Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 146

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 146

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While living in Kokomo, Ind., Mr. Winslow married Angelina Fenton, who was born in Trum- bull county, Ohio, and whose father, Jesse, a farmer and merchant of Indiana, moved from there to Kansas and engaged in farming. Mr. Fenton finally removed to Missouri, and then about the time his son-in-law came to Oregon, located in Jacksonville, Ill. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Winslow, of whom Jessie is the wife of J. W. Bewley, of Salem; Ralph F. is engaged in the jewelry business at Roseburg, Ore .; Glenn is engaged in the jewelry business at Pendleton, Ore .; and Sadie is now the wife of William H. Manning, and they re- side upon a farm. Since the beginning of his voting days Mr. Winslow has been identified with the Republican party, although he is extremely liberal in his political tendencies. He is fra- ternally identified with the Grand Army of the Republic.

Since the foregoing was written Mr. and Mrs. Winslow have sold their home in Newberg and have bought back their old home near Sheridan and now reside there.

HON. JOSIAH C: NELSON. Were one to search the state of Oregon over for a narrator of happenings in the early pioneer days, one could hardly find one more interestingly remin- iscent than is Hon. Josiah C. Nelson, for many years associated with agricultural, mercantile, and political affairs in Yamhill county, and now living in retirement in Newberg. Mr. Nelson was born in Jackson county, Mo., May 25, 1827, his ancestors having arrived from England prior to the Revolution, in which momentous struggle they fought on the side of the colonies.

George S. Nelson, the father of Hon. Josiah, was born in east Tennessee, July 20, 1801, and was a farmer during the greater part of his life. He was a very capable and ingenious man, me- chanical in his bent, and able to build almost any- thing. At the age of sixteen years he removed to Missouri, and this being 1817 there were prac- tically few settlers in his district. Nevertheless,

he succeeded in developing a paying farm in the wilderness, but, after his marriage, sold this and located on one hundred and sixty acres of land in Jackson county, purchased at $1.25 per acre. Afterward he lived both in LaFayette and An- drew counties, and in the latter was obliged to give up some of his land when it was surveyed. Thereafter he sold out and removed to two miles east in the same county, remaining there until preparing to cross the plains in 1844. The family started May I, and on the way encountered many obstacles, owing chiefly to overflows of the rivers, and depredations on the part of the Indians, who stole six head of valuable cattle on the Nemaha river. One of the children died of mountain fever at Vancouver. They settled on a donation claim of six hundred and forty-five acres near what is now Newberg, and for some time lived in a little log house, built the previous year by a man who had sowed and harvested a little wheat and planted some potatoes. These commodities served for food for the parents and four children during the long cold winter, and as may well be imagined they endured many hardships while waiting for the spring sunshine to warm the earth. Upon arriving here there were but eight families in the valley, in six of which were Indian or half-breed wives. Here Mr. Nelson farmed and prospered until his sixty-fifth year, when lie sold his farin, and for a few years lived with his son in Kings Valley. He then removed to LaFayette, Ore., where his death occurred December 31, 1884, at the age of eighty-three years, five months and nine days. His wife, whom he married in 1825, was formerly Margaret Crawford, a native of Tennessee, and her death occurred April 15, 1886. Of the six children born to this couple, renowned for their hospitality and cheerfulness under trying pioneer conditions, five grew up, the eldest having died in infancy. Of these, Josiah is the oldest ; William died at Vancouver, Wash., on the way to Oregon; Mary Jane is the deceased wife of Clark Rogers, of Portland; Cornelius G. died at the age of four in Grass Valley, Baker county, Ore .; and Thomas H. is a resident of LaFayette. Mrs. Nelson was left an orphan at the age of three years, and was in- debted for her early training to a cousin with whom she remained until her marriage.

