Portrait and biographical record of western Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present.., Part 114

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman publishing company
Number of Pages: 1064

USA > Oregon > Portrait and biographical record of western Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present.. > Part 114

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Going to Linkville, Ore., in 1872, Mr. Hyde assisted George Nourse, the registrar, in opening the United States land office, and remained there some time. In 1873 he was sent to Camp War- ner as receiver of certain property in litigation between Messrs. William Isch and Jones. Com- ing to Coos county in 1874, Mr. Hyde was vari- ously employed at Empire and Marshfield for five years, buying, selling and speculating. In 1879 he was appointed by court to represent Mrs. Ann Flanagan in her litigation suit withı

the Newport Coal Mining Company, and was thus employed three years. In July, 1882, he was appointed by the board of trustees of the city of Marshfield as city recorder to fill out the unexpired term of A. G. Brown, who re- signed. The following December Mr. Hyde was elected city recorder, and has since served in this position, giving him a record of twenty-one con- secutive years in this position. For the past fifteen years he has also served as justice of the peace for District No. 2. Fraternally Mr. Hyde was made a Mason in 1852, in Columbus, Ohio, and now belongs to Magnolia Lodge No. 20, A. F. & A. M., and Ohio Chapter No. 12, R. A. M., in both of which he holds certificates of life membership without payment of dues. Politically, following in the footsteps of his father, he was a Whig during the life of that party, but has since been a Democrat. Mr. Hyde has never married. During his long and busy life amid varied scenes and surroundings he has always enjoyed the fullest confidence of his fel- low-men, and can now look back with compla- cency upon a life well spent.

JAMES LINCOLN FERREY. Conspicu- ous for his enterprise, sound judgment and good management is James Lincoln Ferrey, a highly esteemed citizen of Marshfield. Coming here poor in pocket, but rich in physical vigor, men- tal capacity and courage, he labored with unre- mitting industry to secure a comfortable compe- tence, and succeeded far beyond his expecta- tions. A Pennsylvanian by birth, he was born in Shamokin February 9, 1841, of English an- cestry. His father, Thomas Ferrey, was born in Durham, England, in 1790. Immigrating to the United States with his wife and four chil- dren, he located in Pennsylvania, where he con- tinued his occupation as a coal miner, having as- sisted in the management of a coal mine in Eng- land. He died in Hazelton, Pa., in 1867, at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Smith, was born in Durham, England, and died in Hazelton, Pa., in 1869, aged seventy-nine years. Of their thir- teen children, four daughters and nine sons, six were born in England, and the remainder in this country, James L. being the youngest son, and twelfth child.

At the age of eleven years James L. Ferrey left school, preferring work rather than study. and went into the coal mines, where he picked up slate and put coal into the breakers. At the age of seventeen years he began an apprentice- ship at the blacksmith's trade, for his nine months' work in the smithy receiving a peck of apples. Being a natural mechanic, handy in the use of tools of all kinds, he afterward learned

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the carpenter's trade while working with a brother. In 1862, responding to his country's call, he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteer In- fantry, and served for nearly ten months. While stationed at a fort near the national capital he was sent out on a foraging expedition with a squad of men, and for stealing sweet potatoes was confined in the guard house. He refused promotion, preferring to remain in the ranks. He took part in the second engagement at Fredericksburg, and was in the battle of Chan- cellorsville. After being honorably discharged at Washington, in the fall of 1862, Mr. Ferrey went with the Western Division of the United States army as a carpenter, and was in Tennes- see four months, first in Chattanooga, and then in Knoxville. After spending a few weeks at his home he was transferred to the James River army in 1863, and was employed in the con- struction department during the siege of Rich- mond, remaining about three months, when he returned home, taking with him a brother who was ill. The following three years he worked at his trade in Newark, N. J., and then in New York City two years. Starting for the Pacific coast in 1869, he visited a brother in Illinois while en route, in 1870 joining his brother Jo- seph, who had come to Oregon in 1852, and had furnished Mr. Ferrey with the money to pay his traveling expenses.

