The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 19

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

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Lloyd Spires, the only surviving son, has always lived upon the Pacific coast and the spirit of enterprise which has actuated the empire builders of the northwest is exempli- fied in his life record, for he has made good use of his time and opportunities and has also been a factor in the material development of the communities in which he has lived. He remained upon his father's farm until sixteen years of age and then started out in business life on his own account, being em- ployed by other farmers of the locality and also assisting to some extent in the work of the home place. In 1880, when twenty-three years of age, he went to the gold mines, where he was employed for a year. He was then married, after which he returned to the farm, he and his father purchasing land with capital they had acquired in the mines. At length he disposed of his property in California in 1884 and came to Oregon, settling in Coos county. He purchased a preemption homestead of three hundred and twenty acres, of which only about five acres had been cleared. He has since cleared twenty acres and placed the entire amount under cultivation. His methods have been practical and the results gratifying. In addition to developing the tract he has

engaged in stock-raising to some extent. He continued to make his home upon the ranch until 1899, when he removed to Myrtle Point in order to give his children good educational privileges. In the spring of 1912 he returned to the farm and is now devoting his energies to its further development. He also owns an interest in the Spires Drug Company, together with some residence property and vacant prop- erty in the town. His home is pleasantly situated about three miles northeast of Myrtle Point and just a half mile off the Dora road.

On the 24th of November, 1881, Mr. Spires was united in marriage to Miss Emma Lonkey, a native of Canada and a daughter of Xavia Lonkey, of California, who removed from that state to Canada. The family was a large one and all of the children are yet living with the exception of two, Xavia and Clara having both passed away. The others are: Mary, living in Massachusetts; Oliver, a resident of California; Obeline, of Nevada; Delian and Leon, both of whom are residents of Nevada; Mrs. Spires; Camille and Ogzille, both of California; Lydia, of Nevada; and Edward, of California. Unto the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Spires have been born five children: Oliver R., a druggist of Myrtle Point; Fred L., an electrical engineer living at home; Wini- fred A., who is engaged in teaching school; Roy L., who is attending high school; and Elton C., also in school.

Mr. Spires gives his political support to the republican party and has held some local offices, to which he has been called by the vote of his fellow townsmen, who recognize his ability and appreciate his trustworthiness in citizenship. For four years he was county commissioner of Coos county and while living in Myrtle Point served as a member of the city council. He was also school director there for a number of years and has filled the office in his rural school district. Since 1881 he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is also a representa- tive of the Improved Order of Red Men. He has always resided on the coast and the his- tory of the west is largely familiar to him. Coming into a sparsely settled district on his removal to Oregon, he identified himself with those labors and activities which are proving dominant forces in the upbuilding and substantial improvement of this part of the state. His has been a well spent life, useful by reason of its continuous activity, and he is now reaping the benefits of his labors in a comfortable competence.

JOHN H. SCHAAP, the owner of one hun- dred and twenty-four acres of land situated in Marion county, on section 18, township 61, west, was born in Wisconsin, February 8, 1862. He is a son of John and Mina (Bloom- er) Schaap, who were natives of Holland. Both parents, on coming to America, had settled in Michigan, where they were married and five years later removed to Galena, Illi- nois, residing there ten years. They then went to Platteville, Wisconsin, and there they remained twenty-five years. Subsequently they removed to South Dakota, where they passed the rest of their lives, the father dying

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in 1896 and the mother two years later. To them were born eleven children, nine of whom grew to maturity. They were: Otto, who resides in Missouri; Albert, who died in Mon- tana; Mrs. Hannah Bushnel, of Alberta, Can- ada; Mrs. Elizabeth Bushnel, of Salem, Ore- gon; George, of Pratum, Oregon; John H., of this review; Henry, of Ft. Pierre, South Dakota; Benjamin, who died in South Dakota; Mrs. Mina Foote, of Eugene, Oregon; and two children, who died in infancy.

John H. Schaap started out in life on his own accord at the age of twenty-one years, when he purchased a tract of land in Palo Alto county, Iowa. He operated this farm until 1890, when he sold it and removed to Oregon, settling in Marion county, on his present farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres, which is located thirteen miles north- east of Salem. He has improved this tract of land until he now has one of the best farms in the locality, one hundred acres of it being under a high state of cultivation.

