The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 118

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

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Mr. Rickard was married to Mrs. Ella (Dorr) Ranney, a native of Springfield, Illinois, who came with her parents to Benton county, Oregon, in 1852. She is a daughter of Dud- ley and Eliza Dorr, who settled about eight miles south of Corvallis. The father died in Walla Walla, Washington, and the mother in San Francisco. By a former marriage Mr. Rickard had three children: Bayard, of Cor- vallis; Roy, living on the old home farm; and Annie, who died at the age of sixteen months. By her first marriage Mrs. Rickard had six children: George Ranney, of Lake county, Oregon; Walter, deceased; Maude, the wife of Sherman Wade, of Gilliam county, Oregon; Edwin, who has passed away; Dell, of Corvallis; and Lillian, at home.

Mr. Rickard now has his second sight and reads without glasses. He is a well pre- served man for one of his years, having nearly passed the eighty-second milestone on life's journey. He has always been active and his useful and well spent life has brought him the merited reward of labor, so that in the evening of his days he can rest in the enjoy- ment of the fruits of his former toil, his possessions being sufficient to supply him and his wife with all the necessities and many of the luxuries of life for years to come.

JONAS E. NORIN. The home of Jonas E. Norin is a beautiful bungalow, the first residence of that style of architecture to be erected in Lakeview. A mile and a half distant is his ranch of five hundred and fif- teen acres, which he purchased in 1909 and which is known as the Eagle Point ranch. He has other business interests also, inas- much as he is the vice president of the Lake- view Wool Storage & Warehouse Company, but his attention is chiefly directed to the production of hay and the raising of stock. He was born in Sweden, July 30, 1867, and is a son of Erick and Martha (Modig) Norin, who spent their entire lives as farming people of Sweden save that the father served for about twenty-five years in the army, becoming an officer. They had nine children, one of whom· died in childhood. Two sons passed away after reaching maturity, while six are now living. Jonas E. and his brother Andrew were the only members of the family who came to America. Andrew later re- turned to Sweden and there passed away.

Jonas E. Norin pursued his education in the schools of his native country and re- mained a resident there until in his twenty- fifth year, when, in 1893, lie came to Amer- ica, reaching Iowa on the 3d of Marclı. He worked as a farm hand until January, 1896, when lie came to the northwest and has since been a resident of Lakeview, Oregon. He was employed as a sheep herder and farm

JOHN RICKARD

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

hand for about three years but, carefully saving his earnings, he was at length able to purchase sheep, which he began running over the range. Later he leased his sheep, and removed to the town, where he purchased an interest in a planing mill. After three years he sold out and began building bungalows for speculative purposes. He was the first to erect a bungalow in Lakeview, building a house of that character after traveling quite extensively over California to get ideas con- cerning bungalow architecture. In 1909 he purchased his present ranch, comprising five hundred and fifteen acres, pleasantly and conveniently situated about a mile and a half south of Lakeview. At that time the Eagle Point ranch was meadow land, but with characteristic energy he began the develop- ment and improvement of the place, where he is now engaged in raising hay extensively and also in raising stock. He puts up about four hundred tons of hay annually. He has about thirty-five hundred head of sheep and keeps his sheep on the desert and the lambs on the ranch. His farm home is a fine bung- alow and upon this place there are splendid outbuildings, all especially adapted for the purposes for which they are used and built with regard to comfort and convenience. His interest in sheep-raising led to his becoming identified with the Lakeview Wool Storage & Warehouse Company, of which he is the vice president.

In 1903, in Los Angeles, California, Mr. Norin was married to Miss Fannie Pamell Carr, who was born in Kansas in 1880, and when four years of age was taken to Los Angeles by her parents, Martin and Anna Carr. The mother is now deceased and the father resides with his daughter. Mr. Norin is a republican and stanchly advocates pro- gressive citizenship. A spirit of progress has actuated him throughout his entire life and has been manifest in his business career and also in his connection with community af- fairs, his labors proving an element in general development and improvement.

