An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 84

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 84
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 84
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 84
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 84

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S. J. Markham was born in Marion county, Ore- gon, on November 2, 1867. being the son of Cyrus and Ann (Bowman) Markham, natives of Missouri and Iowa. Our subject was educated in the public schools and when seventeen his father died. Just pre- vious to that the family had come to Idaho, near

Genesee. The mother proved up on the homestead the father had taken and Samuel continued with her and working for the neighbors until he was twenty-three. Then he and his brother traded stock for a quarter section on the rim rock, out from Genesee. Later they sold and rented in different places until the res- ervation opened and the first day he and his brother filed. He has a fine piece of land and, as said above, las sold and given away considerable to foster the town. Mr. Markham has one brother, Fred, and three half-sisters, Carrie, wife of George Wayne at Mason's Butte : Minnie, wife of Charles Sampson at Lewiston ; Margaret, wife of Alfred Sampson, in Lawyer's can- yon.

On May 25, 1890, Mr. Markham married Mary C., daughter of William W. and Minerva C. (Ingle) Loper, natives respectively of Mississippi and Ten- nessee. Mrs. Markham was born in Benton county, Arkansas, on January 3, 1874. She has two brothers : James T. and William. She has the following sisters : Nancy D., wife of George A. Smith; Margaret, wife of Oscar Rogers, of Gifford. Her parents now re- side in Lewiston. To Mr. and Mrs. Markham have been born three children : Mabel C., Alta and Harlond C. Mr. and Mrs. Markham are members of the Metho- dist church and he is one of the trustees of the church. Mr. Markham is a school director and is independent in politics. Among the other things which Mr. Mark- ham has donated is a lot for a parsonage and two thousand feet of lumber, which he hauled, half of a lot for, a church, and other items as well. Mrs. Mark- ham's brother, James 'T. is a preacher in the Metho- dist church. Her father served in the Civil war. Mr. Markham is a man of reliability and is one of the substantial factors of the communtiy.

CHARLES C. SAMPSON is one of the real pi- oneers of this western country, having lived in dif- ferent sections, while his parents were among the very first ones who braved the dangers of an ox team trip across the plains to enter the Willamette wil- derness.

Charles C. Sampson was born in Lane county, Oregon, on October 15. 1855. being the son of Eph- raim A. and Eunice (Warner) Sampson, natives re- sectively of Missouri and Indiana. The father came to western Oregon in 1849, having also been in Cali- fornia in that year and the mother came to the Willa- mette valley in 1853, both crossing the plains with ox teams. They were married in the valley. The father was well known as one who did much hunting for emigrants who were coming in and who needed help. He would organize parties and go to meet the un- fortunates who were beset with Indians or who had iost food and were starving or who had wandered out of the way and were unable to find the proper trail. Many such trips did the elder Sampson take and many pathetic and deeply touching tales could he tell of the sad sights that met his eyes and the suffering that he relieved. About 1852 Mr. Samp-

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son went east on a business trip, crossing the Isthmus on a cayuse. Our subject gained some schooling in the native place and when the family came to the vi- cinity of Dayton, Wahington, he studied there also. It was 1870, that they came thither and in 1874 Charles went from the homestead near Dayton to Baker City and worked in a quartz mill for three years on Conner creek. In 1877 he came to Lewiston and that has been his headquarters since. He went into the stock business and followed raising cattle and horses for a long time and the last six years he has devoted his energies principally to sheep, of which he has four thousand. He has fine Oxfords and many of them are entitled to registration. Mr. Sampson has seven living brothers: Horace J., merchant at Har- rison, Idaho : Alfred E., at Kamiah, Idaho; Thomas J., sheepman near Lewiston; David, living near Southwick: Norman, in Wallowa county, Oregon; Virgil, farmer near Genesee; Glenn with Virgil in the stock business.

In 1881 Mr. Sampson married Miss Minnie C. Miner. Mrs. Sampson's mother's maiden name was Bowman, and her parents were pioneers of the Willa- mette valley while some of the family live near Gen- csee. Mrs. Sampson has two half brothers, Samuel Markham, a prominent citizen of Gifford and part owner of the townsite; Fred, at Cold Springs, Idaho. Mrs. Sampson has two sisters, Carrie, wife of George Wayne; Maggie, wife of Alfred Sampson, brother of our subject. To Mr. and Mrs. Sampson there have been born five children: Myrtle, Ivy, Jettie, Bessie and Clifford. Mr. Sampson is a member of the W. of W. at Lewiston. He is a Democrat in political matters but he is not at all desirous of personal pre- ferment although he is frequently selected to attend the conventions. He is a man of wide experience, good training, and has demonstrated both his integ- rity and ability in an upright life and a successful business career.

