of
NOAH B. COFFMAN.
Fhe Coffman, D ib on and Company Bank at Chehalis, Washington, of
which Mr. pre ident and manager, is one of the leading finan-
Stitutions of Lewis county and was first organized on August it. 1884.
' bank under the name of Coffman and Allen, Charles H.
Allen being the other partner; at the hitter's death Mr. Coffman conducted
lli ne for a time, and in [889 it was organized as the First Na-
"•ll Bank> •Nlr- l offman, John Dobson, Francis Donahoe, W. M. Uquhart
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 109
and D. C. Millett being the principal holders of the fifty thousand dollars'
stock. In 1896 the national bank charter was dropped, and since then it
has been conducted as a private bank under the same stockholders, who are
men of unquestioned financial reliability. The bank does a general bank-
ing business and is the oldest and largest bank in southwestern Washington,
this success being due in a large measure to Mr. Coffman's liberal methods
and able financiering; the institution has been of much service to the business
of Lewis county and is a credit to its worthy and respected stockholders.
Noah B. Coffman is of good German ancestry, who took up their abode
in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, at a very early day in the history of the
country. His father, Noah B. Coffman, was a native of Virginia and mar-
ried Miss Margaret Wimp, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.
In 1858 they removed to Champaign county, Illinois, and there was spent the
major portion of their lives; late in life he retired from active business and
came to Washington to spend hib declining years with his children, where
he passed away, honored and revered, at the age of eighty-three, in 1899. He
was one of the organizers of the Republican party, and was numbered among
the liberty-loving citizens who have done so much to make the prosperity of
the country. His good wife still survives him and resides in Chehalis. Their
four living sons are all in business in this city. Their eldest son, William
Henry Harrison, offered his services in the defense of the Union and lost his
life in the Missouri campaign; he was a member of the Tenth Illinois Cavalry.
The birth of Noah B. Coffman occurred at Crawfordsville. Indiana, on
the 2d day of April, 1857. He graduated from the University of Illinois in
the class of 1878, and on reaching man's estate came west to cast in his
lot with the growing state of Washington, where he has since made excellent
use of the opportunities offered him. In 1883, m the month of October, he
married Miss Adaline Tighe, who was born in Cuba but was reared and
educated in Boston. They have become the parents of two daughters and
a son : Florence Adaline, Ethelin M. and Daniel Tighe ; the daughters are
graduates of the high school and are now in college. The family are mem-
bers of the Episcopal Church, of which Mr. Coffman is the clerk of the vestry;
for some years he has been treasurer of the Episcopal jurisdiction of western
Washington and was thrice elected a delegate to the church conventions of the
United States. He also holds membership in the Masonic fraternity. Mr.
Coffman takes an active part in the affairs of the Republican party ami served
as a delegate to the national convention which nominated Mr. McKinley for
the presidency, also being a member of the committee appointed to notify Mr.
McKinley of his election.
JOHN WEST.
The native sons of Lewis county who are approaching the period of
middle age are not very numerous, for the county is still young, and the
greater part of its population is made up of men who have come from the
east, seeking a share in the boundless opportunities here afforded to the enter-
prising and energetic. But we have an exception in the case of John West,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
s grown up in Lewis county and lias become one of the successful
business men of the city of Chehalis.
His lather was William West and was a native born Englishman, his
in [837. After he had reached manhood he came to the
United Si ti . nd in [854 settled in Illinois. He was married there, and
afterward he and his wife and their first born set out for the west with
ule team. They took up their residence in Lewis county, and he has been
inenl farmer all his life. He is a member of the Episcopal church,
and as the candidate of the Democratic party has been elected and has served
two terms as treasurer of the county, and also as auditor. His first wife was
Miss Hannah Dobson, a native of the state of Illinois. The girl, Dora, who
with them across the plains, is now deceased, and the five children
born i" them while in Washington are as follows: Robert, who died in his
twenty first year; John was next in order of birth; Henry is a resident of
( 'hchalis and the owner of the electric light plant ; Thomas died in his sixteenth
year; and William resides in Chehalis. The mother of these children died in
1875, and Mr. West chose for his second wife Hattie Scammond, a native of
Maine, and the one daughter born to her has been named Hattie.
John Wesl was born on his father's farm in this county, on June 24,
The educational facilities of the country at that time were nothing
remarkable, and consequently John got more training from the school of
rience than from the house of learning, which he attended at irregular
intervals. I Hit in spite of these hindrances he has become a well informed
man and has made a creditable record in business circles. The beeinnings of
his mercantile career were rather humble, for his first venture on his own
account was a small candy store. But he was progressive, his enterprise flour-
ished, and in [894 he opened his large flour, feed, produce and grocery estab-
■ nt. lie has a double store, one twenty-four by one hundred feet and the
other twenty-four by fifty, and he has an extensive trade and enjoys the con-
; the peopk
Mr. West is a Democrat and at the present time is serving his third term
11 the city council. He was married on September 17. 1893, to Miss Emma
hire, a native of [llinois, and her father. Israel Burkshire, is of English
Mr. and Mrs. West reside in a nice home in Chehalis and are much
med in social circles.
Wll I I \.\i I. A SALLE.
ham La Salle is the capable superintendent of the Chehalis Fir Door
. and also a stockholder and one of the organizers. The organization
completed on Februar) 15, [902, and it has an entirely
1 PJai ' ped with modern machinery and everything necessary to its
The mill ghty by one hundred and fifty feet, the dry kiln is
ighty, the Mean, kiln forty by twent) six, and the warehouse twentv-
- ighl The grounds have an excellent location and
facihti d, and the demand for the fir doors is con-
"'>• u,i I < Rush is the president of the firm ; E \ Frost is vice
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. Ill
president; Joe A. Gabel, now the state librarian, is secretary; Dr. J. T. Cole-
man is treasurer; and Mr. La Salle is superintendent. All are gentlemen
of means and reliability, and the success of the Chehalis Fir Door Company
is assured, and it cannot but prove of great benefit to the owners and to the
city.
The La Salle family orginated in France, and some of its members came
to America prior to the Revolution. Great-grandfather La Salle was a sol-
dier on the side of the colonies in that war. His son, John P., was born in
Vermont in 1801, and during the greater part of the ninety-one years of his
life was actively engaged in tilling the soil, passing away in 1892. His son
William was also a native of Vermont, and after his marriage removed to
Wisconsin, but when the Civil war broke out he enlisted and served through-
out the struggle as second lieutenant of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry. At the
close of the war he went west, but soon afterward died, leaving his widow
and only son alone in the world. This estimable lady still survives in her
fifty-eighth year, and makes her home in Portland, Oregon ; her maiden name
was Frances La Salle, and she was a second cousin of her husband.
William La Salle was the only son mentioned above, and his birth oc-
curred in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on November 26, 1856. He received his edu-
cation in the high school at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and in the Spencerian
Business College at Milwaukee. He followed the inclination which he had
had from youth and learned the carpenter's trade, and for eight years fol-
lowed the pursuit of contractor and builder in Wausau, Wisconsin ; many of
the best buildings in that city are the products of his skill. But, being attracted
by the possibilities of the west, he came to Seattle on the first day of April,
1889. He first accepted the position of superintendent of a large lumber com-
pany, later held the superintendency of the concern of Wheeler, Osgood &
Company, at Tacoma, for eight years, then spent a short time in Portland,
Oregon, after which he came to Chehalis and brought about the organization
of his present firm.
The marriage of Mr. La Salle took place in 1882, when Miss Marion
Moss became his wife; she is a native of Massachusetts, and her father, Ed-
ward Moss, was a native of England. Their one son, Guy E., has almost
reached manhood. Mr. and Mrs. La Salle attend the Presbyterian Church,
while he is a good Republican and a member of the Masonic fraternity. He
is a practical mechanic, and it is owing to this faculty that he has made a
success of his life work, and he now enjoys the esteem of the business and
social circles of Chehalis.
ARTHUR CHARLES ST. JOHN.
Arthur Charles St. John has served two terms as county treasurer of
Lewis county and is a member of the firm of Frank Everett & Company,
which is the largest and most complete hardware establishment in the county.
Chehalis is not an old town, as that term is used of a place in the east, but
the enterprise and pioneer spirit of its inhabitants have caused to spring up
within its limits business houses which have had a growth and prosperity
Hi' HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
almost phenomenal and unknown in the east. Such is true of this firm, which
has a large store and warehouse and carries an immense stock of heavy and
i all descriptions, farm implements, and also a line of fur-
niture. Mr. Everett is also the president of the Chehalis Furniture Manufac-
turing Company, and there is a branch of this concern in the store.
The French ancestors of Mr. St. John settled in this country about the
time of the Revolution, and his father. Charles Oscar, was horn in Ohio in
I [e has -pent his life in farming and merchandising and has resided in
differenl parts of the country. He came to Chehalis in 1884 and settled on
his present fine farm of tour hundred acres, where he has been engaged on an
exten le in raising Durham cattle and a high standard of horses; his
• situated on the Chehalis river, and is in many ways a model of its
lie has always been Republican in his political sympathies, but has
never ii d office, and he is a good Presbyterian. He married Mary E.
Aldrich, who was born in Ohio; she died in 1S96 at the age of fifty-seven,
and four children were born to her: Mrs. J. E. Stearns, residing in Lewis
county; Mrs. David Urquhart, of Chehalis; and Miss Gertrude, at home.
Arthur Charles St. John is the second of this family in order of birth,
and was born in Monterey county. California, October 9, 1869. He was
educated in the school- of Lewis county and of his native state, and later in
the Collegiate Institute at Olympia. His business career began when he
osition as a clerk in the land office in Olympia, and then for seven
years he was employed as assistant cashier in the bank in Chehalis. He has
been a popular member of the Republican party, and in 1898 was elected
treasurer of Lewis county, and again in 1900. He purchased his interest
in the above mentioned company on January 1, 1902, and while Mr. Everett
1 charge of the furniture manufactory, he will manage the hardware
Mr. St. John was married in September, 1892, to Miss Laura B. Marr.
who 1- ,-i native of the state of Kansas, and whose father, Robert Marr, is
1 leading druggist oi Olympia. They are earnest members of the Presby-
I hurch, and he enjoys the social connections of the Ancient Order of
ed Workmen. The wesl abounds in wide-awake, vigorous young men,
who are making fortunes from the great possibilities of the new country, and
t the same time are assisting in the development of what will at some day
onderful country in the world, and Mr. St. John may well be
1 ami bold workers of the west.
SAMUEL II. NICHOLS.
Li the ni of the great west, which have only recently been
•ht forth from the primeval wilderness, success depends entirely upon
nd industry, and among those who have risen to prominence and
me through these 1 are now enjoying the fruits of their long and
ful can tar) of the state of Washington. j3ack
country the English ancestors of Mr. Nichols
bout th< year [632, and history records that his
IT1LI). * A;ND
ONsI
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 113
great-grandfather, John Nichols, fought in the Revolutionary war. Lemuel
Nichols, the father of our present subject, was born in Maiden, Massachu-
setts, and there married Miss Lucy Lee Fesendon, of Lexington, Massachu-
setts, who came from an equally old American family, some of whose mem-
bers also participated in the war for independence. Lemuel Nichols was
for many years a sea captain. In 1855 he retired from the dangers and
toils of the sea and removed to Minnesota, where with his two sons he
cultivated and improved a large farm, the sons, George L. and Samuel H.,
carrying on the business of the farm and engaging principally in stock-
raising.
Samuel H. Nichols, a son of Lemuel and Lucy (Fesendon) Nichols,
was born in Maiden, Massachusetts, in the year 1835, and. as recorded
above, removed with his father to Minnesota and assisted in running the
farm. Mr. Nichols' first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, and he has
since been a very active Republican. At the time of the Indian outbreak
and massacre of the settlers he was appointed, by. Governor Ramsey of Minne-
sota, captain of a militia company, and at the* head of his company he took
an active part in the suppression of the reds -and '-was -engaged in various skir-
mishes. Later he also served in the office of the provost marshal at Rochester,
Minnesota. He was clerk of the house of representatives of Minnesota three
terms and was clerk of the supreme court eleven years. It was in 1891 that
Mr. Nichols, becoming impressed with the possibilities of the Sound country,
came directly to what is now the very prosperous antT growing city of Ever-
ett. He was one of the very first men to assist in starting the town. He
served as one of its first councilmen and filled all the town offices, assisting
largely in the development of the city. He carried on an extensive business
in real estate, and in 1896 was chairman of the Republican county central
committee. Later he was elected to the office of chairman of the Republican
county central committee. In 1899 Mr. Nichols received the nomination of
secretary of state, made a strong campaign, and was easily elected to the
place which he is now filling to the highest satisfaction of all his constitu-
ents, thus showing his eminent fitness for the office.
Mr. Nichols' marriage occurred in 1862, when Elizabeth S. Hurd, a
native of the state of New Hampshire, became his wife. She was of old
English ancestry and was a daughter of Asa Hurd, of New Hampshire.
To this union have been born six children, as follows: William A., who
was his father's chief clerk, and died in 1891, of typhoid fever. He was
a young man of splendid capabilities and of high character, and his loss
was very deeply felt. The remaining children are: Augustus S., who is
in business at Everett; Edna M., the widow of George K. Kent; Lizzie, who
is now Mrs. F. J. Riley; Mary E. ; and Ethel L., who is now Mrs. W. C.
Fowler. Mrs. Nichols is actively interested as a member of the Episcopal
church, and the family are all residents of Everett and enjoy the high es-
teem of all the citizens of that place. Mr. Nichols is a prominent member
of the Masonic fraternity and the Elks, and is much esteemed for his high
character. His success is the result of honest effort, and his life may well
serve as a model for the future generations.
8*
Ill HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
DAVID STEWART.
The family to which Mr. David Stewart belongs has its origin far back
in the history of Scotland, when elan fought elan, ana the land was the scene
of bli fe with its would-be master. England. It is pleasant to con-
template the pasl of our ancestors, even if we should be led into the melan-
choly conclusion of Hamlet, for the present is ever the product of the past,
inherit, to some degree at least, the good and bad of their forefathers.
John Stewart, the father of David, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He
married a lady of Scotch birth and ancestry, Elizabeth Fergeson, and in 1857
they emigrated to Canada, settling in what is now Petersboro, Ontario. He
a customs official in Scotland, but took up farming when he arrived
in An erii I he fact that they were Scotch Presbyterians is all one requires
who is familiar with that worthy sect as evidence of their firm principles of
moral conduct and noble character; for many years he was an elder in that
church. His death occurred in 1890, when seventy-six years of age, and his
wife died in 1S71. They were the parents of ten children; four sons and
four daughters reached maturity, and seven of these are living, two of them
in Washington. Peter Stewart is in the hotel business in Tenino, Thurston
county.
1 id Stew. art. one of the prominent law firm of Reynolds and Stewart,
ami the present prosecuting attorney of Lewis count}', was born in Glasgow,
land, Augusl to. [848. As he was only nine years old when he was
brought to America, most of his education was received in Canada. When
d decided t. 1 make the law a profession he went into the office of Hon.
I ("Hand .if Brainerd, .Minnesota, who was afterwards a member of
\iter a thorough course of study there, in which be gained much
cal knowledge which proved of so much benefit when he began
' '■ ii elf. I,,- was admitted to the bar in May. 1875. The first
of his labor- was in Bismarck, Dakota, and he continued there until
1889, when he came to Chehalis. lor the first few months he practiced alone,
of [890 the linn of Reynolds and Stewart was established,
nd it has sim ..1' the recognized leaders among the lawyers of
the county.
Mr Stewart has keen prominent in politics as a member of the Repub-
party. While in Brainerd, Minnesota, he was elected city justice, and
- position in Bismarck, Dakota, lie is a man firm in his con-
"ghl and imbued with public spirit which makes him an
11 of ••'(•, 1 value to a community. This was soon recognized in Chehalis.
n July 1. [894, he w cl en mayor of the city, and was continually
ted, so thai he filled that position until July 1, 1901. During this period
1' the important improvements which have made Che-
I a model municipality were accomplished, and much of the credit
'" ' r. In toco he was elected prosecuting attorney of the
ernal connection: are with the Ancient Order of United
•""' In- is in th( .Hi Conor of that order.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 115
HON. ALONZO E. RICE.
The present incumbent of the office of judge of the superior court of
Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, Washington, comes of good Welsh
and Irish ancestry, and has, through his own efforts, raised himself above
mediocrity and forged ahead into the class of those who "do things." His
grandfather, Eleazer Rice, came to Ohio when that country was as sparsely
settled as the western coast is at the present time ; he made his home in Cuya-
hoga county, and it was there that his son Alonzo was born, in September,
1819. The latter came to Illinois and settled in Fayette county, where he
married. When a young man he was in that characteristic and venturesome
life of the Mississippi flat-boatman, in which he became acquainted with that
roistering, reckless class, which has passed away with the onward advance
of civilization. But retiring from this pursuit he purchased a farm in Fay-
ette county, on which he resided during the latter part of his life. He and
his wife were members of the Methodist church, and he was a worker in the
Sunday-school, being noted for his integrity of character and worthy efforts
for the benefit of his fellow men. He became acquainted with and remained
a life-long friend of that great Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, and supported
him during his wonderful career in politics. Flis wife was Esther Owen,
a native of the state of Ohio and a daughter of James Owen, who had served
in the war of 1812. The elder Mr. Rice died January 3, 1898, aged seventy-
eight years, but his wife still resides in Glenwood, Iowa, having also readied
the age of seventy-eight. There were seven children in their family, and five
sons and a daughter are still living.
Alonzo E. Rice is the only member of this family who has made his home
on the western slope of the Rockies. He was born on May 6, 1S57. After
receiving a good general education in the Central University at I Vila, Iowa,
he earned his own living for a while by teaching school, but he bad not yet
reached the point where he felt he was prepared for life, and he began reading-
law in the office of a law firm in Knoxville, Iowa. His knowledge of tins
wide field w-as soon extensive enough so that he was admitted to the bar in
1883. In the meantime he had been allowed to practice in the courts of inferior
jurisdiction, and in 1882 had removed to Nebraska, where he practiced until
he came to Washington. In the fall of 1883 he was elected county surveyor,
having been well grounded in the profession of civil engineering, and in the
following year he was chosen to the lower house of the Nebraska legislature,
where he served one term. In rSgo he came to Centralia, Washington, and
this has since been his home and place of business. He had been here only
two years when he was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney of Lewis
county, and the record of his official duties in this capacity bear-, the marl:- of
efficiency and ability. During his term a remarkable case occurred in which
two physicians were tried for manslaughter, and he succeeded in convicting
both. The paper which he drew againsl them in this case was so clear and
forceful that it was incorporated in the American and English Encyclopedia
of Forms as a model complaint. His election to the bench of the superior
court came in 1900. Since he has been in this position his decisions have
seldom been reversed by a higher court, his instructions to the jury have
L16 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
been clear and concise— not a common characteristic of such documents—
and he has gained the reputation of being an exceedingly competent trial
judge.
When not on the bench the judge was very prominent in the councils of
the Republican party, campaigning the state under the auspices of the state
central Republican committee; in tin's way he performed some very valuable
service for his party in the uncertain and" troublous days of fusionism. He
prominent member of the Masonic lodge, having served as grand orator
of the grand lodge of the state, and is a past master of the lodge. He also
belongs to the Independent Order of Red Men.
i [e married, February 12, 1903, Mrs. S. F. Rector, of Centralia, a daugh-
ter of X. I.. Strange and Angel ine (Dickey) Strange, both living in Whitman
county. Mrs. Rice was in the drug business in Centralia, and is a competent
court reporter and has always taken an active interest in public affairs.
B. H. RHODES.
The ancestry of the Rhodes family is Scotch and English, and the record
is complete back into the eighteenth century. One of the incidents of the
grandfather Rb ides recalls one of the favorite customs of England
in recruiting her great sea power. While Mr. Rhodes was in Liverpool one of
ruisers lying in the harbor there sent their recruiting officers around,
and. ithers, impressed Mr. Rhodes into what was to him a distasteful
service He served faithfully, however, anil was finally promoted to be ser-
The Revolution was at this time in progress, and one day, as the vessel
was at >.'ew York, Sergeant Rhodes was given shore liberty and availed him-
self of the opportunity to desert, lie at once enlisted in the patriotic army
and was a zealous defender of the cause until the end. He then located in
New York and later in New Jersey, in which latter place he died.
His son was born while the father resided in New Jersey, lived there
all bis life and followed the trade of miller and millwright. The next one
di Hi was Theodore B. Rhodes, who was born in the
!■ 1 in [835. lie is one of flie Civil war veterans, having
1 Pennsylvania battery, lie has resided in various portions of the
nion, in the cist, in Kansas, and later came to the Pacific coast. At present
1 citizen of Centralia, Lewis county, where he came in 1888.
1 !<• in irried Elizabeth V Long, a native of Pennsylvania, and the five children
the in 1 all living. The mother died January 7, 1903. Three
1 are in \\ ashington, one in ( )regon and one in California. The
prominenl member of the Lewis county bar and makes
bis home
e prefal raphs bring us to Mr. B. II. Rhodes, who is the
of the al parents and the incumbent of one of the important
in the county, lie was born during the residence of his
on ^pril 3, r866. His father soon after-
ed to the new f ] as, and the great part of his preliminary
ition was in the chools of Marion. For the next seven years
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 117
lie was employed as a pedagogue in the states of Kansas and Oregon, and
so successful was he that he was chosen principal of the schools in Milwaukee
of the latter state, which position he held during 1887. At the close of this
work he came to Lewis county and engaged in the abstract business in Cen-
tralia. At the same time he was preparing himself for the profession of law
by reading Blackstone and other commentaries in the office of his brother, with
such success that he was admitted to the county bar on June 13, 1893, and in
the following year to the bar of the supreme court. He at once began his
practice in Centralia, which he continued up to April, 1898. He was one
of the young men who volunteered their services af that time for the war
against Spain, and as a member of the First Washington Volunteer Infantry
was sent to the Philippines, being the first sergeant of Company M. He
participated in all the battles during the time of his service, and on August 25.
1899, was made second lieutenant of his company, as a reward for meri-
torious conduct. With the remnant of his regiment he returned home, and
received his honorable discharge in San Francisco on the 1st of November,
1899, and then returned to Centralia.
Mr. Rhodes has always been one of the stalwarts of the Republican party,
and in November, 1900, he was elected county clerk of Lewis county; in
connection with bis duties in this office he was also clerk of the superior
court of the county. He proved himself a very capable official in this position,
and in IQ02 was again nominated and elected to succeed himself.
In April, 1889, Mr. Rhodes became the husband of Miss Lillian M.
Weatherston, who was born in the state of Oregon. Her father, Adam
Weatherston, was one of the pioneers of that state, and the Oregon City mills
and the Walla Walla mills are monuments to his constructive ability. One
son was born of this union, Jay C, who is now attending school. In Novem-
ber, 1891, Mr. Rhodes lost his first wife, and on June 3, 1896, he married
Miss Amanda E. Willard, a daughter of Alexander Willard, now a resident
of Chehalis, and her native state was Kansas. Another son was born by
this marriage, Horace B. Mr. Rhodes takes an active interest in various
fraternal organizations; he was made a Mason in the Centerville Lodge No.
63, and is senior warden of the lodge ; he has been a member of the Ancient
Order of United Workmen since 1890. He has a nice home in Centralia and
is very popular in social circles.
ULYSSES EDGAR HARMON.
The Harmon family traces its ancestry back to an old English stock,
some members of which emigrated to this country and settled in the states
of Vermont and New York, where they bore an important part in the early
development of the east. Asa Harmon was born in that city known to every
loyal American, Bennington, Bennington county, Vermont, in 1827. In
1S52 he married Lucy Snow, after which he removed to Ontario county,
New York, but a few years later came farther west and took up his home
in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was a minister of the Christian Church, and
when the Civil war broke out he enlisted in the spring of 1861 in the Union
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
army as chaplain of the Third .Michigan Cavalry, serving to the end of the
war. Returning to Michigan in 1S65, he remained for a few years and then
his family to southern Illinois, where in connection with his ministry he
cultivated a farm. In [883 he made the last long move of his life, coming to
1 ewis county, Washington, where he purchased a farm in this fertile region
ined until his death, which occurred when he was seventy-three years
[900. His wife still survives and makes her home with
ses, being now seventy-four years old.
dgar Harmon was born while his father made his home in
Kalam ,. Michigan, on October 26, 1864. He was educated in the schools
1 Illinois. He first engaged in teaching school, and after coming
1 Lewis county was elected superintendent of the county schools for two
re elected for another term. He had already decided, how-
thai the life of the educator was not the best held of his endeavor, and
while 111 this last mentioned office he was spending his leisure time in
the reading of law, with such good results that he was admitted to the bar
at the expiration of his term. 1 [e took his place among the active practitioners
of ( ihehalis in [893, and in November of that year formed a partnership with
Mr. Millett, which is still in existence and is one of the most prosperous law
- of the city. Besides having their share of the general practice they
pecialtj of probate business, and they have an excellent reputation
in this branch of the profession.
7 Mr. Harmon married Miss Ellen M. Roundtree, who has the dis-
tincti tig born in Lewis county, and her father, Martin, was a settler
in the territory as far back as [853, almost in the hazy period of the history
of the Pacific coast. The names of the four children born of this union are
Warren O., Eva S., Claude l'>. and Cora. The parents are both members
of the Christian church, and he is an elder. I fe has passed all the chairs in the
fraternal orders of the • )dd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Work-
men, and holds membership in the Woodmen of the World and Masons; he
- often been ol ce to these fraternities as a public speaker. He belongs
to the Republican party, and, because of the deep interest he has taken in the
if the veterans of the Civil war, has been chosen an honorary member
it and \11uv of the Republic.
J. E. WILLIS
ntj thre< Chehalis was a mere post-village, boasting of
tut which now make it one of the promising
It was when the town was thus, as it were, in its infancy,
W illis canv establi lied himself as an aspiring young attorney
take charge of any legal transactions which his would-be clients
p wuli the town, has become identified with
which have aided it^ development, and his place as the
in honorable one and a source of just pride and gratification.
I lis ancestral hist lm t as far back as the settlement of America
r aboul H Puritan of English stock came to this coun-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 119
try and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where lie was a man of consid-
erable distinction. Further along in the history of this country and of the
Willis family, we find that great-grandfather Willis participated in the Revo-
lutionary war. The latter's son. William T.. was born on the Monongahela
river. West Virginia, and later located in Canton, Georgia, where he was
an eloquent minister of the Christian church, which had only shortly before
come into existence. One of his children born during the period of his resi-
dence in Canton was William T.. Jr., the year of whose birth was 1822.
He followed the occupation of farming; he was a firm believer in the political
principles advocated by the Whig party, but did not live long enough to see
their triumphant outcome, for he died in his thirty-second year, in 1855. He
married Mary Mulkey McCartney, a native of central Tennessee; her ances-
tors were Protestants from the north of Ireland, her grandfather was a soldier
in the Revolution, and members of her family, as well as that of the Willises,
took part in the Civil war. She is now in the seventy-fourth year of her age
and resides in Eureka, Kansas, which has been the home of the family for
many years. The two children born of her marriage with Mr. Willis are.
still living; the daughter, Ellen J., is the wife of Frederick Shaw and resides
in Eureka.
The other child of these parents was J. E. Willis, who claims Illinois as
his native state, being born on October 19, 1850, during the residence of his
parents in Pinckneyville, Perry county. The early death of his father had
deprived the family of many of the comforts which he could have provided,
and as soon as he became old enough he was compelled to shift largely for
himself. Fie gained his education by bis own efforts, and is thoroughly de-
serving of the title of a self-made man. His youth was passed in Illinois, hut
he removed to Kansas in 1870, and attended school at Emporia, and. finally
settling at Eureka, Kansas, began reading law in the office of W. C. 1 luffnian,
of that place, and so much was his success that he was admitted to the liar in
May, 1878. But he did not cease his efforts at this point, hut has always
been a thinking student of bis profession, and also deeply interested in affairs
of general importance, so that an acquaintance with him soon reveals the fact
that he is a well rounded, practical gentleman, conversant with his business
in all its details. He owns a good technical library and also a good selection
of general works. On gaining admission to the bar Mr. Willis came at once
to Chehalis, arriving here on the first of May, 1879. He has given special
attention to real estate, commercial and municipal law. and has made a suc-
cessful career mainly along these lines.
He married, before coming to this state, in 1877, Miss Jessie Enterkine,
a lady of Scotch ancestry. They have one daughter, wdio is a student in the
State University. Mr. Willis cast his first vote for General Grant, hut since
then has been most of the time on the Democratic side of the political fence,
although^ he holds himself strictly independent in such matters and gives his
vote to the party or men which come nearest to his id< al I l< served for two
years as postmaster of Chehalis. lie is a member of the Knights of Pythias
and Woodmen of the World, and is a very popular citizen of the community.
120 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
C. H. SPRINGER.
One of the great industries in the state of Washington is the manu-
facture of lumber from the vast areas of timber which abound there. And
one of these successful enterprises is the Olympia Door & Sash Factory,
which was established in 1887 by Mr. C. II. Springer and his associates,
ami of this company Mr. Springer is now president. The business is large
and flourishing, having a sawmill in connection, and all machinery necessary
for the manufacture of doors, sashes, blinds and other such articles. The
product is sold in Seattle, Portland and to the local trade. Under Mr.
Springer's capable management the business has increased tenfold, now em-
ploying sixty-live men, and is not only profitable to its owners but to the
whole community as well.
William II. Springer, the father of our subject, was a native of Ger-
many. In his eighteenth year, in 1857, he came to California, being one
the many young men of his fatherland who have found the rigor of the
German military system distasteful to their independent spirits; and in these
men t! ; ited States has found many of its most progressive citizens.
r a time he was in San Francisco, and in 1865 went to Portland, where
he followed his business of lumberman. In Vancouver, Washington, he
married Ellen Turnbull, who came to the northwest with her uncle, Captain
Tumbull, a pioneer steamboat man of the Columbia river. The union was
blessed with five sons and two daughters, and five are still living. The
mother died in 1880. aged forty-two years, but the father still survives, in
his seventy-firsl year, lie belongs to the Republican party, and is a worthy,
upright 1
Mr. ('. II. Springer is a native of southern Oregon, born in Josephine
county, January [o, [861, is a graduate of the Portland high school, and has
his whole business career in the manufacture of doors and sashes. In
1886 Anna I a native of Illinois, became his wife, and they have three
and 'wo dan William 11., Mabel, Clarence, Morris and Claudine.
i identified witli the Republican party and holds membership in the
In mi 1 of the World.
interests Mr. Springer has a valuable mining property
m the Squak district, which is being developed, and a large stamp mill is
u'1 The ore, which is in great abundance, is high grade, and
I that ,t will pav large profits. He owns property in
< Hympia, Ballard and other pi., , and is even-where regarded as a business
man
Mlh ST Ml BANK.
one 01 the important financial institutions of Centralia, Lewis county
! Si ite Bank, It was organized in November, 1894 Mr
.llchnsl was the chief promoter ami is now its capable president:
Chai 5., and Frank T, McNitt also helped in the' enterprise and'
ormer is now the cashier and the latter a stockholder and director 'The
CtJ. /Vr ^^is^^~-~^y^
THf NFW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 121
capital stock is twenty-five thousand dollars, and a general banking business
is transacted. The bank has increased every year since its organization, and
is recognized as a leading factor in the business circles of the county.
The life of Mr. Charles Gilchrist is an interesting one. He is a native
of bonnie Scotland, and his ancestors were lowland Scotch. Born September
4, 1 841, he was carefully reared and educated in his native land, and when
nineteen years of age emigrated to America. For the first seven years he was
engaged in farming in Ontario, Canada, after which he sold out and removed
to Washoe county, Nevada, where for nineteen years he worked in the lum-
ber industry of that state, finding 1 very profitable field for his endeavors.
Disposing of his interests he next went to Bodie, California, where he engaged
in the same occupation until 1884, which is the date of his coming to Cen-
tralia. He had become acquainted with every detail of the lumber industry,
and he continued it here by buying a sawmill and operating it for six years.
He then sold the mill property and established the Lewis County Bank, of
which he was president. He later sold it to the First National Bank of Cen-
tralia, and during the financial panic of r894 it failed. Mr. Gilchrist then
effected the organization of the State Bank, : and has been conducting it with
marked success ever since.
In 1867 Mr. Gilchrist became the husband of Sarah Ann Van Scriber,
a native of Canada, and they had two sons.' Tames is now the manager of the
Salzer Valley Sawmill Company, in which Mr. Gilchrist and his son are
stockholders; and Charles S. is the cashier of the bank. The death of Mrs.
Gilchrist occurred in 1877; she had been a most devoted wife and mother,
and her loss was also felt outside of the family circle. In 1879 Mr. Gilchrist
married Miss Mary Fulston, who was born in Carson City. Nevada: their one
son, Harry, is now a clerk in his father's bank. They have one of the fine
residences of the city and are held in high esteem in society. He is a member
of the chapter and commandery of the Masonic blue lodge and received his
sublime degree as a Master Mason in Carson City, Nevada, in 1867. He
votes for the success of the Republican party, but he is not interested to the
extent of desiring office, although he held the position of postmaster while
living in California.
LAWRENCE BAR.
Lawrence Bar is one of the many German-born Americans who have
found this country a land of opportunities and have been eminently successful;
he has been a prosperous farmer, served his adopted country in the dark <:
of the Civil war, and now has a foremost place among the merchants of the
city of Centralia, Washington. George and .Maria Ann (Eugner) Bai
his parents, were born in Germany, were married there and later broughl w ith
them to America their four children. After residing in the Mate of New
York for twelve years Mr. Bar came with his wife and three of his sons to
Minnesota in 1856; in Fillmore county he and each of his sons took up a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres. He improved this and on it spent the rest of
his life. His wife died' in 1876 at the age of seventy-nine, and he survived
L22 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
until 1887, having attained the good old age of ninety-three years. They
were members of the Lutheran church and people of industry and great
reliability.
Lawrence Bar is proud to recall that he was born in the fatherland which
has sent forth so many eminent men to the world; he is a native of Bavaria,
1 lermany, born there in 1838, and is the only one of the family in the state of
hingti n. I lis early training was received in the schools of New York
and Minnesota, and he was brought up to a farmer's life. When the first
call for three hundred thousand troops for the Civil war went through the
land he, with his two brothers. John and George, offered his services; he was
enrolled in October, 1861, in Company C, Third Minnesota Volunteer In-
fantry. While in Kentucky with his regiment he was taken with measles,
and, as he had camped in the mud and wet, his life was despaired of, but after
partial recovery he was sent home, and, not being strong enough for further
duty, he received an honorable discharge in 1862. His brothers remained
with their regiment till the close of the war. Mr. Bar's health had been so
thoroughly undermined by the exposure of army life that he was not able to
take up farm work again. He retained a general supervision of bis farm,
however, and in connection opened a store in Spring Valley. Minnesota, which
he continued till 1891. This year is the date of his arrival in Centralia. His
first venture here was a shoe store, but he kept adding to his stock until he
now deals in clothing, hats, caps, shoes and all manner of men's furnishing
Is. His store, forty-eight by forty-eight feet, bad been found wholly
inadequate to accommodate his business, and in 1902 he erected a two-story
brick structure, thirty by one hundred feet, by far the finest business block in
the city; it has heavy plate-glass windows, pressed brick front, and at the cor-
nel bears the name of the man who has so fully deserved this prosperity,
rence Bar; it is located in the center of the business district and is a credit
i" the 1 it} Mr. Bar also owns other property in the city, and has six hundred
o| valuable timber land.
Mr. Bar's marriage occurred in 1878, when he became the husband of
Mrs. Harriet II. Parsons, a native of Chautauqua county, New York; she
ne daughter by her previous marriage, Hattie May. who is the wife
■ Dr. E. C. Truesdell, Mr. and Mrs. Bar have one son,' William Lawrence
who i- a .indent in his junior year at Stanford University. Mr Bar
interested in the success of the Republican party and takes an active part
in local affairs as a member of the city council.
DR. JOHN II. DUMON.
While the physician undoubtedly occupies a foremost place anion- the
ed profess.ons, and the rewards for a successful career in this line are
'••;l,,''ir',"1 ' " '"creasing number of the ambitious youth of the
1 thori ire numerous among the roses and the successful
ease which accompanies many of the professions
■""' "" rewards are b for the years of preparatory study the perS
equired ... gel one into a good practice and the actual hardships
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 123
which are endured in journeying in cold and rain to the patients far and near.
Dr. Dumon, who is the pioneer M. D. of Centralia. has not only put himself
to the front in his profession, but ranks among the capable business men of
the city.
The ancestry of this gentleman must be designated as French-American,
for his father, John Francis, was born in France and emigrated to Canada,
where he was married to Sarah Rice, who came of a family long resident in
the new world. Coming to Smyrna, Michigan, in 1840, he purchaser! and
improved a farm, making that his home until his death, which occurred when
he was sixty-nine years old, in 1884. He had always borne the reputation
of an honorable man, and had been a worthy member of the Baptist church.
His wife survived him for many years and was seventy-five years old when
she died in 1899. There were seven children in this family, four sons and
three daughters, five of whom are living; but the only one living in the state
of Washington is the Doctor.
Although the future of man is uncertain, and the wisest of present-day
seers could not have foretold the life of the little infant as he lay in his
mother's arms, there was much rejoicing in the home in Smyrna, Michigan,
when the baby John came into the world on the 26th of September, 1850.
He spent the intervening years of childhood at his father's home and was
carefully reared and educated, attending the graded schools and later the high
school in Ionia, Michigan. "When it became fixed that he should study medi-
cine for a career he went to the State University at Ann Arbor, Michigan,
where he graduated in the medical department, March 28, 1877. For the
next twelve years he was engaged in practice at Crystal, Montcalm county.
Michigan, during which time he was successful and laid the foundation for
future work. In 1889 Dr. Dumon came out to Centralia for the purpose of
investing in some of the vast timber lands of the vicinity, and so pleased was
he with all the environments that he decided to make this his permanent loca-
tion ; so it was by almost accident that he became one of the prominent citizens
of this city. He bought timber land in both Oregon and in the vicinity of
Centralia, and at the present time holds about one thousand four hundred
acres. He soon built up a good practice in the city, and has acquired <|in'te a
reputation as a first-class surgeon and physician. But he has also been inter-
ested in the growth of his adopted city and has built several houses in the place,
being the owner of the building in the center of the business part in which
his office is located. Many of his profession have come and gone since he
first came to Centralia, but he has remained with his choice and become
prosperous.
When Mr. Dumon became old enough he cast his first vote for the Repub-
lican candidate, General Grant, and has ever since been a zealous supporter of
that party. He is a member of the state board of medical examiners, having
been appointed by Governor McGraw and reappointed by Governor Rogers.
He is also surgeon for the Northern Pacific Railroad in his section. In the
same year that he came to Washington he married Miss Alice Jackson, who
is Canadian born, her birthplace being Sarnia, Ontario. They have one
daughter, whom they have named Alice May.
i « >F THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
HON. OLIVER VINTON LINN.
isylvania, in the year 1813 ushered into the world
me the father of one of Thurston county's prominent
Linn was born of Scotch-Irish ancestors,
e early settlers of the state of Pennsylvania. He was
s native county, and married Eliza Donaldson, who
stock, and they were the parents of eleven children.
rainier, a member and elder of the United
I church for man . and a zealous Republican, Mr. Linn
happy life and died in 1879, at the age of sixty-six. His
: years and passed away at a ripe age in 1893.
mily live are living; one of the sons, Rev. A. E. Linn, is a
II minister and has a charge in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
er Vinton Linn, who is the only member of the family living in
1 Greenville, Mercer county, Pennsylvania, on. the
nlier, 1857. and was educated in Westminster College at
ania, where he graduated in t88o. lie then read law in
md Mehard in Mercer. He was admitted to the bar in
■ m there for two years, and then went to Atchison,
i his profession from 1884 to 1889. This latter
s arrival in Washington, where for two years he was
ounty, and then came to Olympia; there he carried
law practice until [898, at which time he was elected
11 the unexpired term of Judge Aver, who had died. Upon
i.'.t term he w en to succeed himself, and is now
judicial position with credit and to the satisfaction
ill.
lappily married in [883 to Maggie A. Taggart, of East
the daughtei 1 t John Taggart. They are the parents of
I lie Judge is a member of the Masonic fraternity
lie owns a beautiful home in Olympia and
nterests in the county. His active support and
■ the highest good of his community, and his
the 1 peel of all.
ROBEF r FROST.
men yet living in this country whose adventures would
md hardships of the early pioneers cannot be
by the present generation, for it is to them that
th and 1 on of the great west, which is,
'■• the '" e event of the century
to hear the recital of the many incidents
I ind we shall here record briefly the long
rthy citizen of Olympia
' »« funbridge Wells. Kent. England, on the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 125
25th of October, 1835, his family belonging to old and sturdy stock. He
was educated in London, and, having early formed a taste for seafaring life,
in his seventeenth year he ran away from home and for three years was
a sailor before the mast, visiting every part of the known world except the
East Indies. In August of 1855 he landed in San Francisco, and for a time
sailed between that city and Sacramento; he then went out to sea again on
the old brig Susan Abigail, and on January 1, 1856, leaving her at Portland,
took up the business of plastering. Portland was at that time only a small
village and he also worked at Oregon City and at The Dalles, in the latter
place being in the employ of the United States government.
At the breaking out of the mining excitement on the Frazer river in
1858, Mr. Frost joined a party of one hundred men under the command of
Dave McLaughlin, a son of the good Dr. McLaughlin of northwest fame.
Their journey was fraught with much danger from hostile Indians, who fre-
quently attacked them ; they fought their way through at last, six of their
number being killed and many wounded, and the last battle, which occurred
about thirty miles south of the British line, was called McLaughlin canyon,
near the Okanagon river. On their arrival at Frazer river the party sepa-
rated, Mr. Frost going up the river to Foster's bar, where he had considerable
success in mining, but, being compelled to pay a dollar a pound for food, he
soon gave up the undertaking. With his companions he went down stream
to Boston bar, thence footed it over the mountains, took the boat to Victoria,
and from there arrived in Olympia without a cent. For three years he worked
in a printing office, then returned to his trade, working at five dollars a day
until he was again on a sound financial basis. In 1870 he purchased an inter-
est in a hardware store, which was then known as Hoffman and Frost, carry-
ing this on successfully for three years, when they divided the stock, and
Mr. Frost located at 418 Main street and carried on a prosperous trade.
Mr. Frost has always been ready to embark in any enterprise that would
aid in the prosperity of his city, and has been connected with successful under-
takings. He was one of the original stockholders and builders of the electric
light and power plant of Olympia, being vice president of the company. He
was one of the organizers and a director of the Capital National Bank ; he
owned a half interest in the lower falls at Tumwater, a valuable property.
He is treasurer and one of the owners of the Six Eagles mine in the Okanagon
district ; the property is a valuable one and large returns are expected. Mr.
Frost had charge of the development for some time ; a shaft two hundred and
ten feet deep has been sunk, and a tunnel is now almost completed, which
will drain the mine and allow the ore to be taken out on an incline. During
the great panic of 1893 Mr. Frost, not through any fault of his, suffered
some reverses, but he is still one of the prosperous men of the city and retains
his remarkable mental activity and his business push, which have made him
so successful.
At Olympia in 1862 Mr. Frost became the husband of Louisa Holmes,
a native of Wisconsin, and she bore him four daughters, all born in Olympia :
Nellie and Carrie, who are keeping house for their father; Florence, the wife
of Charles E. Garfield, who is engaged in mining in Alaska; and Anna, who
HISTORY mi ["HE I'M A. I SOUND COUNTRY.
the Ellensburg Normal School. The beloved mother of this
: she was a lady of great refinement and intelligence,
dren were deprived of one whose influence and
ennoble and uplift those around her. Mr.
in his handsome cottage with his two daughters, faithful to
the memory of hi ed wife.
is a prominent Mason, was one of the early members of
,. i. has passed all the degrees in the Scottish Rite, including
. and i- now senior warden of the Lodge of Perfection. He
lemocral and served as city treasurer for four years,
so popular with his fellow citizens in this Republican
he received a re election. His beautiful home is situated on a tract
half; erlooking the bay, and covered with a great variety
that it is a veritable paradise, where he may spend his re-
| > ce and quiet.
JAMES McELROY MAURIS.
s review is one of Tacoma's leading lawyers. He was
_.m county, < )hio, on the 16th day of June, 1861, and is of Scotch-
try. His paternal ancestors came from England with
nd settled in Pennsylvania. There Warren Harris, the
>ur subject, was born. I 'pun arriving at manhood's estate
Tied Miss 1 lari«a Williams. They subsequently removed
inty, Ohio, where 1 leorge Harris, the father of James McElroy,
Win 1 1 was yet a small boy his father removed with his
hi count) in the same state, lie was the eldest of seven
reared and educated in Morgan county, and there learned
e, which he followed for several years, but later in life
[ricultural pursuits. George Harris married Miss
h lri>h ancestry, and in 1870 they removed
Vernon county, where they remained until 1884,
up their abode in Iowa, first going to Palo Alto county
>ntas county. There they purchased a farm and spent
VIi II p iing in his final rest in 1898, his
1 in the grave about three years. They were Quakers
iple hi the highest respectability and
born of their union, but only Eour of the number
maturity.
1\ representative of the family in Wash-
in the public schools of Ohio and Wisconsin.
■id subsequently attended the Western Normal
duating from there he came direct to this
in August, [889. While holding the position of
law in tl 1 of \. C. Richards, and later
rge II. Walker, being admitted to the bar in [894, and for
with tin firm of \\ alker & Fitch. Prac-
iat time until January. [900, the firm of Fitch & Harris
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 127
was then formed, and these enterprising gentlemen are now enjoying a very
large and remunerative law patronage. In the early part of 1901 Mr. Harris
was appointed a member of the city council of Tacoma to fill out the unex-
pired term of John Hartman, who was elected sheriff of the county, and
after completing the term he was elected to that position, during which time
he served as chairman of the committee on privileges, franchises and corpor-
ations. His political support is given to the Republican party, and he is a
member of the State Bar Association, as well as of the Bar Association of
Pierce county, he being at present the secretary of the latter association.
In December, 1891, Mr. Harris was married to Miss Laura Arntson.
She is a native of Minnesota and a daughter of Judge A. C. Arntson, now
of Tacoma. Four children have come to brighten and bless this home, all
of whom were born in Tacoma, and in order of birth they are named as fol-
lows : Evangeline, Marian Deborah, Richard Leigh ton and James Norton.
Mrs. Harris is a member of the Episcopal church, while our subject is a birth-
right Quaker. His name is a familiar one in political and professional circles
throughout this section of the state, and by reason of marked intellectual
activity and superior ability he has risen to his present high position in the
legal fraternity of Pierce county.
GEORGE SPEIRS.
George Speirs, one of the prominent residents and business men of What-
com, Washington, was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, December 1,
1855, and is a son of George Speirs and Anne (McLaughlin) Speirs, the
former of whom was a shoe manufacturer as well as native of the same
locality, who died at the age of sixty-six years, while the latter, also a native
of Scotland, died in 1881. Seven children were born to these parents, namely :
John, of Glasgow, a house agent; Archibald, also of Glasgow and a house
agent; James, a clergyman in British Guiana; Mrs. Christina, wife of Alfred
Butler, a dairyman of Montreal; Mrs. Mary, wife of Joseph St. Ouintin, a
painter of Montreal; Mrs. Anne, wife of John McLaughlin, a mechanic of
Winnipeg, and George, our subject.
George Speirs received his early education in the common and high
schools of Kilmarnock, and left school at the age of fifteen, after which he
entered the school of life, and learned the printer's trade in the city of Glas-
gow. After ten years in all. during which he was working as a printer in
Glasgow, he emigrated in 1879 to Winnipeg, and was employed on the Free
Press. However, in 1889, he made another change, and came to Whatcom,
where he embarked in business for himself. At that time the town had a
population of twenty-five hundred, and there was a good opening for his
business, which has been a healthy one from the start. Mr. Speirs printed
the first daily paper ever published on Bellingham bay. The Bulletin, of which
he was editor, proprietor and publisher. In 1890 he disposed of the paper to
Austin & Rogers, and it was the parent of the present Blade, one of the lead-
ing newspapers of Whatcom. He was one of the organizers of the Belling-
ham Oyster Company in 1902. with Henry White as president and Speirs as
vice president, and this corporation has had a most successful career.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
i Republican in r nd has represented the party in both
ions. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons
July i v 1S77. he was married to Robina Wright, a daughter
.In. a lithographic printer of < dasgow, and a member of an old
:h family. One daughter has been born to Mr.
5, namely : Euphemia Stirling, twenty-two years of age, who
Albertson Graham, a dealer in agricultural implements at
Whatcom.
BENNETT W. JOHNS.
history of Washington 1- familiar to Bennett W. Johns
inection with the experiences of frontier life in this portion
II.- history forms a connecting link between the primitive past
an,' erpri; • present, for as early as 1853 he took up his abode in
H,. Was Dixon Spring, Smith county, Tennessee, on the
ary, [838, ami is of Welsh and English ancestry. His grand-
rved In- country in the war of 1812. He was
of the wealthy planters and slaveowners of Tennes-
sr the < an extensive farm and a beautiful home. In his re-
' oul Baptist, and was one of the pillars of his
rcli. netl I ewis Johns, was also a native of the state of
■ere he was horn in the year 1802. For his wife he chose Miss
who was born near the birthplace of her husband, and in
- the parents and ten -children, started on the
to the Pacific coast. Near Soda Springs, Idaho,
died of n n fever, and the eldest daughter, Fran-
the wife of Alexander Barnes in the east, passed away
ifter the death of her mother, and both lie buried
ath. This was a sad bereavement to the remainder
mily, hut such was the lot of many of the brave pioneers. When
lountains the snow became so deep that they
I to leave the wagons and much of their outfit, and later they
and took over what they could, and later food became
ould all have perished had not help reached them by
-. who had been sent out to relieve the weary
dili en who accompanied them on this journey are here
birth: W. F. Johns, who is now a resident of
eth, who became the wife of T. G. Grow, and
her age in California; Bennett W., the subject
h. who died in King county, Washington, when fifteen
1 I" . the deceased wife of \V. II. Mitchell, whose history
1 this work: .Mary B., who married R. H.
■'it. Washington; Martin R., of Olympia; Belle,
f Martin < iilver and has also passed away; and Nora,
ni 1 [ill.
1 Washington was begun on the 1st of May,
the .ith of November, 1853, the latter
TH£ NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
, MOX AND
TILDEJJ FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 129
part of the trip having been made in canoes down the White river. On
reaching his destination the father took up a donation claim in King county,
nine miles southeast of Seattle, on the Duwamish river, where he engaged in
farming and stock-raising. Two years after their arrival here the Indian war
broke out, and the family were obliged to seek protection in Seattle. The
father and two older boys were volunteers in the war, serving three months
in the First and six months in the Second Regiment, and were in the fight
at Seattle in 1856 when the Indians attacked the city. While the family
were at breakfast they were driven from their home in the suburbs, and dur-
ing that night the house was ransacked of all that the Indians thought worth
taking. But their worst misfortune was the stealing of the winter's supply
of flour. The father and the boys had raised the wheat on their own land,
the former sowing in the morning as much as the boys could dig into the
ground and cover during the rest of the day. Later on this was harvested
in the primitive fashion of the time and was threshed with a flail and win-
nowed in the wind. Then the precious grain was taken by Mr. Johns and
Mr. John Collins and others, in a flatbottonied; ;scow to- Olympia, where it
was ground, and the flour was then brought to Seattle, and placed in A. A.
Denny's store, where it remained until' the night of tlit Indian ravage.
With characteristic energy, however, Mr. Johns set .about the task of
retrieving his lost possessions, and after residing on bis farm for several vears
he rented it and removed to Seattle, where hediv.ed until within a few months
of his death, and then went to Olympia, where he made his home with his
daughter, Mrs. William H. Mitchell, until his death, in 1879, when he had
reached the seventy-seventh milestone on the journey of life.
Bennett W. Johns, the second son of this worthy old pioneer, was but
fourteen years of age when he accompanied the family on the long and peril-
ous journey to the Evergreen state. He made the trip on horseback and
drove their loose cattle, and, although they were frequently harassed by the
Indians, who drove off their stock, they always succeeded in recapturing the
most of them. The education which he had begun in his native state was
completed in Seattle, Washington, and he remained with his father on the
farm until he was twenty years of age, after which he obtained employment
in a sawmill, having been able during the first three months to send his father
sixty dollars. Going from there to Fort Hope, British Columbia, he engaged
in mining at Puget Sound Bar, on Frazer river, and so well were his services
rewarded that he was soon able to send to his father one hundred and four
dollars in gold dust. After following the varied fortunes of a miner for
some time he turned his attention to the fur trade, in which he also met with
success, but in 1869 he abandoned that vocation and returned to Olympia,
where for the following fourteen years he was engaged in the sawmilling
business with W. H. Mitchell. In 1876 Mr. Johns purchased a farm of six
hundred and forty acres on Bush Prairie, since which his time has been
given to the stock business. In addition to this tract he also owns two hun-
dred and forty acres three miles from Olympia and a good residence in the
city.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
The marriage of Mr. Johns was celebrated in 1872, when Miss Mary
I. Vertn is wife. She was born in Illinois and is a daughter of
Charles M. Vei ilso of that commonwealth. One daughter, Ruth, was
' righten and bless their home, and she is now the wife of A. S. Ker-
: Franklin county, Washington. Mr. Johns is a mem-
church, in which he has been an officer since the organiza-
e church in this city. Mrs. Johns joined the church a few months
after its organization. In his political affiliations he has been a life-long
blican, and has served as a school director, as a member of the city
il of Tumwater, this state, and is active in every movement and meas-
ure intended to benefit the county of his adoption. In his fraternal relations
1 past noble grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being
a member of its auxiliary, the Rebekahs, and is a past master workman
of the Ancient I Irder of United Workmen. His long residence in Washing-
g the honored pioneers of the state, and he has aided in
laying the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of this portion
1 if the commonwealth.
HON. ROBERT BRUCE BRYAN.
out honored subject was of Scotch-Irish origin, born
in the north of Ireland, whence he emigrated to America about the middle
ry. He fought valiantly in the war of the Revolution, be-
lieutenant in a Pennsylvania company, and in the battle of Brandywine
wounded reast, carryingthe British bullet for twenty years, nn-
He was made lieutenant colonel of the militia and served eight
1 army. His son, Peter Bryan, settled in Ohio in 1801
1 ors of that state. Elias L. Bryan, the son
ither of the subject of this biography, was born in
a physician and first practiced his profession in
counties, Ohio. In 1S52 he removed to Iowa, where
up to the time of his death, which occurred at the
is. His wife was Amelia Ayres, of Scotch
>' of Ohio. She departed this life in 1844, when the
h was but two years of age. ( )n both sides the ancestors
Scotch Presbyterians and were stanch and reliable
;;x:i" was born in Hancock county, Ohio. August 1
ted in the public schools and later in a seminary at
where he was a student until [861. When the Civil
' to dismember this Union he answered to the call of President
'"' enlisted in Company I. Third Iowa Volunteer
'•",l his I in Missouri and Tennessee and par-
dso in the battle of Shiloh, lie was mus-
During the wintei of [86] and 1862 Mr
1 six week, suffering from an attack of
»■ fa the spring of 1863 he again enlisted in Com-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 131
pany F, Seventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which belonged to the Iron
Brigade, and was a part of the Army of the Potomac and the First Army
Corps. After the battle of Gettysburg, however, in which this brigade was
almost decimated, it was consolidated with the Fifth Army Corps. Mr.
Bryan remained with this regiment until the surrender of Lee at Appomattox,
with the exception of forty-one days spent in the hospital recovering from
wounds. He had been wounded by a buckshot in the leg, but continued writh
his regiment until he was struck by a piece of shell in the side, which dis-
abled him for service. Among the many hard-fought battles in which he par-
ticipated were Shiloh. Gettysburg and the Wilderness. He was present at
Appomattox Court House at the time of the surrender of Lee. and also took
part in the grand review of the victorious army at Washington after the war.
He was mustered out on the 3d of July, 1865, and for meritorious services
was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, and also commanded his com-
pany during the absence of the captain.
Returning from the army Mr. Bryan entered the normal school at New
Hampton, Iowa, and graduated there in 1866. He then entered upon his
life-long profession as a teacher, first in Iowa and later in Kansas. He was
principal of schools in Ossawatomie, Mound City and Pleasanton, Kansas,
until 1874, when he was elected school superintendent of Linn count}-. Kan-
sas, which position he filled for four years. In 1880 he purchased the Linn
County Clarion, at Mound City, and until 1883 devoted his attention to news-
paper work. For s6me time after that he was in New Mexico, and in Cali-
fornia.for about a year. His arrival at Olympia was on the 10th of Januarv.
1886. He soon after began teaching at Montesano. where he continued until
1889. at which date Washington was admitted as a state and Mr. Bryan was
chosen as the first superintendent of instruction. The splendid school system
of the state of Washington is largely due to the aggressive ideas of Mr.
Bryan. Upon retiring from that office in 1893 he removed to Aberdeen and
was there superintendent of the city schools for six years. In 1900 he was
nominated again for superintendent of instruction of the state, and in this
office he is now creditably serving. It may be said that Mr. Bryan was born
to his profession and is in his native element when in the schoolroom. An
enthusiastic, patient and progressive teacher, he has promoted the interests of
education along all lines.
Professor Brvan was married in 1869. at Buckingham. Iowa, to Miss
Nancv R. Hitchner, a native of the state of Ohio. Two children have been
born to them : Grace, the wife of R. E. Dandy, cashier of the Northwestern
Lumber Companv at Hoquiam; and Robert W.. who is a merchant and elec-
trician residing at Aberdeen. On the 29th of July. 1894. Mrs. Bryan was
called to her final rest. A lady of refined, quiet and amiable character, her
loss was deeply felt by her husband and family. In October. 1898. Professor
Brvan took as his second wife May L. Arnold, a native of Iowa. The family
are members of the Unitarian church. Mr. Bryan has been a member of the
Masonic order since 1868, and was a thrice past master of the blue lodge.
He is also a Roval Arch Mason and is now scribe of Olympia Chapter No. 7.
While in Kansas he became a member of the Grand \rmy of the Republic
soon after the order was organized, and has ever taken an active part in the
HISTORY OF THE PI GE I SOUND COUNTRY.
nization. Coming of a long line of eminent ancestors, with remarkable
- a educator, with long service as a patriot for the preservation of
ss in all the affairs of life, Mr. Bryan may look with
upon the future ami view with no apprehension the life to come.
JOHN SULLIVAN.
a Sullivan, chief of police, Seattle, Washington, was bom April 12,
1 Koine. Oneida county, New York, son of Timothy and Mary Sulli-
latives of Ireland. His father died in 1890. and his mother is now a
la. Of the eight children composing the Sullivan family,
ord that Jeremiah is a miner, residing in Canada; James, engaged in
ig, lives in Alaska: Timothy, also a miner, is a resident of San Fran-
fornia; Patrick, a farmer, lives in Canada; Ann is the wife of
1 mada; Mary, wife of Michael Cororan, Nanaimo, Brit-
ish ( olumbia : I lorn ire, wife of John Toole, of Canada.
Sullivan received a common school education in Canada, his parents
:' moved to Nova Scotia in his infancy. Leaving school in 1869,
to work in the coal mines near his home, in Nova Scotia, and was
I I en For a period of six years. In 1875 he went to Victoria
nid the IK to \laska, up the Stickeen river, on a prospecting trip of
li-. after which he returned to British Columbia, and remained there,
coal mines in the vicinity of Nanaimo, until 1880. In 1880
il remained here then only a short time. The next eight
11 the New Castle coal mines, and while there was appointed
1 mine inspector under Governor Semple, in which capacity he
of two years. After this he joined the Seattle police force,
d efficient service soon gained for him promotion from patrol-
mi. then to captain, and in June, 1901, he was appointed chief
r Humes. Th office is under civil service rules and is practically
s writing the police force under him consists of eighty-six
and sergeants. While Air. Sullivan is a Republican,
ive pari in politics, as under civil service order office is removed
an was married August , [886, to Miss Sarah Ann Tosh, a
Hid a Adam Tosh, who is now engaged in
h Lake Mrs. Sullivan is of Irish descent. They have two
laughter, Vdam Charles, Leo and Mar) \.gnes.
WILLI \\1 D, CLARKE.
m is numbered William D. Clarke, who was
V.pril, 1866, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, lie is a
a native of Ireland, who came to the United States in
ii " the Emerald Isle he crossed the Atlantic to the
ania, where he lived for many
busim treei he was employed as an accountant.
■ •' daughtet of Captain Henry Eaton and a native
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 133
of the Keystone state, representing an old American family. Air. and Mrs.
Clarke became the parents of seven sons and a daughter: Henry E., Joseph
D., William D., Robert, John, Frank, Charlie and Mollie. The father was
called to his final rest in 1898 when sixty-eight years of age, but the mother
is still living, now making her home in Newcastle. Pennsylvania, at the age
of seventy-three years.
In the public schools of Newcastle, Pennsylvania, William D. Clarke pur-
sued his education until he had reached the age of sixteen. He then put aside
his text books to enter upon his business career and learn the more difficult
lessons in the school of experience. He was engaged in clerking in a clothing
store at Newcastle and there remained until 1888, when he came
to Seattle and has since been interested in the growing northwest and
its wonderful development. He became identified with the business affairs of
Seattle as a clothing salesman, and continued in that line until 1892, when he
went to Tacoma, remaining a resident of the latter city until 1897. In that
year he returned to Seattle, where he resided until 1900, when he came to
Everett.
In September, 1900, Mr. Clarke was united in marriage to Miss
Margaret Horsfall, a native of Illinois, wdio went to Tacoma during her girl-
hood days with her parents and located in that city in 1884. She is a daughter
of John and Kate Horsfall, both of whom are natives of England. The young
couple have many friends in Everett, having during their residence here
gained the confidence and good will of all with whom they have been brought
in contact. Mr. Clarke is quite well known in fraternal circles, being a mem-
ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Improved Order of
Red men and the Woodmen of the World. His political support is given to
the Republican party, and in 1902 he was elected justice of the peace of the
city of Everett for a term of two years. Mr. Clarke is a young man of
marked determination and force of character, and he possesses the enterprising
spirit so typical of the northwest. In his own business career he has brooked
no obstacles that could be overcome by determined effort and persistent pur-
pose, and along the legitimate lines of trade he has won creditable success.
ALPHEUS DAVIDSON.
One of the successful business men of Tacoma is Alpheus Davidson, the
proprietor of one of the leading drug stores in the city, in which is also
located the sub-postal station No. 7. He was born in Keptville, Canada, on
the 17th of December, 1858, and is of Scotch ancestry. He is a son of Alex-
ander and Alzira (Hicks) Davidson, natives respectively of Glasgow. Scot-
land, and of Canada. The father emigrated to Canada in his youth, where
he was engaged in contracting and building and also in the real estate bus-
iness, and he attained to the age of seventy-four years, passing away in death
in 1900, in the faith of the Presbyterian church, of which he had been long
a faithful and devoted member. His widow still survives, and has now
reached the age of sixty-six years. To this worthy couple were born six
children, three sons and three daughters, and the subject of this review is the
only representative of the family in Washington.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Vlpheus Davidson received his literary education in the public schools
ility, and is also a graduate of the Montreal College of
1 [e began his life work as a clerk in a drug store, and ere leaving
his native land he was for six years in the drug business on Ins own account.
business in Tacoma, Washington, on the corner of Eleventh
,.t avenue, where he has ever since enjoyed a large and
lucrative patronage. Since his arrival in this city twelve years ago, he has
; , many of its leading interests, and has done all in his
promote its progress and improvement. He is now serving as secre-
v of the Retail Druggists' Association; is vice president of the Pacific Oil
Well Company— three wells are now being sunk; is a stockholder in the large
natch erected in Tacoma; and is an executive officer of the
Musi ; institution which reflects much credit on the city and
which ha the upport of a number of the best citizens of Tacoma.
. tee of this institution. 1 lis political support is given to the
men and measures of the Republican party.
In i- elel ited the marriage of .Mr. Davidson and Miss Gertrude
Lawn Ltive of Quebec, Canada, and a daughter of George W.
n ■.. e. ' >ne son has been horn to this union, to whom has been given the
f Guy Lawrence. Mrs. Davidson is the secretary of the Home for
an Children, having been connected with this humane institution during
-t four years, and she is also a valued member of the Episcopal church.
s religious preference is indicated by his membership with the
•rian denomination, and in his fraternal relations he is a member of the
nd Protective < Irder of Elks, the Foresters and the Royal Tribe
1 fe enjoys the high regard of his fellow men, and is widely and
rably known throughout Tacoma and Pierce county.
llo.X. RALPH O. DUNBAR.
of the law, when clothed with its true dignity, purity
i, inu>t rank first among the callings of men. for law rules the
i- work of the legal profession is to formulate, to harmonize, to
si. to administer those rules and principles that underlie and
eminent a ety and control the varied relations of men.
the legal profession a nobleness that can-
I in the life of the true lawyer, who, rising to the responsi-
n, embraces the richness of learning, the firmness of
morals, together with the graces and modesty and
1 If such a type is Judge Dunbar a representa-
a de< member of the supreme court of the state,
ms as chief justice of Washington, and the honors
n him have been worthily won and well worn.
Schuyler count). Illinois, his birth having
\pril. [845. Me comes of Scotch ancestry, and his
ian, while his father. Uice Dunbar, was
['he killer was :, carpenter and builder, and. removing to
1 lowed his chosen vocation for a number
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 135
of years. He was married in that state to Miss Jane Miller Brisbin, a native
of Pennsylvania, descended from one of the old Dutch families of that state.
Nine children were horn to them in Illinois, and in 1846 Rice Dunbar
brought his wife and children across the plains to Oregon, journeying with
an ox team. Mr. Dunbar was chosen captain of the company, and with them
traveled the Donner party, who eventually left the Dunbar party to take a
cut-off, and met with great disaster and loss of life, which has become an
incident of the history of those times. Mr. Dunbar's party traveled through
the Klamath country and on the 1st of January, 1S47, arrived in Oregon.
They had all of their stock stolen from them by the Indians, and hence
were obliged to leave their wagons and many of their necessary articles. The
Judge's mother rode an old horse, the only one they had, and carried the
future jurist, then an infant in his first year. When they arrived in Salem
they were without money and provisions, and they lived that first winter
almost entirely upon boiled peas. The country was full of savage Indians,
and the women were constantly in a state of terror. Added to this were many
hardships and privations. The poorest grade of sugar sold for a dollar per
pound and other provisions were equally high, so that the family suffered
greatly for want of the things to which they had previously been accustomed.
Separated far from their former home and friends, constantly facing danger
and doing without what had hitherto seemed necessary to their daily existence,
the condition of these worthy pioneers was anything but enviable, and it
is to them and others that the state owes the foundation upon which has been
reared the superstructure of her present prosperity and greatness. The sacri-
fices they made and the hardships they endured were the means of opening up
this region to a latter civilization, and to them is due a debt of gratitude that
can never be repaid.
Mr. Dunbar began to work at his trade, building sawmills, gristmills
and houses, but times continued hard with the pioneers, and in 1849 he went
to the gold fields of California, hoping that there he might more rapidly
acquire a competency. The wife and children were thus left almost entirely
at the mercy of the savages. He had taken a donation claim ten miles east
of Salem, and after mining for some time in the Shasta gold diggings he
returned to his family and claim. Improving the property, he transformed it
into a fine farm and continued to reside thereon until 1869, when he removed
to Salem, where he made his home until his death, which occurred in 187 1,
when he was sixty-nine years of age. He was a brave, strong man, but much
exposure and hard toil shortened his life. He had ever been a lover of liberty,
and was a strong Republican from the organization of the party. His faith-
ful pioneer wife departed this life in 1858, at the age of forty-nine years.
She was a member of the Methodist church, and was a very conscientious,
good Christian woman. The children who crossed the plains were Mary
Ellen, Eliza Jane. William Rice, Delia and Ralph Oregon, the last-named
being the Judge, to whom the second name was given because he was brought
across the plains in his first year. Three children were born in Oregon, Oscar,
Elizabeth and Frances. The three sons are living and two of the daughters.
Eliza J. became the wife of Clark Crandle and since his death has become
Mrs. Reynolds, her home being in Los Gatos, California; Elizabeth is the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
widow of Kirk Ward, and resides in Seattle; William Rice is register of the
land office at Vancouver.
Judge Dunbar was educated in the Willamette University, and while
acquiring his education also engaged in teaching for two years. He read law
in Salem, and in Olympia was admitted to the bar in 1867, and began the
practice oi his profession in Olympia, being admitted to practice before the
supreme court in 1807. His success came soon because his equipment was
i. because he prepared his cases with great thoroughness and precision
and because of his earnest devotion to the interests of his clients. He con-
tinued in active practice until 1869, in which year he was appointed clerk of
the I nited States district court by Chief Justice Orange Jacobs, filling that
until 1871. lie then resigned and removed to Yakima, where he again
opened an office and soon secured a distinctively representative clientage. In
[875 he became a resident of The Dalles, Oregon, where he practiced for two
years, and in 1S77 he established his home and opened his office in Golden-
dale. Washington. The following year he was elected a member of the terri-
luncil and was also elected probate judge of Klickitat county. In
[880 he was elected prosecuting attorney for Klickitat, Kittitas, Yakima,
( larke and Skamania counties, and his prompt and faithful discharge of his
duties won him high commendation. In 1885 he was elected to represent his
district in the lower house of the territorial legislature, and upon the as-
sembling of the house was chosen speaker. He also served for several terms
i f attorney of Goldendale, and each position which he filled found him a
capable and trustworthy incumbent, so that his popularity constantly grew as
the people recognized Ins worth. From 1880 until 1886 Judge Dunbar was
ed.,tor and proprietor of the Goldendale Sentinel, strongly supporting the
pnn< the Republican party. In 1889 he represented the eleventh dis-
trict in the constitutional convention and took an important part in framing
the organic law ol the state, i [e was the chairman of the committee on tide
government lands, and was the author of the constitutional article on
7'1" " ' ■ ' ' : ' ». at the first state convention, he was a prominent can-
ate. '"' ' °ngress and lacked only three votes of securing the nomination
in the same convention be was unanimously nominated for the position of
supreme judge, to which important office he was elected by a lar°-e ma-
in January, [893, after serving three years as associate justice he
"fawJ°,Sen '>' hlS :r Ui:iU' mCmberS °f thc court of aPPeals as chief justice
','' U *n »ng for a term of five years was re-elected in
n in 1900, so that he has served upon the supreme bench of his
re than a dei
II demonstrated bis ability to handle the intricate
'■'■ "ll1 are Present< ' tothe '•"'" of last resort. The leeal Profession
':;;T:-{ h*g "nK" ty> and the j"'1— ■ ^J^tr^"
mbination oi talent, learning, tact, patience and industry The
"' ltl.,o „„,,,,„. judge must' be a man of winced
miliar with the law and practice, of comprehensive
'' ^fr,at" 3ed "'" an analytical mind and a s^SSftS
v.ll enable .,,,,, to lose his individuality, his persona, Feelings his preTudice
ind l„s peculiarities ol disposition in the dignity, impartiality and equity o
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 137
the office to which life, property, right and liberty must look for protection.
Possessing these qualifications, Judge Dunbar justly merits the high honor
which has been conferred upon him in his thrice-repeated election to the
supreme court of Washington.
In 1873, in Yakima county, Judge Dunbar was united in marriage to
Miss Clara White, a native of Portland, Oregon, and a daughter of William
N. White, a pioneer of 185 1, who was murdered by the Indians in 1856. The
Judge and Mrs. Dunbar have three children, Fred, Ruth and John, all still
at home with their parents. Mrs. Dunbar is a valued member of the Con-
gregational church. During his earlier life, while not on the bench,
the Judge was a very active Republican, doing much campaign work to pro-
mote the success of his party and its principles, but he never allows political
labors or partisanship to interfere in the slightest degree with the faithful per-
formance of his duties. He has always taken a lively interest in hue stock,
both horses and cattle, and he finds pleasure and needed recreation in the
supervision of his fine stock farm of two hundred and eighty acres, a few
miles distant from Olympia. He is raising some fine imported red polled
cattle, of which he has some choice prize animals, and he also has on another
farm a band of Jersey cattle. For some years he has also bred good horses
of the Hambletonian, Membrino and Altamont stock. During the periods
of his summer rest he takes great delight in camping at this farm. The Judge
and his family have a nice home in Olympia, and he has a very wide acquaint-
ance throughout the state. He is justly regarded as one of the most eminent
jurists of the northwest, deserving the high encomiums which are bestowed
upon his life work by the members of the profession and the general public.
FRED A. HEGG.
Fred A. Hegg, a member of the Union Mercantile Company, dealers in
general merchandise at Sedro Woolley, Washington, is a native of Iowa, born
at Decorah, December 22, i860. His parents are natives of Norway. Anton
Hegg, his father, came to America when a young man and engaged in farm-
ing, which occupation he followed successfully for a number of years. He
is now living retired in Decorah, Iowa. His wife, whose maiden name was
Gunhilda Olson, was born in Drammond, Norway. Their family of three
sons and two daughters are now settled in homes of their own. Oscar is a
resident of Leroy, Minnesota; Adolph is on the old homestead in Iowa; Char-
lotte is the wife of Andrew Sagen, of Lacrosse, Wisconsin; Henrietta is the
wife of Eric Solland, of Decorah, Iowa.
Fred A. Hegg was educated in the public schools of his native town and
at, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, where he graduated in 1878.
After his graduation Mr. Hegg began his business career as a clerk in a
general merchandise store in Decorah, Iowa, and was thus occupied there
for four years. In 1882 he went to Colorado and a year later to Oregon, in
the latter state giving his attention to farming and carrying on agricultural
pursuits until 1889. That year he came to Washington, and at Fairhaven
started a grocery store, which he conducted two years. He came to Sedro
Woolley in 1891 and established himself in the grocery business, and, with
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
rt time when he dealt in hardware, he has been in the
nee In [893 he bought an interest in the Green
lingle Company, and the new firm took the name of the Union Mercantile
and its cers are as follows: Emerson Hammer, president;
skey, vice president; A. W. Davison, treasurer; and F. A. Hegg,
tary.
Mr. Hegg was first married in t886 to Miss Mollie Douglass, a daughter
[On g n. She died in 1896, leaving four children, two
1 two daughters, William Anton, Earle, May and Mildred. In 1899
I Miss Fannie Bishop, a native of Indiana, and their union
ed in the birth of a daughter. Florence, and a son. Mr. Hegg is
I .utheran church and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
DR. ROBERT K1NCAID.
To feel in the closing days of his long life that he has followed nature's
laws that he has not lived for self alone, that he has helped and up-
many of his fellow men, and that through trials and difficulties he
- won a high and honored position in society, all these things and many
the rewards plendid career of Robert Kincaid, who stands
in the front rank of physicians and surgeons in Olympia. No estimate too
h can be set on the works of such a man, and it is hoped that the brief
I of the main events of his career, which is all that can be attempted in
I this kind, will be an incentive to those who come after him to
higher and nobler living, fur it is in biography alone that the best stimulus
und.
Kincaid was George Kincaid, who owned a large
• in North Ireland; his Forefathers were of Scotch descent, and settled
in Ireland during the reign of King James the First, about the year 1609.
beth Virtue, of English stock. George Kincaid died in
s thirty sixth year, when our subject was only four years of age. The
I ttle family of three sons and a daughter, emigrated
nd took up her residence in Petersburg, where she lived till
her death in ! iv sixth year, and over her last resting place her grate-
ful children hav< a beautiful monument. One of the sons, John,
ernmenl office in Canada.
born on the 10th day of June, 1832, in the famous
il, North Ireland, a country which has given us four of our
He was trained for life's work in the Queen's University and
in the 1. rtment in 1862 with the degree of M. D. He
ted States and served as surgeon in the army during
of the ( 1. il war, at Washington and on Governor's Island,
1 tor of the state of Maine. Returning
the ill health of his mother, he engaged in the
cine in Petersburg for a quarter of a century. During this
1 the citj of Petersburg, surgeon of that county, sur-
ind Rail Canada, and surgeon of the troops with
nel in the British army. And in the course of twenty-
1 re he held every office in the gift of the people of his
. HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 139
city and county, and was finally elected member of the Canadian parliament.
Owing to ill health he was forced to give up his residence here and
seek a more salubrious climate, finally selecting Olympia, where he settled in
1888. His health immediately improved, and he has since engaged in the
practice of his profession, gaining eminent success. The Doctor invested
in lands and made a fortune, but with many others in the great financial
panic in 1893 'ost most of his gains. But feeling that he must above all give
his children an education, he sent them to the Washington State University,
the mother going with them to provide a home.
Dr. Kincaid's marriage had occurred in 1865, and his wife was Mar-
garet Bell, a daughter of James Bell, manager of the Commercial Bank of
Canada and register of the county of Lanark. They are the parents of
five children : The eldest son, Traver Charles Digby, is now professor of
zoology in the Washington State University and is regarded as one of the
most scientific men in the country for his years ; the daughter, Loe Rowena,
is a graduate of the university with the class of 1901 and is a large con-
tributor to the magazines and periodicals ; Kenneth George is in the hospital
service of the regular army, was in charge of •thej'Presidio hospital in San
Francisco and with the famous United -States ' Fourth Cavalry, and is now
at Angel's Island, California, examining 'sdl'diers' from the Philippines, thus
without doubt having a bright futiire before him ; the oldest son has a
mechanical genius and is employed as engineer by the Northern Pacific Rail-
road at Seattle ; and the ten-year-old daughter, Airdrie, who was born in
Olympia, is attending school at Seattle and is at the head of her class, giving
promise of being the brightest one of a very bright family.
Doctor Kincaid is the oldest man in the medical profession in the city ;
he is the physician and a member of about ten of the fraternal societies of
Olympia, is the health officer, and president of the pension board. While
in Canada he was deputy grand master of the Masonic order. Although
past the age of threescore and ten, he still enjoys remarkably good health and
attends to his large practice with all the vigor of youth. He has had a long
career as physician, and night or day, snushine or storm, he has always
been ready to go to the aid of the suffering, and the gratitude of those he
has aided has been more precious to him than all pecuniary rewards; and
in this lies the secret of his success, that he has ever been willing to lend
a helping hand, and, although reverses have come to him, and his life has
not been a bed of roses, he now holds the esteem of all because of his noble
and sincere character.
NORRIS ORMSBY.
The business interests of the city of Sedro Woolley, Washington, has
an enterprising factor in the subject of this review, Norris Ormsby. Mr.
Ormsby was born October 24, 1856, in Shelby county, Illinois, and comes of
Irish and Scotch ancestry. His father. John J. Ormsby, was a native of the
Emerald Isle and a respected citizen of this country. While filling the office
of sheriff of Fremont county, Iowa, in June, 1866, he was killed while in the
140 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
i arresting a man charged with murder. Mr. Ormsby's mother, Nancy
(Martin) Ormsby, was born in Indiana, of Scotch descent, her family having
long resided in America. John J. and Nancy Ormsby reared a family of six
children, thro and three daughters, all of whom are now residents of
the state of Washington, except one daughter, Ion, who is married and settled
on a farm in Oregon. The other daughters reside in Sedro Woolley, they
being ( lara, wife of B. L). Vandevaer, and Minnie, wife of F. A. Douglass,
a druggist. John Ormsby is engaged in the saloon business in Sedro Wool-
ley, and \\ illiam ( >rmsby is a farmer in Washington.
Norris Ormsb) received his education in the public schools of Iowa, to
which state his parents moved when he was a small boy. At the early age of
ten years he began to support himself. His first employment was in a dry
goods store, where he worked for four or five years, after which he was for
sixteen years in a livery stable. Leaving Iowa, he went to Kansas, where
he remained two years, and thence came to his present location in Washington.
Here he engaged in the drug business with his brother-in-law, F. A. Doug-
but at the end of one year sold out and turned his attention to draying,
buying a span of mules and dray, and in this business he has been engaged
ever since. Subsequently he opened up a feed store, dealing in hay and
grain and also coal, which he has conducted successfully, having as his partner
In- son-in law, J. B. Holbrook.
Mr. ( (rmsby is a Democrat, and in local politics has always taken an active
nice he came west, lie has been representative to county conventions,
and has been on the city council oi Woolley and Sedro ever since they were
porated. When these towns were consolidated he was elected mayor.
Prior to the i ition he was mayor of Woolley two terms. At present
he is a member ui the council. Public-spirited and enterprising and with an
earnesl de ire to promote the best interests of the people of the town, Norris
s influence has for years been felt in the locality in which he lives.
Mr. Ormsby was married .May 11. 1878, in Atchison county, Missouri,
Talliferro, a native of Monroe county, Missouri, of French
nt. The) have one daughter, Hallie, who is the wife of J. B. Holbrook.
ernally Mr. Ormsby is identified with the Knights of Pythias and
l< 5,
GEORGE J. HOHL.
I Hohl, 1 prosperous dealer in hay and grain, was born Feb-
in Hokah, Houston county, Minnesota, and is a son of Jacob
a native of I iermany, who came to this country as a boy. By trade he
mith, and died in [864 in the service of the federal army, Fifty-
1 Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. His wife was Catherine Buehle'r Hohl,
a native ol Germany, now living in Hokah, Minnesota. The children born
ll"111 ;""1 wife wen John J., a land agent at Minong, Wisconsin;
i.-mi R., a railroad man in southern Minnesota; Henry L., a wholesale
1 lei in llo„ ton, lexas; Charles \\ .. land and oil agent in Hous-
'•'v: ' J I I mma, wife of W. II. Whittaker, job printer of St
II ; MlSS Katie A., at home in Hokah. Minnesota.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 141
George J. Hohl was educated in the public schools of Hokah, and gradu-
ated from the high school in 1881. After this he spent one year in the
Wilson Business College at Lacrosse, Wisconsin. His next step was the
serving of an apprenticeship in a flour mill at Hokah, and he then went to
Duluth, Minnesota, where he worked for the St. Paul & Pacific Coal Com-
pany as foreman. In 1886 he located at Bellingham Bay, when there were
very few people in this locality, and as soon as the town of Fairhaven was
organized he moved here, and took up a pre-emption claim one and one-half
miles from the city limits. In 1897 he was 'one of the stampeders to Dawson,
going over the White Pass or Skagway trail, and, after two years, went the
second time with a six-dog team and drove six hundred miles, and was frozen
in with the thermometer registering fifty degrees below zero. The first winter
he mined, and the second year he operated a sawmill. In 1899 ne returned
to Fairhaven and engaged in a wholesale and retail grain, hay and feed
business.
Politically Mr. Hohl is a Republican; was school director of Fairhaven
from 1891 to 1897, and has always taken an active part in local affairs, serving
as delegate to county conventions. During the year 1901 he was mayor of
Fairhaven, and held that office in a manner to inspire respect and confidence.
In addition to his other interests Mr. Hohl was one of the organizers of the
Alger Oil and Mineral Company of Fairhaven, which was established in 1901
with a capital of three hundred thousand dollars; he was made its president
and general manager and has held the position ever since.
On November 18, 1890, Mr. Hohl was married to Mrs- Nellie Eggloff,
a daughter of M. J. Rogers, of Saginaw, Michigan, and a native of Chicago,
coming of an old American family of Scotch ancestry. One son has been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Hohl, namely: Ross J. Eggloff Hohl, aged nineteen
years. Mr. Hohl is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen
and Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is very popular in all these
organizations. Through steadfast industry, uprightness of character and an
ability to make his work count, Mr. Hohl has steadily mounted the ladder of
fortune, and is numbered among the successful men of Fairhaven.
CHARLES A. DARLING.
Charles A. Darling, a leading representative of the dental profession in
Whatcom, Washington, and a man of prominence in the community, was born
May 14, 1869, at Portage, Wisconsin, and is a son of James M. and Clara
(Kellum) Darling. The father was a native of New York, born of an old
American family, and engaged in mining and dealt extensively in real estate.
He is now a resident and prominent business man of Fairhaven. His wife
was born in Connecticut, and also came of good American stock, grafted on
English ancestry. Two children were born to these parents, namely, our
subject, and Dwight K., now one of the leading druggists of Everett,
Washington.
Charles A. Darling received his early education in Hammond Hall. Salt
Lake City, from which he was graduated in 1885, whence he went to Phila-
delphia and entered the dental college of that city. In 1890 he was graduated
Mi' HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
from that institution, and returned to Fairhaven, where for two years he
on, having heen admitted to practice by the state board
of examiners. In [892 he removed to Whatcom, and has built up a very
e and lucrative practice, which is constantly increasing, and his patients
are numb the very best people of the city. For the years 1897,
[898 and [899 he was a member of the board of dental examiners, and in
.i'ii] iN<)o, was its president, lie is a member of the State Dental So-
. and was president of that organization in 1896. In politics he is a
Democrat, and has always taken an active part in party matters, and for the
ears has been a delegate to all the county conventions except in
I [e was sent to the national convention held in Chicago in 1896, which
nominated Brj an.
1 in September 5, [898, Dr. Darling was married to Miss Mable Stude-
vant Byrne, a daughter of a successful real estate dealer in Kansas. The
Byrne family is well known and dates back to Revolutionary days. Mrs.
I >arling's gri I grandfather on the maternal side was Zebulon Pike,
after whom Pike's Peak was named. Her grandmother, Sarah Studevant,
now residing in Lamed, Kansas, is the last lineal descendant in that state of
mous Pike. Mr. and Mrs. Darling are consistent members of the Epis-
d church, and Dr. Darling is one of (he vestrymen of that body.
In addition to li other interests. Dr. Darling is president of the Homan
Lumber Company of Fairhaven, operating two shingle mills and a sawmill,
1 \ of one hundred and sixty thousand shingles per day. The
company owns considerable timber land adjoining the plant, and Dr. Darling
ganizers in 1901. He was one of the organizers and is now
president of the Samish Oyster Company, with beds in Samish bay,
which they planted an I cultivated. The company have eight hundred and
thirl mouth of Samish river, and will be prepared to place
product upon the market next year, probably about one hundred and
Mr Darling is our 0f the charter members of the Cougar Club.
' 1 lub of Whatcom, and he is also a member of the Commer-
'luh of Fairhaven. There are few men in Whatcom who either in a
ense have done more than the doctor in so short a
! of time, to increase tin- prosperity of tin- city, or have so firmly estab-
lished themselves in the confidence and respect of the people of that locality.
WILL] \M II. PINCKNEY.
n 1 1 Pinckney, police magistrate of Blaine, Washington, was born
' Salem, Washtenaw county, Michigan, and is a son of
Pini ' :■ e of New York state. One of the early members
Pinckney, who was sent to represent the colonies in
'",:i B. 1 was colonel of the Second Regiment of the
militia during tin- Black I lawk war, and died in 1897 in Blaine
years. Mis wife bore the maiden name
■ and wa 1 oncord, New Hampshire; both of her
in the Revolutionary war, their names being Major
s and Major Church. Major MMS was one of the participants' in
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 143
the battle of Bunker Hill, and both gentlemen were from the state of New-
Hampshire, of Scotch descent, and died in New Hampshire. The children
born to Joshua B. Pinckney and wife were as follows: John M., in the book
and stationer}' business since 1864 in Sioux City. Iowa; Albert M. resides in
Blaine; Charles died in Iowa; our subject; Charlotte married S. P. Hughes,
now retired, in Blaine; Mary, widow of Isaac Griswold, resides in San
Francisco.
William H. Pinckney was educated in the public schools of Iowa and
Michigan, although the greater part of his practical knowledge was on the
frontier. During his school life all of his leisure moments were put in on
the farm, and he later devoted all of his time to it. He was driven from the
farm at the time of the Minnesota massacre in 1862, and in September of
that same year he and his brother John enlisted in Company E, Northern
Border Brigade. The state called for five companies, and they mustered them
in without any delay and started them for the frontier of Iowa and Dakota,
Captain Jerome M. White being in command of Company E. After serving
with Compariy E one year, Mr. Pinckney then served in Company L, Seventh
Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, with Captain S. P. Hughes in command, and he
received his honorable discharge in February, 1866. He participated in the
northwestern Indian expedition under General Alfred Sully, and saw some
very hard service. In 1866 he went back to the farm, remaining until 1873,
but he found he had grown beyond the limits of a quiet life, and went west
to Blaine, Washington, purchasing forty acres of land. In 1878 he went to
Seattle, and for three years served on the police force there, but resigned, and
in 1888 embarked in a real estate business, which he continued until 1894
and then retired to a ranch in Semahmoo which he had purchased fifteen
years before. Ever active and progressive, Mr. Pinckney did not remain
long upon bis ranch, but in 1899 opened up a real estate and insurance office
in Blaine and has been very successful in his various operations ever since.
In political convictions Mr. Pinckney is a Populist, but has been associated
with the Democratic party, and in Iowa was clerk of Sioux township for four
years; was appointed sheriff of Plymouth county, Iowa, and served two
years; was also assessor of Sioux township for three years, and during the
same time was also clerk; was justice of the peace of Semahmoo township,
Whatcom county, for two years, and justice of the peace of Blaine two years,
and for three terms was appointed nolice justice.
On March 24, 1873, Mr. Pinckney was married to Anna J. Jackson, a
daughter of Andy Jackson, of Pennsylvania, and she was born in that state.
The Jackson family is of Scotch-Irish descent and played an important part
in the Revolutionary war. One son, John Jackson, was born to Mr. and
Mrs. Pinckney in May, 1876, and he is now admitted to practice law. Mr.
Pinckney is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, being con-
nected with that order for twenty-two years; of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, since 1S74, and is also a member of the Grand Army post. Few
men in this locality have done more to develop the Puget Sound district, and
to induce financiers to locate in that neighborhood and increase the material
prosperity of the state, than the distinguished man whose name heads this
memoir.
11! HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
GEORGE C. ISRAEL.
The Israel family is of Welsh and Pennsylvania Dutch extraction on
the paternal side, and Scotch and Irish on the maternal side. The original
this family in America, Isaac G. Israel, sailed with William
Penn, and that worthy settler took an active part in the first Pennsylvania
my. And later on in the history of the country we find that the mother
of the famous General Israel Putnam was an Israel, and that several mem-
bers of the family distinguished themselves in the Revolution.
William C. Israel, the Father of George C was born in the Old Domin-
ion -tali', and from there in [849, moved by the wonderful reports of the
new Eldorado in the west, came to California and engaged for three years
in mining and prospecting; he was the discoverer of the Diablo coal mines.
In 1853 he returned to Missouri and Illinois and brought across the first
band of American bulls, and engaged extensively in the importation and rais-
Mi ican cattle, After his discovery of coal he again went east and
iroughl back machinery and opened the Tutonia mine, which he conducted
illy for a time, and then sold out and until 1881 followed the then
profitable star routing. In that year he came to Washington and followed
raising, lie became a man of much influence in the state and was
one of the county commissioners who built the magnificent Thurston county
court house, which was afterward sold to the state and became, with a few
additions, the present capitol building. His wife was Hannah Olmstead,
a native of New Hampshire, and of their two sons and three daughters all
are now living and three reside in Washington, namely: James McDaniel,
it pector and resides in Olvmpia ; Elsie, now Mrs. Win-
of I lush Prairie; and George C, whose sketch immediately
The death of the father occurred in 189s at the age of sixty-eiffht
The birthplace of George fsrael is in Antioch, Contra Costa county
norma, where his birth occurred on the 20th of October, 1858. He at-
ided the St. Man's I 1 San Francisco and graduated in 1878 He
then "'•", Ifw '" H of Hon. Davis S. Terry in Stockton. California
• admitted to practice in December, 1880; until Tune, 1881 he was
\ '["Strict attorne) in that place, lie then came to Olympia, where he
' and had a very lucrative practice. In' 1880, going to
! I <<l 'aw and was in the legal department of the
• Radway. Since 1S07 he has resided in Olympia and has
■ clientele, including several large corporations and the Northern
l acme Railroad.
Mr. Israel has been a stanch Republican, but in 1806 he
V,"C.e(l 5,Soin<lepei lv voting with ""' silver wing of the party
i^/V^Vrir -er allegiance. In 1895 he bLune the'hi
- York. They live in a beautiful
V m;":i' fW* "' manj comforts of life and their numerous
, •„:';?; ,S' , llnected fth the Independent Order of Odd
""' ,lu Elks' He ,s :| man ol independent and resolute character
A O, <&Oxm^
PlJ8LJC LIBRARY
nU)W«W«OATIOHS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 145
and enjoys the reputation of being one of the most prominent criminal law-
yers in the state of Washington.
ABRAHAM WOOLMAN ENGLE.
From early manhood the subject of this sketch has been a resident of
Seattle, Washington, has aided in its growth and development and shared in
its prosperity, and ranks to-day with its leading citizens.
Abraham Woolman Engle was born March 4, 1851, in Burlington
county, New Jersey, and belongs to a well known and highly respected family.
The record shows that four brothers of the name of Engle came to this coun-
try from Saxony in the year 1683 and made their settlements in New Jersey,
Virginia and Pennsylvania. The one who located in New Jersey was the
progenitor of a large family. One of his descendants, Abraham W. Engle,
was the father of our subject, was born in Burlington county, and was by
occupation a merchant, dealing in general merchandise, lumber and coal, and
also owning some coasting schooners that ran between Philadelphia and the
Carolinas. He died in 1861. His wife, Sarah C., was before marriage Miss
Engle, she being a distant relative, and she, too, was a native of New Jersey.
She died in 1883.
The younger Abraham W. Engle was educated in the public and private
schools of his native state, finishing his schooling in 1869. Then he spent
two years in assisting in the settlement, of "life fatlier's estate, after which, in
February, 1871, he came west to Puget Sound, seeking a change of climate
on account of illness. He spent one year on Whidby Island in a successful
effort to regain his health. The next four' years lie was in the employ of the
Bellingham Bay Coal Company at Whatcom, where, with Sutcliff Baxter, he
had charge of the company's mercantile business; ' In 1876 he took up the
study of law, and in 1878 was admitted to practice in the supreme court of
the territory of Washington. He practiced in Seattle until 1884, when his
attention was turned to banking; he became associated with Judge J. R. Lewis
and M. V. -B. Stacey and established the First National Bank of North
Yakima and the First National Bank of Ellensburg. Of the former Mr.
Engle was cashier at the time of organization and subsequently was made
president, which latter office he filled until 1896. In 1895 he accepted the
position of business manager of the northwestern agency of the Mutual Life
Insurance Company of New York, with headquarters in Seattle, which posi-
tion he still holds. However, he is yet interested in banking, being a director
of the Washington National Bank of Seattle. He has also for a number of
years been interested in real estate, and is the owner of valuable property.
In 1891, in company with Judge Lewis, he built one of the largest brick build-
ings in North Yakima, and, associated with C. D. Stimson, he lias just com-
pleted a brick hotel and business building, known as the Manning building,
corner Fourth and Union streets, Seattle. The residence he occupies he
built in 1888.
He was married November 18, 1882, to Miss Alice Warbass, daughter
of the late Dr. U. G. Warbass, of Olympia, Washington. She is a native of
Olympia. Her only surviving relative in this country is Judge E. 1). War-
ier"
ins ruin- of the puget sound country.
bass, of Friday Harbor. Mr. and Mrs. Engle have one daughter, Marian,
twelve years. Politically Mr. Engle is a Republican. He has always
taken a commendable interest in public affairs, frequently attending state and
ns of his party, but is not an office-seeker.
HON. J. W. ROBINSON.
For four generations the name Joseph has been the christian name of
the head of die Robinson family. This family originated in Scotland, for
many years resided in England, and came to this country in its early history,
taking up their settlement in Virginia. The first Joseph Robinson was a
prosperous Virginia merchant. His son, grandfather Joseph, was born on
the banks of the James river; he was a leading attorney and held several high
judicial ]■ death occurred in his ninety-fourth year.
father of the subject <.f this sketch, Joseph the third, was born on
f January, 1N11, was educated and reared in his native state until
bis nineteenth year, and then in 1830 came west to Clinton county, Ohio,
settling near Wilmington. He engaged successfully in stock-raising and
farming, and lived to he eighty-two years of age. His wife, Margaret Killen,
was a native of Kentuck} : her English ancestors were early settlers in Penn-
inia and her father. James Killen, was a Revolutionary officer, afterward
iiing a 1- 1 Kentucky. These parents had eight children, six sons
and two daughters. Two of the sons served in the Union army in the Civil
war. Jan :i, and Robert as a private, but later becoming a
lieutenant; the other male members of the Family were lawyers, doctors and
in the east except the subject of this sketch.
ill William Robinson was ushered into the world near Wilmington,
5. [855. In the excellent schools of his state he was edu-
cated, and in the Lebanon (Ohio) Normal; he received his knowledge of
an State University. In 1883 he came to Olympia, which
he has made his I > r since. In this time he has built up a large and
icquired an enviable reputation in this honor-
1 1 ne 1 the best private libraries of professional works
in the city.
IN- has always been a Republican, and was elected and served for two
fey, when the district extended to the Columbia river.
In [890 Mr. Robinson wa chosi nperioi judge of Thurston county, and
known trial judge in the Mate, hut the duties were not
he re igned mi r8g !. Returning to active practice, he
■ Olympia, lie lias membership in the
. 111 the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World.
MATTHEW hi. HYXER.
,nrv> i". one of the pioneers of Edmonds, Washington, was
n northwestern Pennsylvania, near Tionesta. and is
tlso b m in Pennsylvania, and a lumberman by occu-
dm died in [886, The paternal grandfather was a soldier in the
HISTORY OE THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 147
continental army at Valley Forge with Washington. The family originated
in Germany, but was established here many years ago. The maiden name of
the mother was Harriet Ball, and she was born in Vermont and died in 1852,
having come of old English ancestry. Six children were born to these
parents, namely: our subject; Isaac, a farmer of Maryland; Clinton C, a
merchant of Vineland, New Jersey; Lavina, widow of H. H. Stone, residing
in Jamestown, New York; Mary married J. H. Dawler, of Holly Beach, New
Jersey ; Sarah, widow of G. R. Chambers, residing in Vineland, New Jersey.
Matthew E. Hyner was educated in the public schools of New Jersey
and Pennsylvania', and the State Normal School of Pennsylvania, concluding
his studies when he was twenty years of age, at which time he opened a drug
store at Unionville, Ohio, and conducted it for eight years. He then moved
to Vineland, New Jersey, and for one year was engaged in farming. His
next location was on the eastern shore of Maryland, where he conducted a
farm for a year. In 1878 he went to the southeastern part of Illinois and
operated a farm for eight years. In the spring of 1887 lie moved to Ed-
monds, Washington, and engaged in a grocery and provision business for six
or seven years, and also had the first express office in the place, known as
"The Northwestern." This was before the railroads had made connection
with Edmonds. Later he* disposed of his interests and has since then
lived retired.
On March 10, 1868, he married, in Vineland, New Jersey, Clara A.
Brown, born in Pennsylvania and a daughter of W. T. Brown, a merchant of
Union City, Pennsylvania, since deceased. The Brown family is Scotch-
English in origin, and Mr. Brown's grandmother on the paternal side of the
house was a Tiffany. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hyner,
namely: Paul B., in a cigar and tobacco business in Seattle; Robert W, a
mill proprietor; Ruth B. In religious ideas they are all members of the
Congregational church. Mr. Hyner is a Democrat and has represented his
party in state conventions for the past twelve years, and has been upon the
county central committee and to county conventions for many years. He
was appointed postmaster of Edmonds in 1888-90 and again in 1894-99.
When he came to Edmonds the place consisted of a little settlement of half
a dozen families. Through the many changes Mr. Hyner has borne his part
of assisting in the development and material advancement of this locality, and
is pointed to with pride as a very representative pioneer of the state.
John L. Hyner, a brother of our subject, served as a soldier through
the Civil war, and was under General Hooker. At the close of the conflict
he was sergeant. His company of volunteers was from New York, and was
practically wiped out of existence. Later he served as sheriff of Erie county,
Pennsylvania, and died in 1878.
MAJOR CHARLES O. BATES.
There is much variety and interest in the life history of Major Charles
O. Bates, who has passed the greater part of his life in different parts of the
Union, but for the past eleven years has been a resident of Tacoma, and is
a prominent lawyer there, and the deputy county attorney. His parents were
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Rev. Henry and Keziah (Chapman) Bates, and on both sides of the house
ineml • fought in the Revolutionary war. Rev. Henry was
in New England, while his wife was a native of Connecticut and is still
living at Crete. Nebraska. Henry came west at an early day, and after gradu-
ating iberlin College became a minister of the Congregational church,
lie was also a prominent educator and in later life removed to Crete, Ne-
braska, and was connected with Doane College. During his work there he
ed away at the age of seventy-five, in 1889. During the war he was a
unced anti-slaver) advocate, and as the section of Ohio in which he lived
rather favorable to slavery he was subjected to much persecution because
of his views.
While this worthy couple were residing in Goodrich, Michigan, the son
Charles ( ). was bom to them on May 31, 1855. A few years later the parents
took him to Canton. Illinois, where he received most of his education. He
went to Nebraska in 1S73. and at Beatrice carried out his intention of study-
ing law, gaining his knowledge of the profession in the office of Colby and
1 He was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of the state on
31, [878, and he first commenced practice as an attorney in Beatrice.
ed much ability and made himself popular, for he was county attorney
of Gage county for one term and also city clerk a!hd city attorney of Beatrice.
twelve years he was connected with the National Guard of Nebraska,
having entered as a private, and being successively promoted to first sergeant
and first lieutenant of his company, and later appointed adjutant of the First
nent, Nebraska National Guard. Upon the organization of the First
a le be v, assistant adjutant general with the rank of major,
11 he held until removing to the state of Washington.
In the winter of [890 and [89] he was with the First Brigade, Nebraska
National < iuard, in the war against the Sioux Indians in the Pine Ridge upris-
and in i' al reporl from Brigadier General L. W. Colby to the
Nebraska .Major Rates is warmly praised for the tact, patience,
endurance, and the ability with which he performed his duties in that
campaign.
Mr. B 1 na in [892, and has since been building up a
splendid practice in the city. He is a member of the firm of Bates and
Murray, who 310 Fidelity building. For the last three years he
has I n\ prosecuting attorney of Pierce county. He is one of the
most 1 1 the ranks of the Republican party, and is a zealous
|s:i" and a aker, being in great demand as a campaign orator. He
Elks, is a Mason, and a member of the Union Club
0 mmerce.
Mr. Bati 1 on December 23, [879, in Lincoln. Ne-
hru Miss Kate Gillette became his wife. They are the parents
of two children, I iman Bates and Russell Gillette Hates.
JOHN II. vnd J VMES II. MILHOLLIN.
From an early period in its development the Milhollin brothers have
ninently identified with the history of the Sound country, and none
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 149
more than they deserve a fitting recognition among those whose enterprise
and ability have achieved splendid results. The family is of Scotch and
German descent, and the paternal grandfather of our subjects. Jonathan Mil-
hollin, enlisted in the continental army for service in the Revolutionary war
when fourteen years of age, serving throughout the entire struggle to the
surrender at Yorktown. After the war he settled in Kentucky, but when
slaves were brought into that state, he, being an abolitionist, removed to
Springfield, Ohio, crossing the Ohio river in 1800, and he was the first justice
of the peace in Clark county. William Milhollin, his son and the father of
our subjects, was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He followed milling in
Ohio, and in 1853 moved to Cbamplin, Hennepin county, Minnesota, where
his death occurred on the 14th of January, 1871. His wife, who bore the
maiden name of Rebecca A. Henkle, was born in Springfield, Ohio, and is a
member of a prominent old American family, representatives of which took
part in the Revolutionary struggle. Six of her uncles were ministers of the
gospel, and one, Moses Henkle, was a famous literary and newspaper man.
The family is of Scotch-Dutch descent. Mrs. Milhollin is still living, having
reached the age of eighty-seven years, and she makes her home in Blaine.
John Henkle Milhollin was born in Springfield, Ohio, May 31, 1844,
and his education was received in the public schools of Minnesota. In his
youth he worked at farm labor on his father's farm and in scaling logs in the
river, thus continuing until 1869, when, on account of impaired health, he
went to California. Returning to Minnesota in 1872, he was thereafter en-
gaged in logging with his brother until 1882, during which time he was also
in the employ of the Mississippi & Rum River Boom Company. The year
1885 witnessed his arrival in Blaine, Washington, since which time he has
been prominently identified with its interests, but at the time of his arrival
this now thriving city contained but four houses and only a few were scat-
tered throughout the surrounding country. In 1886, in company with his
brother, he began the erection at Blaine of the first wharf built into deep
water, this enterprise being completed two years later, in 1888, and they also
erected for the city a seven hundred foot wharf on E street, the principal
wharf in the city. They constructed all the foundations for the original mills
and also furnished many piles for the fish traps. During the past few years
the elder brother has been engaged in scaling logs.
John H. Milhollin was married on the nth of October, 1884. to Mary
J. McPherson, the wedding being celebrated at St. Cloud, Minnesota. She
is a native of Ontario, Canada, but is a member of an old American family of
Scotch descent. One daughter, Rebecca, has graced this union. Mrs. Mil-
hollin has one sister and three brothers living in Washington : Ann Harvey,
of Seattle; Peter McPherson, an attorney of Republic; George McPherson,
a stockman of Bruster; and William McPherson, of Bruster, who followed
the flag to the sea under Sherman. In his fraternal relations Mr. Milhollin
is identified with Lodge No. 30, A. F. & A. M., of Anoka. Minnesota. He
was a member of the township board of Cbamplin, that state, and in 1897-8
served as a member of the city council of Blaine.
James Halsey Milhollin was born in Hennepin county. Minnesota, on
the 28th of June, 1856. His elementary education was received in the com-
L50 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
mon schools of his native locality, but this was supplemented by instruction
in Professor Archibald's Business College. After completing his studies he
in the logging business with his brother for ten years, during which
time he ■ ; loyed throughout the summer months with the Mississippi
& Rum River Boom Company. From 1883 until 1S86 he followed agricul-
tural pursuits, and in the latter year came to Blaine, Washington, where for
the past three years he has been engaged in getting out piles on his own ac-
count. The brothers have constructed several residence buildings in Blaine,
opened several streets and in 1S88 built the California Creek bridge.
The ' have exerted a wide influence in affairs pertaining to the develop-
ment ami improvement of this section, and throughout the entire period of
their residence in the Evergreen state have been held in high esteem. James
11. Milhollin gives his political support to men and principle rather than party
and is independent, hut ha- served as a delegate to many county conventions.
In [892 he was made a member of the city council of Blaine, receiving every
' with the exception of twelve, and during the years of 1888, 1889
and [89b served as a member of the school board. In his fraternal relations
he is a member of the Independent Order of Good Templars.
' In the 6th of October, 1884, at Champlin, Minnesota, Mr. Milhollin was
united in marriage to Miss Minnie C. Faber. a daughter of Nicholas and
Catherine Faber and a native of Jackson enmity, Iowa. Two sons came to
bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Milhollin, Clayton F., born in 1886, and
llenkle, born in 1902.
COLONEL FRANK C. R< >SS.
many years Colonel Frank C. Ross has been numbered among the
representative citizens and business men of Tacoma; and throughout the
period of it- development he has been an important factor in the improvement
and advancement of this section of the state, being also concerned with the
broader interests which have had to do with the welfare of the commonwealth.
A native son of the Prairie state, Mr. Ross was born at Pittsfield, Pike
county, Illinois, March 20, [858, and is the son of Marcellus and Martha A.
Ross. A- one reviews the history of that commonwealth and
s into the pasi to >.■ who were prominent in its early development, he
will find that for many years the name of Ross was closely connected with
the p: and advancement of then' section of the state. The paternal
frandfathi ubject, Colonel William Ross, was born at Munson,
sachusetts, April, [792. lie served as ensign in the war of 1812, and
m the battle at Sacketts Harbor. His brother, Leonard Ross,
tain of a company in the -aim- regiment. Colonel William Ross
left Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in the year 1S20, in company with his four
brothers, Captain Leonard, Dr. Henry J., John and Clarendon Ross, and
i" <; ounty, when it embraced that part of the state west
of the Illinois river on a hi , to the northwest corner of Indiana, taking
'» th< e of 1 hicago. General Steadman, of Beardstown, Illinois.
jsioned William Ross as colonel to raise a regiment to serve in the
Black Hawk war, to rendezvous al Beardstown. Abraham Lincoln was corn-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 151
missioned captain of a company in the same regiment. Colonel Ross and
Abraham Lincoln were delegates to the first national Republican convention
held at Philadelphia in June, 1856, where John C. Fremont was nominated
for president and William L. Dayton for vice president. Colonel Ross was
also a delegate to the national convention at Chicago, June 15, i860, where
Lincoln was nominated for president on the third ballot. Colonel Ross and
Abraham Lincoln went as delegates to the state convention when Richard
Yates, the "war horse," was nominated for governor. As Governor Yates
and Colonel Ross were walking along the street one day, Colonel Ross said
"I hear Mr. Lincoln's footsteps," and leu iking back they saw him coming up.
Colonel Ross grasped Mr. Lincoln by the hand and said to him: "I think
you had better go with us and help nominate a president." To this Mr. Lin-
coln replied: "My better judgment tells me I better not." When Abra-
ham Lincoln was president he often visited Colonel Ross and consulted him
on important questions. One was on issuing the emancipation proclamation.
Colonel Ross told Mr. Lincoln, when discussing the subject, not to let the sun
go down before he issued the proclamation. Colonel Ross served eight years
in the Illinois senate and succeeded in getting a number of important bills
for the welfare of the state. He was the founder of the town of Pittsfield,
Illinois, now the county seat of Pike count}-, naming the place after Pittsfield.
Massachusetts, the birthplace of Mrs. Marcellus Ross. He died at Pittsfield,
Illinois, May 31, 1873.
Marcellus Ross, the father of our subject, was the first white male child
born in greater Pike county, that event occurring November 11, 1824. The
first Masonic lodge in all this large district was organized and held in Colonel
Ross's residence, and the hickory gavel used on that historic occasion is now
one of the keepsakes of the subject of this sketch. Before the breaking out
of the Indian war, Black Hawk, the great chief, was a frequent visitor at
the Ross home and often carried Marcellus Ross in his arms. Mr. Ross be-
came a wealth}' and prominent business man and farmer in Pike count}', and
was engaged in flour milling and woolen manufacturing and other enterprises.
He left Pike county with his family in 188 1, and settled in San Jose, Cali-
fornia, there residing until 1899, when they joined their son Frank, in Ta-
coma, the latter having located in Tacoma in 1879. Mrs. Ross was born
of New England parents at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, June 17. 1830. She
married Marcellus Ross at her Massachusetts home, and with him returned
to the then almost unknown west, and for fifty-six years this worthy couple
have traveled life's journey together. Two sons and one daughter now bless
their union.
Frank C. Ross received his scholastic training in the schools of Pittsfiel '.
Illinois, the town of his nativity, and was there extensively interested with
his father in agricultural pursuits. At seventeen years of age he went with
his mother and sister to San Jose, California, on a visit, where For two years
he was assistant with Marshall Groom, son of the proprietor, in the cooking
department of the Golden Gate Fruit Canning Company. In 1877 they re-
turned to Pittsfield, but two years later lie came out to Washington territory,
taking up his abode in the little hamlet of Tacoma. At the time <>i his arrival
this now prosperous city had but a population of seven hundred and fifty
152 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
inhabitants. After working at various occupations for a short time he went
in partnership with Ins brother, Charles K. Ross, in the fruit and confectionery
business, which business developed into a large and successful trade, but was
discontinued at the death of his brother, who was accidentally killed by falling
from the cars while on his way from Kalama to Tacoma, in 1883. Colonel
Ross then engaged in the real estate business, and before many years had
passed he was recognized as a wealthy and successful capitalist and promoter.
In [889 90 ( ;olonel Ross was president of the Tacoma & Lake City Rail-
road and Navigation Company, a road which he built for a distance of twelve
miles from Tacoma to American Lake, toward Portland, which he sold to the
Union Pacific Railroad Company, reserving the steamer and boats on the lake.
Terminal grounds to the value of a quarter of a million dollars were donated
to the Union Pacific Railroad by Allen C. Mason and Colonel Ross. The
Union Pacific then began the work of extending the line to Portland, but after
expending a million dollars in the project the company went into the hands
of a receiver and the work stopped. Continuing in enterprises of this nature,
nel Ross, in [892, began the construction of a railroad along the shore of
the Sound between Tacoma and Seattle. He also made numerous surveys
of possible routes from Tacoma to the east and south, exploring all the moun-
tain passes of the Cascades, and also to the northwest to Port Townsend and
the straits running by the present site of the United States navy yard at
Brem< rton, and in fact projected a system of railways converging at Tacoma,
where he has extensive terminal grounds.
The road toward Seattle ran for three miles through the Puyallup Indian
reservation, which at that time was an insurmountable barrier, but Colonel
Ross (omened the plan of having the work on his grade done by the Indians
themselves, on their own land, believing this would enable him to get through,
lie had a large force of Indians at work clearing right of way, and was
notified by President Grover Cleveland to cease work and get off the reserve.
["his he refused to do, and troops from Vancouver barracks, under command
of ( aptain Carpenter, an old Indian fighter, were sent to stop the work. The
1 ps attempted to drive the Indians off at the point of the bayonet, but the
Indians, encouraged by Colonel Ross, resisted the troops and finally drove
them off the ground, using their working tools as weapons and rolling logs
down the steep hillside, scattering the army. Captain Carpenter finally with-
drew, bul promised the Indians that he would return the next day and drive
I -II if he had to kill ever) one of them. In the early morning following
' Ige Fremont Campbell, General A. J. Baker and
Charles Woodworth, having secured a writ from the courts of King county,
sheriff Charles Woollery captured Captain Carpenter in his tent, and after a
short parley in which the sheriff informed the crestfallen officer that even the
orders of the president of the 1 nitcd States were not good enough to hold out
riff, the army submitted to the writ, and the following day the
before the courl 111 Seattle, where a decision' was ren-
I in Colonel Ross's favor. The government look the matter to the
1 States -.ml, where Judge C. II. Hanford sustained Colonel Ross, but
peal b) the government to the court of appeals the decision
Colonel Ross, not being satisfied with this decision, set to
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 153
work in another way. In 1897 he procured a franchise across the flats on
Railroad avenue, from the city council of Tacoma, then went to Seattle and
secured a franchise there from the county through the lands in King county.
He enlisted with him Malcom MacDougall, a prominent capitalist of that
city, and after securing the money necessary to build the road along the
water front between the two cities the}- returned to Tacoma, where Mr. Mac-
Dougall asked for additional rights of way over lands on the tide lands in
the city limits, through his attorney, General James M. Ashton. The city
council, however, delayed and opposed the project until Mr. MacDougall be-
came disgusted and dropped the whole project.
Colonel Ross next became interested with Fred E. Sander in securing a
franchise from the city of Tacoma for a street railway line to connect the
two cities, by way of White and Stuck river valleys, with a cut-off over the
hills from Auburn to Tacoma. He was associated with George W. Chap-
man, of Seattle, in securing the right of way for this line; but after the Gen-
eral Electric Company, represented by Stone & Webster, secured from Henry
Bucey that gentleman's route and rights of way for a line over the hill country
between the two cities, they changed their plans and purchased the Sanders
route, on which the present Seattle-Tacoma Interurban line was built.
In the furtherance of his project of establishing extensive railway ter-
minals on the water front at Tacoma, Colonel Ross acquired extensive inter-
ests on the tide flats of the Indians, under contracts which entitled him to
purchase these lands at a specified price as soon as Congress should pass laws
allowing the Indians to sell. A senatorial committee from Washington,
D. C, came to Tacoma to decide when and in what manner the lands might
be sold, and also to investigate Colonel Ross's contracts and his rights there-
under. This committee reported in favor of the appointment of a commission
to ascertain who were the legal owners of the Indian lands, and to make
agreements with the Indians for the sale of the lands, the prices demanded
and terms of sale. A commission was then appointed, and a number of the
Indians who had made contracts with Ross then sold, through this com-
mission, the lands so contracted. These contracts all being on record gave
notice to the purchasers from the commission, but a number of persons paid
their money and took certificates of sale from the commission. On March 3,
1903, the necessary law having been passed by Congress authorizing the
Indians to sell, Ross brought suit against all persons who had attempted to
secure title to his lands, to quiet title. A large number of these cases were
settled, but several are now pending, and will be settled in the supreme court
of the United States, as the land has now become of great value. Of the
large area of lands controlled by Colonel Ross, free sites have been furnished
for manufacturing enterprises and it is his purpose to make these lands the
business center of the great city destined to grow up on Commencement bay.
At the present time Colonel Ross, in company with Judge Campbell, is
associated with E. J. Felt in a project for the construction -1 a fast suburban
electric line between Tacoma and American Lake, and is also negotiating for
the construction of another line of standard gauge road into Tacoma.
1.-.4 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
MRS. R. A. SMALL.
Mrs. Rainie Adamson Small is now filling the position of county super-
intendent of public schools in Snohomish county, Washington. She has
been s Jely and prominently connected with the educational interests of
this S( | the state during more than a decade that no history of the
community would he complete without the record of her career. It is a
widely acknowledged fact that the most important work to which one can
direct ergies is that of teaching; whether it he from the pulpit, from
the lecture plat form or Erom the schoolroom, its primary object is ever the
pment of one's latent powers that the duties of life may
be bravely nut and well performed. For ten years Mrs. Small was recog-
of i he most competent teachers in the schools of Snohomish
ty, and at the cud of that time she was elected to the position which
she is now so capably filling.
Small was horn on the 2d of February, 1861, in the land of the
midnight sun. Her Father was Andrew Adamson, a native of Norway, who
came to the I fnited Slates in the year in which his daughter was born. He
brought with him his family and took up his abode in Nicollet county, Min-
He 1 since carried on agricultural pursuits, and is still living
upon a faun there at the age of seventy-four years. His wife, who bore
the maiden name of Julia Charles, was also a native of Norway, and this
worth) couple are still traveling life's journey together, Mrs. Adamson hav-
ing reached tin age of seventy-one years. In the family were seven daughters
and eight sons.
Mrs. Small pursued her preliminary education in the country schools
of M . and at tin- ag fourteen years she left home to care for an
invalid <istn- in northern Missouri. On the death of this sister Mrs. Small
went to |o\-.a. where she continued her education as a student in the public
eld. In [879 she went to Colorado where she entered
upon her work as an educator, successfully teaching in Boulder county.
Win' leted a preparatory course in the University of Colo-
and in 1882 she attended Lombard University of Illinois, where she
continued her studies until on the completion of the collegiate course she
graduated in the class of [886, In 1890 she came to Snohomish county
and lias since been identified with the educational interests of this portion
o! tin st
'in tin [6th of June, 1886, in (ialeshurg, Illinois, Rainie Adamson
her hand in marriage to Wallace F. Small, whose birth occurred in
Illinois, while Ins mother, who in her maidenhood was Aurelia F. Rhyder,
and his father, who was J. I >. I'. Small, were natives of Provincetown, Massa-
chut ■
During her residence in Snohomish county Mrs. Small has gained a
quaintance and won the esteem of all with whom she has been
iated. She was 1 1 al pr< sident of Phi Beta Phi Sorosis for four
. which fact indicates her prominence in this college fraternity. In
000. she w.i- elected superintendent of the public schools of
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 155
Snohomish county, her term expiring in September, 1903. In this position
she has given careful supervision to educational work, has studied closely
the conditions and needs of the different schools of the county, has suggested
reforms and instituted improvements until under her direction the Schools
have made rapid advance, and their present high standard is largely
due to her efforts. It would be almost tautological in this connection to
enter into any series of statements as showing her to be a woman of broad
intellectuality and keen discernment, for this has been shadowed forth be-
tween the lines of this review. Moreover, her many womanly qualities and
kindliness of nature have gained for her the warm personal friendship of
many with whom she has been brought in contact.
JAMES A. DURRENT, M. D.
From no professional man do we expect or exact so many of the cardinal
virtues as from the physician. If the clergyman is austere we imagine his
mind is absorbed with the contemplation of things beyond our ken; if our
lawyer is brusque and crabbed, it is the mark of gejiij.is.;:but .in the physician
we expect not only a superior mentality and coiVtprcfensive knowledge but
sympathy as wide as the universe. Dr. Diw-rettt hr large "measure meets all
of these requirements, and is regarded by many as an ideal -physician. Cer-
tainly, if patronage is any criterion of abfity, he ranks high among the leading
physicians and surgeons in Snohomish, where he is now enjoying a large and
lucrative practice.
Dr. James Arthur Durrent was born, on the 23d ©f April, 1875, in Co-
lumbus, Ontario county, Canada, and is the only son of Edward and Anna S.
(Rundle) Durrent. The father is a native of England and was taken by his
parents to Canada when but three years of age. He wedded Miss Rundle,
who was born in Ontario and represented an old English family. Their home
is now in North Dakota, where he is conducting a ranch. The only daughter
of the family is Effie May Durrent.
Dr. Durrent began his education in the public schools of Ontario, and
later attended the high school at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, there continuing
his studies until 1890. In that year he went to North Dakota, and was after-
ward graduated in the high school of Dickinson of that state, with the class
of 1896. He pursued a course in the literary department of the University
of Michigan at Ann Arbor during the succeeding summer, and in the fall
of the same year, having determined to make the practice of medicine his
life work, he entered the medical department of the Michigan University and
therein pursued his studies until he was graduated on the 20th of June, 1900.
Almost immediately afterward he came to the Sound country and practiced
medicine at Marysville, Snohomish county, for one year. In the summer of
1901 he pursued a post-graduate course in the New York Post-Graduate
Medical School, also in the New York Polyclinic and the Xew York Lying-in
Hospital. In February, 1902, he returned to this section of Washington and
took up his abode in Snohomish, where he has since remained, gaining an
enviable position in the ranks of the medical fraternity.
156 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
On the 8th of July, 1902, Dr. Durrent was united in marriage to Miss
Jennie Rozella McDowell, of Minneapolis, a daughter of C. A. and N. V.
McDowell. The young couple are widely and favorably known in the city of
their adoption, and the hospitality of the best homes is here extended to them.
The Doctor is a worthy follower of the Masonic fraternity, and in his political
views is a Republican. In the fall of 1902 he was elected city health officer
for the city of Snohomish and is now filling that position. He is yet a young
man, but, with a nature that can never content itself with mediocrity, he has
so qualified himself that he is steadily advancing to a prominent position
among the most capable members of the profession in Snohomish county, and
the public and the Masonic fraternity acknowledge his worth and merit.
J. O'B. SCOBEY.
As a leading representative of the industrial interests of Olympia, Mr.
Scobey stands to-day as the head of the Puget Sound Preserving Company,
and he is also receiver in the United States land office, having been appointed
to this position by President McKinley and reappointed by President Roose-
velt. A native of the state of New York, he was born in Summit, Schoharie
county, on the 5th of July, 1854, and on the paternal side comes of Scotch
and Welsh ancestry, while on the maternal side he is of Irish and English
descent; but for many generations both families have resided in America.
Zephaniah D. Scobey, his father, was born in the Empire state on the 15th
of December, 1817, and pursued his education in New York. He was after-
ward ordained as a Methodist minister, and for half a century was connected
with the Old New York Conference. He retired from the ministry in 1856,
but afterward preached occasionally, and in 1858 emigrated to Delaware
county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm and established his home. While
there he was elected treasurer of his county and served for two terms, was
also agent for the Upper Iowa University, and acted as postmaster at Fayette
for twelve years. For some time he was also clerk of the county, and in his
public offices was ever found to be reliable, prompt and efficient. Later he
removed to Chicago, where he died on the 15th of April, 1897, at the age of
eighty years. He had married Miss Ellenor Elizabeth Anderson, who was
born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, their wedding being celebrated in Glenham,
New York, in 1845. Like her husband, Mrs. Scobey was a devout member
of the Methodist church, and both led lives of great usefulness, Mr. Scobey
being particularly active in the cause which he espoused in his youth. His
influence was widely felt for good in the community with which he was
identified, and to those who knew him his name still remains as a blessed
benediction. In the family were five childen, all of whom are yet living,
namely: Mrs. Sarah B. Duncan, who is a graduate of the Hahnemann Medi-
cal College of Chicago and is now practicing in that city; George P., who
conducts a grocery store in Fayette, Iowa ; Charles Robert Anderson, who
is Indian agent at Poplar Creek, Montana, and has charge of the Fort Peck
Indian agency; and Carry O., who resides with her sister in Chicago.
J. O'B. Scobey, the other member of the family and the only one living
in Washington, obtained his education in the Upper Iowa University, and
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 157
was graduated in the class of 1874, having the honor of being the valedic-
torian. Soon afterward he entered the journalistic field, becoming connected
with the newspapers in Fayette, Iowa. Later, in Corning, Iowa, he began
reading law, and in the spring of 1879 was admitted to the bar, and practiced
his chosen profession until 1892. In 18S6 he came to Chicago, where he
resided until 1892, when he removed to Pullman, Washington, and for a year
was connected with the Agricultural College at that place. In 1893 he arrived
in Olympia and with others purchased the Morning Olympian, which he pub-
lished until the 21st of July, 1897, at which date he received the appointment
of receiver in the United States land office, being named for the position by
President McKinley. In March, 1902. he was reappointed by President
Roosevelt, for during his previous term he had been most loyal to .the trust
reposed in him, therefore representing the government's best interests. In
Dakota Air. Scobey served for two terms in the legislature, and was the cham-
pion of every measure which he believed would contribute to the welfare of
that commonwealth. He also served one term as a member of the legislature
of the state of Washington.
Since his arrival in Olympia Mr. Scobey has become an active factor in
business circles here. Fie organized the Puget Sound Preserving Company,
which has been famed for its strawberry jam. The enterprise has now as-
sumed extensive and profitable proportions, a large business being carried on
in the canning of fruits and vegetables. Twenty-five employes are in the
factory,, and in this business Mr. Scobey is meeting with excellent success.
He has twenty-seven acres of land devoted to the raising of strawberries,
raspberries, cherries and currants and no finer berries can be found anywhere
in this country than those produced upon his place. He also has splendid
fields of plums and prunes, and in this enterprise is proving how well is the
soil of the Puget Sound country adapted to the purpose of raising fine fruit.
He also purchases large quantities of fruit for his cannery, and he ships his
products to the east, where there is a large demand for the goods which are
put up by the Preserving Company.
On the 24th of November, 1880, Mr. Scobey was happily married to
Miss Myrtie E. Walker, at Brookings, South Dakota. The lady is a native
of the state of Wisconsin and a daughter of Jacob Walker. Their children
are Bessie; Willie C. ; Arthur M. and Helen. Mr. Scobey became a member
of the Masonic fraternity in 1881, having been made a Master Mason in
Brookings Lodge No. 27. A. F. & A. M. He now belongs to Whitman
Lodge No. 49, and has taken the Royal Arch degree and the chapter degree
at Brookings; and the Knights Templar degree at Tacoma. Washington.
He is also connected with the Woodmen of the World; the Modern Wood-
men of America, the Knights of the Maccabees, and Order of Washington.
In politics he has been a life-long Republican, unfaltering in his allegiance
to the party. He has ever been energetic and persevering, and has carried
forward his efforts along lines of well defined labor, bringing to him pros-
perity.
158 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
HON. THAD HUSTON.
The name of Huston has been made familiar in various states, both east
and west, by the vigorous personality and successful achievements of those
by whom it was borne. As far back as 1680 representatives of this family
were settled in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, and from this parent stem were
sent out offshoots which reappeared as sturdy growths in different sections
of the west. Alexander Huston, whose birth occurred in the Keystone state
during the latter half of the eighteenth century, was among the pioneers who
reached Kentucky as early as 1805. Though at this period the "dark and
bloody ground" was enjoying comparative repose, it was far from being an
idyllic place of residence. The state had been in the Union but a few years,
population was still sparse and confined to a few sections, and much of the
broad acreage subsequently so famous was still unfamiliar to the plow.
Daniel Boone, the celebrated sylvan hero, feeling crowded by the too near
approach of civilization, had crossed the Mississippi in the trail of the buffalo
to obtain the room essential to his roving disposition. Since the treaty of
Greenville the red men of Ohio no longer crossed the river to hunt and inci-
dentally maraud the neutral ground that lay beyond. There was a temporary
lull in the dreadful business of scalping and tomahawking, which had long
constituted the chief occupation of the border.
After spending eight years in Kentucky, Alexander Huston concluded
to recross the great river and cast his destinies with the new territory of
Indiana. At the time of his arrival there was little in the prospect that gave
promise of the magnificent commonwealth which we now see before us. No
development of consequence had as yet taken place, and the aspect of nature
exhibited almost its original solitude. The majestic forests of oak, walnut,
hickory and elm stretched in unbroken masses from the Ohio line to the
Illinois border, and from the great lakes on the north to the graceful wind-
ings of La Belle Riviere on the south. There were, it is true, some scores
of thousands of adventurous people on the scene, but they were widely scat-
tered, and 110 towns of any importance had as yet appeared, and such villages
as had been established were mostly confined to the Ohio river border. Alex-
ander Huston settled upon a tract of land in the southern section about 1813,
and from that time on was a very active agent in affairs preceding the forma-
tion of the state. He was also elected a member of the first legislature of
Indiana, which assembled at Corydon, took a leading part in the important
proceedings of that body and remained continually in office until the capital
was removed to Indianapolis in 1825, and was a member of the first session
in Indianapolis.
William Alexander Huston, son and namesake of the pioneer above de-
scribed, was born in August, 1814, in Washington county, near New Phila-
delphia, on a homestead a part of which has never since left the possession of
the family. He educated himself for a physician in the medical college at
Louisville, practiced some years in Indiana and in 1852 removed to Illinois,
where he was engaged in his profession when the outbreak of the Civil war
convulsed the country. He was appointed surgeon of the One Hundred and
Thirty-seventh Regiment. Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he per-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 159
formed arduous service in the line of his profession until his health broke
down under the strain and brought on his death in June, 1864, at Memphis,
Tennessee. In early manhood Dr. Huston had been married in Salem, In-
diana, to Sarah, daughter of James Thompson, of that place, and four of the
five children by this union are still living. The widow, now in the seventy-
sixth year of her age, still lives at Salem, Indiana.
Thad Huston, one of the sons of this estimable matron, was born in
Washington county, Indiana, April 15, 1846, but as his father shortly after-
ward removed to Illinois he received his education in that state. He was
attending school in McDonough county when the war opened, and with his
father's regiment went to the front, from which the father was never destined
to return. On the 21st day of August, 1864, scarcely four months after his
enlistment, the subject of this sketch received a gunshot wound in the knee
in one of the fights near Memphis, which disabled him for further service and
produced an injury from the effects of which he has never fully recovered.
He was honorably discharged at Springfield, Illinois, in October, 1864, and
returned to his home for rest and recuperation. During the summer of 1866
he was engaged in service with the freedmen's bureau and as contract steward
at the hospital in Vicksburg, but in the fall of that year returned to Illinois
and entered upon the study of law. Being admitted to practice in March,
1868, he went to Chicago in the following spring and secured a position as
collector or agent for a large wholesale house. He was thus engaged when
the disastrous fire of 1871 practically destroyed the great lake city and threw
himself and thousands of others out of employment. For the fourteen fol-
lowing years he practiced law at Salem. Indiana, and during this time became
quite prominent in the Republican politics of the state. He was a delegate to
the famous national convention at Chicago in 1880. in which the "immortal
306" made the great fight to elect General Grant for a third term, but which
eventuated in the nomination of James A. Garfield for the presidency.
About this time Mr. Huston's attention had been attracted to the ad-
vantages offered by the Puget Sound country to enterprising emigrants, and
he determined to cast his lot with this part of the northwest. So in 1887 he
closed up his affairs in Indiana, took a transcontinental train for Washington,
and before the end of the year was domiciled at Tacoma in the practice of
law. He soon attracted attention and received recognition by appointment as
master in chancery for the United States circuit court for the western district
of Washington. This office he filled acceptably until 1900, when he was
elected judge of the superior court of Pierce county for the term which is
still uncompleted. A number of talented Indianians have achieved success
and obtained official recognition in the new- state of Washington, but none
have reflected more honor upon the Hoosier commonwealth than Judge
Huston. Both as a lawyer and judge, as well as in all the characteristics of
a good citizen, he has commended himself to his associates and proved a
valuable acquisition to the progressive city on the Sound.
The social relations of Judge Huston are in every way agreeable and in
keeping with the character of the man. Some years ago Miss Rose L. Ken-
rich, a young lady from Illinois, was appointed as one of (he teachers in the
Tacoma schools and attracted attention by her superior qualifications as an
1G0 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
educator. She is a daughter of Solomon Kenrich, who at present resides in
White county, Indiana, to which section he removed from his old home in
Illinois. On the 20th of June, 1898, Judge Huston and Miss Kenrich were
happily wedded, and have since been pleasantly domiciled in one of the most
commodious residences in Tacoma, where a genial but unostentatious hos-
pitality is extended to their many friends. By virtue of his war service
Judge Huston is eligible to membership in various patriotic organizations,
but confines his fraternal relations to comradeship with the Military Order of
the Loyal Legion and the Tacoma branch of the Grand Army of the Republic.
URBAN G. WYNKOOP.
Urban G. Wynkoop of Wynkoop-Vaughan Drug Company, Tacoma,
Washington, was born at Plummer, Venango county, Pennsylvania, in 1863,
and is a son of J. F. and Elizabeth (Leech) Wynkoop. J. F. Wynkoop was
born in northwestern Pennsylvania, of Holland Dutch stock, his ancestry
being among the early settlers near New Amsterdam, in with the Holland
Dutch land grant company on the Hudson river. Urban G. Wynkoop re-
ceived an excellent preliminary education in the schools of Jamestown, New
York, and finished at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he attended the Pitts-
burg College of Pharmacy, a department of Western University of Pennsyl-
vania, from which he graduated in 1886.
Before the close of his school days, however, he owned two drug stores,
one in Allegheny city and another at Springfield, Pennsylvania; this was
before he was twenty-one years of age. In the fall of 1886 he sold out his
business and went to Washington, D. C, where for a year he was in the
employ of Shellor & Stephens, on the corner of Ninth and Pennsylvania
avenues, one of the best drug stores in that city. A year later he removed
to Tacoma and bought into the drug business of Slayden & Sayer. Still
later, with Mr. Slayden as a partner, he started as a branch store, the Crystal
pharmacy, at the corner of Ninth and C streets, but they afterwards dissolved
partnership, Mr. Wynkoop taking the large store in the Fife Block where
the Donnelly Hotel office now is. About 1896 he removed to his present
location, the southwest corner of Ninth street and Pacific avenue, the best
retail location in Tacoma. For several years past Mr. Elmer P. Vaughan
has been a partner in the business, which is conducted under the name of
Wynkoop-Vaughan Company. The concern does a very large business, and
both gentlemen are successful and enterprising business men. Mr. Wynkoop
is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and belongs to all the leading fra-
ternal organizations of Tacoma.
In June, 1882, Mr. Wynkoop was married at Jamestown, New York, to
Miss Mittae F. Georgi, and two sons have been born to them : William and
Albro G, both of whom are being educated in college. The pleasant home
at 307 North J street is a favorite gathering place for the many friends of
the family, and both Mr. and Mrs. Wynkoop are highly respected by a large
circle of friends. Mr. Wynkoop has been identified with the State Pharma-
ceutical Association since its organization about fourteen years ago, and at
'PThe nevTtorF
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 161
its last convention, held July 18-21, he was elected president of the associa-
tion. He was one of the organizers of the association, and assisted in draft-
ing the first pharmaceutical law in the state.
ERIC EDWARD ROSL1NG.
Eric Edward Rosling, a leading member of the Tacoma bar, has been a
successful law practitioner in this city during the past fourteen years, his
residence in the Evergreen state dating from the 1st of June, 1890. His
birth occurred in the far-off land of Sweden, March 3, 1865, being a son of
Charles E. and Charlotte (Peterson) Rosling, natives also of that country.
Their marriage was celebrated in the land of their nativity, and in the fall of
1865, when the subject of this review was less than a year old, they took up
their abode in Boston, Massachusetts, where they have ever since made their
home. They are consistent members of the Lutheran church, and are people
of the highest respectability and worth.
Eric Edward Rosling, the only son. of. this worthy couple, received his
elementary education in the public schools of Boston, after which he matricu-
lated in the Boston University, and in tSSc/ihe completed the course- in the
Boston Law School and was given the degree of LL. B. In 1889 he came
to Washington, selecting Tacoma as the future field of his endeavor, and
although he had no acquaintances when he 'arrived iiere be soon formed a law
partnership, and for two years the firm'' of Garretson, Parker & Rosling en-
joyed a large and lucrative patronage, -Severing his connection therewith,
Mr. Rosling has since practiced alone. From the beginning of his profes-
sional career he has met with a fair degree of success, and his clientage is
now of a distinctively representative character. The Republican party re-
ceives his hearty support and co-operation, and during the years of 1893-4
he served as city attorney, while for two years he was president of the board
of education. He has long been prominent and active in promoting the edu-
cational interests of the city, and the normal school was established during
his term of service on the board, and he has also been an active member and
secretary of the board of the Young Men's Christian Association, aiding
materially in the procuring of their building and the necessary furnishings.
Although his interests are many and varied, he has never neglected his re-
ligious duties, and is a valued member of the First Baptist church of Tacoma,
in which for nine years he served as superintendent of the Sunday school, and
now has the largest young people's class of any church in the city, it having
a membership of ninety-six, and much good has resulted from its association.
The marriage of Air. Rosling was celebrated in [890, when Miss "Minnie
Belle Lincoln became his wife, she being a native of Boston and a daughter of
Freeman Lincoln, a member of the same family from which President Lincoln
was descended. Three children have been born: Hattie, nine years; Marion,
seven years; Edward, six years. Mr. and Mrs. Rosling reside in a beautiful
home in Tacoma. the residence being built in 1893. and they have a charming
home at Steilacoom. In his fraternal relations he is a member of both
branches of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is also connected
with its auxiliary, the Rebekahs.
162 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
JAMES H. DAVIS.
One of the most picturesque phases of our national life was the days of
the old "side-wheeler" steamboat on the great rivers of the central west.
Many tales have been told illustrative of the career of the steamboatman, and
that prince of humorists. Mark Twain, who was himself one of the best pilots
that ever steered a boat by a snag or sandbank, has preserved these pioneer
incidents of river traffic in his immortal works. And it is a matter of history
that the great Lincoln also was a well known figure on the Mississippi long
before he was ever an aspirant for political honors. It is a matter of pride
with Mr. Davis, whose life is the subject of this biography, that he passed
some of the years of his early boyhood in boating on the river, and he has
many reminiscences of his experiences in that rough but honest life.
His father was Captain Henry C. Davis, who came of Welsh ancestry
and was of Kentucky parentage, but was born in Harrison county, Indiana.
He enlisted at the first call for defenders of the Union and was enrolled in
the Thirteenth Indiana cavalry, serving throughout the entire war and being
raised to the rank of captain. He is a farmer and cattleman, and is now
living at Bucklin, Kansas. His wife was Sarah E. Edmondson and was a
native of Indiana: she is still living.
Their son, James H.. was born at Fredericksburg, Harrison county, In-
diana, on August 22, 1866. He was just eleven years old when he left his
home and began working on the steamboats which plied on the Ohio and
Mississippi, these being the chief modes of transportation between the north
and south. James was not only a hard and willing worker, hut was very
economical, and when he had saved up considerable money from this service
he returned to New Albany. Indiana, and resolved to carry on the education
which had been so much neglected in his youth. Accordingly he attended a
business college there and graduated in 1884. His desire for a good mental
training was not yet satisfied, and on his own resources he attended the De
Pauw University at Greencastle, Indiana, for two years. He now felt him-
self better equipped for the battles of life, and went west to Granada. Colo-
rado, where he remained for three years engaged in general merchandising
and banking. He then came to Tacoma. arriving here on March 10, 1889.
He entered the employ of the street railway company, of which he was the
purchasing agent for three years and three years following was the general
superintendent. Once more he embarked in the mercantile business and con-
tinued it with gratifying success until the fall of 1900. when he was elected
as the candidate of the Republicans of the county to the important position of
auditor. His term was for two years, and in the fall of 1902 he was up for
re-election and was re-elected by the largest majority ever given in Pierce
county. He is a very popular man and has made a most capable official.
Mr. Davis and Miss Olive L. Luzader were married at Carlton, Colo-
rado, November 2. 1888; they have no children. Mr. Davis is past grand
master and past grand representative of the Washington Odd Fellows and
also belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and Fernhill Lodge
No. 80 A. F. & A. M.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 163
DAVID C. BOTHELL.
David C. Bothell, one of the most prominent citizens of Bothell, Wash-
ington, and owner of the townsite, was born May 3. 1820, in Indiana county,
Pennsylvania. His father was George Bothell, born on the ocean, and he
made his home in Pennsylvania, being a farmer and tanner. In the war of
18 12 he enlisted, but never saw active service. His death occurred in 1834
or 1835. The family is an old Revolutionary one. of Scotch-Irish descent.
The mother bore the maiden name of Nancy Johnson, and she was born in
Ireland, but died at the age of ninety years, about 1880. Six children were
born of this marriage, namely: David C. ; William, living in Indiana; Caro-
line, widow of Ben Henderson, resides in the south; Elizabeth, widow of a
Mr. McWilliams, of Nebraska; Florana, widow of Steward Walker, of Penn-
sylvania: Mary Jane, widow of Benjamin Walker of Nebraska.
David C. Bothell was educated in the public schools of Indiana county,
Pennsylvania, and at the death of his father helped to support the family by
working on the farm and at the carpenter trade until he was twenty-four
years of age. On February 27. 1844. he was married to Mary Ann Felmley.
born in Center county. Pennsylvania, and a daughter of John Felmley. a miller
of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, of German descent. Mrs. Bothell's mother
was born in New Jersey. The following family was born to them, namely :
John, deceased, served two years in the war; George served three years in the
war. but at present is in a milling and logging business near Bothell, and has
served two terms in the state legislature: David, a laborer of Bothell: and
Labert. in the mercantile business in Iowa and Minnesota; while the girls are
Mary Ann, who married Robert Campbell, a retired blacksmith of Bothell :
Rachael. who married John M. Keener, a teamster of Bothell : and Clarissa,
deceased.
After his marriage David C. Bothell worked at his trade, at teaming
and in sawmills in Pennsylvania, near the Stewardson furnace. On February
19, 1864, he enlisted in Company K. Fourteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer In-
fantry, and served through the war until November. 1865. He participated
in thirty-nine engagements, including those of the Shenandoah Valley. Peters-
burg and Winchester. He belonged to Averal's brigade, and was kept march-
ing all the time. While not wounded, his back was injured on account of his
horse falling upon him, while he was jumping a ditch. His honorable dis-
charge was delivered in November, 1865.
In 1866 he removed to Calhoun county. Illinois, and engaged in a wood
business on the Mississippi river until the fall of 1871, when he moved to
Palmyra. Missouri, and embarked in farming and dealing in wood. How-
ever, in the fall of 1874 he again made a change, and this time located in
Clayton county. Iowa, and continued his farming operations, and found work
at his old trade as a carpenter. In 1883 he went to Seattle. Washington,
and after a year moved to what is now Bothell. purchased the
ground and platted the town that is named after him. For seven vears he
was engaged in logging and lumbering, as well as in shingle mills, and was
then burned out. After rebuilding he sold his interest and erected the Bothell
Hotel, which he has operated ever since.
164 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In politics lie is a stanch Republican, and was active in the past and a
prominent political factor. He was the father of the county as well as of the
town, and served as road supervisor. Mr. Bothell is a member of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church, and has given a large amount of ground for church
purposes, not only to the Methodist church, but to other denominations. Fra-
ternally he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is a man
highly respected and much revered by those who know and appreciate him.
HUBBARD F. ALEXANDER.
With astonishing rapidity have the business interests of the northwest
sprung up and been developed, and this section of the country is continually
drawing to it men of enterprise and capability who have become the founders
of extensive business concerns which contribute to commercial and industrial
activity as well as to individual prosperity. Mr. Alexander, now the presi-
dent and manager of the Commercial Dock Company, has resided here since
1890. He was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1S79, and is a son of
E. S. and Emma (Foster) Alexander. The father was born in Connecticut
of Scotch parentage, the grandfather of our subject having been of the " gen-
tleman " class in Scotland, where he bore the title of Sir. During the most
of his active business life E. S. Alexander was a member of the well known
firm of Russell & Alexander, water-works contractors, with main offices at
Buffalo, New York. They built water-works plants throughout the cities of
the middle west, in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. In
1890 Mr. Alexander came with his family from the last named state to Ta-
coma, where he was soon prominent as a capitalist and investor. Here he
lived until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-three years of age.
His widow, who still survives him, was born in Massachusetts, a descendant
of Major Hubbard, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, but farther back than
that, into an early colonial epoch, can the history of -the family be traced, and
is was originally English. Going back only a few generations, the maternal
ancestry is found to be also that of Addison D. Foster, of Tacoma. United
states senator from Washington. Mrs. Alexander is a member of the Society
of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Hubbard F. Alexander was born in Colorado Springs, where his father
resided, but was a lad of only eleven years at the time of the removal to Ta-
coma. The greater part of his education, therefore, was acquired in the public
schools of this city. After his father's death, and when still quite young, he
became ambitious to do something for himself, and began work on the docks
of Tacoma as longshoreman. When he had passed a year in that way he en-
tered the Tacoma office of Dodwell & Company, of China and Japan, general
importing and exporting agents and ship-owners, with whom he remained
for about four years, when he entered the service of the Commercial Dock
Company. There he won promotion until he finally became manager, and in
1900 he bought a half interest in the business, his partner being Carl L. Steb-
bins. Mr. Alexander is serving as president and manager, and his partner,
who is also an experienced man in the marine shipping business, is the secre-
tary and treasurer. The Commercial Dock Company controls the most im-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 165
portant and extensive business of its kind in Tacoma, and at the present time
is expanding its business to greater proportions than ever before, and are now
building a new dock and dock warehouse on the water front, the dock to be
four hundred and eighty feet long, the building four hundred feet long. All
of these improvements have been completed in the present year (1903). The
Commercial Dock Company does a general shipping, commission, dockage,
wharfage and storage business, and is general agent for a number of steam-
ship companies.
Both Mr. Alexander and Mr. Stebbins are members of the Chamber of
Commerce, Mr. Stebbins being a trustee of that body. Both are men of
marked enterprise and business ability and are valued members of the Union
Club. Mr. .Alexander is yet a young man but twenty-four years of age, yet
from his youth he has been a factor in business circles in Tacoma, coming more
and more into prominence as the years pass by, and the splendid success which
he has already achieved may well be envied by many an older man. His
ability is widely recognized, his energy is a salient feature in his career, and
his business methods are honorable and commendable.
daniel McGregor.
Daniel McGregor is one of the pioneer residents of Tacoma, having lo-
cated here in 1881, and few men are more familiar with the history of the
development and upbuilding of the city, both because of his deep interest in
her welfare and also because of his real estate operations, for during the greater
part of his residence here he has been engaged in real estate dealing.
Mr. McGregor is a native of Picto, Nova Scotia, and a son of Alexander
and Isabelle (McDonald) McGregor. The father was born in Scotland and
when a young man left that country for the new world, settling in Nova
Scotia, where he followed farming until his death." His wife, who was born
in Nova Scotia, of Scotch parentage, has also passed away.
Upon the home farm Daniel McGregor was reared and in his youth he
learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed until his removal to the
Canadian Northwest in 1877. He worked at different places in British Colum-
bia until 1881 and then came to Tacoma, casting in his lot with its pioneer
settlers, those who laid the foundation for the present prosperity and progress
of the place. After a year or two he began operating in real estate, and has
since remained in this business. Previous to the panic of 1893 he had invested
quite heavily in local realty, and he laid out and put upon the market a new
addition to Tacoma, known as McGregor's addition, and also put on the
Montclair addition to Tacoma. In those days he took an active part in many
local business affairs and enterprises, but now devotes his attention quietly
to his real estate dealing and his home interests. He has an office in rooms
408-409 Berlin building, where he conducts his general real estate and loan
business, and during his residence here he has bandied much valuable property
and negotiated important loans, both avenues of his business activity having
been of benefit to the city as well as the source of his own prosperity.
In 1890 Mr. McGregor went to Providence, Rhode Island, and was there
married to Miss Clara Barry, a young lady of Scotch family. They now
166 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
have four children, Mabel, Warren Barry, Helen and Julia Frances. Their
home is at 1003 South I street, and they have many friends in the city, by
whom they are held in high regard.
SAMUEL ROWTCLIFF BALKWILL.
A study of the sections of the United States in which the majority of
the English-born settlers have disposed themselves would probably reveal that
the west has received the greater part. And we may attribute this selection of
the undeveloped districts for settlement as due to the inherent character of
the Anglo-Saxon race to push out into the new and unexplored regions of
the world and bring them under their own civilizing power. One of these
progressive and wide-awake English-Americans in Tacoma is S. R. Balkwill,
who has made a reputation for his enterprise in the real estate and loan busi-
ness, and has been a prominent factor in building up the material interests of
the city.
Thomas Balkwill, his father, was a man of strong character and lived a
very long and eventful life, passing it in many climes and with all the vicis-
situdes incident to the traveler. He was a native of Devonshire, England,
and first came to the United States in a sailing vessel in 1844, landing at
New York. The gold fever of forty-nine seized him, and he was soon hurry-
ing across the plains with the thousands of others, and for four or five years
was delving for treasure in the soil of California. He then returned to Eng-
land, but soon after went to South America and was an operator in the silver
mines. One of his most valuable acts was that he was one of the first to in-
troduce guano as a fertilizer, importing it from the South American islands.
There is not space here to detail all his achievements as a traveler, adventurer
and explorer, for his experiences would fill almost a book of themselves. He
passed his last days in his' old home at Devonshire, and died in 1877 at the
advanced age of ninety-three. His wife's maiden name was Sarah Rowtcliff,
and she passed all her life in Devonshire, dying in 1873.
Samuel Rowtcliff was born in Devonshire in 1854. His early life was
spent in England, and he first came to America in 1870, but has since made
the voyage across the Atlantic many times. He landed at Quebec, where he
remained two weeks, then went on to Montreal, from there to London, On-
tario, where he made his home for the next ten years, being most of the time
connected with the London Furniture Company. He lived for a while in
Boston, Massachusetts, but then returned to Ontario and lived for six years
in Belleville. The month of October, 1888, is the date of his coming to Ta-
coma, and his first business venture was with the Tacoma Cold Storage Com-
pany, in which he bought an interest. On January 1, 1890, the firm of Mor-
rison & Balkwill was established, and it has been in business ever since, with
constantly increasing success. It is one of the leading firms of the kind in the
city and deals in all kinds of real estate, investments, loans, etc. Mr. Balkwill
has always labored for the upbuilding of the city along all lines, and also
takes a very liberal view as to the possibilities of the entire Puget Sound
country. He has made some investments in mining property.
Mr. Balkwill was married in Belleville, Canada, on June 9, 1886, to
Miss Anna Corbett; they have no children. He has gained a comfortable
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 167
fortune, and he well deserves it, for he is the kind of business man that Am
ericans like to honor with the name of " hustler." He is a prominent Repub-
lican and has been a delegate to all the county conventions and several times
to the state conventions. He is high in the order of Masonry and is treasurer
of the Ann Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; he was treasurer of the
blue lodge for a number of years. He is esteemed leading knight in the order
of the Elks. He was one of the original members and founders of the Na-
tional Union, a local fraternal society that is now in a flourishing condition,
and he is also one the trustees of the Chamber of Commerce.
PETER IRVING.
If one should cast about for one cause above all others which has ad-
vanced civilization within the past century, and has made possible the unifica-
tion and knitting together of this vast union of states into an indissoluble fed-
eration, he would find this to be the building of railroads, without which, iso-
lation of the different sections of the country and consequent disintegration of
the republic would have been inevitable. So, one who has assisted in the
construction of this great civilizing agency certainly has much to be proud of,
and Mr. Peter Irving, who is a prominent capitalist of Tacoma, has made
his present fortune in laying many miles of the steel ribbons which bind the
country together.
His life began in the province of Ontario, Canada, on February 25th,
1841. His father was John Irving, a native of Dumfrieshire, Scotland, but
who died, in 1865, in Canada. His mother was Jeannette Weir, a native of
the same place in Scotland, and she died within two weeks of her husband's
death. There was another son, now deceased, and two daughters live in
Canada. When Peter was twenty-three years old he left home and came to
California, but after remaining in San Francisco for a short time he went to
Nevada, where he spent one year, engaged in the lumber business in the
neighborhood of Washoe. From there he went to Idaho, then to Montana,
arriving at the Last Chance gulch, which has now become the thriving city of
Helena, in June of 1866. This was then the center of the mining excitement
which shifted in fervor from point to point over the west during the last half
of the preceding century. Mr. Irving engaged in the feverish pursuit of
the hidden gold there until the fall of 1867, when he started upon a most pic-
turesque journey down the Missouri river to Omaha, following the long and
devious course of the river in a steamboat. From Omaha he went to his
old home in Canada, but the west was the center of attraction for him, and
the next spring he again set out. The new Union Pacific road was then
nearing its completion, and he engaged in the construction work, beginning
his operations at a point twelve miles wesl of Cheyenne, and completing the
road into Ogden, Utah. It was here that be laid the foundation for his present
fortune, and also his most important life work, for this work paid him enor-
mous returns. When the Union Pacific was finished Mr. Irving again re-
turned home, but after a short visit came to the west with the intention of
engaging in the construction work of the Northern Pacific, which was just
then being projected. He arrived at Duluth in September, [869, and was
168 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
on the ground when the road was started at Thompson Junction, Minnesota.
He worked here until the spring of 1873, but at that time work on the eastern
end of the road slackened up, and hearing that the western terminus of
the road would probably be in the Puget Sound, he resolved to gain
the advantage of being the first on the ground. Accordingly he arrived in
what is now known as Old Tacoma on October 6, 1873, the townsite at that
time not having been surveyed ; he made the trip by way of San Francisco.
Since this time Mr. Irving has resided in Tacoma. By his shrewd busi-
ness deals and his marked ability as a railroad contractor he has made his
comfortable fortune, and is one of the largest property owners in the city.
Besides being the proprietor and owner of the Irving, the finest and most
modern family hotel in Tacoma, he owns forty-four residences in various parts
of the city and is building more. He has been an important factor in develop-
ing and building up the city for a longer time than any other man, and in
fact deserves the title of " the oldest inhabitant," for there are at present no
other men in business who were here when he came. He belongs to the
Chamber of Commerce, and is ever ready to support measures which are for
the city's advantage. He is a member of the Republican party. He is a jolly
bachelor, and his past success and his recognized eminence in the business and
financial world make him one of the most esteemed citizens of Tacoma.
JUDGE HIRAM F. GARRETSON.
The great philosopher, Carlisle, somewhere says, in effect, that the
smallest wave of influence is never lost, but goes on and on until it beats
upon the shores of eternity. The truth of this has been recognized even
since biblical times in the power which heredity exerts over us all, and in
the fact that we are, in part, what out forefathers before us have been. So
that it is always a source of justifiable pride when one may point to ancestors
who have run well in the race of life. Judge Garretson is not only to be
congratulated upon the record of the family in the past, but also for the
part he has played in the world's activities.
His paternal ancestry is of English origin, while the maternal is partly
Welsh, and members of the family were in the Revolution and in the war
of 1812. The grandfather's name was John, and he was an adherent of the
Quaker faith. His son, who afterwards became known as the Hon. Wil-
liam Garretson, was born near Smithfield, Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1801.
When sixteen years old he left Ohio and went to the state where his family
had originated, Pennsylvania, making his home in Tioga. He early showed
forth his native ability, and through his own efforts became a foremost schol-
ar. He had an insatiable desire for knowledge, was a voracious reader, an
able speaker, and became one of the prominent men of the state. He was
one of the few men who seem to have an intuitive insight into the future and
are able to forecast the great events and the marvelous developments which
have transformed the United States within the last century. He studied
medicine and law and especially in the latter profession gained excellent pres-
tige. He was a member of the Pennsylvania legislature from 1830 to 1836.
THE NEW yVirY
IPUBLIC LIBRARY]
ASTOK C.ENQX AND
|TlLDENFOUNBATtONsJ
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 169
His death occurred in Washington, D. C, in 1876. His wife was Emily
Caulkins, who was born in Tioga in 181 5 and is still living, making her
home with Judge Garretson in Tacoma. Her grandfather, Dr. William Wil-
lard, was the founder of the town of Willardsburg, which was later changed
to Tioga; this city was the center of the early history of both sides of the
family.
It was in Tioga that Hiram F. Garretson first saw the light of day,
his birthday being on May 12, 1843. Early in his youth he went to Elmira,
New York, and obtained employment in a store, but when the war broke
out he returned to Tioga and enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and
Thirty-sixth Pennsylvania, entering the service on August 2, 1862, and being
assigned to the Army of the Potomac. His service was in the states of Mary-
land, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, and during the two and
a half years which he served he was made sergeant ; he was mustered out at
Harrisburg. When peace was restored he came home to complete the edu-
cation which had been interrupted. He attended the Rochester (New York)
Commercial College and then entered the Columbian College Law School
at Washington, where he graduated in 1868. He then took a position in the
treasury department, but resigned in 1869. .Going.-to. Iowa he located in
Victor, and in the seventeen years he lived there he gained a very fine prac-
tice, not only in the city but throughout the state.1 - He was also the mayor
of Victor. Judge Garretson has been a resident of Tacoma since April 22,
1887, and during this time has been very successful in the law, and has also
played a prominent part in many affairs of the city and state. He was quar-
termaster general of the state militia with the rank of colonel ; Governor
Ferry appointed him a member of the Harbor Line Commission, and in that
capacity he helped to locate the Puget Sound harbors.
