Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 91

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 91

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Mr. Dawson was made a Mason in Albany in 1874, and is a member of Corinthian Lodge No. 17, A. F. & A. M .; Bayley Chapter No. 8, R. A. MI. Is also a member of Safety Lodge No. 13, A. O. U. W., and was an active member of Har- mony Grange No. 23. He has always evinced an interest in all matters that he deemed worthy of his consideration.

U. SCOTT LOUGHARY, a native son, and the present clerk of Polk county, was born on a farm six miles from Dallas, July 25, 1863. His father, L. W. Longhary, owner of a well devel- oped farm in the county, was born in Illinois, but removed as a boy with his father, David, to Des Moines county, Iowa. After coming to Polk county in 1852, he continued to farm and build, occupations to which his entire active life has been devoted. Eliza Simpson, whom he married

James Coleman

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after coming to the west, and who is still living with him on the old donation claim, was born in Tennessee, and came across the plains with her father, I. M. Simpson, in the latter '40s. Mr. Simpson settled on a claim on the Luckiamute, was very successful, and added greatly to his original land, now occupied by his wife, Martha. Besides U. Scott, the third child of the family, there were born to L. W. Loughary and his wife, three other children, of whom Rosa is now Mrs. O. A. Wolverton, of Monmouth; Rachel is Mrs. J. L. Hirshner, of the Hood River district; and Frank is living at home.

After attending a course at the State Normal School at Monmouth, U. Scott Loughary taught school for a year, and then attended the State Agricultural College. Following another period of teaching, he engaged in clerking in Independ- ence for five years for Shilling & Van Dyne and their successors, and for two years with the firm of James Meyers & Son. Owing to impaired health he went back and worked on the home farm for a year, and in 1900 was nominated county clerk on the Republican ticket, being elect- ed by a majority of thirty-two over the fusion candidate. In July, 1900, he took the oath of office, and, having most acceptably filled the re- sponsiblity, was re-elected in 1902 by a majority of over five hundred and ninety-six, his term of office to continue until July, 1904.

In Spokane, Wash., Mr. Loughary married Arminda Shupp, daughter of Rev. N. Shupp, the presiding elder of the Evangelical Association. Of this union there have been born three chil- dren, Gladys, Helen and Lucile. Mr. Loughary is well known in fraternal and social circles of this county, and is identified with Jennings Lodge No. 9, A. F. & A. M., Friendship Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F., and Woodmen of the World. For- merly he was active in the Knights of Pythias, and was past chancellor of Homer Lodge of In- dependence for two terms. Mr. Loughary is one of the exceedingly progressive and popular men of the county, and the ability to be an efficient public servant, added to personal characteristics of a high order, have won him a host of friends.

JAMES COLEMAN. That James Cole- man is indebted solely to his own pluck and good management for his success in life is evident from the fact that at the age of thir- teen he was supporting himself by working in a tan yard in Johnson county, Ind., whither he removed with his parents when five years old. He was born in Franklin. Warren county, Ohio, July 21, 1821, and was the son of parents who were but indifferently successful in life. From Johnson county, Ind., he drove a team in 1839

to Louisa county, Iowa, and was so well pleased with the state that he remained and found work on farms in the vicinity. Frugal and industrious, he saved enough money to justify him in marrying Frances Murray June 5, 1845, and thereafter he continued to farm for others for a couple of years.

In 1847 Mr. Coleman followed the prompt- ings of his good judgment and prepared for the long journey across the plains, in a com- pany commanded by Captain Davidson and Captain Mendenhall, four yoke of oxen being sufficient to convey the family possessions in one wagon. He had purchased some stock with which to begin farming enterprises in the west, but of some of this he was unfor- tunately relieved by the Indians, who, it will be recalled, entertained a profound admiration for the cattle of the emigrating "pale faces" in the early days. The train came by way of Fort Hall, and they arrived at their destina- tion none the worse for the danger and de- privation which they had experienced. Mr. Coleman found an opportunity for liveli- hood at St. Paul, Ore., where he operated the Mission sawmill during the first winter. The next spring he took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres seven miles above McMinnville, all of which was wild timber land. In the midst of this desolation he hewed trees and built a little log house, his neighbors being few and far between and many miles distant. This log house continued to be the abode of the family for twelve years, and in the meantime the land was yielding fair re- turns for the labor which had been expended upon it. During the historic year 1849, Mr. Coleman made his way with pack horses to California and mined on the American river for six weeks, afterward trying his luck on Angel's creek. He was successful in a way, and in the fall of the same year returned to Oregon by way of the ocean, going direct to his donation claim.

