The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 22

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

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

river valley near the place where Central Point now stands. He there acquired a thou- sand acre stock ranch located in the moun- tains which he afterward sold. This land was fenced and otherwise improved and de- veloped by him, while at the same time he continued in the pack-train business, buy- ing flour and grocery supplies from Dr. John Mclaughlin, which he sold to the miners and pioneers throughout Josephine county. He finally retired from this business and pur- chased a farm comprising one hundred and sixty acres near Central Point, which he im- proved and where he built his home.

In 1864 Mr. Beall wedded Miss Mary Rid- dle, by whom he has two children, Mary and R. V., Jr., both of whom reside in this state. Mr. Beall is a member of the Masonic lodge and intimately and actively identified with the social and business interests of his com- munity.

JOHN TALBOT BLOOMFIELD for a period of more than a half century has been iden- tified with the growth and development of Oregon. He is entitled to be enrolled among the early pioneers of this state and his whole life as a citizen of this common- wealth has been one which has contributed much to the enrichment and progress of this part of Oregon. He lives now retired and maintains his residence at Oakland, in Doug- las county. He was born in Centerville, Wayne county, Indiana, August 26, 1825, and is a son of Lot and Elizabeth (Talbot) Bloomfield, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of Virginia. They were mar- ried in Centerville, Indiana, to which place the mother when a child had removed with her parents. The father in early manhood engaged in the wholesale dry-goods business in New York city in company with his two brothers. One of the brothers while return- ing from Europe with a cargo of goods with which to stock their store was lost at sea with the vessel on which he sailed. The loss sustained by this accident resulted in the bankruptcy of the firm and the busi- ness with which the father was identified was at once closed out. Lot Bloomfield then came west to Indiana to retrieve his fortunes and located in Centerville, at which place he engaged in the general mercantile busi- ness. He later sold out and removed to Cambridge City, Indiana, where he estab- lished himself in business, and also had an interest in a store in Muncie. In 1847. while driving from Cambridge to Centerville, he was thrown from his buggy and the injuries sustained by that accident resulted in his death immediately afterward.

John T. Bloomfield was reared in his par- ents' home and received his early educa- tion in the public schools in Indiana. While not engaged in school he was employed in his father's store and there acquired a knowledge of the mercantile business. His larger experience in that line was in the Muncie store, at which place they also con- ducted in addition to their mercantile in- terests a tanyard. operated a stock farm. and were interested in various enterprises.

They bought and sold leather and also bought stock in Illinois and Missouri and sold cat- tle and hogs. They found a market for their cattle in Pennsylvania and in that early day they drove the stock across the coun- try to the far eastern state. Whenever it was possible for Mr. Bloomfield to leave the store he availed himself of the opportunity for work on the outside, which he not only enjoyed but also availed himself of the op- portunities of study afforded by outdoor work and farm life. The firm known as Russey & Jack in which his father was equally in- terested owned a farm located about one- half mile outside of the corporate limits of the town and on that farm they kept their hogs. This farm is now in the heart of the gas belt of Indiana and is valued at many thousands of dollars per acre. They, how- ever, disposed of the property at a mere trifle. In 1849 Mr. Bloomfield drove a six- mule team across the plains to California, making the last camp on the journey at Nevada City in September, 1849. At that place the wagon train, which consisted of sixteen wagons, disbanded and he turned his attention to mining on the Yuba river. In the fall of 1851 he removed to Marysville, California, where he continued to live un- til 1858. In that year the Fraser river gold excitement broke out and lie at once went to the new gold camp, where he spent one summer. In the fall of that year he came to Portland and there remained for one year, after which time he located in Eu- gene and lived in that place until 1861. In the spring of that year he went with a prospecting party to the Blue Bucket gold diggings in Malheur county but, finding no gold, the company went north through Walla Walla to the Salmon river country, where Mr. Bloomfield staked a mining claim and spent the winter in Florence. In the spring and summer following he worked his clain out and was fortunate in cleaning up fif- teen to sixteen hundred dollars. In the fall of 1862 he returned to Eugene and there engaged in carpenter work and also conducted a butcher shop. He later was employed in the United States surveyor general's office as head draftsman under General E. L. Ap- plegate for about two years. In 1869 or 1870, he left Eugene and took up work with the Oregon & California Railroad Company as draftsman. The company desired a com- plete set of maps of the state in which their land grants lay and he was placed in charge of that work, with offices at Salem, where he remained for about two years, after which time he was called by the com- pany to the Portland offices and there was engaged in work as draftsman until 1876. He then left the employ of the railroad com- pany and came to Oakland and lived for two years on his father-in-law's farm, located near that city. He then established liis home in Oakland and engaged in the contract- ing and building business, in which he con- tinued for some time. In those early days he served for a number of years as justice of the peace and in 1892 he took a contract from the United States government to go to

