Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 84

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 84

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the spring of 1853 Mr. Prosser brought his family on to Milwaukee, and June 4 bought a a place in Powell's valley, where he lived for two years. His next farm was located two miles from Oswego, and consisted of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he farmed and raised stock most successfully. On this claim was dis- covered the first iron ore found in the state of Oregon, and it proved to be of a particularly rich quality. Mr. Prosser sought relaxation from the cares of his farm in a trip back to his old home in Ohio, going by way of Panama. and while there he died, leaving three children to the care of his wife, who was formerly Mary Hecock, a native of Ireland. Mrs. Prosser who came to America with her brother, settling in Ohio, died in Tillamook, Ore. Of the children, William died in the Friendly Islands ; Esther A.

620

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

married Mr. Cook; and George W. is postmaster at Oswego, Ore.

Mrs. Cook was educated principally in the public schools and at Oregon City Seminary, and her first marriage occurred December 11, 1860, with John F. Cook. Mr. Cook became a large land owner in Yamhill county, and at the time of his death owned a property consisting of twelve hundred acres. Seven children were born of this marriage: Mary, who died in Yamhill county ; James, a practicing physician of Mc- Minnville, and a graduate of McMinnville Col- lege and the Medical Department of the Univer- sity of Oregon ; Rhoda, who died at the age of three years; Wilbur, who is engaged in farming near his mother's place; Etta, who is the wife of Rev. H. B. Blood, of New York state; Royce, who is living at home; and Cora, who is also living with her mother. The second marriage of Mrs. Cook was with Thomas T. Cook, brother of her former husband, and who also was born in Tennessee. Thomas T. Cook crossed the plains with the rest of his family in 1852, and at once went to the mines of California, gradually making his way to the southern part of the state, where he became interested in horticulture. He improved a number of Orange groves in Cali- fornia, and at the time of his marriage in Feb- ruary, 1902, was living on an orange grove west of Highlands. Mrs. Cook is a member of the Methodist Church, and is president of the Ladies' Aid Society. Also she is identified with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and has been evangelistic superintendent for many years. She is a woman of resource and much ability, and her popularity in the vicinity of McMinn- ville is based upon admirable traits of character, and fine social attributes.

H. C. BURNS, who is engaged in the fur- niture and undertaking business in McMinnville, dates his residence in this city from 1866. He was born in Missouri January 26, 1851, a son of Harrison G. Burns, a native of West Virginia. The paternal grandfather died in West Virginia. where for many years he had practiced law and was well known. The father became a farmer and, removing to Kentucky, was there married to Miss Jane K. Ball, a native of that state and a daughter of William Ball, who was born in Kentucky and belonged to one of its old fam- ilies. Mr. and Mrs. Burns afterward removed to Andrew county, Mo., settling upon the farm which he cultivated and improved until the coun- try became involved in Civil war, when the troops invaded his place. He was a Union man and had sons and sons-in-law in the northern army. ('n one occasion he and his son-in-law, George IIenry, were sitting at home when a party of

rebels entered the house, saying that they were federal soldiers off guard. They then drew their guns and shot the son-in-law dead and severely wounded the father, but he managed to make his escape into a hemp field, where he lay in hiding for some time. He eventually recovered from his wounds and, disposing of his large landed interests in Missouri, came to Oregon in 1866, accompanied by his family. Settling in Mc- Minnville he established a general mercantile store here which he conducted successfully for some time, but his last eight years were spent in retirement from labor. His death occurred in Salem October 19, 1894, and his wife died in McMinnville in 1884. In their family were thir- teen children, nine of whom reached adult age, while three are still living. H. C. Burns, how- ever, is the only one now upon the coast. His brother, Harrison G., died in Oregon when a young man. Another brother, David D. Burns, who was a member of the Thirteenth Missouri in the Civil war, was captured at Lexington, Ky .. by General Price. He afterward escaped but was captured a second time at Glasgow by the same rebel leader. He was in active service until the time of his second capture, but he was never exchanged. Mr. Burns also had three brothers- in-law who were in the army.

