Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 120

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 120

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Arriving in Benton county, Mr. Scrafford spent the first winter there, in 1867 locating in Polk county, where he taught school in Dis- trict Twenty-eight, for a term of five months. He subsequently taught three months in Ben- ton county, then returned to Polk county, and the following year married, and set up house- keeping on a farm near the Luckiamute, where he resided two years. The following year he spent in eastern Oregon. Afterwards buying one hundred acres of land near Buena Vista, Polk county, he carried on general farming until 1881, when he was completely washed out by the ' overflowing of the Willamette. The next eleven years he was employed in farming on the Luck- iamute, and then assumed possession of his pres- ent fine ranch, which contains two hundred and ten acres of land, one hundred and twenty- eight acres of it being adapted to the raising of grain and fruits, while the remainder is used for grazing purposes. He carries on general farming, devoting eleven acres of his land to hops, and in his various undertakings is meet- ing with well merited success.

In 1868, on the farm which he now occupies, Mr. Scrafford married Elizabeth Hiltibrand, who was born in Polk county, Ore., October II, 1848. Her father, Paul Hiltibrand, born near Maysville, Ky., crossed the plains in 1845, and located on the present homestead of Mr. Scraf- ford, and was here engaged in agricultural pur- suits until his death, in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Scrafford have one child, Kirk Scrafford, who was born April 30, 1878, and is now living with his parents, assisting in the management of the ranch. Politically Mr. Scrafford is a strong Republican, and has never shirked the responsi- bilities of public office. He has served as road supervisor, and for twenty-eight years served as school clerk. In 1898 he was elected repre- sentative to the state legislature. The court house being burned at that time, and all of the ballots destroyed, his election could not be con- tested, and the legislature decided that his elec-

tion was legal. Fraternally Mr. Scrafford is a member and a trustee of Gibson Post, No. 64, G. A. R., of Independence.

MARSHALL N. SUVER. The youngest of the family of children in the home of Joseph W. Suver was Marshall N. Suver, who is now a prominent farmer in Polk county, Ore., in the neighborhood of the town of Suver, which was named in honor of the father, who was a pioneer of 1844. In the effort to establish for himself a position of comparative financial importance the elder Mr. Suver traversed the entire con- tinent, from Virginia, where he was born, April 14, 1814, to the Pacific slope, and from the time of his emigration to his death, August 26, 1890, he was one of the notably successful men in this part of the state. .

On his arrival in Oregon Joseph W. Suver took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres located in Polk county, and after two trips made to California he settled down on this farm, having married, in 1850, Delilah Pyburn, a native of Missouri, and the daughter of Amos Pyburn, who brought his family across the plains in the same train with Mr. Suver. Mr. Pyburn located on Soap creek, near the claim selected by Mr. Suver. For about fifty-six years Mr. Suver made this claim his home, engaging in general farming and stock-raising, until his death. The mother also died on the home place, the date of her death being March, 1860. For a complete account of the lives of these pioneers refer to the sketch of Green B. Suver, appear- ing on another page of this work.

Marshall N. Suver was born five miles south of Monmouth, Polk county, Ore., April 1, 1858, and was reared upon his father's farm. His education was received in the common school in the vicinity of his home, though his attend- ance was more or less limited on account of the various obstacles which impeded the acquisi- tion of knowledge in the early days. At sixteen he left school, but, more fortunate than many, he was well informed through instruction given by his father, outside of school sessions. He at once began work upon his father's farm, with whom he remained until the land was divided, about one thousand acres being given to the heirs at the death of the old pioneer. Mr. Suver now has four hundred acres, two hundred and fifty of which is tillable, and upon this he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising.

The marriage of Mr. Suver occurred June, 1884, and united him with Hettie Patterson, the daughter of John H. Patterson, who crossed the plains in an early day, and now makes his home in Jefferson, Marion county. Two chil- dren were born of the union, Fred and Nora,

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both of whom are at home. Politically Mr. Suver follows the convictions of his father, and adheres to the principles of the Democratic party, and through this influence has served as school director for a number of years.

