The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 73

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

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one he filed upon a government homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson county. This land he occupied and improved and as the years brought abundant harvests and increased means as compensation for his devoted toil he was enabled to make ad- ditional investments in land, until he ac- quired four hundred and seven acres to which be has given the best years of his life in development and careful systematic atten- tion. He confines his agricultural interests entirely to the raising of cereals and hay and in their production his farm is in no way behind the prize-winning farms in this un- usually rich portion of the state of Oregon.

Mr. Rose has been twice married. At the age of twenty-two he wedded Miss Nael, a native of Oregon. Mrs. Rose died in 1879, and is buried in the cemetery on Williams creek. He was later married to Miss Lottie Rogers and to this union a daughter was born, Gladys, who makes her home with her father. The mother died February 22, 1910, and is buried in the cemetery of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Jack- sonville, Oregon.

O. E. Rose is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a republican in politics. He is one of the substantial and valuable citizens of his county. His long years of residence in Applegate together with his consistent life ever accentuated by integrity and loyalty to all that is true and best for the commonwealth in which he lives have earned for him the high esteem to which the practice of these virtues justly entitles all men. His hearty cooperation and help in all matters relating to the further advancement of his county and community can always be relied upon to contribute to the benefit of the general public.

WILLIAM P. MILLER, who is living at 317 Miller avenue, Dallas, is successfully en- gaged in diversified farming in Polk county. He was born at Adel, Iowa, on the 17th of July, 1870, a son of William and Lydia (Leming) Miller. The father was born in Clay county, Illinois, December 28, 1831, his parents being William Wilson and Lucinda (Wilkinson) Miller, the former a native of Kentucky, and a son of John Miller, one of the pioneer settlers of the Blue Grass state. In his early manhood William Wilson Miller removed to Indiana, where he was subse- quently married. The first six years of their domestic life he and his wife spent in- Indiana, but at the end of that time they went to Clay county, Illinois. They re- mained there for four years then located in Hancock county, whence they removed, in 1843, to Jefferson county, Iowa. They next located in Dallas county, that state, taking up their residence there in 1846, and were the first white family to settle west of Fort Des Moines. There the mother passed away in 1862, after which the father, with two of his children, Elijah and Jane, started across the plains to Oregon. They located in Dallas and there the father passed away in 1866. William Miller, who had been mar- ried in Iowa, in 1857, later started across the

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

country to Oregon to join his father and the other members of his family. He made the journey in three months and eighteen days, which was considered excellent time in those days, as the teams had to walk all of the way. Upon his arrival here he engaged in the sawmill business, but owing to the hardships and privations incident to frontier life he becaine disgusted with things gener- ally and in 1869 started back to Iowa. There was quite a large party making the journey east and Mr. Miller was made cap- tain of the wagon train. His short resi- dence in the west had unfitted him for the conditions he found in Iowa upon his return, and in 1871, with his wife and family, he again started for Oregon. He again en- gaged in the sawmill business, but at the end of three years he abandoned milling and leasing some land, at a rental of four hun- dred dollars cash, took up farming. This proved to be quite a successful venture and after renting land for eight years he pur- chased a tract of two hundred and fifty-two acres, for which he was compelled to incur a debt of five thousand dollars. He indus- triously applied himself to the improvement of this place during the remainder of his active career, making it one of the valuable properties of the county. As his children reached maturity he gave them portions of the land and he and his wife removed to Dallas and lived retired. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Miller there were born six children, but they lost three sons in infancy. Those living are as follows: Mrs. Chloe Butts, Mrs. Lucretia Holman and William P. The father of this family passed away January 27, 1912, at the age of eighty years, but the mother still survives and makes her home in Dallas. In his political views Mr. Miller was a prohibitionist and cast his vote in support of the candidates of that party since 1853. He held membership in the Christian church, having united with this organization in 1858.

The birth of William P. Miller occurred during the return trip of his parents to Iowa from Oregon, but as he was less than two years of age when they again located in the northwest, practically his entire life has been spent in this state. In the acquire- ment of his education he attended the pub- lic schools of Dallas and graduated from the academy in 1891. Having been trained in agricultural pursuits from his earliest boy- hood, naturally when ready to adopt a voca- tion he selected the one he felt he was best qualified to successfully follow. He has been very successful in his undertaking and has recently erected the beautiful modern residence now occupied by himself and fam- ily. The greater part of his land is devoted to the raising of small fruits and vegetables. On his farm he keeps thoroughbred poultry and engages in dairying, having a fine herd of Jersey cows. His business sagacity and clear judgment as well as his agricultural skill are ably manifested in the annual re- turns yielded by his ranch, the operation of which is under his personal supervision.

