The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 130

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

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Mr. Kelly has been twice married. His first union was with Miss Rosia R. Lee, a native of Kansas, and they became the par- ents of one son, Walter, who was born in 1880 and passed away when he was twenty- nine years of age. Mr. Kelly's second wife was Miss Cornelia J. Burns, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She lived in that city until she was fifteen years of age and then moved to Birmingham, Alabama, coming to Oregon after her marriage, which occurred on November 2, 1907. She is one of a fam- ily of eight children, the others being: Jo- sephine, the wife of J. H. Castle, of New Orleans, by whom she has three children; Robert A. of Birmingham, Alabama; Mamie. and Cora, both of whom have passed away; Jessie, who married M. J. Chambers of At- lanta, Georgia, by whom she has four chil- dren; and Joseph and Henry, both deceased.

Mr. Kelly gave his allegiance for a num- ber of years to the republican party but is now independent in his political views, pre- ferring to keep his judgment unbiased. He votes according to personal convictions for the man, regardless of his party. He is a member of the Masonic order and his wife belongs to the Eastern Star. He has been a well known figure in political and busi- ness circles of Riverton and has served his village in many ways during the twenty-two years of his residence. By his ability and

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straightforward methods and by the intel- ligent management of his hotel interests he has promoted the commercial progress of Riverton and has gained distinct and sub- stantial success, enabling him to rest from his labors in the enjoyment of a comfortable com- petence. In the more public aspects of his life he is distinguished by the same honesty, integrity and practical principles which made his business career so successful and which have won him the respect and esteem of his many friends.

ELIJAH D. MYERS is numbered among the worthy and representative citizens of Coos county. He owns and operates a property consisting of many acres of productive land and has done constructive work in wresting from a wilderness the farm which he culti- vates and which constitutes in its abundant fertility a valuable asset in the resources of this district. Mr. Myers is a native of Carter county, Tennessee, where his birth occurred February 11, 1854. His parents, Chris and Phoebe (Hardin) Myers, were also natives of that state. Mr. Myers' father was twice mar- ried. His first union was with Miss Omie Randles, a native of Virginia, by whom he had four children, two of whom, Allen, of North Carolina, and Mary, of Tennessee, are still living. Mr. Myers' second marriage was with the mother of our subject, and to this union six children were born: Elijah D., the subject of this review; Murray, operating the old home farm in the eastern part of Tennes- see; Joseph who makes his home in Kansas; Chris, who resides in Tennessee; and two chil- dren who died in infancy. Mrs. Myers was at the time of her marriage to the father of our subject, the widow of Benjamin Tread- way, by whom she had three children: Ma- linda and John, both of whom are deceased; and Jane, who is living in the eastern part of Tennessee.

Elijah D. Myers was reared at home and educated in the public schools of Tennessee. From his early boyhood he worked upon his father's plantation and gained a detailed knowledge of the general principles of agri- culture. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-two years of age when he married and rented a small farm in his native state which he operated with much success for one year. At the end of that time he rented from his father the home plantation and in three years brought it to a highly de- veloped and productive state. At the ex- piration of that time he came direct to Coos county where he worked as a wood cutter in the employ of others for a short time. He later engaged in various duties in a logging camp in Coos county and subse- quently purchased a half interest in the busi- ness. Through unfavorable conditions and by reason of peculiar financial circumstances his business venture was unsuccessful and Mr. Myers lost his entire fortune in its failure. He had borrowed money with which to buy his partnership and was left penniless and heavily in debt. His partner was dis- honest and fled from the country. leaving Mr. Myers to settle as best as he could the obliga-

