An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 125

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 125
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 125
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 125
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 125

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CYRUS M. I.EE. For more than a decade have the labors of the subject of this article been bestowed in Idaho county with wisdom and telling effect and the result is a goodly holding in property and much im- provement and advancement in the county.

Cyrus M. Lee was born in Taylor county, Iowa, on March 21, 1867, the son of Richard H. and Susan (Overman) Lee. The father was born in Cincinnati, on June 16, 1835, was educated and reared in his native place and there on August 25, 1861, he married and came to Iowa when he was twenty-nine. He settled in Taylor county in 1865, among the first, and purchased the first threshing outfit in the county, where he still lives on eighty acres. The mother of our subject was born in Miami county, Indiana, on May 23, 1841, and her parents were among the very first pioneers of Indi- ana. She was the mother of eleven children, and died on January 4, 1894. She had been a devout member of the Christian church. Our subject was brought up in Taylor county and there also received a good common schooling and remained under the parental roof un- til he was twenty-two. He followed farming there until March 25, 1891, when he came to Camas prairie and commeneced to till the fertile soil here and to raise cattle. He dwells now three and one half miles west from Tolo, and has a good farm. owns about fifty cattle and as many hogs, besides horses and other property. Mr. Lee has the following brothers and sisters. Gladys M. Wise, Effie M. Roberts, Della L. Welch, Charles H., Robert E., William C.

On March 4, 1891, Mr. Lee married Miss Martha E., daughter of George W. and Margaret Ritnour. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1835, came to Iowa in 1874 and now lives in Nodaway, Adams county, Iowa. The mother was born in Pennsylvania, in 1838, and died December 23, 1896. Mrs. Lee was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on March 7, 1867, and has the following brothers and sisters : Harriet Sykes, James, Ellen Graham, Etta Graham, Henry, deceased, Susie Bellin, Sadie Blum, Minnie McLoughlin, Jake, Carrie, George. Five children are the fruit of this marriage, Charles E., born December 8, 1891 ; Leslie H., born August 10, 1893; Arthur MI., born April 9, 1896; Robert E., born August 31, 1898; William F., born June 22, 1900. Mr. Lee and his wife are both good Democrats and are strongly in favor of good edu- cational facilities and good roads. Mrs. Lee belongs to the Methodist church.

FRANK R. PEARSON is in reality a native of Grangeville, being born September 6, 1871, on his father's homestead, which is the ground where the north half of the town is now located. This was some years before the town was located and Mr. Pearson has spent most of his life in this locality. His father, W. C. Pearson, was a stockman, born in New York and died in 1892. He came here in an early day and took the homestead mentioned above and his father-in-law took the land where the south half of the town is lo- cated. He had been in California in the golden days and it was in the fall of 1861 that he made his way to Idaho. He settled here and dwelt until his demise. He was prominent in county affairs and several times was sent to the legislature, where he did faithful work. Being a Republican and the county Democratic, it was

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a marked distinction to be thus honored. He was an active participant in the measures to quell the savages and was held in high esteem by all. The mother of our subject was Isabelle Crooks, who was born in Jowa and crossed the plains in early days with her parents. Her father was one of the very first settlers on Camas prairie. Our subject's grandfather was one of the original owners of the site of Portland. Frank R. was educated in Grangeville and took a position in Dr. Bibby's drug store, where he spent five years, learn- ing thoroughly the business of the pharmacist. He con- cluded the examinations in excellent shape and in the spring of 1891 he bought out the doctor and con- tinued in handling the business of the drug store un- til 1898, having as partner, George Bonebrake. When the Spanish war broke out, he sold his interest to his partner and volunteered to fight for his country. He went to Boise, thence to San Francisco, enlisting on March 26, 1898. He shipped from the Golden Gate on June 27, and arrived at Manila on August 6, just before the Americans took it. He was in that engage- ment and in all the other leading ones for the year. He returned to the United States on August 29, 1899, and arrived at home on October 2, 1899. He then engaged in mining at Florence for a time and in December, 1901, in partnership with J. A. Wood, opened a drug store in Grangeville ; he recently bought out his part- ner and has devoted himself to his business, having a fine patronage.

PERRY E. SHERWIN, one of the best known pioneers of Idaho county, is now one of its prominent and wealthy citizens and during the years from the early settlers until the present, he has always shown himself to be a man of energy, wisdom, enterprise and integrity and it is fitting to recite a review of his life in the history of the county which he assisted to build.

