An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 283

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 283
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 283
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 283
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 283

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On August 27, 1889, at Columbus, Nebraska, Pro- fessor Vance married Miss Adelaide M., daughter of Sebra G. and Jane F. Inlay, who reside in Glenwood. Jowa, the father being a retired mechanic. Mrs. Vance has one brother and three sisters, Lamont, Mrs. Alida Stevenson, Mrs. Olive Spicer, Mrs. Clara Hooper. Mr. Vance has one sister, Mrs. Olive Lamar. To our subject and his estimable wife there have been born two children, Dorothy, who died March 11, 1900, aged eleven months and twenty-six days: Harold C., aged two and one half years. Professor Vance is affiliated with the A. F. & A. M .. the Elks, the K. of P. Mrs. Vance is a graduate of the Valparaiso Normal and taught five years in Fremont, six years in Schuyler. Nebraska and five years at Wallace, Idaho. In 1898 she was chosen as county superintendent of schools of Shoshone county, the first lady holding the office. She did efficient work and holds the confidence and esteem of a discriminating constituency. Professor Vance has been president of the County Teachers' Association. also that of the Joint Teachers' Association of Sho- shone and Kootenai counties combined and of the State Teachers' Association as well.

Charles W. Vance was born in Newmarket, Ohio, on August 12, 1858, being the son of Isaac W. and Elizabeth (Lemon) Vance, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. The father was a contractor

and builder and is deceased. The mother lives in Ohio, still occupying the house where our subject was born.

GEORGE W. COLEMAN. The energy and adaptability manifested by Mr. Coleman, as will be noted in outlining his career in this article, are the key to his success, which has been bright and gratifying. He is a man of uprightness and of good standing and is a well known pioneer.

George W. Coleman was born in Bedford, Penn- sylvania, on September 23, 1858, being the son of George and Elizabeth Coleman, deceased. The father was born in Pennsylvania and the mother in Germany. Our subject was reared on a farm and educated in the district schools. When sixteen, he went to the Black Hills, Dakota, prospected and worked in the famous Homestake. In 1880 he went to Miles City, Montana, thence to Livingstone and engaged in the wood busi- ness. Hearing of the Coeur d'Alene excitement, he left his wood, and also a five hundred dollar team in Butte, which he has never heard from since, and came as far as the train came toward Eagle and then plodded through twelve feet of snow the balance of the jour- ney. He at once went to freighting for Phil. Web- ber, hauling the freight on a hand sled. He received thirty cents per pound and made fifteen dollars per day. His cargo was liquor and when weary, Mr. Cole- man did not always stir his blood with cold snow water on the journey. Eagle was a bunch of tents, with one log eating house, kept by Mat Brown, the first colored man in this district and now in Wardner. Mr. Cole- man freighted this way six weeks, then went with the stampede to Murray, worked as porter and came to Wardner, then Kentuck, with the first rush and car- ried the mail from Murray to this place, receiving fifty cents per letter. Later he operated a logging house for A. R. Goldstein, then was porter in a saloon. receiving two hundred dollars per month. Later he went on his ranch three miles east fom Wardner. Af- ter this he managed Al Page's ranch nearly two years, then did contract work, mined with the Bunker Hill, and located the Coleman mine. He kept up the assess- ment until 1902, when Mr. Coleman sold to the New Jersey Gold Mining Company for ten thousand dol- iars. He also sold land and mill site additional to the amount of one thousand more. He is now in the ent- ploy of this company and owns a claim adjoining the one sold.

In 1882 Mr. Coleman married Miss Lottie Kelly, a native of Liberty, Clay county, Missouri. Her parents live in Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Coleman also owns mining property with Dan Dalton and Richard Toner. and has a good residence in Wardner.

CHASTINE DUNAVAN has been in the Coeur d'Alene country for many years and in fact was one of the first to invade these fastnesses when the excite- mient began. He has continued here ever since and is

