The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 49

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

USA > Oregon > The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912 > Part 49

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Hayter is liberal in his political views preferring not to affiliate with any party. He takes an intelligent interest in public affairs but has never sought office. He bc- longs to the Woodmen of the World, his only fraternal affiliation. During the forty- eight years of his residence in Oregon he has won true success in gaining the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.

WARREN P. REED who without invidious distinction may be termed the leading busi- ness man of Gardiner and one of the fore- most representatives of commercial and in- dustrial interests in central Oregon, has won that success which follows well formulated plans carefully executed, unfaltering enter- prise and honorable effort. He was born at Winchester Bay, Douglas county, Oregon. March 4, 1876, and is a son of James W. and Ellen (McBride) Reed, both of whom were natives of Lubec, Maine, where they were reared and married. In 1872 they came west to Oregon, settling in Winchester Bay at the mouth of the Umpqua river and for a num- ber of years Mr. Reed engaged in driving stage from the mouth of the Umpqua to Coos Bay. Subsequently he removed to Gardiner and for several years was identified with the live-stock business. For a time he was em- ployed in the mills here and in the '80s he removed to Grays Harbor where for several

years he was identified with the stock busi- ness after which he returned to Gardiner about 1902. Since that time he has managed the live-stock interests of his son, Warren P. Reed. The present mercantile business conducted by Warren P. Reed was established by his uncle, Alfred William Reed, who came to Gardiner in 1870. On his arrival here he found employment as sawyer in Simpson's mills and was subsequently made foreman of the mills. He was one of a party who took the steamer Swan up the Umpqua river to Roseburg, the only time a steamship ever made the trip. Later he became identi- fied with steamboating, becoming one of the owners of the steamer Argo. Subsequently he and William Wade built a steamer which they called The Restless. This vessel plied between Scottsburg and the mouth of the Umpqua, and from that point Mr. Reed's father took the passengers and mail to Coos Bay. Alfred W. Reed subsequently became identified with the salmon-canning industry and purchased an interest in a cooperative cannery which up to that time had not proved a successful enterprise. Under his capable management, however, several thousand dol- lars were cleared on the first year's business, and after paying off some of the indebtedness of the firm Alfred W. Reed purchased the ell- tire plant. The following year a ninety days' catch netted him forty thousand dollars, the gross sales bringing one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. He also established him- self in the mercantile business and in the butchering business and likewise operated a tannery in Scottsburg. In 1896 he opened the Gardiner Creamery which he conducted up to the time of his death. He was not only one of the most prominent factors in business circles here but also served for two terms in the state legislature and was a member of the state senate at the time of his death. He was looking for a site for a hatchery for the government on the North Umpqua just be- low Winchester on the 9th of April, 1899, when the boat was overturned and he and a Mr. McGuire. a member of the state fish com- mittee, were drowned. He was one of the most prominent men of southern Oregon, few doing as much for the upbuilding, improve- ment and advancement of this section of the state.

Warren P. Reed following his uncle's death, took charge of the business to which he suc- ceeded. He had been in his uncle's employ for about eight years prior to his death and therefore was familiar with the different phases and interests of the business and was well qualified to assume entire control. His mercantile business is now one of the most extensive in Douglas county, its sales reach- ing a large annual figure. The Gardiner Creamery was merged with that of the T. S. Townsend Creamery Company of Portland in 1909. that company owning and operating eight creameries in the state. The Gardiner Creamery is one of the most modern in its equipment and one of the most successful individual plants in the state. At the time of the death of Alfred W. Reed the Gardiner Mill Company owned one-third interest in the