WILLIAM H. MURPHEY. One of the many worthy citizens and capable and indus- trious agriculturists of Polk county is William H. Murphey, who is engaged in his independent vocation on one of the finest and most desirable homesteads near the town of Buena Vista. A native of Oregon, he was born May 13, 1855, in Marion county, a son of William Murphey. His grandfather, Charles Murphey, was born, of Irish ancestors, in Salem county, N. J., and there spent his entire life, dying in 1824, on his farm. His wife, whose maiden name was Mar- garet McCasson, was a life-long resident of Salem county, N. J., her birth occurring Decem- ber 1, 1779, and her death in 1835. She bore her husband five children, four sons and one daughter, and of these one child only, William, is living.

Born in Salem county, N. J., June 28, 1818, William Murphey was left fatherless when six years of age. When a boy of twelve years he went with his widowed mother and her family to Wilmington, Del., where all of the children began working in the factories. Three years later the entire family removed to Philadelphia, and the boys sought employment as they could find it in order to help support their mother and sister, William Murphey securing work in a brickyard. Returning to New Jersey in 1832, the boys found employment as farm laborers, and the family remained together until the death of the mother, in 1835, but after that event the children became separated. Going to Ohio in 1838 William Murphey worked in various sec- tions of the state, including Warren and Green counties. Migrating from there to Illinois, he located near Quincy. where he rented land for a few years, and when the Black Hawk purchase was thrown open, went there. Going thence to Eddyville, Iowa, he remained there engaged in agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1847. Starting then for Oregon, he bought an outfit, crossed the river at St. Joseph, Mo., and after a long and wearisome journey of six months arrived in Marion county, Ore., September 20, 1847. Locating in Lane county, he remained there until 1849, when he joined the gold-seek- ers in California, where he was successfully engaged in mining on the American river for about six months. Returning to Oregon in the fall of 1849, he purchased a claim on Howell's Prairie, Marion county, and in the spring again took up mining in California, remaining in

Trinity county until the next fall. Then assumi- ing possession of his farm of three hundred and twenty acres, situated in Howell, about seven miles from Salem, he afterwards devoted his entire time and attention to the care of his homestead property, developing and improving a valuable and productive ranch.

In 1852 William Murphey married Elvira Ann Griffith, who was born in Pike county, Mo., February 27, 1829, and died July 9, 1869, in Marion county, Ore., leaving five children : W. H., Margaret Ann, Charles, Walter W., and Edward Grant. Her father, John W. Griffith, came to Oregon from Missouri in 1852, and bought a claim near Buena Vista, where he spent the remainder of his life. In 1880 Mr. Murphey married for his second wife Mrs. Jane (Nelson) Ward. She bore him one child, Mary Murphey.

One of a family of five children, four boys and one girl, William H. Murphey grew to man's estate beneath the parental roof-tree, receiving his education in the pioneer school- house on Howell Prairie. Becoming familiar with the various branches of agriculture under the wise instruction of his father, he chose farming as his life occupation, after his mar- riage settling on a ranch in the Silverton hills. Subsequently purchasing land near the old home farm, in Howell, he resided there until 1883, when, in March, he disposed of that property, and bought his present farm near Buena Vista. His ranch contains two hundred acres, mostly farming land, which he cultivates with most satisfactory results, in addition to general farm- ing raising a good deal of stock.

On January 14, 1879, Mr. Murphey married, on Howell Prairie, Elmira Kays, who was born in that place, October 29, 1859. Her father, James Kays, born in Illinois, October 30, 1832, came to Oregon in 1852, and settled first in Howell Prairie, but is now living in Oregon City. He married Sarah Headrick, who was born in Pike county, Mo., May 29, 1840, and died in Oregon, January 17, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Murphey have one child, William Lester Murphey. Mr. Murphey is a Republican in politics, and fraternally is a member of Homer Lodge No. 5, K. of P., of Independence, and of the Buena Vista Lodge, W. O. W., in which he has passed all the chairs.

JOHNSON E. RICHTER. Not always is it years that make the man, nor yet years that make the opportunity. Some very young men have attained a splendid manhood, becoming a power in their community, lending the strength of their character and the command of their intellect for the upbuilding of that part of the

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world with which they are in touch. To such men, old or young-if old, a product of the times that laid the foundation of a country ; if young, their age making them but the begin- ning of a bulwark of defense and honor for a country where men are counted man by man, rather than in the masses-the western lands now owe the debt that the east once owed its pioneers, and which the latter is paying by passing on some of her brightest lights and noblest blood to transmit their virtues through generations to come to the development of the northwest.