On February 17, 1887, Mr. Schaap was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Oudyn, a native of Platteville, Wisconsin, and a daugh- ter of Martin and Jennie (Boat) Oudyn, both of whom were born in Holland. Her parents came to America and settled in St. Louis, Missouri, later removing to Wisconsin, where . the mother is yet living at the age of seventy- eight years, the father having passed away in 1897. In their family were six children: Marinus, of Greenville, Illinois; George, who died in Colorado; Hettie, who is the wife of Henry Wunn, of Wisconsin; Jennie, now Mrs. Schaap; Martin, of Platteville, Wiscon- sin; and Nellie, who is the wife of John Meyers, of Platteville. Mr. and Mrs. Schaap have become the parents of six children, the eldest of whom died in infancy. The others are: Florence, born February 11, 1891, who is the wife of Alfred Williams, of Silverton, Oregon; Martin, who died at the age of fourteen months; Dwight and Eugene, twins, born November 2, 1896, who are both at home; and Marinus, born February 14, 1901.

John H. Schaap is a republican but has never sought nor desired public office as a reward for party fealty. Fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In all his actions he is governed by a high sense of duty and by his integrity and worth he has gained the friendship of the best people of this section.

THOMAS HIRST, deceased, was one of the very early pioneers of Oregon and pub- lic opinion placed him among the most en- terprising and valued citizens of his adopted state. He was born in England April 15, 1835, and at the age of fifteen years emi- grated to America, settling in Ohio, where he continued to live for three years, and there received his education in the public schools. He then removed to Australia, where he kept his residence for five years and then re- turned to this country and spent one year in San Francisco, California, after which he moved to Oregon, settling in Coos county, where he purchased one hundred and sixty

acres of heavily timbered land. There he established his home and engaged in general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. Mr. Hirst wrote a most eloquent review of his early life in Oregon, which was published in the April number of "Pioneer Days," of that year and is here reproduced with acknowl- edgments to that periodical.

"I arrived in Coos county, Oregon terri- tory, in January, 1859, by walking down the Umpqua beach to Coos bay, and thence by Indian canoe and mountain trail to the Coquille river, there to carve out a home in that beautiful garden of southwestern Ore- gon. A beautiful garden it was for, as I stood on the top of Sugarloaf mountain, with the broad expanse of the valley lying before me covered with the bright green of the maple and the dark green of the myrtle, with the snow-capped mountains in the distance, it formed as grand a picture as the eye could wish to see; but to turn this garden into a home the forest must be destroyed, and what an herculean task it would be! I have seen the oak and hickory forests of Ohio, the chestnut and sugar maple groves of Penn- sylvania, gathered walnuts in the woods of Kentucky, traveled through the gum forests of New South Wales, but for density and number of trees to the acre the Coquille val- ley outclassed them all. In such a forest our stout-hearted pioneer carved out a home after many years of toil, and that he has been repaid for his labor the fine farms and happy homes fully attest. When our pio- neer women wished to visit their neighbors they would frequently paddle their own canoe up and down the river, and some of them became quite expert. I remember a time when one of our bright young school teachers went down the river to purchase sup- plies. The trip down the river was easy enough, but the return trip was more diffi- cult, in fact the young man had to accept the assistance of one of our brave pioneer women to steer his canoe to port. 'Never mind, Binger, if you could not handle a canoe you have proved yourself competent to work well and faithfully for your adopted state. Many years your voice has been heard in the halls of congress. All honor to you as a Coos county pioneer.' The early pio- neer had much difficulty in marketing his products. Many a time I have left home at 2 o'clock in the morning and paddled twen- ty-four miles down the river and then four miles up Beaver sloughi, then carried my load three miles up the isthmus, put it into another canoe and traveled another fifteen miles to North Bend sawmill, arriving about 9 o'clock at night, there to exchange my various products for the articles needed at home, not forgetting the injunction to bring one paper each of needles and pins. Return- ing home, which always took two days, I had time to note the skill of the beaver in repairing the dams that I had torn open to pass through the day before. But alas, the trapper came, and thy beautiful coat was sent east. to be worn and admired by the people who knew thee not. Farewell. old friend. No more will my canoe glide over

THOMAS HIRST

MRS. LOUISA A. HIRST

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the placid waters held in check by thy labors. No more will the hardy trapper exchange thy coat for flour or sugar or fill his jug with such water as thou , never dreamed of. Thy home is desolate and Beaver slough is now a thing of the past as a commercial highway.