ALFRED W. REED

WARREN P. REED

337

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

canning plant. Warren P. Reed later sold his interest in the plant to Elmore & Company of Astoria, but subsequently he purchased the interest of the Gardiner Mill Company and in connection with Elmore & Company in 1907 built the present plant of the Umpqua Packing Company which is one of the most modern and best equipped plants on the Ore- gon coast. This plant has a capacity of one thousand cases of forty-eight pounds each, every ten hours. The enterprise is one of the most modern business interests of this section of the state, furnishing employment to a large number of workmen during the season. Mr. Reed owns and laid out the townsite of Reedsport across the bay from Gardiner on a proposed route of the Eugene & Coos Bay railroad. He owns also four thousand acres of land in and adjoining this townsite. The Townsite Company owns adja- cent to the town a body of water known as Clear lake, capable of supplying water for a population of a half million people. The lake has a meandering shore line of six miles and its depth is from fifty to three hundred feet. Mr. Reed also owns fifteen hundred acres of land adjoining Gardiner, five hundred acres of which is reclaimed marsh land on which he keeps from sixty to seventy dairy cows. He conducts a butcher shop and has removed the tannery from Scottsburg. This tannery has the reputation of turning out the best saddle leather in the country. Mr. Reed is also well known as a stockman, running from fifty to one hundred horses and from six hundred to seven hundred head of cattle on his land. Moreover, he is interested in various financial institutions and in the Gardiner Hotel at that place. Whatever he undertakes seems to prosper. His judgment is sound, his dis- crimination keen and he combines what to others appear diverse elements into a har- monious working whole.

In 1898 Mr. Reed was married to Miss Marjorie H. Wade, a daughter of Captain Henry Wade. and unto them have been born two children. Eva I. and Laura M. Mr. Reed is republican in his political views, but while he has been a dominant factor in the party councils he has had no aspiration for public preferment. On the contrary he has concen- trated his energies upon his business affairs and in 1911 he incorporated his mercantile business, giving some of his employes an in- terest therein so the house is now conducted under the firm style of Reed. Janelle & Com- pany. They not only conduct the mercantile interests but also operate the steamboats which are used for the collection of cream for the creamery.

Warren P. Reed is a member of Aurora Lodge, No. 59, F. & A. M .. of Gardiner; Roseburg Lodge, No. 326. B. P. O. E .; Gar- diner Lodge, No. 132. I. O. O. F .; the Knights of Maccabees of Gardiner; and he and his wife are members of the Martha Chapter. No. 48. O. E. S. Mrs. Reed is a member of the Episcopal church. Both are widely known in this part of the state and are highly es- teemed. Mr. Reed belongs to that class of progressive men who in promoting individual interests contribute to public prosperity. Vol. IV-14

Few men seem to discriminate more readily between the essential and the nonessential not only in business matters but in public affairs and what he has done redounds to the credit and benefit of the community as well as to his individual interests.

E. F. CHENEY. The history of the north- west and its development is familiar to E. F. Cheney. For seven years he was engaged in conducting a fast freight stage line from Lakeview to Anderson, California, a distance of two hundred and forty miles. He is now engaged in the harness-making business in Lakeview but at different periods various other business interests and activities have claimed his time and attention. He was born in Vermont, July 15, 1855, and is a son of E. E. and Abigail (Clark) Cheney, who were also natives of the Green Mountain state. The mother died there when her son E. F. Cheney was but two years of age and later the father married again, his death occurring in South Dakota. He was a carpenter by trade and afterward engaged in the lumber business. In the family were three children, of whom one died in infancy, while Flora has also passed away, leaving E. F. Cheney the only surviving member of the family. After his mother's death he resided with his grandparents until ten years of age, when he returned to his father's home remaining there for four years, but his experience with his stepmother was unpleasant. He remained at home, however, until fourteen years of age in order to get his own mother's gold watch but left as soon as his purpose was accomplished. He was then living in New Hampshire and later he went to Boston. Massachusetts, where he attended school for one winter. He also drove a butcher's wagon in Boston for four and a half years in the employ of one man and at the end of that time went to Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he was married in 1874 to Annette Clark, a native of Vermont, who died in Lakeview in September, 1910, at the age of fifty-five years.

For two years after his marriage E. F. Cheney remained in New Hampshire and in 1876 went to California. He located first at Santa Rosa, where he conducted an ex- press train during a part of his time and devoted some time to carpentering. On the 24th of July. 1878, he arrived in Lakeview, Oregon, where he has since resided and fol- lowed carpentering and ranching.

