Portrait and biographical record of the Willamette valley, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 94

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 94

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At the age of nineteen J. B. Layson started away from home to make his own living, equipped with an extended farming experience, and with a fair common-school education. With the exception of eight years spent east of the mountains in the stock-raising business, he has since been a resident of this vicinity, where he married Sarah C. Layson, widow of John Lay- son. With his wife he started in at housekeeping on his present farm, half a mile north of Hope- well, known as the Rachel Matheny donation claim, and on his property has made many im- provements, including a pleasant home, fine barns and outbuildings, and general agricultural imple- ments. At the present time he is the owner of about five hundred and ninety-seven acres of land, a large portion of which is under cultiva- tion, and where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. One child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Layson, whom they christened Howard, and whose early death caused intense grief in the little household. Mr. Layson is not a politician, as the word is usually understood, although he maintains a keen interest in the workings of the Republican party. He is enterprising and thrifty, and commands the respect and good-will of all who are privileged to know him.

· J. T. GOWDY. Among the sons contributed by Illinois for the upbuilding of Yamhill county, and who, through the force of their own charac- ter and determination to succeed have risen to

enviable influence in agricultural and other cir- cles, may be mentioned J. T. Gowdy, extensively engaged in the raising of Shorthorn cattle and Cotswold sheep. Of practical farming ancestry, Mr. Gowdy was born in Tazewell county, Ili., November 21, 1835, and when a very small lad was deprived by death of the affectionate care of his parents. Left thus practically alone in the world, his education and general training were naturally restricted, and the fact that at present he is one of the best informed and most progress- ive men in his neighborhood argues most praise- worthy application during the maturer years of his life. Until his fourteenth year he made his home with relatives, and thereafter found em- ployment with one J. T. Scott, an uncle and father of the present editor of the Oregonian. In the family of Mr. Scott he found a home and interested friends, and although hard work was the order of the day on the farm owned by his benefactor, Mr. Gowdy made great progress physically and mentally, early evincing habits of thrift and industry.

A man of keen insight and much ambition, Mr. Scott determined to follow the tide of emigration westward, and March 4, 1852, started on the long journey across the plains, accompanied by his seventeen-year-old charge, J. T. Gowdy, one of the most enthusiastic and determined of the little band. There were ten wagons in the train, and the youth made himself useful in many directions, particularly as a driver of oxen and cattle. Ar- riving in Marion county September 27, 1852, his first winter was spent with Mr. Hall at Wood- burn, and he afterward entered the employ of a Mr. Brown, with whom he remained for eight years. February 4, 1861, he married Anna Kemp, who was born in Pettis county, Mo., November 23, 1843, and who crossed the plains with her parents many years ago, her father dying on the way to his new home in the west.

After his marriage, Mr. Gowdy located on one hundred acres, purchased some time previously, and there lived for about three years. In the meantime, he prospected and mined in the Cari- bou country on the Salmon river, near Florence. Idaho. In the fall of 1868 he bought the hun- dred acres of land in Yamhill county, which has since been his home, and on which he has made many improvements. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, his stock including Shorthorn cattle and Cotswold sheep. Four chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gowdy, of whom Arthur lives in Portland, while Hattie G .. Lillian, and Elizabeth live at home. A Repub- lican in politics, it was the good fortune of Mr. Gowdy to cast his first presidential vote for Abra- ham Lincoln. However, though a stanch adher- ent of his party, he has never worked for or been willing to receive official recognition. Mr. Gowdy

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lives three miles southwest of Dayton and five miles from McMinnville, and his home is the typical residence of a hospitable, successful, and very popular westerner.

WALTER J. SARGEANT. The popular postmaster and merchant of Bellevue has con- tributed his share towards the agricultural devel- opment of Yamhill county and is accounted one of the most enterprising and successful members of the pioneer families of '51. He was born near Springfield, Ill., March 10, 1847, a son of Philip and Nancy Ann (Wilson) Sargeant, natives, re- spectively, of Ohio and Illinois, the former born March 10, 1820.

