An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 169

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 169
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 169
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 169
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 169

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RESIDENCE OF HOMER A. THOMAS.

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resides, six miles northeast from Genesee. This set- tlement was made in 1882, and six years later he bought an additional eighty. He has a fine farm, well cultivated, embellished with excellent residence and all good substantial out buildings and barns that are needed, orchards and so forth. Mr. Thomas has fine cattle, horses, and hogs, having the Jersey breed of cattle, Norman horses, and Berkshire hogs. He is a leader in the realm of stock raising and farming and is one of the leading citizens of the county.

Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Sarah J. Dagget, daughter of Acel and Eliza (White) Dag- get, natives of Vermont, whence they came to Illinois and thence to Wisconsin, where they died. Mr. Thomas is a member of the I. O. O. F., and for three terms was elected justice of the peace and then he was obliged to refuse a re-election, being determined to rest from the more active public duties. Mr. Thomas is a man who has labored very much for the welfare and progress of the county, has always been upright and faithful, and now as the golden years begin to run apace he is enjoying the fruits of his lahors, the respect and admiration of the people and is to be commended on the wisely spent years of a useful career.

BENJAMIN F. ALDRICH. The venerable gen- tleman, of whom we now have the pleasure of writ- ing, is one of Latah county's early settlers and has la- bored here continuously since, in the good work of development and upbuilding, being now one of the prosperous agriculturists and orchardists of his sec- tion. He was born in Springfield, Vermont, on March 13, 1822, the son of Benjamin and Hannah Aldrich. The father was a tiller of the soil and this son re- mained at home busied in the invigorating labors of the farm and in acquiring a good education until he was twenty years of age and then his adventurous spirit led him to go on a whaling voyage. After the thrilling and arduous experiences of that trip had whetted his appetite for further acquaintance with the sea, he went into the merchant service, where he com- pleted a nine year ocean service. In 1852 he came to California and for four years he mined and pros- pected and then went back to Wisconsin and thence soon after to Minnesota, settling near Austin, Mower county, where he farmed for twenty-one years. At the expiration of that time he came west to The Dalles and one year later from there to Latah county. Two years after his first settlement here he came to his present place, the year being 1880, and home- steaded a quarter section. This land lies one mile west from Juliaetta and in the intervening years Mr. Aldrich has improved it in good shape, erecting build- ings and cultivating it, while also he has planted a fine orchard of ten acres, which is an excellent dividend producer.

The marriage of Mr. Aldrich and Miss Almira, daughter of Jonas and Catherine Boyer, was sol- emnized in Milford, Wisconsin, on September 9, 1851, and they have become the parents of the following

children : Francis L., Harvey C., Allan F .. Edward, deceased, Willard N., Mary A., Nellie, Fred B .. Anna L. and Rose B. Mrs. Aldrich is a native of New York state. This venerable and worthy couple have long trod the pilgrim way of life and are now enjoying the golden time of life amid the good things that their faithful labors have provided and also they rest secure in the esteem and good will of all who may be favored with their acquaintance, being good people, upright and kind.

HEZEKIAH M. SMITH. A resident of the thriving village of Juliaetta, and one of the men whose labors have made our county what she is today, the subject of this article is deserving of mention in any work that purports to give biographical review to the leading citizens of the county. Mr. Smith is a native of Pennsylvania, being born in Elk county, on May 12, 1847, the son of Benjamin and Eliza ( Micks) Smith. The father was a farmer in that section and our sub- ject received his education from the common schools of that place and remained on the home farm until he had reached the age of twenty-three. At that time of budding manhood, he made a journey to the west, finding no stopping place until he came to Columbia, Oregon. One year later he came thence to Idaho and in 1871 he came to Lewiston and for the next seven years he followed rafting and lumbering on the Clear- water. 1878 marks the date when he retired from that line of enterprise and went to work in a butcher shop in Lewiston. Four years was the time of his service there and in 1882 he came to Cedar creek, now in Latah county, and there acquired title to one-half section by preemption and homestead. Upon this piece of land he bestowed his labors for a score of years and then sold out his entire interests, including stock, of which he had raised much. In January, 1902, he came to Juliaetta and purchased his present home in the village. He has a fine residence and a small tract of land and he devotes his time to gardening, retiring from the more arduous duties of the stock ranch. He has a tract of land adjoining the town, which he in- tends to use for the garden purpose. His family came to Juliaetta in April, 1902.