Perry E. Sherwin was born in McHenry county, Illinois, on September 13, 1858, the son of Edwin R. and Susan (Benson) Sherwin, natives of New York, and born on January 26, 1821, and in 1823, respectively. The mother died in 1898, and Mr. Sherwin died in Grangeville, February 23, 1903, aged eighty-two. He had crossed the plains to California in 1861, and was one of the first settlers on Camas prairie, coming in the spring of 1862. He was engaged at Lapwai some time after coming here, then mined on the Salmon and also engaged in stock raising until it came time to retire from the activities of business to enjoy the rewards of in- dustry. Our subject was fourteen when the family came to join the father at Lapwai. He was educated in the common schools and then took a course in the collegiate institute at Salt Lake City. When nineteen he went into the stock business for himself on the Salmon and with his father and brother he continued in it, also paying attention to mining. Mr. Sherwin operated extensively in these lines until last fall, when he sold much of his stock and mining interests. He has stock on the range still and also much land in var- ious portions of the county, while he owns Court House addition to Grangeville and considerable land adjoining

the city. Mr. Sherwin was here during all the Indian troubles. They built fortifications on Slate creek and the families were protected there. Mr. Sherwin was a warm personal friend of Captain McConville, who had command of the volunteers.

On May 14, 1891, Mr. Sherwin married Miss Alice, daughter of J. M. and Martha ( Pease) Crooks, natives of Indiana. Mr. Crooks crossed the plains with his wife in 1852 and settled near The Dalles. He took part in all the wars there. In 1861, he came to Florence, bought cattle and operated a butcher shop. He re- moved his family to the present site of Grangeville in 1865. In the later 'seventies, he, with William Pear- son, founded Grangeville, the two owning the ground on which it now stands. He was an extensive cattle man and also owned a thousand horses. Mr. Crooks was a noble and prominent man and was never known to turn a deaf ear to a fellow being in need. He held different county offices and was a faithful laborer for the advancement of the county and town. He died, mourned by all, in 1884. His widow died in 1896. Mrs. Sherwin was born in The Dalles, in 1862, was well educated and taught school for years. She was one of the leading teachers in the Methodist academy at Grangeville for three years. She was here during all the Indian wars and is a true pioneer. She has the following brothers and sisters: Jacob, Mrs. Bell Pearson, John, Mrs. Emma Bentz, Charles. Mr. Sherwin has one sister, Carrie. Five children have been born to this household, Clair C., Edwin R., Guy P., Neil, Elbert. Mr. Sherwin is a member of the I. O. O. F. and he and his wife are both Republicans.

JOSEPH G. GILL is justly entitled to be classed as one of the pioneers of Idaho county as he has been associated with substantial improvement and material upbuilding here continually since his advent. He now owns three hundred and twenty acres of good land, about six miles west from Tolo, handles fifty cattle, six- ty hogs, twenty-eight horses and with Mr. Ben Zeh- ner owns a threshing outfit.

Joseph G. Gill was born in Henry county, Ken- tucky, on June 21, 1843, the son of Washington and Frances A. (Gibson ) Gill, born in Kentucky on Decem- ber 25, 1806, and September 23, 1817, respectively. The father, who was of Irish extraction, was reared and followed farming in Kentucky until 1854, when he went to Boone county, Indiana, to take two hundred and forty acres which he inherited from his wife's fa- ther and where he remained until his death, October 3, 1888, being then possessed of an estate of four hun- dred acres. The mother's father was a saddle tree maker and came of Irish ancestry. She was married March 16, 1836, and now lives in Boone county. Our subject was educated in his native state and Indiana, until eighteen, then spent his whole time in the as- sistance of his father until of age, when he settled on fifty-four acres given him by his father. He also worked at the carpenter trade. In September. 1870, he came to Camas prairie and took a homestead west from

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Denver. Two years later he took his present homestead. He has given himself exclusively to farming and rais- ing stock except for half a dozen summers he has mined and prospected. Mr. Gill has six brothers and sisters, Mary J. Airhart, deceased, Robert W., George WV., Lucia Reed, Minnie, Samuel.

On November 22, 1866, Mr. Gill married Miss Amanda M .. daughter of John McLean. She was born in Indiana, on July 23, 1846, and died on Novem- ber 20, 1898, leaving the following children: Cor- rella M. Church, born July 17, 1868; John W., born September 7, 1871 ; Henry C., born August 9, 1873 ; Mary E. Rauch, born June 24, 1870; Charles M .: born March 14, 1879; Minnie M., born February 2, 1882, and died February 7. 1903 : J. Robert, born June 29, 1885 ; Mellvia, born July 9, 1891. Mr. Gill is a stanch Democrat and active for general improvements. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F.