In 1867 Mr. Garretson was married to Miss Ella M. Hay ward, the
ceremony being performed in New York city; she was born at Springfield,
Massachusetts. They have four children, Carrie H., Ellis Lewis, Stella B.
and Susie E.
LEWELL1N M. GLIDDEN.
Lewellin M. Glidden is a prominent member of the real estate firm of
Crosby & Glidden of Tacoma. He was born in Chautauqua, New York, in
1850, and is a son of Dr. Horace and Cornelia A. (Moore) Glidden. His
paternal ancestry is Welsh, and the family was founded in the United States
by the great-grandfather of our subject, who left his home in Wales in order
to cast in his lot with the citizens of the new world. From early manhood
Dr. Glidden resided in Chautauqua county, New York, and was a prominent
physician there, long practicing his profession with signal success. There his
death occurred in November, 1901. His wife is still living, in Tacoma,
Washington.
During his boyhood days Lewellin M. Glidden attended the Union school
at Jamestown, where he prepared for college. In [868 he matriculated in
Amherst College at Amherst, Massachusetts, where he was graduated in 1872.
He then took up the study of law in Jamestown, passing his final examina-
170 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tions in Rochester, after which he was admitted to the bar in that place in
1876. He practiced law for several years in Jamestown until his health be-
came impaired because of the confinement necessitated by the arduous duties
of his profession. He then turned his attention to merchandising for a time,
and subsequently engaged in teaching, conducting a classical preparatory
school at Jamestown for three years, at the expiration of that period becoming
principal of the Westfield Academy of Westfield, New York, where he re-
mained for two years, and in 1883 he arrived in Tacoma. Once more he
opened an office and began the practice of law at that place, at first alone,
but later he entered into partnership with Judge Town, with whom he was
associated for several years, building up a large and successful practice. He
occupied a prominent position in the foremost ranks of the representatives
of the legal profession here. His legal learning, his analytical mind and
the readiness with which he grasped a point in an argument, all combined
to make him one of the most capable lawyers in Tacoma. At length, how-
ever,, failing health forced him to again abandon his profession and he em-
barked in the real estate business, in which he is still engaged, being a member
of the firm of Crosby & Glidden, with offices at 502 and 503 Berlin building.
They do a general real estate and insurance business, and Mr. Glidden has
been to a greater or less extent interested in real estate operations since his
arrival here. He is also financially interested in mining enterprises, and his
judicious investments have brought to him good financial return. In the
fall of 1902 his friends prevailed upon him to become a candidate for school
director, and he made a good canvass but was defeated by a very small ma-
jority, although he ran ahead of his ticket.
Mr. Glidden was married in Jamestown, New York, in 1876, the lady
of his choice being Miss Helen R. Robertson. They have no children of
their own, but have adopted a little daughter, Liela Glidden. Mr. Glidden
was widely and favorably known throughout much of Washington, his quali-
fications well fitting him for political, business and social life. He has labored
for the improvement of every line of business or public interest with which
he has been associated, and at all times has been actuated by fidelity to his
country and her welfare. In private life he has gained for himself the high
personal regard which arises from a true acknowledgment of character, kind-
ness and generosity.
HERBERT S. GRIGGS.
The law has ever attracted to its ranks a certain class of men gifted with
keen perceptions and logical minds, men who, by nature or training or both,
are peculiarly fitted to deal with the problems which arise among their fel-
lows. In reviewing the prominent members of the Pierce county bar the
name of Herbert S. Griggs takes precedence of many of his professional
brethren, and we are pleased to present to his numerous friends and ac-i
quaintances this sketch of his useful life.
Mr. Griggs was born in the city of St. Paul. Minnesota, on the 28th
of February, 1861, and is of English and Scotch ancestry. He is a son of
Chauncy W. Griggs, one of Tacoma's most prominent business men, and his
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 171
life history appears elsewhere in this work. In the public schools of the city
of his nativity Herbert S. received his early mental training, and later matricu-
lated in Yale College, graduating in the classical department of that renowned
institution in 1882, while two years later he completed its law course. Being
soon afterwards admitted to the bar, he was engaged in the practice of his
chosen profession in St. Paul for a few years, and during that time served as
assistant city attorney. In the year 1888 he came to Tacoma, Washington,
where he has ever since been numbered among the most successful law prac-
titioners, having met with marked success in his chosen calling. He has
been admitted to practice in all the courts with the exception of the supreme
court of the United States. In political matters Air. Griggs formerly gave his
support to the Democratic party, but in later years has been independent, and
although he is intensely public-spirited he has never desired the honors or
emoluments of public office, preferring to give his entire time to his rapidly
growing patronage. He has the honor of being president of the local branch
of the Sons of the Revolution, being fully entitled to membership in that
organization, as his great-granduncle, Colonel Griggs, was an officer in the
war for independence, and several others of his ancestors participated in that
memorable struggle. This organization in Tacoma now has a membership
of thirty, and is confined to the very best business and professional men in
the city. Air. Griggs is a prominent member of the Congregational church,
in which he is now serving as a member of the board of trustees, and he is
a stockholder in all of his father's extensive business enterprises.
HON. WILLIAM O. CHAPMAN.
This distinguished jurist, who is at present occupying the position of
superior court judge at Tacoma, is of New England stock thoroughly west-
ernized by long residence in Ohio. The Chapmans came from Hull, England,
and settled in Connecticut in 1635, and the judge's great-grandfather, Nathan
Chapman, was one of the sturdy farmers of the state of Steady Habits in a
generation long gone by. Beman Chapman, son of Nathan, was also a
farmer, but in 1805 left his native state and took up his abode in the famous
Western Reserve of Ohio. He was among the first of the pioneers of thai
section, and spent the remainder of his days in clearing and cultivating the
tract of land which he purchased after his arrival. This pioneer farmer left
a son, Ira O. Chapman, who became a man of note in the state and especially
instrumental in building up its educational institutions, lie was one of the
founders of Mount Union College at Alliance, was its vice president and
one of the teachers until the time of his death, which occurred in 1880, when
he was in the fifty-fifth year of his age. In early life he had married Jane
Weston, a native of Augusta, Ohio, and their surviving child was the Tacoma
judge whose career constitutes the subject matter of this biography.
William O. Chapman was born at Alliance. Ohio, March 19. 1859, at-
tended Mount Union College and was graduated in the classical department
in 1876. For four years subsequently he studied law with Judge Caldwell,
at Cleveland, and was admitted to practice before the supreme court of Ohio
in 1880. During the following year he removed to I 'oil Townsend, Wash-
172 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ington, and was engaged there for some time in the practice of his profession,
meantime holding the office of deputy collector of customs. In the fall of
1885 he located at Tacoma, where he resumed his professional work and
was attorney for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company for eleven years.
In 1896 he received the nomination as candidate for the. office of superior
court judge on the Republican ticket. This was the year of the famous con-
test between Bryan and McKinley, and, though the east and middle west were
solidly Republican, the state of Washington was at that time largely under
the influence of the Populist party. The Republicans were unable to stem
the tide then sweeping over the state, and went down in temporary defeat.
Judge Chapman, however, not at all discouraged and well knowing there
would be " another day in court," resumed practice and bided his time until
there should be another trial of strength between the parties. In 1900 he
was renominated by the Republicans, made an effective canvass and was tri-
umphantly elected to the superior court bench of Pierce county. During his
incumbency he has given satisfaction both to the bar and the public at large,
his rulings being considered as sound and his general deportment of the kind
that indicates the judicial temperament.
In 1881 Judge Chapman was united in marriage with Miss Jessie B.
Mitchell, a native of Pennsylvania and daughter of Hon. John H. Mitchell,
United States senator from Oregon. They have two children, Alice I. and
Mildred, both born in Tacoma. Judge and Mrs. Chapman are members of
the Presbyterian church, and the former is connected with the order of Elks.
He has been a life-long Republican, and deserves much credit for having stood
firmly for sound principles when the wild wave of financial fanaticism was
sweeping so many others from their moorings.
WILLIAM RUSH BRADLEY.
William R. Bradley, president of the Tacoma Commission Company, of
this city, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 185 1, and is a son ot Judge
Charles D. and Mary (Rush) Bradley. His paternal ancestry is connected
with that of General L. P. Bradley, of Tacoma, whose sketch appears else-
where in this work, although in this generation there is no immediate con-
nection. The Bradley family is an historic one in the annals of the early New
England states, and is descended from John Bradley, who was the first of the
brothers to come to America from England, the date of his arrival being
1687, and one branch located in Connecticut and another in the state of New
York, our subject being descended from the latter.
Charles D. Bradley, the father of William Rush, was born at Albany,
New York, and is the youngest brother of Judge Joseph P. Bradley, who was
one of the chief justices of the United States supreme court, but is now de-
ceased. Charles D. was reared to young manhood in the city of his nativity,
there receiving a college education and a thorough training in the law. In
the early days he came to the west, locating at Chicago, Illinois, where he
made his home for a few years, and then removed to St. Louis, Missouri.
Practicing law in the latter city until 1870, he was then appointed by President
Grant United States district attorney for the territory of Colorado, with head-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 173
quarters in Denver. He continued to fulfill the duties connected with that
position for several years, during which time he took a prominent part in the
movement leading to the admission of Colorado as a state, and it is a matter
of history and should be here recorded in justice to him that he drafted the
constitution for the new state. Later in life he removed to Florence, Colorado,
where he still makes his home, practically retired from the active duties of
a business life, although the appreciative citizens there have conferred upon
him the offices of city and county attorney and the district judgeship. He is
a man of very brilliant legal and intellectual attainments and a highly respected
citizen of Colorado. His political support has ever been given to the Repub-
lican party. His wife also still survives, and her birth occurred in Pittsburg.
She, too, is descended from distinguished ancestry, and her mother bore the
maiden name of Nancy Lee. On the paternal side she is descended from a
brother of Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
William Rush Bradley remained in St. Louis, Missouri, until 1876, dur-
ing which time he pursued his education, and after his removal to Denver
he was employed in his father's office for about two years. For a number of
years thereafter he held various positions. For about four years he was
postmaster at Villa Grove, Colorado, then the terminal point of the Denver
& Rio Grande Railroad, which was being builded westward at that time.
Through his brother-in-law, who was one of the promoters and vice president
and general counsel of the Colorado Midland Railroad, he secured different
positions with that company, and when the road was completed was appointed
agent at Manitou Springs. From that place he came to Tacoma in 1889 and
secured a position with the Merchant's National Bank, thus continuing until
1893, when he assumed his present business relations with the Tacoma Com-
mission Company, being one of the owners of the concern. They conduct an
extensive wholesale business in fruits and produce at 151 1 Pacific avenue.
He, too, gives a loyal support to Republican principles, and it may be said
that he has taken part in the making of two states, having voted for the ter-
ritory of Colorado to enter the Union in 1876 and for Washington in 1889.
For several years he served as one of the park commissioners of Tacoma, is
a member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Union Club, and is one of
the leading and representative citizens of Tacoma.
On the 15th of June, 1882, Mr. Bradley was united in marriage to Miss
Frances Secord, the wedding being celebrated at Silver Cliff, Colorado. Mrs.
Bradley is a direct descendant of Mrs. Laura Secord. a woman noted as a
Loyalist, and who saved a British army in the war of 1812. She was born in
Massachusetts in 1775. and was a daughter of Captain Thomas and Sarah
l Whiting) Ingersoll. Her father was a very wealthy man. and her maternal
grandfather was General John Whiting, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts,
the family on both sides being members of the aristocracy. In the stormy
days preceding the Revolution the [ngersolls were loyal to England and
joined the United Empire loyalists in Canada, which thereafter remained their
home, they having settled in the county of York, near Niagara Falls. There
Laura Ingersoll grew to young womanhood and married James Secord, an-
other ardent lovalist. His ancestrv is traced back to the time of Louis X of
174 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
France. They were Protestants, and, escaping the massacre of St. Bartholo-
mew by flight to England, lived there until finally five Secord brothers came
to America, where they founded the town of New Rochelle, New York.
There the descendants lived until the breaking out of the Revolution, when
they emigrated to Canada, settling in the Niagara district, and there Laura
Ingersoll gave her hand in marriage to James Secord. During the war of
1812 the Secords were active defenders of England, James becoming a promi-
nent British soldier, and in the year 18 13 came home on a furlough, having
been seriously wounded at the battle of Queenstown Heights. While confined
to his bed and unable to move, his wife accidentally overheard a conversa-
tion of some American soldiers who had entered the house and demanded
food, that the Americans were on their way to capture a British storehouse
of supplies at Beaver Dam, in charge of Lieutenant Fitzgibbon and thirty
men. Not being able to go himself to Fitzgibbon and give the warning, Mr.
Secord's wife volunteered the hazardous undertaking, going alone and on foot
a distance of thirty miles, the road leading through almost impenetrable
forests, filled with black swamps, quagmires, swift running creeks, etc. She
also had to circumvent several American sentries, and twice she encountered
savage Indians, but escaping all these great dangers she finally reached Beaver
Dam just in time to save Lieutenant Fitzgibbon and his thirty men. This
unusual act of bravery and devotion is a noted one in the annals of Canada,
and her fame is not only preserved in the historical records at Ottawa but
has been a subject in many noted Canadian stories and poems, the most
celebrated being a dramatic poem entitled "Laura Secord, the Heroine of
1812," by Sarah Anne Curzon, a very meritorious work. James Secord be-
came a British customs officer at Chippewa, Canada, where he died in 1841,
and there his wife passed away in death in 1868.
JEREMIAH GIBSON STARTUP.
The vast forests of fir. pine and cedar of' the Pacific coast have attracted
men of means to that locality, and were one of the prime causes in bringing
about the rapid settlement of the country; and since the introduction of rail-
roads in that vicinity the lumber industry has ramified in every direction, and
even the least accessible places are being reached by capital in the hands of
enterprising men. One of the large concerns engaged in the production of
lumber in the state of Washington is the H. J. Miller Lumber Company.
This firm has a" mill at Gate in Thurston county and another at Index at the
foot of Index mountain in Snohomish county, and own several tracts of very
choice timber. The company emplovs a large force of hands and manu-
factures daily about eighty thousand feet of lumber, the greater part of which
is sent to the markets of the east. One of the members of this company who
has traveled extensively in making sales of this product is J. G Startup, who
resides in Chehalis.
The father of this gentleman was George Startup, who was a native of
England, born there in 1821, and was married to an English lady, Frances
Gibson. They were both members of the Episcopal church. They emigrated
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 175
to America in 1870 and lived most of the time in Washington, where the
father died in 1892 at the age of eighty-one, but his wife still survives in her
seventy-first year and resides in Seattle. Three children were born in England
and are now in Washington, George being at the town of Startup in the
lumber business, and Joseph in the employ of the government in the light-
house service; and the subject of this sketch. Three other children, Charles,
Lucy and Viola, were born in the United States and are living in Seattle,
Washington.
Jeremiah Gibson Startup was born in Greenwich, England, December
15, 1866, and as he was still a child when he came across the Atlantic he re-
ceived the greater part of his educational training in this country. He had the
privilege of attending the University of Washington, and as soon as he had
completed his course there he began the learning of the principles of the lum-
ber trade, and has ever since taken every opportunity to increase his acquaint-
ance with that industry.
He was married in 1899 to ^Iiss Adah Bailey, a native of St. Paul, Minne-
sota. They attend the Episcopal church and are highly esteemed in the
community. Mr. Startup is an independent in political matters, and on account
of his connection with traveling salesmen belongs to the organization of com-
mercial travelers, and to that distinctive lumber order, the Hoo Hoos.
C. STEWART KALE.
C. Stewart Kale, farmer, horticulturist and dairyman of Everson, Wash-
ington, was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1848, in the oil regions.
He is a son of Andrew and Rebecca (Smith) Kale, and the father was born
in Ohio, and after living in western Pennsylvania for a time went with his
family to Iowa in 1856, settling on a farm in Muscatine county. He was one
of the pioneers there and became a successful, well known man, and very
highly respected at the time of his death, in 1S84, in that locality. The mother
also died in Iowa, hut was horn in Pennsylvania.
C. Stewart Kale was reared upon the farm and received the greater
portion of his education in the schools of Muscatine county, having only at-
tended school a year or so prior to the family exodus to [owa. At the age
of twenty-three years he was married to Charlotte E. McNeil, and the young
couple began their homemaking in west central Iowa, in Audubon county,
where they settled upon a farm. There they lived four years, and then in
1882 came to Washington, locating in Whatcom county, where they took up
a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty-two acres, on which he has
made his home ever since. His farm adjoins the town of Everson, which lies
just across the Nooksack river, and was built up long after Mr. Kale estab-
lished his home. In fact, at the time of his location here the county was all
virgin forest. Mr. Kale has made a great success of horticulture, making a
specialty of prunes, apples and cherries. His ranch produces large crops of
hay and other grains. Another large interest of the place lies in the line dairy
and his excellent stock. The entire property has been cultivated scientifically
on the "intensive" principle, and is just like a garden. The machinery and
176 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
other implements are all of the most modern make, and so perfectly is every
detail managed that it is a pleasure to watch even the most ordinary task
performed.
Mr. Kale is deputy county assessor for townships 40 and 41, north
range, 4 east. In 1884 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the office
of county commissioner and served two years, and he has always taken a
lively interest in local affairs. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kale are members of the
Everson Presbyterian church, in which Mrs. Kale is a greatly beloved lady
and hard worker. Eleven children have been born to them.
For a few years Mr. Kale was interested in a local shingle mill, but is
now devoting himself exclusively to his farm, dairy and horticultural experi-
ments. When he first located here, farming was only an experiment, and
his claim, as before stated, was covered with timber. The only direction he
could look and see anything was upwards towards the sky. It took a long
time to hew a home from such surroundings, but that he has done so and
very successfully, a visit to his beautiful ranch will prove. In addition to his
financial success Mr. Kale has become a very prominent citizen, and is greatly
revered in Everson as an old-time pioneer and a man of highest integrity of
character.
LOUIS D. CAMPBELL.
If there is any virtue attached to the condition of one's birth in this
great land of America, it lies not in being born wealthy, or in high station,
or with any of the specially favoring circumstances which are the delectable
day-dreams of the imaginative, but so often has the case been proved that it
seems to be a tried and true rule, that the youth who would gain honor and
renown must begin in what is known as a humble station, and with all the
adverse winds of fortune against him struggle manfully to the top. It is ad-
mitted that there are exceptions to this rule, but there is not a school boy
anywhere who could not adduce sufficient example to prove the statement.
So that we are only adding more evidence to the chain when we bring before
the reader the life of the present mayor of the city of Tacoma, which is a
record of advancement from the puddling department in an iron mill to a
place among the leaders of men.
J. M. Campbell, his father,, was born in Pennsylvania and died there
in 1888. He was an employe of the Cambria Iron Works and gained a good
record as soldier in the Civil war. He enlisted in the Third Pennsylvania
Infantry for three months' service, being commissioned second lieutenant.
When his three months were up, he returned to Johnstown and raised the
Fifty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, which was the first regiment to enter
Camp Curtin. He was breveted brigadier general, and followed the flag of
the Union until the close of hostilities. Most of his service was in the states
of Maryland and Virginia, where he commanded the brigade guarding the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. His wife's maiden name was also that well
known Scotch title, Campbell, and they were both of that nationality: her
first name was Mary R. Her mother was born in the old country, but she
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
1-riLDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 177
was born in Pennsylvania and is still living, at the age of seventy-six, in the
town of Johnstown.
The son, Louis D., was born in Bradys Bend, Armstrong county, Penn-
sylvania, on July 31, 1852. When he was a year old his parents moved to
Johnstown. He had some advantages in an educational way up to his elev-
enth year, but at that time the period of development for him was interrupted,
for he went to work in the Cambria Iron Works' rolling mill as a "hook-up"
in the puddling department. This ambitious youth worked here for some
time, and later in the same works learned the trade of the machinist. But
the need of an education became more and more apparent to him and he
left his work to enter the Pennsylvania State College at Belief onte, Centre
county, which he attended for two years. He then attended the law depart-
ment of the State University at Philadelphia, and graduated and was ad-
mitted to the bar in Philadelphia in 1880, a good record for one who had
not had the advantages of consecutive training from youth up. Soon after
being admitted to practice the aspiring attorney came west and settled in
Tacoma in January of 1883, where he has made his home since and has car-
ried on a successful law business. In 1884 and 1885 he was city attorney,
and in 1900 was elected mayor of Tacoma for-a^erm of two years, and in
the spring of 1902 was chosen for another like period. In 1890 he was a
member of the charter commission that framed the new charter for the city.
Air. Campbell has among other things talent as a public speaker, a qualifica-
tion which is of especial advantage to one in the profession of law.
Air. Campbell was married at San Francisco on January 10. 18S8, at
whicli time Miss Emma Cicott, a native of Detroit, Michigan, became his
wife. They have no children of their own. but have adopted a child, Laura
Campbell, which they cherish as their own.
HON. MARK A. FULLERTON.
One of the capable and prominent young jurists of the great state of
Washington, and one who had risen already to the position of judge of the
supreme court of his adopted state, is the Hon. Mark Fullerton. He comes
of good old Scotch ancestry, though his forefathers came to America at a
time prior to the Revolution.
He records his birth as taking place on his father's farm near Salem,
Oregon, on the 13th day of November, 1858. He was educated in Willam-
ette University in Salem, was admitted to the bar in 1883, came to Wash-
ington in 1885, and located at Colfax. Whitman county, where he carried
on the practice of his chosen profession. For some time he served as prose-
cuting attorney of the county, and in the fall of 1898 was elected to the
supreme bench of the state. Ever since devoting himself to the practice of
law Judge Fullerton has given his whole time and energy to it. thus account-
ing in large measure for his eminent success.
In 1887 Mr. Fullerton was married to Ella lone Rounds, a native of
Michigan and a daughter of V. P. Rounds, who with his son is now a mer-
chant in Kansas. They have a family of three sons.
12*
1Tb HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
The Judge lias membership in the Masonic fraternity and in the Amer-
ican Order of United Workmen. He has ever shown himself a worthy
representative of the sons of the brave pioneers who first made this state one
of the richest and most fertile in the west.
HON. WALLACE MOUNT.
On the 16th day of January, 1859, just across the Willamette river from
Oregon City in Clackamas county, there was born into the world a man who
was destined to take an active part in the public life of the west and to
achieve distinction as a public-spirited citizen, as a legislator, as a lawyer,
and as a jurist. For many generations the Scotch ancestors of the Mount
family have resided in this country, and the father of our subject, Henry D.
Mount, was born on the 24th of August, 1833. When he was only eighteen
years of age he dared the dangers of the wild west, and crossing the plains
settled in Oregon City. He had learned the tailor's trade, but here he became
a farmer. His wife was Rebecca Stevens, a native of Keokuk, Iowa, and a
daughter of an early pioneer of Oregon. Their children were : Wallace,
R. J., Dallas, deceased, Clara, Eva, W. C, O. B., Wenona, Minnie, Hugh S.,
Clyde, Guy, Robert, Albert, all but one of whom are still living. The parents
live on their farm near Silverton, Oregon.
Wallace Mount, whose brief history we shall here endeavor to relate,
was the oldest child of the above and received his education in the State
University at Eugene, Oregon, where he graduated in 1883. After com-
pleting his education he read law in the office of Williams, Dunham & Thomp-
son, and later engaged in the practice of his chosen profession. Mr. Mount
removed to Sprague, Washington, in 1886, where he continued his practice
until 1888. in which year he was elected prosecuting attorney of Douglas.
Adams and Lincoln counties ; and when Washington was admitted to state-
hood, he was elected judge of the superior court of the same counties, and
including Okanogan. He was re-elected in 1892, but in the landslide of
Populism which swept over the state in 1869 he was defeated. On being
elected a member of the state legislature in 1898, the Judge took an active
part in all the legislation and was a member of the judiciary committee and
chairman of the committee on counties and boundaries. In 1900 Mr. Mount
was elected to the supreme court of the state and took his seat in January of
the following year. He is now filling the office to the highest satisfaction
of all.
Judge Mount was happily married in 1887 to Carrie Walker, who was
born in California. They bad two sons, Frank Reed Mount and William.
In December, 1896, the family were called to mourn the death of the devoted
wife and mother, whose loss was felt not only by the members of her house-
hold but also by the community, in which for ten years she had lived so
respected and beloved. In 1899 Mr. Mount married Mrs. Ida Maloney,
whose maiden name was Ida Hasler. She had two daughters, Hazel and
Mira.
Judge Mount's home is in Olympia, and he also has property in Spokane.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 179
The religious preferences of the family are with the Presbyterian church,
which they attend and support. Mr. Mount has been for many years an active
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in all its branches, and is
now past state grand master; he is also connected with the Knights of Pythias,
and the Bar Association of the state. Throughout his long and honorable
career no reproach has ever been cast upon the character of this worthy son
of Washington.
EDWARD STEELE.
Edward Steele, one of the prominent residents of Marysville, Wash-
ington, was born May 27, 1838, at Ontario, Canada, near Toronto, and he
is a son of Thomas Steele, a native of Canada, who was a carpenter by trade
and died at the age of fifty-six years. The mother bore the maiden name
of Rebecca Trimmer, and was a native of Pennsylvania; she came to Canada
with her parents when a child, and lived to be eighty years of age. The
children born to the parents of our subject were as follows: Benjamin,
Edward, George, David, Daniel, Joseph. Elizabeth, Sarah, Amy Anne.
Edward Steele was educated in the public schools of county York,
Ontario, but his advantages were limited, as he left school at the age of nine
3 cars, when his father moved to Port Doer, Canada, and he was put to work
clearing off the wild land of the family farm during the summertime, and in
winter he worked in the lumber woods. Later he learned the carpenter
trade, and when twenty-one years of age he went to California and worked
in Placer county, making timber for the mines, but after two years he went
to Washoe, Nevada, and spent five years at that place working in the timber
woods. In 1867 he returned to Canada on a visit, then went to Daviess
county, Missouri, there took up some land and engaged in farming for eighteen
months. He then went to southeastern Kansas and pre-empted one hundred
and sixty acres in Wilson county, and was engaged in farming and horse-
raising until 1885, when he settled at Marysville and homesteaded eighty
acres, and purchased some city property which proved a good investment.
After locating in the city he built the wharf at Marysville. and engaged in a
flour and feed business, continuing in the latter line until July 1, 1902, when
he retired from active business life.
In April, 1869, he married, at Ottawa, Kansas, Lizzie Warren, a native
of Illinois, and a daughter of William and Margaret Warren. The follow-
ing children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Steele: Margaret, widow of
William Morgan, of Marysville; Ora Alberta married P.. 15. Nagley, of Mill-
town; Mabee, keeping house for her father at Marysville. Politically Mr.
Steele is a Republican, and is a man highly esteemed by all who have the
honor of his acquaintance.
CHARLES WRIGHT.
Charles Wright, president of the well known and popular Hotel Byron
at Whatcom, and one of the leading men of the city, was horn Ma; ,6, [866,
at Toronto, Canada, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Shaw) Wright,
180 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
the former of whom was a native of England, and a contractor, and he
died in 1868. His wife was also a native of England, and she is now living
at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Our subject is descended from good old
English stock on both sides of the family. Four children were born to Mr.
and Mrs. Henry Wright, namely : Charles ; Alfred, who is engaged in mining
in California; Henry, a photographer of Rat Portage; and Frank, who is
manager of the Carlisle Packing Company at Whatcom.
After attending common school until 1884, Mr. Wright entered the
employ of the Canadian Pacific Railroad at Winnipeg, but after ten years
of service with that company he removed to Point Roberts, Washington, and
engaged in trap-fishing with bis brother Frank, incorporating the firm of
Wright Brothers Fishing Company, in 1893. This continued until 1898,
when the partners sold their plant to the Pacific American Fish Company,
and in 1901 the two purchased a controlling interest in the Carlisle Packing
Company at Lummi Island, in which our subject has since been interested
and holds the office of president, while his brother is secretary and manager.
The plant is a large one and has a capacity of sixty thousand cases, and the
volume of business is constantly increasing, while the market is enlarging
owing to the superiority of the product.
In June, 1902, Charles Wright and M. C. Dickinson purchased the in-
terest of Roehl Brothers, who were conducting the Hotel Byron, and since then
they have made it one of the finest and most modern of all the hotels in the
city or the surrounding country, it only being surpassed by those of Seattle,
Tacoma and Spokane.
On February 18, 1896, Mr. Wright was married to Miss Jean Brown, a
daughter of George Brown, of Peterboro, Ontario, a brick contractor, and
very prominent man of English descent. One daughter has been born to Mr.
and Mrs. Wright, Elsie, aged one year and two months.
As a Republican Mr. Wright has taken an active part in local affairs,
and has been a delegate to county and state conventions. Religiously he is
a member of the Episcopal church and contributes liberally towards its sup-
port. Mr. Wright is a charter member of the order of Elks of Bellingham
Bay, of the Commercial Club and the Cougar Club, and is one of the most
popular men in this part of the state, as well as a very successful and in-
fluential one.
HARRISON COWDEN.
A well improved and attractive farm of one hundred and sixty acres
situated about a mile north of Ferndale and a half mile from the Noohsack
river was till recently the property of Harrison Cowden, and he is classed
with the enterprising agriculturists of his community. He was born at Grass
Lake. Jackson county, Michigan, on the 29th of June, 1840, a son of Eben
Cowden, whose birth occurred in the state of New York, June 26, 1785.
Both he and his father were soldiers of the war of 1812, and Eben Cowden
also served in the Mexican war. He was a brigadier general of the state of
Michigan at the time of his demise, which occurred in 1862, when he was
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 181
sixty-seven years of age. Brave and fearless as a soldier, he rendered his
country valuable aid and made for himself a most creditable military record.
In early manhood he married Miss Maria Blanchard, a native of Seneca
county, New York, and a representative of an old Quaker family. She died
in 1878, at the age of seventy-two years. Their children were as follows:
Harrison ; Charles, who was a member of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry and
assisted in the capture of Jefferson Davis: Abel F. ; Aj ; and Mary, the wife
of Henry Skellinger, of Symrma, Michigan. The father had three sons and
a daughter by his first marriage : Cyrus ; Reuben ; Henry, and Emeline, the
wife of Nelson Ferris, of Jackson, Michigan.
In the public schools of his native city Harrison Cowden pursued his
education until nineteen years of age, thus gaining a good knowledge of the
branches of English learning usually taught in such institutions. He then
secured employment in a sawmill, where he worked for fourteen years, and
then with the money he had gained through his own exertions he purchased
a farm in 1873, conducting it until 1876. In the latter year he removed with
his family to Virginia City, Nevada, where he was employed in the mines
most of the time through the succeeding five years. In the summer of 1881
he came to Ferndale, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of
land, and engaged in its cultivation until June, 1903, when he sold and moved
into Whatcom, where he owns a pleasant home.
In 1863 Mr. Cowden was united in marriage to Miss Mary D. Barr, a
native of Greenville, Montcalm county, Michigan, and the second daughter
of Samuel D. and Henrietta (Pratt) Barr, both of whom were natives of
New York and belonged to old American families. Mr. Barr was a pioneer
of Montcalm township, Montcalm county, Michigan, coming there from
Grand Rapids in 1838, and owned and operated a sawmill on Flat river, about
five miles above the present city of Greenville, which was then a wilderness.
His wife was the only white woman in the county for some months, and
Sarah E., the elder sister of Mrs. Cowden, was the first white child born in
the county. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Cowden has been blessed with
five boys and four girls: Frank; Clarence, who died in 1894; Arthur, who
is living in Everett ; William, of Ferndale: Charles, who died in August, 1902 ;
Effie, the wife of C. W. Heiser; Ettie, who died in 1899; Edna, the wife of
Eugene Pence, a druggist of Whatcom ; and Jessie, who completes the family
and is at home with her parents.
For eighteen years Mr. Cowden has been a member of the Knights of
Pythias fraternity, and he is a member and president of the Pioneer Asso-
ciation of Whatcom county. Political questions and issues are of deep in-
terest to him, and he keeps well informed concerning everything affecting the
welfare of the nation. He is active in the local and state work of the Re-
publican party, and in 1886 was elected county constable, and by re-election
has been continued in the office up to the present time (1903), a fact which
indicates his unfaltering fidelity to duty. He was a director on the school
board for three terms of three years each, from 1889 until 1898, and his
loyalty to public trusts stands as an unquestioned fact in his career.
182 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
RICHARD E. WALKER.
Richard E. Walker is the son of English parents, Robert and Mary A.
(George) Walker, now deceased, and he himself is a native of the great
metropolis of England, born there in 1852. He received his literary educa-
tion in London, and in that mighty business center it is not surprising that
his mind was turned toward commerce and trade. He was accordingly
articled to a firm of expert accountants, one of the foremost concerns of the
kind in London. This business is a more distinct profession in England than
in this country, and there are many grades before one reaches the stage where
he may be called "expert." Mr. Walker spent a number of years here, and
after acquiring a thorough training came to Canada in 1886. For two years
he was located at Victoria, British Columbia, in the capacity of accountant,
but in 1888 took up his residence in Tacoma, where he has continued ever
since. On his arrival the city was just going through the throes of the
"boom," and he accordingly engaged in the real estate business, as there
was then a very limited field for the accountant. But when the mushroom
activity suddenly collapsed in 1893, he fell back on his profession. It was
during this time that he was engaged by the commissioners of Pierce county
to investigate the county records for the preceding six years. This was the
first time the books had ever been gone over by an expert, and it was a very
important undertaking, requiring the entire attention of Mr. Walker and
four assistants for two years.
At the present time Mr. Walker is engaged exclusively in the real estate
and insurance business, and has given up his practice of accountant. He has
met with success in this line, has prospered financially, and owns a nice
home in Steilacoom. His offices are at 501-2 Equitable building in Tacoma.
The firm is now R. E. Walker & Company. In 1893, while Mr. Walker was
on a visit to Yakima county, he married Miss Margaret M. Clunas, whose
father was one of the most noted architects in Edinburgh, Scotland, but is
now deceased. They have two children, Marian and Ronald.
HON. RUSS S. LAMBERT.
Hon. Russ S. Lambert, mayor of Sumas and forest supervisor of the
Washington Forest Reserve at Sumas, Washington, was born at Belvidere,
Illinois, in 1867, and is a son of John C. and Cassie M. (Hale) Lambert.
The father was burn in Maine, and when ten years of age went to Illinois
with his father, who settled on a farm near Belvidere. The father of pur
subject is still living and makes his home at Belvidere, as does also the
mother, who is a native of the place.
R. S. Lambert was reared upon the farm, and continued to live at home
until he was twenty-two years of age, when he left the farm and came to
Whatcom, Washington, lie had received an excellent education in the public
schools, and also studied law hi the law department of file Wesleyan Uni-
versity, Bloomington, Illinois, from which he was graduated in 1889. He
then went to Springfield, where he was admitted to the bar, and then made
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 183
his way west. Until the latter part of 1896 he practiced law successfully at
Sumas, and then, becoming interested in mining and prospecting, was asso-
ciated with Jack Post and L. G. Van Valkenburg in the discovery and devel-
opment of what is now the Post-Lambert group of gold mines in the Mt.
Baker district, and has made Sumas his home for the past eight or nine years.
In 1898-9 he was a member of the Washington state legislature, being
elected upon the Republican ticket, from what was then the forty-eighth legis-
lative district for a term of two years. In 1899 further honors awaited him,
and he was appointed by the interior department forest supervisor for the
western division of the Government Washington Forest Reserve, which posi-
tion he still holds. The duties of this office take up all his attention, his head-
quarters being at Sumas. He is now and has been for some time mayor of
the town of Sumas. Although his attention is so engrossed, he has not lost
his interest in mining in the Mt. Baker district, and in a general way is
prominent in developing the resources, mining, lumber and agricultural, of
the country adjacent to Sumas.
Ir 189 1 he was married at Belvidere to Carrie E. Swail, and they have
three children, namely : Louise, aged ten years ; Sidney, aged eight years ;
and Esther, aged six years.
WALTER M. HARVEY.
Walter M. Harvey, a promising young lawyer of Tacoma, and at present
the deputy prosecuting attorney of Pierce county, is the son of Miles M.
Harvey, who was a New' Yorker by birth, and in 1849 rnade the decisive
move of his life by coming by way of the Isthmus of Panama to the gold
fields of California. When he and his companions arrived at Panama they
found they had missed the regular ship for the voyage up the coast, and so
anxious were they to reach the coveted lands that they embarked in a small
sailing vessel, making the journey in safety. While the fever was at its
height he was a miner, but when life in this western country took on a more
settled air, he engaged in the mercantile business in San Francisco, becoming
one of the leading hardware dealers of the city. He resided there contin-
uously until 1868, whn he moved to Albany, Oregon, continuing in the same
line of trade, but he returned to San Francisco in 1873; 'n 1878 he again
came to Albany, but in 1882 became one of the early residents of Tacoma,
for that was an early year in the history of Tacoma. During the remainder
of his life he was a member of the hardware firm of Harvey & Young, which
is now the Tacoma Stove Company. He died in 1898. Mary M. Curtis
was a native of New York, and during her childhood she had known Miles
Harvey ; when she grew to womanhood she came to San Francisco, and
there the two again met and were married. She now lives in Tacoma with
her son.
Walter M. Harvey was born while his parents lived in Albany, Oregon,
on March 3, 1873, and the first nine years of his life were spent in Albany and
San Francisco; he has made Tacoma his home since coming here in 1882.
He has the honor of being the oldest alumnus of the Tacoma high school,
184 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
as well as the first graduate of the Washington College at Tacoma, com-
pleting his course there in 1889. In the following fall he went to the law
department of the University of Michigan, where he received his diploma
in 1892, and on coming back to Tacoma was immediately admitted to the
bar. Since then he has been working his way to the front, and has already
accomplished so much that his future may be predicated with certainty. He
was assistant city attorney for two years, and in January, 190 1, was ap-
pointed deputy prosecuting attorney for Pierce county.
Mr. Harvey was married to Edna B., a daughter of W. H. Remington,
an official of the Northern Pacific Railroad in Tacoma. They have a daugh-
ter Elizabeth and also a little baby. Mr. Harvey is a member of the Union
Club, and is numbered among those who seek the best things for themselves
and their community. His residence is located at 501 North Main street.
MRS. J. M. RUCKER.
Mrs. J. M. Rucker was born in Ohio, January 29, 1830. Her parents,
Moses and Sarah Morris, were pioneers of Ohio ; the father being a min-
ister for more than fifty years. She was married to Wyatt Rucker in 1850;
her husband's father being a minister for more than forty years. To this
union were born seven children, four girls and three boys. The parents
were united in the Baptist church in 1871, and Mrs. Rucker is still a member
of this church.
She moved from Ohio to Tacoma in 1888, and to her present residence
at Everett in 1889, being the pioneer woman resident of Everett. The town-
site at this time was a dense forest, many fir trees more than two hundred
and fifty feet high standing where the best business blocks have since been
erected. There were no roads, and provisions had to be brought in by row-
boat.
It was quite lonesome at first, but the following year, 1890, Mr. F. B.
Friday and William G. Swalwell and family were induced to move here from
Tacoma. Shortly after this Mr. Charles W. Miley and J. H. Mitchell and
others came, so the monotony of living in the forest was broken.
Mrs. Rucker is a life member of the Woman's Book Club, and devotes
much of her time to reading not only the best literature obtainable, but keeps
herself well informed by reading the daily papers and commercial reports.
She came to Everett with her two sons, Wyatt J. and Bethel J. Rucker, who
bought one thousand acres of land, being the present townsite of Everett ;
and to them is due to a very large extent the prosperity and development of
Everett. They donated, in 1891, one-half of their entire real estate holdings
to induce factories to locate in Everett ; and it was through their untiring ef-
forts in common with the Everett Land Company that the fresh water harbor
now being built by the United States government was undertaken, there be-
ing already more than throe hundred and fifty thousand dollars expended on
this improvement. They also promoted ami carried to a successful termina-
tion the deal whereby James J. 11 ill and his associates acquired from John D.
Rockefeller the townsite of Everett, consisting of more than six thousand
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 185
acres of land, and all will agree that Everett has heen made by Mr. Hill.
Rucker Brothers are large owners of real estate in Everett, including
the Monte Cristo Hotel and park adjoining. They are largely interested in
the American National Bank, the Bank of Commerce of Everett and Bank of
Commerce of Coupville, Washington, and control the Everett Terminal Com-
pany. They have also been actively identified with the commercial organiza-
tions of the city.
HON. WILLIAM J. MEADE.
William J. Meade, the second son of Ira G. and Mary Palmer Meade,
was born on his father's farm in the town of Busti, Chautauqua county, New
York, September 5, 1856. He lived with his parents on the farm until the
age of twenty years, at which time he entered the Jamestown Union School
and Collegiate Institute, at Jamestown, New York, pursuing the English
academic course of instruction, and helping himself through school by teach-
ing during the winter months and graduated therefrom June 21, 1878. On
the 22nd day of June in the same year he entered the law office of Judge Orsel
Cook and Clark R. Lockwood as a law student and, clerk on a salary of twenty
dollars per month, and after reading the 'required't-hree years was, on the 4th
day of October, 1 881, at a general term of the supreme court, held at Rochester,
New York, admitted to practice in all the courts of the state.
After being admitted to the bar and taking .a much needed rest for a
period of about six months, he opened a law office in Jamestown and en-
joyed a successful practice for about one year. But this was not the field
where his capabilities could best expand, so he closed out his business and
came direct to Tacoma, arriving in the territory on Independence day and in
the city of Tacoma on the 5th day of July, 1883, a stranger in a strange but
promising land.
Tacoma with a population at that time of less than three thousand was
fully supplied with legal talent, as was also the lumber camps, sawmills and
other branches of industry, and the shingle taken from the door at Jamestown
was carefully laid away for a more favorable opportunity, and he engaged
in whatever employment offered to replenish his practically exhausted finances,
serving as clerk of Tacoma school district and in the several county offices
and in the United States district clerk's office, where he was employed when
he was elected in 1884 by the city council of Tacoma to the office of city
clerk, and so satisfactorily did he perform the duties of this office that he was
re-elected for fiye successive terms.
In politics he is a Democrat, and in 1889, when Washington was made
one of the sisterhood of states, he had the honor of being chosen from Pierce
county to represent the people in the house in the first state legislature, and
thereupon resigned the office of city clerk of Tacoma. At the expiration of
the regular session of the legislature, March 28, 1890, he identified bimself
with the Mason Mortgage Loan Company, as vice president thereof, a financial
institution which, through its active and energetic president, Allen C. Mason,
was one of the prime factors in building up and developing the city of
Tacoma and various sections of the state.
186 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
The city of Tacoma having now reached a population of about 47,000,
the charter under which it was acting proved inadequate to its demands,
and, under an act of the legislature authorizing the election of fifteen free-
holders to prepare and frame a new charter, an election was held for that
purpose June 10, 1890, and Mr. Meade was one of the fifteen members chosen
for this duty, and, owing to his long continued service as clerk and his inti-
mate knowledge of the needs of the financial department of the city, he had
special charge in the preparation of that portion of the charter relating to
the conduct of the office of controller.
With the close of the special session of the legislature, from September
3 to 11, 1890, his public career came to a close, and having been admitted
to practice law in the state, November 19, 1883, he formed a partnership with'
George T. Reid (Reid & Meade), and together they entered the active prac-
tic and are now one of the prominent law firms of Tacoma.
In fraternal circles he is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite and a
Knight Templar Mason and a Noble of Affifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine, of
Tacoma. This brief sketch, while not complete enough for a real biography,
indicates that its subject is a man of prominence and is popular in social and
business circles.
GEORGE D. C. PRUNER.
George DeWitt Clinton Primer, who is serving as the postmaster of
Blaine, was born August 7, 1848, in Bath, Steuben county, New York. His
father, DeWitt Clinton Primer, Sr., was the publisher of the Homesville
Tribune of New York, and died in 1868, at the age of fifty-four years, while
his wife, who bore the maiden name of Ellen Kelly and was a native of the
Empire state, died in the year 1854. In the family were three sons, of whom
our subject is the eldest, his brothers being Alphonso A., a resident of Pigeon,
Michigan, and Gustavus, who was killed while in the railroad service on the
Erie & Pennsylvania line.
In the public schools of Canandaigua, New York, George D. C. Primer
pursued his education to a limited extent, but was enabled to attend school for
only a few months on account of family circumstances. At the age of ten
years he put aside his text books and entered what has been styded the "poor
man's college" — a printing office, being employed on the Canandaigua Times,
with which he was connected for fourteen years, during which period he
gradually worked his way upward, mastering every department of the business.
In the spring of 1872 he went to Racine, Wisconsin, and became city editor
of The Advocate, but filled that position for only a few months. He then
went to Chicago and worked on the Chicago Times as advertising man. This
was the year after the great fire, and he therefore witnessed the rebuilding of
the city. For fourteen years he was connected with the Times, much of the
time being on the reportorial staff, and in 1885 he secured a position in the
office of the Chicago Globe, being on its editorial staff through the succeeding
four years. In 1889 he went to St. Paul as salesman for the Minnesota Type
Foundry, remaining there for six months, and in the spring of 1890 he came
to Washington.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 187
Mr. Pruner first located in Tacoma, working on the Tacoma News, after
which he went to Seattle, where he secured a position on the Telegraph, re-
maining there for about a year. In March, 1892, Mr. Pruner arrived in Blaine
and became editor and proprietor of the Blaine Journal. The publication of
the paper had been discontinued about six months before, but he took charge
and soon placed the enterprise upon a paying basis. He continued to issue the
paper until April, 1902, when he sold out, and his attention has since been
given to official duties. In 1894 he was elected justice of the peace, was re-
elected in 1896 and again in 1898, his term expiring in 1900. He was police
judge for the years 1898-9-1900 and in these judicial positions was strictly
fair and impartial in the discharge of his duties. In 1894 Mr: Pruner was
appointed United States customs broker, acting in that capacity until 1900,
when he was appointed postmaster of Blaine, entering upon the duties of the
office on the 6th of June of that year. In March, 1898, he was appointed
United States district court commissioner for a term of four years, but resigned
after receiving the appointment to his present position.
On the 4th of December, 1897, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Pruner
and Miss Evelyn E. Evans, a native of Oregon and a daughter of William
Evans, one of the pioneer settlers of Lewiston, Idaho. They have one son,
Clinton E., an interesting little lad of four summers. Mrs. Pruner belongs to
the Congregational church, in the work of which she takes an active and helpful
interest. Socially Mr. Pruner is connected with the Knights of Pythias fra-
ternity. His political affiliation is with the Republican party, and he has made
a close and thorough study of its principles, so that he is able to support his
position by intelligent argument. He is county committeeman from the second
ward of Blaine, and he puts forth every effort in his power to secure the suc-
cess of the principles in which he believes. In the discharge of public duties
he has ever been prompt and faithful and in the administration of the business
of the postoffice he is winning the commendation of all concerned. Whatever
success he has achieved is due to his own efforts, for, starting out for himself
at the age of ten, he has since depended upon his own resources.
THOMAS P. FISK.
The above named gentleman, at present a prominent attorney at Shelton,
is one of those who came to Washington shortly after its admission into the
Union as a state, and has shared in its subsequent growth and development.
By activity in connection with the business, fraternal and political life of the
new state Mr. Fisk has, during his residence of twelve years, contributed to
the extent of his ability toward its progress along right lines, and is already
firmly established among the successful professional men. He is descended
from an old English family which, in the person of Thomas Fisk, was repre-
sented in Massachusetts as far back as 1650. A descendant of this emigrant
ancestor and great-grandfather of the Shelton lawyer, was born in Con-
necticut and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Shortly after the
close of hostilities this retired warrior, like so many other of his compatriots,
emigrated toward the west in search of more fertile lands and better oppor-
183 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tunities. He selected as his place of residence a location then wild and un-
known, but which at a later period became widely celebrated through the
'"Leather Stocking" stories of J. Fenimore Cooper. The place of his abode
was on the borders of the beautiful lake Otsego, source of the Susquehanna
river, and near the village subsequently named Cooperstown in honor of the
famous novelist who spent his whole life in this vicinity. Great-grandfather
Fisk was one of the earliest settlers of this interesting place, and came in time
to know all the characters in Cooper's story of "The Pioneer," had they been
real instead of fictitious personages. At a still later period he moved over
into Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, and located at Skinner's Eddy, where
he reared his family and passed the remainder of his days. His son, Samuel
S. Fisk, who was born at the last mentioned place, was a notable character
of his day in the religious circles of his section. A devout Methodist and
pillar in that church for many years, he became known far and wide as a
teacher of singing schools and for his fine voice, which was often heard leading
in the congregational music. Charles W. Fisk, son of this good man, and
noted like his father for the piety and rectitude of his life, was a carpenter
and builder by trade and held the position of class-leader in the Methodist
church for forty years. He married Susan, daughter of Thomas Brown, who
came from Massachusetts and bought in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, a
large tract of land, on which a hamlet grew up that was named Browntown
in honor of the family. Some years after the Civil war the parents removed
to Washington, where the father died at Slielton in 1901, but the mother and
five surviving children are all still residents of the state. Samuel S. is a
farmer in Yakima county ; John P. is in the railroad service at Shelton ; Charles
W. is a farmer in Mason count)-, and Clarence W. has charge of a store be-
longing to McDonnel & O'Neil at New Kamilake.
Thomas P. Fisk, who completes the list of children above enumerated,
was born at Skinner's Eddy, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1862, but in boyhood
removed to Kansas, where he received his education. He finished his classical
course in 1887 by graduation in the Kansas State Normal School at Fort Scott,
but meantime had made some headway in the study of law, which he resumed
with diligence as soon as released from other obligations. In 1888 he was
admitted to the bar at Fort Scott and soon after began practice at Smith
Center, Kansas, where he remained during the three years following. In
1891 he came to Washington and located at Kelso, in the county of Cowlitz,
where he resumed professional work and continued until 1899. In that year
he removed to Seattle and formed a partnership with Judge Piper, but in 1901
opened an office of his own at Shelton, where he has since remained as a
prominent fixture. He is engaged in the general law practice, and is regarded
as one of the successful members of the Washington bar.
Mr. Fisk has been active in politics since his location in Washington,
and has been honored with positions of prominence by the Republican party,
of which he is a devoted adherent. In 1898 he was made chairman of the
Republican state convention, an honor much coveted by ambitious men, and
in the session of the legislature of 1901 was elected secretary of the senate.
Mr. Fisk has attained equally high honors in the fraternities, for which social
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 189
intercourse he has developed especial taste and talent. A past master in
Masonry, he served for two years as chairman of the committee on jurispru-
dence at the session of the grand lodge of the state of Washington. He is a
past master of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and also served five
years as chairman of the committee on jurisprudence in the grand lodge of
that order in the state. The fact that he held these identical positions in two
grand lodges at the same time is mentioned as a coincidence as well as an
honor that is of unusual occurrence. In addition to the fraternities mentioned
Mr. Fisk is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and a regular attendant
at the lodge meetings.
In 1888 Mr. Fisk married Bertha, daughter of Albert Leichardt, who
came from Germany to Kentucky, where his daughter was born. The domestic
circle consists of the parents and five children, whose names are Lea, Bernice,
Elsa, Traverse M. and Charles A. Mr. Fisk has invested in land on Oyster
Bay, and hopes to realize handsome profits in time as the result of the develop-
ment of the oyster-growing industry, which of late has attracted much atten-
tion on the borders of the Sound. Those who know him best will wish him
every success in his venture, both financially and otherwise, in consideration
of his integrity as a lawyer and merits as a citizen, which are generally and
cordially recognized.
AUGUST VAN HOLDERBEKE.
August Van Holderbeke, the state horticultural commissioner, residing
in Tacoma, was born near Ghent, Belgium, in 1862, and comes of an ancestry
honorable and distinguished. The family have resided upon the estate where
our subject was born, nine miles from Ghent, for many years. Mr. Van
Holderbeke acquired an excellent education in the normal university at Ghent,
being a student in the classical department, where he qualified for teaching
in the French and Flemish languages. He engaged in educational work from
1 88 1 until 1887, and in the meantime devoted two days each week to the study
of the science of horticulture in the horticultural department of the National
University at Ghent. In 1887 he entered that department as a permanent
student, and devoted a year to the mastery of the branches which form a
part of the course. He was graduated in 1888 with the highest honors of his
class and with the splendid endorsement of his teacher, Professor Fred Bur-
venich, a noted scholar and horticulturist and the author of many works on
that subject. As is well known, the science of horticulture has reached its
greatest development in Belgium and Holland, and our subject was therefore
particularly fortunate in that his training was received there.
After his graduation he abandoned the work of a teacher and devoted
his energies to horticulture, establishing greenhouses and nurseries in dif-
ferent places in Belgium ; at the same time he was employed by the govern-
ment in giving lectures on horticulture until 1893, when he left his native land
and came to the United States by way of Canada. He went first to Montreal,
after visiting Winnipeg, Calgary and other places in Canada. On the 3rd of
July, 1893, he came to Tacoma, and being pleased with this country and its
190 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
future prospects he decided to become a citizen of the United States, instead
of Canada, and has since made his home here. He immediately engaged in
horticultural work, remaining here for two years, after which he went to the
city of Snohomish in Snohomish county, where he remained for three years.
He then became horticultural inspector for Snohomish county, which position
he filled until April i, 1901, when he was appointed state horticultural com-
missioner by Governor Rogers, and on account of his superior talents and
ability, as testified to in written recommendations from prominent men all
over the state, he was retained when Governor McBride came into office. Cer-
tainly no man of more prominence, ability or learning in this line could be
found for this position, and his services are highly valued by fruit-growers
all over the state. He makes frequent trips to the fruit-growing districts of
Washington to give expert advice and counsel to fruit-growers concerning
the many problems which continually confront them in their work.
In 1900, in Everett, Snohomish county, Mr. Van Holderbeke was united
in marriage to Miss Dumas. He resides at 406 South Tacoma avenue, while
his office is in the Northern Pacific Headquarters building. Faithfulness to
duty and strict adherence to a fixed purpose in life will do more to advance a
man's interests than wealth or advantageous circumstances. The successful
men of to-day are those who have planned their own advancement, and have
overcome obstacles' with a sagacity which has been attained only through their
own efforts. This class of men have a worthy representative in our subject,
who thoroughly mastered the work which he decided to make his life voca-
tion, and who by persistent, capable and untiring energy has steadily advanced
until he has perhaps no superior as a horticulturist on the Pacific coast.
ALEXANDER R. WATSON.
This leading business man and mining expert of Tacoma is the son of
Alexander R. Watson, Sr., and Patience Swanton, both natives of Scotland.
The former emigrated to this country in 1852 and made his home in Chicago
until 1862, when he went to San Francisco, California, whence after a few
years' residence he moved to Santa Barbara, where he lived till his death in
1872. He was a very talented man, was a photographer and also an author,
having been one of the earliest contributors to the Overland Magazine, with
which he had relations for many years. His wife is still living at Santa Bar-
bara, California.
Alexander R. Watson was born to these parents in Chicago in 1861,
but since he was a year old has lived on the Pacific coast. He was educated
in San Francisco and Santa Barbara and was specially diligent in the study of
surveying and civil engineering, so that he is an expert in those branches and
in mining engineering, in 1 88 1 he went to Elko, Nevada, and although he was
only twenty years old was elected county surveyor of Elko county, and some
time later was appointed by E. S. Davis, surveyor general for the state of
Nevada, to the position of deputy United States mineral surveyor. He lived
at Elko three years, and then came to the Puget Sound country, taking up his
residence in Tacoma in January, 1884. where he followed his profession of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 191
surveyor and engineer. At a later date he embarked in the real estate busi-
ness, and within the last two years his brother, Randolph C. Watson, has
come to this city and joined with him in real estate dealing under the name
of Watson & Watson ; this firm now does an excellent business.
But Mr. Watson now gives most of his time and attention to his mining
interests. He is the secretary of the Sure Thing Gold and Copper Mining and
Smelting Company, which has one hundred and forty-five rich gold and copper
claims in the eastern edge of King county, Washington, about fifty miles from
Seattle, in the Cascade range. Mr. Watson was one of the originators of this
company, and six years ago helped locate the claims, since which time he
has been at work on the surveying and engineering problems connected with
the development of the mines, and his maps show that these have been ex-
tensively developed. The enterprise is now past the experimental stage, and
at present twelve men are at work getting out ore at the rate of sixty tons per
day. Within a very short time this output will be increased to from two hun-
dred to six hundred tons, and a smelter will be built, so that it has the pros-
pects of proving one of the most profitable mining industries in that region.
Just before coming to Tacoma Mr. Watson went back to his old home in
Santa Barbara and was married there to Miss Florence Gunterman. Two sons
have been born of this union, Harry T. and Alexander R. Watson, Jr., both
intelligent boys and students in the city high schools. The family reside at
428 St. Helens avenue, and they are all pleasant and most enjoyable persons
to meet.
JUDGE HENRY S. ELLIOTT.
Reared under the influence of forefathers who had been men noted for
learning, prominent at the bench and bar and in public affairs, and filled with
the unquenchable spirit of southern chivalry and military ardor, at the very be-
ginning of life Judge Henry S. Elliott had many advantages that are not the
lot of other men, and right well has he made use of these opportunities, as
the following brief record of his life will show.
Judge Elliott is descended from English and Scotch ancestors who were
early settlers of South Carolina. His great-grandfather, William Elliott, was
a member of Congress and was noted for his devotion to the pursuits of Nim-
rod. Grandfather Stephen Elliott was a native of Beaufort, South Carolina,
and after receiving a liberal education in Harvard University became a min-
ister of the Episcopal church. His son, Stephen Elliott, Jr., was -born in the
same town and was educated at Harvard ; he was a cotton planter and had a
fine plantation. During the Civil war he was a brigadier general in the Con-
federate army, took part in the battle of Port Royal, had command of Fort
Beaugard, and later commanded a battery of artillery along the Carolina
coast; he was in command of James Island near Charleston and of Fort
Sumter, repulsing an attack upon this latter fort; still later, while in command
of a North Carolina regiment before Petersburg, a mine was exploded by the
order of General Grant, and many of the regiment were killed, and he was
himself so severely wounded that he died from the injuries in 1867 at the age
of thirty-six years, when in the prime of a life that would have had a still more
192 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
brilliant future. He had been married to Miss Charlotte Stuart, a lady of
Highland Scotch ancestry ; she survived her husband only two years, passing
away in 1869. They were members of the Episcopal church; the family had
been in that faith for over a century, and two members had been Episcopal
bishops. Two sons were born to them, the Judge and a brother named
Charles P., who was a captain in the United States army, but is now retired
owing to disability received in the war with the Apache Indians.
Henry S. Elliott came into the world in the city of Beaufort, South Caro-
lina, on the 27th of March, 1858, and was. therefore, but nine years of age
when he was bereft of his father, being then reared and educated in the family
of his grandfather. His higher training was received in the Columbia Univer-
sity, and in 1879 he graduated in the law school of that institution. He then
removed to South Carolina and was for some time in the office of his uncle,
William Elliott, a lawyer of note. He was admitted to the bar in 1880, and
two years later went west and took up his residence in Buffalo, Wyoming,
where he opened an office. In the fall of 1882 he was chosen prosecuting
attorney of Johnson county and successfully discharged the duties of this
position for two terms ; he then continued his practice for ten years and was
again elected prosecuting attorney. He was made a member of the con-
stitutional convention, and although in the minority party was elected tem-
porary chairman of the convention. After this he was the candidate of the
Democratic party for justice of the supreme court, but with the rest of his
ticket failed of election.
In 189 1 Mr. Elliott came to Centralia, Lewis county, Washington, and,
after spending part of a year there, he removed to Chehalis, where he has since
resided and followed his profession. He has always been an ardent adherent
of the Democratic party, and his election to office in Republican centers shows
the influence of his strong personality and his eminent fitness for the repre-
sentative of the people. In 1896 he was elected judge of the superior court in
a very strong Republican district, and he served in that honorable position
for four years; in 1900 he was renominated by his party, but failed of election
by the narrow margin of sixty-three votes, the usual Republican majority
being fifteen hundred. While not serving on the bench Judge Elliott has been
very active in the interests of his party, being a very effective stump speaker.
In 1884 the Judge was married to Miss Mary H. Erhart, a native of the
state of Ohio and from a Pennsylvania Dutch family, who were early settlers
of the latter state; she was the daughter of John Erhart, now in Wyoming.
Six sons have been born of this marriage: Henry S., Jr., Clarence B., John
H., Charles P., Ralph M. and Robert B. They have a nice home in Chehalis
and are held in high regard in society- In the Masonic fraternity Mr. Elliott
is past high priest of the chapter and past master of the blue lodge. He and
his wife are valued members of the Episcopal church.
GENERAL LUTHER P. BRADLEY.
General Bradley is one of the most highly respected citizens of Tacoma
and one of the few remaining generals of the great Civil war, and he is now
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 193
spending the evening of a life which has been (leveled to the service of his
country in a delightful home on Prospect Hill, in the lovely city of Tacoma.
From both his father and mother he is descended from old New England
ancestry, and the Bradley family was founded in this country in 1650. The
progenitor of the Prentis family was a trooper in Cromwell's army, and was
from Essex, England. He came to the new world in 1640. and made himself
famous as an Indian fighter in the early history of the country. The paternal
grandfather of our subject, Phineas Bradley, was a merchant and farmer
in New Haven, Connecticut, and served as captain of artillery in the colonial
army during the Revolutionary war, while the maternal grandfather, also
from New Haven, was a captain of infantry for the colonies during the
same memorable struggle, and General Bradley, is fortunate enough to have
the diploma of the order of Cincinnati of this illustrious grandsire in his pos-
session. Luther Bradley, the father of the general, was born in New Haven,
Connecticut, followed merchandising as his life occupation and was a valued
member of the Congregational church. He married Miss Nancy Prentis, of
Stonington, Connecticut, and his death occurred when he had reached his
fifty-eighth year, while his wife attained the good old age of eighty-eight
years.
General Bradley, the youngest <>f his parents' thirteen children, and the
only one of this numerouV family now living, also claims the Charter Oak
state as the place of his nativity, his birth occurring in New Haven on the
22d of December, 1822, He received his education in the public schools of
his native city, and was engaged in the selling of books until September 15,
1861, when, in answer to President-Lincoln's call for volunteers to aid in the
preservation of the Union-, he offered his services to his country and was
commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Fifty-first Illinois Infantry, receiving
his command from the governor of Illinois. He became a member of the
Army of the Cumberland, and served in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Ala-
bama and Missouri. In 1862, for meritorious service on the field of battle,
he was promoted to the position of colonel, and still higher honors awaited
him, for in 1864, he was made a brigadier general and participated in all the
campaigns with the Army of the Cumberland. He was wounded in the hip
and right arm by a rifle ball at the battle of Chickamauga, and at Springhill,
Tennessee, received a gunshot wound in the left shoulder. General Bradley
served his country bravely until the war was ended, and in 1866 he was ap-
pointed lieutenant colonel of the regular army, while later, in T879, was com-
missioned a colonel, and in that capacity served in the Indian wars in North
Montana, Dakota, Arizona and New Mexico. Continuing in active service
until December, 1886, he was then, on account of his age, retired from active
duty. His has been a long and active career in the cause of his country, but
he is now living quietly in his pleasant home in Tacoma, and none know him
save to wish him well.
In 1868 General Bradley was united in marriage to Miss lone Dewey,
of Chicago. She is descended from the same family of which Admiral Dewey
is a member. They have two sons, William D.. an architect in Boston, and
Robert P., engaged in the manufacture of line clay brick in Tacoma. The
General and Mrs. Bradley are Unitarians in their religions belief, and he
13*
!94 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
is one of the directors of the Historical Society of Washington and a mem-
ber of the Loyal Legion.
CHRISTIAN O. GINGRICH.
There is always a spirit of dashing enterprise and progress about the
business men of the west which is the more admirable when we consider what
they have accomplished in such a short time in the new and undeveloped
country beyond the Rockies. This air seems to pervade and act as one of the
causes of the success of the extensive grocery establishment of C. O. Gingrich,
who is undoubtedly the leader in this line of business in Lewis county, and
owns a store which is an honor both to himself and the city. How much
of this success is due to the sturdy German blood which runs in his veins,
or to the western enthusiasm, or to his own inherent character, is not to be
determined in this brief sketch, but it is enough to state that Mr. Gingrich has
won more than moderate success in his enterprises, and has certainly deserved
what he has gained.
The first of the family to come to America was grandfather Gingrich,
who located in Virginia, and his son Peter was born to him there. The latter
married Margaret Swatsontumber, who was a native of Germany. Peter
Gingrich lived to be ninety-one years old and passed away in 1901, but his
estimable wife still survives and makes her home in Michigan, having reached
the age of eighty-eight years. Both of these worthy people were members of
the Mennonite church. Eight of the ten children of these parents are now
living, and two brothers and a sister reside in the state of Washington.
Christian Otto Gingrich was born in Reed City, Michigan, on March 9,
1862, and as his father was a farmer, his youth alternated between the neigh-
boring schoolhouse and the duties of the home place. He decided that he would
adopt some other pursuit than that of his father, and accordingly began his
career by engaging in the hotel business. He went west to Taconia in 1888
and in 1889 came to Chehalis. He ran the Chehalis House, which was the
first hotel in the city, and in this way he got his financial start. After two
years spent in the capacity of landlord, he made the beginnings of his present
large grocery house. The first stock that he carried was valued at only about
$3,500, but he paid close attention to business, was liberal in his methods, and
knew how to win customers, and the result is that he now has stock valued at
$18,000. In 1895 lie erected a fine brick structure in the very heart of the
business district, with ample accommodations for all his trade. The store is
twenty-five by one hundred and twenty feet and runs clear through, so that
one entrance is on Market street and the other on Pacific avenue. There is
also a large warehouse which is twenty-five by one hundred feet. Besides his
extensive retail trade, Mr. Gingrich wholesales goods to the smaller towns
and maintains a branch store at Centralia. It is easy to see, therefore, that
he stands at the head in his line and is looked upon as one of the powers in
the business circles of Lewis county. He holds stock and is one of the direc-
tors in the Chehalis Fir Door Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Gingrich has a nice home in Chehalis and has been married about
live years, having been united in 1898 to Miss Edith Jackson; she is Canadian
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 195
born, but was reared and educated in Centralia, and her father, S. K. Jack-
son, resides in that place. The son born to them has been named Harold.
Mr. Gingrich also finds time outside of business to attend to social matters,
•and is very prominent in the fraternal organizations, being a member of the
Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient
Order of United Workmen, the Eastern Star, the Degree of Honor, the
Women of Woodcraft ; in politics he is a stanch Democrat.
D. D CALKINS.
D. D. Calkins, of Tacoma, is well known as a mining operator of the
northwest, and his business interests in the development of the rich mineral
resources of this portion of the continent and his labors in reclaiming arid
land through irrigation have proved of the greatest value to this section of
the country, as well as a source of profit to himself. He is a representative of
that class of men whose labors have led to the wonderful development of the
Sound country, men with ability to see in unsettled and apparently waste
places of the world the opportunity for improvement, and who utilize this
opportunity in a way that advances civilization as well as individual profit.
Mr. (.alkins is a native of Valparaiso, Indiana, born in 1869, a son of the
Hon. William H. and Hattie (Holton) Calkins. The father was born Febru-
ary 18, 1842, in Pike county, Ohio, and in 1853 accompanied his father's
family to Indiana, where through the succeeding three years he worked upon
his father's farm. In 1856, when his father was elected county auditor, he
became his deputy, acting in that capacity for two years, and in the spring of
1861 he was the city editor and bookkeeper of the Indiana Dail\< Courier,
published at Lafayette. His leisure hours during this period were devoted
to the study of law. At the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted as a
private in the company commanded by Captain J. W. Templeton, of Benton
county, Indiana. This company was intended for the three months' service,
but the quota being filled it was transferred to the state service for one year
and temporarily attached to the Fifteenth Indiana Regiment, and the following
August it was disbanded. Mr. Calkins then went to Iowa and assisted in
raising a company in Jones county, that state, so that in 1861 he entered the
three years' service as a first lieutenant- of Company H. Fourteenth Iowa In-
fantry. Pie fought at Forts Henry and Donelson and at the battle of Shiloh,
and at the close of the first day's engagement at Shiloh the remnant of his
regiment surrendered, and he, with other officers, was taken a prisoner. He
was confined at Macon and Madison, Georgia, and in Libby prison, and in
October, 1862, was paroled. After his release he joined his regiment and was
ordered to Springfield. Missouri, to repel the invasion of the Confederate
General Marmaduke. He was then sent to Cairo, Illinois, and later to Pa-
ducah, Kentucky, where in 1863 he left his regiment with his health seriously
impaired because of imprisonment and exposure. He re-entered the army in
October, 1863. and was temporarily assigned to the One Hundred and Twenty-
eighth Indiana Infantry, then being recruited. In February, 1864, he was
promoted to the rank of major of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry, with which
he remained until mustered out of service, in December, 1865, commanding
196 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
it more than half the time during active service. At the close of the war he
was brevetted lieutenant colonel for meritorious service.
On the 20th of June, 1864, Colonel Calkins was married to Miss Hattie
S. Holton, a native of Rush county, Indiana, and in December, 1865, he re-
turned to Valparaiso, Indiana, to which place his father had in the meantime
removed, and there he immediately entered upon the practice of law, wherein
he was destined to rise to prominence. In October, 1866, he was elected
prosecuting attorney of the district composed of nine of the northwestern
counties of the state, and served to the entire satisfaction of his constituents,
as was evinced by the fact that he was re-elected in 1868. In 1870 he was a
member of the Forty-seventh general assembly from Porter county, and in
May, 1S71, he removed to Laporte, Indiana, where he entered upon the prac-
tice of his profession with Judge Osborn. In 1874 he was nominated for Con-
gress by the Republicans, but was defeated by Dr. Hammond, of Monticello.
In 1876 he was again nominated and was elected by eleven hundred votes over
his old competitor, and was re-elected in 1878. In 1880 he was re-elected
from the thirteenth congressional district, and was re-elected from the same
district in 188 J. At the Republican state convention in June, 1S84, the year
of Blaine's defeat, he was nominated for governor of Indiana, but was de-
feated by Isaac P. Gray at the ensuing election, the total vote being five hundred
and fifty thousand. He continued in the practice of law in Indianapolis until
February, 1880, when he removed to Tacoma, and here his superior legal
attainments won him distinguished judicial honors. In April, 1889, he was
appointed by President Harrison one of the four supreme judges of the ter-
ritory of Washington, which position he filled until the admission of Wash-
ington into the Union. He then resumed the practice of law in Tacoma, and
in 1891 was a candidate for United States senator, but was defeated by Walter
C. Squire, of Seattle. His attention was then devoted to an important law
practice in Tacoma until his death, which occurred in 1894. His widow is still
living in Tacoma
During most of Colonel Calkins' congressional career the family resided
in Washington, and for one year of that time D. D. Calkins was a student in
the Chester Military Academy, at Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1884, when
fifteen years of age, he went to North Dakota and lived on a ranch for fifteen
months and then, returning to Indianapolis, where his father was engaged in
the practice of law, he attended the high school there until 1888, when he
received from the government an appointment to the position of assistant
topographer in the geographical survey, which work' took him to Montana,
where he remained for several months. Again locating in Indianapolis, he
there remained until the fall of 1889, when he came to Tacoma, and since
that time he has been engaged largely in mining and irrigation enterprises
in the northwestern coast country, in which two branches of development he
has had probably as much experience and is as well informed as any man in
this section (if the country. His operations in these directions have been
conducted in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia, during which
time he has made his headquarters in Tacoma. For two and a half years
he had charge of the big irrigation plant and development work at Prosser,
Washington, and at the present time his largest interests are in gold, silver
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 197
and copper mining properties on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where
he has valuable possessions. His office, however, is at No. 508 National
Bank of Commerce building in Tacoma.
In June, 1897, in Salem, Oregon, Mr. Calkins was united in marriage
to Miss Adelaide Rogers, a native of Indiana, and in the social circles of this
city they hold an enviable position, the hospitality of Tacoma's best homes
being extended to them. Their own pleasant residence is at iiio North
Ninth street. The name of Mr. Calkins has become well known in the north-
west as that of a promoter, whose labors have been effective and beneficial
in the development of the great material resources of this, portion of die
country, and with firm faith in the future of this section he is demonstrating
its possibilities and giving proof of its splendid business opportunities.
CHESTER THORNE.
That little hamlet in Dutchess county, New York, which bears the
name of Thorndale received its name from the fact that the family estate
of the Thornes has been there since 1700, and this land is still in the possession
of the descendants of that original household. This is also an evidence of
the antiquity, from the American standpoint, of the family's residence in
this country, whither they were emigrants from England. In one of the
more recent generations was Edwin Thorne, who was a native and life-long
resident of New York city, where he was a prominent financier and capitalist,
a director in the American Exchange Bank, and he died there in 1887. His
wife was Charlotte Pearsall, who also lived and died in New York city.
Chester Thorne was born to these parents on November 11, 1863. He
was a student in Yale College and was graduated in 1884, having made a
specialty of civil engineering. He then came west and secured a position
in the engineering department of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and for the
next three or four years was engaged in that work in Missouri. Kansas and
Nebraska. And it was during this period that he was fortunate enough to
win the personal friendship of that great railroad manager and exploiter,
H. M. Hoxie, first vice president and general manager of the Missouri Pa-
cific, and at least one of the results of these confidential relations was the
marriage in 1886 in New York of Mr. Thorne to Miss Annie Hoxie, a niece
of the railroad magnate.
In 1890 Mr. Thorne came to Tacoma with the intention of making it
his permanent home if it suited him, as it did, and his first importanl invest-
ment was in stock of the National Bank of Commerce. But be did not take-
much part in that institution's affairs until January 1, 1893, when he was
elected its president, which is his present position, and he is now the principal
stockholder. The National Bank of Commerce is the leading bank in Ta-
coma; it was organized August 25, 1887, and its capital stock is two hundred
thousand dollars, with a surplus of about one hundred thousand, and de-
posits of almost two million dollars. Mr. Thorne has, since [893, devoted
the greater part of his time and energy to the interests of this institution,
but his other financial interests in Tacoma and vicinity are large, and he has
invested large sums for the purpose of building up the city. lie is a member
198 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of the Chamber of Commerce and the Union Club, and he and his wife are
prominent in society. They have one little girl named Anna.
THOMAS H. WILKINS.
Thomas H. Wilkins, president of the California Mining Company, of
Taconia, was born in England, near the city of London, in 1S51, and is a son
of Henry and Amelia (Hill-Hatfield) Wilkins, both now deceased. The
Hatfield family was an old and distinguished one, belonging to the aristocracy
of England, and the mother of our subject had in her possession their coat
of arms. When but a young boy Thomas H. was deprived by death of a
father's care and protection, and, although his older brothers had received
college educations, the family at that time was in somewhat straitened cir-
cumstances, and our subject accordingly decided to see something of the
world on his own account and made his way to London. While in that city
he became a choir boy in one of its cathedrals, and he also sang in the Crystal
Palace. Through employment with mercantile establishments in London
he secured a good business education, and when still a young man was made
steward on a trans-Atlantic steamship, on which he made several trips, and
later, in 1872, decided to make his future home in the United States. Ar-
riving here, he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, which occupation
he followed in New York, Cincinnati, Kansas and Nebraska, and in 1874
he made his way to Arizona and embarked in business in Prescott, thus con-
tinuing for a period of about one year. Returning thence to the Sunflower
state, Mr. Wilkins took up his abode in Dodge City, where he conducted a
meat market, and was in business there during the strenuous frontier times
for which that place was formerly noted. From Dodge City he made his
way to Silver Cliff, Colorado, and in that place and the neighboring mining
regions he obtained that complete experience in the mining business that has
since enabled him to win such a high degree of success. He passed through
every branch of the industry, as a miner, timberman, ore-sorter, foreman,
superintendent, general manager and mine-owner, and also worked in the
assay office, in the smelter and concentrator, so that in addition to his experi-
ence in the mines he obtained a thorough scientific knowledge of metals and
of geological formations. After making a decided success in the mining
business, Mr. Wilkins was induced to abandon the occupation and invest a
large sum of money in a patent medicine business at Denver, which was con-
ducted on a large scale, but this proved a financial failure, and Mr. Wilkins
saw the accumulations of years of honest toil and endeavor swept from
him. With undaunted courage, however, he set about to retrieve his lost
fortune, and, learning the trade of carpentering, he worked successfully at
that occupation in Colorado for day's wages, finally becoming a contractor.
Coming to Tacoma in 1889, he embarked in that business in this city during
its "boom" days, and it has ever since continued to lie his home. After the
panic subsided he decided to return to the mining business, in which he has
met with an unusual degree of success, resulting, however, from his expert
knowledge of the business in all its details. During the passing years he
has developed a number of valuable gold properties on the Pacific coast, but
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 199
at the present time His interests are centered principally with the California
Mining Company, of which he is the president and principal owner. The
mines of this company, which are located at Shady Run, Placer county,
Colorado, were supposedly worked out by a company which operated them
twenty years ago and then discontinued as of no further value. On ex-
amining the property Mr. Wilkins discovered that their great wealth had
not yet been touched, and he accordingly purchased the property. The old
dump, which ran through the smelter, produced gold to the value of fourteen
dollars to the ton. On the property there is both placer and quartz mining,
they having two hundred solid feet of quartz which will keep a three hundred
stamp mill busy for about five years to come.
In the city of Rosita, Colorado, Mr. Wilkins was united in marriage to
Miss Rose B. Latta, and they have become the parents of three daughters,
Rosita Fern, Alice Irene and Nellie Leola. The eldest, although but eight
years of age, is an accomplished musician, and is often called upon to per-
form on the violin in churches and on other public occasions. Mr. Wilkins
also spends much of his leisure time in cultivating his musical tastes, being
a tenor soloist, and he is the composer of a number of choice selections, while
for a time he was chorister of the First Methodist church of Tacoma. The
family reside in an attractive and commodious residence at 3106 North
Twenty-fourth street, and both Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins are members of the
Mason Methodist church.
MARION G. DENTON.
Deeply engraved on the pages of pioneer history of Pierce county is
the name of Marion G. Denton, for he was among the first to locate within
its borders, and during his long residence in this section of the state he has
borne an important part in the substantial development and material progress
of the county. He was born in Sherwood, Branch county, Michigan, in
1847, an(l is a son °f J- W. and Mary L. (Gilbert) Denton. The father,
who was a native of Vermont, was for many years employed as a druggist.
Some time in the thirties he emigrated to Michigan, taking up his abode in
Sherwood, but in 1848 he removed his family to Rock Island, Illinois,
and from there, in 1856, to St. Charles, Minnesota, where he was numbered
among the early pioneers, having been one of the first to take up government
homesteads in that region. On account of ill health he had been obliged to
abandon the drug trade, and afterward gave his attention to agricultural pur-
suits. He continued to make his home in Minnesota during the remainder
of his life, and was well known as a prosperous and progressive citizen. The
mother of our subject, who was born in one of the New England states, de-
parted this life in Rochester, Minnesota.
Marion G. Denton was just one year old when the family left Michigan,
and after their removal to Minnesota he returned to Illinois to attend school.
About the close of the Civil war, in 1865, he could not longer resist the temp-
tation to enter the conflict, and. returning to Rochester, Minnesota, enlisted
for service in March, 1865, becoming a member of Company H, First Min-
nesota Infantry. His field of operation was Virginia, and in the following
200 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
July he returned to Minnesota and was mustered out at Fort Snelling. He
was the youngest member of his regiment. After his return from the army
Mr. Denton located at Rochester, Minnesota, which continued as the scene
of his activities for the succeeding twenty years, on the expiration of which
period he came to the Sound country and remained in the then new town of
Tacoma until the latter part of that year, when he returned to the east. Com-
ing again to the Evergreen state in 1884, he made a number of investments
and business deals and then returned to his Minnesota home to close his finan-
cial interests there, after which, in 1888, he came to Tacoma to take up his
permanent abode. He entered at once into the business activity of the place
and became a promoter of large real estate and mining propositions in Ta-
coma and throughout the Sound region. He organized and was president
of the Washington Land and Improvement Company, which purchased large
tracts of land and started the town of Centralia on its upward course, the
development work done by them there having been the means of increasing
its population from seven hundred to four thousand in a short time. They
also were the means of having the railroad built from Centralia west to Gray's
Harbor, while in 1884 Mr. Denton was one of the promoters of the Tacoma
Coal & Coke Company, one of the first companies to begin developing the
now extensive coal interests of Pierce county. This corporation opened
mines and established coke ovens, the first in the state, at Wilkeson, which
are still in active and successful operation, and he has also been largely in-
terested in gold and silver mines. His greatest, efforts, however, have been
centered in Tacoma, where during the " boom " days he owned much prop-
erty, but the panic of 1893 swept from him the accumulations of many years
of hard and incessant toil. He platted and placed on the market the Smith &
Denton addition to Tacoma, now almost in the heart of the city, and has been
a member of the Chamber of Commerce from its early days, while in 1893 he
served as its secretary.
The marriage of Mr. Denton was celebrated in April, 1888, at Rochester,
Minnesota, when Miss Mary H. Evans became his wife, and they have two
sons, Pierre E. and Gilbert. The family have a -wide acquaintance through-
out this section of the state, and their many noble characteristics have won
for them the warm regard of a large circle of friends.
HON. FRANK R. BAKER.
Talent is a product of neither some special locality nor of a definite
period of time, and the classic common of Boston is no more the abiding plac«
of genius than the distant pine-covered regions beyond the Rockies. Ancf
the truth of the couplet seems ever more apparent that " some must follow
and some command, though all are made of clay." Whether the spring of
power in the Hon. Frank R. Baker had its origin in those who have pre-
ceded him, or is the product of his own nature and character, there is no
doubt but that he owes much to the parents who gave the proper direction
to his mental proclivities and gave him a training where his tastes might
have free development.
Hiram Baker was born in the state of Ohio and came west to Iowa about
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 201
1850, where he located in Bentonsport. and this has been the family home for
the last half-century. He was an energetic business man, and most of his
active career was spent as a shoe merchant. He has also been a prominent
man in local affairs, and was a member of the city council for fourteen years :
he finally refused to hold the office longer, and his eldest son was elected
in his place. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Hammond, was a
native of Ohio and is now deceased.
The son, Frank R., was born in Bentonsport, Van Buren county, Iowa,
on November 11, 1862. During his public school training he was a hard
student, and thus early began thinking of the more serious problems of life.
His literary education was cut short, however, at the age of sixteen, when
he left home and went to the northwestern part of Kansas, where he remained
nearly two years, until 1879. On his return to Iowa he became a clerk in
a store at Ottumwa, but in 1886 he went to southern California and obtained
a fine position in San Diego county as superintendent of a magnificent fruit
ranch of seventeen hundred acres, an ideal place at the foot of the mountains.
But it was in 1889 that he made the move that he will ever regard as " the
important decision of his life," when he came to Tacoma, which he has made
his home ever since. At first he. . worked a| the carpenter's trade, but early in
1892 he became concerned in parties', Vi'n/l for_ the next six years was one of
the most prominent Fusionist-'sMh' the northwest. He is a man of ready
mother-wit, a gifted speaker, " full of figures," and having the ability to
mingle freely with men and influence them to his way of thinking. These
qualities gave him much local celebrity, and; he was chairman and secretary
of so many committees and conventions, precinct, county and state, that he
had little time for anything else. In 1892 he was elected a member of the
state legislature, was returned in 1894 and again in 1896. While in that body
he was not merely drawing his salary, but served on various committees and
was helpful in promoting beneficial legislation. One of his most commend-
able acts was in preserving the State Historical Society from bankruptcy and
dissolution by having an appropriation passed for its maintenance.
For three years Mr. Baker was the owner and editor of the Tacoma
Sun, and in this work showed remarkable ability as a literary man and a
manager. In 1900 he was a delegate to the national editorial convention
at New Orleans. Mr. Baker's argumentative and logical mind and his talent
for forensic contests inclined him to the study of law, in which field he could
find a better opportunity to display these powers. Accordingly, he had been
devoting his leisure time to this subject while he was in the newspaper busi-
ness, and on August 13, 1900, was admitted to the bar at Tacoma. He has
always made a reputation as a lawyer and enjoys a good practice. His
tenacious memory and his desire to investigate to the bottom of a matter
have given him a great advantage, and his power as a pleader before the
jury has often so impressed his hearers that he has then and there won clients.
But he has not neglected his literary propensities, and his productions often
appear in the local press. His ability as a poet is shown in his well remem-
bered poems, entitled " McKinley's Farewell " and " Anarchy,'' which were
published in the Tacoma Ledger.
Mr. Baker has been married twice. His first wife was Catharine Cul-
202 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
len, to whom he was married in Ottumwa, Iowa, in 1884, and the children,
Lena, Harry and Robert, are of this marriage. The second marriage was
celebrated in Tacoma, January 11, 1893, to Miss Jennette Miller, who has
become the mother of a boy, Rinaldo. Robert is his father's especial pride,
for he seems to have inherited the literary accomplishments of his father and
he is achieving a local reputation as a poet and speaker. He is a very pre-
cocious youth, and since he was able to read has been a student of the an-
cient and modern classics, during the last two years having been the author
of much poetry of high merit. He is also in great demand because of his
powers as an elocutionist, and the range of his versatile genius is from the
grave to the gay. But with this all, he is a manly young fellow, a fine athlete
and an enthusiastic member of the high school football team.
Mr. Baker is consul of Camp 288, Woodmen of the World, and is also
prominent in the Improved Order of Red Men. At his home, which is at
1922 South Yakima avenue, he has a fine library and everything indicative
of the scholar; his business office is at 505-506 in the National Bank of Com-
merce building.
MALCOLM E. GUNSTON.
The Malcolm E. Gunston Company, real estate, loan and insurance,
in Tacoma, is one of the largest and most important of its kind in the city,
and its annual transactions foot up to a very large total. It represents some
of the largest insurance companies, and the integrity and financial standing
of the members insure absolute confidence from investors in their representa-
tions. The offices of the company are at 210-213 Berlin building. The
principal member of the firm and the owner of most of the business is Mal-
colm E. Gunston, who has been identified with Tacoma's business interests
for twelve years. He is English born, and is the son of Edwin and Chris-
tina (Geddes) Gunston, both natives of England. The former was a retail
and wholesale provision merchant in London, and was very successful, re-
tiring in 1896 with ample means. He died in 1899, while his wife's death
occurred in 1888.
The birth of Malcolm E. Gunston took place in London, January 27,
1867, and after he had acquired a fair educational training he entered an
auctioneering and estate agent's office, learning what is in this country the
business of real estate, finance and insurance. He was there until he was
twenty years old, when he decided to better his lot by coming to America.
He was located in New York city and in Connecticut for a while, but in
1890 came to Tacoma, Washington, by way of the Isthmus, and he has been
in his special line of business here ever since. He was first a member of
the firm of Taylor, Gunston and Barber, afterward Pritchard, Taylor and
Gunston, until he became the principal partner and established the present
company.
In 1891 Mr. Gunston was married to Miss Marie Estella La Freniere,
and they have five children : Malcolm Dudley, Estella Christina, Virginia
Grace, George Tilley and Gladys Marie. They reside at 19 12 North Pros-
pect avenue and are highly regarded members of society. He is a member
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 203
of the Chamber of Commerce, the Union Club, and the Trinity Episcopal
church.
HEZEKIAH S. OWEN.
Men with lives of almost dramatic interest are so common in this new
land of America that their Argonautic ventures in the avenues of trade and
commercial enterprise have ceased to attract attention, but in a few hundred
years, when the surging floodtide of rushing business activity, refluent, leaves
the world in calm and steady progress, the writer of romance, casting about
in the past for a theme of brilliant interest, will no longer seize upon the
plumed knight and braggart warrior but upon the " captains of industry "
of the present age, men who build enterprises of colossal strength, command
larger forces of men than a Napoleon, and manipulate the instruments of
commerce for the advancement of civilization at a rate before unknown.
It is to a career which abounds in striking moves in the business world, with
many ups and downs and ins and outs, that the attention of the reader is
directed in this brief biography of the president of the Yreka Copper Com-
pany of Tacoma, one of the largest and most important mining enterprises
of the west.
The career of this gentleman begins back in the old Pine Tree state of
Maine, where his parents were native and lived and died. Arnee F. Owen
was born in Albion, Maine, and was a Quaker in religious belief and by
trade a cabinet-maker, being one of the foremost men in the •community.
His wife was Julia Stratton, who was born and reared in the same place
as her husband and was the most beautiful woman in the country around.
She died in Maine about 1875, and ner husband passed away five years later.
Hezekiah S. Owen was born to these worthy parents in Clinton, Kenne-
bec county, Maine, January 9, 1840. While attending the excellent village
schools and the academy of the place he was also engaged in acquiring a
knowledge of his father's trade, and he followed that pursuit until he was
twenty-one years old. Then the Civil war came on, and in December, 1861,
he enlisted in Company C. Fifteenth Maine Infantry. During the first winter
the regiment was encamped in tents at Augusta, but early in the spring went
south, where it saw its first active service. But Mr. Owen's hardest warfare
began when his regiment, under General Butler and Admiral Farragut, made
their advance on New Orleans, which resulted in the capture and occupation
of that city, where Mr. Owen was located for some time. Later under Gen-
eral Banks he was in some dangerous service in the Red River campaign,
and on into Texas and the Rio Grande district, and while here his term of
enlistment expired and he at once re-enlisted fur the end of the war. He was
in all the engagements of his regiment, never received a wound, and at the
close of the war was mustered out at New York city, with a record of service
for four years, eight months and eleven days.
Mr. Owen returned home and was married, after which he settled down
at Presque Island, Maine, for a year, and then went to Hallowed, where
he was a contractor and builder for many years. He was successful here, but
was constantly on the lookout for better fields, and when in 1879 the boom
204 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
in Leadville, Colorado, began, he went to that city and soon had twenty-five
or thirty men working under him as a contractor and builder. After a year
he also became interested in mining, and not only gained thereby a thorough
knowledge of such operations but made a success of his ventures in a financial
way. He continued both lines of business with profit to himself for five
years, but his health was impaired because of the high altitude, and on tbe
advice of his physician he went to San Francisco, where he remained two
months. While here he heard of the possibilities of the Puget Sound country,
and on coming here on a tour of inspection was so favorably impressed with
the site of Tacoma that he decided to remain. As this was in 1884 and Ta-
coma was then only a small village but with a bright future, Mr. Owen may
well be termed one of the " old timers."
On his arrival in Tacoma he at once embarked in his regular trade, and
soon after obtained the contract for the erection of the government buildings
on the Puyallup Indian reservation. In a few months he opened a job shop
and picture frame store on Commerce street, but at the end of a year he met
with the first of his misfortunes which seemed to pursue him like an angry
fate. His building and stock were a total loss by fire, but he at once moved
up to Tacoma avenue and started a new store, which later grew into the
leading art emporium of Tacoma. This was a prosperous venture, but Mr.
Owen was always thinking of new enterprises, and so he added to his busi-
ness by starting the " New England Dining Room," on C street with a seat-
ing capacity of thirty persons, but at the end of a month be had enlarged his
quarters and was serving five hundred persons a day and clearing one thou-
sand dollars a month. But in a few months he was again visited by fire,
everything being lost. Having had such good success, however, he opened a
fine lunch counter in a new building at the corner of D and Eleventh streets,
but in 1892 he sold out, retaining only his art store. He soon afterward
started another lunch counter on Commerce street, which paid him the first
year five thousand dollars in profits ; he next had a regular restaurant on
Pacific avenue near Thirteenth street, which he sold at a large profit after
conducting for six months. In the meantime, while occupying apartments
at the St. James Hotel, he and his wife barely escaped with their lives from
their third fire. About this time he sold both his restaurant and art store at
a profit, and then decided to take a surburban home at Steilacoom and enjoy
a needed rest, but he had been there only a short time when the fiery fiend
destroyed his property for the fourth time in four years, surely a record in
this kind of misfortune, of which, however, he does not care to boast. He
returned to the city and opened a restaurant opposite the Northern Pacific
depot, which he ran for six weeks, when he received a good offer and sold.
Altogether Mr. Owen has established six different restaurants in Tacoma,
and so successfully has he been in their conduct and management that he has
been approached with good offers to sell.
After disposing of this last business he and his wife went to California
to recuperate their health, but so full of restless energy is Mr. Owen that he
had been in San Jose but a short time before he was found in the conduct
of a restaurant, from which he cleared five thousand dollars in a short period.
Returning to Tacoma in 1896, he went into the restaurant business on C
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 205
street, opposite where the Fidelity building now stands, and at the same
time opened a real estate and mining broker's office over the Northern Pacific
ticket office. He was so successful in the latter venture that in 1898 he
sold out his restaurant, and since then has been buying and selling principally
mining stocks, being an officer in a number of different companies.
In October, 1901, Mr. Owen, with Mr. S. T. Lewis, purchased the claims
of the Yreka Copper Company on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and
it is here that he has laid the basis for a great enterprise, and one which
will prove of immense profit not only to the immediate owners but to all the
industrial development of the west. He is president and the largest individual
stockholder in the company. In March, 1902, they added sixteen more
claims, comprising what is known as the " upper " property, which contains
the most valuable and available ore. All the stock of the company is now
taken up and is worth two or three times its par value. Besides the copper
there is enough gold and silver in the ore to pay operating expenses, and the
mines are so near deep water that a short tramway is all that is necessary
to convey the ore to the company's ships; about two hundred and fifty tons
are shipped daily, and there are millions of paying deposits in sight, the ore
being quarried like rock. Arrangements have been made to build a smelter
on the spot with a capacity of five hundred tons per day, and everything is
being done to make this colossal property an enterprise second to none in
the west. Mining experts from other mining syndicates have examined the
deposits, and flattering offers have been made for the property, the representa-
tive of a Berlin company having offered five million dollars. The capital
stock of the company is now two million dollars.
Mr. Owen owns twenty lots in Tacoma, and is going to build one of the
beautiful homes of that city. He is a member of Custer Post, Grand Army
of the Republic, and in other ways is regarded as one of the best citizens of
Tacoma. In 1865 Mr. Owen was married at Hallowell, Maine, to Clara S.
Woodward, but sbe died while on a visit to her daughter in Minneapolis in
1879, leaving three children: Etta May, George L. and Irving. He was
married to his present accomplished and intelligent wife in Tacoma in 1882.
Her maiden name was Lydia R. Richards, and she is a native of Boston, and
has been of great assistance to her husband in business matters.
EDWIN J. McNEELEY.
From small beginnings to great results, from nativity in the extreme
eastern state of the Union to present residence in the westernmost state of
Washington, — would give the reader an outline of the life history of the
above named gentleman. Although he was born in the state where the lum-
ber industry of the United States may be said to have begun, his business
relations while he was residing there had nothing to do with that activity,
and it was only in Washington that he has become one of the largest shingle
manufacturers in the west.
His parents were Joseph and Betsey (Durgan) McNeeley, and the for
mer was an Irishman, who emigrated to Maine when a young man, and was
known for his sturdy character. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted
206 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
and was one of the hundreds who fell in that awful slaughter before Fred-
ericksburg, December 13, 1862. His wife was a native of Maine and died
there.
Tbeir son Edwin J. was born in Somerset county, at Skowhegan, the
county seat, in 1858. and bis boyhood was passed in that town. He had the
real Yankee industry and thrift, and when he was still a boy he began the
manufacture of candies, which he sold at wholesale as well as retail. When
be was eighteen years old, in 1876, he went to San Jose, California, and re-
sided there from April to October. But he then returned to Maine and re-
sumed his candy manufacturing. The favorite method of trading in that
country was carting the goods around from town to town, combining the
modern commercial traveler with the peddler, and for three years he sold
his sweets to the neighboring dealers. He then went west and located in
Boone, Iowa, where he continued his wholesale candy manufacturing for a
time, and later engaged in the grocery and crockery business. In 1888 Mr.
McNeeley made a tour of the west with a view to find a more congenial cli-
mate, and when he arrived in Tacoma in July he became so impressed with
the general appearances of the country and its possibilities for future de-
velopment that he determined to stay here. For his first venture he bought
a controlling interest and acted as manager of the Tacoma steam laundry,
but in 1890 he discontinued this and began buying and selling real estate and
loaning money. In 1893 he was elected president of the Tacoma Abstract &
Title Insurance Company, which office he held until the company was merged
with the Commonwealth Title Company. After a study of the local resources
he decided to embark in the lumber and shingle business, for this country is
magnificently endowed with the raw material. — is, in fact, the third state in
the Union in this respect. He made his start by selling shingles on commis-
sion. The first year was very discouraging, as prices were low and the mar-
kets seriously affected by the hard times, but he was possessed of the true
American grit, and, knowing that the tide would turn, he stuck it out and
soon had his business on a paying basis. When his trade justified it, he estab-
lished shingle mills at Tacoma and at Everett, and in 1898 articles of incor-
poration were granted for the firm of E. J. McNeeley and Company, with
Mr. McNeeley as president and John R. Palmer as secretary. Besides the
large mills at Everett and Tacoma the company controls the output of several
other plants on the Puget Sound, and the total product amounts to one mil-
lion shingles a day. These are not only marketed in the northwest, but go
as far south as Kentucky, and east to Vermont. The great success of this
growing and prosperous business is in a large measure due to Mr. McNeeley,
and the past record of his life shows how well be deserves this good fortune.
The main offices of the company are at 311-312 Fidelity building. Tacoma.
In 1898 Mr. McNeeley was elected president of the Washington Red Cedar
Shingle Manufacturers' Association of the state of Washington, and was re-
elected in 1899.
Mr. McNeeley is a prominent Mason, a member of the Chamber of Com-
merce, and is chairman of the board of trustees of the First Presbyterian
church, which is probably the leading church of the city. Tn February. 1880,
he married a native daughter of Maine, Miss Geneva A. Buck. They reside
in their pleasant home at 11 13 Sixth avenue.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 207
ABRAHAM C. YOUNG.
One of the most highly respected and valued citizens of Pierce county is
Abraham C. Young, the president of the Young Lumber Company, of Ta-
coma. Born at Caro, Tuscola county, Michigan, in 1849, ne 's a son 0I
William Young, who claimed South Crosby, Canada, as the place of his nativ-
ity. Early in life the latter, who was a farmer by occupation, located in
Michigan, but about 1865 he took up his abode at Gordon Grove, Decatur
county, Iowa, where he became a prominent and well known agriculturist,
and his death occurred there a few years ago. The mother of our subject bore,
the maiden name of Amelia Coon, and she, too, was born in Canada and was
of Scotch parentage. She has also entered into eternal rest.
Abraham C. Young received an ordinary public school education during
his boyhood and youth, and after putting aside his text bonks he began work
in the white pine woods of Michigan, being then only sixteen years of age.
Continuing in that occupation until his twentieth year, he then established
a country store in Tuscola county, which he conducted in connection with
a small lumber business, buying logs. etc. Two years later, however, he
returned to Caro, the place of his birth, and there resumed his mer-
cantile pursuits on a larger scale. When but twenty-four years of age he
was elected to the responsible position of president of the Tuscola County
Agricultural Society, while some time later he became president of the state
farmers' institute of the same county, and in 1887 was elected mayor of
Caro, all of which positions he resigned in 1889 to come to Tacoma. Few
men attained greater prominence or became more widely known in that en-
terprising city than did Mr. Young, and his popularity was well deserved.
After his arrival in Tacoma, and in company with his brother, he organized
the lumber firm of Young Brothers, and in August of the same year built a
shingle mill on the shore line at Old Town, the firm of Young Brothers con-
tinuing through one year and a half. In 1891 our subject organized and in-
corporated the Cushing- Young Shingle Company, of which he was made
president and general manager, and this relationship was continued until
September, 1892, when Mr. Young sold his interest to Theophilus Cushing,
and in the same year organized and incorporated the Young Lumber Com-
pany, the stock of which is all owned in his immediate family, the stock-
holders consisting of his wife, Frances J. Young, and their son. Delberl A.,
the latter of whom is secretary and treasurer, while our subject is the presi-
dent. During the first two years of its existence the Young Lumber Com-
pany did no manufacturing, the firm being exclusive and extensive wholesale
shippers of lumber and shingles, shipping to all points between the two
oceans and employing as many as six traveling salesmen in the east. In order
to secure material for this extensive trade without having to depend upon
outside manufacturers, Mr. Young in [895 organized and incorporated the
lumber manufacturing firm of Carlson Brothers & Company, the Young
Lumber Company taking a one-half interest, while the remaining half is
owned by David Carlson, Olaf Carlson and Andrew Johnson. This new cor-
poration erected a large lumber and shingle mill on the shore line at Old
Town, which now has a capacity of three hundred and fifty thousand shin-
208 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
&
gles a day, one hundred thousand feet of lumber, and employs one hundred
men. At this mill David Carlson is superintendent and office manager ; Olaf
Carlson, the log buyer; and Andrew Johnson, the master mechanic and
manager. For business purposes the firm of Carlson Brothers & Company
is a separate organization, but it is practically the manufacturing department
of the Young Lumber Company, which owns half the stock and concerns it-
self chiefly in marketing the product. This mammoth enterprise stands as
a monument to the thrift and extensive business ability of Mr. Young, and it
is without doubt that this will soon constitute one of the leading enterprises
of Tacoma. The Young Lumber Company also control the output of the
Reed & Andrews Shingle Mill, at Old Town, which has a capacity of a car-
load of shingles daily, and also that of the Kent Mill Company, at Auburn.
At Caro, Michigan, in September, 1871, Mr. Young was united in mar-
riage to Miss Frances J. Bearss, and they have an only son, Delbert A., who
is the secretary and treasurer of the Young Lumber Company, but takes no
active part in its management. After his graduation in Washington Col-
lege he entered immediately into the banking business, and is now assistant
cashier of the National Bank of Commerce in Tacoma. He is now twenty-
nine years of age. Mr. Abraham Young is a member of the Chamber of
Commerce, and is one of the enterprising and successful business men of the
city of Tacoma.
LAMMON E. SAMPSON.
For many years Mr. Sampson was one of the most prominent citizens
of Tacoma, held some of the most important elective offices, and in his death
the city lost one who had devoted his best efforts to the upbuilding of public
interests and had achieved an enviable distinction in the different departments
of life. He was the son of the Rev. William H. Sampson, who was born in
Brattleboro, Vermont, and received a college education, after which he studied
for the ministry and was ordained by the Methodist church when a young
man. He came to Wisconsin at an early day, where he gained prominence
both as a preacher and an educator. He was the first president of Lawrence
University at Appleton, Wisconsin, and was connected with that institution
for many years. He retired from the ministry at the age of seventy-five and
came to Tacoma to spend his remaining days with his son, Lammon, and here
he was greatly beloved by the people for his beautiful character, and is still
remembered and spoken of with great affection. He died in Tacoma in 1892
at the age of eighty-three, having lived in this city since 1884. His wife was
Rhoda Beebe. who was born in New England, and is also deceased.
Lammon E. Sampson was born at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in Novem-
ber, 1848, and he was quite young when he entered Lawrence University.
He did nut remain to finish his four-year course, however, for in 1864 he left
school to join the army; he was drummer in the Fortieth Wisconsin Regi-
ment, and served from January of that year till the close of the war. Com-
ing out of the army he attended college for one year and then entered a news-
paper office at Appleton and learned the printer's trade. He had become
thoroughly acquainted with journalism when, in 1872, he went to Salina,
[PUBLIC LIBRARY]
.STOK.UEHOXXHO
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 209
Kansas, and with his brother, Mason D. Sampson, who had served through-
out the war in the Fortieth Regiment and had become a captain, establisbed
the Saline County Journal. It is said that Mr. Sampson was the first editor
to use the word " cyclone " in describing the zephyrs which were in the habit
of sweeping across Kansas prairies in the early seventies.
In March, 18S1, Mr. Sampson and his wife came to Tacoma, which was
then a village in a forest, and his energy soon placed him among the city's
foremost citizens. He accumulated property, and spent a great deal in the aid
of public enterprises. About the first office was that of postmaster, which
he held by appointment from President Arthur in 1882, and notwithstanding
bis strong Republican sympathies his services were so satisfactory that he
continued under President Cleveland's administration, but after six years'
service resigned in 1887. In the following year he was elected city treasurer
for two years, and in 1890 was made county commissioner, and it was during
this four-year term that the splendid Pierce county court house was built.
He became a member of the city council in 1895, an<i from 1896 to 1900 was
chairman of the finance committee of that body. In 1899 Mr. Sampson
formed a partnership in the real estate business with his brother-in-law, J.
C. Guyles, and the firm is still. in.e.\i_s£eHC-e:.under the name of Sampson and
Guyles. He was still in the^prinie pf. life and mental powers when he was
called away by death on March 5. tpo'2, and'ras help has been greatly missed
in many departments of the affairs of the city and county. He had always
held a leading position in the ranks of, the Republican party, belonged to
Custer Post, Grand Army of the: Republic, and all the newspaper accounts
published at the time of his death were highly eulogistic of his public and
private career.
Mrs. Sampson, who survives and resides in Tacoma, was married to Mr.
Sampson at Salina, Kansas, in 1878. Her maiden name was Miss Lou E.
Van Zandt, and she was a native of Jacksonville, Illinois, and the daughter
of John A. and Martha (Carnes) Van Zandt, one of the old families of that
place. She received a good education, finishing at the Athenaeum, one of
the prominent institutions of learning at Jacksonville, and she determined to
become a school teacher. Accordingly she left home in 1873 and came to
Kansas, locating at Salina, where she was one of the successful and pop-
ular teachers until her marriage in 1878. She is also well known in Tacoma
and enjoys the regard of many friends. Her two sons, William and John,
are both students in Whitworth College.
EDGAR I. THOMPSON.
Edgar I. Thompson, of the law firm of Winne & Thompson, of What-
com, Whatcom county, Washington, was born at Deposit, Broome county,
New York, April 12, i860, son of William R. and Peninah G (Hulce)
Thompson. His father was born in Connecticut and was a civil engineer. In
early life he removed from Connecticut to Deposit, New York, when he met
and married Peninah G Hulce. of the Flulce family, so widely known through-
out Broome and Delaware counties. In the early forties he, together with
two other parties, surveyed the larger part of the eastern part of the state of
14*
210 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Wisconsin for the government. In the year 1859 he removed with his fam-
ily from Deposit, New York, to Freeport, Stephenson county, Illinois, where
he engaged in farming. He died at Freeport in 1872 and was buried there.
The paternal grandfather was James Thompson, of Woburn, Massa-
chusetts, and who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and later became
member of Congress from the first congressional district of Massachusetts.
His brother, Captain Isaac S. Thompson, of Flint, New York, was a captain
in the Revolutionary war. Another one of the family was Rev. Leander
Thompson, a distinguished Congregational minister at North Woburn, Mass-
achusetts, who compiled the history of the Thompson family.
The paternal great-great-grandfather was Benjamin Thompson, born at
North Woburn, Massachusetts, in the colonial days. He was a distinguished
chemist and civil engineer, and became famous in America, England, France
and Germany as Count Rumford. Although his brothers espoused the colon-
ial side, he remained ever true to the crown, and at the opening of that con-
flict he went to England and offered his services. Entering the British army,
he was rapidly promoted for distinguished services not only in America but
later in Europe, where he became a captain. He was made a baronet by
George the Third. While stationed with the English troops at Bavaria, he
became chief adviser for the King of Bavaria, who conferred upon him the
title of " count,'' and in honor of his- mother, a Rumford, a member of a noble
English family, he selected her name, and was thereafter known as Count
Rumford, under which title and name he achieved his fame as an engineer,
a chemist, a philanthropist and a scientist. He endowed the chair of chemical
science at Harvard College, which is still conducted under his endowment.
He died at Auteuil, a suburb of Paris, in 1814.
The Thompson family in America was founded by James Thompson,
who came with his family from England in 1630. in Governor Winthrop's
party, landing at Salem. He afterwards settled with his family at Woburn,
Massachusetts, which remained the family home for several generations.
Edgar I. Thompson, at the age of eighteen years entered the State
Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin, completing the course in three
years and six months, after which he taught school for one year, and at the
close of which he commenced the study of law with the law firm of Page &
Cass, of Whitewater, Wisconsin. After reading law for one year he entered
the senior law class of the law school of the Wisconsin State University and
graduated with the law class of 1885. He then returned to Whitewater and
began the practice of his profession, and that same year was elected justice
of the municipal court. After serving out his term of two years he was re-
elected and served one more year, when he resigned and accepted an appoint-
ment as secretary and assistant treasurer of Olivet College at Olivet, Mich-
igan. The close confinement and constant mental application of this position
caused his health to give way, and under the advice of his physician, Mr.
Thompson came to the Pacific coast and set up in the practice of his profes-
sion at Tacoma.
Having learned the creamery business when a boy on a farm at White-
water. Wisconsin, Mr. Thompson built and established, during the hard
times in 1894, the Sumner Creamery, aside from his law practice. This-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 211
creamery enterprise became so remunerative and required such constant care
that Mr. Thompson moved from Tacoma to Sumner, where he practiced his
profession and looked after the interest of his creamery. He was city attorney
for that place up to the time he removed to Whatcom and established himself
in business here in 1901.
While living at Sumner Mr. Thompson organized the Washington State
Dairymen's Association, and drew up and secured the passage of the dairy
laws of this state in the legislature in 1895. Tlie passage of this dairy law
practically stopped the importation of oleomargarine into this state, thus creat-
ing a demand for the home product and saving nearly one million dollars per
annum to the people of Washington. Mr. Thompson has done more than
any other man for the dairy interest of this state.
Wherever he is, Mr. Thompson is always prominent in church and social
life, always useful in Sunday school work, and, having a good tenor voice
and being a ready reader of music, he is ever ready and willing to assist in
the singing on all occasions. Mr. Thompson plays the piano, violin and bass
viol. He is a good impromptu speaker and a great worker in any cause for
Christ and humanity.
ULRIC L. COLLINS.
Ulric L. Collins, who is filling the position of county clerk and is ex-
officio of the superior court of Everett, has been a resident of Snohomish
county for seven years, while his residence in the state of Washington dates
from 1876. He is a native of Ohio, born October 5, 1847. The family was
founded in America by three brothers, who came from England to the new
world about the time of the Revolutionary war, one settling in Pennsylvania,
another in New England and the third in the south. Mr. Ulric Collins comes
of the Pennsylvania branch of the family. His paternal grandfather was
the first of the name to leave the Keystone state and take up his abode in
the Western Reserve of Ohio, where he became an extensive real estate
owner. His father, William Collins, was born in Pennsylvania and was
given the name which was a prominent one in the family for many genera-
tions, covering nearly two hundred years. He was about twenty-one years
of age when the family removed to Ohio, and there he engaged in teaching
school. He became a member of the United Brethren church and upon its
division, occasioned by difference of opinion concerning the missionary ques-
tion, he joined the Methodist church. In his political views he was a Whig.
After devoting his early life to educational work he became a lawyer and
practiced his profession up to the time of his death, which occurred when
he was forty-two years of age. He married Margaret Burn's, and they be-
came the parents of seven children, three of whom are living, but the subject
of this review is the only one in Washington. He had two brothers who
were soldiers in the Civil war. William J., who is now a ranchman of Cali-
fornia, served for a time in Company L of the Ninth Indiana Cavalry, run-
ning away from home in order to join the army. He was captured at the
battle of Sulphur Springs, in Tennessee, and for nine months was held as a
captive in a rebel prison. Barnabus was a quartermaster of the Eighty-
212 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ninth Indiana Infantry, appointed to that position by Oliver P. Morton, then
governor of Indiana. He was captured but was paroled on the battlefield
at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He died in Sacramento, California, where he
was at the time serving as a member of the state legislature. Addison B.,
another member of the family, became a resident of California in 1850.
There he was engaged in mining and in driving a stage in the early days, in
which state his death occurred. One sister of the family is living in Wash-
ington, D. C.
Ulric L. Collins is indebted to the public school system for the educa-
tional privileges he enjoyed. He learned the printer's trade and afterward
took up the study of telegraphy, and for a number of years was engaged in
railroad work. In 1876 he came to the west and was with the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, first in the construction department and later in
the operating department after the road had been completed to Pend Oreille
Lake. Subsequently he was in the "employ of the Oregon & California road
as a representative of the construction department, and was with that road
until its line was completed to Ashland, Oregon. He then returned to the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company, with which he was afterward associated
for eight years. He then located in Tenino, Thurston county, where for
seven years he served as agent of the road. Later he lived in Arlington and
subsequently in Snohomish, where he represented the Seattle & National
Railroad. In 1898 he was elected clerk of the Snohomish county and is now
serving in that capacity.
In his political views Mr. Collins is a stalwart Republican. He has
always affiliated with the party, believing firmly in its principles, and has
cast his ballot for its candidates since he became a voter. While residing
in Thurston county he was elected a member of the state legislature and
served in the sessions of 1891-2. He was an active and valued member of
the house, taking an interested part in its work, and he served as chairman
of the committee on the state capitol and capitol grounds, and was a member
of four other committees. In 1898 he was elected clerk of Snohomish county,
and has held that office for two terms, being re-elected in 1900. During this
period the work of the office has steadily increased until during the past
year the business has been the greatest in the record of the county. He has
frequently attended the city, county, congressional and state conventions of
his party, and was a member of the first Republican state convention after
the admission of Washington into the union, the meeting being held at
Walla Walla in 1889.
On the 5th of October, 1892, in Thurston, Washington, Mr. Collins
was united in marriage to Miss Zella F. Loomis. a daughter of Bennet E.
Loomis of Bucoda, this state. They now have three children: Ulric B.,
Zella L. and William Verde. Mrs. Collins belongs to the Everett Ladies'
Club, and both our subject and his wife occupy an enviable position in social
circles in the regard of their many friends. In addition to their home in
Everett he is interested in farming property in this county. His fraternal
relations connect him with both the lodge and uniformed rank of the Knights
of Pythias, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Forresters of
America and the Royal Arcanum.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 213
HAMILTON PITCHER.
Lumbering is not only one of the profitable industries but is also one
of the attractive pursuits, for the free outdoor life of the great forests and
the constant excitement attendant upon the hazardous undertakings con-
nected with the work entice many men of hardy, courageous nature into the
occupation. The state of Washington has many sawmill plants within its
borders, and one of the largest is that owned by Hamilton Pitcher, at Napa-
vine, Lewis county. This mill has a capacity of forty thousand feet of
lumber a day; it was built by Mr. Pitcher in 1898, and he has seven hundred
acres of timber from which to draw his supply; a railroad track three-quarters
of a mile long has been built to the timber, which expedites the matter of
transportation and of handling the logs. The plant furnishes employment
to thirty-five men and, with the planer in connection, is able to get out orders
of any dimensions, mostly of fir. but some cedar. Most of the product is
shipped to eastern markets, such as Minneapolis, Chicago and others.
Air. Pitcher's ancestors were of English stock, and his parents, Peter
and Susana (Pettit) Pitcher, were both born in Canada. They were farmers
by occupation and spent their entire lives in Canada, being faithful adherents
of the Methodist church. The elder Mr. Pitcher died when in his sixty-
second year, in 1882, but his wife survived him many years and passed
away in 1902, aged eighty-five years. They were the parents of thirteen
children, and ten of them are still living.
Hamilton Pitcher is the only member of the family in Washington.
He was born near Hamilton, Canada, on the 18th of March. 1849, was
reared on his father's farm and received his education in the public schools
of the neighborhood. His coming to Lewis county dates in 1889, and his
first location was on the south fork of the Newaukon river, where he pur-
chased a farm and conducted it for a few years. Selling his land he bought
a mill on the Chehalis river, and secured a contract to saw the plank for
the county road; as he sawed the plank he moved his mill along the river
farther away from Chehalis. His now thoroughly equipped mill is a reliable
source of profit to him, and he is accounted one of the leading and progres-
sive business men of the county.
In January, 1903, Mr. Pitcher bought another mill plant with twenty-
five million feet of fine timber. This mill has a capacity of sixty thousand
feet per day; has one and a half miles of railroad, with logging locomotive
and switching locomotive. The plant and timber are worth fifty thousand
dollars. He also owns ten million feet of timber west of Napavine and still
has the same quantity at the old mill. Every wheel is rolling and the in-
dustry thrives under Mr. Pitcher's able management. 1 le has recently added
two hundred acres to his real estate holdings in Washington, and carries a
stock of about two million feet of lumber in his yards.
In 1876 Mr. Pitcher was married to Miss Ellen Wymcr, a native of
Canada, and her parents were also born there. They have one daughter,
Susana Catharine. Mr. Pitcher has his residence near his mill and also owns
one hundred and sixty acres of timber on the south fork. He is a member
of the Republican party, has the religious views of the Methodist church and
is a very substantial citizen of the county.
214 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ALVAH B. HOWE.
Among the successful and prominent business men of Pierce county is
Alvah B. Howe, president of the Pioneer Bindery & Printing Company of
Tacoma. This company was incorporated by Mrs. Phebe A. Howe and
her three sons, and the present officers are: Alvah B. Howe, president;
Mortimer Howe, vice president, and William Howe, secretary. The mother
is a native of Cayuga county, New York, and as early as 1877 she came
to the Pacific coast, where in a small way she engaged in the book-binding
and printing business in Walla Walla, Washington. After nine years spent
in that city she removed in 1887 to Tacoma and resumed her former occu-
pation, and in 1889, with her three sons as stockholders, incorporated the
Pioneer Bindery and Printing Company. The sons were all trained to this
business from early life, thus being thoroughly familiar with every detail
connected therewith, and they now manufacture all kinds of blank books,
hank, county and office supplies and do a general job printing business.
Their close attention to business and honorable methods have won for them
a large and profitable patronage, their trade now extending over the entire
northwest and into Alaska, and they have all the machinery and appliances
necessary for the highest grade of work, and are justly deserving of the
extensive patronage which they are now enjoying.
The Howe brothers were all born in Cayuga county, New York, and
the date of our subject's birth was the 8th of March, 1872. All received their
educations in the public schools of Walla Walla and Tacoma, Washington,
and as stated above have become thoroughly acquainted with every detail con-
nected with the printing and binding business. Mrs. Howe is entitled to
the highest credit for the founding and subsequent growth of this business,
and also for the training of such a trio of accomplished young business men.
Alvah B. Howe was married in 1893, Miss Marion Courtenay becoming his
wife, and one little daughter has been born to brighten and bless their home,
Marion C. The three brothers give their political support to the Repub-
lican party, and in his fraternal relations our subject is a member of the
Masonic order, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights
of Pythias. They are numbered among the leading and substantial business
men of Pierce county, and have earned and retained the confidence and es-
teem of a wide circle of acquaintances.
MORRIS GROSS.
Morris Gross, the pioneer dry-goods merchant of Tacoma, has been
engaged in business operations here since 1879, and is now numbered among
the leading merchants of the city. He is a native of Russian Poland, born
on the 19th of February, 1859, his parents being Aaron and Salata (Moses)
Gross, both also natives of Poland, born in Rypin city, which was also
the birthplace of our subject. He received but a limited education in the
Hebrew schools of his native city, and in the land of his birth learned the
tailor's trade. When twenty years of age he came direct to Tacoma, Wash-
ington, which at that time contained about three hundred inhabitants, and,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 215
having no knowledge of the language spoken in this country, he was obliged
to attend night school to learn the English language. In 1879, in company
with his brother, he began business operations in a small way at his present
location, the first year his sales amounting to only about nine thousand dol-
lars, while the second year they reached fifteen thousand dollars, and by
their indefatigable industry and close attention to business the business con-
tinued to increase from year to year until in 1891 the sales amounted to four
hundred and sixty thousand dollars. Prior to the disastrous panic of 1893
the brothers had erected a large block on the corner of Ninth and C streets,
at a cost of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, and after this terrible
financial storm had passed they were obliged to sell the structure for forty-
nine thousand dollars. Mr. Gross, however, managed to pass through the
panic safely, and in 1895 resumed business at his old location, where he
has met with a high and well merited degree of success. Fie now carries a
very large and well selected stock of everything to be found in a first-class
dry-goods establishment. His store building is located at 906-908-909-910
Pacific avenue, in the very heart of the business center, and has a frontage
of eighty feet. This is an exceedingly well kept and up-to-date establish-
ment in every particular, and its owner not only enjoys an extensive patron-
age, but has also gained and retained the confidence of the business population
of the city in which he has so long been an important factor.
The marriage of Mr. Gross was celebrated in 1894, when Miss Mollie
Bush became his wife. She is a native of New York city and a daughter
of Henry Bush, a well known merchant of that city. This union has been
blessed with one son and one daughter, both born in Tacoma, Amy and
Henry Arthur. Mr. and Mrs. Gross are adherents of the Hebrew faith,
but are very liberal in their views. In political matters he is identified with
Republican principles, while fraternally he is a Thirty-second degree Scottish
Rite Mason and a Shriner, having received the sublime degree of a Master
Mason in Tacoma Lodge No. 22, A. F. & A. M. He is also a member
of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Public-spirited and
progressive in all his ideas, he lends his influence to all measures which he
believes useful to the majority, and always plays the part of an earnest and
patriotic citizen.
ROBERT GRAY HUDSON.
Robert Gray Hudson, one of the prominent members of the bar of
Washington, maintains his residence at Tacoma, where he has been actively
engaged in the practice of his profession for eleven years. He is a native of
Louisville, Mississippi, born on the 23d of June, 1848, is of German descent,
and his ancestors settled in South Carolina soon after the close of the Revo-
lutionary war. His grandfather, James Hudson, was born in that state, was
a planter by occupation and was a valued member of the Baptist church.
He married Miss Mary Spencer, also a native of Mississippi, and he was
called to his final rest at the early age of thirty-two years, but his wife
attained the good old age of ninety years. Robert Spencer Hudson, a son
216 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of this worthy couple and the father of our subject, was born in the Edgfield
district of South Carolina in 1820, was educated for the practice of law and
began his professional career in Louisville, Mississippi. He soon rose to
prominence in his chosen profession, and his ability and earnest labor won
for him a large fortune, enabling him to take up his residence on his own
plantation about twenty miles from Louisville, where he gave his aid only
to important cases until 1858, and in that year was made district attorney.
In i860 Mr. Hudson removed to Yazoo county, Mississippi, where he pur-
chased a large plantation, and in the following year became circuit judge,
holding that important position until after the close of the Civil war. He
was a heavy loser as the result of this terrible conflict, having been the
owner of many slaves, and after the close of the struggle he resumed his
law practice at Yazoo City. He was elected a member of the first state con-
vention after the war, and was made a member of the state legislature in
1876, also continuing his law practice until his life's labors were ended in
death, when he bad reached the sixty-ninth milestone on the journey of life.
For his wife Mr. Hudson chose Miss Nancy Alvira Gray, a native of South
Carolina, where she was born in the Abbyville district, of old English an-
cestry, who had settled in the south just after the Revolution. She was
the daughter of Frederick Gray, a native of South Carolina and a prominent
and well known planter of that state. By her marriage Mrs. Hudson became
the mother of eight children, seven of whom are now living, and all reside
in the state of Mississippi with the exception of the subject of this review.
Robert Gray Hudson received his education in the University of Missis-
sippi, at Oxford, where he was graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1872.
Soon after his graduation he began reading law with his father, and was
admitted to practice in 1875, the father and the son continuing practice
together until the former's retirement in 1887, after which the latter con-
tinued in business with Robert S. Holt, his present partner, until 1891, at
Yazoo City. In that year he came to Tacoma, Washington, and joined his
partner, Mr. Holt, who had preceded him to Tacoma, in the law practice,
in which he has met with a high degree of success, having a large corpora-
tion clientage. In political matters he had given his support to the Democ-
racy until 1896, but in the presidential election of that year cast his first
Republican vote and has since continued to uphold the principles of that party.
He is at the present time president of the Washington State Bar Associa-
tion, with which he has been connected for seven years. In 1890 Mr. Hud-
son was elected one of the seven delegates at large from the state of Missis-
sippi to the constitutional convention of that state, held in said year, and
was a member of the committees on franchise, corporations and declaration
of rights.
The marriage of Mr. Hudson was celebrated in 1878, when Miss Nannie
Hill became his wife. She is the daughter of A. P. Hill, of Canton, Missis-
sippi, and a prominent lawyer of that state. Three children have been born
to this union, Nancy Elvira, Albert P. N. and Robert S. Mr. and Mrs.
Hudson are members of the Methodist church, in which be is serving as a
treasurer and as a member of the official board.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 217
AMBROSE J. RUSSELL.
Ambrose James Russell, one of the leading architects of Tacoma, is a
native of the East Indies, where his birth occurred on the 15th of October,
1857, and he is of Scotch ancestry. He is a son of the Rev. James and
Rhoda L. (Foss) Russell, the latter of whom was a descendant of a New
South Wales family, while the former was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and
was connected with the London Missionary Society, being a member of the
Congregational church, or what was called in Scotland a Covenanter. For
the long period of twenty-two years he was engaged. in missionary work in
the southern part of the East Indies, but later in life returned to Scotland
and located on an estate left him by his father, where he spent the remainder
of his days, attaining the good old age of eighty-six years. His wife passed
away in death while residing in the East Indies. Their union was blessed
with two children, a son and a daughter, and the latter is now Mrs. Rhoda
J. Murray and resides in Wales.
Ambrose J. Russell, the only son of this family, received his early edu-
cation in the high school of Glasgow, which was later supplemented by a
course in the University of Glasgow, and his architectural training was re-
ceived in the Academy of Fine Arts, at Paris, France. Leaving that institu-
tion in January, 1884, he came to the United States, and in the following
March became a resident of Boston, Massachusetts, spending one year in the
office of the famous architect, H. H. Richardson, the designer of Trinity
church, a part of the state capital at Albany, New York, and the Allegheny
county buildings at Pittsburg. Subsequently Mr. Russell pursued his pro-
fession in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a gentleman whom he had known
in Paris, but after one year there decided to come to the west, and accord-
ingly took up his abode in Kansas City, Missouri, following his profession
in that city and St. Louis. In 1892 he came to Tacoma, Washington, and
has since been actively engaged in architectural work in this city, spending
the first year as draughtsman for the Cottage Home Building Company,
after which he formed a partnership with Albert Sutton, and after severing
that connection carried on operations alone until the 15th of April, 1901.
At that date he entered into business relations with F. H. Heath, and they
are now engaged in general architectural work. Mr. Russell has the honor
of having been elected the first president of the Ferry Museum, serving in
that capacity for three years, and is now its vice president.
Mr. Russell was united in marriage to Miss Loella Sargent, a native of
Iowa and of Scotch ancestry. They have two children, Janet Nichol and
Margaret McDonald. The family reside in one of the attractive homes of
Tacoma, located on the corner of North Fourth and M streets. They are
members of the Episcopal church, and in his fraternal relations he is a
member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is independent
in his political views, preferring to vote for the men whom he regards as
best qualified to fill positions of honor and trust, and in the business circles
of Tacoma he occupies a prominent place.
218 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ANTON HUTH.
One of the largest and most important institutions of the flourishing
city of Tacoma is the Pacific Malting and Brewing Company, which pays
out thousands of dollars annually to its employes and has taken rank among
the large concerns which have been built up on that wonderful land-locked
sea known as Puget Sound. But so closely is this enterprise identified with
its president and principal owner, Anton Hutb, that the history of both must
be detailed together. Anton Huth was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, near Frank-
fort on the Main, Germany, in 1854, and was the son of Phillip and Gertrude
(Rudolph) Huth, the former of whom was a farmer and was killed in the
early part of the Franco-Prussian war. Anton learned the trade of brewer
and maltster, obtaining both a technical and practical knowledge of the busi-
ness in the home of the beer-making industry.
In the fall of 1S71, shortly after the death of the father of the family,
he came with bis mother and the rest of the household to America, where
they thought they could better their condition. They located in Louisville,
Kentucky, and although Anton was only eighteen years old he secured a good
position in a brewery there. He lived there fourteen years and then he and
his mother removed to Portland, Oregon, where he became a foreman in one
of the leading breweries. But he held this place about two years and then
went to Vancouver, Washington, and became a partner in the Star Brewery
at that place. While he was living there his mother died. In 1888 he came
to Tacoma, and in partnership with Mr. Scholl established a brewery, which
was the beginning of the present large establishment. They had been in busi-
ness but a short time when Mr. Huth and Mr. Virges bought out his partner,
and then incorporated the business as the Pacific Brewing and Malting Com-
pany, of which Mr. Huth is the principal stockholder and president, and
William Virges is treasurer and secretary.
This is in brief the history of the establishment of this great brewery,
but, as Mr. Huth says, it is the work of a lifetime to build up a brewery to
what it should be, and, although a half a million dollars has been expended
on the plant since its modest beginning in 1888, the work is practically only
begun. The plant has a favorable situation from the standpoint of shipping
facilities, at Jefferson avenue and Twenty-fifth street, and here an imposing
group of brick buildings is being gradually collected, some of them several
stories high and as nearly fireproof as they can be made ; two or three are
just completed, while others are in course of erection. A visitor will find that
the manufacture of beer has been brought to a high state of perfection here,
and all the latest machinery and devices are being utilized. The company
makes its own malt from rich barley, and the most scientific methods are used
for germinating and drying the grain. The best hops are used, and that other
important element in beer-making, pure water, is obtained from a well which
has been sunk to the depth of two hundred feet, the supply being the purest
possible; compressed air is used for forcing this water to all parts of the
plant. Cleanliness is a watchword in this brewery ; everything is sterilized
and made as nearly germ-proof as possible. No effort is spared in making
perfect the entire process, from the mashing and boiling on the top floor
-^<^_ ./^
W^~If*
PUBLIC
U*R*RY'
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 219
of the brew house, through the stages of cooling, fermenting, cleansing, rack-
ing and storing. In the storage cellars is row after row of enormous storage
tanks, the storage capacity being over twenty thousand barrels, and each brew
is " aged " from five to six months before being barreled or bottled. All the
vessels are of the very best material, and a great deal of money has been spent
on the machinery for the boiler house. There are also two ice-making ma-
chines, one of a capacity of fifty and the other of sixty-five tons. The man-
agement of this concern is a source of pride to the owner, for it has never
shut down because of hard times, and during the panic it kept on running
and paying full wages to its employes when many other industries in the
city were paralyzed.
One of the trustees of the Pacific Malting and Brewing Company is
Mrs. Anton Huth, whose maiden name was Miss Agnes Miller, and who was
married to Mr. Huth in Tacoma in 1S91. They have four children, An-
toinette, Marie, Carlton and Gertrude. Mr. Huth is a prominent citizen of
Tacoma, is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, of the Elks and other
societies, and besides the brewery is interested in the Puget Sound Malting
Company, and is the owner of the Germania Hall, a very popular place for
social gatherings.
HON. MERTON H. COREY.
The Hon. Merton H. Corey, who is one of the prominent business men
of Tacoma and a leader in political circles, having twice represented his
district in the state legislature, was born near Forestville, Chautauqua
county. New York, in 1869, a son of Henry I. and Elizabeth (Dunning)
Corey, who now reside at Forestville. The father was born in Brooklyn,
New York, and is of English descent, while the mother, a native of Roch-
ester, New York, comes of Scotch ancestry. When a young man Henry I.
Corey removed to Chautauqua county and entered upon what proved a very
successful business career, so that he became a wealthy and prominent citizen.
He owned several fine farms and was also a prominent stockman and lum-
berman, controlling important interests. He was enterprising and progres-
sive, and was in every way a potent force in increasing the wealth and pros-
perity of his county. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted at
Jamestown as a private in the One Hundred and Twelfth New York Volun-
teer Regiment and served throughout the period of hostilities, mostly in Vir-
ginia. He participated in the battles of Petersburg, Cold Harbor and many
others, being continuously in active service of an arduous nature, yet never
faltering in the faithful and loyal performance of his duty as a defender of
the old flag.
When Merton H. Corey was seven years of age the family removed to
Forestville, where he obtained his education, being graduated in the Forest-
ville Academy in 1888. During his youth he had also received thorough
business training through connection with his father's extensive business
affairs, which he helped to manage, thus acquiring comprehensive knowledge
of correct business methods. He might have continued a factor in the con-
trol of his father's enterprises, but the west attracted him and he longed to
220 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
become connected with the more enterprising and stirring business life of
this section of the country, and in the year of his graduation, 1888, he made
his way to the Pacific coast, locating in Tacoma. Here he accepted a position
with the Oakland Loan & Trust Company. It was not a very important one,
but it was a business opening, although his service was clerical work, for
which he received but fifty dollars per month. His close application, ability
and enterprise, however, soon won recognition and gained his promotion,
and in the fall of 1889, upon the organization of the National Bank of the
Republic, he was appointed assistant cashier, in which capacity he served
until the bank was dissolved in 1893. While with that institution he also
had the agency for a number of fire insurance companies, and upon his re-
tirement from the bank he combined his insurance business with a general
real estate, loan and insurance business, to which he has since continuously
devoted his attention with good results. He has always been very prominent
and successful in this field of endeavor, and now represents very important
and extensive interests. In this enterprise he is associated with a partner,
William M. Kennedy, under the firm name of Corey & Kennedy, with offices
at Nos. 412-413 Fidelity building, Tacoma. Mr. Corey is also interested
in various other business enterprises and projects, and, as he has a talent for
planning and executing the right thing at the right time, he is a valued ad-
dition to the business circles of Tacoma.
The sterling qualities of Mr. Corey and his fitness for leadership in
public affairs affecting the welfare of the commonwealth made him the choice
of the people as their representative from the thirty-sixth district in the
general assembly. He was elected upon the Republican ticket of Pierce
county, and served so capably during his term of office that he was re-
elected in 1900. During both sessions he was a member of several com-
mittees, but did his must important work as a member of the committee on
insurance. During his second term he was the chairman of the insurance
committee, and devoted most of his time and attention to the duties of that
position, which he discharged most satisfactorily to his constituents and the
state at large.
In 1889, in Tacoma, Mr. Corey married Miss Anna P. Wheelock, also
a native of Chautauqua county, New York, and they are now the parents
of four children, Lester M., Ruth A., Hazel and Esther P. Their home is
at 304 South Twenty-ninth street. Such in brief is the life history of Mr.
Corey. In whatever relation of life we find him — in the government service,
in political circles, on business or in social relations — he is always the same
honorable and honored gentleman, whose worth well merits the high regard
which is uniformly given him.
THOMAS CHALMERS FLEMMING.
Thomas Chalmers Flemming is a gentleman of considerable influence
in Everett and Snohomish county, and is one who exercises his power for
the general welfare. He is thus classed among the representative men of
the northwest, and because of his genuine worth and fidelity to principle
he well deserves mention among the leading citizens of this locality. Mr.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 221
Flemming is of Irish birth, having been born in the city of Dublin, Ireland, on
the 30th of January, 1856. He is a son of William Flemming, a native of
Scotland, and was a contractor and millwright. He followed that pursuit
in the Emerald Isle to some extent, and there died in 1856 at the age of
forty-eight years. His wife bore the maiden name of Euphemia Chalmers,
and was born in Fifeshire, Scotland. Following her husband's death she
determined to come to the United States, and crossing the Atlantic took up
her abode in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where she spent her remaining days,
her death occurring in 1902, when she had reached the age of seventy-two
years. She was the mother of six sons and a daughter: John; William;
James; Charles; Robert, who is now deceased; and Marguerite.
Thomas Chalmers, the youngest member of the family, was only six
months old at the time of his mother's emigration to the new world. His
boyhood days were spent in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and at the usual age he
entered the public schools, continuing his studies until he had pursued his
high school course. At the age of sixteen he left school and began learning
the trade of paper manufacturing. After two years spent in that way he
came to the Pacific coast, making his way to San Francisco by way of the
Isthmus route. He arrived at his destination in March, 1875, and was
there connected with the business of manufacturing paper until 1876. That
year witnessed his removal to Portland, Oregon, and he established the first
paper mill on the northern Pacific coast. The new enterprise prospered,
and he continued in business in Portland until 1880, when he removed to
LaCamas, Washington, where he established a paper mill for H. L. Pettitt,
continuing its operation until 1882. In that year Mr. Flemming went to
Taylorville, California, as superintendent of a paper mill, which he continued
to operate until 1892, when he removed to Lowell, Washington. There he
was employed as a paper-maker for the Everett Paper & Pulp Company
until 1S95, when he went to Albernia. British Columbia. He was also a
pioneer in the paper manufacturing business in that country, establishing the '
first plant for making paper in British Columbia. He continued there until
the mill was closed down, after which he returned to Everett and again
entered the employ of the Everett Paper & Pulp Company, where he was
until 1899. The following year he entered upon the duties of the office of
county commissioner, for a term of four years, so that he is the present
incumbent. He is now chairman of the board, and has done much to im-
prove the condition of public and county roads. He is a most progressive
citizen, interested in the welfare of his adopted county, and his efforts have
been beneficial and far-reaching. Matters concerning the political condition
of the country are of interest to him as they should be to everv true Ameri-
can citizen. He has studied closely the questions of the day, and gives to
the Republican party his earnest support.
On the 4th of December. 1880. Mr. Flemming was united in marriage
at Eagle Creek, Oregon, to Miss Sarah Brackett, a native of Oregon and
a daughter of H. H. Brackett. one of the honored pioneer settlers of that
state. Mr. and Mrs. Flemming now have three children: Marguerite, who
was born in Oregon City; Lottie, whose birth occurred in LaCamas, Wash-
ington; and Agnes, who was born in Taylorville, California. He is a
222 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
worthy representative of that class of citizens who lead quiet, industrious,
honest and useful lives and constitute the best portion of the community.
CAPTAIN MARTIN ROBINSON.
Captain Robinson is a man of the world; his span of life covers more
than the period allotted by the psalmist, and in this time he has seen nearly
every section of the United States ; has earned an excellent record as a sol-
dier, and has been successful in the material affairs of life. He is one whom
men delight to honor, and he is accounted one of the respected citizens of
Centralia, where he has resided since 1889. The Scotch forebears of this
gentleman were early settlers of America, and grandfather Colonel Ezekiel
Robinson was one of the first settlers to come to the vicinity of Northfield,
Vermont. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island. July 15, 1764. He
married Dinah Doubleday, of Palmer, Massachusetts, who was born April
28, 1764, and they soon thereafter took up their abode in the wilderness of
Northfield. Many are the tales of this pioneer life which grandmother Rob-
inson used to relate to her grandchildren, how she rode on horseback one
hundred and fifty miles to visit her old home, with her child in her arms,
with food in saddle-bags, much of the way lying through the grim and lonely
forest, returning without harm to herself, her child or her beast ; how two
pet bear cubs of a neighboring settler climbed to the roof of her home, scram-
bled down the rough stick chimney and crawled into bed where the sleeping
children lay. Such were some of the events that gave color to pioneer life
in those days and are a source of unending interest to those who live in more
modern times. Ezekiel was a colonel of the militia and fought at the battle
of Plattsburg in the war of 1812. He and his wife were members of the
Free-will Baptist church, and he died in 1834.
His son, David Robinson, was born in Northfield February 7, 1799,
followed farming and manufacturing and spent his life in his native state.
He was a Baptist and was a member of the Whig party. He served some
time in the state legislature and was a member of the convention that nomi-
nated William Henry Harrison for the presidency. His wife was Sarah
Denny, a member of an old and highly respected Vermont family. They
had ten children, but two of them are living, the Captain being the only sur-
vivor of eight sons: Mrs. Fllen Junes, of Appleton, Wisconsin, is the other
surviving member. Mr. Robinson died in 1S41, aged forty-two, his wife
surviving him and passed away in November, 1841). in her forty-ninth year.
Martin Robinson was born in Washington county, Vermont, Septem-
ber 18, 1831, was reared on his father's farm and was educated in the dis-
trict schools and academies of his native state. He began earning his liveli-
hood by teaching school, and was only called from these duties by the
breaking out of the Civil war. More than once dining his experience as
teacher when he was a beardless youth, the "big boys" menaced him and
threatened to "put him out." as was not unfrequently the manner of treating
district school teachers in those days; but young Robinson was not to be
handled in that way easily. The light in him was such a manifest quality
and quantity that no combine in school dared lay hands on him; the result
was the big boys always came to be his staunch friends.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 223
At the call of Father Abraham for three hundred thousand more, his
school closed and he enlisted in Company D, Seventh Minnesota Volunteers ;
his first service being against the Indians in Dakota under General II. II.
Sibley, his post being Fort Abercrombie, North Dakota. He was chosen
first sergeant of his company at its organization, and after this campaign
with the Indians he was ordered to St. Louis. Missouri, where he was pro-
moted to be second lieutenant and was transferred to Company D, Sixty-
second United States Colored Infantry. The company soon proceeded to
New Orleans, where it was stationed several months, and was then sent to
Brazos Santiago, Texas. Here Mr. Robinson was made first lieutenant and
was transferred to Company I, was detailed for special service and had com-
mand of a detachment of the First Texas Cavalry, and was also appointed
aide on the staff of General B. B. Brown. Marching from Brazos Santiago
to Brownville, they had the honor of fighting the last battle of the war.
Peace had been declared but the news had not reached them; they were re-
pulsed in the engagement, and Captain Robinson remarks the historical
coincidence that the Union forces were defeated in the first and Inst battles
of the war.
After the war he was on special duty as provost marshal of the parish
of West Feliciana, Louisiana, and he served a term as superintendent of
freedmen. While there he made the acquaintance of several southern gen-
tlemen, and after his term of service expired he entered into an arrangement
with two of them to try the experiment of raising cotton with white labor.
He went north and procured the men and was the first to make the attempt,
but he was only partially successful, and after a year abandoned the project.
Returning north to Rockford, Illinois, and after visiting a sister there, he
decided to enter Oberlin College and study theology, with a view to making
the ministry a profession. He was married about this time, and after study-
ig for two terms gave up his former intention and settled on a farm near
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the hope that he could here regain bis impaired
health. He organized a milk dairy and supplied milk to the city. For five
years through summer and winter, rain and sun. he delivered milk once and.
sometimes, twice a day, Sundays not excepted, and his gilded milk wagon
driven by a pair of fine horses was a regular and familiar sight in the streets
of the city. He met with decided success in this enterprise and, best of all.
measurably recovered his health. He next moved to Farmington, Min-
nesota, where in 1877 he engaged in a general merchandise business and
continued three years. In 1882 he moved into the valley of the Sheyenne,
North Dakota, where he became one of the founders of the town of Mardell.
For three years he kept the hotel there and was the postmaster of the town.
Returning to Minnesota, he conducted a boarding house in St. Paul for three
years and then went to Tower City, North Dakota, where for two years he
was proprietor of the Park hotel. The year 1889 is the date of his coming
to Centralia, and here he furnished and conducted the new and line Park
hotel for five years and made it the mosl popular house between Portland
and the Sound. In 1894 he sold out, and, retiring to his small farm of
twenty-five acres, he now gives hi- time, chiefly, to raising fruit and blooded
stock, where he finds plenty of recreation and qi ifort, which he cer-
tainly richly deserves as a fitting secmel to his long and useful life.
224 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
One day, about the close of the war, there came a pleasant surprise to
him. It was in the form of a brevet captainship, for gallant and meritorious
services during the war. He married Miss Adelia M. Moore, of Adrian,
Michigan, a most worthy and popular young woman, the daughter of Alonzo
Moore. Two daughters and a son were born to them. Their only living
child, Anne Cumings Robinson, resides with them, and their home life is
delightful. The Captain insists that bis successes in life are largely due to
the arts and industries and loyalty of bis wife, who is a woman beloved by
all who know her, and whose home is a model of neatness and convenience,
where kindred and friends find royal entertainment. Though notably non-
sectarian, the family are all Congregationalists. The Captain is a staunch
Republican and is commander of T. P. Price Post No. 82, G. A. R.
While now in his seventy-second yoar he retains in a remarkable degree
bis youthful and vivacious character, and is one of those sunny veterans of
the Civil war whose ranks have been decimated by the hurrying steps of
time, and who still remind men of the greatest struggle for human liberty
the world has ever known.
HON. GEORGE B. KANDLE.
As one views the mighty machine of steel drawing the moving palaces
which are the finest product of the railroad builder's art and speeding swiftly
across the vast prairies of the west, it is almost impossible to conceive a pic-
ture of its predecessor of the middle of the past century, the " prairie schooner."
When the impatient traveler of to-day chafes at what he thinks the slow prog-
ress of his limited express he might derive considerable comfort from the
calling to mind of that awkward covered wagon, as it is drawn by the patient
oxen or horses across the plains that were often the haunts of the wild beast
or the more cruel Indian. But all honor is due that pioneer vehicle, for it
carried the men who blazed the way for the march of the grand twentieth
century's civilization, ami men who have made the wild west one of the most
productive countries of the world. Hon. George B. Kandle has especial
reason to be proud of this early means of transportation, for although he
was not born in one of these " schooners," he was still in bis swaddling clothes
as he came across the prairies to his new home in the west.
His father was Henry Kandle. and bis mother's maiden name was Mar-
garet Hill. The former was born in Salem, New Jersey, and moved to
Indiana at a very early day, being, in fact, one of the pioneers of that state.
He made that bis home until the fall of 1S50, when he arranged with a num-
ber of others to make the long trip across the plains, the west at that time
being the Mecca for many enterprising and adventurous men. The band
fust made for a point 011 the Missouri river near St. Joseph, and remained
there during the winter. In the following sprint; the party started on that
long pilgrimage, over the rough land of eastern Kansas until the gradual
and level ascent to the Rockies was reached, then on through all the varie-
gated scenery till what was then the village of Portland, Oregon, came in
view, where they passed the winter of 1851-52; and early the next year they
made their final stage of the journey to Washington. Mr. Kandle lived on
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THE NEW YORK
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 225
farms in Thurston and Pierce counties except for the last few years of his life,
which he passed in Tacoma. He died October 12, 1892. His wife was born
in county Down, Ireland, and died here two years before her husband.
It was while the company of emigrants were spending the winter of
185 1 near St. Joseph, Missouri, that the son George B. was born, and he
was in his mother's arms throughout most of the trip to this state. He was
reared on his father's farm, but at the age of nineteen he left home and se-
cured employment in a drug store at Steilacoom and later in a general mer-
chandise store, remaining a little over a year. At that time the firm which
employed him established a store at old Tacoma and placed young Kandle
in charge. In November, 1872, Mr. Kandle was nominated and elected coun-
ty auditor, which office he filled for eight years, being elected four successive
times ; his last term expired soon after the county seat was moved from
Steilacoom to Tacoma. His next venture was real estate and insurance in
Tacoma, and he also became a member of the city council. In 1889 he was
elected a member of the first legislature of the new state of Washington,
and served a two-year term, at the same time carrying on his real estate busi-
ness. And during this time, in 1890, he was elected mayor of Tacoma at the
time the new city charter was adopted, and he held that office until April, 1892.
He continued dealing in real estate until -r.808, when he was elected a member
of the board of county commissioners of -Pierce county for a term of two
years, and at the expiration of this term was re-elected for a four-year term,
of which he still has two; years to serve. ,
Mr. Kandle has been identified .in •various ways with the public inter-
ests of the state. For the three years from 1877 to 1879 he was one of the
trustees of the insane asylum of the territory, and is now. by appointment of
Governor McBride. one of the Washington commissioners for the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition to be held in St. Louis in 1904. He still owns the old
homestead, a fine farm of seven hundred acres, which is situated in township
18, Pierce county, twenty miles south of Tacoma. Mr. Kandle was married
in Pierce county in 1875 to Miss Mary C. Guess, who was born in Pierce coun-
ty, her parents' having crossed the plains in 1853. Mr. Kandle now resides
with his wife and two daughters, Leona Maud and Lottie Iola, in their home,
corner North Fifth and I streets, Tacoma.
JOSHUA MARTIN WIESTLING.
Joshua Martin Wiestling has been a resident of Seattle, Washington,
fourteen years, and during that time has done much to foster the growth
and promote the best interests of the city. Mr. Wiestling is a native of the
Keystone state. He was born at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. October 5, 1837.
His grandfather Wiestling came to this country from Saxony early in the
nineteenth century and located in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, where his
son, Joshua Martin, the father of our subject, was born, and where he was for
many years engaged in the practice of medicine. The early history of the
Wiestlings shows" them to have been a family of physicians. Dr. Joshua
Martin Wiestling died in 1854. His wife, Catherine (Youce) Wiestling,
also was a native of Dauphin county, and she, too, died in 1854. She was
22(1 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of German origin and belonged to a family that settled in this country at a
very early period, some of her ancestors having served in the Revolutionary
war. Dr. J. M. and Catherine Wiestling were the parents of eight children,
three of whom, a son and two daughters, are yet living, the latter being resi-
dents of Pennsylvania, Mary Ellen, widow of Colonel T. T. Worth, and
Julia A., wife of C. Penrose Sherk.
Joshua Martin Wiestling was educated in the public schools, the Har-
risburg Academy, the Cumberland Valley Institute and Franklin and Mar-
shall College of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, receiving the degree of A. B. from
the last named institution in 1857 and subsequently the degree of A. M. He
studied law at Harrisburg under the instruction of Hon. A. J. Herr, a prom-
inent lawyer and legislator of that state, and was admitted to the Dauphin
county bar in 1859, and soon afterward to the supreme court of the state.
Shortly after he entered upon the practice of law he was made register in
bankruptcy for the Fourteenth congressional district, appointed by Chief
Justice Chase, and after serving one year resigned to accept the office of
district attorney, to which he was elected by the Republican party; was re-
elected for another term, and served in all six years. He continued to prac-
tice law in Harrisburg until 1889, when he came to Washington. Previous
to his coming west Mr. Wiesling was unanimously placed in nomination for
Congress by his own county, Dauphin, but withdrew in favor of a candidate
in another county of the district.
It was on May 2, 1889, that Mr. Wiestling landed in Seattle, and from
that date to the present he has been engaged in the practice of law here,
having gained and maintained a prominent position among the leading mem-
bers of the legal profession in Seattle. He is a member of the Chamber of
Commerce. He brought with him to the west his interest and activity in
politics, and has frequently been a delegate to county and state conventions.
However, while he has always been a prominent factor in matters political
and is looked upon as a leader, he is not an office-seeker.
Mr. Wiestling has an honorable war record. In the summer of 1862
he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania
Volunteers, and went into the service as a second lieutenant, afterward being
promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. He was with the Army of the Po-
tomac in Virginia, under command of General McClellan ; and was in an
emergency service at the time the battle of Gettysburg was fought. On
account of sickness contracted during his period of service, he was unfit for
further duty, and in 1863 was honorably discharged. He is an active mem-
ber of the Grand Army of the Republic and is past commander of Stephens
Post No. 1 at Seattle, and is also a member of the Loyal Legion, department
of Washington.
In early life Mr. Wiestling was initiated into the mysteries of Masonry
and took an active part in the work of that order. He is a past master of
the lodge to which lie belonged in Pennsylvania. He and bis family are
members of St. Mark's Episcopal church, Seattle.
Mr. Wiestling was married June 2, 1864, to Miss Georgiana B. Hoover,
at Gettysburg. Pennsylvania, ami fur nearly four decades she shared the joys
ami sorrows of life with him. She passed away June 15, 1902. .Mrs.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 227
Wiestling was a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of John and Sophia
Hoover. The Hoovers were an old and highly respected family, of German
and English origin, and they were represented in the Revolutionary war.
Mr. Wiestling has a son and two daughters, namely, Frank Beecher and
Georgiana and Virginia, all residents of Seattle.
Frank Beecher Wiestling was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, April
5, 1865. His education was received in an academy in his native city;
Shortlidge's Academy, Media, Pennsylvania; and Harvard University, where
he graduated in June, 1887, witn l'ie degree of A. B. He accompanied his
father to Seattle in 1889, studied law under his tutorship, and has been en-
gaged in practice with him since the fall of the year of their arrival here.
Like his father, he is prominent and active in politics and has served as dele-
gate to the city, county and state conventions of the Republican party. He
was married in Tacoma. April 19, 1893, to Annie Edmunds, a native of
England and an adopted daughter of Mr. Van Ogle, of Tacoma, Washing-
ton. They have two children, Dorothy and Annette. Mr. Wiestling is a
member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen; past chancellor com-
mander of the Knights of Pythias; and is a member of the Harvard Hasty
Pudding Club and Alpha chapter, Delta Kappa Epsilon. He worships at
Trinity Episcopal church.
THE OLYMPIA DAILY RECORDER.
The Olympia Daily Recorder, as a representative of the interests of
Olympia and the surrounding country, made its initial appearance to the public
in December, 189 1, and has since journeyed steadily along the journalistic
path, and, as every well conducted newspaper may act in a community, exerts
a great power for good and development along proper lines in this prosperous
section of the west. Its daily edition was begun in May, 189-'. and it appears
in the evening a seven-column folio, devoted to Republican politics and local
news and press dispatches. Its subscription price is fifteen cents per week,
or fiftv cents per month delivered by the carrier. It is issued by the Recorder
Publishing Company, which is owned by S. A. Perkins, publisher of the
Tacoma Daily Ledger, the Tacoma Daily News, Everett Daily Herald, Aber-
deen Daily Bulletin and Fairhaven Daily Herald, all Associated Press dailies.
John P. Fink is the business manager, and at the head of the editorial stall
is F. G. Deckebach, men under whose direction the Recorder has gained
the reputation of being one of the leading papers of the state of Washington.
THE WASHINGTON STANDARD.
The career of many ambitious journals is marked by a rising and falling
line of prosperity, and their course is anything hut a smooth 0 lally
there are numerous editors and business managers, and sometimes, notwith-
standing all their heroic efforts, the publication is swallowed in the vortex
of journalistic adversities. There is a marked contrast to tin. -tat.- oi affan
in the history of the paper which is now to he described, and. mMead, an
almost phenomena] record of over forty years' uninterrupted success, he-
228 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ginning with the pioneer days of Washington, giving to and receiving en-
couragement from the wonderful development of the extreme northwest, is
the due of the Washington Standard of Olympia. On the 17th of November,
i860, the inhabitants of Olympia and the vicinity received the news of Abra-
ham Lincoln's election to the presidency of the nation through the columns
of the maiden sheet with the ambitious title of "The Washington Standard."
The proprietor and editor of this venturesome paper was a young man by
the name of John Miller Murphy, and mainly to his honor is owing the fact
that the Standard has never missed an issue since that "red letter" day of it?
advent into the world. At first it was a six-column, four-page folio, but
in the forty-two years of its existence it has grown to be an eight-column
folio, and during all this time it has been under the control of Mr. Murphy
with the exception of the year 1870, when Beriah Brown was admitted as
associate editor. It has been the organ of the Democratic party, but during
the Civil war it very properly supported the Union cause and the adminis-
tration ; Mr. Murphy had joined the Union League and took the commendable
course that in the great civil danger that threatened national union there should
be no parties or factional spirit, thus being of great service to the government
in his section. Mr. Murphy has in later years admitted his sons, Henry M.
and Frank, to partnership in the enterprise, and the paper is now conducted
under their control. As the life of its founder and editor is largely a history
of the paper, and is of special interest because of his identification with the
growth and progress of Olympia, a brief account of Mr. Murphy's career
will be in place at this point.
Mr. Murphy is of Irish descent on his father's side, while his mother
came from Teutonic stock. John Murphy, born in Ireland, came to the
United States when young and settled in Indiana about the year 1S30. He
was a millwright by trade, and many of the mills erected in that state in
that early period were the products of his skill. He was married in Indiana
to Mrs. Susan Miller, and she died in 1846, while it is supposed that he lost
his life in the war of the rebellion. Only two children were born of this
marriage, and the daughter became the wife of George A. Barnes, of Olym-
pia, but she is now deceased.
John Miller Murphy was born near Fort Wayne, Indiana, November 3,
1839, and in 1850, at the age of eleven, he crossed the plains with his married
sister to Oregon. They passed the winter in Portland, and he attended the
first school taught in that city. In the following year they came to Olympia,
at that time a scattered village on the shores of the Sound, and young Murphy
was one of the scholars" in the first school taught there. His brother-in-law,
Mr. Barnes, had a general merchandise store in the town, and the first work
in which John engaged was as a clerk in this establishment. He held this
position until 1856, in which year he went to Portland and learned the trade
of printer in the offices of the Times and the Democratic Standard. When
he was twenty-one years of age, in June, i860, he went to Vancouver, and
with another gentleman started the Vancouver Chronicle, but after a few
months he sold out to his partner and came to Olympia, where he was the
founder of the Standard. In [865 he built at the corner of Second and Wash-
ington streets the structure in which the paper has been located ever since.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 229
In 1863 he was appointed public printer and served in this capacity during
one session of the territorial legislature.
Mr. Murphy has had a varied and active public career. He was auditor
for Washington territory from 1867 to 1870. In 1873-4 he filled the same
office, and in 1868 was appointed to the same office, which he held till the
admission of the territory to statehood. He was cx-ofHcio quartermaster.
