The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 134

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

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Upon his return to Oregon Mr. Stump was married, on the 10th of March, 1850, to Catherine Elizabeth Chamberlin, a daughter of Aaron and Catherine (Viles) Chamberlin. Mr. and Mrs. Stump began domestie life in a log cabin, six miles south of Monmouth, on a donation elaim, and in connection with stock-raising Mr. Stump engaged in survey- ing. His interests were carefully managed, his industry was unflagging and his energy brought to him a substantial measure of suc- eess that enabled him in 1878 to leave the farm and take up his abode in Monmouth, possessed of sufficient capital to supply his future needs. His remaining days there- fore, were spent in honorable retirement.

Mr. and Mrs. Stump became the parents of two sons and two daughters: J. S., who lives in Nome, Alaska; Mary, the widow of T. F. Campbell; Cassie B. and John B. The last mentioned three are residents of Mon- mouth. The family eirele was broken by the hand of death when the husband and father passed away February 21, 1886. He had been active in public affairs and was a recognized leader in the ranks of the repub- liean party. He was elected on its tieket to

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

the office of county surveyor and in 1874 was chosen to represent his district in the state legislature. He was also greatly interested in the cause of education and for a num- ber of years served as a trustee of Chris- tian College. He belonged to the Christian church and was one of its deacons at the time of his demise. In thought, purpose and action he sought the higher things in life and cooperated heartily in movements for the material, intellectual, political, social and moral progress of his community. He was numbered with those pioneers who paved the way for the present development and civilization of the northwest, to whom all honor and gratitude are due.

J. C. AVERY. No history of Corvallis would be complete without extended and prominent reference to J. C. Avery, the founder and promoter of the town. He was closely associated with the progress and up- building of the state in many ways and was one of the honored pioneers to whom Ore- gon owes a debt of gratitude for what they accomplished here. He was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, June 9, 1817, a son of Cyrus Avery, who was a native of Connecticut, whence he went to the Wyoming valley of Pennsylvania, there fol- lowing farming. He died at Tunkhannock, that state.

His son, J. C. Avery, was a pupil in the schools of Wilkes-Barre and when a young man went to Stark county, Illinois, where he engaged in surveying and in the real- estate and loan business. He was married near Wyoming, Pennsylvania, March 13, 1841, to Miss Martha Marsh, whose birth oc- curred at Kingston, Luzerne county, January 14, 1824. She was a daughter of Daniel C. Marsh, a native of Connecticut, who removed to Kingston, where he engaged in teaching. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Esther Pettebone, was also born in the Char- ter Oak state and soon after their marriage they removed to New York and later to the Wyoming valley of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Marslı was a daughter of Oliver Pettebone, a pioneer of the Keystone state, living there through the period of Indian troubles, liis brother having been killed in the Wyoming massacre.

In 1834 J. C. Avery became a resident of Illinois, casting in his lot with the pioneers of that state. He there carried on farming until 1845, when he started across the plains to Oregon, making the long and arduous journey to the Pacific coast for the purpose of finding a location for his family. He en- tered a claim of six hundred and forty acres at the junction of the Willamette and Mary rivers and took up his abode thereon in 1846, building a log cabin. The following year he was joined by his wife and children, who had traveled westward with the company commanded by Captain Sawyer, who was one of the party that had come with Mr. Avery to Oregon in 1845. Captain Sawyer then returned to Illinois for his family and Mr. Avery arranged that his wife and children should return with the captain's party, for

it would have taken him eighteen months to go to Illinois and back, and he feared lest lis claim might be forfeited in that time. Mrs. Avery's outfit consisted of a five yoke ox team and a wagon filled with provisions. She also brought along two milch cows and after traveling for six months reached her destination. She was met in eastern Ore- gon by her husband, who then guided the party over the Barlow road, across the Cas- cades, and settled his family upon his claim at Corvallis. They had started on the 2d of April from Stark county, Illinois, and had crossed the Mississippi at Burlington, Iowa, the Missouri at St. Joseph and thence pro- ceeded up the Platte river to the Oregon trail. After crossing the Missouri the train numbered eighty wagons, but from Indepen- dence Rock only six wagons came on to Benton county, arriving October 2, 1847.