Mr. Smith married Mrs. Mary Hilt, a native of Connecticut, in August, 1894, at Kendrick, Idaho, and they have one child, Lane. Mrs. Smith had three chil- dren by a former marriage.

AMON K. BIDDISON. This enterprising and well known gentleman is one of the leading vine dress- ers in this section, having a vineyard of two and one- half acres, besides considerable more that is being started. He dwells in the village of. Juliaetta. owning a block upon which is a fine residence, also has an- other block that is not improved and twenty acres of fine vineyard land that adjoins the town. Mr. Biddi- son is a native of Ohio, being born near Wilmington, in Clinton county, on September 18, 1852, the son of

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Jolın and Nancy ( Martin) Biddison. His parents re- moved him to lowa when he was two years old and settlement was made in Appanoose county, near Cen- terville, where he remained with them until his twen- tieth year. In 1874 he went to Kansas and settled in Coffey county, near Neosho Falls, and there he re- mained until 1882, when he sold his property interests there and came to Idaho. He located two miles north from where Troy now stands and in partnership with his brother purchased a sawmill that had just been built there. It was the second mill erected in that sec- tion. For four years we find him there in the man- ufacture of timber products and then he went to farm- ing on Big Bear creek. He remained there until 1897, when he again sold out and went to Columbia county, Washington. He devoted his attention to raising stock there until very recently, when he sold his entire inter- ests there and came to Juliaetta, where he purchased the property above mentioned. In addition to handling his vineyard, he devotes much time and attention to raising vegetables for the market and he is one of the prosperous men of this section. Mr. Biddison has al- ways taken a lively interest in political matters, and while on Big Bear creek he served as deputy assessor for the years 1895-6-7. Fraternally he is affiliated with the A. F. & A. M., at Pomeroy, Washington.

Mr. Biddison married Miss Nevada, daughter of William and Nevada Fowler, at Centerville, Iowa. on December 24, 1882, and they have the following chil- dren : Crayton S., Elmer F., Noyes A. and Olive. Mr. Biddison is one of the men of vigor and thrift who have done much in the real building of our county and he is deserving of great credit for his wise and vigorous efforts in this line, while he has also exem- plified in his life those rare virtues of worth and qual- ity that characterize the real man of principle and the patriotic citizen.

AUGUST AND CHRISTIAN NELSON. These worthy and industrious men are brothers and are leading agriculturists of Latah county, where they have displayed in the past years commendable zeal, enterprise and wisdom in the prosecution of their busi- ness, in which their thrift and sagacity have brought them good success. They are located on a farm sev- en miles north from Genesee and have a fine lot of horses and sufficient stock for the use of the farm. They are the sons of Nels and Pemilla ( Jenson) Nel- son, natives of Sweden, where also they remained un- til the time of their death, being buried in the W. Kasup cemetery. Christian was born July 22, 1866, and August was born February 1, 1871, both being natives of W. Kasup, Sweden. At the age of sixteen Christian started for himself and in 1892 he bought his father's farm. At the age of sixteen, also, August started in life for himself and in 1891 he came to America. He soon discovered that this was the place for one to do well and accordingly wrote to his brother to come hither, which he did in 1893, after renting the old home place, which was his by purchase, as stated above. They both located in the vicinity of Genesee

and for several years they worked for wages. In 1898 they rented two hundred and twenty-four acres of land, which they still occupy and farm. In 1901 they raised four thousand bushels of wheat in addition to what they had of other productions. In addition to these brothers there was one sister in the family, Han- na Liberg, married and living in the old home place in Sweden and she is the mother of five children, Nils Theadore, Martin W., John W., Anna L., Lars J. Christian still owns the farm in W. Kasup. These brothers are highly respected citizens and are among the leaders in the art of farming successfully, having demonstrated both their capabilities in this line as well as the stanch qualities of integrity and worth of which they are happily possessed.