E. F. Cheney left Santa Rosa, California, with his wife's parents, Israel and Elizabeth Clark, two of his wife's brothers and three other men who were with their families. They arrived in Lassen county, California, where they learned that the Indians were on the warpath in the north. They remained at that place for six weeks, waiting for bet- ter reports before proceeding to their destina- tion, which was Spokane. Some of them, however, became tired of waiting and E. F. Cheney, Nathan Clark. Eli Clark, John Adams and Peter Post built a house there. They later decided, however, to proceed as far as Lakeview. It was a tearful time

338

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

among the women, for they feared that they would be killed by the Indians if they pro- ceeded on the journey. The five men above mentioned came on alone, took up land, es- tablislied homes and then returned for the other members of the party. Ranching was carried on successfully for a number of years and in 1881 Mr. Cheney purchased the Hot Springs, south of town, and began the pro- duction of vegetables. Being the first man to raise garden products in this location, he supplied all the ranchers there with vege- tables that first year, after which, Mr. Chency having demonstrated the possibili- ties along that line, others began to plant gardens. The town was just being founded and one could ride over the country all day without seeing a fence. Mr. Cheney owned Hot Springs for three years, or from 1881 to 1883 inclusive, during which period lie made vegetable growing his chief occupa- tion. From 1883 until 1890 he conducted a fast freight stage line from Lakeview to Anderson, California, a distance of two hun- dred and forty miles. He used a regular coach, with six horses. The trip was made going down in five and a half days but ten days were required for the return, because of coming back with heavy loads up a grade and over the mountains. In 1890 Mr. Cheney began ranching, which he followed until 1900, when he established his present business and has since conducted a harness making shop here. He had learned the trade through the winter months while working on a ranch, acquainting himself with the trade in the shop of S. F. Ahlstrom. He has a good harness business, employing two men all the time and three some of the time in the manufacture of harness and saddlery. He owns his shop on Main street and a good residence on West street, also a ranch of six hundred and sixty acres on the west side of Goose Lake. In the early days he enjoyed some of the fine hunting and fishing and yet indulges in those sports when opportunity offers.

Mr. Cheney has but one son, Albert E., who works in his father's shop, having been thus employed since the business was estab- lished. He married Della Pratt and has one child, Nettie. Our subject has been some- what prominent in local affairs. For the past two years he has served as a member of the city council and exercises his official prerogatives in support of various progress- ive measures. He has been called upon to settle some estates and he is prominent in several fraternal societies, especially so in the Odd Fellows. In the local lodge he has been secretary for many years and also scribe of the encampment, while in the camp of the Woodmen of the World he is banker. He has membership relations with the Forest- ers, the United Workmen and the Degree of Honor, and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party. All phases of pioneer life in this section of the state are familiar to him and he is one of those char- acters who lend picturesqueness to the history of the past because of the varied and interesting experiences which he had as

a stage driver as well as a rancher before entering upon his more quiet, yet equally remunerative, occupation of manufacturing harness and saddlery.

HON. CLARENCE E. RICKER. "The race is to the swift and the battle to the strong," and in business and political activities in Douglas county the Hon. Clarence E. Ricker is both swift and strong. He is the owner of one of the finest ranches on the Smith river and as a representative of one of the leading industries in this section has gained prominence and comparative wealth. He has been identified for many years with political affairs of his state and county and as a member of the Oregon legislature did con- structive work along developing and expand- ing lines. He was born in Maine on the 10th of November, 1850, and is a son of Ezekiel and Catherine P. (Buker) Ricker, both of whom were natives of the Pine Tree state. In 1859 they removed to Minnesota and located in Minneapolis, where they lived for many years and where their deaths occurred.

