Portrait and biographical record of western Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present.., Part 130

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 130

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1876, in Ashland, Ore., Mr. Rapp married Mar- tha E. Reames, who was born in Grayson county, Ky., October 26, 1841. Her father, Woodford Reames, was also a Kentuckian by birth, his father having accompanied Daniel Boone to that state in the early days of the middle west. In 1848 Woodford Reames emi- grated to Illinois, where he remained until 1852, when he crossed the plains to Oregon in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company. Upon his arrival in the west he located at St. Helens until 1853 and then removed with his family to Jackson county and took a dona- tion claim near Phoenix. He died near Talent, twelve miles from Jacksonville, May 21, 1882. Two children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Rapp, of whom Edward Woodford, born in 1878, died in infancy, and Fred, of this re- view, is living in Talent.

The Rapp farm consists of three hundred acres of land, one hundred and ten of which are in the bottoms, and remarkably fertile. A specialty is made of alfalfa, and the sixty acres thus covered furnish three crops a year, and averages five tons to the acre. During the past year the farm yielded two hundred and forty tons. A large orchard is not the least remunerative part of the farm, and garden- ing is carried on extensively, as well as stock- raising. The finest of modern improvements increase the value and add to the productive- ness of this model property, the house being a comfortable and roomy one, and the barns sufficiently large to house the hay, grain and general products. Mr. Rapp is one of the most energetic and resourceful of the young farmers to whom old residents look for the carrying on of their pioneer efforts, and his personal characteristics are such as to win him friends in the present and popularity and influence in time to come. He has but recently established a household of his own, having married Artie E. Oatman, July 7, 1903.

JOSEPH M. RADER. A man of activity, ability and sterling integrity, Joseph M. Rader, of Jacksonville, is a worthy representative of the native-born citizens of Jackson county, where his entire life has been spent. Born and reared to agricultural pursuits, he became a tiller of the soil from choice, and in the prosecution of his free and independent calling he has met with well deserved success. A son of the late Jackson Rader, he was born near Eagle Point, Jackson county, July 31, 1864.

Born in Missouri, near St. Louis, Jackson Rader joined the tide of emigration moving westward when a comparatively young man,

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and crossed the plains of Oregon in 1852. Lo- cating in Jackson county, he at first took up a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres near Jacksonville. Not satisfied with his purchase, he sold out, and removed to An- telope creek, near Eagle Point, where he bought land, improved a good ranch, and en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising, with good success. He was a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and influential in public affairs. In 1870 he was elected as rep- resentative of the state legislature for a term of two years. In 1871, during a session of the legislature, he was stricken with the smallpox, and died in Salem, the capital of the state. He married Clara Louiecamp, who was born in St. Louis, Mo., and still resides on the home farm, in this county., Of her six children, three sons and three daughters, Joseph M., the subject of this sketch, is the fourth child ..

In the district school, with its limited accom- modations and equipments, Joseph M. Rader acquired his early education. Left fatherless when scarcely seven years of age, he was brought up on the home farm, and as soon as old enough assumed its management. Indus- trious, ambitious and persistent in purpose, he has continued the improvements inaugurated on the homestead before he took charge of it, and has a well appointed ranch, everything about the premises being neat and tasteful, in- dicating the supervision of an enterprising and progressive farmer. He and his mother live together, their home being most pleasant and attractive. In June, 1902, Mr. Rader was elected sheriff of Jackson county for a term of two years, and in this capacity is rendering most efficient service. He is a steadfast Demo- crat in politics, and an earnest worker in party ranks.

WILLIAM ROBINSON. Among the re- tired residents of Jacksonville who retain men- tal and physical vigor in spite of having passed many milestones on the journey of life, Will- iam Robinson is deserving of special mention. His life has been an active and useful one, yet ever since coming to Jacksonville in 1898 he has absented himself on long prospecting jour- neys in different parts of the state, often being away for six or seven months at a time. He confesses to a great liking for this sort of work, and being a great pedestrian, seems abundantly able to withstand the hardships in- cident to the prospector's life. A liberal in- come is derived from working a placer claim in Rich Gulch.

