USA > Oregon > History of Oregon, Vol. III > Part 7
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The last named has for a quarter of a century been the only surviving member of the family. He was very young at the time the long journey across the plains was made and thus becoming identified with Oregon in its formative period he has wit- nessed practically its entire growth and progress, nor has he played an unimportant part in advancing the interests and shaping the destiny of the commonwealth. He supplemented his early public school training by study in Santiam Academy and in Willamette University and in early manhood became a teacher in the academy at Jeffer- son, while later he spent a year as principal of the public school at Albany, Oregon. It was his desire, however, to become a member of the bar and he eagerly availed him- self of every opportunity that furthered his ambition in that direction. He became a law student in the office of Judge Powell at Albany and afterward pursued his reading under the direction of Colonel Effinger of Portland. When he had qualified for active practice he opened an office in the latter city. While advancement at the bar is pro- verbially slow, no dreary novitiate awaited him. He soon gave demonstration of his powers in handling involved law problems and his practice steadily grew, bringing him into connection with much of the most important litigation heard in the courts of the district and of the state. Further recognition of his superior powers came to him in 1897 when Governor Lord appointed him to the circuit court bench and in June, 1898, he was elected judge of the circuit court to fill out an unexpired term of two years. So excellent was his record as a jurist that he was then chosen for the full term of six years and according to a contemporary biographer, "proved himself one of the ablest jurists who have presided over Oregon's courts." His rulings were at all times strictly fair and impartial and he readily related the points at issue to the prin- cipals of jurisprudence. In various fields of public activity Judge George has ren- dered valuable service to the commonwealth. He has long been recognized as one of the republican leaders of Portland and of the state and in 1876 was elected a member of the upper house of the general assembly for a four years' term and in 1880 was chosen congressman at large by a majority of thirteen hundred over the sitting mem- ber, Governor Whitaker. He took his seat in the national halls of legislation in March, 1881, and by reelection served during the forty-seventh and forty-eighth congresses, acting as a member of the committees on commerce and revision of laws. He was also instrumental in furthering the legislation concerning the opening of the Indian reser- vation and the establishment of territorial government in Alaska. He was likewise active in securing large appropriations for Oregon, including the commencement of the jetty work at the mouth of the Columbia river and the payment of the Modoc Indian bill of one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Declining a renomination for con- gress in 1884 he resumed the practice of law, in which he continued until a recent date. He is now living retired from active connection with the profession, spending a large portion of his time on his fruit ranch, being the owner of a fine commercial orchard containing a variety of fruits at The Dalles. Thus he has returned to a place with which early memories of the family in Oregon are closely associated, for when his father crossed the plains with his wife and children he made his way first to The Dalles and then sent his wife and young son down the river on a flatboat, while his other two sons drove the team over the Barlow trail, and Mr. George, Sr., walked the en- tire distance, following the river to Portland, along the trail of what is now the noted
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Columbia River Highway. It was a long and arduous trip and he was obliged to camp by the wayside at night. The Indians were numerous and there were many wild ani- mals in the forests. On one occasion when it began to get dark he saw a large rock out in the river. He felt that that would be the safest place to camp, so he took off his clothes, tied them to the end of a long pole in order to keep them out of the water and waded out to the rock, where he remained until morning. After many decades Judge George has returned to The Dalles to become a factor in the development and business activity of that section of the state although still retaining his residence in Portland.
It was in Lebanon, Oregon, in 1872, that Judge George was married to Miss Mary Eckler, a native of Danville, Illinois, and a representative of one of the old families of Kentucky. Her mother passed away in Illinois and later the family started for the Pacific coast. While en route the father's death occurred and his remains were interred on the present site of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1853. Judge and Mrs. George became the parents of three daughters, Florence, Edna and Jessie, the eldest being a graduate of the Fabiola Hospital and Training School in San Francisco.
