The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 163

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

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Mr. Bright has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Emma Gilbert, a daugh- ter of William and Alice Gilbert, of Coos county. To this union was born one child, Murray Pleasant, whose birth occurred in 1899 and who is now attending school. The first Mrs. Bright died in 1901 and some years later Mr. Bright was united in marriage to Miss Vina Cornwell, a native of Kentucky and a daughter of George Cornwell, who came to Oregon in 1906, settling in Coos county. Mrs. Bright is one of three children. The other two are James and Clay, both of whom are enterprising agriculturists in Coos county.

In his political views Mr. Bright affiliates with the socialist party, being a firm believer in the efficacy and truth of its principles. He takes an intelligent interest in public af- fairs but has never been an office seeker, pre- ferring to devote his time to the development of his farm. As agriculture has progressed as a science Mr. Bright has progressed with it and is a representative of the class of farmers who are making the cultivation of the soil among the most honorable occu- pations in America.

GEORGE HENRY NEWELL, the owner of a two hundred and seventy acre ranch near Lakeview and interested in stage lines in this part of the state, was born near Oregon City, Oregon, February 3, 1855, a son of George P. and Emma (Weston) Newell. The father was born in an English ship on the Irish sea in 1810. His father was a quartermaster in the king's guard. At eighteen years of age, George P. New- elĪ came alone to the United States, settling in New York, but in 1849 made his way to the opposite extremity of the coun- try, crossing the plains to San Francisco, California, whence he made his way north-

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ward to Oregon City about 1851. Before coming to this state, however, he returned to New York and started with his family for the Pacific coast by way of the isthmus route. The mother and two of the children, however, died on shipboard and were laid to rest in a San Francisco cemetery. It was subsequent to this time that George P. Newell married Emma Weston in Oregon City. He was collector of the port at Van- couver at that time through appointment of President Fillmore. He was also well known as a music teacher, in which connec- tion he traveled to a considerable extent. He probably was the best musician on the coast in his day. He taught both vocal and instru- mental music, the latter including piano, violin and organ, and he held a choral festi- val, or cantata, in every town where he felt his pupils were far enough advanced for the work, it requiring about fifty pupils to pre- sent the entertainment. At length, however, he secured a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres near Oregon City and thus became identified with the agricultural de- velopment of the state. He was a well known and highly esteemed citizen and died at Albany in 1876. He was married four. times and had fifteen children by the first three wives, three sons and two daughters being born of his third marriage, which was with Emma Weston. The daughters are now deceased but the sons are yet living, namely : Charles H., a resident of Reading, California; George H .; and William Alvah, assistant postmaster of Grants Pass.

After George H. Newell was eight years of age his parents for some years lived at various places in Oregon and California. In 1872 he came to Lake county, where he has made his home for the past forty years, although the town of Lakeview had not been established at the time of his arrival. He spent twenty-five years in Drews Valley, in this county, and he still owns a ranch of two hundred and seventy acres, which he secured from the government. During the past four years he has made his home in Lakeview and is interested in stage lines to Plush and to Klamath Falls, his son-in-law, Oliver Corey, having a contract for running stages. Mr. Newell is the owner of four acres of land in the city. He is practically living retired merely supervising his interests, for his busi- ness activity in former years brought to him a measure of success which is most creditable.

In 1878 Mr. Newell was united in mar- riage to Miss Harriet C. Hammersley, who was born in Missouri in 1860 and in 1863 was brought to Oregon by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hammersley, who in 1869 took up their abode near Pine Creek. They traveled with a train of eight wagons and were among the first families to locate in the vicinity of Pine Creek. After taking up his abode here he spent his remaining days in the valley, as did his wife. To Mr. and Mrs. Newell have been born six children: Laura Etta, who became the wife of Joe Sanders and died leaving one child, Mary, who lives with her grandfather, our subject ;

Martha, the wife of Oliver P. M. Corey, of Lakeview; Ethel, the wife of L. G. Thomas, of Goose Lake valley; Herbert and Walter, who met death June 9, 1910, at the ages of twenty-four and twenty-two years respec- tively; and Henry, who is married and re- sides on his father's ranch. Mr. and Mrs. Newell are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church and are people possessed of many sterling traits of heart and mind, interested in the welfare of the community in which they live and manifesting deep sympathy for the individual for whom neces- sity or distress has rendered hard the way of life.

