The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 125

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

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On the 18th of June, 1868, Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Sarah L. Higgins, who was born in Massachusetts, a daughter of Selden and Susan (McClench) Higgins, natives of Maine. She emigrated to Oregon as a child in 1851 with her par- ents, who located in the vicinity of Sa- lem, on a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres. They continued to re- side there until their deaths, the father pass- ing away in 1883, and the mother in 1887. Mrs. Walker is the eldest of six children all of whom are living. Mrs. Walker is also a niece of Samuel R. Thurston, who was the first United States senator from Oregon after the state had been admitted to the Union. The other members of the family are as follows: Susan, the wife of J. H. Smith of Salem; John, who is living in Union county; Cranston, who is residing on the old home- stead near Salem; Ella, the widow of W. H. Anderson, now living in Spokane, Washing- ton; and Mrs., Ida Porter, who lives in Cali- fornia. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Walker: Alva J., who died in in- fancy; Herbert E .. who is married and oper- ates a planing mill in Springfield; Fred, who is also married and engaged in the undertak- ing business in this city; Bertha, the wife of O. C. Wolfe, of Albany; Ralph and Jes- sie, who are at home; Grace and Ida, who are teaching; and Joy, who is attending school. They have all been given the advan- tages of good, practical educations.

The family affiliate with the Methodist Episcopal church, in which the parents hold membership. Mr. Walker belongs to the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, in which organization he has held all of the chairs, and the Woodmen of the World. His politi- cal support he accords to the republican

party and during the period of his residence here has held all of the city offices and has had the added distinction of having been the first mayor of the town, in which capacity he served for two terms. Mr. Walker has always been one of the foremost citizens of the town, and enthusiastically cooperates in promoting every progressive movement, tak- ing an active and helpful interest in the wel- fare of the community. He enjoys the confi- dence and esteem of his fellow citizens by reason of his straightforward manner and the efficiency and. capability he has mani- fested in the discharge of his public duties.

S. F. AHLSTROM. In an attractive home, surrounded by beautiful grounds, in Lake- view, S. F. Ahlstrom has resided for twenty- six years. He early established himself in business here, and the extent and impor- tance of his commercial and industrial ac- tivities have made him one of the leading citizéns. Moreover, he has figured promi- nently in fraternal circles, nor is he un- known as a local political leader. He was born in Christianstad, Sweden, May 12, 1850, a son of J. F. and Johanna (Warling) Ahls- trom, who spent their entire lives in Sweden, the father always following the cooper's trade, which he learned in youth. In the family were nine children, of whom two died in early life, while seven reached years of maturity. Four of the number came to the United States; S. F .; John F., a resident of Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Augusta Nelson, of Marysville, California; and Frank, a lumberman of Truckee, Nevada.

S. F. Ahlstrom was the first of the fam- ily to cross the Atlantic to America, arriv- ing in 1869 and making the trip to the Pacific coast on the first regular train to cross the mountains over the Union Pacific Railroad. He had spent much of the sum- mer, before sailing for the new world, in traveling in Europe and considerable time was also spent on the way to the west. Mr. Ahlstrom accompanied his uncle, O. Warling, on his second trip to America. The latter had previously been in this country, and had returned to Sweden. Our subject settled first in San Jose, California, and worked for his uncle in the saddlery business learning the trade. In the spring of 1873 he removed to Marysville, California, where he followed his trade for nearly thirteen years, and in 1886 he came to Lakeview, where he has resided continuously since. In Marysville he worked for H. M. Harris, with whom he entered into partnership on his removal to Lakeview, this relation being maintained for three years, at the end of which time Mr. Ahl- strom purchased his partner's interest in the business which they conducted. Subse- quently he bought a harness shop from C. C. Maltby, and has since engaged extensively in the manufacture of harness and saddlery. His output includes a saddle that bears his name and has become famous in this and other countries. In 1909 Mr. Ahlstrom ad- mitted his brother-in-law, William Gunther, to a partnership in the business which was afterward conducted under the firm style

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of Ahlstrom & Gunther. He bought the brick building at the corner of Main and Bear streets, but on the 22d of May, 1900, lost the same and its contents by fire. With characteristic energy, however, he cleared away the ruins and that summer erected another building. His trade has steadily increased and his is one of the important productive enterprises of southern Oregon. In addition to having other interests Mr. Ahlstrom is a stockholder in the Northern Telephone Company, in a flourmill and in the Sunshine, a high-grade gold mine. He is recognized as a man of sound business judgment and keen insight and the years have brought him the success which usually follows persistent, honorable labor.

