Portrait and biographical record of Portland and vicinity, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 68

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 946

USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > Portrait and biographical record of Portland and vicinity, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present > Part 68

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On the paternal farm in Cocke county, Tenn., George W. Bibee was born December 2, 1862, and was educated primarily in the district schools near his home. His first business venture in Tennessee was as a merchant, a line of occu- pation continued until his removal to Oregon in 1886. In this state he located at Sheridan, Yamhill county, in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, with whom he re- mained for three years, and after which he en- gaged in the mercantile business for ten years. While in Sheridan he took an active part in the affairs of the town, was postmaster for four years under President Mckinley, and was ac- counted one of the broad-minded and liberal promoters of the public welfare. October 8, 1901, Mr. Bibee was appointed to his present position as receiver for the United States Land Office at Oregon City, an appointment which was officially confirmed by the senate June 8,

1902. his active assumption of office taking place July 16, 1902. Thereupon Mr. Bibee sold out his mercantile business, resigned the postmaster- ship, and took up his residence in Oregon City, which has since been his home.

In Sheridan, Yamhill county, Mr. Bibee was united in marriage with Nettie Chapman, a na- tive of Sheridan, and daughter of William Chapman, who was born in the state of New York, and came to Oregon in 1852. Mr. Chap- man married Lorinda Bewley, who was in the Whitman massacre, and was captured and made a prisoner by the Indians. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bibee, Jessie, Lulu, William and Charles. Politically Mr. Bibee has taken his place beside the stanchest supporters of the Republican party, and the interests of which he served as a member of the Yamhill county committee for eight years, and also as a member of the congressional committee. Fra- ternally hs is associated with Sheridan Lodge No. 64, A. F. & A. M .; the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, for sixteen years in Sheridan ; the Woodmen of the World, and the Ancient Order United Workmen. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been a trustee for ten years. Mr. Bibee is a man of marked ability, sterling personal charac- teristics and unquestioned public spirit.

F. A. SLEIGHT. In Mr. Sleight Clackamas county his a worthy official in the capacity of county clerk, whose election to office was not of his own seeking, and proves that a man can hold public office without being termed a politician, as that word is usually interpreted. From early boy- hood he had an earnest desire to be a fruitgrower, and that his highest hopes in that respect have been realized will be assured when we say that he is now one of the leading horticulturists of Clack- amas county, and, indeed, we might say of the state. His ranch of forty-five acres is planted to prunes. apples and strawberries almost exclui- sively, and is admirably situated for easy shipping facilities, being adjacent to Canby. Besides his fruit farin he is interested in the Willamette Fruit Company. Born in Rockford, Ill., Septem- ber 27. 1850, his early days were spent in glean- ing an education in its public schools, and subse- quently he began his business education by taking a position as clerk in a commercial establishment. later taking up the study of bookkeeping. He made his home in Rockford until 1889, in which vear he removed to Portland, there engaging in the canning business. In the spring of 1890 he removed to Oregon City, where he has since re- sided. For two seasons he was assistant superin- tendent of the Oregon City Packing Company. of which he was one of the incorporators, and for

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five years thereafter was interested in a grocery store. In the meantime, in 1892, he purchased his present place, and in 1896 became actively en- gaged in his favorite business, fruit raising.

The father, Peter Sleight, a native of Orleans county, N. Y., settled in Illinois in the early days and was long identified with the interests of Rockford. By trade he was a mechanic. His wife, Lucinda Rockwell, was also born in New York. Her father, William Rockwell, a shoe- maker by trade, was of French descent. In pio- neer days he settled in Winnebago county, Ill. Two of his sons participated in the Civil war, Lucius D. serving in the Seventy-fourth Illinois Infantry, and Joseph in the Fifteenth Illinois In- fantry. Mrs. Lucinda Sleight died here in 1891.

In Rockford, Ill., occurred the marriage of Mr. Sleight and Miss Belle A. Scougall, the lat- ter also a native of that city. Three children were born of this marriage, namely: Roy. Bessie, and Anna. While business affairs consume the most of his time, yet Mr. Sleight takes a deep interest in fraternal matters. He was made an Odd Fel- low in Canby Lodge, of which he is vice noble grand, and is a member of the Encampment, be- sides being connected with the Artisans, Wood- men of America and Warner Grange. June 2, 1902, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for the office of county clerk and was elected by a good plurality, taking the oath of office July 7, 1902. He is also ex-officio clerk of the county court, commissioners court and circuit court.