HENRY L. REED. Like several of his neighbors, Henry L. Reed gave some of the best part of his life to facing bullets of the enemies during the Civil war and endur- ing the hardships and privations of army life. He drifted westward with the increasing tide of emigration after the war was over, finally settling in Oregon, and now lives near Mur- phy where he owns a fine farm of one hun- dred and twenty acres. He was born in Jef- ferson county, New York, July 30, 1843, a son of Hiram S. and Martha (Stephenson) Reed, both natives of the state of New York. To the parents were born a family of ten children, who were reared and given the ad- vantages of the public schools of the Empire state.

Henry L. Reed pursued his education until the age of eighteen years and then left home to enlist in the Union army under General McClellan. He served with that officer for eighteen months and then was under Gen- eral Banks. He was for a long time on picket duty before Petersburg and assisted in the movements against General Lee, also taking part in the battle of Appomattox in which that noted southern general surren- dered. During his army life he was in eighteen hotly contested battles and thirty- two skirmishes, being wounded three times. After peace was declared he was mustered out of the United States service and mi- grated to Wisconsin, where he remained for seven years on a farm which he had pur- chased and of which he disposed at the time of his removal. From Wisconsin he went to British Columbia and after remaining there for a time settled in Oregon, where he bought a farm of sixty acres. He sold that farm in 1906 and bought the Adams homestead of one hundred and twenty acres near Mur- phy, which he has improved and brought under a very good state of cultivation.

Mr. Reed was married January 1, 1906. to Mrs. Mary H. Hickman. By a previous marriage he had six children, namely: Saralı M. Clarke, who resides in New York: Nettie E., who is the wife of Mr. Stitt, of New York, who is in the employ of the govern- ment; Nellie M., also of the Empire state: Roy T., at home; George H., who is also under the parental roof; and Eveline, the wife of H. Kish, living in Medford.

In his political views Mr. Reed is a repub- Jican and has held the office of constable in Wisconsin for several years as well as the

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

position of road overseer. Not alone on ac- count of his military record, but for his ex- cellent traits of character as well Mr. Reed enjoys a fine reputation in the community of which he is a member and has come to be regarded as one of the best citizens of his locality. He possesses the genial nature char- acteristic of most veterans of the Civil war and his friends greatly enjoy listening to his reminiscences of those stirring days. He is esteemed very highly by those who know him and is received warmly into the best circles of society.

GEORGE C. FITZGERALD is the owner of a ranch of three hundred acres, which he purchased in 1889 and which was the old family homestead. The varied work of farm life claims his attention and his energies are so wisely directed that excellent results crown his labors. He was born in Laclede county, Missouri, August 20, 1865, and is a son of James T. and Sarah Elizabeth (Neal) Fitzgerald, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. Coming to the west, they died on a ranch five miles south of Lakeview in 1908, the mother passing away in March, at the age of seventy-five, and the father in August, at the age of seventy-seven. They were reared and married in Tennessee and in the fall of 1860 removed to Missouri. In the fall of 1870 they made their way to the Rogue River valley of Oregon and in the fall of 1871 came to Lake county, settling on a ranch six miles south of Lakeview. When their son George was fifteen years of age they sold out and removed to the west side of the valley. In the spring of 1889 they took up their abode upon the ranch which is now the property of their son George. At one time they conducted a dairy for Jesse Applegate on the Rogue river, an old In- dian assisting in herding the cows. In the fall following the attainment of the age of twenty-one years James T. Fitzgerald joined the Masonic fraternity and was laid to rest by the Masonic lodge of Lakeview. Both he and his wife were consistent members of the Baptist church at Lakeview. In all matters relating to the public welfare they were deeply interested and Mr. Fitzgerald gave his cooperation to many movements for the public good. He was a teamster in the Mo- doc war and was near Colonel Canby when he lost his life. At the time of the Civil war he joined the army and for three months was under the command of General Price. Mr. and Mrs. James T. Fitzgerald became the parents of five children: Nancy, who is the widow of John O'Neil and resides at Pine Creek, Oregon; Mantaza, who died in Missouri, at the age of twelve years; Etta, who is the wife of L. W. Carter, of Los An- geles, California; John, of Lake City, Modoc county, California; and George C.

