An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 112

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 112
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 112
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 112
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 112

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On December 16, 1877, Mr. Fenn was married to Miss Florence E., daughter of Russell and Margaret K. ( Rice) Hobbrook, who were born on September 30, 1830, in Ohio, and December 16, 1839, in Missouri, respectively. The father came to Oregon in an early day, being an orphan and took up stock raising. He was in the Rogue river and Modoc wars and is now living near Whitebird. The mother came with her parents across the plains in 1844 with the second Whitman train. Mrs. Fenn's father and grandfather opened the first livery stable in Portland. She at- tended school in Idaho, Washington. Her birth place

was near Hillsboro, Oregon, on January 13, 1861, and she has the following brothers and sisters: Eugene, Oscar, Ephriam, Carrie Fenn, Nannie Hansen. Mr. Fenn has the following brothers and sisters: George G., Walter A., Stephen S., Jr., Nettie M. Hansen. To Mr. and Mrs. Fenn there have been born five children, Fred D., born September 12, 1878; Homer E., born June 4, 1881 ; Lloyd A., born November 9, 1884 : Rhoda M., born April 8, 1890; Florence A., born March 12, 1892.

Major Fenn is a member of the Blue Lodge of Ma- sons and of the W. of W., while his wife belongs to the Women of Woodcraft. Mrs. Fenn and the chil- · dren also belong to the Christian church.

ANDREW J. WILLIAMS, one of the property owners of Kooskia, is also engaged in farming just northeast from the town. He is one of the enterprising men of the section and was one who first came to the site of Stuart and located. Andrew J. Williams was born in Grayville, Illinois, on March 6, 1834, being the the son of Jonathan and Elizabeth ( Anderson) Will- iams, bern in 1781 in North Carolina, and in 1789, in South Carolina, respectively. The father was a pio- neer in Illinois, served in the war of 1812, and died in 1839. The mother died in February, 1857. Our subject was reared and educated at the Skillet forks of the Wabash and remained with his parents until he was eighteen years old, at which time he removed to Marshall county, Iowa. In this section he farmed from 1846 to 1857 and then went to Kansas, remain- ing until 1859, in which year he was led by the gold excitement to Pikes Peak. Four years were consumed in the search for the precious metal, then he returned to Iowa, settling near Council Bluffs. Two years later Mr. Williams removed to Buffalo county, Nebraska and in 1868 he went to Cherokee county, Kansas. It was 1874 that he made the long journey to the Pa- louse country and there he farmed until 1892, exper- iencing the dangers and loss of the Indian outbreak. In the year last mentioned he came to the vicinity of Grangeville and purchased a farm, which he sold upon the opening of the reservation. He settled where Stuart is now and at once opened a livery stable. He continued in the operation of that with his son until 1900, when he leased it and also other business prop- erty which he owns there and took up his abode at East Stuart.

On November 16, 1856, Mr. Williams married Miss Persis, daughter of Masury and Mary ( Wright) Woodward, natives of Vermont, and born March 18. 1802, and September 23, 1805, respectively. The father was a pioneer in Ohio, went to Iowa when sixty and farmed ; he died in 1890, aged eighty-eight. The mother comes from old Puritan stock, and her father was a captain in the war of 1812 and died aged ninety- nine. She died in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1890. Mrs. Williams has the following brothers and sisters : Fay- ette. Lucius, Rena Householder. The following children have been born to this worthy couple: Wells R., born

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January 17, 1858, and now in Reno, Nevada ; Charles F., born January 15, 1867, now deceased ; Andrew J., Jr., born December 24, 1869: Lew Wallace and Fred F., twins, born July 7, 1872. Mr. Williams was county commissioner in Nebraska, and justice of the peace in Kansas. He is a stanch Republican. Mrs. Williams is a member of the Congregational church.

JAMES STUART. It is with great pleasure that we are enabled to place upon the records of the history of northern Idaho an epitome of the career of the capa- ble and esteemed gentleman whose labors have accom- plished so much in Nez Perces and Idaho counties, for the advancement of these counties, for the uplifting of the Nez Perces, for the general welfare of all. A mov- ing spirit in that most important enterprise, both to the Indians and the other people, the opening for settle- ment of the reservation, a keen observer of the needs of the Indians and nerved with a powerful spirit to ac- complish the provision of these needs, a man of ability in many lines as will be evidenced, and having the hap- py ability to accomplish things which will greatly accel- erate the chariot of progress for all, it is eminently fitting that Mr. Stuart should be granted representation in the chronicles of these counties, where he has ac- complished so much.

