Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 105

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, The Chapman Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1622

USA > Oregon > Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present > Part 105

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but his mother was a lady of rare intellectual attainments and his early knowledge of books was gained at her knee. She not only instilled into his mind lessons that proved a foundation for broad literary learning, but also planted in his mind lessons of truth and uprightness which developed into a character that has ever com- manded the highest respect. Early in life his mind seemed to possess an analytical turn and when he had attained his majority it seemed but natural that he should take up the study of law. In July, 1845, having read quite extensively, lie was admitted to the bar and licensed to practice in the courts of Missouri. He remained a men- ber of the legal profession of that state until 1853 and in the meantime met in forensic com- bat some men of ability who were forced to acknowledge his skill. At the age of eighteen he had been commissioned a captain of militia and two years later he was promoted to the rank of major, but not only military honors awaited him, but political as well, for in 1844 he was elected to represent his district in the legislature.

While Colonel Kelsay won distinction as a legislator and lawyer in Missouri the far west attracted him. He believed that amid the natural resources and great opportunities of Oregon lie might find a broad field of labor, and therefore in 1853 he crossed the plains, arriving in Ben- ton county in September of that year. Immedi- ately afterward he entered upon his practice, opening an office in Corvallis, and while he won distinction in that way, he was ever alive to the best interests of the county and state and co- operated in many measures for the general good. On the breaking out of the Rogue river war lie organized a company with which he went to the south and took an active part in the contest against the Indians. He thien resumed his legal business and his clientage constantly grew and became of a nature distinctively representative. His knowledge of the law, his fitness for leader- ship and his marked ability led to his selection for honors somewhat outside of the strict path of his profession and yet having close connec- tion with the welfare of the territory. In 1857 he served as chairman of the military committee on forming the state constitution. Again in 1868 he was called to public office, being elected a judge of the supreme court of the state, and upon the bench he showed himself the peer of the ablest men who have ever graced the higher court. While upon the bench he carefully lifted the judicial ermine above the inire of parties. Devotedly attached to his profession, systematic and methodical in habit, soher and discreet in judgment, calm in temper, diligent in research, conscientious in the discharge of every duty, courteous and kind in demeanor and inflexibly just on all occasions, these qualities enable Judge

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Kelsay to take first rank among those who have held the highest judicial office in the state and made him the conservator of that justice wherein lies the safeguard of individual liberty and hap- pincss and the defense of our national institu- tions.

While residing in Missouri in December, 1846, Judge Kelsay was united in marriage to Miss Martha C. Monroe, a daughter of General Mon- roe, one of the distinguished and eminent cit- izens of that state. Her death occurred No- vember 20, 1854, and for his second wife the judge wedded Miss Countner, by whom he had two children, Annie and Lyman P., the latter dying in the Philippine Islands.

Judge Kelsay was a man of broad mind and liberal views, strong in his convictions and thor- oughly in earnest in whatever work he under- took. He gained a high place in his profession by hard work, and few lawyers have made a more lasting impression upon the bar of the state, both for legal ability of a high order and for the intellectuality which impresses itself upon a community.

JOSEPH M. NOLAN. Where the sons of Erin are found, there are also found good citi- zens and enterprising business men. Versatil- ity, energy and adaptability are the characteris- tics of the men that Ireland has sent to the new world, and J. M. Nolan of this review is a worthy scion of his race. He is now a leading merchant in Corvallis, and widely known in the valley. His birth occurred in Dublin, Ireland. 111 December, 1842, his parents being Matthew and Judith (Tiernan) Nolan, who were also natives of the Emerald Isle. The father was a farmer by occupation and came of a family that through generations had followed agricultural pursuits. By his marriage he had eight children, of whom our subject is the seventh in order of birth and the only one in America.