S. F. Ahlstrom was married in 1876 to Miss Mary Gunther, who was born in San Francisco, California, July 27, 1857, a daughter of J. J. Gunther, who was a na- tive of Germany and died at Marysville, California. Two sons and a daughter were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ahlstrom: E. C., who is postmaster of Lakeview; F. O., who is treasurer of Lake county ,and. Lottie Augusta, who became the wife of J. D. Ven- ator, an attorney of Lakeview and died, leav- ing a son, Harold, who lives with his mater- nal grandparents. .

S. F. Ahlstrom is a republican and has served one term as treasurer of Lake county. He was a member of the city council for about ten years and for one term was mayor of the city. He labored fearlessly to promote municipal interests and for twenty years he has proven himself a champion of education by effective work as school director. On attaining majority Mr. Ahlstrom became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he is prominent in that organ- ization, being a past grand of the local lodge, which he represented in the grand lodge a number of times. He is also district deputy for the encampment. He belongs to the Foresters and was the first presiding officer of that organization at Lakeview, serving for two years. Mr. Ahlstrom has been an inter- ested witness of the events which have shaped the history of Lakeview and this part of the state. In the early days he did considerable hunting, five of his guns having been de- stroyed when his store was burned. He has lived to see the conditions which made hunt- ing possible here give way before an advanc- ing civilization, when commercial and indus- trial activity take the place of pioneer life. Coming to the new world as a young man he saw his opportunities and has gradually worked upward, advancing along those lines which make for well rounded character, for business has never excluded those activities which have to do with man's obligations to society and government.

DWIGHT REED has been prominently identified with commercial activities in Drain, Oregon, in various capacities since 1907. He has been one of the leading bank- ers of this city and is now successfully car- rying on a large hay-shipping enterprise in Douglas county. He is a native son of Ore-

gon, having been born on the Umpqua river, May 14, 1852. His parents were Dr. Calvin C. and Elvira A. (Brown) Reed, both natives of Iowa, in which state they were reared and married. As a young man the father of our subject took up the study of medicine and received his degree of M. D. in 1850. He crossed the plains in that year with ox teams and arrived in Oregon in the late fall. He located his first claim of six hundred and forty acres in Douglas county. His land lay on both sides of the Umpqua river just east of Winchester and a portion of his claim was located where that city now stands. He built the first grist and sawmill ever erected in Douglas county and also operated a ferry for some time. His activities in this regard were the cause of his death. His violent exertions in making a crossing with his boat caused an overstrain from which he never recovered. He was one of the most promi- nent professional men in Douglas county and was the first practicing physician in that region. He was widely known and deeply respected and the field of his activities ex- tended over a wide range of country. He died in 1856 and was survived by his wife until 1861 in which year her death occurred.

Dwight Reed was reared at home and educated in the district schools of Douglas county. As early as his fifteenth year he began to earn his own livelihood and from that period made his own way in the world. At the age of twenty-three years he began farming for himself as a renter in Garden Valley, Douglas county, and continued to be occupied in agriculture and stock-raising until 1900. In that year he bought his first tract of land purchasing eight hundred and sixty acres in the Rice Hill · district. He improved and cultivated this land with grati- fying success. He became exceedingly pros- perous and his harvests became more abun- dant each year. In 1901 he added to his holdings the adjoining three hundred and twenty acres. The following year, in 1902, he bought four hundred and eighty acres more and was for a long time active in the operation of sixteen hundred and sixty acres of the finest farm land in Douglas county. He developed his large holdings along progressive and efficient lines. He thoroughly understands the details of agri- culture and carries it on as a modern science. He greatly extended his cattle operations and was conducting an increasingly success- ful business in this line when he sold his holdings in 1907. In that year he moved to Drain, where he bought a large interest in the local bank and was made president of that institution. In 1909 the bank was re- organized as the State Bank of Drain and Mr. Reed continued as president of the new institution until January 1, 1912, when he resigned and M. R. Ryan was chosen to fill his office. During the last few years of lis residence in Drain Mr. Reed has been exten- sively engaged in the buying and shipping of hay. He supplies this product for prac- tically all the markets of Douglas county and his shrewd business sense is rapidly making him prosperous.