James Stuart was born at Spokane falls, in Oc- tober, 1863, the son of James and Susan ( Mitchel) Stuart. The father was born on March 14, 1832, in Harrison county, Virginia. His parents, Robert and Nancy C. Stuart, moved to Bureau county, Illinois, in 1836. Two years later they went to Muscatine county, Iowa, which was then inhabited almost exclusively by the Sacs, Foxes, Musquakees, and other Indians. There James Stuart was reared and educated by his parents, completing his training in the high school in Iowa City, in 1848. The father returned from Cali- fornia and went thither again with his sons, James and Granville. He returned to Iowa and they mined and herded stock and fought in the Rogue river Indian war. Desiring to return to the states, they were diverted from the trip on account of the Mormon troubles and went to Montana. They hunted, trapped, prospected. and the father of our subject was the first man to dis- cover gold on Gold creek. He was the first sheriff elect of Missoula county. Washington Territory, and the first one in the Rockies north of Colorado. As sher- iff he hung Spellman, a horse thief, which was the first legal execution in Montana, then Washington Ter- ritory. Mr. James Stuart was elected captain, with power absolute. of the first party of explorers of the Yellowstone country. The expedition left Bannock City, on April 9, 1863, and returned, having had many encounters with the Crows, by way of Bridger, on June 24th. Mr. Stuart was a physician and surgeon and was always prompt to relieve suffering without recompense. In 1864 he was elected to represent Deer Lodge county in the legislature. Mr. Stuart was em- inently successful in dealing with the Indians, being equitable, just, gentle and yet possessed of that firm

resolution, iron will and unflinching courage demanded in those dealings. He spoke the native languages with ease and skill and stood high in the estimation of the best men of all tribes where he dealt. Mr. James Stuart died on September 30, 1873, aged forty-two. He was a junior of the grand lodge of Masons of Montana. His brother Granville was minister to Perut, under Cleveland's administration. The mother of our subject was born in 1844, and her mother was a full- blooded Nez Perces woman, and her father a French Canadian. She died in April, 1892.

Our subject was reared mostly on the Nez Perces reservation, was well educated at the government schools, also learned the cabinet trade there. He at- tended the school at Forest Grove and took a complete course in civil engineering. In the fall of 1885 Mr. Stuart took up farming and stock raising and followed that until the government undertook the allotment and then he was interpreter for Miss Alice Fletcher, who was government allotment agent. This continued un- til the fall of 1893. Then the government treated with the Indians and under a clause they were to have a surveyor and Mr. Stuart was appointed to this posi- tion. In 1895 he resigned and went to general mer- chandising. Later he sold out and opened in the furni- ture and undertaking business in Kooskia. He owns several allotments, town property, his store and other property and is doing a good business. Mr. Stuart has one half-sister, Nancy Spencer, on the Clear- water ; two half brothers, Robert and Richard, both in Montana.

Mr. Stuart was judge of the police court in 1893 and in 1895 he was interpreter for a party of Indians who went to Washington, D. C., and in the spring of 1902 was elected by the tribe to investigate all records concerning treaties and stipulations between the gov- ernment and the tribe. He ascertained that a balance of nearly twenty thousand dollars was due and unpaid on an old treaty and is taking steps to collect this for the Indians. Mr. Stuart is a strong Republican and he and his wife both belong to the Presbyterian church. He fought hard and long for the opening of the res- ervation and was the first to put his name to the treaty, although his life was threatened for so doing. He takes great interest in building up and forwarding the interests of the Indians and leading them to better edu- cation and more thorough civilization. He has opened a real estate office in Kooskia for the sale of allotments of Indians who have died, as the heirs are now allowed to sell, by a recent law. He is devoting considerable attention to reading law in addition to his other busi- ness and is one of the leading men of the county.

MANUEL C. MORRIS is one of the industrious and stirring farmers dwelling about eight miles north- east from Greencreek upon a quarter section which he secured by homestead right and which by his labor and skill is being made a valuable farm, well tilled and sub- stantially improved. He was born in Linn county, Or-

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

egon, on November 25, 1864, the son of Nathaniel M. and Margaret A. (Propst) Morris. When our subject was eight the family removed to the vicinity of Farm- ington, Washington, and he had but scanty opportuni- ty to attend school. He remained with his parents un- til the time of his majority and then started to do for himself. Having a span of horses and harness he went to tilling the soil of a rented place. He did well in his venture until the panic struck the country, and, with hosts of others, he lost considerable, but by continued industry and persistent efforts, he was enabled to pay all obligations and in 1896, he came to his present place and filed. The following harvest found him working in the Palouse and after the last debt had been squared he came to his farm with a capital of thirty dollars. All his property at the present time has been secured by his industry and thrift since. He has his farm all fenced, owns thirty-five hogs, fifteen horses and twelve cattle. He cultivates a third of the land, has orchard and buildings and is on the road to prosperity.