In 1894, Mr. Miller was united in mar- riage to Miss Grace Chapin, a daughter of Rawson H. and Cordelia (King) Cliapin. Her birth occurred at Kelleys Island, Ohio, August 1, 1870, but she was taken to Kansas when two years of age, where she lived to her eighteenth year, when she came to Dal- las. Rawson Chapin was born in the state of New York and was a son of Luther and Mary (Brewer) Chapin, the mother a distant relative of Chief Justice Brewer. Luther Chapin, who was born and reared in Massa- chusetts, always engaged in farming, first in his native state and later in New York, while his last years were spent in Michigan. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Luther Chapin there were born the following children: Luther, Wallace, Henry, Rawson, Brewer, Martin, Mary and Webster. When old enough to de- cide upon a vocation, Rawson Chapin decided to follow the lakes, and being an ambitious and enterprising young man he rose to the position of captain, having had the command of several different sailing vessels. Later he withdrew from this and turned his atten- tion to farming first in Ohio, where he owned a large vineyard, and later in Kansas and Oregon. In 1866 Captain Rawson Cha- pin was married to Miss Cordelia King, who was born in Michigan, on the 22d of April, 1837. They began their domestic life on a farm in Ohio, whence they later removed to Kansas, locating in Ottawa county, where they filed on a homestead. In 1889 they went to Oregon, settling on a ranch near Dallas, which Mr. Chapin operated until 1899. In the latter year they removed to Ellensburg, Washington, and there the father died in 1902, at the age of sixty-nine, his natal day being December 17, 1833. He was a progressive man in all of his ideas, par- ticularly in his political views, always cham- pioning every new party, the principles of which he felt assured better government and a higher standard of citizenship. When first granted the right of franchise upon attain- ing his majority he voted the republican ticket, but he transferred his allegiance to the greenback party when that was formed, while he later became a populist. He next voted the prohibition ticket and at the time . of his death he was a socialist, believing that this party's policy promised the solu- tion, if put into practice, of many of the most complex matters confronting the public today. In religious faith he was a Method- ist, as is also his widow, who now makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Chapin became the parents of four children: Frank, who is a contractor and builder at Ellensburg, Washington; Mrs. Grace Miller; Luther J., who is state agronomist of the Western Washington Ex- periment Station; and Alice Mary, who mar- ried J. L. Dunn, of Portland, Oregon.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born nine children, as follows: Harold, who was born August 22, 1895, now in high school; Aileen, who was born April 1, 1897, and died July 8, 1907, as the result of injuries sus- tained at school; Ruth L., whose birth oc- curred on the 31st of December, 1898; Wil-

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liam Earl, who was born January 27, 1901, and was accidentally shot on the 30th of July, 1910; Marjorie, who was born Decem- ber 29, 1902, and died on the 21st of Febru- ary, 1903; Pauline G., who was born Decem- ber 8, 1903; Paul F., whose birth occurred February 10, 1906; Raymond L., who was born on the 25th of July, 1908; and Claire M., born on June 25, 1909.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Miller are active mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a helpful interest in the work of the various departments, particularly that of the Sunday school, Mr. Miller having the larg- est class of boys in Dallas. He is one of the public-spirited men of the town and de- votes much of his time and attention to the betterment of local conditions. His political views accord with the principles of the pro- hibition party, and since 1908 he has been chairman of the central committee, having held this office when the county was voted dry. He is also chairman of the law and enforcement league. Every movement in- augurated for the betterment of conditions affecting the moral welfare of the community receives the indorsement and cooperation of Mr. Miller, who has high standards of the duties of citizenship. He is a man of worth to the locality by reason of his high prin- ciples and many substantial personal qual- ities.

RUDOLPHUS. S. KNOWLTON. One of the most prominent and highly respected citizens of Coquille is Rudolphus S. Knowl- ton, who beside conducting a flourishing drug business in the city is president of the Farmers & Merchants Bank and a stock- holder in various other important enterprises. He gives most of his attention, however, to his drug store, which is one of the finest in Coquille and which he has made expand and grow by constantly following progress- ive and upright methods. Mr. Knowlton was born in Tennessee in 1855 and is a son of Horace C. and Mary Agnes (Stone) Knowl- ton, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Tennessee. The father of our sub- ject was of New England ancestry, his people having settled in Massachusetts at an early date. His marriage, however, oc- curred in Tennessee, and in that state he owned a large plantation which he operated for a number of years. He later followed the blacksmith's trade, which he had learned under his father, and afterward engaged in the sawmilling business. He was left almost bankrupt after the war and engaged in farm- ing until his death. He and his wife had nine children: Mary C., the widow of Dr. M. C. Wells; Horace C .; Rudolphus S., of this review; Charles, deceased; Emerson E .; John D .; William; Bruce, who died at the age of eight; and Lelia, the wife of John Cate.