Reared upon his father's farm until sixteen years of age J. M. Nolan during that time acquired a good practical education in the national schools. He then entered upon an apprenticeship in a general mercantile store in Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland, where he served for a term of five years, and afterward contin- ued in the employ of the same house for nine consecutive years-a fact which indicates unmis- takably his fidelity to the interests of his employers and his absolute trustworthiness. He afterward went to the city of Dublin, where he was employed as a clerk in a large dry goods store until 1872, when he resolved to come to the United States. He made the voyage across the Atlantic to Quebec and thence crossed the continent to San Francisco, where he secured a

clerkship in a dry goods establishment, remain- ing there until 1877, when he came to Oregon, settling in Albany. There he started in business on his own account, having a capital of a few hundred dollars which he had accumulated in San Francisco. He prospered in his new under- taking and in May, 1884, seeking a broader field of labor, he moved his stock to Corvallis, where he is now conducting a large dry goods and clothing business. He has built up an excellent trade through honorable methods, and in all his dealings he closely adheres to the strictest com- mercial rectitude, so that his business career is alike honorable and commendable. Today he occupies the central section of the First Nat- ional Bank building, having a room twenty-five by one hundred feet, with an annex 25x25 feet, and around the whole is a broad gallery. Six years ago the firm of Nolan & Callahan was formed, the junior partner having learned the business while in the employ of Mr. Nolan as clerk.

Mr. Nolan has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Mary Callahan, who was born in Vancouver, Wash., her parents having been pioneers of the northwest. She died in Cor- vallis, leaving two children: Thomas Joseph, who is a graduate of the Mount Angel Business College and is now in his father's store; and Mary Kate, who is a student in St. Mary's Academy, Portland, Ore. For his second wife Mr. Nolan chose Miss Kate Thompson, a native of Oregon, and their marriage was celebrated here. There are two children by this union, Edward Victor and Gertrude. In national poli- tics Mr. Nolan is a gold Democrat, but at local elections votes independently. regarding the capability of the candidate without reference to party ties. He has served for one term as coun- cilman of Corvallis. For twenty-two years he has been a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His residence in America covers a period of thirty-one years, during which time he has worked his way steadily upward and by honorable methods has achieved success.

WESTON McLANE. The descendant of Scotch ancestry, Weston McLane has brought with him into the west those traits which dis- tinguish the natives of that country, winning through perseverance and industry a prominent place in the business affairs of a community, and the esteem of those with whom he mingles. With no capital but an indomitable will, he broke away from the associations of his boy- hood and set his face steadily toward the setting sun, becoming an emigrant in 1853.

The father of Weston McLane, Milton, was born in Scotland, the son of Maylord McLane,

Amon Shoulder

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

also a native of that country, where he combined the two interests of tailoring and farming. Induced to cross the water to America he brought his family and located in Mason county, in what was then Virginia but is now included in West Virginia. There he made his home until his death. In that location Milton McLane grew to manhood, and was there married to Mary Summerville, a native of Mason county, and of the three children born to them, two sons and one daughter, the only one now living is Weston McLane, the oldest, who was born in Mason county, W. Va., May 30, 1833. The father afterward became a resident of Indiana, engag- ing in farming and stock-raising, and dying there in 1865, at the age of eighty-seven years.

Six months of the life of Weston McLane was spent inside the four walls of a school- room, this being in West Virginia, during which he acquired, necessarily, but little knowledge, and not content with this he has bent every effort toward self-improvement in the years that followed that short attendance of a public school, and through this perseverance and energy he has become a well informed man, keeping in touch with the events of the day. Early forced to seek his own living, he left West Virginia when .only a boy, and going to Missouri, he located in Pike county, where he engaged in farm work on his uncle's plantation, acting as overseer of the negroes. In the spring of 1853 he outfitted for the trip across the plains, intent on seeking the gold mines of California, and after five months and four days he arrived safely with his wagon and five yoke of oxen, locating near Volcano, Amador county. Alternating his work for others with independent action he engaged in mining until 1878, when he came to ' Oregon by water and located the same year near Suver, Polk county. After two years in which he engaged in farming he followed team- ing, soon, however, ending that to accept the position of agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad at Suver, in which employment he has since remained. While in California he com- bined the management of the Amador Sulphur works, with his mining ventures, continuing in that position seven years.

to the principles of the Republican party. Being interested in educational matters, he has served for eight years as school clerk. In relig- ion, he is a member of the Evangelical Church at Suver.