MR. AND MRS. J. T. BLOOMFIELD

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Roseburg and straighten out their maps by making the necessary corrections and in addi- tion to that work make new maps of the United States Land district in the place of the old and imperfect maps on file. He re- ceived as compensation for his services the sum of twelve hundred dollars.

Mr. Bloomfield was united in marriage Octo- ber 19, 1862, to Miss Fannie M. Hall, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Dr. Langley and Sarah Alice (Ligo) Hall, the former a promi- nent physician of his time who crossed the plains from Illinois to Oregon in 1853 and located on a farm in Douglas county when his daughter was eleven years of age. Both her parents were natives of England and emi- grated to America in 1836 locating in Stark county, Illinois. He was a farmer and im- ported sheep and was the first man to sell wool in Chicago off imported sheep. He also practiced medicine very successfully. Mr. Bloomfield is affiliated with the republican party but has never been an aspirant for po- litical preferment. He is a member of Umpqua Lodge, No. 37, I. O. O. F., having been initiated in that order in Indiana in the winter of 1845-46, thus giving him the almost unparalleled record of having been an Odd Fellow for sixty-seven years. He is at present one of the oldest members of the order in this state. He has also been a member of the grand lodge for nearly forty- eight years and was grand master of the jurisdiction in 1867-68. He and his wife are members of the Episcopal church. Mr. Bloomfield has so lived during his life as to gain and maintain the respect and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact and now in his advanced age is still a man of wide influence and is accounted as one of the desirable and most useful citizens of his part of Oregon.

I. N. LEWIS is one of the exemplary agri- culturists of Jackson county. He is the owner of eighty acres of the best land in the rich agricultural state of Oregon and to the development of his beautiful farm he has for a number of years given his entire time and energy and has invested his surplus capital. He was born in Polk county, Ore- gon, on the 15th of August, 1860, and is one of ten children born to John and Polly (Turner) Lewis. He was reared in his father's home and received his education in the public schools. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he started in life for himself. He engaged in mining at once on leaving the parental roof and continued in that business for fifteen years. On giving up the mining business he entered a government homestead of eighty acres, on which he built his home and where he has since continued to reside.

In 1885 Mr. Lewis was married to Miss Ettie Heckathorne, a native of California, by whom he has seven children, Irvin. Ola, Bessie, Elmer, Orpha, Trueman and Lydia. All are living and reside in Oregon. Mr. Lewis is affiliated with the republican party and is an enthusiastic advocate of both state and national' issues indorsed by his party.

He is one of the industrious farmers of his community, and in his occupation as an agri- culturist he is proving that the soils of Ore- gon, when well cultivated and intelligently cared for, are capable of producing gratifying incomes and remarkable harvests.

GEORGE C. MOREHOUSE is the owner of thirty-seven acres of rich farming land, three and one-half miles from Gravel Ford, near Fox bridge, on the Coquille river. It is a valuable property, well improved, and in its development the owner is giving evidence of a thorough understanding of the most mod- ern and progressive principles of agriculture. He was born in Iowa and is a son of Cor- nelius and Melissa (Crawford) Morehouse, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Iowa. George C. Morehouse is one of six children born to his parents, the others be- ing: Charley, who resides in Coos county; Albert, of Eugene, Oregon; Lysle, of Pasa- dena, California; Alice, deceased; and one who died in infancy. The father was a printer by trade and worked at this occupa- tion in Iowa for some years. He died when his son George was nine years of age.