In 1860 Mr. Coleman sold his claim and came to Marion county, and bought three hundred and twenty acres, which, however, he has never occupied. In the fall of 1862 he bought nine hundred acres, of which he owns five hundred and eighty acres at the present time. His land is under a high state of culti- vation, and besides general farming and stock- raising, he has twenty-four acres under hops. A large family of children have been reared in Oregon, six sons and five daughters, all of whom are living and possess sound constitu - tions. They are named as follows, in the order of their birth: Annie Catharine, wife of W. F. Davidson, of St. Paul; John, of Port- land; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Charles O. Pel-

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land, of St. Paul; James R., of Salem ; William Thomas, of Champoeg; Elizabeth Jane, wife of F. C. Hammond, of Juneau, Alaska ; Stephen Henry, on the home place; Charles D., of Juneau, Alaska; Emily Frances, wife of Wil- liam Murphy, of St. Paul; Helen Louise, wife of John J. Casey, of Portland; Frank N., of St. Paul. Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Pelland and Mrs. Hammond attended St. Mary's Academy in Portland; all the sons except Frank at- tended Willamette University, and he at- tended Mt. Angel College; Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Casey attended St. Paul's Academy, at St. Paul. Ten are married and have homes of their own, all being active and well to do citizens of Oregon.

Mrs. Coleman died April 26, 1896, aged seventy-two years. She was born in Ireland, and in infancy crossed the ocean to America with her father, Barney Murray.

The record of the life of Mr. Coleman should prove a source of gratification to his family and friends, as well as of justifiable pride to himself. In every sense a self-made man, he has looked with a charitable and indulgent eye upon the struggles of the younger men of the present generation, who have been able to ex- tract from their knowledge of his continuous success no small measure of inspiration in their own undertakings. He has always evinced an interest in the public welfare, and co-operates willingly with his friends and neighbors in all efforts put forth to better the condition of humanity. Such. men as he are thoroughly representative of the best and highest interests of the communities in which they reside. The high esteem in which Mr. Coleman is held by all who know him is abundant testimony to the sterling traits in his character and his manifest spirit of fair- ness and liberality of thought and action in dealing with matters that are of interest to others than himself.

A. P. MAGNESS. Continuously for twenty- two years A. P. Magness has been a school clerk in Yamhill county, and during that time has materially advanced the cause of education in which he takes so keen an interest. He has also served as justice of the peace for a few terms, and has otherwise maintained the prestige of Democracy in a prosperous and progressive region. For many years identified with farming hereabouts, Mr. Magness is now living near the village of Wheatland, and in addition to gen- eral farming and stock-raising, derives a sub- stantial revenue from hop culture, to which he devotes ten acres of his well-cultivated farm. During the last year he raised ten thousand

pounds, and he is contemplating an increase of this amount in the near future.

