USA > Oregon > Douglas County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 79
USA > Oregon > Jackson County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 79
USA > Oregon > Josephine County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 79
USA > Oregon > Coos County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 79
USA > Oregon > Curry County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 79
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twenty years, still fresh in the popular mind. General Lane's political beliefs led him to throw the weight of his influence in favor of the South, in the beginning of the mighty struggle that was about to commence, and yielding to his honest convictions of justice and right, he retired to his home near Roseburg, and never again entered public life. The remaining years of Joseph Lane's career were spent on his farm and in the bosom of his family. Having withdrawn from politics and from the public service of his fellow men, he concentrated upon agricultural pursuits the powers of mind and energies which had distinguished him in previous occupations. His character may be compared to that of Washington, who was content to hide in the placid retreat of Mount Vernon the qualities which had shone in the highest station. Not having had the advantages of a thorough education in his youth, the General, at the age of three score, set about making up the deficiency by a course of systematic study, and by most uncommon perseverance and resolution acquired a store of the most valuable of all learning, the facts which modern science teaches. In such a manner the General passed the later years of his life, surrounded by his children and grandchildren who were bound to him by ties of more than ordinary affection and regard. In the exercise of the most cheerful hospitality and in the society of his relatives and friends, the fitting termination of a life so eventful and laborious was rounded to com- pleteness. His work was done, and as his long and well spent existence drew to a close, it was with no thought of regret at wasted opportunities that the old General looked back upon the dead years. Joseph Lane died in April, 1881, having nearly attained the great age of eighty years. He left but few of his companions behind him, and of all the officers who reached eminence in the Mexican war, he was the last to bid adieu to earth. General Lane was a man whose unyielding integrity, sub- jugation of personal prejudices and determination to speak the truth under all circumstances, were the rarest things in political or public life. His perfect frankness did not take the form which it assumes in worse balanced minds of a desire to speak un palatable truths in season and out of season. Perhaps there never was a politician who was so little of an egotist, and whose judgment was so little swayed by personal feelings. He belonged to that class of statesmen who deal with persons rather than with principles, but he showed little ambition to be merely a popular statesman. The student finds in his life much that is commendable-unbounded patriotism, integrity that has never been impeached, and a wise judgment that always left his con- stituents satisfied. In all his intercourse with the world there were acts of the finest and most delicate feeling which may well command the respect and admiration of all. Never acting for effect, but always consciously and laborously striving for the good of others. This great patriot, whose career was so manly and noble as any that have ever been enacted, attained, with- out seeking it, a place in the hearts of his countrymen, which the masters of popular applause might envy. He who has now gone from among his kindred, full of years and of honors, was a good and a great man, genial in his nature, wise in judg- ment, truthful to the last degree, and doing with might whatever his hand found to do.
CAPT. JOSIAH B. LEEDS .- The subject of this sketch was born in Leedspoint, Atlantic county, New Jersey, December 1, 1829, and is a son of Clayton and Jemima (Higby) Leeds. His father being a native of Leeds, England, and for forty-seven years a sailing master on the briny deep. Our subject learned his vocation from his father, with whom he went to sea when but eight years old. From 1837 to 1865, he followed a seafaring life, filling every position on board a vessel from cabin boy to master, attaining the latter position when twenty-two years of age. In June, 1851, Captain Leeds sailed into San Francisco, as mate of the schooner Frances Helen-his eldest brother being captain. On arriving in the metropolis of California, Josiah was made master of the above named schooner, and engaged in the coasting trade. May I0, 1853, he crossed the Umpqua bar and arrived for the first time at Gardiner, where he now resides. At that time but one house was standing where now is a thriving town. In the fall of 1865 Captain Leeds concluded to give up the sea and settle on terra firma. He selected the present townsite of Gardiner for his future home, and in that year purchased some 300 acres of land. In 1876 he laid out the town, and in partnership with G. S. Hinsdale and Edward Breen, began the erection of the well known Hinsdale mills, now the property of the Gardiner Mill Company. In 1882 Mr. Leeds severed his connection with the Hinsdale Mill Company and has since been engaged in the stock and butchering business. After many years of toil on land and sea he is anchored in a snug harbor, surrounded by the comforts of a happy home. Mr. Leeds was united in mar- riage in San Francisco to Miss Eliza Bartholomew, a native of Pennsylvania, by which union they had a family of eight children, four of whom are living, viz: Mary K., Clayton J., Bertha J. and Ida E. A view of Mr. Leed's residence is among the illustrations of this work.