WALTER E. DAGGETT. The enterprising young man whose name is at the head of this article, is one of the stable and successful business men of Southwick, engaged in the mercantile business and also postmaster, in which capacities he displays abil- ity and faithfulness.

Walter E. Daggett was born in Shabonier, Fay- ette county, Illinois, on May 23, 1866, being the son of Louis N. and Charlotte (Wilkins) Daggett. The father is now living with the son but the mother died when Walter was four months old. After this sad event he went to live with distant relatives, Reuben E. Wetmore, at Nokomis, Illinois. When fifteen he went with the family to South Dakota, and two years later Mrs. Wetmore died. Walter remained with them until twenty-two and then married Miss Louisa A., daughter of Simon and Maria (Thode) Sievers, of German extraction. The wedding occurred in Huron, and a few months later we find the young couple in Sioux City, whence they went to St. Louis, where he remained seven years in the employ of the

Edison General Electric Company of St. Louis. Three children were born to them there: Dora G., Adaline M., and Walter N. In May, 1897, Mr. Daggett came to Idaho to join his father who was postmaster at Southwick. In 1889 the office was transferred to our subject and with that and the duties of his commer- cial business he has been occupied since. In politi- cal matters he is a Republican and is now justice of the peace. He has been delegate to the county con- ventions and is now a delegate to the state convention. Fraternally he is affiliated with the A. F. & A. M., Kendrick Lodge, No. 26; with the W. W., at Leland and the M. W. A., LeBaron Camp, No. 9383, at Cavendish, Idaho. Mrs. Daggett has three brothers and four sisters: G. W., at home with the old peo- ple, who are prosperous and prominent farmers ; Hen- ry, in Westbend, Washington county, Wisconsin, is justice of the peace and a prominent man and pro- moter of factory interests; William, a capitalist in Huron, South Dakota; Dora, wife of Fred Schoen- leber, in South Dakota; Amelia, wife of Gustave Thode, a farmer in Bazile Mills, Nebraska; Mary, wife of Isaac Van Winkle, in Huron, in the real es- tate business ; Helen, wife of Edward Van Dyke, at Southwick, Idaho. In addition to other business trans- acted, Mr. Daggett learned to set type and is skilled in that line. As a man he is of good standing and an attractive personality, while he numbers his friends by scores.

WILFRED L. GIFFORD. Although the sub- ject of this sketch has not been so long a resident of Nez Perces county as some, still his worthy labors and real worth entitle him to representation in the annals of its history, while also on the reservation portion of the county he has been one of the real pioneers.

Wilfred L. Gifford was born in Cedar county, Io- wa, on June 19, 1870, being the son of Seth and Anna A. (Buckman) Gifford. The father resides at Gif- ford and the mother is long since deceased. Our subject received his education from the various places where he lived with his father, who is mentioned in this volume. He remained at home until 1890, and then entered the employ of the F. E. & M. V. R. R. in Nebraska, continuing there for four years. After that he turned his attention to developing mining prop- erties in the Black Hills, South Dakota, until 1898, the date of his advent to this county, his father having preceded him. He homesteaded his present place of one hundred and twenty acres three and one-half miles northeast from Gifford. The land is adapted to fruit and stock and in these lines he is starting. Dur- ing the summer of 1890 Mr. Gifford was a forest ranger for the government in the Bitter Root forest reserve. He was deputy sheriff under his father in Fall River county and had thrilling experiences among the outlaws who knew the terror of the law when our subject and his father administered it. One noted criminal, Ed Lehman, was apprehended and executed: at this time.