For eight years he was a member of the city council, and was county super-
intendent of schools for one term; he was also one of the organizers of the
fire department and acted as its secretary and president for several terms.
Mr. Murphy is an ardent supporter of the cause of woman suffrage, and for
fourteen years he advocated those principles through the columns of his
paper. A bill was finally passed in the legislature, and the women of Wash-
ington came into their rights, but four years later the law was declared un-
constitutional on account of a technical flaw in the title. He has always
attended the conventions of his party and has been a very efficient worker.
In 1N90 he evidenced his public spirit by the erection of a theatre costing
thirty thousand dollars, which is elegant and modern in its equipment and has
a seating capacity of one thousand. He has also been the city bill poster
for a number of years, and is a member of the Pacific Coast and the National
Billposters' Associations.
In 1862 Mr. Murphy was married in Portland to Miss Eliza J. McGuire,
who was born in Brighton, Iowa, in 1842, and they became the parents of
eight children: Henry M.; Winifred, now Mrs. William Harris; Estella,
the widow of Charles Carroll; Frank and Charles; and Annie, Bertha and
Rosa Pearl, the three latter now deceased. All his children have learned the
printer's business of their father, and the two sons who are in partnership with
him are expert in that line. After thirty-three years of happy married life,
Mrs. Murphy died, on November 3, 1895, deeply mourned by the family to
whom she had been so faithful and so kind. In May, 1896. Mr. Murphy mar-
ried Mrs. Susan C. Sprague, the daughter of Charles Craigbill, of Santa
Cruz, California.
EDWIN A. STROUT.
Edwin A. Strout, of Seattle, is one of the business men who have helped
to build up the chief industries of this section of the country, lie early
had the business foresight to realize Seattle's future growth and importance,
and, acting in accordance with the dictates of his faith and judgment, he
has prospered with the growth of Seattle and the state of Washington. He
is now connected with many extensive and important business interests. At
the present time he is secretary of the Brick Exchange, representing nearly all
of the brick manufacturing interests of this section; secretary and a large
owner in the Seattle Brick & Tile Company; vice president of the Scattlv
Ice Company; and senior member of the firm of E. A. Strout & Company,
fire, marine and liability insurance agents. His business interests are ex-
tensive and such as demand his active attention.
Mr. Strout is a native of New Hampshire, having been born at Conway.
July 26, 1862. His father, Bennett P. Strout, was born in Maine and led
230 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
an active business life until about fifteen years ago, when he retired from
business and went to Philadelphia, where he now lives. During the greater
part of his business career he remained in New Hampshire. He has now
attained the age of eighty-three years and is still active and well. In public
affairs he has been an active worker. He served as county commissioner and
in other local official positions, and for several years was a member of the
New Hampshire house of representatives. While living in Maine he was
united in marriage to Abbie Woodruff, daughter of Erastus Woodruff, of
Lyndon, Vermont. They bad two children, the elder being Charles H., a
resident of Philadelphia and proprietor of St. Luke's School for boys. On
both sides of the family the ancestry can be traced back in this country to the
seventeenth century. The father is a descendant of John Strout, who came
to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1630, from England. On the Woodruff side
the lineage runs back to 1664, when Matthew Woodruff came from England
and was one of the original eighty-four settlers of Farmington, Connecticut.
Edwin A. Strout received a portion of his education in Conway. New
Hampshire, ami he afterward became a student in an academy at Wolfboro,
in the graded schools at Dover and in the business college at Manchester,
New Hampshire. In 1879 he entered upon his active business career, be-
coming connected with the subsistence department of the army. He was
first sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he remained for some months,
acting as clerk for his uncle, Captain C. A. Woodruff, commissary of sub-
sistence, United States army. From there he went to Santa Fe, New Mexico,
where he acted as chief clerk for Captain Woodruff until the fall of 1884.
During this time he saw a great deal of active service in the Apache Indian
troubles of that period. In 1884 he came with Captain Woodruff to Van-
couver Barracks, Washington, where he was stationed until he came to Seattle.
In 1885 he made up his mind to engage in business for himself, and with
this end in view investigated the prospects offered in the various cities of
Oregon and Washington, making a trip in that year to Tacoma and Seattle.
Deciding that Seattle offered the best prospects for a young man, he came
to that city in January, 1887. He then organized the Puget Sound Ice Com-
pany for the manufacture of artificial ice, and erected a plant at West and
Seneca streets, in the spring of 1887. This was the first ice plant ever
operated on Puget Sound. He was connected with this company until the
plant was destroyed in the great conflagration of 1889. He then assisted in
the organization of the Seattle Ice and Refrigerator Company, which erected
a large plant at Yesler. This company was later changed to the Seattle
Ice Company, ami the plant was removed to its present location in this city.
In 1889 Mr. Strout was one of the organizers of the Washington Territory
Investment Company, was elected its first vice president, and later was made
president. This company bought the lot on the northwest corner of Second
avenue and Cherry street, and erected, in 1889-90, the building now known
as the Post-Intelligencer Building. Mr. Strout retained the management
of this building until it was sold in 1902. In 1888 he was associated with
George H. Heilbron in the organization of the Seattle Brick & Tile Com-
pany and has acted as its secretary continuously since that time. These enter-
prises have furnished employment to a large number of men and have con-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 23]
Iributed greatly to Mr. Strout's success as well as aiding in the upbuilding
of Seattle.
At Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1889, Mr. Strout was united in mar-
riage to Cora Taylor, a (laughter of Colonel Frank Taylor, of the United
States army, and they have two children, Edwin A. and Helen. In 1884 he
erected his residence on Marion street, between Summit and Boylston ave-
nues. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of St. Mark's Episcopal
church, and of Mt. Hood Lodge No. 32, F. & A. M. He has always taken a
prominent part in the social and club life of Seattle, being one of the organ-
izers of the Rainier Club, Country Club, and Golf and Country Club.
thomas w. Mcdonald.
Thomas \Y. McDonald, who is serving as treasurer of Mason county
and is a leading representative of agricultural and stock-raising interests
of this portion of the state, was born in Kamilche, Washington, on the 19th
of June, 1 87 1, and is of Scotch ancestry. His grandfather, Angus Mc-
Donald, was born Ln the highlands of Scotland and when a young man
crossed the Atlantic to the new world, settling in Canada, where he engaged
in lumbering. He spent his remaining days there, and died in the seventy-
sixth year of his age. His son, Thomas W. McDonald, the father of our
subject, was born in Canada, and in the days of the early gold excitement
in California went to that state. He also went to the scene of the Cariboo
mining excitement, after which he settled in Mason county, Washington,
where he wedded Mrs. Mary E. Elder. She had four children by her first
marriage, and to the second marriage there were horn live children.
Mr. McDonald followed farming in this state, and became quite prominent
in public affairs. He served as county commissioner and was a valued mem-
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Masonic Fraternity.
Everywhere known he was regarded as a reliable and worthy citizen, whose
loss was deeply regretted throughout the community in which he made his
home. He died in 1876. at the age of forty-eight years, and was laid to rest
in the Odd Fellows' cemetery in Olympia. His widow still survives him in
the sixty-seventh year of her age, and resides on the farm in Kamilche. The
eldest son, Angus R., is a farmer of Mason county, and another brother,
Ronald R., is a merchant at Kamilche.
In the public schools of his native place Mr. McDonald was educated
and upon the home farm he was reared. He has always followed farming,
having an interest in five hundred and twenty acres in Mason county, on
which he is engaged in general farming and in the raising of shorthorn cattle.
He thoroughly understands both branches of his business, and hi- capable
control of his interests has made his farming operations profitable. Mr. Mc-
Donald has been a life-long Republican, and was elected treasurer of the
county ou the 6th of November, 1900. He is now acceptably tilling that
position of honor and trust, and is always a loyal and progressive citizen.
On the 23rd of December, 1900, Mr. McDonald was united in mar-
riage to Miss Emma L. Taylor, a native daughter of Washington, who was
born in Lilliwaup, Mason county, and a daughter of W. S. and Eliza ( Purdy)
232 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Taylor. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald now have one son, Thomas W., Jr. Our
subject is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has
passed all the chairs in both branches of the order, while in the grand lodge
he has represented the subordinate lodge. He is also connected with the
Woodmen of the World, and is a worthy and reliable business man and
trustworthy official, a credit to the state of his nativity.
JUDGE FREMONT CAMPBELL.
One can hardly judge the real life of an individual from the events which
are patent to the world. In the majority of cases the important decisions,
the knotty problems and perplexing difficulties, which have influenced the
whole life and have often, though many times unknown to the actor him-
self, been the turning point of his career, all these things, though so necessary
to the thorough understanding of the history of the man, are often unre-
vealed and remain forever hidden in the depths of semi-consciousness. But
though the biographer is thus handicapped at arriving at the original sources,
he is still able to infer from the most palpable events the results of the inner
life, and judge in the limited and mortal way man's value to society and the
world. So, in the case of the subject at hand, it is our intention to set forth
briefly the life and its fruits and allow the reader to determine the meed of
honor which is fit to be bestowed.
Judge Alexander Campbell was born eighty-three years ago on Prince
Edward Island. He came to the United States in 1853. As one would sur-
mise from the name, the family is of Scotch stock. He was a resident of
Madison, Wisconsin, for a number of years, and while there was chosen a
member of the legislature. He afterwards moved to Iowa and was one of
the prominent lawyers of the state, and also district judge for the long period
of eighteen years. About ten years ago he retired from public life and is
now living quietly in Tacoma, being at the advanced age of ' eighty-three
His wife was also born on Prince Edward Island, and her maiden name
was Jennie McKenzie. She died in Tacoma in 1901.
These worthy people were the parents of Fremont Campbell, who was
born October 10, 1857, while his father resided in Madison, Wisconsin.
Two of his older brothers, James and Robert, were soldiers in the Civil war,
but Fremont was hardly old enough to understand the wild clamor of war at
the time. He had the advantages of an excellent education at the Wisconsin
University at Madison and graduated in 1873. He pursued a law course in
the same institution for the next two years, and then entered the office of
Major John Taft, where he delved into the realms of legal lore for two more
years. The aspiring young lawyer sought his first field of endeavor in the
west, going to Belmont, Nevada, and was admitted to the bar by the supreme
court at Carson City in 1878. He made his arrival in the city of Tacoma
on July 4, 1880, and at once began his practice here. Three years later he
was elected prosecuting attorney of Pierce county and served two terms
of two years each, and after engaging in private practice for two years he was
re-elected in 1889. He filled the office only one year, and was then appointed
by Governor iferry judge of the superior court of Pierce county to fill out an
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 233
unexpired term. In 1892 he was regularly elected to this office, but in 1894
resumed his private practice and continued it very successfully for five years,
at the end of which time he was again called to take up the duties of public
office and fill out the term of George W. Walker, prosecuting attorney. In
1900 he was elected to this position for two years and in the fall of 1902
was candidate for re-election and was re-elected. He has always been before
the people as a candidate of the Republican party, in whose principles he is
a firm believer.
Judge Campbell has also served his adopted city in the capacity of school
director for nine years, and was city assessor in 1888. He was one of the
incorporators of the Tacoma and Lake City Railroad Company, which built
a railroad from Tacoma to American Lake in 1889, and he was the general
manager of the road until it was sold to the Union Pacific. Such a record
of public activity is striking proof of Mr. Campbell's personal popularity and
eminent fitness as a leader of men. and much more may be expected from this
brilliant man who has hardly reached the zenith of life's powers. Judge
Campbell was married at Tacoma in 1884, Miss Grace L. Reynolds becoming
his wife. Thev have seven children, Clarence A., Fremont C, Mercedes I.,
Veva C, Ray Maurice, Walter M. and Dewey M., a daughter.
ALBERT J. MUNSON.
In dealing with the biographies of those men of action who now and
for some years past have been engaged in making Washington, the sketch
writer is seldom called on to chronicle the birth of any of his subjects in the
state. Nine out of ten, perhaps it would be better to say ninety-nine out of
a hundred, are from other parts of the Union, and most of them have not
been here more than fifteen or twenty years. But there are exceptions to this
as to all other rules, and we are now to learn something of a gentleman who,
as also his wife, is a native-born Washingtonian. This statement necessarily
involves another to the effect that the parents of Mr. and Mrs. Munson
were pioneers to the Puget Sound region at a period so remote as to make
them exceptionally early settlers, and it is probable that few others now resident
in the state antedate their arrival. They left Boston, Massachusetts, Sep-
tember 15, 1858, arrived at Port Townsend, Washington, Marches, 185*).
Connected with the story of these parties is a pretty romance, which would
seem to indicate that "the course of true love" does occasionally run smooth.
It also proves that there is no situation in this world so conducive to love-
making as confinement in a sailing vessel for one of those long voyages of
many months' duration, so common before the age of steam navigation. It
was a situation similar to this which caused the celebrated Warren Hastings
to fall in love — but unfortunately with another man's wife — on one of those
tedious voyages to India, of which he was then governor general. There
might be many other citations to the same effect, but this narrative is con-
fined to a young couple whose career had a direct bearing upon that of the
subject of our sketch, inasmuch as they became bis father and mother.
One day in the year 1858, a sailing vessel was getting ready to depart
from the coast of Maine to the distant land "where rolls the Oregon." Such
234 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
a journey at that time was sufficient to appall the stoutest heart, and espe-
cially full of terrors for any one inclined to seasickness. It was not only long
in days, weeks and months, but accommodations were always bad on those
sailing vessels, with their narrow quarters, insufficient food, poor water, but
above all the wearisome monotony and wearing tedium which arise from
having nothing to do or doing the same thing over and over again. They
were to go from the extreme northeastern to the extreme northwestern end
of the Union, which in a direct line is far from a short distance, but to reach
which by water requires a sail down the entire Atlantic of both American
continents and, after doubling the stormy Horn, a repetition of the experience
along the Pacific shore until the turn to the right is made through the Straits
of Fuca. The sailing vessel in question was named the Toando, commanded
by Captain G. D. Keller, and his second mate was Josiah Hill Munson, a
young man of East Machias, Maine, who at that time was just twenty-nine
years of age. But by far the most interesting occupant of the Toando was
Miss Emily Keller, daughter of Captain G. D. Keller, who was making this
■rip with her father. Her father, step-mother and all her brothers and sisters
were on board, also sister of J. H. Munson, the wife of Captain A. W. Keller,
the first mate. The voyage had not continued long until the second mate
and Miss Emily were on very good terms with each other, and it was not
strange that the daily intercourse for months ripened into something stronger
than friendship. Long before the good ship Toando had touched the placid
waters of the Sound a couple of her occupants were much in love with each
other, and were married in Port Townsend, April 5, 1859. They settled
down to lives of usefulness in the then sparsely settled territory of Wash-
ington. Captain Munson, as he was afterward called, rose to positions of
prominence and influence both in political and business circles, and was long
regarded as one of the leading men in this section. He was selected territorial
treasurer by the Republican party, of which he was an influential member,
was later appointed state librarian and for twelve years was postmaster at
Olympia, and county treasurer of Thurston county for ten years. Mean-
time he engaged with success in mercantile pursuits, was influential in Masonic
circles, and altogether was one of the most notable and esteemed of the state's
early pioneer citizens. Captain A. W. Keller, first mate of the Toando, and
son of the captain, G. D. Keller, revered and esteemed by all, now enjoys
the reputation of being one of the oldest, if not at the very head of the list,
of the state's veteran sea captains. J. H. Munson died in Seattle, Wash-
ington, April 11, 1903, and the following are some extracts from the local
paper concerning that event :
When Captain Josiah H. Munson died at the Seattle General Hospital,
Saturday night, another of those hardy seafaring men from the coast of
Maine, who have done much for upbuilding of the Northwest territory, passed
away. Captain Munson landed at Port Townsend in 1859, anc^ ever since
that time he lived in the territory and state of Washington.
Captain Munson was a good friend to Henry L. Yesler, and the latter
offered the young man a block in the then sawmill town of Seattle, if he
would move here, but Steilacoom seemed to have brighter prospects, and Mr.
Munson stayed there. He could have taken up a homestead where this city
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 235
now stands, along with A. A. Denny, Maynard, Bell and others, but he pre-
ferred to go to Olympia.
In the early territorial days Captain Munson was quite a prominent char-
acter in politics. He was treasurer and librarian of the territory; was post-
master of Olympia for twelve years, and was treasurer of Thurston county
for twelve years. During the Indian troubles Mr. Munson was postmaster,
and did not take part in the war, except to help guard Olympia from attack.
He did not take the field against the redskins.
In 1889, the year Washington was admitted as a state, Captain Munson
moved to Seattle, and made this city his borne from that time until bis death.
After his removal from the capital Captain Munson did not take an active
part in politics, and he and his wife made their home with their two sons out
on the shores of Lake Washington.
Captain Munson was a member of Harmony Lodge No. 1, of Masons,
at Olympia, but owing to the short notice of the funeral arrangements it is
not likely that the Masons will officiate.
Captain Munson and wife reared a family of seven children in Wash-
ington. The eldest is Mrs. U. R. Grant, now living in Alameda. Her first
husband was Lincoln P. Ferry, son of Governor Ferry. Mrs. J. D. Van
Buren, another daughter, is also living in Alameda. A. J. Munson is post-
master at Shelton, and L. K. and Fred are also residents of Sbelton. Charles
H. is captain, and J. K. Munson is engineer of the steamer Emily Keller, the
boat being named for their mother.
Albert J. Munson, one of the seven children of his parents, was burn
at Seilacoom. in Pierce county, Washington, November 12. 1862, and was
educated in the public schools of Olympia. After finishing his studies be
engaged in merchandising at the state capital, and so continued until 1889,
when he came to Shelton and opened a hardware store. Aside from business
he became active in politics, and has enjoyed a career of some prominence
in that line as one of the local Republican leaders. He has served as city
treasurer, as a member of the city council six years, and for six years was
school director. Eventually be was appointed postmaster of Shelton, in
which position be was serving at the time of the preparation of this memoir,
and as a side line keeps for sale a stock of notions and sundries in the build-
ing occupied as an office.
On the 21st of October, 1888, Mr. Munson was united in marriage with
Miss Esther D. Bannse, like himself a native of Washington and daughter
of pioneer parents. Her father, Herman Bannse, crossed the plains as early
as 18=53 and settled in Thurston county, which was the birthplace of Mrs.
Munson, born the 22d of February. 1X07. Mr. and Mrs. Munson have three
sons, Lester J., Harold E. and Lawrence A., all three of whom were horn in
Sbelton and are boys of bright promise and future usefulness. Mr. Munson
is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and has been clerk of thai order
for the past nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Munson are extensively acquainted
in Mason and Thurston counties, as well as other parts of the stale, and no
couple has more or sincerer friends wherever known.
236 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
COLONEL JOHN W. LINCK.
Colonel John W. Linck, special agent LTnited States treasury depart-
ment, Tacoma, and one of the leading men of that city, was born near Madi-
son, Jefferson county, Indiana, December 7, 1843, ar>d is a son of Frederick
E. and Esther (Todd) Linck.
Frederick E. Linck was born at Stuttgart, Wiirtemberg, Germany, a
member of a prominent family. The brother of Frederick was a King's
counsel, and a cousin of our subject is a professor in the University of Diep-
ping, while another cousin, a soldier, was promoted on the field in the Franco-
Prussian war to the rank of major general, he being distinguished at that
time as the youngest major general in the Prussian army. Another relative,
John Linck, was killed in that war, and his name is the first name inscribed
on a monument at Stuttgart erected to the memory of a number of univer-
sity students who were killed during this struggle.
Frederick E. Linck came to the LJnited States when a boy, and located at
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Later he became a pioneer of Indiana, locating on
a farm near Madison. About 1853 he moved to the town of Madison and
became a successful and well-to-do contractor, and there died in 1875.
. Esther Todd, his wife, was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, and came
to the LTnited States with her parents when a girl, but has been dead several
years. Her father was a freeholder, a class that rank with the aristocracy in
that country. Her parents were of Scotch extraction.
Colonel John W. Linck attended the common schools at Madison, then
learned the printer's trade, and when the war broke out in 1861, he enlisted
as a drummer boy in Company K, Thirteenth Indiana Infantry, under Colonel
(afterward Major General) Sullivan. He was the youngest and smallest
boy in the regiment, but was naturally strong and never missed a march or
a fight during his entire service.
He was in the war a little over three years and his service extended
through the two Virginias, down the coast through the Carolinas, and into
Florida. At Charleston, South Carolina, he was engaged in the capture of
Fort Wagner. Returning north, his regiment was attached to Grant's army,
and he saw service in the Peninsular campaign, and was present at the siege
of Petersburg. Among the great battles in which he participated, should be
mentioned those of Rich Mountain and Cold Harbor. His duties as a drum-
mer boy of his company not being strenuous enough to satisfy his vigorous
activity and martial spirit, Mr. Linck devoted his attention to caring for the
wounded and dead, and often faced great dangers with a heroism which
was remarkable. Again and again he would emerge from battle covered
with the blood of the brave dead and wounded, whom he had assisted. In
recognition of these gallant services, he was made an aide on the staff
of his regimental commander, Colonel C. J. Dobbs, while fighting was going
on at Bermuda Hundreds under General Butler. At the close of his services
the officers of his brigade formulated a letter of commendation, recommend-
ing him for appointment, as a cadet at West Point. While he was not in a
position to make practical use of this letter, Colonel Linck treasures it as a
testimonial to his bravery and the esteem in which he was held by his superior
HISTORY OF- THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 237
officers. He was mustered nut at Indianapolis, after which he returned
home, determined to finish his education, and he therefore entered Asbury
(now De Pauw) University, at Greencastle, Indiana, where he studied two
years. He then moved to Glenwood, Iowa, in Mills county, where he taught
school and began the study of law along with General John Y. Stone, who
has since then been made attorney general of Iowa, and "was a noted lawyer
and old soldier.
Becoming homesick, Colonel Linck returned to Madison, Indiana, fur a
time, and then, in order to complete his legal studies, he entered the law de-
partment of Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee. In 1868 he was
admitted to the bar at Madison, and there started on a long and successful
career as a lawyer and politician. At the time of his appointment by Mc-
Kinley as special agent, he was attorney for the National Branch Bank and
local attorney for the Pennsylvania Railway Company.
The first office he held at Madison was that of justice of the peace; then
he was elected prosecuting attorney; United States commissioner; member
of the Indiana legislature (three terms) : during the last term he was chair-
man of the judiciary committee; city attorney; director of the Southern
Indiana prison; elector on the Garfield ticket, by whom he was appointed
postmaster at Madison ; and, lastly, mayor of the city. For several years
he was the owner and editor of the Spirit of the Age, which was carried on
in connection with his law practice. In 1897 he was a member of the mone-
tary convention at Indianapolis, Indiana. When President Harrison was
elected, Colonel Linck received an appointment as special agent of the treasury
department. His first services in this capacity were at New York city, where
he was stationed, although only for a few weeks. With Special Agent W. H.
Williams, he assisted in the inspection of the customs districts throughout
the middle west. After a location of several months at St. Louis, he was
transferred to New Orleans, where he remained in charge of that customs
district for nearly four years.
During the second Cleveland administration he resumed his law prac-
tice, but when President McKinley was elected he was again called into the
service of the treasury department as special agent, and was detailed for
duty at Tampa, Florida, where he was located nearly a year. In July, 1898,
Colonel Linck was transferred to Tacoma, and placed in charge of the eigh-
teenth special agency district, which comprises Washington, Oregon, Idaho
and Montana, and formerly Alaska. His duties arc of a highly responsible
nature, and require occasional trips to different parts of his territory.
In April, 1896, Colonel Linck was married at Madison, Indiana, to Eva
K. Buchanan, and they have two children, John W. and Eva EC. fraternally
Colonel Linck belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, Masonic, Odd
Fellows and Red Men orders, and is very popular in all. In [879-80 he
made a tour of Europe, visiting the birthplace of his mother in Ireland and
his father's in Germany; also Scotland, England, France, Switzerland, Bel-
gium, Holland, Austria and Italy, and crossed the Mediterranean Sea and
passed along the coast of Africa and through the Straits of Gibraltar. He
has become greatly attached to Tacoma, and has invested heavily in real
estate throughout the city.
238 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Colonel Linck, which title is one universally given him by courtesy, pos-
sesses all the winning personal qualities of the old-time gentleman, courteous
to a marked degree, and, while devoted to his work, he finds time to culti-
vate his friends, of whom he has countless numbers all over the country.
CHARLES WOODWORTH.
Charles Woodworth was born at Adrian, Michigan, in 1850. His father
was one of the pioneer railroad builders of what was then the "far west,"
who came out from New York state to connect the navigable waters of either
the Raisin or Maumee rivers, flowing into Lake Erie, with the St. Joe or
Kalamazoo rivers, flowing into Lake Michigan, thus completing a great traf-
fic way, by way of the Erie canal, Lake Erie and the railway, with the great
west, then just entering an era of great development, which culminated in
the collapse of the "wild cat" banks in 1857. The railroads, however, be-
came a power, beyond the most ardent dreams of their promoters, but in the
panic the elder Woodworth was stripped of all his interests, and retired to a
small farm, where he died many years ago.
At an early age Charles, who was the eldest son, started out to seek
his fortune, hiring out first to a farmer, but in less than a month emitting
the farm and getting a place as train boy, from which beginning he went
through almost every department of railroading, from brakeman to yard-
master and from office clerk to attorney, claim agent and confidential assistant
in the executive department. In the prosperous times following the close
of the war the young man took a chance at various occupations as well as
improving his school education, which had necessarily been rather limited
when a boy. He taught district school, sold fruit trees, held a chair in
one of the country colleges of the east, and was a crack harvest hand —
at home anywhere. In the meantime he spent three years in New York,
where he was a reporter on the Sun, then edited by Charles A. Dana. While
in New York he made the acquaintance of many of the leading men and
women of the day, among them Samuel J. Tilden, Commodore Vahderbilt,
Henry Ward Beecher, Judge Conklin, in whose office he read law, and here
also he took the law course at Columbia College and was admitted to the bar.
Born with a natural bent for the west, he could not remain in New
York, where he had gained a fair business, but returned to the west, locating
at Bay City, Michigan, where he practiced law for some years, until the
attractions of the southwest became too strong, and for the next five years
he was engaged in various enterprises connected with the railroad extension
in that section of the country.
In 1887, as the result of a severe illness, he was advised by his physicians
to come to the Puget Sound country, which place he reached broken in health
and fortune, having lost everything as a result of the collapse in values in
that year. Although fortunes were being made at that time in all the Sound
cities, he had no capital to gain a foothold, and again turned his hand to
newspaper work. The following year the Morning Globe was started at
Tacoma by Harry Morgan, then a local politician and keeper of the leading
gambling house in the city, and a bitter enemy of the editor and proprietor
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 239
of the Ledger, the established morning paper. On this paper Woodworth
took the job of reporter, and a short time after secured the talented Colonel
William Lightfoot Yisscher as editor. Realizing that in order to make the
paper of any influence in the community it must have a following of the better
class, they set to work to give the Globe such a standing, in which their
efforts were so successful that in one year's time the paper had outstripped its
rival both in circulation and influence, had paid all expenses and first cost,
and was sold to Colonel Frank C. Ross and Judge Fremont Campbell at an
advance of ten thousand dollars over its cost.
After the sale of the paper Air. Woodworth was engaged in various
projects for the development of the country, but was again caught in the
panic of 1893. Meantime he bad become interested with Colonel Ross in the
fight to secure the opening of the Puyallup Indian reservation, adjoining the
city limits of Tacoma, and the building of a system of railway terminals on
the harbor, in which they have invested over a quarter million dollars, a
good part of it in fighting the Indian department of the government. They
finally succeeded in the opening of the tract, which includes a large area
suitable for manufacturing and shipping interests.
Mr. Woodworth is now engaged in the real estate business, paying par-
ticular attention to the location of manufacturing plants and the sale of lands
for mill-sites, docks, and water-front property on the tide lands of Tacoma
harbor, where it is expected the business portion of the city will be centered
within the next ten years.
In politics Mr. Woodworth is a Democrat, and for many years took
an active interest in the affairs of his party. He married Mrs. Helen Bixhy,
of Rochester, Xew York, who was killed in a railroad accident soon after,
and some years later married Miss Silsby. of Lockport, Newr York, and has
an interesting family.
To one who has ventured on all seas, as he has done, constantly smooth
sailing could hardly be expected, but with a nature quick to grasp oppor-
tunities, a tireless energy and confidence in the success of his ventures, Mr.
Woodworth's career ma}' certainly be denominated a successful one.
CHARLES L. HOLT.
Charles L. Holt, one of the leading physicians of Whatcom county,
Washington, and a prominent resident of Whatcom, was born October 13,
1839, and is a son of Timothy and Catherine G. (Willard) Holt. Timothy
C. Holt was born in Albany, Maine, and was a farmer by occupation. The
Holt family originated with three brothers who emigrated from England to
America during the seventeenth century. One settled at Andover, Massa-
chusetts, and from him the branch to which our subject belongs descends.
There is now in chancery an estate in England belonging to the Holt family
in which vast interests are concerned. The father of Dr. Holt died in 1882,
aged sixty-seven years. The mother was a native of Watcrford. Maine, and
she. too, came of good old American stock. Her death occurred in the fall
of 1856. Dr. Holt has a half-brother. Sidney N. Holt, a farmer of Poland.
Maine.
240 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Dr. Charles L. Holt received his early education in the public schools
of Maine, as well as in a private school and in Maine Wesleyan Seminary, and
began attending lectures in the medical department of Bowdoin College at
Brunswick, Maine, but later entered Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield,
Massachusetts, from which he was graduated in 1864 with the degree of
M. D. Immediately after graduating he entered into active practice at Poland,
Maine, but was later compelled on account of failing health to sell his prac-
tice and retire. Within a year, however, he purchased a practice in Gray,
Maine, and remained in that locality for two years. Again failing health
demanded a change, and he sold his practice and bought an interest in a drug
store in Portland, Maine. After five and one-half years he sold his interest
and resumed practice in Portland, continuing in it for nine years. In 1889
he sold it and located at Los Gatos, California, but in two years' time he
made another change, and in March, 1891. removed to Whatcom, where he
opened an office and has since then built up a large and very lucrative prac-
tice. Politically he is a Republican, and has always taken a deep interest
in party affairs. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted in Company B, Twentieth
Maine Regiment, but was honorably discharged the following February on
account of illness. His religious connections are with Trinity Methodist
church, in which he takes an active part. Fraternally he is a Mason and Good
Templar, and is very popular in both organizations.
On January 14, 1865. Dr. Holt married Charlotte L. Small, a daughter
of John Small, a farmer of Maine. She was born in Raymond, Maine, and
comes of an old family of that locality. Her mother was a Lawrence, and
was born and reared in Massachusetts, and both the Smalls and Lawrences
are very prominent. Two daughters were born to Dr. and Mrs. Holt, namely :
Nina L., at home; Catherine G., the wife of a Mr. Sutherland, a cabinet-
maker of Whatcom.
During a long and useful life Dr. Holt has carried out every obligation,
is a very successful and able physician, a good citizen, and a most devoted
husband and father, and no man in Whatcom stands higher in public estima-
tion and favor than does he.
NORMAN SYLVESTER McCREADY, M. D.
Dr. Norman Sylvester McCready was born in New Brunswick, May ti,
1856. The McCready family is of Scotch origin, and was established in New
Brunswick at an early day in the settlement of the western hemisphere. Wil-
liam McCready, the Doctor's father, was born in New Brunswick and fol-
lowed the occupation of farmer and lumberman. His mother, Eliza J. Town-
send, was a native of the same country. Her tender and loving disposition
made her the idol of her home. Their union was blessed with eight sons
and four daughters: William, Charles. John, Albert, Nelson, Norman, Mar-
tin, Robert, Elmira, Eliza, Isabella and Mary. His father's death occurred at
the advanced age of eighty-six years; his mother was eighty-one years at
the time of her demise.
Dr. McCready obtained bis preliminary education in the public schools
of western Ontario. Prior to entering upon his medical career, he was en-
z^&^C^
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THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOfi. LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATtOWS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 2il
gaged in the dairy and cheese business in Huron county, Ontario. During'
the year 1885-6 he entered upon his life work in the Toronto School of Med-
icine. He entered the Detroit College of Medicine in 1887, and was gradu-
ated from that institution in March, 1889.
In May, 1889, Dr. McCready arrived in the Sound country and settled
in Snohomish, where he entered upon the practice of medicine, and has con-
tinued it up to the present time. He was elected health officer and city phy-
sician, serving during the years 1892-93. He was elected county physician
in 1894, serving for one year, and in 1896 was re-elected. In 1898 he was
elected surgeon of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, and has since
acted in that capacity, discharging the duties of this position in addition to a
large private practice. He is particularly skilled in surgical work, and is con-
tinually broadening his knowledge by reading, investigation and research,
and keeps abreast with the times in the advancement continually being made
by the medical profession in methods of practice.
On the 24th of September, 1890, Dr. McCready was united in marriage
to Miss Margaret E. Merkley. a native. of Ontario, Canada, and a daughter
of Charles and Elizabeth Merkley. l«,th"efirfy settlers of Ontario. The mar-
riage of Dr. McCready and wife- has been dilessed with two children: Nor-
man Merkley, who is ten years of age; and Irving' Spencer, a youth of seven.
Mrs. McCready's forte is' her home, over which she presides with the
easy grace characteristic of the true housewife. She is situated so as to give
time to social, literary, philanthropic and altruistic work, and is always inter-
ested in the welfare of the community in -which she lives. She is an ardent
church worker and devotes much of her time to that object. She is at present
one of the boarc' of directors of the Washington State Federation of
Woman's Clubs. She h?s just retired from a term of two years as president
of one of the most successful chilis in the state, the Cosmopolitan Club of
Snohomish.
Dr. McCready has become a member of a number of civic societies whose
beneficent principles appeal to his kindly nature, and he has ample oppor-
tunity to practice their teachings in the daily round of his professional du-
ties. He belongs to Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows ; is a member of the American Medical Association, the Washing-
ton State Medical Society; International .Association of Railway Surgeons;
and a member of the American Association of Life Insurance Examining Surg-
eons, being examiner for the majority of the old-line insurance companies.
Since coming to Snohomish he has taken an active and helpful interest in the
growth and development of the city along lines promoting its substantial im-
provement and permanent good, and he has erected one of the finest business
blocks here, known as the McCready block. His residence on Avenue R,
between First and Second streets, is one of the beautiful homes of Snohomish.
Both the Doctor and his wife are well known here, and are held in high es-
teem by reason of their sterling worth.
242 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
CHARLES M. ADAMS.
Charles M. Adams was born in Prattsburg, New York, on the nth of
June, i860, his parents being Thomas J. and Margaret M. (Montgomery)
Adams, both of whom were natives of the Empire state, and descended from
ancestors who came to the new world when this country was numbered
among the colonial possessions of Great Britain. They bad two sons and
a daughter : Charles M. ; Dr. F. D. Adams, who is a dentist of Whatcom ;
and Hattie, the widow of James Shannon, of New York.
When about six years of age Charles M. Adams began to attend school
in Prattsburg, New York, and later continued his studies in Franklin Academy
until eighteen years of age, after which he engaged in teaching in the country
schools. Later he was engaged as a teacher in the academy where he had
formerly been a student, remaining there for three years. During that time
he took up the study of civil engineering, doing practical field work, and
since that time he has continued in the profession. Among the companies
by whom he has been employed as a civil engineer are the Western New
York & Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com-
pany and the Lackawanna & Pittsburg Company, all of New York. In
Ohio he was with the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio road and with the
Toledo & Ohio Central Company. In Illinois he was with the Chicago,
Burlington & Ouincy Railroad and. the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; and
in British Columbia he did civil engineering for the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road Company.
In 1890 Mr. Adams came to Whatcom, arriving here on Thanksgiving
day. He first worked for the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad
Company as a civil engineer, and in 1892-3-4 he was city engineer of What-
com. Through the two succeeding years he was county surveyor of What-
com county, and in 1897 ne went to British Columbia, where he was engaged
in prospecting with different mining companies. From the spring of 1898
until the summer of 1899 Mr. Adams was with the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road Company on the Columbian & Western Division, and in the latter year
he returned to Whatcom, taking up the general business of a civil engineer
in 1900. The same year he was elected county surveyor for a term of two
years, and in 1902 was re-elected for a second term, which will make him
the incumbent of the office until the close of IQ04. During the year 1894
Mr. Adams built the present water main intake from Lake Whatcom, a dis-
tance of three miles, with supply mains of thirty-inch and twenty-four-inch
pipes. lie is thoroughly versed in his chosen calling, and his proficiency
is shown by the important positions which he has been called upon to fill by
the large railroad companies.
In May, 1888, Mr. Adams was united in marriage to Miss Ida Belle
Middleton, a native of New York, and a daughter of John and Henrietta
Middleton, who were also born in that state. A son has been born of this
union, John Middleton Adams, who is now ten years of age. Mr. Adams is
a worthy and exemplary member of the Masonic lodge, and is also con-
nected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His political support
is given the Republican party, and his religious faith is indicated by his mem-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 243
bership in the Presbyterian church. His fellow townsmen know him as a
man of upright character, of loyalty in office and reliability in business af-
fairs, and these qualities have gained for him respect and admiration, while
his social nature has won him many friends.
CALVIN LACON MARSH.
Calvin Lacon Marsh, one of the prominent residents and successful
business men of Arlington, Washington, was born March 18, 1873, in Ritchie
county, West Virginia, and is a son of Jefferson Marsh, born in the same
state, but coming of English descent. By calling he is a farmer, and still
resides in Ritchie county, West Virginia, aged seventy years. The mother
bore the maiden name of Angelina Cunningham, and she, too, was a native
of West Virginia, but came of a Maryland family, and is still living. There
were six boys and four girls in the family of this worthy couple, most of
whom are engaged in professional work.
Calvin L. Marsh was born, reared and educated in the same county, con-
tinuing at school until he was eighteen years of age and for two terms prior to
that time he also taught school. In the spring of 1892 he went west to Puget
Sound, and after a short time at White River Valley, King county, he taught
school near Houghton, same county, one term, and then in 1893 settled in
Arlington and for two terms taught school in the Haller city school. In the
spring of 1894 he returned to Virginia and was married, and upon his return
to Arlington he purchased an interest in the Arlington Times. After a year
he bought the interest of his partner, and has successfully conducted the
paper himself, issuing it weekly. It is the Republican mouthpiece of the lo-
cality, and is well supported by the members of the Republican party. In
1897 he was honored by appointment as United States commissioner, to fill
an unexpired term, and was re-appointed in 1901 for a period of four years, by
Judge Hanford.
In June, 1894, he was married to Lora McDugal, a native of West
Virginia, and a daughter of Ardena McDugal. who came of Scotch ancestry,
but was born in Virginia. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Marsh, namely: Constance, aged eight years; John Paul, aged four years;
Lillian, aged two years: and little Rufus. the baby. Fraternally Mr. Marsh
is a member of the Ancient Order United Workmen, and politically is a Re-
publican, taking an active part in local and county politics.
GEORGE W. FOWLER.
George W. Fowler is one of the leading real estate dealers of Tacoma,
and has negotiated many important property transfers. He is a western man,
possessed of the progressive spirit which lias ever dominated the portion of
our country west of the Mississippi. His birth occurred on a farm in Wash-
ington county, near St. Paul. Minnesota, in 1865, liis parents being Giles H.
and Mary S. (Shellenbarger) Fowler. The father was born in Massachusetts
and came of a family lung established in New England. He came west to
Minnesota in 1852, becoming one of the early settlers of that state, and in the
244 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
seventies removed with his family to Minneapolis, where he spent his remain-
ing days, his death occurring in 1894. His widow, who was born in Ohio,
is now living in Tacoma.
George W. Fowler obtained a good education, and at an early age ac-
cepted a position as office boy with one of the largest real estate and finan-
cial firms of Minneapolis, where he received an excellent practical business
education, and, because of his close application, his ability and fidelity, he
was steadily advanced to positions bringing to him greater responsibility and
at the same time better financial returns.
In 1888 Mr. Fowler arrived in Tacoma, where he established a real
estate office on his own account, and soon became one of the largest and
most prominent operators of this place, a position which he has since main-
tained. He successfully withstood the hard times brought on by the great
financial panic which swept over the country in 1893, and has been an
active factor in the upbuilding and development of Tacoma. He has put
upon the market and capably handled an immense amount of city and suburban
property, and is successfully conducting a general real estate business, in addi-
tion t<« which he also deals in state, county, city and public school warrants
and bonds, and negotiates mortgage loans. He likewise represents several
leading insurance companies in fire, accident, liability, burglary, plate glass,
etc.. and that part of his business has reached profitable proportions.
Mr. Fowler was married in Tacoma, in 1892, the lady of his choice be-
ing Miss Edna L. Elder, and they now reside at 709 North O street, and
the entertainment furnished in their home to their many friends makes it a
favorite resort with those who know them. Mr. Fowler is a trustee of the
Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade, and is an enterprising, successful
and well known citizen, whose advance to a creditable and gratifying position
in the business world is due to his energy, executive force and close appli-
cation.
THEODORE HOSS.
While meat and drink are the great staples of life and rank next in im-
portance to the air we breathe, air and drink are obtainable much more easily
than meat; as one reads of the intricacy of the meat inspection laws of dif-
ferent countries and the many processes through which the animal must go
before it may be served to the hungry toiler, it is surprising that we get it
at all. As American meat now leads the world, we are glad to here make
mention of a man who has for a number of years been furnishing to the
citizens of Centralia, Washington, and the surrounding country high-grade
meats of all kinds, and, inasmuch as men are largely by what they eat, and men
make institutions, may we not justly ascribe to this gentleman a part of the
development of the thriving town of Centralia? But he is deserving of this
mention on other grounds, for in Mr. Hoss has Centralia found one of its
most progressive and public-spirited citizens.
To know the history of this family we must go to Germany, where Theo-
dore Hoss, Sr. was born and reared to manhood. He also married there.
Clara Kiepers, native of that land, becoming his wife. In 1853 he and his
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 246
wife and little daughter made the long and ever to be remembered journey
across the Atlantic. He first made his home in Cassville, Wisconsin, where
he gained a livelihood by engaging in the cooperage business, but in 1867
he made his way to the newer country of the west and took a homestead near
Fremont, in Saunders county, Nebraska. While he made a comfortable liv-
ing here, he was yet not altogether satisfied, and ten years later came to
Olequa, Washington, where he took up a pre-emption claim and worked it
with good results. He has resided in Centralia since 1889, and now in the sev-
enty-seventh year of his life he is no longer harassed by the earlier cares of
existence. But he has been deprived of the comforting companionship of his
good wife, who passed away December 14, 1896, aged sixty-four vears.
The son Theodore, is a native of America, born iii Cassville, Grant
county, Wisconsin, March 11, 1863. Inasmuch as the greater part of his
young life was spent in new countries, little opportunities for education were
afforded him, but, like many other self-made men, he has utilized all that has
come in his way, and is a bright, intelligent man, of a tried and good char-
acter ; the fact that he has always been a hard worker has certainly had much
to do with his success. He came west to Washington with his father in 1876,
and in 1886, with his brother Hermen, he opened the pioneer meat market
in Centralia. This business has become very extensive and is now an incorpor-
ated firm, with Theodore as president and the buyer, and Hermen Hoss as
manager of the sales department of the concern. Mr. Hoss is also at the head
of the Electric Power Company, which is one of the important institutions
of the city ; it is also incorporated, and Mr. Hoss is the president and man-
ager, while Hermen is secretary. Another member of the family living in
Centralia is Mrs. Maria Dueber, who is the only one of the children horn in the
old country.
The marriage of Mr. Hoss occurred in Centralia, February 20, 1890,
Miss Jennie Reeves becoming his wife. She is a native of the state of Mich-
igan and a daughter of W. F. Reeves, of that state. Three daughters have
come into the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Hoss, whose names are Leona,
May and Vera. Mr. Hoss enjoys fraternal relations with the Modern Wood-
men of America, and has proved himself to lie one of the leading spirits in
affairs of the town and county, being now the chairman of the board of school
directors ; his political beliefs are those of the Democratic party, and represent-
ing that party he has been in the city council for several terms and for four
years was one of the county commissioners.
GEORGE E. ATKINSON'.
George E. Atkinson has been a resident of Washington for thirty-five
years, and in that time has been prominently connected with the lumber indus-
try of the country. The world always seems to lie ready to confer special re-
ward upon the producer, the man who can do or make something that others
want, and Mr. Atkinson can surely take rank among those who have not
been content with a life of prosy, mechanical drudgery, hut have become
leaders in industrial production.
Mr. Atkinson has back of him good English ancestry. His father was
246 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Robert Atkinson and was a native of England. He came to the new world
and settled in the province of New Brunswick, where he married Elizabeth
Wight. The Wights were residents of the colonies during the Revolutionary
days, and as they remained loyal to their king in that struggle they were sub-
jected to the persecution and confiscation of estates which followed in the
time of the organization of the American republic, as a result of which they
joined the many Tories who were leaving the country and settled on land
allotted to them by their government in New Bruswick. Mrs. Atkinson died
when quite young, but her husband lived to be seventy-two years of age.
The birth of George E. Atkinson occurred in the province of New Bruns-
wick in 1837. He received his education there, and when still a boy became
engaged in the lumber business, which is one of the important industries of
that province. In 1867 he decided that the vast timber stretches of the Pacific
coast were a better field of operations, and he accordingly came to Washing-
ton. He became the manager of the Old Tacoma mill and remained in that
position for eighteen years, during which time he increased the daily output
of the mill from sixty thousand feet of lumber a day to two hundred and
thirty thousand, and made it one of the most prosperous plants in the state.
Acting for self and associates, he built the Pacific mill in Tacoma and later
had the management of the Bellingham Bay mill. Mr. Atkinson came to
Centralia in May, 1892; he and his partner bought the mill of the Gouger
Lumber Company, and, when they soon after dissolved partnership, it became
the Atkinson Lumber Company. The plant is now leased for a year, but on
the expiration of the lease Mr. Atkinson intends to take it and make a spe-
cialty of the manufacture of ship spars; the mill can make any dimension up
to one hundred and thirty-five feet in length.
Mr. Atkinson wras first married while residing in New Brunswick, but
soon after lost his wife and child. He was married in Tacoma to Miss Es-
tella B. Garretson, who was a talented lady and a teacher of music in the
Annie Wright Seminary, coming from Pennsylvania. They reside in Tacoma,
and four children were born to them here: Mary, George, William and
Dorothy. The family religion is that of the Episcopal church. Mr. Atkinson
has always been active in the interests of the Republican party, and during
the administrations of Governors Ferry and Newell was a trustee of the
State Insane Asylum ; he has also held various local offices. He has the
distinction of being a charter member of the first Masonic lodge established
in Tacoma, which was later merged in a new lodge.
WILLIAM J. MUNRO.
William J. Munro, one of the representative citizens of Sedro Woolley,
Washington, was born in Maddock county, Canada, July 21, 1854, and on
his father's side is descended from Scotch ancestry, and from Irish on his
mother's side. His grandfather Munro crossed the St. Lawrence river on a
raft and left his possessions in New York state during the Revolutionary
war, because he would not bear arms against the mother country. His prop-
erty was confiscated. J. C. Munro, the father of William J., was born in
Canada and lived there for a number of years. He died in Sedro Woolley,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 247
Washington, in February, 1891. His widow, whose maiden name was Mary
Elizabeth Christie, was also a native of Canada. She is a resident of Sedro
Woolley. Their family includes five sons and two daughters, all now settled
in life, occupying useful and respected positions. J. C. Munro is marshal
of Sedro Woolley. R. H. is with the Algier Shingle Company, of Blue Can-
yon, Washington. P. H. is in the employ of the Belfast Shingle Company in
Skagit county, Washington. R. A. is associated with his brother W. J. in
the Grand Rapids Shingle Company. Elizabeth is the wife of Charles Hin-
man, of Anacortes, and Rachel is the wife of R. C. Beebe, of Sedro Woolley.
William J. Munro received his education in the common schools near
his Canadian home, attending until he was fifteen, after which he worked
in his father's store a few years. In 1872 we find him at Grand Haven, Mich-
igan, in the employ of a lumber company, working in a mill, where he re-
mained until 1S77. After this he learned the shoemaker's trade in his father's
store, and engaged in the shoe business in Whitehall, [Michigan, which he con-
ducted until 1886. That year, in company with his father, he bought a lum-
ber mill in Muskegon county, Michigan, which he ran four years, until 1890,
the time of his coming to Washington. The first year here he built a shingle
mill at Burlington, under contract, operated it forty days, and then had to leave
the place. He next became associated in the Sedro Shingle & Lumber Com-
pany, of Sedro, with his brothers and Messrs. Hart and Battey, and in -this
enterprise they met with disaster in the way of fire, everything being swept
away by flame, the loss involving not only their own means but also their
mother's. Our subject then branched out in a brokerage business for his
old firm of Wagner Brothers & Angel, of Grand Rapids. Michigan, and has
since represented them in the west. His business at the present time amounts
to over five hundred thousand dollars per annum. Mr. Munro is also the
western representative for the Grand Rapids Shingle Company, of Michigan,
in which he owns a one-half interest less one share.
Mr. Munro is a Republican, and has for years been active in politics.
He has attended both county and state conventions, and for two years was
county central committeeman. Fraternally he is associated with the Hoo
Hoos and Ancient Order United Workmen.
Mr. Munro was married May 5, 1901, in Mt. Vernon, Washington, to
Miss Estella Hutton, a native of Ohio and a daughter of P. M. Hutton, a re-
tired merchant, now residing in Sedro Woolley. The Hutton family has long
been resident of America and was represented in the Revolution and other
wars of this country, P. M. Hutton being a Civil war veteran. Mr. and
Mrs. Munro lost their only child, an infant son, born in 1903.
HON. WILLIAM R. MOULTRAY.
Hon. William R. Moultray, president of the Nooksack Shingle and Lum-
ber Company, and a very prominent and substantia! resident of Whale -in.
was born September 10, 1852, at Steelville, Crawford county, Missouri. He
is a son of William Augustus and Martha (Hopkins) Moultray. The former
still resides on the old country homestead in Missouri, at the advanced age
of ninety-two years. He was born in Missouri and belongs to a Revolution-
248 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ary family of the name, and one of his ancestors was honored in the naming of
Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. Martha (Hopkins) Moultray was also born
in Missouri, ami her family, likewise, was established in America some time
during the Revolutionary period. The six brothers of William R. Moultray
are: George, James and Thomas, twins, Joseph H., Millard and Edward; and
the sisters are: Mary, wife of William Pettigrew, of Washington; Emma,
wife of L. Earney, of Missouri; Alice, wife of Isaac Brown, of Missouri;
and Martha, wife of H. Coleman.
William R. Moultray grew up under conditions, incident to the Civil
war, which precluded any thorough educational training. At the age of
thirty he obtained the consent of his parents to try the more promising fields
of the frontier, and in 1872 came to the state of Washington, locating in
Whatcom county, where he worked for wages until 1876. ' By this time he
had saved from his own earnings sufficient means to start a trading post and
store at a point on the Nooksack river, then known as the Crossings. The
place is now one of the important stations on the Bellingham Bay and British
Columbia Railroad, the town being known as Everson. This store became
the leading one in this section, and Mr. Moultray successfully conducted it
until 1887, when a disastrous fire destroyed both his store and residence.
He then turned his attention to hop farming on the Nooksack river and con-
tinued until 1892. Having been very successful in this enterprise, Mr.
Moultray invested a portion of his means in the mill and shingle manufactur-
ing business and organized the great company of which he is president. He
is still successfully operating it, it being one of the great industries of this
section.
In 1889 Mr. Moultray moved into Whatcom in order to afford his chil-
dren good educational advantages. He has always been identified with polit-
ical affairs since locating in the state, being a prominent member of the Re-
publican party. From 1876 to 1887 he served as postmaster of Nooksack.
and in 1884 was elected a justice of the peace there for two years and was re-
elected in 1886. In 1889 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the first
state legislature, for a term of two years, and in 1900 was elected for a term
of four years, to the state senate.
In November, 1877, Mr. Moultray was married to Lizzie Walker, who
was born in Missouri and is a daughter of W. L. and Hannah Walker, both
of whom were natives of the same state, of English descent. They have six
children, with ages ranging from twenty-two years to nine, as follows : Les-
ter, Effie, William, Alice, Roy and Lottie. The family is located at 700 Hight
street, Whatcom. The family is connected with the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Moultray belongs to the orders of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.
He is one of the representative men of this section.
HON. EDWARD S. HAMILTON.
The Hamiltons come from good Scotch-Irish ancestry who came to this
country from the north of Ireland. George Hamilton was a native of New-
York, moved from his home in Brooklyn to Westchester county. New York,
at about the time the oil industry assumed its important place in commerce,
\pu*uc library
T'^ENFouNDATroNJ
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 249
and was a retailer of oil at Peekskill for a number of years, dying there
in 1898. His wife, Caroline Agnew, was of English stock, a native of New
York state, and died in 1872.
Edward S. Hamilton was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1865, and
upon reaching manhood came out to the Sound country in 1888, making his
first venture at Port Townsend as a real estate dealer. But in the fall of that
year he came to Tacoma and became the bookkeeper for the Puget Sound
Stevedore Company. He rose to the position of foreman of the company,
and in 1891 W. L. McCabe, the president, took him as a partner and the
two succeeded to the business under the name of McCabe and Hamilton.
This company, which has its offices in the Pacific Cold Storage building, at
Tacoma, are among the most prominent stevedores in the country,
and do a large business at all the Sound points, having branches at Seattle
and Honolulu, with connections at Liverpool. They do all the lading for
the grain and oriental shipping companies on Puget Sound, and a large num-
ber of men are employed. The electric conveyor which they have invented
and introduced for loading flour and grain has effected a revolution in meth-
ods of ship-loading and decreases materially the time of lading needed before.
By this means two thousand sack^ per hour .are hurried into the hold, a won-
derful improvement over the former expensive staging and slinging.
Mr. Hamilton has been a' leading member of the Republican party in his
section, and in 1898, after receiving the nomination for state senator from
the twentieth senatorial district, was elected by a handsome majority, and in
1902 was re-elected by a still larger vote. In the first session he was chair-
man of the Pierce county delegation, and in this capacity had charge of the
election whereby A. G. Foster was chosen to the United States senate. It
was during this' year also that the Populists held the balance of power in the
upper house of the state legislature, and Mr. Hamilton led the minority in
the appropriations committee, and although of opposite political faith to
Governor Rogers he sustained that gentleman in his vetoes of the extravagant
appropriations. Further, he was on the railroad transportation committee,
revenue and taxation, chairman of the public grounds and building commit-
tee, and was the father of the bill for the purchase of the Thurston county
court house. In the session of 1900 he was again chairman of the Pierce
county delegation, chairman of committee on revenue and taxation and con-
gressional apportionment, member of the committee on appropriations, state
school and tide lands, and of the legislative apportionment committee. In
the legislature of 1903 he was chairman of the committee on appropriations,
a member of the revenue and taxation committee, railroads and transportation.
He also had charge of the railroad conflict, fighting it to a successful comple-
tion, and was one of the committee having charge of the campaign for the
election of Levi Auderv as United States senator. He has taken a prominent
part in campaign work, in 1896 was one of the principal organizers and
president of the Young Men's McKinley Club of over six hundred members,
and for the past ten years has been a delegate to nearly all the county and
state Republican conventions.
Mr. Hamilton was married in Tacoma, in 1891, to Miss Emma L. Kidg-
250 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
way, a native of the state of New York, and they have one daughter, Edna.
The family residence is at 310 North E street. At one time he was president
of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and is still a member, as also of the
Union Club; belongs to the Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and was for-
merly prominent in both the subsidiary lodge and the uniform rank of the
latter body, but press of business forced him to relinquish active participation
in the organization.
'S'
JOHN H. SARGENT.
John H. Sargent, Chinese inspector at Sumas, Washington, was born
January 8, 1866, in Shelby county, Illinois. He is a son of William R. and
Mary J. (Herod) Sargent, the former of whom was a native of Ohio, of an
old Massachusetts family which came there from England some twenty
years later than the settlement at Plymouth. He was a well known farmer
and stock-raiser in Shelby county, and died in 1887.
The mother of our subject was born in Tennessee and was a great-grand-
daughter of Colonel Bowman, who served in the Revolutionary army and
later lived in Illinois, dying in the latter state in 1871. Mrs. Sargent is of
Scotch-Irish descent. Her mother, Mrs. E. M. Herod, has reached the age
of ninety-three and resides at Windsor, Illinois. A daughter, Jessie B., is the
wife of H. W. Rock, a harness-maker at Laconner, Washington.
John H. Sargent was educated in the common schools of Shelby county
and graduated at the high school in 1883. For the succeeding five years he
engaged in teaching, both in the country and city, and then entered Wesleyan
College, at Bloomington, Illinois, where he was graduated June 11, 1890,
with the degree of LL. B.
On June 25, 1890, in company with R. S. Lambert, now mayor of Sumas,
Washington, he started for the west. They looked over the entire country
from Ogden to Portland and north to Whatcom, and found no satisfactory
point to locate for the practice of their profession, until they reached What-
com. After but one hour's stay they decided that this city offered many
professional and residence advantages, and at once they formed a partnership
here, the style being Lambert & Sargent. Six months later Mr. Lambert
went to Sumas, but Mr. Sargent continued in practice until February, 1898.
At this date he was appointed inspector of customs, by Collector F. D. Hues-
tis, and continued to officiate as such until July, 1900, when he was appointed
immigrant inspector by T. V. Powderly, commissioner general of immigra-
tion. Mr. Sargent spent six months in the immigrant station at New York
city, and was then transferred to Whatcom. On July 1, 1903, Inspector
Sargent was appointed as a Chinese inspector by promotion, and placed in
charge of the Chinese detention station at Sumas, Washington, which is one
of the four points 011 the northern border of the United States where Chinese
are allowed to enter the country. He had most efficiently filled the position
as inspector in charge at this point.
Mr. Sargent took an active part in politics before entering the govern-
ment service. In November, 1894, he was elected city attorney of Whatcom
and served during 1895. He represented the Republican party at many con-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 251
ventions, as a delegate, and in the campaigns of 1894-6 stumped the county
for the ticket. Mr. Sargent is interested in several of the leading mining
companies of this locality. He was one of the organizers of the Ruth Creek
Falls Mining Company, which owns twelve claims in the Mount Baker district,
near to the nowr famous Post-Lambert claim. This organization has a cap-
ital stock of one million dollars.
On June 24, 1890, at Windsor, Illinois, Mr. Sargent was married to
Carrie A. Gharrett, who was a daughter of Joseph Gharrett, of that place.
Mrs. Sargent is of German descent, but a native of Illinois. She was a teacher
in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Sargent have two sons, Noel G., aged
nine years, and Winford G, aged six years. Mr. Sargent is fraternally con-
nected with the order of Knights of Pythias.
HENRY L. DEVIN.
Henry L. Devin, who resides in Sedro Woolley, Washington, is engaged
in the real estate business, and with the improvement of the city has been
actively and helpfully identified. He was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, on the
1 6th of June, 1862. and comes of a family of French descent, founded in
America in 1717. The name was originally De Vinne, but after the Revolu-
tionary war was changed to its present form by the grandfather of our sub-
ject. There were seven members of the family who were soldiers in the
Revolutionary war, valiantly aiding in the struggle which resulted in the
establishment of the Republic. John D. Devin, the father of Henry L... was
born in Ohio and was educated for the bar. He practiced law for a number
of years and was also a member of the firm of Devin & Sons., at that time
one of the largest mercantile houses in Iowa. For many years he was an active
business man, but is now living retired in the city of Seattle. He married
Miss Frances Peters, who was born in Ohio and belongs to an old American
family. She represented the Chambers family in the maternal line, and,
like the Peters, they were of old English stock, and both families were rep-
resented in the colonial army in the war of the Revolution. Mrs. Devin died
in 1869, leaving two sons. Henry L. and David C, the latter now a ranchman
of Colorado. The paternal grandmother of our subject. Lucinda Davis, was a
descendant of David Davis, who was killed at Concord bridge.
Henry L. Devin acquired his education in the public schools of Iowa
and in Ann Arbor University, of Michigan, preparing for a technical course,
which he was obliged to abandon. At the age of seventeen years he started
out upon an independent business career. Beginning as a farmer, he followed
that pursuit near Des Moines, Iowa, for four years, and then went to Ohio,
where he was engaged in wood-working, manufacturing bank, office and Other
interior finishings. He built up quite an extensive and profitable business in
that line, but in 1886 he came to the Puget Sound country, believing in its
possibilities and foreseeing much of its brilliant future. Closing out his
business in the east, he returned to Seattle in February, 1889, and there made
some investments.
In the fall of the same year Mr. Devin came to what is now Sedro Wool-
lev. The town was not platted, and he bought property before the land was
252 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
surveyed, and has here made his headquarters continuously since. He has
always been active in the upbuilding of this section of the country and con-
fident of its future, and has done much to further progress and improvement
here. He went to Alaska in 1897, before the big discoveries in the Klondike
district, and prospected on the southern Alaska coast. He made two trips
in 1897, ani' m ^99 be went to the Klondike, remaining until 1901, during
which time he bore his share of the hardships incident to the development of
(he north. Since his return he has been engaged in the real estate business,
meeting with very gratifying success. He was the secretary and treasurer
cf the Sedro Land Improvement Company for four years, from 1895 until
1899, when he resigned to go to the north.
In politics Mr. Devin is an active Republican, and was connected with the
Sedro city government from the time of its establishment until it was dis-
organized by its union with the town of Woolley. He was the city clerk for
nine years and the postmaster for seven years, being appointed by President
Harrison and serving until the office was abolished by the consolidation of
the two cities. He was also a school director and the chairman of the board
when the schoolhouse was built. He is also justice of the peace.
On the 17th of June, 1885, Mr. Devin was married to Lenore Mosier,
the wedding taking place in Des Moines, her native city. She is a daughter
of Cyrus A. Mosier, an Iowa pioneer, and representative of an old American
family of English origin and of Revolutionary fame, having sent its repre-
sentatives to the continental army during the struggle for national independ-
ence. To Mr. and Mrs. Devin have been born three daughters: Frances,
Agnes and Alice, all attending school. Socially Mr. Devin is connected with
the Modern Woodmen of America, and in 1903 was sent as a county delegate
to the state convention. He also belongs to the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. He has been a faithful and enthusiastic member of the Twin City
Business League and did much work in effecting its organization. He was
its first secretary and was again elected to that office in i<;03. This league has
done much fur the city, and is composed of intelligent, enterprising, up-to-
date men.
FRANK L. CROSBY.
Frank L. Crosby, the well known chief deputy United States marshal at
Tacoma, is a representative of one of the oldest and most prominent seafaring
families that have been identified with the northwest since its earliest settle-
ment. He was born in Tumwater, Washington, in 1862. and is a son of
Nathaniel and Cordelia J. (Smith) Crosby. His father was a native of
Maine, born at Wiscasset, December 3, 1835, the ancestral home of the Cros-
bys being at that place. Besides his father he had five uncles who were sea
captains.
The paternal grandfather, Captain Nathaniel Crosby, Sr., came around
Cape Horn from New York in 1845 in one of his own vessels, arriving in the
Columbia river on the 8th of December, that year, and for a time he was
engaged in the carrying trade between San Francisco and Honolulu. Be-
lieving there was a great future in store for the Pacific coast country, especi-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 253
ally in the line of ocean commerce, he sent for the remainder of the family to
join him here. Accordingly several of his brothers with their families, alxaut
thirty persons in all, came around the Horn on the brig Grecian, one of their
own vessels, which was of only two hundred tons burden — a very hazardous
undertaking but accomplished without a single accident. They entered the
Columbia river and landed at Portland in 1849. Many of this family be-
came quite prominent in ocean commerce. In fact the entire history of the
family — a seafaring race in every meaning of the word — is so closely asso-
ciated with the early navigation of the Pacific Ocean that they may, without
exaggeration, be called the most prominent people of their day in the marine
interests of this coast.
Nathaniel Crosby, Sr., was the first to navigate the Columbia river, and
lie built the first frame house in Portland, which is still standing as a noted
landmark. He also took up as government land what subsequently became
the city of Albina, now East Portland. He became very prosperous as a ship-
owner and captain, and from 1845 to 1848 ran the brig Toulon between Port-
land and Honolulu and San Francisco, doing a general carrying trade. From
the latter year until about 1854 he ran the brig Louisiana between San Fran-
cisco, Puget Sound and China, making a specialty of carrying spars from
Puget Sound to China. After several trips to Hong Kong, he decided to
locate there in the ship chandlery business, and in 1855 took his family to
that country, making the trip in a finely fitted up vessel and taking with
him a tutor for his children. After three years spent in that country he died.
After the death of his father Nathaniel Crosby, Jr., carried on the busi-
ness in China for a time, but finally sold out and returned to Puget Sound
in i860, locating at Tumwater, Washington. Before the removal of the fam-
ily to Hong Kong he had attended Forest Grove University in Oregon, re-
ceiving a good education, and after his return he became prominent in the
steamboat business on the Sound, being one of the best known men on the
northwest coast. In 1867 he was one of the organizers and was made secre-
tary of the Puget Sound Steam Navigation Company, which built the large
steamer New World, being associated in this business with Captain Windsor
and with his uncle, Captain Crosby. At that time it was the best steamer
on the northwest coast, and made the run from Olympia to Victoria, Mr.
Crosby serving as purser under Captain Windsor. Those early times were
great days in the steamboat business on the Sound, as the water route was the
only practicable one to the lower Sound country, and Olympia was the head of
navigation. Competition set in strong, however, and the New World was
finally sold and taken to San Francisco. Captain Crosby later became one
of the leading merchants of Olympia, where he died in 7890, honored and re-
spected by all who knew him.
Captain Crosby's married life was a very happy one. in i860 he married
Miss Cordelia J. Smith, who was born in Covington; Indiana, in [839. Winn
she was thirteen years of age her father, Jacob Smith, with his wife and
seven children, loaded their earthly possessions into one of the historic ve
hides known as the "prairie schooner" and joined a wagon train bound
for the Pacific coast. The long and arduous trip across the plains was made
without serious mishap, and many of the party settled in the upper Sound
254 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
country. In this wagon train were Dr. Spinning, now living in the Puyallup
valley, and others well known in this district. The Smith family took up
a large donation claim on Whidby Island, erected their rough log cabin, and
started bravely to work to subdue the wilderness to their use. The father
suffered a fall, breaking one of his forearms. With no physician in western
Washington, he had to bandage the injured member himself and allow na-
ture to do its work as best it might. The arm began to grow crooked and
misshapen, and Mr. Smith decided upon a trip to San Francisco to have the
bones reset properly. While absent on the trip, in those days a long pilgrim-
age, the first of the Indian wars broke out, the bloody conflict surging about
the little cabin he had left in the woods. One of Mrs. Crosby's strongest im-
pressions of those early days was the scene when the savages, their hands
still dyed with fresh blood, came upon that undefended home with the mother
and her seven helpless children. The Indians had just murdered Colonel
Ebey, one of their nearest neighbors, cutting off his head and otherwise mu-
tilating the body. Upon entering the Smith cabin the savages signed for some-
thing to eat. They were fed with the best the humble larder afforded, but
their appetites were not satisfied and they demanded better food. The frenzied
mother, a little mite of a woman, it is said, but abundantly plucky, had noth-
ing better for them and awaited in an agony of fear the next act of the ruth-
less hands. One stalwart strode out of the house, and returned with his gun,
and leveling it at the woman repeated his demands, whereupon the little
woman's spirit overcame her fears and with the children staring on in wide-
eyed amazement, she marched to the wood-box, seized a suitable stick and
brandishing the same in the big brave's face ordered him to leave the house.
The Indians, in sheer admiration of such courage, withdrew from the place
without harming a hair of their heads. After about five years of life on the
island farm the family removed to Olympia, then almost the only settlement on
the Sound except Seattle and Victoria. There Mrs. Crosby grew to woman-
hood, and there she met and married the father of our subject. She died in
November, 1902, and her death was mourned by a large circle of friends
and acquaintances who appreciated her sterling worth. Besides her two sons,
Frank L. and Harry L.. the latter bookkeeper for the county treasurer of
Pierce county, she left two sisters and two brothers, namely : Mrs. C. M.
Harmon, of Tacoma; Mrs. N. A. Smith, of Seattle; Albion H. Smith, of
Olympia; and R. R. Smith of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Frank L. Crosby spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Olympia.
and is indebted to the public schools of the city for his early educational priv-
ileges. At the age of twenty he went to San Francisco, where he attended
school for a time, making a specialty of studies leading to the profession of
civil engineering. Completing the course there, he returned to Washington
and became civil engineer for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, which
was then making its way across the continent. For three years he was en-
gaged in preliminary surveying for this road over the Cascade mountains,
and later ran the level for the line between Tacoma and Seattle.
After the completion of that work Mr. Crosby became connected with
the Northern Pacific land department at Tacoma, as land examiner and later
as assistant cashier of that department. He then went into the steamboat busi-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 255
ness on Puget Sound, being part owner of the steamer Clara Brown. In
1890 he was appointed chief deputy United States marshal under Thomas
Brown, and has held that office under successive administrations ever since,
being recognized as an exceptionally capable and efficient officer.
In 1887, at Portland, Oregon, Mr. Crosby was united in marriage to
Miss Belle F. Stump, a daughter of Captain Thomas Stump, who was also
a famous steamboat captain and the first to navigate the Cascade Rapids at
The Dalles on the Columbia river. Her brother-in-law, Captain James W.
Troup, is a noted captain, known all along the Pacific coast. It will thus be
seen that Mrs. Crosby's relatives, as well as those of her husband, have been
and are very prominent in marine circles. Our subject and his wife have three
children, namely: Lloyd R.. Flora C. and Frank A.
Mr. Crosby is a prominent Republican and, previous to the enactment of
the civil service law prohibiting " pernicious activity," was a delegate and in-
fluential figure at conventions. Like his ancestors he is widely and favorably
known throughout the northwest, and has a host of warm friends in the city
where he now resides.
ISRAEL A. NEWKIRK.
Israel Alexander Newkjrk, who is engaged in the livery business in Fern-
dale, has been a resident of Whatcom county for fourteen years. He was born
on the 12th of January, 1847, m Clinton county, Ohio, a son of David Webb
and Charlotte (Sidles) Newkirk. Both of the parents were also natives of
the Buckeye state, and the father was a farmer by occupation, following that
pursuit in order to provide for his family of wife and four children. He
died in 1899, at the advanced age of seventy-six years, and Mrs. Newkirk
passed away in 1902, when sixty-eight years of age. Marcus L. Newkirk.
the brother of our subject, is living in Illinois. The sisters are Nancy, the
wife of Perry Ridings, a resident farmer of Illinois; and Hannah, the wife
of Frank T. Riddell.
To the public school system of his native state Israel A. Newkirk is in-
debted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed up to the time he was
fifteen years of age. He then left the schoolroom and devoted all of his time
to assisting in the cultivation of his father's farm, working in the fields from
the time of early spring planting until after crops were harvested in the late
autumn. However, he abandoned the plow on the 6th of October. [864, for
his patriotic spirit was aroused, and although but seventeen years of age he
enlisted at Springfield, Illinois, as a member of the Thirteenth United Stales
Infantry. He was assigned to Company A and served until 1867, when he re-
ceived an honorable discharge at Fort Randal. Dakota. Returning then to
Illinois, he spent the succeeding six months on the home farm, after which
he went to Iowa, where he was employed as a farm hand until 1871. He then
again went to Illinois, where he remained for about a year. Again he lo-
cated in Iowa, and was married there. Subsequently he spent a
short period in Illinois and on again leaving that state made his way to Kan-
sas, settling in Butler county, where he engaged in farming for five years.
On the expiration of that period he removed to Ness county, where he was
256 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
engaged in the cattle business until 1882. The following year was spent in
Iowa, after which he returned to Butler county, Kansas, where he remained
until the spring of 1889, when he resolved to establish a home in the north-
west. Making his way to Washington, he settled in Whatcom county, near
Ferndale, and has remained here since. He purchased a ranch which he
conducted until 1893, and then removed to Ferndale, where he has since made
his home. He was engaged in hauling and teaming until 1899, when he es-
tablished the livery stable which he has since conducted with good success.
He has a number of good horses and vehicles of different kinds, and receives
a liberal and profitable patronage.
On the 8th of March, 1873, Mr. Newkirk was united in marriage to
Miss Nancy Guernsey, who is a native of Indiana but was reared in Iowa,
in which state their wedding was celebrated. She is a daughter of Daniel B.
and Nancy (Kelly) Guernsey, farming people of that state. To Mr. and
Mrs. Newkirk have been born eight children, four sons and four daughters,
namely: Perry B., who is a resident of Whatcom, Washington ; Arthur A.
and Guernsey A., who are also living in Whatcom; John Jay; Mary M.,
the wife of Samuel McCormick; Alice Gertrude, the wife of John P. Ander-
son ; Fannie F. ; and Austa A. The last two are still with their parents.
Mr. Newkirk gives his political support to the men and measures of the
Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for political office, preferring
to devote his time ami attention to his business affairs, in which he is now
meeting with good success.
GEORGE H. VOGTLIN.
The name of George H. Vogtlin is inseparably interwoven with the his-
tory of Mason county, and he is one of its honored pioneers, valuable public
officials and esteemed business men. He is a native son of the Wolverine
state, for his birth occurred in Rockland, Michigan, on the 19th of May,
1862. His father, Joseph Vogtlin, was born in Germany in 1822, but in
1847 teft his home across the sea and came to the United States, taking up
his abode in Michigan. Before leaving his native land he had learned the
carpenter's trade, and for some years after his arrival in this country he was
engaged in the manufacture of lumber, but is now living retired from the
active duties of life and makes his home on a farm, being in his eightieth
year. At the time of the Civil war he raised a company of volunteers for
service in the Union cause, and was made captain, and he proved himself
a gallant defender of the land of his adoption. For his wife Mr. Vogtlin
chose Miss Mary Enderlin, also a native of the fatherland, where her birth
occurred in 1826, and she accompanied her parents on their removal to the
United States. Seven children blessed this union, four sons and three daugh-
ters, and five of the number are still living. The mother has now reached
the seventy-sixth milestone on the journey of life, and both she and her hus-
band have ever been devout members of the Catholic church.
George H. Vogtlin, the only representative of his parents' family in
Washington, received his education and was reared to years of maturity in
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 257
Rockland, Ontonagon county. Michigan. On the 17th of June, 1884. lie ar-
rived in Washington, and at that time the now busy county seat of Mason
county contained but two houses, the Hon. David Shelton and Senator Knee-
land being the only residents of the town. For three years after his arrival
in Shelton Mr. Vogtlin was employed as a conductor on the Satsop Railroad,
and in 1887 he purchased the livery business of which he has since been the
successful owner. He keeps on an average about fifteen good horses and
all the conveyances necessary for the successful conduct of the business, and
is recognized as one of the leading liverymen of the city. In addition he also
has a large number of work horses, and is extensively engaged in draying and
hauling wood. His business interests are varied and extensive, and he is
largely interested in farming and timber lands. A stanch and active Repub-
lican, he has been the recipient of many honors from his party, having first
been elected to the position of constable of the city, was afterward for two
years the efficient city marshal, while for four years he held the office of city
treasurer, and for five years has been chief of the Shelton fire department.
In 189S he was made the sheriff of Mason county, and so well did he discharge
the duties incumbent upon this important office that he was again elected,
receiving his second appointment in 1900, being the present sheriff. The
cause of education has also found in him a warm friend, and for a long
period he has served as a school director.
In 1893 Mr. Vogtlin was happily married to Miss Anna I. Bell, who
is a daughter of Rodney Bell, a retired citizen of Shelton. They have three
sons, Hollis, Sidney and Arthur, all born in Shelton. In his fraternal rela-
tions Mr. Vogtlin is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
the Woodmen of the World. Few men are better or more favorably known
in Mason county than he, whose long official service has gained him a wide
acquaintance, while his persona! qualities have won for him the friendship
and respect of those with whom he has been associated.
WILLIAM V. WELLS.
The subject of this review is a man of practical ability as a lawyer. Mr.
Wells is a native of the Empire state, his birth occurring on the 3rd of March,
1866, in the little town of Mannsville, in Jefferson county. He comes from
an old and prominent New England family. His elementary education was
received in the public schools of Wolcott, New York, after which he attended
Lima Seminary at Lima, New York, and still later was a student in the James-
town College, North Dakota. He was admitted to the bar at Jamestown,
North Dakota, in December, 1890, and in the following February came to
Anacortes, Washington, where he lias continued in the practice of his profes-
sion to the present time, having been associated during the major portion of
the time as partner with George A. foiner. In the summer of \H<,j, immedi-
ately after the death of his wife, he went to Dawson City. Yukon territory,
where he became interested in several mining claims 011 Bonanza creek, which
he operated successfully until 1901, when he returned to Vnacortes and re-
sumed the practice of the law.
17*
258 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
The marriage of Mr. Wells and Daisy McLean was celebrated in Jan-
uary, 1894. Mrs. Wells was an estimable and accomplished lady, the daugh-
ter of William A. and Anna B. McLean, and was a native of Pennsylvania.
Her death, together with infant twin boys, occurred in May,' 1897.
Mr. Wells is one of the largest holders of improved property in the
city, owning several of the brick business blocks and valuable residence prop-
erty. In his business relations he has been thoroughly upright and conscien-
tious, gentlemanly, and in his personal and social contact, courteous and kind.
CROCKETT M. RIDDELL.
Among the representative and prominent lawyers now practicing at
the Washington bar is numbered Crockett M. Riddell of Tacoma. He is a
native of Kentucky, born in Estill county, January 5, 1863, his birthplace
being Estill Springs, at the edge of the Blue Grass country. His parents were
Rev. William M. and Kittie Ann (Crockett) Riddell, and his ancestry is
distinguished on both sides of the house. His father, who was a Methodist
preacher, was born in Kentucky when that state formed a part of Virginia,
and died in Estill county in 1866, while his mother was born near Frankfort
and is now living in Hancock county, Kentucky.
The paternal ancestry of Mr. Riddell was Scotch, but the family was
established in America long before the Revolution. On the mother's side
Mr. Riddell has, through years of labor and expense, compiled a genealogical
record which is without a break from the time of Anthony Dessasune Crockett,
who was born in France, July 10, 1683. From that country his ancestors
went to Great Britain, living principally in Scotland, and through a direct
line the lineage is traced to the establishment of the family in America, on
Virginian soil, in 17 19. From the Old Dominion representatives of the fam-
ily removed to the new state of Kentucky when it was a vast wilderness. To
this family belonged Davy Crockett, but the most distinguished ancestor was
the maternal great-grandfather, Colonel Anthony Crockett, who enlisted as
a private from Virginia in the Revolutionary war in a company organized
by Captain Thomas Posey, belonging to the General Dan Morgan's brigade.
He was a brilliant, fearless soldier and was in all the great battles, including
those of Saratoga, White Plains, Brandywine, and was at Valley Forge.
During his boyhood Mr. Riddell attended the public schools near his
home, and later was a student in Mrs. Runyon's private school at Frankfort,
Kentucky, originally known as Greenwood Seminary. At the age of seventeen
years he went to Little Rock, Arkansas, and entered the law office of his uncle,
M. W. Benjamin, who was United States district attorney for that state under
President Grant's administration. He was a brilliant lawyer, and, although a
Republican, was greatly respected and beloved by the people of Little Rock
and Arkansas. He died after many years of residence there. Under his able
direction Mr. Riddell studied law for some time, and in 1889 came to Tacoma,
Washington, where for three years he was examining expert and attorney
for several large mortgage loan companies. He did not seek admission to
the bar until 1892, when he discontinued the business of land title examination
and turned his attention to the general practice of the law, having ever since
been classed with the prominent lawyers of Tacoma.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 259
In 1892 Mr. Riddell was united in marriage in Tacoma to Miss Carrie
M. Page, and to them have been born two sons, Crockett Pemberton Riddell
and Robert Page Riddell. Mr. Riddell organized and became captain of the
Washington Rifles, a private military organization which became locally fa-
mous and which presented him with a fine sword, but it has since disbanded.
One member of the company, through the training he got therein, has be-
come a lieutenant of the regular army and is stationed in the Philippines.
Mr. Riddell is vice president of the Washington Society, Sons of the American
Revolution, and secretary of the Alexander Hamilton Chapter, of the same
society at Tacoma. He is a worthy representative of an honored family.
The place he has won in the legal profession is accorded him in recognition
of his skill and ability, and the place he occupies in the social world is a trib-
ute to that genuine worth and true nobleness of character which are universal-
ly recognized and honored. His law office is now located at 417 National
Bank of Commerce building, Tacoma.
JOHN H. PETERSON.
John H. Peterson, treasurer of Jefferson county, residing at Port Town-
send and one of the leading men of that city, was born in 1851 in Denmark,
and is a son of Peter and Magdalene Peterson, the former of whom was a
Dane by birth and a master shipbuilder by trade, his home being in Schleswig-
Holstein. In 1848, when the people of that locality rebelled against tlieir ruler,
the father joined the rebellion and fought as a rebel all through the conflict.
He was enthusiastically devoted to the principles of liberty and justice, and
was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, whom he considered the world's
greatest exponent of those same principles. When the news arrived of the
president's assassination, he was so affected that he wept for the first time in
the memory of his family. He called his children about him and told them
the story of Lincoln's noble life and sad death and of the great new country
of which he had been president; of his anti-slavery principles and love of hu-
man freedom, to which he was a martyr. Fired by the words of one who
himself was so ardent a supporter of these same views, our subject resolved to
emigrate and mold his future under the flag of the United States. .
Having enjoyed the advantage of a good education, John H. Peterson
was a teacher of languages and other branches in the schools of his native
land, and was familiar with the English language, and consequently was well
equipped when, in 1870, he arrived in the United States. He came directly
to the Pacific coast, and in 1871 located in Pierce count}-, which was then a
wilderness, there being only three white families in Tacoma. His first work-
was as a logger, after which he went into the lumber mills and became thor-
oughly familiar with that business. In 1878 he removed to Jefferson county,
and went into ranching and teaming. At two sessions of the Washington leg-
islature he was appointed watchman, and later was appointed to a position in
the United States customs service at Port Townsend. In 1896 he was ap-
pointed deputy county treasurer and filled that position continuously until
1902. when the Republicans nominated him by acclamation for the office of
county treasurer, and he was elected for the term of two years,
260 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In 1875, in the city of San Francisco, Mr. Peterson was married to
Dorothy Sophia Christensen, and eight children have been born to them,
four sons and four daughters. Mr. Peterson is a competent and experienced
public official, a man of extensive reading and a genial, entertaining com-
panion, who numbers his friends by legion, and is recognized as one of Jef-
ferson county's most popular residents.
OLAF UDNESS.
Olaf Udness is a native of the land of the midnight sun, his birth hav-
ing occurred in the city of Christiania, Norway, on the 28th of September,
1862. His parents, Johannes and Louise (Olsen) Udness, were also natives
of Norway, and the father died in that country in 1900 at the age of seventy-
two years. The mother, however, still survives and is living in her native land
at the age of sixty-nine years. In their family were two sons and two daugh-
ters : Olaf ; Sverre, who at the age of twenty-eight years is living in Nor-
way ; Anna, also of that country ; and Marie, the wife of Harald Schneider,
of Norway.
At the usual age Olaf Udness entered the schools of Christiania, where
he continued his studies until he had mastered the brandies of the high school
course. At the age of eighteen he entered upon his business career as a sales-
man in a dry-goods house, where he remained for about a year, and later was
bookkeeper and correspondent for a wholesale leather house in Christiania
for seven years. America, however, attracted him, and. bidding adieu to
friends and native land, he sailed for the United States in 1888. At once
he crossed the continent to Washington, and in Seattle he became a clerk in a
justice court, occupying that position, however, for only a short time. In
the fall of the same year he became connected with the laundry business as an
employe of the Cascade Laundry Company. He worked in various depart-
ments, thus acquiring a very large and comprehensive knowledge of the busi-
ness, and for a time served as manager of the city office in Seattle. In the
spring of 1889 he came to Whatcom in company with Charles Erholm, and
together they opened a small hand laundry, but soon established a steam plant
at 1730 North Elk street. They have since conducted a general laundry busi-
ness, and also do a large portion of the work in their line for the steamship
companies and for the Alaska steamship trade. They have fourteen offices
outside of Whatcom and eighteen city branches, and their business extends
from Blaine to Sedro Woolley. On their pay roll are fifty employes, and they
have six wagons utilized in the city trade. Their plant consists of the most
improved machinery known to the business, and the)- have every facility for
turning out excellent work.
On the 30th of May, 1890, Mr. Udness was united in marriage to Miss
Augusta Schilling, a daughter of Fritz and Caroline Schilling, both of whom
are natives of Norway. They now have two interesting daughters, Astri
and [ngrid, aged respectively twelve and nine years. Mr. Udness belongs to
the Commercial Club. His political views are in harmony with the principles
of the Republican party, as is manifested by the ballot which he always casts
in ils support, and his religious faith is that of the Lutheran church. Since
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 2G1
Mr. Udness came to Puget Sound he lias always taken an active part in the
musical life of its different cities, having sung- the barytone solos at the most
prominent concerts and oratorios in Seattle, Tacoma. Everett and Whatcom.
CHARLES ERHOLM.
The little country of Finland has sent its due proportion of citizens to
the new world. Of this class Charles Erholm is a representative. He was
born in Aland, Finland, on the 25th of September, 1868, a son of fohn and
Maria (Lundell) Erholm, who were also natives of the same country. The
father was a sea captain and for many years sailed on the briny deep." In the
year 1887, however, he brought his wife to America, and they are now resi-
dents of Whatcom. Charles Erholm had five brothers and one' sister, namely :
John, who at the age of forty-four years is living [n Whatcom; George, who
is forty years of age and makes his home in New York; Mathias, who is
thirty-seven years of age, and lives in South America; Hugo, who is twenty-
eight years of age and is a resident of Whatcom; Victor, who is now de-
ceased ; and Nannie, the wife of Captain M. Sjolund, of New York.
During the winter months in his boyhood days Charles Erholm attended
the public schools of Finland, but when fifteen years of age he went to sea
in one of his father's vessels, where he acted successively as cabin-boy, cook
and sailor. He was also for two years second mate, and his service on the
vessel covered in all five years. His father was the commander of a mer-
chant-man, sailing in the north seas and the English channel. Mr. Erholm
once suffered shipwreck while on a voyage to Barcelona, Spain, 111 the ves-
sel Garibalda. In the spring of 1886, accompanied by his brother John,
he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, being attracted by the opportunities
of this country. He made his way direct to Merrill, Wisconsin, where he
remained until 1888 and in that year arrived on the Pacific coast. Locating
in Seattle, he there worked during the winter of that year on the Seattle,
Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad, and in the spring of 1889 he came to What-
com in company with Olaf Udness. In the meantime both, had learned the
laundry business in Seattle, and here they opened a hand laundry known as
the Sehome Laundry. In the fall of 1889 they erected a building for the
accommodation of their business, at 1730 North Elk street, and started in on
a small scale, but their patronage rapidly increased until they were compelled
to enlarge their plant from time to time. They now occupy a building fifty-
four by one hundred and twelve feet, and they established the first steam
laundry in Whatcom county- Employment is given to more than fifty people,
and five wagons are continually utilized in gathering the work for the laun-
dry and in delivering the laundered goods. Mr. Erholm is acting as general
superintedent of the plant, and the business now requires the greater part of
his time and attention because of its extensive proportions. The linn enjoy
a reputation for excellent work and for reliable dealing, and to this cause may
be attributed the success of the enterprise.
In 1892 occurred the marriage of Mr. Erholm and Miss Elise Swiberg,
a native of Finland. They have one son, Casper I'no, now six yeai oi age.
The parents hold membership in the Lutheran church, and Mr. Erholm be-
262 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
longs to the Commercial Club and gives his political support to the Repub-
lican party. He takes a very active interest in the welfare and advancement
of Whatcom, and his co-operation has been felt as a potent factor in the city's
improvement.
THE MASON COUNTY JOURNAL.
No collection of dwellings or congregation of peoples toward one spot
assumes the dignity of corporate existence so as to deserve the name of vil-
lage until the three great powers of civilization — the church, the school, the
newspaper — have taken their places among the institutions of the people. In
1886 what is now the thriving county seat of Mason county, Washington, was
but a congeries of cabins for the shelter of those engaged in the logging in-
dustry. In the month of December of that year the citizens read the local
news for the first time in a sheet published within the confines of their own
town, which appeared under the title of The Mason County Journal, whose
bold and energetic owner and editor was Grant C. Angle. This paper has
achieved success since that time, and has come to be an indispensable factor
in the affairs of the town. At present the Journal is a weekly, four-page,
seven-column folio, and is devoted to the interests of Mason county, and of
the Republican party. Mr. Angle, who has the honor of being a member of
the state senate, was the sole editor and publisher until January, 1901, at
which time the Hon. G. B. Gunderson became a joint owner, and these gen-
tlemen devote their best efforts to making the Journal a power in the com-
munity and a model newspaper. In 1901 they published a " Pan-American
Exposition Supplement," which was richly illustrated and set forth in a con-
vincing manner the resources of Mason county, an excellent advertisement for
the country and an honor to the editors. Both these gentlemen are well known
in Mason county, and a brief sketch of their lives would be apropos at this
point.
Grant C. Angle was born in Chinese Cam]), Tuolumne county, California,
on July 24, 1868. His father, C. C. Angle, was a native of New York, moved
to California in 1861, and became the owner of a large farm at Anaheim,
Orange county, where his wife died. Grant began to earn his own living
when he was still a boy, and, coming to Washington territory in 1882, learned
the printer's trade at Olympia with C. B. Bagley. In 1S86 he came to Shelton
to start the Journal, and was at that time the youngest editor in the state. He
has been closely identified with the welfare of his town, served for some years
as city treasurer, and was elected by the people of the county to the state senate,
where he was a very creditable representative of his district. In 1890 Mr.
Angle was married to Miss llattie Thomas, a native of New Jersey, and they
have five children, all born in Shelton: Robert, Lucy, Mary, Eber and Her-
bert. The family reside in one of Shelton's pleasant homes and are highly
respected people. I te lias passed all the chairs in his lodge of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, ami lias represented the lodge in the state grand lodge;
he is also a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of
United Workmen. Mr. Angle was appointed postmaster of Shelton March
30th and assumed charge of the office in July, 1903.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 263
G. B. Gunderson is a native of the state of Wisconsin, completed his edu-
cation in Iowa, and then taught school and fanned for some years. He came
to Washington in 1889, and in 1894 was elected superintendent of instruction
in Mason county, and again in 1896. He was principal of the Shelton schools
in 1894-95, and in 1898-1900, and again in 1902 was chosen a member ol the
lower house of the state legislature.
DEWITT C. BRAWLEY.
For a number of years Dewitt C. Brawley was numbered among the
representative citizens and business men of Seattle, and in his death the entire
community felt that an irreparable loss had been sustained by the public. He
had been intimately associated with several of the leading industries of the
locality, his genius and indubitable talent as a financier and business manager
resulting in the prosperity of these enterprises. His entire career was marked
by signal integrity, justice and honor, and no word of detraction was ever
heard from those who knew him well.
Mr. Brawley was born near Meadville, Crawford county, Pennsylvania,
on the 3rd of May, 1842, and is descended from one of the early and honored
families of that county. His grandfather, James Brawley, was a native of
Eastport, Pennsylvania, and while engaged in government service he assisted
in the survey of western Pennsylvania. William Brawley, the father of our
subject, had the honor of being the first white child born in Crawford county,
and he was there married to Miss Jane Stewart, a native of Erie county.
Pennsylvania, by whom he had five children. He was a farmer and miller
by occupation, and both he and his wife were valued members of the Methodist
church. For forty years of his life he held the office of justice of the peace
in his township. His life's labors were ended in death at the age of seventy-
four years, and he was survived by his loving wife for a considerable period,
she passing away in her ninety-first year.
Dewitt C. Brawley received the advantages of a common school educa-
tion during his youth, and he remained under the parental roof until he al
tained to years of maturity. About this time the noted Drake oil well was
discovered within twenty miles of his home, and in the great oil excitement
which followed our subject and his brothers began assisting in the construe
tion of wells. Later they began operating on their own account, and by their
industrious and intelligent efforts they became very successful in that line.
their best results being obtained at Moody's Gulch and at Pit Hole. In [879
William R. Brawley, who was our subject's partner in all his business ven
tures, came to Seattle to make investments, purchasing coal and timber lands,
and in 1882 he was joined in this cit) by Dewitt C, but a short time after-
ward he returned to Pennsylvania to settle up their business in the east, re-
turning to the Pacific coast in [889. In the meantime they became largely
interested in farming land, but during the great fire of [889 they met with
severe losses. After the rebuilding of the city they established a brickyard.
and many of the brick houses now standing in Seattle are built from the
product of this manufactory. They also platted the Brawley addition to
the city of Seattle, which has been since sold and improved. In 1XN7 the
264 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
brothers were fortunate investors in oil property near Bowling Green, Ohio,
becoming by purchase the owners of the famous Ducat well, which yielded
a flow of two hundred barrels of oil per hour, but eighteen months later they
sold this well to the Standard Oil Company and retired from the oil business.
During the time of the great financial panic of 1893, in which many of the
substantial citizens of the northwest lost their property, the Brawley brothers
were great sufferers, but such was the reliability of their character that they
were able to meet their obligations and thus saved much of their property.
The year 1880 witnessed the marriage of Mr. Brawley and Miss Ella
Thomas. She is a daughter of George Thomas of Cambridge Springs, Penn-
sylvania, a prominent farmer and the pioneer manufacturer of cheese in that
part of the state. The union proved a happy one. and resulted in the birth
of two children, both born in Seattle: Lee J. and Ruth. The son is now
a member of the senior class in the Seattle high school, is captain of the
cadets, and is one of the promising native sons of the northwest. On the
14th of March. 1900, the loving husband and father was called from the
scene of earth's activities, but his memory is still enshrined in the hearts of
his many friends. In his young manhood he became identified with the
Masonic fraternity, and throughout the remainder of his life he exemplified
its helpful and beneficent principles in his every day life. His religious
preferences are indicated by his membership in the Baptist church, of which
his widow is also a member. He was a man of firm convictions, honest pur-
pose, kindly nature and upright life, and the world is better for his having lived.
MARION C. LATTA.
Marion C. Latta, who is proprietor of a book and stationery store in
Whatcom, has for a number of years been identified with the industrial and
commercial interests of the city and has also figured prominently in connection
with public affairs, filling a number of offices in a manner that has promoted
the welfare of the community. He is a native of East Palestine, Ohio, horn
June K), [845. I lis father, Ezra Latta, was born in Pennsylvania and was
descended from Scotch-Irish ancestors who located in this country at an
early period in its development. During his business career he followed both
milling ami farming. lie wedded Mary Huston, who was born in Ohio and
belonged to one of the old Virginian families. His death occurred in 1900,
and Mrs. Latta passed away in [892. They were the parents of two sons and
a daughter: Marion ('. ; Alonzo C, a farmer of eastern Ohio: and Louisa,
the wife of Joseph Near, an agriculturist of Texas.
In the public school of the Buckeye state Marion C. Latta mastered the
branches of learning usually taught in such institutions. It was in 1861 that
he put aside his texl hooks and entered upon his business career, being en-
gaged in railroad work, coal mining and farming for several years. In
1875 he took up the carpenter's and builder's trade, and at thai time went to
Seattle, where he was connected with building interests until 1883. The lat-
ter year witnessed his arrival in Whatcom, and here lie was connected with
industrial arts until [902, erecting many important buildings not only in What-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 265
com but also in Seattle. Among those that stand as monuments to his skill
and handiwork are the First National Bank building, the Bellingham Hotel
and the Utter residence, which for many years was considered the most
palatial home on Bellingham bay. Mr. Latta employed many men, having
an extensive patronage. He continued to engage in building until 1902, when,
on the 1st of November of that year, he opened his present book and station-
ery store, thus becoming identified with mercantile interests of Whatcom.
The same practical judgment and keen discrimination, brought to bear in
the conduct of the new enterprise, will undoubtedly insure his success in this
undertaking.
A recognized leader in the ranks of the Republican party in Whatcom,
Mr. Latta has labored earnestly for its growth and success, and has also been
honored with a number of local offices. While in Kansas he was clerk in
Elm township, and was also justice of the peace for four years. He assisted
in organizing the township and the school district there, and was a member
of the school board for five years. He assisted in the organization of the
government of the old town of Whatcom in 1884, and was elected a member
of its first city council. He also served in the third year of the organization.
In 1889 he was the successful nominee on the Repulican ticket for the ofl
of mayor, and in the administration of the city's affairs was fearless and
faithful in the discharge of his duties. In 1890 he was elected county com-
missioner and served for one year. In 1892 he was again chosen a member
of the city council, upon the organization of the new city of Whatcom, which
was formed by the consolidation of the old town and Sehome. In 1891 he
was chosen by popular ballot for the office of city treasurer, and in all these
positions he has discharged his duties in a manner that has promoted the
best interests of his fellow citizens. He was twice a candidate for the state
legislature, but could not overcome the strong majority of the opposition.
From the time of his arrival in Whatcom until 1900 he attended all the county
conventions of his party, and his opinions carry weight and influence in Re-
publican councils in his locality.
On the 1 6th of September, 1867. Mr. Latta married Miss Mary E. Pal-
mer, a daughter of Michael Palmer, a farmer of East Palestine, Ohio. Her
grandfather served in the war of 181 2. and the family is of English-German
descent. Mrs. Latta was born in Ohio, and by her marriage became the mother
of three children, but two died in infancy. The surviving daughter, Mary E.,
is with her parents. Mr. Latta belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is
highly esteemed by his brethren of the craft and by his fellow citizens outside
its ranks.
NORMAN R. SMITH.
As will be seen during the course of this article, the family of which the
above named is a member has always been connected with large enterprises,
and thus from the commanding position they have always assumed there
descends to those of the present generation a breadth of view and greatness
of character which is exemplified not least in the career of Norman R. Smith,
who in the course of his lifetime has executed some enterprises of great im-
266 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
portance and in some measure has carried out the extensive plans cherished
and begun by his most worthy father.
The earliest ancestors of Mr. Smith were prominent in the following of
Roger Williams, when they established themselves in Rhode Island to escape
persecution, and, through all the generations down to the father of Norman
Smith, members of the family have taken a prominent part in affairs wherever
they have been. Victor Smith, whose career is so closely linked with that of
his son, the subject of this sketch, was a native of Elmira, New York. He
entered the profession of journalism, and coming to Ohio was made city editor
of the Cincinnati Commercial, of which the great journalist, Murat Halstead,
was the editor. He was a strong abolitionist, and owing to his forceful char-
acter took a decided stand on all public questions; by his advocacy through
the columns of his paper he was of material assistance to the Union cause.
He was a friend and admirer of Salmon P. Chase, and was one of the bat-
ter's earnest supporters, by personal persuasion and convincing articles in the
Commercial , when Chase was elected governor of Ohio in 1856, again in
1858, and when he was subsequently promoted to the office of secretary of the
treasury under President Lincoln. Secretary Chase took Mr. Smith with him
to Washington, and soon after, in 1861, had him appointed as collector of
customs for the Puget Sound district. Previous to assuming the duties of
this position Mr. Smith had served as a member of the citizens' defense com-
mittee when the Confederate army was threatening to enter Washington,
and when the bridge was burned at Harper's Ferry he had charge of the build-
ing of the pontoon bridge which took its place.
In the latter part of 1861 Mr. Smith brought his wife and five children
to Puget Sound, by way of the Isthmus. He was one of the pioneers of this
district, and was the first settler of Port Angeles, which, through his efforts,
was made the port of entry for the Puget Sound district; and he prepared the
bills for congressional action by which, in 1862, the town of Port Angeles
was laid out and established as a military reservation. It possesses the unique
distinction of being the only town in the United States established by the
federal government, with the exception of Washington, D. C, and it retained
that honor until 1804, when the lots on the site were sold by the government
at auction under the supervision of Captain O'Toole.
It was thus early before the west and east had been linked with bands of
steel or the Union Pacific had been completed, that the far-seeing mind of
Victor Smith evolved the plan of a transcontinental railroad to connect Du-
luth and Port Angeles. During the war he made several trips to Washington
on government business, and in one of these, while at Duluth, he gave incep-
tion to what in later years resulted in the accomplishment of his project, the
fulfillment of which, however, he did not live to see.
In [865 Mr. Smith's position was changed to that of special agent of the
treasury department for the Puget Sound district, and in that year he made
his last trip to Washington city. While there be was placed in charge, by
the department, of the transportation of nearly three million dollars from
Washington to San Francisco, by way of Cape Horn. In the spring of the
year he sailed with the treasure on the ship Golden Rule, from New York city.
This treasure ship was wrecked on a coral reef in the Caribbean Sea, and the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 267
vessel was despoiled of its precious freight. Mr. Smith continued the journey
by way of the Isthmus, but, before reaching his home in Port Angeles, was
drowned by the sinking of the Brother Jonathan in coming up from San
Francisco. Mr. Smith was a reformer by inheritance, was true to his convic-
tions, and courageous in trial. One incident will illustrate this point. During
the war a traitorous set of officers of a United States warship put in at Vic-
toria, across the strait from Port Angeles, and were in the act of selling the
vessel to enemies of the government. Mr. Smith, on hearing of the affair,
hastened across and at the point of a gun cowed the officers, and he himself
conducted the ship over to United States territory.
The wife of Victor Smith was Caroline Rogers, and she, too, was of a
noted family. She was born at Plymouth, New Hampshire, a daughter of
Nathaniel P. Rogers, a well known lawyer and litterateur of Concord, the
same state. He was the editor of the Herald of freedom, a strenuous aboli-
tion organ, and he devoted most of his life and ability to that cause. Through
his paper he became known all over the east, and the New England states in
particular, as is shown by the poet Whittier's remark. " I hate the things of
which Rogers writes,'' (that is, things connected with slavery). Caroline
Rogers was one of four sisters, who, gifted with good voices and imbued
with the spirit of freedom, helped anti-slavery agitation by singing abolition
songs at public meetings in New England. One of these sisters became the
wife of John R. French, who was sergeant at arms of the United States senate
from 1868 to 1873, and afterward went into journalism, being editor of the
Boise (Idaho) Statesman at the time of his death. Another sister was the
wife of Thomas L. Kimball, wdio was vice president of the Union Pacific Rail-
road in its early days. One of the ancestors of Caroline Rogers was John
Rogers, one of the martyrs of Smithfield, England, where he was burned at
the stake for heresy. Mrs. Victor Smith long survived her husband and died
in 1890.
Thus by ancestry and parentage Norman R. Smith was equipped by na-
ture for large affairs, yet his career had many rough places and was remark-
ably varied and eventful. He was born at Loveland, Ohio, in 1S57. As a
boy he had accompanied his father on several trips to Washington and had
been present at interviews with the celebrities of the time. Lincoln, Chase and
others. Before he was eight years old he had crossed the Isthmus of Panama
five times. He was with his father at the wreck of the Golden Rule. As his
father had not been a money-making man, members of his family were com-
pelled, at his death, to do whatever they could to get along. In [869 they
left Port Angeles and went east. Through the influence of his uncle, John R.
French, Norman was appointed a page in the United States senate. In 1870
he went to Iowa and worked on a farm, and a little later took charge of a farm
and ran it until 1876. The scene was then changed to San Francisco, where
he shipped before the mast. From the proceeds of his seafaring life, which
he followed for some time, he saved enough to" partly educate himself for the
engineering profession, which had for some time been his ambition. For four
years he studied under private tuition in San Francisco, and at the same time
worked to support himself. He was then well qualified for the practical du-
ties of engineering, and he started out with John Minto, the oldest representa-
&
268 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tive of the government on the coast, and later was with the coast and geodetic
survey under Professor Davidson. This work, which occupied him till 1880,
took him all over California, and in 1881 he came to Port Angeles, which
had, in the years since his father's departure, almost passed out of existence.
He was engaged in engineering work in this vicinity until 1885, and he then
took steps to resuscitate the moribund town by building the first dock. It
was his ambition to make this a place of importance in the northwest, such as
his father had desired, and for several years he spent all his energies in this
direction. In 1890, with his associate Mr. Mastick, he brought a colony of
about a thousand people here, and, in fact, he figures as the original boomer
of the new Port Angeles. In the same year he succeeded in getting through
Congress a bill establishing the town as a sub-port of entry, which distinction
had been lost since 1865. And by his efforts, in 1894, a bill was passed by
which the townsite was released from government control and provision was
made for the sale of lots at auction.
Thus in some measure, at least, the dreams of the father were realized in
the accomplishments of the son, and the present thriving town of Port An-
geles is a lasting memorial to the efforts of these two men. It was in fulfill-
ment of the vow which he had made to carry out the designs of his father,
that Mr. Smith, in 1892, made a preliminary survey of a railroad from Port
Angeles to Gray's Harbor, which is the western end of the Northern Pacific.
To retain possession of this proposed route he built a section of railroad
through the pass in the Olympic mountains. For the next few years he was
engaged in other engineering enterprises, and in 1897 went to Alaska and
made the preliminary surveys for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. He
was then engaged in government and mining surveying in that country, and
made two complete trips from Nome across Alaska, thus adding to the map
vast portions of country that had never before been scientifically measured.
It was not until September, 1902, that he returned to Port Angeles to resume
work on his railroad and make this city a tidewater terminus. He interested
eastern capitalists in the scheme, and soon the grading was in progress and
rails are now being laid from the Port Angeles end. The road will run in a
general southwesterly direction from here to a point of connection with the
Northern Pacific, which is being extended north from Gray's Harbor. The
company is organized as the Port Angeles Pacific Railroad Company, of
which Mr. Smith is the president and general manager. This line will tap
the largest area of virgin forest in the northwest, the timber in which is said
to be of untold extent and value.
From the preceding paragraphs it will be seen that the life of Mr. Smith
has been a busy and eventful one, fraught with great enterprises that have
been of use to mankind. The extent of his work as an engineer can be judged
by the fact that he has surveyed and explored the entire Pacific coast from
Mexico to the Arctic circle. Mr. Smith was married in San Francisco to
May I. Vestal, the daughter of a well known forty-niner, whose home is in
Santa Cruz. One son has been born to them, Chester Victor Smith.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 269
AUSTIN P. BURWELL.
Austin Peck Burwell, who has for several years been the president of
the Seattle Cracker and Candy Company, occupies a foremost position in
commercial circles in this city, having achieved splendid success through
business methods that will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny. He
is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in the city of Mercer,
in Mercer county, January 31, 1848. He is of English ancestry and the line
of descent in this country can be traced back to John Burwell, who came to
Massachusetts when the Mayflower made its second voyage. He located
near Middletown. Connecticut, and Elias Burwell, the grandfather of our
subject, was born in New Haven. Connecticut. When he had arrived at
man's estate he married Miss Amy Piatt, of Milford, Connecticut. In the
Charter Oak state he engaged in business as a manufacturer of clocks. He
held membership in the Congregational church and lived an upright life, but
was called to his final rest at the early age of thirty-three years, dying of
pneumonia. His wife long survived him and attained the advanced age of
eighty-two years. Their son, Austin Smith Burwell, the father of our sub-
ject, was born on the 12th of February, 18 r 4 , and married Miss Susan Peck,
of Orange, Connecticut. He, too. engaged in the manufacture of clocks and
also conducted a cabinet-making business in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. In
1847 ne removed to Mercer, that state, where he opened a large general
mercantile establishment, continuing in business there until 1871, when he
was succeeded by his two eldest sons, A. P. and A. S. Burwell. In 1885
he came to Seattle, where he remained until his death, which occurred on
the 23d of March, 1901, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-
seven years. He was a most public spirited gentleman, taking a deep interest
in every movement and measure calculated to advance the general welfare.
For two terms he served as mayor of the city, and was a most honorable and
upright officer. Both he and his wife were consistent Christians and the
influence of their characters is seen in the lives of their children. They had
four sons and three daughters, all of whom became identified with Christian
work at an early age. They lost one son, Harvey, when only seven years
of age.
Austin Peck Burwell obtained bis early education in the public schools of
his native town and supplemented it by a five years' course in Oberlin College,
where he was graduated in the class of 1870. He then engaged witli his
brother in the conduct of the business which their father had established
and in which they met with gratifying success. After conducting the enter-
prise for eighteen years they sold the store, and in 1885 came to Seattle,
which was then a city of about ten thousand population. Here the three
brothers, Austin P., Anson S. and Edward, became identified with busine
affairs. ' They organized the Seattle Hardware Company, carrying on a
wholesale and' retail business which grew to very large proportions. In fa< 1.
this is now the most extensive enterprise of the kind in the state of Wash-
ington. Mr. Burwell remained in the firm for nine years and then sold his
interest to his brothers who still continue the store. In [894 he aided in
organizing the Seattle Cracker & Candy Company and was elected its presi-
270 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
dent and manager, continuing in control of its affairs with marked success
until 1899, when the business was sold to the Pacific Biscuit Company, a
large corporation which now controls the greater part of the business in
this line in the state, Mr. Burwell being retained as manager of the branch
in Seattle and also of the business throughout the state of Washington to
western Idaho and to Alaska. They manufacture all their own goods, in-
cluding a very large line of confectionery of every description. Mr. Burwell
gives his entire attention to the management and operation of the important
and extensive business which is under his control, yet has various other in-
vestments which materially increase his annual income. He is a member of
the Chamber of Commerce of the city and for two terms served as one of its
trustees.
On the third of August, 1871, was celebrated the marriage of Austin
P. Burwell and Miss Anna Nourse, who had been one of his classmates at
Oberlin College. They have two daughters, Mary Elizabeth, now the wife
of G. F. Waterhouse, of Honolulu, and Susan B., who is with her parents.
All are valued members of the Congregational church, of which Mr. Burwell
is a deacon. He is also active in the work of the Sunday-school, teaching
one of the adult Bible classes, and for several terms has served most ac-
ceptably as Sunday-school superintendent. He contributes liberally to the
support of the church and floes all in his power to promote the moral progress
of the community with which he has allied his interests. His political sup-
port is given the Republican party but he has never been an office seeker. The
cause of education finds in him a warm friend, and for a number of terms he
has served as one of the school directors, several of the fine school buildings
of the city having been erected during his official connection with educa-
tional interests here. He has never neglected an opportunity to do his city
a good service. Mr. Burwell and each of his brothers have built expensive
and beautiful homes which stand side by side, their lawns being undivided
by fences. The business relations between them have ever been of the most
harmonious character and all are regarded as upright and "honorable men
who have deservedly won a score of friends in the city of their adoption.
Surrounded at his home by a large circle of friends who appreciate his true
worth, and admired and esteemed by the citizens of the community, the
name of Austin P. Burwell will be honored for many generations as that of
one of the must enterprising business men of Seattle — a man who has acted
well his part and who has lived a worthy and honored life.
JAMES F. ESHELMAN.
For twenty-one years a resident of Seattle, James F. Eshelman has done
much for the growth and improvement of the city through his real estate
operations and through the promotion of a colonization movement. He
was born August 10, 1852, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, a son of Henry
Eshelman, who was born in the Keystone state and was descended from a
Swiss family that was established in Pennsylvania about 173 2. By trade
he was a cooper, and for many years engaged in the manufacture of barrels.
As a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Marv Danner,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 271
who was also born in Pennsylvania, and belonged to a family of Swiss
origin established in that state in the last century. Mr. Eshelman died in
1893, at the advanced age of eighty years, and his wife passed away in 1899,
at the age of seventy-nine years. They were the parents of four children,
the brother of our subject being Albert D. Eshelman, a well known citizen
of Seattle. The sisters are Margaret, the deceased wife of William Mum-
mert, and Anna M., the widow of George W. Young, of Seattle.
James F. Eshelman was taken to Ohio during his youth, and pursued
his education in the public schools of Canton, that state, and in the Canton
Academy. He left school at the age of eighteen years and accepted a clerk-
ship in a bank in Canton, where he remained for eight years, during which
time he became familiar with the business in all its departments. His ability
and indefatigable industry won him promotion from time to time until he
became teller. In 1878 that bank opened a branch bank in Leadville, Colo-
rado, and Mr. Eshelman was sent to the west as president of the latter in-
stitution, which was known as the Lake County Bank. In 1879 this was in-
corporated as the First National Bank of Leadville, and Mr. Eshelman was
elected president of the corporation, continuing to act in that capacity until
1881, when he resigned. In the spring of 1882, after taking a trip to South
America, he came to Seattle and began dealing in real estate as a member
of the firm of Eshelman, Llewellyn & Company, remaining in this business
until 1894. The firm was extensively interested in West Seattle property,
and did much to settle up and improve that part of the city. From 1883 until
1894 Mr. Eshelman was also largely interested in the colonization of the
state, having interested more than fifty thousand people who have taken up
their abode in this city or state.
On the 1st of November. 1881, Mr. Eshelman was married to Miss
Frances F. Forney, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of Graybill and
Mary Forney, who were likewise born in the Keystone state. This was Mr.
Eshelman's second marriage. In September, 1877, he had wedded Mary
Sharpe, who was a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, and a daughter of Charles
and Patience Sharpe. also of Indianapolis. Mrs. Eshelman died in December,
1879, leaving a daughter, Leila, now the wife of Fred R. Gillette, who is with
the Seattle Hardware Company.
In his social relations Mr. Eshelman is a Mason, and belongs to the
Advent Christian church, of which he is one of the trustees. He takes an
active interest in church work and contributes liberally to its support. In
business affairs he has manifested sound judgment, keen foresight and marked
enterprise, and his exercise of these qualities has brought to him richly merited
success, making him one of the substantial residents of his adopted city.
JACOB E. MOHN.
Jacob E. Mohn, one of the leading merchants of Bothell, Washington,
was born May 13, 1855, in Molde, Norway, a son of Hans Mohn, horn in
Norway, and who was a farmer and at one time in the service of the goi
eminent customs. The family is an old one of Norway. The father died in
1883. The mother was Bertha (Jacobson) Mohn, also a native of Norway,
272 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of an old farming stock. Her death occurred in 1892. Three children were
born to these parents, namely: Gotfreid, residing in Norway, a farmer;
Jacob E. ; Hannah, living in Norway.
Jacob E. Mohn was educated in the common schools of Norway, and
at the age of fifteen years went into the office with his cousin, a government
telegraph operator in Molde, Norway. There he remained nine months,
and then returned home for a year and a half, when he was engaged in cooper
work in a seaport town. His next venture was shipping clerk for a large
factory in Gjovik, a small town in the southern part of Norway. There he
remained three years and then left to work in a general store at Aandalsness,
near Molde, where he stayed until 1881 and then crossed to America. His
first stopping place was North Dakota, whither he went with Gesh Erick-
son. There the young men engaged in raising wheat, but after a year Mr.
Mohn went to Portland, Oregon, and in March, 1884, he came to Bothell in
company with Mr. Ericksou. In this vicinity he purchased eighty acres, and
has since made it his home. During the early days he engaged in whatever
business came to hand, and in 1898 was bookkeeper for W. A. Hannan and
also for the Co-operative Shingle Company, and held that position three
years. This same corporation bought out the stock of general merchandise
owned by Reder & Company, and Mr. Mohn purchased an interest in the
company, and has had charge of its store department ever since and been its
treasurer and one of its directors. In 1890 he was connected with a logging
company which operated on Lake Washington.
He was a Republican until the Populistic movement, since when he has
been a member of that party. In 189 1 he was an organizer of the party in
his county. He has served as school director and school clerk, and has been
supervisor for two terms.
On June 27, 1886, he was married to Annie Ness, a native of Norway,
and a daughter of John Ness, a sea captain of Norway, who comes of an old
family of that country. The following children have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. Mohn: Hanford, who assists his father in the store; Ardnold, at
school ; Agnes, Esther, Ragna and Edel. In religion the family are all Luth-
erans, and Mr. Mohn was one of the original builders of the church in this
vicinity. Fraternally he is a Maccabee.
WILLIAM H. GILSTRAP.
This gentleman, the curator and secretary of the Ferry Museum, pos-
sesses talent which lias placed his name high among the portrait and land-
scape painters of the Evergreen state. He was born in Effingham county,
Illinois, on the 24th of April, 1849. an°l 's °f English descent. The progen-
itor of the family in this country was Thomas Gilstrap, who emigrated to
America about 1750, or between 1725 and 1750, he took up his abode in
North Carolina. He became the father of four sons, one of whom, Peter
Gilstrap, became the great-great-grandfather of our subject and was a par-
ticipant in the Revolutionary war. His son, Richard Gilstrap, born May 6,
[768, removed from Rowan county, North Carolina, to Washington county,
Indiana, about the year 1808, becoming one of the early pioneers of that por-
-#V£ 'Qj&X^yL,
[PUBLIC LIBRARY]
ASTO«. LENOX A.ND
Itildf.nfouhdatiomsi
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 273
tion of the state, and, entering land from the government, continued to add to
his possessions from time to time until lie became the owner of a choice sec-
tion of fertile land. David Gilstrap, a son of this worthy Indiana pioneer,
was born in North Carolina in June, 1791, and in addition to following ag-
ricultural pursuits became an educator and was a minister in the Baptist
church. In Kentucky, in 1812, he was united in marriage to Miss Hannah
Reed, and in 1828 they emigrated to Shelby county, Illinois, where they were
numbered among the early settlers, and in Fayette county, that state, in [849,
he was called to his final rest.
Among their sons was James Read, who became the father of our sub-
ject, and whose birth occurred in Washington county, Indiana, in 1819. He,
too, followed the profession of teaching, and also gave some of his attention
to the tilling of the soil. His life's labors were ended in death in 1869, pass-
ing away in the faith of the Baptist church, while his wife, who bore the
maiden name of Nancy Ann Wood, her father having been William Wood,
a native of Tennessee, died in 1854, when our subject was but five years of
age. In political matters James R. Gilstrap was a Douglas Democrat, and
was a Union man during the Civil war ; some of the members of his family
were Republicans. One of his sons, David E. Gilstrap, is now a resident of
eastern Oreeon.
William H. Gilstrap, received his 'elementary education in the schools
of Illinois, the state of his nativity, but after the death of his father he re-
moved to McLean county, Illinois, and there spent some years on his uncle's
farm. From his youth he displayed marked artistic ability, and in 1873,
determining that art should become his life work, he began its study in Lin-
coln, Illinois, which was later continued in Bloomington and Chicago, Illinois,
and in 1875 ne embarked upon his professional career, while the twenty-
eight years which have since intervened have but shown how wise was his
judgment in choosing his life occupation. The first work which stamped
him as a master was made in Wellington, Kansas, where, after the death
of Miss Netty Davis, he was solicited by her parents to paint her portrait,
and the life-sized painting which he produced attracted wide attention and
was favorably commented on by the leading journals of that section. He
subsequently did much other fine work which was shown in the art exhibits
and were highly praised, some of which he still owns. In 1S86 he made a
trip to the Rocky mountains, and made many sketches from the beautiful
scenery to be found there. He also painted a life-sized picture of General
John A. Logan, which was greatly admired by people of the highest artistic
ability, while among his more recent productions is a large picture of Presi-
dent McKinley. While residing in Illinois Mr. Gilstrap also taught paint-
ing, and organized an art association in Bloomington. that state, in 1888.
In September. 1889, he came to Omaha. Nebraska, and to Washington in
1890. LJpon his leaving Bloomington the newspapers were very profuse
in their writings of his high ability as an artist, and expressed pride in his
having been a product of McLean county. In August. [890, he arrived in
Tacoma, and in the following year painted a picture of "Pugel Sound, from
the Mountain" fifty by twenty-two feet in size, and this was exhibited in
18*
274 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
the exposition building at Tacoma, upon which occasion the Orcgonian, in
many well chosen words, declared it to be a wonderful work and Mr. Gil-
strap an artist of much ability and large experience. This picture, however,
was destroyed in the burning of that building. One of his most famous
paintings is that of the portrait of Maria Litta Von Eisner, the celebrated
singer of Bloomington, Illinois.
In 1877 Mr. Gilstrap was united in marriage in Bloomington, Illinois,
to Miss Eunice Denman, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Matthias Den-
man, also a native of that state. Her great-grandfather, Matthias Denman,
of New Jersey, at one time owned nearly all of the land on which the city
of Cincinnati now stands. Three children have been born of this union,
Edith, Eugene Franklin and James Raphael. The daughter was an accom-
plished musician, and died March 12, 1903. The family reside in a
pleasant and attractive home in Tacoma, where they dispense a gracious
hospitality to their many friends and acquaintances. Mr. Gilstrap is now
serving as president of an art club and has also organized an art school,
while he was also one of the incorporators of the Washington Camera Cluh,
of which he has since been secretary. In political matters he votes inde-
pendently, but is an active temperance worker and was the candidate of the
Prohibition party in 1892 for the position of secretary of state, during which
time he published a Prohibition campaign text book, and in 1896 published
the party paper, the Pacific Lancet. It will be remembered that 1892 was
the year in which General Bidwell, of California, was their candidate for
president. Mr. Gilstrap served as secretary of the central committee and did
effective work for his party. Both he and his wife are valued members of
the Christian church, in which he is serving as trustee and president of the
official board.
RONALD C. CRAWFORD.
Great indeed have been the changes which time and man have wrought
since Ronald C. Crawford landed on the Pacific coast. He is numbered
among the pioneers of both Oregon and California, and is now a distinguished
and honored resident of Seattle, where he is living retired in the enjoyment
of a well earned rest after many years of toil, in which his efforts have con-
tributed to the development and upbuilding of this section of the country as
well as to his individual prosperity. When the rich mineral resources were
still locked fast in the embraces of nature, when the rich land was unclaimed
and uncultivated, when the Indians far outnumbered the white settlers, and
life in the northwest was attended with many dangers and hardships, Mr.
Crawford took up his abode on the Pacific coast and for fifty-five years has
been identified witli its interests.
He was born in Havana, New York, in 1827, and is of Scotch-Irish
ancestry. His great-great-grandfather. William Crawford, emigrated, to
Orange county. New York, and became the progenitor of the family in
America. He was a Presbyterian in religious faith. His son. William Craw-
ford, Jr., was born in New York and participated in the war of the Revolu-
tion, while his son, Samuel Crawford, Ronald C. Crawford's grandfather,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 275
was a soldier in the war of 1812. The latter lived to be more than eighty
years of age and died in 1847. Samuel G. Crawford, the father of our sub-
ject, was born in Orange county. New York, in 1799, and married Miss
Elizabeth Davis of the same county. Both attained to an advanced age. The
father was a Republican and gave to the party an unfaltering support. He
served as magistrate and in numerous other offices, and was a man of high
Christian character and in his religious affiliations was a Congregationalist.
He visited the Pacific coast in 1862, and his death occurred in 1S78. when
he was seventy-nine years of age. His good wife departed this life in the
fortieth year of her age. They were the parents of five children, all
of whom lived to a good old age. and two of the sons yet survive, the brother
of our subject being Leroy Crawford, now a resident of New York-.
Ronald C. Crawford pursued his education in the schools of Havana,
New York, and in 1847, when twenty years of age, crossed the plains to
Oregon City. His brother. Medorem Crawford, had made the long voyage
across the plains in 1842, and was one of the prominent pioneers of Oregon.
For many years he was the honored president of the Pioneer Society of the
state. He became the owner of a large farm in Yamhill county, and spent
the remainder of his life there, being held in the highest regard by all. When
our subject came to the Pacific coast in 1847 there was a large emigration.
The company with which he traveled made the journey with ox teams, but
Mr. Crawford had his own horse. He assisted the company in various ways,
one of his duties being to ride on ahead, which he could do, as his horse trav-
eled faster than the oxen, and select a suitable camping place for the night.
His luggage was carried in one of the wagons in payment for the help which
he rendered the party. There were large herds of buffalo upon the plains,
and the party frequently saw Indians, hut were never molested by the red
men. The six months' journey was terminated by their arrival at Oregon
City, where Mr. Crawford engaged in freighting for two years. Then when
the gold excitement in California was drawing people to the mines from all
sections of the country, he also went there in search of the precious metal,
making the journey on horseback, packing his equipments and necessary
clothing. Reaching- the gold fields, he engaged in placer mining on the
American river and on the Feather river above Sacramento, taking out gold
to the value of from one hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars per day.
He made a great deal, and when he returned to Oregon at the end of two
years had a handsome stake for so young a man. He spent the winter of
1851-2 in San Francisco, and in the spring returned to Oregon City.
Not long after his arrival Mr. Crawford was happily married to M
Elizabeth Moore, a native of Illinois, who crossed the plains with her father,
fames M. Moore, in 1847. After their marriage they secured a donation
claim in Clackamas county and resided thereon for five years, during which
time our subject made many improvements upon his land and obtained his
patent from the government. At the end of the period he removed to Walla
Walla county and was engaged in mining, also in freighting from the mines
of Walla Walla for four years. He was next appointed deputy collector of
internal revenue, and spent six years in Salem, Oregon. He joined the Re
publican partv at its organization, and was a strong Union man.
276 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In 1869 Mr. Crawford removed to Olympia, Washington, and established
a furniture store, but the Northern Pacific Railroad Company did not make
that town its terminus, and he closed out his business, removing to his farm
in Lewis county, where he remained for five years, farming and improving
his property. "At the expiration of that period he accepted the position of
chief warden of the United States penitentiary on McNeal Island, having
charge of the prisoners there for three years. In 1877 he became a resident
of Seattle and accepted the position of pressman and afterward traveling agent
for the Post-Intelligencer for five years. He then became interested in his
present business, that of buying bonds and commercial paper of all descrip-
tions.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Crawford have been born seven children, all natives
of either Oregon or Washington. Five survive. They are as follows : Addie,
the wife of M. E. Warren, of Dawson City; Samuel L., who is prominently
engaged in the real estate business in Seattle; Fannie, the widow of Clark
Biles; Ronald M., of Dawson; and Nellie, the wife of Captain Laurence S.
Booth, who is engaged in the abstract business in Seattle. Mr. Crawford
was for many years a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In 1852 he was made a Master Mason in Multnomah Lodge No. 1, F. & A.
M., the first Masonic lodge organized on the Pacific coast. For many years
he has been an honorary member of St. John's Lodge of Seattle. In politics
he is still a Republican, on whom the party can rely, and he has been honored
with different official positions. While in Lewis county he was chosen to
represent his district in the Washington territorial legislature of 1875. He
was also postmaster and justice of the peace, filling all the positions at one
time, creditably acquitting himself in the discharge of his manifold and varied
duties. On coming to Seattle he purchased a residence near the University in
order to educate his children, and has remained here for the past twenty-five
years. His wife, with whom he has traveled life's journey for a half century,
is a member of the Plymouth Congregational church, and both are numbered
among the most respected citizens of Seattle. His connection with the north-
west covers a very extended period, and in every sphere of life in which he
has been called upon to move he has made an indelible impression, and by his
excellent public service and upright life has honored the state which has
honored him.
HARVEY R. COX.
Professor Harvey R. Cox comes of good English stock, and his grand-
father was one of the old settlers of the state of Indiana, and fought the
Indians under. General William Henry Harrison, being taken prisoner at
the battle of Tippecanoe. Randolph Cox was a son of this Indian fighter,
and was born in Indiana. He came to Iowa in the days of settlement of
that commonwealth, and was a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser in Van
Buren county. He was a soldier in the Mexican war, and at the outbreak
of the Civil war volunteered for service, but was rejected on account of physical
disability; but lie was made captain of the home militia company, and was
prepared to protect his own home. In 1885 he moved to Mountain Grove, in
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 277
southwest Missouri, and died there in September, 1901. He married Sarah
Mcintosh, whose parents came from Scotland, but she was born in Virginia;
she is also deceased.
Harvey R. Cox was born to these parents in Keosauqua, Van Buren
county, Iowa, in 1854. He was reared on his father's farm and attended the
district schools, and later the graded school in Keosauqua. He early formed
the intention of making teaching a profession, and to prepare himself for this
took a course at the normal school at Troy, Iowa, where he graduated with
a normal certificate. He continued his studies in the normal school at Bloom-
field, Iowa, until he was twenty years old, and in 1873 began teaching in the
schools of his home county. He came out to Washington in 1878, so early
that he may be considered an old-timer, and for the following two vears was
a teacher in the school at Goldendale, Klickitat county. For the next three
years he was superintendent of the Indian school at Fort Simcoe, on the
Yakima reservation, having been appointed by the government. In 1883
lie came to Tacoma. at that time a small town, and in the following year
was elected superintendent of schools of Pierce county for a term of two
years, being the choice of the Republican party for this office. When his
term was up, he held the principalship of the school at Fern Hill for four
years, and at Orting for a year, and in 1892 was again elected county super-
intendent of schools, and re-elected in 1894. He was then principal of the
Oakland school in Tacoma for one year, and for the past five years has
been principal of the Irving school. Such a continuous service is ample indi-
cation of the estimation in which Professor Cox is held as an educator, and
he has done much for the cause of education in Tacoma. In 1896 he was
president of the State Teachers' Association. When he first came to the
county the law provided for a board of examiners for each county, composed
of the county superintendent and two other competent educators, and Pro-
fessor Cox, through his official position and by appointment, served on that
board for about ten years.
Since coming to Washington Professor Cox has been a careful observer
of events and a student of the history of the state, and especially of the Puget
Sound country, and from the fact that he has been here so long and that he
has given such intelligent attention to the subject, he is now considered an
authority on the history of one of the most interesting commonwealths in
the Union. In 1900 he prepared for the State Teachers' Association a paper
on state history, and in 1901, at the county institute, he had charge of the
department of state history and the history of education in Pierce county,
investigation of these subjects having been a matter of interest to him for
many years.
Professor Cox takes considerable interest in politics, as a means of recre-
ation more than for any other purpose, and. besides his own campaigns for
the office of superintendent, has often held the offices of committeeman and
delegate to the county and state conventions of the Republican party. In [882
he was married at Puyallup to Miss Anna Weller, and they have three chil-
dren, Mary, Andora and Allen. Mrs. Cox has been president of the Willard
Young Woman's Christian Temperance Association, while her husband has
just finished a term as grand master of the Grand Lodge of the Ancient
a78 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Order of United Workmen for the state of Washington, and for the past ten
years has been prominent in the order, passing all the chairs in the state
grand lodge. He is also a past grand of Fern Hill Lodge No. 93, I. O. O. F.
THOMAS ROBINSON.
A recent estimate by an expert of the amount of timber in the United
States available for lumber placed the present supply at one and a half trillion
feet, and it also gave Washington the third place as a lumber-producing
state. This vast area makes one of the most profitable industries of the state,
and it is therefore not surprising to find some of the ablest and most progressive
men of the country engaged in some branch of lumbering. Tacoma is the
center of a number of companies from which the finished product goes to all
the markets of the world, and one of the foremost of these is the Robinson
Mill Company, Incorporated, whose sole owner at present and organizer is
Thomas Robinson.
He is the son of John and Mary Jane (Harrison) Robinson, natives of
England, and the former was a miller and grain merchant, having died about
twenty years ago. Thomas was born in Nottingham, England, in 1859, in
the same house where his mother was born. He remained in this house until
lie was twenty years of age, gaining an education in the Nottingham schools
and becoming accpiaiuted with bis father's business. In 1887 his enterprising
spirit led him to leave his home and go to the United States. He came to that
Missouri river metropolis, Kansas City, where he secured a position with a
lumber firm, and from there went up the river to Atchison and was in the
lumber business until 1891. This experience had given him an excellent
insight into the details of the lumber trade, and he now sought a larger field
by coming to Tacoma, where he was fortunate in obtaining a good place with
a lumber company. In 1896 he gave up his position as a salaried employe
and embarked on his own account in business by establishing the Robinson
Mill Company, which has been incorporated, and of which Mr. Robinson is
the president and the sole owner. Up to the time of this writing the firm
has been engaged entirely in selling lumber at wholesale, but it will soon enter
the manufacturing field also. In 1903 there was completed a large new
lumber mill at the head of the bay in Tacoma, fitted out with the most
modern machinery for manufacturing all kinds of lumber. So rapidly has
the company's trade grown within the last few years that it was found im-
possible to supply the demand with the facilities at hand, and a mill of their
own became a necessity. This plant has a daily capacity of about thirty thou-
sand feet of finished lumber, and this, together with the wholesale shingle
trade, will make the Robinson company one of the strongest establishments
of the kind in the Sound country.
Mr. Robinson met the lady of his choice after he had come to this country,
and in 1889 was married in Kansas City to Miss Medora Maud Hill. They
now have four children, Cecil H., Elwyn S., Challis H. and Ada May. and
the family enjoy the comforts of a nice home at 715 South I street. He is
a member of the Modern Woodmen and of the Maccabees, and is a gentle-
man much respected for the ability lie has shown in bis business.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 279
CHESTER F. WHITE.
That magnificent indention of the west coast of Washington known
as Gray's harbor is attractive for commerce and industry, not only on ac-
count of its excellent harbor facilities but because of its propinquity to the
wonderful forests of the state, where material may be had for all the various
uses to which wood is put. The largest enterprise to take advantage of this
situation, and one of the largest and most important on the Pacific coast, is
the Gray's Harbor Commercial Company, a California corporation, although
its principal interests are vested at Cosmopolis on Gray's harbor; A. W. Jack-
son, of San Francisco, is its president. The plant at Cosmopolis was estab-
lished in 1889. aiKl now consists of a lumber mill, which in 1902 cut fifty-two
million feet of lumber; two shingle mills, making eighty-four million shingles
during the same period; a box factory, turning out ten million feet of boxes
annually; and a tank factory, where water tanks, etc., are made. Between
five and six hundred men are on the payrolls at Cosmopolis, and the concern
is one of the largest and best equipped industries on the coast. The com-
pany also1 conducts a general store at Cosmopolis. A specialty is made of
Washington spruce lumber for shipment by rail to all parts of the United
States, even to England. At San Francisco the company has the Com-
mercial Box Factory, the largest on the coast.
It would be impossible for one to make any investigation of the con-
cern described in the preceding paragraph without becoming acquainted with
its manager, to whom is due a large share of the credit for the plant's suc-
cessful operation. Chester F. White is the son of Emery and Hannah (Sav-
age) White, the former of whom was a native of Massachusetts, but in [859
came with his family by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California, and
since that time has been a prominent dealer in boots and shoes in San Fran-
cisco: his wife, also a native of the Bay state, is still living.
The birth of Chester F. White occurred near Boston, Massachusetts in
1850. He received a common school education, and when still a young man.
in 1871, went to Keokuk, Iowa, and engaged in the lumber business, being
so occupied there and at Montrose, Iowa, for the following twenty years. He
then returned to San Francisco and became a member of the Gray's llarlx>r
Commercial Company, as the result of which, in 1890, he came to Cosmopolis
and assumed the management of the mill and other interests here.
Mr. White's prominence in business affairs is further indicated by the
fact that he is president of the Washington Red Cedar Shingle .Manufac-
turers' Association, and also president of the Northern Box Manufacturers'
Association, whose headquarters are at Portland, Oregon. On January 10.
1883, Mr. White was married at Keokuk. Iowa, to Miss Mamie Holliday;
they have a daughter by this marriage. Marguerite. Mr. White has always
taken more or less interest in the success of Republican principles, and in
1802 was chosen as one of the electors to represent the state of Washington
in the electoral college.
280 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
COLONEL CHARLES W. THOMPSON.
The Thompson family has been established on American soil for many
decades and is descended from Scotch ancestors. On the maternal side
Colonel Thompson can trace the family back to that noble patriot and one
of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Robert Morris. His
parents were William and Lucille (Wilcox) Thompson. The former was
a native of Pennsylvania and became prominent in the affairs of Iowa, both
in the territorial days and after it became a state. He was the last congres-
sional delegate from the territory and the first member of Congress elected
from the state. He had won high distinction as one of the leading lawyers
of the state. When the Civil war came on he enlisted as captain in the First
Iowa Cavalry, was promoted to colonel of the regiment and was brevetted
brigadier general of volunteers, while later he served in the regular army and
at his death was brevet brigadier-general of the regular army. He played
an important part in the early days of Masonry in Iowa, and was a charter
member of the first three lodges established in the state.
Charles William Thompson was born on the 8th of June, 1851, at Mount
Pleasant, Iowa, and was educated in the schools near the various army posts
where his father was at different times stationed, giving the finishing touches
to his literary training at Kenyon College of Gambier, Ohio. It was but
natural that he should inherit some of his father's martial spirit, as he accom-
panied him from 1861 to 1865 and was in a number of engagements. He
was in the campaign against the Indians, and was with General Custer and
attached to the quartermaster's department during the latter's Indian cam-
paign in Kansas and Indian Territory from 1867 to 1870. In 1871 he en-
listed in the United States Military Academy at West Point, afterward ac-
cepting a position as civil engineer in the employ of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road, and for two years was attached to the corps which surveyed the division
from El Paso, Texas, west to Tucson, Arizona. He then went to Dakota,
serving through the Sioux Indian wars in North Dakota, and during the
early days of Burleigh county, North Dakota, he held the office of county
surveyor. He also served during Governor Church's administration as colonel
of Dakota National Guards.
He was one of the first men who went into the famous Black Hills
country in South Dakota, in 1876, where he embarked in mining operations
and was the organizer of the Northern Pacific Coal Company, which opened
up coal mines at Sims and Dickinson, North Dakota, and in Miles City,
Bull Mountain, Cokedale and Timberland, Montana. Mr. Thompson operated
these mines until 1890, when he went to the state of Washington and became
interested in the development of mining properties there. A few years ago
he organized the Washington Co-operative Mining Syndicate, which owns
valuable properties in the Carbon river district in Pierce county, which are
rich in copper, gold and silver. Besides these the syndicate operate some
fine coal mines and manufacture coke. Mr. Thompson is president of this
company, and he is also president of the Montezuma Mining Company,
which operates coal mines and coke ovens and is developing gold, silver and
copper claims in Pierce county. Both of these corporations are paying divi-
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 281
dends. He was one of the organizers and is one of the directors of the
Tacoma Company, a steel corporation, which promises to be the great iron
and steel manufacturing plant on Paget Sound, having the most alluring
prospects of success. The corporations own large tracts of iron and coal
lands and lime quarries and well built coke ovens. A site for furnaces is
soon to be settled upon, and the company intends to begin immediately the
manufacture of iron and steel.
Colonel Thompson is doing much for the material welfare of the state
of Washington. He not only organized and aided in- the development of
several rich mining properties and did much to interest outside capital of the
state, but has such executive ability and thorough knowledge of the mineral
wealth of the state that he has been able to render important aid to the com-
panies with which he is associated. He is a member of the Washington Com-
mandery of the Loyal Legion of the United States and of the Sons of
Veterans. In 1875 he was married to Heppie G. Lambert, of Bismarck,
North Dakota, and they have six children, three sons and three daughters,
Robert Morris, Imogene, Charles W., Jr.. Lillian V., Lucille and Lambert.
THEODORE W. GILLETTE.
The enterprising town of Fairhaven, Washington, owes not a little of
its improvement and progress to the _ practical ideas and capable efforts of
Theodore Weld Gillette, who is a typical western man, alert, energetic and
resourceful, and who in the control of his business affairs has not only gained
individual success but has also wrought along lines of public good. He is
now the vice president of the waterworks company of Fairhaven. and was
also one of the founders of the electric light system of this place.
Mr. Gillette was born in Oberlin, Ohio, October 23, 1840, and is a rep-
resentative of two old New England families. His father, Robert Edwin
Gillette, was also a native of Ohio, but was descended from Huguenot
ancestry that came to America about 1700, settling in Connecticut. The
family was represented in the continental army during the Revolutionary
war. Robert E. Gillette became a prominent and influential citizen of Oberlin,
Ohio, served as an official in the college there, was a leader in political circles
and left the impress of his individuality along many lines of progress. He
was serving as county judge at the time of his demise, which occurred in
1861, when he was fifty-two years of age. He married Lucy K el log, who
was born in Saratoga county, New York, and belonged to an old New Eng
land family. She died in 1865, at the age of fifty-four years. She also had
ancestors who fought for the independence of the colonies at the time the
yoke of British oppression was thrown off. Theodore W. Gillette lias two
brothers and three sisters, namely: Robert, who is a resident of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin; Mary Ann, the wife of S. J. Powers, of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Ruth K., the wife of Judge E. H. Ellis, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Julia EC.,
the wife of Dr. A. J. Adams, of Flint, Michigan; Rev. Frederick l\\. who is
preaching the gospel in Fairhaven. Washington.
In the public schools of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Gillette pursued his early
education and later became a student in the Cleveland Institute. He left
282 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
school at the age of nineteen years and hecame agent for the Milwaukee &
La Crosse Railroad Company at Tomah, Wisconsin, where he remained until
after the breaking out of the Civil war in 1861. With the blood of Revo-
lutionary ancestors flowing in his viens and his patriotic spirit intensely aroused
over the attitude of the south, he offered his services to the government in the
first year of the war, enlisting in Company I, Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer
Infantry, at Tomah, under Colonel H. E. Paine. He joined the boys in blue
as a private, but was successively promoted to the ranks of corporal, sergeant
and first lieutenant, and was acting brigade quartermaster, brigade commissary
and chief quartermaster of a division of cavalry of the Department of the
Gulf. In whatever part of the service found, he was always faithful and
prompt in the discharge of the duty devolving upon him, and was mustered
out at Brownsville, Texas. June 20, 1866, after about five years' connection
with military service.
When the war was ended Mr. Gillette spent about a year at Sparta, Wis-
consin, as agent of the Merchants' Union Express Company, and in the
spring of 1867 he engaged in Lhe hardware business at Waverly, Iowa, con-
ducting his store with good success until 1874, when he went to Texas, where
he was engaged in ranching and in sheep-raising until 1880. In the fall
of the latter year he located at Salt Lake City. Utah, where he turned his
attention to mining, prospecting and assaying, which pursuits claimed his
time until 1883. In that year he removed to Ketchum, Idaho, and establish-
ing a hardware store conducted it successfully until 1889. During this time
he had served for four years as county commissioner of Alturas county.
In the fall of 1889 Mr. Gillette came to Fairhaven and was one of the
promoters of the Fairhaven Electric Light Company and the Fairhaven Water
Company. Those plants were installed under his immediate supervision, the
work being completed in the spring of 1890, and since that time he has taken
an active interest in the direction and management, being vice president of
the water company at the present time. In 1899, however, he disposed of his
interests in the electric light plant. He has been called to a number of posi-
tions of public trust and responsibility, in all of which he has done effective
service for the general good. In 1893 he was made a county commissioner
for a term of four years, and served as chairman of the board for two years.
During the first two years this was a full Republican board, and was the
only board in the state that operated under the Donahue road law and estab-
lished a road system in conformity therewith. Each succeeding county board
has adhered to the policy then adopted, and the county has to-day a splendid
system of roads, of which it has every reason to be proud. Mr. Gillette was
also city treasurer of Waverly, Iowa, for two terms, in 1869 and 1870.
In May, 1864, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Gillette and Miss
Letitia S. Powers, a native of Loraine county, Ohio, and a daughter and Dr.
S. D. and Jane (Powers), of Sparta, Wisconsin, both of whom were natives
of New England and represented old American families. Mr. and Mrs.
Gillette have two sons, Halbert Powers and Walter Arthur, both of New
York city. Mr. Gillette belongs to the Masonic fraternity and maintains
pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in
the Loyal Legion and the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he has
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 283
always been an earnest Republican, and is recognized as an active and in-
fluential factor in the councils of his party both in the county and the state.
He has been a member of the county central committee and the state central
committee, and his opinions carry weight in party conferences. He has a
wide acquaintance in Washington and is popular with many friends.
ISAAC N. HAGUE.
Isaac N. Hague is the president of the Capitol Box Company, of Tacoma.
This business is extensive and important, involving much capital and the
control of a large trade, and to its head Mr. Hague has risen from a humble
position within fifteen years. Certainly a most creditable record, and one
which indicates the business opportunities of the great and growing west.
Mr. Hague was born in Story county, Iowa, in 1859, a son of Samuel
S. and Mary (Ambern) Hague. The father was born in Indiana, but at an
early day went to Story county, Iowa, becoming one of the pioneer settlers.
Turning his attention to farming he there carried on that pursuit until a few
years ago, when he came to Tacoma. whither his son Isaac had preceded
him in 1888. Since then he has made his home in this city. He is of Hol-
land Dutch ancestry. His wife was born in Indiana of Quaker parentage and
is also living in Tacoma.
In the schools of his native county Isaac N. Hague pursued his educa-
tion, and when not occupied with the duties of the schoolroom or the pleasures
of the playground was assisting in the work of the home farm. He con-
tinued to aid in its cultivation until twenty-two years of age, when he went
to Alliance, Nebraska, where he engaged in the live-stock business. For
seven years he followed that pursuit, and in January, 1888, he came to Ta-
coma, securing a position in the Tacoma Box Company's factory, where his
ready adaptability and business capacity soon won recognition with the result
that he was made foreman. In 1890 he decided to engage in business on his
own account, and established the Standard Box Company, which later became
the Capitol Box Company. In 1896 he sold his plant and purchased the
business of the Michigan Box Company, which had originally carried on
business at the corner of East Twenty-sixth and I streets. He retained the
factory as established then, calling it factory No. 1, and then started another
and larger one, known as factory No. 2, at South Eighteenth and Canal
streets. In 1901 he sold the factory at East Twenty-sixth and I streets,
consolidating his business at South Eighteenth and Canal streets, but a new
departure has recently been made, for in the present year (1903) arrange-
ments have been completed to remove the plant across the bay to a splendid
location on Hylebos creek, on the tide flats. The business will then be
greatly increased, and when completed there will be three separate plants,
yet all conducted under the name of the Capitol Box Company. These are
a large veneer plant, a box factory with a capacity of twenty thousand boxes
per day, and a lumber mill with a capacity of fifty thousand feet a day. This
seems a remarkable growth considering the fact that Mr. Hague started in
as an employe and in fifteen years has built up a business of magnitude, of
which he is the head and principal stockholder. He manufactures wooden
284 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
boxes, and his trade in this department extends all over the western country,
shipments being made in carloads. Fine modern machinery is used, and the
product, because of its superior excellence, finds a ready sale on the market.
Mr. Hague belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and to the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks. He has three children, Carl A., Enza and Leo,
and his residence is at 3418 Pacific avenue. He has become well known
during the fifteen years of his residence in this city, and as a man and a citizen
is highly regarded, while in business circles he occupies an enviable position.
His capability and worth are widely acknowledged. A man of firm and de-
termined purpose, he is nevertheless intensely practical in what he does and
strictly honorable in all his dealings, and his present creditable position in
the business life of Tacoma is well deserved.
SABIN A. GIBBS.
When entering upon his business career in early manhood Mr. Gibbs
became connected with the lumber trade, and throughout his entire life has
been associated with this industrial line. He is now controlling a large and
profitable enterprise as a wholesale dealer in lumber and shingles. He has
followed the star of empire in its westward course, leaving his old home in
the Empire state to become a factor in the utilization of the great forests
of the northern Mississippi valley, and then, as this region was being opened
and there was developed a market for the lumber products of the northwest,
he came to Tacoma in 1890 and is now making extensive shipments to eastern
markets.
Mr. Gibbs was born in Whitehall, New York, in 1856, a son of A. D.
and Arabella (Worden) Gibbs. The father was born in Vermont, and be-
longed to an old New England family that was founded in America by three
brothers of the name of Gibbs, who left their native home in England and
crossed the Atlantic to the new world. Through much of his active life
A. D. Gibbs was engaged in the transportation business on Lake Champlain,
with headquarters at Whitehall, and in later life he went to Michigan, where
he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1887. His wife, who
was also a native of the Green Mountain state, died in Whitehall in 1874.
At the usual age Sabin A. Gibbs entered the public schools of his native
town, there acquiring a good practical knowledge of the branches usually
taught in such institutions, and in 1876, when twenty years of age, he started
westward, locating first in Chicago, Illinois, where he remained for two
years in the lumber business. He gained a good knowledge of the trade
during that period, became an excellent judge of lumber, and from Chicago
he made his way to the upper peninsula of Michigan, locating in Menominee,
where he was in the lumber business for twelve years, securing a good
patronage. In 1890 he came to the northwest and has since been a resident
of Tacoma. For the first three years after his arrival he acted as manager
for the Northern Pacific Shingle Company, and in 1893 began in the whole-
sale lumber business for himself under the firm name of S. A. Gibbs & Com-
pany, under which style the enterprise has since been conducted. The firm
does a large wholesale business in lumber and shingles, selling to the trade
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 285
and making extensive shipments to the east. The patronage of the house is
constantly growing, and the firm has become one of the leading representatives
of the lumber industry of the northwest — an industry which has been one
of the most important sources of the development and the wealth of this
portion of the country.
In 1880 Mr. Gibbs was united in marriage to Miss Ida Bishop, the
wedding being celebrated in Wisconsin. The lady is a native of the state
of New York, and by her marriage has become the mother of four children :
S. A., who is now a clerk with Love, Johnson & Company, of Tacoma; E. C,
who is in his father's office; Florence and Joseph M., at home. The family
residence is at 2609 North Eighth street, and the office of the firm at No.
410 Chamber of Commerce building. Mr. Gibbs is thoroughly conversant
with the lumber trade, has learned to judge correctly and accurately of the
value of lumber, and the business policy which he has inaugurated has led
to the development of an extensive and profitable business, while the repu-
tation of the firm in trade circles is unassailable. Nor has Mr. Gibbs been
remiss in citizenship ; on the contrary he has been a co-operant factor in many
movements for the general good and thus is deserving of mention among the
representative men of Tacoma.
ALFRED LISTER.
It is not possible to fully appreciate the life work of a young man, for
the biographer must seize him in the middle of his career, as it were, and de-
tail the growth and form of the young sapling before it has attained the virility
and luxuriance of age. But even thus the story of the men in the earlier half
of life possess peculiar interest, and the more so because there is pleasure in
forecasting what the future will be. The office of controller of the city of
Tacoma is filled by Alfred Lister, who though only thirty-five years of age
has demonstrated that he is equal to the higher duties and responsibilities of
life, and has won the confidence of his fellow citizens to a remarkable degree.
The Lister family are all native of England. Jeremiah H., Alfred's
father, came to this country in 1881 and first located in Philadelphia, but
was attracted to the west and came to Tacoma in 1882. Having found the
place to his liking, he determined to make it his permanent abode, and in
1883 he returned to England, and the following year brought his family
back with him. His brother David had come to Tacoma in 1877, and they
were both interested in the iron industry. Mr. Lister was the proprietor of
the Standard Iron Works in Tacoma until 1893, and was in other ways a
prominent man and large property owner. He is still living here, but is
retired from active life. His wife's name was Ellen Hey. a native .if El
land, and she died in Tacoma in 1893. She was the sister of William Henry
Hey, who was for many years secretary of the Moulders' Union of England,
one of the greatest trades unions in the world; his headquarters were at
London.
We can now understand the circumstances which surrounded the early
life of Alfred Lister, and which molded his character to a great extent. He
was born in Halifax, in Yorkshire, England, in 1867, and received a common
286 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
school education in the old country, but acquired his business training after
coming to the United States in 1884. He first worked for the Tacoma Light
and Water Company, which was then just beginning operations. After work-
ing in this position for some time he went into the office of his uncle, who
was then operating the Tacoma Iron Works in connection with General
Sprague and J. H. Houghton. In 1886 he and his father organized the
Standard Iron Works, which continued business until 1892. At that time
Mr. Lister went into the office of the Puget Sound Iron and Steel Works
in Tacoma, and only left that position to accept the office of city controller,
to which he was elected in the spring of 1898, and has been twice re-elected.
He is a very popular official and has shown much ability in the handling of
the affairs of the city.
Mr. Lister was elected a member of the school board in 1893 and served
for six years. He is a prominent member of the Methodist church, and in
September, 1903, was one of the three delegates elected by the Puget Sound
conference to represent that district at the world's general conference to be
held in Los Angeles in 1904. He is also a member of the Chamber of Com-
merce, and in fraternal relations is a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias.
In 18S9 Mr. Lister made a memorable and happy trip back to England and
married the young lady of his choice, Miss Clara Smith. They have three
delightful children in their home, whose names are Lillian Ada, Samuel King-
ston and Dorothy Hope.
HARVEY L. DICKINSON.
Into American parlance in recent years have come two expressions indica-
tive of the business development and standing of the country. These are
"promoter" and "captains of industry," and of both Harvey L. Dickinson may
well be called a representative. His labors have been directed along lines
that have resulted to the public benefit as well as to individual prosperity, and
now he is numbered among the progressive citizens of Whatcom, where he
located in 1896.
A native of New York, Mr. Dickinson was born in Wayne county,
October 6, 1855. His father, Robert D. Dickinson, was also born in the
Empire state and belonged to an old American family of English descent,
which traces its ancestry in a direct line to the period of William the Con-
queror, having numbered among its members several titles of nobility, while
his American ancestors include Revolutionary heroes; among them John
Dickinson, who wrote the famous "Farmer Letters" which exerted such great
influence in the formation of the "Declaration of Independence." Robert D.
Dickinson was a wholesale fruit and commission dealer in New York and
died in t88i. In early manhood he had married Harriett Ferris, whose birth
occurred in Wayne county. New York, and she, too, represented a family that
was founded in the United States during an early epoch in its history, and
was of English and Scotch lineage. Her death occurred in 1892. M. C.
Dickinson, the brother of our subject, is the manager of the Byron Hotel of
Whatcom, and the sister, Carrie J. Dickinson, is now living in Fairhaven,
this state.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 287
To the public school system of his native county Harvey L. Dickinson
is indebted for the early educational privileges he enjoyed. Later he was
graduated in the high school of Clyde, New York, with the class of 1874, and
on the conclusion of his school life he spent one year in travel, viewing many
points of modern and historic and scenic interest. In 1876 he joined his
father in his business in New York city, and was thus engaged until March,
1877, when he went to Nebraska, accepting a position with the firm of Pratt
& Ferris, who were extensively engaged in government contracting, overland
freighting and stock-raising; Mr. Ferris of this firm was an uncle of the sub-
ject of this sketch. This firm were extensively engaged in overland freighting
into the Black Hills of Dakota, of which business Mr. Dickinson had charge
for three years, and then succeeded by purchase to a large interest in the
business.
In 1882 he transferred the teams composing the transportation business
to Idaho, going there at the time of the construction of the Oregon Short
Line Railroad. He remained in Idaho engaged in this business and in mining
until the construction of railroads crowded out the usefulness of the old-time
"prairie schooners." Later he organized and managed a large mercantile
business, comprising a line of stores located at different points in Idaho,
until, disposing of this business in 1890, he came to Washington, settling in
Fairhaven in the spring of that year. There he engaged in the general in-
vestment and real estate business until 1896, when he came to Whatcom,
where he has since continued in the same department of business activity, and
in other ways promoting the business development of the city as well as adding
to his own success. He has assisted in the promotion of several industrial
enterprises, and his sound business judgment and keen foresight have been
inportant factors in the successful conduct of them.
Mr. Dickinson in early manhood was united in marriage with Miss
Clara V. Colvin, a daughter of Oliver D. Colvin, a farmer and large property
owner of Wayne county, New York. He had formerly been a Virginian
planter, but left the south in the early clays of the Civil war. Among his
ancestors were Revolutionary heroes, and his sympathies were not with those
who wished to overthrow the Union which had been established by the patriot
army. Miss Clara V., now Mrs. Dickinson, is a native of Virginia.
Mr. Dickinson votes with the Republican party and takes an active
interest in politics, keeping well informed on the issues of the day. He has
been a delegate to many county and state conventions, and is regarded as one
of the most energetic and capable leaders of the party in this locality. He
belongs to the Masonic fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, the Commercial Club, the Cougar Club and also the Rainier Club of
Seattle, and wherever known is held in high esteem because of his intrinsic
worth of character as well as his business activity and success.
THE SHELTON WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
This newspaper, which has become such an important factor in the town
of Shelton and vicinity, and has gained a reputation not only as an excellent
disseminator of news but as an active participator in every effort to advance
288 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
the interests of the community, was founded in Shelton in 1892 by W. R.
Lotz, and continued under his management till May 1, 1902, when it was
purchased by David G. Klinefelter, who is its present proprietor, editor and
business manager. The Tribune is Democratic in its political proclivities,
and is a six-column quarto in size. Since Mr. Klinefelter assumed control
it has been greatly improved, a gasoline power plant has been instituted, and,
the best evidence of its appreciation by the public, the subscription list has
been doubled and the amount of advertising been greatly increased.
David G. Klinefelter is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and as a young
man learned the trade of a printer. During the eighties he had a job printing
business in St. Paul, Minnesota, and later established the Purdy Courier in
Purely, Missouri. He came to Shelton in 1901. Mr. Klinefelter is not only
making a record as an editor, but is one of the progressive business men of
the town. He established and is the owner of the Shelton electric light plant,
which has been one of the most important improvements of recent years in
this thriving place. He is also the owner of considerable real estate. In
1896 he was married in Williams, California, to Miss Clara Blevins, and they
now have a son Norval.
WILLIAM FEARS ROBINSON.
