An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 64

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 64
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 64
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 64
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 64

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The marriage of Mr. Wolfe and Miss Lunia, daughter of J. R. and Sarah Fariss, of Latah county, was solemnized in Moscow on January 20, 1891, and to them has been born one child, Robert W., born August 18, 1902. Mr. Fariss is a farmer and a na- tive of Virginia and in addition to Mrs. Wolfe, who

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was born in Stanberry, Missouri, on June 24, 1870, he had other children as follows, George, at Pueblo, Colorado; Delmer, in Idaho; Cinthia and Effie, in Moscow. Mr. Wolfe has two sisters, Neva, wife of L. J. Lindley, in Pullman ; Ada, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe are members of the Christian church and are hearty supporters of their faith. He is a Republi- can as have been his people for some time.

FRED GRITMAN has not long been in business in Lewiston, but he has manifested the ability and genial- ity that have already won him a good patronage and which made him many friends in other sections ad- jacent to Nez Perces county, where he has wrought for a long time. He was born in Central, Menard county, Illinois, on February 22, 1861, being the son of Delos W. and Mary E. (Davis) Gritman, natives of New York, the father dying in 1894, and the mother in 1893. Our subject remained at home, attended the common schools, and labored on the farm with his father until the time of his majority and then came to Walla Walla county, Washington. Soon he went to Columbia county and started at the art of agriculture, but mostly handling cattle and sheep. He met with fair success in the business and remained at it for twenty years. Then he sold his stock, retaining his cattle, and came to Lewiston. This was the first of 1902. The change was made as Mr. Gritman was breaking down from the arduous exercise of riding horseback. In Lewiston he went into the livery busi- ness in partnership with Lee Mays, and they operate the White Front livery on Main street, which is a first-class establishment in every respect, being pro- vided with accommodating attendants, fine stock and elegant rigs, and the proprietors are tireless in their efforts for the comfort and safety of their patrons.

On October 26, 1881, Mr. Gritman married Miss Laura B., daughter of Henry and Emily (Kincaid) Gaines, in Illinois, and to them have been born six children, Lottie, Addie, Fred S., H. Lee, Ernest, Oneta, all at home. Mr. Gaines was a farmer, born in Kentucky, and died in 1892. His wife was also a native of Kentucky, born December 12, 1832, and died on March 20, 1902, at Mason City, Illinois. Mrs. Gritman was born in Illinois on March 31, 1861 ; she has two brothers and two sisters, Charles, Anna Copper, James E., and Mollie Stone. Mr. Gritman has the following named brothers and sisters, Nettie Rayburn, Charles, A. D., Nellie Clark, May Rowe, Lulu Johnson and Earl. Mr. Gritman was deputy assessor in Columbia county and has always taken active interest in political matters, both of state and county, being allied with the Republican party.

OWEN DEVLIN, a respected and well known cit- izen of Nez Perces county, whose uprightness and abil- ity are manifest in his labors and achievements, is a son of the noted Emerald Isle, and the good Irish

blood that courses in his veins has enabled him to suc- cessfully battle with the adverse forces of the world and gain a good holding in the material line, while his integrity, manly qualities, and intrinsic worth have gained for him the encomiums, good will and confi- dence of all who know him.

Owen Devlin was born on June II, 1853, in Ire- land, being the son of Patrick and Kate, also natives of Ireland. The former was born in 1824 and died in 1894, while the latter was born in 1824 and died in 1898, being farmers all their lives. Our subject was reared and educated in the native place and there wrought with his father until he had reached the age of nineteen. This was in 1872, and that marks the year when Owen severed home ties, parted with native land and sailed for better opportunities in the land of the free. He went at once to Illinois and com- menced railroading, which he followed for three years with his headquarters at Rock Island. His next move was to Clayton county, Iowa, where he continued rail- roading for fifteen years. It was 1890 when he came to Spokane and nine years were spent in the labor wherein he had become proficient, railroading. Then he made his way to the reservation and in 1899 pur- chased his present farm. This estate consists of one quarter section and is situated three miles southwest from Peck. Mr. Devlin has given the same assiduous attention and labor, always dominated with wisdom of a high order, which always characterized him in earlier years and he has won the smiles of fortune and is one of the substantial and prosperous men of the county. He has a good residence, commodious barns, excellent orchard, and other improvements to match, while he devotes himself to general farming and raising cattle and hogs.