Mr. Magness represents one of the pioneer families of Yamhill county, having arrived here in 1854. He was born in Independence county, Ark., January 3, 1847, his father, John R., hav- ing been born in the same state and county in 1822. The elder Magness was a farmer and stock-raiser in Arkansas, and while living there married as a young man Virginia Byrd, a native of the same state. The parents lived on this farm until 1854, when, having disposed of their Arkansas possessions, they outfitted and pre- pared for the long and dreary journey across the plains. There were about thirty teams in the caravan of home and fortune seekers, and owing to the more settled conditions of the country, the little band missed some of the terrifying experi- ences which befell earlier emigrants. The father started with about one hundred and fifty head of cattle, and owing to the depredations of the Indians, was relieved of his responsibility to the extent of about eighty head. He first settled near Springfield, Ore., where he bought and lived on a farm until 1859, in which year the faithful mother died, leaving her husband and children disconsolate. Thereafter the family re- moved to a farm upon which is now built the town of Fairfield, Marion county, and where he farmed with average success until 1864. Mr. Magness then went into eastern Oregon on a mining and prospecting tour, and for three years experienced varying good and bad luck. He afterward made a couple of trips back to Ar- kansas, and on the last trip was taken ill and one of his sons, Robert N., went and brought him back to his home. Here he lived until his death, July 29, 1893, having lived a very active and worth-while life. An otherwise meritorious career was made more interesting by valorous service in the Mexican war, during which service he encountered many of the vicissitudes incident to a time of adventure and rapid happenings. Before the battle of Buena Vista he was taken prisoner and imprisoned for nine months, and during that time had marched one thousand miles to the City of Mexico. Four sons and one daugh- ter were born into his family, of whom A. P. is the oldest ; Perry G. is a resident of Portland ; David A. lives in California ; R. N. is the next in order of birth ; and Josephine is deceased.

At the age of seventeen years A. P. Magness went into the mines of eastern Oregon, and until his twenty-second year was engaged in mining and prospecting. He received a fair education in the district schools, and this begin- ning has been added to in later years, so that at the present time Mr. Magness is a well-in- formed man on current events and knowledge in general. After his marriage, September 29.

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1869, with Amelia Davidson, a native of Dayton, Yamhill county, and daughter of Green C. and Nancy Davidson, he lived in Fairfield for a couple of years, and for two years on a farm near where he now lives. His present farm has proved most pleasant and profitable, and the fortunate owner correctly estimates that he has one of the most desirable farms in his neighborhood. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mag- ness, John is deceased; Virginia is the wife of T. T. Parker, of Roseburg; David Austin is jus- tice of the peace in St. Paul, Marion county, and is in the hard-wood business on the Willamette river near St. Paul; Gertrude is the wife of Samuel Whitmore, of Dayton; the next child died in infancy and the following complete the family : William B., Maud M., Green Clay and Edna. The last named four children are living with their parents. Mr. Magness bears an hon- ored name in the community and his efforts have ever been for its permanent betterment.

GEORGE MORRISON. Born in the sea- washed isle of Scotland, George Morrison grew up with the frugal and temperate ideas that go hand in hand with the common life of that little country, and bringing them with him across the sea, virtually insured his success in a land where plenty, carefully nurtured, means riches by-and-by.

Samuel Watson, the maternal grandfather, followed farming as his life calling. His daugh- ter, Barbara, who married Alexander Mor- rison, is living now in that distant land in her seventy-fifth year, a widow, her husband having died January 16, 1900, at the age of seventy-six years. Banff, Scotland, was the birth-place of father, mother, and the nine chil- dren that were born to them, five of whom are still in Scotland, William, Charles, and John farming in the locality of their childhood home, Alexander, the second oldest, being a laborer ; Barbara, the one daughter, remaining at home to brighten the life of their aging mother; and two beyond the seas in the land of the setting sun, James, the third, and George, the fifth oldest, the latter of whom is reviewed in this sketch.

November 19, 1863, is the date of his birth, in the county before mentioned. At twelve and a half years he was hired to a farmer to work for the consideration of his board and $25 for the first six months. He had attended the common schools of Scotland previous to this and from now on he engaged in farming, working in the rich lowlands of this maritime county, and by the time he was twenty-three years old he had managed to save fifty pounds, his economy and thrift in all these years being

for the purpose of having money for his pass- age to America. With no friends or relatives to welcome him, he came as many another young man did, with only his courage and de- termination to sustain him in the loneliness of his position. From Boston he came direct to Aurora, Ill., where he engaged in farming for two years, the profits accruing very much more rapidly than in the country of his birth. At the close of the two years he came to Oregon, locat- ing near Amity, Yamhill county, where he worked as a farm-hand for Ladd and Reed for the period of two years and nine months, invest- ing then his savings in a farm of thirty acres near Dundee, having as his partner, his brother James. There were no improvements on the place and they recognized the hardships that barred their opportunity, but with their inherited industry and thrift set to work to bring cultiva- tion to the barren fields. They have a fine orchard of nine-year-old prune trees in full bear- ing, and with their Italian prune-dryer they pre- pare splendid crops for the market. When the trees were five years old they had a crop of three tons of dried prunes; when eight years old, twenty tons; when nine years old, thirteen tons. In the winter of 1903, Mr. Morrison bought a ten-acre eleven-year-old prune orchard which makes him forty acres in all. Prune- raising has been the only industry of the farm, and it has proven very successful. In his political views, Mr. Morrison is a Democrat.