THOMAS E. HULME. The chief inspector of plumbing and drainage of the city of Portland is first of all a practical plumber, and latterly a profound student of sanitation and general muni- cipal conditions. To the discharge of his im- portant responsibility he brings the worthy traits of his English ancestry, augmented by a thorough education, and years of business experience. He was born in London, England, April 3, 1869, and during the latter part of his residence in his na- tive land attended a school in Southport, Eng- land. His father, Thomas Hulme, was also a native of England, and was a successful merchant in the city of London. About 1878 he brought his family to America, settling in Little Rock, Ark., where he conducted a large mercantile busi- ness up to the time of his removal to Portland in 1887. At the present time he is engaged in mining in Rossland, British Columbia. The pa- ternal grandfather made several trips to America, but eventually died in his native land, England. Of the children born to Thomas Hulme and his wife, Thomas E. is the oldest; Edward is a graduate of Leland Stanford, Harvard and Cor- nell, and is now professor in the University of Idaho; Henry is a plumber of Seattle ; Elizabeth

is now Mrs. Joseph Lee of Seattle; Robert is a resident of Portland ; and Charles is also living in Portland.

When nine years of age Thomas E. Hulme left the school at Southport and came to America with the other members of his family. He lo- cated with them in Little Rock, Ark., and when fourteen years of age was apprenticed to a plumber in St. Louis, thereafter completing his trade under the Doyle Plumbing Company of Little Rock. In 1887 he removed to Portland and found employment with the firm of Gardner & Company, plumbers, and afterward plied his trade in Anaconda, Mont., and Los Angeles and San Francisco, Cal. Returning to Portland he was identified with the firm of Chambers & Com- pany for about two years, and in 1898 was ap- pointed hydrant inspector in the fire department by Chief Campbell, and under Mayor Mason. In 1900 he was appointed inspector of plumbing and drainage by Mayor Rowe, and held the position throughout the term of that executive. In 1902 Mr. Huline was appointed to the same position by Mayor George H. Williams, his responsibility at the present time being a serious one because in all its history Portland has never moved for- ward with such rapid pace, or planned for the erection of so many large buildings and spacious residences.

The marriage of Mr. Hulme and Catherine Moloney occurred in Portland in October, 1899. Mrs. Hulme is a native of San Francisco, and daughter of P. Moloney, one of the pioneers of Oregon and California, now a resident of Port- land, and a veteran of the Indian wars. One child, Elizabeth, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hulme. Mr. Hulme is a member of the Wood- men of the World, and in political preference is a Republican. He is an unquestioned master of his chosen occupation, and in the estimation of the authorities has no superior in the northwest.

JOHN HOLLAND DALY. Unquestionably the most vivid and terrifying experience in the life of John Holland Daly, one of the large farmers of Clackamas county, is centered around his trip across the plains in 1858. It is doubt- ful if many have reached the western slope under greater difficulties. Mr. Daly was born in Sullivan county, Mo., November 19, 1848, and in his youth traveled around considerable, his father's ambition leading him into various coun- ties in the middle west.

John L. Daly, the father of John Holland, was born in Lexington, Ky .. April 25, 1809, and went with his parents to Missouri in 1821, settling in Howard county. Thereafter he lived and owned land in Jackson, Sullivan and Putnam counties, and was reasonably successful in all these places.