NOYES B. HOLBROOK is one of the earliest pioneers to this section of the west, and since his ad- vent here he has been a constant and prominent figure m the development of the various resources of the country and in the management of the political affairs, in which he has always evinced a great interest, and today he is one of the heaviest property owners of Latah county and a leader in its business world, al- though of late years he has retired more from the activities and cares of business, still at present he is in charge of the large flour mill at Juliaetta and also personally supervises his various estates and proper- ties. Mr. Holbrook came from far away Connecticut, being born in Derby, New Haven county, on March 29, 1830, the son of Thomas C. and Maria B. (Ben- ham) Holbrook. The father was a farmer and our subject remained with him, assisting on the farm and gaining a good education from the public schools un- til he had reached the age of seventeen and then he went to Bridgeport in the same state and there learned all the branches of the mason's trade. He followed this trade in various parts of the state until he was twenty-three and then came to California, via the isthmus. He mined, contracted and worked at his trade for eight years in Marysville, California, and then in 1862 came overland to this country, making

his headquarters in Lewiston. He mined and pros- pected in Montana and Idaho until 1871, when he took up the livery business at Lewiston and for fourteen years he followed that. Then he retired to look after his property interests in various portions of the cotill- try. He had much live stock, two good farms, seven dwellings and much other property. In 1896 he came to Juliaetta and took charge of the grist mill there. He built the mill, it being the first building in the town, and sold it but it came back into his hands and he devotes himself to its management. It is a mill of full roller process equipment, of fifty barrels capacity per day and is run by water power .

As stated before, Mr. Holbrook has always man- ifested great interest in politics. He was mayor of Lewiston for a term, during the Nez Perces war in 1877 : he has been deputy sheriff for two terms ; sher- iff one term : county commissioner two terms ; and has

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always been elected on the Democratic tieket. Mr. Holbrook has been married twice, the first time being in 1880, at Lewiston, Miss Eliza Armstrong becoming his bride at that time, but she lived only two years. In 1896 he contracted a second marriage, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Eliza Colwell, and the wedding occurred in Vollmer. Mrs. Holbrook had three chil- dren by her former marriage, two married daughters. and one son, Fred C., at the present in the mill. Mr. Holbrook handles much wheat, buying and storing and shipping. He stands as one of the leading busi- ness men of Latah county today.

JOHN HALVERSON. Surely any compilation having the province of portraying the lives of the leading citizens of Latah county would be seriously at fault were there failure to incorporate within its pages an account of the leading and estimable gentle- man whose name is at the head of this article and who has demonstrated in such a commendable manner his ability as a wise husbandman, upright man and patri- otie citizen. Mr. Halverson was born in Sand, Nor- way, on August 3. 1851, being the son of Halverson and Engeborg ( Johnson) Halverson, natives also of Norway, where the father died, being buried at the old home place. In 1890 the mother came to the United States. Our subject was educated in the common schools of his native town and at the age of fifteen went to sea, following this vigorous and hardy life of freedom for five years, when he came to America. landing on Chicago soil, whence he soon went to sail- ing on Lake Michigan. following it for three years. At the expiration of that time he came to Astoria. in Oregon, and the occupation of fishing engaged his energies for nine years. Then he came to Latah coun- ty and took a homestead five miles north from Gen- esee. He devoted himself to the cultivation and im- provement of this farm in the years that followed and the excellent results that he has achieved speak loud- ly of his energy. wisdom and untiring care for busi- ness. In 1890 Mr. Halverson bought a quarter section across the road from his original farm and now he has a fine estate of three hundred and twenty acres, all paid for, improved in a becoming manner, and each farm having fine barns, houses, outbuildings and or- chards. Mr. Halverson is the most successful farmer of his section, having as high a yield as seven and one- half thousand bushels for one year's harvest of wheat. besides other products of the farm. He has a goodly number of cattle, horses and hogs. Mr. Halverson's good management is manifest in the fact that he has accumulated such a fine holding without a dollar's incumbrance of any kind.

The marriage of Mr. Halverson and Miss lenger. (laughter of Jacob and Julia Johnson, natives of Nor- way, was celebrated in 1882, and to them were born six children, as follows : Henry I., Engle M., Jennie A., Antone ()., Ida J. and Eddie C. In March, 1900, Mr. Halverson was called to mourn the death of his faith- ful wife. Our subject is one of the leaders of the sec-

tion, a man of wisdom and is deserving of much cred- it for the skill and enterprise manifested in the conduct of his business, as well as for the energy manifested in the accomplishment of measures for the upbuilding and development of the county, and the natural result is, that he is highly esteemed by his fellows and is rightly looked up to by all.