For fifteen years H. C. Burns remained upon the home farm in the state of his nativity, re- ceiving but limited educational privileges, be- cause of the war which made the continuance of schools in his locality impossible. In 1866 the family came to Oregon by way of the Pana- ma route, San Francisco and Portland, arriving in McMinnville in May. The son afterward had the privilege of attending the Baptist College at McMinnville for a few years, and at the same time, during his leisure hours and the periods of vacations, he assisted his father in the store. In 1872 he was married and then began farming ten miles south of McMinnville, where he carried on the work of tilling the soil until 1890, when he sold out and located in the city. He then pur- chased the furniture and undertaking stock of Mrs. Fellows and has since engaged in this line of business. In 1899 he erected a fine two-story brick building 30x125 feet. He now deals quite extensively in furniture of all grades and is also an embalmer and funeral director and has the oldest business of the kind in the county. In the furniture department he has an extensive and well-selected stock and his earnest desire to please his patrons, combined with straightfor- ward business methods, has secured to him a large and growing trade.

Mr. Burns was married in McMinnville in 1872 to Miss Mary L. Payne, who was born in Yam- hill county, a daughter of Caleb J. Payne, who came from the Mississippi valley to Oregon in

Peter Hung

623

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

pioneer days and began farming here in 1849. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Burns were born three chil- dren : Annie, the wife of H. R. Bills, of Union county, Ore .; Jennie, who died at the age of fourteen years ; and William Hollis, who is with his father in business.

Mr. Burns is now serving for the second term as a member of the city council of McMinnville and was a member of the committee that drew up the new city charter in 1902. He has always been an earnest Democrat and has long been a member of the county committee, while for three successive years he was its chairman. He belongs to the board of trade, is connected with the lodge and endowment rank of the Knights of Pythias, holds membership with the Woodmen of the World and belongs to the Methodist Epis- copal Church. His is a well rounded character. He possesses good practical common sense, add- ed to keen business ability, a pleasant inanner and cordial disposition. Such qualities have made him popular and Mr. Burns is well liked by young and old, rich and poor.

PETER HUME. For a great many years the name of Peter Hume has been identified with the commercial and political development of Brownsville and Linn county, and for the past thirty-five years he has been a prominent and familiar figure at Republican conventions. The early life of this prosperous northwest- erner was spent in Nova Scotia, where he was born on the Isle of Cape Breton, August 16, 1840, and where his family name was asso- ciated with large lumbering and ship-building interests. His paternal great-grandfather, Peter, of Scotch descent, lived at one · time in Maine, where was born the grandfather, Peter, the founder of the family in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Reaching the latter country about 1815, he engaged in lumbering and ship- building, and in his day was a veritable lumber king, owning much timber land and many ships. In an unfortunate hour he built a ship, loaded it with lumber for the English market, but after setting sail nothing was ever heard of ship or erew or owner. The lumber king had left his business in good hands, however, for, while yet a youth, his son George, the father of Peter, had been trained in the various departments of the trade, and for several years before the departure upon the sea of the old ship-builder, George Hume had practically managed the enterprise. He was born in either Maine or New Hampshire, and was engaged in lumbering and ship-building almost up to the time of his death, at the age of sixty. He married Christy McKay, who was born in

Scotland, daughter of Donald McKay, and who bore him the following children: Cassie deceased ; John, living in Australia ; Mary, liv- ing at Reading, near Boston, Mass .; Peter; George, in New York City: Annie, living in Nova Scotia; David, engaged in mining in Alaska ; Donald, a sea-faring inan ; Sarah, liv- ing in Oakland, Cal .; Joseph, a resident of Brownsville, and Maggie, living in Olympia.

In Nova Scotia Peter Hume had small op- portunity for acquiring an education, for as early as fourteen years of age he apprentieed to a carriagemaker for four years, and, in 1858, began a similar apprenticeship to a house- painter. In 1862 he came to Oregon via New York, the Isthmus of Panama and San Fran- cisco, and the following year, in 1862, he went to British Columbia, located at Nanaimo, where he worked in the mines, and at house- painting and paper-hanging. The year 1863 found him seeking for gold in the great Cari- boo mines in northern British Columbia, and, in 1867, he returned to Oregon, locating at Brownsville. For some time he worked at his trade and became much interested in the po- litical agitations then rife throughout the northwest, little realizing at the time the prom- inence he was to attain in the community. In 1872 he engaged in the general merchandise business with the late W. R. Kirk, but sold his interest in 1876, and engaged in farming on a farm of three hundred and sixty acres near Brownsville. In the meantime, in 1873, with Thomas Kay and others, he re-established the Brownsville Woolen mills and was elected president of the company, an enterprise in which he was interested for many years, and which he was largely instrumental in keeping in Brownsville, for, in 1887, parties in Albany offered a bonus of $25,000 if the mills would move to that city but Mr. Hume stepped in, organized a new company, bought the mills, and they have since been a means of employing labor and stimulating the business life of the town. In 1887, with J. M. Moyer and W. R. Kirk, he organized the Bank of Brownsville, and. in 1892, he removed to Roseburg, where he became cashier of the Douglas County Bank, remaining in that capacity for five years. During that time the bank passed through the financial panic that wrecked many institutions throughout the country, and, during this panic, the bank's deposits diminished over eighty-five per cent. Returning to Brownsville directly after the presidential election of 1896, he re- sumed his former association with the Bank of Brownsville, retiring from the presidency two vears later, in 1898. In 1899 he returned to farming again, but, in 1902, he took charge of the planing-mill, which he managed and put on

