An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 66

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 66
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 66
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 66
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 66

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He was one of six hundred officers placed in Charles- ton to avoid bombardment of the city. He was in vari- ous places and was finally paroled at Raleigh and reached his own lines at Wilmington, North Carolina, in March, 1865, and went after Johnston but he sur- rendered before he was captured. After a most wor- thy service in the hardest of the fray, in the keenest of the suffering, the worthy subject of this article was mustered out on July 20, 1865, with rank of major and badly wounded in side and leg. He returned to Maine and remained there until December, 1869, when he went to California and then to Lewiston in 1870. He went to lumbering and farming, taking a preemp- tion close to town which he still owns. In 1878 Mr. Manning was a member of the tenth senate of the state. He has been clerk of the United States court, serving in 1880 and 1881. He was deputy United States mar- shal from 1882 to 1886, and district attorney of Koot- enai county in 1888 and 1889. Then he took up real estate business and in 1890 he was appointed by the President one of the National Commissioners of the Columbian Exposition which position he held for eight years, since which time Mr. Manning has been giving his attention to fruit raising, milling and real estate.

On September 29, 1855, Mr. Manning married Miss Susan E., daughter of Frank and Elizabeth ( Manning) Hawthorne. To them have been born three children, Fred M., proprietor of the Idaho steam laundry, in Lewiston; James A., raising fruit at Lew- iston ; Charles F., at Post Falls, Idaho. Mr. Haw- thorne was born in Massachusetts as were his ances- tors for generations back, being a descendant of Na- thaniel Hawthorne. Mrs. Manning was born in Ban- gor, Maine, on December 15, 1836, and was educated in Boston. Her brother Charles is a lumberman in Maine and her brother Frank is a stockman in Colo- rado. Mr. Manning is a prominent member of the G. A. R. and his wife affiliates with the Methodist church. He is one of the prominent and leading men of our county and is highly respected by all.

JENNIE M. ROBNETT. This lady is the county superintendent of schools and is one of the most effi- cient and highly esteemed incumbents of the office that Nez Perces county has been favored with. Her gen- eral popularity is evidenced by the majority of five hundred that was given her at the first election, being larger than any one ever gained before on the Repub- lican ticket.

Jennie M. Robnett was born in Farmington, Da- kota county, Minnesota, on March 10, 1874. Her father Jason M. Herrington, was born near New Nork, in 1843, and his father, Jeremiah Herrington, was a lumberman. Jason M. was too young to enlist in the Civil war but evinced his patriotism in going as bridge constructor for the army. Mrs. Robnett's mother, Lavinia Sykes, was born in Lexington, Ohio, in 1842. Her father, George W., was born in Pennsyl- vania and he and his wife were pioneers to Minnesota and experienced the troubles of the Fort Snelling

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Indian outbreak. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Farmington and Long Prairie, whither the family removed, and then completed the high school course in Lewiston, after which she taught and then graduated from the State Normal. She mani- fested true pluck and spirit in this commendable labor, demonstrating that some one besides young men can work their way through college. It was in 1892, that her father decided to come west, and being a lumber- man, he located at Lewiston, on account of the immense pine forests of Idaho. In 1898 Miss Herrington grad- uated from the state normal and was elected principal of the Clarkston schools and contrary to her wish she was elected to the position of county superintendent and so well did she discharge its duties that she was re- elected and is now serving her second term.

On February 6, 1900, Miss Herrington was mar- ried to Clarence W. Robnett, of Lewiston. He was born August 11, 1872, at Waterbury, Washington, and was educated in Lewiston and Pomeroy. At the age of twenty he accepted a position in the Lewiston Nat- ional Bank and is now bookkeeper there. Mrs. Rob- nett has the following named brothers and sisters, Elsworth M., Lafayette, Minnie Herrington, Jerry, Nettie Knight, Nellie Herrington, George, Jason, Lew- is, and Gladys. Mr. Robnett has two brothers and two sisters, William M., Mrs. Clara Rainwater, James, and Mamie Akin. To Mr. and Mrs. Robnett there has been born one child, a baby. Mrs. Robinett's uncles, David, George W., Lewis F. and John Sykes, served in the Civil war and the latter died from injuries re- ceived there. Mrs. Robnett is one of the highly es- teemed ladies of the county and has made a worthy record, demonstrating her ability and energy, while she has the esteem and confidence of all.