In July, 1876, Mr. Devlin married Miss Margaret Sturum, a native of Germany, born in 1864. Her parents were natives of the same country and came to this country in 1866. She has three brothers and one sister living. Mr. Devlin has the following brothers, John, in Iowa : Thomas, in Ireland; Patrick in Iowa; James, in Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Devlin have been born the following named children, Kate Graham, James, Martin, Susie, Agnes, Patrick, John, William, Michael, Bessie. Mr. Devlin is a member of of I. O. O. F., while he and his wife are adherents of the Catholic church. He is a member of the school board and is always in favor of improvements and progress in educational and all lines.

JOHN H. UTT. Among the prosperous and sub- stantial farmers in this vicinity we should surely place the name of the genial and capable gentleman that in- troduces this paragraph, for he deserves representa- tion in the history of his county.

John H. Utt was born in Jersey county, Illinois, in 1842, being the son of John and Nancy (Gardner) ['tt, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was born in 1800, came as a pioneer to Illi- nois when there was but one store in Alton. He took

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part in the Black Hawk war and is now dead. The mother died in 1861. Our subject remained with his father on the farm, gaining from the country schools the educational discipline needed to assist him in the battles of life, until he was of age. Then he went to Plumas county, California, and farmed for five years. In 1883, he settled in Chautauqua county, Kansas, where his home was for sixteen years. In 1866 Mr. Utt went to Illinois and married Miss Nancy, daugh- ter of James and Nancy Armstrong. Mrs. Utt was born in Illionis, and in 1883 was called from her happy home by death, leaving her husband and four children to mourn her loss. The children are named as fol- lows, Rufus, in Nez Perces county; Jennie Both- wick, in Little Rock, Arkansas; John E., in Palouse, Washington ; Mony. Mr. Utt has the following named brothers and sister, Henry, William, deceased, Sarah J., deceased. Mr. Utt is interested in political mat- ters and is associated with the Democratic and Popu- list parties. His brother William was a participant in the great struggle of the Civil war and fought for his country. Mr. Utt is quite active in advocating good schools and general progress. He owns a good farm in Cedar Vale, Kansas, in adition to the quarter sec- tion where he resides, one mile southwest from Peck. He took this last land with his government right in 1899. Since that time he has devoted himself to its improvement and is one of the respected men of the vicinity, being public spirited and ever ready to aid his fellows in the race of life.

JOHN W. KILLINGER. The mining interests of the west have brought here some of the finest talent in special lines to be found and one of the prominent professional gentleman attracted hither is the subject of this humble review. He is a graduate of some of the best schools on mining, assaying, metallurgy and kindred subjects that are to be found in the United States and at the present time he is operating a labora- tory for assaying in Lewiston.

John W. was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on December 30, 1865, being the son of Hon. John W. Killinger. The father was for years a state senator from Lancaster county and then was sent to Congress for eight terms. He was a warm personal friend of James G. Blaine, was one of the committee who as- sisted to get Lincoln into Washington after his elec- tion, was all through the trying times of the war and did creditable service for his constituency, being a man of excellent ability and integrity. He retired from Congress in 1888 and died in Pennsylvania in 1896. The mother of our subject was born in Ohio and lived at the old homestead in Lebanon, Pennsyl- vania. Our subject was well educated in the public schools, prepared for college at the Media Academy, and was graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston in the class of 1886, having taken the chemical course. He went into business in Lebanon and in 1891 came west to Portland and took charge of the metallurgical and assaying departments

of the Fiske School of Mines. He arrived in Lewis- ton in September, 1898. Previous to locating here he had been to the Columbia School of Mines in New York and taken a special course.

Mr. Killinger married Miss Olive S., daughter of John and Margaret Aldridch. To this union there has been born one child, John W. Mr. Killinger is a Mason and member of the Knights Templar. He and his wife are members of the Episcopalian church, of which he is trustee. In politics, he is allied with the Republicans and is active.

Theodore Hittell, uncle of our subject, was author of the leading history of California and was state sen- ator there, being also a leader in the committee of re- vision of the constitution of the state. He was a pioneer of 1849 and is regent of the Berkely Univer- sity. John S. Hittell, a brother, is also a prominent writer.