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one of the well known and valuable citizens whose labors have always been for upbuilding and advance- ment. Chastine Dunavan was born in Kentucky, March 8, 1829, the son of William and Mary (Mc- Elroy) Dunavan, natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. The father was a patriot in the Revolu- tion. Our subject was raised in Kentucky and in the Blue Grass state he received his education and when eighteen he enlisted in the Nineteenth Kentucky Vol- unteer Infantry, Company K, under Colonel John W. Tibatts. He served eighteen months, then spent one year at home and after that clerked in a mercantile house in St. Joseph for three years. Then came six years of steamboating on the Missouri, after which he spent two years more in St. Joseph and in 1863 he came to Montana and mined. Seven years were spent in the grocery business then, and two years on a trip in the east. In 1876 we find Mr. Dunavan in the Black Hills and he was one of the enterprising men there until 1884, when he came over the Trout creek trail to the Coeur d'Alene country. In March of that year he landed in Eagle City and a few days later he was in the mercantile establishment of Hayes & Higby, the pioneers of this camp. Later we see Mr. Dunavan in mining and since those days he has devoted himself to this constantly. He is one of the prosperous men of the section and has various properties. Mr. Dunavan is in receipt of a pension from the government for services in the Mexi- can war and is one of the patriotic supporters of the noble stars and stripes. Mr. Dunavan is not in the hills much but is promoting mines and is now in partnership with Lawrence O'Neil, mentioned else- where in this volume. Mr. Dunavan has one brother, William, retired in Kentucky. Mr. Dunavan is a real Jeffersonian Democrat and is sound on the prin- ciples of government. He is a genial and highly respected gentleman and possesses a high sense of honor and of his stewardship.

WILLIAM McDOUGALL. Among the genial, capable and patriotic men who have charge of the various interests of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan properties we are privileged to mention the subject of this article, who is now foreman in the Bunker Hill mine. Mr. McDougall is a practical miner, under- standing the art from the grass roots to the finished producer and well laid out property in working trim, and all the methods from the hand drill to the im- proved machinery of the present day and so is well qualified to fill the position where he find him, where his wisdom, faithful work and efficiency have made him a valuable man to the company and his integrity and affability have won for him the high esteem of all his fellows.

William AlcDougall was born in Minnesota on April 24, 1861, being the son of Duncan and Ellen ( Aldvise- ly) McDougall. The father was a native of Canada, of Scotch descent and the mother was born in Eng- land. Our subject was reared in California, whither

his parents went when he was three years old. His education was received in the institutions of learning in Bangor, Butte county, California. At the early age of sixteen, Mr. McDougall commenced his mining career and since that time he has steadily pursued this line of endeavor. He worked first in the Abott quicksilver mines, in Lake county, California. Then he was in the gravel mines in Plumas county, in the silver mines in San Bernardino county four years, then in eastern Oregon as foreman in the Sanger mine two years, then in the Elkhorn and Baisley in Baker county and then with his associates he bonded the Virtue. Later the bond lapsed and he went to Cali- fornia again and was foreman in the Lone Star in Eldorado county a short time, after which he was shift boss in the W. Y. O. D. and Empire seven years. In 1901 Mr. McDongall came to his present position and since that time has done excellent work here. Mr. McDougall has one sister, Mrs. Annie McCloud, in Cherokee, California.

In 1893 Mr. McDougall married Miss Belle Allen, whose parents live in Butte county, California, the father being a general merchant. Two children have been born to this union, Loyd L. and William S. Mr. McDongall is a member of the A. F. & A. M., in Grass Valley, California; of the Grass Valley Chap- ter, R. A. M .; of the Coeur d'Alene Commandery, K. T .; and of the Industrial Union. He is a Repub- lican and stands well in the community, having many friends.

JAMES O. THOMAS. This genial and affable gentleman is one of the best known of the early pio- neers and his kind and social ways have given him hosts of friends all through this section and he is of the best of standing in the district today. James O. Thomas was born in Ponsett, Middlesex county, Connecticut, on May 26, 1834, the son of James and Olivia (Huppard) Thomas, natives of Connecticut. The father is from an old New England family of prominence and patriotism and he died in his native state. The mother comes from a distinguished fam- ily and many of them are prominent in manufactories, 111 the professions and in governmental affairs. Our subject received his education and was reared in his native state and in 1854 he came via the Isthmus to California. He mined two years and then took a position with the Western Union Telegraph Company and was with them for nine years. He was in charge of the gang that closed up the gap on the Central Pacific between the Atlantic and the Pacific. Follow- ing that he went on a mining tour to South America, but finding the climatic and other conditions unfavor- able to his work in that line he returned to Cali- fornia at once. Then he fitted out and went to Mon- tana. He came via Old Mission and followed the Old Mullan road and at the present site of Wardner he prospected in the creek heds for gold, little realizing the immense bodies of wealth now owned by the Bunk- er Hill and Sullivan were so close beneath their feet. He went on to Montana, prospected and made his way