This venerable man of experience was born in White county, Tenn., September 30, 1826,

and comes of southern stock, long ago identi- fied with the plantation life of Virginia. His father, Reuben, and his grandfather, Jacob, were both born in the Old Dominion, the former on a farm near Bunker Hill. The fam- ily was established in Tennessee at an early day, and there the grandfather not only owned a large plantation and many slaves, but de- rived a liberal income from a salt works. He was a very prominent man, active and public- spirited. The family name was taken to St. Clair county, Mo., by Reuben Robinson in 1837, his son William being then ten years of age. The father engaged in tobacco and hemp- farming in Missouri, and in 1853 sold out his interests and crossed the plains with ox-teams via the Platte route. Locating on the Long Tom river in Lane county, he took up three hundred and twenty acres of land, improved it with the aid of his children, and after the death of his wife in 1856, at the age of forty-eight years, divided his farm up among his sons and daughters, of whom he had twelve, ten sons and two daughters. His wife was formerly Elvira Defrieze, a native of North Carolina, and daughter of George Defrieze, who re- moved from North Carolina to White county, Tenn., and died there at an advanced age. Mr. Robinson spent his last days with his chil- dren, and died in 1868, at the age of seventy- eight years. He was a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian Church.

The second child in his father's family, Will- iam Robinson had the advantage of both pub- lic and private schooling. He studied medi- cine with his uncle in Missouri, but never en- gaged in practice. For two years he engaged in driving a team at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., for the government, and in 1852 crossed the plains in an ox-train, working his way by driv- ing oxen and loose stock. Until 1856 he mined on Canyon creek in Eldorado county, Cal., and August 9, 1856, he came to Oregon to at- tend his mother's funeral, expecting to retrace his steps to the mines. Instead, he was favor- ably impressed with this great northern state, and followed mining at the Sterling mines until 1866. He married Cynthia A. Oglesby, a native of Missouri, and daughter of William Oglesby, relative of Gov. Richard Oglesby, of Illinois. Mrs. Robinson died in 1868, in Jo- sephine county, at the age of twenty-eight, leaving two children, Roscoe Vance and Fred- erick Alexander, both of whom are deceased.

After his marriage Mr. Robinson returned to the mines of Sterlingville, Ore., and in the fall of 1867 he settled on a farm in the district of Josephine county, and invested the money from the sale of his mines in a farm. In 1877 he drove his cattle to Klamath county, where

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he bought a ranch of five hundred acres, and lived thereon until coming to Jacksonville in 1898. Marked public spiritedness has char- acterized the career of Mr. Robinson, and al- though his wanderings are many, and nature and the mountains claim him most of the time, he yet maintains a keen interest in the general affairs of his county, and rejoices at its ma- terial prosperity. As a Republican he has held many offices of minor importance, includ- ing that of road supervisor and school clerk in Klamath county, the latter office for sixteen years. He is a member of the Southern Ore- gon Pioneer Association, and is fraternally connected with Warren Lodge No. 10, A. F. & A. M .; Oregon Chapter No. 4, R. A. M .; Malta Commandery No. 4, K. T .; Al Kader Temple, N. M. S., of Portland, and the order of the East- ern Star.

THOMAS LINVILLE. Those who are well acquainted with the sheriff of Clatsop county are particularly impressed with his courage and absolute fearlessness. Strangers comment especially upon his splendid phy- sique and erect carriage, and are not sur- prised when told that he is known to the In- dians as Skukum, "strong man of the trail." At the time of the rush to the Klondike he engaged in packing freight up the Chilkoot Pass, and carried from one hundred and sev- enty-five to two hundred and thirty-five pounds up the steep incline without apparent difficulty. Not only so, but when he saw others breaking down under their loads he was always ready to give them a lift. The gold-seekers soon adopted his Indian title, and to thousands he was known as Skukum. At one time a ship carpenter, Mr. Graham, broke his leg, but being determined to get to Lake Lindeman, he secured Mr. Linville to carry him to that point, a distance of fourteen miles, a feat which exceedingly few men could successfully accomplish.

