Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 73

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 73

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HON. STEWART McKINDRA PENING- TON. Hardship, privation and toil were the daily diet of the pioneers of the early days, but it was one which made true, earnest men, upon whose worth and conscientious effort depended the future of the west. That was a time, in both middle and extreme west, when the fight- ing spirit of the Spartans was once more called into life and utilized in the following of peace- ful pursuits under warlike conditions, for such was certainly the case among the tangled paths

familiar only to the feet of the Indian, who used his knowledge as a lure for the men in the van of western civilization. To Hon. S. M. Penington, of Albany, Linn county, the mem- ory of the time when he made the journey into the west, alone and on his own responsibility, recurs with vivid force, since it is illustrated by the innumerable changes which have char- acterized the growth of Oregon, and which he has helped to bring about through his asso- ciation as a pioneer with the development of the resources of the state. For more than a half century he has been connected with the progress of the west, liberally contributing to every enterprise which he considered worthy of his support and he is now a worthy member of the generation which pauses to look with deep interest upon the work of the years, before surrendering the heritage to the guardianship of the ones who are to follow.

The entire life of Stewart McKindra Pening- ton has been one of stirring activity and changing scene. He was born in Monroe county, Ky., August 5, 1824, the eighth in order of birth of thirteen children that blessed the home of his parents, John Stewart and Jemima (Houser) Penington, natives respectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania. They were both early settlers of Kentucky, the father being a farmer there, and the mother having emigrated with her parents. In 1831 they removed to Illinois, set- tling at Pennington Point, McDonough county, where Mr. Penington improved a farm. He died there at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife also died in the same state when she was sixty-five years old. They were both members of the Christian Church, and it was the privilege of Mr. Penington to enlist in 1815 for service in the war of 1812. Of the twelve children who attained maturity the old- est, Thomas J., served in the Black Hawk war, and the youngest, William T., was a soldier during the Civil war, and S. M. Penington was the only one who sought a home on the Pacific coast. When seven years old Mr. Penington removed with his parents to Illinois, where he was reared to manhood upon his father's farm, receiving a practical agricultural training. Fol- lowing the custom of the early settlers he at- tended the common school in the vicinity of his home, a very primitive affair, a little log building built in the midst of field or forest. in the very early times having for windows nothing but oiled paper and for heating pur- poses a great fireplace. The materials with which the young students sought to advance their stock of knowledge were also primitive, the quill pen being one of the treasured articles of the pupil. When eighteen Mr. Penington started out in the world to seek his own liveli-

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hood, engaging in farming, and a short time after he bought a farm, which consisted of un- improved prairie land, the first plowing of which requiring six yoke of oxen. For some years he remained in that location, industriously occu- pied with his farming interests, but having read and heard much of the brilliant oppor- tunities to be found in the Oregon territory he decided in 1847 to emigrate to the west. In company with a few friends he hired out to drive an ox-team across the plains, deter- mining at least to see Oregon whether he chose afterward to make it his home or not. His trip to the west was one of the most ex- citing periods in Mr. Penington's life, for ad- venture followed them from the beginning to the end of the journey. It was soon very evi- dent that he was more than an ordinary driver, as he never met with an accident of any kind, while the others experienced various troubles ; thus he was selected to lead. At Fort Hall the train ran short of provisions and several of the young men decided to complete the journey by pack horses and riding ponies, the price for the pony which Mr. Penington pur- chased from the Indians being two hickory shirts, though it afterward transpired that they had hoped to follow up the party and steal . back their former property. For one hundred and fifty miles the Indians followed the six boys, three of whom stood guard every night and kept the enemy off by shooting at them as they were creeping up.

