An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 273

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 273
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 273
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 273
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 273

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On June 17, 1875, at Van Meter, Iowa, Mr. Dick- inson married Miss Velma N., daughter of Loren L. and Maria (Sylvus) Thomas, natives of Ohio. The father was in Company A, of the Iowa Volunteers, and served for two years, being finally discharged on ac- count of failing eyes. He died in Iowa in July, 1901. The mother was married in Ohio, and died when Mrs. Dickinson was fourteen years old. Mrs. Dickinson was born on March 27, 1856, and has three brothers and two sisters .- Leroy D., Isaac W., Franklin D., Mary J. Lang, Harriet A. McBride, all in Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson there have been born three chil- dren,-Albert D., born March 16, 1876, now dwelling on some unsurveyed land close by, and a young man of excellent principles ; Hattie M., born November 29, 1879, now attending business college in Spokane and giving promise of a successful future; Gertie E., the youngest of the family, born August 16, 1882, and now at home, although she has successfully passed the ex- amination for teacher's certificate and intends to take up that worthy lahor soon.

BURD P. POTT was born in Pottsville, Pennsyl- vania, on March 2, 1831, the son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Christian) Pott, natives of Berks county, and Reading, Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was one of the first to mine and handle anthracite coal. He built the first railroad in the United States, it be- ing in 1827, and located at the head of navigation on the Schuylkill river and went up Black valley three- fourths of a mile. It was utilized in hauling supplies to the mines and the coal down, and horses were the power used. He discovered coal when digging for a foundation to a grist mill and later discovered many fine mines and owned fourteen thousand acres of coal land. The value of the mineral was not then known and our subject's father, the son of the gentleman of whom we are speaking, mined it after his father's death. The family lived at Valley Forge and General Washington made his headquarters at the house of our subject's grandfather. He owned a furnace and foun-

dry and made cannon balls for the patriots. He was a wealthy man in those days and Pottsville, Pennsyl- vania, was named after him. He was one of the first iron manufacturers in the United States and some of his work is on exhibition in the Pennsylvania museum, and his name, John Pott, 1755, with a German quota- tion, is cast thereon. Our subject's father was born in Oley, Pennsylvania, in 1,99. and died in 1882. The mother of our subject was descended from a prominent old Dutch family and she died in 1885, aged eighty- four. Our subject lived in Pennsylvania until twenty- one, gaining a-good education and Icarning the black- smith trade. He crossed the plains in 1852 to Sacra- mento and wrought at his trade in Carson, a placer camp. Nine months later he was on Poverty bar, on the south fork of the American river, mining, then went to the redwoods and wrought in a sawmill, then came to southern Oregon in 1855. In 1857 he was lieuten- ant of the militia under Captain O. T. Root and served seven months in the Second Rogue river war. Follow- ing this he worked at his trade in Kirbyville, Oregon, then returned home and married and came to Oregon in 1858, settling in the Rogue river valley until 1863. Then he came to Umatilla county and in 1864 went to Boise, engaging in the merchandise business. Thence he went east with his family and visited and incident- ally bored thirteen oil wells and sunk twenty-five thousand dollars in an unsuccessful search. He struck one of the best gas wells but did not profit from that. He worked at his trade again and in 1868 prospected for coal on the Union Pacific route. He found lignite but no coal. He worked at his trade in each town as the road progressed until they hung three men on a beam of his cabin without his consent, then he re- turned to Fremont, Nebraska, and wrought at his trade. Next we see him in Pennsylvania, then in the Black Hills in 1876, in the Big Horn excitement and in 1878 in Bozeman. Here he wrought for the government for three years and a half in the shop and in 1884 he went to Thompson Falls, Montana. He grubstaked a prospector who located the Morning and Evening mines in the Mullan district. In August of that year Mr. Pott came on to look after his property. They put in a tunnel eighty feet, took out five hundred pounds of chloride and shipped it to Butte. This went one hundred and fifty-eight ounces to the ton. After paying expenses they had two cents left and stopped work. Mr. Pott went to Butte, came back in the spring and prospected and discovered the first galena on Chloride hill. He sent for his partners and they went in one hundred feet but discovered nothing. They bonded for fifty thousand dollars with Walker brothers in Salt Lake City but the death of one of the brothers put off the deal. Owing to disagreements of different partners, there being eight, the property was never sold although bonded many times. Finally Warren Hussey bought the Evening claim outright, securing each man's share separately. Our subject realized eight thousand dollars. Hussey bonded the Morning claim for twelve thousand dollars and took up the bond when due. He sold to a Milwaukee company and they sold to the present owners. Our subject located the

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Independence which he sold for twenty thousand dollars in 1899. In January, 1903, he sold a fourth of the Lucky Friday for seven hundred and fifty dollars, which disposes of all of Mr. Pott's interest in mines. He has two residences and business property in Wal- lace, business property and his residence in Mullan besides other property. He has three brothers, John, Zaccur, William and one sister, Mrs. Sarah Deyo.