Judge George is a well known representative of the Masonic fraternity in Oregon. He belongs to Washington Lodge, F. & A. M .; Portland Commandery, K. T .; Portland Consistory, A. & A. S. R .; and has been awarded the honorary thirty-third degree in recognition of his specific service to Masonry. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge and Encampment and has held many offices in these different organizations. He belongs to the Oregon Pioneer Society, the State Historical Society, the Sons and Daughters of Oregon Pioneers and the Oregon Chapter of the Sons of the Revolution. He has long been an honored member of the State Bar Association and his valuable service in behalf of Portland and her welfare is widely acknowledged. For five years he was a member of the school board, acting as its president during two years of that period. He also served as chairman of the board of bridge commissioners at one time and was instrumental in the erection of the Burnside bridge in Portland. He has ever occupied a position of leadership in regard to many questions which have had direct effect upon the upbuilding and welfare of the city and of the state. He was a Harding and Coolidge presidential elector for Oregon. He is an advanced thinker, broad in his views, sound in his deductions. his analytical trend of mind being mani- fest in his decisions concerning every vital matter.
HAMPTON B. STOUT.
The life record of Hampton B. Stout spans the years between 1853, when his birth occurred in Ohio, and the 1st of August, 1920, when he passed away in Portland, Oregon. He had for many years been prominently identified with the contracting and building business in this city. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Stout, were also natives of Ohio, and Hampton B. Stout spent his youthful days in that state and acquired his education in the public schools. He afterward removed westward to Kansas, where he engaged in general merchandising in connection with his brother- in-law for several years and later became a resident of Denver, Colorado, where he engaged in carpentering and in the contracting business for a number of years.
It was in 1893 that Mr. Stout came to Portland, where he continued in the building and contracting business. Here he erected many important structures, including the car shops in Albina, and he built for the firm of Platt & Platt many buildings. The excellence and thoroughness of his work, his enterprise and his reliability, secured for him a very liberal patronage and he continued his building operations until about eight years prior to his death, when he retired, living his remaining days in the en- joyment of well earned rest.
Mr. Stout was twice married. In 1904 his first wife died, leaving a son and daughter, Walter and Olive, the latter the wife of M. Liberty. In 1905 he married Mrs. Addie Richards, a native of Topeka, Kansas, whence she was brought to Oregon by her parents in 1875. They traveled by rail to San Francisco and then by boat to Portland, and here her father, Frank Askland, engaged in the contracting business, taking contracts for street railway work and excavations of all kinds. In young womanhood his daughter Addie became the wife of Fred Richards, and to them were born three children: Harry, Ruth and Mildred. The daughter Ruth is now the wife of
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E. S. Boggs of Portland. Mr. Richards passed away in 1897 and eight years later Mrs. Richards became the wife of Mr. Stout.
Fraternally Mr. Stout was connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, also with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Artisans. In politics he was always a stalwart republican from the time that age conferred upon him the right of franchise and he was keenly interested in public affairs, giving his aid and influence to all measures for the general good. He was widely recognized as a man of sterling character, reliable in business, loyal in citizenship and devoted to the welfare of his family, and by reason of his many sterling traits he was held in high regard by all who knew him.
JUDGE PETER H. D'ARCY.
Judge Peter H. D'Arcy, a distinguished lawyer and jurist of Oregon and a repre- sentative of one of its honored pioneer families, has spent practically his entire life within the borders of the state, having been brought by his parents to Portland when but three years of age. He is well known throughout the Pacific northwest as an eloquent orator and able lecturer whose services are much in demand at public gath- erings. For sixty-four years he has been a resident of Oregon, being numbered among its oldest pioneers, and his efforts in behalf of the Pioneer Champoeg Memorial Asso- ciation, of which he is president, have been effective.
Judge D'Arcy is a native of the east. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, March 4, 1854, a son of Peter and Barbara (O'Neil) D'Arcy, natives of Ireland, the former born at Gorey in County Wexford, and the latter at Cahersiveen, in County Kerry. Both emigrated to the United States and they were married in New York, going to California in 1855 by way of the Isthmus of Panama and settling in San Francisco. The father was a carpenter by trade and he there engaged in business as a builder and contractor, erecting many of the early buildings in that city. In 1857 he made his way to Oregon, taking up his residence in Portland, where he also became identified with building operations, hut at the end of two years removed to Salem. Here he continued to follow his trade until his retirement from active business pursuits and his demise occurred on the 13th of April, 1895, while the mother passed away in Salem on the 25th of December, 1901.