George C. Fitzgerald, whose name intro- duces this record, always resided with his parents until their deaths, never being away from them for over two months at a time. His filial love and devotion added much to the happiness of their lives, especially in later years. He worked for wages the greater

part of his life until twelve or fifteen years ago and then began running sheep and cat- tle on his own account. He now owns the old home ranch, which the family has oc- cupied since 1889 and which comprises three hundred acres of rich and valuable land. He also owns three hundred acres of mountain land three miles east of the home place, which has been improved by Mr. Fitzgerald. When it came into his possession it was fenced and upon the place was a log cabin, which had been built of fir logs by William Greeman, the first settler in the valley. Mr. Fitzgerald afterward tore down this cabin, finding that the logs were perfectly sound after forty years. He now runs about five thousand sheep and he also has a few horses and cattle upon his ranch but confines his attention largely to the raising of sheep. He also puts up about two hundred tons of hay annually.

In 1905 Mr. Fitzgerald was married to Miss Anna Morris, who was born in Dade county, Missouri, May 12, 1877. In the spring of 1878 her parents removed to Ashland, Oregon, and settled in Goose Lake valley, where they lived for eight years. Her father, George W. Morris, died in this valley in 1899, while the mother, Mrs. Sarah S. (McManus) Morris, now resides in Stockton, California.

Fraternally Mr. Fitzgerald is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is always loyal to its teachings. He en- deavors also to follow in the footsteps of his father, a straightforward, honorable man-"the most honorable I have ever known," says the son. The name of Fitz- gerald has, indeed, been a synonym for much that is commendable during the residence of the family in this part of the state.

ANTONE CASTEL. Prominent among the residents of Klamath Falls, Antone Castel is numbered, and with the development and progress of Klamath county he has been closely associated from the early pioneer period. As the years have gone by his labors have been an effective element in the work of progress and prosperity here, for he has ever manifested a deep interest in the wel- fare and upbuilding of his community. He was born in the attractive city of Cologne on the Rhine, Germany, January 17, 1859, and after acquiring an education in the schools of his native country, during which period he learned the English language, he shipped as a deck boy on a merchantman when but fourteen years of age and before he reached the age of twenty years had visited every leading port in the world. He had also circumnavigated the globe and had acquired a close and comprehensive knowl- edge of many points of interest in various parts of the world. In 1879 he landed in New York and abandoned the sea. From the eastern coast he made his way to Chi- cago and for three or four years thereafter he was an extensive traveler throughout the United States, visiting nearly every state and territory in this country. Finally in 1884 he made his way to southwestern Ore-

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gon and selected a location at Klamath Falls. He had made a study of surveying while he was a sailor and in 1892 he was elected to the position of county surveyor. In 1894 he was reelected on the republican ticket and made an excellent record in that position during his four years of incumbency in that office. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster at Klamath Falls and acted in that capacity for five years. In 1902 he received the nomination on the republican ticket for county clerk but could not over- come the great democratic majority then in the county. From 1889 until 1892 he was en- gaged in the livery business and in 1903 he. erected a brewery in Klamath Falls, which he still owns and conducts. His business interests produce substantial financial re- sults.

On the 1st of May, 1894, Mr. Castel was united in marriage to Miss Alpha Engle, who was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and they have one child, Alfred B., born June 6, 1895. Theirs is an attractive home in Kla- math Falls and its hospitality is enjoyed by their many friends. They have always lived in this section and their labors have been an important element in the growth and de- velopment of the region.