After leaving Fort Hall the journey was completed quite rapidly, September 15 finding them in the desired location. Mr. Penington at once engaged in boating as a means of liveli- hood, remaining at this work on the Columbia river for a short time, when he entered the Oregon City saw mill owned by Governor Abernathy. In the summer of 1848 he engaged to conduct a farm on Tualatin plains for R. D. Torney, and that same summer he located a donation claim four miles north of Lebanon, Linn county, in the Santiam bottoms. In 1849 he journeyed by water to California; after landing at San Francisco he at once went to the Spanish Bar of the American river, where he engaged for nearly two years in mining. He was successful the first year, but not meet- ing with like returns the second he returned to Oregon in the fall of 1850 by pack train, and settling upon his claim he began to make im- provements. Until 1871 he remained there en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising ; at the expiration of this period he rented the land and going to eastern Oregon he became ex- tensively interested in the stock business, rais- ing principally cattle and horses and meeting with gratifying success in this venture. He

was located six miles from the mouth of Butter creek, Umatilla county, his residence being for the last ten years in Pendleton. In 1885 he sold out his interests in that part of the state, returned to Linn county and purchased and remodeled a comfortable residence in the city of Albany, where he has since made his home. He still owns his claim, which has developed into a prosperous, well appointed farm.

The marriage of Mr. Penington occurred in Linn county, February 28, 1850, Miss Abigail Cooper, a native of Ohio, becoming his wife. She had crossed the plains in the same train with Mr. Penington, her father, Samuel Cooper, having at that time brought his family to Oregon, where he located upon a donation claim in the Santiam valley. The children born to them are as follows: Mary, who became the wife of Dr. J. L. Hill and died in 1898 in Albany; Jemima, who married John H. Clay- pool and died in Linn county ; Idella, who died in Umatilla county unmarried; Charles Clyde, a resident of Union county, Ore., where as sheriff and farmer he performs the duties of a citizen ; Anna, who died in Umatilla county ; Alice P., the widow of Freeland Richards, of Albany; and Celia B., who died in Albany, February 23. 1903, unmarried. While inter- ested in making a success of his business af- fairs Mr. Penington has never forgotten to lend his aid in the upbuilding of the country, as a Democrat ably representing Umatilla county in the state senate in 1878, where he helped elect James H. Slater to the United States senate, and again in 1882 he was called upon to serve in the same office. Altogether he served in four regular and one special ses- sion, being actively interested in all that per- tained to the welfare of the community which had honored him with its support. In local pol- itics he is guided by the character of the candi- date for a position, but in national affairs sup- ports the Democratic party. He was made a Mason in Corinthian Lodge No. 17. A. F. & A. M., of Albany, in which he served as master. Both himself and wife are members of the Bap- tist Church. he having officiated as trustee of the same. He has always been active in advancing the work of the church, both here and in Pen- dleton, where he made his home for nearly fifteen years, being liberal with both time and money and sparing no effort toward the moral elevation of the new country.

ALEXANDER ESSON, an extensive farmer near Gervais, may be said to have no native land, for he was born at sea, off the east coast of Scotland, July 10, 1829. His father, an officer in the British army, died

George Thomson

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when his son was thirteen and a half years of age, his mother having died when he was but eleven months old. Left thus comparatively alone in the world, he found a home with an aunt until a short time after the death of his father, after which he was thrown upon his own resources, working on the farms in the surrounding locality.

At the age of sixteen Mr. Esson enlisted for military service in the Seventy-ninth Regi- ment, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, and was transferred to Quebec, Canada. He served for six years in the army. In 1852 he removed to Livingston county, N. Y., where he fol- lowed teaming and farming until 1857. After trying his fortunes in Wisconsin for a year he went to west Canada and in the fall of 1858 started for California by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Not realizing his mining expecta- tions in California he came to Oregon in June, 1859, and after a year spent in Silverton lo- cated on a farm on Howell Prairie which he occupied and worked for about four years. De- cember 24, 1862, he married Christina Stevens, who was born in Indiana, December 28, 1844. her family having crossed the plains in 1852. They began housekeeping on the farm on Howell Prairie. In 1863 he bought a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, to which he removed the following year and has since made this his home. Of this farm twenty-seven acres was cleared. This property is located two miles west of Mount Angel and under the management of the present owner has greatly increased its tillable surface, about one hun- dred acres being now under cultivation. Mr. Esson is engaged in general farming and stock- raising, making a specialty of the latter, which includes Shorthorn and Holstein cattle, Cotswold sheep and Poland-China hogs.