In the acquirement of an education Judge D'Arcy attended private schools in Salem, after which he entered Willamette University, where he pursued a classical course, being graduated in June, 1874. Desiring to become a member of the legal fraternity, he took up the study of law with Judge J. A. Stratton of Salem, and upon passing the required examination was admitted to the bar on the 14th of December, 1876. He at once engaged in practice at Salem and has since followed his profession here, winning a foremost place as a lawyer and jurist. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, called him to public office and in 1885 and 1886 he served as municipal court judge. While upon the bench his decisions indicated strong mentality, careful analysis, a thorough knowledge of the law and an unbiased judgment. During 1891 and 1892 he filled the office of mayor of Salem, and in this connection also he made a most creditable record, giving to the city a businesslike and progressive administra- tion, his influence being ever on the side of advancement and improvement. Judge D'Arcy is also familiar with newspaper work. He was apprenticed to the printing business when twelve years of age and has done everything in connection with the publication of a paper, from running the roller of the old Washington hand press to writing editorials, working on both the Salem Daily Record and the Statesman. He is now devoting his attention to his law practice, which has become extensive and important.
Judge D'Arcy is a member of the Oregon State Historical Society and he likewise belongs to the Pioneer Association, serving as president of the latter organization in 1910. He is now acting as president of the Pioneer Champoeg Memorial Association and is an active, earnest worker in its behalf. After fifteen years of effort he suc- ceeded in getting the appropriation for the Pioneer Memorial building at Champoeg, Marion county, to commemorate the meeting of the pioneers there on the 2d of May, 1843, when it was decided that Oregon should become a part of the United States of America. This building was erected under the supervision of Judge D'Arcy and George H. Himes, who deserve much credit for their untiring efforts in this connection.
JUDGE PETER H. D'ARCY
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The Judge is a most forceful and eloquent speaker and as an orator and lecturer he has become well known throughout the northwest, his services being sought for many public gatherings. He has delivered the pioneer addresses at many cities in the state, in addition to lecturing on social and fraternal matters, and at a banquet in San Francisco, California, on the 28th of December, 1920, in honor of Senator-elect Samuel M. Shortridge, a boyhood friend, he responded to the toast. On this occasion he asked if any of the assembled guests had been in San Francisco on the 22d of May, 1856, when the vigilantes hanged Cora, and found that he was the only real pioneer in the gathering. In 1894 he delivered the Fourth of July oration at Pendleton, Oregon, his friend, Joaquin Miller, "the poet of the Sierras," composing a poem for the occasion. Judge D'Arcy and his sister, Teresa E., reside together in Salem, and for more than fifty years he has lived on Lot 1, in Block 1, Ward 1, and Precinct 1. His has been an active life, filled with honorable purpose and accomplishment. From pioneer times he has resided within the borders of Oregon and his career has ever been such as has reflected credit and honor upon the state. His mind is stored with many interesting incidents of the early days and forms a connecting link between the primitive past with its hardships and privations of pioneer life and the present with its progress and prosperity. He has ever recognized his duties and obligations in regard to the public welfare and has cooperated in every movement that tends to advance the inter- ests of the state along lines of permanent good. His course has been characterized by integrity and honor in every relation and commands for him the respect and goodwill of all with whom he has been associated.
CHARLES E. WOLVERTON.
It is as a jurist that Charles E. Wolverton is most widely known, though he has won prominence also in the active practice of the law and in the educational field. He has been throughout his long career on the bench, both state and federal, a strong exponent of right. and justice, and his record is a most creditable chapter in judicial history.