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10 Big Hole, famous for the Indian battle there. Later Mr. Thomas went to the Salmon region, then went to Lemhi county and finally returned to Connecticut and remained on the old homestead for five years. In the spring of 1886 he came to Murray and located a small piece of garden ground, buying the right to it. He did gardening for some time and about 189Q he sold it for six hundred dollars, the price paid. It has since been sold to the mining company for five thousand dollars. After selling this land Mr. Thomas came to Murray and began in his present business, handling feed, hay and grain. He has done well and is carrying on a good business at the present time. Mr. Thomas has three brothers, Oscar, Edwin, Wellington and three sisters, Olive Mooney, a widow, Emily, Laura Killingsworth. Mr.' Thomas has never seen fit to embark on the sea of matrimony and is content with the quieter joys of the celibatarian. He is a good Republican and is always ready to aid whatever is for the public good.

JAMES L. SAFFORD. A well known mining man and promoter of properties, being also skilled in the science and art of mining and experting mines, and at the present operating in connection with the Sierra Nevada, it is quite in place to recount the career of Mr. Safford in the history of northern Idaho and it is with pleasure that we are enabled to add that in his social standing, as well as in other lines he is of the highest and is characterized by faithful labors in general advancement and progress. In this connec- tion also we wish to mention that Mr. Safford does much church work, especially in the Epworth League and in local preaching, in which capacities he has wrought with great faithfulness.

James L. Safford was born in New York state, on October 17, 1864, being the son of George O. and Ellen (Strader) Safford. The father was born in Vermont, has resided in New York for sixty years and is a well known literary man, whose articles ap- pear in various leading journals and magazines. He is credited with the stanzas on our beautiful Coeur d'Alene lake, which are found elsewhere in this vol- ume. The mother of our subject was born in Canada and came with hier parents to New York when an infant. James L. was raised in Canton, New York, and was there educated. When twenty-two he went to Minnesota and traveled there and in the Dakotas for the Pilsbury-Hulburt Elevator Company. Later Mr. Safford went to Park City, Utah, and engaged in inining and in that line he has operated since. He is now doing expert work for several parties in this dis- trict and is thoroughly familiar with the Coeur d'Alene country. He has also operated properties in Nevada, Utah and other sections of the northwest and is a man of excellent judgment and great keenness in these lines, being fortified with both practical experience and a thorough understanding of the works in refer- ence to his profession. Mr. Safford has one brother and three sisters, George H., a real estate man in

Spokane: Mrs. Retta A. Sharp, in Binghampton, New York: Mrs. Mary C. Grieves, in New York; Mrs. Lena F. Clarke, at the old home place in Canton, New York. Mr. Safford is still enjoying the quiet joys of the celibatarian. He is, as said before, actively en- gaged in church work and many of the outlying dis- tricts have heard the gospel through his faithful efforts.

WILLIAM D. FULLER is one of the enterpris- ing business men of Murray, being senior partner of the firm of Fuller Brothers, meat dealers, and he is also one of the stanch supporters of the town and is to be credited with excellent achievement in its upbuilding and growth. He has devoted himself to mining here for years and has some fine showings in that line now. William D. Fuller was born in Carson City, Nevada, on December 16, 1863, the son of James M. and Jennie A. Fuller. The father was born in Michigan, came to Nevada in 1862, did freighting and then dealt in meat and since 1880 he has dwelt near Moscow, in Latah county. The mother was born in Indiana, crossed the plains with her parents and is still living. Our subject was raised in Nevada and received a good education in that place. After finishing school he raised stock, operated a stage for seven years from Whiterock to Tuscarora, then mined successfully for a time and in the fall of 1893 he came to Murray. He at once turned his attention to prospecting and mining and continued that until March 1902, he opened his present business. His brother, March H., came down from Alberta and entered partnership with him and they now conduct the busi- niess together. Our subject is heavily interested in the Iron Clad, Luella, Levant, Roy Boy, and also two placer claims, Fulier and Cornelius, with water rights. He is doing a great deal of development work on the Iron Clad and others and on the former has about three hundred feet of tunnelling. The property is one of the best of its kind uncovered here and will doubtless soon be a shipper. Mr. Fuller has one brother besides his partner, Melvin, and one sister, Sarah E.

