The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 106

Author: Gaston, Joseph, 1833-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1072

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Eli Patterson Mast votes with the demo- cratic party and keeps well informed on the Vol. IV-29

questions and issues of the day but has never sought nor desired public office. He has served as school director and the cause of education has always found in him a warm friend. He has worked earnestly and per- sistently since coming to the west, has made each year bring him nearer to the goal of his ambition and has thus advanced to a creditable position among the substantial resi- dents of Coos county.

JOSEPH DAVIS MAGEE. The life of Joseph David Magee has been the varied and eventful career of an active and energetic man. He served in the United States navy for fourteen years, in various capacities, from landsman to captain's clerk. He has been an actor and has toured the country in the dramatic companies of Julia Marlowe and Madame Modjeska. He tried his hand at farming in Coos county and built the first hotel in Lakeside. He is now extensively engaged in the wood business in the latter city and with the exception of a few months has been its postmaster during the entire period of his residence. He was born in Har- risburg, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1863, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Davis) Magee, both natives of the Keystone state. The father was a practicing physician in Chester, Penn- sylvania, and served on the staff of General Meade as army surgeon during the Civil war and was killed in the battle of Gettys- burg. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Magee were mar- ried at the outbreak of the Civil war and their son, the subject of this review, was the only child born of their union.

Joseph D. Magee was educated in thẻ pub- lic schools of Chester and remained with his mother until he was sixteen years of age. At that time he enlisted in the United States navy and served for three years and seven months. He acted as schoolmaster on board his ship and served in this capacity during the entire period of his first enlistment. Dur- ing the course of his naval service he visited nearly all the ports of the world and his active and energetic mind reaped the advan- tages of this cosmopolitan life. When he finished his first three years' service he re- turned to Pennsylvania and attended normal school in that state until his graduation in 1886. He immediately returned to the navy and resumed his position as schoolmas- ter, serving in this line of activity until, in 1893 he received his honorable discharge in New York and after three months' leave of absence returned to his vessel and again set out upon his travels. In all he served his country as a sailor for fourteen years and seven months, acting in various capaci- ties ranging from the position of landsman to that of captain's clerk. His principal duties, however, were those of schoolmaster and he did efficient and capable work in this line. During his period of service he had studied dramatic art and when he finally terminated his conncetion with the United States navy he toured the country in the company of Margaret Mather, who became famous for lier acting in Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Ma- gee was also identified with the dramatic

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

companies in which Julia Marlowe and Ma- dame Modjeska played and his stage career lasted for two years. Mr. Magee always acted juvenile roles and his work along this line is still remembercd.

For a time Mr. Magec was instructor in military tactics and gymnastics in Lincoln, Illinois, but abandoned this field to come to eastern Oregon. Here lic spent one year working as a cowboy on the plains and at the expiration of that time went into the Cas- cade mountains. He then came to Coos bay with the intention of taking up a homestead claim. He located his land on Ten Mile lake and in June, 1897, became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres three miles from the Lakeside postoffice. His land faced North lake and was located on one of the most beautiful sites in this section of the county. Mr. Magee cleared his land and put about eight acres under cultivation. He en- gaged in the poultry business for some time, but the difficulty in procuring grain and other incidental disadvantages hampered his success. When he started in farming and the poultry business here the country was in an undeveloped state and any time he chose he could go to his door and kill deer and bear and his life in this section was lived under primitive and pioneer conditions. He remained upon his homestead claim for about ten years, at the end of which period he abandoned the poultry business and removed to what is now Lakeside. Here he conducted a hotel, which was the first enterprise of this kind opened on Ten Mile lake. When the postoffice was established Mr. Magee was appointed postmaster and has served in this capacity practically ever since. He is now engaged in the wood business and sup- plies the city of Lakeside and the outlying districts. He has made a success of this enterprise and his prosperity is founded upon his discriminating business ability and his shrewd common sense.