D. A. LEVENS, a leading and wealthy citizen of Douglas county and a resident of Canyonville; is one of the men whose success in life and business has been mainly achieved in the country where he now lives by the exercise of economy, industry and business integrity, guided by intelligent financial ability. He is now a capitalist, who twenty years ago was a poor man. What he has came gradually through those years as the result of correct business calculations, and not by chance of the favorable turn of fortune's wheel. Mr. Levens was born in Erie county, New York, October 5, 1828, and is the son of Abiel and Rhoda (La Suer) Levens. When Mr. Levens was six years of age his father died. His mother continued to manage the farm in New York until 1845, when she sold out and with her family (our subject then being seventeen years old) emigrated west, locating on a farm in DuPage county, Illinois, where D. A. remained until March, 1852. With one companion and horse teams he started for California, across the plains. After a few weeks out they joined a large train bound for Oregon, and by them was induced to change his course and come to this state; but on his arrival he concluded to continue on to California. For four years he mined around Yreka with good success. Having concluded to engage in farming and stock raising, and being favorably impressed with the advantages of Douglas county on his trip through on his way to the mines, he now returned to locate within her borders. He first purchased 320 acres of land where now stands the village of Galesville, and there formed the nucleus for his present large business. In 1868 Mr. Levens began merchandising in Canyonville, in which he continued until 1880, when he retired from mercantile business to give his entire attention to the management of his large estate, now consisting of 4,500 acres of land. He is successfully and extensively engaged in the raising of horses and cattle, having large herds of each in Eastern Oregon. In 1882 Mr. Levens built his elegant hotel at Galesville-a view of which will be found in this history. At this place, in connection with his sons Douglas and Henry, he is engaged in general merchandising. Mr. Levens held the office of county commissioner from 1868 to 1870. He was united in marriage in 1855, to Miss Fannie I. White, a
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native of Michigan, by which union they have a family of four sons and one daughter. Their names are: William, Douglas, Henry, Jessie and Grant.
CONSTANTINE MAGRUDER; born in Green county, Ill., on the 18th, of May, 1835. Parents left in 1838 for Andrew county, Mo., where they resided until 1844, in which year they came 10 Oregon; settled at Oregon City and lived there until the fall of. 1848. That fall Mr. M. went through this valley on his way to the gold mines on Feather river, Cal. Next spring returned to Oregon by water, and in 1849 went back to California. In the spring of 1850 returned to Oregon, and in the spring of 1851 went through the valley for the third time on the way to the gold mines at Yreka. Followed mining at Yreka and in Northern California and Southern Oregon until August 1854, when he finally settled in this valley. Married April 21st, 1875, to Miss Marjary E. Constant, of Central Point, also a native of Sangamon county, Ill., and who crossed the plains in 1852- Went into a mercantile business at Central Point in October 1868, where he still resides. His father took up a donation claim on Foot's creek in August, 1854. His mother died near Oregon City, March 9, 1846; and his father, in Jackson county July, 7, 1875.
FREDERICK MARK. The well known furniture manufacturer of Marshfield, Coos county, is a native of Copen- hagen, Denmark, born June 19, 1830. At the age of fourteen Mr. Marks began to learn the cabinet maker's and piano manu- facturer's trades both of which he mastered, and worked at different places in Europe for thirteen years. When 32 years old he returned to Copenhagen, a master workman. He concluded to start in business for himself and opened a furniture factory in the above place where he remained until July 1867, he then came to America and worked at his trade in Chicago for four years. In May, 1870, Mr. M. came to San Francisco and a few weeks later to Portland, where he worked in the Oregon Iron Works as pattern maker for two years. In February 1873 he came to Marshfield, Coos county, and started a furniture factory and in the fall of that year puchased his present property on which stands his residence and factory consisting of over half a block and bounded by Front, Church and Pine streets. A view of his property will be found in this work. Mr. Mark was married in Copenhagen, to Miss Mary Eickworth, a native of Bremen, they have one daughter, Jennie.
