The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 68

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

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Mr. Henry was married, in 1877, to Miss Rose Filbert, whose birth occurred in Can- ada, on the 29th of April, 1860, her parents being Charles and Delia Filbert. She was left an orphan at the age of five years and thereafter made her home with strangers. and during the succeeding twelve years lived in various portions of the United States. Her first place of residence in this country

was in Buffalo, New York, and from there she was taken to Chicago, where she was liv- ing at the time of the great fire. Her next removal brought her to San Francisco, of which city she was a resident during one of the severe earthquakes in the early days. In 1875 she came to Oregon, locating in Portland, which at that time gave very lit- tle promise of its wonderful development and present position of importance among the cities of the United States. There she was married thirteen months later to John Henry and has ever since made her home in this state. She was one of five children born unto her parents, but has never seen or heard from the other members of her family since she was taken from home at the age of five. Mr. and Mrs. Henry were the par- ents of two children: Cora A., who was born on April 17, 1881, now the wife of J. B. Wetherill, of Sumpter, Oregon; and Alice. whose birth occurred on the 29th of April, 1883, and who died on the 25th of March, 1901.

On the 26th of October, 1909, Mrs. Henry was married to George Newman, who was born in London, England, in 1855, a son of John and Annie (Leet) Newman, also na- tives of England. They came to the United States in 1860, first locating in Summit county, Ohio, where the father bought a small tract of land that he operated for ten years. Disposing of his farm at the end of that time he removed with his family to Polk county, Iowa, where he bought a place that he operated until his retirement. He and his wife then went to Des Moines, where he passed away in 1898. The mother sur- vived until 1907, her demise occurring in the old home in Des Moines at the venerable age of eighty-six years. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Newman, the second in order of birth being the son George, above inentioned. The others are as follows : Jane, who is living in Des Moines; Lillie. who died in England at the age of two years; John, whose birth occurred in Lock- port, New York, now living in Des Moines; Edward, who was born in Ohio, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri; Hannah, also born in Ohio, living in Des Moines; Minnie, whose birth occurred in Ohio, now living in Des Moines; and Arthur and Ollie, both of whoni were natives of Polk county, now deceased.

George Newman, who as a young lad ac- companied his parents when they emigrated to the United States, began his independent career at the age of twenty years, when he married Miss Elizabeth Ellen Porter. She was a native of Polk county and a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Stewart) Porter, the mother a Kentuckian and the father a native of Illinois. Their marriage occurred in Indiana, however, and there they began their domestic life, but subsequently re- moved to Polk county, Iowa, where the fa- ther acquired some government land. He proved up on his homestead and there he and his wife continued to live until their death. All of the hardships and privations that de- volved upon Iowa's first pioneers were en- dured by them. Mr. Porter broke the land

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE NEWMAN

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on his homestead with a wooden plow and a team of oxen, while all of the implements with which he worked during those early days were equally crude. Their family numbered seven, as follows: Edward and Sarah Ann, both of whom are deceased; Mary, who is living in Seattle, Washington; John, who is a resident of Polk county, Iowa; Malinda, of Dallas county, Iowa; Wil- liam, also of Polk county, and Ellen Eliza- beth, the first wife of George Newman. To Mr. and Mrs. Newman there were born six children: John, who died at the age of six years; Ida, the wife of Benjamin McCall, of Idaho; Mary, who died in Seattle at the age of fourteen years; Dora, whose death occurred at Portland when she was fifteen; William, who is married and living in Idaho; and Lillie, the wife of John Chattison, of Beaverton, Oregon.

Mr. and Mrs. Newman are residing on the farm, which has been her home for so many years, and both are well known and highly regarded in Beaverton. She is a member of the Congregational church and he is of the Christian denomination, and both take an earnest interest in all the work of the var- ious departments of their respective churches.

WILLIAM MACKENZIE is one of the en- terprising merchants of Hugo, where he is' engaged in the operation of a general mer- chandising establishment and owns a valua- ble orchard of eighteen and one-half acres. He is a native of Scotland, where he was born August 4, 1875, and is a son of William and Ellen Mackenzie, both of whom were natives of that country and continued to live there . until the time of their death. They were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living.