At once locating in Marshfield, Mr. Ferrey en- gaged in prospecting with his brother, but was not very successful in gold mining. Resuming his trade, therefore, he helped to erect many of the buildings in this section of Coos county. In 1873, in partnership with S. S. Bailey, Mr. Fer- rey rented a small building, and opened the Blanco Hotel. Succeeding well in this venture, he bought the building in 1877, and in 1882 pur- chased his partner's interest, from that time un- til 1903 running the house alone, with the excep- tion of about five years, when he had as a partner Mrs. Sarah Holland. The building he still owns. but rents it. He has from time to time invested in land, having now a clear title to a large amount. Taking up one hundred and sixty acres in 1871, he first bought eighty acres ad- joining it, later buying an adjoining tract of three hundred acres. He has since purchased one hundred and ten acres on Beaver slough, eight hundred acres on the north fork of the Coquille river, one hundred and fifty-nine acres at Myrtie Point, two hundred and forty acres in the Randolph country, and one hundred and sixty acres up the Coos river. With all these landed possessions to look after, Mr. Ferrey kceps quite busy, although he is supposed to be living somewhat retired from active pursuits.

In Roseburg, Orc., December 24. 1878, Mr.

Ferrey married Henrietta Wilhelmina Trott, who was born in Germany, March 26, 1847, and came to America with her parents, John Andrew August and Catharine Maria ( Loesch) Trott, in 1853. Her father dying soon afterward she was adopted and brought up by W. A. Border, of Myrtle Point, Ore. Five children were born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Ferrey, two of whom have passed to the life beyond, Eva Elizabeth having died at the age of fourteen years, and Frederick Alonzo at the age of eight years. Three are living, namely : George W., James L., Jr., and Anna Henrietta. October 18, 1900, George W., the eldest son, was united in marriage with Bertha Deweese, a native of Concordia, Kans., and a daughter of Lewis and Mary Jane (Smith) Deweesc. They removed to Oregon in 1896, and are now residing in Libby, Coos county. Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Ferrey are the parents of one daughter, Gladys Yale. Polit- ically James L. Ferrey is a strong advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and has served one term as councilman. Fraternally he is a member of Blanco Lodge No. 48, A. F. & A. M .; and of the Ancient Order of United Work- men. He also belongs to Baker Post G. A. R. Mrs. Ferrey is a member of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Ferrey has always exhibited a public spirit, and has freely contributed to the success of those movements which have been cal- culated to advance the best interests of the com- munity.

HON. B. F. MULKEY, the president of the Southern Oregon State Normal School at Ash- land is a member of one of Oregon's pioneer families. He is a descendant in collateral line from Philip Mulkey, who settled in Lane county in 1847 and who was one of the first ministers of the Christian Church in the entire state. From that day to this some representative of the fam- ily has held a leading rank in the Christian min- istry in Oregon. Jonathan Mulkey, who was a brother of this honored pioneer preacher, was a native of Virginia and an early settler in Ken- tucky, where he died. Among his children was a son. I. N., who was born and reared in Ken- tucky, and lived for a time in Carbondale, Ill., going from there to a farm in Gentry county, Mo., in 1866, and three years later removing to a farm near Lincoln, Neb. In 1871 he came to Oregon, and settled in Pleasant Hill, Lane county. He now makes his home near McCoy. Polk county. In early life he had combined the blacksmith's trade with the tilling of the soil. These occupations gave him little leisure for reading, yet, in spite of disadvantages, he found time for the study of literature, particular- ly the Bible. At the age of thirty-five he be-

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came a minister in the Christian Church and has since preached regularly for some congregation, being now in charge of work in the vicinity of McCoy. His wife, Sarah Randolph, was born in southern Indiana and is a member of the famous Randolph family of Virginia. They be- came the parents of nine children, of whom five sons and two daughters now survive. It is worthy of note that three of the sons are edu- cators.

While his parents were living near Carbon- dale, Ill., Benjamin F. Mulkey was born July 26, 1862. He accompanied his parents in their various removals and was nine years of age when they came west to Oregon. The primary education previously obtained was here supple- mented by attendance upon the district schools of Lane county and the old Christian College at Monmouth. In 1887 he was graduated from the Monmouth state normal school. Meantime, at the age of eighteen, he entered upon the pro- fession to which he has since given his life. Dur- ing the year of graduation, and shortly after leaving the normal, he organized the Bethel Academy in the northern part of Polk county, which grew in five years from forty pupils to an academy and high school of one hundred stu- dents, representing nine different counties of the state.