LEWIS SANDERS is at the present time one of the capable men of Melrose, having a machine shop, where he is working up a fine patronage. Formerly, he was well known in the milling business but since his property was destroyed by fire, he has turned his attention to mechanics, being skilled in that work. Mr. Sanders is a man of integrity and uprightness and is reckoned one of the substantial and leading citi- zens of this community.

Lewis Sanders was born in Texas county, Mis- souri, on February 14, 1866, being the son of Jefferson and Elizabeth (Fry) Sanders, natives respectively of Missouri and Kentucky. The father was a pioneer in Missouri and died there in 1884. The mother still lives in that state. Lewis worked at home as a dutiful son and attended the schools until he was nineteen and then he went to railroading on the M. K. & T. lines. Following this for a time he soon drifted west to San Bernardino. He returned from there to visit in his native place and on August 9, 1889, he came west to Waverly, Washington, where he devoted his attention to farming until 1896. At that date, Mr. Sanders came to the reser- vation and took land near Melrose and farmed it

for five years ; at the same time he operated a flour mill which he and his brother-in-law, George Allen, built. For four years they operated the mill with good success and then it was destroyed by fire. Then Mr. Sanders sold his farm property and opened a machine shop in Melrose, where we find him at the present time.

In July, 1891, while in Washington, Mr. Sanders married Miss Frances, daughter of Isaac and Esther Huffman, natives of Virginia. Mrs. Sanders was also born in the Old Dominion State, on February 13, 1866. She has one sister and three brothers living, while, Mr. Sanders has three brothers and two sisters. Fra- ternally, Mr. Sanders affiliates with the I. O. O. F. and the M. W. A. In political matters he is allied with the Democrats and takes an interest in all measures that are calculated for the benefit of the country and its progress.

MORTIMER A. SNYDER, one of the prominent men of Nez Perces county in the industrial and manu- facturing line, while also a leader in any line of enter- prise and the substantial upbuilding of the country, is eminently fitted for representation in any work that purports to grant mention to the leading men of the countv.

Mr. Snyder was born in Montreal, Canada, on Jan- uary 12, 1855, being the son of Atkinson and Susan (McBean) Snyder, natives of Montreal, and born in 1820 and 1823, respectively. The father was a success- ful merchant and lumber dealer, of English descent and died in 1862. The mother, who still lives in Can- ada, was of Scotch descent, being the daughter of Col- onel Archibald McBean, who came to Canada from Scotland. He was a large lumber dealer and on ac- count of distinguished service was presented with a handsome sword from Queen Victoria. Our subject remained at home and attended school until the death of his father and then was adopted by his grandfather, McBean. Then he completed his educational training in the Normal school and learned the lumber business, which has occupied his attention continually since that time. He is a thorough master of the business and has operated mills in various sections of the United States and Canada. In 1871 he went to the vicinity of Buffalo, New York, and took charge of a sawmill, but later removed to Bay City, Michigan, and there operated a mill for two years. With his cousin, T. H. Snyder, we next see him in Manitoba, where they erected one of the largest mills of the country and made a financial suc- cess of the enterprise. Later he was in the Rockies and handled a mill for the Palisser Company on the Colum- bia river. In 1883 he went to Seattle and there took charge of the Fremont Milling Company's plant, where he was engaged until April, 1901, when he came to Lewiston for his wife's health. In the following April he came to his present location in Melrose and is now completing one of the finest mills on the reservation, which is fitted with all the latest and best machinery and equipped with a fine dry kiln, the only one in the county.

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In 1883 Mr. Snyder married Miss Elvira, daugh- ter of A. R. and Mary Gerald. The father, a native of Jowa, was a merchant. He served in the Civil war under Captain Donaldson. The mother was the daugh- ter of Major Armstrong, an old English soldier who settled in Manitoba in 1847. Mrs. Snyder was born in Winnipeg and has one brother, Mortimer, in Mos- cow, and two sisters, Jennie Mckenzie and Lucy King- ly, both in Moscow. Mr. Snyder has the following brothers and sisters, Robert, in Michigan ; Alma Milne, in Montreal. To this worthy couple have been born the following named children, Wilmer G., Howard, Myrtle, and Raymond. Mrs. Snyder is a member of the Congregational church. Mr. Snyder is a member of the A. O. U. W., while in politics he is a Republi- can. Mr. Snyder is a progressive, intelligent and sub- stantial citizen, a man always allied on the side of prog- ress and upbuilding. He had four cousins in the Civil war, two of whom were killed.