William Mackenzie was reared in his fa- ther's home and received his early education in the public schools of the district in which he lived and later completed a college course. He remained under the parental roof until sixteen years of age and at that time started in life for himself, his first occupation being that of a common sailor. In that vocation he continued for a period of three years and at the end of that time he returned to his home in Scotland, where he remained for three years. He later emigrated to America and settled in Washington, where he con- tinued to reside for six years and then re- moved to old Mexico, where he was engaged in mining for six years, after which he re- moved to Josephine county, this state, and purchased near Hugo a ranch of one hundred and thirty acres, upon which he located and established his home. He later sold a large portion of that property in small tracts which have since been developed by their owners into commercial orchards. He still owns eighteen and one-half acres of the ranch, on which he has in bearing a fine apple orchard. On May 1, 1911, he opened a general store at Hugo and is meeting with well deserved suc- cess in that business. He is president of the Hugo Telephone Company.

William Mackenzie votes with the republi- can party. He is one of the progressive citi- Vol. IV-19

zens of Josephine county and among his as- sociates and acquaintances is highly respected for his integrity. He takes a deep interest in the affairs of the community in which he lives and is a member of the Hugo Development League.

JULIAN WELLS PERKINS was born Octo- ber 27, 1870, in the manufacturing town of Meriden, Connecticut. His parents were Wil. liam Henry Perkins, born August 6, 1843, in Glastonbury, Connecticut, and Julia Ellen (Atkins) Perkins, born April 5, 1847, in Bris- tol, Connecticut, and both parents were of direct English descent. His father, William H. Perkins, at the outbreak of the Civil war, enlisted in the First Connecticut Volunteers, Heavy Artillery, and served the entire term of four years. At the termination of the war he received his honorable discharge as sergeant, and located in Meriden, Connecti- cut, and was married to Julia Ellen Atkins. William H. Perkins died December 19, 1897. Julia Ellen Perkins still survives at the time of this writing, residing in Portland, Oregon. Two children were born to this union, William G. Perkins, on August 6, 1867, now residing in Portland, Oregon, and Julian Wells Perkins.

Julian Wells Perkins lived in Connecticut with his parents until the age of fourteen, attending the public schools of that state. In the fall of 1884, the entire family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, i which city his father, William H. Perkins, assumed general management, at the solicitation of his wife's uncle, E. C. Atkins, of the saw manufacturing establishment incorporated as E. C. Atkins & Company. J. W. Perkins completed his educa- tion in Indianapolis, and was offered by his father the choice between a profession, with the necessary preparatory education, and a practical life at the factory, including learn- ing the trade as sawmaker, and advancement as merit justified, and he chose the latter. Graduating from the Indianapolis high school in 1888, he immediately entered the factory serving in the various departments, in the office, and on the road as traveling salesman, until his father's death in 1897, at which time he was elected assistant secretary of E. C. Atkins & Company, and also a director, which position he resigned in 1900 to become general manager of the Portland branch of E. C. At- kins & Company, which branch he established and handled successfully until 1903, when on account of failing health he was obliged to leave office work, and he purchased a ranch in Medford, Jackson county, Oregon, for the- purpose of recuperation.

He remained in Medford for your years, from 1904 to 1908, and was active in start- ing the boom which made Medford famous as a fruit-producing center. For three years his orchard, now celebrated and known as Hill- crest, carried the world's record for fruit sold at auction in New York city, obtained on a fancy grade of pears known as Comice. Leav- ing Medford, in 1908, after selling out his property in that section, he went to Rose- burg, Douglas county, Oregon, and his first work was the organization and promotion of

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what is known as the Sutherlin project, being a large irrigated orchard proposition, and in- cluding a town-site proposition, the present town of Sutherlin. This project was pro- moted successfully, and after selling out to advantage he centered his interests in Rose- burg, where he is now promoting a large bitu- minous coal property, which will be by far the most extensive of any of his enterprises. Mr. Perkins erected the Perkins building in Roseburg, completed in 1912, being exclus- ively an office building of the highest grade of construction, and the finest building of its kind in the state of Oregon, outside of the city of Portland.

On January 21, 1902, Mr. Perkins was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Mckay Sherman, of Portland, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Sherman.