Rudolphus S. Knowlton grew up upon his father's plantation in Tennessee and assisted his father in the work of the fields for a number of years. He was not yet twenty- one years old when the family moved to Arkansas and in that state he took a· course in the Searcy Academy. He broadened his

knowledge by making use of every opportu- nity and by constant and well selected read- ing and fitted himself for teaching, follow- ing this occupation in the country schools for two years. He afterward studied phar- macy and while he was taking this course worked in a local drug store. After some time he took charge of a similar enterprise in Lonoke, Arkansas, managing the store for its owner, who was a practicing physician. He lived in that city for seven years and then secured a position in a pharmacy in San Francisco. After two years he came to Coos bay, settling at Empire, which was then the county seat, and clerked in a drug store for two years, saving his money until he was able to establish himself in business in Coquille. He took charge of his enter- prise in 1890 and two years afterward lost his entire savings in a fire which devastated the town. However, he immediately rebuilt, purchased a new stock and reopened his busi- ness, which he has continued since that time. He was one of the organizers of the Farm- ers & Merchants Bank, which opened its doors on March 10, 1909. He was elected president at that time and has held this office ever since.

On May 2, 1892, Mr. Knowlton was united in marriage to Miss Annie Hayter, a na- tive of Coos county and a daughter of W. L. Hayter, one of the earliest settlers on the Coquille river. He crossed the plains from Missouri at an early date and settled in Polk county, coming in 1865 to Coos county and locating on the Coquille river, where he died in 1908, at the age of eighty- five years. Mrs. Knowlton is one of a fam- ily of fifteen children, namely: Dosia; Rich- ard M .; Melvin; James T .; William R .; Annie; Cora; Ella; Robert; Editlı; May; Wilbur O .; Charles A., who was accidentally killed in March, 1909; Andrew J .; and Eliza- beth, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Knowlton have three children, Owen H., R. Clay and Naomi.

Mr. Knowlton gives his allegiance to the democratic party but never seeks public office. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. His business abil- ity, his belief in the future of his section, his interest in local growth and improve- ment, all entitle him to his present represen- tative place among the citizens of Coquille.

RUFUS N. PHELPS has resided almost continuously in Lake county since 1873 and during the greater part of the time has been connected with the sheep industry, but in 1912 he opened a livery barn in Paisley. He is also the owner of a blacksmith shop and feed yard. He was born May 13, 1869, in Washington Territory, while his parents were en route from Ohio to Portland, Ore- gon. His father, Joseph B. Phelps, was born in the Buckeye state in 1822 and was there married to Mary A. Prior, whose birth oc- curred in Pennsylvania in 1830. Starting westward they drove across the country, stopping at different points for a year or two but ultimately locating in Portland. After a short time they removed to Rose-

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burg and Mr. Phelps was employed on the construction of a railroad in the bridge- building department. In June, 1873, he re- moved to Drews valley in Lake county, where he remained for ten years, during which period he was engaged in running stock on the range. On the expiration of that decade he removed to Paisley and in 1898 took up his abode at Grants Pass, where he died in 1902. His wife survived him for five years, passing away in 1907. Joseph B. Phelps had followed carpentering and also conducted a hotel in the east, but after coming to the northwest had engaged in the cultivation of ranch property and in stock- raising. To him and his wife were born nine children of whom three died in infancy, the otliers being: Charles, a resident of Siskiyou county, California; Caroline, the wife of Dan Cameron, of Gold Hill, Oregon; Ida Kate, the wife of J. H. Bull, of San Juan, California; Jennie, the wife of S. P. Cleland, of Arizona; Joseph B., also living in Arizona; and Rufus N.

Rufus N. Phelps was about four years of age when the family came to Lake county, where he has since made his home with the exception of a year spent in Reno, Nevada, and six years in the gold mines at Grants Pass. The sheep industry claimed his at- tention throughout the greater part of the period of his residence in Lake county but in 1912 he purchased a livery stable in Pais- ley and erected a barn one hundred by sixty feet. The mows hold one hundred and thir- teen tons of hay. He keeps seven teams and two saddle horses and also conducts a feed yard. He is also the owner of a black- smith shop which, however, he rents out.

On the 17th of April, 1895, Mr. Phelps was united in marriage to Miss Adelaide Ross, who was born in Jackson county, Ore- gon, in 1867, and is a daughter of General John E. Ross, long a prominent and influ- ential resident of this state. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps are the parents of four children, Ross, Marie Ethel, Eva and Carl. The fam- ily is well known in Paisley and Lake county and they have many friends here. Mr. Phelps has led a busy and useful life, work- ing persistently for the success which he has attained and giving his attention at all times closely to his work.