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

On June 23, 1891, at Hot Springs, South Dakota, Mr. Gifford married Miss Tillie, daughter of James and Elizabeth ( Bellew) Craven, natives of Illinois and Kentucky, respectively. The father was a promi- nent stockman and also a pioneer across the plains in 1863, having made much money in the placer mines in Montana. Mrs. Gifford has the following brothers and sisters: Jolin B., Woodson B., both residents of South Dakota and the latter county commissioner of Fall River county for four years; Lydia, twin sister to Mrs. Gifford; Jimmie, assistant principal and dis- ciplinarian of the Gaylord Institute at Platte City, Missouri, yet her home is in Dakota with her other sister. Mrs. Gifford was born in Clay county, Mis- souri. Mr. and Mrs. Gifford have one child, Bessie L., aged ten. Mr. Gifford is a member of the Tin Centre Lodge, of the K. of P., No. 44: also of the M. W. A., Camp No. 5545. Mr. Gifford is a Repub- lican and takes an active and intelligent part in politi- cal matters. He stands well among his fellows and is one of the leading citizens of the community. He was nominated on the Republican ticket for assessor and ex-officio tax collector of the N. P. Company and was elected by a majority of four hundred and sixty- one votes, and will begin the duties of the office Jan- uary 1, 1902.

JOHN D. STEVENS is a leading merchant of the reservation region of Nez Perces county, and at present is doing business at the Star Mills, two miles south from Lookout postoffice. He is a repre- sentative business man and public minded citizen and an enterprising factor in the progress of the county.

John D. Stevens was born in Washington county, Tennessee, on January 30, 1862, being the son of George W. and Lydia E. (Dillingham) Stevens, na- tives of Washington county, Tennessee, and North Carolina, respectively. In 1865 they removed to Mc- Donough county, Illinois, and our subject grew up on the farm and gained his education from the com- mon schools. In 1871 the family came to Kansas and the father took a claim. It was 1890 that our sub- ject left the parental roof and started for himself. His first journey was to Polk county, Oregon, where he was engaged in a flouring mill. He learned the trade of the engineer and the arts of the miller, becoming a practical operator in both these important lines. He later bought an interest in a general merchandise establishment. He wrought there until 1899, and then made a move to Willola postoffice on the reser- vation, where he was postmaster for a time and in Oc- tober, 1901, he came to his present location and here he is doing a good business. He is a business man in every sense of the word and his affability and gen- ial ways, added to his talent, are making for him a fine trade.

At Independence, Oregon, in 1892, Mr. Stevens married Miss Nettie, daughter of James and Phila- delphia (Fry) Ferguson, natives respectively of Can- ada and England. Mrs. Ferguson saw Queen Victoria crowned before leaving the old country. Mr. Stevens

has three brothers : James F., living in Oregon ; De Witt S., George G., also one sister, Semarimas, wife of Will- iam F. Gill, in Kansas. To Mr. and Mrs. Stevens there have been born three children, Raymond A., John D. and Robert N. In political matters Mr. Stevens is allied with the Republicans and while he does not press for personal preferment in that realm, he always takes the interest in governmental affairs that becomes the good citizen.

HENRY JOHNSON is one of the industrious and substantial men who live in the vicinity of Gifford, his estate of one hundred and twenty acres being about one mile east of town and he is entitled to representa- tion in the history of his county as he has done much toward the development and upbuilding of the county and is now one of the thrifty and progressive farmers. He handles his land to the cereals, raising also cat- tle, horses and hogs, while the entire premises mani- fest the neatness, thrift and good management of the proprietor.

Henry Johnson was born in Denmark, on Octo- ber 1, 1870, being the son of John and Cecil (Samson) Johnson, farmers of that country. Henry grew up 011 the farm and attended private school. When eight he was called to mourn the death of his mother and in 1887 he came to this country, joining an uncle in Shelby county, lowa. His only brother, John John- son, now lives in Spokane. For two years our subject wrought in Iowa and then came to Whitman county, Washington. He worked on the railroad construc- tion for a year and then went into the mines in Sho- shone county, where he remained until the strike. Re- turning to Colfax he remained one year and then came across the river from the reservation, in order to be handy when the land was opened. He was there the first day and filed on November 30, 1895. Since that time Mr. Johnson has given his time to the improve- ment of his land and he has one hundred and twenty acres of the excellent land of this section. In politi- cal matters he is a Democrat, but does not ever press for personal preferment. Mr. Johnson is still on the ground of the celibatarian, having never embarked on the uncertain sea of matrimony. He is respected and well thought of by all and is one of the up-to- date men and public minded citizens.