At Farmington, Washington, on February 4, 1890, Mr. Morris married Mrs. Arminna J. Simmons, the daughter of William R. and Sarah (Gulliford) Cooper, natives of Missouri and born on August 8, 1835, and February 15. 1838, respectively. Mrs. Morris was born in Oregon, on September 10, 1863, and her first husband was A. I. Simmons, a bookkeeper at The Dalles. By her first marriage she has one son, William S., born at The Dalles, on January 6, 1884. Mrs. Morris has the following brothers and sisters : Thomas J., Jacob W., Zilpha A., Viola J., Mildy, Ida Dell, Ar- banna B., Maud E. Mr. Morris has six brothers and three sisters, Henry R., Anthony P., John W., Clar- ence L., Thomas J., Albert J., Eva M., Minnie M., Lucinda A. Mr. and Mrs. Morris are stanch Republi- cans and take a keen interest in the welfare of the county and state and its political questions.

EDWIN C. VANDEBURGH resides eight miles south of Whitebird, where in partnership with his son Jerry he farms and raises stock. He was born on July 26, 1840, in Green county, New York, the son of Peter and Mary J. (Martin) Vandeburgh. The father was born in Dutchess county, New York, and enlisted in the Civil war. He served for two years and was discharged on account of poor health, dying one year after this. The mother was born at Catskill, New York, and died in Clinton county, Missouri, in her ninety-sixth year. The family removed to Rock Island county, Illinois, when our subject was a boy, and he remained at home until 1858, and then started for Pikes Peak, walking as far as Nebraska City, after which he drove six yoke of cattle on through. He helped open up some of the first mines on Gregory gulch, and was successful. In 1861 he enlisted in Company K, First Colorado Cavalry, under General Canby, was sent to New Mexico, and fought in the battle of Apache canyon on the Rio Grande. In 1862 he was on the Arkansas river and was in a battle where about six hundred Indians were killed, all the

savages being killed except one man and two papooses. The two papooses, a boy and a girl, were sent to President Lincoln, who placed them in school. Our subject was discharged from service on October 26, 1865, and on November 10th, following, he started for Montana, but as the mules died, he went on foot to Salt Lake, and the next spring went to Aldar gulch. In the spring of '66 he came through the Salmon river country, and in 1869 went to Portland.

On August 4, 1870, Mr. Vandeburgh married Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, who was born in 1842 in In- diana. Her parents, Dr. J. and Maria J. Clark, were early pioneers in Iowa, Clarksville being named for them. The father came west to Portland in 1869 by team, in 1873 went to Dayton, Washington, and died in 1895. The mother died in 1875. Both were devout members of the Christian church. Our subject came to Dayton, Washington, in the summer of 1871 and engaged in farming until '93. Then he mined until 1898, when he came to his present place. Four chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Vandeburgh, Peter and Jerry, twins; Roxey, wife of Daniel Bow- man, of Dayton; Rosa, wife of George Reed, of Crook's Corral. Peter married Miss Viola Johnson. Jerry is in partnership with is father in raising stock, and owns a homestead, which is a fine place, well improved. Mr. Vandeburgh and his sons own a fine copper property, which gives promise of great value. In Dayton, in 1892, Mr. Vandeburgh raised 22,000 sacks of grain.

FRANKLIN P. TURNER is one of the skilled civil engineers who has labored all over the western country and has assisted materially in opening the way for the ingress of civilization. At present he has re- tired from this line of labor and has given himself to the art of agriculture, residing one and one-half miles east from Lorena.

Franklin P. Turner was born in Monroe county, Indiana, on August 30, 1854, being the son of Andrew J. and Mary L. (Whitson) Turner, natives of Indiana, and born in October, 1827, and on March 27, 1827, re- spectively. They still live in Kansas. The father came from an old North Carolina family, was a pioneer to Kansas and in 1854 went thence to Iowa, but re- turned two years later. He took part in the border warfare and helped to drive Price out. He dwells near Ossawattomie, having a good farm there. The mother comes from a Virginia family and two brothers, Solon and Numa, fought in the Mexican war. She was married in October, 1853. Our subject was brought up in Kansas, took a course in the state nor- mal and a special training in civil engineering in the state agricultural institution at Manhattan. In 1870 he went to Colorado, but soon returned to his studies. He also trained in a drug store. In 1874 Mr. Turner was again in Colorado, and in 1875 he went across the plains and in 1877 he was back in the Indian Terri- tory. He travelled in Texas and Kansas and in 1880 he was in Albuquerque. He did engineer work on the Rio Grande, saw the Southern Pacific join the