CHARLES S. GREGORY is a well known citi- zen of Idaho county, now residing in Whitebird, where he is conducting a saloon. He was born in Bureau county, Illinois, in 1857, the son of Edwin and Cath- erine Gregory, natives of Ohio. Charles S. came west when thirteen and settled near Denver. For eight years thereafter he was occupied in riding the range, then went to Dakota in the same business and in 1882 came to Idaho county. He engaged in the cat- tle business on the Salmon for five years, taking up land, and then he went to mining. He did business on Newsome creek and in 1899, we find Mr. Gregory on the way to Nome, he prospected a few months and then returned to Idaho county. He then came to White- bird and opened his present business, which has since claimed his attention. In 1892 Mr. Gregory was nomi- nated by the Republican party for sheriff, and won the day against A. Talkington, after a hot contest. The county was decidedly Democratic and it was a sig- nal triumph for him. Mr. Gregory has also the dis- tinction of being the only Republican who ever held this position. After this, he was nominated for county auditor, Mr. Talkington winning the day by a scanty majority. The entire Republican ticket went down, with one exception.

In September, 1902, Mr. Gregory married Mrs. Katie Greenfield. Mr. Gregory is an active Republican, being a potent factor in the campaigns as well as in the conventions and caucuses.

WILLIAM H. CASADY, a prominent, and by many conceded to be one of the best campaign orators of the entire state of Idaho, is a leading lawyer in Grangeville, where he stands high in the esteem and confidence of the people and where he has wrought much good in promoting improvements and upbuilding of the different portions of the country.

William H. Casady was born in Warren county, Iowa, on April 22, 1860, the son of Weir and Hannah

J. (Hart) Casady, natives of Indiana. The father moved to Iowa in 1847 and died in 1881, aged fifty- two. His brother was a prominent man in Iowa, be- ing judge in the district court, member of the state senate, and register of the United States land office in Des Moines. He also assisted to remove the capital to that city. The mother of our subject was born in 1829 of German extraction and now lives in Iowa. Our subject grew up on a farm and after a training in the common schools, completed a full course in the Os- kaloosa college and then took up the real estate business in northwestern Iowa. In 1888 he went to Salt Lake City, there also taking up real estate and devoting him- self to the study of the law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced in that state for some years and in June, 1899, he came to Grangeville, opened an office and here he has been in constant practice since. Mr. Casady has demonstrated himself to be a man of ex- cellent ability, naturally endowed for his profession, well fortified by extensive and careful reading, and possessed of a ready perception, keen and discrimi- nating, while much experience has placed him master of the profession and the result is that he is handling a clientage gratifying in its extent and composed of the leading substantial men of the country. He repre- sents several leading mining companies and in addition to this is city attorney, being given the office without campaigning. although it is said, in this line of cam- paigning he is second to none in the state and has spoken over the state on several occasions. Mr. Casady has also campaigned in Montana and Utah. He was ap- pointed chairman of the state wagon road commission and was the moving spirit that secured the Little Salmon wagon road, also getting an appropriation of six thousand dollars from the Oregon Short Line and P. and I. N. R. R. Companies to complete it.

In 1901, Mr. Casady married Mrs. Dora Crawford, daughter of C. P. Madson of Utah. Mr. Casady is the sixth child of a family of thirteen, all living but one. Fraternally he is affiliated with the K. P., and is Chancellor Commander of the lodge.

CHARLES W. STEWART is one of the well-to- dlo stockmen of Idaho county, and he also does general farming and operates a first-class threshing outfit. He- was born in Callaway county, Missouri, on November 16, 1851, the son of James and Gincy ( Baker ) Stewart, natives of Tennessee. The father was a pioneer of Missouri and followed farming and teaching school all his life. He died in the spring of 1852. The mother was born in 1810 and died in September, 1893. Her father fought in the Revolution. Our subject was raised in his native place until twelve and then took a trip to Iowa alone. He started out finally for him- self at the 'age of eighteen and when twenty-one, he rented land and farmed it until 1886. On March I. 1886, he sold out and headed for Camas prairie. He took a pre-emption on March 6 and later a homestead. He has paid attention to farming and raising stock since. In 1887 he started to run a threshing outfit

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which he still continues. A few figures show the dit- ferent standing of the country then and now. He bought an outfit in that year, did eighteen hundred dol- lars' worth of business and had to borrow two hundred dollars to make up his first three hundred dollar pay- ment. Such was the state of collections. Last year Mr. Stewart bought a new outfit and had a run of thirty-six hundred dollars, of which the cash was all paid to him in fifteen days. Mr. Stewart now owns a section of excellent land, a good threshing outfit, some cattle, two hundred and fifty hogs, and other property to match.