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In 1858 he made preparation to take his family to California, his son, John, being at that time nine years of age. The route of the large train was through Mexico and Arizona, and was called the Baal route, and from all accounts was about as dangerous as any that could have been se- lected. September 5, 1858, which happened to be Sunday, proved a sorry one for the hopeful little band of travelers, for, upon arriving at the Colorado river, the Mojave Indians prac- tically cleaned them out of all they possessed. They took all of the cattle, and though heavily armed, the emigrants were not equal to the prowess of the red men, for many of their num- ber were severely injured. Captain Brown, who escorted the train, was shot full of arrows while dealing with the Indians, but managed to sit his horse until reaching camp, when he fell dead. This brave and unfortunate defender was defer- entially buried in the Colorado river by his com- rades, who also gathered up the wounded in a light ambulance, leaving all the heavy wagons behind them, and retreating back to Mexico with all possible speed. Mr. Daly settled in Albu- querque, New Mexico, until the spring of 1860, and then removed to a claim on the Rio Bonita. In 1861 he left his farm and joined the Union troops at Fort Union, N. M., remained under their protection until going to California, April 28, 1862, via Denver, Colo. During the Salmon river excitement he settled in Baker county in the fall of 1862, and in 1872 located in Sonoma county, Cal., where he bought land, and where the balance of his life was passed. His death occurred in 1887, and his passing was deeply regretted by all, who appreciated his character and enter- prise, for he was not only a good farmer, but was prominently identified with many public undertakings in California and in the middle west. His wife, Irene (Morrow) Daly, was born in Paris, Ky., February 5, 1814, the daugh- ter of a southern planter prominent in his native state. Mrs. Daly, who died in 1877, ten years before her husband, was the mother of fourteen children, eight sons and six daughters, of whom John Holland is the tenth oldest.

The early schooling of John Holland Daly comprised one term in Missouri, two terms in Mexico, and two terms in Oregon. At the age of seventeen he departed from the home sur- roundings and worked as a farm hand for a year, and thereafter engaged in mining in Union, Baker and Jackson counties, his mining expe- riences covering the years between 1863 and 1882. He then went to the Willamette Valley and rented land until 1891, in which year he bought eighty acres near Macksburg, in the brush, upon which he built a residence and gran- ary, and of which he has cleared thirty acres. Mr. Daly engaged in general farming to a lim-

ited extent, devoting the greater part of his cul- tivated land to hop raising, in which he has been very successful. He is one of the enterprising and popular farmers of his county, and is known in various social and other capacities. Mr. Daly has been a stanch defender of the Democratic party, and his constituents have elected him to various offices, among others that of road super- visor and school director. Fraternally he is con- nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Grange.

The wife of Mr. Daly was formerly Sarah J. Graves, who was born on the Little Blue river, Kans., while her parents were on their way across the plains in 1849. The parents came to Oregon. settling at Graves Butte, now Mount Angel. and later locating near Newport, where Mr. Graves is at present a prominent man. John P. Graves was born in Virginia, and when a child settled with his parents in Missouri, where he lived until coming to Oregon in 1849. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Daly, of whom Dora M. is now Mrs. Philip H. Tucker, and lives on a farm near Macksburg: while Nora Irene is the wife of Charles Griffith, a mining and engineering promoter of Denver, Colo.

CAREL HOWELL. At the time of purchase in 1867, twenty of the one hundred and sixty acre farm of Carel Howell had been cleared of timber and undergrowth, and was therefore a mitch less discouraging proposition than falls to the lot of many who come here with large ex- pectations regarding farming possibilities. At the present time one hundred and twenty acres are under cultivation, and in addition to general farming and some stock-raising, Mr. Howell does a large business in fruit drying.

The youth and early manhood of Mr. Howell were passed on his father's farm in Washing- ton county, Ark., where he was born June 11, 1837. His father, James, was born in Nashville, Tenn .. in 1800, and died in 1862. The elder Howell removed to Arkansas about 1833. where he plied his trade of brick-mason for a num- ber of years, or until 1845, after which he lo- cated on a farm, where the remainder of his life was spent. His son, Carel, was reared to an appreciation of the dignity of labor, but as he grew older had ambitions which lay beyond the confines of his father's farm. He therefore joined a company bound for the western sea, and. with four yoke of oxen, managed to reach the head of the Rogue river, having been six months on the trip. In the mines of Josephine county he experimented for about three years, and then went to Canyon City, in Eastern Ore- gon, where he engaged as foreman on several claims. 1867 found him in Springwater, where

SEBASTIAN E. MILLER.

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he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, comprising the old Presley Warnack donation claim, upon which he has since made his home.

In 1866 Mr. Howell married Mary F. War- nack, of which union there were born eleven children, viz .: Maggie, deceased; Presley; Wi- ley; Frank; Carroll; George; Harry; Archie; Sarah ; Jennie, now Mrs. Marshbank, of Spring- water, and Flossie. The unmarried children are living with their parents. For thirty-five years Mr. Howell has traveled through this section of the country with a threshing machine, being the first man to introduce one in this section. Mr. Howell in independent in politics, and has creditably filled the office of school director for six years. He is one of the progressive and suc- cessful farmers of this district, and while labor- ing for the betterment of the community has won the confidence and esteem of his fellow-towns- inen.