AMON SHADDEN. It was on December 20, 1853, on the farm where he yet lives near McMinnville, that Amon Shadden was born, ? representative of an honored pioneer family. He is a son of T. J. Shadden, one of the pioneer settlers of this portion of the state. The days of chivalry and knighthood in Europe cannot furnish more interesting or romantic tales than our own western history. Into the wild moun- tain fastnesses of the unexplored west went brave men, whose courage was often called forth in encounters with hostile savages. The land was rich in all natural resources, in gold and silver, in agricultural and commercial pos- sibilities, and awaited the demands of man to yield up its treasures, but its mountain heights were hard to climb, its forests difficult to pene- trate, and the magnificent trees, the dense bushes or the jagged rocks often sheltered the skulking foe, who resented the encroachment of the pale face upon these "hunting grounds." The establishment of homes in this beautiful region therefore meant sacrifices, hardships, and oftimes death, but there were some men, however, brave enough to meet the red man in his own familiar haunts and undertake the task of reclaiming the district for civilization. The rich mineral stores of this vast region were thus added to the wealth of the nation; its magnificent forests contributed to the lunt- ber industries and its fertile valleys added to the opportunities of the farmer and stock- raiser, and to-day the northwest is one of the most productive sections of the entire country. That this is so is due to such men as T. J. Shadden, whose name is inseparably inter- woven with the history of the region. He was born February 26, 1809, near Nashville, Tenn. His parents were farmers by occupation, and when he was but a small boy his father was accidentally killed in a sparring match in which he was engaged for exercise. The son then remained at home with his mother until about fifteen or sixteen years of age, when he startec

Just previous to taking his trip across the plains Mr. McLane married in Pike county, Mo., Sarah Yeater, who was born there, March 31, 1833. She was the daughter of Henry . out to make his own way in the world, going Yeater, an emigrant from Germany. Mr. and first to Mississippi, and afterward to Arkansas, where he worked as a general laborer. In early manhood he married Martha Sumler, a native of Arkansas, and in 1842 they joined a small colony of emigrants for the northwest. Their outfit consisted of a wagon drawn by oxen, and they carried with them a few house- hold effects. Long was the journey and diffi- Mrs. McLane have had three children, of whom Edward is in the warehouse business at Suver, and is named as one of the prominent men of the town; and Francis and Martha deceased. Mr. McLane is independent in his political views, preferring to be free to exercise his judg- ment in the matter of voting, though he inclines

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cult the way, but eventually they reached Green river, Idaho. There they abandoned their wagons and came on by pack trains to Oregon as far as The Dalles, proceeding thence by skiff to Portland, while the cattle were driven across the country. Mr. Shadden and his wife first settled in Tualatin plain, where they remained until the spring of 1844, at which time they started for California, also journeying by pack train at that time. They became residents of Sacramento, where they resided until 1850, and there Mr. Shadden fol- lowed prospecting and mining. He also en- gaged in speculating to some extent, and con- ducted a large ranch and trading post, bravely meeting the difficulties and hardships incident to frontier life. In 1850, however, he returned by boat to Portland, after a successful sojourn in California, bringing with him $180,000 in gold dust. He took up a donation claim on Beaver creek, about two and a half miles west of McMinnville, and there he continued to make his home until his death. His labors re- sulted in the transformation of his land from a wild tract to one of rich fertility. He placed many improvements upon his farm, and at one time he owned two thousand acres of rich land in this vicinity. Extensively engaged in rais- ing and dealing in stock he found it profitable, and as the years passed he added continually to his possessions. Mr. Shadden was a self- made man who deserved great credit for what he accomplished. He carried forward to ste- cessful completion whatever he undertook. He had no advantages, but with determined pur- pose and unfaltering energy he worked his way upward, and all that he acquired was the direct result and merited reward of his own labor. He was also a popular and prominent citizen, deeply interested in the welfare and prosperity of his community, and was a liberal contributor to school and church enterprises. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Shadden were born thir- teen children : Lucilla, Madison, Jasper, Thomas, Henry, Mary, Eliza and Riley, all of whom are deceased ; Amon, of this review, and four, who died in infancy. The father passed away in 1894, at the age of eighty-five years, and the mother, when eighty-six years of age, and both were laid to rest in MeMinnville cemetery.