On May 5, 1897, Mr. Magee was united in marriage to Miss Ida V. Morgan, a direct descendant of the famous leader of "Mor- gan's Raid." Mrs. Magee is a native of Iowa and the eldest of nine children born to her parents, the other members of the family being: Arthur, a teacher in the Lincoln high school at Seattle, Washington; Mabel, de- ceased; Agnes. who married Ray Fenton Congdon, of Blackly, Oregon; Norris, who is married and is engaged in farming on Coos river; Lucia D., who is attending college at Plymouth, Oregon; Gertrude, at home; Wil- liam, also a college student at Plymouth, Oregon; and Ira, who died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Magee six children have been born. Leon, born January 28, 1898. who is studying mechanics; Buell, born November 23, 1899, who is attending school; Mabel, born July 27, 1901, and Elsie, born May 4, 1904, both of whom are attending school; Helen. whose birth occurred on June 23, 1908; and Florence, born May 26, 1911.

In political issues Mr. Magee follows his own judgment independently. He has never been an office secker although he is inter- ested in movements to promote the devel-

opment of his section of the country. He was raised a Quaker, to which faith his parents gave their allegiance, but he is not now a member of the brotherhood. He is broad and fair-minded in his religious views, believing in every man's right to think for himself. He is one of the representative business men of Lakeside. His active, varied and cosmopolitan life has given him a broad and intelligent outlook upon the world, and his energies and activities are directed to- ward the improvement and development of Coos county.

LUDWIG BIEHN. Thirty-eight years ago Ludwig Bielin came to Oregon and perma- nently took up his abode in this state in 1884. Since that time he has continuously made his home in Klamath Falls and at present he is living retired, deriving a sub- stantial income from his property holdings. He was born in Rhine, Bavaria, Germany, May 29, 1841, a son of Michael and Louise Biehn. The father spent five years in Penn- sylvania prior to the Civil war but the re- ınainder of his life was passed in his na- tive land where through much of his life he was a customhouse officer. The family numbered eleven children, of whom five reached adult age.

Ludwig Biehn was reared and educated in Germany and was about twenty-eight years of age when he crossed the Atlantic to Boston, Massachusetts, joining a sister who is still living in that city. He was mar- ried there the same year to Miss Elizabeth Wagoner, who was a native of Bavaria, Germany, and had come to the United States on the same vessel on which Ludwig Bielın was a passenger .. Her father had been a civil officer in that country.

For six months Ludwig Biehn remained a resident of Boston and worked in a sugar refinery. He then went to Rock City, Illi- nois, and was engaged in farming in that locality for about three years. There he thoroughly acquainted himself with the busi- ness of raising hogs while working with a brother and later he removed westward and. secured a homestead claim in Nebraska. There he improved his property but the grasshoppers destroyed his crops and after some time lie sold out. In 1874 he made his way westward to Clackamas county, Ore- gon. and purchased eighty acres of railroad land but after living upon that place for two years he returned to Nebraska, where he remained through the succeeding six years. Again insects-clinch bugs-destroyed lis crops and he removed to Kansas, where he secured an interest in coal mines which he operated for one winter. Later he spent two years in Arkansas, working in a plan- ing mill and running an engine. At lengthı he traded forty acres of his home place for a yoke of oxen and twenty-five dollars and thus he started for Oregon in 1884. He was eight months and six days on the way, accompanied by his wife, three sons and a daughter. The youngest son was taken ill at Klamath Falls and thus, the family being unable to continue their journey farther.

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settlement was made here. Ludwig Biehn has continued to reside in this place, estab- lishing his home on what is now Main street. He bought two lots for which he paid one hundred and seventy-five dollars which are now worth about five hundred dollars a front foot. . He sold off a portion of the property but still has one hundred and five feet frontage on Main street and three lots adjoining on Klamath avenue. After locat- ing here he worked at the mason's trade, being employed in that capacity on the county jail and the courthouse. In fact he did most of the mason work here at an early day for he was an excellent workman, hav- ing learned the trade in Germany. He thus became closely associated with the actual up- building of the town and followed the trade for a number of years but is now living retired save for the supervision which he gives to his property interests. He owns two lots in an addition laid out by his son and also one hundred and sixty acres in the Swan Lake district. The appreciation of property values here has brought lıim sub- stantial returns and indicates the wisdom of his investments.

In 1911 Mr. Biehn was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 2d of November of that year, at the age of sixty-nine, her birth having occurred in February, 1842. To Mr. and Mrs. Biehn four children were born: William, who died October 17, 1890, in his twenty-second year; George, who is living in Klamath Falls; I ouise, who is the wife of George Humphrey, of Klamath Falls; and Fred, who was born June 23, 1880, and died, leaving a widow and one son, Fred.