Clarence E. Ricker was reared at home and educated in the public schools of Minnea- polis. He worked for his livelihood from an early age, engaging in logging in the lumber woods of Minnesota. He was also identified with the sawmill industry and was engaged in this line of occupation until the spring of 1875, when he journeyed west- ward to California. After three months spent in Eureka he started for Oregon, landing in Gardiner on July 22, 1875. He spent the following winter as a student at DeFrance & White's Business College and in the spring of 1876 established his residence in Douglas county. He married in the same year and immediately settled on the north fork of the Smith river, where he took up a preemp- tion claim, proving his title in 1879. He was successful as a general agriculturist for a little over three years and at the end of that time had been prosperous enough to buy his present ranch on the Smith river, at the junction of the north fork. He purchased this property in the summer of 1881 and in the following fall removed to his new home, where he has since resided. He now operates one of the most fertile and productive prop- erties in Douglas county, comprising two hundred acres of land seventeen miles above Gardiner. He brings to its operation a scien- tific knowledge of modern agriculture and a progressive and open mind. He has equipped his holdings with all the newest devices in farm machinery, has erected convenient barns and outbuildings and has brought his prop- erty to a model and attractive state. He represents in his agricultural career the in- telligent and upright qualities which are an important source of the prosperity and de- velopment of the state of Oregon. Iden- tified as he is with one of the principal in- dustries of his section, he holds a prominent place among his fellow citizens, which he has done much to deserve.

Mr. Ricker besides being successful and prosperous as an agriculturist is also promi-

339

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

nent and well known as a politician. He affiliates with the republican party and rep- resented his district in the Oregon state legis- lature in the session of 1889. He has for years been an active worker and a dominat- ing factor in the local republican organiza- tion and his name is a synonym for honor- able and upright qualities of statesmanship.

Mr. Ricker has been twice married. His first union occurred in 1876, when he wedded Miss Emma E. Sherett, a daughter of John Sherett, who was among the pioneers in the settlement of Douglas county. He crossed the plains with ox teams from New Phila- delphia, Ohio, to Oregon in 1851, locating for a short time in Oregon City, but shortly afterward removed to Scottsburg. In. 1861 he took up a donation claim on the Smith river, sixteen miles above Gardiner, and was successful in its operation for many years. To Mr. Ricker by his first marriage three children were born: Maud I., the wife of Giles Fowler, of Meadow, Oregon; Grace, the wife of Evermont Minor, of Cottage Grove; and Roscoe R., who lives at home. The mother passed away on November 10, 1893, and on February 6, 1897, Mr. Ricker was again married, his second union being with Mrs. C. O. Helmick, who was in her maiden- hood Miss Cora O. Cain, a native of Indiana, who came to Oregon in 1889. To this union were born two children: Warren Dale, who is deceased; and Bernice Olive.

Fraternally Mr. Ricker is a member of Aurora Lodge, No. 59, F. & A. M .; and St. Anthony's Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M., of Minneapolis. For the past five years he has given almost all of his attention to dairy- ing and this in combination with his political career has kept him busy and active. By his swiftness in action and his dominating strength of purpose he has won the race in which he started. There are many more contests open to him equally honorable and worthy, which hold forth conspicuous re- wards to his industry, common sense and intelligence.

JOHN IRWIN is a capable attorney well known as one who has made a strenuous fight for the people to obtain their water rights. In this connection his work has been extremely beneficial to the community, and the city of Klamath Falls and the surround- ing district owe to him a debt of gratitude for his efforts in this connection. His sym- pathy has been with the small farmer who must irrigate his land in order to make it productive rather than with the corporations and companies who, in the building of ditches and the development of irrigation systems, have placed water at almost a prohibitive price. Mr. Irwin is accorded a good law practice, connecting him with much important litigation of his part of the state. He was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1878, a son of John and Margaret J. (Rankin) Irwin, the former a native of West- moreland county, Pennsylvania, and the lat- ter of Armagh, Indiana county, Pennsylvania. The father spent a number of years in Wis- consin and Illinois and in 1859 engaged in

rafting on the Mississippi river. He and his brother Robert operated the first sawmill and cut the timber for the first Catholic church at La Crosse. About the time of the Civil war John Irwin returned to Pennsylvania and spent the remainder of his life in farm- ing. He died in 1889, at the age of sixty-six years, and is survived by his wife, who is residing at Livermore, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, at the age of seventy-five years. In their family were seven children, of whom one daughter died in 1897. Six are yet living.