The first public office held by Prof. Mulkey was that of county clerk of Polk county, and his election to that office on the Republican ticket, in a Democratic county, is strong proof of his popularity, especially when it is considered that the nomination came to him unsought. In July of 1892 he began the duties of the office. Two years later he was re-elected by a majority of ten hundred and forty-six. On the expiration of his second term he was nominated by the Republicans for the state senate of Oregon and was elected by a small majority over the Fusion candidate. His first session was that of 1897. During the special session of 1898 he secured the first appropriation made for buildings at the Monmouth state normal school. As chairman of the committee on ways and means, during the session of 1899, he made a good record for economy in legislative expenses. When he was again elected to the senate in 1900 he received a very large majority. During the session of 1901 he made the nominating speech for United States Senator Corbett, served as a member of the assessment and taxation committee and did what he could to assist in perfecting the taxation laws of the state. His speech, in the session of 1903, nominating ex-Governor T. T. Geer for the United States senate was afterward publislied in pamphlet form and distributed throughout the state. During the same session he was prom- inent on the assessment and taxation committee

and held the chairmanship of the printing com- mittee and was a member of the committee on public lands. Through his efforts a joint reso- lution was passed by both houses submitting to the people an amendment to the constitution, abolishing the office of state printer as a con- stitutional office and making it statutory, a re- form long sought and greatly desired. His per- sistence is shown in the fact that he labored from the beginning to the close of his eight years of legislative career to accomplish this end. The amendment is now in shape to be submitted to the people at the biennial election in 1904. Dur- ing his senatorial career he won and retained a place as one of the greatest debaters in the sen- ate. His logical reasoning faculties, ready com- mand of language and broad intelligence placed him among the leaders in the Republican ranks of the senators. However, he regards his nom- inating speeches and participation in debates as of importance only through the results they pro- duced, and if, through them, the welfare of the state has been promoted, beneficial measures have been adopted and needed bills passed, he feels it an honor to have contributed to these ends.

Returning to his alma mater as an instructor in 1897, Prof. Mulkey accepted the chair of rhetoric and methods. Within the next five years he was twice promoted and was holding the chair of mathematics and physics when he was elected president of the Southern Oregon state normal school in June of 1902. This position he now fills. As indicative of his energetic ad- ministration of affairs it may be stated that during 1901-02 there were only eighty-four stu- dents, but in 1902-03 this number was increased to two hundred and ten. This school was found- ed by legislative enactment in 1899, when the state appropriated $7,500 for the expenses of the first two years. The improvements upon the school grounds consisted of a building erected at a cost of $15,000 and a young men's dormitory. In 1901 the legislative apportionment was in- creased to $12,500 for the next two years, and in 1903 $18,836 was appropriated for the ensuing two years, also $8,000 was donated with which to erect a training school.

The inception of what is now a state normal dates back to 1893, when a Methodist Episcopal institution of learning was here established. Two years later Prof. W. T. Van Scoy took charge of the school, for whose success he toiled with the greatest self-sacrifice. In 1901 Prof. WV. M. Clayton became the head of the school, and a year later Prof. Mulkey was called from the Monmouth state normal school to take charge of this institution, having to assist him in the training department Dr. Andrew D. Warde and in the academic department Prof. W. T. Van Scoy, Prof. G. W. Bishop, Miss Stella M.

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Case and Prof. C. A. Redmond. A constant effort has been made to exalt the training depart- ment and professional lines of work to a leading place in the work of the institution. The pri- mary object of the school is to train teachers. Everything is made subsidiary to that one end. " First learn, then teach," is the motto of the school, and when the principles of pedagogy have been thoroughly learned by the student, during the senior year his energies are turned largely toward the work of teaching.

The various legislative appropriations pre- viously named have been of inestimable value in placing the school upon a substantial and prac- tical basis. A large sum was given to provide for improvements on buildings and the beautify- ing of the grounds. The building of the water works was also rendered possible by the same contribution ; $500 was added for the library and a like amount for physical and chemical appara- tus. Among the students nineteen different counties of the state are represented. In intelli- gence and character this student body is sur- passed by none. A visitor, noting the earnest faces of the students, would at once feel that the educational work of our schools in future years will be in safe hands.

As second vice-president of the State Teach- ers' Association President Mulkey is associated with an organization that has been most helpful to educational work throughout Oregon. Fra- ternally he is connected with the Masons, Wood- men of the World, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Artisans, and in religion he is a member of the Christian Church. His first mar- riage was solemnized in Lane county in 1885 and united him with Miss Matilda E. Parks, who was born there, her parents, John W. and Margaret A. Parks, having been pioneers of 1844 in this state. Mrs. Matilda Mulkey died in Polk county, leaving three children, Nellie, John and Hazel. The present wife of Mr. Mulkey was Miss Con- stance H. Hawley, who was educated in St. Hel- ens Hall at Portland, in the Monmouth state nor- mal school, and Willamette University. She is a daughter of Hon. J. H. Hawley, a pioneer of 1845, and now president of the Polk County Bank at Monmouth. Her mother, Eliza, was a daughter of Luke Mulkey, a pioneer of Benton county, Ore. Mr. and Mrs. Mulkey are the par- ents of one son, Mareese.