On March 15, 1858, Mr. Pott married Miss Lydia, daughter of John and Esther Jones, natives of Breck- enshire, south Wales. The father was a noted me- chanic and superintendent of large works in Pottsville. This wedding occurred in Pottsville and Mrs. Pott was a native of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Pott has one sis- ter, Mrs. Mary McGinnis. Mr. Pott is a member of the K. P. and his wife belongs to the Episcopalian church. Mr. Pott is a Republican and is always active in the campaigns. He was coroner in southern Ore- gon, postmaster at Mullan, also justice of the peace and notary here and has several times been to the con- ventions. Mr. Pott has retired from the more ardu- ous activities of life and is enjoying the competence that his industry and sagacity have gotten in the busi- ness world.

HOWARD T. TUPPER is a man who has won the esteem and confidence of all who know him, while he has also commanded the respect of every one who lias the pleasure of his acquaintance, being a man of sterling integrity and uprightness, which he has mani- fested in an industrious career among the residents of southern Shoshone county.

Howard T. Tupper was born in Kalamazoo county, Michigan, on September 28, 1863, being the son of Nel- son and Lorena (Lockwood) Tupper, who are men- tioned elsewhere in this volume. He was raised in Michigan until school days began and then the family migrated to Kansas, where he completed his education and then went to work with his brother in renting land which they farmed. This continued for about nine years, when he came to his present place, about three and one-half miles southeast from Fraser. He took his land by homestead, 1888 being the year of huis set- tling here. He has fifty acres cleared and the balance is good timber. Mr. Tupper also owns half of another quarter section with his brother. He does a general farming business and handles some stock. Mr. Tupper has the following brothers and sisters: Chauncy and Byron, on the Potlatch ; Adell, wife of John W. Clark, near Weippe ; Adelia, wife of Samuel C. Feed; Alice, wife of Milo L. George; Ellen, wife of John S. Harri- son, a farmer in Michigan ; Edwin, at Ypsilanti, Michi- gan.

On December 20, 1893, Mr. Tupper married Miss Minnie E., daughter of James T. and Sarah ( Burrows) Ferree, natives of Illinois and England, respectively, and now living on the Lolo, near by. Mrs. Tupper was born in Nebraska, in December, 1873, and she has two brothers and one sister, Edgar. Ernest, Dora, all at home. Mr. Tupper and his wife have been blessed by the advent of three children, named as follows :

Warren, Otto and James. Mr. Tupper is a man of intelligence and reliability and is prospered in his labors, because of his thrift, industry and wisdom.

MOSES S. SIMMONS deserves much credit for the enterprise and energy manifested in his labors for the development and upbuilding of the Murray country and he stands today one of the prosperous mine own- ers and operators of the section. Moses S. Simmons was born in Georgia, on April 18, 1844, the son of Charles and Hulda (Williamson) Simmons. The father came from a prominent North Carolina family which did noble work in the Revolution. He died in Georgia, in 1890. The mother was a native of Georgia and died in 1861. Our subject was educated in his native place and in 1872 went to Utah.and did mining and also handled a mercantile business. He prospered for ten years there and then went to Montana, but in a couple of years was back in Salt Lake City. He took up the sheep business there for a year and in 1887 came to Murray. Since that time Mr. Simmons has de- voted himself to mining with an interest and skill that have wrought a gratifying success and placed him among the leaders of the camp. He is associated with his brother Adam T. and they have bought and sold inuch ground in the placer line as well as handling considerable property in quartz. They, with David Avery, own the Bear Gulch group, the Bald Mountain group and much other promising property. In 1896 Mr. Simmons was elected county commissioner and for three successive terms he served in that office upon the invitation of the people at the polls. Mr. Simmons did excellent service and won for himself the con- fidence and approval of all substantial people of the county. He has always been an active Democrat but in one of the campaigns he also received the Populist vote. Mr. Simmons has one brother besides the one with him, Vestal L. His brother, Adam T., is a single man and resides with our subject in Murray. They are both keen, substantial mining men of worth and good standing. Mr. Simmons has two sisters, Ophe- lia Duncan, Ella Woodliff.