Judge Wolverton was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, May 16, 1851, and is the son of John and Mary Jane (Nealy) Wolverton. The Wolverton ancestral line in America is traced from Charles Wolverton, who came from Holland to this country about 1682 and settled in western New Jersey. He was a Quaker, and, according to family tradi- tion, came across the water with William Penn. He was a native of England but went, with others of his persuasion, to Holland to escape religious persecution. Daniel Wolverton, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was the grandson of Charles, and was born in 1739. He married Hannah Chamberlain, two years his junior. The next in line was John Wolverton, boru June 24, 1781, whose wife was Mary Hoag- land, born April 4, 1790. These were the parents of Judge Wolverton's father, John Wolverton, who first saw the light of day in Hamilton county, Ohio, December 4, 1822, and who, when he began to shift for himself, drifted westward and finally set- tled in Iowa.
The Nealys are of Irish extraction. Mary Jane was the daughter of Samuel S. Nealy, a veteran of the War of 1812, and Eliza (Richards) Nealy. Samuel S. Nealy was born September 15, 1792, and his wife in January of the succeeding year. They were married December 24, 1811. They were inhabitants of Steuben county, New York, where Mary Jane was born May 1, 1825. When she was but thirteen years of age they sought the frontier with Iowa as their destination. Their route of travel was by flatboat down the Susquehanna and Ohio rivers and thence overland to Burlington. It was in Iowa on November 24, 1847, that John Wolverton and Mary Jane Nealy were married. In 1853 the spirit of the pioneer impelled them, in company with others, to undertake the long and arduous journey across the plains, then a wilderness, and over the mountains to the Willamette valley. They settled on a donation land claim in the southern part of Polk county and resided there for many years but finally moved to Monmouth. They were consistent members of the Christian church, were vitally inter- ested in educational affairs, and earned the very great respect and esteem of those with whom they became associated. John Wolverton was successful not only as a farmer but in business life. For a time prior to the Civil war he was in the employ of tlie general government as a carpenter at Fort Hoskins in Benton county, where he saw
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much of General Augur. For many years he served as a trustee of Christian College at Monmouth and a portion of the time as its treasurer.
To be reared on a farm is often a wholesome and abiding asset for a boy. It brings him in touch with nature, where the handiwork of the divine architect is re- vealed to him, and he imbibes the spirit of freedom as well as of self-assertion and senses in civil affairs the soul of democracy. Such a relationship was the lot and privilege of Judge Wolverton, and the country schoolmaster was his first teacher. His later education was largely acquired at Christian College, Monmouth, under Professor T. F. Campbell. He was graduated from this institution with the degree of Bachelor of Science in June, 1871, and with that of Bachelor of Arts in June of the following year.
It was not the custom then, as now, for the boy at college to choose a major subject and to pursue it as the basis of his life work. Had such been the usage in Christian College it is doubtful whether the subject of this article would have chosen the law. The study of languages, of mathematics, of philosophy, logic and rhetoric developed his reasoning faculties with the result that the law was finally chosen to give them scope. He then entered the law department of the University of Kentucky, at Lex- ington, where, in addition to the law, he studied history and attended Bible classes under Professors Milligan and McGarvey. In February, 1874, he was graduated from the law department with the degree of LL. B. Later, in 1898, the honorary degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by Willamette University, Salem, Oregon. On his return from Kentucky, he entered the practice of the law at Albany, Oregon, May 18, 1874, in which he continued for slightly more than twenty years, enjoying substan- tial success.
Judge Wolverton is a republican, and while he was practicing law he took an active and prominent part in politics, attending many county and state conventions. In 1892 he was elected a delegate at large to the republican national convention which met at Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the convention and supported William Mckinley as presidential nominee.
Judge Wolverton was united in marriage to Miss Clara E. Price, the daughter of Nimrod and America (Froman) Price, at Albany, Oregon, October 3, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Price were pioneers of 1851, having come to this state from Danville, Illinois. Nimrod Price was born in Louisville, Kentucky, September 9, 1822, of Virginian stock. His ancestors were represented in the Colonial and Revolutionary wars, and in the War of 1812. He was prominent in politics and industrial affairs. His wife, who was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, March 12, 1827, was a granddaughter of a Revo- lutionary soldier, Major Thomas Rand, and was a woman of strong character, much beloved by her family and friends.