Owing to the unsettled state of both Missouri and Oregon. the early education of Josiah C. Nelson was most fragmentary, and was irreg- nlarly acquired at the little frontier log schools, sparsely furnished. always a long distance from home. At the age of twenty-three he was united in marriage with Mary E. Bird, who was born in Illinois, and of which union there were born two children: Nancy Jane. the wife of Charles T. Belcher, of the St. Charles Hotel, Portland ; and William W., of Newberg. Directly after

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his marriage Mr. Nelson bought out a claim from a man whom he came across, giving in pay- ment of the right a mule and a cow for five hundred and one and three-fourths acres. Some time after the death of his first wife, Mr. Nelson married Sarah C. Cummins, who was born in Indiana, and who bore him five children: Cora Alice, deceased ; Cornelia Mary, now Mrs. A. P. Fletcher, whose husband owns two hundred acres of land in La Fayette, Ore .; Mary Estella, wife of T. H. Bryant, who lives on the Nelson farm; Maggie L., the widow of Dr. Littlefield, who «lied recently; and Walter Hugh, of Newberg, Ore.

In 1898 Mr. Nelson moved into Newberg, built himself a comfortable and commodious res- idence, and has been living in retirement ever since. From time to time he has been before the public in the capacity of a politician, his interest in politics dating from the time when he cast his first presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas. In 1858 he was elected to the first Oregon state legislature; was re-elected in 1882-4, and in 1885 served in a called session of the legislature. After embarking upon a general merchandise business in La Fayette. Ore., in 1875, he served as member of the council of the town during his seven years' residence there. He has also been a school director almost the entire time of his stay in Oregon, and for many years was clerk and road supervisor. While using his farm for a headquarters, Mr. Nelson has not been obliv- ious to other opportunities in the west, and be- sides his mercantile venture, engaged also in mining in California from October, 1849, to April, 1850. He was fairly successful as a miner, and was successful as a merchant. As a soldier in 1848 he performed his part in sup- pressing the Indians, and served in this capacity under Captain Thompson for about three months. Mr. Nelson is typical of the broad prairies, the generosity engendered among pioneers of what- ever region, and the strength and stamina devel- oped while laboriously striving for the best that the west has to offer.

ALBERT B. BOND. The pioneer annals of Oregon must needs contain the name of Nathan W. Bond, who twice crossed the plains to the west, and whose son. Albert B., is at present the part owner of his original donation claim. Na- than Bond was born in Tennessee, and as a boy moved with his parents to Illinois, and from there to Iowa, in which latter state he married Eliza- beth J. Trailer. Leaving his wife and children on a farm he crossed the plains with ox-teams in 1850, and after a few months in the gold fields of California returned by way of the Isthmus

of Panama. The ship in which he sailed was becalmed, and for forty days the anxious crew and passengers looked in vain for a breeze to fill their sails and bear them away. Provisions be- came scarce, and water low, and their successful landing became problematical. Eventually reach- ing his Iowa farm, he remained there until the spring of 1853, and then packed together his household goods, laid in a store of provisions, and started several teams of plodding oxen across the plains. The first winter was spent in the Looney settlement, and in the spring of 1854 the father bought the right to a three hundred acre claim. So successful was he, and so confident of the ultimate development of this entire part of the country, that in 1856 he bought three hun- dred and thirty acres more. For twenty-nine years he labored successfully in his adopted state, his death occurring in 1889, at the age of seventy- three years. The wife who had shared his joys and sorrows, and who had materially aided in bringing about success, survived him until 1896, or until seventy-three years of age. Caroline, the oldest of their children, is the wife of Lewis Cox, of Washington ; Annie is the wife of John Reed, of Lebanon ; Benjamin F. died in the midst of a successful medical practice at Dallas, in 1871; and Susanna died in Iowa at seven years of age.

The youngest in his father's family, and three years of age when he came across the plains, Albert B. Bond was reared on the home farm, and at irregular intervals attended the district schools. He assisted with the management of the entire farm until his marriage with Cornelia J. Beeler, at the age of twenty-three, after which he purchased one hundred and thirty acres of farm land near Scio, and there he farmed for eight years, and then went to eastern Oregon, where he remained two years, and in 1882 he moved upon his present farm of two hundred and eighty acres, the same being a part of the old donation claim. He has made those modern im- provements upon which the latter-day farmer prides himself, and for many years has engaged in general farming, stock and grain-raising. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bond, of whom the oldest son, William B., was a soldier in the Spanish-American war, and as a member of the Fourth Infantry was present at El Caney and Santiago, afterward being under command of General Lawton in the Philippines. Clora E., Benjamin Franklin, Archie T., Looney C., and Loren are living at home with their parents Mr. Bond is devoted to his farm and home, and has never found time or inclination to step out into the glare of political or other publicity. He is honest in all of his dealings, kindly and consider- ate in his association with those around him ; and inclined to look on the better side of life.