624

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a good paying basis ; but, finding the duties too heavy, he retired from the business in 1903.

Like a sentinel, Mr. Hume has stood by the Republican party in this state, backing it finan- cially and with his own personal efforts, during the trying days of its rising supremacy in the west. He was president of the first city coun- cil of Brownsville, and served his first term as postmaster in 1873, being appointed to the same office again in 1881. He was the first recorder of this city, serving two terms, and he has been school clerk three or four terms. Fraternally, he is associated with Brownsville Lodge No. 36, A. F. & A. M., and Lynn Chap- ter No. 19, R. A. M.

September 9, 1879, Mr. Hume was united in marriage with Mary Walter, daughter of Elias and Naomi J. Walter. Mr. Walter was one of the early settlers of the Willamette valley, and located near Brownsville about the same time as Hon. H. L. Brown, Alexander Kirk and James Blakely, the latter being the only survivor of this, at one time, well known quar- tette. Mr. Walter took a prominent part in the early politics of his neighborhood, was justice of the peace in his precinct for many years and was elected county treasurer in 1861. He was also a member of the territorial legislature which sat in Oregon City in 1849. His death occurred in 1867. In early manhood he married Naomi Williams, whose mother was born in Ontario county, N. Y., in 1825, and who moved to Michigan with her parents when four years of age, six years later moving to Illinois, her father having died in the meantime. Eleven years later the Williams family settled in Scott county, Iowa, and, in 1845, Naomi crossed the plains to Ore- gon with her brothers, Charles Austin and Enos C. Williams, Mr. Walter being also one of the party under command of Captain Holli- day. Arriving at the south fork of the Platte river they were surrounded by about five hun- dred Pawnee Indians who tried to stampe le their stock, and who held them there during one whole and the part of another night. Knowing that United States troops were within a day's march from them they managed to hold off the Indians with threats and the promise of a cow or two, and were thus al- lowed to proceed with their stock. Neverthe- less, the red men raided their camp and plun- dered their wagons of considerable provisions, but further than that they had no trouble up to the time of their arrival in Oregon, November 1, 1845. Miss Williams was married at the home of her brother, Enos Williams, in Amity. Ore., October 10. 1846, to Elias L. Walter, and thus the courtship begun on the plains had a happy termination. The young people came

to their claim on the Calapooya, fording the Willamette with their ox-teams, and improv- ing the property which is still in the possession of Mrs. Walter's heirs. This pioneer womani (Mrs. Walter) became well known among the early settlers, and in honor of her courageous and fearless life in the midst of danger and ad- versity, the local cabin of the Native Daugh- ters of Oregon was named in her honor. Two daughters survive her, Mrs. Hume and Ellen, the wife of G. W. McHargue, late sheriff of Linn county. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hume six are living: Maude, the wife of C. P. Snyder ; Clair Austin ; Percy E .; Christy J .; Anna I., and Alice L. Mr. Hume is now perfecting a plan to establish a reservoir on Powell Hill, three hundred feet above the town, and thus furnish to the city of Browns- ville a water system for domestic use and for fire protection.