"The pioneer had no cultivated or domestic fruit but there was a plentiful supply of wild fruits in their season, consisting of salmon berries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleber- ries and crabapples. Sunday was the day for gathering the fruit. The canoe Telephone (Edison was unknown to us), operated by our women, would send word to our neigh- bors to meet at a certain point or bend in the river. Then with lunch and pails our ever-ready canoe would glide down the river to the place of meeting. Having filled our pails with fruit and enjoyed a pleasant chat over our lunch, we would return home for milking time. For pleasure and recreation we had our barn raisings and log rollings. When a new settler had located his claim and building site, and cleared a small patch, he would select the most suitable trees for his log cabin or barn and then on an ap- pointed day the neighbors for miles around would go to his place and roll, notch and fit the logs in position, and before night, would leave him with the framework of a good log cabin, having worked and feasted all day, returning to our homes contented and at peace with all the world. Nor did we forget to celebrate the glorious Fourth of July. How well do I remember when that great-hearted pioneer, William T. Perry, placed his flatboat at our disposal for a two weeks' trip to Whiskey Run, where the Schroeder boys, Henry and Gus, were min- ing. What a royal welcome they gave us, with music, feasting and dancing and ex- ploring the beach, gathering agates and shells, nor did we forget to indulge in the various shell fish we found among the rocks. I will never forget that trip nor the various members who composed the party. Alas, how many of them have passed over to the Great Beyond. As memory carries me back- ward forty years how well I remember the generous, brave-hearted pioneers, the Her- manns, Schroeders, Perrys, Dements, Yoa- kams, Lockharts, Kenyons, good old Ben Figg, Ned Fahy, the Low brothers, the Rogers brothers, monarchs of industry on Coos river, the Hillborns, Hollands, Butlers, Captain Har- ris, the Aiken brothers, Dr. Hodson, the Rook brothers, W. D. L. F. Smith, generous B. F. Ross, the Stauff brothers, good old John Kronenburg, the Noble brothers, H. H. Luce, Empire City's pioneer mill man, Al Simp- son, the man whose active brain has kept his mill and shipyards in active operation in good or bad times for forty years, P. Flana- gan and S. S. Mann. Ah, these last two men are entitled to more than a passing no- tice. Pioneers of pioneers, their skill, judg- ment and enterprise made coal mining a suc- cess on Coos bay. Hospitable, generous and kind to their employes, their home was known far and wide as a place where the traveler would be royally entertained without money Vol. IV-6

and without price. Both held positions of trust in Coos county. Their good deeds and works can never be forgotten by the old pioneer. C. H. Merchant, for many years a hard worker but by his business foresight and enterprise, his strict integrity and econ- omy is now able to sit in the stern and steer while others paddle his canoe. Andrew Nas- burg, a successful farmer and merchant, was the first postmaster in Marshfield, and his salary was twelve dollars per year. He held the office many years and when he resigned in favor of the writer, the commission on the business done amounted to about seven hundred dollars per annum. Mr. Nasburg was taken from us in the prime of life, but left behind a name and record of which his family may justly feel proud.