Comparatively early in the history of our eastern states, among the emigrants from Eu- ropean shores, came the grandfather of J. E. Richter, John Christian Richter, born in Dres- den, Germany, who took up his home near Staunton, Va., where he remained for some time, working at the trade learned in the Fatherland, that of a millwright and miller. In the Virginia home his son, Christian Rich- ter, was born in 1826, and in 1836 the family emigrated to Carroll county, Ind., where the elder man continued in the prosecution of his trade, training his son in a similar one, that of a carpenter and builder. In 1871 Christian Richter brought his young family across the continent, which, though not the perilous jour- ney that it had once been, still meant the sep- aration from friends and kindred associations, the breaking of ties formed in the happy years spent in the pastoral scenes of the well tilled middle west, to a country comparatively new, with hills to traverse and forests to thread be- fore their eyes could be gladdened by the sight of the broad lands glowing with the harvest yields. After eight years spent in residence near Perrydale, Ore., where Mr. Richter en- gaged in farming, the family removed to Yam- hill county, purchasing a farm near Sheridan, where he remained up to the time of his death, which occurred in October of the year 1891, having been a resident of Oregon for twenty years. The wife who shared this western home was, in maidenhood, Catherine Earnist, born in Indiana, the daughter of Johnson Earnist, the latter a native of Ohio, born near Cincin- nati. He was a tanner by trade, and ran a tan- nery in Carroll county, Ind. The three chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Richter were: Au- gusta, who died in Yamhill county in 1887; Ella, now the wife of Dan P. Stauffer, of Dal- las, and Johnson E.

J. E. Richter was born near Camden, Carroll county, Ind., February 17, 1864, and was seven years old at the time of the removal of the fam- ily to Oregon. He attended the public schools in the vicinity of his home during the winter season, the summers being spent on his father's

farm. When he attained manhood he con- tinued with his parents, working the home farm, and after the death of his father, assum- ing entire control, managing affairs with all efficiency inherited from his German ancestry. He now owns one hundred and thirty acres of land adjoining Sheridan, which is rented at present, while he makes his home in Dallas, t) which he removed in 1897. In 1900 he built the comfortable residence now occupied by himself and mother. Mr. Richter is quite a prominent man in his fraternal associations, having been a member of Sheridan Lodge No. 87, I. O. O. F., since 1887, of which he is past noble grand. He is also a member of Rebekah Lodge at Dallas, and in his political affiliations supports the Democratic party.

GREEN B. SUVER. The name which ap- pears at the beginning of this sketch is well known in Polk county, Ore., being that of one of the earliest settlers of Oregon, and the first man to hold a donation claim on the banks of the Luckiamute. Of the land that came into the possession of Joseph W. Suver, father of Green B. Suver, have been made several fine farms, adding greatly to the commercial value of property in the neighborhood, and to the prestige of the pioneer who hewed his path- way through the forest and first upturned the soil.

Joseph W. Suver was born in Virginia, April 14, 1814, the son of John Suver, who was a near descendant of a French ancestor, and whose wife was of German' descent. From his farming in- terests in Pennsylvania, where he was born, John Suver removed to Virginia, and when Joseph W. was a young lad the family settled in Ohio, where his father died in 1844. In 1830 Joseph W. Suver left Ohio and passed the next few years in the state of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. When only a boy he herded cattle on the plains of Illinois and other states, and afterward bought and sold cattle. In 1844 he decided to take the western trip, since that promised more for him than farming in the middle west could ever do. On arriving in Oregon Mr. Suver left the train and coming on to Luckiamute he settled upon the claim which is now in the possession of his heirs, trading for the same a pair of blankets which secured the land from the Indian owner. With his ox-team and a few head of cattle, which he had brought safely through the six months' journey across the plains, Mr. Suver equipped his farm in the fall of 1849, having left the other emigrants on Tualatin plains. Before de- ciding to remain in Oregon, however, he had made a trip to California, going overland, where