On December 5, 1872, Mr. Stewart married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of William and Christine (Jay) Smith. Mr. Smith was born in Bedford county, Penn- sylvania, in 1804 and in 1853 started to Ohio and died enroute. The mother of Mrs. Stewart was born in Penn- sylvania in 1816 and died in 1853 on her way to Ohio. Mrs. Stewart was born in the vicinity of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1850, October 12, and has the follow- ing brothers and sisters: Frederic, Catherine Poling, Francis M., John T., Sarah A. Sawyer, William, all in Iowa. These children were raised by a bachelor uncle and maiden aunt of their father. Mrs. Smith's grand- father was in the Revolution.

Mr. Smith has two brothers, Jacob and James. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, Oli- ver B., born December 24, 1873; James L., born Jan- uary 16, 1875: Catherine, deceased, born January 2.4, 1879: Ray, born November 14, 1888; Stella G., born April 19, 1891. Mrs. Stewart is a member of the Methodist church. Mr. Stewart is a prominent and in- fluential man and his excellent wisdom and qualifica- tions have been shown in his first class success, which he justly enjoys, being a man of energy, hard labor and untiring care of his business.

JAMES R. McCONNELL is one of the men whose labors are for the general advancement of the county of Idaho and whose skill and wisdom put forth in good action, have achieved a gratifying success in the line of stock raising and farming. He was born in Clay county, Illinois, on June 26, 1860, the son of Robert and Elizabeth J. ( Morford) McConnell. The father was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, on July 5. 1828, was reared there and engaged in mercantile pursuits with his father. In 1856 he came to Xenia, Clay county, Illi- nois, and followed merchandising until 1880 and in March of the next year he came to Moscow and on May 24, opened a store there. In May, 1884. he sold out and September 20 came to Camas prairie, bought land and farmed until 1900, when he removed to the Salmon river, where he raises fruit. The mother of our subject was born in Jackson county, Ohio, on April 3. 1836. Her parents were pioneers of that state. She was married in March 27. 1856, and still lives on the Salmon. Our subject was brought up and educated in Illinois and graduated from Olney College in June, 1879. Then he went into the mercantile business with his father and since that time has continued with him.

They own jointly, four hundred and eighty acres near Tolo and a quarter on the Salmon river. He gives his attention to general farming and raising stock. MIr. McConnell has one brother and one sister, Frank, de- ceased : Minnie Barkwell, in Portland, Oregon.

On September 18, 1887, Mr. McConnell married Miss Rhoda L., daughter of Seth and Jane Jones, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. She was born on July 3, 1870, in Idaho county. The following named children have been born to this union : Minnic B., born September 22, 1888: Kennard J., born February 17, 1893 : Edna Maud, born April 1, 1901. Mr. and Mrs. McConnell are Republicans and active in the political realm. He is a member of the W. O. W.

JAMES BUCHANNON, a prominent miner and stockman at Grangeville, was born in Ireland on De- cember 16, 1835, the son of John and Elizabeth ( Mitch- ell) Buchannon, also natives of the Emerald Isle. The father died and then the mother brought her family to Canada, in 1845, where she also died in 1864. Onr sub- ject was reared in Canada, received his education and learned the shoemaker trade there. When in 1854. he had arived at the state of manhood, he went to Roches- ter, New York, then returned to Canada a year later and in 1859, came via the isthmus, to the coast and mined in the various camps. In 1863 he was in Vir- ginia City, Nevada; in July. 1864, mined at Boise. where he did well for two years and then followed the search in British Columbia, returning to Lewiston and later went to the Salmon river camps. He mined five years in Florence. doing well, and in 1887 Mr. Buch- annon came to Camas prairie, bought one hundred and seventy-six acres and took a homestead adjoining it. and engaged in raising stock. He recently sold this property. He has also paid much attention to mining and now owns some good property. He has one brother and three sisters in Canada, William, Margaret, Eliza- beth, Jane. Mr. Buchannon is a member of the Pio- neer's Association and regarding the Nez Perces war he relates that he was at Mt. Idaho when the outbreak came and assisted to form a company of volunteers un- der Captain D. V. Randal, he himself being one of the company. A company of sixty or seventy was formed and on July 5, 1877, seventeen of these volunteers un- der Captain Randall started from Mt. Idaho in re- sponse to a call from the government troops at Cotton- wood, over one hundred under Captains Perry and Whipple, to come to their aid. The seventeen brave men leaving in charge of the women and children only about fifty men at Mt. Idaho, started out to assist their fellow beings at Cottonwood, not knowing the full con- dition of affairs, but only informed that on the Fourth of July the Indians had surrounded the troops at Cot- tonwood and an engagement had ensued. When these volunteers came within four miles of Cottonwood, coming from the southeast, they discerned by means of a field glass, the Indians coming down Grass creek towards the Cottonwood and making for the open coun- try. They pressed towards Cottonwood to assist the