tions incurred. The high-minded qualities of his character showed themselves at this juncture. With no money and encum- bered by a debt of one thousand dollars he quietly occupied himself with any line of activity in which he could secure employment. He worked night and day and spent practical- ly nothing beyond the most necessary ex- penses. By dint of unremitting industry and unwavering energy he gradually paid off his debt and was once more able to face the world unhampered. He took up a claim in Coos county covered with red cedar and started a small business in hardwood posts. He later went into the logging camps and was active in this line in the employ of others for four years. At the end of that time he rented a tract of land in Coos county and be- gan farming. He remained upon his orig- inal purchase for eight years but in the meantime acquired one hundred and thirty- seven acres of fertile land in this section. He rented this out for some time but was event- ually able to move upon his holdings, tak- ing entire charge of the improvement and de- velopment from that time. There is hardly a line of agriculture in which Mr. Myers has not been successful. He set out six acres of his property in fruit trees and within one year was able to plant three additional acres in orchard. He gave special attention and supervision to this branch, selecting trees suitable to soil and climate. By practical methods he made his orchard productive and remained upon this property until March 1, 1912. In that year he moved to his present farm, although he retains ownership of his one hundred and thirty-seven acres. He has given his entire attention to making his prop- erties highly productive. He has cleared the' timber, took up and burnt the stumps and is the owner of a model farm. He has always been energetic, intelligent and constructively active and is known through the section in which he lives as representative of all that is progressive and modern in the cultivation and tilling of the soil. He is interested in' every new development of farm machinery and has installed efficient equipment upon his holdings. He has five acres of bottom land adjoining his original purchase in Coos county and his activities well centralized and con- trolled have brought him a gratifying measure of well deserved prosperity.

On January 31, 1876, Mr. Myers was united in marriage to Miss Mary L. Grindstaff, a native of Carter county, Tennessee. She is a daughter of George W. and Hannah L. (Nave) Grindstaff, whose other children were: Liz- zie, who is deceased; Lovisa, who resides in Tennessee; Hannah, deceased; Celia. now Mrs. John Manning of Tennessee; Anne. who is deceased; and Alex and Sherman. both of whom reside in Tennessee. Mrs. Myers' father was twice married. His second wife was Miss Sallie McCarthern and to this union two sons were born, Nick and Isaac. both of whom reside in their native state of Tennes- sce. Mr. and Mrs. Myers became the parents of eight children: William H., born October 19. 1877. who is married and the father of three children. Hazel. Theodore, and Gladys;

MR. AND MRS. E. D. MYERS

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Phoebe Elizabeth, the wife of Fred Mast a rancher in Coos county, by whom she has two children, Harry and Alice; Alice and Clar- ence, both of whom are deceased; Joseph B., who makes his home with his father in Coos county ; Minnie, now Mrs. V. P. Sanford; and Grover C. and Walter, both of whom are liv- ing at home. All of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Myers were educated in the public schools and all attended the academies in Coquille and Gravel Ford. Their two daugh- ters for some time were teachers in the public schools and their son William supplemented his primary education by a thorough com- mercial course.

In his political views Mr. Myers is inde- pendent of party lines, preferring to keep his judgment unbiased. He has never been an office seeker and refused to accept the nomi- nation for sheriff of Coos county when it was offered him. He devotes his entire attention to agricultural pursuits and has gained a remarkable degree of success in this line. He keeps in touch with the trend of modern de- velopment and his record of intense and well directed activity, resulting as it has in grati- fying prosperity, is a proof of what may be accomplished by determination and enterprise combined with energy, talent and unwavering diligence.

JACOB A. SAWYERS. Energy and a broad intelligence coupled with the upright qualities of an honorable character, have been the influencing factors in the career of Jacob A. Sawyers and have brought him to his present success. He has been prosperous as a farmer in Douglas county, Oregon, and a boatman on the Umpqua river, as a hotel proprietor in Allegheny and is now plying with his boat on the river near Scottsburg and Gardiner and meeting with his accus- tomed success. Mr. Sawyers was born in Steubenville, Jefferson county, Ohio, on July 22, 1847, and is a son of John and Eliza (Anderson) Sawyers, the former a native of Tyrone, Ireland, and the latter of Phila- delphia. The grandfather was a fifer boy in the English army and came to America with his regiment in order to take part in the War of 1812. He was present at the battle of New Orleans and was taken pris- oner. After being held for a short time he was exchanged and returned to Ireland, where he remained until 1818, or 1819, when he again crossed the Atlantic. locating in St. Johns, New Brunswick, where his first marriage occurred and where in 1822 his son Andrew was born. Andrew Sawyers was one of the band of gold seekers who opened up the California fields in 1849 and. in 1850, came north to Oregon. locating in the Ump- qua valley nine miles east of Scottsburg. He was the first white man to settle in this dis- trict and his daughter Anna. who later mar- ried Joseph Reed. was the first white child born on the Umpqua river. Jolin Sawyers. the father of our subject. removed with his children to Philadelphia upon the death of his wife. who passed away in St. Johns in 1824. In that city he married Miss Eliza Anderson. the mother of our subject. Jolin