LOUIS GROSTEIN. A well known pioneer, a man of wide experience in the mines of Idaho and in frontier life in general, our subject is now one of the business men of Lewiston and a patriotic and worthy citizen. He was born in Buffalo, New York, on July 26, 1852, being the son of Jacob and Betsy Grostein. The father was born in 1792, in Poland, was with Napoleon in Russia and came to the United States in 1838 to escape punishment on account of having been allied with Napoleon. He settled in Albany, later was a clothier in Buffalo, and died in Lewiston in 1886. The mother was born in Poland in 1803, and died in Lewiston in 1888. At the age of fifteen, our subject came west with his sister, landing in Lewiston on May 12, 1867, having come via Panama and San Francisco. He was educated in Buffalo and Lewiston and here went with his brother Robert to Clearwater Station, where he engaged in business in 1869 and then went to Newsome creek in 1872. He was in business with his brother Isaac there; then went to Elk City, where he entered into partnership with Mr. Bernard until 1875. After that we find him operating a store in Warren until 1880, then he came to Lewiston. On February 23, 1881, Mr. Grostein married Miss Clara J., daugh- ter of William and Mary Writer, the father a farmer and pioneer from Iowa, his native state. Mrs. Gros- tein was born in Florence on August 30, 1863, being the first white child born there. She has brothers and sisters named as follows, Josephine, Walter, Carrie, Greer and Elbert. Mr. Grostein has two brothers and one sister, Robert, Rachel Bernard, Isaac. To Mr. and Mrs. Grostein have been born four children, as follows, Isaac C .. twenty years of age on September 3, 1902, now in the fruit business in Lewiston ; Eunice, seven- teen. at home: Jacob M., thirteen, at home ; Mary B., aged seven. Mr. Grostein is a member of the Masonic fraternity, both the blue lodge and the chapter. He is a Democrat and active in politics, and while he always helps his friends to be elected, he has never sought political preferment for himself. He is also a member of the Pioneer Association and is one of the real build- ers of the country. He was in the Sheepeater war and

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the Nez Perces war and his wife was one of the num- her shut up in the block house on Slate creek while the Indians had them surrounded. Mr. Grostein was one of sixteen that went out from Warren to get Frank Smith on the Salmon and bring him to Warren.

RUFUS H. BEEMAN. President Roosevelt is said to admire men who "do things." We feel sure that had he had the opportunity of knowing the sub- ject of this article, he would, for that reason, be well impressed with him. A doughty pioneer, an intrepid Indian fighter, a sociable and generous man. a pa- triotic citizen, Mr. Beeman is one among a thousand and a brief review of his intensely interesting career will be profitable and interesting reading for the his- tory of Nez Perces county.

Rufus H. Beeman was born in Mckean, Pennsyl- vania, on August 3, 1832. His father was a lumber- man and a native of Connecticut, and his family had been residents of New England for many generations. The mother of our subject was a native of Pennsylva- nia, and three years after the death of Mr. Beeman she married Mr. McIntosh, a native of Scotland. Shortly after this, the family removed to Potosi, Wis- consin, and there Mr. McIntosh mined and later dis- covered a very valuable lead mine. When twelve, Rufus left home and resided with Mr. Parker, a miner, where he attended school a part of each year and worked in the mines the balance of the time for six years. In 1852 he came to the Cascades, Oregon, herded cattle, cleared land and boated on the Colum- bia. In 1854, we see him in Roseburg and from then until 1861, he had a freight train from there to Jack- sonville, Oregon. During the Rogue river Indian war in 1855 and 1856, he fought the savages and par- ticipated in the battle of Hungry Hill, said to be the bloodiest battle ever fought on the coast. He was about to be killed, while assisting a wounded com- rade, but managed to escape without a scratch. He was in Company C, Ninth Regiment, under Captain Rynearson and Colonel John E. Ross. He came to Walla Walla in 1861 and there freighted and farmed until 1872. In 1874 Mr. Beeman removed to Genesee valley and bought five hundred and sixty acres of land. He cultivated it to the cereals and while there ran for sheriff and was defeated by one vote. Seven- teen years were spent there and part of that time he operated a general store, but while trade was good his collections were poor and therefore he was obliged to withdraw from the field. He then bought a half section in the Potlach country near Juliaetta and about a year before the opening of the reservation, he sold it and bought cattle. When the reservation opened he came hither and rented land from the Indians, one section in one place and two hundred and forty acres in Garden Gulch. His daughter, Clara B., filed on a quarter and that with other rented land, was culti- vated to oats and flax, having nearly five hundred acres all told. Mr. Beeman is one of the largest farmers in this portion of the county and is abundantly prospered.