M. A. KELLY, M. D. It gives us pleasure to be permitted to outline the career of the estimable gentle- man and pioneer, whose name initiates this paragraph. Doctor Kelly came to Lewiston in 1862 and has been a familiar figure here most of the time until his death, being well and favorably known to all and the recipi- ent of the friendship and good will of all. His father, Alexander Kelly, a farmer by occupation, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1780, and fought in the war of 1812. He came of Irish extraction and died in 1859. The mother of Dr. Kelly was Rachel Cox, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1783, of Scotch descent and she died at the ripe old age of ninety-five, in 1878. On January 4, 1862, Dr. Kelly married Miss Abbie M., daughter of John Gordon, a lumberman of Old- town, Maine. The wedding occurred in Marysville, California ; Mrs. Mounce, of Lewiston, is the daugh- ter of this worthy couple. Mr. Gordon's mother, who was a St. Clair, was born in Oldtown, Maine, and died in East Portland, in 1898. She was a sister of the celebrated Dr. St. Clair of Cleveland, Ohio, and a woman of superior ability and education. Mrs. Kelly was born in Oldtown, Maine, in 1842, and had good educational facilities. She was attending the Catholic school at Marysville, California, when she married Doctor Kelly. A very interesting romance is con- nected with this marriage. The death of Dr. M. A. Kelly occurred on May 27, 1903.

BENJAMIN F. JACKS. It is a pleasure to be able to chronicle in the history of Nez Perces county the career of one of her leading and public-minded citizens, the gentleman mentioned at the head of this article.

Benjamin F. Jacks was born in Gallia county. Ohio, August 9, 1839. being the son of Solomon and Lavina (Macomber) Jacks, farmers. He was edu- cated in the common schools and remained at home

until of age. On July 11, 1861, young Jacks en- listed in Company A, Fiftieth Illinois, under Captain H. P. W. Kramer, in the Second Division and Second Brigade of the Sixteenth Corps of the western army. General Dodge, who is now living at Fort Dodge, Iowa, which town was named for him, was division commander, and General Cooke commanded the bri- gade. Mr. Jacks was in for service as the following will show. He participated in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, in the siege of Corinth and the battle of Corinth on Oc- tober 2, and 3, 1862. Also he was in the battle of Resaca, Dalton and many skirmishes. Mr. Jacks was in charge of two hundred men in the construction of the defense at Memphis, being there in the engineer- ing department. In all this long service and heavy fighting, which continued for three years and three months, Mr. Jacks was always courageous, faithful and found at the post of duty. Space forbids detail, but who can read the list of those terrible battles where he faced he cannon and fought for the country during those awful days of carnage without recog- nizing in the person of Mr. Jacks one of the worthy veterans whose arms saved our country from dire de- struction and preserved to unborn generations the be- nign influence of our free institutions. On October 28, 1864, at Rome, Georgia, Mr. Jacks was mustered out and returned to his home in Illinois, spending three months in a royal visit and then he turned his face to the prairies of Iowa and took up the civilian's life. There on February 18, 1866, Mr. Jacks married Miss Mary M. Rhodes, at Des Moines. Her father was James S. Rhodes, who was a faithful preacher in the Christian church for thirty-five years. Her mother was Eliza Adams, a native of Kentucky and her pa- rents were pioneers of Illinois.

Mr. Jacks' father built the second house in the now flourishing city of Columbus, Ohio. He was a physician and practiced for thirty-five years and also preached in the Methodist church for fifteen years.

Mr. Jacks had five brothers who fought for the Union and we desire to make a brief notice of them. Augustus, sergeant in Company I, Second Illinois; Henry, twin brother of our subject, sergeant in Com- pany G, Second Illinois Cavalry ; George W., private in Company G, Second Illinois Cavalry ; John, private in Company I, Fourth Iowa Cavalry, and he was killed in the battle at Big Blue, near Independence, Missouri ; Isaac, private in Company I, Tenth Iowa. Henry had a remarkable experience at the battle of Three Springs, Tennesse. Nineteen bullets pierced his clothing and one burned the skin, yet he escaped uninjured. Mr. Jacks was always ready for duty and often took the place of a weaker comrade. He was never in the hospital nor off duty but once when burned.