GEORGE H. SAWYER. This thrifty and enter- prising farmer and gentleman is a valuable citizen of Latah county, being both a man of fine capabilities and of good business talent, and also one of those who have labored well here for the advancement of the coun- tv's interests and the development of its resources. His father, Mark Sawyer, was born in South Carolina on September 28. 1813. and died in 1884. He was a county commissioner of Yam Hill county, Oregon, where he did good work for the advancement of the country. This gentleman married Miss Susana James, a native of Indiana, born October 22, 1821, and died 11 1895. To this union were born our subject, on No- vember 20, 1847, in Linn City, Oregon : Ellis, wife of MI. B. Hendrick, and living in MeMinnville, Oregon ; Margaret, now deceased, being formerly wife of Dan- iel Osborne: Almira, widow of Truman Sherwood, and now living in Eugene, Oregon : Jordan, deceased ; John R., in Portland : Andrew J., at Philomath, Ore- gon : Evangeline, wife of John Smith, in Yam Hill county, Oregon; Jane, wife of George Michael, in Yam Hill county: Franklin L., deceased ; Arthur W., cleceased ; Damon : Mark E., deceased ; Emmet, de- ceased. Our subject came with his parents to Yam Hill county, Oregon, in 1847, and the father took up donation land there in 1849. George H. remained in the Web-foot state until 1883 and then remove.1 to Latah county, taking government land, to which he bought the right of another. He has resided on this land continuously since that time and has it well im- proved. He has added by purchase until he owns one half section. Wheat and oats form the staple crop and three orchards produce abundant fruit, Wie his barns, residence and all about the premises pro- claim the proprietor a man of thrift and care and in- dustry.

Mr. Sawyer married Miss Itha Gant, on October 30, 1870, in Yam Hill county, Oregon, and they have been blessed by the advent of the following children : Laura B., wife of Enoch S. Reeves, living in Peck, Id- aho, and mother of the following children, Millie M., Pearl A., Rubena M .. Enoch L., Elmer S., deceased, who had one child. Jessie E., having married Edith Miller : Charlie F., attending high school and uni- versity at Moscow. Mrs. Sawyer was born near Sher- idan. Yam Hill county, October 14, 1853, and she has brothers and sisters named as follows: John W., in Yam Hill county ; Martha A., wife of W. J. Sargeant, of Yam Hill county : Sarah J., wife of T. B. Mitchell, and living in Chehalis, Washington; Mary E., wife of John Hinkle, in Portland : Henry, living at Elk, Washington : Carniv and Albert, deceased. Mr. and

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Mrs. Sawyer are members of the Christian church at Palouse, and are forward in supporting the faith. Mr. Sawyer takes an interest in school matters, always la- boring for advancement in educational facilities, while in political matters and all that pertains to the welfare of the county, he is ever active and shows, both by thrifty example and wise counsel, the proper walk and wise methods, both of business enterprise and public concern.

JOHN H. HORTON. A man of a goodly prop- erty, possessed as well of ability and executive force which have made him a prominent citizen in the county, while his walk has manifested uprightness and sound principles and a worthy integrity, the subject of this sketch is eminently fitted for representation in this volume of Latah county's history. Mr. Horton is a native of Wayne county, Tennessee, being born on December 4, 1854, the son of George and Jane (Pigg) Horton. The father of John H. was a farmer born in Tennessee in 1820, and his father was a native of England. Mrs. Horton was born in Tennessee in 1822. The family came to Searcy county, Arkansas, in 1859, shortly after which event the father was called lience by death. The mother bravely held the little flock together, providing for them until they were able to meet the responsibilities of life for themselves. Our subject remained there, gaining an education and laboring with the others until 1876, when he started out across the plains with a train of twelve teams for the west. Part of the time they were alone, he and his brother-in-law, Neal Bohanan, but they had no trouble with the Indians although they met many of them. April 8 was the day they started and July II, the day when they came to Latah county. John H. bought the improvements of a settler to the land which is now his family home and placing a homestead right on it he at once set about building a home and making a farm from the raw sod. His industrious labors have met with proper reward for he now owns a fine es- tate of four hundred and thirty acres of fertile land, well improved with orchards, buildings, and which pro- duces abundant crops of the cereals.

On February 23, 1875, Mr. Horton married Miss Sarah, daughter of Lorenzo D. and Lucinda Jameson, natives respectively of Missouri and Arkansas. Mr. Jameson was a prominent man of his section, being sheriff of Searcy county for two terms. To this mar- riage there have been born nine children, Mattie, de- ceased, George E., Cordelia, deceased, Ralph, attend- ing the university at Moscow with George; Jennie, Carrie, Lucy, Edna M., John, at home. Mr. Horton has brothers and sisters as follows: Nathaniel, Sarah, Mary, Ellen, Martha, all in Arkansas. Mr. Horton is an advocate of good schools and labors for that end, being also prominent in political matters. In 1898, he was nominated for county commissioner on the Republican ticket and was elected with a good major- ity; he was renominated after a faithful service of two years but on account of the fusion he was de- feated, but by only thirteen votes. He is a member of

the Farmer's Club, while he and his wife are also mem- bers of the United Brethren church. Mr. Horton does not believe in going in debt and does not prac- tice it, consequently he is free from all worry and det- riment from that quarter.