On February 19, 1856, at Roseburgh, Oregon, Mr. Beeman married Miss Caroline, daughter of Levi and Elizabeth (Ream) McBee, natives of Ohio and Mary- land, respectively ; both died while crossing the plains in 1852. Mrs. Beeman was born in Missouri, on Feb- ruary 19, 1842, was with relatives at the Cascades, Oregon, for a time and then lived with E. F. McNall at Roseburg until she was married. She has one brother, Isaiah, a blacksmith and farmer, near Golden- dale, Washington. Mr. Beeman has one sister, Sarah, wife of Abraham Anderson, in Lafayete, Pennsylva- nia. Mrs. Beeman also has two sisters, Barbara A., wife of Edward Chambreau, at Portland; Rebecca, wife of Isaac Knighton, a farmer in Morrow county, Oregon. To Mr. and Mrs. Beeman, twelve children have been born, named as follows: Henry, in Wallowa county, Oregon; Francis M., a herder, in Okanogan county, Washington ; Frederick S., William Charles, all stockmen in the same place ; Egbert, at home ; Le- roy, also at home; Mary E., wife of Joseph Henry, a freighter, near Milton, Oregon; Rosella, wife of Lewis Taber, a farmer near Ellensburg, Washington ; Lura, wife of Jack Johnson, a farmer in Okanogan county ; Adelia, at home; Anna, born August 5, 1864 and died October 16, 1883, and was the wife of Albert Fansler, a native of Virginia, and she left one child, Iris, who died aged fourteen : Arabelle A., died June 22, 1896, aged twenty-three years, three months and two days .. Mr. Beeman was an active Democrat in earlier days, but is not so much so now. He is a re- spected and prominent man in this community.

THOMAS H. BERRY. Many strong hands and willing minds came to the opening of the fertile reser- vation country and they have made a wonderful and commendable progress in transforming the entire face of the country from a wilderness to fertile farms and pleasant and valuable estates. Among this worthy number we are constrained to mention the affable and skillful agriculturist whose name appears above. His farm, one mile north from Melrose, was obtained by government right and he has labored with assiduity and intelligence to make of it a valuable rural abode. He has good, comfortable buildings and other improve- ments and has demonstrated himself an upright man, a public spirited and progressive citizen and one who has won the confidence of all.

Thomas H. Berry was born in Gentry county, Mis- souri. on March 1I, 1860, being the son of James B. and Elenor (Grantham), natives of Illinois, mention of whom, with their family, is made in the sketch of L. L. Berry in this volume. Our subject remained with his parents, a dutiful and industrious son, until the time of his majority, and then entered the realities of life on his own responsibility. He worked with his father some time after that age and went with him to Dakota in 1883. But Thomas returned to Gentry county and then made his way back to Dakota, after which he journeyed to Iowa and settled for a time near Marshall county. Again he went to Missouri

RUFUS H. BEEMAN.

CHAS. A. LEEPER.

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and on February 14, 1888, he took the trip to Latah county, or rather completed the trip on that date. He farmed in the Cove, near Palouse, for ten years and on May 27, 1898, he came to the reservation and took his present estate.

On March 20, 1887, in Gentry county, Missouri, Mr. Berry married Miss Arminda J., daughter of John and Eliza A. (Hammonds) Finders, natives of Illinois and Kentucky, respectively. Mrs. Berry was born in Gentry county, Missouri, in 1870, and she has three sisters and one brother. To our subject and his estimable wife there have been born five children, Gracie Elenor, deceased : Thomas Frederick, and John Fay, Hester and Eliza Fern. Mrs. Berry is a member of the Christian church. Mr. Berry is a Populist in political matters and takes the part of the intelligent citizen in the affairs of the day.

CHARLES A. LEEPER. In a number of lines the subject of this sketch has achieved success, having demonstrated his ability as an educator, a frontiersman, and is now one of the leading farmers of Nez Perces county ; it is affirmed that he owns more cattle than any other one man in Nez Perces county, having now six hundred on the range. Mr. Leeper is also a man of sterling and intrinsic worth, of moral character, integ- rity and uprightness.