ALFRED S. BENNETT, of Wasco county, Oregon, and engaged in law practice at The Dalles, was born at Dubuque, Iowa, June 10, 1854, and was reared in Floyd county, Iowa, until eleven years old, when he was brought across the plains by his parents in 1865. They first settled in Yamhill county, Oregon, and then removed to Washington county, that state, where they resided until 1870. About that time Alfred S. Bennett left home and started out for himself, as a farm hand, continuing as such until 1873. From that time on he was engaged in teaching school and reading law, pursuing his studies until he was admitted to the bar in 1880. Since then Mr. Bennett has been almost con- tinuously engaged in practicing law at The Dalles, Oregon.

Mr. Bennett was elected school superintend- ent for Wasco county in 1878, and in 1882 was elected a member of the legislature from that county. On being appointed judge of the circuit court for the fifth circuit, then including all of eastern Oregon, he resigned from the legislature, before taking his seat upon the bench and served as judge for two years. He has since been a candidate on the democratic ticket for supreme court judge in 1894, and for congress, in 1896, but was de- feated. Mr. Bennett also was a delegate to the national convention at Kansas City, in 1890, and again to the convention at Balti- more in 1912.

Alfred S. Bennett was married on Novem- ber 7, 1887, to Miss Mary McCauley, of Day- ton, Washington.

H. B. MOYER, a native son of Linn coun- ty and during the entire period of his active life prominently identified with business in- terests of the section, was born in Browns- ville in 1861. His parents were John M. and E. D. Moyer, the former a native of Penn-

sylvania and the latter of Missouri. Both were early settlers in Oregon, the father having come to the state in 1852 and the mother having crossed the plains with her parents when she was still a child. Her father was one of the first settlers in Linn county and the town of Brownsville is named in his honor. The parents of our sub- ject were married in Oregon and immediately afterward the father bought land in Browns- ville, where he resided until his death. For five years he followed the carpenter's trade but abandoned this occupation eventually in order to operate a planing mill. He con- ducted this enterprise until he was injured in an accident and then became interested in a woolen mill in partnership with Thomas Kay. Later he built a mill at Albany and after a number of years engaged in the clothing business in Portland, which he con- ducted until his retirement in 1896. He then took up his residence in Brownsville and lived there until his death in 1904. His wife resides in the old home in Brownsville and has reached the age of seventy-two. Mr. and Mrs. John M. Moyer became the parents . of six children, two of whom are living: E. D., of Portland; and H. B., of this review.

H. B. Moyer began his active career in 1882 after completing his education in the Brownsville public schools. His father's busi- ness had long attracted him and accordingly he bought a saw and planing mill, which in association with his brother he operated for seven years, buying out his partner's inter- est at the end of that time. This enterprise he conducted alone until 1894 and then leased it until 1898. In the following year he erected a sawmill sixteen miles beyond Brownsville and operated this in conjunction with his planing mill until 1906, when he dis- posed of the first enterprise and managed the planing mill only until 1909. For the last eight years he has also given his atten- tion to the operation of a fine garage and he .also furnishes water to the city of Browns- ville. Being a keen and active business man Mr. Moyer has from time to time invested extensively in city property and owns, be- sides his own residence, valuable residence property in Brownsville. He is also the owner of two hundred and twenty acres of timber land in Linn county and has a half interest in a small ranch. He is also a heavy stockholder and vice president of the Bank of Brownsville, of which institution his father had been one of the founders.

Mr. Moyer married, in 1882, Miss Jessie Sawyer and to this union was born one daughter, Goldie E., the widow of William J. Hooker, formerly of Falls City, Polk coun- ty. In 1907 Mr. Moyer wedded Miss Hazel M. Darlin, a native of South Dakota, and a daughter of F. M. Darlin. Mrs. Moyer came to Oregon with her father in 1903, her mother having passed away in South Dakota. In the Darlin family were six children, four of whom are still living: Hazel, the wife of our subject; William; George; and Estella.

During the course of a long, active, and useful life Mr. Moyer has been an important factor in the business progress of his native

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

city and in the agricultural development of the county. The secret of his success lies in his integrity, his steady industry and his perseverance and above all, in his power of recognizing and using the opportunities which his ability. commands.