Mr. Jacks is an elder in the Christian church and also in politics he has been active, having served in every Democratic convention for ten years past. From 1865 to 1870, he farmed in Iowa, then located with his family in Nebraska for five years. The family was nearly killed in a cyclone there and he returned to

BENJAMIN F. JACKS

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Iowa. On April 11, 1887, he came to Pendleton, Ore- gon. On November 7 of the same year he came to Leland, Idaho, and bought a quarter section. Seven years he farmed that and then came to his present place, one mile east and-half mile north from Gif- ford. Mr. Jacks has a fine place, well improved and his orchard of ten acres is a model in every respect and doubtless the finest one on the reservation. It is replete with points of excellence in every respect and reflects the industry and skill of the proprietor.

Mr. Jacks has four fine sons, who are coming forward to do credit to their worthy father in the walks of life; their names with those of their three sisters, are as follows : Alemeda A., James, William C., Jesse N., Orrin W., Eva J., and Pearl O. Mr. Jacks has every reason to take a pardonable pride in the many achievements of his life, wherin he has man- ifested great wisdom, faithfulness and integrity. He made a fine record in the war that is a credit to any man, he has displayed the works of his hands in pro- ducing as fine an orchad as can be found in this vi- cinity and he has for the comfort and solace of his golden years, which are beginning to run apace, ca- pable and worthy children, and it is with pleasure that we have been privileged to speak of this worthy and venerable veteran and his gracious and estimable partner in life.

HORACE W. NELSON is a man of sterling worth and honor and has displayed the qualities of substantiality and enterprise in all his ways. Since coming to Nez Perces county in 1880, he has remained here and is well and favorably known throughout its borders.

Horace W. Nelson was born in Marion county, Iowa, on January 18. 1872, being the son of James R. and Mary C. (Ruddell) Nelson. The father is now living on the old homestead in Tammany hollow and the mother died on November 20, 1898. She was the daughter of Elder John M. Ruddell, a pioneer in Adams county, Illinois. Horace was the fifth of a family of ten children, eight boys and two girls. The parents were both born and raised in Adams county, Illinois, and came to Iowa and in 1876, they came thence to Walla Walla via San Francisco and Port- iand. In 1880 they migrated to Tammany hollow and there our subject was reared and received his edu- cation in this county. On Christmas day, 1892, he married Miss Della, daughter of James and Martha A. McKissicks, natives of Tennessee. The father died there and she came to Nez Perces county with her mother in 1800. The mother now lives with her son, John, near Lewiston. Mr. Nelson has a large number of work horses, a fine equipment of farming machinery and handles several hundred acres of land each year. He owned a farm but sold it and now rents land from other parties. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 8, also of the Encampment, both in Lewiston. Mr. Nelson has spent the major portion of his life in Nez Perces county and has gained a stand- ing for honor and real worth of character that is very

gratifying. His ancestors were people of a high sense of honor and integrity and this son is in no wise an ex- ception.

HON. EBEN MOUNCE. This well known busi- ness man and esteemed gentleman of enviable pres- tige was born in Linn county, Iowa, on July 19, 1856, being the son of Isaac and Persilla (Timmons) Mounce. The father was a stockman, born in Mus- catine, Iowa, in 1821 and is now living in Lewiston. The mother was born in Van Buren county, Michigan, in 1836 and died at Lewiston, in 1900. Our subject attended public school and then went to Western Col- lege, at Western, Iowa, and in 1878 came west to Van- couver, Washington. Soon after that he was in Lew- iston, where he took a homestead near town and went to raising stock. He devoted himself to this for ten years with excellent success and then sold the stock, retaining the land. He removed to town and was ap- pointed deputy sheriff under J. M. Eakins, for two years and then was nominated on the Democratic ticket and elected, although the county is Republican. Two years as sheriff were spent with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. The law allows only one term in this office and then as Harry Lyden was elected, our subject was made deputy for two years longer. He was also serving at this time as deputy Uni- ted States marshal, continuing in this until 1897; then he turned his attention to real estate and was connected with the Idaho Investment Company until 1900, when he sold out and formed a partnership with W. H. Skin- ner, the firm being known as Skinner & Mounce. Mr. Mounce was one of the original directors of the Idaho National Bank and connected with it for some time.