Sawyers was a weaver by trade and for years worked in the cotton and woolen mills of Philadelphia. In 1844 he removed to Steubenville, Ohio, and followed the same line of occupation for ten years. During the period of his residence in that city he enlisted in the American army and served during the entire course of the Mexican war. In 1854 he crossed the plains with ox teams, locating with his fam- ily thirteen miles up the Umpqua river from Scottsburg, where he took up a donation claim which is now owned by his son, Jacob A. Sawyers. Here he resided until 1872 and brought his land from a wild and unimproved condition to a state of development. He later moved into the city of Scottsburg, where his death occurred in April, 1879, when lie was eighty-one years of age. His wife sur- vived him until 1894, and died when she was ninety-one years old. Both were members of the Presbyterian church and were well known in religious circles.

Jacob A. Sawyers was reared at home and his residence in Oregon dates from his sev- entlı year. He was educated in the schools of Douglas county and his advantages along this line were limited by the pioneer con- ditions of the country. His opportunities were inadequate and the schools were open but three months during the year. He at- tended when he could and managed to acquire a fair degree of education. When he was seventeen years of age he bought, in con- junction with his brother, a farm of three hundred and twenty acres which adjoined their original donation claim. This was fenced, tiled and improved and in the fol- lowing year the father turned over to Jacob Sawyers the entire tract, giving him full ownership. At this time James E. Sawyers, a brother of our subject, was a soldier in the Union army and upon his return from service he and his brother bought another farm of two hundred and seventy acres and operated in partnership the three tracts of land, comprising altogether a valuable prop- erty of nine hundred acres. The two brothers worked conjointly up to 1872, when they di- vided their holdings, Jacob A. acquiring the old donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres and two hundred and seventy acres of the first farm which they purchased. Mr. Sawyers has now sold this latter piece of land and retains only the original tract taken up by his father in 1854. During the years in which he was identified with agri- culture he became well known throughout Douglas county as a successful farmer who operated his land along the most modern and progressive lines. He made constant improve- inents upon his property, built fine barns, fences and outbuildings and brought it to a high state of cultivation. In 1874 he left his farm and removed into Scottsburg. for five or six years following steamboating on the Umpqua river. In January. 1881, he returned to his property in Douglas county, and resumed his agricultural pursuits, follow- ing this line of occupation until 1902. In that year he removed to Allegheny, Coos county, where he bought a gasoline motor boat and

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operated this for freight and passenger pur- poses on the Coos river for four years. While he was thus engaged lie bought a hotel in the city of Allegheny and was prosperous in its operation. In 1906 he removed to Scotts- burg and has since followed steamboating on the Umpqua river between that city and Gardiner. He is acquainted with the va- rious channels and currents of the body of water upon which he travels and is known as one of the most efficient navigators in Douglas county. He has charge of the boats belonging to the Southern Pacific Railroad and makes his headquarters in Scottsburg from which he carries on a constantly in- creasing business in inland river freight navi- gation.

In January, 1880, Mr. Sawyers was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Gardiner, a native of Oregon and a daughter of Isaac M. Gardi- ner, who came to this state from Ohio in 1854 and located in the Siuslaw valley, Lane county. He removed in 1860 to Douglas county, where his death occurred, in Drain, in 1908, when he was eighty-seven years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Sawyers have been born ten children, six of whom are still liv- ing: Eliza, the wife of W. A. Gage, of Coos county; John J., who lives in Scottsburg; Mary E., who married Edwin Grubb, a farmer on the Umpqua river; Alexander, who oper- ates the home farm; Isaac T., a rancher on the Umpqua river in Douglas county; and Violet B., who lives at home.