AXCEL C. JACOBSON. As proprietor of the Ashland Semi-weekly Tribunc, a clean and interesting paper of the little southern Oregon city. Axcel C. Jacobson occupies a prominent place in public affairs. Though locating here as recently as 1902, and purchasing in March of the following year the paper known as Town Talk, which name he changed to the one it now

bears, he has impressed his personality upon the community, which recognizes in him a young man of talent and energy, destined to add to the prestige of newspaper work.

Near Stockholm, Sweden, Mr. Jacobson was born February 22, 1880, the son of J. L. and Hulda (Petersen) Jacobson, both of whom were natives of that country. J. L. Jacobson brought his family to America when his son was but one month old, settling in Monona county, Iowa, where hc engaged in farming until his retire- ment, when he made his home in Onawa, where he is now living with his companion, the faithful wife of many years. They were the parents of five sons and two daughters, one son being de- ceased. The oldest child living is Axcel C. Jacobson, whose boyhood was spent upon his father' farm and in an attendance of the public school in the vicinity of his home. As a lad he became interested in newspaper work, at thir- teen years of age entering the office of the Onarea Weekly Democrat, with which he re- mained for five years. He had necessarily begun at the foot of the ladder, but had accomplished much as time passed and upon his location in Sioux City, Iowa, he worked as compositor on various papers with entire success. In March, 1902, he purchased the Independent, of Ute, Iowa, publishing a weekly until the fall of that same year, when he sold out and came to Lewis- ton, Idaho, where he conducted a job printing office until November. 1902, the date of his arrival in Ashland. In March, 1903, he as- sumed charge of his present paper and has since ably conducted the same, his printing office being equipped with power presses and in every pos- sible way fitted for a satisfactory discharge of business.

Since coming to Ashland Mr. Jacobson was married to Miss Artah A. Willey, a native of Onawa, Iowa. In his political relations Mr. Jacobson is independent of party affiliations, re- serving the right to cast his vote for the man best qualified to discharge the duties of the posi- tion offered, the influence of his paper being given heartily for the support of the best inter- ests of Jackson county.

JONAS OLSON. To no class of people who come to us from foreign shores is America more indebted for substantiality and thrift than to the sons of Sweden. Painstaking, economical, np- right and adaptive, loyal to the country in which they seek a home and competence, the youth of this country who expects to make a fortune in a few years with comparatively little effort may well profit by the examples of slow and con- servative growth to be found in all of our large centers of activity. Tillamook has a representa- tive who well illustrates the admirable traits of

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his countrymen on the other side of the water, and who, from a scantily filled purse and none too brilliant prospects, has become one of the large land-owners and financially strong men of this town. Though at present retired from ac- tive life, it is safe to say that Jonas Olson rests secure in the conviction that his life has been well planned, and that many of his aspirations have been realized.

Born in Vermland, Sweden, February 10, 1842, Mr. Olson was reared on his father's farm in the northwestern part of the country, and is the third child of three sons and five daughters born to Olaf Johnson and Cassie Olson, both of whom were born, married, and died in Sweden. Jonas received a fair common school education, upon which foundation he has built by general observation, reading and study. He was twenty- seven years of age when he came to the United States, bringing with him the determination to succeed at all hazards, no matter how great the obstacles. Locating first in Racine county, Wis., he soon after went to Nevada, and a year later, in 1877, to Oakland, Cal. In 1878 he came to Tillamook and worked at whatever came in his way through the winter, and in the spring of 1879 bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres three miles east of Tillamook. Although the property had a few improvements at the time of purchase, one would scarcely recognize it a few years later, so thoroughly had Mr. Olson changed its character and general appearance. He developed it into a fine and valnable prop- erty, and made his home thereon until the fall of 1902. He then rented his farm to desirable tenants, and removed to Tillamook to spend the remainder of his life in rest and enjoyment.