ROBERT E. LEE BEDILLION. The city of Bandon, Oregon, owes much to the con- structive talents and organizing power of Robert E. Lee Bedillion, who, as organizer and directing manager of the only woolen mill in the city, is one of the greatest indi- vidual forces in the industrial expansion of his section of Oregon. He is a man of ready adaptability, intelligent public spirit and a comprehensive grasp of present-day needs in business and political life, and his activity along various constructive lines, centralized by business intelligence, is a controlling fac- tor in the growth of the state. He was born in Olympia, Washington, October 5, 1864, and is a son of William and Jeanette (Be- dillion) Bedillion, whose parents were among the earliest settlers in the state of Wash- ington. The paternal grandfather of our subject was selected to keep peace with the Indians on account of his remarkable suc- cess in dealing with the tribes. The mater- nal grandparents were natives of Kentucky and came to Washington in the early '40s.

William Bedillion, the father, was born in Virginia and was educated in the public schools of that state. He was a graduate of a military school in his native state and was an ardent southerner. During the war of the rebellion he was honored by a commis- sion in the Confederate army given him per- sonally by General Robert E. Lee, and he named his son, the subject of this sketch, after this famous general. To Mr. and Mrs. William Bedillion were born two children: Ida, who passed away in her girlhood; and Robert E. Lee, our subject.

When Robert Bedillion was three years of age his father died. He remained at home until he was twelve years old and attended school. He then laid aside his books and ob- tained employment on a ranch in California. Here he remained until 1882, in which year he again entered the public schools of Cali- fornia, and although he was then eighteen years of age, spent three years complement- ing his early education. He took a commer- cial course in the Tyrrell's high school and immediately afterward went into the but- cher business, which he followed for a num- ber of years. He was later active in cattle raising and dairying, and obtained a grati- fying measure of success in this line of work. In 1888 he enlisted in the United States army in the First United States Infantry under the command of General W. R. Shaf- ter, and served for two years. At the end of that time he came to Bandon, Oregon, locat- ing in that city in 1890. In the following year the municipality was incorporated and Mr. Bedillion was elected as its first marshal. He held that office and did his duty ably and well until October 14, 1891. At that time he was arrested for desertion from the United States army, was court martialed and sentenced to one year at hard labor. After three months he was pardoned through the influence of friends in Washington, and received the most honorable of any dis- charge ever granted a prisoner in the insti- tution where he was confined. Petition for his pardon was carried over the head of the secretary of war and received the signature of President Harrison and J. G. Blaine. Im- mediately following this event Mr. Bedillion returned to Bandon where he followed sal- mon fishing for a number of years. He was later identified with jetty construction work and subsequently took charge of the man- agement of the Hotel Gallier, of which he was the proprietor for six years. During the time he operated the hotel he organized a stock company among the leading business men of Bandon, and built a large woolen mill within the town limits. This is the only enterprise of its kind in Bandon and the only one south of Salem and north of the California line. This factory Mr. Bedillion has operated with rapidly increasing success since that time. He owns fifty-five per cent of the stock, and has always been a forceful influence in directing its policies. His suc- cess is the more remarkable because he had not even seen a woolen mill before he took charge of his present enterprise. His fac-

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

tory is now working night and day and is expanding along the most modern and pro- gressive business lines. It is a three-set mill and has been in operation for seven years, its special product being all-wool head lin- ing. Mr. Bedillion is also interested in busi- ness property in Bandon and has many town lots. He is the proprietor also of the city graveyard.

Ill 1897 Mr. Bedillion was united in mar- riage to Miss Caroline E. Feiger, a native of Arizona, of German parentage. Her father was a veteran of the Franco-Prussian war and was treasurer of the city of Osberg, Ger- many. He came to the western part of the United States about 1870 and located in Oregon in 1892. He and his wife were the parents of four children: Minnie, who is the wife of William Tinbrook, of Bandon, and the mother of two children; Fred, a resident of the same city; Thomas, also of Bandon; and Caroline E., the wife of our subject. To Mr. and Mrs. Bedillion has been born one child, Ida, who passed away when she was five years of age.