In his political affiliations Mr. Sawyers is a republican but has never sought office. He affiliates with Gardiner Lodge, No. 132, I. O. O. F., and Mrs. Sawyers belongs to the Re- bekals and to the Degree of Honor. Mr. Sawyers has been prominently identified with the agricultural, commercial and industrial upbuilding of the section in which he lives. His father was an honorable and upright man and the son is carrying on his life along worthy and useful lines which are the quali- ties of his heritage.

CHARLES S. BENEFIEL has since 1897, resided in Paisley, during which period he has been engaged in various mechanical pur- suits. For several years he owned and oper- ated a sawmill and at all times has led a life of industry and unabating activity. He was born in Jackson county, Oregon, near the city of Jacksonville, April 1, 1867, and is a son of Robert W. and Lillias Rockefeller (Raymond) Benefiel. The father was born in Indiana. February 18, 1821, and the mother in that state. September 24, 1834. They were married in Iowa and came to the west in 1857 by way of New York and the isth- mus route, arriving in Portland, Oregon, where they were entertained by the Wal- lings. Subsequently they settled in Jack- son county, where they lived for about ten years and then removed to Santa Barbara county, California. Later they resided, for a time, in Los Angeles county, California. and in 1879 became residents of Lake county, Oregon, locating in the Crooked Creek val- ley. In 1897 they came to Paisley, where the father died the following year. He was

a farmer, also a good mechanic and built many barns in the districts in which he lived. In politics he was a stanch republican but manifested only a citizen's interest in the questions of the day. For fifty years he was an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity. His widow survives him and lives with her eldest daughter in Santa Barbara, California. In her family were seven chil- dren, of whom Charles S. is the youngest, the others. being: Ann Eliza, the wife of E. A. Herrick, of Santa Barbara; James Tol- man, who died, leaving a widow and five children; Robert Lewis, of Crooked creek, Lake county; John Wiley, living in Douglas county; Harriet Isabel, the wife of S. B. Chandler, of Crooked creek; and William Henry, a stockman of Plush, Oregon.

Charles S. Benefiel resided with his parents through the period of his boyhood and youth and when twelve years of age came to Lake county. He was connected with ranching in- terests until twenty years old and then turned his attention to mechanical pursuits .. for which his natural ability well qualified him. He was thus engaged until 1897, when he established a sawmill at Paisley, in con- nection with his brother, J. W. Benefiel. Later, however, the brother sold out, while Charles S. Benefiel continued to operate the mill for six years. In the fall of 1909 he disposed of that property and has since ' worked along mechanical lines, being a very handy man in all kinds of carpenter work, blacksmithing and other mechanical pursuits. He is also connected with the Chewaucan Mercantile Company of Paisley.

In June. 1897, Mr. Benefiel was married to Miss Susie Mulkey, of Lakeview, who was born in Douglas county, May 17, 1872, and was reared in Goose Lake valley, near Lake- view, Oregon. She is a daughter of John and Sarah (Dickinson) Mulkey, the former a native of Missouri and the latter of Iowa. Both crossed the plains about 1853, and are residents of Lakeview. Mr. and Mrs. Bene- fiel have three children, Robert Raymond, Sarah Isabelle and Charles Sylvester. Mr. Benefiel is an independent republican, or pro: gressive, interested in the movement which is seeking to purify politics and to secure legislation that will favor the masses rather than classes. He holds membership with the Woodmen of the World and his religious belief is that of the Church of Christ. He is recognized as an honorable and upright man. well worthy of the high regard in which he is uniformly held.

WILLIAM H. HULL retired in 1910 from active life after a long and honorable career. devoted principally to agricultural pursuits. For twenty years he farmed in Coos county, bringing to the operation of his prosperous enterprise the ability and knowledge of scientific methods, which he had gained as a boy upon his father's farm and as an independent agriculturist in Kan- sas. He has many claims to the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. having done his duty as he saw it in all the relations of his life. He enlisted during the Civil war and saw six months of hard service. He is

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prominent in politics and well known in business circles, having given his attention since his retirement chiefly to the affairs of the Coquille Valley Cooperative Creamery, of which he is one of the founders and president.