As a young man Philip Sargeant went away from his father's farm in Ohio to Illinois, where, about 1845, he married, and where he lived until 1851. He then undertook the trip across the plains with ox teams, meeting with few encoun- ters with the Indians, and having in all a fairly successful trip. He took up a donation claim near Grand Ronde, where he lived for three years, and after selling the same, bought a farm near Ballston, Polk county, and there spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring when he was only forty years of age. Ten children were born into this family, of whom Walter J. is the second oldest; Nancy J., the first-born, is de- ceased; William resides near the old home place ; Mary A. became the wife of William Thornton, of Sheridan; Lewis C. and John are deceased; Constantine is a resident of this state; George resides near Ballston; Martha is the wife of D. C. Coleman, of Sheridan; and Frank lives near the old homestead.

While living on the paternal farm Walter J. Sargeant attended the district schools, and also the high school at Salem. At the age of seven- teen he began to work at outside employment, and November 1, 1864, enlisted in Company A, First Oregon Volunteer Infantry, and was mus- tered in at Salem. The regiment was first sent to Vancouver and then to Grand Ronde, after which they participated in a winter campaign east of the mountains, and subsequently returned to Grand Ronde, where they were mustered out. Returning to his home in Yamhill county, Mr. Sargeant worked at farm work until his mar- riage, in November, 1870, with Martha A. Gant, a daughter of Reuben Gant, whose career is men- tioned in another part of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Sargeant went to housekeeping on the old Gant homestead, which they still own, and which contains about two hundred acres. Here they engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1892, in which year Mr. Sargcant relinquished farming in favor of a general merchandise business in Bellevue, which he has since conducted in con-

nection with his duties as postmaster. He has an up-to-date little store, where the residents of the town and county may procure in their best qual- ity the commodities most in demand, and which is one of the busy centers of activity in the town. Mr. Sargeant takes a keen interest in Republican politics, and is foremost in all efforts at general improvement in his town and county. He is va- riously associated with the social organizations in which his community abounds, and is a mem- ber of Donaldson Post No. 55, G. A. R., and is past post commander.

FRANK CAMPBELL. Two generations of the Campbell family have been represented in Yamhill county, and the example of industry and progressiveness set by the father is shared in like measure by the son, Frank Campbell, a native son of this county, born northeast of Hopewell July 2, 1873.

The father, John Campbell, was born in Can- ada in 1839, whither the grandfather had settled many years before. John was reared to farming and a general knowledge of business, and after attaining his majority engaged in saw-milling on a rapid Canadian stream. He married Martha J. Davis, also a native of Canada, and in 1871, dis- posed of his milling interests and brought his little family to Oregon, remaining in Dayton for about three months. In the meantime he had been looking around for desirable agricultural property, and decided upon a farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres, one mile north of Hopewell, upon which he settled and farmed for several years. He was ambitious and a good manager, and so used the opportunities by which he was surrounded in the west, that at the time of his death he owned thirteen hundred acres of land. Of the six children born to himself and wife, Nellie is deceased; Robert is living on the old home place; Frank, the subject of this article, is the next in order of birth; Cora is the wife of George Nash, and they make their home in Hope- well; Elmer makes his home in this vicinity, and Jennie is living at home. and attending school in Salem. John Campbell raised considerable stock, and was sixty-three years of age at the time of his death. His wife died in 1887, when about forty years of age.

Until his marriage with Ruth Nash, a native of Minnesota, Frank Campbell remained upon his father's farm, and under the capable direction of the elder man, developed habits of thrift and in- dustry. He then started housekeeping on the farm where he now lives, which was his father's home the last years of his life. Mr. Campbell's " home is one of the pleasantest and most con- venient rural homes in this vicinity, adding to the value of his farm, as do also the barns and

James Houck

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outbuildings, all of which are according to late and improved plans. Of the two hundred and thirty acres owned by this energetic agriculturist two hundred are under cultivation, and besides general farming he is engaged in stock-raising on a moderate scale, making a specialty of Cotswold sheep. Besides the features already mentioned Mr. Campbell has four acres devoted to hops, in the cultivation of which he is very successful. Although independent in politics, Mr. Campbell takes a keen interest in all political undertakings in the neighborhood, and he may be depended upon to further any effort at general improve- ment in the community. One child has been born to himself and wife, Bessie, who is living at home.