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JOHN WESLEY RICHARDSON. Illinois has furnished no more substantial acquisition to the agricultural element of Linn county, Ore., than John W. Richardson, whose farm of three hundred acres, located six miles southeast of the village of Scio, is one of the most remunerative tracts in the vicinity. While to a certain extent he follows general farming, stock-raising is more to his taste, Poland-China hogs and Here- ford cattle being his specialty.

As previously intimated, Mr. Richardson is a native of Illinois, born in Adams county, twenty- five miles east of Quincy, January 1, 1832. His father, John Richardson, was a native of the sanie state, born in Monroe county in October, 1798, and descended from good fighting stock, his father, George Richardson, who was of Irish descent, having served valiantly in the Revolu- tionary war and later in the war of 1812. At the time of the latter conflict John Richardson was a mere youth. His enthusiasm was great, and though only fourteen years old he enlisted as a private, and participated in the battle of the Narrows, now Quincy. His uncle, John Belts, was killed by the Indians during the engagement on the island in the Mississippi at that point. John Richardson continued to make his home in his native state until 1851, when with his family, he crossed the plains with ox- teams, and was six months in reaching Linn county. The year following his arrival he took up a donation claim six miles southeast of Scio, upon which he engaged in farming the remainder of his life, his death occurring April 14, 1873. His wife was in maidenhood Miss Orpha Thomp- son, a native of South Carolina. She lived to reach her sixty-seventh year, passing away in Linn county in 1863. The twelve children of John and Orpha (Thompson) Richardson were named as follows in the order of their birth : Milton Empson, who died in infancy; Thomas Jefferson, who died at Jefferson, Ore., in 1894; William Winston, who died at Scio, Ore., in 1900; George Washington who died at Salem in 1880; Lewis Clark, who died on his father's farm in Linn county in 1870; Elijah Thompson, now living at Spokane, Wash .; Obadiah Waddle, of Wasco, Ore .; John Wesley, of this review; Andrew Jackson, of Stayton, Ore .; Enoch Num- bers, who died in infancy; Dr. James Asher Richardson, of Salem: and Rebecca Jane, deceased, wife of James Ennis, deceased, of Shelburn, Linn county. All were natives of Illinois, and all who grew to maturity became pioneers of Oregon, settling in Linn county. " Richardson Gap," a picturesque cañon south- east of Scio, was named for the family, who oc- rupied nearly all the land in that vicinity in the early days of the county's history.

Of the children born to his parents, all of whom

were boys with one exception, John W. Richard- son was the eighth in order of birth. His life upon his father's farm was devoid of any unusual experiences, and when not attending the district school was helping with the chores about the farm. When twenty years of age, in 1852, he assumed the responsibility of carrying on a farm of his own, taking up a donation claim of one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his father's farm. It is safe to conjecture that he met with success in his agricultural venture, for two years later, July 23, 1854, followed his marriage, which united him with Miss Mary A. Conkrite, born in Pike county, Ill., October 14, 1836, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Hill) Conkrite. She had crossed the plains with her mother in 1853, settling in Linn county. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Richardson became the parents of six children, of whom we make the following men- tion : Melvina is the wife of Peter Brenner and resides near Heppner, Ore .; Almira became the wife of James Curl and makes her home in Spangle, Wash .; Melissa, Mrs. John Turner, resides in Waterville, Wash .; Wallace is de- ceased ; Wilson is at home with his parents, and Truman B. is a resident of Washington, where he is actively engaged in the sheep industry.

Mr. Richardson takes a commendable pride in Linn county, and especially in that portion of it in which he resides, and every movement looking to its material advancement meets his encouragement and active support. Educational affairs have always had a stanch ally in Mr. Richardson, who for thirty years has been school director and clerk of his district. His services in the capacity of county thistle commissioner for the past four years have also been of material benefit. The Christian Church of Scio numbers Mr. Richardson among its worshippers and for many years he officiated as deacon. The Repub- lican party is sure of his vote at elections. He was one of the charter members of Santiam Grange and for many years was identified with that order.