When gold was found in California Mr. Avery journeyed southward and engaged in mining in that state. He spent the succeed- ing winter at home but in the spring of 1849 again went to California, where he remained through the summer, making a few thou- sand dollars. Upon the return trip he brought with him a stock of general merchandise which he had purchased at San Francisco and shipped to Portland, thence up the Wil- lamette to the present site of Corvallis, open- ing the first store in the town. It was not until the following year, however, that the town was laid out. He called it Marysville, but some confusion arose over the fact of there being another town of the same name in California, so that during his service in the legislature he succeeded in having the name changed from Marysville to Corvallis, meaning the core or center of the valley. It was also due to Mr. Avery that the post- office was established here and he served as its first postmaster. He was also the general postal agent for Oregon and Washington. He continued to engage in merchandising at Corvallis until within four or five years of his death. He rented part of his ranch and also laid out additions to the town which have become principal parts of the city. He built several stores and in many ways con- tributed to the growth, upbuilding and prog- ress of the city which he had founded and which today stands as a monument to his enterprise and progressive spirit. He was greatly interested in the building of the Cor- vallis & Eastern Railroad but died before its completion. He was chosen a member of the committee of three, his associates being J. F. Miller and B. F. Doughet, to make the selection of a site for the Oregon Agricultural College. They were attracted by the broad meadows of Lake county -- the best lands in the state open for selection at that time -- and Mr. Avery took an active and helpful interest in the upbuilding of the college, his labors being very beneficial. His political allegiance was always given to the demo- cratic party and he was twice elected to represent his district in the state legisla- ture. His fraternal relations were with the Masonic order.

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

To Mr. and Mrs. Avery were born eight children of whom six are living, while Charles and James C. died in Corvallis. The others are Punderson, Napoleon, George, Mrs. Florence James, Mrs. Frances Hehn and Mrs. Gertrude Irvine. He died June, 1876, at the age of fifty-nine years and Mrs. Avery passed away in January, 1911. Mr. Avery is num- bered among the real promoters of Oregon's growth and greatness and his name should be inscribed high on the roll of its honored citizens.

MRS. MARY STEWART. In a history of Benton county, Oregon, there can be no more interesting record than that of Mrs. Mary Stewart, one of the most picturesque and remarkable characters in this section of the state. The second white woman to en- ter Benton county, she has witnessed its growth and development from the very first, and her memory is a connecting link which joins the primitive past, fraught with dif- ficulties, hardships and privations but hold- ing out vast possibilities for future great- ness, to the progressive present which is witnessing the fulfillment of many of those rich promises. She has passed the ninety- first milestone on life's journey, for her birth occurred on the 2d of June, 1821, on the Ohio river in Switzerland county, In- diana. She is a daughter of William and Rachael (Mounts) Scott, the former a na- tive of Virginia, of Scotch descent, and the latter a representative of an old New Jer- sey family, in which state her birth oc- curred. The maternal grandfather, Thomas Mounts, served for seven years as a spy in the American army during the Revolution- ary war, and later in the same capacity among the Indians. He would never put boots on his feet but always wore moccasins, and lived to the very remarkable age of one hundred years. The paternal grand- mother of Mrs. Stewart was Mary Prior, in whose life history occurred chapters as ex- citing and thrilling as any to be found in strange tales of fiction. Her girlhood was mostly passed in her parents' home on the Kentucky frontier, during a period when the Indians were particularly troublesome and vicious. She was a maiden of fourteen years when she, with her mother and a babe of six months, were stolen by the Indians, who massacred her father, the rest of the family and a number of negro slaves. Later the babe was killed and the mother, because she refused to dance around the body of her infant, was bound to a tree and burned by the infuriated savages. The Indians then crossed the Ohio river with their girl prisoner and for ten days traveled through the timber to their village. When the young braves started upon another raid the maiden was left in charge of the squaws and older Indians. but escaped and, travel- ing in the night, hid by day in hollow logs, subsisting on roots found in the forest. On the ninth day after her escape the Indians, close in pursuit. passed directly over the hollow log in which she lay, and while there hiding she was bitten by a snake. How-