The marriage of Mr. Mounce and Miss Callie J. Rose was solemnized in Iowa. She died in 1890, leav- ing one child, Lionne, now at home. Mr. Mounce was married a second time to Eva (Kelly) Yantis. She is the daughter of M. A. Kelly, M. D., who is mentioned in another portion of the work. Mrs. Mounce was born in Lewiston in 1866. To this mar- riage one child was born on June 4, 1897, Gordon. Mrs. Mounce has by her former marriage, one daugh- ter, Frances Yantis, now at home. Mr. Mounce has the following named brothers and sisters, John S., a farmer in this county ; Clara, wife of J. L. Goodnight, near Genesee; Lafayette, farmer twelve miles south- east from Lewiston ; Hattie, wife of William Ruddell, of this county ; Edith, wife of George Ruddell, of this county. Mr. Mounce is a member of the M. W. A. and a charter member of the Lewiston lodge of K. of P. He is an active Democrat and owns considerable property in the town and country. In 1899, the people called Mr. Mounce to the state legislature and al- though his county was Republican, he gained a major- ity of ninety-five and made a clean and good record in those halls. He has ever been the friend of educa- tion and sought to aid the state normals while in the legislature. He was chairman of the committee on county offices and of the committee on education, of public lands, and was one of the joint committee of

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house and senate. Mr. Mounce made a good record, did faithful work for his county and for the interests of the state.

WILLIAM H. SKINNER. The father of Charles Skinner came from England to the place where Hartford, Connecticut, now stands in an early day and the city is partly on land that he owned. Charles was born there and married Sarah Orborne, of Maine, then removed to New Brunswick. His son, Alfred, married Abigail Bigelow, to whom was born Henry Skinner, in Kings county, Nova Scotia, on March 26, 1824. On March 26, 1845, this gentleman was united to Ruth A., daughter of James and Mary Ills- ley, a native of Kings county, Nova Scotia, and to them were born William H. Skinner, the subject of this sketch, on July 24, 1856, in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, and also James Stanley, now in Lewiston; Alfred L., in Lewiston ; Samuel W., John, and Oscar, deceased ; Charles A., in Brookings, South Dakota; Bradford, deceased ; Mary and Agnes A., both deceased. On April 13, 1873, our subject married Miss Elizabeth A. Laird, who died in July, 1886, leaving five children, Ansel O., at Rathdrum, Idaho; Agnes A., now Mrs. C. L. Wright, at New Hampton, Iowa; Charles H., Guy E., and Mary E., all in Lewiston. On February 29, 1888, Mr. Skinner married Miss Georgia A., daughter of George and Catherine Laird, and a cousin of his former wife. Mrs. Skinner was born in Brad- ford, Iowa, in March, 1860, and has two brothers, J. G. Laird and J. J. Laird, and E. G. Laird, Mrs. W. R. Longhorn, and Mrs. E. G. Sage, half sisters. To Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have been born the following named children, Gladys I., deceased, Catherine, Ruth A., Rae G., Grant, Helen, and Georgia, all at home. Mr. Skinner was educated in Nova Scotia at Acadia College and at Bradford Academy, in Iowa. He came with his parents to Iowa in 1869. He had taught four years before his advent to Iowa and there for two years he was one of the thorough educators. In 1873 he took a homestead in South Dakota, Brookings county, moving there in 1875. He farmed for a few years and in 1878 he opened a real estate and loan office in Brookings. There he continued until 1900, when he sold and came to Lewiston, where he engaged in con- tracting, paving the main street in Lewiston. He then went into real estate with Hon. Eben Mounce, the firm was known as Skinner & Mounce. In 1901, Mr. Skinner was elected to the office of mayor of Lewiston, and 1902 reelected without opposition and he is serv- ing in that capacity at the present writing. It speaks highly of his ability and integrity that he was so soon called by the people to this responsible office. While in Brookings he was postmaster from. 1891 to 1895, was elected to the office of district clerk and served the county for five years, was secretary of the board of regents of the State Agricultural College and the Uni- ted States Experiment Station there and was chairman of the board of county commissioners for three years. In all this long public career in important offices it must be said of Mr. Skinner that he has with great

faithfulness, and excellent efficiency conserved the interests of all, and in every case the office sought the man and not the man the office. In his position of chief executive of Lewiston he has wrought many beneficial changes and his work is appreciated by a discriminat- ing people. He is a member of the Masons, blue lodge, Royal Arch Chapter, and Knights Templar, also of the A. O. U. W., the M. W. A., and the K. of P. He and his family are allied with the Baptist church and are staunch supporters of the faith. Mr. Skinner is one of the able men of our county, and has wrought with marked wisdom and executive force for its interests; is held in high esteem by all, being a man of enterprise and progressive ideas and dominated by keen perception and practi- cal judgment and sound principles in all of his ways. In addition to his other arduous and many labors, he has found time to study law and is admitted to the state courts.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 66

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