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he engaged in mining, and meeting with success he returned to Oregon in the fall of the same year, 1847, and in 1848 took back with him a large party. On account of sickness he did not then engage in mining and in the fall he returned to Oregon and settled upon his farm of six hundred and forty acres. Here he con- tinned to live for many years, being principally occupied in stock-raising, taking cattle into Idaho, Montana and the eastern states, and . meeting with success in every line. He married in 1850 Delilah Pyburn, a native of Missouri, daughter of Amos Pyburn, who crossed the plains in 1847. Delilah Pyburn was born in 1837, and she died in February, 1860, on the home place. They had five children, four of whom are now living, and in order of birth are as follows: Caroline, the wife of William M. Fuqua, of Parker; Lena, the wife of John T. James, located near Suver ; Green B., of this re- view; and Marshall N. Politically, Mr. Suver has been a Democrat all his life. At the time of his death, August 26, 1890, he was making his home with Green B. Suver, having suffered a stroke of paralysis, and had been tenderly cared for for ten years by his son's family.

The birth of Green B. Suver occurred in Polk county, Ore., five miles south of Mon- mouth, September 1, 1856, and he received his education in the common schools in the vicinity of his home, though his time of attendance was exceedingly limited, being in all about six months. When he left school he engaged with his father on the farm, and has ever since been interested in farming and stock-raising. He now has six hundred and thirteen acres of land, all a part of the original claim taken in '49, and the greater number of acres is devoted to gen- eral farming, being tillable land.

Mr. Suver was married March 16, 1898, to Grace Pyburn, a daughter of Edward Pyburn, who crossed the plains in 1853, and now lives in Benton county, near Rand's station. They have one child, whose name is Joseph W., in affectionate remembrance of the sturdy old pioneer, who once lived here. In his political convictions Mr. Suver prefers to remain inde- pendent, casting his vote regardless of party restrictions. Before the station of Suver was built the elder Mr. Suver bought the section of land owned by George Pyburn, and when the railroad was put through in December, 1879, the place was named in honor of the owner, and quite a little town has grown up on the site.

JOHN O. FRY. An enumeration of the native sons of Linn county, who are profiting by the worthy example of their sires, and main- taining an excellent agricultural standard,

would be incomplete without due mention of John O. Fry, who was born on the farm of his pioneer father, Olney Fry, November 2, 1859. In his youth Mr. Fry worked hard on the home farm, but at the same time was not unmindful of the many advantages of a good education, which he earnestly strove to acquire at the public schools. Later he attended Albany Col- lege for a year, and the impetus thus given has remained with him unceasingly and inspired him to further research along general lines.

At the age of twenty-one Mr. Fry left home and engaged in farming on his own responsi- bility, achieving considerable success by virtue of well-directed industry and good manage- ment. March 9, 1897, he married Gertrude Holloway, and to their family has been added a daughter, Zelma M. In 1902 Mr. Fry came to his present farm, which comprises one hun- dred and ninety acres, devoted to general farm- ing, cattle and sheep-raising and dairying. In addition to the home farm he has one hundred and ninety-six acres, well improved, located a short distance from the home place, besides eighty-seven acres of the old homestead, which was given him by his father about one year ago. He has progressive and practical ideas of farming, and a thorough knowledge of stock. Since casting his first presidential vote for a Democratic candidate he has adhered to the principles of Democracy, although, in local matters, he believes that character and ability, rather than party, should count. He is frater- nally connected with the Grange No. 10, of Grand Prairie, in which organization he is popular and well liked.

JOHN D. PARSONS. Five miles east of Albany is to be seen one of the finest and best- managed farms of Linn county, and here, in addition to carrying on general farming and dairying, Mr. Parsons conducts an orchard of three thousand trees, divided among prunes, apples and pears. An air of thrift pervades the place, and it is an easy matter to discern the owner to be a man of intelligence, and one who thoroughly understands the work which he has in hand.