On November 18, 1892, Mr. Fuller married Miss Mary, daughter of Morgan Shearer. Mrs. Fuller was born in Chico, California, and she has one brother Frank. 'The wedding occurred on the North Fork, near Murray. The following children have been born to this union: Floyd L .; aged nine ; Hazen H., aged seven; Cecil, aged five; Howard, aged three ; Clarence, aged seven months. Mr. Fuller is a mem- ber of the Red Men and of the A. O. U. W. He is a Democrat. Mr. Fuller is well impressed with the excellencies of this country and its worth. He is a man of good standing and has hosts of friends.

THOMAS H. SIMMONDS. The high quali- fications, worth, stability and patriotism of the min- ing men of the Coeur d'Alene district are evident to

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a casual observer, and it is a matter of great importance that men of this character are handling these mam- moth industries. Especially does this hold true of those managing the mines and the mining interests. On every hand we see men of great experience, keen discrimination, sagacity and practical ability, coupled with moral qualities, integrity, sound principles and uprightness that vouchsafe that substantiality, wis- dom, justice and execution which so happily con- serve the interests of owner and operator and inspire confidence in the public, producing general advance- ment, upbuilding and progress and fostering the love of home and country, the sure guiding star to every true man and loyal citizen. We greet with pleas- ure, therefore, this opportunity to recount, although necessarily in brief, the salient points in the career of one who stands among the leading mining men of this world famous producing district and who is lacking in none of the qualifications mentioned, and whose achievements here speak more emphatically than our words can, being a bright success as re- gards himself, the men and property under his charge and the public in general. Mr. Simmonds is a thor- ough miner in the fullest sense of the word. He un- derstands minerals, and knows how to wrest them from their rocky security to replenish the coffers of the commercial world ; he understands men and is able, in handling them, to exemplify that justice and fairness which characterize brother with brother and man with man : he understands principles and is able to put them in application from abstract math- ematics and chemistry to practical concentration and definite civil and mining engineering, from theoretic ethics and political economy to that even balance of the golden rule which wrongs neither the capitalist nor the least employee. Following the leading of these salutary principles and this wisdom, nothing short of success, and that of the most substantial and gratifying kind, could crown the efforts of Mr. Simmonds, as has been the case.

Reverting more particularly to his personal life, we note that Thomas H. Simmonds was born in Eng- land, on November 29, 1859, and his parents, James T. and Emmaline (Collins) Simmonds, are also na- tives of that country and now live there. The father is a retired mining manager. Our subject was thor- oughly educated in his native land and when eighteen came to the United States. He went direct to Kern county, California, engaging in the mines of Senator Jones. Later he mined in Grass Valley, then in the quicksilver mines of Lake and Napa counties for seven years. He was foreman of the Sulphur Bank mine in Lake county two years. In 1887 he went to Amador county and held the foremanship of the Big Bar mine. He was also in the Zillie and Kennedy mines then went to eastern Oregon in 1889. There he held the foremanship in the Bradley properties and went thence to the 'Cashier mines in the Exche- quer district in the Mohave desert. Next we see him in the Coeur d'Alene country and one year later he went thence to Eldorado county, California, where he was superintendent for two years in the Taylor

inine. Next he was in the W. Y. O. D. mine in Grass valley and held the superintendency for six years and one year in the Empire. Then Mr. Simmonds ac- cepted the position as manager of one of the mines of the South Africa Gold Fields Company and went to England to take the management, but the Boer war prevented his journey to Africa and hence he re- turned to the Coeur d'Alene district and in August, 1900, he accepted his present position of superinten- dent of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining and Con- centrating Company. In this capacity he has op- erated since with the best of success attending his efforts.

On November 6, 1880, Mr. Simmonds married Miss Annie E., daughter of Washington and Nannie Davev. The father is deceased and the mother lives in San Jose, California. Mr. Davey owned at one time all the stage lines from Calistoga to Napa, Knox- ville and all points in Lake county, and was a well known and prominent man and pioneer. He crossed the plains in early days and his wife crossed in 1850. His wife's sister was the wife of Hugh Dimond, a well known capitalist and a director of the Hibernia Bank of San Francisco, California. One child, El- ton J., aged twenty-one, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Simmonds. He was educated in St. Mat- thews College, in San Mateo, California, and is now a miner in the Bunker Hill. Mr. Simmonds is a mem- ber of the A. F. & A. M. : of the R. A. M., Chapter 18, in Grass Valley; of the K. T., at Nevada City, California; of the Elkatif Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Simmonds is a Republican and takes the part of the intelligent citizen in political matters. He is a man of affability, excellent judgment, stands ex- ceptionally well among the people and has the con- fidence of all.