In North Carolina, on May 22, 1899, Mr. Simmons married Miss Frazier Thorne, a native of North Caro- lina. She died in Murray in 1901, aged thirty-nine. She was a woman of noble qualities and was beloved by all. She left one child, Ray, who is a bright boy ..

ETHELBERT W. SWAILS, who is doing a good business as millwright and builder, is one of the lead- ing business men of Murray and is of excellent stand- ing among all. He was born in Keokuk county, Iowa, on August 25, 1865. His parents were natives of Ohio. and pioneers of . Iowa. The father enlisted in the sec- ond year of the Rebellion and served in the railroad repair shops in Marshall, Tennessee. He had three brothers in active service, one, Darius, carries a bul- let in his head yet. The father died in Iowa, in 1901.

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

The mother lives in Iowa now. Our subject was reared in Sigourney, Iowa, and received a good education from the graded schools. When eighteen he entered his father's planing mill, and also learned the trade that he is now following. In 1887, he went to Kansas and then on to Denver, where he followed his trade for seven years. October, 1893, marks the date when he landed in Murray and since that time he has con- tinted here with good success in his endeavors. He owns a fine cottage home and also a good shop and other out buildings. He is interested in the Daisy claims and in the Granite creek lead and silver propo- sition. Mr. Swails also has stock in the Granite Alley Company and other interests. He does millwright work all over the Coeur d'Alene country and is known as a skillful and substantial tradesman. Mr. Swails has four brothers : Loyd A., David, James, Joseph and two sisters : Laura Rishel, Antoinette Mants.

On December 25, 1894, in Spokane, Washington, Mr. Swails married Miss Mamie Kane, whose parents were natives of Ireland. The father now lives in Brook- ville, but the mother died in 1892. Mrs. Swails was born in Pennsylvania and has one brother and three sisters, William, Delia Moody, Katie Widen, Nellie. Two children are the fruit of this marriage, Lloyd E., born July 26, 1896; Mary L., born June 2, 1899. Mr. Swails has been school director for two terms and is a popular officer.

CHARLES W. HARTMAN. A prosperous far- mer and well known business man, whose place, fa- miliar alike to prospectors and tourists, lies twelve miles east from Weippe, on the Musselshell, and is both a commodious farm place and a stopping place for the people mentioned. Mr. Hartman also does a good business in the grocery line and in outfitting pros- pectors. He handles much stock and does dairying, while his cattle are of the thoroughbred Durham breed. and the entire premises and various businesses transacted manifest thoroughly the ability and enter- prise of the proprietor.

Charles W. Hartman was born in Baden, Germany, on March 31, 1865, being the son of Leopold and Sophie (Grichman) Hartman, natives of Baden, Ger- many. The father came with his family to the United States in 1867 and now lives at Falls City, Neb- raska. The mother died in Falls City, Nebraska, about 1892. Our subject was raised in Wisconsin, where the family lived the first six years in the United States and then they all moved to Nebraska. Charles gained

his education in both these places and in March, 1887, he started out for himself. His first trip was to Spo- kane, whence he went to Montana for one year and then returned to Spokane for six years. In April, 1894, he was found in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and thence in 1896 he came to his present place, which he took as a homestead. One hundred acres are meadow and the balance timber. Mr. Hartman is near the famous Lolo trail and the regions adjacent to his premises are noted for excellent game as is the Musselshell for its abundance of trout.

Mr. Hartman has two brothers and four sisters, Fred, in Falls City, Nebraska; Henry, in Spokane; Mary, wife of Frank Garwick, in Falls City ; Louisa, wife of August Zimmerman, in Spokane: Sophie, wife of Albert Kuhlman, in Falls City ; Annie, wife of Wilhelm Zimmerman, also in Falls City. Mr. Hartman and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church and in politics, he is a Republican.

At Spokane, on April 17, 1894, Mr. Hartman mar- ried Miss Lena, daughter of Gustav and Frederika (Zander) Hertel. The father was a native of Saxony, served in the Austrian war of 1866 and the Franco- Prussian war, came to the United States in 1880, and now lives in Lincoln county, Washington, and owns twelve hundred acres of wheat land. The mother was born in Prussia, was married in Saxony and is still living in Lincoln county. Mrs. Hartman has two brothers and five sisters, Gustav, in Princeton, Idaho; Alfred, at Edwall, Washington. Ida, wife of Charles Shy, in Kansas; Annie, wife of Andrew C. Johnson, in Edwall; Freda, Lizzie and Ella. Four children have. been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hartman ; Clara, Albert, William and John.