In political affiliations Mr. Esson is a Pro- hibitionist, and with his family is identified religiously with the Christian Church. He has served for several terms as road supervisor, and for years has been a member of the school board. To himself and wife have been born twelve children: Inez, deceased, formerly the wife of G. Simmons, became the mother of three sons and one daughter ; Albyn is a min- ister of the Christian Church, residing in Port- land with his family ; Alfred M. is an attorney, located in Seattle, Wash .; Ida died at the age of twenty-one years ; Florence is the widow of L. D. Smith, and with her son, L. D., makes her home with her father; A. S. is a dentist by profession and is located with his family at The Dalles; Hugh B. is principal of the Clat- skanie high school; Ronald is attending the Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis ; Leroy A. is living at home ; C. Elizabeth is a

student at the University of Oregon, at Eugene ; Mary Mabel and Isabella are also liv- ing with their parents.

GEORGE THOMSON, a successful and worthy representative of the farming interests of Yamhill county, was born in Lanark county, Ontario, Canada, January 17, 1833. His father, Henry Thomson, was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and in that country was employed in cotton and woolen factories, becoming a carder and spinner. Emigrating to the new world he took up his abode in Ontario, Canada, where he again became employed in woolen factories, but the last fifteen years of his life were devoted to agricultural pursuits. He died in the province of Ontario when about sixty-five years of age, in the faith of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was a devoted and consistent member. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Agnes Mac- Connal. was born near Edinburgh and died at the birth of her son George, of this review. After four years the father married again, his second union being with Jennie Twiddle, who was born near Edinburgh and survived her husband for a number of years, passing away when about ninety years of age. By the first marriage there were three children : James and Douglas, both of whom died in Ontario; and George. The chil- dren of the second marriage are: Archie, Mrs. Agnes Murray, Mrs. Jane Calvert and Mrs. Mary Calvert, all deceased; Margaret and Henry. By another marriage Mr. Thomson also had the following children: Mamie, Robert, Elizabeth, Archie and Thomas, all of whom have passed away; and three who died in infancy. His children altogether numbered seventeen.

George Thomson received very limited educa- tional advantages, having little or no opportunity of attending school, and his knowledge has been acquired mostly in the school of experience, read- ing and observation, having made him a well-in- formed man. He began to earn his own living in a woolen factory in Canada when but seven years of age and afterward he went upon the home farm with his father, there remaining until twenty-two years of age. At that time he re- moved to Port Sarnia, in the western part of the province of Ontario, and soon afterward he re- moved to Michigan, being employed in the log- ging camps near Port Huron. For five years he following that business and then returned to On- tario, Canada, where with the proceeds of his labors he purchased a farm and engaged in gen- eral agricultural pursuits until 1883, when he sold his property and made his way westward to Bon- homme county, S. Dak. There he purchased a farm and devoted his energies to its cultivation until 1890, making a specialty of the raising of

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corn, also raising of hogs. Following his sale of his South Dakota property he came to Oregon, establishing his home near McMinnville. He pur- chased eighty-eight acres of land two and a half miles northeast of the town and of this thirty- five acres are under a high state of cultivation. He has twenty acres planted to hops, which is a very productive and profitable crop in Oregon, and he likewise follows general farming, his efforts being attended with a fair degree of suc- cess.

In 1859 occurred the marriage of Mr. Thom- son and Miss Jean McMillan, and unto them were born two sons and two daughters: J. J., a resident of Lincoln county, Ore .; Archibald S., of the same county ; Mrs. Agnes McFee, who is deceased, and Elizabeth, who has also passed away. For his second wife, Mr. Thomson chose Lydia B. Rogers, who was born near Danville, Iowa, a daughter of Rev. D. B. Nichols, a min- ister of the Congregational Church, who was living at Mission Hill, S. Dak., and while resi- dents of that state Mr. and Mrs. Thomson be- came acquainted and were married. He belongs to the Grange of McMinnville, of which he is now serving as chaplain, and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church of that town.