The honored subject of this memoir has for a number of years past been
closely identified with the industrial interests of Anacortes, being one of
her most prominent and influential business men. He has been very success-
ful in his undertakings, and is now accorded a place among the representa-
tive citizens of the county. He was born at Peabody, Massachusetts, on the
8th of September, 1859. His father, Benjamin Robinson, was born in Glouces-
ter, that state, in 1829, and is a direct descendant of the Rev. John Robinson
of Pilgrim fame, his ancestors, among whom is numbered Captain Daniel
Robinson, the builder of the first schooner in 1713, settling in that town in
1630. Benjamin is still residing at Gloucester, having reached the age of
seventy-four years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Catharine
Murray, was a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, but when ten years of age
was taken to Gloucester, Massachusetts. She was of Scotch and English
descent, and her death occurred in 1900, when she had reached the age of
sixty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson became the parents of six chil-
dren, four sons and two daughters, as follows: Eva Maria,- the wife of W.
A. Niles, of Boston; Ferdinand; William F. ; Benjamin Oscar; Alice
Maude, the wife of James L. Stacey, of Gloucester, Massachusetts; and
Charles Herman, also a resident of that city.
William Fears Robinson received his early education in the public schools
of Gloucester in his native state, and later received a course in the French
Business College at Boston, in which institution he was graduated in 1876.
After putting aside his textbooks he secured employment as traveling sales-
man for a wholesale fish house of Gloucester, continuing in that capacity
until 1892. T11 that year lie made the journey to California, where he was
engaged in the manufacture of liquid fish glue until 1895, after which he
^"^-z-z^f-T-^y
IpUBLLC LIBRARY]
ASTOK LENOX AND
UlLDEN FOUNDS. 1"N
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 289
sold his interest therein to his partner in Boston and came to Seattle, Wash-
ington. In that city he immediately began the manufacture of fish fertilizers
and oils, his time and attention being thus occupied for two years, or until
1897, when he cast in his lot with the citizens of Anacortes, and here he
has developed that industry into extensive proportions. In 1900 Mr. Robin-
son was appointed to fill a vacancy on the school board, and two years later,
in 1902, was elected to that position for a term of three years, the duties of
which he filled in a most satisfactory manner. Since his arrival in this city
he has been an active factor in its development and upbuilding, and is ac-
corded a prominent position among its substantial business men.
The marriage of Mr. Robinson was celebrated at Gloucester, Massa-
chusetts, on the 2ist of May, 18S1, when Nellie E. Orne became his wife.
She is a daughter of Freeman and Mary Orne, both natives of that city, the
father, Freeman Orne, being a member of an old American family, while
her mother descended from a prominent English family. Two children have
graced this union: Mary Merrill, the wife of John E. Trafton, of Ana-
cortes; and Guy \\'.. who also makes his home in this city. In his fraternal
relations our subject is a member of the Masonic order, and politically gives
a stanch support to the men and measures of the Republican party. Although
he is at all times a loyal and public-spirited citizen, he has never allowed his
name to be used in connection with official positions, preferring to give his
undivided attention to his business interests. Few men have more devoted
friends than he, and none excel him in unselfish devotion and unswerving
fidelity to the worthy recipients of his confidence and friendship.
JUDGE JEREMIAH NETERER.
Jeremiah Neterer was born in a log house on a farm near Goshen,
Indiana. He is the oldest of six brothers, sons of Samuel and Elizabeth
(Huntsberger) Neterer. The family is of old American stock, residing in
Pennsylvania, of Quaker extraction and Swiss descent on the father's side.
Judge Neterer was reared on a farm and received his early education
in the proverbial log schoolhouse, at the place of his birth. When old enough
to be of assistance on the farm, his time was employed by working on the
farm in summer and going to school in winter. In 1885 he graduated from
the law department of the Northern Indiana Normal School, widi the degree
of B. L. The same year he went to Garden City, Kansas, where he entered
into the practice of law. and in the early part of the following year went to
Leoti, Wichita county, Kansas, where he had a lucrative practice in his pro-
fession. In January, 1890, he came to Puget Sound, visiting various cities,
and finally located in Whatcom, where he has continued to reside, and where
he had, before going on the bench, built up an extensive clientage and enjoyed
a remunerative practice of his profession.
In politics Judge Neterer has always been a Democrat, and has tal en
an active interest in'affairs. He believes that one of the first duties ,,f every
citizen is to take an active interest in public matters and to see that proper-
persons are elected to administer public affairs, and that any person, what-
19-
21)0 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ever his political affiliation, who neglects to attend the primaries and conven-
tions of his party, is neglecting one of the most important duties of citizen-
ship. While he is a Democrat, he has always been an earnest advocate of a
non-partisan judiciary. He is prominent in the councils of his party. He
was for a number of years a member of the state central committee. In 1898
he served as chairman of the Democratic state convention. In 1900 he was
prominently mentioned as a candidate for governor, and was strenuously
urged to permit his name to go before the convention in opposition to Gov-
ernor Rogers, but this he declined to do.
For the term commencing January, 1893, he served as city attorney for
the consolidated cities of Whatcom and New Whatcom. In June, 1899,
he was appointed a trustee by Governor Rogers of the State Normal School
at Whatcom, and was elected chairman of the board. In March, 1901, a
vacancy occurring, he was appointed by Governor Rogers, without opposition
or protest, to the position of judge of the superior court of the state, for
Whatcom county, and at the following election in 1902, was elected without
opposition. The Bar Association of Whatcom county, at a full meeting,
unanimously passed a resolution asking him to consent to be a candidate for
re-election, and pledging united support. He, consenting, was nominated by
the Democratic party, endorsed by the Republican and Prohibition parties,
and the Socialists and Social Labor party nominated no one against him.
On May 25. 1887, Judge Neterer was married to Sarah E. Becker, of
Berrien Center, Michigan, a daughter of Joseph A. and Elizabeth Becker.
Mrs. Neterer was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and comes of old
American stock of German descent. Four children have been born to Judge
and Mrs. Neterer, Samuel J., born March 6, 1888; Elizabeth, born July 24,
1892; Inez Mae, born May 22, 1894; Jeremiah Alden, born July 10, 1900.
Judge Neterer is a member and past chancellor of Whatcom Lodge
No. 109, K. of P., and past grand of Bellingham Lodge No. 31, I. O. O. F. ;
a member of Bay City Encampment ; a member of B. B. L. No. 44, F. & A. M. ;
a member of Royal Arch Chapter No. 12, of Whatcom, and of Hesperus Com-
mandery No. 8, K. T. ; B. B. Lodge No. 342, Fairhaven, B. P. O. E.
THE CHEHALIS BEE-NUGGET.
In the advanced civilization of the twentieth century, when the immense
dominions of the United States have been knit together into an indissoluble
whole and as one mass move forward on the way of progress, the one great
powerful influence which has helped to accomplish this and wields the dominat-
ing power in the country to-day, is the press; and as it is potent on the side
of right, so it may be the powerful instrument of tyranny and wrong. One
of the progressive, bright and newsy sheets issued at Chehalis, Washington,
which is always found on the side of reform and public interest, is the Che-
halis Bec-Nuggct, a weekly, eight-page, six-column, Republican paper. The
Nugget was founded in 1883, and the Bee in 1884. and they were consoli-
dated in 1898.
Dan W. Bush, the present proprietor of the Bee-Nugget, is the post-
master of Chehalis and records his birth as occurring in Wilson county,
Kansas, in November, 1869. He has been connected with newspaper work
from early boyhood, and in 1890 came west to Washington and at once be-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 291
came identified with the progress of that state. His brother, J. C. Bush, had
bought the paper in 1889, but on account of ill health sold it to his brother;
after taking a rest he took up the work again and has since 1898 been editor
and manager. J. C. Bush was born near Charleston, Illinois, but when ten
years old was taken to Kansas and was there reared and educated until his
twentieth year. At the age of fourteen he began to learn the printer's trade,
and he has made journalism his life work, being fully justified in his choice
by his success. For six years he was owner and publisher of the Telegraph
at Sidney, Nebraska, and he came to Washington in 1888. In addition to
his newspaper work he owns a nice little farm of forty-nine acres two and
one-half miles from Chehalis, and since 1893 has been engaged in hop-
growing.
In October, 1893, Mr- J- c- Bush was happily married to Miss Laura
Gordon, the daughter of A. F. Gordon, one of the respected pioneers of
Washington. The Bush brothers are both stanch Republicans and are men
of high integrity, who have made an enviable record in theif adopted city.
THE LEWIS COUNTY ADVOCATE.
This representative paper of Chehalis was founded in 1892 by a stock
company of farmers and was run for some years in the interests of the
Farmers' Alliance. It was during this time a four-page, seven-column folio,
and various editors and managers had control of it. In February, 1897, the
present owner, I. P. Callison, purchased the plant, put in new machinery, and
enlarged it to an eight-column folio. It is now the organ of the Democratic
party in Lewis county, and Mr. Callison has been one of the live members of
that party throughout his political career. The Advocate has a large sub-
scription and advertising list, and does much job work. Mr. Callison has
made the journal a paying enterprise, which is an excellent tribute to his
management and general business ability, for newspapers do not always tread
the smooth and prosperous way. In May, 1898, he published ten thousand
copies of a special sixteen-page number which set forth in pleasing form the
resources and business, and other statistics of Lewis county ; this edition was
not only a credit to the Advocate, but was of great value to the whole county
as showing the status of affairs and the progress made along all lines.
Mr. Callison comes of Welsh and English ancestry, who were early set-
tlers in Virginia. Grandfather James Callison was a native of that state
and spent his life in farming in West Virginia. The grandfather on the
maternal side, Rev. Alderson, was a Baptist preacher and was said to have
been the first minister to cross the Alleghany mountains. The father of
Mr. Callison was born in West Virginia and married a native of the state,
Virginia Jones. They were members of the Baptist church, and resided many
years on the old homestead 'in Nicholas county. West Virginia, where the
wife still lives, but the father passed away in August, 1902, at the age of
sixty-two years. He was a prominent citizen and had been elected on the
-Democratic ticket to a seat in the state legislature. Twelve of their fourteen
children are now living, but only two arc in Washington, the other being
R. W. Callison of Seattle.
292 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
I. P. Callison was born in West Virginia, December 9, 1870, and re-
mained there until he was of age. He was taught to be dependent on His
own efforts to a large degree, and during this period he attended school when-
ever he could and worked at whatever came to his hand. In 1891 he came
to the Pacific coast, and after teaching for a year entered the Willamette
University at Salem, Oregon, from which he was graduated in 1897. It
was then that he began his career of journalism by purchasing the Advocate.
He enjoys this profession and has shown much ability as a writer and busi-
ness man full of enterprise and push. He was appointed state librarian by
Governor Rogers, and filled the position very acceptably during his admin-
istration, after which he returned to Chehalis.
Mr. Callison was married in December. 1897. to Miss Olive Sheldon,
a native of Connecticut and a daughter of A. D. Sheldon, of Olympia, Wash-
ington. The two sons of the household have received the names of Henry
Sheldon and Richard Clarence. Mr. Callison belongs to the Woodmen of
the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, but all his attention
and enthusiastic efforts are directed to his newspaper.
THE OLYMPIA NATIONAL BANK.
The Olympia National Bank first opened its doors to business on July
1, 1899, as a state bank with a capital stock of $25,000, and with the fol-
lowing gentlemen as its organizers and stockholders : H. Kegley, C. S. Rein-
hart, Millard Lemon, George B. Lane and George H. Funk. By the follow-
ing January the earnings had paid all the expenses of the organization and
equipment, and since that time it has been steadily paying dividends on the
investments. In a short time the capital stock was increased to $50,000, and
on December 24, 1900, the institution received a national bank charter. The
report of its financial condition to the comptroller of currency at the close of
business on February 2^, 1902, was as follows:
Assets :
Loans and discounts k $134,538.67
U. S. bonds 50,000.00
Stocks, bonds 32,315.25
Real estate and fixtures 12,000.00
Cash 78, 147.06
Total $307,000.98
Liabilities :
Capital stock paid in $ 50,000.00
Surplus and undivided profits 7. 161.87
National bank notes 50,000.00
Deposits .' 199,839. 1 1
Total $307,000.98
On the 1st of August, 1 901, H. W. Smith, formerly of Ogdensburg,
New York, was elected cashier, and on April 17, IQ02. President Kegley hav-
ing resigned on account of failing health, C. S. Reinhart was elected presi-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 293
dent. The officers are now: C. S. Reinhart, president; J. W. Mowell, vice
president; H. W. Smith, cashier; and the directors are: If. W. Smith. ('. S.
Reinhart, George H. Funk, George A. Mottman, J. W. Mowell, fudge R- O.
Dunbar, Millard Lemon and E. G. Kreider. The capital stock is owned by
forty of the representative business men of Olympia, and under its efficient
officers the bank is a power in commercial circles in Thurston county and is
in no small degree responsible for progress and enterprise in the com-
munity.
ROBERT I. MORSE.
Robert I. Morse is well known in business circles in Whatcom and, in
fact, throughout a large portion of the state. He is now the president of
the Morse Hardware Company, a mercantile enterprise of importance. His
success in all his undertakings has been so marked that his methods are of
interest to the commercial world. He has based his business principles and
actions upon strict adherence to the rules which govern industry, economy and
strict, unswerving integrity. His enterprise and progressive spirit have made
him a typical American in every sense of the word, and lie well deserves men-
tion in this volume. What he is to-day he has made himself, for he began
in the world with nothing but his own energy and willing hands to aid
him. By constant exertion, associated with good judgment, he has raised him-
self to the prominent position which he now holds, having the friendship of
many and the respect of all who know him.
Robert I. Morse was born June 8, 1858, in Waterville, Maine. His
father, C. T. Morse, was also a native of the Pine Tree state, and was a stock
drover and farmer. He married Miss A. R. Balentine. also a native "f
Maine and daughter of S. A. Balentine, who was descended from an old
New England family. They became the parents of eight children, four of
whom are still living, namely: Howard C. who lives in Waterville, Maine;
Robert I.; Mrs. Hattie Mathews, the wife of Roy Mathews, of Martha's Vine-
yard, Rhode Island; and Mrs. Mary A. Jackson, of Waterville. The father
passed away at the age of forty-eight years.
At the usual age Robert I. Morse entered the public schools of his
native town, and when he had acquired his literary education he pursued a
business course in Dows Commercial College of San Francisco, California,
in which institution he was graduated in 1875. Subsequently lie was em-
ployed as a salesman in a hardware store of that city until 1NS4. when he
came to Whatcom and engaged in business on his own account, opening a
small hardware store at 1033 Elk street. 1 1 is trade increased with rapidity,
demanding larger accommodations, and from time to time he has had to add
more space. He now occupies a building of one hundred and eleven feel
frontage, to which an addition of fifty-six feet was built in ro.03. This is
a three-story stone and brick structure, one hundred and eleven by one hun-
dred and fifteen feet, and contains three store rooms and a basement, it
was erected at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. Mr. Morse carries on a
wholesale and retail hardware business, dealing in paints, oils, shelf and
heavy hardware, and he employs forty clerks, three stenographers, two travel-
ing salesmen and a city salesman. The stock is valued at one hundred and
294 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
twenty-five thousand dollars. The business was incorporated in 1897 under
the style of the Morse Hardware Company, with a capital stock of twenty-
five thousand dollars, which is fully paid up. This splendid mercantile con-
cern stands as a monument to the enterprise and business capacity of the
president, who has developed the store from a small beginning and made it
one of the leading commercial interests of the northwest. A man of resource-
ful ability, he has not confined his efforts alone to one line, but has been the
promoter of many other concerns of value to the northwest. He holds an
interest in the Bellingham Transportation Company, the White Crest Can-
ning Company of Anacortes, Washington, and has also mining interests.
On the 1 6th of April, 1882; occurred the marriage of Robert I. Morse
and Miss Etta Fowler, a native of Manchester, New Hampshire, and a
daughter of James M. Fowler. They now have three sons : Cecil, who is
nineteen years of age and is receiving clerk for the Morse Hardware Com-
pany; Roscoe Irvine, who is fifteen years of age and is a student in the high
school ; and Charles Leland, a lad of eleven years.
Mr. Morse is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and his religious
faith is indicated by his membership in the Baptist church. Politically he is .
a Republican, and he served as councilman of Sehome, now Whatcom, in
1892. He also served as councilman at large for Whatcom during 1902.
Mr. Morse has founded one of the most extensive business enterprises in
Bellingham Bay. and certainly deserves great credit for what he has accom-
plished. He is highly respected by all who know him, and has the esteem
and admiration of his employes in the largest degree. Recognized as one
of the leading spirits in commercial circles, he gives his entire time and
attention to the details of his vast business, and yet he is never so busy but
what he can accord to those who seek him the courtesy of an interview. Suc-
cess in business has not changed his genial nature, but has made him a broad-
minded, enterprising man, of kindly spirit and genial temperament.
CHARLES E. BINGHAM.
Charles E. Bingham, who has for a number of years been prominent
among the leading citizens of Sedro Woolley, Washington, was born in New
Columbus, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1862. The history of his family in
this country dates back to the colonial period, and his ancestors on both the
maternal and paternal sides were of English origin and fought for inde-
pendence in the Revolutionary war. R. S. Bingham, his father, was born
in New York, the son of representative citizens of the Empire state, his
mother having been a Saxton, a member of a family prominent in Revolu-
tionary days. He was engaged in educational work all his life. He was a
professor in the State Normal School at Cortland, New York ; was super-
intendent of schools at Clinton, Cedar Falls and Marengo, Iowa, and Tacoma,
Washington. He came west to Tacoma in 1888 and for a number of years
was a potent factor in educational work in that city. He died in 1903. Mrs.
Esther S. Bingham, his widow, is now a resident of Sedro Woolley. She
was, before marriage, Miss Brooks, and is a native of New York state. Like
her husband, she comes from stanch Revolutionary stock, and the genealogical
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 205
record shows that her maternal ancestors were among those who came over
in the Mayflower from England. Two children were born to R. S. and
Esther S. Bingham, a son and daughter. The daughter, Elizabeth, is the
wife of A. H. Phillips, of the San Francisco Build in.
Charles E. Bingham was educated in the public schools in Utica, New-
York, and Marengo, Iowa, and graduated from high school in 1879. At an
early age he went into the First National Bank of Marengo, as messenger
boy, and filled various positions, finally being promoted to the office of cashier,
and remained there until 1890, when he came to Sedro, Washington. Here
he engaged in the banking business under the firm name of Bingham & Hol-
brook, and continued under this style until 1896, when the firm was dis-
solved, and he has since been alone, the business being conducted under the
name of C. E. Bingham & Company. Mr. Bingham is also president, and
was the organizer of, the Arlington State Bank of Arlington, Washington,
and he assisted in the organization of the bank of Hamilton, this state. And
in addition to his banking business, he has various other interests, having
invested in logging companies and timber lands in Skagit county, Washing-
ton; is secretary and treasurer of the Sedro Land Improvement Company;
was one of the organizers of the Sedro Woolley Iron Works, the Opera House
Company, and the Twin City Business League. Of the last named he was
president from the time of its organization until a few months ago.
Mr. Bingham is a Republican, and has always taken an active interest
in public affairs. He has frequently attended the state and county conventions
of his party, and has served his town in various official capacities of trust. He
has served on the city council of Sedro, and of Sedro Woolley after the two
towns were consolidated, and has served two terms of two years each as the
chief executive officer of Sedro Woolley. and is still serving in that capacity,
having been elected mayor in 1899 and in 1901. His name was on both
tickets, and he was elected without any opposition whatever. For several
years, from 1891 to 1897, he was a member of the school board. Fraternally,
he is a Mason.
December 23, 1886, Mr. Bingham married Miss Julia Reno, a native of
Marengo, Iowa, and a daughter of L. O. Reno, a merchant of that place. The
Reno family is of French origin. They settled in this country previous to the
Revolutionary war, were represented in that war and also in other wars in
this country, Jesse L. Reno, an uncle of Mrs. Bingham, having served as a
general in the Union army during the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Bingham
have three sons, all natives of the state of Washington, viz.: Ouinby Reno,
Charles Saxton and Albert Holbrook.
SAMUEL F. STREET.
Samuel F. Street, one of the most popular citizens of Edmonds. Wash-
ington, was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, June 21, 1844. He is a son of Jacob
Street, a native of England and one of the early settlers of Ohio, who died in
1873. His wife bore the maiden name of Rebecca Cherrington, and was horn
in Virginia. Her grandfather served in the colonial army from Connecticut.
Her death occurred in 1846. Our subject bad one sister, Rebecca, who mar-
296 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ried Jordan Radabaugh, and four half-brothers and two half-sisters, namely :
John, Alfred, William and Alvin, all in Iowa; Sarah married B. Lock, of
Iowa ; and Leah married Thomas Morgan, of Iowa.
Samuel F. Street was educated in the public school of Gallia county. In
i860 he removed to Keokuk county, Iowa, and attended school two years,
but in July, 1862, he enlisted in the Thirty-third Iowa Infantry and was
attached to Company F. He served three years, during which time he was in
some of the most important battles of the war, and was sent on the most
hazardous expeditions. He received promotion to the rank of orderly ser-
geant. He was in the army of the southwestern territory, through Missis-
sippi and other states, under Grant, and was at Vicksburg, Yazoo Pass,
Helena, Arkansas, and a number of other engagements. He was mustered
out July 19, 1865, at Detroit, Michigan, where he had been sent on special
duty for six months, as, owing to his injuries, he was unfit for field duty.
After the war he returned to Iowa and entered Mt. Pleasant College,
and then taught school in Keokuk and Black Hawk counties. In 1869 he
removed to Pontiac, Michigan, where he engaged in a book and stationery
business, and conducted it until 1885. He then went to Kansas, and after
remaining one year went to Seattle, where he arrived December 25, 1887, and
secured a position with Griffith Davies, a book and stationery dealer, with
whom he remained until the great fire of 1889, when the place was burned out.
He then went into the same line of business for himself, but sold out in Janu-
ary, 1 89 1. In April of that year he was elected commander of the Soldier's
Home at Orting, Washington, under Governor Ferry, and remained there until
April, 1895. The home was opened under Mr. Street, and became a success-
ful institution in every particular. Mr. Street returned to Seattle and lived
there until 1900, when be removed to Edmonds, Washington, and has since
made it his home. For many years he has been interested in the place, and
from 1887 to 1890 lived here. During all these years he has been interested
in stock-raising and the hotel business, and is the only notary in the town.
In November, 1868, he married Maria C. Bristol, of Michigan, who died
in 1874, leaving one child. Homer B., who died in Lewiston, Idaho, in May.
1901, and who in his short life was secretary of the Salmon
River Mining Company; deputy county clerk of King county for
two years; deputy county treasurer of Pierce county for two years; clerk in
the postoffice for one year ; bookkeeper in the Puget Sound National Bank for
one year; and was connected with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company at
the time of his death.
The second wife of Mr. Street was Miss Maude S. McAlpine, of Canada,
who bore him six children now living, namely: Bessie M., who married Dr.
Edward Ayer Diggins, of San Francisco, a physician, and who was assistant
surgeon in the army in Cuba; Guy M., who was first officer of the government
vessel General Jeff C. Davis under General Randall at the mouth of the Yukon,
1890-1, and now first officer on the steamer Bellingham ; Florence M., a clerk
in the auditor's office in Everett; Alice M.. a trained nurse of North Yakima;
Frank, engaged on the steamer Rosalie; and Winifred, in school.
Mr. Street is a Republican and very active in party work. He has been
to every state convention fur seventeen years as a delegate from King, Sno-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 297
homish and Pierce counties, and is now a member of the executive central
committee of the Snohomish county central committee. He has been a mem-
ber of the county board of education since its organization in 1902. He was
city clerk in Iowa in 1865, just after having attained his majority, having
arrived from the war in July and been elected in November of 1865. Mr
Street was also a member of the city council and president of the board of edn
cation of Three Rivers, Michigan, 1877 to 1884, and was a member of the
city council of Anthony, Kansas, from 1885 to 1887. In religious faith he is
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally he is a member of
the Royal Arcanum, and is very popular in that order. He is one of the most
influential and prominent men of the entire county, and has borne a very im-
portant part in the upbuilding of the entire locality. He is now engaged in
farming and the real estate business at Edmonds.
HON. WILLIAM O. BRUSH.
The distinction of having been for fifty-eight years a resident of Thurston
county, Washington, — a country whose known history would scarcely cover a
century, and which was one of the last of the great states to come into the
Union, — must be accorded the gentleman whose name heads this article, for
before the possibilities of the great west were even dreamed of, or before
the primeval forests had been touched except by the hands of the prowling In-
dian and the forest fires, Mr. Brush called it his home. William (). Brush is one
of the three oldest settlers now living of the twenty-eight who crossed the
plains in 1844. His father, George Brush, was a native of Pennsylvania, and
came to the state of Missouri, where he was married to Miss Isabella James.
Of the six sons born to them in this state one was William, whose birth oc-
curred on the 4th of July, [832, being the eldest of the family. When in his
thirteenth year, in 1844, he and his parents and five other brothers began their
pilgrimage for the west; they set out on the 15th of April, and, arriving at
Washougal, a short distance above Vancouver on the Columbia river, they re
mained there until the fall of 1845, when they removed to their present loca-
tion on Brush Prairie, named in honor of George Brush. The latter took a
donation claim and improved the property until it is now one of the finest
farms in the county: eighty acres has since been added, and our subject has
now seven hundred and twenty acres in one body, improved with barns and all
conveniences. During the Indian war of 1855-50 they had a block house in
which the neighbors gathered for safety, but they were not attacked. George
Brush died in 1862 in his seventy-seventh year, and his wife survived him
two years, passing away in her seventy-first year. Only three of their sons
are living, William O. ; Joseph T., of Steilacoom ; and Henry I.. living with
William.
William's education was very limited, owing to the pioneer conditions of
the country to which he was broughl 30 early in life, and he attended school
only nine months, but he has been so eager and studious in his later life that
he has become a well informed and cultured man, and enjoys his excellent
library as many do not wdio have had more advantages in their youth. \t
the time of his father's death he owned by purchase a farm of three hundred
298 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
and twenty-five acres, and in 1865 he became the owner of the old homestead,
where he has since resided. Mr. Brush has made an enviable reputation as
a farmer, and he makes a specialty of the cereals, wheat, oats and barley. In
1876, at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, he carried off the first
honors for the best display of cereals, and at the World's Fair in Chicago he
made a similar exhibit in competition with all the world, and brought to the
state of Washington the highest awards for display and quality of grains.
He also exhibited at Buffalo with the same success, and has in this way done
an immense amount of good to his state. In addition he is now raising on his
ranch Red Polled cattle, and is also a breeder of good horses. In the past he
has engaged in sawmilling, and in whatever line of activity he has been occu-
pied he has met with gratifying returns.
In 1859 Mr. Brush married Mrs. Mandana Demsey, a daughter of Doctor
Smith, who died on the plains in 1847 while on his way to Washington. She
was the widow of Mr. Demsey and was born in Missouri. Two children were
born to them: John S. is on the farm with his father; and Belle is the wife
of George Gastin. of Olvmpia, an ex-sheriff of Thurston county and a farmer.
Mrs. Brush died in 1898, having been a helpful wife and having lived in con-
formity with the teachings of the Methodist church. As a candidate on the
Republican ticket Mr. Brush was elected to the first state legislature and
served with credit to his constituency. He has been active in the cause of tem-
perance and is counted as one of the useful and honored citizens of the county
in which he has spent so many fruitful years.
ROBERT PENNELL THOMAS.
The pioneers of a country, the founders of a business, the originators
of any undertaking that will promote the material welfare or advance the
educational, social and moral influence of a community, deserve the gratitude
of their fellow men. One of the important factors of Anacortes is the
Fidelgo Mill, an extensive enterprise that has brought success not alone to
the stockholders, but has also added to the general prosperity by furnishing
employment to many workmen and thus promoting commercial activity.
The man who stands at the head of this concern is Robert P. Thomas, who
is also connected with other leading interests of the city, and at all times is
a public-spirited, progressive citizen whose support is never withheld from
measures that tend to advance the public good.
Mr. Thomas was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 7th of
February, 1861, and is a son of Robert Pennell and Sarah E. (Bacon)
Thomas, also natives of that city. On the paternal side the ancestry is traced
back to 1682, when representatives of this family came to America with
William Perm and settled in Pennsylvania. The father of our subject, who
was a physician and surgeon by profession, served as a colonel in the Union
army during the Civil war, and was killed during that struggle, being forty-
four years of age at the time of his death. On the maternal side our subject
is descended from an old Pennsylvania family who settled in this country in
1750. His mother survived until the year 1874, passing away at the age
of fifty-one years. In the family of this worthy couple were three children,
"£*--«-,
[PUBLIC UBRKRYj
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 299
the daughters being Sarah P., the widow of Laban Razer, of Westchester,
Pennsylvania; and Mary A.
The only son in the above family, Robert Pennell Thomas, received his
education in the Protestant Episcopal Academy at Philadelphia, in which in-
stitution he was graduated in 1876, and immediately thereafter he secured
employment with the firm of C. B. Linn & Company, drug importers of Phila-
delphia, where he remained for the following five years. " In 1SS1 he went to
St. Paul, Minnesota, and entered the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company in the capacity of a clerk, but in the following year was made fuel
agent of the eastern division, and on the 1st of January, 1884, was appointed
general fuel agent of the entire system, remaining in this important capacity
until July 1, 1891. In that year Mr. Thomas came to Washington, first taking
up his abode in Tacoma, where he was engaged in a general mortgage and
loan business until 1893, since which time he has been engaged in the manu-
facture of lumber and shingles. In 1896 he came to Anacortes and pur-
chased a shingle mill, operating the same until the summer of [900, when
this was changed into a sawmill and incorporated under the name of the
Fidelgo Mill Company, operations having been begun on the 1st of January,
1901. This mill has a capacity of fifty thousand feet of lumber a day, and
in addition they also manufacture- 'about three hundred thousand salmon and
fruit boxes in a year. Mr. Thomas is emphatically a man of enterprise, posi-
tive character and indomitable energy, and Anacortes numbers him among
her best citizens and representative business men.
He has been twice married, his first union having occurred in February,
1891, and one child, Sarah, was born of that marriage. His second union
occurred in February, 1892. In his political affiliations Mr. Thomas is a
Republican, and on its ticket has been elected to many offices of- trust and
responsibility. In 1877 he enlisted as a private in the National Guards,
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served in various ranks until
his resignation in 1881, at that time holding the rank of captain. In the
year 1899 he was elected a member of the city council of Anacortes, while
in the following year he was made its mayor, to which position he was re-
elected in 1901, and in 1902 refused the third election. He was. however,
elected to fill an unexpired term in the city council, while from 1900 until
1902 he was chairman of the Skagit county Republican central committee,
in the following year was elected to the state central committee, and at the
present time is serving on the executive committee. He was also appointed
by the governor as a member of the Washington state commission to the
St. Louis Exposition. In his fraternal relations Mr. Thomas is a member
of the Masons and the Royal Arcanum. Thus has been briefly reviewed the
life history of one of the most successful men of Skagit county. In every
position which in his life he has been called upon to fill he has been highly
successful, and few men have more devoted friends, while none excel him
in unselfish devotion and unswerving fidelity to the worthy recipients of his
confidence and friendship.
300 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
FRANK W. MITCHELL.
Frank W. Mitchell occupies a commanding position in the business cir-
cles of Seattle, being the vice-president and manager of the store belonging
to Mitchell, Lewis & Staver Company, extensive dealers in mining and mill-
ing machinery, wagons and carriages. It is true that he entered upon a busi-
ness already established, but man}- men of less resolute principles could not
have carried on the work, increasing the business of the house as he has done,
and in his labors he has shown marked enterprise, keen discernment and
strong purpose. Mr. Mitchell is a native of Washington and his family is
of Scotch lineage. The grandfather, Henry Mitchell, was born in Scotland
on the nth of March, 1810, and in 1833 crossed the Atlantic to the new
world, taking up his abode in Chicago, Illinois, where he engaged in the manu-
facture of the Mitchell wagon. In 1856 he removed to Kenosha, Wisconsin,
where he established the Bain manufactory, which he afterward sold to E.
Bain. His next place of residence was Racine, and there he became the
founder of the Mitchell & Lewis Company, which carried on a very extensive
business there, manufacturing thirty thousand wagons yearly. Mr. Mitchell
died on the 23rd of October. 1893, at the advanced age of eighty-three years.
William Henry Mitchell, the eldest son, and the father of our subject,
was born in Chicago in 1S34, and accompanied their parents on their removal
to Kenosha. The year 1853 witnessed his arrival on the Pacific coast. He
crossed the plains with oxen, leaving his Wisconsin home in April and arriv-
ing in Olympia, Washington territory, in the following October. He was a
single man at that time, hut while enroute met the lady who afterward be-
came his wife, for she traveled in the same wagon train and the acquaintance
thus formed ripened into love that was consummated by marriage. She bore
the maiden name of Martha T. Johns and was a native of Tennessee. Her
father was Bennett L. Johns, who came direct from Missouri to the northwest
and located in Seattle in 1853, becoming a pioneer resident of that town. At
Olympia William Henry Mitchell was first engaged in cutting cordwood, but
soon turned his attention to blacksmithing and later to the butcher business.
As he prospered he enlarged the field of his activities until he became actively
engaged in the wholesale cattle business, and for a short time was also in the
grocery business. He likewise conducted a bakery and became interested in a
saw-mill at Tumwater, near Olympia, as a member of the firm of Ward &
Mitchell. He afterward owned a mill in Olympia, there carrying on business
for a number of years. His enterprise grew in volume and importance and
he became one of the builders of a railroad extending from Olympia to
Tenino, of which line he had the entire control. In 1882 he sold this and in
that year he made his first visit back to his old home in Racine, from which
he had been absent twenty-nine years. Later he returned to Portland, Oregon,
for the purpose of representing the Mitchell & Lewis Company on the Pacific
and introducing their wagons into this part of the country. He found a good
market for the products of the factory which his father had established, and
continued in the business until 1892, at which time the present Mitchell, Lewis
& Staver Company was formed, of the Mitchell & Lewis Company general
agency and the Staver & Walker Company. The new company was incor-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 301
porated in Portland in February, 1892, and Mr. Mitchell, the father of our
subject, became the president. He retired from active participation in the
business, however, in 1897, and is now spending the evening of his life in a
well earned rest at Tumwater, near Olympia. He is. however, the nominal
head of the company. He has a most beautiful property and well he merits
an honorable retirement from labor. His career has certainly been one of re-
markable success, deserving of the admiration and respect of all. His efforts,
too, have been such as to command uniform confidence and his career has
been characterized by sterling integrity, by keen foresight and managing
ability that far exceeded that of the average person. The lady who shared
with him in all the pioneer experiences of life in the northwest was called
to her final rest in 1896, when fifty-six years of age. Mr. Mitchell has been a
life-long Democrat, but is not a bitter partisan. He has filled various offices,
including that of sheriff of Thurston county, in which he was an incumbent
in 1857. He was likewise a member of the Washington territory legislature,
being widely recognized as a leader of public thought and opinion as well as
in industrial and commercial circles. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell were the parents
of five children, four of whom are yet living: H. W., who is now manager
of the business of the Mitchell, Lewis & Staver Company in Portland, and is
secretary and treasurer of the corporation; Edith, the wife of A. McCoqua-
dale, an employee of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, at Port-
land, and Albert B., who is with his father at Tumwater.
Frank W. Mitchell was educated in the schools of his native city and in
a business college in San Francisco, California. In 1882 he became connected
with his father's business as a bookkeeper, also performing other office duties,
and later went upon the road as a traveling salesman through the northwest,
selling the products carried by the house. He also opened a branch house in
Walla Walla, conducting it for a year, at the end of which time he again
went upon the road. In 1887 he returned to the office and continued his con-
nection with the business in Portland until 1894, at which time he came to
Seattle to assume the management of the extensive trade which is controlled
from this point, the house having been established here at the time of the
incorporation of the company in 1892. They deal on an extensive scale in
mining and milling machinery, wagons and carriages, their goods being
shipped to many parts of the United States. His business ability, executive
force and keen insight have been largely instrumental in promoting the busi-
ness in the northwest, bringing to the corporation a high degree of prosperity.
In 1887 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Mitchell and Miss Georgie
May Riggen, of Portland, who was born in California. They became the
parents of one daughter. Mildred May. who was left motherless in [897 by the
death of Mrs. Mitchell. On the 1st of January, 1900, Mr. Mitchell was again
married, his second union being with Miss Marie Histermann, :i native 'it" ( ,n
many, who in her childhood was brought to America by her parents who
located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later she returned to her fatherland and
was educated in some of its best schools. In 1889 she came to Seattle, just
after the great fire here. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have a hosl of warm
friends in the city, the hospitality of many of its best homes being accorded
them. Mr. Mitchell is one of the native sons of Washington, having always
302 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
been identified with the interests of this state. He votes with the Republican
party and is deeply interested in all that pertains to the progress and improve-
ment of the northwest. He is thoroughly informed concerning his business,
having made a close study of it in principle and detail. He stands to-day
strong in his manhood and strong in his honor and good name, a most promi-
nent and active factor in the commercial life of the northwest.
HARRY A. BIGELOW.
The state of Washington with its pulsing industrial activities and rapid
development, has attracted within its confines men of marked ability and high
character in the various lines of business, and in this way progress has been
conserved and social stability fostered. He whose name initiates this review
has gained recognition as one of the able and successful business men of Seat-
tle, and by his labors, his capability and sterling characteristics has justified
the respect and confidence in which he is held by the public in general as well
as by his friends and associates.
Mr. Bigelow is the youngest of ten children born to Townsend and Diana
H. Bigelow, November i, 1848, in Hillsdale county, Michigan. His early life
was spent in the rural district where school advantages were few, and possess-
ing a desire to acquire knowledge and see more of the world, at the early age
of sixteen he bade farewell to the home of his youth and went to Illinois. This
was the year 1S64, when the nation was trembling in the balance and the last
call for troops so filled his enthusiastic heart that he offered his services to the
government in subduing the rebellion, enlisting in Company M, Ninth Illinois
Cavalry. His service was with the Army of the Tennessee under the com-
mand of General Thomas until he was discharged at Montgomery, Alabama.
Returning to Illinois he resumed his studies; but the knowledge he had gained
by his experience in the south imbued within him a spirit of restlessness and
a determination to realize the possibilities of the far west. In October, 1869.
in company with his sister, Mrs. Julius Horton and family, he came by way of
the Union Pacific Railroad to San Francisco, thence north by sailing vessel
to Seattle. In the spring of 1870 he engaged in merchandising with one of
Seattle's leading firms and continued with the firm for several years.
In September, 1873, he was united in marriage to Emma K. Hall, only
daughter of W. B. and S. E. Hall, and three children were born to them,
Lillian Floy, Clair Vivian and D. Earl Bigelow.
He was connected with mercantile interests from 1870 until 1890, when
he was appointed deputy United States marshal under President Harrison
and was chief deputy of the state for three years. He performed his duties
as deputy in an efficient and forcible manner. Retiring from the marshal's
office he engaged in the real estate and brokerage business, with which he was
associated until July, 1897, when he sailed for Dawson, Alaska, by way of St.
Michaels, but was destined not to reach the great gold metropolis on account
of low water in the Yukon river, and was forced to try his fortune in Ram-
part City on Manook Creek in American territory. After a year's prospecting
and securing an interest in twenty-one claims, he resolved to return to Seattle,
and in company with his son and three others embarked in a rowboat and by
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 303
traveling day and night made the one thousand miles in twelve days to St.
Michaels, thence by steamer to Seattle. In November, 1898, he again' engaged
in the real estate business and carried on operations along that line until
March, 1901, when he became one of the incorporators of the Queen Oil
Company with valuable landed interests in Kern county, California.
In his political views he is a strong Republican, having constantly sup-
ported that party up to the present time. He is truly American and reckons
nothing that concerns Americans to be unworthy of his notice. Thrown in
early life upon his own resources he has ever followed the dictates of his
mind and through years of rugged toil has earned the position among men
he now holds.
For years he has taken an active interest in the Grand Army of the Repub-
lic and is one of the charter members of the first post formed in the state,
known as Stevens Post No. 1, serving three years as Commander of his post,
and in June, 1901, he was elected department commander of the Department
of Washington and Alaska.
He has attended nearly all the national encampments of the Grand Army
of the Republic, serving on many of its very important committees, and figures
prominently in the relations between the Grand Army of the Republic and the
Sons of Veterans. Since 1872 he has been a member of the Masonic order
and now belongs to St. John's Lodge No. 9, F. and A. M. ; Seattle Chapter No.
3, R. A. M. ; Seattle Council No. 6, R. and S. M. ; Seattle Commandery No. 2,
K. T., Lawson Consistory No. 1, Afifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine; also a
member in good standing of the Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows. In
1884 he took part in the organization of the grand lodge of the Knights of
Pythias, and was elected sitting past grand chancellor. In 1885 he was chosen
supreme representative of the state of Washington to the Supreme Lodge and
has attended every session of that body, having been elected to responsible
offices. He organized the military branch of that order in his state and was
elected brigadier-general, which position he held for eight years.
Few men have a more intimate knowdedge of Seattle's growth anil up-
building than Harry A. Bigelow, whose identification with the city dates from
the year 1869, and throughout the intervening years he has labored earnestly
not only for his financial advancement, but for the city's welfare and progress,
and his efforts have been an important factor in promoting the general good
He has attained an enviable position in business as well as fraternally, and in
social circles he commands the high regard of all with whom he comes in
contact, and enjoys the warm esteem of hosts of friends.
ARTHUR EDGAR WADHAMS.
The Wadhams family, as far back as their history can he traced in the
annals of America, are noted for the sterling traits that arc so characteristic
of the subject of this sketch, constituting him a fitting representative of the
name. He was born in Clinton, British Columbia, on the 3d of April, [873.
The Wadhams and Bostwick families intermarried in [803, the contracting
parties being Luman Wadhams and Lucy Bostwick. The last named family
is traceable to the time of Edward the Confessor, who preceded Harold, the
304 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
last of the Saxon kings, upon the throne of England. Like all ancient names
it has undergone some mutations during the succeeding seven centuries, and
has been materially changed since the time Arthur Bostwick transplanted it in
the wilderness of America.
Edmund Abraham Wadhams, the father of Arthur E., was born at Wad-
hams Mills, New York, March 28, 1833, and was descended from an old
English family of Revolutionary fame. Crossing the plains to California in
1849, ne thence went to Cariboo, British Columbia, following the stampede
to the new gold fields. From there he went to Astoria, on the Columbia river,
and engaged in the fish-canning business with Booth & Company, but between
the years of 1875 a°d 1880 returned to the Frazer river and resumed his fish-
canning business. While there, in company with Marsh M. English, he started
one of the first canneries on the Frazer river, but after a few years' connection
with that gentleman he followed the business alone. In 1893 he went to Point
Roberts, Washington, where he erected a cannery, but in the fall of that year
sold his interests to the Alaska Packers' Association and returned to British
Columbia, there erecting a cannery at River's Inlet and conducting the same
until his life's labors were ended in death on the 17th of October, 1900, when
he had reached the age of seventy-four years. At all times a public-spirited
and progressive citizen, Mr. Wadhams never desired the honors of public
office, but on one occasion was induced to accept the mayoralty of Blaine,
Washington. For his wife he chose Bertha Rosamond Wilson, who was born
in London, England, July 31, 1846, and was also a member of an old English
family. Her death occurred on the 17th of January, 1885. In the family of
this worthy couple were five sons, thcsons, besides Arthur E., being Edmund,
who is engaged in the brokerage business at Kansas City, Missouri ; William,
in the fish-canning business at River's Inlet, British Columbia; Charles, who
is engaged in the same vocation with Pike & O'Kell, of San Francisco; and
Chester, who is with his brothers at River's Inlet. The daughters in this
family are: Laura, the wife of John R. Watson, who is connected with a
fish cannery at Ladner, British Columbia ; and Lucy, the wife of H. J. Hutch-
inson, also of that city.
• Arthur Edgar Wadhams received his education in the public schools of
Victoria and New Westminster, and at Badgley's College in Victoria. Com-
pleting his studies in 1892, he then entered the cannery of his father, with
whom he remained until the fall of 1893, when the latter sold his business at
Point Roberts to the Alaska Packers' Association, with whom the son has
since remained in the capacity of manager. On the 26th of February, 1900,
at Blaine, he was united in marriage to Winnifred McElmon, who was born in
Nova Scotia and is a daughter of D. R. McElmon, a jeweler of Greenwood,
British Columbia. One son has graced this union, Arthur Edgar, whose birth
occurred on the 12th of April, 1902. Mr. Wadhams is an active and earnest
supporter of Republican principles, and is also a member of the Episcopal
church.
JAMES MERCER VERNON.
James Mercer Vernon, who is occupying the position of postmaster in
Everett, was born on the 5th of June, 1849, 'n Zanesville, Ohio, and is a
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 305
son of Samuel and Eliza Ann (Mercer) Vernon, whose family numbered
five children, the subject of this review being the eldest. The father was a
native of the Buckeye state, and came of an old family that was represented
in the American army, during the war for independence, by the great-
grandfather of our subject. He was of English descent, but when the col-
onists attempted to throw off the yoke of British oppression he espoused t lie
cause of independence and fought for the establishment of the United States
The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation and carried on
that pursuit throughout his entire business career. He died in 1891 at the
age of eighty-one years, while his wife passed away in 1870 at the age of
fifty-one years. She, too, was of English lineage, and belonged to a family
that was founded in America at an early day. Her children were Charles;
Newton; Washington, deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of J. W. Kemp, a resi-
dent of Zanesville, Ohio ; and James Mercer.
In taking up the personal history of James M. Vernon we present to our
readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Sno-
homish county. He began his education under the instruction of a private
tutor and thus continued: hi* studies • -until 'iS6fi, when he matriculated in the
Ohio Wesleyan University. He belonged to the class of 1871. After leav-
ing school he became connected with journalistic work, and in 1874-5 was
reporter on the Pittsburg Gazette, published at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Af-
terward he became financial editor of the Pittsburg Dispatch, acting in that
capacity from 1875 unt^ l&77- ' I'1 the latter year he became editor of the
journal of Wilmington, Ohio, and continued to publish that paper with suc-
cess until 1884. Mr. Vernon has ever been a man deeply interested in general
progress and improvement, and while connected with the papers in the east
he put forth every effort in his power to advance the welfare of the communi-
ties with which he was associated. Political questions have always been of
the deepest interest to him, as he realized that upon their rejection or adop-
tion depends the weal or woe of the nation. He became a very active ami
prominent worker in political ranks in Ohio and served as a member of the
state central committee of the Republican party in 1882-3. He was also in-
fluential and active along other lines, and in 1883-4 served as the president
of the Southwestern Ohio Press Association. From 1884 until 1887, he was
president and general manager of the Commercial Printing Company at
Chattanooga, Tennessee, and during that time he was also editor in chief of
the Daily Commercial. From 1887 until 1889 he was a member of the
editorial staff of the Chattanooga Daily Times and from [889 until 1891 he
was editor of the Herald at Fort Payne, Alabama. In the latter year he came
to Washington and accepted the position of editor of the Times of Everett,
continuing his connection in this way with journalistic interests until 1900.
He published a paper which was creditable alike to its editor and to the city.
It became the champion of many measures of progress, reform and improve-
ment, and its influence was far-reaching and beneficial. Mr. Vernon was also
the vice president of the Washington Stall' Press Association in [893-4, and
during his connection with this organization has done much to advance the
interests of those who are representatives of the greal fields of journalism in
Washington. In 1894-5 he was chairman of its executive committee and was
20*
306 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
then elected its president, serving in 1895-6. In 1896 he was once more
chosen a member of the executive committee and acted in that capacity
through the year 1900.
On the 14th of April, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of James M.
Vernon and Miss Helena Bertha Tudor, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of
John and Caroline (Asher) Tudor, both of whom were natives of the Buckeye
state and were representatives of old English families descended from the
house of Tudor, long one of the reigning houses of Great Britain. After the
family was established in America, however, its representatives became sympa-
thizers in the cause of independence, and fought in the Revolutionary war. To
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon have been born two children : Leroy Tudor, who is now
political editor of the Chicago Daily News; and James Mercer, who is attend-
ing school. On the 5th of April, 1899, the wife and mother was called to her
final rest. She was an earnest Christian woman, and rendered effective aid
in church work up to the time of her demise, and her many excellent quali-
ties occasioned her death to be deeply regretted by all who knew her.
Fraternally Mr. Vernon is connected with the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he is
a member of the Phi Gamma Delta, a national Greek fraternal organization.
In politics he has ever been an earnest Republican, unfaltering in his allegiance
to the party, and he has continually refused to become a candidate for office
and had never served in positions of public trust until his appointment to the
office of postmaster. He was made postmaster of Everett by President Mc-
Kinley on the 3d of June, 1898, and was re-appointed by President Roose-
velt on the 7th of June, 1902, so that he is now serving for the second term.
He takes an active interest in the moral development of the community,
holding membership in the Episcopal church, and his efforts have been effec-
tive in behalf of its promotion and growth.
In social life Mr. Vernon is popular and prominent, having a genial
nature combined with the polish and culture of a college-bred man. He holds
friendship inviolable and is as true to a mutual understanding or spoken
agreement as he is to a written compact. His life record has been of honor
and value to the cities in which he has lived, and in turn he has been honored
with the unqualified confidence and regard of many with whom he is asso-
ciated.
JOHN RIPLINGER.
No outside aid or influence, no family connection or fortunate environ-
ments have assisted John Riplinger in his career, which, however, has been an
active and successful one, and he has attained to prominence in public affairs
and gained the respect and confidence of all with whom he has been asso-
ciated. He is now serving as city comptroller and is ex-officio city clerk. He
was born in Minnesota on the 12th of October, 1864. His paternal ancestors
came from Loraine, France. His father, Nicholas Riplinger. emigrated to
America in 1852 and located in Minnesota, where he engaged in agricultural
pursuits until 1888, at which time he sought a home in Washington, locating
in Skagit county, where he spent his remaining days, departing this life in
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. . 307
1895. While in Minnesota he served as a member of the board of county
commissioners from 1878 until 1886. and then declined a renomination. He
was a leader in public affairs, and his loyalty in citizenship and devotion to the
general good made him well qualified for office. In the family were eight chil-
dren, and with the exception of three all are yet living.
John Riplinger was a student in the public schools of Minnesota in his
early days, but has not been able to attend school since the age of thirteen,
although reading, experience and observation have broadened his knowledge
and increased his usefulness as a factor in business and official life. He re-
mained on the home farm until he was eighteen years of age, and then entered
the office of the county auditor. Later he began learning the printer's trade,
and in the spring of 1887 engaged in the newspaper business on his own
account, but owing to ill health he sold his paper and in 1890 came to Seattle,
intending to enter the field as a publisher. Instead, however, lie accepted a
position in the office of the county treasurer. In 1891 the legislature enacted
a law to revise the manner of assessing the county property, which, under the
old system, had become greatly confused. The property had been assessed
only as reported by the owners, and the rest was credited to "unknown own-
ers." Some pieces were thus assessed twice and others not at all. It was
therefore arranged by townships numerically, and Mr. Riplinger was given
charge of this very important and extensive work, which he performed so sat-
isfactorily that upon the completion of the task he was appointed chief clerk,
in December, 1891. He was in the office of the county treasurer until t8<;5_
when he began prospecting and mining in British Columbia, being thus en-
gaged until October, 1897. At the latter date he returned to Seattle and was
given employment by Mr. Colvin, who was receiver for the Front Street Rail-
road Company, and for whom he served as accountant. On the 1st of Janu-
ary, 1898, he was appointed by Mr. Parry to the position of chief clerk in the
office of the city comptroller, with whom he served for two and one-half
years, and afterward held the same office with Mr. Paul. lie acted in that
capacity until the election in the spring of 1902. At that time the Repub-
licans nominated him for the position of city comptroller, and the result of
the election was very greatly to his credit.
He has always been a Republican, and has attended a number of city and
county conventions, and has been one of the most active workers in his party.
His long service in the office of chief clerk eminently qualified him for the
duties of the office, and that he has made many friends is evidenced by the
fact that the majority he received was the largest ever given in the city, it
lacking but one vote of reaching thirty-five hundred, while the mayor of
Seattle was elected by only six hundred and fifteen. No higher testimonial
of Mr. Riplinger's capability, his loyalty to the trust reposed in him and his
personal popularity, could be given.
In December, 1888, in Minnesota, Mr. Riplinger married Ada Lavina
Richards, and they have one daughter, Marie! They have a good home in
the city, and Mr. Riplinger acquired some farming interests in Skagit county.
He belongs to various fraternal and social organizations, including the benev-
olent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, the Fraternal
Order of Eagles, the Workmen, the Woodmen of tin- World, the Royal Area-
308 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
num and the Seattle Athletic Club. He finds hunting and fishing a pleasant
means of relaxation and recreation from his official and business cares. He is
a man in whose life is exemplified the best traits of American manhood and
good fellowship. He has a deep and abiding interest in his fellow men, a
genial nature and kindly disposition. He is a self-educated and a self-made
man, and such a record Americans hold in the highest regard.
THE CENTRALIA NEWS-EXAMINER.
The pioneer paper of Lewis county, Washington, was the News, whose
first issue appeared on April 7, 1887. J. R. Rowell was its owner and pub-
lisher, and it was a six-column folio and Republican in politics. Later it
passed into the hands of Simpson and Bannister and became the Democratic
mouthpiece of the county. Mr. Bannister some time later became the sole pub-
lisher, but on the 1st of July, 1901, it was purchased by Thomas H. Dunckley
and his sons. These gentlemen were the owners of the Chehalis Examiner,
and they then consolidated the two papers, giving them the present title. It
is a seven-column quarto, and the largest paper in the county, and since com-
ing under the control of Dunckley and Sons has become Republican in political
complexion. It has a large patronage, and eighteen hundred copies are sent
out over the county and state every week. Mr. Dunkley is a practical news-
paper man, and he has efficient co-workers in his two sons, Henry A. and
William O., who were trained by their father to the business, and the three
make an enterprising and capable company. The Christmas edition of the
News-Examiner in 1901 was a twelve-page issue, twenty-five hundred copies,
and contained a complete symposium on the resources of the city and county.
Mr. Thomas H. Dunckley is a native of England, born in Manchester in
185 1. He had excellent advantages and was educated in his own country
and in Switzerland. He arrived in New York city in 1878, thence went to
Montreal, Canada, and in 1888 came to Roseburg, Oregon. He spent two
years here, then went to South Bend, Washington, after which he took up his
residence in Pe Ell, Lewis county, where he was the owner and publisher of
the Pe Ell Examiner for the following four years. He then moved his entire
outfit to Chehalis and conducted the Examiner for three years, at the end of
which time the consolidation mentioned above took place. The family are
members of the Presbyterian church. The elder Mr. Dunckley belongs to the
Ancient Order of United Workmen; for six years he has served as Lhiited
States court commissioner. Henry, the oldest of the sons, is a member of the
Ancient Order of United Workmen, of which order he is the youngest past
master in the jurisdiction ; and of the Foresters.
THE FERRY MUSEUM.
The readers of Colonel Ferry's biography in this work will appreciate
his close connection with all enterprises conducive to the public welfare in the
state of Washington, and one of the most important of his benefactions and
one which has conferred untold benefits on the people of Tacoma is the Ferry
Museum, which was deeded to the people of Tacoma by Colonel Ferry on
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 309
June 25, 1895. The nucleus of the collection was obtained by Colonel Ferry
in his extensive travels in all parts of the world, and it has been increased by
subsequent donations of public-spirited citizens until it is now the largest and
most valuable collection west of the city of Chicago. The home of the mu-
seum is on the fourth and fifth floors "of the county court house. On the
fourth floor are twelve rooms and on the fifth six, some of which are thirty by
seventy feet, while the smallest are twenty-five by twenty-five, a corridor on
each floor thirty by one hundred and eighty feet. There is here the largest
collection in existence of Indian baskets, totems, masks, carvings and other
curiosities of the northwest and Alaska ; it also has the most complete collec-
tion of birds and eggs in the northwest, and a large number of statues, casts,
paintings, engravings, Egyptian mummies, Etruscan and Roman funeral urns,
English and Japanese armor, and curios of all kinds. All pupils of the public
schools of the county are admitted free to the museum, but adults are charged
a fee of twenty-five cents, the proceeds from which are used to defray the
expenses of its care.
At first Colonel Ferry appointed twelve trustees to hold the museum in
trust for the people,- but since then a reincorporation has been made, and now
each year trustees are elected for a term of three years. The first incorporators
of the concern were: Clinton P. Ferry, Elisha P. Ferry, James G. Swan,
Samuel Collyer, M. S. Hill, P. V. Caesar, Frank Allyn, George Browne,
Martha A. Griggs and Julia A. Slaughter; Hon. George Browne was the
first president, and Mr. Hill the first secretary. In 1896 Ambrose J. Russell
was elected a trustee and in July of the following year was made president,
and William H. Gilstrap was chosen curator. In 1898 Mrs. R. B. Lehman,
Mrs. E. F. Jacobs and H. H. More were made members. Mr. Gilstrap was
elected secretary, and Peter Irving a trustee. In 1899 Mr. George Browne
was elected treasurer, and Mrs. C. W. Griggs vice president.
In 1900 the constitution was amended, and a reorganization effected.
The old trustees resigned, and Colonel Ferry made them all life members.
There are four grades of membership to the museum, termed patrons, fellows,
life and annual members; patrons are those who have contributed one thou-
sand dollars in money or collections to the institution, fellows are those who
have given five hundred dollars, and life members those who have paid one
hundred in money or collections; annual members pay five dollars. The
following is the list of those wdio were made life members: Ambrose |.
Russell, Mrs. E. F. Jacobs, W. H. Gilstrap, M. S. Hill, S. Collyer, Judge
Allyn, Martha A. Griggs, Julia C. Slaughter. George Browne and Allan C.
Mason were made fellows; while Peter Irving" and Chester Thorne became
life members. In 1900 Frank B. Cole and F. ( '•. Fisher were elected trustees
to fill vacancies, and at the annual meeting A. J. Russell, George Browne,
Frank Allyn, Mrs. C. W. Griggs, Mrs. Julia W. Slaughter, Samuel Collyer,
Peter Irving, Frank B. Cole, Ellen C. Mason ami Herbert C. Griggs were
chosen trustees for a year, after which the trustees were 1- erve for three
years. A. J. Russell was made president at the organization. Frank Allyn
vice president, William H. Gilstrap curator ami secretary, and George Browne
treasurer, and the annual meeting was fixed for the first Tuesday in ( >ctober.
At that date in 1901 the following trustees were elected for three years: A.
310 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
J. Russell, Peter Irving, George Browne and Allen C. Mason ; for two years.
Judge William H. Snell, P. C. Kauffman, Frank Allyn and Mrs. Julia W.
Slaughter; for one year, Mrs. C. W. Griggs, A. Davidson, Frank B. Cole and
W. M. Oyler. Mr. Kauffman was chosen president, Mr. Russell vice presi-
dent, Peter Irving treasurer and W. H. Gilstrap secretary and curator. In
1902 these were elected trustees for three years, Mrs. C. W. Griggs, F. B.
Cole, A. Davidson and L. W. Pratt. All these officers and members are
worthy of the highest praise for the part they have taken in advancing the in-
terests of this most excellent institution.
WILLIAM S. WHARTON.
William S. Wharton, one of the leading and successful residents of
Whatcom, Washington, was born May 23, 1864, at Greensboro, North Caro-
lina, and is a son of John C. and Rebecca (Rankin) Wharton, the former
of whom was a native of North Carolina, of Scotch and Irish descent, now
residing at Greensboro, that state. During the Civil war he served under
General Lee as brigadier general, and is now a retired lumberman and
contractor. The mother was also a native of North Carolina, and is a
daughter of Calvin Rankin, of the same state, her death occurring at the
age of sixty-two years. The following children were born to John C.
Wharton and his wife, namely: Jesse R., of Butte, Montana, superintendent
and general manager of the Butte City Street Cable and Electric Company,
aged fifty-three years; Edward P., president of the Southern Loan & Trust
Company and secretary of the Southern Mutual Fire Insurance Company,
both of Greensboro, North Carolina; Alice, wife of W. B. Ratcliffe, a mer-
chant of Marion, North Carolina; Mary, wife of W. H. Groves, of Glou-
cester, Virginia ; Emma, wife of S. C. Smith, of Greensboro, North Caro-
lina, superintendent of the high schools ; Lizzie, of Salisbury, North Caro-
lina; and Annie, wife of Robert Shavor, died at the age of thirty years.
William S. Wharton, enjoyed unusual educational advantages, attend-
ing the city schools of Greensboro, after which he entered the University
of North Carolina, from which he was graduated at Chapel Hill in the
class of 1886, at the age of twenty-two years. Leaving college he entered
the Greensboro National Bank as teller, remaining one year, after which
he went to Butte, Montana, as receiving teller for Clark and Larrabee, pri-
vate bankers, which institution is known as Clark Brothers. There he re-
mained two years, and, on the last day of the year 1889, he settled in Fair-
haven. In January, 1890, he entered the First National Bank of Fairhaven
and remained there until February, 1891, when he became general manager
for the Bellingham Bay Gas Company, which position of trust and respon-
sibility he still retains. He has also served as director of the First National
Bank of Fairhaven, and of the Bennett National Bank, which recently went
out of business. Since taking charge of his present company Mr. Wharton
has had full charge, and its present prosperous condition is largely due to
his excellent management, keen foresight and executive ability. Socially
he is a member of the Commercial Club. In politics he is a Republican,
and takes an active part in all he deems will advance the best interests of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 311
the city. Both he ami his wife are members of the Presbyterian church,
and lie is an elder in that body.
In May, 1895, Mr- Wharton married Lillie. the daughter of John J.
and Mary Woodin. Mrs. Wharton is a native of Nebraska, and came with
her parents to Whatcom. Two children have been bom to this marriage,
namely: Florence, aged five years, and William Harold, aged four years.
GEORGE C. HATCH.
The present judge of the superior court at Port Angeles, Washington,
comes from a good Ohio family. His father was Colonel Harlan H. Hatch,
who made farming the chief occupation of his life. In the last year of the
Civil war he helped organize the One Hundred and Seventy-first Regiment,
Ohio National Guard, and became a lieutenant in one of its companies. His
service lasted till the end of the war, and he was promoted through the suc-
cessive ranks until he became colonel of the regiment. He did not long
survive the war, and died as the result of disease contracted in the army.
He married Miss Jeannette Lane, who is still living in Ohio.
The future judge and lawyer, George C. Hatch, was born on a farm
near West Farmington, Ohio, in June, 1857. Although he spent his youth
on the farm, he gained a good education, attending Oberlin College and
finishing at Western Reserve College at West Farmington, where he was
graduated in 1879. His law studies were carried on at Youngstown, Ohio,
with the firm of Jones and Murray, and he was admitted to the bar and
practiced at Youngstown until 1890, when he came west to Port Angeles.
This was then but a small and incipient village, but after a short time he
opened up his office for practice, and on that very day was appointed assist-
ant city attorney. He was afterward elected city attorney, and later served
two terms as prosecuting attorney for Clallam county. In fact, Judge Hatch
has held office ever since coming to Port Angeles. In 1900 he was elected
judge of the superior court of Washington, with jurisdiction in Clallam, Jef-
ferson and Island counties, although he is sometimes called to hold court at
Seattle and other places. He was elected for a term of four years.
Judge Hatch favors the policies of the Republican party, and in all his
relations with his fellow citizens is marked by his whole-souled geniality,
so that he is very popular. In January, 1893, he married Miss Maud L.
Grant, of Tacoma, whose family came from Nebraska. They have two
little girls, Teannette and Helen. The Hatch residence is one of the finest
in Port Angeles.
WILLIAM D. KIRKPATRICK, M. D.
Although a young man. Dr. Kirkpatrick has attained success as a mem-
ber of the medical profession that many an older physician might well envy.
He was born March 10, 1872, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and is a son of
David and Catherine E. (Williams) Kirkpatrick, win. were also natives of
the old Bay state. The Doctor can claim descent from Revolutionary heroes,
his great-great-grandfather having been one of the minutemen at the battle
s
312 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of Lexington, the opening engagement of the Revolutionary war. David
Kirkpatrick was a sea captain, and for many years commanded a vessel. He
died in the year 1891, having for about four years survived his wife, who
passed away in 1887. They have three sons: William D. ; Charles D.,
who is a civil engineer of Boston; and Marsena R., who is a student in the
Normal School in Whatcom.
William D. Kirkpatrick is indebted to the public school system of Mai-
den, Massachusetts, for the educational advantages which he enjoyed in his
youth. In 1888, when sixteen years of age, he left the east and made his
way to Minnesota, where he accepted a position as bookkeeper for a lumber
firm. Two years were there passed, after which he entered the University
of Minnesota, from which he was graduated in 1895 with the degree of M.
D., having prepared for the practice of medicine. He was appointed on the
staff of physicians of the Third Minnesota State Hospital for the insane,
and remained at that place for a year and a half, when he began general prac-
tice in Mazeppa, Minnesota. On the expiration of three years he came to
Whatcom, arriving in February. 1900, and since that time he has engaged in
practice in this city.
On the 6th of May, 1898, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Kirkpat-
rick and Miss Addie Ford Gilman, a daughter of O. D. Oilman, of Mazeppa,
a farmer by occupation. Mrs. Kirkpatrick is a native of Minnesota and is
a graduated physician, having completed a course of study in the medical
department of the University of Minnesota in 1894. She is also practicing
in Whatcom. By her marriage she has become the mother of one daughter,
Ruth.
Dr. Kirkpatrick is an earnest Republican, and keeps well informed on
the questions and issues of the day. He was elected city physician and health
officer of Whatcom for the years 189 1-2. He belongs to the Episcopal
church, and is also a member of the Masonic and several other fraternal or-
ganizations. In the line of his profession he is connected with the County
and State Medical societies and the American Medical Associaton. Dr.
Kirkpatrick has been prompted by laudable ambition in his profession, and
to his earnest purpose and unflagging energy may be attributed the success
which he has won in his chosen calling.
CHARLES D. FRATT.
No section of the country is richer in its natural resources than the
northwest, and the development of these has given rise to many industries.
The history of a country is no longer a record of wars and conquests, of the
subjugation of one race by another or the domination of man over man, but
is the record of business development and the utilization of natural resources
for the benefit of the race. Extensive, important and varied have been the
industries which have sprung up in the northwest, sending their products into
all parts of the world, and in return bringing wealth to this favored region.
The great forests of Washington have furnished wonderful opportunities
to the lumbermen and those who control kindred lines of business, and it is
of this class that Mr. Fratt is now a representative, being the secretary and
(kJ^at
THTmvnoW
|pUBUC L/BRARyi
ASTOR. LEN0X AND
TILDENFOUNDAT[n„J
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 'MS
treasurer of the Robinson Manufacturing Company at Everett. Washington.
This company manufactures the Douglas fir doors, sash, mouldings, and does
all kinds of mill work, and its output is extensive, bringing to the owners
a desirable financial return, while to the community the industry is of great
value, through the promotion of commercial activity.
Charles Diller Fratt was born in Racine, Wisconsin, December 30, 1862,
and is the youngest in a family of three sons and three daughters born to
Nicholas Diller and Elsie (Duffies) Fratt. The father is a native of the
state of New York and is of Dutch lineage. The grandfather was one of the
Revolutionary heroes, taking an active part with the continental army in the
struggle for independence. Removing westward. Nicholas D. I1.1t t estab-
lished his home in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1843, and has been prominently and
extensively identified with agricultural interests in that section of the country.
He is also well known in financial circles, being the president of the First
National Bank of Racine. He has held this position continuously since the
inception of the bank, covering a period of forty-seven years. Honored and
respected by all, there is no man in that city who holds a higher position in
public regard than he, because of. his life of uprightness and activity in
business and financial circles. He lias now reached the age of seventy-nine
years. His wife was born in Scotland, and was only three years old when
brought to the United States. by hei: parent-, who settled in Union Grove,
Racine county, Wisconsin, being pioneer settlers there. Mrs. Fratt died in
1890, when sixty-one years of age. The brothers and sixers of our subject
are George N., who is cashier of the Fir-t. National Bank, of Racine. Wis
consin; Frederick W., who Ts chief engineer with the Texas & Oklahoma
Railroad Company, living in the city of Oklahoma; Alary ).. the wife of \.
J. Webster, of South Superior. Wisconsin; Gertrude, the deceased wife of
William- S. Milieu, who was general manager for the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company; and Clara, the wife of William II. Griffith, of Racine.
In the public schools of his native city Charles Diller Fratt began his
education and continued his studies until thirteen years of age, when he en-
tered McMynn's Academy, remaining there as a student until seventeen yeai
of age. He next matriculated in the University of Wisconsin at Madison,
in the fall of 1879, and on the completion of the regular course he was grad
uated in the spring of 1883. having taken the classical course. He i
member of the Chi Psi, a Creek letter society. His education completed,
he was engaged with a railroad surveying party for a year, on the Wisconsin
Central Railroad, and in July, 1884, he went to Menasha, Wisconsin, where
he accepted the position of shipping clerk in the huh and spoke factory of the
Webster Manufacturing Company. In the fall of 1XK3 he became the & re
tary and treasurer of the company, and continued his connection with the
industry until July, 1889. when, attracted by the opportunities of the grow i
west, whose marvelous development was awakening the admiration of the
world, he came to Washington. Locating al racoma he too
lumber sales department of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumbei I ompany, but
after a year, in the fall of 1890, he came to Everett, where hi tited the
St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company for two year-. In O 92, he
314 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
became assistant cashier of the Everett National Bank, acting in that capacity
until 1896, when he was elected cashier. He continued to serve in that posi-
tion in a most acceptable manner until 1901, when the bank went into liquida-
tion. He was then cashier of the First National Bank until January, 1902,
when he resigned that position and invested in the Robinson Manufacturing
Company, of which he was elected secretary and treasurer, while Thomas
Robinson is the president. The business is capitalized for fifty thousand
dollars, and there is an extensive plant, splendidly equipped with the latest im-
proved machinery. It is an industry of the greatest importance to Everett,
promoting in large measure the industrial activity of the city. Doors, sash
and mouldings are manufactured, and they make a specialty of vertical grain
doors. Some idea of the magnitude of the enterprise may be gained from the
statement that employment is furnished to one hundred and twenty-five ex-
perienced workmen, and the mill is the largest north of Tacoma and the
second largest in the state. Mr. Fratt occupies a very prominent position in
business circles in the city, and is continually doing all in his power to pro-
mote Everett's trade relations and thereby increase her prosperity. He is ac-
tively connected with the Chamber of Commerce, and has been its treasurer
during the past five years.
On the 27th of July, 1892, at Tacoma, Mr. Fratt was married to Miss
Idalia Ouimette, a native of Portland, Oregon, and a daughter of E. N. and
Sarah (Curry) Ouimette, both of whom were natives of Canada, the former
of French descent and the latter of English lineage. To Mr. and Mrs. Fratt
have been born four children : Elsie, Charles Diller, Katharine and Nicho-
las. Mr. Fratt votes with the Republican party, but he has hail neither time
nor inclination to seek public office. He has steadily advanced in the busi-
ness world until he now occupies a prominent and honorable position and has
every reason to be proud of what he has accomplished.
RALPH COOK.
Ralph Cook, chief of the fire department of the city of Seattle, was
born in Suffolkshire, England, on the 16th of October, 1865, and is a son
of Edward and Jemima (Griffith) Cook, both natives of that county. Ralph
is the eldest of their nine children, the others being: Daniel A., lieutenant
of engine company No. 9; Edward, a member of engine company No. 4,
both brothers being employed as plumbers; Joseph and Charles, who are
engaged in mercantile pursuits in Seattle; Jemima, the wife of George Over-
ton, a bricklayer of this city; Susanna, the wife of A. Edwards, also of
Seattle; Martha, the wife of John Prichards, of this city; one son, Edward,
died in England when only two years of age.
Ralph Cook was brought to this country by his parents when only five
years of age, the family locating in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, where the
father was employed as inspector of mines. There Ralph' spent the days of
his boyhood and youth, and to the public school system of the city he is
indebted for the early educational advantages which he received. ' At an
early age he engaged in carpenter work and was associated with his father
in the work of the mines. In 1S8S he accompanied the family on their re-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 315
moval to Seattle. Washington, where the father engaged in the grocery busi-
ness at the corner of Fifteenth and Spruce streets, and the son received con-
tract work for grading and excavating. In November, 1890, the season sub-
sequent to the disastrous fire which swept over the city, the Seattle lire depart
nient was organized into a paid company, and Mr. Cook was made deck hand
on the fire boat. Previous to his coming to Seattle he had spent five years in
the volunteer fire department of Mahanoy City. Pennsylvania, two years of the
time being president of the company, and after fifteen days of service on the
fire boat his efficiency caused him to he transferred to Company No. i. where
for a time he served as a pipeman. From October, 1892, until February,
1895, ne held the position of lieutenant, was then promoted to the captaincy,
and in July, 1895, was made chief of the department. On the 1 ith of June.
1896, however, he resigned that position to engage in business for himself.
and on the 31st of September of the same year was transferred to the nt'tici ol
assistant chief, which he accepted and filled until February 26, [901, when
he was again made chief of the fire department.
Chief Cook is without exception the most capable and efficient fireman
on the western coast, and for a man of his years he has probably seen more
active service than falls to the lot of those engaged in fighting this d
trous element. He has been engaged in almost continual service since his
eighteenth year, and the efficiency of the fire department of Seattle reflects
great credit on the worthy chief as well as to the brave fire-laddies under his
command. The headquarters of the department are at station No. 1. and
have been located on the corner of Columbia street and Seventh avenue until
recently. Eighteen men and three companies are located at this station
Engine Company Xo. 2 is stationed at Pine and Third avenue, where nine
men are employed. Company No. 3 is stationed between Seventh and Eighth
avenues, South. Company No. 4 is I 1 Battery and Fourth avenue,
with eight men. Company No. 5 is the lire boat. Snoqualmie, at the fool
of Madison street, with eight men. Company No. 6 is stationed at Tv
sixth avenue. South, on Yesler Way, with six men. Company No. 7 is at
Fifteenth avenue and Harrison street, with six men. Chemical Engine
Company No. 1 is stationed at Fremont street with three men. Chemical
Engine Company No. 2 is stationed at Terrace and Broadway with three
men, and Chemical Engine Company No. 3 is al Lee and First avenue. West.
The company have seven steam engines, two of the most approved modern
chemical engines, seven hose-wagons, equipped with chemical two
combination" chemical engines and hose-wagoi fire-boat, with
sary equipments; three hook and ladder wagons, of the Arial turn-table pal
terns, and a sixty-five foot extension ladder: seventeen thousand, two hun-
dred'feet of hose in good condition, and four thousand, five hundred and
fifty feet in an inferior condition kept for extra service. In the year [901
made three hundred and eighty runs, eighty-eight in excess of the pr<
year, and one more than in any year since the comp; I he
department was org 1 with paid service in October, (889, in-
after the great fire. It has ever I aim and effort -
increase the working efficiencv of the department b
methods and appliances, and through his exertions many improvements have
316 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
been made, while other important ones are under way- With the exception
of San Francisco, the company has not a superior on the Pacific coast.
On the 24th of January. 1893, in Seattle, Chief Cook was united in
marriage to Miss Nellie Meade, a daughter of Thomas and Julia Meade.
She was born in the city of London, but when a child was brought by her
parents to Toronto, Canada, where her life was spent until 1890, and in that
year she came with her family to Seattle; her father is a contract plasterer
of this city, and Mrs. Cook is the youngest of his three children, the others
being: Thomas, Jr., a brickmason of Seattle; and Mary, the wife of Richard
Hays, also of this city. Four children have been born to the union of Mr.
and Mrs. Cook, but two have passed away, Ralph, the first born, and Grace,
both dying in infancy. The two surviving children are Mary and Elline.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Cook is a charter member and for several
years was treasurer of Evergreen Lodge No. 33, A. O. U. W., and is also
a member of Seattle Lodge No. 92, B. P. O. E. He attended the Fire
Chiefs' Convention in New York, and' visited the fire departments of all the
eastern cities. He is one of the most honored and highly esteemed citizens
of his community, and it is safe to say that no man in Seattle has a wider
circle of friends and acquaintances than Ralph Cook.
ELROY M. THAYER.
Elroy M. Thayer, a successful business man and substantial resident of
Whatcom, Washington, was born May 5, 1861, at Potosi, Missouri, and is
a son of Albert E. and Annie ( Elliott ) Thayer, natives of New York and
Ireland, respectively. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thayer, name-
ly : Elroy M. ; Fred, who is forty-nine years of age ; Warren, who is forty-
five years of age; Annie, who married C. C. Cart; Lena, who married a
Mr. Pratt.
After attending the public schools of Iowa and of Walla Walla, Wash-
ington, and Whitman College of the latter city, at the age of eighteen years
Elroy M. Thayer went to San Francisco, and worked at the horse collar
business. In 1884 he removed to Portland and conducted an establishment
along these lines, and after ten years thus spent, in 1892. he embarked in
a marble business at Colfax, Washington; later was in Seattle, and still
later, in 1899, located in Whatcom, where he opened his present marble
works at 404 Holly street, and since January 1, 1902, has had associated with
him Mr. Harley D. Moon, a practical marble man.
In 1900 Mr. Thayer was married to Belle R. Rogers, a native of Kan-
sas. One child has been born of this marriage, Elroy, aged two years. Mr.
Thayer has another son, Charles, aged twenty years, by a former marriage.
Mr. Thayer is a member of Woodmen of the World, and has organized six
camps of that order in Whatcom county; and of the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows. In politics he is a Republican, but devotes all his time and
attention to his business. Both as a business man and a private citizen Mr.
Thayer has proved himself a man worthy of complete confidence, and the
success which has attended him is most justly merited, for it has been at-
tained by bard work, honorable methods and strict attention to his own
affairs.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 317
HARLEY D. MOON.
Harley D. Moon, one of the prosperous citizens of Whatcom, Wash-
ington, and an experienced marble man with the Whatcom Marble and
Granite Works, in which he owns a half interest, was bom June 26, 1879,
at McPherson, Kansas, and is a son of John C. and .Mary (Swim) M 1,
the former of whom is a native of Wilmington, Clinton county. Ohio, and
has been in the marble business at McPherson, Kansas, for the pasl twenty
years. His wife was born in Ohio, and she is now a resident of McPherson,
Kansas. Four children were born to these parents namely: Harley D.,
Hattie, Cora and Bertha.
Mr. Harley Moon studied in the public schools and at McPherson
College, and when he was twenty years of age lie went into the marble and
granite business with his father, with whom he remained until [901, when
he removed to St. John, Kansas, and opened a similar business. However,
he later sold his interest, and in the fall of 1901 returned to McPherson,
purchasing his father's establishment. At the expiration of six months
he sold the business to his father in order to locate at Whatcom, Washing-
ton, where he has since been actively engaged with Mr. Thayer, the two
having met with unqualified success. Mr. Moon looks after the practical
part of the business, while Mr. Thayer is in charge of outside affairs.
On January 1. 1902, Mr. Moon married Edith Swart/, a native of St.
John, Kansas, and a daughter of F. C. and Dora Swartz, now residing
in Whatcom. In politics Mr. Moon is a Republican, and he is a very enter-
prising man. and one who thoroughly understands every detail of his busi
ness.
THOMAS TYLER.
Thomas Tyler, one of the well known lumber and business men of What
com, Washington, has had a most interesting career of ,( 1 f achievement,
beginning from the time he was ten years old, and the obstacles which he has
had to overcome in order to win his present success have naturally developed
a self-possession and control and a mastery over circumstances which are
without doubt among the highest rewards of life.
Mr. Tyler was born at Owego, New York, April 24. [856, the son of
George Ezra and Harriet ( Hull ) Tyler, both of whom were natives of New
York state, the former of Scotch descent and the latter of English, her
father having been born in England. Mr. Tyler's father, who was a Farmei
by occupation, died when Thomas was hardly nine years old, and the mother
and her only son then moved from New York to Saginaw county. Michigan.
Thev were poor, and had to work hard to obtain the necessities of life, so that
Thomas had no opportunity to gain an education in the schools; hut b) 1 1
or crook and at odd times he edui ted himself not onlj in the ordinary
branches that are considered e to everyone, hut in many of tin
tical things of life which stood him in good Stead in lati \t I
of ten years he went out to work, being employed by Elder Holmes, on his
farm in Birch Run township, Saginaw county, receiving ten dollars a month
318 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
for doing chores, driving, hauling, etc. Elder Holmes still remains in Mr.
Tyler's memory as one of the kindest and best men he ever knew, and he
taught the young boy many practical lessons that have been helpful in all
the subsequent years.
In the spring that Thomas Tyler was twelve years old, he and his mother
moved to Tuscola county, Michigan, and took up government land on Cass
river and White creek. For a year he cut and sold pine shingle bolts at from
four to four dollars and a half a cord, making good wages at the work.
Sometimes he hired a man or boy to help with the sawing, but often his
mother, a type of the noble and courageous pioneer woman, assisted with the
work. In the first winter he was too poor to buy a team, so he made a hand-
sled, on which he dragged the bolts from one to three hundred yards to the
river, where they were piled on the bank. At the age of thirteen he, with his
mother's assistance, cleared enough land during the summer and raised suf-
ficient produce to last through the winter. During the following winter
he was in the lumber woods, and in the spring on the river driving logs,
earning in this way, although but fifteen years old, a man's wages of forty-
five dollars a month. After this he worked very little by the day or month
for others, for he realized that there was much more profit in lumbering on
his own account, but a number of years later he worked for different lumber
firms and drew large wages as foreman. In 1887-88 he had charge of Asa
White's extensive lumber business on Cass river, White creek and on the
north shore of Lake Huron, but in consequence of Mr. White's bankruptcy
he lost all his last year's wages. He also bought and sold several pieces 01
land while residing in Michigan.
In August, 1889, Mr. Tyler came to Tacoma, Washington, in the hope
that his mother's delicate health might be benefited by the salubrious climate
of the state, and that she might a little longer enjoy the comfort which had
been denied her in previous years. She was then fifty-three years old, but
the frontier life and the hard work of her earlier years had ruined a natur-
ally fine constitution, and she passed away September 3, 1889, in Tacoma,
only three weeks after her arrival. This was the deepest sorrow of Mr.
Tyler's life, for she had been to him both a loving mother and a tried and
true companion, and he will always revere her for her strength and nobility
of character.
From August, 1889, to May, 1890, Mr. Tyler worked for the Tacoma
Light and Water Company, and from then till September 1st of the same
year was engaged in the same line of work' with Crocker Brothers, city en-
gineers, at Blaine, Washington; next, until August, 1891, he was employed
at one hundred and twenty live dollars a month, by the Northwest Water
Company in overseeing the installation of the water system at Blaine.
After this he ran logging camps for A. B. Chown, at Drayton Harbor and in
the vicinity of Blaine, furnishing cedar logs to the shingle mill (a ten-block
machine and two hand machines). Previous to the building of this mill
there was but one shingle mill in the county. D. II. DeCan's hand machine.
Mr. Tyler was employed with Mr. Chown from August 1, 189-1, till February
1, iS<)_\ when the company failed, owing Mr. Tyler over seventeen hundred
dollars, which represented the greal part of his savings since coming to Wash-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 310
ington. He then bought three acres of cedar timber, and worked a month
on it with three men, clearing three hundred dollars, after which he bough!
forty acres of timber land up the Nooksack river, at Nugent's Ferry, What-
com county, and in four months' logging, with a small crew, cleared three
thousand dollars. Within the next few months he had a severe illness which
hindered his activity to a great extent, and in the early part of [893 losl sev
enteen hundred dollars by the failure of the First National Bank of What-
com; these misfortunes were succeeded by the general hard times and
panic, and during the next three years one was lucky to he able to make a
living.
Mr. Tyler was reared in the lumber woods, and understands lumbering
from A to Izzard, especially the art of timber cruising, or estimating, and
from 1896 to 1901 he was employed by different firms in the latter work,
also doing some buying and selling. In the fall of [902 he mule a trip with
a small party north into British Columbia, by way of Harrison Lake, forty-
four miles by rowboat and then twenty miles along the Cariboo trail, the
purpose being to search cut timber locations. In January. [902, lie Formed
a partnership with A. H. Wright, under the name of Tyler and Wright,
who are now carrying on a brokerage business in Whatcom, hi December
1902, a number of Whatcom gentlemen organized a company and boughl
the American Eagle Mining property, and of this company Mr. Wright was
elected president and Mr. Tyler treasurer and general manager, which po
sition he still retains.
Mr. Tyler is a member in good standing of the Modern Woodmen of
America, which order he joined on March 2, 1900. Mr. Tyler's religious
convictions may be summed up in the belief that there is a law of nature from
which there is no escape, and whoever disobeys that law must suffer the
penalty; also that there is an All-wise God over all mankind, who will raise
man higher and higher if permitted to lead man for good.
HON. CHARLES R. FOWLER.
Real estate men are, as a rule, among the most active promoters of the
growth and wealth of a city, or country; they always undergo great risks
in their business and many have reaped great rewards, but much of the prog-
ress and prosperity of a city is often to their credit. Such is the case with
the Hon. Charles R. Fowler, the ex-mayoi of Centralia and one of its sub
stantial business men.
His father, I. L. Fowler, was horn in Towanda, Pennsylvania, June 8,
1809, and was a first cousin of the world-famed phreno
Fowder, of New York. His business was a railroad contractor and builder
and in his later vears he removed to Missouri, where he followed the tilling
of the soil. He married Mary DuBois, a native of Tioga county, New York,
who became the mother of four children, two sons and two daughtet . and
passed away on July 9, 1861, when the -on Charles was but nine
The elder Fowder was a member of the Methodi I church and of the fnde
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He died in February, [882,
three vears. The subject of this -ketch and his sister. Mrs. Horn, residing
in DuBois, Pennsylvania, are the only surviving members of the family.
320 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Charles was born in Towanda, Pennsylvania, March 19, 1852. He
completed his education in the common schools and then entered the large
mercantile establishment of his uncle, the Hon. John DuBois, who was a
millionaire lumber dealer and merchant and was the founder of the town
of DuBois. In this establishment young Charles paved the way for his future
success, and during the sixteen years that he remained there he made rapid
advancement and became so thoroughly acquainted with the business that
he was for a number of years his uncle's business manager. In 1888 he
resolved to go into business for himself, and accordingly went to Spokane,
Washington, where he invested his savings in real estate in that growing
city; this property increased in value so rapidly that he made eleven thou-
sand dollars the first year, and was thus influenced to continue his invest-
ments. In 1889 he came to Centralia and began dealing in real estate, in
which he has met with such excellent success; he has erected a number of
buildings in the town, and now owns some stores and residences as well as
considerable unimproved property.
Mr. Fowler is a well informed man, and while making his business in-
terests of supreme importance he has also traveled extensively and gained
a wide knowledge of men and affairs. He spent eight months in Alaska,
which he considers one of the most edifying experiences of his life. He is a
member of the Masonic fraternity and is a firm believer in the principles of
the Republican party; his interest in the welfare of his city has been recog-
nized by his election for two terms to the office of mayor. He has taken
much interest in educational matters and has served on the school board for
five years. Besides the above named order he belongs to the Ancient Order
of United Workmen, the Hoo Hoos and the Royal Arcanum.
Mr. Fowler was married in 1876 to Rose R. Raught; three children
were born to them, Arthur, Harmon and Mary D. Arthur graduated from
the Centralia high school when only fourteen years old, spent five years in
the State University, from which be was graduated, and is now in a news-
paper office. Harmon is now a student in the university. Mary D. is still
attending the public school, and bad the honor of standing second among
three hundred pupils of the eighth grade in the county. Mr. Fowler is
justly proud (if his children, and the family are all highly esteemed in the
social circles of the city.
CHARLES H. STADELMAN.
A fair proportion of the residents of the Puget Sound country are
either English burn or of English parentage, since it seems that a considerable
per cent of English immigrants have selected the western portion of this
country for their home. Mr. Stadelman, the proprietor of the Whatcom
Boiler Works, is a native of England and is the son of Henry and Eliza
(Bishop) Stadelman, both natives of that country; the former was a coach
trimmer and died at the age of sixty-seven, and bis wife died at the age of
sixty-five. Charles, the eldest of the children born to them, died at the age
of live; Frank lived to be twenty-four; Walter is living in London, England;
^^r^k
WffEvTYORT
lPU*UC L/BRARyj
/Tun?"- LEN°X *»0 I
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 321
Charles, the second of the name, died in 1902; Mary lives in London; Emily
and Fanny are both deceased ; Louise is the wife of H. Coventry of Totten-
ham, London, England ; Emily lives in London.
Charles H. Stadelman, who is the only one of the family to make his
home on this side of the Atlantic, was. born September 21, 1847, at Shurburn,
Dorsetshire, England, and was educated in the London schools. He left
school at the age of fourteen. For five years he was an apprentice to a black-
smith, becoming a thorough mechanic in that time. In 1861 he went to sea,
and after two years spent in this way he landed at Victoria. British Colum
bia, in February, 1863, having made the voyage by way of Cape Horn. He
was employed for a year in the Joe Spratts machine and boiler shops, after
which he came to Seattle, where he worked for J. R. Williamson at Freeport,
now West Seattle, remaining in this position for seven years. During the
gold excitement on Peace river, British Columbia, in 1870, he went with a
party of eight men from Seattle, but this proved a disastrous venture, as Mr.
Stadelman was the only member of the company to return alive. For the
next two years he worked in the Hastings mill at Burrows Inlet, now Van-
couver, British Columbia, but then returned to Seattle and followed his trade
until 1877 with Boline & Williamson. .-In -1^78 he. went to the Yakima valley
with the intention of taking up a homestead claim, but the Indian outbreak
just at that time compelled him to leave all behind and return to the safer
regions about the Sound. He was in the employ of J. M. Colman till [882,
when he came with his wife and family to Whatcom, where he worked
for the Kansas Colony for the next year. He then went into a general ma-
chine and boiler works business and continued it up to 1887, when the general
paralysis began to spread over industry in the west, and for the following live
years he was with the Port Ludlow Mill Company. He returned to What-
com in 1892 and was foreman of the B. B. Iron Company till [896, when he
embarked in the private enterprise now generally known as the Whatcom
Boiler Works. All kinds of boilers are manufactured, and this is the pionei 1
concern of the kind in Whatcom county, and owing to its progressive and
capable proprietor it has made a very satisfactory showing during its few
years of existence.
Mr. Stadelman was married at Seattle on Christmas day of 187'' to Miss
Julia A. Payne, a native of Oregon and the daughter of Jame Harvey and
Mahala (Freeland) Payne, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter
of Indiana. Pearlita C, the oldest of their children, is now a studenl at the
Washington State University; the names of the other two are Frances and
Henry. Mr. Stadelman espouses the cause of the Republican party, and his
church is the United Presbyterian.
HENRY II. WARNER.
Henrv H. Warner, master mechanic with the Northern Pacific Rail-
road, at Tacoma and Seattle. Washington, was born al I I fllinois,
in 1844. a son of Hiram and Sarah (Taylor) Warner, both of whom v
natives of Syracuse, New York, and who died in 1 hi 1. Hiram Warner
was a successful grain and live-stock merchant of Chicago in the early days
21*
322 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of that city's prosperity, having located there in 1835, and he is remembered
as a prominent factor in its commercial life.
Henry H. Warner received an excellent education in Chicago, and when
yet a youth entered the shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail-
road as an apprentice in the locomotive department, where he learned the
machinist's trade as preparation for locomotive engineering. Just then the
Civil war broke out, and although only eighteen, in 1862 he enlisted at Chi-
cago in the Eighty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, known as the Railroad
Regiment, under Colonel Christopher. This regiment was attached to the
Army of the Cumberland, and Mr. Warner's service was along the Ohio,
in Kentucky, in Tennessee and in Georgia, the regiment being constantly
engaged in severe warfare. Among other engagements, Mr. Warner par-
ticipated in the following battles : Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary
Ridge, Resaca, Pickett's Mills, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Franklin and
Nashville. Four separate times Mr. Warner was wounded in battle, and
quite recently he had removed from his leg a large English musket ball.
After nearly three years of hard service, he was mustered out at Chicago.
After returning from the war he re-entered the railroad shops, and
after a short time as engineer on the road was made foreman of the locomo-
tive shops for a time. During this time he took an active interest in local
affairs, and, receiving the appointment of city boiler inspector of Chicago, he
served in that capacity for a number of years. At the expiration of his term
of office he again entered the railroad service, and secured the position of
general foreman of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas shops at Parsons, Kansas,
and was later promoted to be division master mechanic, which he held
three years. Then going to Sedalia, Missouri, he formed a partnership with
G. W. Cunningham, and established the Sedalia foundry and machine shops,
quite an extensive establishment. The firm did a general repair business
and dealt in all kinds of machinery. After about a year in that line of busi-
ness, Mr. Warner received an appointment from the Northern Pacific Rail-
road as master mechanic at Tacoma.
In the spring of 1883 he arrived at Tacoma via San Francisco and boat.
At that time the Portland-Tacoma line only was in operation, the main line
from the east over the Cascade mountains not yet being completed. The
town was then very small, and Mr. Warner established a small repair shop
mi Pacific avenue and Tenth, the corner now occupied by the Northern Pa-
cific ticket office, and in the heart of the business district. Since that time
and during his administration, the great new shops of the Northern Pacific
have been built at South Tacoma, employing seven hundred men, in which
are done all kinds of heavy repair work, and locomotives are constructed as
well as cars. These are now the most extensive shops on the Northern
Pacific, the buildings and machinery costing over a million dollars. Besides
the railroad work, the mechanical work, boilers, etc., for the Northern Pacific
line of trans-Pacific steamships, are made in these shops.
Mr. Warner was a member of the city council of Tacoma for eight vears
and president of that body one year. He is a very popular Republican.
Four years ago be was prominently mentioned as candidate for governor,
and in the fall of 1902 he was earnestly requested to become a candidate.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 32 3
Upon both of these occasions it took all his diplomacy to restrain his friends
from bringing his name before the people. His reasons for refusal were busi-
ness ones, it being against the policy of railroads Eor officials in positions like
the one he occupies, to devote too much time to politics, and Mr. Warner has
always been deeply interested in his work.
While living in Chicago Mr. Warner was united in marriage with
Miss Mary Drake, and these children have been horn to them, viz: Evelyn,
Frank and Mary. On February i, 1903, Mr. Warner was transferred
from Tacoma to Seattle, which is now his headquarters, with special juris-
diction over the company's now numerous branches in northern and western
Washington. He will retain his home in Tacoma, however, and may pos-
sibly return to that city, which is earnestly desired bj In- numerous friends.
Fraternally Mr. Warner is connected with the ('.rand Army of (he Republic,
and is deservedly popular in that organization.
WILLIAM J. MALLOY.
\\ illiam Joseph Malloy, who is engaged in farming near Ferndale, was
born on Christmas day of 1853. in Hartford, Connecticut, and is the younger
of the two sons of Joseph and Mary (Murray) Malloy. both of whom are
natives of the Emerald Isle. The father came to the United States in the
early forties and settled in Xew York, whence he afterward removed to
Hartford, Connecticut. He was a blacksmith by trade. His other -on is
Michael Malloy.
Educated in the public schools of his native city. William J. Malloy
pursued his studies through the winter months until sixteen ye; ge,
when he left home and went to Nevada. This was at the time of the Pioche
mining excitement, and he was engaged in prospecting and mining for some
time, remaining there until i88r, when he went to California. lie then
bought a farm near Santa Rosa and continued its cultivation until [883,
when he came to Washington, establishing his home in Ferndale. lie pur-
chased a farm of eighty acres about half a mile from the town, and ha- since
carried on agricultural pursuits, placing his land under a high State of cul-
tivation so that it return- to him good crops. While carrying on his farm
work he has also been active in public affairs for the good of the community.
In 1892 he was elected a county commissioner of Wha ' :'
term of two years. He wa- also road supervisor for districl No. <>. elected in
1894, for a term of two years.
In 1881, in San Fra Mr. Malloy was united in ma to Miss
Mary Alice Grant, a native of Australia and a daughter of Michael and
Margaret Grant, both of whom were natives of Ireland and came to I
United States at an early period in the development of the Pacific coast,
tling in California. Mr. and Mr-. Malloy are adherents of the I atholic
church, and he is a Knight of Pythias. In politics h( is a Republican, and
was a most earnest admirer of Blaine. I te has lived on tin r twenty-
two year-, and western development and progress have always been matt,
of deep interest to him.
32± HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
LEWIS MAYHEW.
Lewis May-hew is a member of the firm of Mayhew Brothers, who
are engaged in the plumbing and heating business, and he has also gained
distinction as an inventor, having given to the world a number of practical
and useful devices. There are in the history of such a man acts that are
well worthy of emulation. One need not look to the past in order to gain
information concerning the best methods to follow in business life, for if we
but note the work of the successful men around us we can learn of the plans
that should be followed in gaining prosperity. Mr. Mayhew has lived a life
of industry, and upon this he has builded his success.
A native of Washington county, Maine, his birth occurred on the 31st
of May, 1866. His father, Alonzo Mayhew, was also born in the Pine Tree
state and became a ship builder, following that pursuit for many years. He
has now reached the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey, and at the
present time is living retired from further business cares. He wedded Mary
Ellen Foster, who was also born in Maine, and both are representatives of
American families that have been established in this country for about two
hundred years. To Mr. and Mrs. Mayhew were born three children : Lewis
and Sanf'ord B., who constitute the firm of Mayhew Brothers of Whatcom;
and Ella, the wife of P. S. Battensby, a drygoods merchant of Whatcom.
In the common schools of Maine, Lewis Mayhew obtained his prelim-
inary education, which was supplemented by study in the State University
of Washington in Seattle. He was graduated in the class of 1884, and thus
was well equipped for life's responsible duties. He had come to Whatcom
in 1S82 with a Washington colony, and was a student in the first school
built in Whatcom county. His literary education was completed when he
was twenty years of age, and he afterward secured a clerkship in a grocery
store, being thus employed for five years. He was also a bookkeeper for
R. I. Morse when that well known hardware merchant first engaged in busi-
ness here, their relation being maintained for about three years. In 1894
Mr. Mayhew embarked in the plumbing business on his own account in
connection with A. C. Blake, but during the time of the Alaska gold excite-
ment he disposed of the business, and until 1901 was engaged in prospecting
in the Mount Baker district. He also devoted considerable time to inventions,
and perfected a patent fish trapper, also an amalgamation, which solves the
fine gold proposition and is now being used in the Excelsior quartz mine.
The fish trap is a floating device built on the principle of a parachute, and is
being used in the waters of Puget Sound and Alaska. In August, 1901,
Mr. Mayhew established his present store in connection with his brother
under the firm style of the Mayhew Brothers. They are doing a general
plumbing business and also carry a large line of heating apparatus and install
heating plants. Lewis Mayhew is the general manager of the concern, and a
practical mechanic. Since establishing this business he has also invented
an air-tight hot-water boiler which is being used extensively throughout the
county and is largely utilized for heating residences.
In November, 1902, Mr. Mayhew was united in marriage to Miss Edith
Case, a daughter of F. M. Case, who is superintendent of pumps in the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 325
United States navy yard at Bremerton. Washington. .Mrs. Mayhew is a
native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of the State Normal School of What-
com. The young couple are well known here and have many friends. Mr.
Mayhew votes with the Republican party, and socially is connected with the
Ancient Order of United Workmen and with the Commercial Club. He has
also been a member of the volunteer fire department from its inception to the
present time, and is also United States volunteer weather observer, having
acted in the latter capacity for six years.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
The charm of romance always clings to the deeds of early pioneers,
and. although western civilization has none of the gray antiquit) which
enhances the history of early colonization, the adventure and the hardships
possess a peculiar thrill which is characteristic of western life. One of the
oldest living early settlers of the state of Washington is George Washington,
to whom is also due the distinction of being the founder of the beautiful
city of Centralia. For over a half century he has been intimately connected
with its development, and has seen the bare and fruitless prairie become
covered with a thriving city of nearly two thousand inhabitants.
George Washington has spent a long and eventful life: he was born at
a place located ten miles from the historic city of Winchester, Virginia,
August 15, 1817, and was taken in early life to Ohio and then to western
Missouri. His youth being spent on the frontier, he had no opportunity to
gain an education, and supplied this deficiency by the strenuous training which
be received in the school of experience. He was in Missouri in the time of
the Mohawk war, and when he was only eighteen years old sat through one
night under a tree with his hand on his rifle keeping a sharp lookout for the
Indians. In 1850 he crossed the plains to Oregon with a train of fifteen
wagons and fifty-six armed men; the Indians did not molest them, and they
made the trip in one hundred and seventeen days. When about three quart 1
of a mile from Oregon City the party stopped and divided. going in different
directions to settle. Mr. Washington. Mr. Cochran and Mr. Mills came to
the prairie where the city of Centralia now stands, but Mr. Mills and a Mr.
Sanders settled in Chehalis. They arrived here in [852, and in the following
year the survey was made, and Air. Washington and James t . Cochran took
a donation claim of six hundred ami forty acres; they stuck in their stakes.
and in time Mr. Washington bought Mr. Cochran's share and has remained
on the old site ever since. His first house was about a half a mile wesl of his
present nice home, and for a number of years he "batched" it. to use tin-
common term of the period: he made his own trousers and shirts, did his
own cooking, and did his farm work besides. There were at this time hut
three white women in the county. Mrs. Mills. Mrs. Sanders and Mr-. Ford,
and on the Cowlitz river there was a settlement of Canadians and hall" breed
Indians. One day four Indians came and ordered him out -1 the country,
but as he was acquainted pretty well with the Indian charactei from his
life in western Missouri he drew his bowie-knife and pistol and threatened
326 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
to shoot them at once if they did not leave: in half a minute they were
gone, and so impressed were they by his bold stand that they asserted he was
not to he scared by anything. During the Indian war Mr. Washington helped
to build the fort at Mound Prairie and stood guard there night after night
until the war was over.
As a beginning for his new Imvn, as soon as the railroad was built, Mr.
Washington laid out one hundred and thirty-one lots, sixtj by one hundred
and twenty feet, right in what is now the center of the business part of the
city and he sold one hundred of these at five dollars apiece, at the same time
making each purchaser agree to erect a building at a cosl of nol less than
one hundred dollars: Isaac Winward and James Jameson were the first
buyers. As the cii; i ehalis was started about the same time, there was
considerable rivalry between them, but Mr. Washington was determined that
his town should lack no support in order to "boom" it. and he accordingly
doubled the size of his next lots, gave building sites to the different churches,
laid out a cemetery and mt led a number of houses himself; ami largely to
his unselfish efforts in these early days is due the present prestige of Cen-
tralia as a commercial center, lie Mill owns the buildings on the block in
which the Washington Hotel stands, ha- several houses which he rents and
fifty-four acres of land where his house and barns Stand, most of which land
he de\ oh'- t< i farming.
Mr. Washington was first married to Mrs. Mary Jane Cornis, who was
a native of California. She had a son by her former marriage, Stacey Cor-
nis. who now lives in Centralia. After a happy married life of twenty-one
is Mrs. Washington died March 5. (888, and in iX<)<> he married Charity
E. Brown, a native of Indiana; they have one son, George, who is now in
school. Mr. Washington probably derives his .adherence to the Democratic
party from the fact of his being reared in the state of Missouri; he has been
a prominent member of the Baptist church for the past thirty-five years.
Although now in his eighty-fifth year Mr. Washington is intelligent and
bright, and still has a vivid recollection of the stirring scenes in which he
played so prominent a part and which will ever he a bright page in the history
of the state.
GEORGE H. MILLER.
In writing a history of those men of Centralia who have been active
in promoting its best interests and have not only helped themselves to a
place where they could share in the good things of the world hut at the same
time have been of such public spirit that they have advanced the welfare of
their fellow citizens in general, there must be included the name of George
H. Miller, who is one of the successful men of the city and the senior mem-
ber of the firm of Miller and Sears, dealers in groceries and produce. This
business was established by Mr. Miller in 1888, and has ever since been in its
present location ; like most successful enterprises it began in a very small
way. but under the guiding hand of its capable proprietor it increase! and
was soon a central trading place. For four years Hon. E. P. Kingsbury,
the present surveyor general of the state, was a partner in the business, and
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 327
after his retirement Mr. Miller conducted the store alone for two and a half
years; in May, 1902, Mr. Sears, who is one of the county commissioners of
Lewis county, was admitted to a share in the business. The establishment
not only draws a good trade from the city, but extends out into the surround-
ing country. Mr. Miller also owns a stock ranch of one hundred and sixty
acres ; all hard-working business men need rest, but rest is not necessarily
idleness, and Mr. Miller finds his recreation on this delightful farm of his,
where he is engaged in raising red Polled cattle.
Mr. Miller's famih is of English ancestry. His father 1- Judge II. J.
Miller, a representative citizen of Centralia and actively engaged in the insur-
ance and real estate business; while his brother, F. A. Miller, is the pro-
prietor of the Fair, a large department store. Judge Miller married Caro-
line Humphrey and they had nine children, five of whom are living, four in
Centralia and one in Spokane.
George H. Miller was born in Salem, Washtenaw county, Michigan,
July 12, 1857. He attended the public and high school of that town, and
the ten years following he ran a stock farm of three hundred and twenty
acres in Dakota, on which he bred cattle and high-grade Percheron horses.
He disposed of this place in 1888 and came to Centralia.
Mr. Miller was married in 1884 to Miss Belle Stoufer, who was born in
Ravenna, Ohio, and was the daughter of George Stoufer, who now resides in
Centralia. Their union has been blessed with one son, Hubert. Mrs. Mil-
ler is a member of the Presbyterian church, while he belongs to the Knights
of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen ; be is a Republican
and has taken considerable interest in local affairs, having been a member of
the city council for four years.
THE H. H. MARTIN LUMBER COMPANY.
The H. H. Martin Lumber Company was established at Centralia in
1889 by H. H. Martin and Mr. Talmadge, and in 1897 it was incorporated
under the present name and with following officers : H. H. Martin as presi-
dent; his son, G. R., as vice president and another son, F. A., as secretary
and treasurer. The members of the firm are men of high financial ability
and standing in the county, and have made their enterprise very successful.
The plant is a fine one and has at this writing (1902), a daily capacity of
sixty thousand feet of lumber, which they are able to furnish in any dimen-
sions up to sixty feet in length. Most of the product goes to Iowa and
Dakota ; there are forty-five men in the employ of the company, and they
still have forty million feet of standing timber at their disposal ; this tim-
ber land is situated some distance from the mill, and the logs are brought
down the Hanford and Skookum-Chuck rivers.
H. H. Martin is a native of the state of New York, born in Washing-
ton county in 1837. He arrived at the years of manhood and received his
education in his native state, and before the period of the Civil war removed
to Wisconsin, where he engaged in lumbering; he was also in the employ
of the government at the Menominee Indian reservation and when the war
broke out he recruited a company of Indians for the Union army. It is not
generally known that Indians were ever employed as soldiers in the regular
army, but it is a matter of record that they were very good soldiers. Mr.
328 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Martin has always been a member of the Republican party, and before com-
ing to the west he was the recipient of various local offices in the gifl of bis
fellow citizens. His marriage was celebrated in the state of New York,
Esther Andrews, of Fort Edward, becoming bis wife. I b<y had lour chil-
dren and three are still living, George; F. A.; and Katie, who is at home
with her parents. The family are members of the Presbyterian church and
enjoy the esteem of their many neighbors and friends.
George R. Martin, who has kindly furnished the material for this brief
biography, was born in Keshena, Wisconsin, in [861. After the preliminary
training in the common schools be finished bis education in the Wisconsin
State University, and was thus well prepared for the duties of life, lie first
embarked in the hardware business, and continued this until he came west
with bis father to engage in lumbering. In [896 he married .Mrs. Ilackuian,
a widow with one daughter, Maria, whom he has adopted and treats with as
much affection as if she were his own. Fraternally he is a Mason, a Wood-
man of the World and a member of the Hoo Hoos, which is a well known
organization among lumbermen; and, like bis father, he gives bis support
to the Republican party. The other son, F. A., was born in Shawano, Wis-
consin, in 1868, and still prefers the blessings of the single life. He is one
of Centralia's capable and energetic young business men and is a valuable
addition to the flourishing firm of H. H. Martin Lumber Company.
DAVID FERGUSON.
James Ferguson, the father of this prominent Whatcom citizen, was born
in Scotland in 1812. He was reared in the northern part of Ireland, and
came to Canada in 1847, tne )'ear ot tne awful typhoid plague, which took
from him his wife and their three children. He was a farmer and lumber-
man of Canada and made a fortune in the early days, being now a retired cap-
italist and residing in Collingwood, Ontario. After the death of his first
wife be married Frances Hunt, a native of Ireland, and there were eight chil-
dren of this union. Robert is fifty-two years old, W. J. is forty-nine, Thomas
is forty-three, Francis George is forty-one, while the daughters are Mrs.
Emma A. Stewart, Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt and Mrs. Ruth Mahon.
David, who completes the list of children of the above parents, was born
in Carleton county, Ontario, Canada, March 16, 1849. His early education
was obtained in the schools of Bruce county, Ontario, but at the age of seven-
teen he embarked in the business which he has followed most of his life. Two
years later he acquired through his father a sawmill in Bruce county, and
operated this with considerable success for the next thirteen years. In 1881
he sold out and went to Pembina county. North Dakota, where he took up a
homestead of three hundred and twenty acres and also engaged in the re-
tail lumber business; about 1884 he also built a flour mill at Cavalier with a
capacity of one hundred barrels per day, but two years later he sold out all
these interests and began railroad contracting. He helped build the main
line of the Great Northern from Devils Lake, North Dakota, to Great Falls,
Montana. In 1887 he had sent his outfit ahead in preparation for work on
. V YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOK LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDA.TIOHS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 320
the Billings, Clarks Fork & Cook County Railroad, but he was taken sick
and lay helpless for four years, at the end of which time his fortune of thirty
thousand dollars had been reduced to nothing. In [891, leaving his family
in North Dakota, he came to Puget Sound. He had no means, but he began
contracting in Seattle in a modest way, and after six months, in connection
with his brother W. J. and W. T. Graham, he built one of the first shingle
mills for the eastern trade supply. He conducted this enterprise until [893,
having bought out Air. Graham in the previous year, hut the general trade
depression then prevailing over the country forced him to quit. In 1896 he-
rented a mill at Maple Leaf on Lake Washington, and during the following
year met with considerable success. He then went t < ► Blaine ami entered into
a partnership with C. A. Taylor, of Seattle, but after a year's successful Op
eration Mr. Ferguson met with an accident in the mill, by which both legs
were broken, causing absolute inactivity for about a year. In the meantime
the lax business methods of Mr. Taylor and his father had brought the con
cern to a state of bankruptcy, so that on Mr. Ferguson's recovery he had not
a single dollar, and his only capital was his business integrity and his grit
and energy. Before he had full}- recovered from his injuries he began to
recnup his lnsses by splitting wood on the beach at Blaine, performing this
labor while standing on one leg and with the aid of a crutch. He earned
one hundred and ten dollars in this way. ami then began speculating in a
small way until he had saved about five*' hundred. -when he went into the
logging business with James Shintoffjer during the winter of [900. In the
following spring he sold out to his partner, his total capital then being nine
hundred dollars, and in April, in company withV. 'I". Moore and William E.
Smith, he bought the shingle mill at Deming, removing and rebuilding it at
Anacortes. In the spring of 1901 he sold out for five thousand dollars, and
during that year he engaged in mill-building ami speculated with the pro-
ceeds, in which he was prosperous beyond expectation. In [902 he ami his
family removed t<> Whatcom, where he bought considerable real estate prior
to the advance in values, purchasing twenty million feet of timber, about eighl
millions of which has since been cut. In the fall of [902 lie started a logging
camp on this property, in which they operate three large donkey engines and
employ fortv men. He has also built three line residences on tin grounds.
In December, 1902, he bought out the Globe Mill Company, and is refitting
it as one of the most complete mills on Puget Sound; it will have a capacity
of about sixty-five thousand feet of lumber per day, and three thousand
shingles.
In Fehruarv. 1870, Mr. Ferguson was married in Bruce county. Ontario,
to Miss Elizabeth Hunt, daughter of William Hunt, a native of < anada ami
a wealthy farmer of Bruce county. The eight children of this marriage
as follows; Frances J., Elizabeth, William ].. David Watson, Bertha I'..
Albert Milton. lata Maude and Wallace Whitfield, the names being recorded
in order of birth. The eldesl ter, Frances ]., received a certificate for
exceptional merit at the University of North Dakota, and obtained her train-
ing in music, for which she, as well as the other mem the family, his
a natural inclination, at Hamlin University, where she ah ip advanced
work in the languages. She came to Seattle with the family in nd won
the scholarship in the Northwestern Conservatory of Music for the best cul-
330 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tivated voice, which she held until her graduation. She then took vocal train-
ing in the Chicago Musical College, where she was awarded the gold medal
after the first year's work. During the following year she was with the
Smith Sisters of Marion, Ohio, as the prima donna of the company, and this
engagemenl took her on a tour of the eastern cities. She later returned to the
Chicago .Musical College, and when she graduated in [897 she received the
diamond medal for the besl singer in the school. At present she is the
soprano singer of the Philharmonic Concert Company, and has already made
a remarkable reputation as a vocalist, being known to audiences in the prin-
cipal cities of this country. Her sister Elizabeth is the contralto in the same
company. The musical talent of the Ferguson family seems to 1mm- been in-
herited from grandfather Ferguson. Air. Ferguson is a Democrat, and while
residing at Bathgate, North Dakota, was justice of the peace for eight years,
and from [898 to 1 . ,( > 1 was councilman of the city of Blaine, so that he has
shown himself well qualified for participation in the public affairs of his com
muiiity as well as a leader in the complications of business life.
EDWIN N. I IAS KILL.
Edwin X. Haskill, who in [895 was instrumental in establishing the
fust cannery on Bellingham Bay, is still connected with this industry, which
has become an important one, the business being developed along substan-
tial lines which have brought a good return to the proprietors. Mr. Haskill
makes his home in Whatcom, where he has also been engaged in the plumb-
ing business.
A native of Sauk Center, Minnesota. Mr. Haskill was born on the _>ist of
August. 1 Si 17. a son of Frederick A. and Mary (Coburn) Haskill, both of
whom were natives of Maine. The former followed merchandising for many
years, and died in 1901, at the age of seventy-two. His widow still survives
him, and is living in Whatcom. Two sons and a daughter are also living:
Edwin X.. Frank C. and Hattie, the last named being the wife of Robert
M. Saint, of Denver, Colorado.
In the public schools of Minnesota Edwin N. Haskill began his educa-
tion, which was continued in Denver, Colorado, his parents removing from
the former to the latter state in 1879. His school life ending when he was
seventeen years of age, he then began learning the plumber's trade, at which
he worked in Colorado until 1884, when he returned with the family to Min-
nesota. There he resided until October, 1890, wdren he came to Whatcom
and established a plumbing shop, which he conducted alone until 1896, when
he formed a partnership with H. L. Munro that has since been continued.
They have secured a good patronage, because of the excellent work which
they do. and their constantly growing trade returns to them a gratifyino-
income. In 1895 Mr. Haskill also engaged in the canning business, oper-
ating, at Ft. Bellingham. the first cannery on Bellingham Bay. The business
is conducted under the name of the Bellingham Bay Canning Company, and
in this enterprise success has also been gained, and the industry was the
forerunner of others of a similar character, all of which have been material
factors in advancing the commercial activity of this region.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 331
On Christmas day of 1S92 Mr. Haskill was united in marriage 1" Miss
Mahala A. Shell, a native of Indiana and a daughter of William and Eliza-
beth Shell. The)' now have two children, Frank and Lois, aged respectively
eight and three years. Fraternally Mr. Haskill is connected with the Knights
of the Maccahees and the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and his political
support is given to the Democratic party, 1ml he has never been an aspirant
for office, preferring to give his attention to his business interests, which arc
now returning to hm satisfactory success.
CLARENCE EMERSON MUNN, M. D.
Clarence Emerson Munn. M. D., one of the leading physicians of Marys-
ville, Washington, was born July 24, [862, at Shaw aim. Wisconsin, and is a
son of James D. Munn. a native of Connecticut, and who comes of a good
old New England family dating back to 1738. when the family was founded in
America. The father was a carriage painter and died in 1S07, aged, sixty-
years. His wife bore the maiden name of Nancy Olmstead, and she was a
native of New York, and died in 1889, aged sixty-nine years. Her family
originated in Hull, Massachusetts, and is a very old and substantial one.
Dr. Munn is the only surviving member of his family, the other two, a
brother and sister, having passed away.
His early education was obtained in the high schools of his native town,
and, after completing his course at the age of seventeen, he was assistant
postmaster for two years. In 1882 he entered Hahnemann Medical College
at Chicago, from which he was graduated in [884, and then went to Antigo,
Wisconsin, and began the practice of his profession, there continuing until
1889. In the fall of that year he was appointed by President Harrison a
special agent in the treasury department at Puget Sound, with headquarters
at Duluth, Port Townsend and Seattle, and he filled this position most cred
itably until 1893, when he returned to Antigo and resumed his practice.
There he continued until 1897, when he returned to Puget Sound, locating
at Marysville, where he engaged in the practice of his profession, and 1- now
one of the pioneers in his line in the city. In 1899 he was elected to the city
council on the Republican ticket and served one year, and was also on the
school board during 1900 and 1901. In the latter year he was honored by
election to the office of mayor for a term of two years, extending from m,<,_>
to 1904, ami he is giving his people a dean, upright, business administra
From 1897 until 1902 Dr. Munn gave his services to the city a- health com
missioner, and placed it and its people under many obligations to him,
In June, 1885. he was married at Washington. 1). ('.. to Adelaide Mcr
rick, a native of New York and a daughter of George and Camilla (Coon)
Merrick, the former of whom was a native of England, and the latter of
New England. Two children have been born to I >r. and Mr-. .Munn. namely :
Helen and Florence, and in addition he is guardian of his sister's children,
Paul and Frank, their parents, B. T. and Maretta Brodersen, both being now-
deceased.
Dr. Munn belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a thirl
Mason, is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the For
332 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
esters of America. Ever since coming to the state he lias taken a very active
part in politics, and has often been called upon to serve as a delegate to the
county and state conventions. Few men are more popular personally than
Dr. Munn, while as an expert physician he has a reputation second to no
other member of his profession in the entire locality.
S. Z. MITCHELL.
S. Z. Mitchell is one of the prominent men of Tacoma, Washington,
and is manager for the Boston firm of St. me & Webster, large street railway
owners, who are erecting immense water-power plants near Tacoma. lie-
was born in [862, at Dadeville, Alabama, and is a son of Dr. William Alex-
ander and Elrriira (Jordan) Mitchell. The former was born in Georgia,
of Scotch descent, although the family has been established in the south for
several generations. Dr. Mitchell was a practicing physician and died at
Dadeville. lli> wife was born in Coo^a conntv. Alabama, and died at Dade-
ville.
S. Z. Mitchell, who was left an orphan in his boyhood, received his early
education at Dadeville and at Columbus, Georgia. In [879 be entered the
Naval Academy at Annapolis, and, after graduating four years later, went
as a cadet on a two years' cruise in European waters. While in the Naval
Academy he made a special study of technical electricity, which was then just
inning as a practical science. In this capacity he assisted in fitting up
the first United States war ship with electrical lighting apparatus. This
was the Trenton, which was afterward destroyed in the great tidal wave in
the Samoan Islands. Upon his return from the European cruise, Mr. Mitchell
resigned from the navy to take up electrical engineering and construction
work, seeing a great future in this line, and time has corroborated his views,
which were formed soon after electric lighting was put into successful opera-
tion by Brush and Edison. He obtained a position with the original plant,
the Edison Electric Light Company, Goerck street plant, Xew York city.
11 ere he worked for six months, adding practical knowledge to supplement
the electrical course of the academy. In August, 1885, he came to Seattle,
Washington, and, with the assistance and co-operation of James A. McWill-
iams, J. M. Frink and Captain George D. Hill, all prominent residents of
Seattle, started, in December, 1885, the first incandescent electric light plant
west of the rocky mountains, antedating the San Francisco plant by several
months. It was called the Seattle Electric Light Company, the forerunner of
the present company. The first plant consisted of a fifty-horsepower engine
in a little board building, at the corner of the alley in Jackson street, between
what is now First avenue and Occidental avenue. Soon after, Mr. Mitchell
was instrumental in the formation of the Northwestern Electrical Supply
and Construction Company, and in 1887 a branch house was established at
Portland, to which city he removed his headquarters. He continued to direct
the company's affairs from that city until 1890, when the business was sold
out to the Edison General Electric Company, of which company Mr. Mitchell
was made general manager for the northwest, with headquarters at Port-
land. In 1892 a consolidation was made with the Thompson-Houston Com-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 333
pany, and the concern has since been known as the General Electric Company.
Mr. Mitchell remained general manager until May, 1902, when he accepted
service with Stone & Webster, of Boston, in charge of the water-power plants
and general development work in Pierce and King counties.
It should be noted that for several years prior to 1902. Mr. Mitchell,
in addition to his connection with the General Electric Company, was a very
prominent and successful promoter of large business combinations and con-
solidations, the field of his operations in this line lying mostly in Seattle.
He financed and organized some of the leading corporations of that city, and,
among other things, consolidated the Seattle breweries. He seemed to have
a genius for such enterprises and achieved a great deal of favorable prom
inence in this way. His present position with Stone and Webster places him
in complete charge of all the engineering and construction work which that
firm is doing in connection with the establishing of their two immense powei
plants, one on the Puyallup river and one on the White river. Tins work lias
just begun; within a short time there will be three thousand men engaged,
and in a year they will have completed a system that will comprise the largesl
water-power plant in the world with the one exception of Niagara. These
plants will not only furnish the power for the Seattle and Tacoma railway sys
terns, and the Interurban between the two cities, all being owned by Stone &
Webster, but will also furnish cheaper and better power for industries in
the Puget Sound country than has heretofore been furnished. The future
possibilities arising from this are simply incalculable, and it is the opinion of
Mr. Mitchell as well as of Stone & Webster, and others, that here, in a few
years, will be one of the great manufacturing and industrial centers of the
world.
In 1893 Mr. Mitchell was married at Portland to Miss Alice Hell, and
they have one son, Sidney Alexander. The family residence remains in Port-
land, although Mr. Mitchell's headquarters are at present at Tacoma, where
the entire top floor of the National Bank of Commerce building is occupied
by his offices and those of his force of engineers and draughtsmen.
Mr. Mitchell has reason to take just pride in his success. I le is gratified
over the fact that he has been able, as an old-timer in Seattle, to assisl so
materially in the development of that city, which he considers one of the
greatest cities in the country for enterprise and accomplishment. IP- is still
largely interested in Seattle, and looks upon it as a coming metropolis, and
is deeply interested in Seattle and Puget Sound History. Mr. Mitchell is
a wonderfully enterprising and energetic man. and possesses every qualifies
tion to carry out his herculean enterprises.
ALBERT E. MEAD.
Albert E. Mead has the distinction of being the only person ever re-
elected for the office of prosecuting attorney of Whatcom county, and this fact
stands in evidence of his capability and fidelity in office. IP- is regarded
one of the leading members of the bar of Whatcom and a distinctivel) rep
resentative clientage is accorded him.
Mr. Mead was born in Manhattan, Kansas. December 1 1, [861, a
of William B. and Harriet (Carlton) Mead. The Mead family is of English
lineage, but was founded in the United States many years ago. William P.
33i HISTORY OF THE Hi, I I' SOUND COUNTRY.
Mead was bom in New York, and throughoul his active business career
carried on farming, bul is now living retired in Whatcom, making his home
with his son Mbert. His wife, who was also a native of the Empire state,
passed away in [865. There is one daughter, Frances, the wife of Charles
X. Heal, a commercial traveler living in Enid, Oklahoma.
Allien E. Mead pursued his education in the public schools of Kansas,
Iowa and Illinois, and is a graduate of the Southern Illinois Normal CJniver
sity, of Carbondale, Illinois, of the class of [882. lie afterwards spent one
year in the Union College of Law. in Chicago, and read law in the offici of
William C Rich, of Anna. Illinois, after which lie was admitted to practice
in Mount Vernon, Illinois, in 1885. He entered upon the prosecution of his
profession in Leoti, Kansas, where he remained until [889, when he came
to Washington and opened an office in Blaine, there residing until December
1898, when he came to Whatcom as prosecuting attorney of the county, lie
has always been an earnest Republican, and was active in political circles
in Kansas and Illinois, llis firsl presidential vote was cast for James < ..
Blaine, the Maine statesman, in [884. In [892 he was elected mayor of
the city of Blaine and served for one year. In the fall of [892 he was chosen
to represenl Whatcom county in the state legislature, ami while a member
of the house he voted for John B. Allen on each ballot that was taken. He
was chairman of the judiciary committee, served on other importanl com-
mittees, and was an active working member of the general assembly, where
his labors v value in promoting the besl interests of his constituents
and of the state at large. While residing in Blaine Mr. Mead also served
a- city attorney for five terms, and in November, 1898, he was elected county
attorney, in which position he discharged his duties so acceptably that in
the fall of 1900 he was re-elected for a second term. He tried the only
murder case in Whatcom county, in which conviction was obtained and
execution followed. This trial came to Whatcom county on a change of
venue from Skagit county, and in the conduct of the case Mr. Mead was
associated with Governor McBride. Nearly all of the offices which he has
filled have been in the strict path of his profession or closely allied thereto,
and as a lawyer and law-maker he has won distinction by his unfaltering de-
votion to the general good, and his fearlessness and fidelity in the discharge
of his duties. He retired from the office of county attorney as he had
entered it. with the confidence and good will of all, and is still serving as
assistant prosecuting attorney. Mr. Mead has attended many county con-
ventions of his party, and has several times served as chairman. He has three
times been chosen as a delegate to the state convention, and was a delegate,
to the first Republican state convention, in 1889, when E. P. Ferry, the first
governor of the state, was nominated.
Mr. Mead has been twice married. On the 3d of October. 1887, he
wedded Miss Lizzie E. Brown, a daughter of John Brown, of Amhurstburg,
Ontario, Canada, who is engaged in the customs service there. He was
born in Canada and is of Scotch descent. There are three sons and a daugh-
ter of this marriage, Wendell, Rollin, Damon and Mary Alice. Wendell
and the daughter are now students in the Model Department 'Normal. Mrs.
Mead died August 10. 1898. and on the 5th of May, 1899, Mr. Mead was
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 335
married to Mrs. Mina Piper, a widow, and a daughter <>i Albert Hosmer, of
Clay Center, Kansas. She is a native of Iowa, and by this marriage has
become the mother of an interesting- little son, Albert V., born April [3, 1900.
Mr. Mead is connected, through membership relations, with the Knights
of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of
United Workmen. His nature is kindly, his temperament genial and his
manner courteous, and he is everywhere held in high regard. At the bat he
commands respect by reason of his deference to the court, his consideration
for witnesses, his broad legal learning, his keenly analytical mind, and
bis marked devotion to bis clients' interests.
LEOPOLD F. SCHMIDT.
Leopold Schmidt, one of Olympia's well known and successful business
men. is a native of Germany, having been horn on the noble river Rhine, in
the year 1846. His early education was received in the schools of his native
land, and when he was fourteen years old he went to sea; for several years
he sailed between North and South America and later was on the Great
Lakes from Chicago to Buffalo. In these voyages his main purpose was to
learn the English language; he had attended a sailors' school and had passed
his examination as seaman. In 1866 he went to Montana, where he engaged
in mining at Helena, Deer Lodge and Butte. Mr. Schmidt then returned
to Europe to attend a brewer's academy, at which lie was graduated, and
then returned to this country. His first venture in this line was the Cen-
tennial brewery, which he started in 1876 in Butte; this was the pioheer
brewery of that city, and was continued under his efficient control until
1896, when he sold out and came to Olympia.
Here Air. Schmidt built and incorporated the Olympia Brewing Com
pany. This concern began business with a capacity of four thousand barrels
a year; through Mr. Schmidt's liberal methods of doing business the plant
has grown until now the product is forty-five thousand barrels, and it is
the intention to increase it still further. The brewery is located about two
miles out of Olympia, and the Olympia street railroad runs its cars to it.
transporting the products directly to the Northern Pacific depot ami 1m the
docks. The water used in the manufacture of the beer is obtained from
several Mowing wells on the property, and is considered equal in the chemical
analysis to the celebrated water from Waukesha, Wisconsin; their is no
better water in the United States for the manufacture of a line article of
beer. The power for the plant is furnished from the lower Tumwater falls,
which the companv owns. The company has a very extensive business, and
the beer is sent to all part- of tin- Sound country, to \laska. the Hawaiian
Islands and to Asia; several times shipments of three carloads have been
made to Dawson City on the Yukon, and the Olympia Brewing Company's
beer is now widely and favorably known.
Besides being president of the above company, Mr. Schmidt is one of
the stockholders and director- in the Capital National Bank of Olympia.
Without question he is one of the city's most progressive lni-mess men. and
is always ready to help along any enterprise intended to promote the welfare
336 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of the cit) of his choice. He owns a carefully selected library and keeps
himself informed on all the issues of the day. In politics he holds inde
pendenl views; when in Butte he was one of the count) commissioners;
and he was a member of the constitutional convention and a member ol the
first legislature after statehood was obtained. He and his family resid<
in a beautiful home, and enjoy the high esteem of all their fellow citizens.
JOHN A. NEHER.
John A. Neher, who is connected with tin- lumbering interests of the
northwest as proprietor of a shingle mill, occupies a commanding position
in the industrial circles of this portion of the country. His labors, too, have
been of a character that have nol only contributed t.. his individual prosper-
ity, hnt have also advanced the industrial and commercial growth of his
adopted state. Honored and respected by all. there is no man in Whatcom
who occupies a more enviable position in hnsiness circles, not only by reason
of the splendid success he has achieved, but also because of the honorable,
straightforward methods he has followed.
Mr. Neher was horn on the 31st of October, 1864, in Auglaize county,
Ohio. His father. John Neher, was a native of Germany, and after arriving
at years of maturity lie was united in marriage to Miss Victoria Mannage,
a native of Switzerland. They became the parents of three children: John
A.: August Henry, who, at the age of thirty-six years, is living in Lima,
Ohio; and [Catherine, the wife of Minor Sullivan, of Paulding, Ohio. The
father passed away in the year 1866, hut the mother is still living and now
makes her home in North Dakota.
John A. Neher obtained his education in the country schools of Auglaize
county, attending during the winter months, while in the summer seasons he
worked upon the home farm. He early became familiar with the duties and
labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and between the ages of six-
teen and twenty years his entire time and attention were given to the work
of cultivating the fields and harvesting the crops. In 1884 he went to Lead-
ville, Colorado, to which place many travelers were proceeding because of
the discovery of gold in that locality. For about three years Mr. Neher re-
mained there, engaging in prospecting and mining. He then came to the
coast, arriving in Seattle in the spring of 1888. For a year he lived in that
cit v. and then removed to Snohomish county, where he established the second
shingle mill within its borders. For five years he conducted the business,
and then sold out and later came to Whatcom in 1894, where he established
one of the first shingle mills in Whatcom county. At the present time he is
largely interested in a number of enterprises of this character, including the
Neher-Ross Mill, the Winner, the Washington and others. He is president
of the Neher-Ross and the Washington companies, and a director of the
Winner Company. These companies operate their own logging and bolt
camps, and have about two hundred and fifty men on their pay rolls, to whom
is given six hundred dollars per day. The business is, therefore, one of im-
portance, and Mr. Neher deserves great credit for the establishment of indus-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 337
tries of this character, which contribute to the general good by reason of
furnishing employment to such a large force of workmen.
On the ist of January, 1896. was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Neher
to Miss Cora V. Schowalter. who was born in Iowa, and her parents hclong
to old New England families. Both Mr. and Mrs. Neher have gained many
warm friends in Whatcom and this section of the state, and the hospitality
of the best homes is extended to them. In his political views Mr. Neher is a
Republican, but has never had time nor desire to seek political preferment,
giving his attention instead to his business affairs, and in their control he has
shown marked executive ability, keen discrimination and unfaltering enter-
prise.
PETER Z1MMERMAX.
Peter Zimmerman, who is serving his second term as sheriff of Sno-
homish county, has been a resident of Washington since October, 1880.
He was born in Stratford, Canada, in April. 1861. His father. Henry
Zimmerman, also a native of that_ country, carried on farming on an exten-
sive scale, was most progressive , in* his'- methods and won many premiums on
his fine stock. He is now livi"ftg~i$tirei'l. ' H& wedded Mary Kruspe, ami
to them were born six sons -and two daughters! John, who is extensively
engaged in wheat-raising in {he Big Bend country of Washington; Daniel,
who spent four years in Alaska and is now proprietor of a storage ware-
house in Everett; Peter; William, of Douglas county, who owns a fruit
farm on the Columbia river and another at ( iraiid Coteau; Marian, the wife
of O. \Y. Schleuten. of Mexico : Lydia, the wife of William Rise, principal
of the schools of Watsonville, California; E. H. who 1- in charge of the
creamery at Watsonville and had charge of the butter and creamery depart-
ment of' the state fair of California; and Albert K., who is a photographer
at Christ Church, New Zealand.
In the public schools Peter Zimmerman acquired his education, am!
remained at home upon the farm until nineteen years of age. In the mean-
time he had become familiar with farm work in all its departments, running
a reaper when but twelve years old. Having an uncle in Snohomish counts,
on leaving home Mr. Zimmerman came here to visit him. and being pleased
with the country he decided to locate. Two years later bis uncle sold out.
and Mr. Zimmerman then took up some timber land on the Snohomish river
and was engaged in logging for ten years. Tie next went to Port Ludlow,
where be was lumber inspector and also had charge of the loading of ve
sels. After two vears had' passed be went to Kent. King county, and engaged
in merchandising. He was a member of the first city council there and
carried on a successful business until [893, when he lost six thousand dollars.
Every store there failed during that financial crisis in the country's history.
Mr. Zimmerman then came to Everett and embarked in the dairy busi-
ness, which he conducted until [898, when he was elected county sheriff,
and after serving for one term was re-elected. During bis term in office
be has been very successful in apprehending law-breakers and criminals of
all classes, and 'his official service has been highly satisfactor to all law-
22*
338 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
abiding citizens. He lias always been a Republican, has taken an active
part in the vvi rk of the party and has served as delegate to some of its
conventions. For two years he was a member of the city council of Everett,
representing the fifth ward.
In [887 Mr. Zimmerman was married at Port Ludlow to Miss Annie
R. C; who was born and reared in London, England, and they have
three children: Henry Eugene, Edna Charlotte and Clarence Arthur. So-
cially Mr. Zimmerman is connected with the Benevolent and Protective < >rder
of Elks, the Independent Order of odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias,
the Improved Order of Red Men. the Woodmen of the World. He is
also connected with the Chamber of Commerce. He has made investments
in unimproved property b>th in this city and Port Angeles, and has con
siderable interests in mining property, and is a prosperous man. whose suc-
cess 1- due entirely to his own efforts and is therefore most commendable.
Christmas day of [890 Mr. Zimmerman was presented with an
exceptionally fine gold badge, two by two and a half inches, surmounted by
a spread eagle, and set with three diamonds forming the center -if stars,
while instead of the name of the state there is a likeness in gold of George
Washington. On the other side of the badge is an appropriate inscription,
and of this badge Mr. Zimmerman has every reason to he proud.
LOUIS P. WHITE.
The thriving town of Whatcom. Washington, has enjoyed a rapid
growth and development, has many prosperous places of business, and is an
ideal place for the investment of capital and the building up of important
enterprises. One of the factors in this prosperity has been the Bank of
Whatcom, which has owed its existence and in a large measure its success
to the capable financier and business man. Louis I'. White, whose position
in this town and his career will form the substance of this brief biography.
His father, Thornton White, came of an old southern family, and was
a native of West Virginia. For many years he conducted a general depart-
ment store in Terra Alta. West Virginia, but at the time of his death in
July. 1 002. he was living in retirement at the age of eighty years. He had
married a native of Loudoun county. Virginia, Miss Bersheba A. Davis,
who is now seventy-six years old and living at Terra Alta. One of their
sons. William T.. born in 1858. conducts a wholesale grocery at Piedmont,
West Virginia; the daughter, Hattie J., born in 1871, lives with her aged
mother at the old homestead at Terra Alta.
Louis P. White was born at Gladesville, in the part of old Virginia
which is now comprised in West Virginia, December 20, 1856, and received
such educational advantages as the schools of Terra Alta afforded up to the
time he was sixteen years old. He then assisted his father till he was twenty-
one, gaining in this time such valuable business experience that on attain-
ing his majority he went to Newburg, West Virginia, and opened a grocery
store on his own account, which he conducted with fair success for two years.
He then returned to Terra Alta and helped his father carry on his business
until 1882, in which year he went to Elk Garden, West Virginia, and estab-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 339
lished a general merchandise store, which he conducted till 1892. He then
closed out his mercantile interests and organized the Terra Alta Bank, with
a capital stock of thirty thousand dollars, and with P. S. Hyde as president.
He retained the position of cashier in this institution until 1897, but in Octo-
ber of that year he disposed of his holdings in this institution and came to
Whatcom, Washington, where he formed a co-partnership with William
G. Brown, of Kingwood, West Virginia, in the organization of the Bank
of Whatcom, with himself as manager, his son Clarence G. as assistant
cashier, and S. A. Post cashier. The bank was founded on November 1,
1897. does a general banking business and has a credit rating of two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. Mr. White had also extensive interests in mining
property in this state; he was president of the Terra Alta Mining Company
in the Mount Baker district, with a capital stock of one million dollars, and
it adjoins the Post Lambert mines. A three hundred-foot tunnel has been
constructed, and it is a free milling proposition with a water supply from
Selicia creek, is located about twenty miles from the Bellingham Bay and
British Columbia Railroad, and the assays show from five to three hundred
and six dollars per ton, a handsome property, which will no doubt pay its
owners magnificent returns.
Mr. White showed much interest in educational affairs after taking up
his home in Washington, and was chairman of the board of trustees in the
State Normal School at Whatcom. He was a Democrat, but took no part
in the party's campaigns except to vote; he was a member of the Presby-
terian church.
Mr. White died July 9, 1903. His wife was in her maidenhood Mary
E. Burke, a native of Bruceton, West Virginia, and a member of an old
and prominent southern family. They were married in May, 1882, and four
boys and four girls are now in the home. Clarence G, the oldest, has been
mentioned above; Jessie P. is a young lady of eighteen and is in the Nor-
mal School at Whatcom; L. Pinckney, sixteen years old. is also a student
at the normal; Lillie D., aged fourteen, is still in the public school; Harry S.
is a boy of twelve and in school; William B. is aged ten: Helen Lucela.
seven years old: and the babv of the family is Margaret Virginia, three years
old.
THOMAS MORAN.
Thomas Moran, one of the representative men of Arlington, Wash-
ington, was born June 4, 1847. in New York state, and is a son of Patrick
Moran. a native of Ireland, and Mary (Morarity) Moran. who came to
America when young, and both settled in New York state. By trade the
father was a stonemason, but later in life became a railroad man. and died
in 1872. aged sixty-five years. The mother died in 1899. :• fhty-five
rears. Their children were as follows: James, John, William, Patrick.
Delia. Ellen. Kate. Ellie, Thomas, and Maggie.
When Thomas Moran was six years of age lie was taken by his parents
to Madison, Wisconsin, and there attended public school until he was four-
teen years of age, He enlisted in the Union army al Madison in Company
34(> HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
G, Twenty-ninth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served faithfully for
three years. Among the most important engagements in which he partici-
pated may be mentioned that of Vicksburg, Mobile, Champion Hill, Jackson,
Mississippi, and in the fall of [865 he was mustered out at Shreveport,
Louisiana, and then returned to Madison. For a time he engaged in farm-
ing and teaming, and then went to work in the construction department of
a railroad, this continuing until 1S70, when he became a fireman, and in
[890 went west to the Sound, locating at Arlington, lie was superintendent
mi" construction of the S. L. & I'".. Railroad, now the Northern Pacific Rail-
mail. After his division of the construction was completed Mr. Moran
engaged in the hardware business, and was the pioneer in that line in Ar-
lington.
In politics he is a Democrat, and has .always taken a very active part
in the affairs of his party, serving a number of times as delegate to the
count v and state conventions. He was elected county commissioner and
served during [894, [895, [896 and \H>)~. and during his term of office
did much to improve the condition of the county and increase its material
prosperity, securing the erection of needed bridges and the improvement of
roads, etc.
In February, 1880. he was married at Muscatine, Iowa, to Avelina
S'ickman, a native of Iowa and a daughter of Frederick and Mary Sickman,
old pioneers of Iowa, who came of German ancestry. Three children have
been born to them, namely: Jess T.. I.avina and Elmer. Mr. Moran is a
member of the (hand Army of the Republic at Arlington, known as the
E. M. Stanton Post.
HENRY L. MUNRO.
Henry L. Munro is a self-made man, who in the past ten years has
advanced steadily step by step from a humble financial position to one of
affluence, and his business record is such as any man might be proud to
possess. He never incurs an obligation that he does not fulfill; he is straight-
forward and energetic in all his dealings; and his integrity stands as an
unquestioned fact in his career. He has succeeded because he has deserved
success, owing to persistency of purpose and careful management. He is
now the senior partner in the firm of Munro, Blake & Haskill, extensive
dealers in hardware and also owners of a tinning and plumbing estab-
lishment.
Born in Grafton, Ontario. Canada, June 5, 1857, Henry L. Munro is
the only child of Roderick and Mary (Purdy) Munro, the former a native
of Scotland and the latter of Vermont. He has three half-brothers and
three half-sisters, namely : Robert, Andrew. George, Eliza, Susan and Agnes.
He pursued his education in the schools of Grafton and afterward of Roches-
ter, New York, but when he was fourteen years of age he started out to earn
his own living by learning the tinsmith's trade in Rochester, where he
worked for five .years. On the expiration of that period he went to Avon
Springs. New York, where he followed the same trade for two and a half
years, and in the fall of 1879 he removed to Batavia, New York, but on
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 341
the ist of January, 1880, lie returned to Avon Springs. On the 6th of
September, 1881, he located in Penn Yan. New York stale, where he was
employed until April, 1884, when again he returned to Avon Springs, where
he began business on his own account as a member of the firm of Wallace &
Munro, dealers in hardware. He was thus engaged until the ist of October,
1890, when he sold out preparatory to coming to Whatcom, and on the
7th of October he arrived in this city. Here he entered the employ of Under-
wood & Minturn, with whom he remained until May 24, [893, when he
established a store of his own. His capital was very limited, for he had lost
much that he possessed during the financial panic. His stock was conse-
quently small, but as his trade increased he enlarged his facilities. In the
fall of 1896 he admitted E. N. Haskill to a partnership, and in August. [897,
they were joined by A. C. Blake, under the firm style of Munro, Blake &
Haskill. Their store is located at the corner of Elk and Chestnut streets,
and for some years they have enjoyed a constantly increasing business. They
now carry a very large stock of shelf and builders' hardware, and they
do a general tinning and plumbing business, furnace, steam and hot-water
heating plants are sold and set up, and they now furnish employmenl to
about twenty men in the different departments of their enterprise. They
have an invested capital of about fifty thousand dollars and their annual
sales reach a large figure, so that they realize a satisfactory profit on their
labor.
In September, 1884, Mr. Munro was married to Miss Sarah Ellen Far
num, a native of Corning, New York, and a daughter of William Warren
and Sarah E. Farnurn, the former born in Vermont and the latter in the
Empire state. They are now the parents of five children: William Henry,
aged seventeen years; Walter A., aged fifteen; Hazel Louise, a maiden of
thirteen; Irene Marie, ten years old: and Myra May, aged four.
Mr. Munro has served as a volunteer fireman at Whatsom since t8<)_\
and was also a volunteer fireman in New York, so that his active service
in this capacity covers altogether twenty-three years. He belongs to the
Knights of the Golden Eagle, and is a Chapter Mason, while in his political
faith he is a Republican. Coming to the west he found here the business
opportunities he sought. Realizing that the present and not the future holds
the moment of advantage and that earnest effort is the foundation f< r all
success, he has made for himself a creditable position in the business world
among the substantial residents of Whatcom.
THOMAS HENRY PIDDUCK.
Thomas Henry Pidduck, one of the lea. ling merchants of Seattle, Wash-
ington, was born June 18. 1858, in King's Swinford, Staffordshire, England,
and is a son of Thomas Pidduck, born in Wora >ter, England, .1 contractor,
who died November 18, 1901. The family is an ..Id and honored one n
England. The mother was Lucy (Boone) I'iddnck. bum in Dudley. Eng
land, and also came of an old English family. The following children were
born to them: George Albin, associated with, our subjeel in bu 1 Ru
pert, a salesman for E. C. Cheasty & ( ompany, oi Seattle; Hannah Bella
342 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY;
married J. H. Shrewsbury, a grocer in Seattle; Sarah J. married Thomas
Fenwick, a retired tanner of Rochester, New York, of which place lie was
.1 pii iiuer ; Th' >mas 1 1.
Thomas II. Pidduck was educated in Hartlepool, Durham county, Eng
land, in a private boarding school, ami. concluding his studies in [872, he
.111 with his parents to Rochester, New York, and there remained three
years. Returning to England he served an apprenticeship in the steel and
iron industry at Stockton on Tees with the Bowesfield [ron & Steel Com
pany, and during the eight years he was with them worked up from the
office through the various departments until he v. nd superintendent
and in charge of six hundred and fifty men. lie left thi- concern in [883
and returned t « • the United State- and located 111 < hicago, where he em
harked in a mercantile line, the steel and iron business not offering the
same opportunities that it did in England. lie and his brother conducted a
ery in Englewood, Chicago, for seven years, after which he sold his
nd came to Seattle, Washington, intending to embark in a stock
business, hut. being carried away by the excitement, invested heavily in
Seattle real estate. The great tire came immediately afterwards, and upset
his calculations, and he then went into the newspaper business as business
manager of the Daily Press, under the administration of \V. E. Bailey, and
also held the position on the Press-Times after its consolidation. When the
paper became involved, Mr. Pidduck was made receiver until the sheet was
sold to the Pugel Sound National Bank. A new company was Organized,
and he continued manager until the paper was sold to John Collins. Mr.
Pidduck then went int.' a real estate and brokerage business, buying and
selling, and in the fall of 1893 he went into the county court house as cashier
of the county clerk's office and was there three years. He was then
ciated with the grocery firm of Louch, Augustine & Company until March,
1 901, when he went into the same line of business with his brother George
A. and J. T. Ross, under the style of Pidduck, Ross, Methorn Company, the
last named gentlemen selling out after a few months.
In politics Mr. Pidduck is a Republican, and has been active in the
party affairs. He has attended the greater number of the county conven-
tions. On June 6. 1887, he was married in New York city to Mariah Ap-
pleton, a native of Yorkshire, England. Her father is a retired merchant,
now living in Stockton, Durham county, England, the family being one of
the old and long established ones of Yorkshire. The following family was
born to Mr. and Mrs. Pidduck, namely : Edna Lucy, born in Chicago,
April 12, 1888: Irene Margaret, born on Mercer Island, East Seattle, Au-
gust 6, 1891. the first white girl born there; Ruth Isabel, born in Seattle,
January 8, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Pidduck are consistent members of the First
Methodist church. Fraternally he is a member of the Royal Arcanum
and Woodmen of the Wrorld. He is the oldest son and heir to a large
estate, entailed, in England.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 343
JOHN FURNESS.
John Furness, who is the treasurer of Puget Sound Tee & Storage Com-
pany at Everett, was born on the 9th of July, i860, in Apedal, Norway, the
only child of Iver and Marith Furness. His parents are also natives of the
same country, and came of ancient Norwegian families. The father is a
blacksmith by occupation, and followed bis trade in his native land until
1869, when he determined to seek a fortune in America. He crossed the
Atlantic to the United States with his family, and took up his abode in
South Dakota, where he engaged in farming, and was also employed as a
blacksmith by the government at Fort Thompson. Later he settled in Nor-
man, Washington, arrived in this state in 1876, accompanied by his wife
and son. Taking up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres,
he became one of the pioneer settlers of that locality, and has since carried
on general farming, developing his land into a very rich and productive
tract. He has now reached the age of seventy years, while his wife is sixty-
seven years of age, and both are people of the highest respectability, enjoying
in marked degree the confidence and good will of those with whom they
have been associated.
John Furness was only about nine years old when be came with bis
parents to America. He had begun his education in the public schools of
Norway, and after the emigration he became a student in the public schools
of Yankton, South Dakota, where he continued his studies until he reached
the age of sixteen years. He then came to the Sound country with bis
parents, and after assisting his father in the cultivation and improvement
of the home farm for a few years he engaged in the logging business, in
which he continued for seven years, or until 1883. In the spring of 1884,
with the capital he had acquired through his economy, industry and perse-
verance, Mr. Furness embarked in general merchandising at Norman, con-
ducting his store there with success for thirteen years, until 1897. He car-
ried a large and well selected line of goods, and his honorable business
methods and courteous treatment of his patrons secured to him a large busi-
ness. For three years following his retirement from mercantile pursuits
he remained with his parents upon the borne farm, and in April, [901, be
came to Everett, where he organized the Everett Creamery Company, acting
as general manager of the business until the 1st of February, 1903. when
this was incorporated with the business of the Puget Sound Ice & Storage
Company. It was capitalized for thirty-five thousand dollars, with the Eol
lowing officers: O. E. Sully, president; M. S. Sully, vice president; K. K.
Aaleu, secretary; and John Furness, treasurer. This company operates an
ice plant, a creamery and cold storage, and are also wholesale dealers in
dairy products and tropical fruits. They supply a large portion of the
trade for the northern portion of the Sound country, and their business is
extensive and profitable.
On the 9th of July, 1902, John Furness was united in marriage to
Miss Jennie A. Peterson, a native of South Dakota and a daughter of O. C.
and Marith Peterson, the father a native of Wisconsin and the mother of
Norway, while both represent old Norwegian families. Mr. and Mrs. Fur-
344 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ness now have a baby boy. Mr. Furness' political support is given to the
Republican party. He certainlj deserves greal credit for what he has
accomplished in the business world. Though no land is richer in oppor-
tunities or affords greater advantages than America, success is nol to be
obtained through desire, but must be persistently sought. In America labor
is king, and the man wli" resolutel) sets to work and accomplishes a purpose
is certain of success if lie lias the qualities of perseverance, untiring energy
I practical common sense. Mr. Furness is one whose career excites the
adm aid gains the respect of all, for through his diligence and per-
sistent purpose he has won a leading place in business circles in Everett, and
lias gained the good name which is rather to h i h i n than great riches.
MINOR P. ECIRKPATRICK.
Minor P. Kirkpatrick is E the leading photographers in the Puget
Sound country, and is conducting a fine studio in Whatcom, where he has
met with splendid success for so young a man. He was born in Grand Island,
Nebraska, June 2, 1880, a son of Gwynne and Elizabeth I Peterson) Kirk-
patrick. The father, a nati I >\va. removed to Nebraska, and died in
[890, at the age of thirty-six years. The mother was horn in Denmark and
1- still living, making her home in Whatcom. In the family arc three chil-
dren: Minor P.; Gwynne, twenty-one years of age; and Evelyn, who is
eighteen years of
In the public schools of Nebraska Minor P. Kirkpatrick began the mas-
tery of the branches of learning usually taught in the public schools, but
when he was nine years of age he accompanied his mother on her removal to
Whatcom, and here he completed his studies in the grammar schools. At the
age of fifteen he put aside his text books, and was apprenticed for two years
as a mechanic. Later he was employed for one year as a clerk in the dry-
goods store of D. D. Fagin, and in 1900 he began learning photography
with P. L. Hegg, with whom he spent six months, when he went to Colo-
rado Springs. Later he went to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he worked with
a government engineering party, running the township lines in Wyoming.
During the summer of 1901 he returned to Wyoming for a short visit, and
then again went to Colorado, conducting a photographic studio for about nine
months. In January, 1902, he again came to Whatcom, and after working
with P. L. Hegg for a few months he opened a studio of his own at 208^/2
East Holly street, where he has fitted up a first class gallery, supplied with all
modern appliances and appointments for doing the best work. He has
created a distinct high art style of portraiture, which is a departure from the
old conventional style of photograph, and he draws his patronage from the
best class of people in this city and vicinity. He is now meeting with excellent
success, needing no other recommendation than his own work. Among the
photographs which were exhibited at the Photographers' Annual Convention
of the Pacific Northwest, at Tacoma, were two of his studies in portraiture
which were chosen for exhibition at the National Photographers' Association.
Mr. Kirkpatrick has the eye and taste of an artist, and his work gives the
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX A NO
T1LDENKOUND.'
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. :'i;>
highest satisfaction and has won him fame among the members of the pro-
fession as well as with the general public.
JOHN B. FORBES.
John B. Forbes was born in Dundee. Scotland, on the 14th of March.
1833, being a son of John and Margaret (Stroeghen) Forbes. His parents
were married in their native land, where for many years his father was
employed as a carpenter, architect and draughtsman. Emigrating to America,
he located first in New Jersey, but in 1845 removed to Louisiana, and in
1873 came to Mason county. Washington, where the remainder of his life
was spent in the home of bis children, he being called to bis final rest in
1879, when he had reached the age of seventy-three years. I lis wife departed
this life many years previously. One of the sons of this family. George,
now makes his home in Olympia, and the daughter, Mrs. Andrew Beck, is
a widow residing in Alma. Washington.
John B. Forbes obtained his early education in the schools of Illinois,
and in 1853 started on the long and arduous journey across the plains with
ox teams. They started from Putnam county. Illinois, on the 13th <■( April,
1853, twenty-one wagons constituting their -train', of which Harrison Rice
was made the captain, and they arrived at The Dalles on the 25th day of
the following September, five months and twelve days having been con-
sumed in the journey. Remaining at The Dalles for a time. Mr. Forbes
purchased his first farm on the SkokOmish river, where he was also engaged
in the manufacture of lumber. During the Indian war of [855 6 he did
service in quelling the uprising of the savage-;. Since 1882 Mr. Forbes has
resided on his present farm, which consists of three hundred and twenty
acres of rich and well improved land in the Skokomish valley, on which he
has erected a substantial and commodious residence and other farm buildings.
He is engaged in raising grain and hay, while a considerable portion ol his
time is also devoted to the stock business.
Mr. Forbes was married in 1873 ,n ^''"s Cornelia A. Taylor, a native
of Tackson county, Illinois, and a daughter of Harrison Taylor, who removed
to Oregon in 1S54, while six years later, in 1800, he took up his abode
in this commonwealth. Mr. and Mrs. Forbes have had four children, the
eldest of whom. William II.. is a prominenl residenl of Mason county.
A daughter, Emily May. died in the twenty-second year "i" her age, after
becoming the wife of Henry J. Burns. The second daughter, Harriel Edith,
at home with her parents, received her education in the city of Olympia,
and is a bright and intelligent young lady, a splendid cook and a fine equi
trian. The youngest son. John I'... Jr., helps his father in the condud of
the farm. In an carlv day Mr. Forbes did much surveying in the county,
and is thus well acquainted" with its topography. Both Mr. and Mrs. Forbe
affiliate with the Baptist church, and in his fraternal relal
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while politically
he gives his allegiance to the Republican party. He has the honor of having
been elected the first sheriff of M 1 aity.
346 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
AUGUST ELSTEREIT.
August Elstereit, a successful soda manufacturer and prominent citizen
of Whatcom, Washington, was born July 14. [861, at Berlin, Germany, and
is a son of Christian and Mary (Semeit) Elstereit, both natives of Germany.
Three children were born to this worthy couple, namely: August, Fred and
Wilhelmenia.
August Elstereit was educated in the public schools in Berlin, which
he left at the age of sixteen to engage 111 his father's produce business until
he was twenty years of age. In [88] he emigrated to the United States,
and. locating in Wisconsin, for a year was engaged in railro.nl work, and
then went further south and worked in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and
Mexico. In [883 he returned north, locating in North Dakota, and engaged
in the bottling business for about four years, when he removed to Montana
and operated a general store near the railroad camps during the building
of the Great Northern Railroad. Ilis next location was Tacoma, to which
city he removed in 1888. and there he engaged in conducting a general
variet) store. After two years he sold his stock and went to Anacortes,
where he engaged once more in the bottling husiness during the boom at
that place. At the expiration of three years he removed to Whatcom, and
opened up what is known as the Cascade Soda Works. He is a manufacturer
"i mineral waters, all carbonated beverages, and carries on a general bottling
establishment, shipping his output to Skagit, Snohomish, Island counties,
and also to British Columbia. Ilis plant is thoroughly equipped with all
improved machinery and appliances, and the volume of his business is rap-
idly increasing, while he is constantly enlarging the field of his operation.
Mr. Elstereit owns and operates the pioneer bottling and soda works in
Whatcom county.
In February, 1888, he married Mary Schirschwitz, of Portage, Wis-
consin, and a daughter of John and Henrietta Schirschwitz, natives of
Germany. Two children have been born of this union, namely : William,
now aged fourteen years; and Gertrude, aged ten. In politics Mr. Elstereit
is a Republican, and takes an interest in local affairs, although the duties of
his business are so pressing that he has no time to devote to outside affairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Elstereit are members of the Episcopal church, and fraternally
he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Eagles.