JASPER P. SHARP. This enterprising gentle- man is one of the leading farmers of Latah county. His estate lies five miles east from Palouse and is one of productiveness and is handled in a becoming man- ner to a thrifty western farmer of energy and capabili- ues. Mr. Sharp has done his part in the development of the country since his advent here in 1887 and is one of the substantial citizens of the county. The an- cestral history of our subject would be interesting. consequently we append a portion. In 1808 Andrew Sharp was born in New York state and he married Miss Hester O. Hubble, a native of Pennsylvania and whose father was a farmer. They removed to Wis- consin in 1850 and settled in what is now Green Lake county, taking a preemption. In the spring of 1859 they sold out and moved to Woodson county, Kansas, taking up land and giving attention to tilling the soil. On July 12. 1864, while the father was enroute to the Black Hills in a wagon train, he was massacred by the Indians. At this same time Fannie Kelly was taken prisoner by the savages and detained some time and after her release wrote an account of the thrilling ad- ventures that befell her. Our subject was with his parents until their move to Kansas, gaining an edu- cation at the various public schools. He remained with the mother until he had reached twenty-one. He enlisted in what was known as the "Irregulars," troops responding to the call of Governor Lane, and to use Mr. Sharp's own words, "We stole horses from the Cherokees and Missourians and raised 'commotion' and then the company busted." He continued with the army until the close of the war, at which time he took up land on Elk river, Kansas, and went to farm- ing.

On September 21, 1862, Mr. Sharp married Miss Emma, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Neely) Murden, and to them have been born the following children: Cyrus A., Alice, Charles, Minnie, all de- ceased ; Nettie O., living at St. Marys ; Myrtle, wife of A. D. Smith, in Latah county. Mrs. Sharp has the following brothers and sisters: Rowland, deceased ; Nancy, living in Iowa; Elizabeth, deceased ; Frances, living in Missouri ; Aris, deceased ; William, deceased ; Scott, in Oklahoma. Mr. Sharp has the following brothers and sisters: Delila A. and Pernina, deceased ; Burbridge D., an old soldier, now deceased ; Agnes, deceased; Letta, living in Moscow, Idaho; Lemuel, Pearl and Jaymon, all deceased. In 1873 Mr. Sharp sold his place in Kansas and went to Coffey county in the same state. Buying land he tilled it until 1887. at which time he came to Latah county. Here he bought his present place, five miles east from Palouse, where he is doing commendable work in the agricultural art. Mr. Sharp was born in Knox county, Ohio, on March

JOHN H. HORTON.

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21, 1842. He had been an Odd Fellow for years, be- lieves in good schools and holds with the Socialists. His wife is a member of the Methodist church and they are both highly esteemed people.

FRANKLIN M. BERRY. A good citizen, a capa- ble man and an enterprising farmer and stockman, the subject of this article is worthy of representation in this volume and we accord space to him with pleasure. Mr. Berry is one of a family of ten children, the date of his birth being April 24, 1841, and the others named as follows: Amanda E .. married to Bert Craig, but now dead; Matilda, wife of Benjamin Skallions, and living on Deep creek; Thomas, died in 1870; Anna E., wife of James Carr, and then of Colonel James Shadrick, of Arkansas; Ira J., in Arkansas ; Felix, in Arkansas; Minerva J., married to Green Brummett, who was killed in the war, and his wife is now also dead; Reddick H., died during the war ; Rachel, wife of Joseph Favors, of Arkansas. Our subject's parents, Andrew and Minerva W. Berry, were natives of Virginia, the father a farmer and the mother being born in 1811, and her mother's name was Rachel Wiley. In 1851 our subject removed with his mother to Arkansas, settling twenty miles south from Pine Bluff, in Bradley county. That continued to be the family home until 1874, when our subject came to the west, locating first in Yam Hill county, Oregon, where he was a tiller of the soil. The mother joined him in 1875. In 1879 he sold out his property in Ore- gon and came to Latah county, taking his present place as a homestead. His farm is located four miles cast from Palouse and is well improved, having excel- lent buildings, good orchard and produces abundant crops.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 169

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