HUGH PORTER is one of the substantial and prosperous farmers and stock raisers of the vicinity of Summit, his estate of eighty acres being one and one-half miles south from that place. His birth was on August 2, 1853, in Prince Edward county, Ontario, and his parents were James and Jane (Law) Porter, natives of England and Ireland, respectively. The mother's mother, Ann Law, lived to be one hundred and four years of age and was one of the most cele- brated midwives of the country where she lived. She officiated at eight hundred births and lost only six

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cases, one case being tripletts. She was hale and hearty up until the time of her death. At ninety she plaited a straw hat that took the premium in their county fair. Our subject's parents were among the leading and most wealthy people of their section. Hugh remained at home, working summers and at- tending school winters until seventeen and then he went to Santa Clara county, California, where he op- erated on a farm and in the mercantile realm until 1875, when he removed to Nevada county and took a position as car builder on the Southern Pacific. While there, the town being Truckee, he married in 1879, August 9, Miss Cora, daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Kelleher) Tomkins, natives of Baltimore and Ireland, respectively. The father died in Boston when Mrs. Porter, his only child, was four years old. The mother married Hugh Newell later and they went to California. Mr. Porter has one brother, James, in Sacramento, and three sisters: Martha, wife of Reu- ben Lewis; Charlotte. wife of Timothy Lewis; Mar- garet, wife of James Haggerty, all living in Canada.

In 1888 Mr. Porter removed with his family to Sprague, Washington, and entered the employ of the Northern Pacific. In 1891 he went to Hope, Idaho, in the train service, later to Helena, and in June, 1896, he went to Kendrick. In 1897 he came to the reserva- tion and found a piece of land, where he now lives, that had been overlooked, every one supposing it to be Indian land. He raises hay and the cereals and rents a quarter section each year. Mr. and Mrs. Por- ter are members of the Methodist church; she is a fine musician and has taught the art considerably in earlier days. Mr. Porter has been a member of the Red Cross Lodge of the K. of P., No. 28, of Spo- kane since 1879 and has passed all but the highest chair and would have held that but for removal. Mr. Newell, brother of Mrs. Porter's step-father, was a prominent educator in Baltimore and gained a national reputation as author of some of the well known school books. He was a native of Ireland and a graduate of the Royal College of Belfast and also of Trinity College, Dublin. He held the position of principal of the state normal school in Baltimore and held the chair of natural sciences in Baltimore College, while at the time of his death he was state superintendent of public instruction in Maryland. To Mr. and Mrs. Porter there have been born one son, Harold E., liv- ing, and two children deceased: Winnie M. and Jos- eph G., both swept away by diphtheria while the par- ents lived in California.

PITTS ELLIS. It is not often that one finds in the rural districts of the country a man of the genius and ability of the subject of this article. Mr. Ellis is not only an agriculturist, but he is a mechanic and a first-class millwright, while also he holds the dis- tinction of being one of the inventors of much im- proved mill machinery. At present the family home is two and one-half miles west from Summit on the farm, while the mill that Mr. Ellis owns is near Sum-

mit. With the help of his son Raymond, who is also a clever mill man, Mr. Ellis built not only the mill, but also the entire machinery in it. This was in 1901 and the mill is a fifty barrel capacity. It is a model plant of the northwest. The rolls are different from others and his own invention, while the bolter and sifter he constructed from models which he evolved from his own brain. The mill does most excellent work and is a triumph of the ability and skill of our subject.

Pitts Ellis was born in Posey couny, Indiana, on January 23, 1852, being the son of Ebenezer and Theo- dosia (Phillips) Ellis, natives of Cayuga county, New York. When our subject was six, the family went to Waukasha county, Wisconsin, where the father did a general merchandise and milling business. Pitts was educated there in the high school and at the age of nineteen went to teaching. It was 1872 that he went to Nebraska, where he taught until 1881; he then taught in Denver for two years. In 1883 he went to Arkansas City, Arkansas, and built his first mill. Sixteen years were spent in operating it and then Mr. Ellis came to Nez Perces county and built the first flour mill on the reservation. He traded it for his present place and later the mill burned. Then the mill we first mentioned was built and this is being operated now. Mr. Ellis also handles considerable grain from his farm, raises good graded Poland China hogs and Jersey cows.