GEORGE ALBIN PIDDUCK.
George Albin Pidduck, a prominent and successful merchant of Seattle,
was born at King's Swinford, Staffordshire, England, May 6, i860, and
is a son of Thomas Pidduck, born in Worcester, England, and died Novem-
ber 18, 1901. He was a contractor and came of a prominent old English
family which traces back many generations. The maiden name of the mother
was Lucy Boone, and she was born in Dudley, England, and her family is
an old one in that part of the country. The following children were born
to these parents : Thomas H., associated with his brother in the grocery
business ; James Rupert, salesman for E. C. Cheasty & Company, of Seattle ;
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 347
Hannah Bella married H. Shrewsbury, a grocer in Seattle; Sarah J. mar-
ried Thomas Fenwick, a retired tanner of Rochester, New York, one of the
pioneers of that locality; and George Albin.
George A. Pidduck was educated in the private schools of his neigh-
borhood, Bath House Academy in Hartlepool, England, and in [873 went
with his parents to Rochester, New York. After a residence there of three
years he returned to England for eight years, during which time he was
apprenticed to the grocery business of J. F. Mann, the leading grocer of
Stockton. In 1880 he took charge of the grocery of Amos Hinton, the
largest grocer of Middleboro-on-Tees. There were thirty-three men under
him at that time, although he was only twenty-one years of age. He had
a commission on all the sales of the house. After saving up what he deemed
sufficient, he returned to Rochester in 1SS4, and entered the employ of
Andrew Semple, and two years later moved to Chicago and worked for C.
Jevne & Company for a year; then he and his brother Thomas started in
business in Englewood, Chicago, under the name of Pidduck Brothers. At
the expiration of three years he sold nut and came to Seattle in 1889, and
became interested in real estate, but made some unfortunate investments.
He then worked on the staff in the business office of the Press. In 1893 he
became manager of the coffee and spice department of a grocery house, and
in 1895 was given full charge of the entire retail department, and remained
in that capacity for five and one-half years, during which time he worked
up the business until his house was the leading one of its kind on the coast.
About this time he started in business with bis brother Thomas and J. T.
Ross, of Astoria, Oregon, anil in six months they trebled their business,
and now have the finest grocery establishment in the state.
Mr. Pidduck is liberal in bis views, but affiliates with the Republican
party and believes that reforms should be brought about as rapidly as the
people are ready to receive them. He docs not desire political preferment.
In February, 1892, he married, in Seattle, Miss Minnie J. Turner,
who was born in Minnesota and is a daughter of II. T. Turner, a physician
of Minnesota, who was a surgeon in the army, and comes of English-Irish
descent, and was for some time connected with the state medical board.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pidduck, namely: Thomas
Gladstone, aged nine years; Fannie Letltia, aged eighl years; and Agnes
Louise. The family are all members of the First Presbyterian church.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Pidduck are very prominent socially, and they have a
host of warm personal friends.
DAVID ELLISON.
From a very early period the Canadians were Strongly represented in
that vast region which' now constitutes the northwest of the United Stat< ,
This was due to the fact that the French, who were the settlers of Canada
as well as the first explorers of the country bordering on the Grea I
furnished most of the material for the rank and file of the fur 0 mpanies,
whose employes were constantly roving over the vast wilderness which
stretched from the straits of Mackinac to Puget Sound and from the borders
348 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
California to the Atlantic Ocean. These "couriers de bois," as they were
called in French, or rovers of the wilderness, were the first to visit many of
the localities along the slopes of the Rocky Mountains, where they went
either as trappers in pursuit of the numerous Eur-bearing animals which
then abounded, or a g;eurs" transporting men and supplies for the fur
companies up and down the innumerable rivers that watered these trackless
wilds. \- the period of exploration gave way to the period of settlement
many of these restless wanderers settled down in permanent abodes and
became a verj substantial part of the population winch eventually accumu-
lated through all this region. The descendants oi these hard} men are to
lie found ail over the states of the northwest, and their numbers have been
greatly increased by more recent emigration from the Dominion. Among
those contributed by our geographical neighbor t<. assist in the upbuilding
of the state of Washington was the Eamil) of Ellison, which came t.i Mason
comity at a d; trly as to he entitled to rank as " first settl
h seph Ellison, who was horn in the north of Ireland in iSjj, came to
the province of Ontario, Canada, when sixteen years of age. grew to man-
hood, married Mary Cummings and reared a family in that country. After
living together about forty years and having heard much of the wealth,
enterprise and rapid development of the Puget Sound region he decided
that it would he a desirable place of residence, and offered better oppor-
tunities for his children than were to he obtained in their native place. So.
disposing of his property and packing the household -mids he turned his face
ard the westward and went with his whole family to the coast in 1884.
They located in Mason county when it was still sparsely settled and hut
Httli ped, and immediate!) began to do their share toward the upbuild-
ing of their adopted country, while striving at the same time to better their
individual fortunes. The family originally numbered eight children, hut
several of these were removed by death, and all the survivors are now resi-
dents of Washington. Mrs. Francis Carr. the only daughter, lives at
Kamilche; Robert is a farmer in Mason county; and Albert resides at
Norman.
David Ellison, the other living son and third in age of the surviving
children, was born in Grey county. Ontario, bordering on Georgian Bay,
January 5. 1864, and was consequently twenty years old when his parents
came to Mason county. He was educated in his native country, and after
his arrival on the Sound sought employment at logging, which was then
as now one of the important industries of this section. He continued in
the lumber business seven years, by which time lie had saved up enough
monev to buy a farm of eighty acres and set up housekeeping for himself.
He increased' his land from time to time as prosperity attended him until
his holdings amounted to one hundred and twenty acres, which he sold
at a good price and purchased the place where he now resides. It is only
necessary to look over this property to see that Mr. Ellison is not only an
industrious and enterprising man, but a good farmer who believes in keep-
ing up with the progress of the times and having everything shipshape
around the premises. One will notice that the residence and outbuildings
are all comfortable structures, and that the fencing, gates, roads and other
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 349
appurtenances are kept in good order. But the best of all is that excellent
financial results have followed the practical and progressive methods of Mr.
Ellison. He devotes his attention mostly to raising hay. grain and stock,
owning some valuable short-horn cattle and some good horses. In fact,
his farm is considered one of the best managed and most profitable in Mason
county. Mr. Ellison shows his love of a good horse, as well as his quality
as farmer, by driving a spanking team which proves by its appearance that
it is well groomed, well fed and well bred.
Mr. Ellison is a Republican in politics, and on the ticket of that party
was elected to the important office of county commissioner, which position
he is holding at the present writing, and its business has been so well at-
tended to and its duties -so conscientiously discharged as to extract praise
from all who are conversant with such matters. He has shown himself to
Lie reliable, painstaking and watchful of the people's funds, careful in making
contracts and equally so in seeing that they are strictly carried out for the
benefit of all the people.
In 1893 Mr. Ellison was married to Miss Annie, daughter of, Christo-
pher Simmons, who enjoys the distinction of having been the first white boy
born in the state of Washington. This interesting event occurred shortly
after the arrival of bis father, Colonel Michael T. Simmons, which was in
1844, when white inhabitants were few and far between in any of the ter-
ritory now included in the Puget Sound commonwealth. Colonel Sim-
mons, therefore, was a pioneer of the pioneers, being one of the first set-
tlers of what is now Thurston county, and in all the requisites of courage,
hardihood, capacity to brave and to endure without complaining he was a fine
sample of those heroes whose daring and self-sacrifice were indispensable
in subduing the inhospitable conditions of the western wilds when the w:hites
first began to supplant the red man. Mr. and Mrs. Ellison have three chil-
dren, Herbert Ray, Joseph Newell and David Orren, all of whom give prom
ise of eventually becoming such men as will reflect credit upon themselves
and their worthy parentage. Mr. Ellison holds fraternal relations with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having passed the chairs in the sub-
ordinate lodge, and it is not too much to say that when the strict rules in
such matters are observed he will be Found to measure up to all the re-
quirements of good citizenship.
ROBERT J. GLEN.
Robert J. Glen, one of the prominent merchants and the city clerk of
Blaine, Washington, was bom April [9, [857, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He is a son of Robert Glen, a native of Scotland, who was a butcher, and
died in 1898, and his wife, Mary ( Mason) Glen, was born in London. Eng
land, and is now living in Tacoma, Washington. The children born to
these worthy parents are as follows: Albert, in the fish-trap business in
Fairhaven, Washington; William J., a resident of Tacoma; Robert J.;
Susie, wife of J. W. Earl, of Tacoma: and Miss Jennie E.
Robert J. Glen was educated in the public and high schools of Minne
apolis, graduating from the latter in J.S75, after which be attended the Uni-
350 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
versity of Minnesota and was graduated therefrom in t88o. At the conclu
sion of his school days, he went to Fori Sisseton, Dakota, as a post trader, and
remained twelve years. In [891 he settled in Blaine, Washington, and em
barked in a butchering and grocery business, which has occupied him <
since, and he is meeting with marked success. He is a Populist, and has been
tive in politics, having been elected a member of the city council of Blaine
during [895-6-7-8; elected city clerk for the years [901 2-3, and is still
holding that office of trusl and responsibility. He was al el< ed a member
of the state legislature which returned John I.. Wilson to the United Stairs
senate, and he has attended all the county and state conventions since locating
in Washington. Not only is he influential, but he is also verj popular with
all classes, and his future is a bright one, many additional honors evidently
being in store for the successful young politician and business man.
< >n February 26, [889, he was married to Mable Sanborn at Webster,
South Dakota. She was born in Massachusetts, and is a daughtei oi Dr.
J. H. Sanborn, a prominent physician of Newport, Rhode fsland, and who
was hospital steward during the Civil war. One daughter has been born
to Mr. and Mrs. (den. Winona. Mr. (den is a member and the financiei
of tlie Ancient Order United Workmen, and member and clerk of the Mod
era W lmen of America.
FREDERICK WELLINGTON HARRINGTON.
Frederick Wellington Harrington, one of the representative men of
Marysville, Washington, was born April 18. 1865, in Port Huron, Michigan,
and is a son of Georg< Harrington, who was a native of Michigan, hut
came of an old New England family dating hack to the Revolution, of Eng-
lish-Irish descent. George Harrington was a lumberman, and died in 1899,
aged seventy-two years. Tlis wife bore the maiden name of Wealthy Allen,
and was horn in Indiana. Her parents were pioneers of Indiana, and she
died in 1866. aged thirty-two years. Our subject has one sister, Mrs. Tenie
Levere: one half-brother, Herbert, and one half-sister, Mrs. Ellen Regan.
Frederick W. Harrington went to school a few months during the win-
ter, but had very few advantages for securing an education, and he left
school at the age of fourteen years to work in the lumber woods for his
father, continuing in that line for about three years, when he engaged in the
logging business for himself, and so continued at different points in Michigan
until 1889, when he came to the Puget Sound and located at Marysville. At
first he obtained employment in the shingle mill, but later engaged in pros-
pecting for about three years, after which he engaged in the manufacturing
of shingles with his brother Herbert and John Regan (his brother-in-law),
the concern being known as the Harrington Shingle Company ; it was estab-
lished in August, 1896. The mill has a daily capacity of one hundred and
twenty thousand shingles, and the product is shipped to eastern markets.
Mr. Harrington acts as general manager.
On January 7, 1903, Mr. Harrington was married to Caroline Rencey.
a native of Germany. In politics Mr. Harrington is a Democrat and was
elected to the city council in 1899 and served two years. Fraternally he is a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 351
member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Foresters of
America.
LESTER S. HANDSAKER.
Lester S. Handsaker, the secretary of the California Mining- Company
of Tacoma, was born in Lebanon, Illinois, in 1870. his parents being John
and Henrietta (Horner) Handsaker. The father was a native of Derby-
shire, England, and represented an old and distinguished family of that
country. His ancestors were the occupants of the Handsaker Lodge, an old
estate and the palatial residence, which has been standing through many
generations and is still a feature of the landscape in Derbyshire. The
Handsakers possessed a coat of arms and were people of prominence in Eng-
land.
John Handsaker learned the trade of wagon-making, and has followed
that pursuit during the greater part of his active business life. In 1848 he
crossed the Atlantic to the United States in a sailing vessel, the voyage
requiring several months. At length he landed at New Orleans, whence
he made his way northward to Lebanon, Illinois, becoming one of its early
settlers. There he engaged in business as a wagon-maker, conducting his
shop for many years, until 1874, when he emigrated with his family to
Oregon, taking up his abode in the Willamette valley, where he resided
for seventeen months. He then removed to Ashland in Southern Oregon,
where he resided until 1888, and in that year came with his family to
Tacoma. where he is now living a retired life. He is a respected and ven-
erable old man of eighty-one years. His wife, a native of Illinois, is also
living.
Lester S. Handsaker acquired a good education in the Puget Sound
Universitv in Tacoma, and at the Northwestern University of Evanston,
Illinois. After the completion of his collegiate work he learned t lie art of
telegraphy, which business he followed for twelve years, partly in connec-
tion with commercial work, but during the greater part of the time in rail-
road construction work. He was construction operator on all the railroads
into this northwestern section of the country, acting in that capacity for
the Northern Pacific Railroad for a considerable period in Montana, tdaho
and Washington. About a year ago, however, he severed his connection
with the railroad company and became secretary of the California Mining
Company, a prosperous gold mining corporation, owning and operating
valuable mine in California. Of this company T. If. Wilkins is presi
dent. The duties of his position occupy Mr. Handsaker's entire time and
attention, and his business ability and enterprise are proving a noticeable
factor in the successful conduct of the company's business.
In 1900 was celebrated the marriage of Lester S. Handsaker and Mi
Nellie Pettijohn, a native of Westfield, Indiana, in which place the wedding-
occurred. They now have one son, Arthur C Mr. Handsaker is a membei
of the First Methodist church of Tacoma. and is interested in oilier measures
for the benefit and improvement of the city. lie is thoroughly familiar with
the railmad development and with the progress in other line-, of the north-
western countrv, and has a wide acquaintance in this part of the state.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY
FREDERICK J. W< »OD
Frederick J. Wood, manager of the E. K. W 1 Lumb 'any, of
Fairhaven, and* a very prosperous man. was born July 2, [869, in Stanton,
Michigan. His lather is Edwin Kleber W 1. a native of New York state.
and president of the E. EC. Wood Lumber Company. IN- wife bore the
maiden name of Marian Susan Shaver, and she, like her husband, was born
m New York Mate, while both came from g 1 American stock. Our sub
ject has one brother, Walter, of San Francisco.
Frederick I. Wood was educated in the common schools -1 Stanton,
Michigan, the Detroit high school and Olivel College at Olivet, Michigan.
At ■ of nineteen years he lei'i engage in a lumber busim
with his father for two years, when, in the spring of [89] he went we 1 to
Francisco to engage in the same line of business his father was already
interested in, under the style .a' S. E. Slade Lumber Company. He entered
the company as bookkeeper and continued in that position a year, when
Hoquiam, Washington, on Cray's Harbor, and wi iperintend-
enl <>f the sawmill there from [892 until 1900, returning to San Franci co
in [anuary of that year. In November, [900, Mr. Wood settled in Fairhaven,
Washington, and with his father purchased the sawmill plant owned by the
Fairhaven Land Company, he being made its manager. This concern is now
known as . K. Wood Lumber Company, manufacturers of lumber and
lath, and has a capacity of one hundred and twenty live thousand feel of lum-
ber and twenty-five thousand feet of lath every ten hours, and employment is
given one hundred and twenty-five men. After purchasing the mill the part-
ners removed all the old machinery, remodeled and equipped it with modern
improved machinery. The pay roll amounts to one hundred thousand dollars
per year, and the officers are as follows: E. K. Wood, president; ( '. A.
Thayer, secretary and treasurer. The company is capitalized at five hundred
thousand dollars. The head offices of the company are located in San Fran-
0, California. The output supplies the company's lumber yards at San
Francisco. San Pedro and Los Angeles, California, and a considerable export
trade is carried on with China, western coast of Australia. Mexico and the
Fiji Islands, and the company's plant is one of the best equipped on the
Sound.
In May. 1891, Mr. Wood was married to Anna Bale, a native of England,
and a daughter of Henry Bale, a resident of Lake View. Michigan. Two
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wood, namely: Warren Bale, aged
eight years: Marian Susan, aged six y^ears. Fraternally Mr. Wood is a mem-
ber of the Masonic fraternity, the Order of Elks and the Maccabees. In
politics he is a Republican, but not a politician. The success which has at-
tended his efforts is but the logical outcome of well directed effort along
legitimate channels.
JOHN L. BOYLE.
John L. Boyle, who is now superintendent of the water works in the
citv of Snohomish, was torn on the 22c! of November, 1861, and is a native
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AgTOR. LENOX AND
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 353
of Perth, Scotland. For many generations his ancestry can he traced in
Scotland, and it was in the land of hills and heather that David Boyle, his
father, was born and reared. He was a dyer by trade, following that occu-
pation through long years. In 1868 he bade adieu to friends and native
country and sailed for the new world, establishing his home in Canada.
About 1890, however, he removed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he
is now living at the age of fifty-nine years. His wife, who bore the maiden
name of Maggie Lovitt, was likewise a native of Scotland, and is now fifty-
eight years of age. In the family were two sons and a daughter, the
brother and sister of our subject being David, who is living at Startup,
Washington, where he is engaged in mining, and Maggie, the wife of Daniel
Gorre, a resident of Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
In the public schools of Haliburton, Ontario. John Lovitt Boyle pur-
sued his education until seventeen years of age. at which time he went to
Michigan. He spent a short period in that state, however, after which he
went to sea in a merchant vessel engaged in the trans-Atlantic trade. Later
he was connected with a vessel in the Pacific trade, making voyages between
San Francisco and Australia. He-was thus connected with marine life until
September, 1882, when he decided' to remain on land, and came to Sno-
homish. Here he was engaged' in' the log- 'ing Business for nine years or
until 1891, when he took up hisjabode in the city and became connected with
the hardware trade as one of the proprietors, of the store conducted by the
firm of Benson & Boyle. This relation v. a- maintained for two years, and
between 1893 and 1897 Mr. Boyle was engaged in the sawmill and railway
service of the Great Northern Railroad Company.
In 1897, however, Mr. Boyle was called to public office, being elected
marshal of the city of Snohomish for a term of one year. The following
year he was elected city clerk and also superintendent of the city water
works. He served in the former capacity for one year and has been retained
in the latter position up to the present time, covering a period of five years.
In 1892 he had been elected constable, and has been re-elected at each
biennial election since.
On the 29th of March. [891, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Boyle
and Miss Hattie J. Procton, a native of Denver, Colorado, and a daughter
of Alexander and Teriza (Smith) Procton. They now have three children.
two sons and a daughter: Helen, aged eleven year-: 1'hinister. a lad of eight
summers: and Gordon, who is the baby of the household. Mr. I'.. vie is co
nected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Knights of the Macca-
bees. In his political views he is a stalwart Republican, takes an active
interest in the work of the party and has been a delegate to a number of the
county conventions. He has also served on the county executive committee.
and his public service has been ever above reproach, for in the discharge of
his official duties he is prompt, reliable, accurate and trustworthy.
F. M. \DA.MS.
E. M. Adams, a qrocer of Blaine, was born March 25, [862, in Spring-
field. IHinois. His father, Joel M. Adams, was a native of Vermont, and
23*
354 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
through the greater part of his life followed farming. Removing westward
he became a resident of Sangamon county, Illinois, where his death occurred
in [867, when he was fifty war- of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name
of Sarah Stanfield, was a native of Rhode Island, and her death occurred in
the year [864. They were the parents of five sons, if whom our subject
is the young thers being Elisha \\ .. J< el, John Q. and G© n ge T.
E. M. Adams was only two years old at the time of his mother's death,
and was left an orphan at the early age of five >ear-. lie was educated in
the public schools near Springfield, and later pursued a business course in
Keokuk, Iowa, leaving school at the age of eighteen years. He then turned
his attention to farming, which he followed for two years, then began work
as a car-builder. Subsequently he followed the same pursuit in St. Louis,
Missouri, and when twenty-one years of age he came into possession of the
old family homestead, which he operated for a season and then sold. In
the fall of [883, in company with his brother George, he went west to \Y
braska to visit his elder brother, John, and in the spring of [884 he pro
led t" Idaho, where he became 1 d in the photographing business
in company with his brother, Elisha. lie made a tour of eastern and southern
Washington and Oregon, arriving at Seattle in the fall of [884 He then
bought and fitted up a floating photograph gallery, .and from that point made
a trip through the Sound, touching at Port Townsend, Friday Harbor, San
Juan. Coupeville, Bellingham Bay and other points. Arriving at Whatcom
late in the autumn of that year, he remained there and conducted his gallery
until the following spring, when he sold out to ins brother.
In June. 1885, Mr. Adam- came to Blaine and took up a homestead
three miles east of the present townsite. After remaining upon tin- farm for
three years he again abandoned the plow, having perfected the title to his
perty, and went to Seattle, where he was engaged in contracting and build-
ing, in partnership with George \Y. Reid. This relation was maintained un-
til 1889, when he returned to I'.laine, and there he also engaged in carpenter-
ing and building for a time, hut later turned his attention to the real estate
and brokerage business, in which he continued up to the summer of 1890.
lie then bought out a hardware husiness, conducting the store until the fol-
lowing winter, when he sold out. Once more he became identified with the
building interests of the city, and in connection with this operated a sawmill,
his time being thus occupied until July, 1899. He then again became a factor in
commercial circles, opening a hardware and furniture business, in partner-
ship with James G. Lund. They remained in this enterprise until February,
1 901. when they sold that store and opened their grocery store, which is con-
ducted under the firm style of Adams & Lund.
In his political views Mr. Adams is a stalwart Republican, and keeps
well informed on the issues of die day and gives an unfaltering support to
the principles of the party. From 1894 until 1898. covering two terms, he
served as justice of the peace, and in 1900 was appointed census enumerator
for his district. He takes quite an active interest in county and state politics.
has served as a delegate to conventions, and does all in his power to promote
the growth and insure the success of the party.
In July. 1889, Mr. Adams was married to Miss Caroline Bond, a native
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 355
of Minnesota. Three children have been horn to them: Victor G., Portia
and Daphny. aged respectively twelve, four and two years.
THOMAS T. ALDWELL.
The present deputy collector of customs at Port Angeles, Clallam county,
is the son of John and Sarah Louise (Lloyd) Aldwell, who were both natives
of England and later came to Canada, where the husband died in 1876. Mrs.
Aldwell is still living and makes her home in Port Angeles with her son,
Thomas.
Thomas T. Aldwell was horn in Toronto, Canada, in 1868, and received
a good education at Trinity College, Port Hope, Ontario. On leaving col-
lege he accepted a position in the Federal Bank at Chatham, Ontario, and
later became connected with the Dominion Bank. In 1890 he went to Boston,
and for a short time was one of the publishers of a newspaper, but he decided
that the west was a better place fur a man of his spirit and accordingly came
to Port Angeles in i8qi, where he has resided to this time and become one
of the prominent business men. On his arrival he took up a ranch claim in
Clallam county and also conducted a livery stable in town. As those were
the flourishing times for the northwest he made money and invested heavily
in real estate. He seems to be one of the few men who can have a number
of irons in the fire at once without inviting failure. He got control of some
of the wharfs and organized the Port Angeles Transfer Company. Later he
bought the Port Angeles Tribune-Times, the leading newspaper of the city,
and was its business manager and city editor.
Mr. Aldwell is a prominent Republican of his county, and in 1896 was
nominated and elected to the office of county auditor, serving two terms of
two years each. In 1900-01 he was chairman of the Republican central com-
mittee of Clallam county. From the expiration of his term as auditor, until
January 1, 1903. he carried on his extensive real estate operations, but at
that date he was appointed deputy collector of customs for the Puget Sound
district, with the seat of his jurisdiction at Port Angeles. Although his
office makes large demands upon his time, he retains most of his real estate
interests. He is one of the owners of the Clallam county land which contains
the canyon of Elwha, five miles from Port Angeles. The conditions here and
the rapidity of Elwha river are such as to afford fine facilities for developing
water power, and this opportunity is likely t<> be taken advantage <>f in the
near future by capitalists, who are already interested in the enterprise. The
canyon was considered of so much importance, both from a picturesque and
utilitarian standpoint, that a complete illustrated description (if it was given
in one of the recent publications of the United States Geological Survey, the
article being compiled by F. H. Newell, chief of the division of hydrography,
who made a trip here for that purpose.
Mr. Aldwell is at present the owner of the Courier, a local weekly. F01
one who is not yet in the prime of life his career may be considered remark-
ably successful.' In 1899 he was married at Port Angeles to Miss Eva M.
Wolf, and they have one daughter, Ellen Nora,
35G HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ANTHONY M. ABEL.
Although Anthony M. Abel has been a resident of Snohomish for only
two years, he has already gained the favorable regard of the public both by
reason of his many excellent traits of character and his abilit) in the hue ol
his chosen profession, the law. He is now serving for the second term in
the pi isition of city attorney.
Mr. Abel was born in Sussex county, England, on the 20th of Septem-
ber, [874, but is of Scotch lineage. In [882 his father. George Abel, brought
his family to the United States. He had married Amelia A. Hagber, a native
of England, and mi crossing the Atlantic they took up their abode in Salina,
Kansas, where they are still living. Mr. Al>el is a florist, having always
followed that business. Both he and his wife arc fifty-four years of age. '1 he
members of their family areas follows: William II.. who is serving as pro
cuting attorney of Chehalis county. Washington; George I)., of Lincoln
county, Kansas, who was formerly prosecuting attorney there, and is first
lieutenant in Company C, of the Twenty-second Kansas Volunteer Infantry,
which regimenl was 'raised for service in the Philippine war.; Annie II..
who is instructor of English in the high school of Lawrence. Kansas; Rosa,
who is assistant principal in the high school of Burlington, Kan as; Lena,
who is principal of the high school of Florence, Kansas; and Lucy, who is
attending the Kansas University. It will thus lie seen that the members of
the family have attained considerable distinction along those lines of lahor
demanding strong intellectuality and marked mental ability.
Anthony M. Abel was a youth of eight years when he came with his
parents to America. He first attended the public school- of Salina. Kansas,
and afterward became a student in the Salina Normal College, while subse-
quently he matriculated in the Kansas State University, at Lawrence, where
he was graduated in the class of [900, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
After completing his collegiate course he came to the Pacific coast and for
a short time was a memher of the har of Chehalis county, hut came to Sno-
homish in May. 1901, and opened an office here. He has gained a very grati-
fying clientage during the two years of his residence here, for the public,
recognizing his professional skill, has entrusted important litigated interests
to his care. In the fall of 1901 he was appointed to fill out an unexpired term
as city attorney, and later in the year- he was nominated on both tickets for
the position and was re-elected in 1902, so that he is now the incumbent in
the office, serving for the second term. He has always voted with the Democ-
racy, and takes an active interest in the growth and success of the party.
Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. He is
vet a voting man. possessed of laudable ambition, strong resolution and
energv, and with these qualities to serve as a foundation on which to rear the
superstructure of success, it is not difficult to predict what his future will be.
XEWTOX W. BUSH.
Hon. Newton W. Bush is one of the foremost lawyers of Chehalis
county. Washington, and before he came to this state he had been a success-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 357
ful practitioner in Michigan and the recipient of several important offices,
and in the time he has been here has been twice elected a member of the state
legislature. Mr. Bush is the son of Peter and Clarissa (Merrill) Bush. His
father was born in New Jersey and settled in Michigan in 1831, on a farm
in Oakland county; in 1852 he removed to Livingston county, where he took
up a tract of government land. Peter Bush died in Michigan in 1872, and
his wife, who was a native of Vermont, died in February, 1901.
Newton W. Bush was torn at Milford, Oakland county, Michigan, in
1845. He received his education in the public schools, and in 1865. when
he was twenty years old, he organized at Corunna. Michigan, a company of
soldiers for enlistment in the Civil war. He was elected first lieutenant, and
the company was sent to Cincinnati to join General Broadhurst's Michigan
cavalry, but before they saw active service the war was over. On his return
home Mr. Bush took up the study of law at St. Johns with J. O. Selden. a
brother of Judge Selden, of New York. In 1874 he was admitted to practice
by the supreme court of the state, and he opened his first office in Hubbards-
ton, Ionia county, where he remained for five years, and then went to Mecosta
in Mecosta county and continued his practice till 1889. He early became promi-
nent in Republican politics, and at both these towns was elected to various
offices, such as justice of the peace, city clerk, city attorney, etc. In [889 Mr.
Bush came to Aberdeen, and this has since been the seat of his interests and his
constantly growing practice. He had been here but a short time when he
was admitted to practice in the supreme court as well as the L'nited States
district and circuit courts. Two years after he took up his residence here
he was elected by the Republicans of the county to represent them in the
legislature in 1892-93, and he served again in 1900-01. Mr. P>ush was the
first city attorney of Aberdeen upon its organization under the present charter
in 1890.
In 1866 Mr. Bush was married at St. Johns, Michigan, to Miss Louisa
M. Kniffen. Their elder son is Professor Albert W. Bush, principal of the
schools at South Bend. Washington; and the other is Floyd M.. purser for
the Alaska Steamship Company. Mr. Bush is a Royal Arch Mason, a mem
ber of the Odd Fellows, and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. On
their removal to Washington Mrs. Bush became interested in the Degree
of Honor, the woman's auxiliary of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
and she was rapidly promoted; from chief of the local lodge at Aberdeen she
passed different official positions in the state jurisdiction to grand chief of
honor, and now she is superior chief of honor of the Superior Lodge of
Honor of the United States, quite a distinction for a woman from the far
west.
WILLIAM C. BUTLER.
William C. Butler is the president of the Firsl National Bank of Everett
and the general manager of the Pugct Sound Reduction Company, lie has
been connected with the latter enterprise since its inception. It was incor-
porated in 1892, and the business has grown to mammoth proportions. The
smelter is one of the industries which gave rise to the city of Everett, and
358 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Butler came here when it was established at this point. It was started
in a small way. but the business has constantly grown until employment is
now furnished to two hundred men. They handle ore which comes to them
from thousands of miles in all directions, from Alaska to M ind from
many intermediate points along the coast. The local business is also steaclilj
growing, and the plant is a very complete one, equipped with the latest im
and capable of handling seven thousand tons of ore each month.
The First National Bank of which Mr. Butler is the president is the
eldest hank in the city. It nbination of the "1,1 First National Hank
and the Everett National Bank, and with the latter Mr. Butlei was identified
prior to the consolidation. He thoroughly understands the banking business,
and under his capable control the institution lias won a very creditable posi
tion in banking cir< with him in the enterpri i
are men of business capacity and financial strength, and the First National
Bank received the unqualified endorsement and confidence of the public.
In connection with the bus the Puget Sound Reduction C
pany considerable building h carried on in Everett. At the time of the
blishment of the smelter here a large number of residi cted
for the men employed in connection with the plant, and as the business has
wn more homes have keen built, and still more are being erected in that
vicinity. The work carried on in the smelter is that of extracting the metal
from the ore — gold, silver, copper and lead being thus transformed into
marketable products. The buildings of the company cover about twelve
acres.
Mr. Butler is als^ interested in timber lands and logging to a considerable
extent and was lizers of the Norman Logging Company and
also of the Lime & Lumber Company. He belongs to the ' hamber of Com-
merce and is pre-eminently a business man. alert, enterprising, far-sighted
and energetic, and his ability in the control of varied and important interests
has not only led to his own success but has been a force for the upbujlding
and improvement of this section of the state.
DAVID E. BARTRUFF.
No history of Whatcom county would be complete without extended
mention of David E. Bartruff, for to no other man does the county owe so
large a debt of gratitude as to Mr. Bartruff. He erected the first house in the
county, has been the promoter of a number of its business enterprises and
public improvements, and is now the proprietor of the Washington Hotel, a
splendid hostelry which would be a credit to a city of much greater size than
the county seat. While he has prospered in his undertakings, becoming one
of the substantial citizens of this section of the state, his labors have also
proved of marked benefit to the community, and we take pleasure in present-
ing his life record to our readers.
Mr. Bartruff is a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, born on the
26th of February, 1855. His parents. John A. and Sarah (Rover) Bartruff,
were also natives of the Keystone state, and were representatives of old
families whose ancestry can lie traced back through three hundred years.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 35'J
John A. Bartruff was a farmer by occupation, and died in 1896, at the age of
seventy-six years. In the family were five suns and four daughters : David ;
Hiram, who was the eldest and is now deceased; John, who is now forty-
nine years of age; Alfred, who has also passed away; Edward, thirty-five
years of age; Katie, the wife of J. A. McBride, of Whatcom; Sarah, the wife
of Washington Fritz, of Pennsylvania; Ida, who is also living in that state;
and Minnie, the widow of George Young.
David E. Bartruff spent his boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer
lads. He attended the public schools through the winter months and in the
summer seasons assisted in the labors of the farm. At the age of sixteen he
permanently left school in order to learn the carpenter's trade, which he fol-
lowed for two years, and then he determined to try his fortune in some of
the western states, believing that he would have better opportunity in the
new and rapidly growing districts of the country. He spent one year in Can-
ton, Ohio, and the next in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and in 1876 went to De Kail)
county, Illinois, remaining for about two years in that state. He also re-
turned to his native state in the centennial year, in order to visit the expo-
sition in Philadelphia. In 1877 ne located in Clay Center, Kansas, and, as in
the other states, he there followed his trade, and also began contracting.
For five years he remained in the Sunflower state. He went to Abilene,
Dickinson county, in 1878, spending three years there, during which time
he was recognized as one of its leading contractors and builders, employing
on an average twenty men. In the spring of 1880 he visited San Francisco.
California, and intended to locate permanently on the coast. He had thought
to settle in Washington, but, changing his plans, he returned to Kansas, where
he remained through the succeeding year. He next went to Deming, New
Mexico, where he was in the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad Company for
four months, after which he made his way to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where
he did a general contracting business for a year.
In 1883 Mr. Bartruff went to Denver, Colorado, and in August of tin-
same year came to the northwest, settling in Fairhaven, but while on his way
here he stopped at Seattle and purchased the lumber and other necessary
materials with which to build his first house in Whatcom county. His first
work in this county was getting out the timbers for the Knox & M usher
mill in Fairhaven, after which he began general contracting and building.
and was soon known as one of the leading contractors of this portion of
the state — a position which he has since occupied. His patronage has been
extensive, and it is said that he has paid out greater sums in wages than
any other man in the county. In 1885 he purchased a ranch near I'ort lUllin-
ham and planted one of the finest fruit orchards in the county. Soon it
began to bear, and is to-day one of the finest orchards of the northwest. In
this way he has demonstrated the possibilities of the country as a fruit-pro-
ducing district, and many have since profitably followed his lead in this re
spect. Many of the finest residences in Whatcom and the surrounding dis
tricts stand as monuments to his enterprise and his skill in the builder's art.
and yet his efforts have not been confined to the two lines of business already
mentioned. He has made judicious investments, and now owns consider-
able property in Whatcom county, all improved. In 1896 he purchased on
360 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
k street, between Maple and Chestnut streets, several lots, on which he
ted the Washington Hotel, at first a i m house, but to this he has
added from time to time until the addition made in [903 enlarged il 1
hostelrj of ninety rooms, the last addition being an annex. Mr. Bartrofl
conducts a splendid family and commercial hotel. He personally superin
tends the purcha plies, and on the table are found all the luxuries
which the market affords. The sleeping rooms, th< npli room,
and parlors are all well ventilated, well lighted and tastefully and con
veniently furnis! the Washington Hotel 1- a mo ible institu
tic 'ii of Whatcom.
Mr. Bartruff has been twice married. < >n the 17th of September, [891,
he wedded Mi^- Mazie E. Kolp, a daughter of Martin and Mary Kolp
She was born in Pennsylvania, and died September 12, [899, leaving a
daughter, Ruth, who is now nine yi I or his second wife Mr.
Bartruff clu Maud Lowe, a native of New York, the wedding being
ebrated in November, [902. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bartruff hold membi
ship in the Presbyterian church, and he belongs to the Improved Order of
Red Men. while politically he is a Republican. Thirteen times he has
the continent on business or pleasure, and thus ha- gained much
knowledge of his native land. He is a typical western business man. alerl
to grasp opportunities, quick to take advantage of possibilities, reliable,
persevering and determined. He 1 advantage of thi
■ his fellow-men in his business career, but has labored along Ii
which have promoted his individual success and have also advanced the
ral pn sperity of the community.
LOUIS FOSS.
Among the capitalists of the northwest whose judicious investments in
property and whose successful control of commercial interests ha e brou jhl
them a gratifying measure of success, is Louis Foss, now residing in Ana-
cortes. He is a native of the land of the midnight sun. and to no country
is the Unit© : more greatly indebted for a valuable citizenship than to
Norway. Her sons who have come to the new world have ever been law-
abiding citizens, industrious and progressive, and in the opportunities of the
new world they have achieved success that adds to the general prosperity of
their adopted land. Mr. Foss was born in Bergen. Norway, on the 10th of
April. 1849, a son ot' Mathias and Andria (Anderson) Foss, who were also
natives of Norway. The father was a farmer by occupation, and died in his
native country in 1876. when seventy-seven years of age, while his wife, sur-
viving him until 1900, passed away at the very advanced age of one hundred
years. Louis Foss had four brothers and five sisters, as follows: Anders,
who died at the age of twenty-four years; Andrias, who died in infancy;
Edias, who died at the age of five; Larine and Rakil, daughters, who passed
away at the age of two years ; Louise, the widow of Simon Knutson and a
resident of Fosston. Minnesota: Rakil, Larine and Andrias, who are living
in Norway.
"the N£W"y?5rk~ I
PUBLIC LIBRARY
T1LDF I
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 361
Louis Foss is the youngest member of the family. He was educated in
the public schools of his native city and in the academy at Vossevangen, Nor-
way, where he spent three years, being graduated in 1868 with high honors,
ranking third in his class. After bis graduation be engaged in teaching school
for two years, and then, with a desire to try his fortune in the new world,
he bade adieu to friends and native land, and in July, 1870, came to the
United States. He settled first at Red Wing, Minnesota, and after working
as a farm hand in the locality for a short time he went to Eau Claire, Wis-
consin, being employed in the lumber business at scaling logs. He there re-
mained until 1874, when he went to the Black Hills, during the first gold
excitement. He operated there until 1876, and then returning to Minnesota
be engaged in merchandising at Zumbrota, in connection with H. H. Palmer,
continuing in the business until 1881. In that year be removed to Pelican
Rapids, Minnesota, where be carried on merchandising until 1883, when,
disposing of his interests there, he established himself in business at Fosston,
Polk county, Minnesota. He was quite successful in his mercantile ventures
until selling out in 1887 with the intention of coming to the northwest.
Arriving in Tacoma, Mr. Foss began operating in real estate, and also
conducted mercantile interests at Buckley and. Mount Vernon. Appreciative
of business opportunities and quick to recwgnize these, he extended his efforts
into other lines of activity with excelleirt:- results. • From 1888 until 1892 he
conducted one of the largest real estate businesses in Tacoma. In 1892 he was
one of the organizers of the Scandinavian American Bank, now the Lumber-
man's National Bank, at Tacoma, and served, as- avdirector until 181)5. m
that year he removed to Mount Vernon and took charge of the mercantile
interests which he had established in [891, there residing until 1900, when he
disposed of his store and removed to Anacortes. Here he also carried on
merchandising until the fall of 1902, when he again sold his store, and is
now giving his attention to the supervision of his property interests. Since
coming to the Sound country he has invested extensively in property in
Tacoma, Seattle, Anacortes and other places. He has extensive mining
interests in the Slate Creek country, to which he is now devoting his atten-
tion, and the development of the mines is returning a good financial reward
to the owners.
In July, 1877, in Zumbrota, Minnesota, Mr. Fuss was married to Miss
Minnie Magne, a native of Sweden, and a daughter of John and Mari Magne,
also born in the same country. Mr. and Mrs. Foss became the parents of
six children: Marie, the wife of Dr. C. Ouevli, of Tacoma: Elmer, who died
at the age of twenty-one years ; Lottie, who is attending Whitworth College
in Tacoma: Laura, who died in 1890, at the age of three years; Ruth and
Lois, aged eleven and nine years.
In his political views Mr. Foss is an independent, his study of the polil
ical issues and questions of the day leading him to believe that an independenl
platform contains the best elements of good government. He has taken a
very active interest in the work of the party, both local and state, and since
coming to Washington he has served as a delegate to each state convention
with one exception. In 1802 he was elected to represent his district in the
state senate for a term of four years, and served until 1897, proving an active
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
working member of the upper house. Attracted to the northwesl with its
natural i opportunities, Mr. Foss has for sixteen
years made his home in 1 1 1 i — portion of the country, and his labors have been
felt romotion of commercial and industrial activity. He
possesses judgment that in business matters is rarely, if ever, .it fault, and Ins
investmi that he is now numbered among the
capitalists of \\ n — a man whose life work is an honor alike to the
land of his birth and the land of his adoption.
ORGE E. BIRGE
one of the important industries of the state
of Washington, that "i" converting the vast timber growth into lumber, and
he ■ i in - from an old and 'lis
tinguished famil) ; "ii his paternal side he traces his ancestry back to the
nobility, with its own i id with a line of antecedents going
back many centuries; on the maternal side a member of the family who
was of French stock wa the Pilgrim Fathers who landed from the
Mayflower. His gr dfather, John Birge, performed a valiant pari
in the war of the Revolution. Hi- grandfather, John B. Birge, was a native
of the state of New Y'>rk. and his son, Josiah B. Birge, the fathei
George F... was also born in that state, later renv Vppleton, V\
sin, where he became engaged in the manufacture of farm implements;
late in life lie went to I from active work, and died in
is..- sixty-nine years. He was a member of the Methodist church
and a very worthy citizen. He had married Alvina Paine, a lady of French
ancestry, whose people were early settler- of Wisconsin. They became the
parents of a son and a 'laughter: the latter is now Mrs. Minnie B. Sawyer,
of San Jose, California: and the son is the subject of this sketch.
rye 1". Birge was born in Horicon, Dodge county, Wisconsin, De-
cember 30, [855; he was reared and educated in that state, graduated from
the high school in 1875, ana" t(,r ten >'ears engaged in hanking in Clay
tenter. Nebraska. He became interested in the lumber business, and in
iN.jo came tralia, Washington, for the purpose of manufacturing
lumber; since that time he has manufactured lumber and shingles, and lias
been a w hi ilesale dealer in these products. He is interested in the following
companies: the Porter Shingle Mill, with a capacity of sixty thousand per
day; Wanch Brothers sawmill, capacity twenty thousand feet a day; the
Goodwin mill, which has a daily output of fifteen thousand feet; he also
sells lumber for a dozen different mills, and is a stockholder in the State
Bank of Centralia.
Mr. Birge takes considerable interest in politics, and has been three
times elected on the Republican ticket to the office of mayor of Centralia.
For the past fi air years he has been commander of the order of the Knights
of Pythias: he has passed the chairs in both branches of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and while in Nebraska represented his lodge in the
grand lodge; he also holds membership with the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. In 1882 Mr. Birge was married to Miss Lizzie B. Thurber, a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY 303
native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Thomas H. Thurber, whose
Scotch ancestors were early settlers in this country. One daughter, Mable,
was horn to them, and they have also an adopted son, Lorenzo.
ALMON CLYDE BLAKE.
On the business register of Whatcom appears the name of Almon
* lyde Blake, for he has become well known in commercial circles here, and
his mercantile ventures have been attended with success until now, as a
member of the firm of Munro, Blake & Haskill. he is controlling a business
of importance.
Mr. Blake was born in Tuscola, Illinois, on the 2d of January, 1867,
a --on of Austin and Nina (Brooks) Blake. The father was born in Ohio,
and the mother was a native of Illinois. She died in 1S68, during the early
infancy of our subject, and the father afterward married again. There
were also children of the second union, and of these there are the following:
Elwood L., John Edwin, Eugene Austin, Maud and Inez. Eugene A. is
now the foreman of the steam fitting department of the hardware house of
Munro, Blake & Haskill. The father is a miller, and through the greater
part of his life has engaged in the manufacture of flour. He is now living
in Springdale, Arkansas.
During his early childhood Almon C. Blake was taken to Kansas,
where he was reared and educated, attending school in Coffeyville and in
Oxford, that state, until sixteen years of age. For a short time he engaged
in teaching in a country school, and then accepted the position of book-
keeper for the firm of Davis & Glass, at Coffeyville, where he remained for
a year. During the time he was in school he had assisted his father in the
mill in the early morning and evening hours and on Saturday, so that his
life has always "been one of industry and activity. In 1886 he entered the
service of the Adams Express Company, as a messenger hetween Coffey-
ville and Sherryville, Kansas, and was afterward cashier for the same com-
pany at Wichita, until i88q. In that year he became a fireman on the yard
locomotive of the Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company, and was asso-
ciated with the railroad service until 1892, when on account of his health
he gave up bis position and became a bookkeeper in a hardware store at
Baxter Springs, Kansas, where he remained until 1895.
On the 22d of April of that year Mr. Blake became a resident of What-
com, where he has since made his home. Here he began working for the
Bellingham Bay Iron Company in the mill as an oiler, and later he was
made night engineer at the electric light plant. In 1896 he entered into
partnership with Lewis Mayhew in a plumbing business under the firm name
of Mayhew & Blake, and was thus associated until August, 1897, when he
formed his present connection with Messrs. Munro and Haskill under the
firm style of Munro, Blake & Haskill. Their store is situated at the corner
of Elk and Chestnut streets, and they do a general plumbing business, also
carry a complete stock of shelf and heavy hardware, building materials and
furnaces. They install also steam and hot water heating plants, and do
sheet metal work, making a specialty of cornices. In the various depart-
364 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ments they have built up a large business, and have considerable capital
invested in their extensive stock. Their store is well equipped and their
patronagi istantly increasing.
Mr. Blake was married "it the 3d "l" June. [891, the lady of his choice
being Miss Mar) lane Nicholson, a native of Ohio and a daughter of
\\ . ( ). and Melinda Nicholson, who are residents of Whatcom. To Mr.
and Mrs. Blake have been born two children. Helen Alma, eleven years of
age: and George, a little lad of four summers. Mr. Blake votes with the
Republican party and strongly endorses its principles, lie belongs to the
Masonic fraternity, and also ha- membership relations with the \\ Imen
of the \\"rld and the Knights of the Maccabees. Widely and favorably
known in Whatcom, where he has now made his home for eighl years, he
well d< representation in this volume, and it is with pleasure we
present t^ our readers the record of one whose enterprise and diligence have
Med him {<> overcome all obstacles in his path and gain for himself a
creditable position in the business world.
HENRY MALLORY.
Henry Mallory, president and manager of the Eas1 Side Lumber Com
pany, of Olympia, was born in Canada, on the 17th of May. [860; on the
maternal side his ancestors were Irish and French, Ins French forebears
settling in Canada about a century and a half ago; on the paternal side
he is Irish and Dutch. Mr. Mallory was educated in Canada and learned
the carriage-maker's trade, engaging in the pursuit in ( Intario, about one
hundred miles east of Toronto, until the year [886, when he came to
Olympia. He was not long in the United States when he took out natural-
ization papers, and has since been as devoted a citizen of this country as if
he had been horn here.
Hi- first employment was found in a sash and door factory in Olympia,
making frames at two dollars and fifty cents a day. When the company
was incorporated he took stock in it. and then at the separation of the
interests the sawmill came into the hands of Mr. Mallory and Mr. Allen,
and later Mr. Mallory sold his interest to the latter. The Olympia Door
& Lumher Company again purchased the mill, and Mr. Mallory hecame a
stockholder; later, in 1901, he was made vice president and secretary of
the company. And when, in May, 1902, the sawmill was separated, Mr.
Mallory became owner of most of the stock and president and manager of
the company. When the mill was first built in 1896 its capacity was two
thousand feet of lumber a day, but it now produces forty thousand feet a
day and employs about thirty-five men. The lumber is shipped to Alaska,
Manila, and to all parts of the United States.
Mr. Mallory was happily married on May 1, 1890, to Mary Cowley, a
native of New Brunswick. Canada, and a daughter of James Cowdey, now
of Olvmpia. Their one child is named Ernest Reuben. Since making
Olympia his home Mr. Mallory has been very much interested in its growth
and progress, and has built several residences, in one of which he resides.
In politics he is a Republican and is a member of the Woodmen of the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 365
World. His close attention to business is the secret of his well-earned
success.
WILLIAM B. ALLEN.
William P>. Allen, a well known lumberman of Tacoma, was hum in
Cook county, Illinois, near Chicago, in 1854. His father, Jesse M. /Mien,
was a native of Vermont and in 1835 emigrated westward to Chicago,
which was then a little village, standing in the midst of a swampy district.
In Cook county he began farming, and as the years passed he prospered and
became wealthy and prominent, being well known in the comity and in the
city of Chicago. In 1870 he was elected treasurer of Cook county on the
Republican ticket, and served for four years. Some years ago he retired
from active life, and is now living in Tacoma with his wife, to whom he was
married in early manhood. She bore the maiden name of Veronica Dibb,
and was born in England, but when sixteen years of age crossed the Atlantic
to the United States.
Having attended the public schools of his native county, William B,
Allen then entered the Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois, and
in [875, when twenty-one years nf age, he entered upon his business career
as a clerk in the office of the treasurer of Cook county, where he remained
for eight vears, during which time he filled a number of important positions.
In [883, upon the advice of John Walsh, a friend of the family and the
publisher of the Chicago Herald, he came to the west and located at
Chehalis, Washington, where he became a partner in the bank of Coffman
& Allen, taking the place of his brother, who had just died. After remain
ing there for about year he recognized the great possibilities in store For
the future of Tacoma and removed to this city, where he has resided con-
tinuously since, engaged in the fir and cedar trade. His business is confined
almost exclusively to getting out and furnishing to railroad, telegraph and
telephone companies cedar and fir telegraph, telephone and electric-wire
poles. He has a number of men in his employ and takes large contracts,
being the most prominent man in this htisincss on the coast. In this section
of the United States a great development is in progress in the line of utiliz-
ing water power for the development of electricity to operate industrial
establishments and electric railroads, and Mr. Allen's husiness is receiving
a great impetus because of this.
[n Chehalis, in 1888, Mr. Allen was married to Miss Florence Long, a
daughter of the Hon. J. H. Long, now deceased, who was ;, state senator
and a prominent man in Lewis county. Mr. and Mrs. Allen now have four
children. John Mills, Deborah. Joseph McC, and Elizabeth. The family
reside at 419 North J street, in the home where Mr. Allen and his wife
began keeping house on their removal to Tacoma. and his office is at 512
California building. He is a prominent Republican, doing all in his powei
to promote the growth and insure the success of his party, and was once
his party's nominee for mayor, hut in that year the entire Republican ticket
was defeated. He was one of the charter members of the Chamber of Com
merce of Tacoma, and is a Mason, his loyalty to the craft and its tenet
making him one of its exemplary representatives.
366 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
MATT II. GORMLEY.
New countries naturally abound in young nun. as only the strong and
vigorous can ui labors incident to discovery and settlement. For
.similar reasi ancement is made in the various arts constituting
civilization, and civil government takes shape, young i ipl to be found
at the forefront in pi ;itions of responsibility and trust ; ■ northwest,
which has been bounding forward so rapidly during the last few decades, is
filled with ambitious spirits who have gone there in youth or early manhood
to "grow up with the country." The Spanish war. owing to its diversion
to the islands in the distant Pacific, furnished an advantageous opportunit)
tn the adventurous spirits of the coast states, and incidentally a greal >tim
ulus to their commerce. It was natural, therefore, that whi e ol
war was transferred to the Philippines and a call was made for a large num
ber of i to those distant possessions thai there should be an eager
desin among the ambitious young men of the northwest. \m
those who volunteered promptly, went to the fronl and saw arduous servici
amid the swamps and rice fields of the land of the Tagalogs, was the gentle
man whose name beads this sketch, and his title of captain was earned as the
result nf gallanl service in the field. But nut -imply in military matters hut
in civil life as well. Captain Gormley has shown himseli to be a fit as •■• die
.if tlmse progressive young men whose combined efforts have brought the
northwest so prominently to the front.
Henry Gormley, who was a native of New York, came as a young man
td Walworth county, Wisconsin, where he followed the business of contract-
ing and building. Being attracted by the accounts heard of the Puget Sound
country, he determined to try his fortunes in that section, and in 1K7K came
to Seattle, where he resumed his old occupation as a contractor. While
residing in Wisconsin he had married Orra McGraw, by whom he had three
children, and one of the two of these now living is the gentleman with whose
life this memoir is especially concerned.
Matt 11. Gormley was born at Delavan. Wisconsin, March 18, 1867,
and was consequently about eleven years old when his father brought him
tn Seattle. He was given a good education in the public schools and at the
state university, where he received the degree of B. S., in the class of [886.
After leaving college Mr. Ciormley engaged with his father in the business
of contracting and building, and was so employed until appointed deputy
sheriff, in which office he served during the period from 1890 to 1892. and
then, after a short time in the county treasurer's office, he returned to build-
ing. In the same year of his graduation Mr. Gormley had joined the state
militia, and when the call came for troops to fight against Spain the regiment
to which he belonged was accepted in its entirety, and by the reorganization
for the federal service he became first lieutenant of Company B. The com-
mand was sent to the Presidio, where it was drilled and disciplined for six
months, and then sent to the Philippine islands for what proved to be a long
continued and arduous service. Lieutenant Gormley took part with his
regiment in much hard marching throughout the quagmires of Luzon and
adjacent islands, and was engaged in innumerable skirmishes with the elusive
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 367
Tagalogs, besides the more serious fights at Santa Ana, Guadaloupe, Pasig,
Cainta, Taytay, Morong, and Colamba. The captain of Company B having
been killed at Pasig, Lieutenant Gormley succeeded him in command, and
from that time on was ranked as captain. At the expiration of their term
of enlistment this gallant regiment was returned to San Francisco and mus-
tered out, and the individual members, after the American style of doing
these things, all speedily returned to their places in the walks of civil life.
With reputation increased by his patriotic service in the distant orient Cap-
tain Gormley quietly resumed his old duties at Seattle, but was not long
allowed to remain in private life by his admiring fellow-citizens. He lust
came to the city treasurer's office as clerk for Judge Foote. and after the
election of S. F. Rathbun in the following spring he was appointed chief
deputy under the new incumbent. He served in this position until [902,
when, at the spring election of that year, he himself was chosen city treasurer
and in due time installed in the office. Captain Gormley is a good business
man by natural inclination and training, and has completelv mastered all the
details of the treasurer's office during his connection therewith. There is
no part of the work, however small, which he is not able to do, and which
at some time he has not done, and he takes the main responsibility himself,
leaving only the routine matters for subordinates' attention. The result of
all this has been a steady increase in the business of the office, and such
accuracy in the accounting and scrupulous care over the public revenues a-
to elicit general praise for the treasurer from his constituency.
Captain Gormley has long been one of the active young leaders in poli-
tics on the Republican side, and is usually found as a delegate in the various
party conventions. His fraternal connections are confined to membership
in the Royal Arcanum. Like most game spirits he is fond of all sorts of
outdoor sports and exercise, especially hunting and fishing, in which lines
he is an ardent devotee. He is fond of the study of ornithology, and, in
connection with his friend, Samuel Rathbun, has given much time to this
interesting science made so popular in America by the great Audubon. In
1892 Captain Gormley was united in marriage at Seattle with Miss Ida
Schonmyer, and they have three bright and promising children, whose names
are Lawrence, Rowena. and Jack.
EDWARD CUDIHEE.
Edward Cudihee, of Seattle, is an honored citizen in whom the people
have manifested their confidence by electing him t < > the position of sheriff of
King county. He is now discharging the duties of that office with marked
promptness and fidelity, and with such men at the head of public affairs a
community may feel assured that its interests will be administered with the
strictest honesty and after the most approved business method-,.
A native of the Empire state. .Mr. Cudihee was born in Rochester on
the 26th of January, 1853. and is of Irish ancestry. His father. Daniel
Cudihee. was born in the town of Calkin, county of Kilkenny. Ireland, lint
in 1826, when eighteen years of age, he emigrated to America, taking up
his abode in Rochester, New York. In that city he was married to Mis^
368 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Anna Comeford, ti > of the Emerald tsle. Dunn- the early years
• if his life Mr. Cudihee Followed the stonemason's trade, but later became
a farmer, and is now living in quiel retirement at his home in Jackson,
Michigan. His wife was called to her final rest in [900, al the age oi
enty four. This worthy couple became the parents oi ten children, six
of whom arc now living, and one son, J dihee, has recently removed
from Seattle to Alaska.
Edward Cudihee received his education in the public schools of Orleans
county. New York, and in early life learned the stonemason's trade of his
father. After following that occupation for a time he turned hi- attention
ti. agricultural pursuits, and later embarked in the mercantile business. In
March. [889, he came to Seattle. Washington, and soon afterward bei inn
an active and valued member of the police force, lie discharged the duties
of that office without fear or favor, and was instrumental in ridding the
county of many of it- notorious law-breakers, hut at the same time he is a
kind-hearted man, and no prison 1 < has ever had to com-
plain of ill treatment. In the year [900 he was tin- choice -1 his part) for
the office of sheriff of King county, and. on the 6th of November following,
was elected to that position by a majority of two thousand six hundred and
five votes, running far ahead of his ticket, and only one other Democrat was
successful at that election. In the discharge of the duties of tin- important
office he has manifested the same loyal spirit which has characterized his
entire life, and he commands the respect of his fellow-men by his Sterling
worth. Prior to hi- removal to Seattle he was for six years a member of
the police force in Colorado, and for a portion of that time wa- also chief of
police, having keen elected to thai n by the vote of the people.
Mr. Cudihee is a member of the Bene olenl and Protective Order of
Elks and also of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, lie is a man of
-110,,- mentality, keen discernment, greal tact and resolute purpose, ami is
therefore well fitted for the position which he now so ably fills.
OTTO Ik K ORDER.
No better illustration of the characteristic energy and enterprise of the
typical German-American citizen can be found than that afforded by the
career of this well known business man of Tacoma. Coming to this country
with no capital except his abilities, he has made his way to success through
widely directed efforts, and he can now look hack with satisfaction upon
past struggles. Mr. Roeder was horn in Saxony, Germany, in 1852, being a
son of August and Emilie (Auerbach) Roeder. The father, who was also
born in Saxony, the ancestral home for many generations, held a government
position during the greater part of his active business career, and his death
occurred in his native place in 1892. His widow is still living in Saxony.
Otto B. Roeder received his education and learned the machinist's trade
in the fatherland. In 1871, when nineteen years of age, he came to the United
States, first locating in Baltimore, but a few weeks later continued the west-
ward journey to Chicago, Illinois, arriying there only a few weeks after the
great fire, the city yet being a mass of ruins through the burned district.
THE NEW YORK
(PUBLIC LIBRARY]
I AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATroMsj
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 309
He soon secured employment as a machinist, and by earnest and persistent
labor succeeded in saving a considerable sum of money, which, in company
with his brother-in-law, George Rossman, he invested in a planing mill and
furniture manufactory west of the river, near Halstead street, in the south-
west manufacturing district. Within six months time this enterprising linn
had fifty men in their employ, and the business later grew to even more ex-
tensive proportions. Their well directed efforts were truly rewarded with
success, for they started in business with a capital of four thousand dollars,
and at the close of their relations in that city, in 1887, their capital consisted
of forty thousand dollars. Foreseeing the wonderful possibilities of the Puget
Sound country these gentlemen decided to dispose of their Chicago plant and
establish a similar industry in Tacoma. which they did in 1887, operations be-
ing resumed under the firm name of Rossman & Roeder. They were the
pioneers in the manufacturing industry in this city and deserve great credit
for being among the first to start the rolling of the ball of prosperity in a
financial way, while another creditable feature accorded them is that they
invested their own money in a manufacturing plant, asking or receiving no
bonus or other inducement. The Rossman. .&. Roeder planing mill continued
in successful operation for two years,, (luring .which they employed a large
force of workmen and weekly paid Out' large sums of money, but on the ex-
piration of that period the plant was destroyed by fire, thus entailing a heavy
loss upon the owners. Deciding to, abandon the manufacturing industry,
Mr. Roeder then embarked in the real -estate business, in which he has ever
since continued, but during the terrible financial panic of 1893 he again suf-
fered heavy losses. However, despite all the difficulties and obstacles which
have strewn his pathway he has steadily climbed to the height of prosperity,
and is now accorded a leading place among the representative business men
of Tacoma, where he is extensively engaged in the real estate and loan busi-
ness and is also largely interested in very promising gold mines in this state.
The marriage of Mr. Roeder was celebrated in Chicago, Illinois, in
1884. when Miss Minnie Rathsack became bis wife, and they have become
the parents of four children. The family residence is at No. 1414 South 1
street. Such is the biography of one of the most successful men of Tacoma.
He has carved his way to a position of affluence alone and unaided, by con-
stant application and hard work, and throughout all his eventful career he has
so deported himself that as a citizen and business man no gentleman has a
cleaner record or is more highly respected than he. He is a member of the
Tacoma Chamber of Commerce.
SAMUEL C. CALDERHEAD.
It is always interesting to take up the life of one who has been devoted
to public affairs whether in those affecting the greater division- of the
country or those of the township or county. The ever mcreasing importance
of America as a center for commercial power, and of late years as a world
empire, must cause every true citizen of our republic to assume a proper
share of the duties incumbent upon public-spirited citizenship. Mr. Calder-
24
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
head, oi Seattle, has not only a record of a life spent in honorable activity
in private affair-, but has devoted time and service to the public mailers of
his county and -late.
Mr. Calderhead has id ancestry, which is a good beginning for
anyone and has much to do with the future of the individual. His grand
father Alexander was a native of Scotland and a ministei of the Presb)
terian church. He was induce.' - the wal Vmerica, and settled
in Belmont county, < )hi<>, where he spenl the remainder of his days and took
up a homestead. In this state Ebenezer I!. was born, and he followed in the
his father and made the ministry his calling in life. He ha
record of fifty years spent in this capacity, and twentj five ol these were
with on ' -till living, at the advanced age of ninety
years, with the • life remarkably free from the blots of human weak
Hi- wife was Martha Boyd Wallace, who was also of Scotch origin;
-he died in her forty-sixth year.
Samuel was one of eleven children and was born in
Ohio in [856. After a period passed in the public schools he attended
inklin College, 1 nt at tin E sixteen set out on his own account to
battle with the world. He 1 took up railroad work as a settled occupa-
tion, and was an operator and station agent for a number • I years in Kansas
with the Kansas City. Fort Scott and Gulf, and later with the Missouri
Pacific. But hi had been turned for some time to the Puget Sound
country, and in 1880 he came to Walla Walla ami for seven years was in
the employ of the railroad there and in the vicinity. The year iXX- is tin-
date of his coming to Seattle, where for four years he held the position of
secretary for the Seattle Terminal Railway and Elevator Company, and then
with the Great Northern in different capacities. Later he was nominated
by his party, the Democratic, to the office of mayor of the city, and made
the race against Mayor Hume- in 1898. His ability as a husiness manager
was recognized in his appointment to receiver of the Guarantee Loan and
Tru: nk. He gave his exclusive attention to the matters con-
nected with this business until they were all adjusted in the early part of
1902. In 1900 he received the unanimous nomination for county treasurer,
but. though he ran eighteen hundred votes ahead of the support accorded
to the presidential candidate, Bryan, and carried the city, the Repuhlican
majority in the county was too great to overcome. He has always been
interested in the success of the Democratic party, and with the exception of
the year 1896 has attended every city, county and state convention since
he came here.
Mr. Calderhead is active in the fraternal organizations. He holds sev-
eral of the lower degrees of Masonry and belongs to the Seattle Command-
ery Xo. 2, of the Knights Templar. He is a member of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks, the Seattle Camp No. 69 of the Woodmen
of the World, and is past consul ; and of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. Mr. Calderhead was married in Walla Walla, June 27, 1886,
to Mrs. Haselton. and they have two children. Gem O. and Samuel J. The
residence in which the family reside was erected in 189 1. and is a home of
much taste and refinement.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 371
HARRY A. HAWKINS.
One of the young men of Lewis county who is meeting with good
success in various lines of endeavor and is at present owner and operator of
a large sawmill, is Harry A. Hawkins. The Hawkins Brothers Sawmill
Company has their plant located ten miles south of Chehalis; the mill has
a daily capacity of twenty-five thousand feet of lumber, and they are pre-
pared to get out bills for lumber of any dimensions, most of the product
going to Iowa and Colorado. There is a small grocery store in the office,
from which the twenty or twenty-five employes of the company are furnished
their daily supplies.
Mr. Hawkins' Scotch-Irish ancestors were early settlers of the United
States, and his grandfather was one of the pioneer farmers of Indiana, In
that state James Hawkins, the father of our subject, was born, and also
followed farming. He married Amanda Wymore, who was born in Iowa.
They were of the Baptist faith, and he is now deceased, but his wife is a
resident of Washington and makes her home with her sons.
Harry A. Hawkins was born in the state of Iowa, July 29, 1870. He
came west to this state when he was only thirteen years old and received
most of his education in this county. He followed farming as an occupa-
tion, and in tune became the owner of two hundred and thirty-five acres of
land, situated at Ethel ; this he brought under a fine state of cultivation and
built a nice residence and commodious farm buildings. He still owns this
property, and it returns him a good income, besides his mill. Mr. Hawkins
first began milling in 1899; be purchased a small ten-horsepower engine
and a new mill with a capacity of seven thousand feet per day, and with this
he sawed plank for county roads. The enterprise proving profitable, be
decided to prosecute it more vigorously, and accordingly increased the capac-
ity until he erected the present plant.
In 1892 Mr. Hawkins was happily married to Miss Joanna Philips, a
native of Tennessee and daughter of Rev. J. Philips, a Baptist minister.
Seven children have come into the home, three sons and four daughters, all
born in Lewis county, as follows: Lena May, Nellie, Bessie Ann. James
Archie. Maggie, Robert, and Harry Edgar. The religious faith of this
worthy family is Baptist: Mr. Hawkins is a Republican, and is a member
of the social orders of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Woodmen of
the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
JOHN T. NEWLAND.
One of the citizens of whom Lewi^ county has especial reason to be
proud is Captain John T. Newland, who first gained title to distinction
above most men by his services as a soldier during the Civil war. later
became one of the' prominent agriculturists of the west, and was anion"
the first to adopt this country as their home, having been here for more than
a third of a century, and lie has also made a record as an efficient public
officer. The ancestrv of tin's gentleman is a mixture of Scotch-Irish and
German blood, and it is known that his grandfather, lino. 1.1 Newland, was
anion-? the first of those sturdy pioneers to cross the mountains and seek a
372 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
home in the fertile state of Kentucky. His son was born in Kentucky in
[799> an'' spent ''is life i" his native state as a farmer; for twenty years he
was in the office of justice of peace, and was a man of much rectitude of
character and eminent respectability. lie married a lady of Scotch ancestry,
Miss Katie Templctun. a member of the Presbyterian clinrch. while he was
a Methodist, lie lived to be seventy-six yeai ■<■. passing away in
[875, and his wife survived him about five years. Sewn sons and a daugh-
ter were born to them, but only four of the sons are living at the present
time. One of these, Thomas, is also a resident of the state of Washington.
John T. Xewland was born in the vicinity of Indianapolis, Indiana, in
[839, and received his early education in that city. Me was early initiated
into one of the principal industries of that thriving place and learned the
trade of brass moulder. Bui fate was nol to allow him to pursue a peaceful
way. for soon Fori Sumter was captured, and. when two days later President
Lincoln called for seventy-five thousand volunteers, he was one of the first
to respond, and enlisted in Company E, Eleventh Indiana Volunteers. He
was in the battles at Romney and Kelley's Island in Virginia, and at the
close of his three months' service he was discharged. But his fighting spirit
was nol yel satisfied, and he at once enlisted in Company I >. Seventy-ninth
Indiana Volunteers, of which he was made captain, and he led this through
all the war. lie was in the Army of the Cumberland, and was in the battle
at Perrysville, at Chattanooga, Stone River, and the thirty days' fighting up
to and including the capture of Atlanta. He was also in that glorious
charge up Missionary Ridge. Lookoul Mountain, and in the last engagement
at Nashville, being mustered out at this last named place on June 7, 1865.
He returned home with a brilliant record as an officer of the volunteer forces,
and he has ample reason to be proud of the fact that he is a surviving veteran
of the greatesl civil war of all ages. He remained in Indiana only a few
years after the war. and in 1868 came to Lewis county, Washington. He
took up a farm in the vicinity of Claquato, and after improving it sold, and
since that time he has bought and sold several farms in the county. He
has the honor of having managed the first store in Chehalis, for George H.
Hoge. and thus in another way is connected with the infant development
of the county.
In 1884 Captain Xewland built a commodious house in Chehalis, and
on the 4th of May of the same year he was united in marriage to Miss Edna
Browning, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her father was John T.
Browning and was a descendant of an old American family. They have
three sons, all born in Chehalis, who have been named George B., Herbert F.
and John T., Jr.
Captain Newland cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln while he
was in the army, and has been a stanch party man ever since. In 1870 he
was elected to the office of assessor of Lewis county, and the fact that he
was returned to the position three times is ample proof of his popularity in
the county and of his efficiency. He was afterward chosen sheriff, and
during his term law-breakers in Lewis county were rather scarce. His
career as soldier made him a prominent member of the Phil Kearney Post
No. 7, G. A. R., of which he is past commander, and he was a charter
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 373
member of the Tacoma Legion of Honor. He is also a Mason, and was
made a Master Mason in Chehalis Lodge No. 28, F. & A. M., and lias filled
all the offices in that lodge except that of worshipful master, which he
declined.
ROBERT SOMERVILLE.
The word "up-to-date," while on the borderland of American slang,
is very suggestive and represents to the mind a man who has the lively,
progressive ways which insure success in this country and is at the front in
every enterprise in which he takes a hand. There is no field in which
" up-to-date-ness " is more needed and better rewarded than farming. If
one will drive out on the road leading south from Centralia toward the
county seat of Lewis county, he will find, when a mile and a quarter from
the former place and two miles from Chehalis, a fine farm of four hundred
and fifty acres, conducted by a man who certainly deserves the above men-
tioned title. For Robert Somerville owns and runs a model farm, he be-
lieves in modern principles and takes advantage of the improved methods
and machinery which have revolutionized this industry within the last few
years. All kinds of products are raised on his fertile land, timothy and
clover hay, oats, barley, peas, and potatoes, he has a small dairy, and he also
raises thoroughbred shorthorn cattle, Norman, Percheron horses, Berkshire
hogs and the best strains of poultry; he believes that to raise a scrub animal
costs as much in every way as to raise one of high grade, and he accord-
ingly has nothing but the best stock. That his progressive methods have
brought him success goes without saying, for the American agriculturist
who farms his land on scientific principles cannot help but gain a full share
of the wealth which mother earth has in such bountiful store.
The Somerville family comes from Ireland. David Ashly and Mar-
garet E. (Watson) Somerville were both born there and became the parents
of seven children, of whom Robert was born on July 28, 1867. This large
family came to America in 1882; Mrs. Somerville had a brother who had
settled in Napa county, California, in 1852, and she and Robert, who was
then fifteen years old, visited him when they arrived in this country. Mrs.
Somerville returned again to Ireland, but Robert remained with his uncle
until 1885, when his mother and her children came to Lewis county, Wash-
ington. The father had died in 1884 and left his property to his wife.
When she came to this county she purchased four hundred and seventy-five
acres of land, but later sold half of it; they afterwards, however, again pur-
chased part of this back, and this makes the present fine tract of four hun-
dred and fifty acres which is the home place. Mrs. Somerville and her son
Robert are now managing this farm. She is a most estimable lady, of
refinement and education, and of good judgment, so that she is well fitted
to fill the place of her deceased husband and long faithful companion. There
are five of the daughters, and two are at home. Anna M. and Margaret E. ;
the latter is a teacher of music and an accomplished musician.
As Robert was born and remained for the first fifteen years of his life
in the south of Ireland, he received the larger part of his education there;
:;~1 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
he attended Queen's College, and after coming to this country took a course
in a busin< <■ in San Francisco. Bui at the death of his father he
was called at an early age to the responsible position of manager of the
family estate, and has found in this his life work. His politics arc Repub
lican, and he h; much interested in public matters, especiall) in
uring the improvement of the highways. The members of the family
are Episcopalians and arc much esteemed in the community.
WILLIAM A. AUSTIN.
The life record of William A. Austin is full of encouragement to those
who would win in life's race by adherence to straightforward rule-- of con
duct, although they must begin with the handicap of little pre] i for
the struggle, and without influential friends or the fictitious aid of wealth.
His career is a steady progress from the small to the great, from the time
when he entered the employ of the railroad with everything to gain and
nothing t" lose, until he was called to assume si die mosl responsible
positions in ilu- service, and is now in a lucrative business for himself. His
parents were Harley and Aurelia E. | Austin. The former was
horn in Virginia, hut came to Kentucky in the early days and in his old age
moved across the border to Madison. Indiana, where he died in 1901. I lis
wife was a native of Ohio and is still living in Madison.
The birth of William A. Austin occurred at Carrolton, Kentucky, in
[857, and when he was only fifteen years old he began making his own
living. J le went into the railroad business, and during his long service on
the various lines of the country he has held many important positions. His
first place was with the Pennsylvania road at Indianapolis as telegraph
operator. We next find him agent for the Missouri Pacific at Atchison,
Kansas, one of the most important stations on the road, and he held that
place for five years. He then became freight agent for the Burlington route
at Omaha, and was for a time chief clerk for George W. Holdredge, the
general manager of the company. Mr. Holdredge was so appreciative of'
Air. Austin's services that he gave the latter an unusually strong letter of
recommendation at the close of his service. After leaving Omaha Mr.
Austin came west and became general agent for the river lines of the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company at Lewiston, Idaho. He held this posi-
tion for four years, and was brought in close contact with the business men,
mine operators, ranchers and others over a territory of two hundred square
miles, and through this connection he became interested in gold and silver
mining. This led to his resigning his position, and in the beginning of 1901
he came to Tacoma and established the Tacoma Stock Exchange and Realty
Company at 912 C street, of which he is the sole proprietor.
This exchange buys and sells mining and oil stocks, mostly in com-
panies operating in the territory contiguous to Tacoma and on the Pacific
coast. The methods by which Air. Austin has conducted this business have
made it very successful, and his knowledge of mining properties and opera-
tions has also aided materially. When a prospective client asks him for
advice as to buying stock in any company, he speaks out plainly the facts
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 37.-
as they are known to him, and often large sales have been lost to him because
of his adverse opinions. And for the first six months this worked against
the growth of his business, but he has since been reaping the benefits of
these methods, for persons know they can depend on his judgment and
advice.
While Mr. Austin was living in Atchison, Kansas, lie was married to
Miss Susie M. Hayward; they have no children.
DR. T. P. FRANCIS.
Back of all industries there must be the guiding mind of a man of
ability and business sense, one who sees opportunities and is able to grasp
them and direct the forces under him to a successful outcome. And the
lumber business is no exception to the general rule, and from the time the
tree of the forest is first struck with the axe until the polished plank is
delivered to the carpenter some one must oversee the process. The Che-
halis River Lumber Company is one of the large lumber concerns of Lewis
county, Washington, and its manager and one of its stockholders is Dr.
Francis, who has not only made a reputation as a medical practitioner but
has proved himself a capable business man as well.
In 1890 the company was incorporated by J. W. Reynolds, Dr. Francis
and H. W. Stuchell. They had owned a mill previously which was burned,
and they then built the present plant. It has a daily output of thirty-five
thousand feet of lumber, and is supplied with all the necessary machinery
for making timbers of any dimensions. The source of supply for this mill
is a tract of six hundred acres of fir and cedar timber, located near the null.
About twenty-five men are employed in the various branches of the industry.
The yellow-finished cedar lumber, which is one of the principal products of
the plant, is of the best quality, and there is a great rush to supply the
demand.
It will be interesting to give the main facts in the life of the gentleman
who is largely responsible for the success of this enterprise in bis capacity
as manager. The French and German people who by their mingling were
to become the forebears of Mr. Francis were old settlers of the states of
Vermont and Connecticut. The great-grandfather Francis is known to have
been in the ranks of the colonists during the Revolutionary war. Nearer in
point of time is the Dr. Francis' father, G. P. Francis, who was born in New
York and was a farmer by occupation. He married Miss Abenoe Shew.
a native of his own state, and she died when her son T. 1'. was but eighl
years old. The elder Francis is still living in Xew York, but as he has now
reached the advanced age of eighty-four he is no longer engaged in active
work. Four of the five children are now living; two are merchants in
Colorado, but Dr. Francis is the only one in Washington.
T. P. Francis was born in Jefferson county, Xew York, on the I2th
day of February, 1857, and he enjoyed the advantages of the schools of
New York city. He determined upon medicine as a profession, and after
his graduation from the medical school in [882 he set eagerly to work, lie
has had his residence in Centralia since 1890, and has become a widely and
376 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
favorably known physician. He continued his active practice until he tool
charge of the mill in [901, since which time he has only treated some of his
special patients. H his time and energies to the building up of the
enterprise, and will, no doubt, make it one of the foremosl firms of the kind
in the state.
Bui all is not said of Dr. Francis when we speak of his business n
tions, for he has a happy home and a devoted wife and daughter. He mar
ried Miss Margaret Laroway in [884, and Ruth is their only child. Mrs.
Francis is a member of the Presbyterian church, and he belongs to the
Woodmen of the World. He has also taken considerable interest in politics
and as the candidate of the Republican party was chosi ei of
Lewis comity in [896, serving one term in thai ol
JOHN E. McMANUS.
John E. McManus is a man of marked business capacity, broad mind,
keen insight, and deeply interested in questions relating to the public welfare.
a man whose influence would be felt in any community, and who in the
various places in which he has lived has left the impress of his individuality
upmi business, social and political life. Seattle is fortunate in attracting to
her borders such men. and to this class she owes her upbuilding and sub-
stantial growth. Of recent years Mr. McManus lias been extensively inter-
ested in mining operations in the northwest, and is now presidenl of the
brokerage house of John E. McManus & Son, incorporated, handling mining
and investment securities. He has back of him an ancestry honorable and
distinguished, and his lines of life have been cast in harmony therewith.
Mr. McManus was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. July 21, 1850,
a son of John McManus, who was also born in the Keystone state and was
of Irish descent, his people settling in Pennsylvania .about 1780. John Mc-
Manus was a merchant and manufacturer of standing in his community. He
engaged in the manufacture of leather, but devoted more attention to mercan-
tile pursuits, and controlled important business interests. He w.as also a
leader in political circles, and was nominated for Congress in the first congres-
sional district of Pennsylvania, afterward represented by the Hon. Samuel
J. Randall. Mr. McManus was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Moran,
who was likewise born in the Keystone state and who was of German and
Irish extraction, her ancestors having settled in Pennsylvania in 1762. Her
grandfather was one of the heroes of the Revolution who fought for American
independence, and her brother, the Hon. Benjamin Moran, was for twenty
years secretary of the legation at London, while subsequently he was appointed
and served as minister to Portugal. He won distinction in diplomatic circles
and belonged to a family noted for the number of its members who gained
prominence and prestige in military and political life.
To John and Mary (Moran) McManus were born six sons and three
daughters, all of whom passed away in childhood with the exception of John
E. McManus, of Seattle, and his two sisters, Bell H. and Anna R. The for-
mer is the wife of Henry Dale, of Philadelphia, and the latter is the widow
of William Johnston, and makes her home in the same city. The father died
&«
m
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
ItILDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 377
in 1875, at tne age of seventy-three years, and the mother passed away in
1889, at the age of seventy years.
In the public schools of Philadelphia John E. McManus pursued his
education until he completed the high school course by graduation on the
nth of July, 1867, when he was sixteen years of age. He then entered the
government printing office at Washington, D. C, where he remained for a
year, when on account of ill health lie engaged with a government surveying
corps that he might benefit by the outdoor life. With this corps he went to
Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, after which he returned to the Indian
Territory and engaged in surveying in the Chickasaw Indian reservation, and
what now comprises the territory of Oklahoma. In the spring 0f 1871 he
returned to Philadelphia and was engaged in newspaper work for twelve
years, being successfully employed in the offices of the Press, Times and
Record. During all of this period Mr. McManus was also interested in
mining in Colorado and Arizona, and has maintained his interests in mining
property to the present time. In 18S4 he returned to Colorado, but remained
for only a brief period, when he again took up his abode in his native city
and was engaged on the staff of the Record until i$8p. In that year he came
to Washington, and locating in Taqoma engaged in the real estate business,
and also became a factor in the journalistic circles of the city, establishing
The Weekly Record, which was afterward sold to the Real Estate Record
Company of Tacoma. He was also manager of The Daily Globe, of Tacoma,
and through the columns of hi? paper largely promoted the welfare of the
city, laboring for its permanent growth along safe lines.
In 1891 Mr. McManus went to Everett, where he assisted in organizing
the Mitchell Land & Improvement Company, which controlled large property
interests there and did much fur the development of the place. While liv-
ing in Everett he was also the president of the Bank of Everett, and he estab
lished and was the principal owner of the Everett Herald. He has always
had a clear conception of the possibilities for die development and business
growth of the northwest, and has so directed his labors that they have been a
telling force in advancement and progress in this section of the country.
Mr. McManus has also been prominent and influential in political cirri .
and is known as a stalwart Democrat. In 1S71 be was appointed United
States commissioner for the western district of Arkansas. In [892 be was
elected to the state senate of Washington, serving for four years, in the third
and fourth sessions of the general assembly, during which time he was acti\e
in shaping legislation resulting to the benefit of tin- commonwealth. In [895
he was appointed by Governor McGraw a trustee for the Western Washi
ton Hospital for the Insane for a period of six years, but after serving for
two years he resigned in order to accept the appointment as United States
mineral land commissioner for the Idaho district. This appointment came in
May, 1896, and he served until a change in administration. He has sii
devoted his entire time to active mining operations in Washington, Oregon,
British Columbia, Alaska. Mexico and Nicaragua, Central America. As-
sociated with his son, he handle- mining securities and places investments,
and he now has much valuable mining property. In [903 he was one of the
promoters of the Mine Operators' Association of Seattle, and was elected its
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
first president. Its purpose is the protection of legitimate mining inten
In Philadelphia, in January. [876, Mr. McManus was 1 to Miss
Harriet Cope Martin, a daughter of John \\". and Henrietta S. 1 rhomas)
Martin, who were born in Philadelphia, as was their daughter. ["hey l>e-
longed i" "111 Quaker families, and the town of Martinsville, now a pari oi
the cit) of Philadelphia, was named in honor of the paternal ancestry of Mrs.
McManus. The family was also represented in the colonial army during the
war of the Revolution. While still residing in Ins native citj Mr. McManus
was elected a member of the board of school control for a term <>t' four yi
and served for two years, but in 1888 he resigned. To him and his wife
have been born three children: John 1!., who was born in Philadelphia
twenty-five years ago and is now in partnership with his father; William T.,
eighteen years of age; and Elizabeth S., who was the eldest and died in
infancy.
The life work of Mr. McManus has been of a varied nature and of an
important character from the time when he entered the government employ,
through the years of surveying in the west, leading to the development of
those sections of the country, and through the years of connection with jour-
nalism in his native city and down to the present, when he stands ;is 0ne of
the foremost and honored citizens of Washington. He has ever been a
leader, not a follower, and has unfolded and developed business projects
which have brought to him an excellent financial return, but which have also
been of marked benefit to the northwest.
OTTi ) I.. MATTHEW.
Ott<> L. Matthew, a leading grocer and prominent representative of
the commercial life of Whatcom, Washington, was horn at Savannah, Illi-
nois, November io, 1870, and is a son of William and Jenette (Saltier)
Matthew: the former is a native of Prussia, a shoemaker by trade, and
is now residing at Whatcom with his wife, who is also a native of Prussia.
The early education of Otto L. Matthew was secured in the public
schools of Winterset, low a. whither the family moved when he was two
years of age. and he was graduated from the high schools of that place in
1886. After graduation he entered the Brown Normal School at Valparaiso,
Indiana, and after one year was also graduated from that institution. His
next step was his location upon a Colorado cattle ranch near La Junta, but
after one year he returned to Winterset. In the winter of 1888 he started
for Vancouver, British Columbia, but in a few months settled at Fair-
haven, where he arrived January 25, 1889. At that place he went to work
in the Hickock sawmill and remained nine months, when he accepted a posi-
tion in the Fairhaven grocery store of T. A. Creighton. For a year he con-
tinued in that position, saving his money and investing in real estate. His
next position was in the billiard parlors of the Fairhaven Hotel, but a year
later he returned to the Fairhaven grocery store and there continued two
years. By this time he was enabled to purchase the establishment, but
after a year sold his interest and returned to his boyhood home, purchasing
his father's business. In 1895 he settled in Whatcom and embarked in a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 379
fruit and commission business, in which he remained two years, when he
went into partnership with Jenkins Morgan in 1897 u~> a grocery business,
which lias continued ever since, the firm now having a store in Fairhaven
as well as in Whatcom, and doing a very large business and controlling a
fine trade. In addition to his other interests, Mr. Matthew is a large prop-
erty owner, among his other possessions being the Oxford block on East Had-
ley street, a business block on Elk street and other valuable business property
not only in Whatcom, but Fairhaven as well. Mr. Matthew was also a director
of the Whatcom County Fair Association for the year 1902-3. In politics
he is a strong Republican, and takes a deep interest in local affairs, attend-
ing county conventions as a delegate, and his influence is felt both during cam-
paigns and in every-day life.
On October 14. 1897, Mr. Matthew was married to Miss Emma Bey-
ers, a daughter of Mrs. Pauline Beyers, one of the old and honored residents
of Whatcom. Mrs. Matthew is a native of Nebraska, of German descent,
and a most charming lady. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Matthew, namely : Rudolph and William. Fraternally Mr. Matthew is a
member of the Knights of Pythias, the Improved Order of Redmen, and
Eagles.
'S'
ADAM M. CHAPMAN.
Adam M. Chapman, one of the representative business citizens of
Whatcom, Washington, interested in real estate and in many mining enter-
prises, was born February 2, 1855. in Montgomery county, Illinois. He is
a son of William and Ann M. (Alverson) Chapman, the former being of
old English stock, and the latter a member of a distinguished Kentucky
family.
William Chapman was born near London, England, and when he came
to America settled first near Wheeling, West Virginia, and at a later period
moved to Illinois, where he died in 1895. His marriage to Ann M. Alver-
son connected him with a family which was prominent both in the Revolu
tionary and Civil wars. She died in 1888. Six members of their family
are deceased, and the survivors, excepting our subject, are: Rendols, who
is a farmer in Illinois; Benjamin II., who has been an attorney since 187(1,
is a member of the law firm of Brown, Chapman & Brown, of Kansas City,
Missouri ; Mary, who is the widow of Theodore Berrie, formerly a farmer,
now resides at Raymond, Illinois; and Emma, who is the wife of James
Eades, a farmer of Illinois.
Adam M. Chapman received his early education in the public schools
at Lebanon, Illinois, and later attended McKendree College at the same
place. In 1875 he left there and went to Northwestern University at
Evanston, Illinois, and started on a classical course. On accounl of failing
eyesight he was compelled to abandon further study, and in 1877 he went
to California. On November 12, 1878, he came to Washington, via Port-
land, Oregon, and up the Columbia river to Wallula Junction, and then, by
the scrap-iron railroad, to Walla Walla. Washington. Later he visited Col-
fax, in Whitman county, and accompanied the mail carrier to Spokane Falls.
380 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOI ND COUNTRY.
An Indian war had just closed and traveling was dangerous. \iter looking
• r the country in this vicinity for a time, he accompanied a party on horse
back to the Big Bend country. Later, upon his safe return to Colfax, he went
to teaching school and from late in the fall of [878 he taughl for two years.
IU- then becami sted in sheep, and continued in this business until
1887, '" *'ie meantime taking up government land and also buying some
from the railroad.
In 1SS7 he embarked in a real estate business in Whitman county, and
in 1889 removed to Spokane, where lie opened an office and remained one
year. In the spring of [890 he came to Whatcom, and ha continued in
the same line ever since. I lis other interests are valuable and he is fully
awake t" the great possibilities of this section.
Politically he is a Republican, and was a delegate to the territorial cm
vention in [885 when Bradshaw, of Port Townsend, was nominated for ('mi
gress. lie has always taken an active part in political matters in Whitman
county. Ilts fraternal relations are with the order of odd Fellows and the
Ben Hurs. < >n April 6, [890, Mr. Chapman was united in marriage with
Annie Lincoln Poe, who is a daughter of John C. Poe, of Palouse, Wash-
ington, an American family of English descent.
WILLIAM II. DAVIS.
William II. Davis, the pn of the Cascade Laundry of What-
com, was born in Toulon, Illinois. July [6, 1849, a son °f Charles and [Cath-
erine Davis, who were also natives of that state. The mother died in [851
and the father in 1852, and our subject was thns left an orphan when only
about two year- He was then taken by his uncle. William Davis,
who was engaged in the livery business in Ruck Island, Illinois, and with
him our subject remained until he began earning his own living. Jle attended
school in Rock Island and Peoria, Illinois, and afterward in Council Bluffs,
Iowa, but he left school at the age of twelve years in order to provide the
means necessary for his own support. It was a very early age at which to
be thrown upon his own resources, but he made the best of the situation and
he certainly deserves much credit for what he has accomplished.
For seven years Mr. Davis was employed in hotels, and in 1869 went
to Colorado, settling in Denver, where he began to learn the trade of brick-
making. He resided in that city until the spring of 1877, when at the time
of the gold excitement, he went to the Black Hills of Dakota. In 1881 he
established a brick yard in Lead City. North Dakota, which he conducted
with a fair degree of success until 1888, when he came to the northwest and
for seven years made his home in Tacoma. Here he continued to engage in
the manufacture of brick, having his plant on Vashon Island. Later he re-
turned to Tacoma and disposed of his property, after which he established
a laundry at Kent, Washington, where he remained until 1901. In October
of that year he removed his laundry plant to Whatcom, where he has since
been engaged in business, under the name of The Cascade Laundry. Here
he has met with very gratifying success, his business rapidly increasing until
it now requires three wagons to handle the city trade, and he has more than
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 381
twenty employes.
Mr. Davis was married in Dakota, in 1880, the lady of his choice being
Miss Margaret Elder, who was born in New York.' They became the
parents of two children, but one daughter, Wilma Henrietta, died at the
age of five years. The younger daughter, Lulu Ethel, is now fifteen years
of age. Already Mr. and Mrs. Davis have gained many friends in What-
com. They belong to the Presbyterian church and are interested in its
work and upbuilding. In politics he is a Democrat and socially is connected
with the Woodmen of the World. He finds no time for political work or
office, preferring to give his attention to his business interests, which are
now returning to him a good income. He has labored earnestly -and ener-
getically, and the laundry is now a paying investment.
LUTHER H. GRIFFITH.
The Griffith family in America dates back two hundred years to colonial
ancestors. Lyman A. Griffith, the father of the above named gentleman, is
a native of Ohio and is now living in Michigan. His wife was Eliza Ann
Wolsey, who was born in Michigan and died at the age of seventy-three.
There are five living children in the family, T. S. Griffith, of Seattle; L. I.
Griffith, of Dawson, Northwest Territory; Mrs. J. T. Hale, of Seattle; and
Mrs. D. A. Lombard, of Fremont, Nebraska.
Luther H. Griffith, who completes the family, was horn at Woodstock,
Michigan, August 3, 1862, and received his early education in the public
schools of his native town, and then entered Cornell College at Mt. Vernon,
Iowa, where he was graduated in 1883. In the same year he went to work
as a clerk in the First National Bank of Fremont. Nebraska, but remained
only a short time, and before the year was over he had found his way to
Seattle, then only a small city of eight thousand inhabitants. He engaged in
the brokerage business, and was soon prosecuting those enterprises which
have marked his successful career and helped build up the city and the north-
west. He has been especially interested in city traction organization. I [e
was the organizer and the first president of the West Street, Lake Union
and Park Transit Street Railway Company, with a capital stock of two hun-
dred thousand dollars; the company had a franchise on West street to Fre-
mont and Woodlawn Park, a total distance of six miles, and this was the
first electric road west of the Mississippi river. In [889 Mr. Griffith organ-
ized and became the president of the Seattle Electric Railway and Power Com-
pany, with a capital stock of two hundred and forty thousand dollars, and
one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars of bonds'; this was the consoli-
dation of the West street line and the Seattle Street Railway Company, the
latter a horse-car line, which he had purchased that year, and which ran on
Second street to North Seattle and Lake Union, and was the first railway
organized in Seattle. The last step in the development of Seattle street rail
way lines was completed in 1890, upon the organization of the Seattle Con-
solidated Street Railway Company with a capital stock of one million five
hundred thousand dollars and a million in bonds. This was a consolidation
of all the lines built by the company, consisting of twenty-eight miles of rail-
382 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
way. and forming the heart of the present railway system, which has a stock
and bond capital of ten million dollars
Mr. Griffith has been identified with many other business enterprises.
He platted ten large additions to Seattle, one of which had seventeen hundred
lots and is now the town of Fremont; with a population of from six to eight
thousand people. In [889 he organized the Seattle National Hank, with ex-
Governor Elisha P. Ferry as president, whom W. R. Ballard later succeeded.
Fred Ward as cashier, and L. 11. Griffith as vice president and a director.
In 1 So'' he was one of tin- organizers of the Seattle Transfer Company, with
I'.. F. Shaubut as president and himself as a director. In iNSij he organized
the Seattle National Hank Building Company, of which he was vice presi-
dent and ( i. W. E. Griffith, of Denver, Colorado, president; this company
huirt the Seattle National Hank building at a cost of two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. The Fremont Milling Company owed its inception to Mr.
Griffith in [887, of which I.. V Griffith was president and I.. 11. Griffith vice
president and treasurer: the company erected a large sawmill at Fremont.
He was the incorporator of the town of San de 1'uca on Pugel Sound, was
e of the promoters of the town of Blaine and built the Blaine Electric Light
and Power Company's works at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars; in
iSSuMi he constructed a three-mile car and wagon bridge around the west
shore of Lake Union from Seattle to Fremont, which is still in general use.
.Mr. Griffith conducted a real estate office in Seattle in 1NX1), and during
the year made one hundred and ten thousand dollars in office commissions at
five per cent ; he employed fifteen clerks, and on one day made a record of sell-
ing eighty-five thousand dollars worth of property, the largest single sales being
five thousand dollars, and it required one hundred and twenty deeds to make
the transfers. In 1895 'lc vven* '" Guatemala to build a railroad from the
city of that name to Wtigua. a distance of fifty miles, hut the line was never
completed owing to the slump in silver in the Central American states. In
1899 Mr. Griffith assisted in the organization of the Boston and Alaska
Steamship Company, which brought around from New York the steamers
Laurada, Brixham and South Portland, which were used in the Alaskan
I Klondike travel. F01 the last three years Mr. Griffith has devoted his
restless energy to mining operations, particularly in the Atlin district; he
organized the Pine Creek Power Company of Atlin, having a nominal capital
of two hundred thousand dollars, and the company has acquired property
which, contains thirty million yards of gravel, a large proportion of which
gives $1.13 per cubic yard.
These facts indicate clearly Mr. Griffith's position in commercial cir-
cles in Seattle, and his financial operations, his ability as a promoter, and
his success in developing some of the most profitable and important enter-
prises in his own city and in the entire Puget Sound country, might well
give him a place among the captains of industry. And his comparative youth
probably augurs a still more brilliant future. He has been a life-long Re-
publican, and has taken considerable interest in its local and national suc-
cess. In 1888 he was married to Miss Christine Florence Wright, of Seattle,
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Wright, old residents of Seattle. Their
only child is Maynard H., now twelve years of age.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 3S3
ALBERT WARREN.
It gives us great pleasure to be able to present to our readers a sketch
of the life of one of whom the state of Washington may well be proud, one
who has filled his daily life with brotherly love and Christian charity, while
at the same time he has proved himself a financier of no small ability, and
now stands at the head of the successful business men of to-day. Such a man
is Albert Warren, of Blaine, Washington. Widely known in both business
and social circles, his life is well worthy of emulation by the young men of
his age who are desirous of winning success and at the same time leaving a
name that will be loved and honored.
Mr. Warren is a son of Walter B. and Abigail (Fish) Warren, and
was born on the 13th of March, 1835, in Cattaraugus county, New York.
The Warren family came from England to America in a very early day, and
its representatives took a prominent part in the war of the Revolution, an
uncle of our subject's father having served as a major in the colonial army.
Walter B. Warren, who followed farming as a life occupation, passed away
in death in 1855, while his widow, who was a native of Vermont and also
a member of an old American family of English descent, survived until 1887,
when she, too, passed to the home beyond. In the family of this worthy
couple were five children, three sons and two daughters, the brothers of our
subject being: Dewitt M., who is engaged in mission work in Denver, Colo-
rado, and W. F., a Methodist minister in Los Angeles, California. The two
daughters are Elizabeth, the wife of A. Geery, a merchant of Blaine, Wash-
ington, and Wealthy, the wife of Ebenezer Hopkins, a Methodist
minister who is at present located at Rainier, near Olympia, this state.
Albert Warren received his elementary education in the common schools
of Iowa and Illinois, while later he matriculated in the academy at Green-
field. Illinois, and still later became a student in the Wesleyan University at
Bloomington, that state. He next entered the Garrett Biblical Institute at
Evanston, Illinois, having been the first pupil in that institution and for the
first week its only student. This institution was dedicated on the 1st of
January, 1854, and during the first week there were three teachers for this
one pupil. Dr. John Dempster having been the president at the opening of
the school. Leaving that institution in 1857, Mr. Warren then returned to
the old homestead in Illinois, of which he had charge until i860, and in that
year, during the Pike's Peak gold excitement, he crossed the plains to Colo-
rado, where he was engaged in various occupations for the following six
years. On the expiration of that period, in 1866, he joined the St. Louis
conference as a minister, of which he was a member for eight years, and
was then transferred to the Colorado conference, remaining there for the
following seven years. In 1883 he made his way to California, there travel-
ing as an evangelist for two years, and then came to Blaine, Washington,
the date of his arrival in this city having been the 2d of October, 1885.
During his first year's residence here he served as pastor of the Methodist
Episcopal church, of which be also had charge in 1887, and for six months
during the years of 1889-90 was again the loved pastor of that congregation.
In the last mentioned year he engaged in the real estate business and also
384 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY
in agricultural pursuits, and in both lin< meeting with a
well merited deg
(in the i-ili of September, 1898, Mr. Warren was unil
to Charlotte Lunetta Moore, wl imty, Ni
being a daughter of Walter Moore, who in the northern
army during the Civil wai and is n< iltural pursu
Blaine. Mr. \\ sympatl with tin 1 party,
but by In- ballot h< Republii
a representative of the former political tate
and county conventions. In [890 hi
of this city, and during his incumbency therein the first milt.
In [891 he Inian. and hi member
of the school board, of which he was president for tl
ing upon the field of 1 Mr. Warren'- 1 1 many
d varied. At the early . the
in instructor, which occupation hi n 1 1 1 1 1 1< •
Colorado and Missouri, his time being thus • \iier
coming to this city he built and was proprietor of the Washington Hotel,
but this lie afterward d and in [890 lie |>
within the townsite "t' Blaine Hi- influeri mid on the side of
progress, of liberty and "t right, and the effect of his labors both a- a min-
ister and business man h; ing.
IK IN. CHARLES BEDFORD.
1 ine of the uished mem' the bar of Tacoma the II""
Charles Bedford, wl e law makers of 1
lie wa- born in Huntingdonshire, England, in 1861, and 1- I of John
and Mary (Utteridge) Bedford, both of whom were nan ngland.
In the year 1867 the father hade adieu to friend,- and native land and with
his family sailed for the United State-, lie did nut tarry long on the At-
lantic coast but ed inward until he reached Minonk, Illinois, where
the family lived until 1NS1. In that year they removed to Nebraska and Mr.
Bedford took up his abode upon a farm near Beatrice, in Saline county,
where he still makes his home, his energies being devoted to agricultural pur-
suits. His wife, however, passed away in Nebraska several y<
tries Bedford of this review was only about six years of age when his
parents came to the new world. He acquired the greater part of his educa-
tion in Minonk and before the removal of the family from Illinois to Ne-
braska he engaged in teaching school in the former state for several years.
He early had a desire to become a member of the legal fraternity and at inter-
vals read law to some extent. After his removal to Nebraska he located in
Fairbury, where he completed his legal education and was there admitted
to the bar in 1887. He entered into partnership with Judge William H.
Snell in 1888. They removed their office from Nebraska to Tacoma. where
their co-partnership was maintained until the election of Mr. Snell to the
position of judge of the superior court. Since that time Mr. Bedford !
been alone, with offices at 418 and 420 Berlin building. For six years he
lPUBL« LIBRARY
■
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 385
was deputy prosecuting attorney of Pierce county under Judge Snell. Ear-
nest effort, close application and the exercise of his natural talents have won
him prosperity as a lawyer at the bar, which numbers many eminent and
prominent men. He is recognized among lawyers as a man of wide research
and the care with which he prepares his cases is always logical and forceful.
In 1898 he was elected a member of the sixth legislative assembly of Wash-
ington from the thirty-sixth district and proved an active and prominent
member of the house. He took a leading part in the election of Addison G.
Foster to the United States senate and he was instrumental in securing the
adoption of many legislative measures of importance which have greatly bene-
fited the state.
In 1 89 1 in Tacoma was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bedford and
Miss Bessie Stubbs, and they have gained many friends in the social circles
in the city in which they reside, while their own pleasant home, located at
2505 South Fourteenth street, is noted for its gracious hospitality. Mr. Bed-
ford belongs to the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and is a member of its
board of trustees. He finds recreation and pleasure in amateur photography
and has executed some very fine work in this regard.
WILLIAM M. WILSON.
William M. Wilson, a prominent and- successful merchant of Bothell,
\\ ashington, was born November 2. '1854, in Huntingdon county, Pennsyl-
vania, and is a son of William Wilson, who was born in the same county,
coming of Revolutionary stock. The grandparents have annual reunions,
and at the last one there were present three hundred and sixty-three descend-
ants. The family was originally of Scotch-Irish extraction. The mother
bore the maiden name of Jane Stephens, and she was born in Blairsville,
Pennsylvania, and died in 1884. while her husband is living in Huntingdon
county, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Wilson came of German descent, and her father
was married three times, having twenty-seven children, she being the young-
est child of the second wife. Three children were born to these parents,
namely: James K.. a clerk in the railroad shops of Altoona, Pennsylvania;
Irene married Frank Baker, section foreman of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
and has been on one division since 1872; William M.
William M. Wilson was educated in the public schools of Huntingdon
county, and in the seminary of Birmingham, Pennsylvania, concluding at
the age of twenty-one years, after which he followed clerical work in the
lumber business. In 1877 he embarked in a contracting business, and after-
wards burnt charcoal and farmed, but in 1889 he removed to Bothell and
engaged in a butchering business for one year, after which he
engaged in ranching. In 1899 he went back into the meat business, and since
then has been extensively engaged in stock-raising and butchering.
In politics he is a very active Republican, and has often served as dele-
gate to county conventions. For years he lived just over the border in Sno-
homish county, and represented his party in conventions there. In 1890 he
was called upon to act as school trustee in Bothell. For three years in
25*
386 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Snohomish county he served as deputy assessor under Peter Lacaquey and
John McEwan.
On May i i. 1S77. he married Hannah I.. Owens, a native of Hunting
don county, Pennsylvania, ami a daughter of A. 1'. Owens, one of the old
merchant settlers of the Juniata valley, who was of an English family, and
assisted in founding the town of Birmingham. Five children have been born
of this marriage, namely: Charles ().. railway postal clerk between lacuna
and Spokane; William D., assisting his father; George A. and Martin S. at
schi ml ; Mary Ann. the only daughter, i- also at school. Fraternally Mr. \\ il
--mi is a member of the Independent Ord ' >dd Fellows and the Junior
Order of United American Mechanics. Both he and his family arc verj
highly 1 ommunity in which I e so well known, and the
success which has attended his efforts is certainly well merited.
H< IMER II. SHREWSBURY.
Homer II. Shrewsbury, proprietor and man me of the mosl en-
terprising and successful luri - in Washington, ha- been a leading
factor the past few years in the upbuilding of Sedro Woolley, where hi- plant
is located.
Mr. Shrewsbury was horn February 14. [869, at Maple Plain, Minne-
n of William K. and Nora A. ( Kerns 1 Shrewsbury, the former ol
English descent and the latter oi Irish., both having ancestors who fought for
Independence in the Revolutionary war. William K. Shrewsbury is a ri
dent of Yakima, Washington, where he is handling race horses. One son.
J. Eugene, is engaged in the real estate business at Long Beach, California.
Homer II. Shrewsbury may be termed a self-made man in the true
sense of that term. His education has been received in the school of experi-
ence. At the age of eight years he went to work as cash hoy in a San Fran-
cisco store, worked in several stores in that city, and then went to Oakland
and secured a pi nger boy for the Sunset Telephone Company,
afterward being promoted to night sergeant. Subsequently he was in the
employ of Taft ec Penoyer and ( \. B. Daniels & Company. At the age of
nineteen we find young Shrewsbury among the redwoods of Mendocino
county. California, where he remained three years, working in various
capacities, and in that time thoroughly acquainting himself with all the de-
tails of practical sawmilling. In [892 he came to Washington, first to
Anacortes. where he engaged in the sash and door business in the employ
of the Bailey & Uphus Manufacturing Company. He remained with them
about two years, till the plant was burned out. In 1894 he landed in Woolley
and accepted the position of bookkeeper for Davis & Millett, a sawmill and
logging company. After five years spent with them he purchased an interest
in the establishment, and the firm became Davis & Millett Company, and
soon after that he bought the interest of Messrs. Davis and Millett and formed
a partnership with W. G. McLain. They operated a mill at Big Lake a short
time, after which they sold to Parker Brothers, and then purchased the
Woolley mill from Mr. Holbrook, continued the partnership and enlarged
the plant until August. 1902, when Mr. Shrewsbury purchased Mr. McLain's
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 387
interest in the firm and has since operated the business under the name of the
Shrewsbury Lumber Company. The plant includ.es sawmill, planing mill,
shingle mill, yards, kilns, logging camps, and the company also operates its
own repair shop, electric light plant, waterworks system, and boarding and
lodging house, and in the several departments of the business no less than
eighty to one hundred men are employed.
As the head of this large industrial establishment, Mr. Shrewsbury
naturally exerts a wide-spread influence in the town, an influence for its bet-
terment and its development. Sedro Woolley has in him a man popularly
identified with its municipal, political and social affairs. Politically he is a
Republican ; socially, a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen,
Masons and Hoo Hoos. He is a member of the Congregational church.
When a young man living in Oakland, California, he served three months in
the Oakland Light Cavalry, and the rest of his enlisted term of three years
in Company A, Fifth Infantry, Second Brigade, National Guard of California,
at the end of his service having the rank of corporal. Mr. Shrewsbury was
married in 1897 to Miss Kittie Bovey, a native of Indiana, and they have
three sons, Byron, Howard and Elmer.
PHIL S. LOCKE.
Some of the choicest positions in the world of commerce, politics and
industry are to-day filled by men who still have some years to spare before
reaching the meridian of life, and in every department of activity the energy
of youth is as necessary as the wisdom of mature years. The city treasurer
of Aberdeen, Washington, is one of the youngest business men of the city,
and yet he ranks among the successful, and his popularity is indicated by his
election to the office of treasurer.
City Treasurer Locke is the son of Joseph N. and Annie L. (Melrose)
Locke. His father was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, but came to Minne-
sota and was one of the old-timers in Wright county, where he became a
prominent farmer. In 1862 he enlisted in Company E, Eighth Minnesota
Volunteers, and served till the close of the war, being wounded at the battle
of Murfreesboro. He was clerk of the district court of Wright county for
two years, and in other ways showed his public spirit and ability. He died
May 5, 1900. His wife was of Scotch ancestry and was born in Newark,
New Jersey. Her parents were early pioneers in Minnesota, and her father,
Hon. Thomas Melrose, was a member of the Minnesota territorial legislature.
Mrs. Locke died in 1878.
Phil S. Locke was born mi a farm in Wright county, Minnesota, about
forty miles from Minneapolis, in 1876. He was educated in his native county
and also in Minneapolis, but before he had reached his majority he
came to the Puget Sound country, and after spending some time in Tacoma,
Seattle and Montesano, came to Aberdeen in 1897 and began the real estate
and insurance business. He is a hustler, and has a splendid equipment for
his business, and undoubtedly has a bright future before him. He is now
serving his second term as city treasurer, having been elected first in Decem-
ber, 1901, and again in December, 1902. He is faithful in the discharge of
388 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
the duties connected with this office, in addition to carrying on his other ex-
tensive interests.
ARTHUR I.. KEMPSTER.
Arthur L. Kempster, superintendent of transportation of the Seattle
Electric Company, Seattle, Washington, is an enterprising young man who
lias in a few years waked his way to the front. He was bom in < anfield,
Illinois, September 17. 1872, and 'is of English descent, his father, Thomas
C. Kempster, having been born in Islington, London, England. Hie eldei
Mr. Kempster was a contractor. In early manhood he came to this country
to take part in the construction of the government dock at Esquimalt, married
and settled here, and here passed the rest of his life and died, his death
urring in [901. His wife, whose maiden name was Martha Hopkins,
was born in Syracuse, New York, she. too, having descended from I ngl
ancestors. Her family came to this country in colonial days and took pari
in the Revolutionary war. She died in [902. In their family were three
sons and a daughter. One of the sons, George I... is agent for the I
\ Northwestern Railway and resides in Harvard. Nebraska. Thomas II
White Star dock. Seattle, and the daughter, Miss Marian
Kempster, lives with her brothers in Seattle.
Arthur L. Kempster was educated in the public schools, in the United
States and British Columbia, concluding his school work in [890. In 1891
he entered the emploj of the Consolidated Street Railway Company, with
which he has since been identified. He serve 1 rk of the company until
it v rganized as the Seattle Traction Company, when he was made
auditor, and later was also secretary and a trustee. The Seattle Electric I om
pany was organized in 1900. and acquired all the holdings of the Traction
Company. Mr. Kempster was then made trainmaster, and a few months
later took the position of superintendent of transportation, in which capacity
he is now serving. His continued service with the company and his promo
tion to the position of trust and responsibility which he holds is ample evi-
dence of his fidelity and ability.
Politically Mr. Kempster is a Republican, takes an active interest in
public affairs, and has frequently served as a member of city and county con-
ventions of his party.
CHARLES HOOD.
Charles Hood, proprietor of a hardware store in Puyallup, was lxirn
in Glover, Vermont, in 1864. and is a son of Calvin H. and Mary (Bick-
ford) Hood, the former a native of Sheffield, Vermont, and the latter of
Derby, that state. During the earlier part of his life Calvin Hood followed
farming in order to provide for his family, but in 1870 he left the Green
Mountain state and removed to Turners Falls, Massachusetts, where he
secured employment in a paper mill. He was then connected with that line
of business up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1900. His widow
still survives and lives in Turners Falls.
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC library!
ASTQR. LENOX AND
T1LDEN FnuNOATtOKS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 3S9
Charles Hood was a little lad of six summers when his parents went from
Vermont to Massachusetts, and in the schools of the latter state he pursued
his education and afterward he learned the trade of a tinner and plumber.
He completed his apprenticeship and then continued to work for the same
firm as a journeyman until the fall of 1889, when he came to the Puget Sound
country, locating in Seattle. There he was employed as a tinner for about six
months, after which he came to Puyallup, which has since been his place of
residence. He first entered the employ of Nevins & Stewart as a tinner and
worked in that capacity until April, 1891, when he joined two other business
men and organized the Puyallup Hardware Company. In the spring of 1897
he purchased the interest of his two partners and has since continued the busi-
ness under his own name. He deals not only in shelf and heavy hardware,
but also in farming implements and other commodities usually handled in
such an establishment and has the largest store of the kind in the Puyallup
Valley. Tinning and plumbing is one of his specialties. He makes a care-
ful selection of his stock in order to meet the demands of the public and his
earnest desire to please his patrons, combined with straightforward dealing,
has secured to him a large and growing trade.
In the spring of 1897 Mr. Hood ..was -united in marriage in Puyallup
to Miss Ada Madge Reed, and they have a daughter, Helen Hood. In public
affairs Mr. Hood is active and prominent and has been a helpful factor along
many lines. He served for five years. as cityconncilman of Puyallup and has
been chairman of the school board. He 'is also";th'e vice president of the
Citizens State Bank. He came to the west to. take-advantage of the oppor-
tunities offered to ambitious young men and along legitimate business lines
he has steadily advanced until he is now classed among the leading merchants
in this part of the state.
TIMOTHY DUANE HINCKLEY.
Fifty years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since Timothy
Duane Hinckley came to the Sound country, and his mind hears the im-
press of its historic annals throughout this period. While conducting im-
portant business interests and improving opportunities that have made him
a capitalist of the northwest, he has at the same time labored for the sub-
stantial improvement and development of this part of the country, and his
services have been of marked benefit along many lines of endeavor for the
general good. Indians were his neighbors in those early days, and around
him stood the silent mountains, their great forests towering skyward, the
riches of the earth still unclaimed by the white race.
Mr. Hinckley was born in St. Clair county, Illinois, June 30, 1827.
That was still a pioneer region, for only nine years before had the state been
admitted to the Union. The Hinckley family is of English descent, and
was represented by devoted patriots in the continental army in the Revolu-
tionary war. Timothy Hinckley, father of our subject, was born in Maine,
iearned the ship carpenter's trade in Bath and always followed that pursuit.
He married Hannah Smith, also a native of the Pine Tree state and of Revo
lutionary stock of English lineage. Both the father and mother died in the
390 HISTORY OF THE PI <d- I SOUND COl NTRY.
ies. Of their family two daughters arc yet living: Mrs. Paulina Me
haney, who is residing in Virginia; and Maria, the wife of John Hay, of
Belleville Illinois, the present county judge there.
Timothy 1). Hinckley, the only surviving son, was educated bj itin-
erant teachers up to the time he was fourteen years of age, when In began
work in a flouring mill in Belleville, where he was employed until iN.|S. lie
then removed to Lexin: b n, Missi uri, and became proprietor of a sawmill,
which lie operated until the spring of 1850, when he crossed the plains in
a prairie schooner to California. It was his purpose to search for gold, and
he went to the mining regions on Weaver creek in Placer county, also i" die
Georgetown <' and later 1m Trinity county.
The year [853 witnessed the arrival nf Mr. Hinckley in the Sound coun-
try. He came through .the woods with Henry Adam- and Frank Matlnas
and settled on the present townsite of Seattle. There were probably fifty
settlers here at that time, lie first took up a claim on Lake Washington and
afterward went to work in the Port Madison mill. After thn et -;
there he went to Port < trchard. where he spent a year, and on the . xpiration
oi that period returned t<> Seattle and purchased some business property, in-
cluding the present site of the Phoenix Hotel. In [859 he purchased anothei
piece of property on Second and Columbia the present site of 1
Hinckley Mock, which he now own-. Since that lime he was 1 igaged in
farming and surveying until about 1875, when he 'tiled down permanently
on his home property on Lake Union, which he purchased at that time. He
since been engaged in superintending his real estate and invested inter-
ests, ami the value of hi- property has greatly increased, making him our
of the capitalists of the city, lie erected on some of his land several frame
buildings, which were destroyed by the great lire of June. (,889. In [890 he
rebuilt, erecting a five-story and basement brick building ring an area
of one hundred and twenty by one hundred and eight feet, at a cost of eighty
thousand dollars, ddiis is one of the principal business corners of the city
In November, 1869, Mr. Hinckley was united in marriage to Miss Mar-
garet E. Dunn, a native of Ireland. They have three sons: Walter, who is
associated with his father in the management of the Hinckley block; Ira.
wdio is collector for that block; and Lyman, who is the engineer for the
block. Mr. and Mrs. Hinckley now have a fine home amid beautiful sur-
roundings, all of which is in great contrast to the conditions which they
knew here at an early day. During the Indian troubles of 1855-6 Mr. Hinck-
ley was at Port Madison. He had to build a fort for the protection of the
men at that time, and, although the settlers there had no firearms, they felt
perfectly secure. Mr. Hinckley has only good words for Chief Seattle, the
ruler of the Duwamish tribe, who refused to take any part at all in the trouble.
All of the white men were warm friends of the chief. From his own experi-
ence Mr. Hinckley is prepared to take issue with the historians who made
the statement that the Indians were troublesome prior to the time the treaty
was formed. He says that the treaty itself was what started the Indians,
who by it became cognizant of the fact that they had title to land which had
a real value, something that they had never understood until the treaty was
presented for their consideration.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 391
In early life Mr. Hinckley was a Whig, and on the dissolution of that
party he joined the Democracy. He was elected to the territorial legislature
of Washington for three terms, and was a member in 1856-7 when the
county of Kitsap was organized. Indeed, he was the father of the move-
ment, drawing up the bill creating the new county. In 1857-8 he represented
that county in the general assembly, and was also a member from King
county in 1859-60. When Kitsap county was organized Mr. Hinckley was
elected its first treasurer. He was also elected justice of the peace in King
county, being one of the first to hold that office there. For two terms he
served in the city council of Seattle, and in all of these public offices his
labors have directly benefited his locality, his constituents and the common-
wealth. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons.
Watching the growth of the state from its early pioneer times, bearing
his share in the work of its reclamation from a state of nature and in trans-
forming it into one of the richest and most productive sections of the coun-
try, building up a fortune for himself through legitimate business channels.
Mr. Hinckley certainly deserves mention in this volume, and well merits the
respect and honor so uniformly accorded him in Seattle and the northwest.
J. WARE HUNTER.
J. Ware Hunter, who is numbered among the successful men of the
Sound country, was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, in March, 1838,
a son of William and Jane (Arthurs) Hunter, both also natives of the Key-
stone state. The father was a native of Philadelphia and of Irish descent,
while the mother was born in Warren county, and representatives of her
family served during the struggle for independence. The father was called
to his final rest in 1892, but was survived by his widow for four years, she
having joined him in the home beyond in 1896. To this worthy couple were
born four children, the brothers of our subject being William M., a lumber-
man of Warren county, Pennsylvania, and Charles E. B., a merchant of Erie
county, that state. The only daughter of the family is Mary A., who is now
the wife of a Mr. Hill, who is engaged in mining in Denver, Colorado.
J. Ware Hunter received his elementary education in the public schools
of his native state, and later became a student in the Allegheny College of
Crawford county, where he enjoyed superior educational training and where
he remained until 1859. With this excellent mental training to serve as the
foundation of his life work, he took up the profession of teaching, which
he followed for four years, and then turned his attention to lumber manu-
facturing in Warren county, Pennsylvania. Turning his attention to the dry-
goods business, he was engaged in that occupation until 1869, and from that
time until 1888 followed the manufacture of pumps, while from the last
named year until the present time the manufacture of lumber has been his
chief occupation. In the fall of 1897 'ie came to Blaine and assisted in es-
tablishing the Erie Shingle Mills, of which he was made the president, H. W.
Hunter the vice president, T. A. Hunter the secretary and treasurer, and
Frank G. Fox also became an equal partner in the enterprise, the output of
the mill being one hundred and fourteen thousand shingles a day. This
mill was destroyed by fire on the 4th of October, 1900, but the work of re-
392 HISTORY OF 1111- PUGET SOUND COI NTRY.
building was immediately begun, operations having been resumed in Juno.
[901; their present manufactory has a capacity of three hundred thousand
shingles a day.
< in the 6th of July. [864, Mr. Hunter was united in marriage u> Sarah
Malinda Elliott, a daughter of William Elliott, of Clarion county, Pennsyl
vania, and a member of an old English family of Revolutionary lam.
daughter was born of this union, Sarah Malinda. \ thi wife ol
Edward I'. Clark, of Union City, Erie county, Pennsylvania, The wife ami
mother was called t" her final rest in [865, and in April. 1S71. Mr. Huntei
was united in marriage t" Almina Maria Walker, who was born in Warren
county «'f the Keysl 1 daughter of C. \\ . Walker, an oil
Union City, that state. Mr. ami Mr-. Hunter are the parents
ue son; II. er, who is now a ; with his father in busim
and of one daughter, Lillian Almina.
The Republican party receives Mr. Hunter's hearty support ami 1
ration, and while a resident of Union City he served a- a councilman for
three years and for four years occupied the ma\ hair. Since
to Blaine lie has attended the convention- of his party held in Whatcom
county. Hi- fraternal relations connect him with the Masonic fraternity, as
a member of the chapter, council and commandery at Erie, Pennsylvania,
and of the blue lodge in Blaine, ami he also holds membership relations with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1 1 ity, Pennsylvania. He
has in every way proved himself a public-spirited and progressive citizen, and
in the citj of his adoption hi the public confidence to a remarkable
degree.
CHESLEY T. CONRAD.
1 Ik -ley T. Conrad, one of the enterprising young business men of
Marysville, was born April _>. [869, in Sweden. lie came to America in
1869. and after about a year spent in Illinois his parents sealed in Minnea]
lis. Although he attended school in Minneapolis and Cokato, Minnesota. Mr.
Conrad left school at the age of thirteen years and after about a year upon the
farm clerked in a general store until 1888, in Moorehead and Duluth, Minne-
sota. From 1888 to 1893 he was in lumber mills and in the employ of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, hut in 1893 he came to Puget Sound and, located
at Marysville in April, obtaining immediate employment with the Marysville
Shingle Company, and remained with that concern for about four years. His
next venture was a meat and stock business, which he continued until 1900,
and he then embarked in a general mercantile business and is still engaged
in it, being one of the city's representative merchants, handling a full and up-
to-date line of groceries, dry-goods and general merchandise, his trade ex-
tending through the various logging camps and mills in this district.
In November, 1890, he married, at Ashland. Wisconsin, Julia A. Ladd,
a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and daughter of Frank and Maria Ladd,
old settlers of Wisconsin. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Conrad, namely : Mervyn, Larun, Muriel. Margaret and Claude. In poli-
tics Mr. Conrad is a Republican and has served as a delegate to county con-
thTnewTorjT
PUBLIC LieRARV
T1LDENFOUNDATfo i
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 393
ventions upon many occasions. In 1899 ne was elected a member of the
council and has been re-elected, now holding that position and working for
the material prosperity of the city and vicinity.
GEORGE GREEN.
For more than ten years George Green has been a resident of Washing-
ton, and is now ranked with the representative citizens of Sedro Woolley.
Born of sterling New England ancestry, with plenty of pluck and courage
in his make-up, he has worked his way in life and merits the success he has
attained.
Mr. Green is a native of Milford, Massachusetts. He was born May
14, 1840, son of John and Maria (Bowker) Green, both natives of Milford,
who passed their years in the quiet of farm life in Massachusetts and who
lived to ripe old age, both dying in 1880. George Green attended school about
three months each winter until he reached the age of fifteen years, when
lie started out to make his own way in the world. He spent one year as
mule-driver on the Erie canal, after which he worked on a boat on Lake Erie
and in the woods of Michigan, and at the age of nineteen went to St. Louis
and shortly afterward to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he engaged in team-
ing. In the spring of 1861 he went fo'Tlagerstown, Indiana, from which
place he started with a mule team, traVfsporting baggage, etc. In this service
he was under Colonel Lew Wallace, in government employ, and for three
months acted in the capacity of assistant wagon-master. After being in
government employ two years, he returned, to- Leavenworth, and thence went
across the plains to Fort Lyon, Colorado, where he herded cattle and traded
with the Indians, as an employe of Colonel Cully. He spent three years in
Colorado. Going back to Kansas, he engaged in the stock business, and
shortly after his return to that state was married. In 1868 he was a scout
and guide for the government, at Fort Harker, Kansas ; was out under Colonel
Forsythe in his noted trouble with the Indians. In 1869, while in the stock
business and living on Saline river, he laid out the town of Lincoln Center,
Kansas. He resided in Kansas until 1892, continuing all the while in the
stock business and also conducting a livery and hotel business. Arriving in
Washington in 1892, he settled first at Burlington, where, in company with
Senator Hammond, he bought out two shingle mills and also opened a
grocery store. He disposed of his property there in 1897 and moved to Sedro
Woolley, where he and Senator Hammond continued in business together,
establishing a general grocery store, under the name of the Green Shingle
Company. They built two shingle mills in Sedro Woolley, which they run,
and they also have two lugging camps, one on the Great Northern Railroad
and one at Island Slough. Mr. Green disposed of his interest in the grocery
in Tanuary, 1903, to the Union Mercantile Company, and since then has
given his whole attention to the lumber business.
While in Kansas and since he came to Washington, Mr. Green has al-
ways taken an active interest in politics, affiliating with the Republican party.
11/1873 he was a member of the Kansas Legislature, and voted for John J.
Ingals "for United States senator; for four years was deputy United States
■&c
394 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
marshal in Kansas. He is now president of the Business Men's League of
Sedro Woolley. Fraternally Mr. Green is a Maso
September 17. [865, Mr. Green married Miss Josephine Dart, a native
of Connecticut and a daughter of John Hart, a Earmei oi < alifornia. Their
union has been blessed in the birth of two daughters, \\h<> air now married
and settled in life, namely: Isabel, wife of Senator Emerson Hammer, presi-
dent of the Union Mercantile* ompany;and Elizabeth, wife ol l» I Parker,
a rancher of Sedro Wo flley.
JOSEPH MONTGOMERY GL \S<i<>W.
Joseph Montgomery Glasgow, senior member of the law firm oi Glas
gow. Ogden & Crary, 314 Pioneer building, Seattle. Washington, figures
prominently in legal circles in this city, lie was born in Washington county,
Iowa. July _'_'. 1861, and traces his ancestry in this country, on both paternal
and maternal sides, back to the colonial period, and has reason to take pride
in the fact that he ha- Revolutionary blood in his veins, coming to him from
both parents. Three brothers by the name of Glasgow, of Scotch Irish
parentage, left Belfast in 1765 and came to this country, making settlement
in Virginia. From them a large progeny ided. Miss Ellen < ilas-
gow, the celebrated authoress, i- a member of this family. Robert Glasgow,
Joseph M. Glasgow's great great-grandfather, was a soldier in the contineni.il
army, lie had a family of five sons and five daughters. In 1793 he moved
with his family to Adams count}'. Ohio, where he lived for many years, re-
spected b) all who knew him. The early history of the family -hows them
to have been United Presbyterians.
Samuel Black Glasgow, the father of our subject, was horn in Adams
county. Ohio. March 9, [830. His life has been spent chiefly in agricultural
pursuits, and he is now living retired in Seattle. One of his brothers, Mr.
John Glasgow, was a soldier in the Civil war. The mother of Joseph M.
Glasgow was. before marriage. Miss Phoebe Ann Robertson. She was horn
in Cambridge. Washington county. Xew York, in 1829, and died in 1869.
Her grandfather, William Robertson, came to this country from Scotland
in 1758, and was a Revolutionary soldier. John Robertson, her father, was
born in Washington county, New York, in 1787. One of her brothers, Dr.
William Hamilton Robertson, was one of the pioneer physicians of Seattle,
where he practiced medicine from 1866 to the time of his death, in December,
1872. He married a daughter of Mrs. Sarah M. Renton — the present Mrs.
Mary A. Gaffrey, of Seattle. By his second marriage Samuel Black Glas-
gow has one son and two daughters, viz. : William Bebb Glasgow, a farmer
in Nebraska ; Ruhanna. wife of Samuel Archer, of Nome, Alaska, where
he is a member of the firm of Archer, Ewing & Company ; and Miss Grace
Glasgow, a graduate of the Washington State University with the class of
1900, of which she was president.
Mr. Joseph M. Glasgow received his early education in the public
schools. He attended the State Normal School of Nebraska and subsequently
entered the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor,
where he received the degree of LL. B. in 1887. After his graduation he es-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 395
tablished himself in a law practice at Washington, Iowa, in partnership with
J. F. Henderson. In the spring of the following year, 1888, in company with
Charles E. Patterson, now a prominent attorney of Seattle, he came to this
city and opened an office, under the firm name of Patterson & Glasgow.
Their partnership continued until the great fire in Seattle. Mr. Glasgow has
since been in practice here and is now the senior member of the firm of Glas-
gow, Ogden & Crary. He has for several years been active in politics. In
1896 he changed from a Silver Republican to Democrat. He has done much
campaign work and has been honored with official position. In the fall of
1892 he was elected judge of municipal court of Seattle (a court of record,
since abolished), and filled the office from January 10, 1893, to January 10,
1897. Fraternally Mr. Glasgow is a Mason, having membership in St.
John's Lodge of Seattle.
THEODORE GILES.
Theodore Giles, of Fairhaven. Washington, who is the foreman for
E. K. Wood & Company, and one of the enterprising business men of that
locality, was .born March 19, 1874, in Clay county, Iowa, and is a son of
C. P. Giles, a native of Massachusetts, now a retired lumber merchant re-
siding at Olympia, Washington. The mother's maiden name was Maggie
J. Connor, and she was born in Ohio. The children born to C. P. Giles and
his wife were as follows : Frank L., Theodore, Aldana, May, Clara, Mabel,
Leila, Roxy and Lona.
Theodore Giles was just eleven years of age when his family settled at
Olympia, and he attended the public schools of that place until he was seven-
teen, when he began the battle of life for himself by working in the West
Side sawmill of Olympia. remaining there two years. In 189 1 he went to
Everett, Washington, and was employed in bridgebnilding at different points
on Puget Sound until 1897. and in the intervals was engaged in saw and
planing mill work at Ballard and Gray's Harbor. In the fall of 1897 Mr.
Giles took charge of the Gold Bar Lumber Company's mill at Gold Bar,
Washington, for a short time, when he accepted the position of manager of
the Shrewsbury planing mill at Sedro Woolley. In the winter of 1898
Mr. Giles operated an engine at Reed's ship yard at Ballard, and in 1899
he took charge of Ludinghaus Brothers' planing mill at Dryad. Remaining
with the last named concern throughout the summer, during the year 1900
Mr. Giles had charge of a planing mill belonging to Lavegreen Brothers at
Preston for three months. During the next seven months he worked For
Allen and Nelson at Monohan. His next change was made when he went
to Buckley and worked for the Page Lumber Company until September, 1901 ;
returned to the employ of Allen and Nelson at Monohan, following which
he located at Fairhaven as foreman of the planing mill of E. K. Wood &
Company, and still holds that responsible position.
Mr.' Giles is a young man of energy and unusual ability along the lines
he has followed, and is a general favorite with employers as well as the men
under him.
396 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
GEORGE C. FISHER.
George C. Fisher, a successful real estate dealer and prosperous business
man of Whatcom, Washington, was born March [6, [874, in Buffalo, Ww
York, and is a son of John and Wilhelmina Fisher. John Fisher was born
in Germany, and came to America when a boy, settling in Buffalo, where in
time he became a successful merchant, and died in [886. His wife was also
horn in Germany, and her death occurred in 1 S - 1 .
The education of George C. Fisher was secured in the public schools
of Buffalo and Helena, Montana, to which city he removed in 1NX7. and
also in the high school of Spokane, Washington, from which he was gradu-
in [890. Following this he settled at Fairhaven, and was employed [or
a time in the 1 1' J. F. Wardner. Thai same year he went into the Fair-
haven National Bank, and continued there for nearly four years as book
keeper and paying teller. He then entered the Bank of Fairhaven, and acted
as cashier for aboul two years. In 1895-6 he was deputj count) clerk and
clerk of the court of Whatcom county, and in 1X1)7 he purchased a one-half
interest in a Fairhaven grocery with J. C. Templin, an old merchanl of Iowa,
and continued in that business for six months. Selling ltis interest, he went
to Seattle and remained from November, [897, to November, [899, during
which time he acted as paying teller and chief accountant for the Washing
ton National Bank of that city. Returning to Whatcom, for three months
he was paying teller for Graves & Purdy, bankers, but resigned to take the
position of chief accountant for the Pacific American Fisherii I ompany, In
ii)oi he formed a partnership with 11. \Y. Bateman in a real estate business,
tinder the style of Bateman & Fisher. Mr. Fisher is also interested in mining
companies operating in Whatcom county (Slate creek district). He is ball
owner of a shingle mill at Enterprise, Whatcom county, and is a man of large
affairs and extensive interests.
On October 22, [898, Air. Fisher was married to [Catherine Van Zandt,
a daughterof Dr. Van Zandt. a physician of Whatcom, president of the state
medical board, and man of prominence. Mrs. Fisher was born in Hutchin-
son, Kansas, and conies of old Revolutionary stock, of German descent on the
paternal side, while on her mother's side of the family she is connected with
some of the leading families of the south. One son, Manson 15., now three
years of age, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fisher. Mr. Fisher has attended
every county convention since he cast his first vote, and has taken an active
part in political matters, and his name is already being mentioned for honors
in the near future. Fraternally Mr. Fisher is a Knight of Pythias, in which
he is quartermaster sergeant of the supreme assembly, uniform rank of the
Knights of Pythias of Washington ; he is a member of the Royal Arcanum,
and is very popular in these organizations. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are con-
sistent members of the Episcopal church. While still one of the young men
of Whatcom, Mr. Fisher has already made his influence felt in the com-
munity, and his success in the past is a pleasant augury of what the future
evidentlv holds in store for him.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 397
EDWARD DEGGALLER.
Edward Deggaller has been an inhabitant of Lewis county for the past
quarter of a century, and has seen the surrounding country develop and
expand as would only be possible in America and in the last century; but he
has not been a passive spectator of these events, for he has himself taken a
place among the leaders of affairs in the county, and has been in public life
for several years. If nationality has aught to do with character and success,
no one could desire that his forefathers be born in a more favorable land than
Switzerland, the home of freedom and individual effort.
Edward and Mary E. ( Huenwaddel ) Deggaller were both born in this
little republic, but emigrated to Canada in 1856. The former was a tanner
and followed this trade after crossing the waters. They crossed over into
the state of Minnesota, and in 1875 ca'ne with their children to Lewis county,
Washington, where the husband died in 1899 at the age of seventy-eight, but
his wife had preceded him in 1893, aged sixty-two. These worthy people
were earnest members of the Lutheran church. The first born of these
parents, F. A., is a resident of Centralia, and has served as county commis-
sioner for one term and as sheriff for two terms; Walter A. is now in Min-
nesota; August is a Lewis county farmer; Olga is the wife of Thomas
Shay, residing in Lewis county ; Lilley was married to John Arnold, a
farmer of this county.
Edward, who completes this family, was born in Canada, December 24.
1862. Having resided in Minnesota up to his twelfth year, his elementary
training was received there for the most part. After coming to Lewis county
in 1875. the first occupation that attracted him was lumbering, hut in time
he became the owner of a farm, which he cultivated for some years. He
had always been one of the ardent Democrats of the county, and in 1898 his
partisans and friends chose him to the office of sheriff. In 1900 he received
a re-election, and he left the office in 1902 with the respect and good will of
all. Upon taking charge of the duties of this position he sold his farm and
purchased a nice residence in Chehalis. where he and his family now make
their home. He has proved himself a very capable officer, and, although
there were a number of cases of high crime and felony perpetrated in the
county during his tenure of office, he was very successful in arresting and
bringing to justice all criminals, and in performing all the responsible duties
connected with the shrievalty. Following the close of his term of office in
1902, he was nominated to the office of county treasurer.
Mr. Deggaller was married in T889 to Miss Anna Hylock, who was a
native of Bohemia, and whose father, Antone Hylock. has a saw and flouring
mill a few miles south of Chehalis. All the children of this marriage were
born in Lewis county, and their names in order of birth are Edward A..
Martin, Mary and Olga. Mr. Deggaller belongs to Lodge X". 2*8, A. F.
& A. M., and is also a Woodman of the World and a member of the Modern
Woodmen of America.
398 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
MICHAEL S. COADY.
Michael S. C th< leading men of Fairhaven, Washington,
was born May 9, 1S5S. in Muscatine county, Iowa, and is a son 1 I [ohn and
Annie (Casgrove) Coady. John Coady came to the United States from
Ireland aboul [828, and died' in 1 S7. ». having spenl his life in agricultural
pursuits. I lis wife was also a native of Ireland, and died in I')"-- The
following children were born to John Coady and wife, viz.: Thomas, Ed
ward, John, Michael. Katharine. Mary. Julia and Bridget, of whom kath.u
ine and Bridget died.
Michael S. Coady was educated in the publii ols of Muscatine
county, Iowa, and. from the time he was ninetei until 1879.
he worked upon the farm, but in that year he went to Wyoming and engaged
with the Union Pacific Railroad for eighteen months in the shops al Evans-
ton, Wyoming. In the spring of [882 he went on wesl to California, mak
ing a trip through the Sound country. Mr. Coady next weni in Monl
and engaged on the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad with
Nelson Bennett, there continuing for nine years in charge on
the grading and construction from Helena wesl to South Prairie, twenl
miles west of Tacoma. In [890 he formed, in what is now I n, a
corporation with J. B. Scott, which was known as the Fairhaven Truck and
Transfer Company, and from its inception he has 1 t. This is
the first company in it- line organized on Bellingham Bay. The company
does a general truck and transfer business, own a large livery, make con-
tracts for hauling, etc.. and their general offices are at Sixth and Harris
streets.
In politics Mr. Coady C a Democrat, and was elected a member of the
city council from the first ward in 1902, and took his seat in January, [903,
for a term of two year-. He has always taken an active interest in local
affairs, and is a man widely and favorably known.
HORACE CAMPBELL.
Dr. Horace Campbell, surgeon in charge of St. David's Hospital in
Hoquiam, is one of the young members of the medical fraternity, but has
stood at the head of his classes in all the institutions of learning, both liberal
and professional, which he has attended, and from all sources is accounted a
skilful and careful surgeon and one with a very brilliant career before him.
Dr. Campbell has for a father one of the prominent and interesting old
timers of this section of the state of Washington. Hon. Edward Campbell
was born in Ohio and came to California in 1850; he remained there two or
three years and then came into the Willamette valley of Oregon, thence into
eastern Washington, and in the later fifties took up his abode in Gray's'
Harbor, where he has since resided. He owned a large amount of land, and
the city of Hoquiam grew up adjoining it, and there is now a Campbell's
addition to the town. He was a farm and ranch operator most of his life,
and also engaged in the lumber business, and. besides his Hoquiam property,
now owns a fine place near Montesano. He has acquired a goodly share of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 399
the world's goods, and, being now retired from active life, spends a great
deal of time in traveling, especially in California. He has been a member of
the Washington legislature several times, and in many ways is connected
with the development of the country about Gray's Harbor, and is acquainted
with all the history of the section. His wife was Harriet Scammon, a native
of Bangor, Maine, and she is still living.
Horace was born on his father's farm on the north side of Hoquiam
river, in 1872. After receiving his primary education in Hoquiam he entered
Bishop Scott Academy, where he graduated in 1891 ; he then became a
student in Leland Stanford University, graduating in 1895; from there he
went to New York city and prepared for his future profession in the College
of Physicians and Surgeons, the medical department of Columbia University,
receiving his degree of M. D. in 1899. ^s ne na(l the practice of surgery
especially in view, he spent nearly two years in the Hood Wright Hospital
in New York.
With this unusually strong equipment the young doctor returned to the
coast and was appointed a surgeon for a coal company in Alaska, where he
remained till August, 1902. when he came to his home city and began the
practice of surgery. Besides his duties at St. David's Hospital he has an
increasing number of private patients. Without doubt the lapse of a few
years will see Dr. Campbell in the front rank of the practitioners in this
section of the northwest.
BERTIL WILHELM BENSON.
Bertil Wilhelm Benson, who has been prominently identified with real
estate interests in Fairhaven, Washington, since 1889, and is one of the city's
prominent and substantial men. was born June 2, 1843, at Skien, Norway.
He is a son of Torkel and Kern K. (Anderson) Benson, the former of whom
was a native of Arendal, Norway, where he engaged in farming. His death
occurred in 1884, and he was survived but one year by his wife. She was
born at Skien, Norway, and a brother of hers, Oliver Anderson, is engaged
in a mercantile business at St. Paul. Minnesota. Our subject has one
brother, Andrew T., a retired farmer of Valley City, North Dakota.
Mr. Benson attended the public schools of his own country until eleven
years of age, when he came to America, and spent one year in the schools at
La Crosse, Wisconsin. He then became a clerk in a dry goods store and
continued there until 1888, and then embarked in the same business for him-
self, continuing until 1876. He then moved to Valley City, North Dakota,
and engaged in a real estate and banking business. He was one of the
organizers of the First National Bank of Valley City and was its first vice
president. This institution is still doing business. He was also one of the
partners of the bank of Lisbon, North Dakota, which is also still engaged in
business. At the time of his settlement in North Dakota pioneer conditions
existed in many portions of the state. In 1889 be sold his interests there
and removed to Fairhaven. Washington, engaging in a real estate business
in which he has been interested ever since. He handled all the water fronl
property that was owned by C. X. Larabie and James J. Hill of the Great
tOO HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Northern Railway, and he is now the owner of the Canfield Investment Com
pany estate in Whatcom county.
Mr. Benson was one of the organizers of the Standard Real Estate and
Trust Company and wa sident. Tins company has gone out of busi-
ness, closing (Hit all its property, lie was also one of the organizers of the
Bellingham Bay Fish Company, in [894, which sold out to Oswald Steel.
On August 15. [871, Mr. Bi named Mary Hubbard Gould, who is
a daughter of Colonel Zabina and Mary (Reese) Gould, old and prominent
residents of Michigan City. Indiana. Mrs. Gould comes from Revolutionary
stock, and was horn in Ashtabula county, Ohio. The children born to this
marriage are: Mary Hubbard, wife of [•'. \\ . Boulderick, who is a general
freight and passenger agent with headquarters at Spokane. Washington;
Wilhelm Henry is a member of the linn of Benson & Peters, linotypers, of
Seattle; and Frederick Abbott, who is a steamboat captain on Puget Sound.
Mr. Benson is a Democrat in political sentiment, and has taken an active
part in polities, and in 1883, in Dakota, was a member of the territorial legis-
lature. In religious training he is a Lutheran, lint is an attendant of the
Episcopal church at Fairhaven. Fraternally lie is identified with the Maso
EMORY C. FERGUSON.
Along so many lines of usefulness has Emory Cauda Ferguson exerted
his energies that it would he almost impossible to designate in which particular
field he has been most active or in which his labors have proved of greatest
benefit to his fellow citizens in the state in which he now makes his home.
Almost a half century has passed since he came to the Pacific coast. He has
been identified with early mining interests in California and with the agri-
cultural and mercantile development of Washington. lie has filled many
public offices and in all of these'has been mosl loyal to his duty. I lis political
history is an honor to the state which has honored him, and well may he
be numbered among the builders of this great commonwealth, no longer one
of the frontier regions of the country, for to-day it ranks with the most en
terprising states of the Union, rich in its great productive interests, and in
its many evidences of an advanced civilization.
Almost the width of the continent separates Mr. Ferguson from the
place of his birth, for he is a native of Westchester county, New York, his
birth having occurred on the 5th of March. 1833. His father. Samuel Smith
Ferguson, was of Scotch descent, but the original American emigrant of the
name left the land of hills and heather at an early date in the settlement of
this country. In early life Samuel S. Ferguson was connected with the
paper-making industry, but subsequently turned his attention to farming.
He married Maria Haight. who was also born in the Empire state, where her
ancestors had located at an early clay. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson lived
to the very advanced age of ninety years, the former passing away in 1879,
and the latter in 188 1. The three brothers and two sisters of our subject
were : Elizabeth and Yates, who are now deceased ; Clark, a farmer living
in Snohomish county, Washington ; Theron, a resident of Seattle ; and Mary,
who has also passed away.
4
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 401
In the country schools of his native county Emory Cauda Ferguson be-
gan his education, and when sixteen years of age his school life was ended
and he entered upon his business career as an apprentice to the carpenter's
trade. He continued to live in the east until 1854, when, at the age of twen-
ty-one years, he started for California, where he was engaged in mining and
merchandising, following those pursuits until 1858. In July of that year
he came to the Sound country, settling at Steilacoom, Pierce county, in the
fall of that year, after returning from the Frazer river. Few indeed are the
residents of Washington who can claim continuous connection with the state
through so long a period. Its pioneer history is familiar to him through
actual experience, and his mind bears the impress of many of the early events
in the state which go to make up the history of that pioneer epoch.
In i860 Mr. Ferguson came to Snohomish county and pre-empted one
hundred and sixty acres of land, and later secured a homestead claim of
one hundred and sixty acres adjoining the first tract. The townsite of the
city of Snohomish is chiefly located on this claim. After farming for a short
time Mr. Ferguson turned his attention to merchandising, which he followed
continuously and successfully for a-, number of years, or until March, 1884.
He was also engaged in the. logging business from 1878 until 1883. In 1884,
after disposing of his mercantile interests, he devoted his entire attention to
the supervision of his real estate investments, and this work has since claimed
his attention. On the 30th of June, 1889, he incorporated his interests under
the name of the Snohomish Land Company. He now owns and handles
valuable property, and as the result of his careful business methods, his energy
and enterprise he is now one of the substantial citizens of the county, having
acquired a very desirable competence.
Many political honors have been conferred upon Mr. Ferguson, and his
name is deeply engraven on the official history of the state. He was the
first postmaster of Snohomish and held the position for twelve years, from
1861. In that year he was also appointed county commissioner by the ter-
ritorial legislature under the act creating the county of Snohomish, and in
June, 186 1, he was elected county auditor, in which position he served for
several terms. After the war he was elected probate judge, and by re-election
was continued in that position for a number of years. He also served sev-
eral terms as justice of the peace, and in 1891 was elected mayor of the city.
His administration was so progressive and beneficial that he was again and
again chosen by popular suffrage for that position. His official service, how-
ever, has not been confined wholly to local positions, for he has been honored
with state offices, and for seven terms was a member of the general assembly
of Washington. He was first elected to the legislature in 1864, and he
served for two years in the house and five years in the council, acting as
speaker of the house for one year. His rulings were fair and impartial and
he made a most capable presiding officer. Every question which came up
for settlement during his service in the assembly received his earnest and
thoughtful consideration, and he regarded only the welfare of the state and
the interests of his constituents. In T884-5, by appointment, Mr. Ferguson
served as one of the commissioners to the New Orleans exposition, and in
1889 was appointed by Governor Ferry as a member of the commission to
locate the site for the State Agricultural College, which is now at Pullman.
26*
402 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
He has always been a Republican, earnest and unfaltering in his advocacy
of the principles < if the party.
In July, [868, Mr. Ferguson was married to Lucetta Morgan, a native
of Iowa and a dan- 1 1 nam D. and Mary Morgan, who became pio-
neer settlers of Snohomish county, her father arriving here in [853. To Mr.
and Mrs. Ferguson have been born four children: Sylvia, who is the wife ol
Elmer Lenfist, a resident of Snohomish; Ethel, who died at the age of seven
years; [vie, at home; and Cecil, who is operating a farm near Snohomish.
Mr. Ferguson is an honored and valued member of the Vncient Order of
United Workmen, and is an exemplary member of the Masonic fraternity,
true to the teachings of the craft.
When Washington was cut "\( from the east by high mountain ranges
and long stretches of -and. over which the iron rail for the locomotive had
not been laid, when Indians were far more numerous than the white settlers
and were a continual menace to the hardy and br,ave pioneer, Mr. Ferguson
'. up his abode in the west. He was then a young man and the work of
improvement and development which has been the means of causing such a
great transformation in this district, has found in him an exponent. 11 is is
a well rounded character, in which his personal interests have been supple-
mented by the attention which he | en to measures of public benefit.
While he has carefully controlled his 1. affairs, he has at the same
time rendered effective service as a citizen, and his political career is indeed
honorable. He has made the welfare of the commonwealth his first consid-
ration, placing it before partisanship or personal aggrandizement, and his
career has keen an honor and credit to the state.
HIRAM D. MORGAN.
This venerable and honored citizen of Snohomish has keen a resident
of Washington for a half century. Few indeed have so long resided in this
portion of the country, and his labors have lout,'- keen directed in those chan-
nels which have proved of marked benefit to the community, for while pro-
moting individual success he lias also contributed to the general prosperity.
What a change has occurred since the date of his arrival! Far more nu-
merous than the white settlers were the red men, who stalked through the
forests in motley garb, oftentimes warring with the white men, so that exist-
ence was very precarious in this portion of the country. Cut off from all the
comforts and conveniences known to the older east, separated by vast moun-
tain ranges and long stretches of sand, the pioneers had to face hardships,
difficulties and ofttimes danger and death, and to them a debt of gratitude is
due that can never be paid. The story of their sufferings and trials has been
often related but never adequately told, for no pen picture can present in per-
fect clearness the lives of those sturdy, courageous frontiersmen.
Mr. Morgan is now living a retired life in Snohomish, having attained
the age of eighty years, but the memory of those pioneer days is yet clear in
his- mind, and he relates many interesting incidents of the early days. He was
born in Coshocton comity. Ohio, on the 1st of October, 1822. His father, Cal-
vin Morgan, was a native of Lake George, New York, and was of English
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 403
descent. Prior to the great struggle for American independence his ancestors
came from England to the new world. Calvin Morgan became a cabinet-
maker and followed that pursuit through many years. He wedded Nancy
Crang, who was born in New York and was of Welsh lineage. His death
occurred in 1848, when he was seventy-one years of age, for he was born in
1777. His wife died in 1850, at the age of seventy-seven years. They were
the parents of six children : Samuel, Mary, Nancy, Calvin, Hiram and' John,
and with the exception of our subject all are now deceased.
Hiram D. Morgan attended the common schools through the winter
months and thus acquired his education. During his early boyhood he had
accompanied his parents on their removal to Marion countv. Ohio, and there
he was reared. At the age of eighteen years he left school and entered upon
his business career, following various occupations until 1846, when he went
to what was then the far west. Locating in Oskaloosa, Iowa, he resided in
that city — then but a village — until 1853, when he started tor Washington.
He traveled in a wagon drawn by oxen, taking with him supplies sufficient
for the entire trip. Making the long journey across the plains, crossing the
deserts and climbing the mountain sides, his eyes were at length gladdened
by the sight of the green valley of Washington. He arrived at the Cascades
on the 25th of August, 1853, and since that time he has been a factor in the
substantial development and improvement of the state. Great forests stood
in their primeval strength and the earth yet contained the minerals which
were later to enrich the people of the state. Some progress was already being
made, and Mr. Morgan became a factor in the industrial development of the
state. He was engaged in steamboating and boat-building, remaining at
the Cascades for a few months. He next went to Olympia, where he arrived
on the 25th of October, 1853. There he first engaged in carpentering, and
later took the contract for finishing the inside work and desks in both the
house of representatives and the council chamber. He also took a similar
contract in the territorial public library, and thus became prominently asso-
ciated with the early improvement of Washington.
In 1855, at the breaking out of the Indian war, Mr. Morgan was selected
as temporary Indian agent on the Esquaxon reservation, to superintend affairs
there, erect buildings and supply provisions to the peaceable Indians, con-
tinuing in the position until the succeeding fall. During 1856-7 he was em-
ployed by the United States government to erect buildings on the Puyallup
Indian reservation, and ihus he lived among the red men for some time, be-
coming familiar with the nature of the Indians, their customs, and to some
extent their language.
In January, 1858, Mr. Morgan returned to Iowa by way of the isthmus
in order to bring his family to the northwest, and the following year he came
again to Washington, arriving in Olympia about the 1st of September, 1859.
He made the journey across the plains with ox-teams and was then engaged
in contracting and building until t86i, thus being actively associated with
the substantial improvement of the city. In the year mentioned he was ap-
pointed to take charge of the Puyallup Indian reservation, remaining there
For about a year. At the end of that time he returned to Olympia, where
he was engaged again in building operations until [864, when he took up
ioi HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND I OUNTRY.
his abode upon a homestead claim in Thurston county, continuing its culti-
vation until 1874. The following year he sold that property, and after
making a trip through California returned to Olympia, and on the 6th ol
March, [876, cam< I sh. The following yi embarked in the
sawmill business, and was engaged in the manufacture of lumber up i" the
time of his retirement from further business cares about 1885, ;i' which
time he turned the business over to his three sons, who still operate the mill.
In his business affairs Mr. Morgan prospered, gaining the competence which
now 1 him to live retired.
Mr. Morgan h: been prominent in publi . and has been
honored with a numl trust and responsibility. He was elected
one of the first members of the city council of Snohomish, was also chosen
jusl e peace, 1 judge, and served as county commissioner
for two years, and in all of these positions has been most faithful, his capa
bility manifest in efficient and beneficial
Mr. Morgan has been twice married. In 1S44 he wedded Miss Maria
Vanalsdall, a native of New York, and they became the 1 daugh-
ter, Olive. In [848 Mr. Morgan was again married, his second union being
with Mary Jane Trout, a native of Oskaloosa, Iowa. 11m \ became the parents
of two daughters and five sons: Lucetta, who is the wife of E. C. Ferguson;
in I).: Marshall B., who >ed; Charles, who has also passed away;
jamin H. ; Alonzo \Y. : and Maude, decea
Mr. Morgan has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since [848,
having joined the craft in Oskaloosa, fowa. In [876 he served as the first
master of Centennial Lodge, F. & A. M.. of Snohomish. I lis life history
forms an important chapter in the annals of Washington, for through half
a century he has aided in the improvement and given the weight of his in-
fluence for the progress of tl and his memory forms a connecting link
between the pioneer past ami the present with its superior civilization.
JESSE B. BRIDGES.
If one should make inquiry as to the three most prominent lawyers in
Chehalis county, Washington, it is quite certain that the name of Jesse B.
Bridges would he included in the answer, for, although he is a young practi-
tioner and has not been a resident of the county much more than a decade,
he has enjoyed success more than ordinary and now has a large amount of
legal business to attend to. The father of this Washington lawyer is James
1 '.ridges, who is a southerner and a native of Kentucky. He settled in
Indiana at an early day, and for a time was a resident of Indianapolis, but
his home has been at Greencastle. Indiana, a number of years. Farming has
been the basis of his business, and he has been very successful in the buying,
trading and shipping of stock. He married Mary Darnell, a native of
Indiana, and she has been dead a number of years.
Jesse B. Bridges was born in 1862, while his parents resided at Indian-
apolis, but as he was soon brought to Greencastle his education was completed
in De Pauw University in that city, where he graduated in 1887. He then
studied law in the office of Major Jonathan W, Gordon, of Indianapolis.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 405
Major Gordon was a fine lawyer, noted for his eloquence, and was particu-
larly successful in criminal practice; he was a splendid character, possessed
of deep learning, and was famous for his remarkable memory. Mr. Bridges
was much inspired by his association with the Major, and will always
acknowledge his debt to him for his legal training. In 18S8 Mr. Bridges
was admitted to the bar at Indianapolis, and practiced there until 1S90, when
he came to Washington and located at Tacoma. He remained there only
six months, however, and then came to Montesano, the county seat of
Chehalis county, where he at once began his career as a lawyer. He also
established an office in Aberdeen for the purpose of looking after his clients
in that part of the county. As the candidate of the Republican party, he was
elected prosecuting attorney of the county and served one term, from 1895
to 1897 inclusive. In the early part of 1900 he removed his residence to
Aberdeen, since the greater part of his business was at this city. In 1895
Mr. Bridges was married at Ogdensburg, New York, to Miss Mary S. Smith.
GEORGE BRACKETT.
George Brackett, one of the most prominent residents of Edmonds,
Washington, was born in eastern Canada, May 22, 1842, and is a son of
Daniel Brackett, born in Maine of an old Revolutionary family, and who
participated in the war of 1812, was a lumberman by occupation and died
about 1888. The mother was Mary (Cornell) Brackett, and was born in
Bathurst, New Brunswick, of Irish descent. Her death occurred in 1891.
The following children were born to the parents, namely: William, a farmer
of Edmonds; Abraham, a retired farmer of Wisconsin ; George; Jane, a
widow of George McFarland, residing in Wisconsin; Mary, living in Wis-
consin ; Ellen, wife of James Polly, living in Wisconsin. These children
are all that are left of a family of twelve sons and eight girls.
George Brackett was educated in the common schools of Canada East,
and at the age of seventeen years went into a lumber business in Maine and
worked there for six years. He then spent four years in Wisconsin, and in
1869 came to San Francisco and, after two weeks in that city, went to Seattle
in a sailing vessel. Arriving there he engaged in lumbering for himself at
Ballard, Washington, in 1872, and came to Edmonds in 1876. Here he
bought what is to-day the townsite of the place, and engaged in lumbering,
and has been thus engaged ever since, and at the same time has operated
his farm.
When he arrived in Edmonds the country was covered with timber,
which he cleared off. He built streets, docks and sawmills and laid out the
town of Edmonds. One of the sawmills he operated himself from 1889 to
1893, at which time the property was burned.