The' political affiliations of Mr. Perkins have always been republican, although he leans to the progressive branch of that party and has been firm in the support of its prin- ciples. He was elected on the republican ticket in 1907 to the Oregon state legislature from Jackson county. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, a Knight Templar Mason, and a noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is also prominent in the order of Elks.

CORNELIUS BUCHANAN is one of the large and successful farmers of Lane county. His highly developed ranch is located eight miles above Florence on the Siuslaw river. He was born in North Carolina in the month of April, 1868, and is a son of Joseph D. and Salinda (Harris) Buchanan, both of whom were natives of North Carolina and in that state they were married and established their family home. There Mrs. Buchanan now resides at the age of seventy-one, her husband having died May 10, 1911. To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph D. Buchanan six children were born, four of whom are still living, namely: Marcellus, Mrs. Gertrude Gray and Mrs. Bessie Geisler, all of whom are residents of North Carolina; and Cornelius, of this review.

The last named was reared in his parents' home and educated in the public schools, completing his studies as a graduate of the high school. He remained under the parental roof until the age of nineteen, at which time he began life for himself as an employe of a general merchandising establishment in North Carolina. He continued this relation for one year only, after which he removed to Texas and was engaged for one year on his uncle's ranch in that state and then returned to North Carolina, where he spent two years as deputy United States marshal, after which he was employed as express mes- senger for the Southern Express Company. In the service of that company he remained for three years and then established himself in a general merchandising business in com- pany with his brother at Sylva, North Caro- lina. He continued in the merchandising busi- ness for a period of two years, after which he became deputy county sheriff and served in that office for two years, after which he was employed as brandy gauger for the

brandy distilleries of Jackson county for one year. At the end of that time he again started in the mercantile business, with his brother, Marcellus. To this business he gave his undivided attention for a period of two ycars, after which he was employed for three years as manager by the Buchanan-Grindstaff Mica Mining Company of Haywood county, this company being the owners and operators of the largest mica mining plant in the United States. Their mines were in Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties, North Carolina and their equipment and supplies at Sylva, Jackson county, North Carolina. He also owned the mercantile business that supplied the company's men and the company. Imme- diately after completing his contract period with the Mica Company he purchased a farm near Sylva, North Carolina, upon which he moved and continued to reside and devote his attention to its operation for a period of three years. In connection with his agri- cultural interests he also at this time suc- cessfully operated a custom sawmill. In 1909 Mr. Buchanan sold a portion of his interests in North Carolina and removed to Lane county, Oregon. He arrived in this state on the 16th of March and on the 21st of that month he purchased one hundred and thirty- five acres of land on the north fork of the Siuslaw river, eight miles above the city of Florence. To his original purchase in this state he has since added forty-two acres of merchantable timber land. He still owns real estate in North Carolina and is also the owner of valuable town properties in that state. He resides upon his farm located on the Siuslaw river, where he specializes in dairy cattle and dairy products.

On the 28th of May, 1891, Mr. Buchanan was united in marriage to Miss Katie Keen, whose birth occurred in North Carolina on the 23d of January, 1870, her parents being John R. and Ann (Hannah) Keen, who were born, reared and married in Virginia. During the Civil war they maintained their residence in the state of Georgia and at the close of that conflict they removed to North Carolina, where Mr. Keen passed away on October 21, 1910, after which Mrs. Keen removed to Columbia, South Carolina, of which city she is now a. resident, being in her seventy-fifth year. To Mr. and Mrs. Keen nine children were born, four of whom are still living: Mrs. Scott Brown, of Columbia, South Carolina; William H., of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Charles B., a resident of South Carolina; and Mrs. Katie (Keen) Buchanan. John, Mamie, Frank, Car- rie and Bessie are deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan ten children have been born: · Nimmo, whose natal day was September 11, 1892; Mamie, born January 13, 1894; Wal- ter R., whose birth occurred on the 31st of August, 1895; Katie K., who was born - February 10, 1898, and has passed away; Elizabeth D., born May 20, 1899; Cornelius, Jr., born April 1, 1901; Hilliard B., who died at the age of two years; Nannie B., whose birth occurred on the 26th of June, 1904; and Ray and Fay, who died in infancy. All of the children are pupils of the public school

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463

and two of their number are also students of music.