ever, she had learned what roots to'use in such emergency, and after applying them was forced to lie still for three days. Once more resuming her journey she came to the Ohio river, across which she was forced to swim. In the meantime the Indians were trying to find her and the United States soldiers from a Kentucky fort had been detailed to search for her, but, evading the former and missing the latter, she made her way alone to the fort, where she was adopted by one of the officers, retaining, however, her own name.

Her son, William Scott, the father of Mrs. Stewart, entered land in Switzerland county, Indiana, in the cultivation of whichi lie was engaged for many years, and there both he and his wife passed away. In their family were nine children, of whom our sub- ject was the fifth in order of birth. She liad two brothers and two sisters older than herself and four brothers younger, but she is the only one of the family now living. She remained with her parents in the Indi- ana home until the time of her marriage, in 1840, when she became the wife of John Stewart, the marriage, however, occurring in Missouri. Mr. Stewart was born in Vir- ginia, February 12, 1809, on the same day, in the same month and year as was Abra- ham Lincoln, of whom he was a close friend and warm admirer, and with whom he served in the Black Hawk war. After his marriage in 1840 Mr. Stewart went to Holt county, Missouri, and there made his home until 1845, in which year he crossed the plains with ox team to Oregon, arriving in the Willamette valley on the 1st of Novem- ber, 1845. He spent the winter of that year on the Tualitin plains, about twenty iniles west of the present site of Portland. and in March, 1846, went to the Rickreall river, in what is now Polk county, where he remained for a few months, during which time his daughter Cerenda was born. In that period lie plowed ten acres of land which he sowed to wheat, and on the first of August, 1846, he took up his abode on a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres, which he had located in December of the previous year. This property now joins the corporation limits of Corvallis on the north, and remained his place of residence until the time of his death. He built there- upon a fine home at the cost of four thou- sand dollars, but this was destroyed by fire two years previous to his demise, and after that he erected the house in which his widow now resides, at No. 209 Nortlı Second street, located on the main street of the town and now in the midst of the business district. He passed away February 28, 1885. after a life devoted to agricultural pur- suits. In addition to general farming he also engaged extensively in stock-raising and made a specialty of draft horses, rais- ing some of the finest animals in his sec- tion of the state. Successful in his chosen life work, he was the owner of three sec- tions of valuable land at the time of his deatlı, and was accounted one of the wealthy and substantial men of Benton county. Al-

MRS. MARY STEWART

JOHN STEWART

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

though his private affairs were extensive and demanded a large share of his time and at- tention, he never permitted them to pre- clude his interest and participation in other matters, which were of vital interest to the community in which he made his home. While living in Missouri he was elected to the office of judge, which he most capably filled throughout his residence in that state, but after his removal to Oregon he refused all political offices. Although a democrat, he was a great admirer of Abraham Lin- coln and supported him at the polls. He was a faithful and consistent member of the Metliodist Episcopal church, the first meet- ing of that denomination having been held in his home, and for several years there- after that congregation continued to gather at his house as a place of worship. He was a champion of material, political and moral progress, recognizing that each has its place in the scheme of the world, and his labors were an element of growth along all those lines during the period of his res- idence in Benton county.

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart became the parents of two children, John W. and Cerenda, but botlı are now deceased. The elder, who was born in Missouri in 1841, died in February, 1909. He had married Mahaley Stewart, who now resides in Corvallis, and they had one child, Lenora, who became the wife of Charles Small, of Corvallis, by whom she has two children, Fred and Helen. The daughter, Cerenda, was born in Oregon on the 18th of May, 1846, and passed away in Corvallis March 6, 1911. She married Minor Swick, and at her death left one son, John Minor Swick, wlio now resides with Mrs. Stewart.

