The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 131

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

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After his father's death J. G. Montgomery was sent to live with his uncle, who acted as liis guardian. He resided with his uncle until the death of the latter, which occurred when Mr. Montgomery was fourteen years of age. He then started out in life for him- self and subsequently, with money, which his uncle had left him, he bought an inter- est in a combination saw and grist mill at Blue Springs, Tennessee. This mill was con- ducted by Mr. Montgomery and a partner until 1861, a period of twelve years, when it was destroyed by the Union army during

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

the Rebellion. After that catastrophe Mr. Montgomery removed to the vicinity of Pana, Illinois, where he followed farming for one year, but owing to the malarial con- ditions there, he returned to the south again, locating in Georgia, where he raised cotton for a year, after which he went to Texas and spent a year looking for a favorable locality in which to settle. As he found nothing to his liking, he removed to Arkan- sas, settling near Fort Smith upon a farm which he operated for several years. In 1874 he disposed of his farm in Arkansas and with ox teams crossed the plains to Oregon, settling at first near Pendleton, where he lived for five years. He then went to Boise City, Idaho, and worked at various occupations nntil 1883, when he settled in Walla Walla, Washington. After living there for two years he went to Grande Ronde, Oregon, where he engaged in logging, an occupation which he pursued until 1901, when he removed to Lane county and en- gaged in logging on the Mckenzie river, con- tinning until 1912, when he sold his plant and retired. He now lives on a twelve-acre tract adjoining the city of Springfield, Ore- gon.

In 1865 Mr. Montgomery was married to Miss Sallie Carter, who was born in Tennes- see, a daughter of Elum and Sarah Carter, both natives of the south. The father died in Arkansas and the mother passed away in Illinois. In their family were five chil- dren, four of whom are still living. Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery have become the parents of seven children: Minnie, the widow of James Edwards and the mother of one child, Arthur; William, Gettie and Ham, all at home; Leone; Tip; and Ruby, who married Daisy Lane, by whom he has a son, How- ard, born in December, 1907.

In his political views Mr. Montgomery is a democrat although he does not confine him- self exclusively to the support of candi- dates nominated by his party. By his long and active business career he has accu- mnulated a comfortable competence and has added materially to the resources of the com- munities in which he has lived. He is one of the most respected citizens of Springfield and has an extensive acquaintance, being held in high esteem by all who know him.

ELWOOD C. JOHNSON is well known in Washington county and that section of the state, for he is one of the partners in a sawmill conducted at Hillsboro by the firm of Johnson Brothers. He was born in Iowa, May 16, 1877, and is, therefore, yet a young man with opportunity for further advance- ment and success. His parents were, G. E. and Josephine (Bailey) Johnson, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Penn- sylvania. In the year 1886, they left their Iowa home to become residents of Oregon, where the father remained until the time of his death, while the mother still resides in Hillsboro. In their family were eleven chil- dren, nine of whom are yet living.

Elwood C. Johnson was only about nine years of age when the family left Iowa for

the northwest, so that the greater part of his life has been passed in Oregon, where he has been a witness of many events that have proven important factors in molding the history and shaping the destiny of the state. In his youthful days he assisted his father and on attaining majority learned the car- penter's trade, working at bridge building most of the time until he joined his two brothers, T. C., and N. G. Johnson, in or- ganizing the firm of Johnson Brothers for the operation of a sawmill and the manufac- ture of lumber. They own two hundred and seventy acres of land of which one-third is covered with heavy timber. The mill has a capacity of two thousand feet daily and for their products they find a ready sale. Elwood C. Johnson owns and conducts a dairy in connection with his milling busi- ness. He is a man of resolute purpose and carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.

Mr. Johnson was married in 1900 to Miss Mary Harwood, who was born in Kansas. They have four children, Alvin E., Irvin L., Orville C. and Cecil M. Mrs. Johnson was reared in the faith of the Methodist Episco- pal church. Our subject gives his allegiance to the republican party and has filled the office of school director but has never sought nor desired political preferment. He be- longs to the Modern Woodmen camp at Hills- boro and his brethren in that fraternity hold him in high regard, while the great majority of those with whom he has come into contact in business life and elsewhere entertain for him warm friendship.