JOHN H. FOSS, one of the leading mining men of the Coeur d'Alene country, is located at Mullan and is eminently deserving of representation in the his- tory of this county since he is a man of personal worth and ability, has wrought with sagacity and energy to build up and bring to the front this section, and is now one of the leading promoters of mining interests in the state and is operating throughout the northwest.

John H. Foss was born in Norway, January 7, 1863, the son of Hans C. and Ingar (Hansen) Foss, natives of Norway where they now reside. The father is a mining man and a dealer in lumber. Our subject was possessed of the native courage and energy of his race and early finished a good educational training and then devoted himself to mining. In 1881 he came to the United States and after six months in Wisconsin le came to Montana and went to mining. In that state and here he has spent his time since. Mr. Foss is a practical man and goes personally to the moun- tains and searches for the hidden veins, and in this he has been successful, and then also he has the ability to take the prospect and make of it a mine, ready for the investor. He came to Mullan in 1885 with his part- ner, George Hammond, now deceased, and formerly one of the substantial mining men of this section. Mr. Foss has prospected these regions, located properties and developed the same and has made some excellent sales of these properties. He is at present interested in some copper properties in the Monte Cristo dis- trict in the Cascades, the Alice. Mayflower and the White Pine group, with H. J. Rice, treasurer of Sho- shone county. Mr. Foss has three brothers, Peter H., Christian C., Michael.

On December 5, 1890, at Buffalo, New York, Mr. Foss married Miss Alice C., daughter of Abraham and Katherine Hammond, both deceased. She has three

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

brothers, Abraham, Henry, Edward, and one sister, Mrs. Mary Kelly. To Mr. and Mrs. Foss two chil- dren have been born, George and Henry, aged eleven and six respectively. Mr. Foss is prominently allied in fraternal associations, being past workman of the A. O. U. W., a member of the W. W. and of the Elks. He is a stanch Republican and always takes an active part in the campaigns and is a familiar and in- fluential figure in the conventions. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church.

PETER E. PETERSON is one of the finest speci- mens of physical perfection that one is able to find, being a man of strong constitution and having devel- oped himself in a first class manner. He is at the present time owner of a good estate, four and one-half miles southwest from Weippe, where he does diversi- fied farming and raises stock.

Peter E. Peterson was born in Sweden, on April 21, 1861, being the son of Peter and Johanna ( Pierson ) Peterson, natives also of Sweden. The father came to Quebec, Canada, in 1880, with his family, and thence to Minnesota. He died on April 10, 1893, aged seventy- two. His widow died October 15, 1893, aged seventy- two. These deaths occurred at Weippc. Our sub- ject was educated in Sweden and after coming to Min- nesota attended school for a short time to learn the English language. In 1888 he came to Spokane, his parents joining him later. He worked in the C. & C. mill for four years, and during this time came to Weippe. At once he was struck with the country, it being so much like his native land. Returning to Spokane for a few weeks, he then came and filed on his present place, to which he soon removed his parents. Mr. Peterson has three sisters : Carrie, wife of Charles Dahl, a gardener in Spokane county; Signa, wife of Ole Berg, in Minnesota; Annie, wife of Andrew Hendrickson, near Weippe.

On October 31, 1900, Mr. Peterson married Miss Maria, daughter of Johann and Gustava (Johnson) Johanson, natives of Sweden. The father died in December, 1868, aged thirty-two. The mother still lives there. Mrs. Peterson was born in Sweden on June 10, 1868, and has one brother, Larson, residing on the Weippe. Five children have been born to this union : Mav, Signa, Lillian, Ellen, Flossie.

Peter Hanson, first cousin of Mr. Peterson, is a banker and capitalist in Minnesota, and having served as secretary of state with such acceptability, he was nominated this year for the office again, it being done by acclamation. He is a man of rare ability in financial matters and business generally, and has gained his commanding position by virtue of his own efforts and worth, being a self made man.