George C. Morehouse was educated in the public schools of Iowa until he reached his fourteenth year. He was then obliged to gain a livelihood for himself and in order to do this accepted a position in a restau- rant, where he worked for five years. He later went to Kansas and engaged in the hardware business in the employ of others for a short time, before he went to New Mexico. He spent one year in machine shops in various parts of that state and then went to California, where he was employed in the lumber line in San Diego for some time. Subsequently he started in business for him- self as the owner of a cattle ranch, which he operated with much success for four years. He bought and sold high grade cattle and horses and became known as an expert in that line of activity but later he went to the gold mines of California, and worked for wages and prospected on his own account for five years. At the end of that time he removed to Coos county, where he was. mar- ried and immediately began logging, which he continued until he determined to devote his entire attention to cultivating the soil. He rented a large farm near Gravel Ford, Oregon, and was so successful as a practical farmer that in 1910 he was enabled to buy the land which comprises thirty-seven acres and has on it a prosperous dairy. Mr. Morehouse keeps fifteen cows for milking purposes. He has his entire farm under cul- tivation and plants it in the most suitable grains and grasses. He gives careful atten- tion to the planting and harvesting and is known throughout Coos county as an enter- prising and representative citizen. He en- gages also in stock-raising and his high grade horses and cows form a valuable source of income to him. His farm is well kept, the soil is productive, its buildings are modern and efficient and his stock is of good breeding.

On January 2, 1897, Mr. Morehouse was united in marriage to Miss Lulu Hall, a

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native of Oregon and a daughter of William S. and Martha (Lamb) Hall, both of whom were born in Missouri and were among the early settlers in Coos county. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were the parents of seven children: Annie, the wife of Riley Matheny, of Airlie, Oregon; Bertha, the wife of Leland Minard, of Fishtrap, Oregon; Lulu, the wife of our subject; James, of Coos county; Mrs. Mary Hervey, of Lee, Oregon; Thomas, of Gravel Ford; and Amanda, the wife of Thomas Weekly, of Gravel Ford. To Mr. and Mrs. Morehouse have been born seven children: Ermal, whose birth occurred July 21, 1898, and who is attending school; Lela, born November 5, 1899, who is also pursuing her studies; Lida, born November 29, 1901, who attends school; Eltice, born October 23, 1902, and Delta, born June 15, 1905, both of whom are pupils in the Coos county schools; Er- old, born November 2, 1908; and Nelda, born October 23, 1909. Mr. Morehouse affiliates with the Farmers Union, is a prominent member of the Grange and is also active in the Sons of Veterans. In his political views he is consistently republican but has never taken an active part in local affairs, pre- ferring to devote his entire attention to his farming interests.

JAMES EDWARD METZGER is an enter- prising young business man of Gresham, where he was born on the 2d of October, 1885, his parents being J. H. and Eliza E. (Winters) Metzger. The father was born in Illinois on the 19th of December, 1852, and is of Dutch extraction, being a direct descend- ant of Von Theobolt Metzger. The maternal grandfather was a native of Germany and the grandmother of Ireland, and they were married in New York, whence they migrated to Oregon when Mrs. J. H. Metzger was a child of nine years, settling on a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres near Gresham. Here she was reared to the age of sixteen years when she married Mr. Metzger. Her parents are now both de- ceased, the father having died in 1908 while her mother passed away in 1886. They had three children, of whom Mrs. Metzger was the oldest, the others being as follows: Annie, the wife of R. W. Gibbs, of Gresham, and the mother of three children, Lela, Arlie and Deway; and Roy L. also a resident of Gresham, who has seven children. J. H. Metzger was one of seven children born to his parents. Louis, who lives here, has three children: Louis, Jr .; Elma; and Genevieve now Mrs. Oswell. Daniel, who also lives in Gresham, has one child, Lucy, now the wife of S. E. Toepleman. Henry, who is a resi- dent of Gresham, is the father of five chil- dren: Albert, William, Frank, Pearl and Elsie. Eli, who is now deceased, left the fol- lowing children: Ford; Delbert, who lives in Honolulu; and Violet, a resident of Topeka, Kansas. Louise was the wife of Emanuel Underwood and both are deceased. Margaret is also deceased. The family of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Metzger numbered seven, as fol- lows: Benjamin, who is living with his parents; James Edward, onr subject; Cecil