ROBERT WEST. The history of Colum- bia county would scarcely be complete with- out mention of Robert West, who was the first white child born in Westport, his natal year being 1858. His parents were Captain John and Margaret (West) West, natives of Lin- lithgowshire, Scotland, and on coming to the new world first settled at Quebec, Can- ada, where they resided until 1849. In that year the father made his way to the United States, becoming a resident of Westport, Oregon, where in 1857 he was joined by his family, for in the meantime he had become convinced that he desired to make this sec- tion of the country his permanent place of residence. He was a millwright by trade and worked for W. Abernethy, the first gov- ernor of Oregon, who owned a mill at Oak Point, Washington, where Captain West was employed for several years. He after- ward proved up a donation claim where Westport now stands and subsequently es- tablished the first sawmill that was operated at Westport. He was also otherwise con- nected with the business development of the place, starting a canning factory which he carried on up to the time of his death in 1887. He was for seven years survived by his wife, who passed away in 1894. In their family were eight children, of whom two died in Canada, while five came to Ore- gon with the mother and one was born in this state. The only survivor of the family is Mrs. Eliza Skirvin, of Portland. Those

ROBERT WEST

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

who have passed away are: two who were named John; Ellen, the wife of Charles Mc- Guire, of Westport, also deceased; Robert; Jane, who was also the wife of Charles Mc- Guire; David, and Ann, the wife of Robert Scott, of Woodburn, Oregon.

In 1891 Robert West was united in mar- riage to Miss Margaret M. Donahue, who was born at Lenox, Nova Scotia, April 6, 1868, a daughter of George and Rose (Mad- dox) Donahue, who were likewise natives of the same county where they were mar- ried and spent their entire lives. The mother died in 1905 and the father passed away two years later. In their family were eleven children: Mrs. West; Mathew, who is resid- ing at Gloucester, Massachusetts; Kate, the wife of Frank Deering, of Los Angeles, Cali- fornia; Mary, the wife of Scott Madison, of Dorchester, Massachusetts; Nellie, the de- ceased wife of Fred Dose, of Woodburn, Ore- gon; John, living in Lenox, Nova Scotia; Ar- thur and James, who are residents of Lynn, Massachusetts; Lawrence, a sailor residing in Dorchester, Massachusetts; Ernest, who died at the age of eleven years; and one who passed away when four years' of age.

Unto the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. West there were born three children: Ralph Lowell, twenty years of age, living with his mother in Westport; and Margaret and Maud, twins, seventeen years of age. The family circle was broken by the hand of death when on the 13th of December, 1899, Robert West was called to his final rest. His widow after- ward married Robert U. Howard.

S. E. McBEE is an agriculturist living on a thriving eighty-acre farm one mile east of Springfield. He was born in Benton county, Oregon, December 13, 1856, a son of John W. and Almira (Mathena) McBee, natives of Ohio and Indiana respectively. The father came with his parents to Oregon in 1852 and the mother, in company with relatives, came to this state in the same year, her parents having died in the east. After the father's marriage he settled in Benton county, Oregon. on a homestead of two hundred acres which remained his home until in 1874, when he sold out and settled in Lane county. where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres one mile east of Springfield. Upon that farm he lived until his death, which occurred on the 23d of January, 1888. The mother had passed away in 1868 and after her death the father had again married. his second union being with Miss Josephine Grubbs, a native of Pennsylvania. By the first marriage there were five children. of whom S. E. McBee. of this review, is the eldest. the others being: WV. A .. of Pleasant Hill. Oregon: Mrs. W. C. Campbell. of Spokane. Washington: Martha Grubbs. deceased: and Mrs. Ida Collins, of Springfield. Unto the second marriage were also born five children. as follows: Jesse. of Seattle. Washington: Bert. a resident of Lorane, Oregon; Elmer. of Springfield: John. of Benton county: and Lillie. the wife of Frank Bartholomew, of Springfield.

S. E. McBee remained at home until he attained the age of twenty-four years, re- ceiving a good common-school education and assisting in the farm work. At that age lie was married and began farming on one hundred and sixty acres of land in Lane county which belonged to him. This land, which was situated on the Mckenzie river, he cultivated for twelve years, after which he sold out and removed to the old family homestead, one mile east of Springfield, where he lived for five years. In 1902 he purchased twenty-five acres and in 1904 made his home upon that land which lie has by purchase added to, until he now has eighty acres, of which fifty acres are in a high state of cultivation, the remainder be- ing in timber.