In June, 1878, he was married in Seattle to Ella E. Jones, a native of
Minnesota and of English descent. The following family has been born of
the marriage, namely: George S. ; Ronald C. : Fannie; Nellie, who married
A. R. Sinclair, a merchant of North Yakima; Edith, and Mary.
406 HISTORY OF I III- PUGE1 S< >UND COUN IKY.
In politics he is a Republican and is generally a delegate to county and
slate conventions. He was the first postmaster of Edmonds, and for four
years served as first mayor of the place. Mr. Bracl etl put in the firsl wati i
works, but later sold his int o \V. D. Perkins, wl ei sold out to
A. M. Yost. Mr. Brackett also built two wharvi for the Mini
Realty Investment Company. This he later purchased from the company,
and then sold it. Fraternally he is a very prominent Mason, hew n
mure prominent in this portion of the state than Mr. Brackett, who, notwith
standing his honors heaped upon him, is jusl as genial and
pleasant as ever, and a man whom all delight i<> n
ROBERT A. REID.
Robert A. Reid, a successful manufacture! of Fairhaven and a prominent
man of that locality, was born November 14, [865, in Ontari I ida, and
he is a son of Thoi d Candice (Reid) Reid. Thomas was hum in
Ireland, but cm: even years of age, and is now li\
at Cape Vincent, New York. The mother was a nati 1 rio and was
born of English parents. The children born to these parents were as
follows: Thomas W., of Fairhaven; Robert A.; John A.; Stanley I!.; and
Flattie I... wifi Keller, of New York state.
Our subject enjoyed unusual educational advantages, having attended
the excellent public Ontario and later these of New York state,
after which he took a fivi ourse in the American School of Correspond
ence at Boston, completing the same when he was eighteen years 1 At
that time he began learning the boiler trade and. served a three years' ap
prenticeship in New York state in different shops. In 1889 he went wesl to
Winnipeg, remaining there two years working at his trade, and then in 1891
removed to Missoula, .Montana, and .worked for the Northern Pacific Rail-
mad, being in charge of the boiler shops for four years. I lis next chai
was made when in [895 he settled in Tai iftei two years went to
Seattle. In March, [899, he reached Fairhaven, and continued working at
the boiler industry in company with his brother, establishing a business undei
the firm name of the Reid Brothers Boiler Works. This business rapidly
increased, and in 1902 the firm leased the property at the fool of Harris and
Bennett streets, where they erected very commodious shops and pul in im-
proved machinery and appliances, giving employment to forty men. The
firm manufactures marine and stationary boilers, they supplying the sur-
rounding sawmills and boats.
In November, 1894. Mr. Reid was married to Alga Ethel Debnam, a
native of England, who came to Canada with her parents when ten years of
age. One son has been bom to this marriage, Russel Elwood, aged seven
years. Through energy, enterprise and a thorough comprehension of the
requirements of the business. Mr. Reid has made a success of his undertaking
and is recognized as one of the prosperous manufacturers of his locality.
The members of the firm are T. W. and R. A. Reid and J. H. March. Mr.
Reid's fraternal affiliation is with the Independent Order of Foresters.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 407
ELZA A. REEVES, M. D.
Dr. Elza Armstrong Reeves has been engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession in Blaine since 1889 and has also labored for the upbuilding of die
place and its substantial improvement. His efforts in this direction have
been attended with excellent results and thus the Doctor's name has become
inseparably interwoven with the annals of the city. His work as a town
builder, however, has not been confined to Blaine, for other places have felt
the stimulus of his exertions in this direction.
The Doctor is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Meigs
county, on the 12th of April, 1845. His parents, Ambrose and Sarah
(Irwin) Reeves, are both residents of Nebraska and natives of Meigs county,
Ohio. The father belongs to an old American family of Welsh origin and
is 'now engaged in farming in Nebraska, while his wife represents a family
equally old in this country, but of English descent. Her mother belonged to
the Mansfield family and was one of the heirs to Lord Mansfield's property.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Reeves were born the following named chil-
dren : Henry Wilson, a capitalist of Beatrice, Nebraska ; Charles Sheperd,
a farmer in Dakota; Samuel Lafayette, who owns a ranch in Nebraska;
Elijah, a merchant of Dwight, Illinois; William Harrison, who is conduct-
ing a drug store in Dwight ; Mathias, who is conducting a ranch in Pendle-
ton, Oregon; Susanna Jane, the wife of Captain E. Huff, a hotelman of
Maple Falls, Whatcom county, Washington; Flora, the wife of J. H. A.
Thomas, a druggist of Fremont, Nebraska; and Mary, the wife of John
Courtwright, a lawyer of Fremont.
Dr. Reeves, the other member of the family, began his education in the
public schools, continued his studies in the Tabor Preparatory School, in
Fremont county, Iowa, and then entered the Michigan University, in which
he pursued a course in medicine and was thus qualified for the practice of his
chosen profession. He opened an office in Fremont county in the spring of
1868, there remaining two years, after which he located in Orleans, Ne-
braska, where he practiced for two years. He next settled in Spirit Lake,
Iowa, where he successfully prosecuted his chosen calling for five years, and
in 1877 he went to Keyapaha, Nebraska, where he located the townsite. He
erected twelve buildings there, established a dry goods store, a drug store
and a blacksmith shop, and was also the postmaster there. This, however,
was not his first work in town-building in the west. He organized and
located McCook City, Hitchcock county, Nebraska, being the first man on the
town site. He also organized the county in connection with H. W. Taylor.
The first day there be sat in a cmered wagon with his Winchester by bis
side, watching for the approach of the Indians who followed him into camp.
This was in 1872. At that time buffaloes were almost numberless on the
plains of the west and often he would drive through great herds of them,
their ranks parting as he made his way among them, and then closing behind
him, so that he was often completely surrounded by those animals once so
numerous in the west but now almost extinct. Dr. Reeves went from
McCook to Pipestone, Nebraska, being the second man there. Both of these
places are now prosperous and thriving cities. Again the Doctor was an
108 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY
active factor in the building of a town- Keyapaha, Nebraska and
ing of his interests there in t886 he went to Oelricks, I all Rivet county,
South Dakota, where he continued the prai on for two
years. In 1888 he removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he conducted his
ce for a year, and then after visiting his people at Long Pine, Nebraska,
he came t< 1 Puget Sound, g in Blaine in 1889. 1 1 ere he has since pi
ticed with excellent success, having a large clientage. I lis patrons come
from tin le of Whatcom count) and he is well equipped
fur the life work which he l is lu- has always kepi abreast oi
the times through reading and Doctor is also
Blaine ami was the owner 1 >t tin hich
i by tire in [<
In the spring 1 >f t88i I >r. Reeves and
Miss Mary Mallory, of Keyapaha, Nebraska, a daughter of the Rev. \V. \\ .
Mallory, of Sidney. Iowa. They have two sons, Loman who is n
chool in Los An 1 alifornia, and Elza \ '.. who is with his
father. In his political views tin |> ■ irnesl Republican, and while
in Keyapaha, Nebraska, he served as justice of the peace for two years. 1 1<-
has frequently attended nty and stat of Ins party and
has d<>ne all in his power to promote its • d manner and
cordial dispositi him many friends, -and Dr. \<<
high place in public regard in his adopted city.
WILLIAM M. WOLTEN.
William M. Wolten, the genial host of the Wolten Hotel of Blaine, was
horn on the Nth of July. 1880, in Potsdam, Minnesota. His father. Julius
Wolten, is a native of Germany and a shoemaker by trade, lie now lives in
Blaine, at the age of sixty-four years, and his wife has also reached the same
age. She bore the maiden name of Amanda Seidler. and is also a native of
the fatherland. Our subject has a half brother, Gustiva, and an own
brother. Paul A., and also a half sister. Annie, the wife of John Abbott,
of Blaine.
In the public schools of Potsdam, Minnesota. William M. Wolten beg
his education and there continued his studies for tin lie then ac-
companied his parents to Washington, arriving in Blaine in May. 1889. For
four years he was a student in the public schools of this city, after which he
spent a year and a half as a student in the Episcopal College, of Blaine, and
at the end of that time entered upon his husiness career. In 1896 he engaged
in the grocery and furniture business in 'connection with his brother Paul,
conducting the store until 189S. when in May of that year he sold out and
invested quite extensively in real estate. He improved his property, includ-
ing the erection of the Wolten House. In December. 1898, he opened a
general grocery store in connection with his brother Paul and in the fall of
1900 went to Seattle., where he pursued a course of study in Wilson's Busi-
ness College, thus being further equipped for the practical and responsible
duties of business life. He spent two terms as a student and then returning
to Blaine conducted his grocery store until 1902, when he sold his interest
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 409
to his brother Paul. In September of that year lie accepted a position as
traveling salesman with A. E. MacCulskey & Company, wholesale grocers,
of Seattle, and continued in that way until December, but he did not find this
a congenial occupation and returned to Blaine. Here he opened the hotel,
which had been purchased in February, 1892, and is now the proprietor of
the Wolten House, which is a three-story frame structure, seventy by eighty
Feet and containing fifty rooms for the accommodation of guests. Mr. Wol-
ten has been very successful since starting in this enterprise and conducts a
first-class hotel, which is a credit to the town. He puts forth every effort
in his power to advance the comfort and entertainment of his guests and is
now well known throughout this part of the state. He has also gained a
host of warm friends among the traveling public, and in Blaine, where he
has lived since his boyhood days, he is held in the highest regard. He is yet
a young man, ambitious, enterprising and energetic, and his future therefore
will undoubtedly be a successful one. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias
fraternity, is a Democrat in his political affiliations and takes a deep and
active interest in local and state politics.
CHARLES EDWARD REMSBERG.
Charles Edward Remsberg, a well read, enterprising and successful
lawyer of Seattle, was born at West Lebanon, Warren county. Indiana, May
20, 1863, the son of Lewis Hamilton and Ann Rebecca (Brandenburg)
Remsberg, both of Frederick county, Maryland, and of German descent, and
the former was a farmer lay occupation.
Charles E. Remsberg was reared on a farm, with the usual surround-
ings and advantages of the farmer boy, and attended country school until
he was fourteen years old, and worked on the farm till he was nineteen, in
the fall of 1882 he entered the Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute, and
remained there one vear. Like many other self-made and self-educated men,
he then withdrew from school as a student in order to gain further funds
as a teacher. In the winter of 1883-4 he taught in Indiana and in the fol-
lowig winter in Kansas. He completed his course at the State Normal in
1887, and in the fall of the same year entered the Indiana State University
at Bloomington. from which he was graduated in 1889. During his college
work he made a specialty of sociology.
As soon as he left the college halls he came to " the center of the great
northwest," Seattle, and for the next three years was engaged in the real
estate business. At the same time he was studying law, and was admitted
to the bar in 1893. In the fall of that year he became a member of the firm
of McLaughlin, Remsberg and Atkinson, one of the special features of this
firm's work being the publication of the " Code of 1896." In 1896 Remsberg
and Atkinson succeeded the former firm, and the present firm of Remsberg
and Simmonds has been in existence since 1898. Mr. Remsberg has re-
mained in the same office for the last ten years, during which time he has
gained a representative and profitable patronage, and is highly esteemed both
by his fellow-members of the bar and by the citizens of Seattle.
Mr. Remsberg held the office of justice of the peace from 1890 to 1892,
410 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
but with this exception has given no time to practical politics. Although a
Republican in his views, he generally holds himself independent in the matter
support of candidates. Mr. Remsberg is a past grand < >il<l Fellow, and a
charter member of Fremont Lodge No. 86, which was organized in 1890.
In religion he is a Unitarian. October _m. [891, he was married at Ridge
ville, Randolph county, Indiana, to Miss Belle Farquhar, whose father is a
physician. Their children are Mabel, born on Christmas morning, 1892,
and Helen, horn May 13, [895. Mr. Remsberg recently, and for the first
time since taking up his residence in Seattle, moved his family into a beautiful
home on a five-acre tract on thi ireen Lake, in the northern part
of Seattle.
ALEXANDER SPITHILL.
Alexander Spithill, one of the prosperous and representative business
men of Marysville, Washington, was born May _>4. [824, at Greenock, Scol
land, and is a son of John Spithill, a native of Scotland, who was a sea
captain engaged in the merchandise lumber trade between Quebec and Clyde
for thirty-three years, dying at the age of seventy-nine years in Sydney.
Australia. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine McKcllar, and she
was horn at Greenock, Scotland, and died at Sydney. Australia, in 1853, ;iL ' ''
forty-nine years. Six sons and four daughters were torn to these parents,
namely: fohn, Duncan. Matthew. Neil, lames. Catherine, fessie, Agnes and
Mary."
Alexander Spithill was educated in the public schools of Creenock until
he was sixteen years of age. when he went to sea with his father and re-
mained with him until 1852. On March 6, [849, he came to San Francisi
and until [852 remained with his father in San Francisco. From 1854 to
January. 1856, he was in the employ of a Scotch syndicate whose object was
to explore for guano in the north and south Pacific. At the expiration of
two years he went to Chili, South America, for the same syndicate and
engaged in coasting. In December. 1854, he went from Valparaiso to San
Bias. Mexico, with a cargo of merchandise, owned by British and American
consuls at Tepic, Mexico. Leaving the vessel at that point he went north
to San Francisco on the Mexican brig Arizona, arriving at his destination
in the fall of 1856. He then shipped as second officer on the bark Francis
to take a cargo of lumber for the building of the Andes railroad in Peru, and
this was the first cargo of lumber shipped from Puget Sound for the build-
ing of that road. Afterwards he engaged in boating on the Sound for a
short time, and in 1856 was employed to carry the United States mails to
the different reservations and military ports, after which he settled at Utsalady,
on Camano Island. Island county, in the employ of Grennan and Craney,
who were engaged in getting out spars mainly for the French government.
Later he was engaged in logging and the lumber business for a number of
years, and in 1869 was appointed by the government in the Indian depart-
ment on the Tulalip and Makah Indians' reservation, and was an employe of
its agent until the summer of 1872. From then until 1876 he was engaged
at Priest Point at the mouth of Snohomish river, taking charge of various
jfcr^j/AS-ptf:,*, ^ &~
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
( |R. LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. -Ill
logging and steamboat companies' interests. In 1S77 he bought land at
Muckilteo, and farmed very successfully until 1889. when he settled at
Everett and remained for about a year, and then located at Marysville, and
made it his permanent home. Since coming to the city he has been extensively
engaged in real estate, and makes a specially of dealing in timber lands and
in averaging these lands. He was one of the incorporators of Marysville,
and served as a member of the town council for a number of years. He was
first road supervisor of Snohomish county, being elected in 1862. For ten
years he served as justice of the peace of Muckilteo. Mr. Spithill was also
first school clerk of Muckilteo precinct, and helped organize the district and
build the first schoolhouse. He was also the first school clerk in the Everett
district.
In March, 1857, Mr. Spithill was married at L'tsalady. Washington,
to Hessie Turner, a native of Washington, and they had four children:
Agnes, deceased: Xeil ; Duncan: and Alexander, deceased. After the death
of his first wife. Mr. Spithill married, on February 26, 1870. at Tulalip, Sno-
homish county, Washington. Anastasia Newman, a native of Puget Sound,
and a daughter of Ezra and Elizabeth (Warren) Newman, old pioneers of
the county, having settled there in 1841). and were the first white people
there. Four sons and five daughters have been horn to. Mr. and Mrs. Spit-
hill, namely: Alexander; Mathew J. :' ( aihn me \ I., 'deceased : Anastasia
M. married Frank Flynn, of Taconia f C'elia married Marion Kidder, of
Everett: John; Ezella M. ; Inez: David B., all of whom were born in Sno-
homish county. In politics Mr. Spithill is a stanch Republican and has always
taken an active part in local affairs, lie is well, and favorably known in
the community and has borne his part in its upbuilding and development.
Mr. Spithill is the oldest living resident oi Snohomish county.
HON. BYRON BARLOW.
The history of the state legislature, the archives of political action, and
the records of commercial and industrial activity in Washington all contain
the name of the Hon. Byron Barlow, of Tacoma, for through more than
halt" a century he has resided in Washington, and his fitness for leadership,
his ability and his fertility of resource have made him a molder of public
opinion and a business man of prominence, whose efforts have contribute'!
to the improvement of the state as well as to his individual success. His
ancestral history is one of close connection with the development of New
England, and the line can b ] hack to the Rev. William Barlow, who
was a clergyman and phi! i distinction in England, where he was
famed as the inventor of the hanging compass, which he perfected in [60]
His son George was also a minister, and was one of the early emi| Erom
England to America. He usetts, in [639, and
engaged in preaching for a time, but there, as in many other plao dom
as frowned upon, and lie was forbidden to promulgate his d
trines by the general court of the colony. He then removed to Plymouth,
Massachusetts.' where he engaged in the practice of law. His grandson,
Aaron Barlow, is known in historj as one of the founders of Rochi ter,
412 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Massachusetts, in [684, and in 1701 he was a representative or deputy to
the general court at Plymouth. Samuel, the son of Aaron Barlow, was a
soldier in the French and Indian war, and his brother Aaron was one of a
committee chosen by the town of Rochester to suppress intemperance, and
was a member of Captain Hammond's company in the Rhode Island alarm in
1776, while in the following year he joined Captain John Granger's com-
pany and was in the campaign along the Hudson. Samuel was also a soldier
of the Revolutionar) war, and after its close removed to what later became
known as Monteville, in Montgomery county, New York.
George Barlow, the son of Samuel Barlow and the father of Byron
Barlow, was horn in Montgomery county in 1808, and in his youth he worked
upon the Erie canal and eventually became the captain of one of the boats
that plied on that important highway of commerce. From there he made
his way to Michigan, where he was employed at the carpenter's trade, and in
[852 he gathered together some of his portable property and with a wagon
and an ox-team set out for Oregon, but it was six months before his eyes
were gladdened with the sight of the beautiful valleys of that territory. In
[852 he came to Washington and settled on a farm in Cowlitz county, situ-
ated on the Columbia river two miles below Mount Coffin, lie spent the
remainder of his life here, and in 1SK7, while on a visit to Portland, died
suddenly while sitting in his chair. He was married in [833 to Miss Mary
.Ann Purdy, and she died in Cowlitz county in 1864.
A mere boy when brought by the family to the west, Byron Barlow has
spent almost his entire life in Washington. He was born in Michigan, in
1838, and in 185 J accompanied his parents to Cowditz county, where he was
reared to manhood. As a boy and young man he was a leader, first in the
sports of youth and afterward in affairs of interest to the young men of his
locality. He became a student of the political situation of the country, was
fearless in his advocacy of principles in which he believed, and in 1869-70
he represented Cowlitz county in the territorial legislature, being chosen to
the office by popular suffrage as the candidate of the Republican party. He
was afterward appointed by the government to take charge of the Puyallup
Indian reservation, and filled that position for four years. He then located
on a farm at Lake View in Pierce county, whence he removed to the old town
of Tacoma, and, becoming an active factor in public life there, was elected
one of the trustees. This was before the present city of Tacoma was organ-
ized. From that time forward Mr. Barlow has been a co-operant factor in
the development, upbuilding and business interests of Pierce county and the
Puget Sound country, and his labors have changed the result in business
activity and in progress here. He became interested in the development of
the coal mines at Carbonado, where for some time he also owned and man-
aged a large mercantile establishment, the only one there, also the hotel,
butcher shop and other industries of value to the locality as well as to himself.
For several years he was also interested with his brother, Calvin S. Barlow,
in the Tacoma Trading Company, at Tacoma, and subsequently he became
interested in the steamboat transportation on Puget Sound, building the
steamers Skagit Chief, State of Washington, and Henry Bayley, which he
operated successfully. He organized and became president of the Pacific
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 413
Navigation Company, but the achievement which Mr. Barlow takes most
pride in and which is certainly a work worthy of the highest commendation,
was the building of the government dry-dock at Port Orchard in 1896, at
that time the largest and finest dry-dock in the United States, it requiring
four years to complete it, while the cost of the work reached seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. To build it he organized the contracting firm of
Byron Barlow & Company, and as a contractor he has also been engaged in
other important construction enterprises, lie is not now engaged in any
business. The last two or three years he has spent in Alaska, but is now at
home in Tacoma.
Air. Barlow's active connection with political life did not cease when
he left the territorial legislature, for he was elected a member of the state
legislature from Pierce county and served during the sessions of 1S90-T.
Before the admission of the state into the Union he was chairman of the
Republican territorial central committee for three different years. He was
the president of the first hoard of public works of Tacoma. has been a
member of the school board and for several terms has served as a member
of the citv council, doing everything in his power to promote the welfare and
progress of the city along lines of substantial upbuilding.
In 1865 Mr. Barlow was married in Umatilla, Oregon, to Miss Frances
Bartlett. who died in Tacoma in [889, leaving a son. Edward S. Barlow,
who is now living in Seattle. Socially Mr. Barlow is connected with the
Masonic fraternity and the Elks, and he is also entitled to membership in the
Grand Army of the Republic, because at the time of the Civil war he enlisted
in Oregon and became a first lieutenant of Company K, First Oregon Infan-
try. They were not called east, but were sent into the Indian country in
eastern Oregon, where they had several skirmishes with the red men. Mr.
Barlow remained with the army for a ear. I [is memory forms a connecting
link between the pioneer past and the progressive present, and be has not
only been a w it 1 1 he changes which have occurred but has been a factor
in producing the transformation. Realizing the possibilities of this favored
section of the country, he has labored along lines of general improvement as
well as of individual enterprise, with the result that the Puget Sound
country is largely indebted to him for what he has accomplished.
JAMES k. GILLESPIE.
Of course it is a trite old saying that "westward the course of empire
takes its way," but its application is most interesting in the case of the
majority of the residents of the Pacific coast. They themsel for the
eater part, been bom further east, and usually their parents are from the
extreme east, and one would not ha go back many generations at the
most to find European ancestors. These remarl le of th< famib hi
tory of the above named gentleman, for his father, James S. Gillespie, w
native of New York state, and an earlj
tied in Michigan and about 1850 was one of the throng of gi
seekers in California, bul he returned after two or thre 1:
soldier in the Civil war, serving throughout thi de. In later life he
414 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
came to Tacoma and is now a retired business man here, having been en-
gaged in abstracting during most of his active career. His wife was Caro-
line F. Scranton, a native of New York, and also living in tins city.
Jaine- R. Gillespie was bom to these parents in (.rami Rapids, Michi-
gan, in [857, and when he was about six or seven years old the lannly
removed to Cairo, thai state, where he received mosl of Ins education. From
the earl) age of fifteen he was connected with the abstract business in Ins
father's office, and such a long experience has given him a thorough mastery
of all its details. In [885 he removed l<> western Kansas and lived in Garden
City till the trl of [888, which was the date of his coming to Tacoma,
winch has been his permanent residence For fifteen years. On Ins arrival
here In- became associated with what was shortly afterward organized as
the Fidelity Security Abstract Company, and he is' still a member of the linn
and manager of the abstract department. Me has proved his peculiar fitness
for this i, and. is held in high regard by the business men .if lamina
and vicinity.
While Mr. Gillespie resided in Cairo, Michigan, he was married in 1SS1
t<> Miss Zadie Mill-, and the) have two children, Raymond S. and Helen
They have their home at 612 North K street, and are held in high regard in
social circles.
II \KVKY L. JOHNSON.
" Xew countries for young men" seems to he the gisl of all advice ol
older heads to those who would rise in the world, and this is exemplified to
the observer on all sides. I he staid old towns of a half-century's growth are
almost depleted of tin- younger generation, who on arriving at years of man-
hood either rush to the cities or make their way to the undeveloped west,
where opportunities he on every hand. So it is that we find the business and
industry of the Pacific coast for a great part in the hands of the young men.
And among these enterprising, ambitious and progressive men whose blood
is replete with the heyday of youth, is the bright attorney of Tacoma, Har-
vey L. Johnson.
His father. Edwin L. Johnson, was born in the state of Xew York, and
in 1859 drove across the plains to California, in search of the wealth which
some found and in the seeking for which many more perished. He fol-
lowed mining in this state for a few years, but later located in Idaho, where
he became a prominent and wealthy miner. In 1890 he removed to Tacoma
and made this his home until his death, which occurred October 7, 1898.
He had married Matilda Sandberg, a native of New York state, and she
now resides in Tacoma.
Harvey L. Johnson was born to these parents on August 20. [876, while
they made their" home in that noted mining place. Silver City. Idaho. He
w-as educated in the public schools of Portland, and in [895 graduated from
the high school of Tacoma. He had already made up bis mind to study-
law, and at once entered the law office of Sharpstein and Blattner, where he
gained a practical knowledge of many details of the profession at the same
time he was reading the learned commentaries; he was admitted to the bar
'»
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 415
in 1899. On the first day of 1902 he was appointed assistant city attorney
of Tacoma, and the successful performance of the duties connected with this
office is no doubt but the first step on the mail to the many honors which
await this aspiring young man in his future legal career. He is unmarried
and makes his home with his mother and sister at 2203 South Twelfth street,
while his office is in the National Bank of Commerce building.
GEORGE L. McKAY.
George L. McKay, a member of the Tacoma bar. was horn in Bellville,
Ontario, in 1857, his parents being Daniel and .Margaret (Deacon) McKay.
Daniel McKay was born in Scotland and in early childhood crossed the broad
Atlantic to Canada, living in Bellville until i860, when he removed to the
United States, settling in Ogdensburg, New York. In 1862 he brought his
family to the Mississippi valley, settling in Waupaca, Wisconsin, where he
lived for eight years, and on the expiration of that period they removed to
O'Brien county, Iowa, locating at Sheldon. There he became quite prom-
inent in public life and filled the position of deputy sheriff, of deputy United
States marshal and other official positions, discharging his duties with
marked capability and promptness. In 1892 he removed from O'Brien
county to Washington, and is now living at Puyallup, Pierce count}', this
state. He is seventy-four years of age. and has retired from active business
life, enjoying a well merited rest. His wife is of Scotch descent, but was
born in the north part of Ireland. Her father at that time was located in
Ireland in the government service. She. too. still survives, and with her
husband lives in Puyallup.
George L. McKay remained under the parental roof until after the
removal of the family to Sheldon. Iowa, and in the meantime he acquired a
good literary education, to serve a- the foundation upon which to rear the
superstructure of professional knowledge, lie took up the study of law in
Sioux City, Iowa, and after being graduated was admitted to the bar there in
1878. He practiced in Sioux City until [879, and then went to Chamber-
lain. Dakota, now South Dakota, where he opened an office and continued as
a practitioner until [890. That year witnessed his arrival in Tacoma. where
he has been practicing continuously since. The zeal with which he has
devoted his energies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for the intei
ests of his clients, and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the detail -
of his cases, have brought him a large business and made him very successful
in its conduct. Ili^ arguments have elicited warm commendation, not only
from his associates at the bar. hut also from the bench, lb- 1- a very able
writer; his briefs always show wide research, careful thought, and the besl
and strongest reasons which can be urged for his contention, presented in
("gent and logical form, and illustrated 1 1 le unusually lucid and (dear.
Mr. McKay is a stanch Republican and a strict party man. lie cast
his first presidential vote for the candidate of that party, and has never
wavered in his supporl of its princi >e he believes that the plat-
form has contained the besl elements of g, ernment. lie has 10
quently delivered campaign addresses throughout the state in political cam
416 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
paigns, yet lie has never sought or desired office for himself. Interested to
some extent in mining, he has made judicious investments in mining lands.
but his greatest interest, outside his law practice) is in the Mohana Eli Com-
pany, of which he is the secretary and attorney. This compaii) was organized
and capitalized for five hundred thousand dollars, its purpose being the maim
facture of voting machines under a patent that places their device ahead of
all others of this country. The factory will be located at Tacoma and will
be thoroughly equipped with the latest improved machinery necessary for the
manufacture of the machines.
In November, [878, in Sioux City, Iowa, occurred the marriage oi Mr.
McKay and Miss Viola Janeck. Their two sons are Wallace L. and Willie
S., both of whom were educated in Tacoma and have excellent positions as
civil engineers. Mr. McKay's law office is located at 508 Bernice building.
Honorable in business, loyal in citizenship, kindlj in action, true to every
trusl confided to his care, his life i- of a high type of American manhood.
ALYERTIS BRANIN.
Alvertis Branin. who is assistant superintendent of the Bellingham Bay
& British Columbia Railroad, at Whatcom, is a native of Stark county, Ohio,
.born on the 8th of July. 1851. His father, Mahlon Branin, a native of New
Jersey, died in 189S. at the 1 seventy years. The mother, who bore
the maiden name of Margery Ellyson, was a native of Virginia, and. like her
husband, belonged to a family that had long been established in the new
world. In the year 1854 the parents removed with their family to Benton
county, Iowa. They had four sons. Alvertis, Chester, Willis and Hartwell.
Alvertis Branin was only about three year- old when his parents went
to Iowa, and in that state he was reared and educated, pursuing his studies
in the schools of Vinton and later taking a course in the Ames Agricultural
College. He was thus well equipped by intellectual training for the prac-
tical and responsible duties of life. After his own school days were ended,
when he was twenty years of age. he began teaching in the district schools
of Kansas, and was thus engaged for two years. In 1873 he learned telegra-
phy at Columbus, Kansas, with the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad,
now a part of the Frisco system, and the following year was appointed station
agent on that line at Fulton, Kansas, where he remained for a year. He was
then transferred to Coffeyville, Kansas, and in 1876 was appointed train dis-
patcher at Kansas City by the same company. There he served until 1879,
when he went to Slater. Missouri, as dispatcher for the Chicago & Alton
Railroad Company, and in 1885 went from there to Tacoma, Washington,
where he acted as chief dispatcher of the Northern Pacific Railroad until
1888. In that year he was transferred to Seattle as dispatcher and train-
master on a line that is now a part of the Northern Pacific system, but left
there in the fall of 1890 to enter upon his present relation with the Belling-
ham Bay & British Columbia Railroad Company, as assistant superintendent
at Whatcom. For thirteen years he has served in this capacity, and is well
qualified for the important position, the duties of which he has discharged
THE NEW YORK \
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ASTOR. lewox and
T1LDEN FOUWDAfiOWS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 417
in a manner that has won the commendation and regard of those whom he
serves.
In 1874 Mr. Branin was united in marriage to Miss Flora Bower, a
native of Illinois, and a daughter of John II. and Mary Bower, both of whom
were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and .Mrs. Branin have three children:
Charles, now twenty-five years of age, is with the Associated Press at Port-
land, Oregon, as an operator: Alvertis. Jr., twenty-two years of age, is a con-
ductor on the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad; and James
Walter, twenty years of age, is an operator of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company, at Portland.
Mr. Branin votes with the Republican party, for he believes its platform
contains the hest elements of good government. His social relations con-
nect him with the Masons, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Tribe of Ben
Hur and the Cougar Club, and of all he is a worthy and valued representa-
tive. His genial manner has made him popular, and the circle of his friends
is an extensive one. Throughout the greater part of his life he has been
connected with railroad service and has always enjoyed the confidence of the
companies which he has represented, because of the care and painstaking at-
tention which he has given to the discharge b! hi- "duties-.
EUGEXE RICKSECKER.
Eugene Ricksecker. assistant United- States engineer at Tacoma, Wash-
ington, was horn in Canal Dover. Tu-' •.■iniw:i- county. Ohio, in £859, and is
the son of Israel and Mary Jane ( Harrison.) Ricksecker. The former was
a maker of fine watches, and was a native of the little Alpine republic where
watch manufacture may lie said to have originated, and whence the finest
watches come to-day. He came to the United States when he was a young
man. locating in Ohio, and became a very prosperous man. dying in Canal
Dover in 1871. His wife was a native of Alabama, and was a sister of Presi-
dent William Henry Harrison; she died at (anal Dover when the child in
whom we are at present interested was hut five years old.
Eugene Ricksecker had the advantage in chooling such a- the average
boy of the last century did not enjoy. I I' began in the public school of his
native town, later attended a military academy, and C pleted his training
in the Lehigh University at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he gradu-
ated in 1882, having made a specialty of engineering. Shortly before his
graduation an opportunity came to him which proved the stepping stone to
all his subsequent success. It was during Presidenl Arthur's administration,
and the interior department was corresponding with the leading colleges ask-
ing for good and promising young men to take positions in the geologii
survey corps. Mr. Ricksecker « oi ' I ! esi
dent of his university, and he accordingly received the appointment. lie was
at first assigned to duty in Nevada and later in California. Few works un-
dertaken by the natii ernment have been of more importance in di
veloping the resources of the west, aiding industrial enter] id pro-
moting railroad constructioi besides it- gn 1 import, than that
accomplished by this daring aid industrious body of men employed in th<
27*
418 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
geological survey. Mr. Ricksecker, while in performance of the duties con-
nected with this commission, lias climbed and explored the fastnesses of every
mountain along the Pacific coast, from Mount Baker to southern California,
and penetrated places where no human being had ever been before.
In 1889 he was transferred from the geological survey to the war de-
partment, and was sent to Oregon as assistant engineer on the work of deep
ening the harbors and rivers, and he has been in that service up to the present
time in Oregon and on the Pugel Sound. For some years he was engaged in
the work of digging the ship canal from Lake Washington at Seattle to con
nect with the harbor at that point, a very important and expensive under-
taking. In September, [902, he took up his residence in Tacoma, where he
is al present in charge of the government work of dredging, deepening and
extending the limits of the harbor at this point.
Mr. Ricksecker is a popular resident of Tacoma. and he and his family
already enjoy the high regard of a large circle of friends. Mrs. Ricksecker
was formerly Mis- Mary E. Wheeler, and their marriage was celebrated
in New York city in [884. They have two boys, Wheeler and Harrison Rick
seeker.
(11 \RI.KS A. OLSON.
Charles A. Olson, assessor of Jefferson county, residing at Port down
-end. ami one .if that city's mosl representative men, was horn in Sweden in
[864, and i- a son of ( llaf ( >lson, a millwright, who came with his family to
America in [865, and located at Rock Island. Illinois, where he worked at
his trade. Later he lived for a time at Red Oak. Iowa, and in 1888 came to
Port Townsend, where he died a few years ago. His wife was Louise ( Per-
son) < )lson, and she is still surviving, making her home in Port Townsend.
Charles A. Olson received, a good education in Augustina (Lutheran
Swedish) College at Rock Island, and after being graduated, learned his
father's trade of carpenter and millwright, working at it as long as the family
resided at Red Oak, and for a time after their location at Port Townsend in
1888. Becoming prominent in Republican politics, he was appointed super-
intendent of the county hospital, which position he filled for five years to the
entire satisfaction of all parties concerned. In November, 1900, he was
elected justice of the peace at Port Townsend, and in November, 1902, was
elected county assessor of Jefferson county for the term of two years. He
has always been an active, enterprising citizen, and invested his means in
real estate, so that he is now one of the prosperous men of his city.
In 1889 Mr. Olson was married to Miss Mary Olson, and they have three
children. Esther, Cecilia and Dewey. Both as a public official and private
citizen. Mr. Olson has proved himself worthy of all confidence, and is a man
who enjoys in the highest degree the friendship and respect of all who know
him.
CAPTAIN SIMON F. KILDALL.
Captain Simon F. Kildall, president of the Kildall Mercantile Company
and of the Bank of Lynden, Lynden, Washington, was born at Horstad,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 419
on the coast of Norway, in [860. His father, Michael Kildall. was a sea-
faring man and a vessel owner. Captain Kildall was practically reared upon
the water, and at the age of seventeen years was captain of a sailing vessel
on the cost of Norway. He came to the United States in iSSo and traveled
directly to the Puget Sound country, locating at Tacoma. There lie worked
m the Hanson lumber mill, now the Tacoma Mill Company, the oldest mill
in Tacoma. it having been established in 1S0S. There he remained eighteen
months, and he then went to Port Gamble, where he worked lor the Puget
Mill Company for six years, and in iSSS he came to Whatcom county and
took up some timber land in the vicinity of Lynden. He also opened a store
in Lynden, and was engaged in merchandising and the timber business until
1893, when the financial crash left him without a penny. But he was plucky,
and immediately went to work to regain his lost fortune, for that purpose
entering into the fish business on Puget Sound, with headquarters at What
com. In this business he was very successful and took a large amount of
money from it, and he also became interested in the steamboat business, and
finally was captain of a steamer on Puget Sound.
In 1901 he returned to Lynden and established, his concern known as
the Lynden Mercantile Company, building for its home the finest business
block in the town. This is a complete department store, and a complete
stock is carried of almost every line of merchandise, including farm machin-
ery and wagons and carriages.
In February, 1903, he established the Bank of Lynden in the same block
with bis mercantile company, and this is rapidly growing into a large and
flourishing financial institution. The bank- and store represent a large invest-
ment of Captain Kildall's money. He is president of the Commercial Club
of Lynden, which is doing many things for the advancement of the place.
He is also a member of the Order of Elks and the Masonic fraternity, and is
secretary of Lynden Lodge No. 56, A. F. & A. M.
Mr. Kildall married Ettie R. Stevens, and they have two children,
Ruth and Oscar. When Mr. Kildall came to the United States he was with-
out either money or influential friends. After his arrival he seemed to have
more than his share of hard luck, breaking his leg and suffering From other
accidents. He is now the leading citizen of the town, and is a highly suc-
cessful man. Being very public-spirited and enterprising, he is an invalua-
ble citizen.
EDWARD A. ROICE.
One of the most straightforward, energetic and successful business men
of Tacoma is Edward A. Roice, and few have been more prominenl or widely
known in this enterprising city. .He 1- public spirited and thoroughly intei
ested in whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material wel-
fare of the community, and he is now numbered among its most valued and
honored citizens.
A native of the commonwealth of Wisconsin, he was born in Lake
Geneva, in 1849. being a son of 0. II and Pamelia C. (Shaw i Roice. The
father, who was of English descent, was born in the tate ol New York, but
•
•
120 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
became one of the early pioneers of Wisconsin, going there when it was
necessary to make the journey by boat or wagon, for thai was before the
advent of the railroads into that commonwealth. For a number of years he
made his home in Lake Geneva, but in i S 5 5 removed with his family to
Dodge count) in the southern part of thai state, taking up his abode on a
farm. In 1S74 he again took up the journey westward, on this occasion his
objective point being Stockton, California, where for the following eighteen
years he was engaged in fruit culture in the beautiful valley there. On the
expiration of that period, in [892, he joined his son Edward in Tacoma,
Washington, the latter having located in this city two years previously, and
since his arrival here the father has lived retired from business pursuits,
enjoying the resl which he so worthily won and richly deserves. On the
maternal side our subject is of Scotch-Irish descent, and his mother was
horn in Canada. She was summoned into eternal rest while a resident ol
the ( lolden state.
Edward A. Roice enjoyed the educational advantages afforded by the
schools of Dodge county. Wisconsin, and when yet a young man engaged in
the vocation of teaching. Accompanying his parents on their removal In
California, lie there resumed that profession, which he continued for seven
vears. In [880 he purchased a drug store in San Francisco, which he con-
ducted for three years, and during that time thoroughly learned the pharma-
ceutical profession, and on the expiration of which period he returned to
the vicinity of Stockton and was there engaged in fruit culture until [890.
That year witnessed his arrival in the city of Tacoma, where he immediately
entered the drug -tore of W. I'. lionney in the capacity of clerk, which posi-
tion he retained until 1893. In thai year he established his present drug
store, which is located at 2815 Sixth avenue, in the residence section. He
indeed deserves mention among Tacoma's most prominent and representative
citizens, and should find a place in the history of the men of business and
enterprise in the great northwest, whose force of character, sterling integrity
and control of circumstances have contributed in such an eminent degree to
the solidity and progress of the entire country.
The marriage of Mr. Roice was celebrated near Red Bluff, California, in
1SS4. when Miss Laura Holliday became his wife. During the past four
vears lie has been a member of the city council, being twice elected as an
independent candidate, and he has proved an able representative of the sev-
enth ward. In this important position he has served as chairman of the fire
and water committee, and also as a member of the finance, franchise, police
and license, sewerage ami drainage committees. He is widely known among
the citizens of his adopted city, and by them is held in high regard.
W. E. SCHRICKER.
W. E. Schricker, a capitalist of Laconner, Washington, was torn Decem-
ber 7, 1862. at Davenport. Iowa. He is a son of Lorenzo and Mary (Hanser)
Schricker. both of whom were natives of Germany. Lorenzo Schricker was
born in Bavaria and came to Iowa in 1847. He organized the Mississippi
Logging Company in 1870 and was its first president and manager, with F. E.
?m
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 121
Weyerhanser as vice president, the Weyerhanser company now owning ver\
large holdings and about thirty mills. After four years Mr. Schricker left
the Mississippi company and went into the logging business For himself.
During his residence in Davenport he was vice presidenl and a director in the
Davenport National Bank, also a director of the First National Bank of
Davenport; of the Savings Bank of that city, and of the Chippewa Falls
First National Bank. He had also large business interests of an individual
nature. His death occurred in 1881. His wife passed away in [864. Our
subject and one sister, a half-brother and two half sisters, -till survive, these
being: Ottilia, who is the wife of M. Pietruski, admiral in the Austrian
navy, stationed at Palo. Austria; Richard 1... who is president of the Schricker
& Rasher & Rasher Hardware Company of Davenport. Iowa; llattie. who is
the wife of Captain Devork, an officer in the Austrian navy ; and Miss Selma,
who resides at Davenport, Iowa.
W. E. Schricker was educated in the public schools <'i Davenport and
graduated from the high school in 1877. lie attended the Iowa Agricul-
tural College for three years and then entered the Iowa State University. In
1883 he was graduated from the law department -\\ i'th a degree of LL. IV,
supplementing the same with graduation', -in 1.SS5 From Columbia College.
New York. Mr. Schricker was admitted to practice in the supreme court
of Iowa, the circuit and the United States district courts of the same state.
in 1885, and in the same year was admitted to practice! in the supreme court
of the territory of Washington. Taking Up his residence in Seattle, he en
gaged in practice there until the spring of 1886. when he went to Laconner,
and, until absorbed by other interests, practiced his pi 1 here. Al
though not actively engaged in the law. he occasionally does some legal
work. In 1886 he established the Skagit Count) Bank, and aboul one yeai
later took in as partner L. L. Andrews. This is a private institution which
enjoys the confidence of the public on account of the sterling character of its
owners. Its affairs are conducted with a careful conservatism, and it is
regarded as one of the soundest financial institutions in the state.
Mr. Schricker has been one of the leading politicians in this section
of the state for a number of years. Formerly a Democrat, he changed his
views on the silver question and has been most active in the Republican party
ever since. In 1891 he was elected a member of the Washington legislature,
and his course was so approved that he was renominated econd term.
in 1893. but declined the honor. For fourteen year- he has been a member
of the Laconner city council and has been active in promoting the growth
of the commercial interests and the social importance of the city. Ili- intere 1
in education is shown l>v hi- having served for I rs as a member
of the school hoard, and in Manh. 1901, he was appointed by Governor
McBride a member of the state hoard of regent'- 1 1 th( uni ei ity. In [900
he was one of the organizers of the hidalgo Mill Company, at Anao rfc
which plant has a capacity of sixty-five thousand lumber per day. and
of this corporation he i- secretary and treasurer.
In Decemher, 1SX5. Mr. Schricker was married to Josie I Beals, who
was horn in Iowa, a daughter of Nathan II. Beals, Mr- Schricker died in
1897. leaving two daughters: Florence Hilda, attending Ferry Hall, Lake
422 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Forest, Chicago; and Ottilie Iona, a student of the Laconner high school.
In June. [900, Mr. Schricker married Adah Theresa Wright, who was born
at Springfield, Missouri, a daughter of Edgar A. Wright, a broker and
lemon-grower at San Diego, California. Fraternally Mr. Schricker is a
Mason and a Knight of Pythias.
henry j. McGregor,
As the name implies, the McGregors are Scotch, and one of this numcr
ous and wide spread house, James, was born in the city of Glasgow. In his
young manhood he came to Canada, where he spent his life, dying at Almonl
a few years ago. His wife was a lady whose maiden name was Mary
Dunlop, and her birthplace was in Paisley, Scotland; she is still living and
resides at the old home in Almont.
! Imry J. McGregor was born in Almont, in the province of Ontario, in
r86i. As he left home at the age of thirteen his educational advantages
were very limited, but as will be shown later, he improved his opportunities
so that he is now a man of broad intelligence and culture. On leaving home
he came over into Michigan and located in Grand Rapids, where for the nexl
two years he worked at whatever came in his way. lie then went to Muske
gon, where he remained two years, during which time he picked up a smat-
tering knowledge of sculpture, showing no inconsiderable talent and skill in
this noble and ancient art. After leaving Muskegon he came to Oregon,
Illinois, where he spent a number of years in learning the business of the
railroad contractor. He became very proficient, and was given the superin-
tendency of the building of a road from Freeport, Illinois, to Dodgeville, Wis-
consin. Upon the completion of this line, in 1888 he brought his entire
outfit, horses, tools, etc., to the state of Washington, where he superintended
the bridge construction of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad,
which is now the Washington line of the (Jreat Northern. He was next
engaged in building the Fairhaven and Southern Railroad, which is now also
a part of the Great Northern system, and he then built the Sumas division of
the same road. At the completion of these contracts he organized and
became the president of the Gate City Contracting Company at Port Angeles,
Washington, and to this company was delegated nearly all the public bridge-
building in Clallam county. While living in Port Angeles he had the honor
of being elected chief of the police, discharging the duties of his office for
two years. The last work which he did as a contractor was for the Pacific
Steel Company, when he put in their iron ore docks at Irondale. Deciding
to give up the line of work in which he had won such success, he sold his
share in the Gate City Contracting Company and put in some capital in the
formation of the Washington Match Company. For the first year, beginning
with June, 1901, he superintended the erection of the company's immense
plant on the tide flats in Tacoma, but on October 22, 1902, he was made
president of the company, which is now in a position to build up the most
important establishment of its kind on the Pacific coast.
Mention has already been made of the fact that Mr. McGregor did not
enjoy many advantages in an educational way when he was young, and it is
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 42:5
a remarkable tribute to his determination and ambition that while he was
engaged in the construction of the Seattle. Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad.
he attended a night school to make up for this deficiency. This is one of the
things which have made him successful, and it would be useless to enumerate
further his excellent qualities, which are well known to his numerous friends
in and around Tacoma. Mr. McGregor's marriage occurred in Victoria,
British Columbia, in 1885, when he became the husband of Miss Mattie C.
Williams. The four children of this union bear the names of Delia, Herbert,
Harry and Lester.
CAPTAIN HARRY WINCHESTER.
Prominent among the enterprising and public-spirited citizens of Pierce
count}-, Washington, is numbered Captain Harry Winchester, who is now
so acceptably serving as county commissioner, with office in the court house
at Tacoma. A native of England, he was born in Tunbridge, county Kent,
in 1845. bis parents being William Henry and Vashti (Staples) Winchester.
The father, who was a carpenter by trade, removed with bis family to London
when Harry was about nine years old, and there continued to make his home
until called to his final rest in 1870. The mother also died in that city.
Captain Winchester acquired most of his education in the schools of
London, and in that city learned the carpenter's trade, following <<nt the
English custom of the son taking up the occupation of the father. In [866
he obtained a position as ship's carpenter on the Clio, l>"und from London
to Victoria, British Columbia, by way of Cape Horn. He landed at Victoria
that year, and. after looking around the Puget Sound country in Washington
territory, finally decided to locate in Kitsap county, where lie engaged in the
logging business for twelve or thirteen years. At the <^nt\ of that time be
came to Pierce county and located at Balch's Cove, now the Glen Cove posl
office. He embarked in the logging business here, and has been prominently
identified with that enterprise ever since. At Balch's Cove be built a line
residence, which is still his home, and set out an orchard, containing one
thousand apple and pear trees, which have proved quite profitable.
For several years Captain Winchester was owner and captain of the
steamboat Messenger in the local passenger and freighl business on Puget
Sound, and he was also for awhile engaged quite extensively in brick manu-
facturing at Balch's Cove. In his capacity as steamboatman, brick maim
facturer and logger, he has, ever since bis advent in the Puget Sound country,
been in close touch with the development of this section and a ociated with
all the prominent old-timers of Seattle and Tacoma. having witnessed the
entire growth and development of those cities.
In 1883, at Victoria, was celebrated the marriage of Captain Winchester
and Miss Louisa Livingstone, and to them has been born one daughter, Dora.
By bis ballot the Captain supports the men and measures of the Republican
party, and he takes quite an active and prominent pari in public affairs. His
fellow-citizens recognizing his worth and ability, elected him one of the th
county commissioners of Pii t) in i<><«>. for a term of two years, and
so acceptably did he fill the office that be was re-elected in [902 for a font
424 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
years" term and is the present incumbent. A prudent, careful business man,
he looks closely after the interests and extensive public enterprises oi the
county, and is justly regarded as a mosl competent official. Mis public and
private career arc alike abovi ich, and as a worthy citizen and honored
pioneer of this state he is justly entitled to prominent mention in its history.
JOSEPH E. STAUFFER, M. D.
Many accord to the practice of medicine the highesl rank among the
professions, believing il to be of more importance to mankind than any other
calling to which an individual may direct his efforts. However this is, it is
certain that all accord to the profession a position of marked prominence,
and acknowledge the worth of the physician who, true to the ethics ol the
profession and imbued with a strong humanitarian spirit, gives his life,
thought and energies to the alleviation of human suffering and to the pro
longation of life. Dr. Stauffher is a worthy representative of this class, and in
Everett has attained considerable distinction, the public recognizing his capa
bility. lie is a native of Elkhart county. Indiana, his birth having occurred
there on the 1 8th of September, [854. lie is a son of Henrj E, Stauffer,
who was horn in eastern ( Ihio and was of German descent. By occupation the
father was a farmer, following that pursuit through his entire life in order to
provide for his family. He wedded Miss Mary Anne Winder, who was also
born in eastern Ohio, and they became the parents of two soil and two
daughters: Walter, who was the eldest and is now deceased: Joseph E.,
of this review : Ida L.. who is the wife of Adam Guiss, a resident of Nappanee,
Indiana; and Mary, the wife of Allen Dausman of Goshen, Indiana. The
mother passed away in 1885 at the age of fifty-six years, and the father,
surviving until 1902, died at the age of seventy-six years.
Dr. Stauffer began his education in the public schools of Elkhart county,
Indiana, and afterward continued his studies in the Northwestern Normal
College at Valparaiso, Indiana, where he spent the winter of 1876-7. With
broad general information to serve as the foundation upon which to rear
the superstructure of his professional learning, he entered the medical de-
partment of Butler University at Indianapolis and was graduated in the
spring of 1882 on the completion of the regular course. He then continued
his studies in the Rush Medical College of Chicago and is a graduate of that
institution with the class of 1883.
Soon afterward Dr. Stauffer located at Winnebago, Minnesota, and
opened an office, engaging in practice there from 1883 until 1891. The
rapidly developing northwest, however, attracted him. and, desiring to identify
his interests with those of Washington, he came to this state in 1891. The
following year he established his office in Everett, where he has since re-
mained. In 1 90 1 he was chosen county physician and in the same year
county health officer, and he fills both positions at the present time. He is a
man of broad learning, especially in the lines of his profession, and continual
reading and research add to his knowledge and promote in large measure his
efficiency and skill.
.so
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 425
In November, 1886, Dr. Stauffer was united in marriage to Miss Kate
B. Holly, a native of Minnesota and a daughter of Hon. H. W. Holly, who
was born in New York and became one of the prominent pioneers of Minne-
sota. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth J. Christ v. was
a native of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Stauffer have one daughter. Maude Elizabeth.
The Doctor belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He exercises his right of fran-
chise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, and is
deeply interested in its success and welfare, believing thai through the adop-
tion of its principles the best interests of the county, state and nation are con-
served. He has ever favored progress along any line that tends to uplift man
and has labored earnestly and consecutively for the general welfare. His
fellow townsmen respect and admire him for what he has accomplished, and
he well deserves representation among the leading citizens of Snohomish
county.
LUCIUS T. HOLES.
The word "philanthropist" nieai.i^ .1 IcWef ' >f mankind, one who does
something to benefit and better others, and the greatest nun of this class
during the last century are those who have invented some device which effects
saving of labor and adds to the comforts of life. Inventors are legions in
number, and it is almost proverbial that -how e\er excellent their inventions
others reap the rewards of their toil,, and they die almost paupers. Some
few have united business judgment and wise'nian-agement with genius so as
to enjoy the results of both, and in this number may he included the general
manager of the Washington Match Company at Tacoma, Lucius T. Holes
He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, in 1864, the son of Samuel
and Catharine (McCully) Holes; the former, of English ancestry, was a
New Englander by birth, and died in Center county when Lucius was a child,
but his wife, who comes of a line of good Pennsylvania stock-, is still living
and makes her home with her son in Tacoma. At an early age Lucius had
to begin the battle of life on his own account. He made his start by learning
the carpenter's trade, and for seven years was a workman under J. \V. June-.,
one of the most prominent contractors in Pennsylvania. At the end of this
period be felt himself able to do independent work, and during the foil,, wing
seven years completed a number of important contract-, espeoiall) with the
Pennsylvania Railroad, building depots, etc. In 1SS7 he came west to
Tacoma, and the great number of houses and other structures erected by him
in this city show how soon he gained a large patronage,
Mr. Holes had been possessed of a mechanical genius from childhood,
shown also by the fact that he took up the saw and hammer when so young,
and in 1898 his inventive skill was turned into a channel which has brought
him what is certain to prove a revolutionizing process of match manufacture.
He conceived the plan of a match-making machine which would he superior
to all hitherto known, and after months of study and experimentation com
pleted and patented his devise. For the purpose of utilizing this invention
lie organized, in |une, 1901, the Washington Match Company, his excellent
426 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
reputation in Tacoma enabling him to enlist the support of men of influence
and capital to join him. This company at once proceeded to put up what is
known as Factory No. i on the tide flats at Tacoma, from the designs and
under the personal supervisii m of Mr. I [oles. It is equipped with all the must
modern machinery, and the offices arc elaborately furnished with leather
upholstered furniture. The match-making machine is a wonderful invention,
and. tn prevenl others from infringing on its patents, it is carefully guarded
by trusted employes, so that Mr. Holes and his company arc certain to reap
the rewards of the enterprise. The contrivance represents a large amount oi
money, and its parts were manufactured in nine different foundries, some ol
the finest steel sections having been made in the famous factories of England.
Besides the principal machinery there are also six printing presses which will
print names, addresses and advertising matter on the matches, something
which has never heretofore been attempted. The factory began the manu-
facture of matches in [903, and. as the Washington Match Company is the
only firm of the kind west of the Mississippi river, and as its new inventions
and' devices will produce these indispensable article- in so many attractive
shapes and designs, the retail jobbers already have orders placed for all the
company can turn out. The Northern Pacific has built a spur of track into
the company's yards, and the land held by the concern in the vicinity has
increased manifold in value. There is no doubt that the company is one of
the most important and profitable institutions in Tacoma, and its wizard-like
and clear-headed general manager will nol onlj revolutionize the manufacture
of matches hut will bring himself and coadjutors into deserved prosperity.
WILLIAM BURTON EATON.
Mr. Eaton is a prominent merchant and sawmill man of Mason county.
Washington, and while residing in Shelton, the county seat of that county,
he has his principal business interests in Mason City. The firm of Hunter
and Eaton have a large general merchandise store, carrying, besides a stocl
of household supplies, all kinds of builders' materials, doors, sashes and
lumber. They are the leading house in the town, and their trade extends out
into the surrounding country, and is continually increasing owing to the
honorable and successful methods of the proprietors. In a tract of fine
timber, containing over twelve hundred acres, they have a sawmill of a daily
capacity of ten thousand feet, the product being readily sold from their own
yard and in other markets. The soil of this land is so rich that when the
timber has been cleared away the ground will be worth the purchase price
for farming purposes. Mr. Hunter has charge of the store, while Mr. Eaton
acts as manager of the sawmill plant, both being men of great business
ability and reliability.
The ancestry of the Eaton family is English, and grandfather Gordon
Eaton was a native of New Hampshire, as was also his son, Byron Gordon,
who was born there in 1832. The members of the family were farmers by
occupation, some were Methodists and others Baptists. Byron Gordon Eaton
married a native of his own state. Miss Rhoda S. Fifield, and in 1854 they
removed to Illinois, where the wife died in her thirtv-sixth vear ; he later
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 427
spent part of his life in Kansas, and died in Kansas City, Missouri, when
sixty-six years old. They were the parents of seven children, of whom four
still survive, but William Burton is the only one in the state of Washington.
William B. Eaton was born in New 1 lamp-hire. February 8, [852,
gained most of his early training in the schools in Kane county, Illinois, and
began life as a farmer. But be soon afterward moved to Iowa and became
interested in the pine lumber industry, and this has been the principal occupa-
tion of his life since 1872. He soon sought a better field for his labors by
coming to Washington, and on his arrival here he first worked at logging;
shortly afterward he entered into partnership with L. L. Hunter, and by their
union of interests they have built up a flourishing industry.
In 1880 Mr. Eaton married Mrs. Sarah J. Wheeler, who had one son,
Burt Leander Wheeler, by her former marriage, and she later bore Mr. I
two sons: Arthur died when he was sixteen months old, but Byron Glenn is
still living. Air. Eaton votes the Republican ticket when affairs of natioanl
importance are at stake, but in local matters he is a strong Prohibitionist and
does all in his power to advance the cause of temperance, lie is a member
of the Baptist church, was made a Mason in Iowa, Right Angle Lodge No.
34, A. I'". & A. M. He resides in one of the nice homes of Shelton, and he
and his wife are among the popular people of the town.
JOHN EVANS.
For more than a quarter of a century John Evans has resided in Whatcom
county and as the years have passed be has devoted his energies to the devel-
opment and cultivation of a tract of land which he has transformed into
of the best farms in this portion of the state. He is a native of the little rock-
ribbed country of Wales, his birth having occurred in Port Talbot, in .March.
1834. His father, Thomas Evans, was also a native of that country and
throughout his entire business career he carried on agricultural pursuits.
After arriving at years of maturity he married Martha (Stevens) I
who was also a native of the same country, and they became parent- of eleven
children, six sons and five daughters: Margaret, Sarah. David. Mary.
Dianna. Griffith, John, Thomas, Stephen, Herbert and Annie, all of whom
are yet living in Wales with the exception of the subject of this review. The
father died in that country at the age of sixty-live years, and the mother. Ion;;
surviving him, passed away at the advanced age of ninety-five years.
Under the parental roof John Evans was reared. There was a la
family of children and the father was only in moderate financial cm
stances, so that his opportunities in youth were somewhat limited. I
short period each winter he attended school until fifteen years of age, and
throughout the remainder of the year assisted in 1' tion of tin- home
farm. When he permanently put aside his school 1 1.- he began workii
a tin factory, being thus employed until [854, when he came to the new world.
He had heard favorable reports of the opportunities afforded in this country
to young men. and when twenty year- of age he crossed the Atlantic in a
sailing vessel, which dropped anchor in the harbor of Philadelphia. After
working for a time in the rolling mills at Danville, he went to Covin
128 HISTORY OF NIK PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Kentucky, where he was employed in rolling mills until i S 5 7 . In the fall
of ill. 11 year he removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where he resided until [860,
and then after spending a short time in St. Louis, Missouri, he made a visil
in his parenl riends in hi- native land, returning to the United States
in the fall of 1861. This was the year of the Caril gold excitement in
British Columbia and with the hope of rapidlj acquiring a fortune he made
his way to that country, where he remained until the fall of [865. \t the
latter date lie arrived in Washington and turned his attention to coal mining
at Whatcom. He was engaged in prospecting in the blue canyon district
until [875, when he came to Ferndale and purchased the farm property which
he now owns, consisting of one hundred and sixty five acres of land, whose
fertility is unsurpassed in this section of the stale. His care and cultivation
has made it most produ d he annually harvests good crops, returning
in him a desirable income when he places his products on the market. I lis
homestead is located "ii this place, which borders the river Nooksack and his
farm 1" the best in the county.
< >n the 15th of December, [881 irred the marriage of Mr. Evans
and Miss 11a Mayfield, a nan < of Indiana and a daughtei of Alexander C.
and Winnie (Short) Mayfield. both of whom were natives of Indiana. Unto
Mr. and Mrs. Evans have been born a son and daughter, Winnie and Her
hen J., aged fifteen and eight years respectively. In matters of public import
Mr. E\ leeply interested and his labors have been a co-operant factor
in the promoting of various measures for the general good. For fifteen
years he has been a school director of Ferndale and takes an active and helpful
interest in educational affairs. The Republican party finds in him a stalwart
supporter and his influence and labors have promoted its growth. I lis life
has been a busy and useful one and whatever the success In- has achieved, he
deserves all the credit for it. lie came t" America a young man with little
capital, depending upon the labor of his hands for a livelihood, and his
indefatigable efforts as the years have passed have brought to him a com
fortable home and good property.
THOM \S BOYD SUMNER.
Thomas Boyd Sumner has for a number of years been actively con-
nected with industrial affairs in Snohomish county, and during his residence
in this portion of Washington he has become widely known as a valued citizen,
honored and respected for his sterling worth, his enterprise, his business
ability and his straightforward dealings. He is also very prominent in
political circles, and as a member of the state senate has left the impress of
his deep thought and loyal patriotism upon the legislation of Washington.
Mr. Sumner is a native of Wisconsin, his birth having occurred in
Waupun on the 25th of March, 1856. His father, Farnham Sumner, was a
native of Massachusetts and belonged to an old family of New England that
furnished its representatives to the continental army during the Revolutionary
war. Other members of the family took part in still other wars in which the
country has been engaged, and at all times patriotism and loyalty have been
salient characteristics in those who have borne the name of Sumner. Farn-
ham Sumner was a merchant by occupation. He wedded Emily P. Case, a
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
VASTOR. LENOX ANl
T1LDENFOUNDA
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. t29
native of Vermont, and her ancestral history was likewise one of long and
close connection with the republic. He died at the age of seventy-six years,
while his wife passed away in 1886, when sixt} three years of age. Thej
were parents of three sons and a daughter: Frederick \\\. who is president
of the Sumner Iron Works of Everett; Thomas Boyd; and a son and a
daughter who died in infancy.
Under the parental roof Thomas B. Sumner spent his boyhood days, and
at the usual age began his education in the public schools of Waupun, Wis-
consin, while later he became a student in Hutchinson. Minnesota, lie left
school at the age of fifteen years, and entered upon his business career in
connection with the iron manufacturing industry at Hutchinson. There
he continued until June, 1892, being associated with his brother in the enter
prise. They operated under the name of Sumner Brothers at first and later
under the business style of the Sumner Manufacturing Company. In [892
these brothers came to Puget Sound country and founded the Sumner Iron
Works for the manufacture of saw and shingle mill machinery, engines and
boilers and steam and tug boats. They have developed one of the most
important industries in this section of. the state, their business constantly
growing until it has now assumed exensive proportions. Employment is
furnished to about one hundred and forty, workmen and theirs is considered
one of the best plants in the west. The enterprise has been incorporated with
a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars, and the officers of the com
pany are F. XV. Sumner, president; James E. Gillett, vice president; and
Thomas B. Sumner, secretary and treasurer.
On the 1st of January. 1877. Mr. Sumner was married in Hutchinson,
Minnesota, to Elva J. Bonniwell, a native of Milwaukee and a daughter of
George and Marie Bonniwell, who were of English lineage and at an early
day settled in Minnesota. To Mr. and Mrs. Sumner have been horn two
sons and two daughters: Emily, Abbie, George and frank.
Fraternally Mr. Sumner is connected with the Masons, and also holds
membership relations with the Elks and the Knights of I'ythias. lie has
been very prominent in public affairs during his residence in Snohomish
county, and for five years was a member of the city couni il ol Everett
ercising his official prerogatives in support of all movements of reform,
progress and improvement. In 1900 he was elected and represented the
thirty-eighth district in the state senate of Washington, and his career as
a member of the upper house has reflected credil upon his constituents and
been of benefit to the community which he represents. He has always I
an active interest in politics, voting with the Republican party. He is public-
spirited, being devoted to the national interests and to the local welfare, and
has contributed liberally to all that is calculated to mo he upbuilding
of his adopted city. He has been quick to recognize and improve oppoi
tunity in his business career, lias placed his dependence upon the substantial
qualities of enterprise and indefatigable labor, and in the control of his in
terests has shown sound practical judgmenl and keen discernment.
130 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ROBERT GILDAY.
Robert Gilday has served for eight consecutive years as a member oi the
city council in Blaine and has been active in the management of the city affairs
along lines leading to substantial and permanent improvement and progress,
lie is also a representative "l" its business interests and stands as a type oi
that elass of citizens who have been the builders of the great west.
Mr. Gilday was born October |. [860, in Greenville, Ontario county,
Canada, and is of Irish lineage. Mis parents, Thomas and Ellen (Gardiner)
Gilday, were natives of the Emerald Me. The father represented a prom-
inent old family of that country and engaged in merchandising in county
Sligo until he became imbued with a desire to establish a In inn- in the new
world. Crossing the Atlantic, he turned his attention to farming in Ontario,
where he resided until his death, in [884. His widow sun ived him ten years.
passing away in [894. In their family were seven sons and one daughter,
namely: Thomas, who is engaged in the roofing and cement business in
Montreal, Canada; Richard, who follows the same line of business in
Toronto; Daniel, who was a grocer in Smith Falls, Ontario, but is now
deceased; Gardiner, a contractor and builder of Montreal; Edward, who was
overseer of a mine at Portland, Ontario, but has now departed this life;
James, who was a blacksmith and is now deceased; and Mrs. Sarah Jane
McKinney, the wife of Hiram McKinney, a contractor and builder of Ottawa.
The ether member of the family is Robert Gilday, of Blaine. He began
his education in the common schools of Greenville, continuing his studies
until 1 Sj<;. when he put aside his text books and made his way to Dakota.
There he took up a h d claim, which he developed into a good farm,
continuing its cultivation ha- ten years. On the expiration of that period he
sold his interests in Dakota and came to the northwest. In Seattle he pur-
chased a restaurant outfit and took it to Anacortes, Washington, where he
sold it. He then came to Blaine, Whatcom county, and for a year or two
was employed in the shingle mills of this place, after which he began business
on his own account as a dealer in coal and wood. He entered into partner-
ship with Louis Monfort, under the firm name of Gilday & Monfort, and they
are still carrying on business together, having recently added a feed depart-
ment. They have a large trade in the various commodities in which they
deal and are enjoying a constantly increasing husines. Their methods com-
mend them to the public confidence and their enterprise is also a prominent
factor in their prosperity.
On the 26th of March, 1889, Mr. Gilday was united in marriage in
Cavalier county. North Dakota, to Miss Alice Bowey. a native of England
and a daughter of James Bowey. a contractor of Plymouth, that country.
He belonged to an old English family prominent and influential, and Mrs.
Gilday has two uncles who are influential men of Plymouth, one being a
physician and the other a lawyer there. Unto our subject and his wife have
been born a son and daughter — James Stanley and Cora Ellen, both attending
school. The parents have a wide acquaintance in Blaine and the cordial and
gracious hospitality of their pleasant home is greatly enjoyed by their many
friends. They are members of the Episcopalian church and Mr. Gilday is a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 431
valued representative of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights
of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is also a leading
Democrat of this part of the state and has frequently been chosen to represent
his district in the county and state conventions, his opinions carrying con-
siderable weight in the councils of the party. He has served on the Demo-
cratic county central committee and in 1895 was elected a member of the
city council, having in each year since that time been re-elected. His con-
stituents desired to make him the party nominee for mayor, but he declined
to become the candidate and was therefore returned to the council. His citi-
zenship is characterized by a loyal devotion to all the best interests of city,
state and nation, and he is fearless in defense of his honest convictions.
JOHN POST.
John Post, mine prospector and large property owner at Sumas, Wash-
ington, commonly called Jack Post, was horn in Josephine county, Oregon,
in i860, and is a son of John and Rachel (Moore) Post. The father was
horn in eastern Kansas, but emigrated to southern Oregon in the early fifties,
and died there several years ago. He was a farmer by occupation, and on
first moving to Oregon settled in Josephine count)-, but in [869 settled in
Curry county, where his death occurred. The mother was born in Ohio and
was married in Oregon. She crossed the plains with her parents, and. as
her family were poor, she walked barefooted over the greater portion of the
way, and carried her baby sister. This remarkable lady is still living in
southern Oregon.
'When he was only fourteen years of age John Post began the battle ol
life for himself, having by that time obtained a fairly good education in the
schools of Curry county, and he has been a miner and prospector all his life.
At first he went to Yreka in northern California and prospected there for
several years, but in 1886 he removed to Washington, making Seattle his
headquarters, from which he followed his occupation of prospecting, and also
hunted and trapped until 1887. at which time he came to the then unexplored
Mt. Baker district in Whatcom county, and has resided here ever since, lie
was a resident of Sumas in 1890, which was prior to its being platted. Mr.
Post was the original discoverer and developer, with R. S. Lambert and I., (i.
Van Valkenburg, of the now famous gold mines of Mt. Baker district, just
a few miles from Sumas. In fact. Mr. Post surprised the pioneers when he
came here from Seattle and disclosed the rich gold held at Mt. Baker. From
that time he devoted his whole time to making good his assertions, and a 0
ciated with men he knew would prove faithful to him. Together, the three
located and developed what is now known as the Posl Lambert
mines, consisting of five claims, all of them containing remarkably rich
of free-milling gold ore, one of which has had driven into ii a sevent]
foot tunnel, showing a three-foot vein assaying from forty to fifty dollars to
the ton. There is now a ten-stamp mill on tin'- property.
Mr. Post filled the position of town marshal and constable for a few
years, and has always been a prominent figure in this section of the state.
He resides in a fine large house built in [898, and is surrounded b) every
432 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
comfort. In the summer of [903 he wenl prospecting in the Alaska gold
lieMs, remaining there until November, [903, and with his wonderful good
fortune is certain to strike something very valuable not only for himself Inn
also for his many friends. Although he has raised himself from the ranks
of a day laborer, he is as kind-hearted and genial in manner as ever, and
always read) to help when it is needed.
In [889 he was married at Whatcom to Miss Lillian X. Eaton, a native
of Washington and a daughter of Moses E. Eaton, a well known pioneer of
the state who crossed the plains from towa in the early days, and he and his
wife now reside at l.ymlen. Whatcom county. Mr. and Mrs. Post have four
children living, namely: Clifford < >.. Clyde A.. John Christopher and
( rladys < Jphelia.
URSINUS K. LOOSE.
In reviewing the history of Ursinus K. Loose one is reminded of the
words of a great New York financier, who said: "If you are not a success,
don't blame the times you live in, don'1 blame the place you occupy, don't
blame the circumstances with which yen are surrounded, but lay the blame
where it belongs — to yourself. Nol in time, place nor circumstance, but in
the man lies success. If you want success you must pay the price." Realizing
the truth of this, Mr. Loose has paid the price of concentrated effort, hide
fatigable energy, of perseverance and well applied business principles, and
has won the victory which he determined to gain when he started out upon
an independent career. lie is now one of the leading business men of Sno-
homish county, and while laboring for his own success he has promoted the
general prosperity by pushing forward the wheels of progress and advancing
commercial and industrial activity in this part of Washington. His interests
are varied and important, and in their control he displays marked executive
force and keen discernment.
Mr. Loose is a native of Sugar Grove, Ohio, born on the 25th of Febru-
ary, 1859. In the early part of the eighteenth century the Loose family was
founded in Pennsylvania, by Holland Dutch ancestry, and it was in the Key-
stone state that the Rev. N. H. Loose, D. D., the father of our subject, was
born. He has devoted his life to the work of the ministry and has become
a distinguished divine of the Reformed church. He is now seventy-one years
of age, while his wife has reached the age of sixty-eight years. She bore
the maiden name of Alma Kroh. is a native of Ohio, and is of German lineage.
Her people were pioneer settlers of Tiffin. Ohio. To Rev. and Mrs. Loose
were born three sons, the brothers of our subject being Alvin B. and Clarence
E., both of whom are engaged in mercantile pursuits in Columbus, Ohio.
To the public school system of Shelby, Ohio, Ursinus K. Loose is in-
debted for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He left school at the age
of fifteen years, at which time he became a factor in the business circles of
that place. He entered a banking house as a clerk, and at the age of eighteen
years was made assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Shelby,
Ohio, where he remained for four years. In July, 1878, he went to Bellevue,
Ohio, as cashier for a prominent mercantile firm there, and on the 22d of
ovf
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 133
July, 1879, he removed to Tiffin, Ohio, where he accepted the position of
teller in the National Exchange Bank, acting in that capacity continuously
until 1883. During the last mentioned year he entered the First National
Bank of Toledo as head teller, continuing there until March, 1887. at which
time he bought an interest in the Cedar County Bank, at Hartington, Ne-
braska, and removed to the west, becoming the cashier of the institution in
which he was financially inerested. Later he organized the First National
Bank as the successor of the Cedar County Bank, and in 1891 resigned his
position there to accept the position of cashier in the Snohomish National
Bank.
At the same time Mr. Loose established the Adams County Bank, at
Ritzville, Washington, and became its vice president. After the removal
of the county seat to Everett the Snohomish National Bank went into volun-
tary liquidation, and having previously become engaged in the lumber business
Mr. Loose now directed his energies more largely into that channel of busi-
ness activity. His business interests, however, are varied and extensive.
He has established a large and successful lumber trade which extends through-
out the southern and eastern states; he is the vice president of the Firsl
National Bank of Ritzville, Washington; is a shareholder in the American
National Bank, of Everett; is vice president and'"treasurer of the Sultan
Logging Company; is treasurer of the Maeysvi.He Water & Power Company;
is the president and treasurer of the Sultan Railway & Timber Company;
and also owns extensive timber interests. His business enterprises are largely
of a character that prove of benefit to tire localities in which they are situated
as well as a source of revenue to the individual stockholders, and thus it is
that Mr. Loose is a valued member of husiness circles in Washington.
On the 31st of March, 1885, at Toledo, Ohio, occurred the marriage
of Mr. Loose and Miss Ada Hayes, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Henry
J. and Emily Hayes, wdio were pioneer settlers of Toledo. Mrs. Loose pa ed
away April 21, 1903, after a happy married life of eighteen years, leaving a
daughter, Julia, who is now thirteen years of age. A son, Ralph Hayes, is
deceased.
Honored and respected by all. Mr. Loose occupies a very prominent
position in industrial and financial circles in northern Washington, nol alone,
however, on account of the brilliant success lie has achieved, hut also
because of the straightforward business policy he ha- ever followed. He
possesses untiring energy, is quick of perception, forms his plan, readily
and is determined in their execution, and his close application to business
and his excellent management have brought to him the high degree ol pros
perity which is to-day his. But though his attention has bi given
to the control of his business affairs he yet finds tune and opportunity 1- aid
in the promotion of enerprises for the intellectual, 01 ial and mi ral d(
ment of the state. He is a trustee of the Puget Sound Academy -1 Sno-
homish, also of Whitworth College of Tacoma, and he belongs to the Firsl
Presbyterian church of Snohomish, in which he is now serving as elder.
He takes a very active interest in the work of the church, contributi to its
support, and guides his business transactions in harmony with its teaching,
never taking advantage of the necessities of his fellow men in any trade
relation.
28*
i'di HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
THOMAS RONEY.
Thomas Roney, sheriff of Pacific county, residing at South Bend, Wash-
ington, and one of the leading men of his vicinity, was burn in Perth county,
Ontario, in [854, a son of Robert Roney. Robert Roney was born in Ireland
and came to Canada when a young man. lie settled on a farm in county
Perth, and became very prosperous as well as popular. For some years he
served as tax collector, and died in [882. His wife was born in Ireland ami
died m [890 at the age of eight) eight years.
Thomas Roney left home alone when only thirteen years of age. and
made his way to California, locating in Humboldt county, where he worked
in a saw null for some tune as sawyer and mill hand. In [878 he came to
Pacific county, Washington, and went to work as a logger, selling his logs
at that time to the Northwestern Lumber Company, whose mills were at
South Bend, where they had been established by Captain A. M. Simpson,
they being about the oldest in this locality. Mr. Roney has resided perman
ently in South Bend -mux- [891, and remained in the logging business until
[892, in which year he was elected sheriff. Since then he has been re-elected,
and in the fall of [902 he was again elected. No other man has played so
important a part in the development of the lumber interests of Pacific county
as he. and the present prosperity is largely due to his untiring industry. He
is very popular with all classes, and is recognized as one of the most popular
public officials.
On April ,}. [902, Mr. Roney was married to Lucy A. Johnson, a most
accomplished lady, and they make welcome their large circle of friends at the
pleasant home in South Bend.
SETH WARREN.
Judge Wan-en was horn near Biddeford, York county, Maine, in 1841.
His grandfather Joshua was a soldier throughout the Revolution, and his
father was a farmer by occupation and died in 1881. Seth remained on the
farm till he was grown, and received a good education in the Limerick
(Maine) Academy and in the seminar)' at Parsonsfield, Maine, after which
he taught school for awhile. When the Civil war came on he endeavored to
enlist two or three times, but, owing to his slender figure and frail constitu-
tion, was rejected. But through Secretary of War Stanton he received an
appointment as clerk in the war department at Washington, and held that
position during and for some time after the war. On leaving Washington
and returning to Biddeford, he embarked in the hardware business. While
thus engaged he made several trips to the Pacific coast, spending some time
in San Francisco and San Jose, and in 1888 sold out his interests in the east
and came to Hoquiam, Washington, with the intention of making it his per-
manent residence.
Mr. Warren went into partnership with O. M. Moore, and they estab-
lished the Hoquiam Washingtonicm, which has always been the leading news-
paper here. After about a year Mr. Moore purchased his partner's share,
and the latter went into the real estate business. About this time he was
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 4:;:,
elected justice of the peace for the precinct, and was appointed police judge
for the city. With the exception of short intervals, he has retained these
positions to the present time, and has been known as a capable and efficient
judge and expounder of the common law. For ten year- he was deputy
assessor for Chehalis county, and in 1894 was elected county assessor, serving
the term of two years. He has been chosen to these offices on the Republican
ticket, and he gives due loyalty to this party.
In 1S64 Judge Warren was married in York county, Maine, to Miss
Sarah Manson, and they have three children: Harriet E., Leonard and S idie
The order of Odd Fellows has one of its prominent members in Mr. Warren :
he is past noble grand in the subordinate branch at Hoquiam, past chief
patriarch of the encampment, and is now district deputy for the order, with
jurisdiction in Hoquiam Lodge No. 48 and Pacific Encampment.
GEORGE L. DAVIS.
For some years one of the principal, if not the leading, industry of the
great state of Washington has been lumbering in its various departments,
and, judging from the vast quantities of timber which have not yet resounded
with the echoes of the axe and saw. this will continue for many years to be
one of the banner states in the production of lumber. One of the more recent
districts to be opened up to the lumberman, espcially to the trade of the east.
is the country surrounding Gray's harbor, and it is with one of the principal
loggers and lumber manufacturers of Hoquiam that this sketch is concerned.
The Davis family were originally settlers of Maine, but Thomas Davis
was a native of Xew Hampshire, aud when a young man went to New Bruns-
wick to engage in the lumber business. He was afterwards one oi the
farmers of that province and died there in 1868. lie married Caroline John-
son, who was born in St. Andrews, Xew Brunswick, and survived her hus
band many years, dying in 1892.
These were the parents of George L. Davis, who was born near the town
of St. George, New Brunswick, in 1855. He did not remain under the
parental roof long, and was still a boy when lie came to the United Sta
and began work as a lumberman in the woods -1" Perms Ivania, where he-
remained till 1876. In this year he came to Puget Sound, at a time when
one would have to travel a considerable distance between settlements, and
they were principally camps, hardly to be dignified with the name of tow
But the lumber interests were already beginning to assume activity, although
most of the product was necessarily sent abroad, and Mr. Davis settled on
Whidby Island and went to work in the woods. While engaged in logging
his occupation took him all over the Puget Sound country, also in eastern
Washington, in Idaho and Montana. In [885 In- 'aim to Gray's harbor and
has made his home ever since in Hoquiam. .always carrying on the occupation
for which he has the greatest liking, and in which In tel with marl
success. Recently, in connection with other prominent lumbermen, lie has
incorporated the Gray's Harbor Lumber Company, of which be i try.
A lumber mill, strictly up-to-date in every respe ted in Ho
quiam, and it will have a capacity of one hundred, thou lumber
43C HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
per day. Bui Mr. Davis will continue to devote most of his attention to
logging and spend a large portion of his time in the woods, where he feels
most ai hi >iih\
In [886 Mr. Davis was married at Olympia to Miss Jennie Barnett, and
by this union they have two boys, Harold and Cecil. The family residence is
a fine one, and is situated on the north side of the river in Hoquiam. The
only fraternal organization of which Mr. Davis is a member is the Elks.
In politics he is a Republican, and has taken a foremost part in local affairs.
IK- was eleeted city councilman for five terms, was mayor for one term, and
in [900 was elected count) commissioner of Chehalis county for a term of
two years and in [902 was re-elected for the four-year term.
ALFRED E. WOOLARD.
Alfred E. Woolard, one of the most influential men of Whatcom, Wash-
ington, and one to whom the present general prosperity of that flourishing
city is largely due. was horn January _•<>. [862, at Kingston, Canada, and is
a son of Walter II. and Charlotte (Waller) Woolard. 'Idle former was a
native of England, coming of an old family, and lie conducted a hotel at
Kingston for many years, being now deceased. His wife was also a member
a good English family and was horn in England, but died at Kingston.
Four children were horn to these parents, namely: Thomas J., a manufac-
turer of Michigan; Walter, on the old home farm at Kingston, is a farmer;
our subject; George W.. a stock-raiser on Orcas Island, Washington.
The career of Alfred E. Woolard has been an eventful one, and lie has
displayed from his school clays an energy and determination which have
made him successful above the ordinary run of men. After securing a com-
mon school education in his native town, he went to Leavenworth, Kansas,
and there worked during the day and attended husiness college at night,
completing his course in [885. By this time he had secured employment in
the city engineer's office at Leavenworth, and later was taken on a staff of
railroad engineers and thus remained until 1887. In the fall of 1887 he had
organized the firm of Kurr & Woolard, civil engineers, but in July of the
following year he removed to Tacoma, Washington, and entered the city
engineer's office of that city. The same year he pushed on to Seattle, and
was given employment in the same capacity. In September, 1888, he located
in Whatcom, which then boasted a population of five hundred people. This
small place already offered an excellent opportunity to a man of his vim and
knowledge of engineering, and he engaged with A. R. Campbell under the
firm title of Woolard & Campbell until the spring of 1889 in an engineering
business, after which he was instrumental in securing the right of way to
Sumas for the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad, a distance of
about twenty miles. This was the first railroad to touch tidewater north of
Seattle. After the successful termination of this project, Mr. Woolard opened
a real estate office and did a flourishing business until 1891. On January 1,
1892, he started to bring about, as assistant chief engineer, the establish-
ment of a complete sewer system throughout the city, and was very successful.
June 20, 1892. he assisted in organizing the New Whatcom Building &
-J.&L
< o
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T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS!
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 437
Loan Association, with a capital stock of one million dollars, of winch Dr.
R. S. Bragg was made president. Five months later Mr. Woolard was made
secretary and has held that position ever since. In 1893, in connection with
his other interests, he took up custom brokerage and has continued in the
same very successfully to the present time. In the fall of 1901 he assisted
in organizing the Bellingham Bay Transportation Company, of which J.
Rex Thompson is president and Mr. Woolard auditor. This line of steamers
covers one hundred and seventy-five miles between Point Roberts and Ta-
coma. He also organized the Spring Salmon Fish Company, with a capital
stock of twenty thousand dollars, of which he is president and general
manager, with headquarters at Whatcom, and operating traps on the we?'
beach, Island county.
Mr. Woolard was a member of the first council of New Whatcom, 111
1890, and at the time of the consolidation of Whatcom and New Whatcom
under one city government, in 1891, under the name of Xew Whatcom, he
took a very active part, and was instrumental in placing the city government
upon a paying basis. In the fall of 1890 he was appointed treasurer ;uv'
held that office a year.
On February 16, 1890, he was married to 'Sophia Barnes, of Holton,
Kansas. She is a daughter of Hiram Barnes, a contractor and old settle1-
of that locality. Three sons have been born of this marriage, Alfred, Donald
and Wendell, the first two being at school. In religions matters .Mr. Woolard
has been quite as active as in more, secular affairs, and was largely instru-
mental in building up the influence of the Methodist church, and in the con-
struction of their beautiful place of worship. His energy is felt in the Masonic
order, and he is secretary of Bellingham Bay Lodge No. 44, F. & A. .M., and
has held that office for seven years, and is one of the most useful member."
FRANK DREYER.
This well known and prosperous citizen of Tacoma is of German birth
and parentage, the son of Frank and Catherine (Sleeman) Dreyer; the former
was born in Hamburg, and during most of his hie was the overseer of a
large estate; the latter has survived her husband and is still living in Ger-
many. Their son Frank was born in the greal commercial city of Hamburg
in 1855. He passed through the regular curriculum of the city schools, and
then served three years in the army. He was then put in a brewers' scl 1
and learned the brewer's and malster's art, in the perfection to which it has
been brought in Germany.
Mr. Dreyer came to the United States when he was twent) five years
old, and for the first few months was at Davenport, Iowa, thence wenl to
Salt Lake City, where he was employed in a brewery for a short time, and
from there to Sacramento, California, where he was the foreman oi a brewery
for two years. He came to Tacoma in [883, so that he may be regarded as
one of the old citizens. He was in the liquor business for a time, but as
soon as the boom reached its heighl lie began to invest hea 1I3 in ••
placing all his money in this way. The resull was that in the panic of [893
he lost seventy-five thousand dollars, and two years later bis cash capital
438 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
reduced to twenty-five dollars, although his Eamilj was provided for. Mr.
Dreyer is possessed of much of that indomitable Teutonic perseverance, and,
far from being discouraged, he went to British Columbia with his small store
of money, and by hard work managed to get a brewery started; tins proved
a success, and he was soon on his feet financially, lie returned t<> Tacoma
in [901, and, at the suggestion and with the co-operation <>\ Anion lluth.
president of the Pacific Brewery, lie organized the Pugel Sound Malting
Company, tor the exclusive purpose 1 1 manufacturing malt, and of this com-
pany lie was made president and manager, in tact, conducts the establishment
personally. The plant is located on East Twent) sixth street in the old
Donau brewery building, which was remodeled and equipped with new ma
chinery for malt-making. There is a large field for this business, as very
few even of the larger breweries make tluir own malt. Mr. Dreyer obtains
his barley from the Palouse district of eastern Washington, and with grain
of this line quality and with all necessary machinery, and with the technical
knowledge and long experience resulting from years of contact with malting,
he produces a malt fully equal to that of the best German manufactories;
and with the growth of the business he 1- looking forward to exporting his
product to Japan and Australia, which are now largely supplied by German
malsters, who. however, could not compete with Tacoma owing to low rales
of shipment from the latter point.
Notwithstanding his losses during the panic. Mr. Dreyer still has greal
faith in Tacoma, and is now investing conservativelj in local really and owns
some valuable city property. In 1885 Mr. Dreyer was married in Tacoma to
\li-s Mary Rauh, and they now have two s.,ns, Frank and Max.
JOHN 1". ALDRICH.
John F. Aldrich, proprietor of the Tacoma Concrete Company, Tacoma.
Washington, was horn at Central Falls. Rhode Island, in 1854, and is a son
of Thomas and Mary Jane (White) Aldrich. Thomas Aldrich was horn in
Rhode Island in [812, and was a stonemason, concrete manufacturer and
general contractor in stonework. His death occurred at Providence, Rhode
Island, in 1890, when he was seventy-eight years of age, a well known and
highly respected man. During the Civil war he had been a soldier, enlisting
at the very beginning in Battery A, First Rhode Island Artillery. Twenty-
two men went out in his company, and only seven came back alive. After
his first three years' enlistment expired, he re-enlisted and served until the
end of the war, experiencing some very close escapes, at one time having had
his cap shot off and two horses shot from under him while riding horses
drawing field ordnance.
Mr. Aldrich belongs to the same branch of the family as Senator Aldrich.
and he himself seems to possess some of those quiet, reserved, determined
qualifications which have made the senator so successful in politics. The
mother of our subject, who is still living in Providence, was born in Massa-
chusetts, and her grandfather, Avery M. White, left his plow in the field and
shouldered his musket to meet General Washington in the Revolutionary war,
and served throughout that conflict.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 43!>
At the age of nine years and after only about two years of schooling,
John F. Aldrich began work as a water boy to the stone-masons and concrete
workers for his father. That he has made such a success in life with so little
actual schooling is evidence of good sound sense and fine native ability.
He learned the stone and brick-mason's trade from the very beginning, his
father being as thoroughly exacting in the teaching of his son as in his deal-
ings with his workmen. Early evidencing a special aptitude for the manu-
facturing and laying of concrete, Mr. Aldrich made that branch a specialty,
and through it has won his greatest success. At the age of nineteen he was
given charge of seventy-five men by his father, and began taking contracts of
his own and later employed his own men. For some years he lived and
worked on public and private contracting up and down the Blackstone valley
in Rhode Island, making his home most of the time at Cumberland and in
its vicinity. About 1888 he removed to Massachusetts and located near
Boston, preferring to live in the suburbs although most of his work was done
in the city. While living there he carried out some important contracts in
stone and concrete work, and constantly gained added experience in the dif-
ficulties that daily present themselves, and also the means of overcoming them.
Being a closely observant man, he frequently discovered points that had been
overlooked, and he made a very profitable study of the vast concrete work in
the Boston subway and the problem that had to he solved in order to com-
plete it successfully.
In the beginning of the year 1900 Mr. Aldrich journeyed wesl and
located in Tacoma, where he organized the Tacoma Concrete Company, at
first with a partner, but he is now the sole owner of the business. It was not
long until the superiority of his work was recognized, and he has had and
continues to have in hand all the contracts he can take care of. .Mr. Aldrich
does concreting in all its branches for walks, driveways, cellars, roofs, cul-
verts, etc. He manufactures five different kinds of concrete, and lays it. in
the several purposes for which used, in the most expert fashion, llis work
in Tacoma has been a revelation to the concrete men there, who are not gifted
with Mr. Aldricb's faculty for both manufacturing and laying the concrete.
His force of men is a large one, and he himself is constantly busy. 1 le m em
to possess an intuitive ability for discovering the best grades of sand and
gravel which form the basis of concrete, and can tell at a glance which grade
the material belongs to and for what use it is best adapted. With his keen
sense of detection of the raw materials he lias discovered both sand and
gravel in places not thought of and has purchased properly in Tacoma con
taining sand and gravel of the finest grades. After this material is removed
the lots are still a profitable investment.
His main works and some of his sand and gravel pits are at South
Thirty-second and De Lin streets, extending to South Thirty fourth street,
where is also located bis office and headquarters. In the rear an' shops for
the manufacture of artificial stone at which he has men constantly emp
The stone manufacturing portion of the business is conducted under the name
of the Tacoma Artificial Stone Company, ami it is constantly increasing it
fields of operation, possessing excellent prospects for future development.
Artificial stone is simply another form of concrete, and is made nol only for
■140 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
■ walks but building stone as well, and the latter is as durable as the natural
stone and very much cheaper. There are processes of coloring to give it
pleasing and artistic effects when used in building. Mr. Aldrich is also
manufacturing from concrete various other articles of utility never before
thoughl of in connection with the concrete, and it appears as though his
genius in this business will eventually establish a very large industry in
Tacoma. lie is gradually but surel) accumulating material and resources
for constant future development in the different branches oi his business, and
receives contracts from the city, from the steam and city railwa) companies
and individual builders, and his work is obtained strictlj upon its merits and
not through underbidding. He always insists upon good prices for his work
and gives good service in return.
On September 29, [877, Mr. Aldrich was married to Wilda Smith, and
they have nine children, as follows: John 1... an electrical engineer in Bo
ton; George I.: Flora; Amy; Julia; Delia; Louis; Hiomas; Pauline.
Fraternally Mr. Aldrich w a Knighl -1' Pythias ami a Royal Arch Mason,
ami he 1- one of the best known and m<>st highly n 1 citizens of 1 acoma.
HIRAM F. WALTON.
Hiram Fletcher Walton, who is engaged in the real estate and insur-
ance business in Snohomish, was horn on the I2th of March, [848, in Tus-
carav - unty, Ohio, lie is a son of Hiram Walton, also a native of the
Buckeye state. The Waltons come of Irish and German lineage, hut from
early colonial days its representatives have been found in the new world.
Hiram Walton was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Aiken, also a
native of Ohio and of Irish descent. She died in February, 1861, when
fifty-two years of age, and after surviving her for about fifteen years, the
father passed away in 1876, at the age of seventy-six years. They were
the parents of seven sons and two daughters. Three of the sons, Benjamin
F., John Franklin and Charles, all entered the Union army and died in the
service, giving their lives upon the altar of their country. The daughters,
Mary and Elizabeth, are also deceased, and the remaining sons are lames
Perry, now deceased: Wesley, who makes his home in Chariton, Iowa; and
Joseph Elliott, who is a resident of Coline, Indiana.
The early boyhood days of Hiram Fletcher Walton were quietly passed,
for during that period he spent much of his time as a student in the public
schools of Tuscarawas county, Ohio. He continued to devote his time and
energies to the mastery of the branches of English learning taught in the
public schools until sixteen years of age. However, when but a boy he made
an attempt to join the army. He was hut thirteen years old when in 1861
he offered his services to the government. He was refused, but, nothincr
daunted, he twice afterward again attempted to enlist, each time, however,
being refused on account of his youth. The mother having died and five of
his brothers having entered the service of their country, the home was
broken up, and Mr. Walton went to live with one of his brothers, with whom
he remained until 1869. About that time he went to Chariton, Iowa, and
in the vicinity of the town he secured employment as a farm hand. He
o
I oh. hrcAU*/
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 1 1 1
worked in that capacity until January. 1873, when lie went to Maples. Indiana,
where he secured employment at the cooper's trade, which he followed For
several months. The financial panic of that year, however, caused Mich de-
pression in business circles that lie gave up his position and went to Stanton,
Michigan, where he secured work in a sawmill, following that pursuit for
three years. In 1876 we find him in Lansing, Michigan, where he again
worked in a cooper shop for one winter. He then returned to Stanton, where
he was employed in a sawmill, and he followed that pursuit at different points
until 1886. He next went to Chariton. Iowa, where he followed farming for
two years, but during that period crops were very poor on account of drought.
Returning to Michigan, he again worked in a sawmill for three months, and
in 1888 he disposed of his interests in that state and sought a home in the
territory of Washington.
In the month of December Mr. Walton arrived with his family in Seattle
and was here connected with the manufacture of lumber as an employe in the
sawmill at Ballard. He spent two years in that way. and in March. 1890,
came to Snohomish county, where he secured a homestead, residing thereon
for about seven months. He next took up his abode in the city of Snohomish,
where he embarked in merchandising, carrying on that business until [900.
On disposing of his store he engaged in locating timber property, and after
securing valuable timber claims he turned bis attention to the real estate and
insurance business, which he has since followed.
In 1879 Mr. Walton was united in marriage to Miss Mattie Mauk. a
native of Iowa and a daughter of Anthony and Margaret Mauk. both of
whom were born in Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Walton have been born a sou
and two daughters: Vera, who is the wife of Malcolm X. McSweyn, of Sno
homish; Margaret, who is attending the Pu^et Sound Academy; and Arthur
F. Mr. Walton belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also to
the Foresters of America. In politics he is a Republican and in [902 he
was appointed notary public for a term that will expire on the 1 ith of Novem-
ber, 1906. He has been one of the promoters of the Avenue C Sewn \ 0
ciat'ion and its chairman. He is one of the members of the Dyke Lumber
Company, which owns extensive acreage in Whatcom county. His name is
ranked with the advancement of many lines of work contributing to the
general good.
MAJOR FRANK TERRY.
Major Frank Terry, superintendent of the Puyallup Indian Industrial
School, Tacoma, Washington, and one of the leading men of that city, was
born near Lima, Ohio, in 1856, and is a son of John and Theodosia 1 Vandal-
son) Terry. John Terrv was born in Warren county, Ohio, near Lebanon,
and by calling was a farmer. In 186] be enlisted and served in the I nil war
until the latter part of 1863. and soon after returning from the war he emi
grated to Missouri, buying a farm near Appleton, where his death -
One of the sons of John Terrv. Enos Terry, also served in the Civil war.
Mrs. Terry was born" in Warren county, Ohio, and died in Missouri.
Frank Terrv received an excellent common school education, finishing
442 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
his course of stud) at Appleton Academy, after which he taught school foi
several years at Appleton and in its vicinity, and finally, in [889, lie joined
in the onward rush which took place at the time of the opening of Oklahoma
territory. On April 22, [889, he settled at Guthrie and procured a situation
as an editorial writer with Hon. Frank 11. Greer, publisher of the Oklahoma
Slate Capital, the first newspaper issued in the new territory, the initial num-
ber being printed on the daj if the opening. The State Capital is yet the
most important newspaper in Oklahoma. Not long after the opening, the
citizens, before any territorial provision had been made for schools, organized
a school system of their own. on the assessment plan, and selected Mr. Terry
as principal of the (.inline schools. As the schools increased with the growth
in population, he was made superintendent of cit) schools, and in 1892, when
the territorial public school laws went into effect, he was chosen by the gov-
ernor as superintendent of the schools of Logan county, of which Guthrie is
the county seal. After nearly a year-' service in that position, Mr. Terry
received a government appointment as principal of the Indian school at Grand
function, Colorado. From there he was transferred to the Yaimix school on
the Klamath reservation, Oregon, and in the fall of (894 he was sent as
superintendent of the Chehalis school in Washington. That was closed as a
boarding school in June. (896, and he was then transferred to the (row
agency, Montana, where he remained as superintendent until May, 1897,
when he was sent to the Puyallup reservation, near Tacoma, as superintend
cut of the schools and, agency. In September, [898, he was again transferred
to Belknap, Montana, as superintendent of- schools there, and in February,
[900, another change was made and he was once more placed in charge of
the Puyallup school, which position he still holds. The school is known as
the Puyallup Indian Industrial School, and Mr. Terry is its able superin-
tendent'. This school comprises several substantial buildings, and is located
on sixty-two acres o\ land adjoining Tacoma, on the southwest, and has
about oiie hundred pupils, being conducted as a boarding school. Besides the
regular school branches, the girls are taught cooking, sewing, and other
kindred womanlj accomplishments, while the boys are instructed in farming,
carpentering, tailoring, steam engineering and in other industrial branches.
Mr. Terry is also superintendent of the Puyallup Consolidated Indian
Agency, which comprises the following agencies : Nesqually, Squaxon Island,
Skokomish, Chehalis, Quinaielt, and Georgetown, and also two detached
Indian villages, Jamestown and Boston, and at five of these places day schools
are maintained under his supervision.
On April 3, 1887, Mr. Terry was married in Kansas to Laura E. Adams,
and one child has been torn to their union. Laurance Terry, a bright little
fellow of seven years. Mr. Terry is a member of the Masonic fraternity,
and takes an active part in local affairs, being a staunch Republican. It is
almost impossible to fully estimate the value of the services rendered by
Major Terry during the years he has devoted his life to the advancement of
the Indians. Having been among them so long, he thoroughly understands
their needs, and is training his pupils to be loyal citizens and useful men and
women, developing their good traits and eliminating those qualities which
w
ork against their advancement.
ls>
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 443
OSCAR E. REA.
Among the representative business men of Everett who have done much
toward its upbuilding and development probably none are better known than
the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. As a real estate dealer
he lias been prominently identified with the business interests of the city for a
number of years and he has also been active in public service, having at one
time filled the position of postmaster of Everett. Mr. Rea is a native of
Iowa, his birth having occurred in Colesburg, Delaware county, on the 6th
of August, 1848. He represents one of the pioneer families of that state
and comes of Scotch ancestry, the family having been founded in America
prior to the Revolutionary war by emigrants who came to the new world from
the land of the hills and heather. The parents of our subject were ( ie< irge \\ .
and Mary P. (Meredith) Rea. The father was a native of Pennsylvania
and in 1846 removed to Iowa, casting in his lot with the early settlers of
Delaware county. His wife was a native of Virginia and belonged to an old
American family of Welsh descent. Her death occurred in 1888. when sin-
was sixty-six years of age. and Mr. Rea. surviving until [897, departed this
life at the venerable age of eighty years. They were the parent of five sons
and five daughters, but two of the daughters, Mary and Ellen, died in infancy.
The others are Margaret, Emma. Florence, Amandus, George, Alvin, and
Franklin, all of whom are living in Iowa.
Oscar Edward Rea, the only representative of the family on the Pacific
coast, acquired his preliminary education in the public schools. He supple
mented his early knowledge by a course of study in Lenox Collegiate [nstitute
at Hopkinton, Delaware county, Iowa, where he remained until twenty years
of age. In 1870 he went to Dakota and acceptably filled the position of
deputy United States surveyor at Canton, South Dakota, for ten years. lie
was also county surveyor in Lincoln county for fourteen years, from [873
until 1887. Again he was called to public office, acting as registrar in the
United States land office at Bismarck. North Dakota, from [888 until [890.
Thus during the greater part of his residence in Dakota he was continually
in public office, and he won for himself a most enviable reputation as a capable
official, always prompt, reliable and trustworthy in the prosecution of bis
duties and the administration of the office which he held. In the fall of
1890 Mr. Rea came to the north Puget Sound district. lie was engaged in
the real estate business in Olympia for a year, after which he came to Everetf
in the fall of 1891. Again he began real estate operations, which he con-
tinued until 1894, when he was appointed postmaster of the city, serving
acceptably in that capacity until 1898. lie then resumed real estate dealing,
in which' he has since continued until the present lime. He is thoroughly
informed concerning realty values in this section of the stale and handles
much valuable property, having negotiated many important real estate trans-
fers, whereby the business interests of the city have been prorro
In 1892 Mr. Rea was elected a member of the board of .duration of
Everett and has served up to the present time and for seven years he was
president of the board. He was one of the firsl members of the board when
Everett was a district and he has been very clo 1 cted with educational
Hi HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
interests, putting forth ever) effort in his power Eor the advancement of the
intellectual standard in Snohomish county. During Ins connection with the
board he lias seen remarkable growth in the sc1im.i1, which at the time ol his
arrival here had but one teacher, while at the present time sixty eight teachers
are empl [Tie methods of education, too, are of a most progressive,
practical and bneficial character and Mr. Rea has ever given his influence for
the continued improvement of the school system of the city. In i<)<>_> he was
appointed police judge, serving for about one year. His political support
has ever been given to the Democracy and he i1- a recognized leader oi the
party in this Ideality and frequently serves as a delegate to the count) and
state ci mventii ms.
In November, 1S0.1. Mr. Rea was united in marriage to Mrs. fsabelle
Feageans Payne, a native of Danville, Illinois, and they now have two chil-
dren: Ruth Isabelle and Esther Lydia, aged seven and four years respect
ively. Mr. Rea belongs i<< the Masonic fraternity and was the first master
.if Peninsular Lodge, F. & A. M., of Everett, in [882. lie also belongs
tn the Episcopal church and he has left the impress of his individuality upon
the business, educational and social development of the city. I lis useful™
is recognized in many honorable walks of life — in husiness. where In- is
straightforward; in citizenship, where he has carried out his belief that it is
every man's duty to support the principles in which lie thinks rests the wel-
fare of the country; in social life, where he holds friendship inviolable; in
church, where he is true and consistent; and in the home, where the obliga
tions of husband and father are true and sacred to him.
C \UEY I- STEWART.
The paternal ancestry of this prominent merchant and legislator of
Puyallup, Washington, is of Scotch origin, hut the family located in Dela-
ware county. Xew York, many generations ago, and descendants of the
original family are -till residing there. It was on a farm near East Franklin
(now Treadwell), Delaware county, Xew York, that James I'. Stewart, the
father of the above named gentleman, was horn, on September 20, 1833.
He grew up on the farm in that county, and from an early period was ex-
ceedingly ambitious to gain an education, and notwithstanding the limitations
to school facilities in those days managed to get a fairly good training, al-
though as he often said in his later years he learned most in the school of
experience. He had not reached his majority when, in the fall of 1853, he
determined to seek his fortune in the west, where he believed the opportunities
were better for one of his restless energy and ambition. Accordingly he
made the decisive move of his life when he set out for Xew York city one
day and there took ship for San Francisco, going by way of the Isthmus of
Panama. He arrived at the Golden Gate in May, 1854. and from there went
by boat to Portland, Oregon, where he landed on May 23, 1854. This was
not his final destination, however, and he went on to Corvallis, Oregon,
where he laid the foundation for his future career by starting a small store,
and he also taught school there. His business increased under his careful
management, and he had not been long in Corvallis when the citizens chose
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
M LENOX AND
JTILDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY 445
him to the office of sheriff of Benton county, and he held that position until
he left Corvallis in 1859. This was the year of his arrival at Puget Sound,
so that he can well he counted one of the old-timers, lie took up a claim iu
the Puyallup valley in Pierce county, and the town of Puyallup now stands
on that old claim. He farmed on this place for some time and then built a
store, which was the nucleus of what has since become and is now the large
mercantile establishment of J. P. Stewart & Son. He became very wealthy
from his business and was also a large land-owner, lie was a member of
the territorial legislature, and in t88<) was in the constitutional convention
which formed the constitution for the new state of Washington, lie was
the foremost citizen of his town, and was known and liked all over lliis
northwestern country. His death occurred at Puyallup. January 13. [895
His wife was Margaret A. McMillan, who had come to this country when a
child in 1852, and her family was one of the most prominent in this section;
she died at Puyallup on November 24, 1898.
Carey L. Stewart has the distinction of being a native horn citizen of
Puyallup. where he came into the world on November 3, 1864. lie received
a common school education and enjoyed an alternating experience on the
farm and in the store up to his sixteenth year. He was then considered com-
petent to take charge of the store, which he did, and he has conducted it since
that time, and after his father's death became the owner of the establishment.
The firm is incorporated and will continue to 'he .known by its old and familiar
name of J. P. Stewart & Son; iHs^f lie :ku-gest' mercantile house in Puyallup,
and in addition to the home store a branch is maintained at Buckley. Mr.
Stewart owns a large amount of land in the, -county, and makes a specialty
of that most profitable branch, .of agriculture, hop farming, winch is the
leading industry of the Puyallup valley.
Mr. Stewart has the advantage of possessing a big, kindly nature, and
he makes friends wherever he goes, so that it is not surprising that he was
early called upon to fill official positions. He was a member of the city council
for several years, was twice elected mayor, and in November, [898. was
chosen to the lower house of legislature. When his term in the last named
body was completed the people were so well pleased with his services that in
1900 they elected him to the state senate from the twenty-fifth district, ami he
is still serving on his four-year term, lie took a leading part in the el© tion
of two United States senators, and his most important committees in the
present session are: chairman of committee on roads and bridges; a membi 1
of educational, mines and mining, and banks and hanking committees. One
of his most creditable acts as a legislator was in having re established at
Puyallup the Western Washington Experimental Farm, of inn I
to the agricultural and horticultural interests. Mr. Stewart is a director of
the Pacific National Bank of Tacoma; he is a Royal \rch Mason; and Ins
politics are Republican. He was married on December 10. 1893, '" Miss
Jessie C. Jackson, but they have no children.
Hi. history of the puget sound country.
ALEXANDER G. M YTTHEWS.
The men engaged in the development of Alaska and the northwesl ter
ritory arc making history which will be of much interest to later generations.
Alexander G. Matthews, wink' maintaining his residence in Puyallup, is
extensively interested in mining ns in the Klondike, having ahead)
made a number of 1 1 ij >- to that region, generally returning in the fall to esi ape
the severity of the northern winters and the hardships entailed thereby.
A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Westmoreland count) in [848,
.1 son of Archibald and Jane (Gilmore) Matthews. The Eather was also a
native of Westmoreland county and a son of William Matthews, who came
to the United States in [786, from county Tyrone, Ireland. He was ol
English parentage, however, and his more remote ancestry was Scotch.
After arriving at years of maturity, Archibald Matthews turned his attention
to farming in the county of his nativity, and was thus engaged until aftei
the outbreak of the Civil war. when he became a wagon maker with the ( Ine
Hundred and Thirty fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, lie spent the later years
' his life in Tierce county. Washington, where he died in May, [901. His
wife was horn in Westmoreland county. Pennsylvania, within two miles of
the birthplace of her husband, and she, too, spent her lasl days in Pierce
count}-. Her parents came to the United States aboul the same time the
Matthews family arrived. Like thi try, the) came from Ire
land, but were of English and Scotch lineage. William Matthews, the eld< I
son of Archibald and Jane Matthews, was a soldiei of the Civil war, enlisting
in 1862 as a member of Company C, Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers. He
was made the flag sergeant, and as is usually thi the flag is made the
center of attack from the enemy's fire. Six times was he wounded in dif-
ferent battles of the war, and at last received a fatal bullet in the skirmish at
Hatcher's Run. in front of Petersburg, dying a short time after being shot.
In the usual manner of fanner-' lads. Alexander (i. .Matthews spent the
days of his boyhood and youth, and when nineteen years of age he left home
and went to the lumbering reg E Michigan, locating in Lexington.
Sanilac count}'. There he was connected with the lumber business until
[869, when he removed to Ringgold count}-, Iowa. Two years later he took
up his abode in northern Minnesota, -pending three years in the lumber
regions of that state. In June, 1874, he went to Harvey county, Kansas,
where he secured a claim from the government, on which he broke the prairie,
built a house and was then married. He lived in Harvey count}- until the
spring of 1877, and on the 7th of May of that year he arrived in the north-
west, settling first at Seattle, Washington, which was then a very small
place. In the fall of the same year he came to Pierce county, in the Puyallup
valley, and has since made his home in Puyallup, although he has frequently
made business trips. to other sections. His first undertaking here was to
clear the noted Maplewood addition for Messrs. Hansen & Ackerson of
Tacoma. who were at that time proprietors of the old Tacoma mill. Later
Mr. Matthews turned his attention to the business of hop-growing on an
extensive scale, using a great deal of land for that purpose. That industrv
claimed his time and energies until 1892, when he put aside personal business
HISTORY^ OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 447
interests to discharge a public duty. In the fall of that year he was elected
sheriff of Pierce county on the Republican ticket, and filled the position for
two years in a manner reflecting credit upon his constituents. In [896 he
became interested in gold mining in Alaska and this is now his principal busi
ness. He first went to Cook's Inlet, and in returning from there, in the fall
of that year, he was shipwrecked and with the crew of the boat lived for a
month on only fifteen days' rations. In the spring of [897 Mr. Matthews
made another trip to Alaska, this time going to the Klondike country, lie
returned home in the following autumn and remained until the spring of
1899, when he again went to the Klondike country, remaining until October,
1902. He expects to make a similar trip in the spring of 1903, returning
in the fall.
While living in Harvey county, Kansas. Mr. Matthews was united in
marriage to Miss Ida Chade, and they have seven children, one of whom, a
married daughter, is now living in Dawson City. Mr. Matthews continues
to make Puyallup his home, but his invested interests arc largely in the mines
of Alaska and the indications are that they will return to him a splendid
financial recompense for his labor.
GEORGE A. KYLE.
If the United States within the last century has become the center of the
world's progress. in commercial and industrial lines, and its growth and devel
opment are the amazement of mankind, to one cause above all others this may
be attributed — the steam railroad. The picturesque philosopher of Concord
may have been right when he said that every railroad tie represented a dead
man, but all great enterprises have cost sacrifice of blood and money and
labor, and this, the most colossal and beneficial of human inventions has not
cost more than its aggregate worth to all succeeding generations of man-
kind. The building of a railroad is a great problem, requiring science, skill,
and resolute energy, and the hardy surveyors and engineers who blaze the
way and plan the course along which the iron horse will afterward plunj e an
deserving of much of the praise which goes to the constructors of the mighty
undertaking. It is with one of these civil engineers that the present sketch
is concerned, and one who has made the most of his opportunities and talents,
and at a comparatively early age has occupied places ,,t great responsibility,
and is now the division engineer of the Northern Pacific Railway, being
located at Tacoma, Washington.
Z. D. Kyle is a native of Ohio, and during most of his life has been
a farmer and' merchant, but at the present time makes his home in Cincin
nati. He married Comfort O. Bennett, who was also born in Ohio, but she
has been deceased for several years. These worth) people were residing in
Clermont county, Ohio, in 1857, and it was during this year that the son
George A. was born to them. He grew to manhood in his native state, and
after receiving a good common school education studied for the profession ol
the civil engineer in the normal school in Lebanon, Ohio, completing his
course in 1878. He soon had a chance to make a practical application of the
knowledge thus gained, for he obtained a position in the construction of the
it- HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
new Cincinnati and Eastern Railroad, a narrow-gauge road. In 1880 he
was in the emploj of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul as engineer in
charge of the construction of thai company's bridge across the Mississippi al
Sabula. After the completion of this work he was appointed a resident
engineer to superintend the construction of a portion of the Council Bluffs
extension of the same road, from Marion, Iowa, to Council Bluffs. In [88]
the Cincinnati and Eastern secured his services again, and he remained with
it until [883. In that year he became construction engineei for the Dubuque
and Northwestern, with headquarters at Dubuque. Alter two yeai pent in
this capacity he was engaged fur the three following years in the same line ol
work throughout eastern [owa. Air. Kyle then took charge of the work
between St. Paul and Minneapolis for the Northern Pacific road, and after
about a year's service there was at the head of a Union Pacific surveying
party winch made some important surveys in Wyoming and California. In
1889 he returned to the Northern Pacific, and was assigned to some work in
Tacoma and vicinity, which engaged him until [893. In this year he became
the assistant engineer of the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad,
the division between St. Louis ami the Wabash river being under his super-
vision. Two years later, through Some friends, he secured the position ,,\
engineer for the Consolidated Gold Fields 'if South Africa, at that time one
of the largesl mining companies of the world. Mr. K_\lc's headquarters were
at Johannesburg, ami his duties included both mine engineering and railroad
construction, and there was a munificent salary attached to the office. In
[898 he returned to the Lulled States and was at once given charge of the
building of fifty miles of road for the Northern Pacific Company in Manitoba.
In 1899 the company again sent him to Tacoma. and on April 1. [902, he was
appointed division engineer of the western division, which includes the entire
Northern Pacific property west of Spokane. This is a remarkable and bril-
liant record for a man of forty-five years, and is the more striking when we
remember that the railroad company of to-day is the most highly organized
body of men anywhere outside of an army, and greater ability is required to
reach places of prominence and responsibility.
In 1894 Mr. Kyle was married in St. Louis to Miss Mildred Corbin, and
they now have two bright boys in their home. Marion and Hugh Perry.
They live in a fine new residence at [320 North Yakima avenue, and it is a
center of much hospitality, for the family are very popular in the social circles
of Tacoma.
THOMAS PEERS HASTIL.
Thomas Peers Hastie, one of the leading citizens of Mt. Vernon, Wash-
ington, was horn March 2, 1835, in Liverpool, England. He is a son of
Thomas and Margaret Roberts (Griffiths) Hastie, the former of whom was
born in Fifeshire, Scotland. He came to America in 1845 and settled in
Wisconsin until 1850, when he removed to Oregon. He was the first justice
of the peace in Multnomah county, Oregon. In 1853 lie moved to Whidby
Island, Washington, and died at Madison, Wisconsin, at the age of eighty-
three. His wife was born in Carvonshire, Wales, and died February 19,
Tko^AM 9 WOOMZt
'OUn
D*TI0
N
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 449
1863. Our subject has two brothers, Robert Griffith and William Albert. The
former is now living retired in Green Ridge, Pettis county, Missouri, having
served through the Civil war as a member of the Firsl \\ isconsin \ olunteers.
William Albert is engaged in a fishing business at Coopville, Island county,
Washington, where he has served as justice of the peace and county com
missioner several times.
Thomas P. Hastie was given educational opportunities in his own native
city, but after coming to Wisconsin and Oregon few advantages could be
secured. He assisted his father in the farming, but in the fall of [854 started
out for himself. He made his way to Utsaladdy Island and o - a camp
of twenty-two men until the following July.' In [855-6 he was for nine
months in the Indian service, the first three months under Captain Isaac X.
Eby, and six months under Captain James Smalley. lie scouted all ovei
the country from the head waters of the Snoqualmie river to the head waters
of the Nisqually. After leaving the work in the w Is, in [862, he went to
eastern Idaho and spent a year in the -old mines, and in the fall of [863
went to San Francisco, where he enlisted in Company 1-'-. Ninth United
States Infantry, and was honorably discharged at the end of three years,
serving as duty sergeant of that company, principally provost duty in and
around San Francisco and at small posts outside. In [866 he returned to
Island county and rented a farm which he operated until 1S77, when he
settled on a place at the delta of Skagit river, where he has resided ever
since.
During his long residence in <this part of the country .Mr. Hastie has
watched its growth and development from small lie-innings. .Many of the
events of local history have come within his personal knowledge, our ,,1
these being the murder of Colonel Isaac N. Eby by the Indians, in August,
1857; Colonel Eby was the first collector of customs on Pugel Sound. Mr.
Hastie has been very active in the ranks of the Republican party and has
attended almost every convention. He served as sheriff in Island county
prior to the war, and was for two years a member of the board of county
commissioners of Whatcom county. After the- divison of the county he
served two years as chairman of the county commissioners of Skagil county.
On December 10, 1876, he married Mrs. Clara Taylor 1 Scott ), a widow,
born in Bedford, England. The Taylor family is a promiru in San
Francisco, Taylor street in thai city having been laid out by and named for
her father, who afterward sold out his interests and returned to England,
Later her brother returned to America and engaged in a mercantile busim
in New York, the firm name becoming the noted one of Lord & Tayloi
Mrs. Hastie had two children by her former marriage: I lenry Winfield, no
assistant engineer at Seattle. Washington; and Mary Georgiana, win- of I
F. Reitze, a sash and door carpenter, al presenl mining in the Tanan;
trict, Alaska. Mr. and Mrs. Hastie have \w> ind two daughters:
Thomas Griffith is an employe on the Great Northern Railway on the line
from Kalispell to connect with the Northern Pacific; Inn- Walter, man-
ager of his father's farm; Margaret Roberts, wife of E. I> I >:■ i-. a hard-
ware merchant at Mt. Vernon: and Miss Laura Middleton, at hon
29*
450 HISTORY OF Till". PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Hastie is the Father of Masonr) in this county, and Eor eleven
years served as worshipful master in Island and Skagit counties and is past
high priest in the chapter. He also belongs to the Grand Army oi the Re
public. Mr. Hastie is a representative man of this great northwest country.
W. G. FOWLER.
W. C. Fowler, managei of the Lincoln Shingle Company of Arlington,
Washington, was born June u. [858, in Neenah, Winnebago county, Wis
consin, and is a son of George Fowler, a native of Canada. George Fowler
came to Wisconsin with his parents when a young man. and was a pioneei
ettler of that state. By occupation he was a farmer, and made a Mines oi
his life work, living to be eighty y< ige. I lis wife bore the maiden
name of Lydia Higgins, and six- was a native of New York state and died
when our subject was nine months old. Onlj one other child was born to
these parents, a s< m, Richard.
W. (i. Fowler was educated in the public schools of Neenah, Wisconsin,
until lie was fifteen years of age, when he left to learn the printer's trade, and
remained in that line for three years. In the fall of 1S75 he went to Michi
gan am! engaged with a lumber mill at Muskegon, but after two years he
went to Iowa and farmed until 1SS7. when he went west to Puget Sound.
and. locating in Tacoma, worked for the Pacific Mill Company until [890
when he removed to Snoqualmie and built the Snoqualmie mill. Alter this
he came to Snohomish county and built a mill at the foil of the Stilla-
guamish river for the Lincoln Shingle Company, and, after operating the
same as manager for two years, the plant was removed to Arlington, where
he built the mill and was placed in charge of the concern. This mill has a
capacity of one hundred and forty thousand shingles per day. and gives em
ployment to about twenty-five men.
In January, 1S7N. Mr. Fowler was married at Sioux City, Iowa, to
Electa Kelsey. a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of William J. Kelsey
and Mary Ladd Kelsey, both natives of New York state and pioneer settlers
of Wisconsin, where the father became prominent as a miller. Five children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fowler, namely: Albert Henry, Minnie,
William, Wallace and Harry. Mr. Fowler belongs to the Masonic fra-
ternity, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Hoo Hoos. In
1 11 d itics he is a Democrat, and was elected commissioner for the city of Arling-
ton, May 5, 1903. and enjoys the honor of being one of the city's first
councihnen.
JOHN W. DALGLEISH.
John W. Dalgleish. one of the substantial and prominent residents of
Marysville. Washington, was born February 27, 1853, in Jefferson county.
Indiana, and is a son of William Dalgleish. The latter is a native of Scot-
land, and came to the United States wdien he was but twenty-one years of age.
settling in Jefferson county. Indiana, in 1833, as one of the early pioneers of
that state. His wife bore the maiden name of Harriet Harper, and was a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. L5J
native of Indiana, coming from Scotch ancestry, and her parents wore among
the very first settlers of Indiana, having settled in Jefferson county in [827.
She died aged forty years, having home her husband lour hoys and three
girls, of whom two sons and two daughters are deceased, the remaining ones
being as follows : John W. ; George, residing on the homestead ; and Agnes,
the wife of Charles Spencer, of Jefferson county. Indiana.
John W. Dalgleish was educated in the country schools of his native
county until he was sixteen years of age, when he left school and worked upnii
the farm during the summer and with a flatboal during the winter, on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers, until 1873. In [874 he moved to towa and
engaged in farming until 1876, when he removed to Kansas and embarked
in farming, and thus continued until 1882. when he came west to Puget
Sound and first worked in the logging camps in Whatcom county. The Eol
lowing year he located in Snohomish count}' at Marysville, and took up a
homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, four miles north of the town
He was one of the first settlers of the county, remaining there until [901, and
in addition to farming conducted a very extensive dairy business. At thai
date he disposed of his farm and organized the Summit Mill Company, and.
after erecting a mill at Summit, engaged in the manufacture of shingles, his
plant having a capacity of fifty thousand shingles per day.
Mr. Dalgleish has never married, and docs not belong to any societies.
In 1891 he was elected a member of the school board for district Mo
Snohomish county, and served until 1901, having been one of the organizers
of the district. In 1898 he was elected justice of the peace and served two
terms, four years in all. and in 1900 was appointed census enumerator. Ever
since locating in this locality Mr. Dalgleish has been prominently identified
with the best interests of the community, and is generally recognized as a
leader in the Republican party, having always keen a stanch supportei of
its principles, and represented it in all the county conventions, with the excep
tion of the second. Enterprising, far-sighted and public spirited, Ik
from the very first recognized the possibilities of this locality, and. acting upon
his firm faith in the future of the county, has devoted his best effort-, towards
its upbuilding and material advancement.
ELISHA B. CLEAVELAND.
Elisha B. Cleaveland, one of the representative men of Marysville, Wash
ington, was born July 1. [838, in Lee, Penobscol county, Maine.
son of' Caleb D. Cleaveland,' who was .1 native of New Hamp hiri and ol
English descent, his ancestors having come over in the Mayflow< 1 B;
nation the father was a miller, and died at the age of eight: 0 u 1 ars. I he
maiden name of the mother was Parsilla Brown, and she was horn in Maine
of a fine New England family, and her death occurred at the early aj
thirty-four years Two brothers were born in the family m addition to out-
subject, namely: William II.. who resides in New Hamp hire, and < harles
A„ who was killed during the Civil war.
Elisha B. Cleaveland was educated in the publn d Is 0 Lee. bill
leaving school at the age of nineteen years went to work in the lumber v
-1."'-' HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
there continuing until [861, when he enlisted in the Union army in Companj
A, First .Maine Cavalry, and served until [864, when he was honorably dis
charged. Returning to his home, lie resumed Ins lumber operations and was
thus employed until [876, when he went west to the Sound and settled in
Snob m iM 1. where he engaged in logging, and is still so interested. In [900
he engaged with the Snohomish River Boom G mpany al Marysville.
In [866 Mr. Cleaveland was married at Lee. Maine, to Harriet C.
Thompson, a native of the same state, and she is a daughter of John and
Lucy Thompson, old settlers of Maine. Three children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Cleaveland, namely: Carry Virginia, who died at the age of
eighteen years; Lois, who married Dr. \\ . Q. Webb, of Spokane, Washing
ton; and Alice, who married Eugene Pray, of Maine. Mr. Cleaveland is a
prominenl Mason, and belongs to the Grand \rniv of the Republic, being
quite active in that organization. In polities he is a Democrat, and is a man
who enjoys the highest respect of all who know him.
WILSON McLEAN SNYDER.
Wilson McLean Snyder was horn on the 7th day of May, [853, in
Galena, Illinois, and is now residing in Snohomish, where he is filling the posi
tion of cashier in the First National Hank. He is a son of William II. Snyder,
who was a native of Utica, New York, and a representative of an old
Knickerbocker family, his ancestors having settled in the Empire state in
early colonial days. They were of German descent and became active factors
in public affairs, shaping the policy of the communities in which they lived.
Representatives of the name took part in the early wars of the nation, in-
cluding the struggle for independence. William II. Snyder became identified
with the banking business, which lie followed for more than a half century.
He was thus a representative of the financial interests at Galena. Illinois,
where he continued as a banker up to the time of his death, which occurred
in 1896, when he had reached the age of eighty-three years. He married
Lucretia McLean, who was born in Alexandria. Virginia. Her uncle, Wilmcr
McLean, was the owner oi the tract of land which became the scene of the
first battle of Bull Run. That engagement was on his plantation and in
order to get farther away from the seat of war he removed to Appomattox
Court House, where four years later, in his house, the treaty of peace was
signed between Generals Grant and Lee. thus practically terminating hos-
tilities. Mrs. Snyder belonged to one of the old prominent and aristocratic
families of the south, their residence in that section of the country dating
back to the early period of the seventeenth century. She is still living, now
making her home in Galena. Illinois, at the age of eighty-one years. By
her marriage she had two daughters : Fanny, who is now the wife of C. S.
Merrick, cashier of the Merchants' National Bank of Galena, Illinois; and
Alice L., who is also living in Galena.
Wilson McLean Snyder, the only son of the family, began his educa-
tion in the public schools and afterward pursued a course in a normal school
in Galena. At the age of eighteen years he went to Wiesbaden, Germany,
where he studied for some time and later became a student in Heidelberg
IpUBUC LlBRARYj
. ASTOR. USNOX AND
tilde* 'o"*0^'0"9
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 153
University, thus completing his education in one of the oldest and mosl re
nowned institutions of learning in the world. While abroad he devoted his
attention chiefly to the mastery of the German language. In :S;4 he re-
turned to his native city and entered the Merchants' National Bank, of which
his father was the cashier. He was connected with this financial enterprise
until 1888 when, in the month of April of that year, he went to Seattle.
After a short period spent in the First National Hank of that city he
sent by Jacob Furth to Snohomish as cashier of the First National Hank
of this place and has since acted in that capacity. Throughout Ins entire
business career he has been connected with banking interests and has a
thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the business. The success and
growth of the institution with which he is now connected is due in 1
years in no small degree to his efforts.
On the 20th of April, 1882, Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Miss
Nettie Henry, a native of Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and a daughtei
William T. and Emma Henry,. who were pioneer settlers of that place, where
her father engaged in the banking business. Mr. and .Mrs. Snyder now
two children, Henry M. and Wilson McLean. Their home is a hospitable
one and their friends in the community are many, In his political views Mr.
Snyder is a Republican and while he keeps well informed on the issues of the
day and is able to support his position' by intelligent argument, he has never
sought or desired political preferment. He now takes front rank anion- the
men of Snohomish, and the position which he has gained through meritorious
endeavor is an enviable one.
WILLIAM I). COTTER.
William D. Cotter is a hop-grower and operator of I'nvallnp. lie was
horn in Oxford township, Johnson county, Iowa, in thi yeat [856, hi
ents being W. H. and Emma (Harrington) Cotter. The father was horn
near Utica, New York, and in [853 emigrated westward, taking it]) his
abode in Iowa. He still lives on the farm in Johnson county on which he-
settled a half-century ago. His wife, who was a native of Oxford. New
York, represented one of the old families of Johnson county, and when the
township was organized in Iowa it was given the name of Oxford in 1
of their old home in the Empire state. Mrs. ( otter passed away a numb
years ago.
William D. Cotter obtained his education in the country schools
in his home neighborhood and remained with bis parents until In
the age of twenty-two years. Tie had during that time gained a bt
tical experience in methods of farm work, early becoming familiar with tin
labors of field and meadow. On leaving home after attaining his maj
he removed to western Iowa. Before thai time, however, he ha
in marriage to Miss Moselle Morgan, who was bom and reared in the same
neighborhood in which her husband's birth occurred. For about eighl years
he followed farming in western Iowa, and thi to the Pugel Sound
country, arriving in Puyallup in the spring of [890. He made a very bumble
beginning here, for his financial possessions were limited, but as the
454 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUX I UY
have passed he has worked his way upward to a position of affluence and
success. For some time he was employed as a laborer on the Northern
Pacific Railroad, and later secured a position in the service of Ezra Meeker,
of Puyallup, a mosl extensive hop operator and one of the most prominent
citizens, now the president of the Washington State Historical Society and
one of the distinguished pioneer settlers of the northwest. Mr. (.'niter en
tercd Mr. Meeker's service as a teamster, but lhs energy and ability, combined
with his honesty and his loyal service, soon attracted the attention of his
employer and gained him promotion, lie was made foreman, and later was
made general superintendent of Mr. Meeker's hop business at this place
Ever faithful to the interest of his employer, he well deserved the confidence
and trust rein >scd in him.
At length, with the capital that he had acquired through his own in-
dustry and economy, he formed a partnership with !•'.. R. Rogers, a son <if
ex-Governor Rogers, in the year [898. The linn name of Cutter and Rogers
was assumed, and together they began the Imp business. They are now doing
an extensive trade in the buying and selling of Imps, handling ii"t only their
own product, hut also that of other hop-raisers on consignment. They are
likewise extensive importers and dealers in the various supplies and equip-
ments connected with the industry of hop-raising. In addition to his part-
nership business Mr. (otter is individually probably the largesl hop-raiser
and exporter in Washington. lie exports directly, without the mediation
of a broker, and deals at first hand with such firms as Guinness and other
large brewers of Loudon. In that metropolitan market the ('otter crop is of
recognized high standard from year to year, and is purchased at the highest
market price without examination. Mr. Cotter has worked industriously and
conscientiously to bring aboul this desirable result, giving to every detail of
his husiness the most faithful attention. Land adapted to the cultivation of
hops is now very valuable in the northwest, and Mr. Cotter owns forty acres
in Puyallup. His crop sales now amount to thousands of dollars annually,
and his husiness is constantly growing both in volume and importance. Air.
Cotter also owns and operates twelve acres of land devoted to the cultivation
of herries. and this branch of his husiness is likewise a source of splendid reve-
nue. These tracts of land just mentioned are not included in those operated
by the firm of Cotter & Rogers, but are the individual property of the senior
member of the firm. He is also a director of the Puyallup & Summer Fruit
Growers' Association which owns the Puyallup cannery.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cotter have been born five children; Jennie Moselle,
Harry H, Ethel M., Fred W. and Edward E. The parents are well known
in this section of the state, and have gained a large circle of friends. Mr.
Cotter has made a remarkable record as a successful, straightforward busi-
ness man. His career excites the admiration and at the same time commands
the respect of all. He started out empty-handed, but possessed determination,
strong purpose and unfaltering industry, and upon that foundation be has
built his splendid success.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 155
NEIL BROWN.
Neil Brown, mie of the representative and highly respected nun of At
lington. Washington, was born March 26, [859, in Rockford, [llinois, and
he is a son of James Brown, a native of Scotland, who came to Canada at
the age of seventeen years and shortly thereafter went to [llinois, settling at
Rockford, where he was a farmer until the time of his death, hut was a
steamboat pilot prior to engaging in farming. On December 24, [883,
when he was but forty-nine years of age. he passed away. The mother In ire
the maiden name of Isabelle McLeod, and she also was a native of Scotland,
who when a child was brought by her parents to Pennsylvania. Later they
removed to Illinois. She is now making her home in Ontario. Canada, aged
sixty-two years. The following children were born to these worthy people:
Our subject; Archie, a logger at Camano Island; Jessie; Hugh; \nnie; Isa-
belle; Alexander; Christine; James; Ellen and Mary.
The educational advantages afforded our subject were very limited and
were principally those which could be obtained at night schools. At the age
of sixteen years he went to St. Agnes, Michigan, and remained there until
he was nineteen years old. From the time he was fourteen years of age he
supported himself, working on farms and in the lumber woods, and finally in
the summer of 1883 went to Mackinaw county, from whence lie came to
Puget Sound and located at Stanwood, at the mouth of the Stillaguamish
river, engaging in logging until the following spring, when be began to farm
and so continued until 1886. In the fall of that year be engaged as traveling
salesman for D. M. Osborn & Company, of Portland, manufacturers of agri-
cultural implements, and remained with them until the fall of [892. In [883
he pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres, and after leaving the road he
went back to the lumber business and remained in it from [892 to [894. In
i,X(j4 be became assistant engineer on river and sound steamboats on the
Skagit between Mt. Vernon and Seattle, and so continued until the spring of
1896, when he made a trip to Alaska. Returning home, he resumed his
life on the steamboats, thus continuing until the spring of [897, when once
more he engaged in logging and was successfully employed in this mannet
for one year, when he became foreman of the camp in the spring of 1898,
acting for McPhee, Williams and Amber-. Later he purchased the interest
of this firm and operated the business himself until 1902. when he completed
the clearing off of the timber. Never idle, in September of the same year
Mr. Brown formed a partnership with Kunze Brothers in shingle manufac-
turing, the firm being known as the Brown & Kunze Company, and in theii
plant the concern uses the latest improved machinery and appliances, their
product meeting with a ready sale in local and eastern markets.
On August 23, 1891;. Mr. Brown married Anna Hansen, a native ol
Iowa, and she is a daughter of Gabriel and Martha Hansen, both horn in
Norway but came to America when children. Mr. Brown belongs to the
Independent Order of odd bellows, the Masonic fraternity and the order ol
Elks. In politics he 1- a Republican, and May 15. [903, was honored l.\
election as a member of the council of Arlington, and was also one ol the
incorporators of the city. As a business man, public official and family man
±56 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Brown discharges the duties of life in an able, upright and honorable
manner and lias the confidence as well as friendship of the best contingent of
the city.
HARRY WHITE.
Harry White one of the leading and most progressive men in Seattle,
was born on a farm near Columbus Junction, Iowa, January 5, [859, and is a
son of Robert A. and Hannah E. White. The father, who is a native of
Union county, Indiana, now spends his summer months in Seattle, while the
winter months are passed in Los Angeles, California, llis ancestors were
of Revolutionary stock, and were among the early settlers of Virginia. The
mother, who bore the maiden name of Hannah E. Newbro, was born in
Butler county, Ohio, and her death occurred on the ltli of March, 1896
She, too, came En old American family.
Harry White gained his education in the common schools of Iowa and
in the Eastern Iowa Normal School, where lie spent one term. At the con-
clusion of his school life he took up the duties devolving upon him as a man
with a vigor and enthusiasm that made him successful in all his ventures.
Enterprising, yet ever mindful of the rights of others, his progress has hcen
steady, and on several occasions honors have been bestowed upon him by the
people who made him their representative in offices of public trust. Mr.
White first made Seattle his home in [887, and with his brothers, George,
W". H. and Will R.. engaged in the business of huying, improving and selling
real estate, and also buying, developing and then promoting the sale of
mines. He was among the pioneers in the mining business in the territory
of Washington, and proved upon and was awarded the first United States
patent ever given for a mining claim in this state. This was in 1887, and
ever since that time he has been interested in mines and mining. During
the intervening period from 1887 until 1893 the firm of Harry White &
Company did the largest real estate business in the city of Seattle, and en-
joyed the full confidence of the people at large. The firm bought and sold
its own property, buying and clearing land in the county and then putting it
under cultivation before offering it for sale. They also bought and sold
numerous acre tracts adjacent to the city. In 1893 Will R. White was
elected a member of the state legislature, and at the expiration of his term
of office the firm went out of the real estate business and took up mining to
the exclusion of all other lines. Will R. going to London, England, and
opening up connections for the firm in that city. One of the saddest chapters
in the history of our subject's life contains the record of the death of this
brother, which occurred on July 2, 1902. As a member of the firm and
as an individual Will R. White figured largely in matters dealing with the
progress and development of Seattle, and as a member of the legislature
he was the author, introduced and was instrumental in securing the passage
of the bill authorizing the filling in and reclamation of the tide flats of Seattle.
He made the issue that if elected a member of the legislature he would care
for the tide flats, and he nobly redeemed that promise by having the bill
passed which provided for their reclamation. This work has since been done
' EW YORK
I IC LIBRARY
LENOX AND
rOU.NDATlONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. ±57
in great part, and the result is that many industrial enterprises are now
occupying the sites thus provided.
The firm of Harry White & Brothers prospered and acquired many
valuable holdings, principally in Alaska. They built the first long distance
telephone lines in Alaska and were one of the first to engage in the oil busi-
ness in Alaska, in the Kayak and other Alaska oil districts. The firm is at
present one of the heaviest owners of oil lands in Alaska, which are being
developed and disposed of, principally through the London connections. Mr
White and his brothers have always been among the pioneers in the opening
and development of new districts, and while they have advanced their own
interests they have at the same time contributed to the general welfare of the
people at large. Since the death of Will R. White, the subject of this sketch
and his brothers, George and John H., have been constantly engaged in the
business of mines and mining.
During the earlier part of his career in Seattle. Mr. White was for
several years one-half owner of the Daily Times, his partners in the enter-
prise being C. H. Kittinger and Homer M. Hill. The paper was sold to
William E. Bailey, and is to-day, after a series of evolutions, known as the
Seattle Daily Times and is the property of Colonel Alden J. Blethen. In
politics Mr. White is a Republican, and was previously very active in the
party councils. Three times since coming to this city he has been honored
with office, and when he retired to private life he carried with him an mi
blemished reputation and the confidence and respect of the peoph of the
community. In 1889 he was elected one of the eight members of the city
council of Seattle, and took an active part in advocating municipal ownership
of the water system and other public utilities. He was chairman of the
police committee and had practical charge of the police department. He
spent many nights in planning and providing for a public library an I a
system of public parks, and it was through his efforts that they were estab
lished. As a member of the city council he was indefatigable in his efforts
to do and accomplish those things which would conserve the best interests
of the community. That his efforts were appreciated was made manifesl in
the election of 1890, when he was elected to the mayoralty, on the issue thai
the city should own its water system and other public utilities. That hi
ministration was popular was shown at the polls in the following election,
when he was again made mayor for the two succeeding years. When first
elected to that position his duties were onerous in the extreme. The entire
business portion of the city had recently been swept away by fire, and it was
during bis administration that the streets were widened and regraded, Rail
road avenue was planked and put in good condition, and all the railroads
which under early franchises bad been permitted to run through struts
and alleys were removed to this common rail thoroughfare. The work of prac-
tically replatting the city and reorganizing its various departments was
great, but clear heads and bright minds looked far into the future, and the
hope then entertained has been glorious in fruition. The work of the chief
executive at that time, supported by able assistants, took the city from the
village plan and placed it upon a true metropolitan basis in preparation for
the magnificent advancement that 1m bei n made since that ti
458 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Under Mr. White's first administration the city was working under the
old territorial charter, and upon the adoption of the new charter, which
was during his second administration, the city was enabled to buy the water
works and inaugurate the foundation for the present thorough system. As
mayor Mr. White made this purchase and was the prime mover in bringing
in the Cedar river water under the gravity system. When elected I" that
position the population of Seattle was about sixty thousand, and throughout
his entire administration his policy was to guard the city's interests in every
way, cine instance of his faithfulness having been when the city's legislative
body voted to issue seven hundred thousand dollars worth o! bonds to retire
street grade warrants. Ik- vetoed the ordinance, hut the ordinance was
passed by the board of aldermen over his veto, and the bonds were signed by
the city clerk and presented to him fur his signature, which he refused, and
thereupon he was mandamused to appear in court to show win he had refused
to sign. The corporation council refusing to appear, Mr. White hired his
own attorney, at a cost of two hundred dollars, ami carried the case lo the
supreme court, which held that he was right and complimented the city on
its having for mayor a man who believed in looking after the city's interest.
In this one act he saved the tax payers from having an indebtedness of seven
hundred thousand dollars hanging over them. During his administration
the sewer system was put in, the city lire and police departments organized
on metropolitan principles, the present system of laying out parks was in-
augurated, the public library was established, the fire boat was put into
service, and the policy of making street car lines pay a percentage of then-
earnings to the city was adopted by the hoard of aldermen upon his recom-
mendation. Mr. White made the purchase of the present city hall, and it
was during his term as councilman that many other purchases were made.
He took the leading part in matters municipal during the formative period of
the "Queen City," and, being broad-minded, public-spirited and far-seeing,
he has always proved himself an ideal public official, while in his private life
he has been successful and has made countless numbers of friends.
On the 31st of December, 1S95, at Harvard, Nebraska, Mr. White
married Miss Anna Morrow, a daughter of the late Colonel John C. Morrow,
of Nebraska. They have no children. Mr. White maintains offices in dif-
ferent cities, and while his permanent home is in Seattle he spends the winter
months under the sunny skies of the "City of Angels.''
JOHN HENRY ARMSTRONG.
John Henry Armstrong, one of the representative men of Arlington,
Washington, was born December 28, 1843, on tne Ottawa river, Canada,
and is a son of John G. Armstrong, a native of Ireland, who came to Ottawa,
Ontario; by occupation he was an horticulturist, and died at the age of
eighty-six years. The mother bore the maiden name of Sarah Haslem and
was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was married before coming to Canada. Her
death occurred when she was sixty-four years of age. Seven children were
horn to this worthy couple, namely: Sadie, who married John W. McElroy ;
Kate, who married John Jordan, of Manitoba; Mary Jane, who married
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 459
Robert Kernaghan, of Arlington; Thomas; Robert; William, of Canada; and
John H.
John Henry Armstrong attended school in Ottawa, and after he went
to Ohio in 1858 he went to night school, taking a commercial course. \\ hen
he was sixteen he left school, and in the spring of i860 went wesl to San
Francisco and spent a short time in that fine city, after which he locate.! in
Virginia City, Nevada, and engaged in mining and freighting for aboul four
years. Later he was a stage driver for four years between I arson and Ken...
In the spring of 1868 he came to Pnget Sound, and after working a short
time in the mill of Point Gamble he was attracted to the Casser gold fields
of British Columbia, and remained there three years. He then returned to
the Sound and was engaged in teaming at I 'oil Townsend lor about two
years, and visited and worked at different points on the Sound until [883,
at which time he came to Snohomish county and settled near Stanwood, at
the mouth of the Stillaguamish river, where he was a farmer and trader in
timber until 1S88, when he married. He then engaged in the hotel business
at Stanwood until 1894. at which time his hotel was destroyed by tire, and
he went to Seattle for about a year. hut. returning to Arlington, he again
engaged in a hotel business, and so continued until [899, when he disposed
of his property and purchased a ranch about one mile south of Arlington.
known as Kent's prairie, and he now possesses one of the choicest ranches
in this district.
In June, 1888, he was married to Rose Reynolds-McLaughlin, a widow.
a native of San Francisco and a daughter of an old pioneer settler ol ' all
fornia; by her first marriage she had five children, namely: Agnes, Mary,
Leo, Stella and Ivan. By her second marriage Mrs. Armstrong had one son,
John Henry, who died at the age of nine years. Mr. Armstrong belongs to
the Knights of Pythias, and is very popular in that organization. In poli-
tics he is a stanch Republican, and has always taken an active part in local
affairs. Energetic, a good manager and thrifty, he has been enabled to
overcome various discouragements and to place himself anion:' ilu prosperous
and highly esteemed residents of the well favored community of Snohomish
EDWARD M. RATCLIFFE, M. D.
There is no field of endeavor in connection with the countless activities
of life that places so exacting demands upon those who serve in ii- con
fines as does the profession of medicine. There is demanded a mo
and discriminating preliminary training and unremitting and consecutive
study and application through all the succeeding days. and. over and above
this, the true physician, who in a sense holds life in his hands, must he im-
bued with that dee]) sympathy and true humanitarian sentiment which will
hear his professional labors outside the mere comm phere, lb- •
name introduces this review is known and honored as one of the representa
tive medical practitioners of Seattle, having gained distinctive professional
prestige and the confidence and respect of those n, whom he has ministered,
as well as of the community at large.
Dr. Ratcliffe, who has his office at 1 [5 Yesler Way. is a native of the
460 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
fair old state of Kentucky, having been horn in Verona, Boone county, on
the 10th of June 1S51. and being the second in a family of nine children.
lie was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, and continued to devote
his attention to agricultural pursuits in his native state until he had attained
the age of twenty m\ years, his early educational training having been re-
ceived in the public schools. At the age noted he began reading medicine
under the preceptorship of Dr. Findley, at Crittenden, Kentucky, making
very satisfactory progress 111 his technical study, and finally matriculated in
the Ohio Medical College at > incinnati. in [878. lie was graduated as a
member of the class of iNSi. passing the intervals between the college terms
in study and practice with his old preceptor. Shortlj after bis graduation
he located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where he continued in the active prac-
tice of his profession until [884, when he came westward as far as Kansas
and located in Cimarron, which was then in Finney county, now Gray county,
and there he accepted a position as land agent for the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa be Railroad Company, retaining his incumbency until 1SK7, when be
was appointed to the office of sheriff of Gray county by Governor Martin,
but resigned the office at the cud of one year. During his regime the county
seat contest was at Us height, and SO bitter was the feeling engendered in
the connection that his duties proved not only insistent and onerous, but also
extremely dangerous at times. The Doctor made a record as a brave and
discriminating officer, performing his duties with that distinctive courage and
self-reliance which were s, , necessary in that new and wild section of the
state at that time.
In [888 Dr. Ratcliffe came to Pierce county, Washington, where he
was engaged in the general practice of his profession until July 10. [893,
when he removed to Seattle, where he has ever since maintained bis home
and where be has attained an enviable reputation as a skilled physician and
surgeon, having a practice of representative character. During his resi-
dence in the state he has been identified with many business enterprises of
importance, both in the city of Seattle and in connection with mining in-
terests through the northwest, and he is known as an able and progressive
business man as well as a leading member of the medical fraternity. In
politics he gives bis allegiance to the Democratic party, and he ever gives
his aid and influence in the promotion of those undertakings which make
for the general good of bis home city and state. In the city of Tacoma on
the 29th of October, 1890, Dr. Ratcliffe was united in marriage to Miss
Maude Garlough, who was born in the state of Iowa, and they are the par-
ents of two sons, Robert G. and Charles E.
ARTHUR H. BROWN.
One of the most extensive industries of the state of Washington is, natu-
rally, the lumber business, for there the great pine and fir forests still exist
in vast and unbroken stretches and supply much of the lumber in the markets
of the world. One of the large lumber manufacturing firms of Lewis county
is that of the Brown Brothers. Their mill, which is located near Napavine,
has a daily capacity of twenty-five thousand feet ; in connection they have a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 461
planing mill, and' handle all kinds of orders for fir and cedar, but they make
a specialty of the sawing- of timber, which they produce in an length
They have over a thousand acres of excellent timber land.' and from this
draw much of their lumber supply.
The Brown family have been long residents of the state of Maine, and
the fact that they were inhabitants of the old Tine Tree state may have had
something to do with their turning to the lumber iudusm as an occupation.
The English and Scotch ancestors were earl) settler- of the s1 ite, and it is a
matter of record that the great-great-grandfather Brown was the first one ol
the house to settle there; the great-grandfather was born in that state, as
was also the grandfather.
Benjamin F. Brown, who was the father of Arthur 11. Brown, was a
native of Androscoggin county, Maine, was reared to the pursuit of a farmer,
and married Florida W. Wyman. a native of bis own county, lie was one
of Maine's quota of soldiers to the Civil war. and was a member of Company
G, Fifteenth Maine Volunteer Infantry; he was in the Red river expedition
was afterward with General Sherman in the siege of Atlanta and the famous
march to the sea, and at the close of the war took part in the grand review
of the victorious army at Washington, where he received bis honorable dis-
charge; he had entered the service as a private and was mustered < iu1 a sea md
lieutenant. Returning to his family in .Maine he soon after brought them to
Carroll county. Missouri, where he purchased laud and engaged in stock
raising. In 1S77 he sold out and removed to Lewis county, Washington,
where he continued his raising of stock, breeding mostly high-grade Durham
cattle and Clyde horses. In 1881 he began the operation of a sawmill mat
Napavine. and with his sons followed that business fir fifteen years with
most gratifying success. He was a Republican in political belief, but late in
life became a Prohibitionist, owing to bis devotion to the temperance cause
and his stanch support of the Methodisl church. lie was a man of unim-
peachable integrity, and was held in high regard by all. His death occurred
February 13, 1902, when in the sixty-fourth year of his life, but his wife
still survives in her sixty-third year, making her home at Sedro Woolley,
Washington. Of their six children three are now living, the two broth,
and the sister, who is now Mrs. George l\. Clark.
Arthur H. Brown is a native of the Pine Tree state, having been born
there October 20, 1865. and he was but eleven years "Id when be arrived
in the state of Washington with bis father, so that he has spent the greater
portion of his life in this state, and heir received his earl; on. When
he became old enough he began to assist his father, and was soon
the mill. He and his brother were reared to the lumber business, and now-
having followed it for twenty years are proficient in its 1 lil and
eminently successful.
In December, 1887. Mr. Brown became- the husband of M '
Naylor, a native of the state of Pennsylvania and a daughter of T. ( '.. Maj '
Three children have been born to them in Lewi- county, and 1' itions
to the happy family are Flora, I ind Verta. Mr. Brown is a mem'
of the Chehalis chapter of the Royal Arch Ma d of the Woodmen
of the World. His political support is given to the Republican party. The
462 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Brown brothers are men of high responsibility in business circles, and have
gained a high place in the social life of the community.
JAMES PURCELL COM] Ft )RD.
James Purcell Comeford, one of the pioneers of Marysville, Washington,
and one of the city's most worthy and esteemed residents, was born De
ber 23, [833, m Ireland, a son of Richard 1 omeford, who was also a native
of Ireland and came 1" Canada with his parents when hair years of age. The
parents settled in Guelph, Ontario, bul in [849 came to the United States
and located at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and later moved to Fond du Lac, where
ihe\ resided seven years. The father was a farmer and died at the age of
sevent) eight years. The mother bore the maiden name of Julia Purcell,
and was born in Ireland and died at the age of seventy-six years. They
had a family of thirteen children, all of whom are deceased except James
I'm cell and the following: Nicholas, of White Earth, North Dakota; Car
rie; Maggie, who married (.diaries Galloway, of Davenport, Iowa; Relic,
who married J. ('.. Mel. con. of Seattle.
James Purcell (omeford attended New York state and Wisconsin
schools until he was sixteen years of age, then worked with his lather on the
farm and in the lumber camps until [861, when he enlisted in the Union
army, and after two years' service, at the outbreak of the Sionx war, he was
detailed by General Grant at his nun request to return to .Minnesota, where
hi- parents were then residing, to help quell the outbreak id' the Indians.
Later he returned to his own regiment at Columbus, Kentucky, and served
until the close of the war.
In [866 he was married and removed to Dakota, settling near Elk Point,
where he invested in cattle and cultivated a farm for six years. In 1872
he came west to Puget Sound, and, after a year in Whatcom, removed to
Tulalip and was in the employ <,f the government for three years on the In-
dian reservation. Following that he purchased the trading store on the reser-
vation, and conducted it successfully for three years. In 1879 he settled at
the mouth of the Snohomish river and bought up several hundred acres of
land, part of which is now comprised in the town of Marysville. After ar-
riving- he opened a general store and conducted it very successfully until
1885, at which time he began laying out the village of Marysville, audi em-
barked in a real estate business, which he has continued to the present time.
He is one of the most honored men in the community.
He was married at Faribault. Minnesota, to Maria Quin, a native of
Waterloo, Wisconsin, and a daughter of Patrick and Catherine Quin. old
pioneer settlers of Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Comeford have three sons and
two daughters, but one of the boys and one of the girls died in infancy, those
living being: Estella. who married N. C. Healy, of Marysville; John James,
engaged in mining at Dawson since 1898: Thomas Francis, with his father,
and he looks after the real estate and farming interests.
THE MORNING OLYMPIAN.
The Morning Olympian is one of the bright exponents of the press of
Thurston county, Washington, is devoted to the interests of the Republican
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 463
party, and the reading of its daily issue lias come to form a part of the
habitual life of the citizen of Olympia. It is issued both as a daily and a
weekly, the daily being a sheet twenty-two bj thirty-six, and the weekly
twenty-four by thirty-six. It was the first daily paper that ventured upon
the waters of public patronage, and during the twelve years of it- existence
it has achieved considerable success and reached a profitable length ol
scription and advertising list. Like the majority of journals, it ha- passed
through various hands and sailed on both rough and smooth waters.
The first issue of the Morning Olympian was read by the citizens of
Olympia and the surrounding country on March 15. [891. ' The proprietors
were Charles R. Carroll and J. H. Norris, who are still prominent residents
of this city: the editor was John A. Rea, a gentleman of much newspaper
experience and at present a land-law practitioner in Olympia. These were
"boom" days in Olympia. and the paper was a seven-column folio and con-
tained the regular Associated Press news. On June <j of the same year the
names of John A. Rea, James P. Ferry and J. H. Norris appeared as the
directing heads of the paper, and on December 10. [891, Thomas Hender-
son Boyd purchased the outfit and continued the publication until hi- labors
were interrupted by his tragic death .in the evening of December 2, [892
Up to the following February 10 the paper was managed by the adminis-
trators of the estate, and at that time it was purchased by a company com
prised of these well known gentlemen: J. A. I'.. Scobey, George \V. Hopp
H. A. McBride, H. C. Parliament and F. S. Swan, Mr. Scobey being the
editor and manager. In the course of the next twelve months the proprietors
dropped off one by one until Scobey and Hopp were left. In June. [896, a
new business manager appeared in Mr. S. A. Madge, and on November 1.
1897, this gentleman acquired Mr. Hopp's interest, and lie has since con!
its direction, with Mr. Scobey as associate editor.
A few words concerning the life and career of the present proprietor <>t'
the Olympian, Mr. Madge, will he of interest to the readers of this hi
He is a native of the state of Pennsylvania, horn in Jamestown on 1 ><
her 19, 1S53. When a young man he removed to New York city and en!
the office of the district attorney to read law. He remained in this office for
nine years, was then in the surrogate's office for six year-, after which he
was in Minneapolis one year. In [892 he came to Pullman. Washington,
where he was engaged in the grain business for several years, until [896,
when he came to Olympia to take charge of the Olympian, lie i- a man
of good business ability and much - d in the city which he ha- adi
for his home.
THE CENTRALIA CHRONICLE.
The public press follow- close in the wake 1 cing civilization.
and. together with the church and the school, is one of the lii tions
to be planted in a new community. One of the enterprising journals which
were founded in Lewis county at about the tin n
advance along all the lines of progress, was th ralia Chronicle, which
has not only itself kept abreast of the times hut has added materially in pro-
4<U HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
■noting othei ten ts. Mr. I. E. Whinnery was the fifst owner and editor,
and the paper appeared in [88q as a seven-column folio. In March, [902,
it was purchased by P. C. Kibbe, and so efficient was he in its management
that he sunn found it necessary to enlarge its size, and on June 6 il came out
as a five-column quarto, and cm October 3 as a six-column quarto, lis
political sympathies arc Republican, and Mr. Kibbe has made it a verj profit-
able enterprise.
As one of the young and energetic nun ol Lewis county, it is fitting thai
a few words should be said about the Chronicle's editor, who has made a
rather conspicuous success in this line, although he had intended to make
the law lhs profession. P. C. Kibbe was hum in Prescott, Pierce county,
Wisconsin, February 8, [873. He completed his education in Sioux Falls
University, where he was graduated in [897. He then took up the study of
law, and in 1899 was admitted to the bar, after which he opened an office
at I'.lma. Wisconsin, remaining there a year and a half. He was not en-
tirely satisfied, and as an opening appeared bj which he might launch out into
journalism, he purchased the paper at Kelso, Wisconsin, which he conducted
very successfully for a year. It was at the close of this nine thai he sold oul
and' came to ' entralia. He is a brainy and progressive man. and will no
doubt make the Chronii ' the foremosl papers of the state. In May.
[901, he was married to Miss Ella Fleming, and they are popular members
of (entralia society and belong to the Baptist church ; he is a member of the
\\ oodmen of the World.
JAMES F. HOPKINS.
The name home by our honored subjeel is one which has stood expo
nent for the most sterling characteristics, the deepest appreciation for the
rights and privileges of citizenship in our great republic and one which has
been indissolubly identified with the annals of the west from an early epoch
in its history. There have been strong men and true, as one generation
has followed another, — men leal and loyal to our national institutions, — and
none more than our subject deserves a fitting recognition among the honored
and worthy pioneers of the northwest. He now occupies a foremost place
among the business men of Tacoma, where he is extensively engaged in the
drug trade, and his efforts in that line are meeting with a high and well
merited degree of success. .