Eugene, of Gresliam, who married Miss Hilda. Gulekenson and is the father of one child; Floyd Sanford and Walter Willard, both of whom are attending school and living at home; John Frederick, who is deceased; and one who died in infancy. In early manhood the father crossed the plains to Oregon, set- tling in the vicinity of Gresham, and here two or three years later he was joined by his parents and the other members of his family. He had never been trained to any- thing but agricultural pursuits, and when he first came worked on a dairy ranch. Subse- quently he purchased the J. P. O. Lonsdale farm now the Cotton ranch near Gresham, which he operated most successfully for sev- eral years. He then disposed of it and turned his attention to mercantile pursuits. He was actively engaged in business here for eight years, at the expiration of which time he retired, but he has since resumed his connection with commercial enterprises.

James Edward Metzger was reared at home and received his education in the public schools of Gresham and a business college at Portland. At the age of twenty-two years he engaged in business as the proprietor of a livery stable which he operated for two years. He then withdrew from this line of business and has ever since been associated with his father-in-law, R. R. Carlson. Mr. Metzger has been successful and is now the owner of five thousand dollars worth of real estate which he has acquired through his own efforts.

For his wife Mr. Metzger chose Miss Mil- dred S. Carlson, whose natal day was the 18th of August, 1889, her parents being R. R. and Jenoqua S. (Jackson) Carlson, natives of Wisconsin. Mrs. Metzger, who is an only child, was educated at Willamette Uni- versity, of which institution she is a grad- uate. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Metzger, Gwendolyn Jenoqua, whose birth occurred on the 18th of May, 1911.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Metzger are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fra- ternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World and Mrs. Metzger belongs to the Women of Woodcraft. His political support he gives to the republican party. He is a young man of high standards of honor and an excellent record and his friends feel assured of his success.

JAMES H. McCLOSKEY, a native son of Oregon, has conducted a creamery near Nor- way, in. Coos county, for the past seven years. He was born in Gravel Ford, a son of Solomon J. and Mary A. (Steward) McCloskey, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Canada respectively. The father purchased a ranch near Norway in 1882 and three years later, embarked in the merchandising business. When he was appointed postmaster, the post- office was established in his store, and he dis- charged the duties devolving upon him in that connection until the time of his demise, which occurred on the 2d of June. 1909. Since that time his daughter Minnie has had charge of the office. His widow, who still owns

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the mercantile store as well as the home ranch, now resides in Norway. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Solomon J. McCloskey were born nine children, as follows: Agnes J., the wife of William Smith, of Gravel Ford, Oregon; Lucinda, the widow of Evan Morgan, who re- sides in Bandon, Oregon; Thomas William, who is a resident of Myrtle Point, Oregon; Anna S., deceased; Minnie E., the wife of J. L. Lester, of Angiola, California; Flora, the wife of P. W. Laird, of Coquille, Oregon; Clara, who lives with her mother at Norway, Oregon; James H., of this review; and Roy E., who has passed away.

James H. McCloskey began providing for his own support when twenty-one years of age, working on a steamboat for a brother who had a vessel plying between Myrtle Point and Coquille. He was thus employed for twelve years and on the expiration of that period, in 1905, purchased the cream- ery built by George Davis, which he has operated continuously since with gratifying success. In his business methods he is prac- tical as well as progressive and his labors have been attended with excellent results. In 1905, in Coos county, Mr. McCloskey was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Wagner, a native of Oregon and a daugh- ter of Daniel and Mary (Miller) Wagner, both of whom were born in North Carolina. They crossed the plains to this state in the early days, first settling at Rural, Coos county and later taking up their abode at Myrtle Point. Daniel Wagner passed away in 1884, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1890. They were the parents of eight children, namely: Emma E., the wife of E. W. Herman, a brother of Binger Her- man, of Roseburg, Oregon; Robert L., who re- sides in Bandon, Oregon; James M., of Myrtle Point, Oregon; Ella, the wife of Z. C. Strang, of Coquille, Oregon; Lilly C., the wife of Max Dement, of Myrtle Point; Elizabeth, who gave her hand in marriage to J. C. Litt, of Norway, Oregon; Mrs. Sarah A. McCloskey; and Daniel Pugh, who is a resident of Eugene, Oregon.