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Santa Fe at Deming, New Mexico, in 1881, then went thence through Arizona to San Diego and made his way by steamer up the coast to Tacoma, where he learned of the assassination of Garfield. On August 30, 1881, Mr. Turner landed on Camas prairie, taught school, followed his profession later on the Northern Pacific, also in California and Utah, and did much gov- ernment surveying near Ft. Mojava, and in April, 1884, he landed again in Camas Prairie. He lived near Grangeville until the fall of 1889, when he purchased his present place. Mr. Turner has the following brothers and sisters: Emma Barber, Margaret Day, John W., George W., Andrew J., Elsie M. Dillman.

On March 2, 1886, Mr. Turner married Miss Eleanor M., daughter of Benjamin and Realda ( Willis) Wilmot. Her father was horn in Kentucky in 1803, was reared there and learned the trade of a millwright. He did labor through the central states, came to the coast in 1865 and two years later to the south fork of the Clearwater. In 1870 he settled near Grangeville and made furniture, the only furniture to be had then. He died in 1886. The mother of Mrs. Turner was born in Wisconsin and died in 1860. Mrs. Turner was born on April 8, 1853, in Charles county, Missouri, where she was raised. In 1881 she joined her father. She is one of the noble pioneer women of this section and remained here for more than a year seeing no one but Indians. She has the following brothers and sis- ters: Asinith Riggins, John W., Emma Caerley, Thomas, Sarah Bratton, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Tur- ner have the following children: Wilmot C., Forest P., Andrew J., Frank R., Mary E. In 1885 Mr. Tur- ner was elected county surveyor on the Democratic ticket. He served until 1889. In 1897 he published the Alta Idaho Arca, a Populist organ, which in 1899 became the Socialist exponent. Mr. Turner is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity.

OSCAR M. EVANS is one of the prosperous and successful agriculturists of Idaho county. He lives seven miles south of Whitebird and is a man of good standing. He was born in Caldwell county, Missouri, on September 8, 1837, the son of Horace and Candace (Judd) Evans. The father of Horace Evans was a native of Massachusetts. The father was born in New Hampshire in 1810 and the mother was born in Ohio in 1820. Our subject went with his parents to Illinois when but a child and from there to Fremont county. Iowa, where his parents both died. He had received a good education, then went to Otoe county, Nebraska, where he was married September 14, 1862, to Cath- erine F .. Jemison, who was born September 1, 1841. Her parents were John and Catherine Jemison. After marriage Mr. Evans settled in Mitchell county, Kansas, and in 1888 they came to Pullman, Washington, and engaged in farming. In 1890 he was in Latah coun- ty, Idaho, and eight years later Mr. Evans entered a homestead on his present farm. He has good land, a nice young orchard, plenty of timber, does general farming and raises cattle, horses and hogs. The fol-

lowing children have been born to this marriage : Oscar H., near Whitebird ; Horace E., near Moscow ; Marion F., in Mitchell county, Kansas ; Mrs. Catherine E. Poe, near Whitebird; Mrs. Lucinda J. Harper, in West Vir- ginia ; Mrs. Mary E. McBlair, in Mitchell county, Kansas; Mrs. Lillie D. Burlinghoff, near Whitebird; Mrs. Eva Eppler, deceased; John D .; Rosa A. Mrs. Burlinghoff's husband, Charles B., was killed on February 10, 1900.

FRANKLIN SHISSLER. It is now our pleasant privilege to chronicle an epitome of the career of this estimable and doughty pioneer, whose labors in the state and territory of Idaho have been of permanent value to the country where he has wrought ; especially in Idaho county has he done much to aid in develop- ment and to open the way for others to come in and make homes. His name is indissolubly connected with the county of Idaho in many prominent ways, both in inaugurating industries, and maintaining the same with mammoth improvements, which he managed and completed.