JAMES HOUCK. Few men in the state of Oregon are more interestingly reminiscent of the very early days of the west than is James Houck, at present a farmer of Yamhill county, and one of its most venerable and honored residents. On both sides of his family Mr. Houck is descended from Revolutionary heroes, his grandfathers hav- ing left their plows and families to follow the martial fortunes of Washington. Longevity is a condition which Mr. Houck may reasonably expect in his own case, for his paternal grand- father lived to be one hundred and four years old, and his mother's father attained the unusual age of one hundred and seven. His father, an- other James, was the establisher of the family in Licking county, Ohio, having removed there at a very early age. He was born in 1801, and like his sire lived far beyond the biblical allot- ment, his life extending up to the century mark.

James Houck was born in Knox county, Ohio, February 14, 1819, and was six years of age when he accompanied his parents to Licking county, Ohio. Possessing excessive vitality and energy as a boy, he felt the limitations by which he was surrounded on the home farm, and like many another youth left the family fireside with- out due notice, at the time being seventeen years of age. His experience at South Bend, Ind., was not entirely successful, so at the end of a year he returned to his father's farm, and was received with joy by his overanxious family. However, having tasted the joys of independence he again went away, and took up land in Washington county, Iowa, upon which he lived for three years. On the lookout for anything that held out superior inducements he naturally heard much of the possibilities of the far west, and as early as 1843 started overland with a train of emigrants consisting of many families and two hundred wagons. Arriving in Oregon without any par- ticular adventure, Mr. Houck engaged in getting out logs for the Hudson Bay Company in Ore-

gon City, and in 1845 he joined a party con- sisting of forty other men, one woman and three children, all destined for the state of California.

The California memories of Mr. Houck are interesting in the extreme, and may be taken as typical of all who ventured thus early into one of the most ideal portions of the United States. Yet so little was the climate and resources appre- ciated or known, that at the time of his arrival in San Francisco a small Spanish settlement was drowsing in the sun, its citizens appallingly ig- norant of any particular advantages, or any re- sources to develop . The real estate in the town was available for $15 an acre, $4 down, and everything was in proportion. No one was busy in those days and the old Spanish way of putting everything off until to-morrow prevailed through the breadth and length of the state. The settlers led a free and careless life, their hospitality being unbounded, and their larder free as long as it lasted. Mr. Houck traveled around the state with little expense to himself, for he was wel- come everywhere, and could stay as long as he liked.

The breaking out of the Mexican war offered a chance in the money-making line, and, anticipat- ing a demand, Mr. Houck started out with three hundred head of horses to meet the oncoming emigrants, his partner in business being a man by the name of Walker. At Fort Bridges they came across the searchers after homes in the west, informed them of the state of war in Mex- ico, and forthwith traded their horses for Amer- ican mules, which they took to Mexico and sold. In the Mexican war Mr. Houck served for three months under Colonel Donaldson, and afterwards engaged in mule-trading with the Navajo In- dians, giving them a certain kind of beads and $12 a head. The mules were taken to Santa Fe, N. M., and sold to the government, and the sale of this hardy animal netted a fair income to far- sighted traders. With another pack of mules Mr. Houck went to Missouri in 1848, and, having disposed of them, visited his old home in Ohio. For the following year he traveled extensively over the country, and in 1849 again crossed the plains, this time with a six-mule team. Arriving 111 California he made money in various ways, one being in purchasing Spanish prisoners taken by the Indians, and re-selling them to their parents or friends in Mexico. Rich children were the special prey of these sagacious Indians, and the money which passed hands before their ransom was accomplished mounted up into the thousands of dollars.