A native of England, Mr. Parsons was born in Devonshire, June 24, 1840, and, until eight- een years of age, lived under English skies. It was at the latter age that he severed home ties and boarded a vessel which, in due season, landed him in Ontario, Canada. For a time he was in the employ of his brother, who was conducting a mercantile establishment twenty- five miles from New London. In 1859, by way of the Isthmus, he went to California, and in Nevada county was engaged in mining for the

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following year and a half. By this time he was satisfied that the returns for his labor were not as remunerative as his efforts would warrant, and decided to embark in something that would secure to him a more regular income. In freighting supplies to the mines he received sat- isfactory returns, and after continuing this line of endeavor for one summer, he went to the Ca- ribou country, in 1862, remaining there one season. From the latter place he was attracted to the Puget Sound country, and for two years was engaged in lumbering, meeting with good success in his undertakings.

From Washington Mr. Parsons returned to Canada, remaining there for a short time, and, upon his return to Oregon, purchased eighty acres of land, which he improved, and upon which he resided for one year. It was at this point in his career that good fortune led him to select his present farm, which comprises two hundred and twenty-two acres of as fine land as is to be found in the county. He has not made his home here continuously since, however, for, in 1873, he removed to a farm on Oak creek, and for the ten years following im- proved a farm there. From the latter year until the present time he has made his home upon the farm where he is now residing, and where he expects to round out his life.

Mr. Parsons was united in marriage with Miss Matilda Payne, the daughter of Martin Payne, who, in 1852, came to Oregon and took up the donation claim upon which Mr. Parsons now resides. All matters which tend to up- build his community have the hearty support and co-operation of Mr. Parsons. He is iden- tified with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

JUDGE JOHN H. SCOTT, now serving as county judge of Marion county, and residing in Salem, was born near Mount Angel, Marion county, September 10, 1865. His father, Alex- ander D. Scott, was a native of Canandaigua, N. Y., and the grandparents were natives of Scotland, from which country they crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling in New York. When seven years of age, however, Alexander D. Scott was left an orphan. He was reared upon a farm, and about 1852 the gold excitement drew him to the Pacific coast. He came to Oregon, making his way across the plains, and thence proceeded to the gold mines of California. In 1855, however, he returned to Oregon and was married in Marion county to Mrs. Ellen (Morris) Miller, a native of Mis- souri, who came with her mother, two brothers and two sisters, to the northwest. They. too, made the overland journey and arrived in Marion county in 1853, settling near what is

now Mount Angel. Mrs. Scott's first husband was Bluford Miller, who came here in pioneer days and followed farming. When a young man he served as captain in the First Oregon Regiment in the Yakima Indian war of 1855-56, and in the struggle he was wounded. He then returned to his home, and as typhoid fever set in, this disease, together with his wound, caused his death. He left one child, Bluford Miller, who died at the age of seven years. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Scott settled near Mount Angel upon a farm where he carried on agricultural pursuits until July, 1876, when he was accidentally killed by a run- away team. His widow continued to reside upon the old farm, and there reared her family until 1891, when she located in Salem, where her death occurred in 1895. From early girl- hood she had been a devoted member of the Christian Church, and to her family she was a most loyal and tender mother. She had nine children : Charles, of Montana; William H., of Marion county ; Lewis H., of Wasco county ; John H., of this review; Mary E., of Salem ; Clara G., who is a teacher in the same city; Elmer H. and Alexander. D., who reside in eastern Oregon, and Alwilda, who died in Salem.

In the county of his nativity and of his pres- ent residence Judge Scott was reared, remain- ing upon the home farm until twenty years of age. In the meantime he had acquired a good education in the district schools, and in the Silverton High School. He then entered Wil- lamette University, where he remained as a student for a year. Through the succeeding year he taught school and then spent another year as a student in the university, followed by two more years of teaching. In 1892 he re- moved to Portland, where he engaged in the real estate business, and while there he became interested in law and began the study of the profession. Entering the Portland Law School he completed a year in that institution, and was then called to Salem on account of his mother's death. Here he continued his studies, and in 1895 was admitted to the bar. It was in the fall of that year that he became a senior in the law department of the University of Mich- igan at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in 1896 with the degree of Bachelor of Law. He then returned to Oregon, making the trip on his bicycle through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. He left Michigan on the 30th of June and was four months upon the road, during which time he covered about five thousand miles. The trip was a very enjoyable one and gave him anı excellent opportunity of seeing the country.

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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 120

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