Mr. McCloskey is a democrat in politics but has no desire for the honors and emolu- ments of office, preferring to devote his un- divided attention to his business interests. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and to the Grange. They have spent their entire lives in Coos county and enjoy an extensive and favorable acquaintance here.

EDMOND E. WEEKLY. A native son of Oregon and a man who has given his activi- ties and energies to the agricultural develop- ment of the state since he was twenty years of age is Edmond E. Weekly, who is bring- ing his seasoned experience and his system- atic agricultural knowledge to the cultiva- tion of four hundred and twenty-seven acres of land in Coos county, comprising one of the most productive and skilfully operated farms in the district. Mr. Weekly was born in Douglas county, Oregon, on January 12, 1859, and is the son of William E. and Irene Weekly, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri. Their marriage

occurred in the last named state and they remained in that section until 1851, when they crossed the plains to Oregon, making the journey with ox teams. They settled in the Willamette valley and a year later came to Douglas county, where the father took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres, eighteen miles west of Roseburg. He improved and cultivated the soil of this tract of land until 1874, when he sold his holdings and came to Coos county, locating on the north fork of the Coquille river. Here he took up one hundred and sixty acres of land and lived upon this property until his death, at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife survived him for a short time, dying when she was sixty-nine years old. They were the parents of ten children, seven of whom are still living: J. S., of Wheeler coun- ty, Oregon; I. T. and Ursula Rose, both of whom reside in Coos county, Mrs. Mary J. Turner, of Portland; Edmond E., of this review; and R. L. and W. M., both of Myrtle Point, Coos county. The two eldest children died in infancy and Jefferson D., the eighth in order of birth, is also deceased.

Edmond E. Weekly received his education in the public schools of Douglas and Coos counties and was active in assisting his father in the work of the farm during his boyhood. He married when he was twenty years of age and immediately started farming on a pre- emption claim which he proved up. He brought this land to a highly developed state and sold it eventually at a good profit. He then purchased a part of his father's original donation claim in Douglas county and for several years followed farming in that sec- tion. He then disposed of his holdings and came to Coos county, where he farmed for two years and met with his success. He spent six years operating a ranch in Kla- math county before he eventually settled near Myrtle creek. In 1906 he bought a farm near Bridge, comprising one hundred and eighty acres of productive land. He gave his personal supervision to the opera- tion of this property for two years but finally rented it in order to purchase the farm upon which he now resides. His hold- ings are located a mile and a half above the' town of Bridge, on the middle fork of the Coquille river, and comprise one of the most extensive and prosperous agricultural prop- erties in Coos county. Mr. Weekly brings to its cultivation a thoroughly scientific knowl- edge of the details of agriculture, which he learned in boyhood upon his father's farm and which he has developed and added to every year of his life. He has made exten- sive improvements upon his property, has added fences, barns and outbuildings and has made it one of the attractive and model farms in the state of Oregon. In addition to this extensive tract of land in Coos county he also owns one hundred and twenty acres of timber land in Douglas county and has made extensive and judicious investments in town property in Myrtle Point. He is a representative and loyal citizen of his state and actively interested in its agricultural development.

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In 1879, when he was twenty years of age, Mr. Weekly was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Waterman, a native of New York state, who came to Oregon in 1876, wlien she was a young girl. She was accompanied by her grandparents and eight years later was joined by her parents, who settled in Coos county and were prominent residents of this section until they died. Mrs. Weekly is the eldest of five children born to her parents, the others being: Emma, who is married and lives in Spokane, Washington; Mrs. Loretta Young, of Coos county; and C. F. and R. A., also residents of the same section. To Mr. and Mrs. Weekly have been born the following children: Mrs. O. E. Laird, of Myrtle Point, Oregon; Mrs. Opal Barker, of Fairview, Coos county; W. M., also residing in Myrtle Point; Smith A., of McKinley, Coos county; and Irene, Edwin and Edith, all of whom are living at home. All of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Weekly received an efficient education in the public schools of Douglas, Coos and Kla- matli counties. Their two eldest daughters taught school for some time previous to their marriages and Irene is still engaged in this occupation. The family affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal church.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 22

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