During his first visit to California Mr. Houck and a couple of friends started up the mountain of Chester Butte, and on the way shot the only white deer he has ever seen. Coming down from the mountain and pausing to drink at a spring,

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they saw what they thought yellow rock, and, thinking it pretty, filled their pockets with it. Arriving in camp there was not one of the party who knew that it was gold, and thinking it worthless, threw it away. Later when gold had been discovered by more knowing ones, and the announcement thrilled the whole country, two of the party returned to the spot and got the nug- gets, which netted them $6,000. In the mean- time Mr. Houck had made money, but had the misfortune to go security for many people whom he thought reliable, but who eventually proved his undoing. In this way he lost about $4,700, and, somewhat discouraged, returned to Ohio, where he bought a farm and married Mary Jones. He continued to farm in Ohio until 1875, and then came to Oregon, locating on the farm which has since been his home. He has two hundred and twenty-five acres of land five and a half miles southwest of McMinnville, upon which he has made many fine improvements, and where he has been successful. His first wife dying a year and ten days after their marriage, he mar- ried for a second wife Adelaine White, who has borne him five children, of whom two are living: Frances is the wife of John Rohrer, of McMinnville, and has four children, Ada, Bert, Dolly and Charley ; and Albert manages a ware- house in McMinnville, and has two children, James and Nettie. Mr. Houck is a Democrat in politics, but has never identified himself with office-seeking. He has been and still is one of the substantial men of the west, and one around whom cluster an unusual number of pioneer ex- periences. Worthy of mention is the fact that he was a passenger on the first railroad train in the United States, and which extended from Washington to Baltimore. This pioneer attempt at transporting the public was crude in the ex- treme, the cars being propelled over wooden rails by horse teams.

COL. JACOB C. COOPER. The career of Col. Jacob C. Cooper is typical of all that is re- sourceful, substantial, intellectual and progressive in northwestern citizenship. Mr. Cooper arrived in Oregon afoot in 1866, and following upon this indication of depleted finances has engaged successivelv in freighting, school teaching, mer- chandising, grain dealing, building and contract- ing, and surveying, in the meantime rising from almost complete obscurity to his present position as one of the most influential men in the state. To his credit is a splendid war record, and his immediate responsibilities include those in con- nection with his position as a member of the hoard of directors of the Lewis and Clark Cen- tennial, the American Pacific Exposition, and the Oriental Fair of 1905. He is a member of

the Oregon Chapter Sons of the American Revo- lution, and is an author and writer of more than local reputation, having written several stories, among them the "Yamhills," and he has con- tributed voluminously to such leading periodicals as the Oregonian, the New York Journal and the San Francisco Examiner.

A descendant of the German family of Keifer, whose early representatives in America trans- lated the name to suit their adopted environment, Colonel Cooper was born in Lawrence county, Mo., January 16, 1845. His paternal great-grand- father was born in Pennsylvania, near the town of York, and from that state enlisted at four dif- ferent times in the Revolutionary war. The 'first enlistment was under Captain Larch, and after removing to the state of North Carolina, he served with Marion's men, and participated in the battles of Cowpens, Entaw Springs, and the siege of 1796, in time witnessing the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. When the Boones went to Kentucky the great-grandfather was one of their party, and he died in Wayne county, that state, at an advanced age. His son, Henry. the paternal grandfather, was born, reared, en- gaged in farming, and eventually died in Wayne county, Ky., where also was born Elbert Emer- son Cooper, the father of Jacob C.

Elbert Emerson was the oldest of the children born to his parents, and the only one to settle in Missouri. In Lawrence county he took up a farm in the wilderness, improved it, and thereon reared seven sons and five daughters. He was a minister in the old school Baptist Church, and though he labored long and faithfully for the uplifting of humanity, received absolutely no compensation for his services. Owing to the prevalence of the Rebel army in his district life became almost unbearable, and he therefore gath- ered together his family and possessions and crossed the plains in 1863, settling on a claim near Salem, where he died in 1880, at the age of sixty-eight years. His wife, formerly Nancy Wann, who was born in Kentucky and died at Independence, Ore., at the age of seventy-six. was the daughter of William Wann, a native of the south, and an early settler in Missouri. Dur- ing his former residence in Tennessee Mr. Wann was a member of the legislature with Andrew Johnson, whose intimate friend he was, and in Missouri he was county judge, as was also his son. Daniel, the latter of whom served in the Mexican war. Of the seven sons and five daugh- ters born to Elbert Emerson Cooper and his wife. William H. was regiment saddler and a member of Company F., Ninth Kansas Cavalry during the Civil war, came to Oregon in 1868, and is now living at Slayton, Ore. ; Daniel J. was an officer in the Missouri State Militia, came to Oregon in 1863, and is now engaged in farming near The Dalles; Elizabeth is the deceased wife of Mr.