WILLIAM M. MATHES, whose home-one and a half milles northeast of Phoenix-is illustrated in this volume, was born in Westmoreland county, Penn., November 9, 1829. At the age of eight years his father died, when his mother with the children removed to Huntington county, on the Juniatta river, and from thence, when William was twenty, came to Fulton county, Ill. In 1852 he crossed the plains to Oregon. At John Day's river his company was broken up and managing to secure a pony on which to pack his clothes and a single blanket he procured two pounds of flour and started out by himself to complete the journey. Arriving in the neighborhood of the Deschutes river he learned of a new crossing and hurriedly hearing the directions pushed forward hoping to cross before night. But losing the way he traveled on, he new not whither, until late in the night. Finally all appearance of a road disappearing, and groping his way through darkness and brush he espied what seemed to be an impenetrable gloom of darkness just in front of him. Deeming it wise to halt here for the balance of the night, and hastily fastening the pony to a tree, he wrapped himself in his blanket and was soon in the arms of morpheus. At early dawn he awoke from his slumbers and was horrified to find himself on the very brink of a huge precipice whose yawning cavern below was the impenetrable gloom of the night before. On the 18th day of August, he left Barlows in a rain which increased in violence all day and continued all the succeeding night. At nightfall he came across a camp of emigrants consisting of one man and his wife and seven children and also the grandmother of the children. Of the team, "one ox " only was alive. The women and children were all piled in the wagon. The man was trying to keep comfortable by a log fire he had kindled for the purpose. Here Mr. Mathes concluded to spend the night and with this unhappy emigrant kept sleepless watch all that night of storm and rain without food or shelter-the pony sharing the fire with the men, turning first one side and then the other to the fire. At early dawn the journey was resumed, and breaking a piece of bread from the cake he had made of his two pounds of flour, he ate it as he traveled. At ten o'clock he encountered a company of emigrants from Peoria, Ill. Arriving at this place the evening previous, eleven of their horses, poor from the long trip of scanty feed, exhausted from the travel, and chilled by the rain of the previous day, had perished during the night. Still pressing on, at the crossing of a rapid mountain stream he saw two men leading and supporting a poor horse upon whose back a woman and three children were being carried across the water, and to their destination, all other means of travel having been previously lost in the terrible journey. This day he crossed Little Sandy, whose swollen waters carried him and his pony some distance below the ford where it was with great difficulty that the latter made the land. The rain having ceased, the second night was spent in comparative comfort, barring hunger. Here the balance of his little store of provisions was eaten. The next evening he arrived at Foster's where there was plenty to cat, and his sufferings for the time being were at an end -- but not the journey. Starting from home for the mines, he never stopped until he reached them at Jacksonville in September of that year, (1852). From Jacksonville he went to Jackass creek where he spent the memorable winter of 1852-3, living for two months on very poor venison without salt, even. Returning in the spring to Jackson creck he barely escaped striking a fortune there, which so disgusted him that he left the mines forever and settled on the land where he now resides, in May, 1853. In 1861, Mr. Mathes returned to the Atlantic states; was married October 3rd of that year and with his wife returned to Oregon and the homestead in 1863. In 1873, he returned to Wisconsin and brought his mother to the coast. Mrs. Mathes' maiden name was Christina Riddle. She was born in Edinburg, Scotland, January 16, 1842. The children are Harry G., Bertha L., Mary S., George W., Jessie A. and Donald Clyde.
GENERAL JOHN MARSHALL McCALL, who represented Jackson county in the assembly in 1876, and whose portrait appears in this work, to use the language of Professor Huxley, is "a man so trained in youth that his body is the ready servant of his will, and does with ease and pleasure all the work that as a mechanism it is capable of; whose intellect is a clear, logical engine, with all its parts of equal strength, and in smooth working order. ready. like a steam engine, to be turned to any kind of work, and spin the gossamers as well as forge the anchors of the mind." And this, indeed, is the man so familiarly called General McCall. He is, so to speak, one of those men whose brain is well proportioned to his body. Ile never stops to consider trifles, and never reaches after the impossible or impracticable. He gives proper attention to the details of his business. but would not like to be detailed to do so. He has a powerful mind, and what adds to its strange
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the fact that it is his own. It will not brook insult nor be dictated to. It abhors presumption and detests flattery. In short, he is a self-made man. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on January 15, 1825. He emigrated to Louisa county, Iowa, in 1842, and from there crossed the plains with ox teams to Oregon in 1850, and in the year 1852 settled in Jack- son county. It was in 1859 he located at Ashland, where he purchased an interest in the Ashland Flouring Mill. The year 1861 will be ever memorable as the period when a great dissension between two vast sections of the country threatened the dis- memberment of the nation. The consequence was, that in many places throughout the coast, military regiments were organ- ized for the emergency that was expected to arise at any moment. Among other organizations of this character, the Ist Ore- gon cavalry was raised, and the subject of this sketch was the first to respond. He was commissioned second lieutenant of company"D," and in 1865 was promoted to captain. It was during this year that he commanded an escort to B. J. Pengra, that gentleman having in charge a surveying party in laying out the wagon road from Eugene City to Stein Mountain. General McCall remained with the party at Fort Klamath, and in the following spring was honorably discharged at Vancouver, and immediately returned to his old home at Ashland. In the spring of 1867, at the solicitation of many citizens of the place, he founded tbe woolen mills, which to-day is one of the prominent enterprises of Ashland. In 1883 he was commissioned briga- dier-general of the Oregon State Militia by Governor John L. Moody, which position he has maintained to the present writing. General McCall has been twice married; the first was to Miss Theresa R. Applegate, on April 30, 1868. The second was to Mrs. M. E. Brown, nee Mary E. Anderson, on July 4, 1876. His children are: Lydia T., Elsie May and John A.