Amon Shadden, whose name introduces this . record, began his education in the district schools and afterward attended high school and McMinnville College. He married Mag- gie Mitchell, a native of New York City, and they went to the home of Mr. Shadden's par- ents, whom they cared for in their declining years. Both became helpless and had to be wheeled around in invalid chairs for a number

of years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Amon Shadden was born one son, Granville, who is now living upon a part of the old donation claim. For his second wife, Amon Shadden chose Emma Stewart, a native of Minnesota, and their only child, Emma, is now deceased. His third wife bore the maiden name of Docia Gillum, and is still living with him upon his farm in Yamhill county.

Throughout his entire life Mr. Shadden has carried on general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, making a specialty of Jersey cat- tle, Berkshire hogs and of draft and trotting horses. He owns about two hundred and sixty- four acres of land, most of which is the old donation claim. He has placed his fields under a high state of cultivation and has done not a little to improve the grade of stock in this locality by introducing valuable animals. In recent years he has discovered gold upon his place. He has found large quantities of blue quartz encased in silver coating, besides lead, silver and gold indications, and he is confident that the mineral deposits will give him a rich yield. His life has been one of untiring in- dustry and his energy has been a large factor in his success. In his political views Mr. Shad- den is a Democrat, and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Christian Church. For a half century he has lived upon the farm which is now his home, and this period covers his entire earthly pilgrimage. There have been no exciting chapters in his career or startling incidents, but probably no sketch given in this volume proves more con- clusively the force of industry and honesty as factors in winning success.

JOHN H. GLASS. Among the prominent business men of Brownsville, Linn county, must be named John Hamilton Glass and Wilson Blaine Glass, who have been influential factors in the financial progress of this city and com- munity. Through the display of exceptional business sagacity they have won an enviable place in the ranks of the progressive men of the Williamette valley. The business life of John H. Glass is so closely interwoven with that of his brother that a history of one would scarcely be complete without that of the other.

The first representative of the Glass family on American soil was John Glass, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, who came to the United States in 1818. He first located in Philadelphia, Pa., remaining for only a short time before he went on to Ohio, where his son, Robert, the father of the Glass brothers, was born, July 28, 1823, in the town of Steubenville. In 1831 the family removed to Illinois, settling in Warren

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county, locating six miles from the town of Monmouth, and there engaged in farming. During the gold excitement of 1849 Robert Glass was so imbued with the spirit of adventure and profit held out by a trip to the west that he determined to make the journey across the plains. He found a gratifying success at Feather river, near Marysville, and several other good localities famous in the early history of California. Satisfied with the result of his min- ing, he ventured north, in 1850 taking up a do- nation claim of three hundred and twenty acres, located in Linn county, on the present site of the town of Crawfordsville. For some time he was located in the city, engaged in a general merchandise business, but soon returned to the farm, where he died July 13, 1903, at the age of nearly eighty years, active in the business of stock-raising and general farming up to the time of his death. He recently celebrated the golden anniversary of his wedding, having been married February 8, 1853, to Jane Gray, a native of Ohio. Her father was John Gray, born in Kentucky, and who went to Ohio in an early day, and followed that with a trip across the plains to Oregon in 1852. He located three miles southwest of Brownsville, on a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres which occupied the present site of Twin Buttes. He met his death in 1889, at the age of seventy-six years, being the victim of confidence men while passing through Portland from a visit at Prine- ville, eastern Oregon. The children which blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Glass are five in number, four sons and one daughter, of whom John H. and W. B. reside in Browns- ville; D. H. is assistant city engineer of Seattle, Wash .; J. W. is a farmer in this locality; and Ivy J. resides on the old home. After his son's settlement in the west John Glass came to Ore- gon, via the Isthmus of Panama, and made his home with the family, dying here May 26, 1870, over eighty-eight years old. He was a sturdy member of a good old Scotch family of whom the eldest son had been given the name of John for many generations, a complete history of the genealogy of the family being in the possession of a relative in Corvallis, Lillian Glass by name. Religiously he was a Presbyterian.