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

In 1873 Mr. Reed was united in marriage to Miss Alice L. Iles, a daughter of Hender- son Iles, who came to Douglas county from Missouri in 1852. He crossed the plains with ox teams and took up a donation claim at Fair Oaks, six miles from Oakland. He was prominent in local politics and his elec- tion to the office of county clerk made him one of the first officials of Douglas county.

Mr. Reed is a republican and always votes his party ticket. He is actively interested in public affairs and has served with much ability and efficiency as mayor of Drain. He holds membership in Drain Camp, No. 259, W. O. W., this connection representing his only fraternal affiliation. He is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is active on the board of trustees of that institution. Mrs. Reed holds member- ship in the Baptist church of Drain. Mr. Reed is one of the practical and intelligent business men who are the bulwark of our national life. His qualities as a leader and his power of organization directed into busi- ness channels have made him a dominant and powerful figure in commercial development.

SOLOMON S. JENNINGS is one of the well known merchants of North Bend, Coos county, Oregon, where he successfully con- ducts a large dry-goods establishment. He was born in Illinois in 1871, and is a son of J. S. and Harriet E. (Skates) Jennings, the former a native of Germany and the latter of England. Both emigrated during their youth to America and later celebrated their wedding in Illinois, in which state they continued to live until they removed to Arkansas. Later the father with his fam- ily settled in Portland, Oregon, and in 1902, established his home at Roseburg, where he lives retired. During his active life John S. Jennings followed farming for a living. He has a family of four children: Charles Wil- liam, who is in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company as train inspector; Minnie, the wife of William Campbell, who is engaged in farming in Clackamas county, Oregon; Belle, who is the wife of Orval Jones of Roseburg, this state; and Solomon S., the subject of this review. The mother of this family is seventy-six years of age and the father is seventy-nine.

Solomon S. Jennings was reared at home and received his early education in the public schools of Illinois and Arkansas. He re- mained under the parental roof until he was nineteen years of age and in 1886 came to Portland, where he took up work as a clerk in the dry-goods house of W. B. Shively and in that employment he continued for nine years. The store in which he was employed was located on Third street between Mor- rison and Yamhill. In 1895 he was en- gaged as a clerk by H. L. Shiller for two years at Oregon City. He, in 1897, returned to Portland where he secured a clerkship with the Robert Brothers and in their employ continued for a period of ten years. In 1908 he came to North Bend, Coos county, where he established a dry-goods store to which

business he has since given his entire atten- tion. He started the business with a capital of seven hundred dollars and now carries a well selected dry-goods stock of thirteen thousand dollars, his store being the largest of its kind in North Bend and the business is conducted under the firm name of S. S. Jennings.

Mr. Jennings was united in marriage at Oregon City, in 1895, to Miss Flora Richards, a daughter of N. W. Richards, of Oregon City. She was reared in her parents' home in St. Joseph, Missouri, where she remained until eighteen years of age and then removed to Oregon, settling in Oregon City, at which place she continued to reside until the time of her marriage. After receiving her ele- mentary education she graduated from the high school and later pursued a course of studies in a Pacific coast college. After com- pleting her education she was engaged in school teaching and for two years was a music teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings became the parents of three children: Elizabeth Pearl, who has completed a common-school educa- tion and is. now engaged in the study of music; Herald S., who is fifteen years of age and is a pupil in the high school; and Mabel, aged nine years, who is attending public school. The mother of this family died November 21, 1909. On January 1, 1912, Mr. Jennings was married to Miss Ione Hutchins, of Newberg, Oregon. She is a daughter of I. H. and Caroline (Brutscher) Hutchins. The father came to Oregon when a young man sixteen years of age with his parents in 1870, who settled on a farm at Newberg where he celebrated his marriage. He later purchased a farm located near New- berg, on which he established his home and continued to live until 1899. He then re- turned to Newberg and there purchased a home where he has since continued to reside. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchins are the parents of five children: Mrs. A. L. Gubser, of North Bend, Oregon; Ione, the wife of the subject of this review; T. A., who is in the employ of the government at Portland, Oregon; G. Fred, who resides with his parents; and Earl, of North Bend. Mr. Jennings is affiliated with the republican party and is a member of the school board of North Bend. His fra- ternal relations are with the Woodmen of the World and he is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Solomon S. Jennings is accounted by pub- lic opinion one of the enterprising and suc- cessful men of Coos county and is one of the most influential and desirable citizens of this part of the state.