SAMUEL S. TRAIN. As postmaster of Albany and proprietor and editor of the Albany Daily Herald, Samuel S. Train holds a posi- tion of prominence in the life of this thriving, wide-awake city. Becoming well known and popular through the columns of his well-con- ducted and enterprising paper, he is enabled not only to spread to a large territory the news of city, county, state and nation, but to arouse in the minds of the many readers of his pages a spirit of local pride and patriotism and a strong desire for the improvement of educa- tional, moral and social conditions. A son of Thomas Train, he was born August 6, 1841, at Port Henry, Essex county, N. Y., near the shores of Lake Champlain. He comes of sub- stantial colonial stock, being a direct descend- ant of one of three brothers who emigrated from Wales to New England in the early part of the seventeenth century. Two of these brothers married and reared families. their de- scendants becoming scattered throughout the Union Asel Train, the grandfather of Samuel S., was born and reared in Vermont, but re- moved to New York state when a young man, and there engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death.

A native of Essex county, N. Y., Thomas Train learned the trade of carpenter and

builder, and also worked as a millwright, erect- ing mills on different streams in New York state. Crossing the state to Buffalo with his family in 1852 he there took passage on a steamer for Detroit, thence proceeding by rail to Chicago. Continuing his journey to Stephenson county, Ill., he located near Lena, on a farm which he had purchased the previous year, when he had visited Freeport and the ad- joining towns with a view of settling perma- nently in the Prairie state. Clearing and im- proving a homestead he was there employed in general farming until his death in 1871, at the age of seventy-one years. He was an uncom- promising Republican in politics and an active member of the Congregational Church. His wife, whose maiden name was Betsey Barber, was born in Essex county, N. Y., of Holland Dutch descent, her ancestors having been among the pioneers of the Mohawk valley. She died in Stephenson county, Ill., in 1877, aged seventy years. She bore her husband eight children, four of whom grew to years of ma- turity, namely: Leonard R., who served in the Civil war as a member of the Forty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and as a retired publisher re- sides in Cowlitz county, Wash .; Joseph B., living in Ventura, Cal., served in the Civil war as a corporal in the Ninety-second Illinois Infantry, and was wounded at the battle of Shiloh; Samuel S., the special subject of this sketch ; and Malenda B., who married Alonzo Fowler, died in 1899, in Illinois.

Coming with his parents to Illinois in 1852 Samuel S. Train was reared on the home farm, obtaining his elementary education in the dis- trict schools, this being supplemented by a course of study at the Presbyterian Collegiate Institute at Mendota, Ill. He · subsequently learned the carpenter's trade with his father, but gave it up to begin his journalistic career on the Illinois Sons of Temperance, a paper published at Lebanon, Ill. Enlisting in 1862 in Company G, Ninety-second Illinois Infan- try, at Rockford, under Col. Smith Datkins, he served until honorably discharged on account of physical disability. Going then to Boscobel, WVis., Mr. Train secured employment in the office of one of the leading papers of that place, the Boscobel Broadare, of which he was sub- sequently the proprietor and editor. Selling that paper he returned to Illinois, locating on the parental homestead, where he worked at general farming for a number of years at the same time teaching school during the winter terms. Going to Nebraska in 1872 he taught school at Mission Creek, Pawnee county, and also bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he made many excellent im- provements, and while making his home on

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his farm taught school in Marshall county, Kans., for one term.

In 1876 Mr. Train came to Oregon, locating first at Astoria, where he worked as a car- penter for awhile, afterward being employed in the printing office of the Astorian for three months. At the close of that period he came to Linn county to help start the Nucleus at Harrisburg, and was connected with it during its existence of two years, at the same time serving as principal of the Harrisburg schools, a position which he retained six years. In 1878 Mr. Train bought the plant of the defunct journal and established the Harrisburg Dis- seminator, a weekly, seven-column folio, which he afterward, in company with Mr. Whitney, changed to a six-column quarto. In 1884 Mr. Train purchased the Albany Herald, a weekly, six-column quarto, which he successfully edited and published. In 1885, with charac- teristic enterprise, he established the Albany Daily Herald, an undertaking that proved suc- cessful beyond his expectations, the circulation having greatly increased from year to year, it being now the leading daily of the county. In connection with the publishing of his paper, Mr. Train had a job printing office which he managed most profitably, carrying on a good business in that line of industry.