Cornelius Buchanan is affiliated with the democratic party and follows the standard of that political organization in all its national and state campaigns. He is a member of the Masonic lodge of Sylva, North Carolina, in which he held several official positions. He is likewise identified with the Woodmen of the World at Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Bu- chanan and family are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church.

Cornelius Buchanan, since nineteen years of age, has been constantly engaged in business enterprises in which he has been uniformly successful. He is a man of great activity and studies carefully the details of his various business propositions. He has long since been known among his friends and associates as a man who intelligently operates and di- rects his business interests. His beautiful farm, located above Florence on the Siuslaw river, is of itself an evidence of the wisdom and painstaking methods of its owner, and his success in the dairy business has become a source of public inquiry and education to his surrounding agricultural associates. He is a man of the strictest integrity and his moral- influence is a constant benediction to the community in which he lives.

LOUIS HESSIG. A spirit of enterprise and progress has actuated Louis Hessig throughout the entire period of his connection with business affairs, bringing him to a point where he ranks with the leading merchants of Fort Klamath, where he began business in 1900. He was born at Galena, Illinois, on the 27th of June, 1843, a son of Jacob Hessig, a native of Switzerland, who became a resi- dent of Illinois in pioneer times and was one of the first miners at Galena. He also worked in copper mines in the Mississippi valley until 1849, when he crossed the plains with ox teams. It was a strenuous trip and twelve of the party were killed by Indians. Being one of the early settlers of California, Jacob Hessig took an active part in the work of laying the foundation upon which has been built California's growth and greatness. He followed the carpenter's trade at various min- ing districts and erected a quartz mill at French Gulch. He was connected with many of the leading camps of the state and con- tinued his operations in mining to the time of his death, which occurred in 1862 in Shasta county, California. His funeral services were conducted by the Royal Arch Masons, for he was a worthy member of the chapter. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Rosa Versell, is a native of Switzerland. After his death she married a Mr. Francis and is now living at Edgewood, Shasta county, Cali- fornia, at the age of ninety-two years. She had a brother, Joseph Versell, who lived to be nearly one hundred years of age. He was a pioneer of Rock Island county, Illinois, and was prominent in his community, serving as assessor of his county for about twenty-two years. Louis Hessig is the eldest of three children. His brother, John Hessig, was slain by the Indians in 1864 while mining at Hay-

fork, Trinity county, California, being then but nineteen years of age. Mary, the only daughter, was the wife of Dave Gibson, who went to California in 1849 and was the first man in Humboldt county, that state. He arrived there about 1850 and remained until his death in 1885. He was there when the Laura Virginia came into port-the first ship to enter Humboldt bay. Mr. Gibson also conducted the first pack train into that part of the country and at length he was shot by the Indians, a ball entering his body while an arrow pierced the groin. After being thus injured he staggered back to camp and being mistaken for an Indian by his friends they shot him with a charge of buckshot. He survived all these injuries, however, and lived until 1885.

Louis Hessig came to the Pacific coast by way of the isthmus route in 1854, arriving in San Francisco on the 2d of April. He immediately went to French Gulch to join his father but afterward attended school at Weaverville. Subsequently he engaged in packing in Humboldt county, spending a number of years in that vocation mostly in Humboldt and Trinity counties of Cali- fornia. He afterward engaged in general merchandising with his brother-in-law, Dave Gibson, for fourteen years and subsequently removed to Siskiyou county, where he took up stock-raising. During all these years Mr. Hessig was well acquainted with pioneer life and experiences, being out in the camps, in the snows and storms and enduring all kinds of hardships while performing the arduous labor of a packer. On June 16, 1884, he came to Klamath county and located at Klamath Hot Springs, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising, although he gave the prin- cipal part of his time and attention to the latter. In 1898 he came to Fort Klamath, where he has since 1900 engaged in general merchandising. He has disposed of all of his ranching interests but still has his com- mercial holdings, although during the past three years he has not been personally active in the management of his business affairs.