In Putnam County, Mo., Mr. Linville was born, March 6, 1861, the youngest of twelve children, most of whom remain in the central states, but one brother, F. M., resides in Washington. The grandfather, Thomas Lin- ville, Sr., a native of Kentucky, and a descend- ant of English pioneers of Virginia, removed to Missouri, where he engaged in farming in Platte county. During 1821 the first gov- ernor of Missouri appointed him a captain in the state militia, and in the struggle with the Mormons, in 1833, he was killed at Independ- ence, that state. His son, Rev. James Lin- ville, father of the especial subject of this article, was born in Platte county, Mo., and

during the Civil war served as captain of a company of Missouri Volunteers, under Colonel Hale. From early manhood he was a minister in the Baptist denomination, and also interested himself in agricultural pur- suits, owning a farm two and one-half miles northeast of Carrollton, Mo. It was on that homestead that his last days were spent and his death occurred when he was about fifty years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Harriet Biswell, was born in Mis- souri and died there when the youngest of her twelve children was one year old.

When seventeen years of age Thomas Lin- ville left the home farm in Carroll county, Mo., and came to Oregon, settling at St. Joseph, Yamhill county, where he worked on a farm and in a saw-mill, meantime also having the advantage of three months in school. In 1882 he came to Astoria, where he became engaged in a dray business. From 1886 until 1890 he held a position as policeman. During the administration of Benjamin Har- rison he was inspector of customs between Astoria and Portland. On the first trip of the steamship "Elder" to Alaska, in 1897, he went there for the purpose of handling freight on the Chilkoot Pass trail. At first he had charge of the freight for a company, but in the fall began to do some contract packing. In the spring of 1898 he returned to Alaska, but he found the teaming business overdone, so he disposed of his horses and sleds, and turned his attention to packing by foot over trails where horses could not pass. On his return to Oregon he enjoyed the pleasure of a visit back to his old Missouri home, where he renewed the associations of youth and en- joyed many a chat with old-time friends.

In August, 1898, Mr. Linville was ap- pointed street superintendent of Astoria, and three months later was elected to the office. December 31, 1898, Sheriff Williams was killed by Charles Willard, and Mr. Linville was appointed by the county commissioners to fill the vacancy, taking the oath of office January 5, 1899. The following year he was regularly elected to the position on the Re- publican ticket, and in 1902 was reelected over a fusion candidate. During his admin- istration he has been obliged to deal with many reckless and daring desperadoes, but his fearlessness and strength usually soon.con- quer them. Law and justice are upheld in his hands, and the criminal classes are kept under control. Probably no man of his age in the entire country has arrested more men than he. In his service as sheriff he has won the re- spect of all the law-abiding people of his county. Politically he is a stanch Republi-

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can, and fraternally is associated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His marriage was solemnized in Astoria and united him with Miss Emma Carlson, who was born in Sweden and came to Oregon with her parents at nine years of age, settling in Clatsop county. They are the parents of two children, Sitton, who is ten years of age, and Myrtle, who is six.

JESSE RICHARDSON. In the early days of the history of Oregon, men accompanied by their families flocked here from every section of the United States and not a few of the early settlers were Kentuckians by birth, Mr. Richard- son being of the number. He was born in Cum- berland county, August 12, 1834, and when about three years old, his parents went west to Illinois and settled for a time in the vicinity of Jackson- ville. A few years afterward, in 1840, they con- tinued westward to Macon City, Mo., where young Jesse attended the public schools and in them obtained the rudiments of an education without which no man can compete with the pro- gress of the age and successfully fulfil his mis- sion on earth. His early manhood was also spent in that locality and on October 13, 1861, his marriage took place to Miss Martha Plymere, in Caldwell, Mo., and of the four children born to them, two are living-Henry H. Richardson, of Los Angeles, Cal., and Samuel I., of Medford, Ore.