John Irwin remained at home until he had attained his majority and in the meantime supplemented his public-school education by a course in Jefferson Academy at Canons- burg, Pennsylvania, which he entered at the age of seventeen years, and also in the State Normal School at Slippery Rock, where he was graduated with the class of 1900. He engaged in teaching school for two sessions in Pennsylvania and in the spring of 1902 went to Illinois. In the fall of the same year he made his way to Boulder, Colorado, and entered the law department of the Uni- versity of Colorado, from which he was grad- uated with the class of 1905. He then took the bar examination in that state on the 23d and 24th of June and in March, 1906, was admitted to practice. He spent the months until the following September in traveling through the northwest and on the 19th of October, 1906, settled at Klamath Falls, where he began practice on the 4th of May, 1908. He has since engaged in general prac- tice, taking up the active work of the profession after teaching in the rural schools of this locality for a time. It was with difficulty that he secured his education, for after his father's death it was necessary for him to work upon the home farm through the summer months and he only had the opportunity of attending school in the win- ter seasons. While pursuing his studies in Colorado he devoted the summer months to work in the mines and in the winter seasons conducted a boarding house in order to help pay his way in the law school. He came to Klamath Falls during the long continued struggle over the water rights and his sym- pathy being with the small farmer, he has made it his purpose to extend aid to those who need it most and has done good work in behalf of the people against corporation greed. He is a capable lawyer, strong in argument, logical in his deductions, and has won many verdicts favorable to his clients.

On the 27th of July, 1910, Mr. Irwin was united in marriage to Miss Josephine M. Seng, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, a daughter of Hiram Seng. Mrs. Irwin is a graduate nurse of the La Crosse Hospital of the class of 1911. Both Mr. and Mrs. Irwin have become widely and favorably known during the period of their residence in Klamath Falls. His polit- ical allegiance has always been given to the republican party and he was made its nom- inee for the office of prosecuting attorney of the district comprising Klamath and Lake counties. This nomination is equivalent to an election, as there is no opposing candi-

340

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

date. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Klamath Water Users Association and for the past two years has been vice president of the board. He is now attorney for the Klamath Water Users Asso- ciation and he does other important work as a practitioner, indicating the scope of his knowledge and his devotion to his clients' interests.

JOHN LETSOM, who came to this state in 1850, is one of the few surviving representa- tives of the early pioneers of southern Ore- gon and is one of the most highly esteemed citizens of Donglas county, residing on a ranch six miles northeast of Yoncalla. As an agriculturist he has won a gratifying measure of prosperity, owning three hun- dred acres of valuable land in Scotts valley. His birth occurred in Shropshire, England, on the 13th of March, 1828, his parents being Thomas and Margaret (Davis) Letsom, both of whom were natives of Wales. They came from England to the United States in 1845, and after two years' residence in New York city, removed to Wisconsin, purchas- ing a farm near Racine, on which they spent the remainder of their lives.

John Letsom was a youth of seventeen when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Wisconsin in 1845 but did not remain in that state, returning to New York, where he obtained employment as a die sinker in a steel toy factory. In the spring of 1848 he formed one of the first parties to leave for the California gold fields and made the voy- age by sailing vessel around Cape Horn, reaching his destination at the end of six months. During the following winter he worked in San Francisco and in the spring of 1849 began mining on Stanislaus river, remaining there through the summer. In the fall he formed one of a company of about fifty men who banded themselves together for cooperative mining, but the venture proved unprofitable and Mr. Letsom left the gold fields. In the spring of 1850 he came north, to Oregon, spending the following summer and winter in Milwaukic, Clackamas eounty, where he worked in a blacksmith shop. In the spring of 1851 he went to the gold fields of Yreka, California, and there spent one year. In the spring of 1852 he came to Douglas county, locating about six miles northeast of Yoncalla, where he took up a donation claim of one hundred and sixty acres and where he resided for five years or until he had proved up his claim. During this time he had married the widow of S. M. Lewis, formerly Miss Sarah Harrer, who was a na- tive of Arkansas and who had three living children by her first husband. It was in order to give these children the advantages of an education that in 1861 Mr. Letsom took up his abode in Yoncalla, where he remained for about ten years. On the expiration of that period he removed to the place whereon he has resided continuously since-a fine ranch six miles northeast of Yoncalla. He owns three hundred acres of valuable and productive land and has long been numbered

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 49

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