Franklin Shissler was born in Sunbury, Pennsyl- vania, on October 28, 1830, being' the son of Henry and Anna (Long) Shissler, both natives of Pennsyl- vania, and descendants of old and prominent Dutch families. The father's parents were massacred by Indians ; the maternal grandfather was living on the Brandywine during the Revolution. He was captain in the war of 1812, and was detailed with his com- pany to Blackrock with his men, but as no supplies were forwarded, they had great suffering. Our sub- ject was reared at Port Carbon, Pennsylvania, and finished his education in the Pottsville Academy, after which he became an expert machinist. He wrought in New York and New Jersey, and when twenty-two took passage for Melbourne, Australia, where he mined for two years, then wrought at his trade, and in 1855 came to San Francisco. He mined in California and Oregon until 1862, in which year he came to Idaho, since which time he has been one of the active and progressive men of this section. He has been occupied in all the various industries, of packing, sawmilling, ranching, general merchandising, and mining. He built the first and for a long time the only sawmill in Idaho county. This was constructed at great effort and was of untold benefit to the country. Mr. Shissler built two bridges across the Salmon, and this great labor has had a wonderful effect in stimulating com- mercial relations and travel. He raised many race horses here and also did a general farming business on his ranch. He was in the Indian war of 1877, and did excellent work in constructing the fort. Since 1884 he has been postmaster at Rustic and now at New- some, where he also handles a general merchandise business. Mr. Shissler is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Mount Idaho Lodge, No. 9, and has belonged to this order since 1864. He is also a member of the Idaho County Pioneer Society. Mr. Shissler has one brother living, Henry, in Pennsylvania, who was in

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the medical department of the Civil war. He also has some brothers dead, mentioned as follows: Will- iam, killed in the Civil war : Edward, major in the Civil war : George, also in Civil war, both deceased ; John, in Civil war three years, now deceased.

At Slate Creek on the Salmon, on February I, 1866, Mr. Shissler married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Frederick A. and Susan (Gordon) Shearer. Mr Shearer is a native of Frederick City, Maryland, is a cousin of Admiral Schley, and now lives in New- some. He was born in 1816, and has three living generations of descendants. He came to California, via the Isthmus, in 1852, and was in the mercantile business in Marysville until 1860. Then he went to Siskiyou county, and in 1862 came to Idaho. He was probate judge for seven years and was always a promi- nent Democrat. The mother of Mrs. Shissler was born in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, on March 25, 1818, and died on her birthday, in 1900. Mrs. Shissler's two uncles are in the regular army, one is General David Gordon, and the other is Captain Charles G. Gordon, of the Civil war, both retired. Mrs. Shissler has one brother deceased, George MI., who was a major in the Confederate army, and served on Bradley T. John- son's staff. He came to Idaho and married a sister of J. P. Vollmer. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Shissler: Frederick, Harry, George, John, Susie Ingram, Mary E. Pettibone; also these, who are deceased : Lovisa, Virginia, Elizabeth, Annie and Edward.

JOHN B. RICE. The subject of this article is a business man in Westlake, being the owner and oper- ator of a good drug store at this place. He is num- bered with the most enterprising men of the section, and his endeavors have been crowned with the meed of success.

John B. Rice was born in New York city on June 8, 1867, the son of William M. and Sarah M. ( West- lake) Rice. The father was born in Troy, New York, and is now a commission merchant in Seattle. He was a pioneer of Nez Perces county and was twice elected probate judge on the Democratic ticket, and is an influential man in the campaigns. The mother of our subject was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1849, and still lives. Her father was a native of Cornwall, England, and her mother was born in America. Our subject was educated in his native place and was pre- paring for Amherst College when the parents came west and settled at Lewiston in 1882, where he grew to manhood. In 1882 his father established the first store on the reservation, at Lapwai, by government permit, giving our subject charge of it. They also had a store at Lewiston and another at Juliaetta. Af- ter this our subject went into Moxley's drug store at Lewiston and learned the apothecary's art. In 1889 he came to Idaho county and filed on the site of the present town of Westlake, which was so named from his mother's ancestors. He and his father secured a section and in 1895 laid out the town and opened a mercantile establishment. In 1900 John B. sold out

and opened a drug store, where we find him at the present time.

On May 16, 1897, in Westlake, Mr. Rice married Miss Florence, daughter of George and Elmina Bab- cock, natives of New York and Pennsylvania, respect- ively, and now living near Forest. Mrs. Rice was born in Wisconsin, on August 12, 1873, and has two broth- ers and one sister,-Esther, Charles, Ross. Mr. Rice has the following named brothers and sisters : Louise, Maude, Florence, Grace, William, Archibald, Ernest. Three children have been born to this union,-Jessie, Lonita, Dorothy. Mr. Rice is a member of the M. W. A. of Westlake. Mrs. Rice is a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Mr. Rice is a Demo- crat and active in political matters. He has control of the mail route from Westlake to Ferdinand, and also sells real estate.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 112

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524