SEBASTIAN E. MILLER. Like all navig- able rivers, the Willamette has its early maritime history, and its boats, crews and captains are en- rolled among the developing forces of this sec- tion. One whose name had more than a local reputation in the pioneer days was Capt. Sebas- tian E. Miller, a tried and trusted river man, who began as engineer, worked his way up to the position of pilot, and finally became captain, in which latter capacity he served for about thirty-five years. He was born in Kentucky April 15, 1828, and came across the plains to Oregon in 1852. He was one of the first cap- tains on the Willamette river, and became en- gineer of the first large boat, the Canemah. Cap- tain Miller died very suddenly of a paralytic stroke, Thursday, September 12, 1901, at which time he was living a comparatively retired life. Many expressions of regret were heard because of his unexpected demise, for he made friends and kept them, and was known as the personifica- tion of sincerity and honor. Quiet and unos- tentatious, he never desired notoriety, but quietly pursued his interesting occupation from year to year.

Mr. Miller was one of a large party who crossed the plains in 1852, among whom was Sarah E. Power, born in Virginia February 13, 1829, a daughter of Josiah Power, also a native of Virginia, and a farmer by occupation. Mr. Power left Virginia at a comparatively early age, and became one of the pioneers of Ohio, his death occurring in Washington county, that state, at the age of eighty-four years. He mar- ried Harriett McNab, also born in Virginia, who bore him six daughters and three sons, of whom Mrs. Miller is third oldest. She was educated in the private schools of Ohio, known as the early

subscription schools, and was eighteen months old when her parents removed to the Buckeye state. The acquaintance begun in childhood and continued upon the plains with Sebastian E. Mil- ler terminated most happily in Oregon City, in February, 1853, when the marriage ceremony was performed, uniting this couple who were henceforth to be of so great consolation and help to each other. Of the two children born of this union one is deceased; and Malissa Jane is now the wife of George Bolton, and lives with her mother, Mrs. Miller, in Oregon City. Mr. Miller was a Republican in political prefer- ence, and was fraternally connected with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows.

PHILANDER T. DAVIS. Various inter- ests have enlisted the abilities of P. T. Davis, and several farms have been improved from the bush under his patient and well applied indus- try. His present farm, purchased in 1893, is composed of forty acres, is under a high state of cultivation, and is well fitted with residence, outhouses and all modern and labor-saving de- vices. In selecting his commodities for market Mr. Davis relies chiefly on hay and potatoes, and has found them not only well adapted to his land, but exceedingly remunerative. He is a practical, thrifty, and progressive farmer, and his place bears every evidence of careful man- agement and sound business judgment.

A native of Madison county, Ind., Mr. Davis was born March 20, 1844, and is a son of Rich- ard and Edna (Thomas) Davis, natives respect- ively of Virginia and Ohio, and the former born December 16, 1809. Richard Davis re- moved with his parents to Indiana in 1818, and was one of the very first white settlers of his neighborhood, his nearest neighbor being several miles distant. In 1853 he became a resident of Clarke county, lowa, and two years later re- moved to Adair county, the same state, from whence he removed to Oregon in 1868. In the old-time way, with ox teams and wagons, the family made the tedious journey across the plains, and upon reaching Clackamas county, Mr. Davis purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land, which he improved and lived upon for the remainder of his days, retiring from active work a few years before his death at the age of eighty-four years. Eleven children were born to these pioneer parents, ten of whom are living, Philander T. being the fourth oldest.

The necessity for hard work on the paternal farm interfered somewhat with the early edu- cation of P. T. Davis, yet this deficiency has been counteracted to a great extent in later years. The breaking out of the Civil war furnished an opportunity for really worth while activity on

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his part, and he cnlisted in 1862, in Company D, Twenty-ninth Iowa, and participated in va- rious important battles, chiefly in Arkansas, and was at Mobile and Fort Whistler. He was mustered out in New Orleans August 10, 1865, and thereafter returned to Iowa, and was mustered out of the service at Mount Pleas- ant, August 15, 1865. Mr. Davis thereafter farmed upon the forty acres presented him by his father, but disposed of the same two years later, after determining to spend the remainder of his life in the west.