CLYDE S. PARKER. Born in one of the early towns of the west, raised in the occident, and a busi- ness man here since, surely entitles the subject of this article to be classed as a genuine western man. He is at the present time carrying on an insurance and real estate business together with collections and so forth in Wardner, where he enjoys a good patronage and is of excellent standing.

Clyde S. Parker was born in Canyon City, Oregon on May 23, 1866, being the son of Newton O. and So- phia S. (Cornelius) Parker. The father was born in Virginia of an old family and Parkersburg. West Vir- ginia, is named from his grandfather. He died on September 28, 1898. The mother was born in Penn- sylvania of German ancestry and lives in Wardner. Our subject was raised principally in Portland and there graduated from the high school. Then he went to Lewiston with J. P. Vollmer & Co., retaining this place six years. He was manager of the Lewiston and Genesee stores. Then he was deputy assessor of Latah county for four years and in 1895 Mr. Parker settled in Wardner. He was train boss for the Bunker Hill for a time and then took up the insurance business. He has been justice of the peace for four years and he

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has gained a fine business in the lines which he follows. Mr. Parker has been delegate to all the county con- ventions except the last one and he is a strong Republi- can. He has one brother and one sister, Newton F. and Stella.

On September 22, 1888, Mr. Parker married Miss Jennie, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Reddy, both deceased. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Kelso and Frances. Mrs. Parker has two brothers and four sisters, Owen, Richard, Mrs. Marvin Caldwell, Mrs. Katherine Worden, Mrs. Eliza- beth White, Mrs. Sarah Elliott. Mr. Parker is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., of the Eagles, and of the Junior Order of .A. M. He is a man of affability and is of first class standing.

CALVIN NUSS. Although the subject of this article has not been so long in this country as some of the old timers, still he has evinced such enterprise and energy in the opening of the district and its improve- ment that he is entitled to representation as one of the substantial builders and supporters of the county. He was born in Pennsylvania on November 25, 1863, the son of Joseph and Annie E. (Jacobs) Nuss, men- tioned elsewhere in this volume. Our subject was reared and educated in the east, principally in Illinois and there he remained until 1900 when he came to this country. He at once devoted himself to mining and in the spring of 1900 he located the Jersey group, on Ea- gle creek and the Homestead group in Bear Gulch. Mr. Nuss secured a valuable property when he located these and he is giving his attention to developing them. The tunnel showings are in good ore and great promise is in evidence. Mr. Nuss is a brother-in-law of C. B. Ferguson, one of the well known pioneers and mining men of this district. Our subject is a member of the M. W. A. and is a man of good standing and has many friends.

THOMAS WRIGHT, one of the earliest settlers in Wardner, and one who has continued here since, is well known and has a first class standing. He has been occupied in mining in all the prominent north- western camps and has had great experience in the pio- neer places and early days.

Thomas Wright was born in New York state on April 26, 1839, the son of William and Margaret Wright, natives of Ireland and now deceased. The father was a steam engineer and this son also became skilled in this line. Our subject was reared on the St. Lawrence across on the Canadian side until thirteen and then went to Platt county, Missouri. Two years later he went to Kansas and there he married when twenty-four and with his wife crossed the plains in 1862. He located on the Powder river, in Oregon, later settled in Auburn, then went to Boise basin, leaving the wife and child in Auburn. He located

some valuable ground and with his two brothers put in eleven miles of ditch which cost nearly fifty thous- and dollars. Later he bought out his brothers and in 1876 he sold the ditch for a small figure and went to the Salmon river, where he found dirt that paid him ten dollars per hour with a rocker. Four years were spent there and then Mr. Wright returned to Kansas and did saw milling and grist milling for sixteen years .. He built the first house in Longton then spent eight years in the Cherokee nation. There he operated a saw mill, handling black walnut. In 1886 Mr. Wright came to Wardner and here and in the vicinity he has remained since. He worked for the Bunker Hill for six years and has clerked for his son-in-law, J. F. Van Allen, for five years. Mr. Wright has a residence in Moscow which he rents. He has the following brothers and sisters: John, William, Rose, Lou, Mar- garet, Caroline. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Jesse, Charles, Nellie, Hattie. Mr. Wright had been a life long Democrat, but at the last election he voted the Republican ticket and now stands. on that platform.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 283

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