GEORGE S. LESHER, M. D., who is now hand- ling the drug store in Murray. is one of the capable physicians of the county of Shoshone and although

he has not been here as long as some of the pioneers, still his uprightness, his energy, and his native.ability dominated by sound judgment and integrity have won for him an excellent standing among the people and a fine practice in his profession. He was born in Rich- land, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 1862, the son of William and Rebecca (Seibert) Lesher, natives of Pennsylvania and from old and prominent fami- lies. The father died on January 2, 1897, and had been for years engaged in wholesale lumber and grain trade. The mother died in 1877. Her ancestors, as her hus- band's, came to this country from Germany before the Revolution. Our subject received a good education in the city schools of Lancaster and then came to Min- neapolis, Minnesota. He worked in the Harvester works, then was salesman in Sterling, Kansas, then in the foundry in Pueblo, and later we find him in the Risdon iron works in California, San Francisco. At the time of the Coeur d'Alene excitement he started thither but stopped in Spokane. He did saw milling, cut wood, went to Montana and cut five thousand posts and five thousand poles with his partner for a large cattle ranch. Then poisoned Coyotes and in the spring he helped drive about four hundred horses to Minnesota. He returned home rich in experience and with nearly a thousand dollars in his pockets. Mr. Lesher then settled to the study of medicine, which had been his life's dream. He soon matriculated in the medical department of the Pennsylvania University, the oldest medical college in the United States. This was in the fall of 1887 and in 1890 he received his degree of doc- tor of medicine. He practiced in his native state a time and then was appointed by the government as physician on the Ute agency, later was transferred to Arizona for the Apache reservation, then to the Red Lake Chippewas in Minnesota, then to the northern Cheyennes in Wyoming, and finally to the Flatheads in Montana. On January 3, 1902, Dr. Lesher landed in Murray and at once bought the drug store and turned his attention to the practice of medicine and since then he has done well. He is a public minded man and always in the lead in matters of improvement.

On March 26, 1888, at Richland, Pennsylvania, Dr. Lesher married Miss Catherine, daughter of William and Jemima (Strickler) Moore natives of Pennsyl- vania. They are from old Pennsylvania Dutch fam- ilies and now dwell on the old homestead. Mrs. Lesher was born in Richland on May 8, 1870, and has one sis- ter, Clara Brubaker. Dr. Lesher has one brother, William. They have one child, Rebecca, born Octo- ber 15, 1889. Dr. Lesher is a member of the A. F. & A. M., of the R. A. M., of the K. T. and of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

WILLIAM COUMERILH is at present a member of the firm of Buchanan & Company, hardware and furniture merchants of Mullan. He is also a mining man and a mining engineer. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 14, 1874, the son of John Coumerilh. The father was a native of France, being

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

born and raised in the Pyrennes. When eighteen he came to Cuba and there learned the English language. He had been educated for the priesthood in his native country. He was an accomplished linguist and was interpreter for Commodore Vanderbilt when he toured Mexico and the West Indies. He paid especial atten- tion to mining and was a thorougly versed man in all the intricacies of that vast industry. He was on the coast in early days and participated in the various stampedes of mining excitements, was in the Pioche run and pulled his toboggan into Eagle City at the out- set of the rush. He located in Murray and worked the Golden Chest successfully for nine years. Mr.

.Coumerilh was one of the most prominent mining men and operators in the entire Coeur d'Alene country and was well known, while his standing was the very best. being a man of integrity. He died on January 15, 1896, aged fifty-four years. He was treasurer of Shoshone county for six years and in fraternal re- lations was past master of the Masons and past noble grand of the I. O. O. F., and past workman of the A. O. U. W. Our subject has one sister, Cora, in San Francisco. He was reared in the Black Hills and in the Coeur d'Alene country and was liberally edu- cated in the public schools and in the state mining school of Rapid City, South Dakota. In addition to this, Mr. Coumerilh was constantly associated with his father and received an invaluable training in practical working, which has placed him in a leading position in mining problems. He has followed mining in various sections and in 1901 he entered partnership with V. A. Buchanan and since then has given his personal attention to the operation of this business. Mr. Coumerilh is a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, joining in 1895. In 1900 he was superintendent of the Cumberland mine, resigning the same for his present business.

On May 31, 1896, Mr. Coumerilh married Miss Laura Mitchell at Billings, Montana. Her parents are deceased. She has two brothers and two sisters: Burt, Robert, Mrs. Charles Buell., Mrs. Walter Smith. Two children have been born to bless this household: John W., five years old; Genevive, aged eighteen months.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 273

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