DAVID C. McCLALLEN was born in Essex, Chittenden county, Vermont, October 27, 1829, and there resided until seventeen years of age. He then went to Kingsville, New York, and entered a large manufactory there as apprentice to the carriage makers' trade, at which he served a regular term of four years. He then concluded to go west, and located in Urbana, Illinois, and there engaged in the carriage and wagon making business until May, 1859, when with his wife and one son, he started via. New York and Panama to Oregon. After a voyage of some two months they arrived within the borders of Douglas county, first settling at Oakland, where he again engaged at his former business until 1865. After engaging in the hotel business in Canyonville for two years, he transferred his interest to Roseburg, and in 1867 purchased the "Metropolitan Hotel" of that place, and was himself its genial landlord until 1875, when he retired from business and leased his hotel. At the present time he is taking the comforts of a prosperous life, mainly engaged in looking after his real estate interests in the town. A view of "The Metropolitan" will be found in this work. There are but few of the residents of Douglas county who do not know D. C. McClallen, and few men stand higher in the community in which he lives, as he is justly known for his uni form kindness and generosity. Mr. McClallen was married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 1, 1857, to Miss Electa Bur- dick, a native of New York state. By this union they had eight children, three of whom are living, viz: Harry, Ernest and Roy. JOHN MURPHY .- A little way off the road leading from Ashland to Major Barrons, and nestled among the mountains, is the home of this old pioneer. It is a lovely spot and we have selected it as one of the illustrations in these pages. John Murphy was born in county Cork, Ireland, in December, 1820. He came to the United States in May, 1847, and located in Orange county, New York; thence to Iowa in 1852, settling in Lee county. The following year he crossed the plains to Oregon, with some of the settlers who are now his neighbors, and located in Jackson county. After working for a short time at the Mountain House ranch, he settled on his present farm which consists of twenty-two hundred acres. In 1853 Mr. Murphy joined Captain Williams' company and engaged in the war with the Rogue River Indians, remaining until its close. In 1854 a band of marauding Indians came near Mr. Murphy's house, where they killed an ox belonging to Myron Sterns. A party of settlers followed the Indians, and coming up to Murphy's cabin and not finding him there they supposed he had been killed. But when they had proceeded a little way up the creek there was Mr. Murphy planting potatoes and he knew nothing of the Indians having been in the neighborhood. The subject of our sketch joined the settlers, who followed the trail of the Indians to Grizzly Rock, put them to rout and broke up their camp at that place. In July, 1858, Mr. Murphy went to San Francisco and married Mary Goodwin. Mrs. Ann Murphy, the mother of the subject of this sketch, is now residing near Ashland with her daughter and enjoys good health, her reasoning faculties are well preserved and she is now ninety-two years old.