John Hamilton Glass, the eldest son, was born on his father's donation claim at Crawfordsville, June 12, 1855, and was there reared to manhood, receiving his education in the common schools of Oregon, until he was nineteen years old, when he spent the winter of 1874-5 in the Oregon Ag- ricultural College of Corvallis. In 1880 he be- came interested in a planing mill, conducting the same for several years, when the business was transferred to Cottage Grove. Later, Mr. Glass and his brother, W. B., invested in the Great

Northern Mill & Mining Company, for a half of which the two put in a four-stamp mill. The claim is located in the Blue river mining district, one and one half miles northeast of the Lucky Boy mine, and has been splendidly improved in every way, tunnels, mills, etc., making it a very valuable property. The company is now incor- porated with a capital of $120,000, $100,000 of which is paid up, and Mr. Glass is its president and business manager. In 1896 he entered the bank of Brownsville as cashier, in which posi- tion he remained until January, 1903, when he became vice president of the institution.

Mr. Glass' first wife was Bessie Trigg. She was a native of Kentucky and while there on a visit in 1885 with her husband she died, leaving one son, Robert. Several years afterward Mr. Glass was married in Crawfordsville to Althea Chance, a native of Ohio, and who died in 1899. Two daughters were born of the second mar- riage, Ava and Hazel, who make their home with their father. Fraternally Mr. Glass is a member of the Blue Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Knights of Pythias; and Rathbone Sisters. In his religious views he follows the convictions of his ancestors and belongs to the Presbyterian Church. As a Republican he has been of no little service to his city, serving as city recorder for one year and since that time as city treasurer for some time. He has also been school clerk since 1896.

The brother with whom Mr. Glass has been so closely associated is Wilson Blaine Glass, next to himself in age, having been born six miles east of Crawfordsville August 30, 1858, spending a large part of his youth upon the paternal farm. He was educated in the common schools in the vicinity of his home, later attend- ing a private school, from which he received a diploma for a business course. In 1883 he engaged with his brother John in the planing mills of Crawfordsville. In 1897 he came to Brownsville and assumed the position of secre- tary of the Eagle Woolen Mills Company, three years later going to Cottage Grove to look after the interests of the planing mills, which which had been removed to that city. In June, 1902, he sold his interest in Cottage Grove and returned to Brownsville, where he took the position of assistant cashier in the bank of Brownsville, and in January, 1903, was elected cashier, a position which he has creditably maintained up to the present time. As previ- ously mentioned he is interested in the Great Northern Mill & Mining Company, being a part- ner with his brother in that concern.

The marriage which united W. B. Glass to Vina E. Ramsey took place in Halsey, she also being a native of Oregon, having been born in

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Lane county. Fraternally, Mr. Glass is associ- ated with the Woodmen of the World, Ancient Order of United Workmen and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Religiously he is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Craw- fordsville, and is a Republican in politics, now serving as clerk of school district No. 3, Linn county.

WILLIAM P. IRELAND. At the present time William P. Ireland is the owner of twelve hundred acres of land in different parts of Ore- gon, the greater portion being in Polk county. A native of Jackson county, Ind., he was born April 16, 1846, his father, David, having been born in Ohio in 1819. His mother, formerly Mary A. Sanderson, was also born in Jackson county, in 1825, and was reared on her father's farm, remaining at home until her marriage. David Ireland removed with his family from Indiana to Illinois in 1853, locating on a farm in Effingham county, where he remained for one year. Next he located in Iowa for a year, and in 1864 crossed the plains with mule-teams, which they found a great improvement over the old-time oxen. Six months were consumed on the trip, and upon arriving in Oregon Mr. Ire- land purchased a farm of six hundred and forty acres adjoining the one now occupied by his son, and here he spent many happy and success- ful years, attaining to a prominent and influen- tial place in the community.

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Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 105

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago, The Chapman Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1622

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, The Chapman Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1622