Mr. Hull was born in Indiana, near Fort Wayne, in 1840, and is a son of Henry and Jane (Gardner) Hull, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of New York. The family is of Holland origin but has been in this country for many years, the grandparents of our subject having been born in Virginia. Mr. Hull is one of nine children, the others being: Isaac T., of Kansas; James K., deceased; Adam, who has also passed away; Felix E., who is engaged in farming near Riverton; Peter, who resides in Colorado; B. Franklin, who makes his home in Indiana; Elizabeth, the wife of Floyd Syphers of Washington; and Phoebe, who married Nathan Metzger, of Indiana.

William H. Hull was reared upon his fath- er's farm and engaged in general agricult- ural pursuits in the employ of otliers until he was twenty-one years of age. He en- listed in 1862 in the Eighty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under General Buell, and saw active service in the battle of Crab Orchard. His health failed and he was obliged to go to a war hospital for a time, receiving his discharge on account of. disability. He returned to Indiana and worked at various occupations, following general farming for twenty-three years. In 1886 he sold out his interests in his native state and went to Kansas, where he bought a ranch, which he operated and developed for four years, selling it at the end of that time in order to come to Coos county. His residence in this section dates from 1890. He rented a farm and after one year pur- chased a portion of his present home place. The land was wild and unimproved, covered with brush and timber, and Mr. Hull was obliged to do all the work of clearing and developing. He later added sixty acres to his holdings and his property is now con- sidered one of the model farms on the Coquille river. He now owns one hundred and two acres lying along the banks, highly improved and intelligently managed, and has gained a reputation as a successful and systematic agriculturist. For the first six vears he carried on general farming but later 'added dairying to his activities, be- ginning. in a small way but gradually ex- panding until it is now one of the largest enterprises of its kind in the county. Mr. Hull retired from active work in 1910 and gave over the management of his property to his two sons. In 1911 he helped to organize the Coquille Valley Cooperative Creamery and was elected its president at the last annual meeting. He holds a large part of the stock and is active in the man- agement of its affairs, his shrewd business discrimination aiding him in this work.

In 1872 Mr. Hull was united in marriage to Miss Kate Clarke, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Alexander and Rose (Schnei-

der) Clarke, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Clarke liad five children: John O. and Jane, both deceased; Kate, now Mrs. Hull; Franklin, who lives in Indiana; and Elizabeth, who has also passed away. To our subject and his wife have been born four children. Ina is the wife of John Fox, who is the owner of a furniture factory at Coquille. Clark in connection with his brother Thomas operates the home ranch. Thomas is married and has two children, Mabel and Edith. William H., Jr., is engaged in logging in Coquille.

Mr. Hull is well known in political circles of Coos county and, although he does not give his allegiance to any particular party, is an active force in public enterprises. He founded the populist party in Coos county and was at one time chairman of the Cen- tral committee but is not now affiliated with any political organization. He is inter- ested in the progress and, expansion of the section in which he resides and, although lie has never sought office, his public spirit has led him to accept some important local posi- tions. He was school director for eight years and did constructive and competent work as road supervisor for two years. He is prominent in the Masonic order and gives his allegiance to the Methodist Episcopal church, South, of Coquille. He is widely and favorably known in the section where he has resided for over twenty years and is known as an active and industrious man, of good business ability, systematic and effi- cient in the operation of his agricultural en- terprise and upright, conscientious and pub- lic-spirited in official life. His prosperity is of the solid kind which is the out- growth of merit, and his success, which is undoubted and well deserved, has been kept entirely subservient to the methods and standards by which it has been attained.

JOHN G. MONTGOMERY is a retired lumberman, living on a twelve-acre tract of land, adjoining the city of Springfield, in Lane county. He was born in Virginia in 1833, a son of Hamilton and Tacy (Jen- nings) Montgomery, both natives of Vir- ginia. They were married in their native state and there resided during the remain- der of their lives. The father passed away in 1834, when the subject of this review was a child, and the mother's death occurred in 1841. Their family consisted of four chil- dren: William, Mary and Martha, all of whom are deceased; and John G., of this review.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 130

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