Mr. Hopkins was born on a farm seven miles from Frankfort, Indiana,
in 1857, and is a son of Jesse and Nancy Grigg (Thomas) Hopkins, both of
whom are now living in Tacoma. The former was born in Indiana, of
Virginia and Kentucky ancestry, but the Hopkins family came originally
from England, and Jesse Hopkins personally remembers his maternal grand-
father, Frederick Kaiser, who was for seven years a soldier in the Revo-
lutionary war with Washington, and recalls many stories told him of that
conflict. Jesse Hopkins followed farming and stock-raising throughout nearly
his entire business career, or until he came to Tacoma. in 1888, since which
time he has made his home in this city, and now, at the good old age of
seventy-two years, is a strong, vigorous and alert man, capable of doing a
£hffas/Ci^L<3
THE NEW YORK-"
(PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX AND
I T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 165
good day's work. In the latter part of the fifties he removed with his family
to near the village of Viola, Wisconsin, where during the war of the Re-
bellion he was a recruiting and enrolling officer, and about the close of that
struggle the family removed to northwestern Iowa, then a frontier country,
and he was one of the organizers of Lynn county, where he continued to make
his home for nine years, devoting his energies to farming and stock raising.
In the fall of 1879 the family journeyed to the Black Hills, where the father
resumed his stock and ranching operations in what was then Lawrence county,
and in 1888 he came to this city, where seven months later he was joined bj
his son, James F. Mrs. Jesse Hopkins is a native daughter of the Hoosiet
state, and the family are noted for their athletic finalities. Two of her
brothers were with General Sherman on his march to the sea. By her mar
riage she became the mother of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters,
and the family circle yet remains unbroken, except one son, Charles, who died
when three and one-half years old.
James F. Hopkins accompanied his parents on their various removals,
and the best part of his schooling .was received during their residence in
Lyon county, Iowa, where he attended school a'1 Sioux City, sixty five miles
distant, there receiving excellent educational advantages in the high school.
After leaving the schoolroom as a pupil he took up the profession of leach-
ing, which he followed in Lyon county for about three terms, and while
there was honored with the office of township' clerk. Going thence to the
Black Hills with his father, he turned his attention to the -lock raising in-
dustry, conducting a large and prosperous ranch, and during his residence
there was elected secretary of the local school board, although he was then
only twenty-one years of age; while serving in that capacity he em]
as a teacher Miss Jessie Blackman, a native of the state of New Ybrl and
who had come to the Black Hills on a visit. To this young lady Mr. 1 [opkins
was subsequently married, their wedding having been 1 ed in October,
t886. She is a graduate of the Western New York Normal School at J. m
town, New York. After taking up his residence in Tacoma, W ■
in 1889, Mr. Hopkins was employed for the succeeding eight or nine wars
in the freight department of the Northern Pacific Railroad. In January,
1898, in the bitterest cold of Arctic winter, be and his wife, wli 1 also
to possess the true pioneer spirit, made the journey over the Chilkool Pass
to Alaska, locating at Gold Bottom, near the Yukon river, where he wa
engaged in conducting a "road house" and later in g nerchandising,
being highly successful in both lines of endeavor. Mr-. I was ap-
pointed the first postmistress of Gold Bottom, receiving her commi
the Canadian government, and while residing there Mr. Hop! le two
trips to Tacoma, on the second being accompanied by his on, Ward
H., who was then twelve vear> of age. This boy made a rem irl al
in Alaska, and became well known throughout thai count- I
and powers of endurance, which were remarkably displayed in 1 -111-.
He was an ambitious little fellow and took advantage ol 1
to make a dollar. Procuring a dog team, he was engaged in haulmj
etc for hundreds of miles up and down the Yukon river during
cold winters which often proved fatal to those of matun
30*
46G HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
mometer often registering from fifty to si xt\ degrees below zero. A year
after this son wenl to Alaska, Mr. Hopkins senl for his two youngest chil-
dren, Allen C. and Arthur M.. who were met at Skagway by their mother.
After a four years' residence in Alaska the family returned to Tacoma, in
April, 1901, and in company with two younger brothers, Mr. Hopkins pur-
chased the drug business of the old and well known firm of Quietl Brothers,
at 1102-1104 South K street, at the corner of Eleventh, the Quiett brothers
having both died. The two Hopkins brothers had grown up with and learned
the pharmaceutical profession in that store, and were thus able to continue
the old business with its long accustomed popularity and success. The busi-
ness is now carried on under the firm name of Hopkins Brothers. Our sub
ject has jusl completed the erection of a fine new two stor) residence, with
attic and basement, which is located at the corner of North Fifth street and
Ainsworth avenue, and which is modern in all of its appointments and is one
of the finest residences in tin- part of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins have-
three children, and the family occupy an enviable position in the social circles
of Tacoma.
fit 1 1.11' A. WOOLLEY.
Philip A. Woolley, of Sedro Woolley, Washington, laid out the town
which hears his name and has been prominently identified with it ever since.
Mr. Woolley is a native of the Empire state. lie was horn at Malone,
Xew York, February 17, [831, and is descended on the paternal side from
English ancestry and on the maternal front German and French, the ancestors
on both sides having long been residents of this country, many of them occu-
pying honored and useful positions in life. The Woolleys were represented
in the Revolutionary war. fighting for American independence. Dr. Emerson
Woolley, the father of Philip A., was for many years a practicing physician
and representative citizen of Ogdenshurg, Xew York. He died in the year
1878. Mr. Woolley's mother was before marriage Miss Magdalene Ulman ;
she was born in Morrisburg, Canada, and died in 1880. Mr. Woolley has
two sisters. Miss Margaret Woolley. a resident of Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
and Alice, wife of Charles Chrisler, also of Sioux Falls.
Until the age of eighteen the subject of our sketch attended the public
schools of his native state. Then he started out in life on his own account,
and his first undertaking was a lumber contract. Shortly afterward he en-
gaged in mercantile business in Russell. Canada, and while there chose his
life companion. He was married January 25, 1857, to Catherine Loucks,
daughter of Hon. W. J. Loucks, a merchant of Ottawa, Canada. Mr.
Loucks was in government employ, in the civil service department, and was
a prominent and highly respected citizen of the community in which his life
was passed. He died in March. 1900. Some of his ancestors came from
the grand duchy of Luxemburg, to Canada, as loyalists at the time of the
rebellion, and took part in that struggle, as officers. Mr. Woolley's family
comprises two sons and two daughters. The sons. William and Philip, are
associated with their father in contracting enterprises in Georgia, Florida and
other southern states. One of the daughters, Zada, is the wife of Horace
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 167
Pinhey, a government official of Ottawa, and the other, Kate, is the wife of
C. C. Harbaugh, a physician of Woolley, Washington.
After his marriage Mr. Woolley continued his residence al Russell
some years, conducting a mercantile business and also contracting, in [864
he went to Escanaba, Michigan, where he was engaged in conti
the railroad from Green Bay to Escanaba, and where he spent three years,
going thence to Grand Haven, Michigan. At the latter place he rein
ten years, having a large government contract which he carried on in con-
nection with his railroad business. His next move was to Elgin, Illinois,
which he made his home for a period of thirteen years, meanwhile doing all
the contract work for the Chicago & Alton Railroad, lie afterward came to
Washington, and in Skagit county boughl a large tract of land, on a part oi
which he laid out the townsite of Woolley. Hi- arrival here was before a
tree had been cut or there was a single mark of civilization, and he personally
swung the ax and cut the first tree on the townsite. fie built a large lum-
ber and shingle mill, which he afterward disposed of. With this as his head
quarters he has continued contracting and building, his operations extending
to various places. In 1901 he secured the contract for furnishing all the
material for the Sea Board Air Line, which contract extends to [908. In
dustry, enterprise and public spirit have characterized Mr. Woolley's lite here
in the northwest as it did in other parts of the country, and he is recognized
as a leader among the men of affairs at Sedro Woolley.
Mr. Woolley is an Odd Fellow, a Mason and a life Ion- member of the
Presbyterian church. While he has always voted with the Republican party
and taken a commendable interest in politics, his time and attention have been
too much absorbed by business matters for him to be a politician. lli-
Philip is the politician of the family, and has several time- served a- secretary
of the Republican central committee
JOHN W. McCONN UiillKY.
King county is fortunate in that it has a class of men in its public
office who are faithful to duty and have the besl i nunity
at heart, placing the public welfare before personal t and the
good of a community before partisanship. On the lisl of public ol
pears the name of John W. McConnaughey, who is occupying the position
of county treasurer". He is also well known in commercial circl
engaged 'in the manufacture and sale of paint in Seattle. A n ' >hio,
he was born in the city of Dayton, in April, [860, and 1- -1 Scotch Irish
ancestry. In the Keystone state David McConnauj
our subject, was born" and removing westward became -me of tl
tiers of Dayton, Ohio, where he secured a farm from the governi
placed the land under a high ' ' cultivation. 1
devoted his energies up to the time of his death,
eighth year fohn C. McConnaughey, the ' f our subji
the homestead farm near Dayton, in [824, and after arriving
maturity married Miss Elizabeth A. Keplinger. Her father a
neer of'Ohio and for many years an owner ol a flouring mill t]
468 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Connaughej was a farmer and stock-raiser who spent his entire life in his
native town and died at the age of seventy-two wars. His wife still sur-
vives him and is now' sixty-nine war- of age, her home being in Dayton,
Ohio. This worth) i wen the parents of eleven children, all of whom
are still living. Tl the sons are on the Pacific coast. C. I\. Mc-
l onnaughey, being the cashier in the treasurer's office of King county, while
I) F. is manager of the Seattle Paint & Varnish Company, the stock of which
is owned by John \\\. D. F. and C. K. McConnaughey.
To the public school system of Dayton. Ohio. John McConnaughey is
indebted for the educational privileges he received. In [885 he Kit home
in order to enter upon an independent business career and making Ins way
to the we-i was engaged in the brokerage business in Wichita, Kansas. He
traveled all over the western part of that state and at length SOUghl a home
on the Pacific coast, removing to Portland. Oregon, in the fall oi [889. The
month of July, [892, witnessed his arrival in Seattle, where he continued in
the brokerage and real-estate business until April. [898, when he organized
the Seattle Paint & Varnish Company, under which name he and his brother,
I). 1'". McConnaughey, are conducting a wholesale business, manufacturing
all of the goods which they handle. They make everything in the paint line
and their business is proving a very satisfactory one. bringing to them a
good income annually. The product of their factor}' finds a ready sale upon
the market, owing to the exce' quality as well as reasonable price
and the reliability of the house. Our subject is also largely interested in city
real estate, including both business and residence property, his investments
having been so judiciously made they have greatly augmented his capital.
Mr. McConnaughey is identified with all the interests of Seattle and is
well known not only because of his real estate dealings and his industrial
and commercial interests, hut also because of the active part which he takes
in promoting movements and measures calculated to advance the genera!
good. He is a valued member of the Rainier Club, the Athletic Club and the
Chamber of Commerce. In politics he has been a life-long Republican and in
the fall of 1900 was elected to his present office by a good majority and is fill-
ing the position with much ability. He has thirty employes in his office under
him and has given a surety bond of $233,000. He sustains an unassailable
reputation for integrity and honesty in all business transactions, and the choice
of the public in calling Mr. McConnaughey to office was certainly a wise one.
Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks. He is a thoroughly representative business man. his standing being
high in the community and he is both widely and favorably known in the city
of his adoption.
JOHN JAMES EDENS.
John James Edens, who is engaged in farming and fruit-raising near
Whatcom and is also well known because of his prominence in political cir-
cles, was born in Marshall county. Kentucky. July I, 1840. His father,
Thomas G. Edens, was also born in Kentucky and belonged to the Eden
family of Edenton, North Carolina. He became a planter, and died _in
tA^^sU^,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 469
Missouri in 1859, at the age of forty-eight years, having removed with his
family to that state in 1854. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Lo-
renda Howard, was a native of .Marshall county, Kentucky, to which place
her parents had removed from Petersburg, Virginia. Mrs.' Edens long sur
vived her husband and passed away in [882, at the age of sixty six
In their family were the following named: John James, who is the eldest;
Mary, the deceased wife of Jasper McWilliams ; Amanda, the deceased wile
of David Boltz ; Martha, the wife of D. L. March, of Anacortes, Washing-
ton; Lorenda, the deceased wife of William Arehart; Annetta, the wifi ol
Lyman Westcott, a merchant of Sand Hill. Missouri; Thomas Porter, who 1-
living in Bristow, Indian Territory; William, who passed away; Henry, of
Anacortes; and Joseph, deceased.
John J. Edens began his education in a private school in Kentucky, and
afterward attended public schools in Illinois and Missouri during the resi
dence of his parents in those states. He was seventeen years of age when
his school life ended, at which time he began working mi his father's planta-
tion in Missouri, being thus employed until 1862, when, feeling that his first
duty was to his country, he volunteered for service in the Union army, as a
member of Company K, Tenth Missouri Cavalry, being in active service up
to the close of the war in 1S65. He participated in fifteen prominent engage
ments of that long sanguinary struggle, including those of Florence, \labama,
in April, 1863; Tuscumbia, Alabama, in May, [863; Meridian. Mississippi,
in February, 1864; Guntown, Mississippi; June (o, [864; Tupelo, Missis
sippi, July 14, 1864; Selma, Alabama, in April, 1865; Columbus, Georgia,
in the same month; and was mustered out at Chattanooga, Tennes ee,
the declaration of peace.
Mr. Edens returned home with a creditable military record, For tin
about three years he had fought for the Union, manifesting the utmosl
loyalty to the cause as he followed the stars and stripes on southern battle-
fields. When the war was over he quietly resumed the pursuits of pi
Going to Denver, Colorado, he was there engaged in contracting and En
ing until 1870, when he came to the Puget Sound country, settling in What
com county, where he was engaged in the logging business for sixteen
He then turned his attention to agricultural and horticultural pursuits, which
have since claimed his time and energies, and in this field of labor he 1^ meet
ing with creditable success, for he possesses the energy and determination
which, coupled with honorable methods, always lead to prosperity.
Mr. Edens has also been honored with a number of official positioi
trust and responsibility. In 1872 he was appointed justice of tin |
the Guemes precinct, and served for nine years. In the tall oi 1881
elected county commissioner for a term of two eai
for the new county of Skagit for two years. In [888 he 1 rep
resent his district in the territorial legislature, but l>\ 1 ibling
act, allowing the territorv to form its constitution prej to becoming
a state, this legislature never convened. In the following year, hi
Edens was elected a member of the t
for two years in the house was elected to the stal
term. He proved an able, active and working member '.1 the general a
470 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
bly in both branches, gave careful consideration to the various questions which
came up for settlement relative to the good of the commonwealth, and did
much to influence legislation in behalf of good government and wise laws.
In 1895 Mr. Edens was appointed by Governor McGraw one of the trustees
of the Stale Normal at Whatcom for a term ol six years, and was reappointed
b) Governor Rogers, in 1901, for another term, which will expire on the
14th of June. 1907.
In February, t88o, Mr. Edens was married to Miss Belle Eldridge,
daughter of Captain Edward and Teresa Eldridge, who were pioneers of
Whatcom county. Mrs. Edens was born in California, and was brought to
Whatcom when only four months old, being the first white child in the town.
She has become the mother of three children, Mice Maude, Olive Lorenda and
Annette. The parents \y the Baptist church, and Mr. Edens is con-
nected with the Masonic fraternity, the Grand Army of the Republic, and a
member of the Pioneer Society. A Republican in politics, his record shows
that he takes an active interest in political affairs, and his service in public
office .1- well as upon southern battlefields shows that he is a loyal and patri-
1 itic citizen.
GENERAL MORTON MATTHEW McCARVER.
The westward course of empire was not accomplished without gigantic
human effort. Every highway opened through the virgin forest, every bit
of ground reclaimed from the grasp of centuries of barbaric neglect, every
village founded for a center of commercial and industrial development, and
finally every state carved from the vast realms of the west, was the result of
the labors of brawn and brain of some bold and progressive-spirited pioneer.
In all history there is nothing more thrilling and inspiring, nothing which
makes the present generations so fully appreciate the magnificence of their
possessions, as the history of the settlement and subsequent growth and de-
velopment of the centers of commerce which now dot the western coast of our
great republic. From the time of that ill-fated enterprise of Colonel Astor,
which laid the foundations of the city of Astoria, every mart of trade planted
on the Pacific side of the Rocky mountains has contained interesting and al-
most romantic incidents in connection with its inception. The city of Tacoma,
Washington, is to-day one of the most flourishing trade centers of the west,
and it is phenomenal yet true that its fifty thousand inhabitants, its large in-
dustries, factories and places of business, are largely the result of the wise
foresight and strenuous toil of one man. General McCarver. While this was
the last of his great and far-reaching enterprises, his entire career was insep-
arably connected with the history of different sections of this country, and
while other men toiled away at the commonplace and labored only for their
own welfare and means of subsistence, his broad vision rested on monu-
mental works, and his long life is a record of successful achievement. His
fortunes being so closely wrapped up with those of Tacoma, his biography
may well serve as a prelude to the history of that city, as whose founder he
will he always honored and revered.
Morton Matthew McCarver was born into the world near the citv of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 471
Lexington, Kentucky, on January 14. [807. His roving, venturesome spirit
was manifested at an early age, for when he was eighteen year- old he left
home and traveled through Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, looking for a
suitable location for permanent settlement. Not being satisfied with the
prospects, in 1830 he located at Galena. Illinois which was thought at that
time to contain the embryo of the western metropolis. During his residence
here his first marriage occurred. Miss Alary Ann Jennings becoming his wife
When the Black Hawk war broke out in 1X31 he was one of those who did
service, and it was at the close of this war, after the treat) between the
chief and the government was drafted hut net yet signed, by the provisions
of which the territory of Iowa was secured to the United States, that young
McCarver first conceived the idea of founding a city which sin mid become
one of the great commercial centers of the west, toward which the tides of
emigration were already flowing at their height. He was then in his twentj
sixth year, and he left his home and journeyed down the Mississippi until he
came to a point then known as the Flint Hills. He cr<>-scd the river from
the Illinois shore in the morning and before noon had located at tin tip of
these bluffs, where he proceeded to construct a log cabin. Hut as the treaty
was still unsigned, the Indians entered a complaint that the whites were en-
croaching on their lands, and the secretary of war ordered that all tresp;
be removed; for this purpose Lieutenant Jefferson Davis left Fort Snelling
with some troops, dropped down the river, and without orders burned the
cabin of Mr. McCarver to the ground. He was compelled to abandon hi- 1m
cation for the time, but on the ratification of the treaty on June [9, [834,
and the subsequent opening of the territory to the whites, he returned to In-
former settlement. He began trading with tin- Indian-, carrying the mail
and speculating in lands, and during the nine years .if his residence there he
was the foremost citizen of the place. This was the beginning of whal is
now the prosperous city of Burlington, [owa, with a population of thirty
thousand. He was a leading member of the convention which framed the
constitution for the state of Iowa: he was one of the men who attended the
public sale of fends at Chicago and was the only one of the party who had
the courage and foresight to make an investment along the muddy shon
the Chicago river. It was during his residence in Iowa that he acquired his
title of " General," from the fact that he had served as quartermaster general
in that state.
Early in the spring of 1843, having heard glowing accounts of the
fertile country in the northwest, he journeyed the plain- in true
emigrant fashion and settled on the Tualitin plains in Oregon. Later, in com
pany with Peter H. Burnett, who afterward became th< or of * al
ifornia, he laid out the town of Linnton. Being convinced that they were not
in the most favorable location, General McCarver moved to Oregon
where he engaged in business and was elected to the Oregon provi
legislature, of which he was speaker. While here In- first wife died
after a happy union of fifteen years. In [847 hi was in th( war.
and in the following year he was married to Julia \. Buckalew.
About this time 'the discovery of gold in California turned all eyes in
that direction, and in May, [848, in company with D. B Hannah. Mr. Mr
472 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
i arver sel out overland for the Eldorado, arriving in August. The location
for a town whirl) had been decided upon by the others did not suit General
McCarver, and he laid out the site of the present city of Sacramento. I [e had
again formed a partnership with Mr. Burnett, and he negotiated Eor the pur-
chase of the townsite, but Mr. Burnett bought it on his own account, after
which the General turned his attention to other matters. With Mr. Hannah
he embarked in the real estate and general merchandise business, they putting
up their building with their own hands. In [849 he sold out his share to his
partner, ami was later elected .1 member of the stale convention which framed
the original constitution ol California, and under which it was admitted a
state. In December, 1849, Mr. Hannah returned to Oregon, and with him
went Mrs. McCarver, who had followed her husband to < alifornia. They
Kit San Francisco on the barque John \Y. Decatur, hound for the Hudson's
Bay Company's station at what is now Victoria, hut on arriving at the en
trance to the strait they experienced much difficulty m effecting an entrance.
A squall marly wrecked their ship, and, with one mast gone and a hole in the
side of the \ esseh they were forced to cast anchor until the flood tide drifted
them up the channel, anchoring in the night at ebb tide. On the second night
an alarm of Indians was given, but the supposed savages turned out to be
Captain Scarl a pilot for the Hudson's Bay Company's station, who
had sighted the vessel in distress and had engaged a crew of Indians to come
to its relief. After a voyage of thirteen days they were glad to rest at the
company's headquarters. They then traveled three days in a canoe to the
Nesqually river, made the trip from there to the Cowlitz river on horseback
111 two days, and thence in a canoe to the Columbia and to Oregon I ity, where
they arrived on July 1. 1850, having consumed twenty-seven days on the
i' lurney.
In 1851 General McCarver, having prospered in his undertakings in
California, came by a sailing vessel to Oregon, and brought along with him
the hull and machinery for a steamboat. This was the first steamboat on the
Columbia river, and he afterward built another above the falls of the Willam-
ette, which he ran from Canemah to Corvallis. During this tifcie he was also
engaged in the fruit and nursery business in Oregon City, and he took first
premium on his fruit in a California exhibition. So scarce was fruit at that
time that he received eighteen dollars a bushel for his apples. When the
Indian war of 1855-56 was over he went to Washington, D. C. to secure
payment of the claims of those who had fought, and the majority of whom
had furnished all their equipment, but he was unsuccessful, and not till 1891
did Congress take up the matter and at last make provision for payment.
In 1858 Mr. McCarver removed to Portland, and in 1862, when the gold
excitement broke out in Idaho, he went to The Dalles and established a gen-
eral merchandise store, later going to Salem and Idaho City, where he re-
mained until 1864, and in the meantime accumulated quite a fortune. He
then went to New York city, where he was the first one who engaged in the
selling of quartz mines in the market. But during his absence in New York
his buildings and other property in Idaho City were destroyed by fire, and in
1866 he returned to Portland with hut little of his fortune left. Despair was
unknown to this rugged warrior of the world, however, and be at once en-
HISTORY OF THE PI , SOUND COUNTRY. 47:;
tered into a partnership with L. Ah Starr, and James Steel, the cashier of the
First National Bank of Portland, and they engaged in buying up war claims.
In this way he succeeded in recouping to some extent his losses.
Being now comfortably situated from a financial standpoint, he was
enabled to embark on the enterprise which had long occupied his attenti
the location of a town at a point on Pugel Sound which would becoi
ually the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which was then building.
In 1868, therefore, when sixty-one years of age, but with the vigor and
strength of many a younger man. he mounted his horse and left Portland with
the intention of locating at Commencement Bay, a spot which after careful
study of its geographical location he had decided upon as having the besl
harbor facilities, thus affording an excellent port for the export trade, and so
situated that it was easily accessible by railroad, facts which he thoughl would
appeal to the judgment of the managers of the road. Upon arriving at
Olympia his determination was strengthened by the study of the maps in the
surveyor general's office, and he at once proceeded toward that point.
On the night previous to his arrival at Commencement Bay he put up al
the house of a farmer a few miles from there. Thirty-five years befot
the night before General McCarver crossed the Mississippi river to locate the
site of Burlington, he had found shelter under the roof of a pioneer settler
of that locality named George Buchanan. During the night a son was born
in the family, and before the visitor left it had been named < leorge Buchanan,
after its father. The child had now grown to manh 1, and moved to Wash
ington, and now afforded the hospitality of his home to the same gentleman
whom his father had sheltered so many years before. And on this nighl
a son was born, and the name of its father and grandfather was given to it
too. Such a remarkable coincidence could not but recall the fortunate outcome
of his ventures in 1833. and it seemed an event propitious of good to the
city which he was to found on the morrow, so that with high hopes for the
future he set out on the following morning, believing thai this enterprise
must be as successful as the former.
By noon he had climbed to the top of the bluff and stood gazing out on
the calm surface of the Sound, and in his imagination he pictured the city ly-
ing at his feet, buzzing with the rush of industry, with the harbor Tilled with
vessels, and with the docks and railroad yards Tilled with the merchandise
of the world — an excusable flight of imagination in one who made his
thoughts the precursors of his dc<
At this time there were only two settlers at Commencement Bay, a man
by the name of Galliher, who was running the old -aw mill at the mouth of the
creek which bears his name, and Job I arr, who some fivi
had come from Iowa with the idea of settling at the place whi<
day he the terminal of the Northern Pacific; he had located a
claim and two years later had succeeded in having the Ian- by the
government, paying two-thirds of the
filed a pre-emption claim. General McCarver bargained with ("arr for all
but five acres of his claim, and then located some land of hi- own,
which he set out for Portland, having sele t( the name for hi- pro]
city, Commencement City. But Colonel Clinton I'. Ferry, his son-in-law,
J
174 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
with whom he stopped over night in Portland, raised a valid objection to
this appellation in that it was too long, and suggested the name Tacoma. ' >n
the following day, at a meeting held in the First National Bank, various
nanus were proposed, and at a later meeting in the Tacoma mill Mr. Atkinson
offered the name of Sitwill, the title of the chief of the Puyallup Indians,
but Tacoma was finally adopted as the name by which the future city should
he known.
\ shorl time after this Mr. McCarver, with his wife and three children,
moved to Tacoma and took possession of the log cabin which he had pre-
viously built in what became known as "Old Woman's Gulch," opposite
the coal bunkers. A few weeks later Colonel Ferry came to visit the Gen
end. and as the only two routes were by trail and the water way via Victoria,
he chose the latter as being more comfortable. The fare to Victoria was
thirty-six dollars, from there to Vashon Island nine dollars, thence to Ta-
coma,-only three miles out of the regular course to Olympia, nine dollars.
On arriving off the shore where they supposed Tacoma to he they could see
no signs of the embryo settlement. The shore was heavily timbered to the
water's edge, and although the two cabins, Md arver's and Carr's, which
formed the "city" were less than a mile apart, so dense was the foresl thai
communication was only to be secured by boat. Mr. Carr had seen the vessel,
and set lire to a stump and hred his rifle, whereupon Colonel Ferry and his
wife were landed in a boat.
In a shorl time Hanson, Ackerman and Company were induced to move
their mill to the infant settlement, other- began to come, and soon the town
was well under way. Messrs. Starr, Steel and McCarver laid out the original
site of sixtv acres, including (air's live acres, Steel sold his interest to the
other two partners. General Met'arver then set to work to accomplish his
cherished purpose, upon which the future success of his town depended,
the establishment of Tacoma as the Northern Pacific terminal. lie interested
the railroad men. bought large tracts for the company, eventually giving all
his own land in what became known as New Tacoma, and after years of
patient and unflagging endeavor his dearest ambition was fulfilled in the
receipt of the following telegram, which is still in the possession of the Mc-
Carver family: " Kalama, July i. [873. — To General M. M. McCarver: —
We have located the terminus on Commencement Bay. — R. D. Rice, J. C.
Ainsworth, Commissioners." This was the first announcement of the de-
cision, and was sent to the General as a compliment. A great impetus was
thereby given to the growth of the town, and its population increased daily,
from two hundred to a thousand settlers arriving every month. The failure
of Jay Cook and his company in the fall of 1873 was a blow from which
Tacoma did not recover for four or five years, but since that time its growth
has been remarkable, with few precedents in the United States, where cities
have grown and passed away in almost a night.
In 1875. while visiting the newly discovered coal fields of the upper
Puyallup, General McCarver contracted a cold, and after a brief illness the
great and enterprising spirit passed away on the 17th of April. He did not
live to see the realization of the vision which appeared to him on that bright
day when he stood in the wilderness which is now the city of his fairest
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 475
dreams, but his long life had already lasted the joj of success, his nobl<
work was accomplished, and to-day Tacoma in the flowei oi its brighl de-
velopment owes a never ending debt of gratitude to its great foundei
REV. FRANCIS X. PREFONTAINE.
Father Prefontaine was born in Montreal, Canada, in [838, and Ins par
ents were natives of that country, lie pursued his literary education in
Nicolett College, which is located midway between Quebec and Montreal.
He finished his studies there in 1859. and then matriculated in the LeGrand
Seminary, of Montreal, pursuing a theological course, and was one of three
hundred students. On the 20th of November, [863, he v. a- ordained at the
seminary and afterward started immediately for the Pacific coast by wa\ of
the Isthmus of Panama, six weeks being consumed in making the trip, lie
arrived safely on Puget Sound and was the first priest appointed to labor for
the white people of this northwestern district, a lew missionaries having
previously begun their labors among the Indians. Father Prefontaine n
sided first in Steilacoom, where a military post had been established. After
ten months at that point he removed his headquarters to Port Townsend, and
visited the entire .Sound country from that place, traveling in canoes with the
Indians and sleeping on the shores of the streams wherever nigh! overtook
them. In 1867 he decided to locate in Seattle, and therefore rented a resi-
dence on Third avenue, between Jefferson and James streets, a building con-
taining three rooms., and he converted two oi them into a chapel. In the
winter of 1868-9 Father Prefontaine began clearing the ground on ■■
his church now stands, and in March of the latter year secured the material
here from which to build the first house oi worship, which extended thirty-
six feet on Third avenue at the corner of Washington and extended hack a
distance of sixty feet, and the building is now the center of the presenl church
of Our Lady of Good Hope. In [882 it became necessary to enlarge tin- edi
fice and Father Prefontaine remodeled and rebuilt it as it now appears,
cuting the work at an outlay of sixteen thousand dollar-. This was the only
parish in Seattle until 1889, when a new parish was formed and tin church
of the Sacred Heart was established and the building erected. In [876 a
contract to take care of the sick was secured from King county and Father
Prefontaine called the Sisters of Providence to carry on the work. Ih
purchased a house and lot for the sisters and aided in transforming it into
the first hospital, doing considerable work on the building himself.
In 1880 he persuaded the Sisters of the I loly Name to come and tal
the work of education, having in the meantime purchased a half block of
land on Second avenue for sixty-eight hundred dollars. lie then put up a
building between Seneca and University st ■ ecting this for the u
the teachers, at a cost of three thousand dollars. In [883, owing to th<
croachment of the business district upon the site oi the schoi I -old
for thirty-five thousand dollars and a block was purcl enth an. I
Jackson streets. Parochial schools were held in the basemi :"- church
until 1890, when Father Prefonjaine built the brick building on S t x 1 1
Spring streets and then discontinued the holding of the school in the church
1:76 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
basement. He built the first church in La Connor, of which he was both the
architect and the carpenter. His energies have been given in an almost un
divided manner to his church work, and the parish of Our Lady ol Good
Hope, now one of the strongesl in the northwest, is the result of his energy
and devotion to the cause of Christianity. He was a pioneer in introducing
Catholicism into this city and this portion of the state, and the growth oi
the church here is largely due to his efforts.
II IK \\ EEKLY ( \l'l I \K.
Only a few years ago the press of the country was almost wholly divided
in support of one or other of the greal political parties. And it is a sign oi
the growing independence of thought and the tendency to look squarely at
the real merits of questions that of late years many newspapers of the coun-
try have styled themselves "independent," thus marking another stage of
progress of public opinion. The only paper of this nature published in
Thurston county. Washington, i> the Weekly Capital, owned and edited by
Mr. B. M. Price at Olympia. I?hi I apital is an eight page, five-column folio,
issued every Friday. The date of it-, first establishment was in 1SS7, when
it came out under the name of the News Transcript, was later succeeded by
the Review, and in 1900 it was purchased by Mr. J'rice and given ils
present name. The Capital is an organ of progress and under its able editor
has much to do with the upbuilding of the interests of the count) and state,
endeavoring not only to be an index of public opinion but also to mold public
opinion into right action.
Mr. B. M. Price claims Manchester, England, as the place of his birth,
being born there on the 27th of February, 1855. In 1857 his father, Thomas
Price, came to America with hi- four sons, and in 1859 his wife, Ann I'.
(May) Price, and her mother with the live children followed, and they lo-
cated' in Champaign, Illinois. In this place our subject was reared to man-
hood and received his education. Having developed a taste for journalism,
he early prepared himself for this profession and since 1885 has been suc-
cessfully engaged in the business. For five years he published the Iroquois
Herald in South Dakota and in 1890 came to Olympia and for about two
years conducted a daily paper. His success is further attested by the fact
that he has been four times elected as a delegate to the State Press Asso-
ciation. Like his paper, he holds an independent position in politics.
In 1884 Mr. Price was married to Miss Eunice Given, a native of Iowa,
and .they had one son, Coe M., who is now in school. His first wife passed
away in 1893, and in 1894 he was united in marriage to Miss Maggie L. Mit-
chell', of Howell, Michigan. This union was blessed with a daughter, Agnes.
Mrs. Price is a consistent member of the Christian church, and Mr. Price
belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the American Order
of Protection. In addition to his newspaper he handles real estate, both on
his own account and for others. He is rated as one of the progressive and
successful business men of Olympia. and is alive not only to his own interests
but to those of the community.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 477
WILLIAM HENRY HEBERDEN.
William Henry Heberden, a successful veterinary doctor and surgeon
of Whatcom, Washington, was born in Benares, fndia, March 22, [850, and
is a son of William and Elizabeth (Piggott) Heberden. The Father was a
captain in the English army, and was killed in the Indian mutiny in [854,
while his mother, a native of England, died in California at the age of sixty
four years. These children were born to Captain and Mrs. Heberden, namely:
William Henry; Elvina, widow of P. Curtin, who died in the West Indies,
lives in California.
William Henry Heberden was educated at Cheltenham College, and lat< 1
was graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London, England, with
the degrees V. S. and V. D., in 1871. The following year he emigrated to
Canada, settling in Chatsworth, county Gray, where he practiced his profes
sion for twenty years. In the fall of 1891 he came to Whatcom with his
family, and since then has built up a very remunerative practice. Dr. Heber
den is endeavoring to have a bill introduced and passed in the Washington
legislature, making it compulsory for every one practicing medicine to be
provided with proper diploma and registration papers. The fact thai there
are many so-called physicians who are not lilted for their work, is a severe
menace to the well-being of the commonwealth.
In February, 1876, Dr. Heberden was married at Owen Sound to Eliza
beth Maude Cross, a native of Owen Sound. Ontario, and a daughter of James
and E. Cross, the former of whom is a retired mill-owner. Three children
have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Heberden, namely: Clara Elvina Man
William George, married and living at Edmonds, Washington; Charles Reg-
inald. In politics he is a Republican, and takes an active interest in municipal
affairs. He is a consistent member of the Episcopal church, towards which
he contributes liberally. Dr. Heberden is justly regarded as one of his
city's representative men, and his success is well merited.
ARCHIE McLEAN HAWKS.
Archie McLean Hawks, civil engineer, re-ides in Tacoma. He was horn
in the city of Detroit in October. 1865. His parent- were Francis Li
and Gertrude (Holmes) Hawks. The paternal ancestry is one of long and
distinguished connection with the professions of law. ministry and
ing. The family was founded in the United States by John Hawl , who was
sent from England about 1650 to North Carolina to acl as architeel and
surveyor for the crown. Located in Xewheni, he erected the governoi
sion and other government buildings there, laid out ll and was
"Crown granted" the plantation in Newbern upon which he resided, and
which is still occupied and owned by some of his The M
family has been especially distinguished in the ministry, several of its members
having been eminent representatives of the clergy of the I lian denom
ination. Rev. Dr. Francis Lister Hawks became known thr<
try because of a strong abolition sermon which he preached in St. Pai
dral in Baltimore a short time prior to the < ivil war. B< 1 this he
requested by his vestry to resign. Bishop Cicero Stevens Hawk-, firsl bishop
478 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of the diocese of Missouri, was also verj prominent. He and a Catholic
priest were the only clergy who remained in St. Louis during the plague
or " Mack death " of the middle of the nineteenth centurj . < me of his mi isl
prized treasures was a gold watch, inscribed with the above facts, given him
by the citizens .if St. I to commemorate his fidelit) to his duty. Rev.
Francis Lister Hawks Potts, a cousin of our subject, is one of the most prom-
inent figures in the missionai of China.
Francis Lister I lawks was horn in Flushing, Long Island, to which
place his parents had removed from North Carolina a short time prior to his
birth. IK' was in the banking business in Detroit. Michigan; Providence,
Rhode Island; and St. Louis, Missouri. His health breaking down, he wenl
to Pensacola, Florida, on the advice of his physician, and died in that city in
[894. IK- wife, who was born in Bristol, Rhode Maud, is still living. She
was a granddaughter of Captain Isaac Gorham, who won distinction as a
privateer in the Revolutionary war, and a price was placed on his head by the
British government. I lis father's family were physicians for several gener-
ations. Her grandfather was on Washington's staff at Valley Forge, and
was a personal friend of Washington and Lafayette. He lost his life at-
tempting to reach I'.]- .', Island in'an open boat to attend a dying friend.
Xot long after the birth of the subject of this sketch, his family re-
moved from Detroit, Michigan, to St. Louis. Missouri, and thence to Bristol
and Providence, Rhode Island, where he acquired his education :*\\<\ attained
to early manhood. After his graduation from the high school, he was ap-
prenticed to J. Herbeii Shed of the most prominent hydraulic engineers
of this day, and for more than three years Mr. Hawks studied under that
gentleman, gaining practical as well as theoretical experience. In 1886 Mr.
Hawks came to the west, and through that year and the one succeeding was
employed as construction engineer with the Union Pacific Railroad in Wyom-
ing ami Colorado. In the latter part of 1887 lie was an assistant on the build-
ing of the Randolph Bluffs bridge at Kansas City, constructed for the Chi-
cago. Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Company. From there he went
into the water works department of the city of St. Louis, under Major Whit-
man, who sent him as his representative to Mammoth Spring. Arkansas, where
during 1888 and 1889 he became chief engineer and manager of the Mammoth
Spring Improvement & Water Lower Company, of Arkansas. In 1889 and
1890 he engaged in the private practice of his profession in Denver, and also
served as chief engineer and general manager for the West End Electric
Railway Company, which was one of the pioneer suburban electric roads,
upon which he introduced many of the best features of modern street railway
practice, such as standard gauge tracks, big double truck cars, heavy equip-
ment, etc. Early in 1891 he came to Tacoma, and from that time until 1893
was engineer-in-charge of the Tacoma Light & Water Company. In 1893
and 1894 he was engineer-in-charge of Tacoma harbor for the board of state
land commissioners. In 1895 he was chief engineer of the White River
Power Company, with which company he is still associated as consulting
'neer.
His present practice is devoted entirely to consulting engineering and.
engineer expert in law cases. He has been called in consultation by the Van-
<c%m
ahyI
*S
Sr2<_
^^l£j
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. i -'
oouver (British Columbia) Power Company, the Victoria t British Columbia)
Power Company, the Juneau-Alaska Power Company, (to supply the Tread
well, the Perseverance, the Sea Level Tunnel, and other mines with water
power) ; also by most of the cities and towns of the northwest in relation to
their water supplies. The city of New Westminster appointed Mr. Hawks
to make an expert investigation after their big lire which nearly ruined the
city; and his report of February. 1899, has been the basis of all their im-
provements since then, and is a standard for such investigations.
In his practice as expert in law-suits he is recognized as the leader. I It-
has appeared in every case of any magnitude in the northwest involving
questions of hydraulic engineering; and his services in connection with such
cases as " Crooke vs. Hewitt," " F. Meyer, et. al. vs. Tacoma Light and
Water Company," " Rigney vs. Tacoma Light and Water Company," " City
of Tacoma vs. Tacoma Light and Water Company," "Moore vs. Olympia
Water Company," " Fllensburg Water Supply Company vs. City of Ellens-
burg," "Alaska Packers' Association vs. Northern Pacific Railway I
party." "Roberts vs. White River Power Company," "White River Power
Company vs. Tacoma Industrial Company," have won him high pi
not only from his professional brethren, hut also from the legal Fraternity for
his ability in elucidating complex and obscure questions relating to hydraulics.
These cases all relate to basic questions of the law, and beo >me the foundations
upon which future decisions will be determined.
In 1892 Mr. Hawks was married to Miss Ethel Waddell of Pt. Hope,
Canada, at the residence of her brother. Mr. J. A. L. Waddell. the eminent
bridge engineer, in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father was a high sheriff
in Ontario. Her other brothers are Robert W.. who was city engineer of
Kansas City several years, and Montgomery, one of the leading electrical
experts of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Hawl = have three children, A. Mc
Lean, Jr., Montgomery W. and Gertrude R. Hawks.
SENATOR WATSOX CARVOSSO SQUIR1
Senator Watson Carvosso Squire, of Seattle. Washington, was born May
18, 1838, at Cape Vincent, Jefferson county. Xew York, and was the onl) son
of Rev. Orra Squire, a Methodist Episcopal minister in Xew York state, who
died April 15, 1900, at the age of ninety-three years. He was horn \pnl 5.
1807, in New York, coming of English ancestors. The mot ■ the
maiden name of Erretta Wheeler, and was horn in Boonville, I I
New York Her father served as captain in the war of [812, and
a colonel before its close. All the members of the family were from
necticut and Massachusetts, of Revolutionary stock, coming originally from
England.
Watson C Squire was educated in the public schools; the seminal
Fulton, New York; one year in the Fairfield Seminary in Herkimer county,
New York, and then he' went to the Wesleyan University oi Middletown,
Connecticut, the old parent college, front which he was graduated in
with degree of A. B. He read law in I terkimer, New York, and sb
ward was made principal of the Moravia Institute oi Moravia, New
4S0 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
academic institution under the board of regents of the state of New York.
When the war broke out he took a great interest in the public meetings and
was active in the organization movement. With one hundred others, he
enlisted in New York state service for two years, and was elected captain of
the company, lie declined the office, as there were prominent oldei citizens
in the company: and at his suggestion Nelson T. Stevens was made captain.
Mr. Squire was, however, elected first lieutenant, receiving his fust commis
sion May 7. 1861, from the governoi of New York, as fust lieutenant of Com
pany F, New York Volunteer Infantry, lie was first mustered into the
United States service for three months, and again mustered in for the balance
■ if the two years' enlistment. Lieutenant Squire served on the upper Potomac,
at Harper's Ferry, under General Banks, also along the river and over into
Virginia, and was engaged in several skirmishes and expeditions. The regi
ment was afterward changed t" heavy artillery, and Lieutenant Squire was
offered the captainc) of a battery. Hut. as he desired more active service, he
was. at his own request, honorabl) discharged in October, [861, and he
returned to the north with the recommendation that he he authorized to raise
a new regiment. Me visited his people in (thin and then went to Cleveland
with the idea of raising a new regiment, hut was induced to wait and see if
such an organization was necessary.
lie read law and was graduated from the Cleveland Law School in June,
[862, and during the same month was admitted to practice in the supreme
court of Ohio. Then came the call for more men. and he raised the Seventh
Independent Company of Ohio Sharpshooters, and on October X, 1862,
received his commission as captain from Governor Tod of Ohio. Every man
in his company had to make a twenty-five inch string in live consecutive shots
at two hundred yards. This was under instructions from Secretary of War
Stanton. The certificate of the inspecting officer had to go on the hack of the
target; and the result was that a fine body of men composed the company.
After sharpshooting on the Tennessee river and with the Army 1 if the Cumber-
land under Rosecrans, Thomas and Sherman, the latter selected Captain
Squire's company as his sole headquarter escort in his march to the sea, de-
taching this company from the first battalion of Ohio sharpshooters, composed
of five companies, that Captain Squire then commanded.
During these campaigns our subject was judge advocate of the depart-
ment general court martial, and served in that capacity when not actively cam-
paigning. He was afterward made judge advocate of the district of Ten-
nessee at Nashville, the district embracing middle Tennessee and northern
Georgia and northern Alabama. He served on the staff of Major General
Rousseau as judge advocate, and also under Major General Thomas during
the siege and at the battle of Nashville. Major General Rousseau was cut
off at Murfreesboro at that time, and all of his staff officers were assigned
temporarily to the staff of Thomas. Squire rode with General Thomas in
the battle of Nashville to the final charge.
He participated in the four great battles of Chickamauga. Resaca, Mis-
sionarv Ridge and Nashville. Owing to the fact that his company was an
independent one, he could not attain a higher full title than that of captain :
but he was brevetted major, lieutenant colonel and colonel. " for gallant and
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 481
meritorious services," and was mustered out and honorably discharged
August 10, 1865. The following farewell order was issued by General
Sherman :
Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi,
St. Louis, Mo., July 17. [865.
To the Officers and Men of the Seventh Independent Company of Ohio Sharp-
shooters:
The general commanding tenders the officers and men of the Seventh Inde-
pendent Company of Ohio Sharpshooters his personal thanks for their long
and valuable services, near his person, in the eventful campaigns beginning at
Chattanooga on the 1st of May, 1864, and ending with the war. He
mends them as a fine body of intelligent young volunteers, to whom he attri-
butes his personal safety in the battles, marches and bivouacs, in 1 ieorgia and
the Carolinas. He wishes them a long life and a proud iusness of
having done their duty with a cheerfulness, precision and intelligence, worthy
of the great cause in which they were engaged, and he bes] or them a
kindly and generous welcome back to their old homes in Ohio.
VV. T. Sherman,
(Official.) Major General.
R. M. Sawyer,
Brevet Colonel and A. A. G.
The services of Colonel Squire as judge advocate of a military district
were exceedingly arduous. During a considerable part of the time during
which he held that position, there were sixteen general courts martial and five
military commissions continuously under his jurisdiction. He tried and
reviewed in all over twenty-five hundred cases. The following letter may he
of interest :
War Department, Washington City.
Dec. 13. 187 1.
Col. W. C. Squire, New York.
Dear Sir: — I enclose to you a statement from the office of the Adjutant
General. U. S. A., showing the time you served as Judge Advocate on General
Rosseau's staff.
During the greater part of the period of your service in that capacity, I
was in an official position that made me familiar with the manner in which
you performed the responsible duties of the Judge Advocate of a military
district.
My recollection is that you performed those duties satisfactorily.
Your Ob't Servant.
W. M. Dunn,
Asst. Judge Advocate General. U. S
Senator Squire then went into the business of manufacturing military
arms at Ilion, New York.- and became the New York representative of the
E. Remington & Sons Anns Company. He afterward became n
urer and secretary of the company, and in that capacity did a large business
with the representatives of Spain. France. Denmark. Sweden. Egypt, Mi
and many other countries.
1:82 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Over one million stand of rifles, carbines and pistols were manufactured
for foreign governments by this company during the association oi Colonel
Squire with its management, besides many other arms and cartridges, also
various machines, such as the typewriters that are now - i well known. ( olo
nel Squire signed the first contract in the world for the manufacture of type
writers. Three hundred of these machines were then to be made by the
Remingtons, and provision was made for continuing the manufacture of
typewriters. This was the starting of that business, in 1873.
During the great Franco-Prussian war of [870-1, this company became
the purchasing agent of the French government; and Colonel Squire person
ally made all the purchases For France, and received the payments therefor,
amounting in the aggregate to about fourteen million dollars, nearly all paid
to him in gold through the great banking houses of the Rothschilds and of
J. S. Morgan & Company, of London. Colonel Squire chartered steamships
and had the exclusive control of freighting by the French Transatlantic Line,
until he had dispatched to France twent) vessels of which the cargoes con
sisted exclusively of rifles, cannon and other munitions of war. After the
war closed a "Grand Committee on Contracts" was instituted by the French
government, composed of sixty members of the Corps Legislatif, headed by
the Due D'Audifrel Pasquier, its chairman.
In company with Mr. Remington, Colonel Squire visited France in
(871-2, and by imitation he attended a session of the Grand Committee on
Contracts at the palace in Versailles. Colonel Squire was invited to speak
before the Grand Committee, and at the conclusion of his address, he was
addressed by the Due D'Audifret Pasquier, chairman, the whole assembly
arising; and both Colonel Squire and Mr. Remington were presented with
the "thanks of France" by the distinguished chairman for their "illustrious
services " to that country.
In 1876 Colonel Squire invested in some land in the territory of Wash-
ington, particularly in Seattle and vicinity. He spent the time from 1877 to
1879 in foreign travel, visiting nearly all the capitals of Europe, also Mexico.
On June 1. 1879. he came to Seattle to live. Feeling the necessity of
withdrawing from the commercial field, he sought health in the new land.
He constructed buildings and houses in Seattle, cleared up a fine body of
farming land in the Black and White River valleys, and established a home
in Seattle, but went back to his native state every year, and kept in touch
with the people of his old home. He had been a member of the Republican
state central committee in Xew York for eight years, and kept up his acquaint-
ances in the Republican party there. During the time he was changing his
home, he went as a delegate to the Xew York state convention, and at the one
held in 1884 he first met President Roosevelt. His friends were the leading
Republicans of the state, going back to the time of Governor Fenton, and
including Conkling. General Dix and many others. He helped nominate Dix
for governor, but, being a stalwart Republican, was more particularly identi-
fied with Roscoe Conkling.
In 1872 he was a member of the Republican executive and finance com-
mittee and contributed twelve thousand dollars to that campaign, being
devoted to Grant as his warm personal friend. He was also the friend of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COIN Tin". 183
Garfield and of Arthur. He received orders from Garfield in the battle of
Chickamauga, who was chief of staff for General Rosecrans, then commanding
the Department of the Cumberland.
Finally Senator Squire sold out his interest in the Remington Ann-
Company, and m 1884 President Arthur appointed him governor of the terri
tory of Washington, and he served in that capacit) until 1SS7. During that
time he devoted himself closely to the interests of "the territory and made his
residence in Olympia. Each year he got out a report of the resources and
development of the country, and took a great deal of pains to secure valuable
and important matter and reduce it to proper form. The government each
year printed five thousand copies of these reports for distribution, and the
Northern Pacific Railroad, at its own expense, had many thousands printed.
It was regarded as very valuable work, and General Sheridan and mai
others complimented it highly. The work consisted of " boiled down " facts;
and owing to the character of the reports much immigration was induced to
come from the older states and foreign shores. The years [884 7 showed
steady advancement and improvement in the territory, and during that period
Governor Squire went east every year for the purpose of publishing carefully
prepared reports for the use of intending immigrants. In many other ways
he worked to advance the interests of, and develop this part of the country,
especially by interesting men with capital like Villard to invest in coal mines,
railroads and other propertv.
As governor he caused the appropriations for the improvement of public
service to be enlarged; larger appropriations for the state university; the
building of a new insane hospital at Steilacoom and a new penitentiary at
Walla Walla. The National Guard was put on a respectable footing, and
several new companies organized in Seattle and other places. ( >ne period of
great excitement which will always he remembered was the agitation ag tin 1
the Chinese which sprang up in several counties, principally in King, Pierce
and Thurston. This agitation at times became acute and active and publi<
meetings were held and disturbances created. Governor Squire communicated
the facts to the authorities at Washington, D. C, and the war department
sent General Gibbon, then commanding the Department of the Columbia, to
the scene of trouble. That officer spent several months conferring with the
agitators. This was during the fall of (885. Governor Squire instructed the
sheriffs to have additional deputy sheriffs sworn in to preserve peace: hut they
seemed to be unable to control the mobs. ( ihinese were fired upon and several
were killed at hop ranches. Afterward all the Chinese were driven ou1 of
Tacoma by the citizens, and their houses were limned I ! i
driven from the coal mines at Newcastle. The attempl failed to drive them
out from Olympia by reason of energetic measure- adopted b n
A determined attempt was made to drive them out of Seattle in February,
1S86. The legislature at Olympia had just adjourned, and on a Sunday
morning Governor Squire, who had arrived in Seattle the pn ening,
was roused by the mayor. He arose at about daylight and wrot lama
tion calling out the National Guard and demanding that tin
order. This was read in churches and posted up by the United narshal
and his deputies; but the turbulent crowds tore a great many of the proclami
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tions down. The next morning Chinese to the number of si 01 eight hun-
dred were taken before Chief Justice Roger S. Gre 1 interrogated as to
whether they would go willingly on a vessel which would take them to San
Francisco. It was belii tion would preveni a conflict. 'I he
red to go if the citizens would pay the passage. 1 nder the navi-
tion laws the ship Queen of the 1'acilic was unable to take all, and those
who were left were being taken hack to quarters, when the mob attacked the
ips and attempted t> eir guns away. In defense the troops fired
and six of the mob ringleaders were shot down. Fresh excitemenl prevailed
and warrants for the arrest of the members of the military company that was
attacked were issued b) a local in::' I he time was critical, as the
mob threatened the lives of these men. The chief justice and leading mem
bers of the bar assembled at the court house, and I there b) Governor
Squire, and as the chief }]■ of la- court were
unable t<> mainl tartial law. organized a
militan stall from the citizens, and inaugurated a regular military system "I
government, which was maintained until February 22, when a proclamation
was issued withdrawing martial law. When it I declared, the fads
were telegraphed t<> IV and he ed of the governor's
prompt action, lie. t<> ng martial law. and
sent General Gibbon and a regiment of United States infantry from Van
couver to the scene of the disturbance. They remained in Seattle until all
conditions became quiet. A suit fur twenty-five thousand dollars damages
was started 1>\ Junius K Governor Squire and General Gibbon
fur false imprisonment during the | 1" martial law, and the suit has
never 1 d. Martial law was proclaimed because life and property
were threatened, and the governor became satisfied that the interests of the
nle demanded it. That the president approved his action was shown in
his keeping the governor in oft'- ■• than he desired to stay, he leaving
in 1887. At the 1 ite department at Washington Governor
Squire carefully investigated tl < of property by the Chinese and re-
ceived the thanks of the state department; also of the Chinese government
through it- consul general at San Francisco.
In January. 1889. a convention met in Ellensburg, called the " Statehood
convention." for the purpose of urging- Congress to grant permission for the
admission of Washington as a state. Watson C. Squire, who had been labor-
ing for statehood for several years, was made president of the convention.
Parchment representations setting forth the facts were carefully prepared rind
signed and sent to the president, and to each body of Congress; and that year
the enabling act was passed, permitting the territory to hold its own election
and adopt a state constitution.
In October. 1889. at the first meeting of the state legislature of the state
of Washington, Watson C. Squire was elected to represent the state in the
United States senate. He had a majority of twenty-three votes, and arrived
in Washington in time to take his seat at the opening of the regular session.
With reference to term, as North and South Dakota were also to be repre-
sented for the first time, so that the six senators would be divided into three
classes, the decision was by lot. Senator Squire drew the two-year term, and
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. !>:.
John B. Allen the four-year term for the state of Washington. Senator
Squire was elected again in January, 1891, for the regular term of six years.
He is the only man elected a second time as United States senator for the
state of Washington. He participated in the discussions and legislation in
the United States senate upon many important subjects, as a careful examina
tion of the record has shown, and Ins influence 111 'that bod) was fully recog-
nized.
Senator Squire succeeded in getting appropriations Mr main- impro
ments of the risers and harbors of the state, principally the Lake Washing
ton, Gray's harbor, Everett. Olympia, Wilapa Harbor'. Swinomish Slough,
Columbia river improvements. Snake river, Okanogan river, ami also 1 /eral
minor ones. He joined with the Oregon senators to obtain appropriations
for the lower Columbia, river. He also secured an important appn iria
tion for the improvement of that river at Vancouver. Senator Squire secured
the naval station at Bremerton, now the Puget Sound Navy Yard; the
appropriation to start it and the last appropriation to complete the dry dock
He also secured legislation in the United State- senate enabling the mili
tary posts to be established at Spokane and Port Lawton. The United
State marine hospital at Port Townsend and the appropriation foi 1 tiited
State penitentiary at Walla Walla were results of his efforts. Perhaps the
most important national matter and one in which he had the greatest success,
was the question of coast defenses of the entire I Fnited State-, I le was chair-
man of that committee, and succeeded in convincing Congress of the wisdom
of making larger appropriations than had ever been made before. The scheme
involved the expenditure of over one hundred million dollars for tin def<
the principal seaports, which are about thirty in number, the defenses being on
land. This scheme had been talked of for a long time, but had lain dormant,
and the committee on coast defenses had been unable I nplish anything
of great importance. Through the efforts of Senator Squire during his !
term, Congress became aroused to .the necessity of action. The 1 niti I States
senate printed sixteen thousand copies of his report on the subject. His speech
aroused the Congress and the country to the necessity of immediate action.
He succeeded in getting appropriations to the amount of $7,50 in cash
and authorization of contracts by law oi '" 00 rm e, making in, 500,000
in all for this purpose to start off with in one year. \fler this important
committal on the part of the government to 1 ject, no argument
has been necessary to secure the continuance of the and the annual
appropriation comes regularly forward for the purpose \s a matter of fact,
Senator Watson ( '. Squire has been call er of the system by the
chief engineer of the United States army. It i ystem, and
the building of great high-power guns and other instrum
defense will require a long time > < 1 'letion, The n led
under the appropriations obtained by ines
timable value during the Spanish war.
Senator Squire also introduced and advocated bills for thi rid navy
staff development, and exerted hi ■ build up tin
Bremerton, and through these efforts probabl) gained th d will of tl
officers of the navy department, who assisted him in getting for
486 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY
Moran Brothers of Seattle to build the torpedo boal Rowan. This was the
firsl vessel of the navy ever built "ii I'uget Sound. The building oi tins
vessel effectuall) established the great ship-building plant of Moran Brothers
for government work. He succeeded in having the cruiser Olympia named
after the capital of Washington, other greal accomplishments of his were
the securing of appropriations for investigating the coal and gold resources
of Alaska and again one hunched and sevent) five thousand dollars for the
survev of the Alaska boundary lines. He also introduced and advocated
appropriations for new revenue cutters, in which he was successful. In
recognition ol his services in securing legislation for the United States marine
engineers, he was elected an honorary life member of thai body. At the close
of the la-t session Senator Allison, chairman of the committee on appro
priations, stated thai Senator Squire had the greatest success of any man in
that Congress.
Senator Squire was married December 23, [868, to Miss Ida Remington,
of [lion, Xew York, a daughter of Philo Remington, the greal manufacturer
of arms and typewriters. The issue of this marriage has been two sons and
two daughters, namely: Remington Squire, of Xew York; Shirley Squire, of
Seattle; \idine. wife of Arthur V. White, of Toronto, Ontario; and Marjoiie
Squire, of Seattle. Fraternally Senator Squire is a Mason, a Knight
Templar, a member of the college Eraternit) Alpha Delta Phi, member of the
Loyal Legion and of the Grand Army of the Republic, a member of several
leading clubs in Xew York, Washington and Seattle, lie is serving his sixth
term of five years each as a trustee of W'esleyan University, Middletown, Con
necticut, having been elected by the alumni each term.
ERNEST A. SEABORG.
Ernest A. Seaborg, the clerk of the superior court of South Bend, Wash-
ington, is the son of the Hon. B. A. Seaborg. who was born in Finland, July
21, 1841. and in 1867 came to the United States. He settled in the north-
western part of Xew York, and after a short residence there removed to Penn-
sylvania, where he engaged in contracting and building, and also had charge
of the construction department of the following railroads : Dunkirk, Warren
& Pittsburg; Ashtabula. Jamestown & Pittsburg; and Painsville, Jamestown
& Pittsburg. In the fall of 1873 he %vent t0 San Francisco, California, thence
in a few months to Portland. Oregon, where he remained for two years. In
1875 he went to Astoria, and during the next five years was engaged in the
salmon fisheries, after which he took up his residence at Ilwaco, where he is
still living. He is one of the principal members of the Aberdeen Packing
Company, engaged in salmon fishing and merchandising, and the company's
trade extends even to Alaskan waters.
At one time Hon. Seaborg was a large stockholder in the Ilwaco Railroad
and Navigation Company, and he is now interested in several steamers and
transportation lines, and owns most of the town of Sealand, Washington.
He was elected joint senator to represent the counties of Pacific and Wahkia-
kum in the first senate of the state of Washington, and was identified with
many matters of legislation, especially in regard to the fishery question. In
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 487
1883 he was elected county commissioner of Pacific county, and afterward
served as chairman of the body; for several years he has held the offices of
pilot commissioner and school director of [lwaco, and as a stanch Republican
has been concerned with many of the public interests of his community. He
owns three salmon canneries, at Ilwaco, at dray's Harbor and at Hay ('enter.
In November, 1863, Air. Seaborg married Miss Charlotte Hagglund. Seven
children were born to them, of whom two are now deceased.
One of these children was Ernest A. Seaborg, who was born at Astoria,
Oregon, in 1876. He received his education at Astoria, [lwaco, and at Bishop
Scott Academy, Portland, Oregon, after which he became connected with
his father in business. In November, 1902, he was elected clerk of the superior
court of Pacific county on the Republican ticket, and is now discharging the
duties of that office to the entire satisfaction of those who placed him in office.
He is himself a bright, energetic, business-like young man. and belongs to an
old and prominent family of the west. Fraternally he is a member of the
Masonic lodge. His brother. J. \Y. Seaborg, has charge of tin- cannery .it
Ilwaco.
DAVIS W. MORSE.
The name Morse is a familiar one in the annals of commerce, industry and
invention in the United States, and there are few older or more honored New
England families. The first Englishman of the name to come to the new
world made settlement in 1630, and since then his descendants have ramified
through all the states. There was one Joseph Morse of Maine who dis-
tinguished himself in colonial days, and on that account the British govern
ment awarded him a large and valuable tract of land in Nova Scotia. He
moved out of this country to take possession of his estate, and for this reason
the branch of the family with which we are now dealing come- from Nova
Scotia, although they are of distinctly New England stock. Anion- the many
prominent men of the name the one which will most readily occur to the mind
is that of the inventor of the telegraph, who is also a descendant of the original
American immigrant. At the present time a genealogist is compiling a
history of the family, which will make an interesting addition to the ■
alogical annals of New England.
The great-grandson of the Joseph Morse mentioned above was Davis
W. Morse" who became the father of the Port Angeles real estate man and
capitalist whose career forms the basis of this biography. In [85] I-'..'.. M01 e
the brother of Davis \\\. left his home in Bangor, Maine, in the Cold Huntt 1
a ship bound for California via Cape I lorn. After arriving at San Franci
he sent back such glowing reports of the new fairyland on tin
that Davis \V. Morse was induced to make the trip. He arrived in Californ 1
in the early fifties, having made the journey by way of Panama. He later
went back to Nova Scotia to get married, hut lie and his wife returned and
come up to the Puget Sound region. Port Angeles had jusl been laid out
and established by the federal government as the port of entry for the Pii|
Sound district, and it was here that he decided to make his home. But Mr,
Morse had hardly become well established when he was stricken by the typhoid
488 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
fever, July i.p 1863, and his family deprived of his needed support. His wife
was Caroline Thompson, also a native of Nova Scotia, and her maternal
grandfather. Hon. George King, was a noted man of that country. Mrs
Morse is still living at Port Angeles.
Davis \\ . Morse has the distinction of having been the first white child
burn at Port Angeles, his birth taking place April i<>. [863, only a short time
before his father's death. The facilities lor gaining an education at this new
town were rather scant in those days, and when lie had got all he could in the
schools of the vicinity he went to San Francisci 1 and t< 11 >k a o iurse in a business
college. Following this he held positions with different business firms in that
city, hut 111 [882 returned to Puget Sound and entered the employ of C. C.
Bartletl & Company, a large shipping and mercantile linn of Port [bwnsend.
He remained there about eighteen months and then came to his old home,
which, however, had been abandoned since 1865, and the store which he then
established was the first business house of the new Porl Angeles. Me soon
built up a big trade, and by iN^oand 180,1 it amounted to fift) thousand dollars
a year, lie took a leading part in the reconstruction of the town, being inter
ested in real estate, in hanking, the wharfage business, etc. The panic of 1893
nearly ruined him, but bis courage and pluck have placed him in a fine financial
status again, and he is as much interested in the town's welfare as ever. < >l"
recent years he has not been engaged in merchandising, but concerns himself
with real estate, loans and general finance.
Mr. Morse was married in 1885, at Victoria, British Columbia, to his
cousin. Miss Celia Morse, and they have four children living: Mary G. ;
Warren; Hazel; and Samuel Howard Morse, born March 8, 1903; Clinton
died at the age of five. Mr. Morse is treasurer of the Port Angeles Com-
mercial tluh, and he was the first treasurer of the city and held the office of
postmaster for nearly eight years, all of which honors are evidence of his
prominence and popularity in the city of his birth.
STEVE SAUNDERS.
Steve Saunders, one of the representative men of Marysville, Washington,
and one who is most highly respected by all with whom he has business rela-
tions as well as by a large circle of friends, was born January 8, 1867, at Char-
lottetown, Prince Edward Island, and is a son of Charles Saunders, who was
a native of England, but emigrated to Prince Edward Island when a young
man. By occupation he was an extensive cattle buyer and meat dealer, and
died in 1874 at the age of sixty-three years. The mother bore the maiden
name of Isabelle McLean, and was brought to Prince Edward Island by her
parents, wdro were pioneer settlers of that locality. She is still living in Nova
Scotia, aged seventy-five years. Our subject was a member of the following
family: Charles, Mrs. J. S. Nelson, Mrs. J. H. Slackford, and Florence.
He also has a half-brother John and two half-sisters, namely: Mrs. Thomas
Haslam, of New York, and Mrs. William Heartz, of Denver, Colorado.
The education of Mr. Steve Saunders was obtained in the public schools
of his native place, but at the age of sixteen years he went to work in a furni-
ture factory, where he remained until he was twenty-one years of age. In
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 489
January, 1888, he came west and remained in Vancouver, British Columbia,
for about a year, after which he spent nine months at Tacoma. He then
settled in Snohomish county and made Marysville his permanent home, where
he has been engaged in a prosperous real estate business from 1889 until the
present day. In 1893 he was also interested in newspaper work, and pub
lished the Marysville Globe for nine years, it being a weekly paper. He has
also been justice of the peace. In 1898 he was appointed representative agent
for the Representative Insurance Companies, and he is the pioneer insurance
agent and real estate broker of the city, and has been connected with all the
important real estate transfers in the city.
On September 15, 1895, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Swinnerton,
a native of Iowa, and a daughter of Mark and Sarah A. Swinnerton, pioneer
settlers of Marysville; they established the first general store in the locality
in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Saunders have three boys, namely: Mark McLean,
aged six years; Donald Lewis, aged four years; and Frederick Lloyd, aged
two years. Mr. Saunders belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In politics he is a Democrat and has always taken a very active part in local
and state affairs, and has been a delegate to the county and state conventions
for years. During the time he operated his newspaper, until 1901, he made
it the mouthpiece of his party, and the town and outside districts always went
Democratic. In addition to his other interests, Mr. Saunders owns con-
siderable very valuable business property: one thousand acres of country,
timber and ranch property; is part owner in a large sawmill, and has one of
the finest residences in Marysville, which is surrounded by beautiful grounds
fully two acres in extent. It is certain that the present wonderful prosperity
of Marysville is largely due to the personal efforts of Mr. Saunders as well as
to the influence his paper exerted.
HON. CLARENCE W. IDE.
Hon. Clarence W. Ide, collector of customs for the Puget Sound district,
is a resident of Port Townsend, Washington, and one of the leading men of
that locality. He was born at Mondovi, Buffalo county, Wisconsin, in t86o,
being a son of Chester D. and Lucy A. (Loomis) Lie, loth natives of V. 1
mont. The mother was called to her final rest on the 10th of March, 1903,
having reached the sixty-fourth milestone on the journey of life. She had
been a resident of the state of Washington during the past twenty fotu
having come to this localitv by wagon train over the old Union Pa< ific trail
from Wisconsin. In the 'family of Mr. and Mrs, fde were the following
children: Clarence W., the subject of this review: C. 1... who is scrvin:-
cashier in the customs department, Puget Sound district; Ernesl W., who
passed away May 2, 1903; and Hazel, an adopted daughter. I hester D. Ide
emigrated to Washington with his family in [879, and settled in tin- ea tern
part of the commonwealth. He became heavily inter* ted and a large and
wealthy operator in real estate, and at one tin* I a considerable pari
of what is now the city of Spokane. He is still engaged in 1 te trans-
actions, and is a very prominent man of his locality.
'1:90 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Clarence W. tde was well educated in the common schools of his native
town, and was eighteen years of age when he accompanied the family on their
removal to Washington. I lis firsl place of residence in this state was at Day-
ton, but two years later he removed to Spokane and took it]) a farm in Spokane
camty, where he resided during the succeeding two or three years. He then
began work in the engineering department of the Northern Pacific Railroad,
which was then pushing its main line across the continent to Puget Sound.
Although he had received no technical training, he became a self-taught sur-
veyor and remained with the Northern Pacific in that capacity in Montana,
Idaho and Washington for about five years, first on line construction and
later on townsite work. In [888 he was elected county surveyor of Spokane
county, Int in a short time resigned that position to accept an appointment
b) President Harrison as examiner of surveys in the interior department.
Two years later he was elected to the state senate from Spokane county by
the Republicans, in which position he served four years. During the greater
portion of this time he was extensively engaged in the real estate business in
Spokane, reaping the reward- of great profit on all his investments, for those
were the days of the great boom, bul later he suffered from the collapse of
[893 and the hard times which followed. In July, 1897, Mr. Ide was ap-
pointed h\ President McKinley United States marshal for Washington, and
while thus engaged his headquarters were mainly at Tacoma, where he also
made his home. He continued in this office until March j^, ig02, when he
received the appointment of collector of customs for the Puget Sound district
of the United States, the appointment being confirmed in June, 1902. At
present his headquarters and residence are at Port Townsend, although he
has under his supervision branch offices and deputy collectors at all ports on
Puget Sound. The business is enormous, and a large forceof deputy collectors,
clerks and assistants are required to handle it.
In February, [895, Mr. Ide was married in Michigan to Dora M. McKay,
of that state. They have three children, Irma. Margaret and Elizabeth. Mr.
Ide is a man of great prominence and wealth, and one who has done much
toward the development of the state.
GUS HENSLER.
Gus Hensler, who is engaged in the real estate and insurance business
in Anacortes, was born in Audrain county. Missouri, October 22, 1864. His
father. Augustus Hensler. was a native of Germany and came to the United
States in 1861. settling in Missouri, where he followed the occupation of
farming. Pie married Catharine Dorothy Lang, also a native of the father-
land, and they are now living in Anacortes, the former at the age of sixty-
seven years and the latter at the age of sixty-five years. They had two daugh-
ters, Julia and Ada.
Gus Hensler. the only son and the eldest of the children, was educated
in the public schools of Fayette. Missouri, and in Central College, of that
place, where he pursued a two years' preparatory course. He left school at
the age of fourteen years and entered upon his business career, being engaged
in trading in and buying cattle and other live-stock. He continued there in
•~ **,
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOH. LENOX AND
T1LDEN 1-OUNDATIOMS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 191
the live-stock business until 1884, when he went to Kansas and New Mexico,
where he continued in the same line of business activity until [889. In July
of the latter year he arrived in the northwest, attracted by the favorable re
ports concerning the natural resources of this country and it-- business pos
sibilities. He located first in Seattle, but after a short time came to Fidalgo
Island, now the site of the city of Anacortes, and took up a pre emption claim
of one hundred and sixty acres of land. In the spring of [890 he entered into
business relations with the McNaught Land & Investment Company, ol Se
attle, as sales manager, and continued with them until [892, acting as their
representative at Anacortes. He then embarked upon an independent busi
ness career, and has since engaged in real estate operations and the insurance
business on his own account. He is thoroughly informed concerning realty
values in this part of the country, and during the pasl ten years has handled
considerable valuable property and negotiated important realty transfers. He
now has a good clientage, and his business affairs are capably directed, bring-
ing to him a good financial return.
In public matters Mr. Hensler has been prominent and active. In [893
he was elected city clerk and filled that position for four years. In [896 he
was elected county commisioner for two years and was chairman of the board
during that time. He was the first county commissioner from Fidalgo Is
land for Skagit county, and he capably represented the interests of his con-
stituents. He served as city councilman from [898 until [900 and was re
elected in 1902 for the term embracing the two succeeding year--. His po
litical support has ever been given the Democracy, and on its ticket he has
been elected, yet he has also received the support of many who belong to the
opposition party.
On the 20th of August. 1800, was celebrated the marriage of Mr, Hen
sler and Miss Annie Baker, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Jami
and Mary S. Baker, both of whom were natives of England, and on coming
to the new world they made a settlement at Vincennes, Indiana. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Hensler have gained many warm friends in this locality, and their
own home is noted for its charming and warm-hearted hospitality. I
ternally Mr. Hensler is connected with the Masons. He has always taken an
active interest in state and local politics, and he has been one of the leading
spirits in the upbuilding and improvemenl of Anacortes. Hi I d in
promoting the industries of Fidalgo Island, and organized the Citizens' \-
sociation for the purpose of buying the water system, which is now the prop
erty of the Anacortes Water Company. This company owns and operates
both the water works and the electric light system of the city. Mr. Hen lei
possesses indefatigable energy and enterprise, and has the force of charactei
to continue a work once begun until it reaches il completion. Such
men are of value in any community, but especially in the northwest, which
is rapidly developing and therefore needs men at the head of its affair-
will guide its interests into safe channels resulting in enl good.
JOSEPH LINCOLN CARMAN.
Joseph Carman was a native of Red Bank, Nei and was an
settler in Illinois, taking up a farm across the Mississippi river from Burlington,
1 92 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Iowa. He was a fanner here for i number of years and became very promi-
nent and influential, so that the town of Carman m that vicinity was named
after him. He engaged in the grain business there and was very successful.
He died there in 1870. He married Miss Mercy Crane, who was horn near that
famous old Mormon town of Nauvoo, Illinois, and died at Carman in 1871.
It was in Carman. Illinois, that Joseph Lincoln Carman came into the
world in [861. He got most of his education in the public schools of Burling-
ton and at Denmark Academy, fifteen miles from that city; he also completed
the course in the business college at Burlington. He began life by acting in
the position of clerk in the home office of the Burlington Insurance Company
for three years, hut he then went to Des Moines and engaged in the manu-
facturing of mattresses and spring beds on his own account. He continued
this business from 1884 till [890, which was the year of his coming to Tacoma.
In October, [891, he bought from L. S. W 1 his mattress and spring bed
factory, a small plant and employing about ten men. This was later incor-
porated as the Pacific Lounge and Mattress Company, and so it continued
until January 14, 1903, when the name was changed to the Carman Manu-
facturing Company, the chat ig in name only and being made for the
reason that the old title was misleading as to the scope of the business. For
some time after Mr. Carman acquired the business the manufacturing was
confined almost exclusively to upholstered mattresses and lounges, hut of late
years he has extended its operations until now the output consists of a general
line of all kinds of furniture, — bedroom, parlor, kitchen and dining-room
sets, and also excelsior, shoddy, comforts and cotton filling for comforts. The
plant is the largest of the kind' on the coast and occupies large buildings on the
tide flats at East H and Twenty-fifth streets. One hundred and thirty men
are employed, and the value of the annual output is now about four hundred
thousand dollars. There is a branch factory employing twenty-five men at
Seattle, which is in charge of Mr. Carman's hrother. H. J. The company
sells only at wholesale and enjoys an extensive business throughout this
region. Mr. Carman is the president and treasurer of this company, and is
the owner of about ninety-five per cent of the stock. He is also president,
treasurer and manager of the Pacific Metal Bedstead Company, an auxiliary
which has been recently established for the purpose of making metal bed-
steads.
From the foregoing remarks the reader can understand the prominence
of Mr. Carman's position in business affairs of Tacoma, but his endeavors are
not confined to one line. He is vice president of R. E. Anderson & Com-
pany, one of the leading real estate and financial concerns of the city, and he
has recently been elected president of the Tacoma Base Ball Company. He
is a member of the Elks, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and in
many other ways identified with business and social matters. In 1898 he was
married at Tacoma to Miss Margaret Cootes, and they have a son whom they
have named Joseph Lincoln Carman, Jr.
WILLIAM WOODS.
William Woods is one of the pioneers of Sedro Woolley, Washington.
When he first landed here twenty-five years ago it was from a canoe and with
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. t93
an Indian as guide. He built the first cabin in what is now Sedro Woolley,
there being only three other settlers in the district at that time, and the v
being thickly inhabited with game of all kinds, includ rig b( irs and deer.
And here for a quarter of a century he has lived and prospered. A brief
sketch of his life is as follows:
William Woods was born in county Tyrone, Ireland. January 17, 1835,
son of William and Nellie (McLaughlin) Woods, both natives of county
Tyrone and both deceased, the father having died in [843, the mother in
November, 1901. Mr. Woods has a sister, Miss Jane Woods, residing in
Syracuse, New York.
In his native county William Woods was reared and educated, and there
he remained until May 31. 1861, when he embarked for America. For two
years he was in Canada, working on a farm and in a sawmill, and in [863
he went to Syracuse, New York, where he was employed by a salt manu-
facturing company until 1875. That year he crossed the countr) to California.
He spent three years in California, variously employed in different parts of
the state, and in the spring of 1878 came north 1m Washington. From Seattle
he went up Hood's canal and worked in a logging camp, spending the summer
there, and in the fall of that year coming to Skagit 1 then Whatcom county)
and pre-empting a claim, a part of which subsequently became an addition t<>
the townsite of Sedro. He still retains one hundred acres of his original tract,
on which he carries on farming, the rest of his land having been sold and
divided up into town lots.
The only time he has left his ranch since lie settled here was in [890 1.
when he went east on a visit. lie has always taken a deep interesl in the
growth and development of this locality, and has been recognized a- a li
his opinion and advice in public matters being sought and valued. Politically
he is an independent Democrat. He has served as a delegate to county
conventions and been on the county central committee. He was mayor of
Sedro in 1892-3 and a member of the city council in [894 5. I te is a devout
Catholic.
GEORGE W. CAIN.
George W. Cain, the junior member of the linn of Cam Bt mer-
chants of Blaine, has been a resident of this part of th for almost a third
of a century. Before the town was incorporated the famil
a home here, and with the growth and progn of Blaine th< I
since been actively identified. George \V. Cain was born N. t86o.
in Clayton county, Iowa. His fathi I Cain, was a native 1 horn
in 1807, and after living at various places in the ' ipi valley he came
to the northwest, arriving with his family in Whatcom county on the 1 st day
of July, 1871. Here he homesteaded a tract of land and followed the pursuit
which had hitherto claimed his attention- farming, Hi re the
maiden name of Lucretia Dulin. was a natr
Irish descent. They became the paret and four claugl
namely: Cornelius, Francis Marion, Talitha, James, Ruel S., Martha. John.
Meliss'a, Joseph, Elizabeth and Ge< rge. The father pa ay at th<
494 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of eight) six, and the mother, who was born in [815, died at the age oi seventy-
one years, the county thus losing two of its honored pioneer settlers.
George W. Cain was a child of two years when Ins parents removed to
Union county. Dakota, where they remained until [871, and he attended the
country schools for two summers, during [870 and 1S71. The family then
came to Washington, settling on the present site of Blaine, Whatcom county.
The journey was made over the Union Pacific Railroad to San Francisco,
thence by steamer to Portland and on by the Cowlitz river route' to Pumphreys
Landing, then by wagon to Olynipia, a distance of sixty miles, coming to
''.Lime fnnn there by schooner, after stopping at intermediate points. .Mr.
Cain remembers many incidents of the trip and of the condition oi the country
at that period of development. ! I i-- educational privileges were somewhat
meager, for. on account of the comparatively few number of residents here,
the schools were also few. lie attended .it intervals, however, in Blaine,
until twenty-one years of age. lie also worked on his father's ranch and
assisted in clearing what is now the townsite of Blaine, there being at that
time only four house- there the propert) of John tain, E. A. Bablett, 1 ). S.
Millar and Byron X. ECingsley. In 1883 George W. Cain engaged in mer-
chandising with his brothers, James and Cornelius, the latter now deceased,
under the name of Cain Brothers. They not only conducted their store, hut
also laid out and platted the town in [XX5. The following year they estah
lished the first local paper, now called the Blaine Journal, and in many other
ways were instrumental in the upbuilding of the place. James Cain served
as the first mayor of the city after its incorporation in [890. The brothers
continued merchandising up to May, [900, at which time they disposed of
their store, hut in July, [902, our subject again entered commercial life, in
partnership with his brother James and under the firm style of Cain Brothers.
He has heen a witness of the entire husine^s development of Blaine and the
surrounding district, and his efforts have been a most helpful factor in pro-
mpting progress along safe lines, leading to substantial upbuilding.
Mr. Cain holds membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church, is
serving as one of its trustees and is deeply interested in its welfare, doing
much to advance its upbuilding. He has a wide acquaintance, and there are
few men who have as extensive a circle of friends. The reason for this is
obvious, for he has been active in public affairs and honorable in all life's
relations, and thus he has won uniform regard.
JAMES CAIN.
Not to know the representatives of the Cain family in Blaine is to argue
oneself unknown, for even the town owes its existence to James Cain and his
brothers, and many of its business enterprises sprang into existence through
their efforts. As mayor of the city James Cain also administered its affairs
so as to promote a substantial and practical growth, and it is therefore meet
that he be mentioned in its history. He was born in Will county, Illinois.
June 10, 1839, and in 1844 was taken by his parents to Missouri, whence in
1846 they removed to Wisconsin. The following year they became residents
of Clay county. Iowa, and in i860 removed to Union county, Dakota. James
HISTORY OF THE PUGE I SOUND COUNTRY. 195
Cain accompanied his parents on their various removals, and in Dakota, in
1863, he enlisted for service in the Civil war. joining the Sioux City Cavalry
on the 14th of April of that year. He was afterward transferred to the Sev-
enth Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, and continued with that command until hon
orably discharged on the 16th of April, [866, after three years' faithful
service.
Returning to his home in Dakota, James Cain there remained until
the family came to Whatcom county. Washington, in July, 1X71. Here lie
assisted his father in the development of a ranch, and m [872 he taughj the
first school in district No. -'5. in which the city of Blaine is situated. In [884,
in connection with his brothers Cornelius and George W., he platted the
original townsite of Blaine, and became the first postmaster, filling thai pi i
tion from the 4th of March, 1885. until after more than four years of service,
when he resigned. He was the first and only notary public in the place foi
six years, and he was elected the first mayor of Blaine, on the 13th of May.
1890. His administration was practical and progressive and proved ol marked
benefit to the town. While thus serving in various public offices, James < ain
has also been active in the commercial life of the city and. associated with
his brother George, was for some time engaged in general merchandising, and
at the present time they are conducting a --tore. The} are men of energy and
enterprise, accomplishing what they undertake by methods that are alike
fair, honorable and successful.
JAMES ELDER.
James Elder, assessor of Whatcom county. Washington, and one of
the pioneer settlers of Whatcom county, is a native of Scotland, having been
born in the county of Forfar, that country. October 24, 1847. lie was
educated in his native land, arriving at San Francisco, California, on the sail-
ing vessel Albany, via the Cape Horn route, in the fall of [866. He then
went to Calaveras county, and for three years was engaged in mining
as clerk. In 1870 Mr. Elder returned to San Francisco, and for six
was successfully engaged in the furniture business, but then disposed of his
interests and located in Whatcom county. Washington, took up a 1
of one hundred and sixty acres on the Nooksack river, and for eij
farming engrossed his attention.
In 1884 he and his family settled at Nooksack crossing, whi
gaged in the general merchandise business, being one of the first merchants
of that locality, and from 1884 to [899 he serv
master of Nooksack, from [899 to [902 being 1 in farming; was
nominated for the office of assessor and elected by a or the
term from January, 1903. to [905.
In March, 1870, in San Fra "i"-'1 '" mai
with Tennie Murkin, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and who died at Nook
sack in 1885, aged thirty-five years. She bore her husband five chil
named Amy,' James. Annie. Frank and George, two m. Am
George, are still living.
In politics Mr. Elder is a Republican, and always supports I
496 HISTORY OF I 111. PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In religion he is a Presbyterian, having been reared in thai Eaith.
Mr. Elder relates many interesting stories of the 'lays when he was a
pioneer of this county, and of the hardships he and his neighbors were forced
to endure. It is difficult to believe that so short a time ago the now prosperous
county, with its flourishing towns and well cultivated Farms, was little mi
than a wilderness, and when it is remembered that it is through the efforts of
men like Mr. Elder that the pre te of affair^ has been brought about,
it will be conceded that too much credit cannot be given to the sturdy pioneers
of Whatcom county.
EDWIN MAHLON DAY.
Edwin Mahlon Hay, one of the leading citizens of Whatcom and a dis-
tinguished member of the Washington bar, was born September 2^, [845,
.it Princeton, Bureau county, Illinois. Ilis father, John .Mills Day, was bom
in Dearborn county, Indiana, am! was a farmer and a veterinary surgeon,
but devoted the 1 his time to agricultural pursuits, lie died in [902 at
Aurora. Nebraska, lie married Ellen Brigham (Beach), who was born at
Sloansville, \ew York. Her father was a native of New York state and
served in the war of lSu. Her brother, Cyrus A. Beach, was killed dur-
ing the Civil war at the battle of Allatoona Pass. Other members of the
parents' family were: Cyrus William Beach, a civil engineer at Austin,
Texas, and at one time deupty auditor of the state; Ira Charles resides at
Fairhaven; Walter Sloan 1- a painter who, until recently, was the publisher
of the Hamilton Count) Register, at Aurora, Nebraska; Arthur Bushnell
lives at Seattle: Frank Wilkins is a teacher in Hamilton county, Nebraska ;
John Mills is a lawyer at Lincoln. Nebraska, was for two terms prosecuting
attorney of Hamilton county: Harriet is the wife of George Gulliver, an
architect at Aurora: Julia is the wife of John Driskell, a farmer at Aurora;
Mary is a teacher in Lincoln county. Nebraska: and Anna is the wife of Ham-
ilton D. Longenecker of the United States Railway mail service with head-
quarters at Denver. Colorado.
Edwin M. Day received his education in the public schools of Illinois
and Lombard University at Galesburg. Before his graduation, however.
he joined with another student and assisted in raising a company of infantry
which became Company H, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Illinois, for service
in the Civil war. He enlisted August 5, 1864, and served as corporal until
the close of hostilities, and was discharged from Camp Butler at Springfield,
Illinois. During his service he was assistant chief clerk to the mustering and
disbursing officer at Quincy, under Captain S. S. Sumner of the regular army.
He had charge of the immediate guard at the tomb of Lincoln at the time of
interment at Oakland cemetery and also in charge of the remains as relief
guard at the State House previously. On this occasion General Hooker was
marshal of the day. Mr. Day estimates that in twenty-six hours one hundred
and twenty-six thousand people viewed the martyred president.
In 1865 Mr. Day went to Colorado, crossing the plains immediately
after the trouble with the Indians, and he, with his party of twenty-five, had
a skirmish with the savages on October 26, 1865, at Alkali Springs. They
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 49i
drove the enemy off, but on the clay previous a couple of white men had been
killed at this point. He remained for two years at Denver and vicinity, in
different lines of activity, and then returned to Illinois.
On December 3, 1867. Mr. Day was married to Mary A. Sisson, who is
a daughter of Azariah Sisson, of an old American family of English and
French descent. The two sons born to this union are: Edwin Sisson, who
has charge of the linotype machines for the Whatcom Reveill three
years in the Whatcom company of National Guards as sergeant, and is
ried; and Bryant Jewel, inspector of telephones for the Sunset l
Company of Everett. Washington, spent two years in the Philippine Islands
and serving with distinction at the battle oi Batac, North Luzon, as a mem
ber of the Thirty-fourth United States Volunteers; he is also married,
daughters are: Myrtle Edith, wife of M. T. Summers, who is a mill-o
at Porter, Washington, residing at Seattle: Margaret Ellen, wile of John
Percival Geddes, who is a customs broker at Vancouver; and 1.. nulla I 'carle,
who resides at home.
After his marriage in 1867, Mr. Day moved to Sterling, [llinois, where
for two years he contracted with a sash and blind factory for painting and
glazing. Then he moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where he published the Des
Moines Monthly Magazine and the Iozcn State Granger. In 1S77 he in ed
to Sidney, Nebraska, and after organizing the firsl gradei
city was made principal of the city schools and county superintende
public instruction for two years. During this time he studied law. and in
October, 1878. was admitted to practice. For twelve years he practiced in
that state and published, after founding, the Daily Electric Light, at North
Platte: the Big Springs Journal at Big Springs, and the Ogalallu Reft
at Ogalalla and was also superintendent of public instruction of Keith 1
ty. In 1890 he settled at Fairhaven in the practice of his profession and has
been so engaged ever since.
Mr. Day was first vice president of the Stati Pn ciation. He
founded and published the Fairhaven News from [893 to [896, and the What
com thrice a week News from 1896 to [900. He also published the \
ington Resources until it consolidated, with the Fairhaven News. He was the
promoter and organizer of the Alger Oil & Mining Company in September,
1901, and has always been its secretary and attorney. This company i
italized at three hundred thousand dollars. It has a brick-making planl worth
thirty-five thousand dollars at Alger, ten miles southw<
there some of the finest brick in the world is being man com
pany owns valuable mineral property. In [901 Mr. D rgainzed the Bril
ton Gold Mining Company in the Ml. ;
hundred thousand dollars and is its secretary tn r and atl
siderable developing has been done, and gold ecured.
He is the promoter and organizer of the What irban Ra
Company, and is president and general manager. M will r<
to construct and equip the road, which, wit'
miles in length, and covers one of the richest valleys in tl
was the organizer, in [882, of the North Platte Irrigation & -any,
498 HISTORY OF THE l'UGET SOUND COUNTRY.
which built the first irrigation canal in Nebraska and which irrigated fifty-
one thousand acres of land. It proved an immense success. He framed, also,
the first irrigation law passed in Nebraska.
Mr. Day has always taken an active part in politics and was a Repub-
lican until [893, since then being an independent. During 1901-2 he served
as justice of the peace in Fairhaven. He was appointed judge advocate gen
era! on Governor Roger's staff with rank of colonel, but resigned after the
Governor's death, although his resignation was nol accepted until four years
from date of appointment, lie joined the Grand Amu of the Republic at
Fori Sidney, Nebraska, in 1 S77 : was commander of Stephen V Douglas
Post, North Platte, which he organized; and of J. M. Thayer Post at Oga-
lalla, and is vice commander of C, R. Apperson Post in Fairhaven. In N'e
braska he was chairman of the heard of administration of the Grand Army
department of the state, lie belongs also to the order of United Workmen.
The Day family settled near Boston, Massachusetts, in [635, in the person
of Stephen Day, the first printer in America, who ' published "The Psalm
Book." probably the first American book.
COLONEL BALDWIN IUTTY.
Colonel Baldwin Hufty, one of the highly respected citizens of Mt.
Vernon, Washington, and a man largely interested in the financial and com-
mercial welfare of the city, was horn December 16, [836, in Phialdelphia,
Pennsylvania, and is a son of Samuel Hufty, also horn in Philadelphia, and
who came of Revolutionary stock. The family was located in this country
from Bavaria, Germany, in 1735. and the father of Samuel was a commissary
in the continental army. Samuel for a short period participated in the war of
1812, and he died in 1874. The maiden name of his mother was Josephine
R. Greble, and she was horn in Philadelphia, as was her mother, but her
grandmother came from Germany about 1735. The mother of our subject
died in 1885. The family horn to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hufty was as fol-
lows: William, superintendent of gas works in Camden, Xew Jersey; John,
hank official of Pennsylvania; Samuel, comptroller of Camden, New Jersey;
Joseph, a farmer of Bucks county, Pennsylvania; Francis, a real estate agent
in Washington. D. C. ; our subject; Anna, wife of William Irish, a lumber
dealer of Xew York city.
Colonel Hufty was educated in the public schools of Philadelphia and
later went to Iowa, where he taught school and farmed for two years, and
then returned to Camden, New Jersey. About this time the country was
being agitated by the outbreak of the Civil war. and he was one of the first
to respond to the needs of the Union, enlisting May 25, 1861, in Company B,
Third New Jersey Yrolunteer Infantry, First Brigade, First Division, Sixth
Corps, Gen. Philip Kearney commanding the brigade. Beginning with the
office of corporal he rose rapidly, serving in every capacity in regular order
up to that of colonel. He was in every engagement of his regiment, which
was connected with the Army of the Potomac, as well as being in different
skirmishes and doing outpost duties. During his term of service he participated
in twenty-four regular battles, including the Peninsular campaign under Mc-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. t99
Clellan, the second battle of Bull Run, battle of Crampton's Cap. ^tietam
Fredericksburg, second battle of Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Spottsylvania,
Cold Harbor, Opequan, Fishers' Hill. Cedar Creek, Winchester siege of
Petersburg, capture of Petersburg. Sailor's Creek, and was present at Appa
mattox, receiving his honorable discharge July 17. 1865.
Returning to a peaceful life, he went" into the manufacturing of lumber
in Somerset county, Maryland, and there continued tW twenty-one years,
and during that time served as county commissioner and deputy collector of
customs. At the end. if that time, however, he removed to Mt. Vernon,
m the city in July, 1888, and together with J. A. Cloud opened the first bank
in Mt. Vernon, called the Skagit River Bank, and afterwards disposed of that
interest to the First National Bank. In 189] he opened a bank in Sumas,
Whatcom county, Washington, and was there one year when he return©
Mt. Vernon, and has been largely engaged in real estate, insurance and invi
ment enterprises ever since. In politics he is a Republican, and was elected
mayor at Mt. Vernon on the citizens' ticket in December. [902, but 1 in
January, 1903. Since he has been in Skagit county he has condu eral
farms, but has disposed of all except one. Fraternally lie 1- a member of the
Knights of Pythias. Ancient Order of United Workmen and tin 1 Irand \nny
of the Republic. His war record is all the more remarkable from the I
that, although he participated in so many battles, he went through the entire
campaign with only a slight flesh wound, and was never disabled in the
slightest.
HON. THOMAS M. VANCE.
It is an excellent thing to have a good line of ancestors. There is con
itant inspiration to the descendants to emulate the deeds of their fathers, and
thus the influence is greater than in the case of those who are not so near to
them in ties of kinship. The subject of this brief biography is a descendant
of men who have helped shape the destiny of the country, and lie himself
is their worthy representative, having gained especial prominence in bis
profession.
The forebears of the Vance family are Scutch-Irish. The great-grand-
father, David Vance, was an early settler in Virginia, and was a lieutenant
in the Revolutionary war: he took part in the battle at King's Mountain
and endured all the hardships of the continental army at Valley Forge. After
the war he settled in Buncombe county. North Carolina, and then- David
Vance, Jr.. was born. The latter was an eminent civil engineer and sp<
his entire life in his native state, In the same county as his father, was born
the father of our subject, Zebulon B. Vance, on the [3th of M He
received his education in Tennessee and in thi North Carolina;
being admitted to the bar in Buncombe county, he practiced law until [8j
when he was elected a member of Congress. Upon the outbreak of the Civil
war he became colonel of a North Carolina regiment. In 1862 he en
governor of North Carolina, in (864 was re-elected, holding the itil
he was succeeded by the military governor. General Canby. In 1X70 lie v
elected United States senator, but, bis disability on accounl war service
50U HISTORY 01- THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
nut yet having been removed, In- resigned. I fe was again elected governor of
iiis state in 1876, and in 1879 was elected to the United States senate, and was
re-elected three successive tunes. During the last term <>i In- service his death
occurred in Washington in 1894. Governor Vance married Miss Espy, oi
North Carolina, who was descended from a line of prominent Presbyterian
ministers. Four children were horn to them, of whom three are now living:
Zebulon 1'... Jr., is now captain of the Eleventh United States Infantry in the
Philippine islands; Charles X. is a bond broker in Washington city.
The other son. Thomas Malvern Vance, whose middle name was given
him because Ins birth occurred on the annivi of the battle oi Malvern
Hill, was horn in North Carolina on the 6th of September, [862. Me was
liberally educated in the University of North Carolina, and received his know!
edge of law in the Columbian University at Washington, I). C. ; he left the
latter institution in [883, and in February, [884, was admitted to the bar by
the supreme court of North Carolina, where he practiced E01 everal years.
In iSKu be was presidential 1 From the eighth district of his slate, lie
then came west and was appointed b_\ 1 'resident Cleveland as receiver of the
public monej at North Yakima, which position he satisfactoril) filled for over
two years, and then continued his practice there until [897. In this year he-
received the appointment as assistant attorney general of Washington, his term
expiring in lannary. 1901. In 1900 lie was the candidal.' of the Democratic
party for attorney general of the state, bul failed of election as his party was
in the minority in the state, and since this time he has been actively engaged
in his large law practice in ( )lympia.
In [887 Mr. Vance became the husband of Gertrude Wheeler, a native
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin ; her father was Colonel J. B. Wheeler, of the United
State engineers. In all the relations of life Mr. Vance has shown himself
to be a worthy citizen and deserving of the high place in society which he
holds.
CHARLES STANBRA.
One of the thoroughly successful business men of Whatcom, Washington,
and one who has embraced all the opportunities that have come in his way for
advancement and progress, is Charles Stanbra, the proprietor of the largest
bicycle and gun store in the city, an establishment which has a reputation all
over the country. Mr. Stanbra is of English parentage. His father, Henry
Thomas Stanbra, was born in Warwickshire in 1820 and came to America in
1849. settling on a farm near Chicago, on a site now occupied by the Pullman
car works. Hannah Choping. a native of London, England, had come over
on a sailing vessel with Mr. Stanbra, and shortly after their arrival they were
married in Chicago.
These parents moved to a farm about ten miles from Caledonia, Minne-
sota, in 1855. and it was there on March 23, 1859, that their son Charles came
into the world. There were four other children in the family, William Thomas,
now forty-eight years of age; Jesse, forty-six; Edward, aged forty; and
Mary Ann, who died at the age of fourteen. Charles spent the first seven
years of his life in Minnesota, and as those were pioneer days in that state,
he retains in his memory some of the hardships of that time. One occasion
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 501
he remembers in particular, although he was only three years old at the time.
ihis was a rule from the farm to Caledonia together with the rest of the
family, the mother driving the team and at the same tunc lmldmg the baby
in her arms, while the father, with his muzzle-loading rifle, kept at bay a blood
thirsty band of Sioux Indians who were pursuing/ Their house was burned
and the cattle driven off, and the family barely escaped with their lives. While
living in Minnesota Charles Stanbra attended a Norwegian school, but on the
removal of his parents to Fort Dodge, Iowa, he attended the public schools of
that place and also the city high school. He next took a course in the Ames
Agricultural and Mechanical College at Ames, Iowa, and in 1883 left th.it
institution thoroughly grounded in the principles of general mechanics. For
two years after leaving school he worked in a mine, but in 1885 he opened a
shop in Ogden, Iowa, for general mechanical work. Shortly afterward he
moved to Creston, Iowa, where he built up a good business and continued it
with success for eight years. In 1893 he disposed of his interests 111 Iowa
and came to Whatcom, where he established himself 111 the general sporting
goods and repair business at 1065 Elk street. He occupies both stories of the
building, and, besides his general stock of goods, employs four experts in the
repairing department. He is now erecting a fine brick block on Railroad
avenue, which he will occupy as soon as it is completed. Such an establish-
ment as this is an absolute necessity in every community, and Air. Stanbra's
energy and straightforward business methods have placed him in the I t
rank of the business men of Whatcom.
On September 10, 1884, Mr. Stanbra was married at Fort Dodge, Iowa.
to Miss Amanda Elizabeth Tarrence, who is a native fowan. From this happy
union two children were torn, Daisy Pearl, on September r6, [885, and Lau-
rence Glenn, on August 8. 1S93. Mr. Stanbra is a strong Prohibitionist, and
in religious matters has taken an active interest in the Methodisl church since
he was seventeen years old, being now the treasurer and a trustee of the First
Methodist church at Whatcom. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen
of America and to the Good Templars.
SILAS TURNER SMITH.
Silas Turner Smith, one of the representative men of Marysville, Wash-
ington, was born February 6, 1854, in Northfield, Maine, and is a son of
George Washington Smith, who came of an old Revolutionary family. Both
sides in the Civil war had representatives of the Smith family, and they have
always been identified with the best interests of thi e eral communities in
which they have lived. The father of our subject was a farmer and died
in 1901, aged eighty-eight years. The maiden name of the mother was Mary
Smith, who came of a good New England family and she died 111 mi"J.
eighty-one years. Silas T. Smith attended the Nortl until he
was sixteen years of age, when he engaged in farming, and t! tinued
for two years, after which he went to Minnesota and worked al logging until
be was twenty-one years of age. At that time he came west to Pugel Sound,
locating at Port Gamble, and worked in a sawmill for about a ye 1 I te then
went to Butte county, California, and was again engaged in sawmill work,
502 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
remaining there from 1876 to [879. I lis nexl enterprise was in the line of
mining in Nevada, and he thus continued until [885, when he returned to
the Sound and settled in Island county, there engaging in lumbering for four
years. In the fall of 1889 he located on a homestead about six miles from
Marysville, and made that his home for aboul three years. He came to the
citj in 1892, and the following year was one of the organizers of the Marys-
ville State Bank, now hem;;- its cashier, which position he has held since the
date "i its inception, lie also was one of the organizers of the Smith Manu-
facturing Company, in 1899, manufacturers of shingles, and is now its presi-
dent; he was also an organizer and secretary of the Marysville Shingle Com-
pany, organized in [898. The capacity of the former plant is two hundred
and tii't\ thousand shingles per day. .Mr. Smith helped t 'ganize the Clear
Lake Shingle Company in [902, and is now its president; and he is also
president of the Barlow Shingle Company, which he helped to organize in
[903. In addition to his many and varied business interests, Mr. Smith is an
active Republican, and in [902 was elected state senator for a term of four
years.
November ,}. [884, he was married to Sarah E. Champion, a native of
Maine. The following children have been horn to Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
namely: Mary, Logan C, Kulalia, Silas Turner, Elizabeth, Margaret and
Leona. Mr. Smith is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, the
Knights of Pythias and the order of Elks, hew men have been more closely
identified with the progress of Marysville, nor are held in higher esteem than
Mr. Smith, who is a successful business man, an honorable statesman and
good citizen, whose time and money are freely spent in the development of
the community and the advancement of its best interests.
WILLIAM G. SWALWELL.
William ('■. Swalwell is the president of the Swalwell Land, Loan &
Trust Company of Everett, and has made his home here since 1889. No man
has taken a more active or effective part in the upbuilding of the town.
The wise system of industrial economics which has been brought to bear
in the development of Everett has challenged uniform admiration, for while
there has been steady advancement in material lines there has been an entire
absence of that inflation of values and that erratic "booming" which have
in the past proved the eventual death knell to many of the localities in the
west. Here, under the guidance and co-operation of such men as Mr. Swal-
well, progress has been made continuously and along safe lines, and in the
healthful growth and advancement of the city Mr. Swalwell has been an im-
portant factor.
A native of Canada, he was born in Portage du Fort, on the Ottawa
river, in 1859. His father, George Swalwell, was born in the province of Ot-
tawa, and his mother was a native of Scotland, but was brought to America
during her infancy. In 1889 George Swalwell removed with his family to
Washington and engaged in buying and improving real estate on his own
account. He built the first house of worship of the Methodists of Everett,
and was a devoted member of that church, in which he also held office. He
Arzl(
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
was married in Canada to Isabel Duff, and they became the parents of -even
children, of whom William G. is the eldest. All are residents of Everett,
and the others are: Wellington A., who is the secretary of the Swalwell
Land, Loan & Trust Company; A. W. and \Y. f\. who are engaged in the
real estate business; R. E.. who is with the Snohomish Paper Compan) ; J
E., who is in the jewelry business and Joseph A., who is cashier in the First
National Bank. The father died in June. [901, at the age of sixty-seven
years, but the mother is still living.
In the public schools William G. Swalwell pursued his education, and
afterward engaged in general merchandising for nine years, lie had pre
viously made a visit to California and the Pugel Sound in 1SS7. and. be
lieving that favorable business opportunities awaited the man of energy in
this section of the country, he came to Snohomish county to try his fortune.
As soon as he could make arrangement- For a home he brought his family
and has resided in Washington since. He first located in Tacoma, where he
engaged in the real estate business until die following year, when he mel
Mr. Rucker and together they decided to come to Point Gardner Ha v. \\ Inn
he took up his homestead his land was covered with a growth of native tint
ber so dense that the trees on all sides touched the little cabin which he
erected. Here his wife had lived for three months before she saw a woman,
so wild was the country at that time, but within an almost incredibly short
time a great transformation has been wrought in this section of the state.
Mr. Swalwell cleared his land, cutting ten thousand railroad ties from his
homestead of forty acres. He purchased the land between his homestead and
the river and platted it as Swalwell's first addition, in September, (891, and
later he platted the homestead as Swalwell's second addition, lie built the
McCabe block in the fall, and graded and planked 1 lew itt avenue at
about fifteen thousand dollars and he erected the Swalwell block, a three
story pressed brick structure, the first line building of the town and still one
of its best structures. In this the First National Bank was li intil 1900.
In 1892 Mr. Swalwell organized the hirst National Bank of Everett,
became its president, and afterward acquired the stock of others so th
was its- sole owner. He held this until 1901, when the bank was consolidated
with the Everett National Bank, which now has deposits of over a million do!
lars Upon the combination. Mr. Swalwell resigned the position as president,
not wishing to be hampered with the arduous duties, but ha- since b<
director in the institution, which thus profits by his wise counsel ai
ence He now gives his time exclusivel) to the Swalwell hand. 1 I rusl
Company, which has been incorporated, and the stock is held 1 I) bj
himself and his wife. He has erected many frame business blocks and about
fifty residences. His own residence was ere< ted here in 1892. In conn.
with other business pursuits, he is the presidenl ol the Mil nd & lm
provement Company and is one of the la. I realty here.
Mr Swalwell" was married in Canada. September 17, 1884, to
Erne Fowler, a daughter of the Rev. Hiram fowler, and th< four
chddren: Herbert G., who is attending Wh tworth Col ege, oi la-ma.
Melvin F., Vivian and Winifred, at home. Mrs. Swalwell » * member 0
the Methodist church, and the family attend tts services. Mr. Swalwell .9
504 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
one of the trustees of the Young Men's Christian Association and of the
Everett public library, and is a director of the Chamber of Commerce. He
has always been prominent in the last named organization, which has done
much to promote the welfare of Everett, and in the early days he served as
a member of the school board and was a member of the first city council of
Everett after its incorporation. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, and
fraternally is a chapter Mason and is connected with the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks. Splendid success has crowned his efforts, and
to-day he stands among the capitalists of this pari of the state who owe their
advancement to their own efforts. His labors, moreover, have been of marked
value to the community in promoting growth, development and progress,
and as a distinguished and honored citizen of this portion of the state he
deserves mention in this volume.
WILLIAM POWELL.
William Powell, a prominent and representative citizen of Whatcom,
who since [883 lias been identified with the interests of this city, was born
February _'_>, 1836, in Lafayette canity, Wisconsin, and is a son of Robert
Beatty and Alice (Slater) Powell. The former was horn in Ireland, hut
emigrated to America and settled in Wisconsin, where he engaged in lead
mining. He took part in the Black Hawk war in [832, and died in [845.
The mother was of old English stock and was born at Manchester, a member
of the largest calico-printing family in the world. She died in 1873. Our
subject was one of a family of ten children. Three brothers and three sisters
are deceased. The three surviving sisters are: Mrs. Nancy Reed, of Largo,
North Dakota; Mary, widow of II. E. Burritt, of Bismarck, North Dakota;
ami Susan, wife of H. B. Brockman, of North Dakota.
William Powell was educated in the common schools of Lafayette county,
Wisconsin, and in 1854 went into a printing office in Shellsburg, Wisconsin,
but a year later embarked in a hardware and tin business, which he continued
for two years. In 1857 he went to Minnesota and became interested for the
succeeding two years in the buying of grain and produce and shipping to St.
Louis. His next business enterprise was a trip to the Pacific coast. He pur-
chased a yoke of cattle and a wagon, and landed at Murphey's camp in Tuo-
lumne county, California, in October, i860, accompanied by a brother. They
started into mining in that vicinity. At the outbreak of the Civil war both
brothers desired to offer their services and join a Wisconsin regiment. Funds
were low, however, and thus it happened that our subject got no farther east
than the territory of Nevada. There for a time he managed a mine named
the Yankee Blade, and then returned to California and took charge of the
Commercial mine in Nevada county, where he erected a ten-stamp mill.
From there Mr. Powell went to the seashore in Klamath county, to mine the
sands on the beach, but, this enterprise proving unsatisfactory, he went back
to Nevada county and accepted the position of superintendent of the building
of a ten-stamp mill at the Erie mine. In 1874 he closed his active mining
operations. In company with Jacob Naffziger he went into a hotel business
in Nevada City, California, and continued in that line there for seven vears.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Mr. Powell then made a trip to Washington territory and arrived in What-
com on January 31, 1883.
This city has been his home ever since and he has been closely identified
with its growth and development. He built the Whatcom House, bul
disposed of it and entered the real estate business, under the firm name of
Pettibone, Powell & Pettibone, this being the first business in its line started
in Whatcom. The firm quit business in [88 \. and in 1SS7 Mr. Powell resumed
activity in this direction, the firm name being Collins & Powell. In [890 Mr.
Collins retired from the business, and a new firm was Eormed, Powell & Petti-
bone. Some years later Mr. Pettibone withdrew, and since that time Mr.
Powell has continued alone.
Mr. Powell is too active, intelligent and able a man nol to have been
closely identified with politics. He cast his first vote for John t". Fremont
and was a Republican until 1890. On the Democratic ticket he was (!
to the city council in Nevada City in [881-2-3, but resigned before his term
was completed, when he changed his home to Whatcom, lie was a mi
of the school board of Graniteville. California, for several years. In What-
com he was elected city councilman in 1884 and served until [890, until the
consolidation. In 1894 he was elected councilman at large, and in 1896 was
elected from the second ward for two years. In [899 he was re elected for
two years, and in 1901 was appointed police justice and in [902 was again
selected for the council by the second ward. Mr. P erving his
thirteenth year as city councilman of Whatcom. He is a leading memb
his party, and faithfully serves its interests on the lending committees and at
the various conventions. He was one of the organizers of the Cascade Toll
Route & Mining Company in 188''). a proposed mute over the Cascades from
Puget Sound to east of the mountains, lie assisted in laying the said 1
which is now practically the mute being followed by the Bellingham Bay and
British Columbia Railroad. Mr. Powell was, in fact, one of the pathfinders
across the Cascades. Few enterprises of any magnitude have been successful
in this locality in which he has had no interest.
On July 12, 1870, Mr. Powell was married to Jennie G. Burr, who i
daughter of Chauncy Burr. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Her
family belongs to old Mayflower stock. Mr. and Mrs. e married
at Sacramento, and the one survivor of three daughtei - is Lida I'... who i- the
wife of Henry A. Cassils, who is associated with Mr. Powi 11 in I I fe
is a native of Windsor. Ontario. Fraternally Mr. Powell belongs to tl
of United Workmen, Eagles, Knights of Pythias, and held th
in the first named organization.
ARTHUR G. PRICHARD.
If there is any nobility, any one class in America which more
than ordinary homage from the people, it consists of those who have " begun
at the bottom and worked their way up." Such a testimonial in regard to
a man is a seal of his true worth, and true worth 1- th< only idol before which
Americans will bow down. Anyhow, there is a kind of dramatic ii
taching to the man who has come from small things ti
is always emulated by the generations that come after him. The life of Mr.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Prichard has some of these elements in it, and is certainly worth} of a place
in a liisti >ry of Tacoma.
His grandfather and father were born at Granville, Licking county, ( Ihio,
His father's name was Anthony P., who was during a pan of liis life a drug
;. but later learned the old time system of telegraphy. He was an operator
mi the first line that went through Ohio, and in 1873 he went to the state
of Xcw York, where he became manager for the Western Union. He filled
that responsible place for about ten years, and then in [884 came to [Tacoma,
where he lived up to the time of hi* death, which occurred February 21, 1903.
He was not activelj engaged in business at the time, lie- married Mi** Louisa
A. Leas, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and is still living.
Arthur < i. Prichard was the son of the above parents and was the third
gem of the family to be born in Granville, Ohio, his birth occurring
there on Ma\ 28, 1S71. He was thirteen years old when he came to Tacoma.
and obtained his high school education in this city. At the ape of fifteen he
began work for the Pacific National Hank as office boy, and for the next fifteen
years was as much a part of the hank as he had 1 re of the home.
Officers and other empl me and went, but he wa ker," and
through hi* ability and persistence he gradually worked himseli up to the
position nt" assistant cashier. On March 1. [902, he resigned that place to
accept the office of cashier with the Fidelity Trust Company, which is the
position he now holds. He has learned banki m the ground up, and hi*
thorough qualificatio hanker, added to the valuable experience which
he gained from the financial stringency of '93, have placed him in very cl<
and confidential relations with the business community.
In June. [901, Mr. Prichard was married to Miss Mattie I). Baker, who
is the sister of John S. Baker, the president of the fidelity Trust Company*.
One son lias come into their home, whom they have named John Gilman
Prichard. Mr. Prichard is a member of the Union Club and the Chamber of
Commerce, and by his enterprise and hnsiness ability has made for himself a
splendid reputation in the city.
FRANK VORHIES HOGAN.
Frank V. Hogan is a typical American citizen, thoroughly in harmony
with the spirit of the republic, making the most of his own opportunities and
steadily working his way upward to success and to all that is desirable and
ennobling in life. He was born at Bastrop, Texas, February 9, 1838, and is
a son of John D. and Hortense (Vorhies) Hogan, the former a native of Ten-
nessee and of Scotch-Irish descent, while the latter was born in Kentucky.
The father was a medical practitioner, and his death occurred in Waco, Texas,
in 1890, at the age of ninety- four years, having for sixty years followed the
practice of his chosen calling. In the family of Dr. and Mrs. Hogan were five
children, three sons and two daughters, as follows: Virginia, the deceased
wife of A. P. Swisher, of Austin, Texas: Frank V., the subject of this review;
Shields A., a resident of Waco. Texas; Kate, the wife of William Baker, of
Texas; and Tohn M., who also makes his home in the Lone Star state.
Frank Vorhies Hogan received his education in the Texas Military School
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 507
at Bastrop, and after completing his studies, at the age of twenty years, joined
the Texas Rangers, in which he served for two years. In March, [86l, he
enlisted in the state service at San Antonio, Texas", and in the following April
was mustered into the Confederate army under Colonel J. R. Baylor, entering
I. C. Stafford's Company E, his services continuing throughout the entire
struggle. He entered the ranks as a private, but was subsequently promoted
to the position of lieutenant, thence to captain, and was later made major
of Baird's Battalion. After the close of the war he went to Galveston and
later to Brenharn, Texas, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits under
the firm name of Hogan, Franklin & Company, thus continuing until [869.
Disposing of his interest therein in that year 'he removed to Waco, Texas,
where he resumed the mercantile business in company with his brother, opera-
tions being conducted under the firm style of F. V. & S. A. Hogan, and they
continued as merchants for three years, after which they embarked in the
real estate business, thus continuing until 1SS0, during which time they were
very successful in their operations. In the spring of 1880 Mr. Hogan went to
California and engaged in the real estate business in Los Angeles, San Jose
and San Francisco, and eight years later, in 1888, came to Washington, firsl
locating in Tacoma, where he resumed his real estate labors under the firm
name of Hogan, Catron & Company. In the fall of [889 he arrived in
Anacortes, where he purchased an interest in the townsite, and operated at
this point for the firm until the year of the terrible financial panic, when he
returned to Tacoma. In December, 1890. he was elected the first mayor of
Anacortes, and after returning to Tacoma he resumed his real estate and insur-
ance business, which, he continued until [896, and during the year of 1897
and 1898 he served as deputy county clerk. In [899 he went to British < )olum
bia and was there engaged in the wholesale grain, flour and feed business until
1900, when he came again to Anacortes and resumed his real estate and
insurance operations. Wherever known Mr. Hogan is held in high regard,
and those who know him best are numbered among his warmest friends.
THOMAS B. WALLACE.
Among the business men of Tacoma, Washington, none are more closely
identified with the growth and best interests of the Evergreen state than
Thomas B. Wallace. He was born in Lexington, Missouri, on the 25th of
November, 1858, and is of Scotch descent, his parents having been among
the early settlers of Kentucky. They removed to Missouri in the early forties,
and to them three children were born, one daughter and two sons, Nettie I!.,
Thomas B. and Hugh C.
Thomas B. Wallace, the immediate subject of this biography, received
his education in the public schools of Lexington. Mi ouri id when he was
eighteen years of age joined the United State- Engineering < lorps, and served
three years in surveying the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. In the spring of
1882 he resigned his position with th nmenl and 1 oma in
July of that year, and engaged in the real estate business. In [886 he was
one of the organizers of the Pacific National Bank of Tacoma, serving for
three years as its cashier. He was also one of the incorporators of the Fidelity
508 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Trust Company of Tacoma in 1889, of which he served as president until 1S98,
and is still < nected as a director.
During the Klondike excitement Mr. Wallace was one of the promoters
and builders of the aerial tramway across the Chilkoot Pass in Alaska, and
was its manager for eighteen months, lie has been connected with many of
the must impi ■ irises of the city of Tacoma, notable among which
were tin projecting and building of the electric street railroads of the city,
begun as early as iSSS. and with which he is still connected. Recently he has
taken an active interest in the Interurhan railroad between racoma and Scat
tie. an enterprise jusl completed, and which is meeting with marked success.
He has also been one of the trustees of the Annie Wright Seminary since its
foundation, the leading institution of learning' in the city.
In the year [896 Mr. Wallace was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth
Darnall, of Lexington. Kentucky, the daughter of George W. Darnall, Esq.,
of that state. They have three children, all horn in Tacoma: Hugh C,
Darnall and Margaret. In Mr. Wallace has been a life-long Democrat.
Al.m-RT 11. WRIGHT.
Albert II. Wright, junior member of the firm of Tyler & Wright, lo-
cators of timber claims and homesteads, and dealers in timber, mines and
mining stock, with offices in the Sunset block at Whatcom, Washington,
was born January 5, 1X4*.. at Hudson, Ohio, lie is a son of Orris Curtis
and Elizabeth (Reese) Wright, the former of whom was horn in New York
and the latter in Pennsylvania.
Orris Curtis Wright was horn in Onondaga county, New York, and
came of Revolutionary stock. The family is one of prominence in that state,
and produced Governor Galusha Wright. Orris Curtis was a miller by
trade and followed the milling business until his death in 1869. The mother
of our subject was of Holland Dutch descent. Her father was a soldier in
the war of 1812. Mrs. Wright died in November, 1891. The children of
these parents were: Major Myron T., who received his death wound at
Savannah, in 1865, when in command of the Twenty-ninth Ohio Infantry;
Albert H. served in Company G, Eighty-sixth Ohio Infantry; Dr. Norman
E., a physician at Berea, Ohio, died in 1895 ; Orris Curtis, a locomotive en-
gineer on what is now the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, died
in January, 1857, at the age of twenty-one years; David B. was for many
years construction foreman for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, now
resides retired at East Cleveland, Ohio; Mary A. Clark died in 1894, at
Medina, Ohio; Sarah Bishop died in 1857, at Little Rock, Arkansas; Lydia
Sabin died in 1865, at Olmstead Falls, Ohio; Helen J. died in 1861, at John-
son's Corners, Ohio; and Mrs. Chloe S. Holmes, who is the widow of
Henry M. Holmes, resides at Berea, Ohio; the other member of the family
being our subject.
Albert H. Wright received his early education in the public schools at
Johnson's Corners, Ohio, and after one term and a half at a select school at
Doylestown, Ohio, ran away to enlist for service in the Civil war. This was
in 1863 and he entered Company G, Eighty-sixth Ohio, as a private. He had
Sfa,
' ' -
'--
*4^
ITU nT0R' "
T1^EN FOUND,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
50'J
many experiences, and belonged to the detachment which pursued and cap
tured Morgan the raider. His was the hrst regiment to lead the advance on
Cumberland Gap in Tennessee, and also took some part in the battle at Straw
berry Plains. After completing this term of service. Mr. Wrighl retun
the army as a substitute for his eldest brother, the latter hem- a man of
family. This enlistment was in the One Hundred and fiftieth ( )hio National
Guards, and he took part in the engagement of Fort Stevens in [864. lie
was discharged in August, 1864, and returned home and began the business
of chair-maker, in which he accidentally cm off the en. I of his thumb. This
prevented a re-enlistment in the army, and he worked F( 1 sevei '1 years at
the carpenter trade in the neighborhood of Berea, Ohio. Later he went to
Michigan, and there taught school for several years Upon In- return to
Ohio he became traveling sale-man for the Cleveland Oil Company, during
his term of eighteen months with them seeing much of the northwest country.
In 1885 ne went to Kansas and taught school there fur four years, and then
came to Washington. He crossed the state line on April 1. [889.
The first year in Washington was spent by Mr. Wright in clearing land
and teaching school, and then he took up a ranch in Columbia Valley. ' In
November 10, 1889, the day prior to the admission of Washington a- a state,
in a little log house near Sumas, he was united in marriage to Mary < i. \m
brose, a daughter of a Mason county, Illinois, farmer. At tin- time -lie was
teaching school near Marion Center. Kansas. Om on, M ron wa horn
August 27, 1890, who is now a student at school.
Mr. Wright was in charge of a sawmill property near Sumas for one
year, and in 1890 he assisted in taking the United States census. Vs 1
the best informed and most intelligent and responsible men of his locality,
he was made school director and justice of the peace in Columbia Valley,
and in 1896 was made county assessor of Whai mnty. In 1897 he re-
moved from the ranch to the city of Whatcom. 1 te served two years as county
assessor and worked hard in the purchasing of the right of way for the Bell
ingham Bay & British Columbia Railway; the Bellingham l'a\ 8 I
Railway; and purchasing timber for the Bellingham Hay Impri I Com-
pany.
In 1902 he formed a partnership with Thomas Tyler under the linn name
of Tyler & Wright, an organization covering many lim tivity and one
of the leading business concerns of tin- city. Mr. Wright i- pn I the
American Eagle Mining Company, which i- i 1 ited for one million,
seven hundred thousand dollars, owning property on R intain, Whai
com county. He is also connected to a .villi the Copper Kin;; Mining
Company, 'owning properly near Sumas. incorporated l ; . five
hundred thousand dollars. At the organization of the Wl I In
terurban Railway Company, Mr. Wrighl etary. If
secretary of the Silver Lake Mining and De ' mpany.
In politics Mr. Wright is an independent, bui I
local affairs, as becomes en. Both he and v.- the
United Presbvterian church. He is a leading member of the Commei
Club, and one'of Whatcom's mosl progressive and enterprising citi
510 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
HON. GEORGE DYSAR I
The great new west, with all its vast opportunities and openings in
every line, bad been an ideal place for young men, and among other pro-
fessions it has proved an attractive place for the brighl and ambitious lawyer;
one of the leading young attorneys of the citj of Centralia is Hon. George
art, who cast in his fortunes with the stale when it was first admitted to the
Union and has made an enviable repuation in his chosen calling. The blood
of Scotch-Irish ancestors runs in tins gentleman's veins. His grandfather,
James Dysart, was an emigrant from Londonderry, Ireland, who located in
Newton Hamilton. Pennsylvania, and became one of the early farmers of
that section; he was a Scotch Presbyterian and a man who was well known
for his sturdy character. His sen. Joseph Dysart. was born ii. Newton Ham-
ilton in 1823, married Maria Martin, a native of Dayton, Ohio, and when
a young man moved to the vicinity of Princeton, Illinois, where he was one
of the successful farmers of that In 1868 he moved with his family
n> Nemaha county, Nebraska, purchased land and in time had a line farm.
His death occurred October 2, [876, when hi was fi ee years of age;
he had been a stanch Republican, a member o\ thi Presbyterian church and
an excellent man. His wife survived until (892 and died in her sixtieth year.
I In- five children born to these estimable parents are all living.
George Dysart was the youngest of the family and is the only one in
the state of Washington; his birth occurred at Princeton, Illinois, June 26,
1865. As he was only a child when he was taken to Nebraska, most of his
training was received in that state; after completing his course in the common
schools he took a course of study in the Nebraska State Normal School ami
was then prepared for the pi oi law in the University of Michigan,
from which he graduated with honor in the class of [887. I le at once returned
to Nebraska, located in Lincoln and was connected for a time with the law
firm of Billingsley and Woodward. But soon after, acting upon the little
aphorism of 1 h.race Greeley, he went west in 1889 and became a citizen of the
newly admitted, state of Washington. He hung out his shingle as a practicing
attorney in Centralia in the month of August of that year, and he has ever
since been in the front rank of the legal fraternity of the city. He has been
active in politics, and on the Republican ticket was elected in 1890^0 the
state legislature. During the following session be was a prominent member
of the lower house, and instituted many bills for the improvement of public
affairs in the state; he was the author of the Committing bill, which provided
for the committing of bo\rs to the state reform school ; he was also appointed
a committee of one to re-district the state for judicial purposes. In 1896
Mr. Dysart was elected prosecuting attorney of Lewis county, and served
the county very ably in that capacity for his term of two years. His private
practice is large; he is attorney for a number of the lumber companies in the
vicinity of Centralia. among them the Centralia Shingle Mills, the McCormic
Lumber Company, the H. J. Miller Lumber Company, the Salzer Valley Lum-
ber Company and the H. H. Martin Lumber Company. He also represents
sixteen large fire insurance companies. At the first city election in Centralia
he was chosen police judge, in 1890 was appointed justice of the peace for
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 511
the county, has served as deputy county assessor, and in all matters affecting
the public interest of city or county he has been a leading spirit.
On the ist of January, 1891, Mr. Dysarl celebrated his marriage to Miss
Cora Butler, who was born in Kansas and is the daughter of Leslie Butler,
now of Hood river, Oregon. They now have three children, Wis, Lloyd But-
ler and Lorna. The family reside in one of Centralia's pleasant homes and
are very popular in society circles. Mr. Dysart is a stockholder in many
financial concerns, is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Am
Order of United Workmen.
FRANK D. HILL.
When tine considers the throngs of youth who are constantly pouring
into the centers of trade, industry and arts of all kinds, it is a source of sur-
prise that the supply of available men is nol superabundant for the demand,
but when the call is always coming forth for men to fill good positions, we
stop to find the cause of this discrepancy. It is not far to seek. While there
are thousands who can go the round of the treadmill of common duties which
require little or no thought, there are few who can really act and carry into
execution matters of some moment. And it is a pleasure to find one in the
person of the subject of this biography who has filled satisfactorily various
places in the world's activity and is privileged to be classed among the men
who can do.
He is the son of George and Sarah ( W 1 ) I till, who were both natives
of the old Buckeye state and are now living in Tacoma, having com, here
about six years ago. Mr. Hill has followed the occupation of a brick con
tractor all his life. Frank D. Hill was horn in Cincinnati. Ohio, in [865.
He received his education in the public schools of his native city, and after
the usual period of mental training began the contracting business with his
brother, which they carried on together in Cincinnati for sonic time. Th<
1889 was a favorite year for the advenl of new settlers to Tacoma and Wash
ington in general, and Mr. Hill came to Tacoma at that time and (irsl went
into the postoffice, where he was employed for four yeai ■ - eral super
intendent. He then went to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad in the
capacity of draughtsman in the land department at Tacoma. After remaining
in this position for a little over two years, he was the choice of the Repub
lican party of Pierce county for assessor and was elected in the fall of [900.
He was re-elected in iqo2 by acclamation.
By profession Mr. Hill is an architect, and follows that pursuit as far as
his official duties permit. To sum up his character in a few words, we would
say that Mr. Hill is a quiet, unassuming man who ■■ . about his work with
a determination that brooks no obstacles and is always 1 act. In
1890 Mr. Hill went back to Cincinnati and married the lady
Miss Ella May Lane. They now have two bright children in their home,
Helen Sarah and Curtis Lane.
512 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
PHIL BRAUTIGAM.
The firm of Brautigam Brothers, lumber manufacturers, does an exten
sive business and lias a mill three miles southeasl of Napavine, where they
run a saw and planing mill and manufacture the finest kinds of lumber enter-
ing into the construction of residences, such as scrolls and mouldings. These
gentlemen have been d in the business for the p having
had a plant in Grand ! to their coming to this
state, and they understand the business from the bottom up, including the
construction of their own mill. They make up mostly fir timber, but they
also have some cedar. They have a strip of timber tributary to the mill which
is two miles wide and five n . thus affording a supply of material for
ten years.
As the name implies, Mr. Brautigam is of German !i father
and mother, Jacob and Magtalia (Teisen) Brautigam, were born in the father
land, and the former came to th< United States when a single young man
and took up his residence in Avon, Ohio. In [843 he removed to Michigan,
win llowed his occup a farmer until his death, which occurred
in [893, after hi< span of life h; red sevent) years. Ih devoted wife
followed him in [896, when 1, was in her seventieth year. Nine chil-
dren were born to the parent-, .and all but one .are living.
The brothers Phil and Joseph are the only members in this state; the
former was born in Salem, Michigan, April 1, 1866, and the latter was born
January [6, [861. They were educated in their native state and there learned
the lumber business. Seeking broader opportunities in the west. Phil came
to Seattle. Washington, on November 29, [895, .and followed milling in
that vicinity until he came to his present location in [898. Joseph came
March _», [901. In [902 Phil was married to Mis- Rachel 1 rowley, and
they have one child. Joseph is also married, and has three children. The
brothers live together .and have an excellent reputation for business relia-
bility in the county.
ROBERT YOUNG.
America, with its splendid opportunities and undeveloped natural re-
sources, is continually attracting from other countries men of enterprise, edu-
cation and energy, who, taking advantage of conditions in the new world,
develop important business interests, contributing to the wealth of the coun-
try as well as to individual gain. Of this class Robert Young, mining en-
gineer, Tacoma, Washington, is a representative. He is a native of Glasgow,
Scotland. His father, John Young, was a practical mining man, interested
in mining in Scotland throughout his entire life. The son, born at a mine,
obtained a good education in the schools of Glasgow, and after graduating
in the high school of that city and later pursuing a full course in Andersonian
University, with a view to following the profession of a mining engineer,
he sought practical experience in that line. Mr. Young supplemented his
university course by a five years' engagement with a practical mining engineer,
not only doing office work but also gaining actual field and underground
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 513
mining experience in the mines of his native country, afterwards obtaining a
government certificate as a competent mine manager under the Mines Regula-
tion Act.
When that period had elapsed Mr. Young was thoroughly qualified to
practice his profession, which lie has since followed with excellehl success,
because of his thorough knowledge of the work in principle and detail, lie
continued to live in Scotland until 1890, and fur sixteen years previous had
supervision of important mining and engineering enterprises, which gave to
him broad, practical experience. In the year mentioned lie came from the
land of the heather to the United States, making his way to Tacoma in 1
to supervise and open up gold, copper, coal and iron mines in King and
other counties for a syndicate of capitalists. He established hi- home in
Tacoma, where he has since resided, although hi- duties take him to various
points in Montana, the Northwest Territory and Alaska. lie has large
financial interests in a number of mining enterprises ami has become noted as
a thoroughly competent and experienced man in his profession, so that his
services are constantly in demand. He is never at a loss for an engagement,
and the important nature of his work brings to him gratifying returns.
Mr. Young was married in Scotland in 1879 to Miss Mary Findley,
and to them have been born four children: Margaret Scott, John Barrie,
Ethel Mary and William Chrystal. The family home is at 804 South L street,
where the hospitality and cheer of the household is greatly enjoyed by the
many friends that the family have made since becoming residents of Tacoma.
RICHARD P. CAMPBELL
The efficient and popular postmaster of Aberdeen. Washington, is the
son of J. P. and Caroline (Hargrave) Campbell. Hii father, who is "f
Scotch descent, is a native of Fountain county, Indiana, and has been a suc-
cessful and prominent farmer of that county for many years. His wife was
also born in that vicinity and is still living. The family is well known in
that part of the Hoosier state.
Richard P. Campbell was born on a farm at Attica, Fountain cout
Indiana, in 1864. his birthplace being practically the same as his father's.
He enjoyed a good education, finishing at the Attica high school. IF I
life as a teacher, and his occupation lay mainly in that direction, in his own
and surrounding counties, until 1889, when he came to Vberdeen t(
the principalship of the high school here, and during his term of office he
also graded the schools. He was principal oi the high school for two
but then gave up the teaching pn and embarked in the real •
business. He also served as city clerk for a year. While dealing it
estate he was in partnership with S. W. : lis linn
until the summer of 1902. and in addition to their large real! lions
they conducted a mercantile establishment.
In the summer of [902 Mr. Campbell was appointed |
deen, the Republican party urging him for this place. 1 1- tool cl rge of the
office on August 1, [902, and at the same time discontinued his conni
with the real estate business. Aberdeen is >ffice, with a bust-
514 HISTORY Ol PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ness of i iver ten thousand ear, and i'< >ur clerks and two citj carriers
are employed.
On March 30, 'v. Campbell was married in Aberdeen to Miss
Myrtle Barrett, and they hav< nd [solene. Since com
ing to Aberdeen Mr. Campbell has taken a foremost place among the citizens,
taken a citi rt in all matti I public welfare, be-
sides being faithful in the performance of the other duties which fall to
his lot.
ROBERT L. KLINE.
This gentleman 1 E the prominent citizens of Whatcom county,
Washington, and bi iffairs has gained a
remarkable record as a pub! in different c I lis ancestry
es back to Germany, where his father Jaci a native of Alsace, but
came to America in [8, ettled m St. Augustine, Pennsylvania, He
followed the occupal er, and the lasl years of his
life were spent in Whatcom, Washington, where he died at th< ag< of eighty
four. After he had come to this country he married Mis> Mary Cox, who was
a native Ivania and was of an old American family: hi died in
Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1881, at I of sixty-four. One of their
sons, Daniel J., is fi i and is a farmer at Welcome, Washing
ton; James, who is fori Id, is superintendent oi coal mine in
Philipsburg, Pennsylvania: Mrs. Lucy M. Gorman, one of the three daugh-
ters of these parents, died in Blair county, Pennsylvania, at the age of thirty-
six; Mrs. Elizabeth Marrow >\-^>\ at tin twenty-two, in Blair county;
and the surviving daughter, Mrs. Anna Kinney, is a widow- living at Fair-
haven, Washington.
Robert L. Kline was horn to the above parents at St. Augustine, Cam-
bria county, Pennsylvania, August 7. [858, and he remained in the place
of his birth for the first sixteen years, attending the public schools. It was
natural that he would turn to mining, that being the principal industry of
that region, and at this time, when many boys are still in school, he became
a miner and driver, and before he left the business was superintendent of the
Blaine Run colliery at 1 ■■ Ivania. But he had conceived and
cherished the idea of coming to the newer country of the west, and in the fall
of 1885 he put his thought into action, and with his wife and child setled in
Whatcom county, where he took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty
acres on the Nooksack river, twenty miles from the town of Whatcom. The
country was pretty much developed then, and Mr. Kline may be considered
one of the pioneers in agriculture in that part of the state. He was a success-
ful farmer there for fifteen years, but on the first of the year 1901 leased his
estate to his brother Daniel and moved to Whatcom, where he has since re-
ed. In partnership with Hugh Eldridge, he is in the real estate business,
with offices on the ground floor of the Pike building, and in this latest ven-
ture as well as in his previous career he has ever been very prosperous.
Mr. Kline's career as public official began in 1889, when he was elected
supervisor of district Xo. 41 of the state, and beginning with 1891 he served
A ueBMtvl
'JSU
HISTORY OF Til E ! iQND COU NTRY. 5 1 5
two terms as assessor of Whatcom county; in [895 he was elected justice of
the peace and held the office for four years. In 189 lected coun-
ty commissioner, and two years later was re-elected; while an incumbent of
this office he was largely instrumental in improving the condition of public
roads in the county, and this great interest in public improvement was highly
complimented 111 1902, when the superintendent of the Rocky Mountain
division of the United States public mads inspection expressed himself in
saying the condition of the public roads in Whatcom county had no equal
on the Pacific coast. In 1895 Mr. Kline was appointed In- Judge Hanford
of the United States circuit court to the office of United States commissioner,
and since then has heen twice re-appointed, his term expiring in [905. lie
has been secretary of the Whatcom County Agricultural Association since
1900; in politics he is a Republican, and is a member of the Knights
Pythias fraternity. -In September, 1881, .Mr. Kline was married in Si.
Augustine, Pennsylvania, to .Miss Etta M. Gates, born in Pennsylvania; a
daughter of H. A. and Mary Gates. James Harry is the oldesl of" their chil-
dren, being eighteen years old and a student in the high school; Mary, aged
thirteen, is also in school; and Glenwqod is six years old.
•
EDWARD T. MATHES.
Edward T. Mathes, principal of the State Normal School at Whatcom,
Washington, was horn August 9, 1S66. in Fulton, Kalamazoo county, Michi
gan, of German parents. After attending com'mtirl schools in his childh I.
he later entered Heidelberg University at Tiffin, Ohio, from which institu-
tion of learning he was graduated in 1889 with double honors, recei\ ing special
science honor and senior oratorical prize.
After graduation he began the work of teaching, commencing as prin-
cipal of the public schools at Wathena, Kansas, where he remained two years,
when he was elected professor of mathematics and history in Wichita Uni-
versity at Wichita, Kansas: he was also elected associati pre idenl of tin-
same institution, but in 1892 was elected superintendent of the city sch<.
of Lyons, Kansas, which position he held two years. lie w a ted
a third term, but resigned to take charge of Dr. Martin's Seminary for young
ladies in St. Joseph, Missouri. In December, [895, lie was called to the
chair of history and civics in the State Normal School at Lewiston, Idaho.
In May, 1899, he was elected principal of the State Normal School at V
com, Washington, which position he -till fills with much ability. In r8<
he was honored with the degree of Doctor of Phil in curstt, En
literary department of Omaha University, Bellevue College I1 in
cursu was upon the subjects of history and economics, and his - ting
thesis was upon the pregnant subject, " National Revenues."
In addition to his scholastic duties Dr. Mathes 1 ely,
his work in that direction including three hundred public discoui
general audiences, in addition to a large amounl His
institute work covers more than fifty engagements in several diffi
Dr. Mathes has also written several small boo itional I
and is now preparing a book upon the history of training schools which will
be a very exhaustive work upon this subject.
516 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In 1892 Dr. Mathes was united in marriage with Helen L. Junes, of
Wichita. Kansas. Under the able management <>i Dr Mathes the Slate Nor-
mal School ha< had a phenomenal growth, enrolling four hundred students in
the normal department in the fourth year. Through his energy and on ac-
count of his ability as an instructor and executh e head, this scl I has attained
national reputation, and. justly so, for it is one of the most thorough institu
lions of its kind in the United States.
HENRY A. WHITE.
Henry A. White, a leading druggist of Whatcom, Washington, as well
as a prominent citizen of that city, was born in Rock county, Wisconsin,
December28, 1853. He is a son of Anson and Mary (Kidder) White. \n on
White was a fanner and native of New York, and was killed at the siege oi
Atlanta, Georgia, August 22, [864. His wife is a daughter of Captain Kid-
der, who 1 'wind a number of sailing vessels plying along the Atlantic roast
between New York and Boston. Both the White and Kidder families came
(if English ancestry, hut were located in America many generations ago.
Mrs. White iv ■.till living, and makes Iter home in Whatcom. Three chil-
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Anson White, namely: Henry A.. Alson C,
who is a farmer of Nebraska; Rose, who was a teacher in the schools of
Wisconsin.
Henry A. White was educated in the grammar and high school "i Port-
age City, Wisconsin, later attending the Whitewater State Normal School,
and the Monroe high school at Monroe, Wisconsin, completing his literary
studies in 1871. For the following ten term^ he taught school at different
places in Wisconsin, Montana, South Dakota. Kansas and Texas, and during
all this time lie was adding to his store of information and making up his
mind as to his choice of a profession. In 1875 lie embarked in a drug business
at Riverside. Minnesota, in partnership with his uncle Libbeus White, with
whom he continued one year, and then worked for Dr. Cannon for one year
more. Between the years 1876 and 1883 he divided his attention between
teaching school and conducting drug store, ami in the latter year he removed
to Whatcom, where he established himself as a druggist, and has continued
to occupy the same location ever since. During his long residence in What-
com he has firmly established himself in the confidence of the people, and
enjoys a fine trade gathered from the best residents of the city.
In politics Mr. White is a stanch, intelligent and active Democrat. He
was the one to introduce the cultivation of eastern oysters in the state. After
talking to the fish commissioner he finally succeeded in having experiments
made with them, and proved that the eastern oyster could be successfully culti-
vated, writing many papers upon the subject. So widely did his papers cir-
culate that many became interested, and he easily secured capital to carry on
the enterprise. Mr. White organized the Bellingham Oyster Company, with
a capital stock of twenty-one thousand shares of a par value of one dollar,
which has increased to three dollars. This enterprise, organized in the spring
of 1902, has seven hundred acres of deeded oyster land, the finest in the
state for that purpose, and it is located on Samish flats in Skagit county.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 517
They grow the transplanted eastern oyster very successfully, and they will
place their product in all markets west of Chicago, and expect to successfully
compete with companies organized in San Francisco twent] irs ago.
The conditions existing in this locality conduce toward the rapid growth
of the oyster in Puget Sound, and they gain a size in six months nol reached
m three years in eastern waters. Mr. White is president of the company;
William Spiers is vice president; Fred P. ( )fferman, treasurer; J. W. Romain,
secretary. As all the conditions are particularl) Favorable, there being no
pests, a natural ground, fine climate, the future of this company is assured,
and there is no doubt but that it is destined to be a leader not only in tin-
west but throughout the country.
On June i, 1902, Mr. White was married to Miss Winona I 1
Fairhaven, and a daughter of William Lewis, of Fairhaven, an old American
family which originated in Scotland. Fraternally he is a prominent Mason,
and a member of the Order of Ben Hur. A large portion of the present
prosperity of Whatcom is due to the efforts of Mr. White, win of
its most energetic and successful business men and public spirited citizens.
HON. GEORGE McCOY.
Hon. George McCoy is one of the highly regarded citizens of 1 of
Washington, is not only prominent in tin- business circles, being one of die
leading lumber manufacturers, but has also left his impress on the public
affairs of the community, having been chosen by his fellow citizens to repre
sent them in the legislative body of tin- state, where he was influential in
securing needful laws in the interests of different clas
His parents were James and Margaret (Galligan) McCoy, and wi
both natives of Ireland, from where they emigrated to Wisconsin in 1848.
Here the elder McCoy became a prominent citizen, held various town
and devoted his active career to the work of the farm. lie died in 1899,
aged seventy-eight years, and his wife had preceded him by a year, passing
away at the age of seventy-five. They had ten children, eight of whom are
living.
The birth of George McCo} occurred in Green county. Wisi [ami-
ary 13. 186;, and the good Scotch-Irish blood flowing in his veins has prob
ably been an inheritance having something to do with
He was reared in his native state, was graduated in the high school
ville, and got his first experience in lumbering by working thr< in that
industry in the northern part of the state. He came 1- his presenl place in
October, 1890, and at once set to work to erect a mill one mile south
vine. This was destroyed by fire in 1895, and
a severe loss to the young lumberman ; but, nothing daunted. 'milt
and now has a splendid plant with a daily capacity of thirt fort)
thousand feet of lumber, and the product find
hundred acres of land, six hundred of it covered with fir timber, with
cedar. Thirty-five men are in his employ, and his profil
constantly extended; he maintains a market f
eastern part of the state across the mountains. Th< L and
518 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Loj ompany was incorporated in November, 1902, with Mr. McCoy
as president and E. \. Frosl rj and treasurer. The company has built,
at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars, an immense boom— the largest in
the state — at the mouth ol Lewis river, which will prove of inestimable value
to loggers, who hitherto have had no way of getting their logs cared for.
Aside from his business interests Mr. Met!.} has found time to devote
I- politics, and has been twice elected to the state legislature on the Repub-
lican ticket and is n ing in his second term. He has been prominent
in the passage of many of the hills during this time; he introduced a bill
to secure the right of way for logging roads; was foremosl in procuring the
passage of that important bill to prevent the state lands from going into the
hands of speculators; and it may be said that he was ever willing to put forth
his utmost efforts to advance the welfare of the state.
In 1893 Mr. McCoy celebrated his marriage to Miss Eleanor Burdick,
who was a native of his own state and the daughter of Austin Burdick, of
Edgerton, Wisconsin, lie now has two suns, both horn in Lewis county,
An- nd Allan. Mr. and Mrs. McCo) belong to the I ongregational
church, and he is a member of the Modern W lmen of America. Mr. McCoy
enjoys a high reputation for his business integrity and his excellent principles
of public citizenship.
HARRY E. LUTZ.
The Lutz family of to-day is descended from a people of that name who
were originally citizens of Germany, but early in the eighteenth century, be
cause of religious persecution, were compelled to leave the fatherland, and,
joining the thousands of ethers of similar belief, not only in Germany hut
in England, emigrated to America, where the sect flourished under the toler
ant rule of William I'enn and his successors, and became one of the great
Protestant churches, whose ramifications are now in every part of the United
States.
Michael Lutz was the founder of the American branch of the family,
and he came over from Germany in 1725, and settled near the Moravians
of eastern Pennsylvania. His home was first in Chester count)-, hut he later
moved to what is now Northampton county and settled on a farm five miles
northeast of Hellertown, among the foothills of the Lehigh range. In this
region some of his descendants are still living, with their quaint, simple, and
old-country customs, which have remained unchanged with them for genera-
tions, and this family is a fine type of the better and more successful Penn-
sylvania Germans. Michael Lutz died about 1760. His younger son Ulrich
Lutz, born in 1738, died in 1790. married Elizabeth Deis, born in 1743, died
in 1818, the daughter of an immigrant from Zweibruecken, Germany. Their
son Jacob Lutz, born September 5. 1762, died September 5, 1824; married
Elizabeth Demuth. born in 1755. died in 1841. the daughter of a Dunkard
preacher of Ouakertowu. Pennsylvania, who was a brother-in-law of Rev.
Christian Sauer, the first German printer and publisher of a newspaper in
America. Jacob Lutz was a Revolutionary soldier when seventeen years
of age.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUN l\<\. 519
The great-grandson of Michael Lutz and son i i Jacob I the Hon.
Samuel Lutz, who was burn in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, March 13, 1;
In 1802 his father and the entire famil) journeyed in two can1 red
wagons to Ohio and settled on a farm in Saltcreek township, Pickaway county,
where Samuel spent the remainder of his long life of one hundred and
and a halt years. As a boy he had an inclination for mathematics, and his
ambition led him to become a surveyor. In 1812 he enlisted in Colonel James
Renick's mounted militia for service in defense of Fort Stevenson, but the
company arrived after the repulse of the British. Samuel Lutz 1 I in
the cattle business on an extensive scale an 1 tin first man from his
vicinity to drive cattle over the Alleghany mountains to the eastern mail..
He was elected justice of the peace and served for several terms. He was a
strong Whig and Republican and was elected to the Ohio legislature four
times, in 1830, [831, [835 and 1X41). Although he was a surveyor and
legislator, the occupation of which he was mosl proud throughout his life was
farming. In March. [889, twelve hundred people assembled al his home in
Saltcreek township to celebrate his one hundredth birthd ; I hi a notable
occasion, a temporary auditorium being built near the n mmo-
date the crowd. Congratulatory letters and telegrams From
President Harrison, Governor Foraker and oilier prom ten.
John A., the son of Hon. Samuel Lutz, wa-
in Saltcreek township, December 29. 1824. When a youth he taught sch
in that neighborhood, and later entered Wittenberg Collei ielcl,
Ohio, where he graduated in [853, receiving the <'■ r of Vi-
and later that of Master of Arts. He studied law and was admitted to prac-
tice at Circleville in 1855. Pie was a man of literary tastes, and f< 1
than thirtv years was a frequent contribi aid.
He was an ardent Republican, and. besides his active career as a lawyer, took
a prominent part in public enterprise.-. For sixteen year- he was a ti
of the Institution for Imbecile Youth ' 51 appointed bj
ernor Tod; he was a member of the county 1" ; was
president of the Pickaway County Bible Society and of tb
school Association, his church being the Presbyterian. He achieved gri
prominence at the Pickaway canity bar. which lost a valuable men '
he died at Circleville, April 0. In 1855 John A. Lutz was married
cestry. Her death occurred August 26, 1
Of this marriage Harry E. Lutz was born 0 ep
tember 18, i860. His educational t. In
1879 he graduated ai : alma mater, V, I and then
spent two years traveling in Europe and the Holy Land. .
of the modern languages. He hi tion
eler, student and writer. After his return from hi
published from bis pen a book of tn itled " A
the preface of which the following:
tracts from my journals and published letters 1
through Holland", Belgium, Germany, An
sia, Denmark. Switzerland. France, Mai
Turkey, Greece, England, Scotland and Ireland. The entire b
520 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ten amid the scenes described. T was fresh from college when tin- trip was
begun, and was not yel twenty-one years of age when 1 returned home. The
book records the impressions of a student, and I have made no changes in it
to correspond with subsequent opinions which 1 may have formed." The
style of this work is succinct, the descriptions are vivid and entertaining, and
the volume contains much of value.
On his return to Circleville Mr. Lutz took up the study of law with his
father, ami eventually became ! ed with him. lie took' a prominent
part in Republican politic-;, anil > is 1 ce postmaster of Ins home town, first
by appointment by President Arthur in 1SS4. and again in [889 by President
Harrison. At the same time he wa- engaged in the newspaper business as
editor of the Circleville Herald. In [890 Mr. Lutz came to Port Angeles
and with his brother, Samuel J. Lutz, established what i^ now the oldest mer-
cantile house in Clallam 1 is, no other firm then in existence sur-
vived the panic and is doing business to daw The hoot, shoe and clothing
firm of S. J. Lutz & Company is the largest of the kind in the town, and
for some time they maintained a branch at I 'oil Crescent. In (895 Mr. Lutz
anized the Bank of Clallam county at I 'oil Angeles, which is the oldest
and leading hank of the town. lie i- tin- president, Hon. C. F. Clapp is vice
president, and S. J. Lutz is also an officer.
Mr. Lutz was married January 1. 1895, at Circleville, to Miss Florence
Haswell, whose family were neighbors to Mr. Lutz's. There were four chil-
dren horn of this union, all hoy--: Ralph, a student at Stanford University;
Donald, Harold and Hugh.
M.OXZO S. TAYLOR.
There is in the anxious and laborious struggle for an honorable com-
petence and in the career of the business or professional men fighting the
everyday battle of life, but little to attract the idle reader in search of a sen-
sational chapter, hut for a. man thoroughly awake to the reality and meaning
of human existence there are noble lessons in the life of a man who with a
clear head, a strong arm and a true heart conquers adversity, and, toiling on
through the workaday years of a life career, finds that he has won not only
success hut also something far greater and higher — the deserved respect
and esteem of those with whom years of active life have brought him in
contact.
Such a career has been that of Alonzo S. Taylor, who is yet a young man
hut is prominent and respected in the business world. He resides in Everett,
where since 1895 ne nas 'Deen president of the Union Trust Company. Mr.
Taylor was born September 22, 1867, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a
son of William G. and Catherine E. (Seaman) Taylor. The father was born
in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was of Irish lineage. The family was established in
America in 1804 by the grandfather of our subject, who left the Emerald Isle
in order to gain a home in the new world. He took up his abode in Ohio,
and it was in that state that William G. Taylor was reared. He became a
broker and died in 1898, at the age of fifty-eight years. His wife, who bore
the maiden name of Catherine E. Seaman, was a native of New York and
IpUBLlC L1BRARY|
ASTOR. LBVOX AN°
Itiloenfounc
HISTORY OF THE PTJGET SOUND COUN IKY. 521
was of English lineage. She is still living at the age of sixty years, and makes
her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. By her marriage she became the mother
of four sons and two daughters, of whom Alon The
others are L. Henry. William T.. Stuart A.. [Catherine E. and Mar) R
Katherine is the wife of Beverly L. Worden, and Mary R. is the wi
Alexander M. Candee.
At the age of seventeen years Alonzo S. Taylor put aside his text books,
having at that time been a student in the scho Milwaukee. He then
entered upon his career in the hanking business, accepting a clerkship in the
Commercial Bank of his native city, where he remained until July. [890
At that time he went to West Superior, \\ isconsin, where he was conni
with the Keystone National Bank until March. [892. At the latter dale he
came to Everett and accepted the position of cashier with the I'uget Sound
National Bank. He was thus engaged until July. 1895, when he became
president and treasurer of the Union Trust Company, and through the inter
veiling years has managed the affairs of tin- company in a wa\ to add to its
success and to< the growth of its business. 1 1 «.-_ i> a young man of keen dis
cernment and marked enterprise, and is a valuable addition to the bu
circles of Everett. His political support has always been given to tip
publican party.
WILLIAM C. BARXJigtEY.
One is often prone to look upon only one side of the world at a time, and
he accordingly sees either the dark or the bright side, either those who have
been ignominious failures or those who have reaped reasonable reward
success. And on account of this singleness of view-point we are liable t>>
fail to appreciate sufficiently the worth of those who make something of them-
selves in life, who, while leaving their companions of tin- morning here and
there by the roadside to nameless oblivion, havi pressi on and now enjoy
the fruits of industry and perseverance. This should hi- kept in mind by tin-
reader of this volume, for while here he finds the names of many who have
succeeded, he must not forget that countless numbers have failed. But the
career of Mr. Bardsley, of Tacoma, does not require thi
the judgment to be appreciated, for it is :i record of more than ordinary
cess, and he is to-clav one of the most important real 1
He is the son of William Cheetham and Sarah A. (Wil
The former was English horn, hut cam.' to in infancy. Ih-
family settled in Ohio, later in Kentucky. He be
having his business center at Memphi
came to Tacoma, where he died in [892. Mi- wife
England, and came to this country when a child. She died in .v.
tucky, in 1874.
William C. Bardslcv was horn in Newport, K<
to the public schools and' later attended the Chickerii
where he' was graduated in [876. He learned deal
under his father's eve. hut after finishing school hi
shipping clerk for James Wild. Jr.. and Compam
522 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
chants in Cincinnati. He then came west, and from 1879 to (888 was engaged
in the lumber and furniture business at Walla Walla. Washington, where he
built up a flourishing trade. In iSSS he located in Tacoma and then began
his real estate. Kan and investment business, lie has nol only made his own
enterprises profitable, hut he is a loyal citizen of Tacoma and works hard for
the advancement of its interests. lie has his office at [09 South Tenth
street.
Mr. Bardsley was married in the beautiful city of Oakland, California,
in [883, to Miss Kate M. Dement; her family has long been prominent in the
affairs of Oregon. They have two children, ami the names the) hear are
|ol,„ |). C. and Ruth.
EVER EVERS< >.\.
Ever Everson, farmer and founder of the town of Everson, Washington,
was horn on a farm in Norway, May 7, 1842, and came to the United States
in the spring of 1866. Going straighl to ( hicago, he worked there for a few
months in the works of the McCormick Harvester Machine Company. From
there he went to Stillwater. .Minnesota, where he lived for three years, work-
ing in the logging camps and in the lumber mills. From Stillwater he went
to California 111 [869, over the then just completed Union & Central Pacific
Railroad. Arriving in San Francisco, he did not remain, hut went to the
redwood forests at Big River in northern California, where he worked four
months. Returning to San Francisco, he journeyed from there by lumber
schooner to Port Madison, Washington, on Puget Sound, arriving there in
1870, and then he worked in the logging cam] 5 for < ight or nine months.
In 1S71 he came to W hate -in count)' and took up as a homestead one
hundred and sixty-three acres of virgin forest, upon part of which the town
of Everson has been limit in recent \tars. However, at that time the future
founder of a town built for himself a log cabin, which stood until [902, when
it was burned down. He worked very hard for several years, clearing up
his land to make a ranch. The work is hard, almost impossible, hut once a
ranch is made the rewards are approximately great, as the land is very rich,
and when improved now sells for one hundred dollars and more per acre.
Since he retired from his logging business Air. Everson has devoted all of his
time to ranching and stock-raising, and still owms about one hundred and
thirty acres of his original claim.
Fraternallv Mr. Everson belongs to the order of Odd Fellows. He was
the first road inspector and supervisor in the township before there were any
roads, and he still has many interesting relics of the early pioneer days. Being
a very entertaining conversationalist, he has a fund of historical informa-
tion, and is one of the most genial and best liked men in the entire county,
possessing a host of friends. He is unmarried and has no immediate relatives
living in Everson, although he has some in Minnesota and other states.
WILLIAM PARKS.
If the reader of this volume knew that the roof that sheltered him from
the violence and storms of the open heavens was made largely from the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
products which Mr. William Parks has during the last twelve years manu
factured in his large shingle mill, he would be doubly interested in this biog-
raphy; and this supposition would nol be altogether an idle imagining, for the
shingles from this mill are sent into every state of the Union and cover many
a dwelling far from the place of their origin. The mill of Mr. Parks is situ-
ated at the mouth of Lincoln creek, about live miles from the Centralia depot.