GEORGE K. BRYANT is a member of the firm of Bryant & Pennell, owners and operators of a milling plant which is con- ducted under the name of the Capital City Mills. Mr. Bryant has resided in Oregon only since 1894, but has become an active factor in industrial circles here. He was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., April 6, 1862, and was the third in order of birth in a family of three sons and a daughter born unto John and Rachel (Lumby) Bryant. The father, a native of England, crossed the Atlantic to Ontario, Canada, and afterward removed to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he became purchasing agent for the Chi- cago & Grand Trunk Railroad. He is still living in that city. His wife passed away during the early boyhood of their son, G. K. Her father, George Lumby, was a native of Connecticut and after his removal to Michigan followed the oc- cupation of farming.

Mr. Bryant of this review spent his youthful days in Grand Rapids, Mich., and to its public school system is indebted for the educational privileges he enjoyed. His mother died when he was but four years of age and soon after- ward he was bound out to a miller, J. Wolf.

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When very young he assisted in the work of the mill as his age and strength permitted, and in 1876 he regularly entered the mill and com- pleted his trade in the Globe Mills under Mr. Wolf. This mill was operated with the old burr process and subsequently Mr. Wolf purchased another mill at Tallmadge Center. Mr. Bryant remained with him until six months after he had attained his majority, when he removed to Ra- venna, Muskegon county, Mich., where he accepted the position of head miller in the Ravenna Mills. Later he was made manager, and while serving in that capacity he put in a roller process. Eventually he leased the mill and for five years was its proprietor, his connection with that industry covering twelve years. This, however, was terminated in 1894, when he came to the northwest.

On arriving in Salem Mr. Bryant looked about for a business opening and leased the Aumsville Mill twelve miles from this city. He was its proprietor for four years and then went to California, spending five months at different places in that state. He next proceeded to Port- land and eastern Oregon, but in 1900 he re- turned to Salem and as a member of the firm of Bryant & Reeves purchased the mill which he now owns. It is a steam mill with a fifty-six horse power engine and a capacity of one hun- dred barrels per day. The milling plant con- sists of a building four stories in height and is supplied with a Case system of roller process. The firm is now Bryant & Pennell and the busi- ness is carried on under the name of the Capital City Mills, an engraving of the state capitol being stamped upon each sack of flour as its trade mark. Various kinds of flour and break- fast foods are manufactured, one of the main brands heing the "Perfection Flour," which, be- cause of its superior excellence and quality, finds a ready sale upon the market. Mr. Bryant has worked up an excellent business and the output of the enterprise is continually being increased to meet the growing demands of the trade.

In Coopersville, Mich., occurred the marriage of G. K. Bryant and Miss Alice Burton, who was born in Ohio, and they have one child, Mil- dred W. Mr. Bryant was made a Mason in Lisbon, Mich., and an Odd Fellow at Ravenna, that state, and he is also connected with the Knights of the Maccabees, while his political support is given to the Republican party.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL. From early pioneer times William Campbell has been a resident of Yamhill county and his efforts have been far- reaching and effective in the upbuilding and de- velopment of this portion of the state. He was

born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., and his father, William Campbell, Sr., was a native of Scotland. Crossing the Atlantic to America he took up his abode in the Empire state, where he engaged in farming until his death. His wife was a Miss Logan, and the subject of this re- view is their only living child and the only one that came to Oregon. His birth occurred on the 4th of September, 1827, so that he has now passed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, but he is still an active factor in the business circles of McMinnville, where he is en- gaged in real estate operations. When sixteen years of age he was apprenticed to learn the blacksmith's trade, which he followed until 1855, and then started for California by way of the Nicaragua route on the steamer The Golden West. After crossing that Central American country he again took passage on a steamer bound for San Francisco, and on reaching the Golden Gate, made his way at once to the mines. In Yuba county he engaged in blacksmithing for three months, and afterwards took up his abode in Marysville, Cal., where he also established a shop. In 1858, the year of the Frazier river ex- citement in British Columbia, he was attracted northward and proceeded as far as Victoria when he met the prospectors and miners returning. Mr. Campbell then made his way to Portland and thence went to Lafayette, while two months later he arrived in McMinnville.