In his political views Mr. Biehn has long been an earnest republican, believing firmly in the principles of the party as factors in good government. He holds membership in the Pioneers Association and is well known in this part of the state, where for twenty- eight years he lias made his home. He has seen the growth of Klamath Falls from a small town to an enterprising and progres- sive city and has borne his part in the work of general improvement and progress as the years have passed. He has ever been found reliable and straightforward in his business dealings, worthy of the confidence that is uniformly accorded him.

AUGUST LAKSONEN. The opportunity and enterprise which enabled August Lak- sonen to claim one hundred and sixty acres of heavily timbered land, burn the stumps and cultivate the soil and to evolve from a wild and unimproved tract one of the most productive and prosperous farms on Ten Mile lake, is a valuable asset in our national life. Mr. Laksonen is a true farmer and his an- cestors cultivated the soil for many genera- tions. He was born in Finland in 1870, and is a son of Jacob and Susan Laksonen, botlı natives of that country. Jacob Laksonen and his wife were the parents of six chil- dren: Herman and Michael, both residents of Finland; John, Jacob, and Susan, all of whom are deceased; and August, the subject

of this sketch. Mr. Laksonen was reared at home and was brought up on his father's farm. He received his early education in the public schools of Finland and pursued his studies until he was fourteen years of age. He worked in the employ of his father, gaining personal experience in the details of agriculture until he was seventeen years of age. In 1887 he came to America and settled in Red Canyon, Wyoming, where he worked in the coal mines for one year. In 1888 he removed to California and engaged in the timber business until 1889 when he came to Coos bay, Oregon, and settled in Marshfield. He worked at various occupa- tions in that city until 1891 when he took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres on Ten Mile lake. When Mr. Laksonen came into possession it was mere forest land. With indefatigable energy he cleared the property, burnt the stumps and made of his land a well improved and modernly equipped farm. He now has twell- ty acres under cultivation and operates a sinall sawmill on his property. He saws lumber to order and this branch of his ac- tivities is growing to be one of the most im- portant features of his occupation. He makes a specialty of his dairy and keeps a large herd of cows for milking purposes. He is keenly interested in modern dairy equipment and in progressive methods of sanitation and his milk and butter and other products find a ready sale in the markets of Coos county.

In December, 1900, Mr. Laksonen was united in marriage to Miss Alice Robertson, a native of Oregon. Mrs. Laksonen is of Scotch descent and her father is now living in Millington, Oregon. To our subject and his wife five children have been born: Ed- ward A., whose birth occurred on September 15, 1901, and who is attending school in Coos county; Trinette, born September 6, 1903, who is also pursuing her studies; Florence, who was born on the 8th of Octo- ber, 1904, and who is still in school; Edna, born May 25, 1906, who is a student in the Coos county public schools; and Margaret, whose birth occurred January 3, 1908.

Politically Mr. Laksonen is a republican and takés an intelligent interest in the af- fairs of the local party organization. He has never been an office seeker but is in- tensely interested in education and has served as a director of the school board. He holds membership in the Lutheran church in which faitli he was reared and in which he is bring- ing up his children. He is prominent in the affairs of the Woodmen of the World, but beyond this connection has no fraternal affiliations. He is one of the farmers who are the strength and hope of the state of Oregon, a man who brings to the cultivation of the soil an intelligence and efficiency which are the basis of sure success.

J. C. AINSWORTH, of Portland. financier and business man, who is identified with many corporate interests, has contributed materially to the development and upbuild- ing of the Pacific country. Portland is proud'

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

to number him among her native sons. He was born in that city, January 4, 1870, of the marriage of Captain J. C. and Fannie (Babbitt) Ainsworth, and completed his edu- cation in the University of California, from which institution he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1891. He afterward pursued a special course in electrical engineering in the same institu- tion. His early business training was re- ceived in the Central Bank of Oakland, Cali- fornia, which his father had previously es- tablislied, and in 1894 he entered banking circles in Portland, Oregon, becoming iden- tified with the Ainsworth National Bank, of which he was chosen president. The bank was capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars and as his chief directing foree he maintained a safe conservative policy that made it one of the strongest moneyed con- cerns on the coast. In 1902 he merged the Ainsworth National Bank with the United States National Bank under the name of the latter, which was then capitalized for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, while later the capital stock was increased to three hundred thousand dollars. He remains presi- dent of this bank, which now has a capital and surplus of over two million, one hundred thousand dollars and deposits amounting to about eleven millions and which has always been kept abreast with the most modern and progressive financial policy commensur- ate with the best interests of the institu- tion.