Mr. McBee was married on the 3d of Au- gust, 1881, to Miss Catherine Wilcox, also a native of Oregon, born in Lane county, December 4, 1863, a daughter of Philo and Rosanna (Brown) Wilcox. Her father was born in Vermont, November 1, 1834, while the mother's birthplace was Missouri. The father came to Oregon in 1857 by the way of the Isthmus of Panama. In 1865 he set- tled on Camp creek, in Lane county, where he purchased two hundred and eighty acres of land, upon which he resided for six years. He then sold the land and purchased ninety- three acres within two miles of Springfield. He lived upon this farm for many years, bringing it under a good state of cultivation, erecting suitable improvements and making of it a very desirable farm property. In 1892 he sold the farm and retired from ac- tive life, and now at the age of seventy-eight years makes his home with his son-in-law, S. E. McBee. Mrs. Wilcox crossed the plains when six years of age with her parents, with whom she lived until her marriage. She passed away in June, 1891. In the Wilcox family were three children, of whom Mrs. McBee is the eldest, the others being: John F., of Salem; and Mary Ellen, the wife of T. M. Johnson, of Echo, Oregon. To Mr. and Mrs. McBee have been born ten children, all of whom are living: Charles O., who was born in September, 1882. and married Anna Saul; Lena M., born Janu- ary 23, 1884, at home; Bertha E., born July 2, 1885, the wife of George W. Stew- art, residing near Springfield, by whom she has two children, Harold and Lucille; Ina L .. who was born February 11. 1887. the wife of Fred Cline, of Springfield, and the mother of two children, Bernice and Ralph; Melvin. who was born November 23. 1889, and who married Beulah Koch and resides near Springfield; Lewis B .. born February 5, 1893, who has a business-college educa- tion and resides at home; Edward W., born January 17, 1895; Wayne W., born July 1. 1897; Loris G., born January 22, 1901; and Alice R., born October 14, 1902.

Mr. McBee is prominent and popular in fraternal circles, being a member of the Odd Fellows lodge, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Patrons of Husbandry. hav- ing filled all of the chairs in those orders. He and his family are affiliated with the

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which they are deeply interested, and the family is a highly respected one and widely known in the community. Mr. McBee is a progressive, up-to-date farmer and, al- though he gives strict attention to business, finds time for fraternal and social life and is highly esteemed by all who know him.

BENJAMIN HARRISON IRVINE. For over fifty years Benjamin Harrison Irvine has been identified with the agricultural development of Linn county and the section owes much of its present prosperity and wealtlı to his progressive and enterpris- ing career. He was a pioneer in Oregon and for many years one of the most prominent farmers in this part of the state and has justly earned the retirement he is enjoying by useful labor in the past. He was born in Kentucky, January 11, 1829, and is a son of Jesse and Margaret (Hadley) Irvine, na- tives of that state, who moved to Missouri when their son was only six years of age. Six years later the father died and the mother remained in that state until 1852 when with her family she crossed the plains to Oregon with ox teams and landed at Salem, where her death occurred on the day of her arrival. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Irvine had ten children, all of whom have passed away with the exception of the subject of this review and Jesse B. Irvine, of Cor- vallis.

B. H. Irvine was twenty-three years of age when he arrived in Linn county and his life since that time has been spent in this section. Immediately after his arrival he took up a donation claim of one hundred and sixty acres near Scio and began its improve- ment and development. This meant hard manual labor under primitive conditions, constant watchfulness and an energy which was proof against defeat. All these quali- fications Mr. Irvine possessed and they made him finally a prominent and successful man. Acre by acre his land was brought under the plow, the fields planted and the work begun. Year by year the harvests grew more abundant, barns and outbuildings were erected and general improvements made, Mr. Irvine keeping constantly in touch with new developments in equipment and methods. At intervals he added to his holdings until his farm finally comprised five hundred and sixty acres of land, highly im- proved and developed, one of the most valuable farms in Linn county. Upon this he resided until 1903 when he purchased a fine home and six acres of land in Lebanon and retired from active life. He has passed his eighty-third year and is enjoying a well earned rest, spending the evening of his days in peace and comfort.