Since the death of her husband Mrs. Stewart has capably directed the business affairs entrusted to her, manifesting great ability and wisdom in that direction. Slie gave one hundred acres of land to each of her children, holding the balance, and today the old donation claim located by her hus- band. remains intact, no portion of it hav- ing been sold. She has disposed of the other two sections left to her, however. She lias ever been an active worker in the Meth- odist church, doing all in her power to further its work, and until about three years ago served as steward. She holds member- ship in the ladies' auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic and has ever been a leader in the social circles in which she has moved. Two decades have come and gone since she passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, and today, in the ninety-second year of her age, she is remarkably well preserved, time in its flight having touched her but lightly. In spite of the snows of many winters that rest upon her head she possesses all of her faculties and retains much of the vigor of youth. She has good eye-sight, is an excellent cor- respondent and conversationalist and has an extraordinarily clear mind and fine memory, especially for dates and people. Conse- quently her mind is a rich storehouse of knowledge concerning the history of Ben-

tou county and that portion of the state from its very first chapters, for she is the oldest resident of the county in age and the oldest in years of residence in Corvallis, and, as far as is now known, in the county. She was the first white woman to settle in Marysville, now Corvallis, and the sec- ond to locate in Benton county, Mrs. Lewis having preceded her to this district about two months. She was personally acquainted with all of Oregon's first officials, includ- ing Governor George Abernethy, Samuel B. Thurston, delegate to congress, W. G. T. Vault, postmaster general, and Joseph L. Meek, marshal, who was an old neighbor, and she knew very well Dr. John McLaugh- lin, who by many was called the "Father of Oregon." Few trees were to be seen in the district when she came to Benton county, only a small number growing along the river, the only vegetation being the tall prairie grass. She has seen all of the houses built in Corvallis, has witnessed the organi- zation of each industry and the inception of every line of activity in the town and sur- rounding territory, and has eagerly watched every step taken in the work of develop- ment and improvement which has raised flourishing and enterprising cities upon the prairie which was wild and uncultivated at the time of her arrival here. Throughout the period of her residence in Oregon the history of the state has been in the making and it is remarkable that within the memory of one person has occurred so much that has had to do with the founding of a great territory that has long since taken its place among the wealthiest and most productive states of the Union. Through all these years her interest has ever been in the growth and advancement of Oregon and to- day her adopted state numbers her among its oldest and most honored pioneer res- idents.

CHARLES C. JOHNSON is one of the larg- est dairy farmers of Coos county. His highly improved ranch of three hundred and twenty-two acres is located one mile from Cooston Landing, Coos county, where he is successfully engaged in mixed and dairy farming. He was born in Finland, in 1862, and is a son of Charles and Johanna (Joseph- son) Johnson, both of whom were natives of Finland. The father emigrated to Oregon at a very early date, settling at Coos bay, where he continued to live for a period of forty years. He then removed to Berkeley, California, where he now maintains his resi- dence. He and his wife became the parents of six children, namely: Charles C., the sub- ject of this review; Sophie, deceased; Adelia, who resides in Finland; John, a resident of Seattle, Washington; and two children, who died in infancy.

Charles C. Johnson was reared at home and received his early education in the schools of his native land. At the age of nineteen years he emigrated to the United States settling in San Francisco, where he was engaged as an employe of Captain A. M. Simpson in the shipyards for a brief period.

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

He later engaged in work in the forests of California and continued in that employ- ment for six months and then removed to Coos bay, settling at North Bend, October 13, 1882, and for sometime, thereafter, was engaged in work in the shipyards. He later purchased eighty acres of land, which he atterward sold and then bought three hun- dred and twenty-two acres near Cooston, where he established his home and has since been successfully engaged in farming, mak- ing a specialty of dairying, for which pur- pose he keeps at present twenty-five graded cows.