JESSE DAVIS is one of the prosperous farmers near Ten Mile Lake, Coos county, Oregon, where he is carrying on an extensive dairy and poultry business. He was born in Polk county, Oregon, October 20, 1865, and received his education in the common schools of Douglas county. He laid aside his books at the age of fifteen and worked as a farm hand until 1900. In that year he took up a homestead claim which he improved and operated for some time. When he sold his holdings he invested his money in Marsh- field town property and lived in that city but later disposed of his lots in Marshfield and bought eighty acres of land near Ten Mile Lake in Coos county, upon which he has lived for the past eight years. He has made extensive improvements on his farm and has made a specialty of dairying and poultry raising. He has a thorough understanding of the intelligent care of chickens and ducks and his pursuits along this line have been profitable. His dairy is one of the most modern and scientifically equipped in Coos county and its products obtain a ready sale upon the market.

On September 28, 1894, Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Maud Adams, a daughter of B. F. and Kate Adams. A sketch of Mrs. Davis' parents appears on another page in this work. She received her education in the public schools of Coos coun- ty and has always been a resident of Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of three children: Rubie M., born June 24, 1895, who is a graduate of the public schools of Coos county and who is living at home; Gladys V., whose birth occurred on March 2, 1903, and who is a student in the public schools of Coos county; and Lela I., who was born October 7, 1910. Politically Mr. Davis is a socialist and is active in the affairs of the local organization. He is interested in edu- cation and has served as school trustee of his district for some time. He is rapidly gaining success and his prosperity is based upon hard and concentrated work and intel- ligent and honorable business methods.

WILLIAM ANDREW GELLATLY, former- ly a prominent farmer and stockman in Ben- ton county, is now serving as county sheriff, in which capacity he is giving excellent sat- isfaction, his reelection to the office indicat- ing his popularity with his fellow citizens and their confidence in his ability. He was born in Grass Valley, Nevada county, Cali- fornia, April 24, 1864, a son of Andrew and Isabella (Lyle) Gellatly, both natives of Scot- land, the former born in Greenock, and the latter in Perth county. Both left the old country in early life. Andrew Gellatly came over at the age of fifteen and sent for his mother about three years later, his father having died when he was quite young. The

mother of our subject was a little maiden when she crossed the ocean with her parents and both family homes were established in Madison county, Wisconsin, in which state Andrew Gellatly and Isabella Lyle were later married. In 1862 they came by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California, and in 1870 came to Oregon, settling on a farm about two and a half miles west of Philo- math, in Benton county. The father was a farmer by occupation, his entire life being devoted to that occupation with the excep- tion of about seven years spent in the gold mines of California. He died on his farm in Benton county in 1898 at the age of fifty- nine years, while his wife survived until the 23d of March, 1912, passing away at Wen- atchee, Washington, at the age of seventy years. In their family were eleven children, of whom eight survive.

The eldest in order of birth, William An- drew Gellatly was reared upon the home farm and acquired his education in the coun- try schools and in Philomath college. In the summer months he assisted his father in the cultivation of the fields, and thus early became acquainted with the tasks that fall to the lot of the farm lad. Upon attain- ing his majority he wisely chose as his vocation the occupation with which he was familiar and secured land in Blodget's valley, about fifteen miles west of Corvallis. He became the owner of twelve hundred acres of land and eventually became known as one of the largest farmers in the county. In addition to tilling the fields he gave a large portion of his time and attention to his stock interests, being for a time one of the most extensive stock feeders and raisers in Benton county. He raised cattle, sheep and goats, and was one of the heaviest cattle feeders in his section of the state, making a specialty of that branch for twenty years. He not only ran a large amount of stock over the range but engaged to a large extent in stall feeding, and was one of the most experienced and able men in this line in the county. Few men were better known in agricultural circles throughout a long period than was Mr. Gellatly, and when he gave up his farming and stock interests in order to accept public office those branches of activity lost one of their most successful and influential representatives. Mr. Gellatly was also engaged in threshing, doing a great deal of work along this line, in which he was well known to the farmers of the district.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 163

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