W. C. MYER .- W. C. Myer and Elizabeth Nessly were born in Jefferson county, Ohio, the former April 22, 1818, and the latter June 17, 1820. They were married on the 3rd of April, 1849, and set out immediately for Iowa, to which place Mr. Myer in company with his father's family, had removed in 1843. In 1853 the numerous Myer family, including the subject of this sketch, took up the line of march to the Pacific, arriving in Rogue river valley on September 3rd, of that year, and set- tling three miles north of Ashland. Engaging in the stock business Mr. Myer soon found himself surrounded with a large herd of horses. Wishing to improve the stock of this herd he went East in 1865, and brought out the noted horse Capt. Sligart. In 1869, not altogether satisfied with his adopted home, and desiring to find a market for his rapidly increasing stock, he deter- mined to return to the Western states, which he reached in the autumn of that year and settled in Kansas. Here he disposed of his horses and betook himself to farming. One year, however, of the climate of that country, with its doubtful crops satis- fied him that he had made a great mistake and turned his longing eyes and glad feet again toward the Pacific. During his Kansas experience however he never for a day even-forget his favorite-the horse. Industriously searching the records and the country, he found his ideal in the Percheron, and hastily selling his Kansas farm, bought White Prince, Doll, Maggie and Perche and returned to this country December, 1870. So rapid was the increase of this stock and so great the demand for it, that Mr. Myer found it necessary to make new importations. In 1872 he returned East and brought out Napoleon. With this importa- tion he also brought out four Jersey cattle : one bull St. Louis, one cow Nacky, and two heifers. To these he has added from time to time by importations from the best milkers in California as the nature of the case demanded. Mr. Myer's fourth impor- tation of stock from the Atlantic to the Pacific was made in 1876 when he brought out Pride of Perche, Gen. Fleury, White Rose and Jennie. In 1878 the fifth importation, consisting of an Arabian Percheron, named Arabian Boy, and the filly Juanita, was made. This filly which appears elsewhere in the book, in Mr. Myer's group of fine stock, was raised by Colon Cameron of Brickersfield, Penn. Arabian Boy was sired hy the pure blooded Jenifer Arabian imported from Arabia by Col. Jenifer an American Officer of Egyptian Cavalry fame. He is the only Percheron Arabian in the United States. He may be seen in the
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group. With this importation Mr. Myer brought out a small lot of Cotswold sheep for J. P. Walker and a small lot of Durham cattle for E. F. Walker. Also for himself four Sheltand Ponies. Two of these were brought from the Shetland Islands that year and two were bred in the United States, the Stallion -- Bobby Burns -- by Alexander, of Kentucky. Taking advantage of the invitation given by the N. P. R. R. Co., in the autumn of 1883 to the pioneers of the Pacific, Mr. Myer made his sixth importation of fine stock, bringing the celebrated horse Gambetta and a Shetland stallion both imported to America the same year and both of which also appear in his group. In this importation there were six Jerseys, one bull and five heifers, all directly descended from the best butter producers in the United States. Some of their anscestors have sold as follows: several for $2,000 each and one for $12,500. These Jerseys also appear in the group. Percheron horses bred from Mr. Myer's importations have found their way to British Columbia and Southern California, and from the Pacific throughout Oregon and Washington and Montana territories, and in all this territory are giving the very best of satisfaction. As additional evidence of the enterprising character of this gentleman we record the fact that to him belongs the credit of introducing to Rogue river valley the first gang- plow, the first improved Haines header and the first screw pulverizer; and to him and his brother Frank the first horse fork for hoisting and stacking hay. Though more than a decade past the meridian of life, Mr. Myer is more active and energetic than many other men at that very desirable epoch. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Mycr are Frances, now Mrs. Billings, and William.
ANDREW NASBURG was born July 8, 1839, in the parish of Forsa, near Hudixwall, Sweden. At the age of ten years he emigrated with his mother and one sister to America, (his father had died some years previous), where they settled first in Henry county, Illinois. About the time of our subject's departure from Sweden, two of his brothers, John and Olif, embarked from another port, and during their oceanic trip a remarkable coincidence occurred, in which the respective vessels, carrying the family, met in mid-ocean, where the mother, sister and brothers were permitted to communicate with each other. After ten years residence in Illinois, Andrew, in company with his brother John, started for the Pacific coast, April 6, 1859. They came via Panama, and arrived at their destination, Port Orford, May 20, 1859. Here young Nasburg engaged his ser- vices to H. B. Tichenor & Co., proprietors of a saw mill, and continued with the company between four and five years, except- ing a portion of several winters, which time he employed in attending school. By the spring of 1864, through industry and economy, Mr. Nasburg had saved enough to embark on his own account in the mercantile line at Port Orford, being subse- quently appointed postmaster at that place. Three years experience satisfied our young merchant, when he purchased a farm near Marshfield, which he cultivated until December 3, 1869. The next move was to open a general merchandise store in Marshfield. In the spring of 1873 he formed a copartnership with Thomas Hirst in the same line. These gentlemen in 1875 erected a commodious store building, (a view of which appears in this history), 40x60 feet, where they are now doing business. Mr. Nasburg married, April 19, 1871, Miss Emma Hirst, who is a native of Hanging Rock, Ohio. By this union they have had five children, viz: Louisa C., Willie, Chester (now deceased), Harry and Claude.
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