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Mann, of Polk county, Ore .; James S. is presi- dent of the First National Bank at Independence ; Lydia died in infancy ; Jacob C .; Sarah J. is now Mrs. Gildow, of Silverton, Ore .; Riley D. is a hop grower and lives at Independence, his twin sister having died in infancy ; John E. and Elbert W. are twins, the former living at Ashland, Ore., and the latter at Independence, Ore .; and Pa- tience lives in Independence.

After the war broke up the activity of the little log school house near the Cooper home in Law- rence county, Mo., there was additional induce- ment for the youth of that district to shoulder arms in defense of the union. At the age of sev- enteen, April 3, 1862, Jacob C. Cooper enlisted in the Fourteenth Missouri State Militia, and during his year of service participated in the bat- tles of Springfield, Neosho, Prairie Grove and several others, and February 22, 1863, his regi- ment was consolidated with the Fourth Missouri Militia, and Companies L and G, Volunteer Cav- alry, and mustered into the United States service. The new regiment took part in the battle of Mine Creek, or Big Blue, as the bodyguard for General Pleasanton, and was afterward engaged in the battles of Jefferson City and many guerrilla fights. After driving General Price out of the state they were stationed at Jefferson and Mar- shall, Mo., until the close of the war, and were mustered out at Warrensburg, Mo., April 3, 1865. While with the Fourteenth Mr. Cooper was delegated to carry an important dispatch from near Neosho to Fort Scott, Kan., and to return to Mount Vernon with reply, and while carrying out this order disguised as a country youth without arms, he was captured and de- tained. The same night he managed to jump the pickets, and two days later succeeded in rejoin- ing his regiment.

After the war Mr. Cooper lived for a time in Fort Scott, and then spent the winter in Lawrence county, Mo. Many thrilling experiences during the war had not dimmed his ardor for adven- ture or change, and he welcomed the opportunity to cross the plains in 1866 as the driver of a six- mule team for Hugh Kirkendall, the noted freighter. There was plenty of excitement aboard during this trip, for the Indians gave them a great deal of unsolicited attention, even to the point of exterminating a number of the party. Arriving at Helena, Mont., Mr. Cooper walked the five hundred miles between that town and Walla Walla, Wash., and then drove a six-horse team for three days to get money enough to pay his boat fare to Portland. He arrived at Salem October 17, 1866, having left Leavenworth May 25, 1866. In the meantime his family had settled in Spring Valley, and after visiting them he engaged in school teaching during the first win- ter, and then engaged in the merchandise business

at Lincoln. At Zena and Perrydale he built stores which he ran with fair success, and at the same time became rather heavily interested in buying and selling grain. For a time he was sec- retary of a steamboat company, and afterward was for fourteen years identified with contract- ing, building, and architecture in McMinnville. After taking up surveying Mr. Cooper became identified with the United States survey in 1881, and while thus employed established government lines of importance. In time he was elected sur- veyor of Yamhill county, from which position he resigned to assume the postmastership of Mc- Minnville, to which he was appointed by Presi- dent Harrison in 1889. A change of administra- tion affecting this office in 1894, he turned his attention to his former occupation of surveying, which he has since combined with literary work.

Until 1896 Mr. Cooper was a stanch advo- cate of Republicanism as a whole, but, favoring silver, has since ranged himself on the side of this issue. He was chairman of the Oregon dele- gation at the National Convention in St. Louis in 1896, and also chairman of the committee on order of business. In 1901 he was the author of a bill creating a commission of seven to go to Washington and make an appeal before congress, the senate, and president, for pensions for Indian war veterans. He himself was appointed a mem- ber of this commission by Governor Geer in 1901, and it is universally conceded that the successful outcome of this mission was largely due to the strenuous and altogether satisfactory work of the commission from Oregon. An ardent admirer of the much beloved William McKinley, it was eminently fitting that an orator like Colonel Cooper should deliver the memorial address at McMinnville on September 19, 1901.

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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 94

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