Mr. Bedillion, prosperous and successful in business life, has also won prominence in po- litical circles. He was nominated and elected to the state legislature in 1909 and served with ability and distinction for one term. At the end of that time he refused to sign the renomination ticket and later de- clined the nomination as congressman from his district. He is not an office seeker but has an active and energetic public spirit which impels him always to do his duty in a political way. He holds the record of having introduced more bills than any new member in the session of legislature in which he served, and a large percentage of the legislation which he favored was passed by gratifying majorities. His politics are democratic, and beside holding state offices he has served for many terms in the city council. He is an ardent lover of base ball and organized and managed one of the most successful teams, which ever played in the county. This organization gained a local reputation which soon extended beyond the limits of the state. The business men of the city of Eureka, California, paid the ex- penses of the team to that city in order that they might compete with a selected team from Humboldt county. Mr. Bedil- lion's men met and defeated the professional players from California.

Mr. Bedillion is one of the most progress- ive and enterprising citizens of the city in which he lives and is keenly interested in its growth and expansion, and willing to take a share in promoting progress. He has given large tracts of business property to new plants and factories in order to in- duce them to locate in Bandon, and has been instrumental, in a conspicuous way, in the upbuilding of the city. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and one of the old- est members of this organization in the city in which he lives. He has filled all the chairs and has actively influenced the policy of the body. He possesses the unusual power of scattering his energies without destroying

their force. He is an earnest and progress- ive citizen of Bandon, and the best and most forceful years of his life are given to its upbuilding.

SWANIE PETERSON is successfully en- gaged in the cultivation of a highly devel- oped ranch located on Haines slough, ten miles north of Marshfield, in Coos county. He was born in Sweden, February 26, 1864. His parents were both natives of that coun- try, where they died many years ago. In their family were two sons: John, who was captain of a ship, which was lost at sea in 1900; and Swanie, of this review.

Swanie Peterson emigrated to America in the early '80s and settled in Illinois. He later removed to Oregon, stopping first at Portland, where he remained for a short time, and came to Marshfield in April, 1882. After reaching that place he purchased a boat and necessary equipment and engaged in fishing. Some time later he became in- terested in a lathmill at Porter, Oregon, and devoted his attention to that property for a period of three years. He then went to Astoria and for a number of years was engaged in fishing on Coos bay during the spring season. In 1909 he retired perma- nently from the life of fisherman. His ex- perience during that period of his life abounds in many dramatic events. Among others he saved from drowning the lives of Mabel Weybright, two children and three men, one of whom was Geo. Mackentosh. In 1907 he purchased one hundred and sixty- six acres of land located ten miles from Marshfield, on what is known as Haines slough. There he established his home and has since continued to devote himself to the cultivation and improvement of that prop- erty, specializing in dairy farming. He is also the owner of three valuable lots at North Bend.

On January 25, 1896, Mr. Peterson was united in marriage to Miss Annie Olson, a native of North Bend and a daughter of Andrew and Deborah Olson, the former of whom was born in Sweden and the latter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Andrew Olson was before her marriage Deborah Steen and a niece of the late J. H. Jones, mayor of Camden, New Jersey. The par- ents emigrated to Oregon at an early date in their history and celebrated their mar- riage later at Empire, where they lived for two years and then removed to North Bend. The father was engaged in farming and was also head sawyer in one of the sawmills of the Simpson Lumber Company. The mother died in 1891 but the father is still living and resides at Lakeside, Coos county. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are the parents of three children: Shirley A., born March 16, 1897, who is a talented musician and artist; Rus- sell A., born April 12, 1900, attending school; and Irvin L., who was born in September, 1909.

Mr. Peterson is a loyal adherent of the republican party, and belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge at North Bend. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran

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church. He is one of the successful agri- culturists of Coos county and a man re- spected by his friends and acquaintances for his integrity of character and the zeal and enterprise which he manifests in bring- ing about improvements in the community, in which he resides.