A man of resourceful business ability, Mr. Ainsworth has improved his opportunity for judicious investment in many other impor- tant business enterprises and his efforts have constituted a valuable element in the suc- cessful control of various corporations of the west. He was instrumental in organizing the Fidelity Trust Company Bank of Ta- coma with capital and surplus of one mil- lion dollars, and in 1902 he succeeded Colonel C. W. Griggs as president of the company. He is also the president of the Oregon Tele- phone & Telegraph Company with a capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars and is assistant secretary and treasurer of the Pacific States Telephone & Telegraph Com- pany which has a capital of fifteen million dollars, while its lines extend from Mexico to Alaska. His keen business discernment has led to his cooperation being sought in the upbuilding of many of the important business projects of the coast. He is treas- urer of the Portland Railway Company and his name is on the directorate of the Port- land Hotel Company, and Portland General Electric Company, the Portland Street Rail- way Company, the Pacific States Telephone & Telegraph Company, the Los Angeles & Redondo Railway Company, the Oregon Rail- road & Navigation Company and many others.

On the 26th of June, 1901, in Portland, Mr. Ainsworth was married to Miss Alice Heitshu, who is a native of California, and, moving in the highest social circles, their home is the scene of many delightful social functions. Mr. Ainsworth holds membership in the Presbyterian church and the Arling-

ton Club, of which he was formerly pres- ident, and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is also a thirty- second degree Mason. While he is numbered among the most successful men of the north- west, he has never regarded the pursuit of wealth as the sole end and aim of life but has found time and opportunity for activity in other lines which touch the general in- terests of society, cooperating in many move- ments for the public good and upholding at all times those interests which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride.

M. B. GIBSON has been a resident of Ore- gon since 1860 and has for many years been identified with some of the representative occupations of the state. He has reached the age of seventy-seven, and is living retired in Langlois where his many friends honor him as an early settler in this part of Curry county and as a business man of undoubted ability whose individual activities have been factors in the general growth. He was born in Hart county, Kentucky, in 1835, a son of Harland and Mary (Turner) Gibson, na- tives of that state. His father was of Irish parentage, but was born in Kentucky and spent his entire life there. He followed farm- ing and was successful in this line of occu- pation until his death which occurred in the early '60s. He had long survived his wife who passed away in 1835.

M. B. Gibson is one of a family of five children. He received his education in his native state and remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age. At that time he went to Kansas and remained in that state until 1860 when he came to Oregon and set- tled in Curry county at what is now known as Gold Beach. Here he worked at the shoe- making trade which he had learned in his youth and for twenty years followed this line of occupation. For sixteen years he also served as county treasurer and gained a reputation for honesty and conscientiousness in the discharge of his duties. Eventually, however, he purchased two hundred acres of land in that section and upon this he lived . for a number of years. When he sold his property he moved to Gold Beach where he lived until 1901 and then moved to Langlois where he is now living retired. He owns some fine residence property and is actively interested in the growth of the village.

In 1873 Mr. Gibson was united in marriage to Miss Johanna Bailey, a native of Pennsyl- vania, who came with her parents to Ore- gon in 1857. The family settled in Curry county where the father died in 1899. The mother is surviving in the eighty-third year of her age. They had seven children, four of whom are still living. Mr. and Mrs. Gib- son became the parents of four children: Mary, the wife of E. B. Thrift of Langlois, who is engaged in the merchandise business; Anna G., who is a sister in the convent at Mount Angel; Jeanette, who resides at home; and Grace, who passed away when she was one year old. Mrs. Gibson died June 14, 1885.

M. B. Gibson is a republican in his political beliefs but independent in his views, voting

M. B. GIBSON

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for the man whom he considers best fitted for the position. He and his family belong to the Roman Catholic church and are active, religious workers. Over half a century ago Mr. Gibson came to Oregon and since that time he has witnessed much of the growth . and development of the state, his own activi- ties identifying him with it to a large extent. He well deserves the retirement he is enjoy- ing for he earned it by hard work in the past.