GEORGE W. HENDERSHOTT is an hon- ored veteran of the Civil war, and back of him is an ancestry honorable and distinguished because of loyal service in behalf of the country upon its battlefields. He was born in Lenawee county, Mich., October 5, 1848, the youngest of the four children of George and Mahala (Westcott) Hen- dershott. The father was born in Pennsylvania and was a son of William Hendershott, who was also a native of the Keystone state, and served his country in the war of 1812. Removing to Lenawee county, Mich., in pioneer times, he set- tled near Tecumseh, where he followed farming until his death. He was of German descent. George Hendershott was a loyal defender of the United States in the Mexican war, and of the same family is Robert Hendershott, the hero of the Rappahannock. George Hendershott died during the infancy of our subject, and the mother, who was born in Lenawee county, Mich., and was of New England descent, passed away when her youngest son was but five years of age. In the family were three boys and one girl, and two brothers are still living, these being James and George. William, the eldest, was a member of the Fourth Regiment of Michigan Infantry during the Civil war, was held for seven months in Libby prison, and died in Michigan. James, who served in the Third Michigan Cavalry, is now a resident of Russell county, Kans.

Left an orphan at the early age of five years, George W. Hendershott lived with strangers through the period of his youth, receiving a lin- ited education in the district schools, and ample training at farm lahor, as he worked in field and incadows for those with whom he resided. He permanently put aside his text-books when fif- teen years of age, and in February, 1863, he vol-

625

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

unteered for service in the Civil war as a de- fender of the Union cause, becoming a member of Company D, Third Michigan Cavalry, which was assigned to the Sixteenth Army Corps of the Army of the West. He served in Missouri, went on the Banks expedition up the Red river, took part in various engagements in Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana, and following the siege of Mobile, assisted in the capture of Fort Blakeley and Spanish Fort. While at Little Rock, Årk., in 1864, he voted for Abraham Lin- coln for the presidency, for though not yet of age, the privilege of voting was granted to all soldiers in the field. He was mustered out at New Orleans, and honorably discharged in the fall of 1865.

Mr. Hendershott then returned to Michigan, and soon afterward began working in the lumber woods of Wisconsin. He also spent three years in the lumber mills of Oshkosh, Wis., after which he went to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, being employed in mills for five or six years. Going to Omro, Wis., he was there married, and purchasing a small tract of land in that locality, there engaged in farming until 1872, when he went to Russell, Kans., where he conducted a hotel and livery barn, also had a mail and stage route. He was in charge of the mail route for one hundred and fifty miles north of Red Cloud, Neb., and fifty miles south of Great Bend, Kans. In 1886, he sold his livery business and engaged in the cattle business, and his enterprise made him well known in his portion of Kansas, while his capability led to his selection for a number of offices. He served as a member of the city coun- cil of Russell, Kans., was marshal for six years, deputy sheriff for four years, and sheriff of that county for four years, and in the discharge of his duties was ever found prompt and faithful. A Republican in politics, he attended the state con- ventions and had considerable influence in public affairs.

In 1893 Mr. Hendershott came to Oregon, settling in Stayton, Marion county, where he conducted a hotel for a year, and then went to Turner, where he continued in the hotel business until 1895, when he came to McMinnville, and has since been proprietor of the Commercial House. He is a popular host, for he puts forth every effort to promote the comfort of his guests, and has the faculty of meeting people in a man- ner that indicates a friendly, cordial and genuine spirit.

When in Wisconsin, Mr. Hendershott was married to Miss Della A. Wiles, who was born in New York, and they have three children : Jesse, a farmer of Yamhill county ; Clarence, who is with his father, and Mabel, at home. Mr. Hendershott was made a Mason in Russell, Kans., and is now a member of Union Lodge

No. 43, F. & A. M. He also took the chapter degree of Royal Arch Masonry in Russell, Kans., and he belongs to the lodge and uniformed ranks of the Knights of Pythias of McMinnville, and to Custer Post, G. A. R., of McMinnville, of which he is a past commander. He is identified with the Board of Trade, and is well known as an earnest Republican, who has served as a member of the county central committee of his party. In matters of citizenship he has fully up- held the splendid family record for patriotism, and is as true and loyal to his country as he was when he followed the nation's starry banner upon the battlefields of the south.