Mr. Johnson was united in marriage, De- cember 1, 1889, to Miss Hilda Smith, a daughter of Gustave and Ulrika (Midde- more) Smith, and to them the following chil- dren were born: Ulrika, deceased; Vednela, the wife of Victor Stauff, a farmer of Coos county and the father of five children; John, a resident of Washington and the father of three children; Hilda, the wife of the sub- ject of this review; and Manda and Jonas, both deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson six children have been born. Cal, who was born in 1891, resides at home with his parents. George, born January 2, 1892, is pursuing a course in dairying in the Ore- gon State Agricultural College at Corvallis. Harry, whose birth occurred April 4, 1893, resides at home. August, born August 16, 1894, is still under the parental roof. Lillian, who was born January 1, 1897, resides at home. John, who completes the family, was born February 23, 1901, and is attending school.

Johnson gives his political support to the democratic party. His fraternal re- lations are with the Woodmen of the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he has been a member for the past ten years. He is one of the well known dairy farmers of Coos county and a man respected among his associates and acquaint- ances for his integrity of character and in- dustrious habits.

GEORGE W. SMITH. In his capacity as county commissioner George W. Smith is ex- erting a vital force in the development and upbuilding of the county, fathering many projects which have to do with the sub- stantial improvement of conditions through- out the district. He is one of Ohio's contri- butions to Oregon's citizenship, his birth hav- ing occurred in Montgomery county, that state, August 17, 1851, his parents being Jos- eph and Eliza (Hoops) Smith. The father, who followed agricultural pursuits through- ont his entire life, was born at. Hagerstown, Maryland, and by the death of his parents was left an orphan when only two years of age. He was bound out, his term to continue until he had attained his majority, but at the age of sixteen he ran away and. going to Ohio. located in Montgomery county, where he spent many years and where he was married. His wife. who was born in Ohio. on the same farm, upon which oc- enrred the birth of her son George, was a daughter of Evan and Susan Hoops, who

originally came from Virginia, being num- bered among the first settlers of Ohio. The father passed away upon the farm which he had secured in Montgomery county, that state, upon which his daughter and grand- son had been born, while Mrs. Hoops' death occurred later in Indiana. Some years after their marriage Joseph and Eliza Smith left Ohio to take up their residence in Indiana, and there both died upon the home farm. the father in the '60s and the mother at the age of forty-eight years. In their family were five children, as follows: Christian, whose death occurred when he was ten years of age; Jane, the wife of W. G. Lane, of Corvallis; George W., of this review; John H., a resident of Fresno, California; and Mary, who married Smith Lewis, the super- intendent of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows home at Lexington, Kentucky.

The education of George W. Smith began in the schools of Montgomery county, Ohio, where the period of his boyhood was passed, and was later completed in the schools of Miami county, Indiana, to which section he accompanied his parents when a youth of fifteen years. He remained a resident of that county until 1879, in the meantime car- rying on agricultural pursuits, at first as- sisting his father in the work of the home farm and later on his own account. In that vear he crossed the plains to California and four years later, in 1883, made his way up the coast to Oregon, taking up his abode in Benton county on a farm which then ad- joined the city limits of Corvallis but a por- tion of which has since become a part of the city corporation. On that place he carried on general farming) until about eighteen years ago, and for fifteen years was engaged in the stock business, conducting a meat market, his business venture proving most successful and returning to him a gratifying income. At the time he disposed of his farm it was an exceptionally well improved prop- erty and ranked among the valuable ones of that section of the county. He has built six homes in Corvallis, which are the visible evidence of his business sagacity and enter- prise, and he owns the residence in which he lives, located at 860 Madison street, near the entrance to the college grounds. The house is a most attractive and comfortable dwelling, and is surrounded by a beautiful, well kept lawn which the local newspapers speak of as the finest in the city. For the past seven years Mr. Smith has withdrawn from commercial circles and is directing his entire attention to the duties of public of- fice.

It was in October, 1894, that Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Martha Frances Jones. who was born near Dallas, Polk county. Oregon, February 29. 1856, and has spent her entire life in the Willamette valley. Her parents were Marvil M. and .Julia Ann (Sampson) Jones. the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Indiana. The mother had come to Oregon in 1845. crossing the plains with an ox team and arriving here when Oregon City was the only trading post in the state. while the

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 134

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