There was only one store and a few houses here when Mr. Campbell became a resident of the city. He purchased a blacksmith shop on Third street between B and C streets and there he conducted business along the line of his trade for many years, also devoting his attention to wagon and carriage making. He built the first carriage ever manufactured here and continued working at his trade for about ten years, since which time he has devoted his energies to real- estate operations. Through this avenue of busi- ness activity Mr. Campbell has contributed in a large measure to the improvement of McMinn- ville. He erected the Campbell block, which is a brick structure two stories in height, 68x100 feet. He also built another building 60x100 fcet opposite the Campbell block and still others has he erected in the business district, while in the residence district he has put up a number of cottages. Mr. Campbell has done not a little for his fellow men by giving people an oppor- tunity to own their own homes by allowing them to pay for them upon the installment plan. He has built more than any other one resident of the city, and when the railroad was comtemplated he was a generous contributor to a subscription list that was raised in order to secure the ex- tension of the line to this place. The road had been terminated at St. Joseph, and Mr. Campbell

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succeeded in securing the right of way from that place to Amity. He realized how important would be railroad connection with outlying points and put forth every effort in his power to secure the building of the road, which has proven of the greatest possible benefit to McMinnville. A meeting of citizens was held at which Mr. Camp- bell was appointed chairman of the committee to secure the right of way and the depot site, and when he had accomplished this important task the growth of the town received a new impetus that is still felt. Exclusive of time and efforts he gave over $3,000 in money to carry on this enterprise. Mr. Campbell has also im- proved a number of farms in this portion of the state and owns about one thousand acres of land near McMinnville, most of which is under cul- tivation, and he may well be termed a captain of industry, for certainly his life is an exemplifica- tion of earnest labor and its force as a factor in the business world. He has also been the pro- moter of a number of enterprises which have been of value to the city as well as to the indi- vidual owners. He established the first fruit- drying factory of the county and became presi- dent of the company having this in charge. He built the first creamery here and was president of the company owning and controlling this en- terprise. He became one of the organizers of the McMinnville National Bank and a member of its first board of directors, and in that same connection he is still associated with the insti- tution.

Mr. Campbell was married in McMinnville April 20, 1880, to Miss Hattie L. Loughary, who was born in Jowa and came to McMinnville in 1864 with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Loughary, who still reside here. Unto our sub- ject and his wife have been born two children: Fuchia Pearl and William Chester. In his po- litical faith Mr. Campbell is a Republican, hav- ing been identified with the party since its organ- ization. He has done everything in his power to promote its growth and insure its success and has ever been an active factor in the political in- terests of McMinnville.

For fifteen years he served as a member of the city council and was the promoter of meas- ures of benefit to the city. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Mc- Minnville, in which he is a past noble grand ; is also connected with the Encampment and with thé Rebekah degree and has membership relations with the Muscovites. In 1865 he returned to the east by way of the Nicaragua route, and in 1868 he again visited the east, going by way of the Panama route, but since coming to McMinnville his deepest interests have centered here and he has had firm faith in the country and its future.

ALFRED WILSON. Few men are more familiar with western history than Alfred Wil- son. What to most of the present generation is a matter of reading is to him a matter of memory. He has been a participant in many of the advances connected with early travel over the plains and with the settlement of the west, and is thus very familiar with life upon the great stretches of country that lie between the Mississippi valley and the ocean. He served in the Mexican war, and is among the few survivors to-day of that struggle. He bore his part in the work of improvement and devel- opment as the tide of emigration steadily flowed westward, and to-day he is one of the respected, honored and successful agricultur- ists of Yamhill county, where he owns a valu- able tract of land of thirteen hundred and sixty acres.

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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 91

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