JAMES MERRITT McDOLE is justly numbered among the highly enterprising and successful ranchmen of Lane county, where he has acquired five hundred and fourteen acres of fertile land, four and a half miles south of Cottage Grove, on Pass Creek road, where he is engaged in stock- raising. He is the younger of the two sons born of the marriage of Samuel and Mary (Cripps) McDole, his birth having oc- curred in Dane county, Wisconsin, on the 4th of September, 1849. The other son, Milton J., was born at the same place in August, 1847, and is now residing in Colo- rado City, Colorado. The father passed away during the infancy of our subject and the mother subsequently married George Van Gasbeek, and to them were born three children: Malissa, the wife of George Mc- Norton, of Jefferson, Kansas; Dora, a widow, who resides at Scranton, New York; and Otto, a resident of Texas, also de- ceased, who married Sheby Brunce and be- came the father of fourteen children. The mother of our subject was the second in order of birth in a family, of whom the others were as follows: Mrs. Adelaide Sparks, of Wisconsin; Maria, the wife of Daniel Rials, of York Center, Wisconsin; Samuel, who was a resident of Kansas but is now deceased; and Dave, Henry, Charles and Thomas, all living in Wisconsin; Ben- jamin, who is deceased; and Eland, also liv- ing in Wisconsin.

James Merritt McDole received a common- school education and was early trained to the duties of an agriculturist. At the age of fourteen he left the home of his mother and step-father and started out to make his own way in the world. During the suc- ceeding four years he worked out as a farm hand, and during that period managed to save from his small wages enough money to enable him to purchase eighty acres of land near Holton, Jackson county, Kansas. After cultivating this for three years he sold it and bought one hundred and twenty acres southeast of his former location. There he continued his agricultural pursuits for five or six years and then sold and rented one hundred and sixty acres of land four miles west of his former location. After farming this tract for two years he bought forty acres in the same locality, situated ten miles west of Valley Falls, Kan- sas. He resided on this place for four years, but during that time his health began to fail and in 1881 he came to Oregon. Upon his arrival in this state he first purchased fifty-one acres of land that formed the nucleus of his present ranch. At the same time lie filed on one hundred and forty-nine acres of timber land adjoining, from which he cut twenty-five hundred cords of wood,

which he sold to the Southern Pacific Rail- road Company. He subsequently cleared this land and used it for grazing purposes, having always made a specialty of stock- raising. About 1897, he again extended the boundaries of his farm by the purchase of another quarter section of timber land, sixty acres of which has been cleared and con- verted into pasture. He bought another one hundred and sixty acres in 1904, which was also in timber and he has cleared twenty acres of it for pasture, his holdings aggre- gating five hundred and twenty acres. From this he has sold six acres, his ranch now em- bracing five hundred and fourteen acres. There is still some good timber on his tract, but much of it has been turned into pastur- age and eighty acres are under high cul- tivation, two of this being in orchard which is bearing. Mr. McDole makes a specialty of breeding and raising thoroughbred sheep, and is the owner of five full blooded ani- mals from which his herd was started. He also raises cattle and hogs and receives gra- tifying financial returns from these sources. His ranch is well equipped and improved, having been provided with everything es- sential to its successful operation during the period of his ownership, including the erec- tion of five fine barns, two granaries, a fruit cellar and various sheds and outbuild- ings. He has also built a comfortable resi- dence and has installed many modern con- veniences on his place to lessen the labor and expedite the work.

On the 4th of December, 1868, Mr. Mc- Dole was united in marriage to Miss Luvenia Gordon, who was one of eight children. The others are as follows: Frank, James and John, all of whom are residents of Kansas; Ance, who lives in Valley Falls, Kansas; Hampton; Louisa, who is deceased; and Sally Ann, the wife of William Griffith. To Mr. and Mrs. McDole have been born six children, as follows: Bertram, whose birth occurred on the 9th of March, 1870, living at Cottage Grove; Bernice, who was born on March 18, 1873, the wife of W. W. Wil- son, a farmer of this state; Addie, born on December 29, 1875, the wife of J. W. Veatch, a dealer in live stock at Cottage Grove; Oscar, whose natal day was April 13, 1878, a rancher in the vicinity of Cottage Grove; Harry, who was born on the 11th of April, 1880, farming at Marias, Montana; and Jes- sie, who is attending high school.