On July 7, 1880, Mr. Ellis married Miss Olive, daughter of William and Lenora (Hubbard) Rose, natives of New York. Mrs. Ellis was born in Sauk county, Wisconsin, and was a pupil of Mr. Ellis in Vernon county. Her family went to Iowa and there her wedding occurred. She has one sister and four brothers: Henry, Hubert, Daniel, George, Laura, wife of W. A. Simmons, living in Denver, Colorado. The others live in Colorado. except George, who is a Congregational minister in Idaho. Mrs. Ellis is now candidate on the Prohibition ticket for state superin- tendent of public instruction and is active in W. C. T. U. circles. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have two children : Raymond and Harold, both at home. Mr. Ellis is justice of the peace, elected on the Democratic ticket 111 1900, running ahead of his ticket. Mrs. Ellis' father, her brother and three brothers-in-law were all in the Civil war and came through many years of serv- ice without a wound. Mr. Ellis has one brother and four sisters: Edwin; Julia, wife of John H. Mocket, who was in Company K. Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Volunteers; Sophronia, wife of Richard Mocket, who was in the Forty-third Wisconsin Volunteers ; Hattie, wife of Andrew W. Dean: Mary, wife of Frank Clark, who served four years in the Civil war, one of which was in Andersonville prison.

FRANK MAYNARD. JR. In matters of advance- ment and development, this gentleman is always in the vanguard. In labors to build up beter educa- tional advantages, he is an enthusiastic worker and in

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the walks of a patriotic citizen and good neighbor he is second to none.

Frank Maynard was born in Guthrie county, Iowa, on August 16, 1861, being the son of Frank and Mary J. (Costel) Maynard. The father was born in Dela- ware county, Indiana, in 1839, served in the Civil war under General Siegel and was a pioneer in Ore- gon and in Washington. The mother of our subject was born in Ohio, in 1844 and her father was a native of Maryland. The family went from Iowa to Oregon in 1862, crossing the plains with teams. They settled in Multnomah county and also lived in Washington county and Yamhill county and the father did ranch- ing and worked at saw-milling. Frank was educated in Portland, spending five years there. In 1874 they came to Davton, Washington, and the father wrought in a planing mill and there our subject learned both the trade of the carpenter and that of the engineer. He built bridges on the Northern Pacific for three years, then farmed a while and after that was engineer for six years in a sawmill. At the time of the Nez Perces war, he was in Dayton and enlisted, but before action he was sent back on account of his youth. In 1895 Mr. Maynard located a claim on the middle fork in Idaho county and in 1898 he came to Nez Perces county, where he now resides, one mile east from Sum- mit.

On July 27, 1891, Mr. Maynard married Mamie, daughter of James A. and Martha Ellen (Crumley) Berry, natives of Tennessee. Mrs. Maynard was born in Tennessee in 1860 and came west in 1898. She has five brothers and five sisters. Mr. Maynard has six brothers and three sisters: Mary A. Boyles, whose husband is a banker and landowner in Colton, Washington; James M., in the Philippines ; Daniel O., a stockman in this county; John W., de- ceased ; Lulu Hawker, in Colton, Washington ; Meade N., stock owner in this county; Mollie, deceased ; Burt, in Nez Perces county ; Chester, in Whitman coun- ty. By her former marriage Mrs. Maynard has three children : Vincent E., Bulah E., and Mary B. To Mr. and Mrs. Maynard there has been born one child, Jaunita. Mr. Maynard is a member of the A. O. U. W. and his wife of the Presbyterian church. Politi- cally, our subject is a warm Republican and a member of the club of the county. He gives his attention to raising fruit and is one of the respected and substantial men of his section.

OLE OLSEN. Norway has sent to the coasts of America many of her stalwart sons, whose brain and brawn have materially assisted in making this one of the grandest countries on the face of the earth today. One among this worthy number is named at the head of this article and it is with pleasure that we grant to him consideration in the volume that chroni- cles the history of his county.

Ole Olsen was born in northern Norway on De- cember 6, 1859, being the son of Ole and Karl Even- sen, natives of Norway. Our subject grew to man-

hood on a farm, received his education in the common schools and then served three years in the regular army. In April, 1885, he came to Hull, England, across the North Sea and thence by rail to Liverpool, whence he sailed in steamship to Quebec. On the coast of Newfoundland they had much trouble in the ice floes and great danger of demolition threatened them. From Quebec, Mr. Olsen came to Union county, South Dakota and there farmed for four years. On July 6, 1889, he landed in Moscow and there he wrought for wages on a farm for four years. Then he rented a farm in Whitman county and in 1895 he selected his present place and filed on it. The next year he moved here and this has been the arena of his labors and successes since that time. Mr. Olesen has a good place and it is skillfully handled and produces fine annual returns. This year he had the gratifica- tion of harvesting over four thousand bushels of grain. He has a good house and other improve- ments also a good orchard and plenty of smaller fruits. Mr. Olsen handles some stock and also owns an interest in a threshing machine with the Hadford brothers. He is a man of uprightness and is well respected by his fellows.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 84

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