OSCAR RAIAMAKI has been in Coos county for over twenty-three years and has been identified with various activities in this district during that time. He is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land and is carrying on its cultivation in an intelligent and scientific way. He was born in Finland in 1861 and is one of four

S. S. JENNINGS

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

children born to his parents, the others be- ing: Henry, who is married and lives with his family in Finland; Andrew, who is also married and lives in Minnesota; and Gustus, who resides with his wife and family in the same state.

Oscar Raiamaki received his early educa- tion in the public schools of Finland and pur- sued his studies until he was thirteen years of age, when he left home and started to earn a livelihood for himself. He worked at farming, in the employ of others, until 1886, when he crossed the Atlantic and set- tled in Michigan, where he worked in the timber business for two years. At the end of that time he came to Coos bay and worked in the coal mines of Libby for five years, or from 1888 to 1893. In the latter year he took up a homestead claim of one hun- dred and sixty acres on North lake, cleared some of the land of its timber and built his home in which he is now residing. He is engaged in general farming but makes a specialty of dairying and through the clean- liness and modern equipment which he main- tains is well known throughout Coos county.

On March 12, 1888, in Coos county, Mr. Raiamaki was united in marriage to Miss Hilda Ruakay, a native of Finland, who made the journey to America alone. She was one of two children. Her brother, Frank, is living with his family in Finland. To Mr. and Mrs. Raiamaki were born four children: Emiel, whose birth occurred October 1, 1900, and who is attending school in Coos Bay, fit- ting himself for mechanical activities; Fred, born September 16, 1908; Ida, whose birth occurred on the 7th of February, 1899, and who is attending school in Coos county; and Olga, born July 20, 1902, who is pursuing her education. Oscar Raiamaki gives his alle- giance to the republican party and takes an active interest in educational affairs. He has served as director of school district No. 2 for fourteen years and has done capable and efficient work along that line. The old country of Finland has given to the new world many upright and honorable men like Mr. Raiamaki who have brought with them to the state of Oregon, a steady determina- tion and an energetic ambition which are bases of excellent citizenship.

FRANK B. DUNN is the senior partner of the firm of Dunn & Price, the oldest bakery establishment in Eugene. His birth occurred in Galena, Jo Daviess county, Illi- nois, on the 22d of June, 1857, his parents being Barzilla Clark and Elizabeth (Gill) Dunn. He is descended from one of the old- est Revolutionary families and is of Scotch- Irish descent. There is a family tradition that four brothers by the name of Dunn emigrated from County Donegal during the days when the pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, was making his futile effort to ob- tain the throne of England and that the Dunn family, being adherents of his cause, were compelled to flee from the British Isles to avoid Fenian persecution. It is said that they arrived in Nova Scotia in the year 1735. The names of only three of the