The family attend the services of the Christian church, in which the parents hold membership, while Mr. McDole accords his political support to the republican party. Although he has never held any public of- fice save that of school director for two terms, he is not remiss in matters of citi- zenship but always cooperates in every pro- gressive movement, and is one of the highly estimable men of his community.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN RAY is one of the respected and well known men of Coos county, living upon his well developed ranch of one hundred and sixty acres, located three miles from. Cooston up Willanche inlet. He

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was born in Mercer county, Missouri, in 1854, and is a son of Wade Hampton and Mary E. (Clenkenbeard) Ray, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Ken- tucky. The parents of the father and also of the mother removed at a very early day and settled in southwestern Missouri, where Mr. and Mrs. Wade Hampton Ray celebrated their wedding, after which they removed to northeastern Missouri, at which place occurred the birth of the subject of this review. They became the parents of twelve children, four of whom died in in- fancy. The eldest of those living is James S., a resident of New Windsor, Colorado, who is engaged in farming, is married and has nine children. John M., a resident of Leon, Kansas, is a blacksmith by trade, and has one son. Mary E., the widow of James H. Hurst, of Almena, Kansas, is the mother of six children. William F. is the subject of this review. Richard B., a resident of Nor- ton, Kansas, is married and has five chil- dren. Calvin J., a resident of Norway, Ore- gon, who is engaged in farming, is married and has eight children. Sarah E., the widow of Ede F. Milton, is engaged in farming in Weiser, Idaho, and has eight children. Wade L., the youngest member of the family, who is engaged in farming at Myrtle Point, Ore- gon, is married and has six children.

William Franklin Ray was reared at home and received his early education in the pub- lic schools. At the age of thirteen years he started in life for himself obtaining as his first employment, a position as cattle herder, for which he received a compensation of eight dollars per month. He continued in that employment for two years and then was engaged as laborer on a farm for a number of years. In 1876 he rented eighty acres of land for one year and engaged in farming. The following year he rented forty acres, to the cultivation of which he gave his attention for one year and in 1878 he took up a timber claim in Kansas, which he kept for sometime and later filed upon a preemption claim and also a homestead. In4 1887 he disposed of his real-estate holdings in Kansas and removed to Garfield county, Washington, and was there employed for one year in a sawmill. The next year he was en- gaged in the butcher business, and later he and his wife successfully conducted a board- ing house in Spokane, Washington, imme- diately after the destruction of that city. In 1890 he removed to Coos bay and settled in Marshfield, where he worked for E. A. Anderson in the livery business for four years. He then rented a ranch located on Isthmus inlet and was engaged in general farming for one year. In 1895 he rented the ranch belonging to Judge Watson, of Coos City, for whom he established a well equipped dairy. In 1896 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of choice agricul- tural land located on Willanche inlet and there established his home and has since con- tinued to reside. He makes a specialty in the raising and marketing of poultry and is also heavily interested in the raising of pure bred angora goats and beef cattle.

In 1884 Mr. Ray was united in marriage to Miss Laura H. Rouse, a native of Iowa and a daughter of John and Hannah (Straight) Rouse, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of New York. They became the par- ents of ten children: Joanna, deceased; J. Smith, named in honor of Captain John Smith, who came over in the Mayflower and was the captain of the Plymouth Colony settlement made in Plymouth, Massa- chusetts in 1620; O. T., of Spokane, Wash- ington; Mary, who married George Finley, of Finley, Washington, and by him has one child; Andrew M., deceased; James P., a resident of Jennings, Kansas, who is mar- ried and has five children; William M., who resides in Nebraska; Laura H., who is the wife of the subject of this review; Frank, who resides in Greenwood, Nebraska, and has five children; and Ella, who married Mr. Sims, of Washington, and by him has four children. Mrs. Ray has the distinction of being a direct descendant of Captain John Smith of Mayflower fame. Mr. and Mrs. William Franklin Ray have a son, Austin A. Ray, who was born in 1885.

Mr. Ray gives his political allegiance to the socialist party and served for three years as road supervisor of his district and has also been one of the directors of the school board for a number of years. He is also a member of the Grange. Mr. Ray is one of the enterprising and valued citizens of the community in which he lives. He is a man of strict integrity in all business transactions and highly respected by his friends and associates.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 118

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