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ones there in entrenchments and when within one mile of the place the savages burst on them from the south- west, cutting square across their route. Chief Joseph was in command of one hundred and fifty Indians. Im- mediately the action commenced and soon the Indians had surounded the volunteers, who spread out so as to avoid bullets as much as possible. The whites were first-class marksmen and frontiersmen of skill and courage, else none would have been left to tell the tale. Instead of the troops coming forth to attack the Indians in the rear, they lay snugly behind their in- trenchments and watched proceedings with their field glasses. Bravely the little band charged and charged again and so deadly was their aim that the savages re- coiled before them. But they were not to escape with- out serious loss. Their brave captain was killed, as also were Howser and Ben Evans, while Leland, Charles Jolinson and one other were wounded. The horse of our subject was shot and also that of Frank Vansise. Three dead or dying, three wounded, two others dis- mounted, but nine were left to fight the Indians. But the deadly accuracy of these plainsmen was too much even to satisfy Joseph and he began after the repeated charges to withdraw his men, who carried their dead and wounded, which were considerable, but the exact number has never been found. We should state that the little handful of whites actually broke through the line of the savages, then wheeled and fought them back until, as said, they withdrew. We also shoud state that during this terrible conflict for life on the part of these brave men who were coming to the assistance of the troops in Cottonwood, not one had come to their as- sistance and the deadly struggle was calmly watched from behind intrenchments. Later two, George Shearer and another man, probably not regulars, came to the assistance of the volunteers. The Indians continued across the county toward Kamiah and the next day the volunters took their dead and wounded back to Mt. Idaho, a sad spectacle of those who in real bravery would have assisted their fellows who lay behind breast- works and saw helpers shot down without raising an arm to repel the foe. Captain McConville came across the country from the Salmon that very night, having heard the shots and the next day followed the Indians. Regarding William Foster, a half breed scout who fell on the fourth of July while scouting and whose grave is now marked with a monument a few miles north from Cottonwood, an account is given in another portion.

ORREN BENTLEY is a farmer and stockman and lives seven miles west from Tolo. He was born in Pike county, Illinois, on May 15, 1842, the son of Gideon and Harriet E. (Wheeler) Bentley. The father was born in New York, on May 4, 1793, where he was reared. His father was a patriot in the Revo- lution. Gideon Bentley removed to Ohio, thence to Pike county. Illinois, where he took a preemption and farmed. Later he sold out and erected a saw mill, a grist mill and a carding mill. Later he sold these properties and went to Perry, Illinois, where he re-

mained until his death on May 20, 1870. The mother of our subject was born in Maryland, on December 17, 1799, and died August 23, 1885. Our subject was reared and educated in his native place and when fourteen went out to work. On August 3, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-seventh Illinois Vol- unteer Infantry, under Captain L. French Williams, fought all through the war and was honorably dis- charged on September 14, 1864. He had been in the army of the Cumberland and participated in the bat- tles of Belmont, Union City, Island No. Ten, Cor- inth, Chickamauga, Mission, Rocky Face, Resaca, Atlanta and many others besides skirmishes. After the war he went to the Cherokee strip and returned on horseback. Then he worked out and later rented land in Illinois until the fall of 1879, when he went to Pottawatomie county, Kansas, and settled on school land, where he remained until April 12, 1885, when he landed on Camas prairie. He took land, spent two years in the mountains and then settled to farming. He now devotes himself to general farming and stock raising and is prosperous. Mr. Bentley has the fol- lowing brothers and sisters: Sophrona Conner, New- man, Harriet E. Love, deceased, Mahlon, Elizabeth, William, Lydia A. Hulett, Oscar, Orestus, Lodema Shelly.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 125

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