brothers have been preserved to the family history-Benjamin, Jeremy and Jonathan. The last named is the ancestor of the Dunns in Eugene. His wife's Christian name was Mary but her maiden name has long since been lost to history. There is, however, a legend in the family which says that she was in some way connected by blood rela- tionship to the famous Ethan Allen, the con- queror of Ticonderoga. In 1776, at the time of the American Revolution, the family moved from Nova Scotia to New Jersey. Jonathan Dunn became an adherent of the Colonial cause and enlisted as a volunteer in Jacob Ten Eycke's company, in Colonel Frelinghuysen's battery of the New Jersey militia. This regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Derick Meddagh. Jona- than Dunn's name is found on the muster roll of the company, which says they (the company) marched from home, November 11, 1777. His service is a matter of record and may be found in William S. Stryker's war history entitled "Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War." In 1793 he lost his life while crossing the Mohawk river with a band of cattle. Next in line of descent is his son, Beracha, who was born in Nova Scotia, May 27, 1775, and at the age of sixteen left the parental roof to make his own way in the world. He was by trade a shoemaker, which occupation in those early days found abundant employ- ment in every community along the Atlantic seaboard. In 1798 he removed to Ohio, to which state his sisters had preceded him some time before. Here he purchased ten acres of land at Fort Washington. This site on the Ohio river has long since be- come a part of the flourishing manufactur- ing city of Cincinnati. His wife was Mary German, of Welsh extraction. After resid- ing on the banks of the Ohio for a few years Beracha Dunn sold his ten acres and removed to Avondale, where he purchased eighty acres and established his home. Later he conducted a tannery at Reading. After disposing of this property he bought one hundred and sixty acres, where the town of Lockland, a suburb of Cincinnati, is now built. While living on this land he also owned and operated a sawmill and grist- mill. He was in the midst of a successful business career during the time of the War of 1812. At the close of that conflict the universal depression throughout the coun- try caused the price of flour to drop from - twelve dollars to three dollars per barrel. This amounted to a calamity which resulted in his financial ruin. He passed out of this life December 8, 1858, at the age of eighty- three years. Unto him and his wife were born twelve children. His son, Jonathan (II), who was the paternal grandfather of Frank B. Dunn of this review, was the old- est of the family. He was born on the 14th of September, 1801, and left the old home in 1823. Starting in life for himself, he emigrated into what was then the territory of Illinois, an untamed wilderness, locating in Sangamon county and making his per- manent settlement at New Salem. There

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

he built a gristmill, being one of the earliest settlers of that portion of Sangamon county and living there at the time when Abraham Lincoln was engaged as a clerk in the only grocery store in the place. He became one of the early friends and associates of that unknown young man, who later was to be- come the great war president and emancipa- tor. A picture of the old mill may be seen in the history of Lincoln by Nicoll and Hay. The mill is therein spoken of as being one of the old haunts of Lincoln and has. by these historians been identified as Dunn's mill. In 1830 he moved to Athens, Illinois, where he opened a general store, and here he and his wife entertained their old friend Lincoln at their home during his political campaigns. After leaving his father's home Jonathan Dunn was always fortunate in his business ventures and had succeeded in acquiring land and various other kinds of property and was considered at that early day to be a man of independent circumstances. He, however, became a bankrupt at the time when Pres- ident Jackson vetoed the United States bank bill and never after recovered from this blow. The. delicate condition of his wife's health prevented him from enlisting in the United States service during the time of the Black Hawk war and he was compelled to do the next best thing under the circum- stances and promptly secured a substitute to take his place. In 1845 he moved to Gal- ena, Illinois, where he and some of his sons were engaged in the lead mines in the sum- mer time and some of the older boys, one being the father of our subject, found em- ployment as cabin boys on the Mississippi river steamboats. Galena, Illinois, was the home of the father of Ulysses S. Grant. At that place he was engaged in the tannery business and there the children of the Dunns and the Grants became well acquainted. The Dunn boys have always considered them- selves favored and fortunate to have enjoyed as their playmate and early friend in life the fellowship of the young American, who was to become later the lieutenant general of all the United States military forces in the war of 1861-1865. In 1858 Jonathan Dunn re- ceived a grant of land of one hundred and sixty acres in the new territory of Kansas as remuneration for services in the Black Hawk war. The family. accordingly at once moved upon this land, it being located in Douglas county, Kansas, twelve miles from what is now the city of Lawrence. Here Jonathan Dunn established what proved to be his permanent western home. He was a stanch whig, while his wife was a strong southern sympathizer. His home became one of the shelters for Union soldiers, pro- tecting them from the hostilities already opening in the border wars of Kansas. The place was known throughout all that por- tion of Kansas as "the farm house" and is so designated in the military histories of the state of Kansas. On the 30th of June, 1825, Jonathan Dunn was united in marriage to Miss Irene Clark, the marriage ceremony be- ing performed by the Rev. Peter Cartwright, who was one of the most famous among

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 125

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