In December, 1898, Mr. Train was ap- pointed by President Mckinley postmaster of Albany, and was reappointed to the same office March 18, 1903, by President Roosevelt. Since assuming charge of the postoffice, February 15, 1899, he has devoted his entire time and at- tention to the interests of its patrons. Changes of importance to all concerned have been in- augurated; the receipts of the office have largely incrased ; free delivery service was es- tablished June 1, 1903; and the office was changed from a third-class to a second-class office.

At Prairie du Chien, Wis., Mr. Train mar- ried Mary J. Ricks, who was born in Alle- gheny county, N. Y., of English parentage, but was brought up and educated in Wisconsin, where her parents settled in 1853. Three of her brothers served in a Wisconsin regiment in the Civil war. Mrs. Train is a woman of much culture and refinement and at the age of fourteen years began teaching school in Wis- consin. She subsequently taught in Illinois and Nebraska, and after coming to Oregon was a teacher for seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Train have had two children, namely : Minnie, who died in Harrisburg. Ore., at the age of seventeen years; and Arlene, who is attending Albany College. Politically Mr. Train has al- ways been a staunch Republican, and since the great debate at Freeport, Ill., between Lincoln

and Douglas, he has been an active worker in party ranks, from 1886 until 1888 serving as chairman of the Linn County Republican Com- mittee. Fraternally he was made a Mason at Lena, Ill., afterward joining Thurston Lodge No 28, A. F. & A. M., of Harrisburg, of which he is past master. He is a member and past commander of McPherson Post, G. A. R., is also a member of Grand Prairie Grange, P. of H., and of the Alco Club.

PERRY W. SPINK. After many years of hazardous and uncertain fortune Mr. Spink is now enjoying a well-earned rest among the peaceful and prosperous conditions which are typical of the changes which the years have brought to the western states. In the beauti- ful home recently erected on plans suggested by his talented wife, he looks out into the wealth and worth of the commonwealth built by the strokes of the axe and the upturning plow, to both of which he gave the strength of his young manhood. The qualities which made him successful among the Indians of Rogue river and afterward insured the protec- tion of his life when men and women were suffering the depredations of the savages have followed him into the later years of his life, and the esteem of a community in which he has lived so many years is freely accorded him.

Benjamin Spink, the father of Perry W. Spink, was born in Washington county, N. Y., near the town of Hampton, his Scotch-Irish ancestry discernible in his patient, sturdy farm- ing, which he continued until his death in the same state. He married Lucy Wood, a native of Rutland, Vt., and she also died in New York state. She was the mother of two sons and three daughters, of whom the third oldest was P. W. Spink. He was born in the same location as his father, September 24, 1829, and there remained until he was twenty-one years old, engaged in the practical duties of a farmer. His education consisted of an attendance of three months each year of the public schools, the remainder of the year being devoted to the arduous duties of his home life. Shortly after attaining his majority, the date being October 2, 1850, he came as far west as Kane county, Ill., where his brother Alonzo had previously settled, and there he engaged for a year and a half in farming. At this time he also became a victim to the spirit of unrest which pervaded the middle west. caused by the glowing tales of the riches to be attained beyond the Rockics, and March 23, 1852, joined the tide of emigra- tion setting toward the Pacific slope. He left Kane county at this date, and with horse teams set out for the long and dangerous journey

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across the plains. He was in company with a train, and after crossing the Missouri river at St. Joseph, April 23, they traveled up the Platte, remaining on the west side until they came to the fork of the trail, one road leading to California and the other to Oregon. There they paused and a vote was taken as to whether they should take the trail to California or to Oregon, for to many it was simply a change and one locality was as desirable as another. The majority decided in favor of Oregon and at once came over this trail to The Dalles. There the party were compelled to ship the wagons down the river. Mr. Spink and another young man brought the horses to Cascades, and from there to the mouth of the Sandy river, finally ending the trip at Oregon City in September, 1852.

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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 73

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