JOHN R. COOPER. Three great common- wealths have contributed to the admirable char- acter of one of the representative men of Polk county, these being the states of Kentucky, Illi- nois and Oregon; the first through inheritance, it being the land of his father's birth : the second the scene of his own; and last, that which has become the home of his mature years. Without the advantages which are the birthright of the youth of our times Mr. Cooper has elevated him- self by his own unaided efforts to a position with the first men of the county, both as regards erudition and finance. His wide reading and ready assimilation have made him a master of past events, while his broad mind and hearty

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benevolence keep him in touch with every public movement, whether political or charitable. His courage has been tested in the years gone by, and his acts of courtesy and kindliness extend not only to his neighbors but to the " beasts of the field and the birds of the air."

John R. Cooper was born in Sangamon county, Ill., November 5, 1836, the state being that to which his father, Louis L., had moved at a very early day. The father was born in Kentucky, in 1796, and after his removal to Illinois he engaged in farming. In 1839 he took his family to Missouri, locating near Sheridan, where he became interested in the raising of cattle and hogs. Missouri was then giving many pioneers to the great west, and Mr. Cooper early caught the emigration spirit, and in 1852 he again bade farewell to the home which he had established there, and set out across the plains with the cus- tomary ox-teams and wagons. After a journey without any special incident his party arrived in Oregon, spending the first winter in Marion county, the spring finding them- located seven miles from Independence, Polk county, on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres which Mr. Cooper purchased. Upon this property he remained until his death in 1875, at the age of seventy-nine years. His wife was formerly Miss Mary Linzie, also a native of Kentucky, and whose death occurred in Oregon in 1853, one year after their removal from Missouri. She was the mother of seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom John R. Cooper was the youngest son and next to the youngest child.

Being sixteen years of age when the trip was made from the east, John R. Cooper recalls viv- idly the long, tiresome months of the journey and especially that part which intimately concerns himself. The cholera broke out in the train, and though Mr. Cooper also experienced an attack of the disease he was not seriously ill, and soon recovered. With the exception of about six months' attendance at the common schools he gave all the years of his boyhood and manhood to the cultivation of his father's broad fields. During the Indian uprising of 1855 Mr. Cooper enlisted in the company commanded by Miles F. Elkhorn, November 10 of that year and con- tinued in the service until May, 1856, in which time he was in the engagements at Deer creek, Rogne river, Murphy's creek and Big Meadows. With the cessation of hostilities he became inter- ested in the mining possibilities of Jackson creek and remained there for three years, at that time returning home where he again found employ- ment on his father's ranch. In 1864 he engaged in farming for himself, renting land until 1869, when he bought seven hundred and fifty acres, two miles west of Monmouth, upon which he remained for five years, He then sold his farm

and came to Independence, and has since been extensively engaged in brick manufacturing, his factory furnishing bricks for almost every busi- ness house in Independence. For many years his was the only successful factory of its kind in this section of the country, and therefore his business was markedly successful. Just across the river in Marion county, Mr. Cooper owns a seventy acre farm, forty acres of which is cleared, and upon this he is engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. Much of the hop-raising industry in this country is due to his judgment, his farm having been the first to be devoted to its cultiva- tion, in the year 1882. Thirty-six acres of hops now yield him a handsome income. In addition to these interests he is also connected with the lum- bering interests of Oregon, owning a logging camp which is thoroughly equipped for carrying on the business, six men being required for its management.

April 3, 1864, was the date upon which he was united in marriage with Miss Lavilla Williams, born near Independence, Ore., the daughter of Leonard Williams, who crossed the plains in 1847 and took up a donation claim in this part of the country, and by his integrity and public spirit winning a prominent place in the affairs of the community. For some time he served as post- master of Independence. His death, which oc- curred in this city, was regretted by many. To Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were born seven children, of whom Roselia is now the wife of O. F. Dixon, of Washington : Lillian is the wife of Dr. F. B. Eaton, of Berkeley, Cal .; John A., of Montana ; Pearl is at home; Earl is deceased; and Ivy and La Villa are at home. As to his political affil- iation Mr. Cooper casts his ballot with the Republican party.