The second stage of Judge Wolverton's career has been as a judge on the bench. He was elected a justice of the supreme court of Oregon in June, 1894, and reelected in June, 1900, serving continuously from the first Monday in July, 1894, to December 5, 1905, and being twice chief justice during that period. On November 21, 1905, he was appoined by President Roosevelt as United States district judge for the district of Oregon, took the oath of office on December 5th following and is still serving. During this period he has been called many times to sit in the circuit court of appeals. Judge Wolverton shared with his associates, Justices Robert S. Bean and Frank A. Moore, in rendering leading and important opinions of the supreme court of Oregon, and on the federal bench his judicial work has been varied and important. Among numerous complex matters he has decided is the celebrated case of the United States against the Oregon & California Railroad Company.
The judge on the bench more frequently fails through a deficiency in that broad- mindedness which comprehends the details of a situation quickly and insures complete self-control than from any other cause. The judge who succeeds in the discharge of the varied and delicate duties is a man of well rounded character, finely balanced mind and superior intellectual attainments, and that Judge Wolverton is so regarded is uni- formly accepted. His decisions indicate strong mentality, careful analysis, a thorough knowledge of the law and an unbiased judgment.
Judge and Mrs. Wolverton are members of the Presbyterian church. His lodge affiliations are with the blue lodge, A. F. & A. M., the Royal Arch chapter, and Temple Commandery, No. 3 of Knights Templar, of Albany. He served as grand master of the Grand Lodge of Oregon in 1910-11, and has done much to further the cause of Masonry in the state. For many years he has been a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is also a member of the Oregon Society of the Sons of the American
.
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Revolution. Along social lines he has connection with the Arlington Club and the Waverley Country Club.
Judge Wolverton's activities have been broad and varied, touching the general interests of society at many points. He was chosen an elector of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans of the New York University in 1900 and served in 1900 and 1905, tak- ing part in the selection of the first two classes to receive such distinguished honors. From 1912 to 1915 Judge Wolverton lectured on Federal Procedure in the law depart- ment of the University of Oregon and in the Northwestern College of Law from 1915 to 1920. He has served as a trustee of Albany Collegiate Institute, of Pacific Uni- versity, Forest Grove, and of Reed College, Portland, being still a member of the board of the last named institution. Thus is presented a career of activity, usefulness and devotion to duty, accompanied by a generous measure of success.
GEORGE WASHINGTON ODELL, M. D.
Among the best known of Oregon's pioneers is Dr. George Washington Odell, who has now passed the eighty-second milestone on life's journey. He was born October 3, 1838, in Carroll county, Indiana, and is a son of John and Sarah (Holman) Odell, who are mentioned more at length in connection with the sketch of his brother, Wil- liam Holman Odell, on another page of this work.
George Washington Odell spent his youthful days in his native state, there attended a private school and after the removal of the family to Oregon during his youth he spent one year as a student in Willamette University. Later he entered Santiam Academy at Lebanon, Oregon, and pursued his studies there for two years. In 1862 he took up the study of medicine, devoting his time to reading textbooks while teaching school at Lebanon. He thus qualified for the onerous and responsible duties of the profession and in 1865 began practice. He followed his profession for six years in Lebanon and in 1870 removed to Eugene where he continued in active practice until the summer of 1879.
On the 5th of January, 1870, Dr. Odell was married in Corvallis, Oregon, to Miss May Biddle, a daughter of Dr. Biddle. Dr. Odell is a republican in his political views, having supported the party since its organization. He has also been a consistent mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity since 1868. Coming to the northwest when the work of progress and civilization seemed scarcely begun in this section of the country he has through the intervening years contributed in large measure to the progress and upbuilding of Oregon and has ever been numbered among its honored and valued citizens.
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