Having heard a great deal about the increased advantages of life in the west, the young people determined to seek a home there and in 1864 be- gan the tedious journey across the country. Af- ter traveling for six months and enduring many hardships, they reached Austin, Nev., spending the winter there. When spring opened and the weather became milder, they continued their journey to Butte county, Cal., which was their home for a couple of years. Not being entirely satisfied with that section of the country, in 1866 Mr. Richardson journeyed northward in search of a more favorable location, which he found in Jackson county, Ore. Renting land on the pres- ent site of Medford, he followed agricultural pur- suits there for two years, and was so well pleased with the country that he decided to purchase land, and accordingly became the possessor of three hundred and twenty acres of fertile land, three miles to the east of his former location. For a period of fifteen years, he cultivated and im- proved his land and carried on general farming pursuits with an unusual degree of success. He invested his savings in an adjoining farm, whither he removed and which continued to be his home until 1897. He then purchased a fine farm at the head of Sams valley and his splendid

four hundred and four acre ranch there is among the best improved in that vicinity, and upon it a variety of farm products are raised. His undi- vided attention has been given to the furtherance of his business interests, to the almost total exclu- sion of anything else. Politics do not appeal very strongly to him and he is content to exercise his franchise as a simple American citizen and as a supporter of the Democratic party. Al- though not an office-seeker, he has upon several occasions filled various minor offices in his local- ity, always proving worthy of the trust reposed in him by his fellow-citizens. The wife of his young manhood died in 1868, and in 1876 Mr. Richardson was again married, his second wife being Miss Cordelia Bell, of Jackson county, Ore. Eight children were born of the second marriage, four boys and four girls-Jesse Sanford, Miles Monroe, Walter Woodford and Christopher Claud; Mary Elizabeth, Clara Bell, Gertrude and Josephine.

J. K. READER, M. D. As one who holds an indisputable position of prominence among the representative citizens of Jackson county, Ore., we have undertaken to briefly outline the life history of Dr. Reader, who for more than twenty-two years has been profitably engaged in the practice of his chosen profession in that section, and whose history is closely inter- woven with the home of his adoption since the date of his location there in 1880. As a successful practitioner, both of medicine and surgery, in the city of Ashland, where he lo- cated in 1896, Dr. Reader also has the unique distinction of having represented the state of Oregon at various national and international gatherings and has materially added to her proud fame. He was appointed by Governor Lord as delegate to the Prison Reform Asso- ciation, which met at Austin, Tex .; by Gov- ernor Geer as commissioner from Oregon to the Universal Exposition at Paris in 1900; and by Governor Chamberlain as commis- sioner from Oregon to the Fifth International Exposition at Osaki, Japan. Each trip occu- pied several months' time and added fresh laurels to his fame.

In tracing the ancestry of Dr. Reader back on the paternal side to the grandfather, Jeptha Reader, we find him to have been born at an early day in Salem, Roanoke county, Va. Leaving his native state he settled in Over- ton county, Tenn., and was known to be a rich planter in that section. The latter years of his life, however, were spent in Macoupin county, Ill., whither he removed and where his death took place, but not before he had rendered valuable military services as lieu- tenant colonel of a regiment of Illinois troops

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during the Black Hawk war. By his mar- riage with Winifred Harrison, he linked his fortune with one of the most illustrious fam- ilies of Virginia, as Mrs. Reader was a grand- daughter of Gov. Benjamin Harrison, one of the colonial governors of Virginia, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is worthy of mention that it is through his rela- tionship to this ancestor that Dr. Reader is a member of the Sons of the American Revo- lution. This colonial governor was an uncle of William H. Harrison, of Tippecanoe fame, and great-granduncle of the late Benjamin Harrison, each of whom filled the highest ex- ecutive office in our country, that of president.

The father of Dr. Reader, P. L. Reader, was also a native of Salem, Va. After the family located in Illinois, he took a prominent part in military tactics, being promoted in the state militia to the rank of major, and taking active part against the savages in the Black Hawk war. He also assisted in driving the Mormons out of Nauvoo, Ill., witnessing the death of Joseph Smith, their leader. His mili- tary career over, he became prominent as a farmer in Macoupin county, and spent his remaining years in that section of the state, which he represented at one time in the state legislature. His marriage united him with Mar- garet Rafferty, a Kentuckian, daughter of James Rafferty, who left Kentucky for a home in Macoupin county, Ill., where he followed farming pursuits and became the father of ten children, only four of whom are living at this writing. Both parents passed to their final rest on the old home farm in Macoupin county, the scene of their many triumphs and happy days.