JOHN T. WOOD. Pleasantly located near Amity, Ore., John T. Wood is successfully car- rying on general farming and stock-raising. He was born November 1, 1853, in Sullivan county, No .. a son of Henry Wood, a native of Monroe county, that state, born in 1825 and a farmer by occupation. He married Ara Smith, also a native of that state, and they resided upon a farm near Sullivan postoffice until 1864, when desiring to establish a home in the far west and take advantage of its better opportunities, they started on the long and difficult journey across the plains, their wagon being drawn by a team of oxen. The train was known as the Big Mis- souri train, and Eli Watson was chosen as its captain. They were upon the road six months, and though there were hardships and difficul- ties to be met, they had no trouble with the Indi- ans, being unmolested by the savages, who had perpetrated so many horrors upon many other emigrants. They made their way direct to Port- land and the Wood family came on to Yamhill county, the father of our subject establishing his home upon a farm near Amity. Here both he and his wife lived until called to their final rest, the former dying at the age of seventy-one years and the latter when seventy-four years of age. They had ten children, all of whom are now living : Hester A., the wife of F. Wood, of Mc- Minnville : Willard H., a resident of Salem ; Robert F., who is living near Amity ; Mary D., the widow of Thomas T. Cooper, of Hopewell; Benjamin F., who makes his home in Idaho; Susan E., the wife of J. Michael, of Corvallis. Orc .; John T., Nancy J., the wife of Frank Stephens, of Hopewell, Orc .: William H., who is living near Whiteson, and Ella, the wife of Charles Cooper, of Hopewell. The parents were valued members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which Mr. Wood was identified from the age of twelve years. He was a very prominent and influential man who probably had

626

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

not an enemy in the world and all who knew him esteemed him for his genuine worth.

John T. Wood remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage, and in the district schools he obtained his education. He wedded Dullcenia Cooper, who was born in Iowa and with her people came to Oregon in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Wood began housekeeping on the Richardson donation claim about two miles north of Hopewell, and their home was blessed with four children : Thomas A., now deceased ; George WV., Charles E. and Henry C., who are still un- der the parental roof. In 1896 the wife and mother died and Mr. Wood afterward married Miss Rebecca J. Potter, a native of Tennessee, daughter of D. W. and Mary (Simmerly) Pot- ter, by whom he has one daughter, Myrtle E.

Mr. Wood is the owner of one hundred and seventy acres of land and in connection with gen- eral farming and stock-raising he conducts a thresher and is engaged in sawing wood. He has ten acres of land planted to hops and upon his farm is a fine bunch of Jersey cattle. All of the improvements upon his place stand there as monuments to his thrift and enterprise and he has one of the fine country homes of Yamhill county. Neatness and thrift characterize every- thing about his farm and the place is now a very valuable one, giving evidence of the careful su- pervision of the owner.

Mr. Wood takes quite an active part in politics and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, giving his support to the Democracy because its platform contains the best elements of good government. He is now serving as road super- visor and has been a member of the school board. He belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and is one of the promoters of the rural free delivery route No I out of Amity. He deserves great credit for his interest in this matter, and in it, as in all matters of citizenship, he has been progressive and public spirited.

JOHN W. COOVERT. A resumé of the men who have been important factors in the de- velopment of Yamhill county would be incom- plete were no mention to be made of John W. Coovert, a valiant soldier during the Civil war, and at present the owner of two hundred and fourteen acres of land in one of the most fertile parts of the county. Mr. Coovert was born in Preble county, Ohio, February 5, 1845, and was one of a family of six children born to his parents, who were farmers. As his parents died when he was an infant, he was bound out to an uncle, with whom he remained until fifteen years of age. For two years after leaving his uncle's home he was employed at farm work in the neighborhood. but as at that time the Civil war was in full swing, he threw aside the shackles of the peace-

ful occupation and enlisted in his country's serv- ice

In August, 1862, Mr. Coovert became a mem- ber of Company I, Sixty-seventh Indiana Volun- teer Infantry, and after being mustered in at Madison, was sent to Louisville, Ky. From there they went to Mumfordville, Ky., where they were captured, and being paroled the next day, were sent back to Indiana. After remaining in camp in Indianapolis for some time, they were exchanged and sent to Cairo and Memphis and different parts of the south, and finally partici- pated in the Vicksburg campaign, during which Mr. Coovert was captured with about four thous- and others at the battle of Carrion Crow, and held for fifty-two days near Alexandria. After being paroled he was sent to New Orleans and held until June 1, 1864, and after being ex- changed, went to Baton Rouge, and there re- joined his regiment. The next engagement in which he participated was at Dauphin Island, and from there he went to Ft. Morgan, where the siege lasted twenty-three days. Returning to New Orleans, from there he proceeded up the river, going into camp near Ft. Pickens, and re- maining there until March, 1865. He next par- ticipated in the siege of Ft. Blakely, from there went to Selma, Ala., then to Mobile, remaining until June 1, 1865, and finally, with his regiment, was mustered out at Galveston. Tex.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 84

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