Although not a politician in the ordinary ac- ceptation of that word, Mr. Olson takes a keen interest in local elections, and on his part is a fearless advocate of Prohibition. He is the friend of education, good roads, clean govern- ment, and religious associations, and has served as school director and supervisor, and been es- pecially active in the Methodist Episcopal church. He is also connected with the Grange, and has done much to maintain the character and usefulness of that admirable organization. Since settling in Tillamook Mr. Olson married .Alpha Butt, May 25, 1879, who was born in Iowa, June 1, 1859, and who is the mother of eight children: Norman, living in Portland ; Mrs. Jennie Withrow, of Tillamook: Minnie, married William Maxwell of Tillamook county ; John, employed in the Bank of Tillamook; George, Carrie and Edith, at home ; and an in- fant deceased. Mr. Olson is highly esteemed by all who have the privilege of knowing him, and his contributions to worthy causes, his enter- prise and public spirit, no less than his genial

manner and good fellowship, make him a citizen of whom Tillamook is justly proud. Twenty of her valttable town lots have passed into his pos- session, and he has otherwise signified his inten- tion of remaining within her hospitable and ad- vantageous borders.

ISAIAH HACKER. The subject of this sketch has an interesting lineage. Jeremiah Hacker, the founder of the family in America, and John Hall, who married each other's sister, came from England in 1633 and settled in Kit- tery, Me. Jeremiah Hacker of the fourth gener- ation, only son of Isaac Hacker, who married Hannah Pope, of Boston, was born in Sa- lem, Mass., in 1725, and married Anna South- wick, of Danvers. In 1782, with several of his children, he moved to Brunswick, Me., where they settled on adjoining farms. His son Jere- miah married Mercy Hall, a descendant of John Hall. Eleven children were born to them, five of whom lived to the age of about ninety-five years. These children could trace their pedigree through five uncontaminated generations of Quaker stock, but Isaiah, the second child, and father of the Coos county pioneer, in 1817 mar- ried, out of the church, Cynthia White, of Weld, Ne., and when "visited" refused to express re- gret for the offense and the wicket was shut against him. For about twenty-five years of his early manhood he was engaged in lumbering in his home town, in the winter conducting the logging operations on the upper waters of the Androscoggin river. The remainder of his life was devoted to farming. He was a strong and active man, but at the age of seventy years died of bronchitis.

Samnel White, the father of Cynthia, was born in Sharon, Mass., in 1764. His wife was Rachel Farington, of Walpole, Mass. His grand- father's grandfather, Resolve, was born in Eng- land about the time that his parents, William White and wife, Susannah, resolved to emigrate, and with them embarked on the Mayflower. His brother Peregrin was born on the Mayflower while rolling in Cape Cod harbor before the colony ended its peregrinations at Plymouth Rock. William White died during the first winter, and the widow, Susannah, married Gov- ernor Edward Winslow.

Samuel White and his wife, Rachel, moved to Weld, Me., where by the shore of one of the beautiful ponds that help to make Maine famous as a summer resort, out of the heavy beach and rock-maple forest they hewed a farm of granite boulders, and reared a family of eight children, Cynthia being the fifth, and there they died in the month of May, 1847, aged eighty- three and seventy-nine years, respectively.

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Isaiah and Cynthia Hacker had ten children, seven of whom were girls, Isaiah, the pioneer of Coos county, being the eighth child. He was born April 6, 1836. When a child he received an injury that disabled him for active out-door life, and at the age of twelve began an appren- ticeship at shoemaking. He received a good and thorough education in the best public and high- schools of the state and at the Maine Wesleyan Seminary, and taught school during four years near his home. In 1862 he came to Oregon by way of the Isthmus of Panama, and first worked in the sawmill at North Bend. He taught the first school on Coos river for several terms, boarding 'round and packing his blankets. In 1863 he was appointed sheriff of Coos county and served one year, and in 1864 was elected to the legislature on the Union ticket, during the session serving on the committees on commerce and education. He taught school in Empire City during 1864 and 1865. and in the fall of 1865 returned to Maine by way of Nicaragua. In August, 1866, he was united in marriage with Addie G. Stoddard of Appleton, Knox county, Me., a daughter of Rev. Oliver Stoddard, who was a tanner by trade and for many years was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, The maternal grandmother of Mrs. Addie G. Hacker, was a Winslow, a descendant of Governor Edward Winslow.

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Portrait and biographical record of western Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present.., Part 114

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman publishing company Number of Pages: 1064

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman publishing company
Number of Pages: 1064