We will now proceed without further delay with the personal history of Dr. Reader, who is the eldest son of his parents, born May 13, 1846, in Carlinville, Macoupin county, Ill. The recipient of a splendid education, the founda- tion of which was obtained in the public schools, and supplemented by a scientific course in the Blackburn University, from which he graduated in 1868 with a degree of A. B. attached to his name, at the age of sev- enteen, young Reader took up the profession of teaching during the winter months, work- ing on the farm in vacation time. In this way he saved his earnings toward defraying the expenses of a professional education. Hav- ing decided upon entering the medical pro- fession as his life-work, he accordingly spent two years studying medicine in the office of Dr. Humbert, of Upper Alton, subsequently entering as a student the Missouri College of Homeopathy at St. Louis, graduating from that institution in 1872, a full-fledged M. D.

Immediately engaging in the practice of his chosen profession at Auburn, in Sangamon county, and later in his native county of Ma- coupin, Dr. Reader met with fair success, and in 1875 went on a pleasure trip to the Pacific coast. Returning to Illinois the following year, he re-engaged for several years in the practice of his profession. In 1880 he again went to the Pacific coast, this time to seek a permanent location. Locating in Wallowa county, Ore., near Lostine, as a pioneer phy- sician of that section, Dr. Reader soon became prominent and was elected on the Republican ticket to the office of county coroner. Re- moving in 1890 to Coos county, he established a good practice at Myrtle Point, which was his home until the date of his removal to Ash- land in 1896. Since locating in that city, Dr. Reader's ability as a physician and surgeon has again brought him into prominence, and he now has a practice second to none in that locality. He is an influential member of the Pension Bureau and for nearly a quarter of a century has been United States examiner for pension applicants in his section. It may be appropriately mentioned in this place that the doctor is a worthy subject for a pension him- self, having entered the Union army in 1862 when a mere lad, as a member of Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois regi- ment, serving until the close of the war. He has served one term on the city council and is a prominent member of the Board of Trade in Ashland. He keeps abreast of the times in his profession, is a member not only of the State Homeopathic Medical Society, but of the International Homeopathic Medical Associa- tion, having served as a delegate from this county to the meeting of the latter association in Paris in 1900. In his religious views, Dr. Reader is an active member of the German Baptist Church. He is known to be a broad- minded, liberal citizen, influential in every movement for the public good, largely inter- ested in mining and prospecting and in de- veloping the natural resources of the country. While a young man, practicing his profession in Auburn, he was united in marriage with Miss L. E. Poley, a native of that city, and a brief sketch of her life is given in close prox- imity to this.

MRS. J. K. READER. Mrs. Reader is a daughter of Joseph Poley, who changed the family name from Pauly to Poley, as the peo- ple persisted in calling him. A Kentuckian by birth, he left his native state for a home in Illinois, at an early day, and he very soon became a man of consequence in the Prairie

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state. He took up the double occupation of a farmer and stockman, and at one time he owned forty thousand acres of land in Sanga- mon and Morgan counties. He was also en- gaged in saw and grist-milling at Auburn, and possessed keen business foresight. He pos- sessed the confidence of the people to a large degree and his faithful services as county treas- urer of Sangamon county and as justice of the peace showed that their confidence was not misplaced, and he filled the latter office for a number of years at Auburn.

In tracing the ancestry of Mrs. Reader fur- ther back, we find the progenitor of the family in America to have been her grandfather, Charles Pauly, a native of either France or Germany, it is not certain which. At any rate, he was highly educated in French and also wrote and spoke six other languages, and two of his brothers fought under King Louis VII. This grandfather came of an important Catholic family, and, upon coming to this coun- try, settled in Muhlenberg county, Ky. Here for years he was overseer of a large planta- tion, but so kind-hearted and just was he that he never raised a hand or a whip to strike a negro, believing rather in a more humane policy of dealing with them. During his latter years he forsook the family religion and united with the German Baptist Brethren Church, and his descendants still cling to that faith. After his death, his widow and child removed to Illinois.

On the maternal side, the grandfather of Mrs. Reader, Michael Gates, was a native of Germany, and, upon emigrating to this coun- try settled for a time in Kentucky, but after- ward removed to Illinois, where the remainder of his life was spent. His daughter, Fanny Gates, the mother of Mrs. Reader, was born in Green county, Ky., but accompanied her parents to Illinois, where she married and

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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 130

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