Its daily capacity is seventy-five thousand, and all shapes are made, Star.
Standard and Clear. Mr. Parks has been established long enough to have
an extensive business acquaintance, and hi irdingly grown.
If ancestry has aught to do with success, Mr. | , rtainly has an ad
vantage in the good German and Irish commingling of stock from which he
has sprung. Robert Parks, the father, was born in the state of New York,
while his wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Weaver, was :1 native of
Germany. Their lives were spent in different parts of this country and Can-
ada, and the former died in 1S73. aged forty-four years; but Mrs. Parks is
still (1902) a bright old lady of sixty-five and lives with one of 1"
ters in Lapeer, Michigan. Only four of the nine children are living, and three
of these are in Washington, Joseph, Mrs. Emma Coulter and William.
William Parks claims Canada as the place of his birth, although tin
no better native-born citizen of the United States than he: and he was born
on the day which he was to celebrate as the anniversary of the indepem
of his future home, the Fourth of July. [858. Most oi uth was spenl
in Lapeer county. Michigan, where he gained such education as was there t"
be obtained. His later success i- probably accounted for in part by tin-
that he has always stuck to one thing, for when only a boy In began the
manufacture of shingles ami has made it bis life work. Mr. Parks came to
his present location in 1892. He has branched out and is continually seeking
to improve his interests. He is a member of the Lincoln Creek Lumber Com-
pany, and with his partner. K. 1'.. Foote, lias jusl erected a sawmill with a
capacity of thirty thousand feet of lumber per d
This sketch would not be complete withoul some mention of Mr. Parks'
domestic life. He has a very happy family and has been marrii [884,
when he became the husband of Ilattie L. Moore, who was born in the state
of New York. Four children have come to brighten 'heir home, a
names of these are Maud L., Sylvia Bell, Lawrence Allen, and Homer I I
Parks, born October 11, 1902. He takes some interesl in tin- political affairs
of the country and votes the Democratic ticket. And he ell known
member of the orders of the Odd bellows and the Woodmen of the World.
JAMES I'.. SCOTT.
James B. Scott, secretary and treasurer of the I
Transfer Company of Fairhaven, Washingti
at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and is a son of Robert Scott, a n
who comes of old Revolutionarj stock, originating in England -and.
During life he was a fanner, and died in [882
wife, who bore the maiden name of Nancy M
Pennsylvania, and she died in 10- ; ninety-'
•r'-'4 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
our subject can trace back to Revolutionary heroes. The following children
were bom to Roberl Scotl and wife: Thomas, William. Andrew. Robert,
Martin. Manila. Nancy, Anne Eliza, Sarah, \deline Florence.
James B. Scott was educated at the public schools at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa,
but left school at the age of seventeen years, and worked upon a farm Eor
two years. His next occupation was with several raHroad companies, and
for twelve years he filled the various positions of brakeman, fireman and
passenger conductor, and in [888 he was made baggage master for the U. C.
& I'.. T. Co. of Portland, Oregon, and held tint position until [890, when
la- removed to Fairhaven and helped incorporate the Fairhaven Truck and
Transfer Company, he being secretary and treasurer, and Mr. M. S. Coady
president, 'flu- company operate a general truck and transfer business, and
also own and operate a livery, and it is the oldest concern of iis kind in this
Ii reality.
In politics Mr. Scott is a stanch Republican, and served as the success-
ful nominee of that ticket in the city council from [896 to iqoo inclusive.
Fraternally he is a member of the order of Elks, and is very popular in that
organization. Through steadfasl industry, uprightness of purpose and good
management Mr. Scott has worked his way to the top. and enjoys the full
confidence and esteem of all who know him.
FRANCIS A. WHITE.
The great commercial and industrial activity of the new world in the last
century has awakened the attention ami admiration of all civilized nations,
and liu-iiHss conditions have given rise to new expressions which have be-
come common in the parlance of the day as indicative of the character of the
men who control extensive interests. Two of these — "a promoter" and
"captain of industry" — are certainly applicable to brand's A. White, for his
labors have been a factor in the development of many sections of the country
and of many interests proving of great good to the United States, while at
the same time they have advanced the prosperity of individual stockholders.
Mr. White has made his home in Everett since 1892 and has done much
for the development of this city, where lie is now practically living a retired
lite, giving his attention only to the supervision of his investments.
Mr. White is a representative of his family in the eighth generation
in this country. The first of the name here was Thomas White, who came
from England to Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1624. He was a young man
and a lawyer, a son of Thomas White, a very eminent man of England, who
served as a member of the Long Parliament, which convened in 1640. There
flourished in 1530 a Thomas White who was a great favorite with the king,
and was given a coat of arms upon which was the motto " Loyal Until Death."
He is the first of the name in the direct line of descent to our subject, of
whom there is definite record. The White family of Massachusetts intermar-
ried with the family of Peregrine White, who was the first wdiite child born
in New England, so that our subject is also in direct line of that family-
Paul White was the father of Elijah White, and he in turn of Elijah White,
Jr.. the father of our subject.
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
■ AND
T1LDFN FQU-IDATIOKS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In 1832 the last named spent the winter in Albany, New York. Francis
A. White was then nine years of age and while living there he rode on the
first passenger train that was built in the United States, little realizing then
that he would one day be actively connected with railroad building. The old
line was a strap road, and the coaches were of the most primitive character.
Entering upon his business career. Francis A. White first engaged in mer-
chandising, which pursuit he followed for ten years and then turned his at-
tention to railroad work. In 1856 he went to Nebraska and was engaged in
transporting goods from the Missouri river to Salt Lake, having two trains
which were thus utilized. Thus entering a Mormon district, he did consid
erable business with that people and also For them. He spent two years in
Colorado, where he located in i860, engaged in mining on Gear (reek, near
Leadville. On the 4th day of July he crossed the mountains into what was
called the California Gulch, but did not remain there long, for mining there
was not a very prosperous venture. After two years he resumed freighting,
and in 1866 he organized a railroad company under the laws of Nebraska and
became president of the company. He secured bonds to the sum of a Inl-
and fifty thousand dollars from Otoe county and I le from Lancaster
county, and one hundred thousand acres of state land from the legislature.
He let a contract for the construction <<i thi road t<> B. 1'".. Smith, of Colum-
bus, Ohio, who formed a syndicate. of capitalists to do ;he work. Mr. White
remained upon the ground until the road > from Nebraska * ity
to Lincoln, the capital of the state, and then resigned the presidency of the
company.
Mr. White then returned to New York; but was largely interested in the
buying of real estate along the road. The panic of 1873 caused a cessation
of nearly all business, and he was not again actively engaged in business un-
til 1876, when he became one of the promoters and members oi the Mining
Exchange of New York city. He was an active member of the Exchange
until 1884 and served on a number of its important committees. Hi- experi-
ence in Colorado now proved of great vain, to him and was
in the success of the Exchange. In 1884 he became connected with the
American Finance Company, as its vice president. This companj
ganized for the purpose of securing capital to rebuild
down railroads." The first road purchased was the Toledo & Indianapolis,
which had been constructed for a distance of forty miles, and then the
pany had failed and the road was bid in at public sale. I he company whi
Mr. White had organized now formed a new company called t1 ■
Columbus & Southern Railroad Company, and the;
lay, Ohio. Preliminary work had also been done for the fui
the' road when the company sold out to other parties. Mr. Whit
position as vice president 'of the American Fin
office in Wall street. New York, in connection with I fairly
successful, but his son desired to go vest and after the death 1
Mr White disposed of his interests in tl
In 1891 he arrived on the Pacific coast and
his return in the fall of the same year he learn<
facturing city at Everett, where men were thei ing the 1
526 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
timber from the townsite. There were but two houses here, one belonging to
Mr. Rucker, the other to a white man who had married a squaw. Mr. White
decided to locate here, and returned to New York to clear up his business
affairs in the cast, and in the spring of [892 he located permanently in
Everett. He erected the first building on Hewitt avenue, a two story brick,
which is now occupied bj the Bank saloon. He also built five cottages on
California street, al the corner of Hoyt avenue, in the same year, and in the
fall of [892 he established the Fidelity Trust & Savings Bank, located in the
two story brick building which he firsl erected >' >t the new enterprise he be
came the president. There were four other banks started, and when the
financial panic of [893 swept over the county he paid ofl th< depositors and
closed the institutions a-- there w I enough business to support so man)
banking establishments. Since thai tune he has been engaged principally in
real estate operations and in building. lie has erected in Everett about fifteen
houses, which lie rents, and b 1 tint he ha- dealt in timber lands.
Mi- own commodious residence, at the corner of Hoyt avenue and Wall
street, was erected in [893, and is an ornament to the city.
Mr. White has been twice married. lie was born in franklin. N< w
Ni ork, July [9, [823, and was tl 1 about twenty-two years of age when,
in [845, in his native city, he wedded Miss Eunice A. Green. liny hail
one --"11, Creda E. White who is now manufacturing gasoline lamps in
( Imaha, Nebraska. The first wife died in (885, and in [893 Mr. White mar-
ried Mrs. Frano key) Follett, a daughter of Walter Conkey, who was
the president of the Chenango Hank. New York, for a period of Forty years.
In his political affiliations Mr. Whin was always a Democrat until his
party endorsed the issue of " free silver," hut on this issue he differs from the
party leaders. He has newer sought or desired office and refused to make
the race for the state legislature when nominated for that office in New York.
He was the president '>f the Commercial Club during the fust two years of
its existence, and his efforts in behalf of Everett and her upbuilding have
been far-reaching and beneficial. He is a financier, far-sighted and capable,
and his systematic and correct business methods have been of great assist-
ance in the material development of various sections of the country, while
at the same time they have placed him among the capitalists of the north-
west.
JOHN M. BELL.
The Bell family have for many generations been residents of Pennsyl-
vania. Great-great-grandfather Henry Bell resided at Amityville, Penn-
sylvania, and was buried at the Swatzwald church. Great-grandfather John-
athan Bell was a soldier in the Revolution, and performed a worthy part in
that great struggle. The son of this Revolutionary patriot was also named
Johnathan, and he spent his entire life in the vicinity of Amityville, Pennsyl-
vania, w here his son Albert was born. He was a school teacher by profession
and died on the old paternal homestead in 1878. He married Mary Spanagle,
who died in 1899.
John M. Bell was horn to the last mentioned parents at Reading, Penn-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
sylvania, August 29, 1849. His youth was passed on the farm, and hi
mained there assisting in its cultivation for five years after his father'- death.
When he left the farm in 1882 he was thirty-three years of age. lie then
went to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the mercantile bus
for a year. He resided with an uncle in Pottsville for some time, but in
1885 came to the Puget Sound country, which he has made his permanent
abode. On March 12 of that year he took up his residence in Port Angeles,
state of Washington, and is thus one of the oldest citizens there, the new
growth of the city having, at that time, nol yet begun. His fit rprise
was the operation of a ranch in that vicinity, and he engaged in that and
other branches of activity until 1890, at which time he embarked in the real
esate business, which forms his principal occupation at the present time.
Port Angeles is one of the coming important cities of Puget Sound.
It is now enjoying unusual prosperity by reason of the construction of rail-
roads to Seattle and Gray's Harbor. It is only seventeen miles distant from
Victoria, British Coulmbia, by ferry, and a glance at the map will indicate
the great importance of its location.
Mr. Bell has never married, and. like the majority of those who have
been proof against the darts of " Cupid," he is cheerful, optimistic, and
to take life as it comes, and he has manifested himself a worthy citizen of the
city of which he has so long been a resident. In [892 he was elected a mem-
ber of the city council from the Second ward. Three of Mr. Bell's brotl
Nelson, Franklin and Marion, were soldiers throughout the Civil war.
JOHN T. REDMAN.
John T. Redman is the vice president of the West Coast I
pany, one of the largest wholesale grocery houses in the northwest, lie is
a native son of Oregon, born in Albany, I. inn county, on the 3d of January.
1856, and on the paternal side is of Engli try, while maternally he is
descended from Scotch-Irish stock. His father, Benjamin Washington Red-
man, was born in Clark county. Indiana, November to, t8i6, and a early .1-
1852 crossed the plains with ox teams to Oregon, locating on a farm near
Albany. He began life in that state as a school ti acher, hut later made farm-
ing and stock-raising bis principal occupation, and was deeply interested in
the affairs of the territory, Inning served for many years ol tin-
county and was elected to the si tte legislature, but his life -
in death ere the session began. For many years In- n the
Baptist church, and his life was ever an exemplary and upright
on the 1 6th of April, [876. His wife bore the maiden nat imanda I
Craven, and was born in Frankfort, Kentucky. April 4. [8
occurred on August 24, .*.,,,. .Mr. and Mrs. Redman became the p
eight children six daughters and two sons, and all are still bv.ng. three being
residents of Oregon and the remainder residing in W ashui|
John T. Redman received his elementary education in the
of his native county, while later he pursued hi
versitv of Walla Walla. 1 le began the active duties oi life as an
spending two terms, of three months each, in that capacity, and h.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
tcral upon his commercial career in Weston, Umatilla county, Oregon, in
1877, entering the employ of Saling & Reese as a clerk. In 1883 he entered
into partnership with I. T. Reese, the firm being known as Reese & Redman,
and they were engaged in bi it Adam-. ( I until [889, in which
year Mr. Redman came to Tacoma and became one of the incorporators of
the Reese. Crandall & Redman Grocery Company. In [894 this corporation
was merged into the West 1 1 Grocery Company, and the firm has since
enjoyed a rapidly increasing business. Fifty-four competent men are given
constant employment by this mammoth concern, and their trade extends
through Washington, eastern Oregon, [daho, British Columbia, the Hawaiian
Islands and Japan. Mr. Redman is one of the leading business men of Ta-
coma. and is also an active worker in the Republican party, attending its con-
vention and taking the pan that all good citizens should in behalf of what he
deems to be for the best interests of his city and county. He is also an active
member of the Chamber of Commerce, and was president of thai body of
enterprising business men in [900. They have been constantlj engaged in
promoting the upbuilding oi racoma, and their efforts have met with emi-
nent suco
In [880 Mr. Redman was united in marriage to Miss Fannie M. Reese,
the daughter of I. T. Reese, his former partner but now a resident of San
Francisco, California. They have two children, a daughter, Grace, and a sun,
Herbert R. Mr. Redman is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having
received the sublime degree of Master Mason in Scio, Oregon, in the summer
of 1877, and is now connected with Lebanon Lodge No. [04, A. F. & A. M.
Personally Mr. Redman is tl I genial of men. and. though his time is
fully occupied with the details of his large business interests, he always finds
time tn devote to those of his friend- whose calls arc purely of a social char-
acter. He is a thorough t xemplification of the typical American business man
and gentleman.
GEORGE W. FRANCE.
George W. France, the postmaster of the busy town of Hoquiam on the
shore of Gray's harbor, is the son of William and Melinda (Davenport)
France. The former was a native of Yorkshire, England, and came to the
.United States about 1833. The next year he sent for his wife and children;
he took up his residence in Cuyahoga county. Ohio, and for a number of
years was engaged in woolen manufacturing and farming, but in 1853 he
came to Guthrie county. Iowa, and continued his active operations as a farmer
until his death in 1865. Mrs. France was also a native of England, the county
of Lancaster, and died in Guthrie county. Iowa, in 1872; her father had
been a British soldier, a member of the King's Guard, and was killed at the
siege of Sebastopol.
George W. France was one of the children who were born after their
parents settled in Cuyahoga county. Ohio, and the date of his birth was 1841.
He was twelve years ojd when the family went to Guthrie county, Iowa, and
located on a farm on Racoon river near the town of Dale. In this place, so
favorable to boyhood's pleasures, George spent his time at work and in the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 529
schoolroom until lie was twenty years of age. In [86] lie made a trip to the
west, to Denver and other points, but came home the following year to enter
the army. In September, 1862, he enlisted at Pan'ora, the county seat of ( , inline
county, in Company I, Twenty-ninth towa Infantry, lie was sent from
St. Louis to Arkansas and campaigned all through the southwest; he was
engaged at Helena, Arkansas. July 4, [863, was at the capture of Little Rock,
in the expedition under Steele sent to assisl General Banks in the Red
country, but Steele's forces were driven back and experienced great hard-
ships; he was in the battles of Little Missouri, Camden, Jenkins Ferry, and
at the capture of Spanish Fort in Alabama; was at the taking of Fort Bl
(Mobile), and was in that vicinity for some time; he was then sent with the
expedition to the Texas border and to Mexico to check the Maximillian in-
vasion at the close of the war; he then returned to New Orleans and was
mustered out at Davenport. Iowa, in the fall of (865.
Air. France returned to his home county, and fur the next seven years
was engaged in the cattle business, making a specialty ol shipping to Chi-
cago. In 1877 his old interest in the west was revived by the discoverii
silver at Leadville, and he took up his n • in that typical western mining
town, and the following twelve years were full of excitement as lie delved for
the precious metal. He was one of the owners of the Great Dunkin mine.
In 1889 he came on further west to Spokane, Washington, where he lived for
a year, and in 1890 came to Hoquiam. 1 1 ere lie first engaged in tin
estate business, and for eight years was agent for the Northern Pacific E> ;
Company. During this time he was twice elected to the responsible office
of city treasurer of Hoquiam, and he was recognized as such an effii
public servant that he was appointed postmaster of the town in the fall of
1899, taking charge of the office on November i-t. The bu if the
office is constantly growing, and in 1004 Hoquiam will he made a second-
class office.
In 1871 Mr. France was married at Guthrie I enter, towa, to Miss I
S. Harlan. William H. the first born of this union, is one of the ov
and cashier of the Montesano State Bank at Montesano; the two daughters
are Minnie E. and Olive E., Olive being her father'- I in the
office; Earl L. is bookkeeper m the Montesano State Bank; and
of the family is Georgia M. Mr. France is commander of Hoquiam
No. 52. G. A. R.; is a prominent Mason, being past ma Hoquiam
Lodge No. 64, F. & A. M. He and his wife are meml
church, and are held in high regard in all
FREDERICK MEYER.
Frederick Meyer, farmei 1 pital ind old settlei
ington, was born in Westphalia, Germany, in [825, and
Mena (Passe) Meyer, who were natives of the same ' died there.
The father was a miller and millwright, and t1 d that ti
In 1845 Mr. Meyer came to the United State-, locating in
where he obtained a | in a mill at Uniontown. lie could 1
530 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
English when he arrived, but soon picked it up. Verj soon after his arrival
in Uniontown he started out on a very stormy morning to take his washing
to a laundress, and lost his way. lie finally reached the railroad track and
started in a direction he thought would lead him back to Uniontown, but in-
stead it took him to Jersey City, lie then decided to cross to New York,
and having heard a good deal about the Mexican war he enlisted in a volun-
teer regiment in that city under Major Raines and was sent to Mexico. There
he was a soldier for eighteen months under General Scott. At the close of
the Mexican war he returned to New York, and, having conceived a liking
for army life, he enlisted as a soldier in the United States regular army, I' list
Artillery. With his battalion he was ordered to Washington territory under
Captain Hill, and they made the long trip around South America in the
steamer Massachusetts, passing through the strait and on Up the western
coast. San Francisco was not then in existence, nor had Portland dawned
upon the horizon of commercial life. They entered the Columbia river after
a trying dela) of seven days, working their waj over the bar at the mouth
of that river, and landed at Vancouver, Washington territory, in the latter
part of [848, and. as far as known, that early landing renders our suhject
the oldest living settler of Washington.
After a few weeks at Vancouver, Mr. Meyer, with a detachment of
soldiers, came up to the hay where Steilacoom, one of the oldest towns in
Washington, has since been built. Here he helped to build Fori Steilacoom
and raised the United States 1! it. This fort occupied the present
site of the state insane asylum, lie also, with Mr. Balch, another noted old-
timer, built the first house in the town of Steilacoom. During the Indian
wars in this vicinity the fort became well known, and General Grant spent
several weeks there.
After three or four years in the army stations at Fort Steilacoom, Mr.
Meyer decided to resign and engage in farming. He accordingly took up
a donation claim at Clover creek, several miles east, and which now lies about
the center of Pierce county as since organized. This farm he now owns, al-
though he has left the vicinity, not having lived there since 1S7S. He moved
from there to his present tine farm at the head of Lake Steilacoom. two miles
west of the town of Lakeview. which is his postoffice. After moving to this
locality he became interested in a flour mill at Seilacoom owned by Thomas
M. Chambers, and he operated the mill for Mr. Chambers, and then rented it
and conducted it for himself. He also laid out the town of Custer at his
place at the head of Lake Steilacoom. Then came the hard times, which
prevented the development of the town at that time, and he has never taken
the matter up since. In fact he has been practically retired for several years,
and lives quietly and pleasantly at his beautiful home. This has been the
family residence for twenty-five years. He has large real estate interests
in Pierce county, including city lots in Tacoma, and has always been a suc-
cessful, prosperous man since he became fairly started in life. He recalls
many interesting adventures and tales of those early days which are of great
value, and should be collected by some historical society. For several years
he served as justice of the peace, and is a Democrat in politics.
Mr. Meyer was happily married to Aggnette Chambers, widow of Thomas
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 53]
M. Chambers, referred to as connected with our subject in milling operations.
Mr. Chambers was one of the old settlers of Steilacoom and very highly es-
teemed. He had located originally, however, in Thurston county, arriving
there in 1S45, but moved to Steilacoom later when the fort was' built, anil
erected a sawmill, one of the first in the Pugel Sound country. Mr. and Mrs.
Chambers came here from Oregon.
JUDGE WILLIAM WHITFIELD LANGHORNE
Had not the genealogical records of this I 1 family beet
stroyed in the dark days of the Civil war, we should be able to write the
history of a family which reached far back into the early cenim nglish
annals, for the Langhornes are of old English stock, who settled in Virginia
m the early colonial period. But without these authentic records this sketch
must begin with the grandfather of our subject, who was William Lang-
horne and was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, occupying a prominent pi
the affairs of his native place. His son, Maurice J. Langhorne, was the
youngest of a family of thirteen children, ami was also born in the Old Do-
minion state. He was educated for the law and began the pi that
profession, but having been converted to the Methodist faith be bee. in.
of the prominent ministers <i\ that church: for several years be was president
of the Virginia Protestant Methodist conference, lie married Louisa I 1
a native of his own county, and a daughter of Benjamin Drew. The Drews
were of old English ancestry, and members of the family participated in the
Revolution and the war of [812; Benjamin Drew attained the ripe
of ninety-nine years. Nine children were the fruit of this marriage, and
five of them are living. Rev. Maurice J. Langhorne passed away in [88o,
aged sixty-three years, and his good wife soon followed.
William Whitfield Langhorne is the only member of the above family
in the state of Washington. His birthplace is Smithlield. Lie of Wight county,
Virginia, and he was born January 22, [841. After being educated in the
academy at Smithfield and Lynchburg Collegi Virginia, be began the study
of law in the office of the Hon. Robert Whitfield, a relative of the family,
and afterward a member of the Confederal. f the
Civil war he enlisted in the Sixth Virginia Volunteer Infantry. Ma'
regiment. He served in Mahone's brigade until his health gave way. and
after regaining his strength in the hospital at Lynchburg,
in the office of General Raleigh Colston for a few months
assigned to the ironclad ram. Palmetto State, in I
and he remained on this ironclad until it was blown up at I
Charleston, in January, [865. His |asi service in the war wai
mond. He was captured near Sailor'
Richmond; was in Point Lookoul (Maryland) prison, and wi d by
the United States authorities in June. 1X05. lb- n the J
of June, 1865, on taking the oath 0 nee.
After being released from Point I Mr.]
his law studies and was admitted to the bar in Virginia in I
year he removed to east IV, n;
532 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
nessee, which he carried on most successfully until the fall of 1890. He then
came i" the new stale of Washington and began the practice of law. In
1892, without solicitation on his part, he was elected judge of the superior
court of Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, Washington. I lis term
ended on January u. 1897, during which tim< he discharged his duties faith-
fully and 0 mscientiously.
In [868 the Judge married Miss Julia R. Smith, the daughter of General
Alexander E. Smith, of Tennessee, and there were born to them five children:
Maunce Alexander, who is a successful attorney in ( hehalis, and prosecuting
attorney of Lewis county, Washington; William Drew, who lived to man-
hood, and was clerk of the superii r court oi Lewis county alien his death
occurred; Lulie, who died in infancj : Elma, who is now Mrs. Roberl Bassett,
of Aberdeen. Washington; Lillian, the wife of Lynn II. Miller, of (hehalis.
Washington. Judge Langhorne is now practicing law in Chehalis, Wash-
ingti m.
ADELBERT B. CLARK.
Adelbert B. ("lark, a successful and enterprising merchant of Whatcom,
Washingti n, and one of the city's it I men. was born at Manlius, ( mon
daga county, New York, February 7. [856, and is a son of Luke and I Georgia
(Keith) ( lark, nativ< 1 inondaga county, both families having lived in
central Xew York for several generations. The father was of English de-
scent, was an ax-maker by trade; his win I Scotch ancestors. They
were among the 1 of Wisconsin, having made the trip with an ox
team, and they died at advanced ages some years ago.
Adelbert B. (.'lark -pent his summers working upon the farm, and his
winters attending the district schools in Onondaga county, until he was
eighteen years old, when he went to Chicago, in 1X74. and was there employed
by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad eleven wars, at the end of
this period, being foreman of the transfer service of the road. In [885 he
went to Idaho, and embarked in a live-stock business at Mountain Home.
seventy-five miles from Boise, and during' this time he was identified with the
Title Guarantee and Trust Company, and Fruitvale Improvement Company
of Chicago, in a land improvement enterprise, and continued in that line until
1896. About 1897 he engaged in a mercantile business at Olympia, but two
years later disposed of his interests there and removed to Whatcom. Upon
locating in that city he purchased the mercantile establishment known as
' The Fair," and is now conducting it upon methods which win him an en-
viable patronage from the best people of the city. The store is the largest
in Whatcom.
On December 24. 1888, Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss
Mollie De Luce, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. H. De Luce, of Chicago,
and this family is one of the old established ones of America. Three children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs, Clark, namely: Ermine, Adelbert, Jr..
who are at school, and baby Eva. Mr. Clark has long been a prominent
Mason, and in 1894 was elected grand master of the grand lodge of Idaho,
F. & A. M. His efficient work in that position met with universal commend-
0/r
'■
HISTORY OF rHE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ation. It was largely through his personal efforts that the Commercial Club
"I Whatcom was orgainzed. lis organization has mi od feeling
among the business men who are n ive and interested in all thai tends
to the upbuilding of the business interests of the
While a new resident ol Whatcom, Mr. (lark most popular
citizens, and is one in whom implicit confidence can be place.!. Mr. I
has been active in addressing the diffi i mmercial bodies, and
a natural oratorical ability. He has been repeate
of politics, and it is not savin-' too much to slate thai should he conclu
enter the field, he could haw any office in the gift of the people of hi
and county. He has, however, preferred I entrate h to the
upbuilding of his big business interests.
Ik \\K I). HARM.
Centralia, Washington, is peculiarly well situated in the matter of its
proximity to the great timber belt of the state, and many industries which
depend upon lumber as then- stock-in-tra^de are especially favored here. One
of these is the Centralia Sash and Dour Factory, which under the sure control
of its proprietor, Mr. Harm, has heroine one of the city's leading enter]
affording good returns to its ow'ner and also furnishing employment to man)
families of the t< wn. The facti iry is a large one and turns oul < erything in
the line of building material; from five to twenty hands find constant work
here. The product is shipped, mainly to the easl of the mountains, altli
there is considerable demand at home.
The story of Mr. Harm's life is an interestinj
ample of the steady progress of the man of thrift and industry toward a
higher goal. That old and famous north German *\<
Schwerin was the scene of bis birth, on the 13th of November, i860. The
fact that be was reared in his native land b< the thoi
trainings with which German lads are favored; and win with
three of his brothers, served three ears in the army, he being in tl
arm of the service. Bu1 the spirit of this youth of twi
within the bounds of bis fatherland, and hi to try his luck
world. So, like the young man of the old fairy tale, he ' into the
world and in 1880 arrived in New York. The firsl
on his landing in this country was the characti lebratioi
of lames A. Garfield to the presidency, thus affording h
democracy in which he had easl his lot. Wiscon in
and he was there engaged in whatever he could find li
two years. Removing to Dakota he took a pre-emption claim, an
wars' was employed in 11 of farming a new
ward Ho! has been the motto tury, and \
next field of endeavor for Mr. Harm
log house, and during his two '.car- of residi 1
• be dense timber from five acres. Mr. Harm fi
He prospected for coal and m
by the 1 m a1 I I quiam, he went there and ran a hardwi
534 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
a year and a half, and, this being a lime of prosperity for all, he had a good
business. But with good foresight lie recognized in Centralia a place for a
business, ami in [89] he returned ami established his present successful
fai tory.
.Mr. Harm has also been interested in the public welfare of his adopted
city, and as a candidate of the Democratic party was elected in [900 l" the
city council, of which he is a member at the present, being re elected since.
IU' has been doing some effective work in securing the improvement of the
streets. Mr. Harm's marriage took place in [896, Miss Myrtle Blanchard he-
coming his wife: she is a native of the state of Illinois and is the daughter of
the Rev. \\ . S. Blanchard, of Napavine, Washington. The one son who has
come into their home they have named Frank Donald. They have one of
the nice residences of the city and are known for charming hospitality. Mrs.
Harm is a member of the Baptist denomination, and he was reared in the
faith of the Lutherans; Ins fraternal relations are with the Modern Woodmen
1 if America.
EUGENE SEMPLE.
Eugene Semple was born June 12, 1X40. at Bogota, New Granada,
South America. I lis father, James Semple, of Illinois, who had been attor
ney-general, speaker of the house of representatives, chief justice of the
supreme court, senator in Congress, colonel of a regiment in the Black I lawk
war, and brigadier-general of the militia of that state, was at that time the
minister of the United States to New Granada. General Semple served two
terms as minister, first under Van Buren and second under Tyler, who was
a relative. The wife of General Semple was Mary Stevenson Cairns, of Ran-
dolph comity. Illinois, whose family came from the state of Maryland. Her
mother first married a Bond, nephew of Shadrach Bond, first governor of
Illinois, and after his death she married Dr. Caldwell Cairns, of Randolph
county, Illinois.
Eugene was the only son of General Semple. He was five years old when
His parents returned to Illinois, and spoke the Spanish language only. He
spent his life in Madison and Jersey counties until about sixteen years old,
attending the country schi k fls in winter and working on the farm in summer.
Afterward he went to the St. Louis University, studied law with Krum &
Harding in St. Louis, and finished his education by graduating from the
law school of the Cincinnati College. As soon as he received his diploma he
carried out his long cherished intention of going to the then far-off state of
Oregon, and arrived at Portland in the fall of 1863 via Xew York, Panama
and San Francisco. He practiced law in Portland continuously, except two
summers spent in the mines of Idaho and Washington, until 1868, when he
engaged in newspaper work, first as a reporter and afterward as the editor
of the Daily Oregon Herald, the leading organ of the Democratic party in
the northwest. He was preceded as editor of the Herald by Sylvester Pen-
noyer, afterward governor of Oregon, and succeeded by Hon. C. B. Bellinger,
now L'nited States district judge of Oregon. Mr. Semple kept at the head
of the Herald, the motto formulated by him : " In all discussions of Amer-
THE NEW Yn\
fPUBL/C L/BR
|T«-DEN FOUND.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 586
ican policy with us. liberty goes first." The Herald was a strenuous opponent
of Chinese immigration, and an advocate of railways, claiming, however, al-
ways that their aggressive tendencies should be held in check by proper laws,
so that they would be the servants of the people and not the masters of the
people. It was under the leadership of the Herald that the .ureal victor)
of Democracy in 1S70 was gained. The result of the victory was lo make
Mr. Semple state printer, which position lie held until [874 Hie years from
1870-74 comprised what was known as the Holladay regime. It was the
first period of railway construction in Oregon, and a furore was worked up
which disturbed all the political, social and commercial relations of the
.Mr. Semple maintained a very aggressive attitude in the //<•/<//</. demanding
that the railways should he the servants of the people, hut they were the
masters of the people, for the time being at least, and the HcraJd went down
before their opposition, ruining its owner financially. The war was waged
with especial fierceness around the legislature of tin n of [872, result
ing in several personal encounters and finally in a pitched battle in which the
chief of police of Portland, the president of the senate, and one of the senators
were engaged on one side, and the state printer on the other; weapons were
used, and the parties engaged were seyerely injured. At that time Ben I lolla
day published the Daily Bulletin in Portland, and the paper was devoted al-
most exclusively to the abuse of Mr. Semple. Any unfavorable comment on
that gentleman that appeared in any outside paper was reprinted in the Bui
letin with complimentary allusions to the writer. As a result nearly 1
paper in Washington and Oregon took up the cry. and the atmosphere became
very sultry. In self-defense -Mr. Semple started a sm;ll| .lady at Salem
called the Mercury. This paper was mainly devoted to attacks upon Ben
Holladav and his adherents, and finally began publishing a " Life of Ben Hoi
laday." The first chapter contained so many disclosures that Mr. Holladay,
who' was not proud of several incidents in his life, was constrained t" ask
for a truce. Upon his agreeing to thereaftei ppn all allusions wh;
to the state printer in the Bulletin the Daily Mercury was suspended, it
sion having been accomplished. These two episodes illustrate the condition
of politics in Oregon at that time.
While state printer, Mr. Semple printed th( 1 1 1874; Judge Deady
was chairman of the code commission, and furnished "copy"
name of the principal river of Oregon was spelled " Wa
gentlemen had previously had a news]
now the issue was reduced to the "personal equation."
yield and neither cared to push his opinion to thi
in the text " Wallamet," and the word "Willamette- placed ii
Mr. Semple claiming that a printer had the right '
word was obviously misspelled.
In 1874 Mr. Semple leased a farm 111 bane counl I I
ward purchased one in Columbia county, follov
until [883 when he engaged in the manufactun
first to practically inaugurate in the northwest the now
making the state of Washington 1 iroughout the I
In 1884 Mr Semple built the Lucia Mil'
030 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
and became a citizen of that city. He was appointed governor of Washington
territory by President Cleveland, and was the candidate of the Democratic
parly for the office of governor at the lirst Mau- election, running nearl) six
hundred votes ahead of his ticket. He removed to Seattle in 1890 and lias
resided in that city since.
While in Oregon, Mr. Semple held the office of police commissioner of
Portland, and was once the Democratic candidate for mayor of that city, lie
also held the office of clerk of the circuit court in Columbia county, and was
appointed brigadier-general of the National Guard by Governor Grover, but
was compelled to decline the honor on account of severe financial reverses.
While a member of the Vancouver board of trade Mr. Semple was the
prime mover in forming the Columbia Waterway Association, designed to
secure the opening of the Columbia river to free navigation, a project which
he began to agitate in 1869 and has constantly agitated since.
In 1878 he offered in the Democratic state convention of Oregon a r< 0
lution in favor of forfeiting the land grant of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company and using a portion of it to build locks at the Cascade and The
Italics of the Columbia. The resolution, however, was not entertained, the
furore over railways not having sufficiently subsided, and the importance ol
an open river not then being fully appreciated. At the second session of the
Columbia Waterway Association Mr. Semple read a carefull) prepared paper
on river improvements, in which he outline'! a comprehensive scheme E01 eco
nomically navigating the Columbia river and its tributaries. He was ap-
pointed by Governor Ferry a member of the state hoard of harbor line coin
missioners, and while acting in that capacity had charge of the harbors of
Seattle, Ballard, Blaine. Vancouver, Sidney and Shelton.
While a member of the state harbor line commission Mr. Semple was
deputed by the attorney-general, Hon. W. C. Jones, to conduct the defenses
in a number of suits that had been brought against the commission at Seattle.
The results of these suits being to firmly establish the title of the state of
Washington to the beds and shores of its navigable writers. Mr. Semple saw
an opportunity to carry out his previously conceived project of improving the
harbor at Seattle by excavating the official waterways and filling in the ad-
jacent tide lands. Accordingly he drew a bill, which afterward became the
law of March <), 1803. entitled " An act prescribing the ways in which wati 1
ways for the uses of navigation may be excavated by private contract, etc."
Under this act he obtained a contract for excavating waterways through the
tide lands and a canal through the hills to Lake Washington, at Seattle.
This project is now being executed by the Seattle & Lake Washington Water-
way Company, of which Mr. Semple is president, and up to this date some-
thing over one million dollars have been spent on the work.
Mr. Semple was married in 1870 to Ruth A. Lownsdale. daughter of
Hon. Daniel H. Lownsdale, one of the founders of the city of Portland, Ore-
gon. The issue of this marriage was Adria Maud.- Semple. now the wife
of Lieutenant Edward Moale, United States navy; Zoe Agnes Semple;
Mary Ethel Semple, now the wife of F. E. Swanstrom, Esq., assistant gen-
eral manager of the Seattle & Renton Railway Company : and Eugene
Lownsdale Semple, the only son. Mr. Semple has been a widower since
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 537
1883, and has devoted himself to the education and training of his children.
Mr. Semple's family has been connected very prominently with the
affairs of the Pacific coast. His father took a leading part in the "Fifty-
four-forty or fight " campaign, making speeches in the Mississippi valley as
early as 1842 in that behalf, and on January S. 1N44, he introduced in the
United States senate a resolution requesting the president to give notice to
her Britannic majesty of the desire of the government of the United States
to abrogate the treaty of joint occupation of the Oregon country. His uncle,
Robert Semple, was editor of the first American newspaper printed in Califor-
nia, was president of the constitutional convention of that state, and founded
the city of Benicia. His half-brother, Lansing I',. Mizner, was a pioneer of
California in 1S49, held many official positions, including collector of the
port of San Francisco, president of the state senate, presidential elector and
minister to Central America. His cousin, Will Semple Green, was one of the
founders of the city of Colusa, California, and has been for forty-two years
editor of the Colusa Sun. in which capacity he has wielded a potent influence
in public affairs.
ANTON HYLAK, SR. AND JR.
These two highly esteemed citizens and men of large business capacity
have been residents of Lewis county, Washington, since 1875. They have
not contented themselves with one branch of the agricultural industry, but
have engaged successfully in various enterprises. They are at present located
eight miles east of the city of Chehalis. and there have a water power saw and
grist mill, and are extensive producers of lumber and flour. They also have
a nice farm and make a specialty of raising fine Hereford cattle and Norman
Percheron horses. They own fifty head of cattle and a number of horses.
Their especial prize is a splendid Norman Percheron stallion, four years old
and weighing over eighteen hundred pounds; it is a beautiful dark-gray animal,
with a most equable temper, and its form is such as an artist might have
modeled who wished to portray the highest conceivable ideal of a horse; the
owners are justly proud of this magnificent creature.
Anton Hylak, Sr., is a native of Bohemia, and passed his youth and was
educated in his native land. He married a young lady of his own town.
Miss Frances Dubervaw, and two children were born to them while they
resided in their fatherland, Annie and Anton. Annie is now the wife of Mr.
Deggler, the sheriff of Lewis county, and they reside in Chehalis. On his
arrival in Washington Mr. Hylak first bought two hundred acres of land on
his present location, and on this built his mills and at once set to work with
the industry and business management which have since insured his success
and made him one of the most reliable citizens of the county. He votes for
the Republican party, and he and his good wife, now well advanced in age,
reside on their farm near the mill.
Anton Hylak, Jr., who was born in Bohemia about 1867, was but six
weeks old when his parents came across the ocean and made their first settle-
ment in Iowa, and was only eight years old when he came to this state, where
he grew up and received most of his early training. As soon as he was old
o
538 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
enough he took an active part in all the enterprises of his father, and by their
combined efforts they were soon able to purchase two hundred and fifty-five
acres, so that they are now the owners of four hundred and fifty live acres
of excellent land and are accounted among the well-to do people of the county.
Anton, Jr., took for his wife Miss Rena McFadden, the granddaughter of
Judge McFadden, one of the pioneer judges of the Mate When Mr. Ilvlak
became of age he was made a Master Mason in the Chehalis lodge X". 28,
F. & A. M., and he has served in the office of senior warden, lie is also a
member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient ( >rder oi
United Workmen, lie makes his home with his father, and it is a pleasure
to see the amicable relationship existing between lather and sun, who by this
harmonious agreement have met with such excellent success in all their un-
dertakings.
FRANK M. McCULLY.
Frank M. McCully, the deputy superintendent of public instruction of
the state of Washington, is a gentleman who has devoted the best years of
his life to educational work and has acquired a high reputation in the diffi renl
departments of school management. 1 li- ancestors were Scotch, and emigrated
to this country at an early day, settling in New Brunswick and later becoming
the pioneers of Ohio. And in this latter place William II. Met ully, the father
f our subject, was horn on December _>. [829. Afterward his family raff ed
to Iowa, locating near Burlington, hike many others he took his oxen in
1852 and crossed the plains, undergoing many hardships on the way, and
located at Harrisburg. Linn county. Oregon, lie there engaged in farming
and mercantile pursuits, and in 1856 married Margaret Cannon, a native oi
Illinois and of Irish-Scotch ancestry, the daughter of Thomas and Jane
(McCoy) Cannon. They continued to reside in Linn county until 1866, when
they removed to Salem. Oregon, hut the husband now resides with his
children, retired from active life, in his seventy-third year. His has been a
representative life of the brave men who first made the great west open to
civilization. Five children were born to these parents, but only two now sur-
vive, Mrs. Emma Coshaw, of Brownsville, Oregon, and Professor McCully.
The latter was horn in Harrisburg. Oregon, on the 2nd of October, 1857,
and received his education in the Willamette University of Salem, Oregon,
graduating in 1877 with the degree of B. S. He at once engaged in teaching
and newspaper work. He was connected with the Columbia Chronicle at
Dayton, Washington, with the Pomeroy Republican at Pomeroy, Washing-
ton, and for six and a half years controlled the Wallowa Chief lain at Joseph,
Oregon, a Republican newspaper. For five years he was publisher of the
School Journal at Ellensburg. and of the Washington* School Journal for teach-
ers at Olympia. Mr. McCully was principal of the Dayton schools for six
years, of the Ellensburg schools for eight years, was county superintendent of
instruction of Columbia county 1879-81, and county superintendent of in-
struction of Wallowa county, Oregon, 1889-91, and has practically been
engaged in educational work all his life. In 1901 Hon. R. B. Bryan, state
superintendent of instruction, appointed him his deputy superintendent, at
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 539
the time of his appointment being principal of the Ellensburg schools ; he
then resigned to accept his new place, which he is now filling with entire
satisfaction to all concerned.
Professor McCully was married in 1880 to Emma Carson, born in the
state of California, but reared and educated in Washington, the daughter of
Isaac Carson, of Tacoma. Of this union three children were born, but only
one, a son, survives, — Merritt L., who is attending college at Tacoma. Mrs.
McCully is a valued member of the Congregational church, and Mr. McCully
is a Woodman of the World, and was commander of the Ellensburg Camp
of that order for three years. In their home in Olympia they meet their large
number of friends, and they enjoy the esteem and respect of an ever-widening
circle of acquaintances among the best people of the state. Mr. McCully has
ever been a friend of culture, and the cause of education finds in him a true
representative of all that is high and good.
MICHAEL EARLES.
Michael Earles. one of the leading citizens of Fairhaven, who has been
prominently identified with the development of the great west and of various
sections of Washington in particular, was born September 20, 1855, at Janes-
ville, Wisconsin. He is a son of Thomas and Johanna (McMahon) Earles,
the former of whom was born in Ireland, and by occupation was a farmer
and was also interested in the lumber and shingle business. He died in
October, 1902. The mother of our subject was also born in Ireland and
now resides at Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Mr. Earles is one of six children, the
others being: Dr. W. H. Earles, a dean and professor of surgery in the
Milwaukee Medical College; Miles, engaged in mining at Ferney, British
Columbia; John, engaged in a lumber business at Fairhaven and a member
of the Washington state senate; T. R., an electrician of Kaukauna, Wisconsin;
and Margaret, wife of Michael Hussy, in the lumber business at Waukegan,
Illinois.
Michael Earles was educated in the country schools of Manitiwoc county,
Wisconsin. After leaving school in 1872 he worked in the lumber regions in
Wisconsin during the winters and on his father's farm in the summers until
he was twenty-two years old, when he went to Texas and spent two years there
working as a carpenter. The next four years were spent in railroad con-
struction in Kansas and Colorado, and in 1881 he went to Butte, Montana.
Here he remained five years engaged in mining. In 1886 he assisted in the
construction of the Montana Central Railroad from Butte to Helena. From
there he moved to Thompson Falls, and there engaged in lumbering for two
years.
In the spring of 1890 he moved to Puget Sound and engaged in railroad
construction. In the following year he went to Clallam Bay and built a saw-
mill which he operated for two years, and then engaged in logging in King
county. Washington, for two more years. Then he moved to Port Crescent
and there continued in the logging business under the firm name of the
Seattle Logging Company.
In 1897 Mr. Earles went to Fairhaven and purchased the old mill of the
540 HISTORY OI- THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Pacific Coast Trading Company, which he renovated, and added to the planl
a shingle and planing mill. Two years later he --till further d, buying
the property of the Export Mill, and he now owns and operates the largest
combined shingle and sawmill on Bellingham Hay. Mr. Earles has been con
nected with many leading and successful enterprises. He was one of the
organizers of the American Savings Bank of Seattle, ami is a director and
stockholder; is president and owns a controlling interest in the Hughes-
Mcintosh Lumber Compan) of Minneapolis; ami owns the two steam tugs,
the Augusta and the Wallowa. In politics Mr. Earles is a prominent member
i>f the Republican party.
ROBBINS BROTHERS.
This name is well known in connection with the business interests of
Everett. The members of the firm are Herbert E. ami William I.. Robbins
ami since organizing their company in [894 they have built up an extensive
transfer business under the name of the Robbins Tin I ompany, the
extent ^i their operations ami the volume of their patronage now returning
to them a good income, and both brothers occupy an enviable position in the
public regard as representatives of the business interests of thi ection of
Snohomish a Hint)'.
Edwin F. Robbins, their father, was a native of England. When only-
six years of age, however, he was taken to Ontario, Canada, where he was
reared and has always since carried on agricultural pursuits, now having
reached the ripe old age of seventy-four, while his wife is sixty-four yeai
of age. She was Mis- Henrietta Whitley, a lister to the I Ion. II. J. Whit-
ley, of Los Angeles, California.
In the family are the following sons and daughters: Weslej ' )., who
is engaged in the furniture business in Fernie, British Columbia; II. E. and
W. L. of Everett; Alfred W. ami Fred II.. who are engaged in the stock-
raising husiness in Alberta; M. Elleanor, the wife of \. T. McNeeley, one of
the leading grocerymen of Everett: Grace. Etta and David, the youngesl oi
the family, are still at home. Herbert E. Robbins was horn in Strathroy,
Middlesex county, Ontario, Canada, on the 24th of October, 1870, and
William L. Robbins on the 1st day of May, 1872. The former was educated
in the public schools of Strathroy and Collegiate Institute at Strathroy, and at
the age of sixteen he left school, coming then to the northwest. He remained
for about one year in Oregon, after which be went to Ellensburg. Washington,
when he accepted a position as a clerk and bookkeeper in a store, serving in
that capacity for about one year. In 1888 he removed to Fairhaven, Wash-
ington, and went into the transfer business with his brothers. They built up
an extensive business which they conducted during Fairhaven's boom days.
In 1891, when Everett started to boom, they were the first to he upon the
ground, and their business prospered there until the financial panic of [893
enveloped the entire country, after which Herbert E. went to Alberta to his
brother's ranch. He spent about four months there and then returned to
Everett, and with bis brother William L. continued in the transfer business.
In the summer of 1894 he went back to Ellensburg, returning in the fall
o
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 541
with a few horses, and has ever since mad./ Everett his permanent home.
From that small beginning the brothers have built up an excellent busi-
ness, which has grown in volume and importance until its financial side is
represented by the sum of fifty thousand dollars. They have excellent equip-
ments, including over seventy head of fine horses, five carriages and good
transfer wagons. H. E. Robbins acts as general manager, while \Y. L. Rob-
bins superintends other departments of the business. They operate the most
complete transfer business in the United States. Their ambulances are the
finest equipped in the United States, and their hotel busses, hacks, carriages,
machinery trucks, furniture vans, baggage wagons, scenery trucks are up-to
date in every particular. They own a block in the central part of the city,
fitted up with twelve fine sample rooms for the accommodation of the com-
mercial men. They own large storage rooms and their barn in 58x120 feet,
and they use four floors, their employes numbering over thirty men. They
also buy and sell horses and the magnitude of their business at the present
time has made their enterprise very profitable.
On the 9th of June, 1896, H. E. Robbins was united in marriage to Miss
Irene Sumner, a native of Minnesota, a daughter of Fred W. Sumner, of the
Sumner Iron Works of Everett, and one of the leading and influential busi-
ness men here. To Mr. and Mrs, Robbins lm-e been born a daughter, Agnes
J., who is now past four years of -age. ■ TI. E; .Robbins is very prominent in
a number of fraternal orders, haying been honored with a number of offices
and is now a Past Sachem of the Order of Red Men. and a prominent mem-
ber of the Great Council of Washington. He is a charter member of the
Elks lodge in Everett, and also hoMs membership with the Knights of
Pythias and with the uniform ra'rik: -He is. a member of the Rathbone sisters,
the auxiliary of the Knights of Pythias; has taken the Pocahontas degree,
the auxiliary of the Red Men; is a past chief ranger of the Foresters of
America and belongs to the Royal Arcanum. In all of these organizations
he is prominent, and his fellow-members entertain for him a high regard.
W. L. Robbins. who attends strictly to business, is a member of the Odd Fel-
lows' Lodge. There is no firm better known in the business circles of Ever-
ett than the Robbins Transfer Company, and the partners, II. E. and W. I..
Robbins., are both men of excellent business ability, of marked enterprise and
creditable determination. Although they have suffered hardships and mel
obstacles they have persevered in their work, and to-day they are at the head
of a prosperous business. Their methods, too, have been of a commendable
character, winning them the confidence and good will of (he general public,
and in the history of Everett and north Washington they well deserve rep-
resentation.
LINDLEY H. HADLEY.
Lindley H. Hadley, a leading member of the Whatcom counts- bar and one
of the prominent and representative citizens of Whatcom, was horn June 10.
1861, at Sylvania. Indiana, and is a son of Jonathan and Martha (McCoy)
Hadley, of mixed English, Scotch and Irish extraction.
542 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Jonathan Hadley was also born in [ndiana and there pursued an agri
cultural life until his death in [892. His widow reside- al Bloomingdale,
Indiana. Our subject has two brothers, Hiram E. and Alonzo. The firsl of
these is judge on the supreme court bench of the state of Washington. From
being a superior court judge, beginning in January, [897, he was elected
again in the fall of [91 after assuming the duties of the office, was
appointed to the supreme bench by Governor Rogers, under the act increasing
the number of judges from five to seven. He took his place on the bench
in April. [901, for a term ending by limitation in October, [902, when he
was nominated by acclamation by the Republican party in convention, and
in the fall of this same year wa 1 for the full term ol ears, b<
ginning his duties in January. [903. Alonzo M. Hadley is associated with
our subject in a law practice in Whatcom, the firm name being I >orr iK: I [adley,
('. W. Dorr being the senior member.
Lindley II. Hadley obtained his education in the common schools of his
native locality ami latei took a course at Bloomingdale Academy, at Bloom-
ingdale, Indiana, which he completed in 1878. After two terms of teaching
In- took a course in the department <>\ liberal arts in the Illinois Wesleyan
University at Bloomington, entering the institution in [880 and completing
his studies in [882. lie then taught in tin- common schools of Indiana for
one year and served as principal of the graded schools at Staunton, Indiana,
later being elected superintendent of school-- at Rockville, Indiana. After
serving in tin- capacity for six consecutive years, he resigned in order t<> begin
the practice of law, winch he had been studying under the direction of tin- firm
of Puett & Hadlev at Rockville. In that place he was admitted to the bar in
[889.
In iSo<> Mr. Hadley moved to Whatcom, Washington, forming a law-
partnership with his brother and Thomas Slade, the style being Slade, Hadley
& Hadley. In May. [891, this partnership was dissolved, hut he continued
in practice with his brother until October, [891, when the firm was reorganized
with the admission of C. W. Dorr, and as Dorr. Hadley & Hadley, continued
to do business until November, 1806. when H. E. Hadley withdrew, by reason
of his election to the superior court bench, and the firm was continued in its
present shape. In December, 1900, Mr. Dorr removed to San Francisco,
hut there has been no change made in the firm name, although our subject has
associated his brother, A. M. Hadlev. with him. They are known as safe
legal advisers and have a large corporation practice.
In politics Mr. Hadley is a Republican and is usually sent as a delegate
of his party to the various conventions. He has taken an active interest in
its deliberations, and advocates its principles with pen and on the platform.
From 1893 to 1899 ne served on the school hoard, hut his business claims the
greater part of his time and attention. In the position of legal adviser he
has done much in assisting the establishing of many important companies
doing business in this section.
On June 1. 1887, he married Lavalette Cross, who was born and brought
up in Indiana, although her father. Dr. J. F. Cross, was a native of Virginia,
as was her mother also. The family resided in Virginia until after the close
of the Civil war. Dr. Cross was a practicing physician at Rockville. Indiana,
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 543
but is now located in Whatcom. He was captain in the Confederate army.
Two daughters have been born to this union, viz.: Virginia Fleming, born
in 1892, and Helen, born in 1899. Mrs. Hadley is a member of the Presby-
terian church, while Mr. Hadley has a birthright membership with the
Friends. Fraternally he belongs to the different branches of Masonry, has
filled all offices, and served three years as commander of Hesperus commandery
No. 8, and also belongs to the Elks.
'&•
JOHN PAYNE HOVEY.
John Payne Hovey, a prominent real estate dealer of Tacoma, and one
of the successful business men of the city, was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, in
[847, and is a son of John Dustin and Susan Payne Hovey. His father was
born at Londonderry, New Hampshire, and his mother, whose maiden name
was Susan Payne, was born in the historic town of Marietta, Ohio. His father
came west to Marietta with his parents early in the nineteenth century. At
that time Marietta and Cincinnati were among the few large settlements west
of the Alleghanies. His father attended school at Marietta College, and
after completion of his course, studied law and was admitted to practice in
Cincinnati in 1845. Both the father ami mother have been dead for several
years.
The grandmother of our subject, Abigail Dustin Hovey, was directly de-
scended from Hannah Dustin, famous in the early history of Massachusetts
for her remarkable encounter with the Indians. With a baby one week old,
she was captured and taken by them from her home in Haverhill, being held
captive for several weeks, during which time they killed the baby. She took
a tomahawk one night while her captors were asleep and killed ten, sparing
one squaw and child. She then escaped in a canoe down the Merrimac river,
taking home, as trophies, ten scalps and the gun and tomahawk of the Indian
who killed her child. A monument has been erected to her memory on Dustin
island near Concord. New Hampshire, on the spot where she killed the
Indians, and she is remembered as one of the illustrious women of those days.
The paternal ancestry of the family goes back to the early Puritan days,
about 1635, when they came over from England and settled at Ipswich, Massa-
chusetts, where some of their descendants are still living. The ancestry on
the maternal side is equally distinguished, as Mr. Hovey's mother was related
to John Howard Payne, the celebrated author of "I [ome Sweet Home."
The primary education of Mr. Hovey was obtained at Batavia, a few
miles from Cincinnati, and later be spent several years in the high school at
Russellville, Ohio. During this period while he was laying the foundation for
a substantial education, he was employed at various time-, in the mercantile
business. At the age of sixteen he went to Nashville, Tennessee, and was
appointed a messenger in the quartermaster's department of the Union army,
under General George H. Thomas, and was in the service until the close
of the war, when he returned to Russellville, finished his education, then went
to Frankfort, Kentucky, and taught school for about two years. Returning
again to Ohio, he accepted a position in the -tore of W. F. Curtis & Company
at Marietta, but two years later went back to Russellville and formed a part-
54:4 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
nership with John I). Seip, in the general mercantile business, remaining there
until 1871, when he married Mi R ca Meharry Miller, daughter of John
A. and Margaret Miller, of that place. After his marriage he settled al La
fayette, Indiana, and was engaged in the dry-goods business until 1877, when
he decided to move to Kansa I p m locating at Wichita, he engaged in the
loan business, being appointed agent for the Kansas Loan & Trust I ompany
hi" Boston, and later was connected with the mercantile establishment oi ( ie
Y. Smith X- ( 'ompany.
In [88] lie came to Tacoma with his family, accompanied from Wichita
by Thomas L. Nixon and his family, and was employed by tl ma Mill
Company as manager of its stun', which was operated as an adjunct to its
extensive lumber mills, lie arrived by steamer from San Francisco aboul the
first of May. Taking charge of the business, Mr. Hovey built it up to large
proportions, not only locally, among the retail trade, hut he also did an ex-
pensive jobbing business throughout the Puget Sound country. Having al-
ways had confidence in the future of tins locality, he, in [887, withdrew from
a mercantile life and embarked in the real c , loan business, in which
he has since continued. For some time he was in partnership in this line
with Thomas I.. Nixon and A. ('. Brokaw. Buying Nixon's inter i. Ilnvey
& Brokaw carried on a very successful husiness together until [898, since
which time Mr. Hove) has conducted it alone Having made large purchases
of city property, farms and timber lands throughout the state, Ins operations
of late years have been mostly in his own property. \\< •■ one of the organ-
izers of the National Bank of Commerce 1 na. and has at various times
filled the office of director. His office is centrally located at 4J4 California
building.
Mr. and Mrs. Hovey are the parents of three children, namely: Arthur
M., born at Russell ville, Ohio, is a graduate of the University of Michigan at
Ann Arbor, class of 1898; Ivy S., horn at Wichita. Kansas, is a graduate of
the University School of Music at Ann Arbor, Michigan, class of 1902; John
M., born at Tacoma. is now a student in the Tacoma high school. Great,
care has been taken with the education of these children. Their parents have
always encouraged them in their studies, and they are but following in the
footsteps of their a in displaying a fondness for education. The
family worship at the First Presbyterian church of Tacoma, of which the
parents are members, and socially they have always been important factors in
the city of their adoption.
LEWIS S. ROWE.
Lewis Solomon Rowe is a pioneer settler of the Pacific coast, having es-
tablished his home in California in 1854; he is now the treasurer of the
Pioneer Society of Washington. A wealthy and respected citizen of Seattle,
there is much in his life history of interest to his many friends in this part
of the country. He was born in Madison, Maine, on the 31st of August,
1834. and is of English and Scotch ancestry, the family having been founded
in New Hampshire at an early period in its history.
Solomon Rowe, the father of Lewis S. Rowe, was born in the old
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 545
Granite state, and married Miss Betsey Richardson, of Maine, a lady of
Revolutionary ancestry. Their union was Messed with ten children, but only
four are now living. The father was an industrious farmer, and had large
tracts of land, which were largely operated by his sons, while he devoted
his time to the work of the ministry as a preacher of the Baptist denomina-
tion, leaving home in order to pronounce a wedding ceremony or perform the
last sad rites over the departed. His life was an honorable and helpful one
and he made many friends, who deeply mourned his loss, when at the age of
sixty years he was called to his final home. His wife passed away at the
age of sixty-seven years.
Lewis S. Rowe was the youngest of the family. He attended the public
schools and when about fourteen years of age left home to make his own
way in the world, walking fifty miles alone to Bangor, Maine, where he
hound himself for three years to John Wingate to learn the carriage-maker's
trade, being paid thirty dollars for the first year, and sixty for the second,
but during the third year he concluded that his employer was not treating
him fairly and left him. He then went to work in a locomotive factory, in
which he was paid a dollar and a half per day. After remaining there for
two years he took passage on a sailing vessel for San Francisco. The ship
was the Orizaba. He had gone aboard as a stowaway, intending to work his
passage. When he arrived in San Francisco he blacked hoots, for which he
was sometimes paid a dollar, but soon he got employment which offered
better opportunities.
In 1856 Mr. Rowe returned to New Hampshire and entered the employ
of Abbott and Downing, carriage manufacturers, and remained there five
years, and in April, 1861, again went to California, sailing on the steamer
North Star from New York. The vessel encountered a severe storm, in which
it lost a mast and was obliged to put into port for repairs. Upon his return
to San Francisco Mr. Rowe secured employment with Kilbourne and Bent,
carriage manufacturers, at the corner of Third and Market streets. At first
he was paid five dollars per day and was then put in charge of the shop, work-
ing by the piece. In this way he made from sixty to seventy dollars per week.
In 1862 he went to Honolulu to take charge of a carriage shop there, but did
not like the place, and after three months returned to San Francisco. After-
wards he went east to Topeka, Kansas, and remained there one year, then
going to Newton. Kansas, and started the firsl store in that town, hauling the
lumber for thirty miles with which to build his store. There he secured an
extensive business and when the Santa Fe Railroad was built he shipped his
goods by the carload, but Newton became a very hard town. Drunken Texas
cowboys and railroad men engaged in building the Santa Fe, were continually
fighting, and while Mr. Rowe was in Newton thirty-seven men and one woman
were killed. When the first man was killed the ball crashed through his store
window, passed over his head and lodged on the shelves behind him. Soon
afterwards he closed out his business there and went to Pueblo. Colorado,
and w-as in business there for two years, after which he returned to Cali-
fornia, where he was ill for some time.
In 1875 Mr. Rowe came to Seattle and started a -mall store on Front
avenue, at the foot of Cherry street, having a small stock ,,f groceries worth
36*
54G HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
two hundred and thirty dollars. He had lost almost everything he had made
and on account of his illness had been reduced in weighl to one hundred and
fifteen pounds, lie sold his goods at a small profit and soon built up a line
trade. Mr. Yesler built a store for him and he continued the husiucss with
success for nine years. In the meantime he had invested in city property
when realty was very cheap and it was considered very foolish t" put one's
money in property here. Air. Rowe sold out his business and was ver) ill for
two years, hut his health improved and he turned his attention in In propert}
interests. Where his residence now stands he has live acres which he pur
chased in 1878 for four hundred dollars. This now stands near the business
district and is very valuable. On Firsl avenue he built six stores which bring
him good rental. From 1SN7 <)i lie was engaged in the carriage business,
having a large repository in North Seattle. In this enterprise he was asso
ciated with lion. C. I'. Stone. They had control of the goods of the Cort
land. New York, factory, also other factories and did a large business. Mr.
Rowe bought his partner's interest in the business and graduallj closed oul
the stock, retiring from active business except for the supervision of his city
property. He has lately built fifteen tlats on Union street, at a cosl ot ovet
twenty thousand dollars. Some nf his property purchased for six hundred
dollars is now worth forty thousand, lie has a\ Port Orchard a townsite
of forty acres, which he is selling, having named it Veneta in honor nf his
daughter. The place joins Bremerton, the government navy yard, and is sell-
ing rapidly at good figures. In [893 he went to the Colville reservation and
located the Veneta gold mine. It is capitalized for seven hundred thousand
dollars, and is a fine property. Mr. Rowe is the president and treasurer of
the company and has a controlling interest in the stock.
Mr. Rowe has been twice married. In 1X50 he wedded Miss Cynthia
Clifford, and they had one daughter. Elizabeth Ella, the wife of C. K. Dean.
In 1875 Mr. Rowe married Miss Miranda F. llumniell. and they have a
daughter. Vena, who is now the wife of Edwin Maxwell.
Mr. Rowe has always had firm faith in Seattle, believing that it would
become a great city, and time has proved the wisdom of his opinions, lie-
has made the golden rule the leading principle of his life and has risen from
a lowly position to one of influence in financial and sociM circles.
J. HOWARD WATSON.
J. Howard Watson, secretary to Governor McBride, has been for a
number of years prominently engaged in newspaper work in Washington.
He is a native of Mount Vernon, Ohio, his birth having occurred on the 15th
of August, 1858. He comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry, his parents, Joseph and
Rebecca (Sproule) Watson, being natives of county Tyrone. Ireland. Soon
after their marriage they emigrated to the United States, locating first in
Newark. Ohio, and, subsequently, they became residents of Mount Vernon,
that state, where the father engaged in merchandising and, at the same time,
took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar. He spent his remaining
days in Mount Vernon, where he died at the age of seventy-three years, and
his wife, surviving him for a few years, departed this life at the age of seventy-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 54 7
six years. True to the teachings and principles of the Methodist Episcopal
church they lived earnest, consistent. Christian lives. Mr. Joseph Watson
was a stalwart Democrat in his political faith, and was a delegate to the
Democratic national convention which nominated Horace Greeley for the
presidency. Notwithstanding his strong Democratic views, however, all of
his sons, upon reaching majority, joined the ranks of the Republican party.
In the family were eight children, of whom three are living, hut J. Howard
Watson is the only one upon the Pacific coast.
In the public schools the subject of this review pursued his education and
at the age of sixteen years entered upon the occupation of a printer, and at
the age of eighteen became the manager of the Knox County Advocate. He
published this paper in the interests of the Republican party, and, notwith-
standing Knox county had previously been a Democratic stronghold, at the
election of 1879, tne m'st Republican was chosen to represent the district in
the legislature. This was the campaign that resulted in James A. Garfield be-
ing elected to the United States senate by a majority of one vote. Mr. Watson
was offered a position in the United States treasury department and went to
Washington to accept it, but Secretary Sherman advised him not to enter de-
partment life and he decided that the advice was good. For over a year lie
was connected with the Washington Post, and then established a paper called
Tlie Pen at Newark, Ohio, a weekly journal which he published until 1882.
In that year he sold out and went to Chicago, where he became connected
with the Dully News, being a writer and editor on that well known journal
until 1890, when he sought a home in the northwest, locating first in Spokane.
There in connection with Joseph French Johnson, of Chicago, he established
The Spokesman, a daily paper, continuing with the same until it was con-
solidated with The Review, three years later. He has attended every session
of the state legislature up to 1901 with the exception of the first session and
he made his journal a very strong and powerful advocate of the Republican
house here. Mr. Watson's health became seriously impaired, he sold his in-
terest and, acting upon the advice of his physician, went to Lake Chelan,
where he located. He took up the arduous task of clearing and developing
a fruit farm, and by his indomitable energy and creditable management has
made excellent success. He is also interested in a stock ranch near by. He
has built an attractive home in the midst of scenery of a most beautiful and
often most sublime character. He is an enthusiast in regard to the production
of fruit, and keeps thoroughly informed concerning the besl methods for
the raising of fruit in this portion of the country, lie not only raises rd!
kinds of small fruits, but is making a specialty of the choicest of winter apples,
this being his leading industry. His fruit farm is a delightful place, and to
it he has given the name of Haverene Lodge.
Upon regaining his health Mr. Watson resumed his newspaper work',
and for some time was special correspondent of The Spokesman Review. In
1897 he became the manager of the circulation department and the political
editor of The Post Intelligencer. In r8g6 the state had gone thoroughly
fusion, and in 1898, when Republicans were discouraged, Mr. Watson wrote
a number of articles which were widely circulated throughoul the state, show-
ing the fallacy of the fusion movement and the opportunity for Republican
548 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
success. He attended the fusion state convention, where ever) speaker heaped
upon him abuse. At the close of the convention he was invited to go before
the joint convention and defend himself, and his views were slated in such a
strong and effective manner thai he was cheered by his enemies. The result
was even' prominent state officer was elected by the Republican party and
the state was won back to the Republican ranks. He remained with The
Post Intelligencer For some time, but resigned to take the managemenl of
the Walla Walla Union, which was then a small obscure daily. Owing to Ins
efforts it was advanced v> a prominent position. In a year it became the besl
small daily published in the entire state. When Mr. Watson was political
manager of The Post Intelligencer that paper engaged in a fighl against the
railroad lobby, and when Governor McBride became the chief executive oi
Washington lie chose Mr. Watson for the position of secretarj to tin- gover-
nor, a place to which he is most eminently tilted and to the discharge of his
important duties he is now devoting his energies.
Mr. Watson was united in marriage in 1SX5 to Miss Katheryne Verene
Irish, of Michigan, and a daughter of < leorge 1). Irish, a native of Ann Arbor,
Michigan. Their union is blessed with one -on. Harold Matthew, who was
born on the _>_>nd of January, [888. Mr. and Mrs. Watson attend the Epis-
copal church, and he is a member of the Masonic lodge at Chelan, of the
Benevolent and Protective < >rder of Elks, and of the Woodmen of the World.
Few men in Washington have the natural talents of J. Howard Watson, and
his political opinions have weight, lie is thorough!) versed on everything
pertaining to political work and measures, and his efforts have resulted to
the benefit of Washington along lines of substantial growth and material
progress.
JAMES L. JOHNSON.
James L. Johnson, one of the prosperous residents of Marysville, Wash-
ington, was born January 7, 1830, at Falmouth, Virginia, and is a son of
Elisha Johnson, who was horn in Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, and who
was a machinist and died in California at the age of eighty-two years, having
moved to that state in i860. The maiden name of the mother was Nancy
Coen, and she was born in Pennsylvania and came of Dutch descent, and her
death occurred when she was sixty years of age.
When James L. Johnson was fourteen years of age his parents moved to
Jackson county, Virginia, and he was apprenticed to the carpenter trade, at
which he served four years, and during the winter months attended district
schools. At the expiration of the four years he returned to his father, and
in 1852, in company with his hrother William, went to California, via the
Isthmus, arriving in October of that year. The young men went to Nevada
county and engaged in mining for six years, and met with marked success.
In 1858 they went to Yolo county and took up land and engaged in stock
and cattle raising, and in 1861 started to raise wheat. In 1857 our subject
returned to Virginia and was married, and returned to California the same
year; he brought with him a wife for his brother, who had remained in Yolo
county looking after their interests. Mr. Johnson remained in Yolo county
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 549
until 1882, when he came to Oregon, and after a year settled, in the fall of
1883, at Marysville, being one of its earliest settlers. He engaged in con-
tracting and building, and has so continued to the present day.
On April 12, 1857. he was married in Virginia to Delinda Meighen, a
daughter of Peter Meighen. a gentleman of Irish "descent. Two children have
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, namely: Miram D., living at Woodland,
California; Elizabeth, who married George Iselstein, living on the old home-
stead in Yolo county, California. He is a prominent Mason and has always
taken an active interest in politics, serving on the city council for a number
ot years since being elected to that body on the Republican ticket in 1890,
the year the first council was organized.
GEORGE ALBERT SPENCER.
'The schoolhouse on every hill" is no lunger a dream of the Utopian
educator, for there is not a considerable portion of the area of our country
anywhere from east to west which is not provided with some educational
facilities. This grand result is not due merely to the almost implanted deter-
mination of the American people to afford their children the best opportunities
in the way of mental training, but also to the constant agitation and pro-
gressive ideas of the teaching fraternity, for their intelligence, co-operation
and inspiration are largely responsible for the advance made in the last cen-
tury. Enthusiasm and ability in educational matters are the distinguishing
characteristics of the well known Lewis county superintendent of schools.
George Albert Spencer, who has just finished his second term in that position,
and will ever be held in high regard for the splendid results which have been
achieved and the improvement in methods accomplished during the last four
years.
Professor Spencer comes of an excellent family in the east. On the
paternal side he comes of English stock, and his grandfather Horace Spencer
was born in Pawling, Dutchess county. New York, in [810. Grandfather
Spencer was a typical Yankee farmer, six and a half feet tall, substantial
and prosperous, and with a character as sturdy as his build. He served for
many years as justice of the peace, and no doubt made a record for his char-
acteristic awarrls of justice. His wife was a Miss Hannah Denton, and her
family had settled on the Hudson when the country was almost in its primeval
state. She often related stories to her grandchildren how the " painters,"
as the wildcat or American panther was called by the early inhabitants, made
the lives of people and stock insecure ami how their terrifying cry would be
heard at night from the roof of the shanty or near by in the forest.
One son of these worthy parents was also given the name of Horace,
and his birth occurred September 1, [841. In his ninth year his father
moved the family in an ox cart to Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where
Horace was reared to manhood. When the < "ivil war broke out he was among
the first to offer his services, enlisting in August, [862, with the Hue Hundred
and Forty-first Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He participated in the
many engagements of the Army of the Potomac and served until the close of
the war.
550 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Upon his return from the army Horace Spencer was married to Miss
Elvira Johnson, the only daughter of George Albert Johnson, who was,
thirty years ago, the largest lumber dealer in northern Pennsylvania. Grand-
father Johnson was born in Tomkins county, New York, in [820. Grand-
mother Johnson was born in [82] at Burlington, where she lias resided all
her life. Her maiden name was Lemira Johnson. She is still living and is
enjoying good health. The Johnsons were of English and Scotch descent,
but their ancestors resided in America since the tune of the Revolution.
When the parents oi George A. Spencer were married they purchased
the old homestead in Burlington, Pennsylvania, where they have resided ever
since, and where the_\' have lived s, > long that no other place would seem like
home. They are prominent members of die Methodist Episcopal church,
have done much church work and have taken much interest in music. I he
three sons and one daughter horn of this marriage are all living.
The only member of this family in the Mate .if Washington is George
Albert, who was born at the old home in Burlington, Pennsylvania, on May
12, 1869. lie owes hi- early training in 1 ks to the Susquehanna Collegiate
Institute, and ( azenovia Seminary, ami lie certainly improved his opportuni-
ties, for when he was seventeen he began teaching. lie held positions in his
native state, in Minnesota, in Dakota, and then returned to Minnesota and
taught m Mendota and West St. Paul. He then made up his mind that the
Pacific coast would he the best field for his endeavors, and accordingly came
to Tacoma. Washington, lie was induced to take up a homestead in the
Big Bottom, and while attending to the management .if this place also taughl
in Newaukum, Lewis county, lie was then principal of the .Yapavine schools
for two years, held a similar position in Little Falls four years,
and was principal of the Toledo school in 1898, when he received
the nomination and the subsequent election to the count}- superintend-
ency, being elected on the Republican ticket, lie was chosen by a majority
of one hundred and eighty-one votes over his opponent, who had been the
incumbent of the office the preceding term. At the close of the first term Pro
fessor Spencer was re-elected for another two years by a majority of over five
hundred, and. did not the law preclude the possibility of serving longer than
four years i-n this capacity, he would undoubtedly he placed in the office again.
He has done much to elevate the general standard and efficiency of the schools
of the county: among other things he has adopted a system of reports which
tend to secure more regular attendance, has organized eight new districts,
which means a great deal in a comparatively new country, and has estab-
lished five union high schools, the most effective means of spreading higher
education among those wdio cannot attend college. One of the improvements
which he introduced in the superintendent's office in Chehalis was the fitting
up of a reading room for the use of teachers in the county; it is provided
with pictures of literary men. books and maps and works on educational
matters, and is very much appreciated by the teachers of the vicinity. Alto-
gether, under Mr. Spencer's administration, the schools of Lewis county may
be said to have flourished and kept abreast of the progress which is almost
phenomenal during these early years of the twentieth century.
Professor Spencer was first married in 1893, to Miss Hattie Berry, a
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 551
daughter of John Berry, of Xewaukum: she was a native of Kansas and had
been a successful teacher. She was very popular and was a devoted wife to
Mr. Spencer, and her death after a year and a half of married life was a sad
blow to him. His present wife, whom he married on June lS. [901, was Miss
Gertrude Longworth Winsor, a highly esteemed teacher of the county, a na-
tive of Michigan and a daughter of Philip Winsor. now of Seattle. Mr.
Spencer and his wife have hosts of friends in the county; he has social con-
nection with the Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Workmen.
He has several good tracts of land in Washington.
S. EDWIN GRIMM.
The state of Pennsylvania was the central point for the settlement of
German immigrants to this country, especially during the eighteenth century,
and one of these sturdy settlers of the Teutonic stock was the great-grand-
father of the gentleman whose name appears above. He settled in Mont-
gomery county, and it was there that grandfather Jonathan Grimm w'as
born, who was a prominent farmer there. The son of the last named, Jona-
than, Jr., was born in 1825 in Montgomery county and followed farming
for many years, but is now retired from active duties. His services have
often been sought as a guardian of minor children and administrator of es-
tates. He married Marie Herrold. a native of his own county, and they were
esteemed members of the Lutheran church. Of the four sons and four daugh-
ters bom of this union, the four sons and two of the daughters are living.
S. Edwin Grimm, who is the only member of the above family living in
Washington, was born in Freeburg, Snyder county, Pennsylvania, on March
3, 1859. He acquired his education in his native town and then took an
academic course, after which he taught for several years. He next engaged
in merchandising, but, as he had learned civil engineering and gained much
skill in this line, he came to Washington in October. [889, and for the fol-
lowing nine years was employed as a government surveyor, making his home
in Lewis county. In 1898 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the
office of county assessor, and in 1900 his party again chose him for this posi-
tion. He showed much ability in the management of this public office, and
in 1902 he was placed in nomination as the Republican candidate for county
treasurer and in the November elections was elected. Besides his official
duties he spends considerable time in making improvements on a fine four
hundred and forty acre farm, in which he owns an interest.
In December, 1SS4. Mr. Grimm married Frances G. Ort, who was horn
in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of I lenry 1\. ( )rt, of that state.
The children of this marriage in order of birth are: Hubert F... Warren O.,
May B., Frances G. and William II. The family home is in Centralia, and
Mr. and Mrs. Grimm are active members of the Presbyterian church of thai
place, and lie is trustee of the church and secretary of the Sunday-school.
He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and has served
as foreman of the lodge, while in all respects he is considered a worthy and
representative citizen of the county.
552 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
GEORGE LAWLER..
The history of mankind is replete with illustrations of the fact that it
is only under the pressure of adversit) and the stimulus of opposition thai
the best and strongest in men is brought out and developed. Perhaps a his-
tory of no people so forcibl) impresses us with this truth as the annals <>i
our own republic. If anything can inspire the youth of the countrj to per
sistent, honorable and laudable endeavor it should be the life record ol such
men as George Lawler. His earl) business career was passed under very
unfavoring circumstances, and difficulties and obstacles beset Ins path, but
resolution, faithfulness and capability triumphed over these, and to-daj Mr.
Lawler stands facing the future undaunted and is rapidly building up a busi-
ness, being the president of the Tacoma Lumber Company, and is also the
owner of much valuable property in the Sound country.
A native of Illinois, he was born in Carlinville, Macoupin county, in the
year 1861, a son of Peter and Ellen Harriet (Gregor) 1 Lawler. Peter Law
ler was born in Ireland, and when a young man came to the United States.
settling in Carlinville, where he remained until [862, when he went to Pon-
tiac, Illinois. There he enlisted for service in Company C, One Hundred and
Twenty-Ninth Illinois Infantry, and was a gallant soldier throughout the
fiercest part of that long sanguinary struggle. A member of General Jo eph
Hooker's division, he took part in the operations of the army as n advanced
from Chattanooga to Atlanta, preparator) to the march to th< sea, and was
killed by a bullet at the battle of New Hope Church, in 1864, just before
the division reached Atlanta. His wife was horn in England, where her par
ents died during her early girlhood. She afterward came to America, and here
married Mr. Lawler. Her death occurred, in Pontiac several years ago.
George Lawler was only about a year old when his parents went to
Pontiac. and there he was reared and educated, graduating from the high
school after completing each grade from the primary. Afterward he took
a course in bookkeeping in the Grand Prairie Seminary and Commercial
College, in Onarga, Illinois, and in his home town he accepted a position as
salesman in a dry-goods store, while later he was employed in a similar
capacity in a grocery store. At the age of nineteen he left home to go to
Burlington, Iowa, with but two dollars in his pocket. It was his intention
to secure a position as a bookkeeper, but in this he was disappointed, and
as it was necessary that he have immediate employment he began work as a
roustabout on a Mississippi river steamboat, making the round trip to Du-
buque. He then returned to Burlington, and after much searching found a
place, being engaged to do manual labor in a wholesale hardware store, and
later he went to the Burlington Railroad freight sheds, where he was- em-
ployed at trucking freight. Mr. Lawler has never been too proud to remember
or mention those days of early struggle, and that he was willing to take any
work that would yield him an honest living until he could do something
better showed that he was a man of strong character worthy of better things.
Eventually he left the freight sheds for the telegraph office, and, learning
telegraphy, he finally secured a position as operator and station agent at
Montrose, Iowa, thus taking an advance step on the road to success. Leaving
PUBLIC LIBRARY]
' NfnoNo^oHS|
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 553
railroading at Montrose from there he went to Bedford, Iowa, where he se-
cured a position as a bookkeeper in a large lumber yard, and the firm later
promoted and transferred him to Hopkins, .Missouri, where he was given
charge of the yard. At the end of five years he was serving as the manager
of a system of five yards.
The firm then selling out, Mr. Lawler determined to go west, and in
1888 made his way to California, where he was engaged in the redwood
lumber business until December, 1888, when he came to Tacoma. Here he
accepted a position in the office of the Pacific Mill Company, remaining there
for fifteen months, when he became the treasurer of the Satsop Railway Com-
pany, then operating a logging road, with headquarters at Shelton. For
three years he acted in that capacity, -handling all the company funds without
being required to give bonds. From Shelton, he went to Portland, Oregon,
where he remained for a year with the Oregon & California Lumber Com-
pany, wholesale dealers in lumber and shingles. He then returned to Tacoma,
where he began business on his own account as a jobber and wholesale dealer
in lumber and shingles, under the style of Sunset Lumber Company, and
developed a large business with the trade in the east. As the lumber business
of the northwest was developing with rapid strides, Mr. Lawler found he
could not fill the demands for that product without increased facilities and
accordingly built a sawmill at Mcintosh, but that proved his downfall. Not
having sufficient capital of his own, he soon found himself heavily involved
and his creditors forced him into bankruptcy. He begged them to allow him
to continue and offered to work during the. remainder of his life to pay every
obligation, but without avail. His creditors asked him to go into voluntary
bankruptcy, but he still had his honor in keeping, and in no uncertain words
refused, saying. "You can force me into bankruptcy, but I will never go
voluntarily!" After turning everything over to his creditors, he resolutely
began his business life anew, organizing the Tacoma Lumber Company, of
which he is owner and manager. Its office is in Room 210 California build-
ing. Mr. Lawler now has an extensive trade, and is known as one of the
most competent and experienced lumbermen in the Sound country, this line
of business having long claimed his attention and efforts.
About five years ago Mr. Lawler decided that there was a fortune to
be made in investing in what are known as the tide-flat lands in Tacoma, at
the head of the bay, adapted especially for manufacturing purposes. He
accordingly organized the Bonded Investment Company, who purchased about
one hundred and sixty acres of these lands, and their present valuation indi-
cates that the investment was wisely made, and the indications point to a
continuous rise in the value of the property. Mr. Lawler has for years made
a close and practical study of the Puget Sound country, especially with refer-
ence to the cities situated thereon, and few men are so well posted on the
subject. The deductions he draws as a foundation for his firm belief in the
coming greatness of this region are optimistic but highly rational, and are
based upon a thorough knowledge of the facts. He is very enthusiastic in his
belief that Tacoma is destined to be a great and wealthy city, and therefore
he does not hesitate to advise his friends to invest in acreage property as he
has done.
5.54 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
In 1883. in Montrose, [owa, Mr. Law lor married Miss Hannah Ward,
who died in Tacoma, July 13. [892, leaving two children, Ellen Essa and
George Ward. Mr. Lawler is popular in various organizations of the city,
belongs to the Chamber of Commerce, the Whist and Chess Club, the Masonic
fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Sons of Vel
erans and the Hoo Hoos, the last named an organization of lumbermen.
His home is at 3313 North Twenty ninth street, and Tacoma classes him
with her leading men.
WASHINGTON HARTMAN.
One of the prominent farmers and respected citizens of Thurston coun-
ty, Washington, and a man who through many varied experiences has come
to the declining days of life with a good competence and well deserves the
comforts which he now enjoys, is Washington Hartman, who lives on what
is called the Wells donation claim on Mc Ulister creek. His grandfather was
David Hartman. who served his country in the war of [812; his ancestors
were German. William Hartman. the father of our subject, was born in the
state of Pennsylvania, July 22, [807. In [853 he visited < alifornia, being
at the gold diggings at Angels camp and also taking part in the Frazer river
excitement. He later settled in Seattle, and owned some very valuable prop
erty in what is now the best part of the city. He died in [887 at the age of
eightv years. His wife's maiden name was Martha Parker, and she passed
away in Iowa in her fifty-fifth year. They were the parents of eight children,
of whom David A. and our subject are in Thurston comity, one is in Iowa,
two are in California. These worthy people were strict Methodists of the
early sect, and the subject of this sketch relates that he was not permitted even
to whistle on the Lord's day.
Washington Hartman records his birth as occurring near the town of
Mansfield, Richland county, Ohio, May (8, [831. In Ross comity of the
same state he was reared to manhood and gained his education in the public
schools. He then removed to Iowa, where he owned a farm of three hundred
and forty acres, eight miles distant from Des Moines on the left hank of the
river, and On it were three good houses, two large barns, and two hundred and
forty acres were under cultivation. Mr. Hartman disposed of this property
in 1866 for twenty-five dollars an acre, and this he considers the mistake of
his life, as the land is now in the most valuable section of the great agricul-
tural state of Iowa. In Morgan county, Missouri, he bought a farm, but sold
it after six weeks and went on a prospecting trip through Kansas. Returning
to Iowa and purchasing a farm, he raised one crop on it and sold it; his next
purchase was five hundred and seventy acres in Crawford county, Missouri,
which he also farmed one season and sold; he then bought a large number of
mules and cattle and disposed of them at a profit ; on a farm in Reynolds
county he produced two crops, and, selling out in 1872, came by way of the
Union Pacific Railroad to San Francisco, where he engaged in farming for
two years ; he then returned east and brought out his family, having decided
to make the west his permanent home. He acquired his present farm of one
hundred and seventy-seven acres in 1879, and here he has built a commodious
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 555
residence and all necessary outbuildings and is employed in general fanning,
raising large crops of hay, oats and potatoes.
In [861 Mr. Hartman married Miss Annie Baker, a native of Henry
county, Indiana, and a daughter of Uaae Baker, of that state. To this mar-
riage one son was horn, William Franklin, October 26, [862; he is now mar-
ried and lives in a nice residence on the home farm. Mrs. Hartman is a
member of the Christian church, and he has been identified with the Odd Fel-
lows, but of late years has been so distant from the lodge that he has given up
his membership. He has voted with the Republican parly since its organiza-
tion, casting his first vote for John C. Fremont. In all things he is an enter
prising and industrious citizen and worthy of representation in a history of the
Puget Sound country.
HON. HIRAM E. HADLEY.
History is the record of individual achievement and character, and i;
can do no better than to write of those who have been prominent in advancing
the prosperity and welfare of their fellow citizens. In the lion. Hiram E.
Hadley, judge of the supreme court of the state of Washington, we have a_
noteworthy example of a man who has risen to eminence as a lawyer and
jurist. The English and Scotch ancestors of Judge Hadley were Quakers,
who emigrated to America in the early history of the country, settling first in
Pennsylvania, later in North Carolina, and then moving west to Indiana.
The great-grandfather of Judge Hadley was Joshua Hadley. born in North
Carolina, and who became a prominent settler of Indiana before it became a
state. His occupation was farming, and he was a faithful Quaker and lived
to a ripe old age. Grandfather Noah Hadley was born in North Carolina,
removed to Indiana with his father's family and married a Miss Lindley.
He carried on the farm and was a devoted follower of the Quaker faith.
He died of an acute attack of the measles when only thirty years of age.
His son. Jonathan Hadley, the father of the Judge, was born in Indiana
in 1830. At the time of his father's death he was a mere child, and he lived
with his grandfather Lindley. by whom he was carefully educated and reared
to manhood. His wife was Martha McCoy, a lady of Scotch ancestry, whose
members have resided in America for several generations. Mr. and Mrs.
Hadley continued to reside in Indiana on the part of the estate left by the
grandfather. He died at his old home in Indiana in [893, at the age of sixty-
two years, but his wife still survives him and is now in her sixty-eighth
year, living on the old homestead and loved and respected by her wide circle
of acquaintances. The Judge's father was a man of excellent character, and
his influence was always on the side of right, and although he did not attain
to a great age there were several members of the family who passed the nine-
tieth year mark. Of the three sons born to this union all reside in the Mate
of Washington, and are creditable members of the legal profession. Lindlr
H. and Alonzo M. are law partners in Whatcom, Washington.
Hiram E. Hadley first saw the light of day in Parke county, Indiana.
January 10, 1854. and was the eldest of the family. His early training was
received in the public school-, and in the Bloomingdale Academy and Earl-
556 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
ham College, of Richmond, Indiana. He later took a course in law in Union
College of Law at Chicago, at which he graduated in 1877. He then prac
ticed his profession in Bloomington, Illinois, for four years. Removing then
to Rockville, Indiana, the county seat of his native county, he practiced until
1889, and then removed to Washington, locating at Whatcom. There he
was engaged in his law practice, and in [891 was elected city attorney. In
1896 he was elected superior judge of that count)-, in which position he served
for four years, and was then nominated by all the partus of the district for a
second term. He had entered upon the duties of this office for a second term
when he received the appointment as a member of the supreme court of the
state by Governor Rogers. The legislature had provided for the increase of
the number of supreme judges and with the provision that the governor should
appoint them from the two dominating parties of the state. Judge lladlcy be-
ing the Repuhlican appointee. In November, mnj, he was elected for a six-
year term on the supreme bench, i 'uring his residence in Washington Mr.
Hadley has invested in considerable property and has identified himself with
all the hest interests of the state.
His marriage occurred in [879, to Mattie Musgrave, of the state of
Illinois. Their five children are: Roy <)., who is at present a student in
'Stanford University; Clyde M., attending the Washington State University;
Earl J.; Inez L. ; and Martha Catherine. Mr. and Mrs. lladlcy. arc mem-
bers of the Presbyterian church, of which he has been a trustee and elder for
many years. Pie is a firm believer in the tenets of Christianity and gives to
it his able support. He was received into Bloomington Podge No. 43, F. &
A. M., in 1881, and has received the sublime degree of a Master Mason,
and has since been advanced in the order until he is now a Sir Knighl Tem
plar. Throughout his long career as judge and through such a long and
valuable service to his city, county and state by his invaluable and honorable
deportment of activity, by his Christian character and unimpeachable integrity,
Judge Hadley has gained the esteem and confidence of all and his example
may well be emulated by others.
AMMI H. KNEELAND.
The subject of this brief memoir is extensively engaged in the logging
business in Mason county, and for twenty years he has been one of the leading
and representative citizens of Shelton. His residence in Washington dates
from 1882, when he arrived in Olympia, and in the following year he cast
in his lot with the earl)- residents of Shelton. During his long residence in
this section of the state he has borne an important part in the substantial de-
velopment of the county. The birth of our subject occurred in the far-off
state of Maine, the place of his nativity being Bangor, where he first opened
his eyes to the light of day in September, 1851. He is of Scotch ancestry.
His paternal great-grandfather emigrated from the land of hills and heather
and took up his abode in Maine, but his son, Samuel Alfonzo Kneeland, the
grandfather of our subject, was born in Massachusetts. The father of Ammi
H. Kneeland was also named Samuel Alfonzo, and he is still living, being now
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 557
in his eighty-eighth year, and is a resident of Newport. Maine. He married
Miss Hannah Hutchison, also a native of the Pine Tree state, and they he-
came the parents of three children, two daughters and a son, the latter being
Ammi Herbert Kneeland. After the death of his wife the father was a second
time married, and by that union became the father of another son.
Ammi Herbert Kneeland. the only representative of his father's family
in Washington, was reared to years of maturity in the place of his nativity,
and when the time came for him to inaugurate independent action he engaged
in logging in the woods of Maine. After his arrival in the Puget Sound
country he resumed his former occupation of logging, for which he received
sixty-five dollars a month. Subsequently he became the owner of a farm in
Mason county, which he placed under a fine state of cultivation, but a few
years later disposed of that property and turned his attention to the sawmilling
business. After a time, however, Mr. Kneeland again resumed his old occu-
pation of logging, this time on his own account, and he first carried on oper-
ations with horses and oxen, but the latest improved machinery is now used
in the conduct of his business. It requires the labors of thirty-five men to
carry on the work of this extensive concern, where forty thousand feet of
logs are turned out daily, and for this purpose Mr. Kneeland own- a tract
of four hundred acres of timber land. In addition he owns one of the finest
homes in the city of Shelton, also other residence property, ami through his
enterprising efforts the large Webb Hotel was erected. He also assisted in
the construction of other buildings, and thus it will be seen that he has con-
tributed his full share toward the improvement and upbuilding of this thriving
little city.
In the year 1885 occurred the marriage of Mr. Kneeland and Miss Laura
M. McLaine, she being a native daughter of the state of Oregon, of which
her father, Rufus McLaine, was one of the early pioneers, hut his birth oc-
curred in Maine. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Kneeland: Florence. Chester. Fonzo, Gordon ami Bennett. The Republican
party receives Mr. Kneeland's active support and co-operation, but he has
never sought or desired public preferment for his time has been fully occupied
with his extensive business interests. lie is indeed an honored pioneer of
Mason county, and in the active walks of business life has ever been honorable
and upright, commanding the respect of those with whom be has been brought
in contact.
GEORGE R. LONGDEX.
George R. Longden. one of the leading and enterprising men of What-
com, Washington, was born July 26, 1857. at Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, and
is a son of William Longden, a merchant of Pittsburg, and a native of Derby-
shire, England; he died in 1893 in San Francisco. His wife bore the maiden
name of Jane Dale Jackson, and she was a native of Nottingham, England,
now living at Deming, Washington. The following children wen- bom to
Mr. and Mrs. William Longden, namely: William. Jr., deceased; Vivian G.,
aged thirty-six, an electrician for the Western Sugar Refining Company, San
Francisco; Mirian, wife of James T. Hoag, of Deming, Washington; our
subject.
558 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY
George R. Longden was educated in the public schools of Pittsburg and
in Smart's Academy at Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. At the age of eighteen
he left school and worked for a short time for the Pittsburg Gazette, then
clerked for his father, who was a merchant tailor. His nexl employmenl was
secured with Ridall and Ingold in t88o, they being a branch of the Brush
Electric Company, of Cleveland. Ohio, and he commenced to learn the elec-
trical business. In 1881 the Ridall & Ingold Company incorpoi ited .is the
Allegheny County Light Company, and made G. R. Longden assistant supei
intendent, which position he held until 1884, when he came to San Francisco
and was electrician for two years for the California Electric Lighl Company.
One of his large contracts was the installation of the electric light plant in
Alameda, California, for the city. In the fall of the same year he went to
San Bernardino, California, and put in the electric plant for furnishing light
for that city, also Colton and Riverside, remaining there foi three years.
During the year 1890 he was in Portland, Oregon, for the Westinghouse
Electric Company, as electrical engineer, and in [891 he came to Whatcom
for the Bellingham Ray Improvemehl Company, as electrical engineer and
superintendent of the electric light department. In [898 the mill and plant
was destroyed by fire, and the electric light plant was removed to the cornet
of York street and Railroad avenue.
On October n, 1886, Mr. Longden was married at Oakland, California,
to Mary Francis, a native of Santa Cruz, California, and a daughter of Jo eph
and Margaret Francis, pioneers of the state, who located in it in 1848, mak-
ing the trip via the Nicaragua route. Mr. Longden is a Republican, but has
never desired public office. In addition to his other interests he is connected
with various mining prospects in the .Mount Baker district, and has'the ut-
most confidence in the future of that district, believing that it is destined to
become one of the foremost mining centers on the 0
SHERMAN L. JONES.
Sherman L. Jones has found the opportunity he sought in the freedom
and appreciation of the growing western portion of our country. His career
of recent years has been closely identified with the history of Whatcom,
where he has acquired a competence and where he is now an honored and
respected citizen. He was born December 17, 1867, in Richwood, Dodge
county, Wisconsin, a son of Lyman C. and Olive (Mathews) Jones. The
father was born in Boston. Massachusetts, in 1837, and the mother's birth
occurred in Woodcock county. Pennsylvania, in 1839. her parents being
Lyman and Lydia Mathews. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jones are now residents
of Whatcom, and their children are all likewise living in this city. These
are Sherman L. ; Ralph D. ; Alice, the wife of M. J. Klock; Josephine, the
wnlow of R. B. Banks; and Florence, the wife of E. R. McKean.
The family removed from Wisconsin to Minnesota, and Sherman L.
Jones pursued his preliminary education in the public schools near his home
in the southwestern part of that state. He afterward attended the high scl I
of Minneapolis and later *as graduated in the Archibald Business College
of that city in May, 1887. The same year he accepted a position as book-
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 559
keeper for the firm of Thurston Brothers of Windom, Minnesota, and later
became cashier for the Bank of Royalton, of Royalton, Minnesota, a branch
of the Standard Bank of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Pacific country, how-
ever, attracted him, and in 1889 he made his way to Seattle, where for a
year he was employed as an expert bookkeeper by various mercantile con-
cerns, including the Seattle Hardware Company and the Chester Geary Dry-
goods Company. In 1890 he came to Whatcom as bookkeeper for R. I.
Morse, a hardware dealer, and was soon promoted to the position of assistant
business manager. In 1897 he became one of the incorporators of the Morse
Hardware Company and acted as secretary and business manager until the
spring of 1899, when he resigned that position in order to give his entire time
to his individual interests, which had assumed such proportions as to require
his undivided attention. He had invested largely in lumber and shingle
mills, and is now actively identified with the development of the lumber and
kindred interests of this section of the country. He is president and manager
of the Northwood Cedar Company, which is capitalized for twenty-five thou-
sand dollars. In fact, Mr. Jones is the practical owner of its stock, and in
this interest he maintains an office in the Pike block, where he superintends
this and his other companies affairs. He is a stockholder and secretary of the
United Shingle Company; and a stockholder and the secretary of the What-
com Timber Company, which is capitalized for one hundred thousand dol-
lars. When Mr. Jones came to Whatcom he was practically without capital,
and as the result of thirteen years of constant application he has laid the foun-
dation for a moderate fortune. He has been exceedingly careful in making
investments, and his business judgment has been without error in any of the
enterprises with which he has become associated.
On the 10th of December, 1891, occurred the marriage of Sherman L.
Jones and Miss Elsie Morgan, a daughter of Harley and Ruth Morgan, a
native of Hesper. Iowa. They attend the services of the Methodist church,
to which they belong, and Mr. Jones gives his political support to the Re-
publican party. Their home is a beautiful residence which was erected by
our subject in the year of his marriage at a cost of five thousand dollars, its
location being at 820 High street. Although frequently tendered the nomi-
nation for the highest offices in the gift of his fellow citizens, he has always
declined public service of this character, content to do his duty as a private
citizen. He is, however, thoroughly and deeply interested in whatever per-
tains to the general good, and his co-operation has been an important factor
in promoting public progress. As a business man he has been conspicuous
among his associates, not only for his success, but for his fairness, probity
and honorable methods. His life has been one of continuous activity, in
which has been accorded due recognition of labor, and to day he is numbered
among the substantial citizens of Whatcom county.
FRANK C. WILLEY.
Towns spring up so rapidly in the rushing northwest as to recall the
story of Jonah's gourd, which, in the course of a night, had grown to be a
vine higher than the tallest trees. When Mr. Willey, now the popular cor-
560 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
oner of Mason county, cam( along, there was not much town oi Shelton,
but he had confidence something would happen, and with a " seek no further "
remark decided to stop righl there. Though Shelton, as remarked, was as yet
hardly more than visible, still there was a village germ n ! gin-
ning which gave promise of better things. It was the fortune of Mr. Willey
to become one of the " city fathers " in fact as well as name, and he certainly
occupied a paternal relation to the infant settlement during the period of ado-
lescence. He has been city councilman, mayor, marshal, street commissioner,
superintended of water works, and, in fine, a general factotum for the place.
And as no other did more for Shelton than he, so none takes more pride now
in looking upon the smart little city which has risen to count seal dignit
and gives promise of becoming one ol the important business centers of the
state.
Perhaps it is a kind of opportunity that induces people in the Maine
pineries to seek homes in Washington, where the lumber interest, somewhat
run down in our most eastern state, has of late years been in its fullest vi-
and holding out most nattering prospects to enterprising investors. However
this may be, it is observed that the new state occupying the extreme north-
western corner of the Union, has recruited largely from the op] orner in
the extreme northeast. It seems that the Willeys, who settled in Vermont at
an early period in its history, subsequently, found their way to the region
around Lincoln, in Maine, and there Samuel M. Willey was born in the first
half of the nineteenth century. \t a later period he resided in Patten and fol-
lowed farming for a livelihood until the time of his death, which occurred
in the forty-eighth year of his age. lie married Betsej Crommett, and of
dieir five children who grew to maturity two are now residents of Washing-
ton. The mother is still living at Hersey, Maine, aged about sixty-two years,
and the other five children are located at different points in the e
Frank C. Willey, one of the seven children above alluded to, was horn
in Maine, September 13, 1863, went through the usual educational routine
and began his business career at the age of eighteen as a day laborer in the
lumber woods. Subsequently he took charge of a hotel and conducted it for
two years with such profit as to accumulate enough money to realize his desire
to locate in the northwest. Accordingly, in 1888, he bade farewell to the " old
folks at home," stepped upon a railway train, and after a weary journey of
more than a week's duration found himself on the shores of the famous Puget
Sound. He made directly for Shelton, which at that time was a straggling
village, and as a temporary means of livelihood secured a clerkship in one of
the stores of the place. Later he opened a hardware establishment on his o\t n
account, and continued it until 1897, when he established the undertaking
business that has since chiefly occupied his attention.
Several years after his arrival in Shelton Mr. Willey was elected to the
city council and later as mayor, and while holding these offices did much for
the improvement of the town. He was largely instrumental in securing the
present fine system of water works, and in the building of many of the plank-
sidewalks which have proved of such utility to all classes. For some time he
acted as city marshal, whose duties included care of streets, and also had
charge of the water works. An evidence of his popularity is shown by the
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 561
fact that when lie made the race for coroner a few years ago he was the only
Democrat elected that had an opponent, and he was one hundred and twenty-
five votes ahead of his ticket in a total of one thousand votes. At the last
election he was chosen assessor of Mason county, and at the present writing
is serving acceptably in that position. Mr. Willey has accumulated some
property in the city, in addition to which he owns twenty-one acres of oyster
lands on Mud Bay and forty acres on Hood's Canal, which promises to be-
come valuable, as oyster-growing in this section has developed into an im-
portant and profitable industry.
Mr. Willey's domestic circle consists of himself and wife, formerly Miss
Carrie L. Littlefield, of Winterport, Maine, to whom he was married in 1888,
before coming west. They are regarded at Shelton as a whole-souled, hos-
pitable couple, and it would probably not be at all beyond the truth to say that
they have no enemies whatever, but a host of sincere and appreciative friends.
Mr. Willey has passed through all the chairs of Odd Fellowship, and as a
member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen has been sent three times
as representative to the grand lodge of the state.
JAMES W. CHAMBERS.
James W. Chambers, a native of Washington, and a son of one of the
early pioneers who endured all the hardships of frontier life, comes from Irish
ancestors. Thomas M. Chambers, the grandfather, came to Kentucky about
1819, and there their first son was born. Returning to Ireland, they were there
when David J., the father of our subject, was born, on June 10, 1820.
When two years old David returned to Kentucky with his parents, and after
residing there for some time the family removed to Missouri, where they
farmed and raised stock until 1845. I'1 tnat year tne grandparents and father
of James W., taking an ox team, left their old Missouri home in April and
crossed the wide prairies with their families, arriving in Oregon City in Sep-
tember, after a safe and, for those times, rapid journey. The family con-
sisted of the grandfather and wife, their six sons and two daughters. Soon
after their arrival in Oregon City they crossed the Columbia river and settled
near Steilacoom, where the grandfather built the first grist mill in that part
of the country and passed the remainder of his days grinding wheat for the
pioneers of that vicinity, and there he died in 1876, at the age of eighty-five
years.
His son was a farmer and stock-raiser, also trading in cattle. A promi-
nent Democrat, county commissioner of Thurston county in 1875 and a mem-
ber of the territorial legislature, he took part in all the affairs of the county
and served in the Indian war of [855-6. In those dangerous times they bad
a stockade on their farm, in which several families were gathered. On one
occasion twenty-five Indians in war paint came to Mr. Chambers' home to
hold council and persuade him to leave the country. Here that courage and
fearlessness of the sturdy man was shown, for he gave the reds to understand
that he would stay where he was While Mr. Chambers was engaged in talk-
ing one of the Indians went into the kitchen and spit in the food which Mrs.
36*
502 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Chambers was preparing-. It is hard for the descendants ol those frontiers
men to realize the dangers of that period, when life and property were con-
stantly threatened, often when least expected. Mr. * hambers Lived in the
county from the time when it was a wilderness until now the institutions oi
civilization hold sway everywhere and the old hardships and dread have
passed away. He we'll remembers when the wife of Sir John Franklin, the
great Arctic explorer, came west in search of her husband. Before removing
from Missouri David Chambers married Elizabeth Harrison, a native of
Kentucky, and they had the following children: Thomas M.. now a farmer
on Yelm prairie, Thurston comity; J. \\\. the subjeel of this sketch; A. 11..
who has a meat market in Olympia; Mary, the wife of V C. McClelland, of
Baker City, Oregon; David, Jr., a fanner in Thurston county; George, in
the butchering business in North Yakima; and Walter, who is in the same-
line of business in Olympia. Mrs. David Chambers is an Episcopalian and
her husband belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. They have
adopted Elsie, the child of Marry Chambers, their 'nephew, whose wife died
when Elsie was six months old.
James W. Chambers was born in Thurston county, in March. 1849, en
joyed a common school education, then conducted a meat market for ii e
years in Olympia, after which he settled on his farm and remained there until
1902. He then sold his farm and now resides in Olympia. Mis marriage
took place in 1896. to Annie Lister, daughter of David Lister, who was a
prominent citizen and early settler of Tacoma, coming of English ancestors.
They have four children: Harvey J.. Anneta, Fred L. and Jennie.
JACOB STAMPFLER.
After a life of industrious activity, rewarded with a handsome com-
petence and freed from care, surrounded with all the comforts of a beautiful
home and a happ) family, and with the natural and justifiable pride oi the
soldier who has performed gallant service in a long and bloody war for the
defence of his fatherland, — in these few words may we sum up the worthy
and honorable career of the son of beautiful France who now on the after-
slope of life, passes his restful years in the city of Olympia. Jacob Stamp-
fler was born in sunny southern France on the 20th of July, 1843, °ne of the
children of Mast and Marie (Bolach) Stampfler, and there he was reared to
manhood.
At the age of nineteen Jacob enlisted in the French army for a period of
seven years, and he served as bugler for General McMabon during the war in
Africa, and was with his regiment throughout the Franco-Prussian war;
his term of service being completed before the end of the war, he remained
until the close, making eight years of valiant service for his native land.
Throughout he was closely related by the duties of his position with his be-
loved general, and he is the proud possessor of fourteen certificates of engage-
ments signed by the great general. At his discharge he also received a cross
of honor, the highest testimonial a French soldier can covet as a reward of
faithful service. At the battle of Sedan, early on the morning of September
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 5C.3
i, 1870, McMahon was severely wounded in the thigh, necessitating his leav-
ing the place of command ; young Stampfler was at his side and had a left
rih shot away and was made prisoner. In the parlor of the pleasant residence
at Olympia there stands a full length portrait of the young French soldier
with his sword by his side and his bugle raised to his lips, a valued memorial
of former days, which will be prized as long as the descendants of this worthy
man survive.
At the close of the war Mr. Stampfler and his young wife emigrated from
the land of their nativity to the United States, stopping first in Ohio and then
coming on to Santa Clara cOunty, California, where he worked on a farm for
wages. He made his advent into the Puget Sound country in 1873 and pur-
chased a farm of two hundred and forty acres twenty-four miles south of
Olympia ; he at once set to work making improvements, and after a residence
there of two years sold the property at a profit. Then near Yelm, Thurston
county, he bought eighty-four acres, which he also improved and sold after
two years. His next purchase was a farm of one hundred and forty-four
acres, where he made his home for nine years, raising stock and all kinds of
farm products, including hops. He labored bard and gained its reward, a
good competence. He owned property in Olympia and there built a com-
modious house, where he now lives in retirement ; be still retains a farm of
eighty acres, and there are four acres in his home place, on which he has a
variety of fruit trees, being surrounded with all the comforts of life.
The maiden name of Mr. Stampfler's wife was Mary Bather, a native of
Alsace; she became the mother of four children, all born in Thurston county,
and all now doing for themselves. Joseph owns and operates a mine near
Mount Rainier; Flora is married and lives in France; Jule is with his brother
in the mine; and Francis is in Seattle. In politics Mr. Stampfler is a Demo-
crat, and be and his wife are members of the Catholic Church.
MITCHELL HARRIS.
One of the most prominent and successful business men of Olympia is
Mitchell Harris, and he is honored and respected by all because of the business
methods he has ever followed, methods which neither seek nor demand dis-
guise. It is true that he became connected with a business already established,
but many a man of less resolute spirit and foresight would have failed in
enlarging it and carrying it forward to still greater success, and his life record
proves that success is not a matter of genius, but the outcome of experience,
perseverance and enterprise.
Mr. Harris is a native of the northwest. He was born in Salem, Ore-
gon, September iS. [862, a son of Isaac Harris, a native of Russia, who
emigrated to California in 1854. There he engaged in business until about
1858, in which year lie removed to Oregon City, Oregon, where he followed
merchandising until he took up his abode in Walla Walla. Washington. There
he also engaged in trade, and later resided fur a time in Helena. Montana, com-
ing in 1869 to Olympia, where he established the large mercantile house of
which his sons, Mitchell and Gus, are now the proprietors. lie had been well
564 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
educated along business lines in bis native land, but came to the United Slates
a poor man, and entered upon bis business career in tbis country as a peddler.
By persistent energj and superior business qualifications and integrity, he rose
to high rank in mercantile circles and became tbe bead of on< ol the leading
mercantile establishments of the northwest. His d< • ccurred in 1894, al
the age of sixty years. He was married in New York cit) to Miss Annie Mar-
cus, who was born in New York and was of German ancestry. Their union
was blessed with three sons, all of whom are living and are an honor to their
parents. Dr. Henry Harris is now practicing his profession in San Francisco,
while Gus is bis brother's partner in the extensive mercantile busine oi
Olympia.
The store building, which was erected during the father's time, is the
finest mercantile house of the city, ninet) bj one bundled feet, containing
eight rooms, twenty-five by one bundled feet, a splendidly designed depart-
ment store, with an elegant and artistic front, whii the structure an
ornament to the city. In this establishment the Harris Brothers keep a com
plete assortment of all classes of merchandise with the exception gr< ceries.
They were both trained from boyhood to the mercantile business by the
father, who was an excellent buyer and displayed marked judgment in tbe
care and arrangement of bis stock. There is no betti I in the coun-
try, every department showing the good taste and ability of the propriel
and the store is one which would be a credit to any city, either of the ea 1
or the west.
Mr. Harris is one of the stockholders and 1 ol the Capital Na-
tional Bank of Olympia, one of the leading financial institut th< tate,
and he holds high rank in financial circles. He is also prominent in
organizations and lias been tbe grand treasurer of tbe Knights of Pythias
of the state.
In 1S92 Mr. Harris was happily married to Miss Toba Lichenstein, oi
San Francisco, and they have a son and daughter, Selwvn and Irene, both in
school. Mr. Gus Harris is also married and lias a son, Louis. They continue
their fidelity to tbe Hebrew faith and have many friends in tbe city.
DEXTER HORTON.
Dexter Horton, one of tbe honored and prominent pioneer business
men of Seattle, was born in what is now Schuyler county. New York, mar
tbe bead of Seneca Lake, on tbe 15th of November, 1825, and is of English
lineage.
He bad but limited, school privileges. For about three months in a
year he was a student in a little school bouse in a small district in Xew York.
but during the remainder of tbe year bis time was occupied with tbe work of
the farm. When a youth of fifteen he accompanied bis parents to Illinois,
and as be was then as large and strong as a man be did a man's work in tbe
fields, attending school only two months of tbe year, the remainder of the
time being devoted to tbe arduous task of reclaiming the wild land for pur-
poses of civilization. While residing in Illinois be took up a claim of eighty
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acres near his father's home, and when he could obtain any leisure from
assisting in the improvement of his father's farm lie devoted his time to
the cultivation of his own land. In 1847, when about nineteen years of
age, Mr. Horton was married to Miss Hannah E. Shondy, and unto them
were horn three children while they were residents of Illinois, but they lost
two in infancy. In 1852 Mr. Horton, accompanied by his wife and little
daughter, Rebecca, started across the plains to the Pacific coast. Five fam-
ilies traveled together, taking with them sixty horses. There were in the
company eight men, six women and six children, and a little one was lion:
on the plains. They arrived at The Dalles in safety on the 6th of Septem-
ber, after encountering many hardships and trials on the way. Mr. Horton
and his family spent the winter at Salem, Oregon, and in the spring of 1853,
with several others, he walked to Olympia, thence proceeding to Seattle,
where he secured work with Mr. Hell, chopping piles at two dollars and
fifty cents per day. He also went to Port Tow nsend, where he cleared two
lots for a man and was paid ten dollars a day for his work. On the first of
July he returned to Salem, expecting to secure work at harvesting, hut the
great emigration of that year had brought many unemployed men to this por-
tion of the country and he was only able to get one day's work. On the
1st of September of that year Mr. Aiercev and his four daughters and Mr.
Horton and his family started with. a team for Seattle. They came by the
way of Portland, ferried their horses across the river and the family pro-
ceeded in a scow to Monticeillo and then in canoes to the upper landing on
the Cowlitz. There Mr. Horton.-.met his family and the ladies of the party
with the horses, and putting riie wagon together brought them to Olympia,
where he left his wife and daughter while he returned after their household
effects. They arrived in Seattle on the 15th of September, 1853, when he
had not a dollar in his pocket, and, worse than that, was indebted to Mr.
Mercer in the sum of lift)- dollars for bringing him to this country with his
team. Later he became interested in merchandising. A. A. Denny had
purchased a small stock of goods on commission and Air. Morton became
his partner in the new enterprise. They were also joined by David Phillips,
but at the end of the year Mr. Denny was called to the upper house of the
territorial legislature and Mr. Phillips to the lower house, so Mr. Horton
purchased his partners' interests, giving them credit for their share of the
business and he traded on this. He subsequently paid off his indebtedness,
and later Mr. Phillips again formed a partnership with him. the new relation
being maintained for five years, during which time they established a store
at Olympia.
At the close of the war Mr. Horton had the hu^iness sagacity to sell
out and become the founder of the Dexter Horton Dank-, the first hank estab-
lished in the territory of Washington, lie was mad< its president, and for
eighteen years continued in the hanking business, profiting largely by the
same honorable business methods which he employed in merchandising and
which actuated all his transactions in commercial life. When he had been
in active business for thirty-four years, he sold his hank to W. S. Ladd, of
Portland, Oregon, hut the old name was continued and the institution is
still one of the most reliable in this portion of the country. A. A. Denny.
566 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
the friend and first partner of Mr. Horton, was also in the banking business
with him for sixteen years, and both sold out at the same time, reserving,
however, some of their bank stock. All this occurred before the great lire
of 1889, which swept over Seattle, almost wiping the city oul of existence.
At once, however. Mr. Horton began to rebuild and completed the Seattle
block in three months, while a year later he erected the New York building.
In 1873 he erected a residence at No. 1206 Third avenue, where with his
good wife and accomplished daughter he is spending the evening of life.
After the family arrived in this cit) a little son, Alfred, was born, but his
death occurred when he had reached the age of twenty months. \ daughter,
Nettie, is now the wife of Rev. W. G. Jones, of Everett. Mrs. Horton de-
parted this life on the 30th of December, 1871. On the 30th of September,
1873, Mr. Horton married Miss Caroline E. Parsons, and this union was
blessed with a daughter, Caroline E., who lias just graduated from the state
university. Her mother was only spared to Mr. Horton for five years,
passing away on the 14th of September, 1S7X. Four years later he made a
trip to the east, and on the 14th of September, [882, married Miss Arabella
C. Agard, a daughter of Eaton Agard, of Mr. Horton's native county. Mr.
Horton has long been an active member of the Protestant Methodist church,
with which he became identified in 1849. '''■' nas served as an officer, has
taken special interest in Sunday-school work and for ten years filled the
office of Sunday-school superintendent.
HON STEPHEN A. CALLVERT.
The history of the Callvert family presents many phases which deserve
special reference in a work of this kind and are interesting not only to his
immediate fellow citizens hut to the world al large. This family have been
long residents of the south, and originated in England. Members of il have
been prominent residents of Maryland, North Carolina and Kentucky, and on
the maternal side our subject belongs to the well known Hanks and Lincoln
family, of Virginian ancestry. His great-grandfather. George Callvert, was a
native of North Carolina, and his grandfather, Alexander Callvert, was an
early pioneer of the state of Kentucky. Our subject's father, Aaron Callvert,
was born in Kentucky in the year 1816, and in 1831, when he was fifteen years
of age, removed to southern Illinois, becoming a pioneer of that state. In
1835 he took up his residence in northern Illinois, upon government land,
but in 1856, selling his property in Illinois, he went to Iowa, where he resided
until his death, in 1873. His wife was Ann Hanks, whom he married in
Whiteside county, Illinois, in 1839. She survives her husband, and is now
(1902) in her seventy-ninth year and resides with the subject of this sketch.
The parents were Presbyterians in religious faith, and enjoyed the high respect
and esteem of all their fellowmen. They had two children, of whom our
subject is the only survivor. The daughter, Scynthia, was the wife of Mr.
Robert Coe, was the mother of four children and passed away in 1891, at
Denver, Colorado.
Stephen A. Callvert was born in Albany. Illinois, on the 12th of Febru-
ary* '843. and his education was received' in Washington College, Iowa.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 507
One of the most interesting chapters of his life must he put in a single para-
graph. In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil war, when he was but in his
seventeenth year, he endeavored to enlist in the army, but he was not yet tall
enough and his sen-ices were not accepted. In the following year he was
received into Company H, Second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served in
the Western Department. After returning from the war Air. Callvert took
a law course in the Michigan University, graduating in 1866. He was ad-
mitted to practice in Iowa City, and did a very successful general law business
there until 1891. From 1878 until 1887 he served on the bench in the Des
Moines district, and during that time commanded the respect and esteem of the
members of the profession, and seldom were his rulings as judge reversed by
higher courts. • In 1891 he removed with his family to Whatcom, Washing-
ton, and there continued his law practice with his usual excellent success.
Having always been a powerful and active Republican, and having always
done his utmost to advance the interests of his party, he was nominated for
the state legislature and was easily elected. During his services in the legis-
lature he was an efficient worker in the interests of his constituents, was chair-
man of the fisheries committee, served on the judiciary committee, on the
committee of education and the committee on public lands, and. as the result
of his service on the latter committee, in 1900, he was elected to his present
office of commissioner of public lands, where he is giving the highest satis-
faction.
Mr. Callvert's marriage was celebrated in 1868, to Miss Rachel Berger,
a native of the state of Pennsylvania and a daughter of William Berger, who
was of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry and long a resident in that state. To
this marriage have been born four children: William F., Jessie E., Ronald
G. and Narcissa L., all of whom have grown up and are now ably assisting
their father in his land office as clerks and stenographers, and are capable
and intelligent helpers. At the organization of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lic Mr. Callvert was elected one of its first members, and has ever since taken
an active interest therein. He is a member of the blue lodge and is a Royal
Arch Mason and a Knight of Pythias. Mr. Callvert is descended from good
ancestry, has served honorably as a citizen, soldier, statesman and jurist.
His life has been filled with varied experiences, and he justly deserves to stand
high in the esteem of his fellowmen.
*&■
HON. CHARLES W. MAYNARD.
This is a country of opportunity, where caste and family position have
little to do with man's chances of success. To rise from a position of a farm
hand to one of the highest offices in the gift of the state is the brief epitome
of the history of our subject, who now occupies the office of treasurer of the
state -of Washington.
His father, Henry Maynard, was a native of western Massachusetts,
born in 1807, and there received his early education. In the year 1837 he
went west to Illinois, and was one of the early settlers of thai state, and was
there married to Miss Lucy Emeline Kilbourn, who was from his own town
in Massachusetts. After removing to Illinois he bought a farm and was one
5GS HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
of the successful and early farmers of thai state. In politics he was a Repub
lican, and his religious views were those of the Unitarian denomination. His
death occurred in 1865, and his good wife survived him until [899, when she
died in her seventy-eighth year. They were people of much influence in their
community, and had six children, four of whom are now living,
Charles Warren Maynard, a son of the above, was born in the state of
Illinois, in Rockford, Winnebago cunt), -.it the 7th of December, [855, and
received his education in the Rockford, Illinois. Academy. In 1S7J, when but
seventeen years of age, he went to Chehalis, Lewis county, Washington ter
ritory. His first occupation was working on a farm at twenty live dollars
a month and hoard, and liter he rented a farm ami was very successful in
his agricultural pursuits. He continued farming until 1880, and at that time
embarked in the hardware business in Chehalis, in which he met with very
gratifying success, his business increasing under In- capable management.
He soon became the leading hardware merchant of thai part of the country,
and Built a fine block for his business interests. He also invested in real es
tate, and was very prominenl in all the enterprises concerning the welfare of
his town. He was one of the founders of the Chehalis Stale Hank and also
one of its directors. For a number of years hi- partner in Imsiness was Mr.
Frank Everett.
He has been a life-long Republican and early took a great interest in
politics, being elected and serving two terms a- treasurer of Lewis county,
and also was elected mayor of Chehalis. in which position he was active in
promoting the best interests of the city. So satisfactory were his services as
treasurer of Lewis county and mayor of the city that in [899 he was chi 1
by his party as candidate for state treasurer, and although he marie onlv a few-
campaign speeches he was elected to this high place of trust and honor, which
he is now filling.
In 1876 Mr. Maynard took as his wife Miss Mary Alice White, a native
of Lewis county Washington, and a daughter of Mr. Charles F. White, who
was one of the early pioneers of the state. They have five children, as fol-
lows: Clarence Eugene, who is now efficiently assisting his father as deputj
state treasurer: Lucy E. : Alice M. ; Bessie; and Everett. Mrs. Maynard
is one of the valued members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Maynard holds
membership in the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in the Masonic order,
the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. The family occupy a very high
social position in the city and community. Mr. Maynard's high position in
life has been gained through his own industry and perseverance. He is a
thoroughly capable business man and has served with honor in all the official
duties which his fellow citizens have conferred upon him. His life of varied
activity not only reflects honor upon himself but also upon his state.
JACOB FURTH.
Among those who have come from foreign lands to become prominent
in business circles in Washington .is Jacob Furth, the president of the Puget
Sound National Bank of Seattle. He was born in Schvvihau. Bohemia, Aus-
*v
"fe^CC^"^)
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 569
tria, on the 14th of November, 1840, a son of Lazar and Anna (Popper)
Furth, both of whom were natives of that land and were of the Hebrew faith.
The father was a merchant, successfully following thai line of business
throughout the years of his manhood. Both he and his wife spent their entire
lives in that country and he attained to the very advanced age of ninety six
years. They were the parents of ten sons and two daughters, and eight of
the number came to the United States.
In the schools of bis native land Jacob Furth pursued his education, and.
when 'eighteen years of age bade adieu to home and friends in order to try
bis fortune in California, where he arrived in 1858. His industry and
economy soon enabled him to engage in business on his own account ami he
established a store at North San Juan, where he conducted a successful busi-
ness until 1870, at which time he removed to Colusa, California. Here he
conducted a general mercantile store for twelve years, but his health becom-
ing impaired and hoping that he might be benefited by a change of climate
he came to Seattle in 1882. In this city Mr. Furth established the Pugel
Sound National Hank and acted as its cashier until [893, when be was
elected its president. The bank has always been managed by him, and its
almost unparalleled success is attributable almost entirely to his financial
ability. He was also one of the organizers of the extensive street railway
system of Seattle, controlling dH§ Hundred miles of street railway now in
operation here and doing a paying' business. He is president of the company
which is now building an electric line to Tacoma and is also president of the
Vulcan Iron Works. He is likewise president of the California Land &
Stock Company, owning thirteen thousand acres of choice farming land in
Lincoln county, Washington, is also quite extensively interested in real
estate in Seattle, and in the erection of buildings has contributed to the im-
provement of the city.
In 1865 Mr. Furth was united in marriage to Miss Lucy A. Dunton,
a native of Indiana and a representative of an old American family. Their
marriage has been blessed with three daughters: Jane E., now the wife of
E. L. Terry, of Seattle; Anna I'"., who married Frederick K. Sturve. of
Seattle; and Sidonia, who is at home with her parents. Mr. Furth arrived
in the United States just before the organization of the Republican party,
and from its formation has given to it an unwavering support, although he
has taken no active part in its work as an office seeker. For several years
he rendered effective service to the city as a member of its council, and has
also bad the honor of serving as president of its Chamber of Commerce for
two terms. He still holds to the religious faith of bis ancestors, but is
broad minded and liberal and has been most generous in his contribution to
various church and benevolent enterprises. He was made a Master Mason
in Colusa county, California, in 1X70. and was elected and served as master
of his lodge. He is also a Royal Arch Mason, and in his life exemplifies
the teaching of the craft.
DR. JOHN T. COLEMAN. .
Dr. Coleman can boast that he is the physician ami surgeon of Ion-. 1
residence in the city of Chehalis. for while there were several members of
570 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
the profession in the town when lie took up his residence lure, all have since
left, but he has remained with the city ever since he came and lias prospered
not only in the line of his profession but also in various business ventures.
He is of English and Irish origin, and his grandfather John Coleman came
from Dublin. Ireland, to Troy, New York, in [827. lie became a prominent
pork packer, an industry which was then in its infancy, and later, in 1832, re-
moved to Cincinnati, which was one of the centers of the pork trade. I le con-
tinued his business there, and was a member of the city council and wa^S very
active in promoting the welfare of the city, lie was a man of much virility
and lived to be ninety-nine years old, dying in 1871). while his wife, who was
a Miss Farrel and was born in Dublin; was even more remarkable lor her
longevity, for she was one hundred and four years old at the tunc of her death.
They were both members of the Catholic church, and the two children born
to them are now deceased. One of these, Thomas, was bom while his father
made his home in Troy, New York, but received his education In Cincinnati.
He became a brick manufacturer and was well started on a successful career
when he was accidentally drowned in the Ohio river, in [869, when only
thirty-seven years old. He had married Mary I lew who was bom in London
and was brought to .America when an infant. There were two children of
this marriage, and the daughter, Ida, is now Mrs. j. Milbourne, of Wichita,
Kansas.
John T. Coleman was the only son of his parents and was born in Cin-
cinnati on August 23, 1857, so that he was twelve years of age at the time of
his father's death. After completing the preliminary education in the schools
of Cincinnati, he prepared himself for a medical career by attending the Ohio
Medical College, from which he graduated in 1X84. The young physician
with his diploma in his hand always has the "world before him where to
choose," but the exact location is not often the first choice. Dr. Coleman first
began his active practice in Ada, Ohio, where he remained for two years, then
had his office in Hutchinson, Kansas, for two years, and made his final move
when he located in Chehalis in October, 1888. He enjoys an extensive general
practice and takes special interest in surgery. He is the physician for the
state reform school, which is located at Chehalis, and belongs to the National
Medical Association and the State Medical Association.
Dr. Coleman has become interested in real estate and owns considerable
property in the city, and is a stockholder and the treasurer of the Fir Door
Manufacturing Company, which is one of the important enterprises located at
Chehalis. In 1882 he married Miss Mida Olmsted, who is a daughter of
George Olmsted, of Ohio, and the three children of this union have received
the names of John, Mary and Helen, who all reside in the nice home in Che-
halis. Dr. Coleman is a stanch Republican, and in the Masonic order is a
thrice past master, and is a member of the chapter.
ORANGE JACOBS.
Orange Jacobs is a native of Geneseo, Livingston county, Xew York,
born on the 2d of May, 1829, and is of English ancestry. Captain Hiram
Jacobs, his father, was born in New Hampshire, and won his title by service
»
ORAHGE JACOBS.
THE NEW YORK
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HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 571
in the Black Hawk war. He married Miss Phebe Jinkins, a native of Massa-
chusetts. They removed to Sturgis, Michigan, in 1830. In [849 they
crossed the plains to California, and the father died at the ripe old age of
ninety years, in 1897, and his wife also lived to an advanced age. They had
six sons and three daughters, and with one exception all are living.
Judge Jacobs, the second in order of birth, pursued his education in a
primitive log school house on the frontier and in Albion Seminary, while
later he was a student in the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
When a young man he engaged in teaching school and also took up the study
of law. In 1852 he was admitted to the bar, and believing that he mighl
have better opportunities in the growing wesl crossed the plains to Oregon,
locating first in Marion county, near Salem. In 1857 he removed to lack-
son county, where for several years he had a large law practice. He was
also an important factor in shaping public sentiment in favor of the Union
and against secession, and in order to promote opposition to slavery for a
number of years edited and puhl;-' ,ed the Jacksonville Sentinel. The g 1
work he did for the Republican party and for the government during the
Civil war were recognized by .'resident Grant, and in 1867 he received the
appointment of associate justice of the supreme court of Washington terri-
tory, while in less than a year the legislature of the territory asked the presi-
dent to give him the appointment of chief justice of Washington. Presi-
dent Grant immediately complied and for six years Judge Jacobs continued
on the bench. In 1879 "e resigned the office after being nominated as the
Republican candidate for the ojffice of delegate to the United States Congress,
serving in the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth Congresses, after which he de
clined a renomination and returned to Seattle, where he resumed the prac-
tice of his profession. While his efforts in behalf of the state have been
recognized and of great value, his labors in Seattle have been of much benefit
to the city. In 1880 he was elected mayor, and at the close of his term
declined a re-election, hut in 1884 was again called to public life, being
elected a member of the territorial council, in which he served as chairman
of the judiciary committee and of the committee on education. lie became
very active in securing the appropriations for the penitentiary, the insane
asylum and the university, and for many years took a deep interesl in pro
moting the welfare of the university. He served for many years on its board
of regents and for ten years acted as treasurer of the hoard. In [899 Judge
Jacobs was elected a member of the commission to form a new charter for
the city of Seattle, and here his knowledge of law proved of great value in
securing the charter which gives a legal existence to the city. This charter
was adopted by the people in r890. and under the new charter he had the
honor of being elected corporation counsel. In [896 he was elected one ><\
the supreme judges of King county, in which position he served for four
years, having charge of the criminal department most of the time. Judge
Jacobs is still in the active practice of law. under the firm name of Jacobs
& Jacobs, his sons, Hiram J. and A. L.. being his efficient parti
On the 1st of January. [857, was celebrated the marriage of Judge
Jacobs .and Miss Lucinda Davenport, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of
Dr. Benjamin Davenport, of the Buckeye state, who became an Oregon
572 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
pioneer of 1850. Seven children have been born unto the Judge and Ins
wife, namely : Hiram J. ; Abraham Lincoln; Harry Edwin; Orange; Estella,
the wife of A. L. Clark, of Seattle; and Donna and Jessie, with theii parents.
The Judge has been a member of the Independent Order of ( Md Fellows
since 1848 and has filled all the offices in the subordinate lodge, lie is one
of the oldest representatives of the fraternity in the state ami is al 0 identi
lied with the Masons, having reached the sublime degree of a Master Mason
in Sturgis, Michigan, in 1852.
HARRY WEST.
Chehalis is destined to be one of the most prosperous cities of south-
western Washington, being situated about equidistant from the Sound and
the Columbia, and well supplied with all the conveniences which are so essen-
tial in the developing of a business center. Already there are a number of pro
gressive firms established there, and one of these is the Chehalis Furniture
and Manufacturing Company. This factory makes a large amount of bed-
room and kitchen furniture, tables, and almost everything used in the house-
hold, and the energy of the proprietors is continually increasing the sale and
enlarging the territory of demand. One of the stockholders and the vice
president of this company is Mr. Harry West, a man well known in the busi
ness circles of Chehalis. not only because of his connection with this company
hut also from the fact that he is the proprietor of the Chehalis electric plant.
England is the place of nativit) for most of the West family, and it was
there that William West was horn. He married a native of Lancastershire,
Flizabeth Dohson. and they came to this country in 1854. settling first in the
state of Illinois. But ten years later they had found their way to Washington
and settled on a farm. This land is now a part of the city of Chehalis, and Mr.
West platted that portion of the city, thus being justified in claiming himself
as one of the fathers of the place. He still owns a large amount of valuable
real estate here and resides in a commodious home. He has been prominently
connected with the growth of Chehalis and the welfare of Lewis county, and
has been called upon to serve in several of the public offices, having been coun-
ty treasurer for two or three terms and city auditor. His wife died in 1875 :
she was the mother of six children, and the three survivors are all in Chehalis.
One of these is Mr. Harry West.
Harry West is proud to claim Chehalis as his native place, the date of
his birth being July 4, 1869. He attended the public schools, and in the
numerous vacations worked on his father's farm near the city. He was only
twenty-three years old when he became a stockholder and the vice president
of the furniture company, and he has been of very material assistance in pro-
moting that enterprise, which is now in so flourishing a condition and is of
great benefit to the town in furnishing employment to so many workmen.
In 1897 Mr. West took charge of the city electric light plant, and it has re-
ceived many improvements and been made to pay dividends since coming
into the hands of the present proprietor. He is the owner of some valuable
city lots and also has a nice farm about three and a half miles in the country.
Mr. West is very popular in social and business circles, is a member of
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 573
the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World, but he take- no active-
interest in practical politics. He is a thoughtful, capable man of affairs, and
a bright future is no doubt before him.
THOMAS O'NEILL.
The firm of McDonald and O'Neill of Shelton, .Mason county. Wash
ington, is not only known as being the largest mercantile establishment in the
county, but it lays claim to especial distinction in the state and the whole
western country as being pioneers in one of the most important enterprises on
Puget Sound. Along the sheltered waters of the Atlantic coast the oyster
planting industry has been developed and carried on successfully for the' past
quarter-century, lint it is only recently that it lias assumed any extensive
proportions in the new west; and to McDonald and O'Neill belong the
honor of first successfully propagating the eastern oyster in western waters.
In the arm of the Sound which extends up to Shelton they have one hundred
acres of oyster beds, and twenty-seven acres of this is cultivated by the French
parking system. During the past season they shipped about two thousand
sacks of the bivalves to the markets in Tacoma. Seattle and Portland, for
which they received about $4.50 per sack. They make use of a gasoline
launch, with which they tow their own scows and those of others to the land-
ing at Shelton. The possibilities of oyster culture in the Sound are as yel
hardly understood, and in the great development of it which will take place
in the near future this firm will be looked upon as its pioneers and in a large
measure responsible for its successful outcome.
From these introductory remarks the interest of the reader will be stim-
ulated in the gentleman who has taken the leading part in developing this
enterprise, Mr. Thomas O'Neill. He comes of Irish slock, and his father,
James, was born in county Wicklow, Ireland, in 1818. Emigrating to Can-
ada when a young man. he married there Catherine llinclc. a native of his
own country. He had learned the trade of blacksmith, and in addition to
this had a good farm, which he cultivated till his death. He and his wife were
both devout Catholics, and she still lives at the old home, being in her nine-
tieth year. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters, and three
sons and two daughters still survive.
The son Thomas was born in Canada, September 3, t86o. He had the
advantages of school in his boyhood, hut at the age of sixteen he began to
earn his own living. He had learned the trade of blacksmith in his father's
shop, and in 1876 he went to Saginaw, Michigan, where he followed his trade
for awhile. He later had a shop in Bennington, of the same state, for two
years, after which he came west and located in Shelton about [879. Thai was
an early day in the history of this town, there being hut two houses on the site
of the present county seat. He obtained work in the line of his trade for
what is now the Peninsular Railroad, and. as he was industrious and frugal,
by 1881 he had saved enough to encourage him to start in business for himself,
I). A. McDonald, whose daughter he afterward married, was also willing to
invest bis small amount of capital, and this was the beginning of the pre ?n1
company. The McDonalds had come to this country in [869, and Mr. Mc-
574 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
Donald died in 1887, after which his wife, who was a woman of much strength
of will and character and had already assisted in the management "I" the
firm, retained her husband's interest, and she is now represented by her sun,
Angus L., an active young business man. The business expanded rapidly
from the start, not only because it was the pioneer store in this part of the
country, but on account of the sagacity and business ability of the proprietors,
and in 1900 the sales had reached the one hundred thousand dollar mark.
The store is thirty-hair by eighty-four, two stories, and w ith a gallery around
the main building, there is a second room thirty-two by eighty feci, the furni-
ture salesroom is twenty-six by seventy-two, and in a building tliiitx six by
one hundred and forty they carry a complete line of wagons, carriages and all
kinds of farm implements; there is a branch store at Kamilche.
On February 4. [889, Mr. O'Neill was married to Miss bundle \b
Donald, who was born in Arcadia.. Mason county, and whose mother. Mar
garet McDonald, is Mr. O'Neill's partner in the mercantile business. Three
sons and three daughters have been born of this union : I >onald James. Mar-
garet C, Angus Lawrence, Jennette Marie. Camahla Elizabeth and Thomas
Richard. They reside 111 a nice home in Shelton, and in the summer go to
their cottage at the oyster beds, the launch being a ready mean- of communi-
cation. Mr. O'Neill is a Democrat, and, .although his party is in the minority
in the county, without any solicitation on Ins part, he was twice elected to the
office of county treasurer, in i8qi and [893, and in [898 was placed in the
office of county commissioner. He is a member of the Elks, is the presidenl of
the Shelton board of trade, and has been identified with many measures for
the advancement of the public welfare and prosperity.
REV. GEORGL" I'. WHITWORTH.
Rev. George F. Whitworth, clergyman and educator, the first Presby-
terian minister to come north of the Columbia river, and who has been identi-
fied with the history of Puget Sound since 1854. as regards its material, educa
tional and religious interests, was born in Boston. England, March 15. [8l6,
and at the age of twelve years came to the United States with bis parents, in
1828, locating near Mansfield. Ohio.
After serving for a time as an apprentice to the saddlery and harness
business in Dayton, Ohio, in the fall of 1833 he commenced a classical course
of study at Hanover College, Indiana, where he was graduated in 1838. He
married Miss Mary E. Thomson, of Decatur county, Indiana, and moved to
Lancaster, Ohio, where he taught a high school one year. Removing to
Greensburg. Indiana, he taught school and studied law. was there admitted
to the liar, and engaged in the practice of the law until 1843. when he turned
his attention to theology, and spent three years at the New Albany Theologi-
cal Seminary, now known as the McCormick Theological Seminary, at
Chicago. His first ministerial charges were Corydon and Cannelton, Indi-
ana, and I lawesville, Kentucky, the last two jointly.
In 1853 he was commissioned by the Presbyterian board of home missions
as a missii mary to Puget Sound. His attention had been directed to the Pacific
northwest while a student in college by the reading of Irving's " Astoria,"
GEORG-E F. WHITWORTH.
"the newTorjt
PUBLIC LieRARY
*STOR. LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 575
and later by reading in the Missionary Herald the letters of Dr. Whitman.
Spalding and other early missionaries to the territory of Oregon, all of which
created a desire to visit it whenever an opportunity to do so should present
itself.
In 1852 he was invited to take charge of a colony, and in the spring of
1S53 started with a company of about fifty souls, with ox teams, to cross the
plains, making a journey of nearly six months, which can now. by the im-
proved facilities of travel, be accomplished in a fewer number of days. Reach-
ing Portland, Oregon, too late in the fall to continue the journey to Puget
Sound, he remained there during the winter of 1853-54. and while there
assisted in organizing the First Presbyterian church of Portland, and min-
istered to its spiritual welfare for a short period, until the middle of February.
1854, at which time he started for Olympia, leaving his family until it would
be more comfortable for them to travel.
Traveling in those days was exceedingly slow and difficult. One day was
spent on the river steamer going from Portland to Monticello, near the mouth
of the Cowlitz river, two days ascending the river in a canoe to Cowlitz Land-
ing (now Olequa), at that time the head of navigation of that river; then
another two days on foot to reach Olympia, the entire distance which is now
accomplished by rail in about seven hours.
In the month of May he moved his family to Olympia, near which city
he availed himself of the benefit of. the donation law, and pitched his tent
and built a split-board shanty, which answered for a summer residence until
a better house could be erected. In November of that year he organized at
Olympia what was then supposed tp.be tire first Presbyterian church which
was established in the territory of Washington, which had just been separated
from that of Oregon. Later it has been learned that a Presbyterian church
was organized by the missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and Rev. H. H.
Spalding in 1838, in Oregon territory in that part which is now included in
Idaho. This was not only the first Presbyterian church established in the
Pacific northwest, but the first on the Pacific slope. Early in 1855 .Mr. Whit-
worth organized his second church in the valley of the Chehalis, where Cla-
quato now stands; and the third at Grand Mound.
During the Indian war of 1855-6 he traveled with his rifle on his shoulder
to supply these churches and other missions, a distance of from twentv-five
to forty miles, twice a month, through a deserted region nearly all the way,
the families having fled from their homes to the forts at Grand Mound and
Claquato. Owing to the very limited mean- of (lie early settlers, the outbreak
of the Indians just referred to, and the slender allowance made by the board
of home missions, he found it necessary, in order to support himself and
family, to engage temporarily in such business pursuits as did not materially
interfere with his ministerial work, but somewhat curtailed his missionary
labors.
Besides having taught school he has held the following positions in the
territory, now the state of Washington: Superintendent of schools for several
terms in both Thurston and King counties, United States deputj surveyor,
county surveyor of King, city surveyor of Seattle, deputy collector of customs
for Puget Sound district, twice president of the Territorial University, twice
570 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
chief clerk of the superintendent of Indian affairs, and secretar) oi the com
mission which made the second treaty with the Nez Perces at Lapwai in [863.
When elected president of the university in [866, he renKN ed to Seal lie. which
has been his resilience ever since, and he has witnessed its marvelous growth
from a village of about four hundred inhabitants to a citj whose population
is estimated at one hundred and fifty thousand, including Us suburbs.
His attention was early called to the <'<>;d deposits of the territory, and
he became convinced that the production of coal was hound to be one oi its
important industries, and that there was g 1 reason to believe thai Wash-
ington would in this respect become the Pennsylvania of the Pacii ast.
Subsequent developments have verified this opinion. lie was largely con
cerned in the opening of the Seattle mines at NTewc; nd later those of
the South Prairie Coal Company in Pierce comity.
In his home he organized the First Presbyterian church of Seattle on
the 12th of December. [869. Later he organized churches at Whidby Island,
Sumner, Renton and White River (now Kent), lie has been instrumental
in organizing a number of churches in the -tale, ha- always continued his
ministerial duties, which have been of a missionary character, in attending
to weak places and preparing them for organization and occupancy. Ai the
present time ( [903) he has no special charge, and. though at the age of 87,
he holds himself subjeel to the direction 01" the presbytery.
The presbytery of Puget Sound was organized on the 27th day of Sep-
tember, 1858, in connection with the synod of the Pacific, and consisted of
three ministers, Rev. J. W. Goodell, Rev. George W. Sloan and Rev. Georg
F. Whitworth. Its boundaries were the whole territory of Washington, ex-
tending from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains and from the Co-
lumbia river on the south, to British Columbia on the north. The only
churches then in existence were the First Presbyterian of Olympia, that of
Grand Mound and the First Presbyterian church of Steilacoom. The total
membership of these combined churches did not exceed forty. This presbytery
has since been divided into five presbyteries, which together with those of
Alaska and Yukon, constituted the synod of Washington. These five presby-
teries have one hundred and fifty ministers, one hundred and forty-five
churches and 9,472 members. Numbered among these are ten Indian churches,
with six Indian ministers and six hundred and fifty members. The presby-
tery of Puget Sound, which now covers only the northern half of western
Washington, has forty-four ministers, thirty-five churches and 3,332 mem-
bers. Its first connection was with the synod, of the Pacific, then with the
svnod of the Columbia, and now with the synod of Washington. From this
presbytery the other four have sprung, and it may properly be styled the
mother presbytery, even as Dr. Whitworth is sometimes called the " Father
of Presbyterianism " in this northwest corner of the Pacific.
He was the first moderator of the presbytery of Puget Sound in 1858;
filled the same office in the synod of the Columbia in 1876, and the synod of
Washington in 1890; was stated clerk of the synod of the Columbia from 1880
until 1889, and served the presbytery of Puget Sound twenty-one years,
from 1878 to 1899 as stated clerk. In 1890 his alma mater — Hanover Col-
lege— conferred on him the degree of D. D.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 577
In connection with other pioneer work his attention was early given to
that of education. Interested and aiding in the formation of the common
school system, and later in that of the Territorial University, while recogniz-
ing their value and importance, he nevertheless felt that a very essential ele-
ment was lacking while their work was confined within secular limits.
Impressed with the importance, if not the necessity, of providing schools
to supplement this lack, which would he under Christian influences, lie advo-
cated their establishment while the state, then a territory, was in its formative
condition. It is in a large measure due to his efforts that the synod of Wash-
ington now has a synodical college.
In 1855 a school was opened in Sumner under the charge of Rev. ( Jorge
A. McKinley, who was then ministering to the Presbyterian church of that
village. This was done by the presbytery of Puget Sound, through a com-
mittee previously appointed, of which Air. Whitworth was the chairman. Its
beginnings were small, and though it was assisted by the Presbyterian board
of aid, it had to struggle with various reverses. In the financial crisis which
swept over the country several persons who were its supporters, and had sub-
scribed toward the erection of a suitable building, became so seriously em-
barrassed as to be unable to redeem their pledges. This was in 1856-57,
and discontinuance of the school, together with the loss of all its property,
was threatened and was only averted by Mr. Whitworth furnishing the means
necessary to preserve it. which were obtained by mortgaging his home prop-
erty. As times improved additional aid was obtained, and the building, which
cost about ten thousand dollars, was completed.
Up to 1890 it was known as Sumner Academy, when it was though*
best to have the sphere of its work enlarged, and by unanimous voice of the
trustees, and with the approval of presbytery, it was made a college and in-
corporated as Whitworth College. Shortly afterward it was adopted by the
new synod of Washington as its synodical college.
About this time the Rev. Calvin W. Stewart, D. D., was elected presi-
dent, and served as such until the fall of 1897, at which time he was elected
financial secretary: through his efforts an amount of between fifty and our
hundred thousand dollars was obtained. Its location at Sumner did not meet
the expectations of the friends of the college in the securing of needed patron
age; and by united efforts and the liberality of citizens of Tacoma a very
valuable and desirable property was secured in that city which now. with
various additions and improvements, is worth one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars.
The location is a very beautiful and desirable one, and is admirably situ-
ated for the convenience of foreign missionaries in the orient to educate their
children, and at the same time to meet the slender resources of many of our
home missionaries, who cannot afford the expense of sending their children
far from home to be educated. The college has done good work in the past,
notwithstanding its limited opportunities, having won a reputation of being
thorough in all it has undertaken. As now organized there is every reason
to feel assured that it will retain that reputation. From it- beginning as an
academy and until a little more than two years ago Dr. Whitworth has been
president of the board.
578 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
After forty-eight years of married life, she who had been a strengthen
ing help and comfort during his pioneer days, was called hence to hei reward
There were horn to them Five sons and two daughters. ( )f these one son died
in his infancy, the fourth, fohn M. Whitworth, a lawyer in San Francisco,
died in Berkeley. California, in April. [901, at fifty-three years oi age. I here
are surviving, James Edwin, the eldest son, living at Columbia Frederick
Harrison, civil engineet at Seattle; George Frederick, Jr., physician, at Berk-
eley, California; and Mrs. Clara VV. York, wife of Hon. Waldo \l. York,
one of the superior judges of Los Angeles county, California; and Mrs. Etta
Belle White, wife of Clarence L. White, civil engineer, Seattle. Washington.
With the last named Rev. Whitworth makes In- home, and 1- now engaged
in gathering up and arranging the fragments of the early history of the
Presbyterian church in the Pacific northwi
CHARLES I PR] KHAKI).
Charles I. Pritchard, assistant cashier of the Stale Bank of Shelton, was
born in Tekonsha, Calhoun comity. Michigan, on the 24th ol I >cti ber, [866
and is of English ancestry. I lis parents. James and Eliza (Sanders,,,,)
Pritchard, were both natives of England, the former horn in Bath and the
latter in the city of London. In their early married life they crossed the At-
lantic to New York and later removed to Michigan, where the father became
the owner of a very fine farm, lie and his wife still reside there, and both
are about seventy-one years of age. They reared a family of six children, of
whom four are yet living, hut Charles 1. is the only one who resides in Wash-
ington.
In a private school in Lansing, Michigan, Charles I. Pritchard began his
education, which he continued in Rook's Academy. In the year 1890 he
sought a home in the northwest, whose business possibilities attracted him,
and time has shown the wisdom of Ins choice of a location, for in this section
of the country he has steadily progressed along business lines, and is now-
prospering as the assistant cashier of the State Bank of Shelton. He first
located in Vancouver, Washington, where he was engaged in the abstract
business for three years, and later was in the state land office in Olympia,
filling the position of chief clerk under the commissioner of public lands. In
1896 he went east of the mountains, and in 1898 was employed by the Simp-
son Logging Company, for whom he went to Alaska in 1899 in charge of
the steamer Discovery, visiting St. Micahel's, Nome and Golovin Bay. Having
disposed of her cargo he then returned with the steamer. In May, 1902, he
was made assistant cashier of the State Bank of Shelton, which office he is
now acceptably filling.
On the 10th of June, 1896, Mr. Pritchard was united in marriage to
Miss Jessie Bowen. of Lansing, Michigan, a daughter of J. A. Bowen. of that
city, and this estimable couple are a valued addition to the social circles of
Shelton, where already they have won many warm friends.
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 579
HON. ALLEN WEIR.
For several generations the Weir family have been in the van of ad-
vancing civilization, and they have taken an active part in promoting the
growth and prosperity of our great commonwealth. The family, which is of
Scotch-Irish origin, had its first American representative in William Weir,
who came from Scotland and settled in the Mississippi Valley, one of the
pioneers of Kentucky. Grandfather William Weir, Jr., was horn in America,
and in 1S01 removed to Missouri, where he was connected with the Missouri
Fur Company as hunter and trapper. During the summer of [808 he crossed
the Rocky Mountains in charge of a company of hunters, and they passed
the winter on the Willamette river near the present site of Portland. In go-
ing through Dakota they had seme trouble with the Indians, and, capturing
an Indian chief, they held him as hostage until they returned the following
year. He was noted for bis skill as a hunter, and during his connection with
the company preserved many hundreds of valuable furs and skins.
On his farm in Missouri near Jefferson City was born our subject's
father, John Weir, December 9, 1818; there be was educated and in 1845
removed to Texas, and during the Mexican war served in that noble little
army which General Taylor said would not know when they were whipped;
and this army carried the flag through Mexico and planted it on every im-
portant fortress until the struggle was ended by the surrender of that great
territory out of which so many western states have since been carved. In
1852 Mr. Weir crossed the plains in company with bis wife and three little
children, making the journey in a wagon and consuming nearly a year on
the long and arduous trip. He first settled in Los Angeles county, California,
where he was one of the charter members of the Masonic lodge at Elmonte
(then Lexington), but later, discovering that bis farm was covered by Mexican
land grants, in 1858 he started on a prospecting tour, intending to go to the
Frazer river mining district. But upon arriving at Victoria he learned that
the venture had proved a failure, and so be engaged in hunting among the
San Juan islands, selling his game to the Victoria market. One one of his
excursions being blown across the strait to the American side and finding the
country to bis liking, he took up a homestead in the Dungeness river bottom
lands in Clallam county and sent for bis family, who arrived at I 'oil Town-
send on the 28th of May, i860. They resided here the rest of their lives,
the husband passing away in 1884 and the wife in 1892. lie had been a quiet,
industrious man, and his wife was a faithful member of the Methodist church.
Mr. Weir's wife, whom he married in Texas, was Sarah Jane Buchanan, a
second cousin of President Buchanan, and born in Tennessee. January 24,
1821. Three children were born to them before leaving Texas, William, now
deceased; Laura B., the widow of Hon. S. Troy, a prominent citizen of Wash-
ington territory; and Susan, who became the wife of Thomas L. Evans, now
residing in Clallam county, Washington. The other children were: Allen;
Martha Jane, the wife of Merrill \\ hitticr, and now deceased; and Julia M ,
the wife of C. W. Kennard, residing in Clallam county.
Allen Weir was born in California, in Elmonte, Los Angeles county, on
the 24th day of April, 1854, and spent the first nineteen years of his life on a
5S0 HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY.
farm, during which time he had very limited opportunities for gaining an
education. For two years he worked in mining and lugging camps. sa\ ing all
his earnings, with which in 1875 he entered the < Hympia Collegiate Institute.
There he cooked his own food, performed janitor service in the building,
and hefore and after school hours worked in a printing office, where he learned
the trade of printer. In 1877, instead of remaining to graduate, he accepted
a position with C. B. Bagley, territorial printer, a- editor <>l" the Olympia
Daily Courier. Soon after, by the assistance of friends, he acquired the
Puget Sound Argus, published at Port Townsend; he conducted it as a weekly
paper with success for four years, and then changed it to a daily, running
it thereafter for eight years. During a part of this time he served as city
magistrate of Port Townsend, was appointed by Governor Ferry one of the
regents of the Territorial University at Seattle; for six years he was a mem-
ber of the Puget Sound hoard of health, for two years being chairman, and
was secretary of the Port Townsend hoard of trade.
His political career has been one long line of successes, lb' has always
been a stanch Republican, and when he was tendered tin nomination as mi m
her of the territorial legislature by the Democrats in Clallam county, at the
age of twenty-one. which was equivalent to election, he preferred to stand by
the principles of the party of his choice. In [879 he was elected chief clerk
of the upper house of the legislature; in 1888 he was member of tin' terri-
torial convention which met at Ellensburg to formulate measures urging Con-
gress to admit Washington to stateh 1: in the fall of the same year was a
delegate to the Republican convention, of which he was secretary, and was
nominated to the upper house from the seventh district, embracing Jefferson,
Clallam, San Juan, Whatcom, Kitsap and .Mason counties, the district being
strongly Democratic. He made a vigorous campaign, resulting in his elec-
tion by a majority of eight hundred and ten. hut. as the territory was admitted
the following February, there was no legislature, in 1889 Mr. Weir was
chosen member of the constitutional convention from the fifteenth district,
Jefferson, Clallam and San Juan counties, which met at Olympia July 4, 1889,
and was in session sixty days; Mr. Weir was elected secretary pro tern and
served on several important committees, and as chairman of the executive de-
partment drafted article 3 of the state constitution. He took a leading part
in the debate on the famous tide land question, which was strongly contested.
Mr. Weir's plan was finally made the substance of an act of the legislature.
In the fall of 1889, at the Republican convention held at Walla Walla,
his name was proposed from western Washington as the candidate for mem-
ber of Congress, but as the governor had been chosen from that part of the
state, the nomination for Congress went to an eastern Washington man. ' He
was then nominated for secretary of state and was elected. With the organiza-
tion of the new state the duties of the office were exceedingly taxing, and sev-
eral ex-officio duties were also placed upon him. He was superintendent of
public printing, a member of the board of equalization and appeal, secretary of
the state land commission, secretary of special school land indemnity commis-
sion, member of the state board of equalization of taxes, normal school commis-
sion, superintendent of weights and measures, insurance commissioner, cus-
todian of the state capital buildings and grounds, and member of state library
HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 581
commission, and he may be said to have organized every one of these depart-
ments.
At the expiration of his term of office he was the first candidate admitted
to the bar by the state supreme court upon examinations. During that winter
lie was elected, without solicitation on his part, secretary of the state senate,
since holding which position he has been actively engaged in his law practice.
For three years he was chairman of the Olympia Republican central com-
mittee; for four years president of the Olympia Chamber of Commerce; in
June, 1902, was elected president of the Pioneer Society of the state, is a
member of the State Historical Society, is also a member of the Oregon
Pioneer Society, and a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, of
California. He served as court commissioner while Judge Green was on the
bench ; and for the past twenty years he has taken an active part in every cam-
paign, frequently being invited to make speeches in other towns, and in the
campaign of 1900 stumping the states of Montana, Idaho and eastern Oregon
under the auspices of Senator Hanna. Such a busy political career has done
much to build up the interests of his party in the state, and the different ele-
ments of success have been so mixed in him that his life has everywhere
brought good to his fellow citizens.
Mr. Weir celebrated his marriage on the 12th of November, 1877, in
Dungeness, Ellen Davis, a native of Ontario, Canada, becoming his wife;
she was a daughter of Hon. Hall Davis, of Clallam county. Mr. and Mrs.
Weir have a daughter and two sons. Eva M. is now Mrs. W. R. White, of
Seattle. Frank A. and Royal M. are both attending school. They are mem-
bers of the Methodist church, of which Mr. Weir has been a trustee and officer
for many years. He is a member of the American Order of United Wood-
men and of the Elks. Such is a brief summing up of the main points in the
life of this worthy man, and his history may be studied with profit by those
of succeeding generations.
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