J. FRANK ADAMS is owner of the Poplar farm, situated near Merrill in Klamath coun- ty. No resident in all this district has taken a more active or helpful part in promoting its progress and upbuilding. He was one of the pioneer ranchmen here, is well known for his ability in breaking wild horses, has been engaged in banking and irrigation proj- ects and withal is a courteous, genial gen- tleman. He at all times commands the re- spect and good-will of those who know him. He was born in Eldorado county, Califor- nia, March 3, 1855, and is a son of George and Sarah Ellen (Hogue) Adams, both of whom were born and reared in Peoria, Illi- nois. Following their marriage in that city they crossed the plains to Eldorado county, California, in 1852 and afterward removed to San Francisco. Mr. Adams went to the scene of the Fraser excitement and traveled all through southern California, rambled around much in that state and finally took up his abode in Sacramento in 1868. There he died about forty years ago and his wife later passed away in the same city. He engaged in farming, teaming and general trading and was well known among early settlers of that state. After losing her first husband Mrs. Adams became the wife of L. R. Harris, who now makes his home with his stepson, J. Frank Adams, at the age of eighty-three years. His wife, the mother of our sub- ject, passed away about thirteen years ago. By her first marriage she had three sons, of whom the subject of this review is the eldest. The second son, Joseph Henry, died in Chico, California, and William Walter Sherman is now postmaster and a mer- chant at Malin, Klamath county.

J. Frank Adams resided with his parents in California until 1872. He spent most of his time as a cowboy. In that year he left with stock to go into the mountains, tled by permanent residents, making it im- as Sacramento valley was fast becoming set- possible to find grazing land there. He made his way to southern Oregon and rode after stock in Siskiyou county, California, and Klamath county, Oregon, until 1879. He then took up his abode in Klamath valley, where he engaged in handling stock on shares, running stock in that way until twenty years ago, since which time he has carried on business independently. The rais- ing and care of stock has practically been his life work. About 1881 he began secur- ing government land, taking up every kind of claim possible, including preemption, home- stead and timber. He secured desert claims,

school lands and state lands and added to his possessions until he had twenty-six hun- dred and nineteen acres when he entered into an irrigation project under the name of the Little Klamath Ditch Company. This le incorporated in 1885. His plan was to include all farmers and each acre was to represent a share in the company, which was originally incorporated for five thousand acres and five thousand shares at two dol- lars per share. Farmers of the community joined Mr. Adams in this project, which he later extended in its scope, reclaiming ten thousand acres. He became president and manager of the Little Klamath Ditch Com- pany and, as time went on, he bought in other lands and had extensive interests in the company but sold out to the United States government in 1907; when they instituted their five million dollar project for the rec- lamation of arid lands in this district. He met with difficulties leading to reverses in his irrigation projects, yet the work which he accomplished is of inestimable value to the district. His financial backers in the stock business withdrew their support when he turned his attention to irrigation, which they regarded as unpractical, but with re- markable foresight he realized the value of such an undertaking and time has proven his wisdom. In the cut through from White lake to Little Klamath lake, for two and three quarters miles the ditch being twenty- two feet wide and twenty inches deep, it was necessary to cut through the marsh with a hay knife. Mr. Adams laid off the right-of-way and made the two outside cuts on the eleven feet. With his own hands he did the work on the outside cuts, total- ing eleven miles, and he employed from ten to twenty-two men in cutting the center and throwing out the dirt. This was the most strenuous part of his irrigation project and led to his securing a dredge. For the past seven or eight years he has operated the Marion Steam Shovel Dredge, the first work with which was done in building the canal for the Little Klamath Ditch Company. He made several of the first landings for steam- boats and he began building the first mile and a quarter of the railroad out of Klamath Falls, throwing up the grade for the com- pany. This was his first dredge work. He tlien moved the dredge to Upper Klamath lake and made a ditch of seventeen miles for Abner Weed, the average depth being four and a half feet and the width thirty-five feet. This work required about three years. On the 28th of April, 1912. his dredging machine was destroyed by fire but he is now rebuilding an outfit worth about fifteen thou- sand dollars. There are twenty-two thou- sand acres in the Abner Weed tract and the work to the present time has been more than half completed. Mr. Adams has been the most active factor in the develop- ment of Klamath county, especially in the Tule Lake district.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 106

Author: Gaston, Joseph, 1833- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 1072

Author: Gaston, Joseph, 1833-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1072