On the 1st of May, 1872, Mr. Hessig was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Keer, a native of Denmark, who died seventeen years later. They were the parents of four children: Harry Herbert, who is now the owner of his father's old ranch at Shovel Creek, Siskiyou county, California; John Humboldt, who is secretary and manager of the Klamath Telephone & Telegraph Com- pany at Fort Klamath and is also notary public and justice of the peace; Joseph, who spends the summer months at Fort Klamath but makes his home throughout the re- mainder of the year in San Francisco, Cali- fornia; and Mrs. Saloma Josephine Farewell, of San Francisco. The two youngest children are graduates of Heald's Business College of San Francisco. After losing his first wife Mr. Hessig was again married in 1895, his second union being with Mrs. Mary Bridget Frances Butler, a daughter of Patrick and Elizabeth (McCormick) Sullivan, who were natives of Ireland and in 1844 came to the United States settling in Vermont, where

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Mrs. Hessig was born. Later they removed to Burnham, Maine, where they now reside.

Whatever success has come to Louis Hessig is the direct result of his own labors. He began packing as soon as he was old enough to drive and soon owned an outfit of his own. When he retired from that business he was the owner of forty mules that had long been thus used and were most trust- worthy, so that over the rougli mountain trails there was little danger for the burdens that they carried. Mr. Hessig has gone through all the experiences and privations which are incident to such a life and lives to tell many an interesting tale of the early days before this part of the country became thickly settled.

J. H. HESSIG, who since 1904 has been identified with the Klamath Telephone & Telegraph Company, was born in Hydesville, California, June 16, 1880, a son of Louis and Charlotte Hessig, the father a resident of Fort Klamath, while the mother is now deceased. He was one in a family of four children. In 1884 the family removed to Kla- matlı Hot Springs and there J. H. Hessig resided until 1898, when he came to Fort Klamath. He homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land four miles north of Fort Klamath and became identified with agricul- tural interests in this section but since 1904 has been identified with the Klamath Tele- phone & Telegraph Company as its secretary and general manager, in which connection he is rendering valuable service to the public through the efficient service which the com- pany gives to its patrons.

In 1910 Mr. Hessig was married to Miss Augusta Melhase, who was born at Fort Kla- math, February 27, 1893, and is a daughter of Richard Melhase. They now have one son, Richard Louis. In politics Mr. Hessig is a democrat and has served as justice of the peace, in which connection he has rendered decisions that are strictly fair and impartial and proved his fidelity in office. His fra- ternal relations are with the Masons and the organization finds in him a worthy represen- tative.

CARL KIMMEL. When death overtook Carl Kimmel at the early age of thirty-five years it cut off one of the most active citizens of Canyonville, Oregon, in the full tide of a, promising career. He was a native of Ger- many, born October 27, 1861. His death oc- curred March 22, 1897. His parents were God- fred and Elizabeth (Kaylor) Kimmel, who lived and died in their native country.

The son received his education in the pub- lic schools of his native country and remained at home until he was twenty-five years old. In 1887 he crossed the Atlantic to America and landed in New York. From there he came directly to Canyonville, Oregon, and bought a ranch in Douglas county near this city, which he operated for one year. He had learned the trade of wagon-making in his native country and after this period of farm life he entered upon this as an occupa- tion and worked in his wagon-making shop

until his death. His sturdy German qualities of unflagging industry and intelligent thrift made him extremely successful in this line of work. He saved his money and acquired a moderate fortune, which he invested judi- ciously in farm lands of the section in which he lived.

Mr. Kimmel was married in Germany, in 1887, to Miss Fredericka Sharr and they be- came the parents of four children: Annie, who died January 21, 1900; Max; Clara; and Elsa. During his life Mr. Kimmel was a prominent member of the Methodist Episco- pal church and in this faith he died in 1897 and was buried at Canyonville, Oregon. His wife still survives him and is well known in this district as a capable and efficient busi- ness woman. She is sole owner of the most important hotel in Canyonville and is per- sonally active in its operation. She is the proprietor of seventy-one acres of improved and cultivated farm land in Douglas county and is extensively interested in town prop- erty in Canyonville. She is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star, the Degree of Honor and the Rebekahs. Mr. Kimmel was a member of the Masonic order, Douglas Lodge. I. O. O. F., and of the Workmen. His success during his short span of life might well be envied by a much older man. His career exemplified the rewards which come to a man who carries on his work actively and intelligently, and his early death will long be regarded by his many friends as a distinct loss to his community.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 68

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