In 1857 Mr. Irvine was united in marriage to Miss Sarah R. Johnson, who was born in Iowa, January 29, 1842, a daughter of James H. and Esther A. (Adams) Johnson, natives of Illinois and Ohio, respectively. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Johnson moved to Iowa and settled there in pioneer times, re- maining until 1853 when they crossed the

plains to Oregon with ox teams and settled in Linn county. Here the father purchased land four miles cast of Lebanon upon which he resided for forty years, dying upon his property in November, 1911, at the advanced age of ninety. His death was regretted by all who knew him, for it deprived Linn coun- ty of one of its pioneers and one of its most prominent, representative and success- ful agriculturists. His wife died in 1900. In their family were four children: Saralı R., the wife of our subject; Mrs., Nancy E. Zell, of Prineville; Mrs. Mary K. Hickman, of Monmouth; and Mrs. Martha J. Holt, who resides in Harrisburg. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine became the parents of eight children: James H., who died at the age of two years; Esther Ann, born November 12, 1860, who is the wife of W. R. Ray, of Linn county; T. J., who was born May 17, 1864, and resides in eastern Oregon; Mary J., born January 22, 1866, who is the wife of F. T. Thayer, of Linn county; C. R., whose birth occurred January 19, 1868, and who resides in Hub- bard; Emeline, whose natal day was August 1, 1870, and who is the wife of C. W. Beard, of Yamhill county; Martha L., born October 20, 1876, who resides at home; and Bertha A., whose birth occurred August 27, 1881, and also resides at home. The family are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Irvine is a stanch prohibitionist and intelli- gently interested in the growing strength of that party. He is a member of the Grange and active in the affairs of the Good Temp- lars. His life has been so usefully spent and so valuable in its activity that he has won and retained the respect and confidence of many friends. In spirit and interests he seems yet in his prime and is widely and favorably known in Lebanon, being classed with the representative citizens of Linn county.

STEPHEN P. BACH is prominent in business and political circles of Lebanon, having for twenty-two years operated a general merchandise store, and being ex- tensively interested in various representa- tive local enterprises. He was born in Ger- many, June 27, 1860, a son of Joseph and Rosalia Bach, both of whom died in the fatherland. They were the parents of six children: Kate, a resident of Ohio; Peter whose home is in Salem, Oregon; Stephen P., of this review; and Lawrence, Rosalia and Louisa, all of whom reside in Germany.

Stephen P. Bach came to America in 1879 and having settled in Marion county com- pleted, in the Salem Business College, an education which had been begun in Germany. When he had passed the prescribed course in that institution he worked upon a farm for two years and then clerked in a general merchandise store in Salem, gaining in this way practical experience in American busi- ness methods. In 1890 he came to Lebanon and here established himself as an independ- ent merchant. The business which he founded at that time, he is conducting today in the same location in which it was originally established. He recently took in partner-

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

ship George Buhl, with whom he works on the cooperative plan. The success he en- joys is largely the result of the energy and determination with which Mr. Bach applies himself to his work. His business has in- creased year by year, and his is one of the important retail houses in the city. Stephen P. Bach's interests, however, are not con- fined to the management of his store alone. He has invested extensively in Lebanon real estate and owns much valuable property in the city. including his own fine residence. He is the president of the First National Bank and one of its heaviest stockholders.

On January 14, 1891, Mr. Bach was united in marriage to Miss Therese Sheridan, who was born in Wisconsin, and came to Ore- gon with her parents in 1875. They are . still living on a farm, five miles west of Lebanon, the father being eighty-one years of age and the mother sixty-five. To Mr. and Mrs. Bach has been born, a daughter, Bessie L., whose natal day was November 28, 1891. She enjoys the advantages of a fine musical education and is attending col- lege at Eugene, teaching at the same time. The family are members of the Roman Catho- lic church.

Stephen P. Bach gives his allegiance to the democratic party and, for one term,' served as mayor of Lebanon, accomplishing dur- ing his administration much valuable and lasting work. For three terms he was a member of the city council and he is active at the present time on the local board of education. It is hard to estimate the im- portance of his accomplishments since all of his interests, being representative and ef- fective, have influenced the growth of the city by promoting it actively along social, business and political lines.