In 1869 Mr. Davis crossed the plains, settled in Clackamas county, and homesteaded one hun- dred acres of land, which he afterward proved up and improved. Ten years later he sold this property and bought twenty-four acres of land near by, improved that also, built several build- ings thereon, but eventually sold that. In 1888 be bought a sawmill, and for five years engaged in this interesting occupation, achieving a fair measure of success as a lumberman. His pur- chase of his present farm followed his sawmill experience, and has since experienced a most de- served success. Mr. Davis is a Republican in national politics, and has been a member of the school board for the past sixteen years. He is fraternally associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was married in Iowa to Jennie, daughter of Charles Hayes, the latter of whom was born in the east, and was a farmer in Illinois and Iowa, being an early settler of the former state. Mrs. Davis, who was born in Illinois, is the mother of three children : Charles R., who is an engineer in Washington : Hattie E., who is the wife of H. A. Webster, a lawyer of Clackamas, and deputy fish warden of the county of that name, and Arthur, who is living at home. Mr. Davis is broad-minded, en- terprising and progressive, and represents the best element among the farming population of Clackamas county.

MICHAEL BAUER. Since coming to Ore- gon in 1898 Mr. Bauer has made his home in Clackamas county, where he is the owner and occupant of a well improved farm near New Era. He was born in Germany, November 1, 1874, and is a son of Raymond and Anna Mary ( Bauer) Batter, both natives of Germany, and not related, though bearing the same family name. His father settled in North Dakota in 1887 and established his home in Ramsey county, where he bought a tract of six hundred and eighty acres. On coming to Oregon, in 1898, he located with his son in Clackamas county, and has since made his home in this place, be- ing now sixty-six years of age. Recently he

disposed of his former homestead in North Da- kota. His wife is now sixty years of age. Of their two sons and one daughter, Michael is next to the oldest. He aided his father in bringing the North Dakota homestead under cultivation, and on removing to Oregon bought ninety- eight acres near New Era, which lies three miles to the east. Here he built a substantial country home and barns that are well adapted to their various needs. The property is devoted to gen- eral farm purposes in the main, sixty acres being under cereals and fifteen acres under potatoes.

The marriage of Mr. Bauer united him with Anna Mary Griesshaber, who was born in Ore- gon. Her father, Andrew Griesshaber, a native of Baden, Germany, born November 15, 1853, was a son of Ignace Griesshaber, a native of the same locality. By occupation Ignace Griess- haber was a stone mason, and worked in a quarry. At the time of his death, in 1871, he was forty-three years of age; his wife, whose maiden name was Annie Shuman, died in 1870, at forty-five years of age. Their son, Andrew, received a common-school education, and ar- riving at manhood turned his attention to farm- ing, in which at first he worked for others. During 1873 he crossed the Atlantic to America and after a voyage of nine days arrived in New York, whence he proceeded to Michigan and took up farm pursuits. Conditions in America he found more satisfactory than in his own land, which he had left in order to avoid undesired but enforced service in the army. After three years spent in Michigan he came west to Oregon and for a year worked on a farm near Salem, thence going to Turner, where he was employed for a year. On his return he worked for a year, and in 1879 came to the property three miles east of New Era, where he still makes his home. The tract of eighty-one acres which he bought had no improvements whatever, and only forty acres had been placed under cultivation. His was the difficult task of making the needed im- provements and bringing the balance of the land under desired cultivation. In 1896 he erected a farm house, and at different times he has built the barns and granaries that the successful prose- cution of his work demands. Besides raising general farm products he has a number of stock and also gives attention to the poultry business.

Mr. Griesshaber's marriage was with Kate Frederick, who was born in Baden, and died in June, 1901, at forty-eight years of age. They were the parents of six children, namely : Anna, Ida, and Hermann; Arlie, who is employed in Port- land ; Maggie and Francis at home. For three years Mr. Griesshaber has served as a school di- rector. He is a member of the New Era Grange, and in politics is a Republican. In matters re- ligious he affiliates with the Catholic Church of

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Portrait and biographical record of Portland and vicinity, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 68

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 946

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 946