"The pioneer women, how nobly they have done their part! How well in our absence have they defended our homes! With their trusty gun they have slain the fierce lynx that stole our poultry, with the faithful dog by their side and ax in hand they have chased the prowling bear that would have carried off our hogs, they have braved the flood waist-deep to drive the cattle to the hills for safety, and in a thousand ways have proved their indomitable courage. All honor to our pioneer women! During the flood of 1861-2 I left Eastport at 7 o'clock in the morning with grub and blankets to last three days, expecting it would take me that time to reach my home. John Canyon and myself worked at the coal mines during the winter and improved our places in summer. Our wives lived together during our absence, that being convenient, as our farms joined. I started homeward, crossing the isthmus as usual, but the water of the Coquille river was so high that I left the regular trail, doubling Green Point, and made straight for Cedar Point. Crossing the river I made a beeline for Fishtrap, then crossed the stream again and came out at the Malcolm place- now Fred Schroeder's elegant home. I then entered the woods and proceeded to Perry's Prairie, arriving before sundown, having been but nine and one-half hours on my journey. If the water had been ten feet lower I should have had to follow the sinuosity of the stream, and no doubt it would have taken me three days to have reached my home. When I was at Cedar Point I saw a log cabin floating down the river. Then my heart sank within me and 'where is my home and how fares my neighbors,' were the ques- tions that involuntarily came to my mind. The flood was so general and the current rushed so rapidly that it seemed as though the whole upper river was submerged, and the sweetest music that ever greeted my ears was the voice of good old lady Perry, when, in answer to my inquiry when I arrived at her cabin, she said 'yes, Tom, here is Lou; we are all right.' As before stated, my wife and Mrs. Canyon were living together for company. They had an intuition that there would be a great flood and had rounded up our cattle in the timber but couldn't make them cross a slough at the lower end of my clearings in order to drive them to higher

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ground, hence they were obliged to leave them to their fate. The next morning the water was still rising and they started what cattle they had in the clearing and followed them an eighth of a mile, wading waist-deep in the water and forcing the cattle to swim to higher ground. Having saved the stock they then began to think of their own safety. Their canoe was gone and they must reach Perry's, more than a mile away. They crossed a slough by climbing a myrtle, whose over- hanging branches interlocked with the limbs on the opposite side. After their perilous climb they landed on the proper side and waded to the bank of the stream opposite Perry's place just as that grand old man was giving orders for a boat to go to the rescue of Nancy and Lou.

"Pioneers of the '50s, our voyage is near its end, our canoe trip has not always been one of pleasure nor yet of sorrow. Some- times we have met strong floods to check our progress, sand-bars and shoals to con- tend with, rapids to shoot, snags and whirl- pools to lure us to destruction, and often cold, wet and weary, our limbs aching with toil, and making little headway. Then again the tide would turn, favorable winds would waft us onward, giving us rest and renewed courage to face the dark canyons of adver- sity or the green fields of prosperity. To the pioneers who have been called hence, we bid you a kind farewell; to the pioneers who are still with us, you whose sun has passed the zenith, may peace and contentment be with you, may your canoe float gently down stream to pleasant lakes, and when you make the last landing on the shore of time, may you find the trail blazed to guide you to the great wigwam, and be welcomed by Sah-la- Tyee, or great spirit of the universe."

In 1873 Mr. Hirst removed to Marshfield and was there engaged in the general mer- cantile business until within a short time of his death, which occurred on November 14, 1903. He left to his widow an estate of one hundred and sixty acres near the city limits of Bandon, also a personal property interest in the merchandising establishment at Marsh- field, and a beautiful residence in that city, now occupied by Mrs. Hirst as her home.

On November 12, 1855, Mr. Hirst was united in marriage to Miss Louisa A. Milton, who was born in New South Wales, Australia, November 29, 1838, and received her edu- cation in the public schools of Australia. Her parents, James and Ellen (Donahoe) Mil- ton, were natives of London, England, and removed to Australia at an early period in life, their marriage being celebrated in that country. The father for some time conducted a shoe store and later was engaged in farm- ing. The father and mother both died in Australia, the former at the age of seventy- seven and the latter at the age of seventy- four. In their family were eight children: Mrs. Ellen Johnson, of Australia; James, de- ceased; Louisa A., who is the widow of Thomas Hirst; William, deceased; Ruth. of Australia; Edward, whose death occurred in Australia; Thomas, deceased; and Elizabeth, of Australia. Mr. and Mrs. Hirst adopted a

son, Milton E. Hirst, when he was a child two years of age. He was born in 1878 and now resides in Marshfield.

Mr. Hirst while a resident of Marshfield was for two years the regularly appointed postmaster of that place. He has a place in the history of Oregon on the honored roll of her early pioneers. He was a man of unusual intelligence and during life was ever to be relied upon to identify himself with every measure of public interest seeking the welfare of the people of his county and state. Mrs. Hirst is a devout and active member of the Episcopal church of Marshfield.