GEORGE THOMPSON was the owner of a valuable ranch of three hundred and sixty- one acres, located four and a half miles west of Cottage Grove. It was the visible evidence of his life of thrift and enterprise, charac- teristic of the Swedish people. His birth occurred in Sweden, on the 7th of February, 1839, and in that country he was reared to the age of fourteen years. He was a son of Thomas Rosenleaf, who was a merchant sailor for over ten years and sailed to al- most every known port in the world until his ship was taken away from him by sea pirates. He managed to make his escape in a boat and was picked up by another vessel. He was the owner of a store at East Hammer, Stockholm, which was managed by his wife, Sophia Maria Didrickson, when he was at sea. After the loss of his ship he remained at East Hammer. In the family were eleven children, five daughters and six sons. The youngest son, Albert, having emigrated to America, was one of the first men to enlist in the Union army from Knox county, Illinois, joining the Forty-fifth Illi- nois Regiment, and while at the front he was wounded. The father, Thomas Rosen- leaf, died about 1857 and his wife passed away about the same time. Two of the brothers and two of the sisters of George

Rosenleaf, who changed his name to Thomp- son on taking out naturalization papers in the United States, came to America. They settled in New York city and San Francisco and those who, are living still reside in those cities. The father also came to the new world during the early days of the republic and participated in the War of 1812 but afterward returned to his native land. One of his sons went to the front during the Mexican war, was wounded and died from the effects of his injury.

At the age of fourteen years George Thomp- son left home and went to sea and for nine- teen years thereafter lived the life of a sailor, visiting many ports and climes. For many years New York city was his head- quarters, but from there he crossed the con- tinent to San Francisco in 1872. For a year thereafter he was employed as a line man by the Union Pacific Railroad Company, but at the expiration of that time he invested his capital in three or four hundred acres of land in the eastern part of this state and went to raising sheep. He made a success of this venture and for many years his herd numbered on an average, five thousand sheep. In 1893 he disposed of part of his ranch and coming to Lane county purchased the ranch, where his widow now resides, west of Cottage Grove. He continued to reside there until his death, which occurred on the 26th of March, 1910. Mr. Thompson was a diligent man of foresight and sagacity and during the long years of his connection with the stock-raising interests of this state ac- quired a comfortable fortune.

In 1898, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to Miss Ella White, who was the · eldest daughter and second child born to Charles and Elizabeth Jane (Richards) White, her natal day being the 26th of June, 1859. The parents were both of Cornish descent, Charles White being one in a family of eleven children born to his father and mother, whose family name was Morgan. The mother of Mrs. Thompson was a daugh- ter of Richard and Elizabeth (Gendle) Richards, who were the parents of nine children, three of whom are still living. Mr. and Mrs. White's family numbered nine those beside Mrs. Thompson being: Wil- liam Charles, who was born on December 12, 1857, a resident of Rockville, Wisconsin; Richard, whose birth occurred on the 3d of March, 1861, living in Cottage Grove; John, born on September 25, 1862, a resident of Platteville, Wisconsin; Levina, who was born September 19, 1864, the wife of Albert Elledge, of Cottage Grove; James Henry, born March 31, 1866, living in Chico, California; Albert, who was born January 28, 1868, and died in June 1903; Arthur, who was born January 17, 1870, now living in Rock- ville, Wisconsin; and Emma E., who was born November 17, 1872, the wife of Henry Wickendoll, of Hutchinson, Kansas. Before her marriage Mrs. Thompson was a suc- cessful music teacher. She continues to make her home on the ranch, where she and her husband passed the entire period of their domestic life. During the period of

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

their ownership they wrought many changes in the place and it is now one of the at- tractive and well improved as well as valu- able properties of the community.

Mr. Thompson became a citizen of the United States on the 29th of July 1859, and ever after was absolutely loyal to the oath of his allegiance. He served his adopted country at the time of her great need during those dark days in the '60s as a member of the navy, being assigned duty on the battle- ship Merrimac. He was slightly wounded once but suffered. no permanent injuries. He joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1856, being a member of Balti- more Lodge, No. 1, I. O. O. F., one of the first lodges organized by this fraternity in the United States. After coming to Lane county Mr. Thompson practically lived re- tired, although he took an active interest in all movements inaugurated for the de- velopment of the community and was known as one of the foremost citizens of Cottage Grove, where he had many stanch friends.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 131

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