Charles A. Leeper was born in Marion county, Indi- ana, on January 19. 1850, being the son of Judge Will- iam and Obedience A. ( Parsly) Leeper. The father was a farmer and capitalist, born in 1817, in Indiana, and served as lieutenant in the Civil war. He was also county judge in Nodaway county, Missouri. His father, John Leeper, was of Scotch-Irish extraction and belonged to a prominent old family of Scotland which include a number of professional men of Edinburg. The mother of our subject was born in Virginia in 1823 and died in 1868, being of Scotch descent. Our subject remained at home until he was twenty-six years of age, having been educated in the public schools and the state university at Columbia. He came west in February, 1876, to Salmon City, Idaho, and taught three terms of school and also farmed. He was in Custer county when it was cut off from Lemhi, remov- ing to Nez Perces county in 1883, where he bought a man's right to three hundred and twenty ac- res of land and settled down to raising stock and farming. He now owns the princely do- main of fifteen hundred and eighty-six acres of fine farm land which is devoted to agriculture and feeding his fine bands of cattle. Since 1883 Mr. Leeper has continued at the business in this county and is now one of the prominent men and leaders in his work.

On February 12, 1888, Mr. Leeper married Miss Annie E. Bollinger, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, being born in 1866. She came to Lewiston to visit her uncle, S. Wildenthaler, and the acquaintance was formed which later ripened into courtship and at the date men- tioned Mr. Leeper went to Ohio to claim his bride. Mrs.

Leeper has three sisters, Josephine Weible, Sophia and Rosa. Mr. Leeper has the following named brothers and sisters: William, George, Ollie Falconer ; also four half brothers, Frank, Fred, Robert and Lawrence. To Mr. and Mrs. Leeper have been born five children, Maude, Annie, Alice, Louise and Helen. He is a char- ter member of the K. of P. in Lewiston, and has passed the commandery degree of the Masonic fraternity. Mrs. Leeper is a member of the Catholic church. Mr. Leeper is an active Democrat, was nominated for the legisla- ture and was beaten by three votes. Was nominated again and won the day, but in Latah county the courts decided against him in the contest that followed. He has been chosen as county commissioner for three terms and is now chairman of that important body, and in all of his public service he has been characterized by effi- ciency and candor. always conserving the interests of his constituency and the welfare of the commonwealth.

It is of note that Mr. Leeper's ancestors fought in the Revolution and he had an uncle on his father's side who fought with the south and three maternal uncles who fought with the North. He was a scout in the time of the Indian trouble in 1878 and had much ex- perience in repelling the savages in Lemhi county. Mr. Leeper is a member of the Pioneer Association, and is a man respected by all.

JOHN B. MORRIS, M. D. For more than twen- ty-five years this worthy and capable gentleman, whose record in the state of Idaho is set with many gems of courage, ability and genuine kindliness for his fellows, has labored in the medical profession with display of genius, adaptability and uprightness that have placed him in the lead as a pioneer, as a professional man of high repute and a stanch and true man of many virtues.

Dr. Morris was born in Knoxville, Ray county, Mis- souri, on October 1, 1850, being the son of Benjamin and Amanda ( Hamilton) Morris, natives of Virginia. The father died in Missouri, in June, 1851. The mother was born October 5, 1812, and died October 30. 1889. Our subject remained with his mother until he had reached his majority. In the meantime, he had gained a good education from the public schools and the academy. He assisted his older brothers to care for the family and also taught school for means to educate himself. It was in 1872 that he matriculated at the St. Louis Medical College and thence he graduated in 1874. He had the distinction of paying the entire cost of his education from his own earnings. After graduat- ing he determined to try the west, and accordingly came to Mount Idaho in 1875, where he settled to the prac- tice of his profession. gaining good success from the start. When the terrible Indian war broke out in 1877 Dr. Morris chanced to be in Portland and he at once turned his face to the scene of trouble in the vicinity of Mount Idaho. He was the first and only physician that came to the rescue of the poor wounded soldiers who had participated in the battle where, thirty had been killed. To get to these unfortunate men, Dr. Mor- ris had to cross the reservation of a hostile tribe and

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in reality took his life in his hands to assist his fellows, and be it ever said to his credit that he made his way through, using a gun that General Howard had loaned him; he cared for the suffering men, he nursed and doctored them back to life, and to his skill, his bravery, and his love for his fellows many a one owes his life. It is with a feeling of regret, however, that we are forced to chronicle that there was not an- other physician who would go with Dr. Morris. Fol- lowing the war, which closed in 1878, Dr. Morris set- tled in Lewiston and there continued his practice even until the present time, having great success and being highly esteemed by his fellows wherever he is known. He has a large and lucrative practice and no man is really honored by his fellows more than the subject of this sketch, who risked his own life to assist others.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 64

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