THOMAS B. CUMMINGS. So thoroughly has Thomas B. Cummings become identified with the reliable business interests of Newberg that he is regarded as an integral part of the town's present and future prosperity. Although a resi- dent of the town only since 1891 he has accom- plished as much as would many in a decade, a showing traceable to his sound business judg- ment, and thorough mastery of his chosen occu- pation. As a builder and contractor his many years of experience have fitted him for the successful conduct of so large a business as now claims his attention. an additional distinct advan- tage of the town being that he is able to give employment to many people. Besides building and contracting he owns and manages an under- taking and furniture store, and carries quite a stock of goods for which he receives liberal patronage from the town and surrounding country,

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Much of the push and energy which is char- acterizing the career of Mr. Cummings is inher- ited from a father whose ambition was boundless, and who was many things in the communities in which he lived. John M. Cummings was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pa., in which town his father, Thomas, conducted a large and profit- able brewery. The grandfather claimed Scotch descent, and in truth possessed sufficient Scotch perseverance to make an entire success of his business, his fortune at the time of his death being quite considerable for those days. John M., his son, became a merchant tailor in early life, but in after years departed somewhat from his early teachings and invaded other avenues of activity. At the age of thirty he moved to Cam- bridge, Wayne county, Ind., where he plied his trade, and also read and practiced law. He became a prominent man in the community, and was elected to the legislature of Indiana for two terms. He was, an uncompromising Demo- crat, and tolerance of the opposite party was not one of his strong points. During the Civil war he became captain of the Sixty-ninth In- diana Volunteer Infantry, and served his cause with courage and distinction. His death occurred near Anderson, Madison county, Ind. His wife, formerly Elizabeth Chapel, died in Fayette county, Ind. Of the three children born of this union, one son and two daughters, Thomas B. is the oldest.

Equipped with a common school and acadein- ical education, Mr. Cummings entered upon a building apprenticeship in Indianapolis directly after his graduation from the Academy at Knightstown, Ind., at which time he was twenty- one years old. Having qualified as a builder he worked in Indianapolis and the surrounding country and towns for some time, and in 1876 went to Junction City, Kans., and there worked for what is now the Union Pacific Railroad Com- pany. He was employed by the railroad com- pany all along their line from Kansas City to Brookville, Kans., and during his association with the company lived for two years in Junction City, about the same length of time in Topeka, and for several years in Newton, Kans. In 1891 he came to Newberg, Ore., as before stated, and has had no cause to regret the happy circum- stance which dictated so advantageous a loca- tion.

In Indiana Mr. Cummings was united in mar- riage with Capitola M. Hoskins, who was born in Iowa, and whose father, Ely, was a native of Ohio. A shoe manufacturer by trade, Mr. Hos- kins lived for many years in Iowa, and then re- turned to his native state, where his last years were spent. and where he lived to be fifty years of age. Three children have been horn to Mr. and Mrs. Cummings, of whom Claude is a part-

ner in his father's business; Pearl is living at home, as is also Thomas L. Disregarding the parental example, Mr. Cummings is as stanch a Republican as his father was a Democrat, and he has been initiated into public office through the confidence of his fellow-townsmen. For two terms he was coroner of Yamhill . county, and while in Newton, Kans., was a member of the city council from the first ward. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights Templar of Mason- ry, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in which he carries $2,000 insurance.

GEORGE TOWLE. Though a resident of Oregon for but thirteen years, Mr. Towle has become closely and prominently identified with one of its most important interests-that of prune culture. Previous to the year 1890, when he took up his residence in Oregon, he had lived in various parts of the United States. At the present time he is known as one of the most extensive and successful prune growers in Marion county. Upon locating near Aumsville in 1890 he purchased a farm of fifty acres, one mile from the town and to this he has added by the purchase' of twenty-two and one-half acres. Soon after establishing himself at this point he began to set out Italian prune trees, and twenty acres are now devoted to the culture of this fruit. About five acres more are under other fruits. So greatly did Mr. Towle's business increase after it was once established that in 1897 he erected a prune drier for the preparation of his own fruit for the market and the accommodation of his neigh- bors; but as the years went by its capacity proved wholly inadequate, and in 1902 he built one of the largest and most completely equipped driers in the Willamette valley. This drier covers a space 62x62 feet, and is equipped with the most modern machinery for the use of horticulturists .. It has a capacity of five hundred bushels for each drying.

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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 146

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