DR. E. D. HITCHCOCK is one of the younger representatives of the medical pro- fession in Klamath county, practicing at Bonanza, yet he has gained a position and success that many an older physician might well envy. He was born in Pendleton, Ore- gon, July 31, 1884, and is a son of William H. and Etta B. (Barrick) Hitchcock, who were natives of Ohio, where they were reared and married. They came to the northwest about 1882 and resided in northern Oregon until a recent date, but are now living at North Yakima, Washington, the father being a retired merchant. In their family were three children: George W., also living in North Yakima; E. D .; and Edna, the wife of F. D. Peterson, of San Fernando, Cali -. fornia.

Dr. Hitchcock was five years of age at the time of the removal of the family to The Dalles, and later he went with his par- ents to San Francisco. He pursued his medical education in Cooper College, the medical department of Stanford University, from which he was graduated with the class of 1909. He had a year's hospital experi- ence in Alameda County Hospital and was therefore particularly well qualified to take up his work as a general practitioner, for his hospital service was of a most varied character. In 1910 he came to Bonanza and entered into partnership with Dr. W. S. Johnson for general practice and also for the conduct of a drug business, which is now carried on under the name of the Bo- nanza Drug Company. Dr. Hitchcock is very careful in the diagnosis of his cases and accurate in his application of the principles of medical science to the needs of his patients. The firm now enjoys an extensive practice which is steadily growing. In ad- dition to his professional and commercial interests Dr. Hitchcock has holdings in tim- ber lands.

In April. 1911, occurred the marriage of Dr. Hitchcock and Miss Eva Marie Lund, a native of Wisconsin, and a daughter of H. J. Lund. She is a graduate of the Uni- versity of Pacific and the San Francisco National Training School. She is also a graduate of the Deaconess School and en- gaged in professional service in Eugene and San Francisco. Both the Doctor and his wife were in the latter city during the earth- quake and he had a commission under the government and controlled a large sanitary district at that time.

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Both Dr. and Mrs. Hitchcock hold mem- bership in the Methodist Episcopal church and he also belongs to the Masonic lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having served as noble grand of the latter. He is the secretary of the Bonanza Com- mercial Club and at the present time is serving as city recorder, to which position he was elected .on the republican ticket, being a stanch advocate of the principles of that party. His activities have been of a varied nature and as a cooperant factor in many projects for the public good he has contributed in no small degree to the up- building and improvement of this district.

CHARLES ALBERT SCHROEDER, en- gaged in general farming and dairying, owns two hundred and fourteen acres of land on the Coquille road in association with his brother, Frank E. He is numbered among the worthy natives of Coos county, his birth hav- ing occurred on the original donation land claim of James G. Malcomb, which his father purchased in 1868. He is a son of J. Fred and Mary (Perry) Schroeder, the former a . native of Baltimore, Maryland, and the latter of Oregon. Mary (Perry) Schroeder, who was a native of Clatsop county and the first white female child born in Oregon, passed away on the 13th of October, 1910. Thomas Perry, the maternal grandfather of our sub- ject, came to this state with his wife and one child, making the journey from Portland, Maine, by ox teams. He took up land on the present site of Oregon City but found the location unpromising and sold out for five dollars. To J. Fred and Mary (Perry) Schroeder were born five children. Clara is the wife of Captain Levi Snyder, of Portland, Oregon, who is captain of the steamer Anvil, plying between Portland and the Coquille river. Frank E., who owns the old home farm in association with his brother Charles, our subject, cultivates rented land in Cali- fornia. J. Finley, who resides in Norway, Oregon, is successfully engaged in the con- duct of a creamery. Eva resides with her father at Coquille, Oregon. Charles Albert, is the subject of this review.

Charles Albert Schroeder started out upon an independent career at the age of twenty- two years but remained with his father until the time of his marriage and for three years afterward rented the home farm. In 1903, in association with his brother Frank, he pur- chased the place from his father and has since been engaged in its operation. Th property comprises two hundred and fourteen acres, and one hundred and thirty-five acres thereof is in a high state of cultivation. C. A. Schroeder devotes his attention to the pur- suits of farming and dairying and in both branches of his business has met with suc- cess.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 19

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