JOHN L. POWELL. The state of Oregon lost a pioneer and a man whose life had been closely identified with the settlement, growth and change in the state when John L. Powell died on June 11, 1900, in Bandon. He was eighty-four years at the time of his death and had spent almost forty-five years in Oregon. He saw the evolution of a wild and unsettled country filled with hostile Indians into a pro- ductive, fertile region, rich in developed re- sources and supplied with all the conveniences of modern civilization. The history of his life is interesting and its results have been valuable. He was born at Circleville, Picka- way county, Ohio, July 11, 1816. His parents were of German descent and moved at an early date to Sangamon county, Illinois, tak-

ing with them their family of four sons and two daughters.

Mr. Powell remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age. He then went with his brother-in-law to Whiteside county, Illi- nois, where they purchased government land. He remained in this section until 1850, when lie was influenced by reports of the rich Cali- fornia gold discoveries to journey westward. His original intention was to remain but a short time and he left his family in Illinois. However, his gold hunting proved unsuccess- ful. He reached the Pacific coast, leading one worn-out horse, which was all that remained of an extensive outfit. He mined during the following winter without success and at the end of that time determined to try his for- tune in southern Oregon. He journeyed by boat to Portland, Oregon, went from there to Jacksonville in Jackson county and mined for a short time in that vicinity and at other points. He still met with no success and his life at this time was filled with the hardships incident to poverty. He took supplies on mules and journeyed to the different mining camps, from Scottsburg to Ellensburg and to Crescent City and at one time engaged in the freighting business, having his head- quarters at the latter point. He was with a government surveying party and his compan- ions named Powell creek, a tributary of Wil- liams creek, in his honor. He was, however, still unsuccessful financially and in 1852 de- termined to make a definite settlement in Oregon and engage in farming. He took up a donation claim of one hundred and sixty acres on Williams creek and with several others located his home in that section in 1856. The land was raw and unimproved and the conditions of living primitive. Mr. Pow- ell encountered all of the hardships and some of the dangers of pioneer life and his indi- vidual experiences made his character even more forceful and vital. Immediately after he took up his land he set about improving and developing it. He built farm buildings out of logs, erected a residence and divided his fields by rail fences. His success was be- coming noticeably greater at the time when the Indians became hostile. Mr. Powell left his property for one season in order to jour- ney to the Willamette valley and during his absence everything which he owned was burned and destroyed together with the barns, outbuildings and homes of the other settlers. The savages spared the lives of the settlers on condition that they would not try to save their property. When he returned to his farm he found it a desolate tract of land but lie did not allow himself to become discouraged and immediately set about the work of re- building. From that time until his death, which occurred in June, 1900, he was greatly successful, although he met with reverses from time to time. He brought to his vocation an industry and thrift, which were important qualities in his character, and a practical knowledge gained through long and hard ex- perience. His farm yielded him abundant har- vests and became ultimately one of the most highly developed and important properties in the section.

JOHN L. POWELL

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In 1837 Mr. Powell was united in marriage to Miss Clarinda Campbell, formerly of Ken- tucky, and to their union were born five children, two of whom are still living: F. M. Powell, who is now in business in Chicago; and Mrs. E. E. Topping. The latter with her husband and four children came to Oregon in 1869 as a passenger on the first railroad train across the continent. They made their home with the subject of this review upon his dona- tion claim and here George P. Topping was born August 15, 1871. He is now practicing law at Bandon. F. A. Topping, another grand- son of our subject, is still farming the origi- nal donation claim in partnership with his mother. They have added forty acres to the tract, making it at the present time two hun. dred acres. Mr. Topping is a practical farmer and his methods have resulted in making the land which he operates more productive every year. The two youngest children born to Mr. and Mrs. O. F. Topping were Mrs. James W. Turvey, who resides with her family on Williams creek; and George P. Topping, men- tioned above, who lives at Bandon, Oregon.

Mr. Powell died on June 11, 1900, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. His descend- ants number twenty-three living, one son and one daughter, three grandchildren and eight- een great-grandchildren. Three of his sons served in the Civil war and the one who is now living, F. M. Powell, is a veteran of that conflict. The pioneers in Oregon were force- ful, sturdy and vital men and the conditions of their living tested these qualities to their utmost and intensified them to a great de- gree. Mr. Powell had all the characteristics of an able frontiersman. He saw the develop- ment of a great section and to the best of his ability assisted in it. His life was, there- fore, useful and valuable, as it was at all times straightforward and upright.

HUGH R. GRANT, deceased, was a res- ident of Polk county for fifty-nine years, during the greater part of which time he was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was born in Lafayette county, Missouri, on the 10th of November, 1830, his parents being John and Mary (Rice) Grant, who spent their entire lives in Ten- nessee. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. John Grant were the following children: a son, who died in infancy; Hugh R., our subject; James, who is living in Davis county, Mis- souri; Nancy Ann, the deceased wife of Reed Brown; Benton, who died at Pikes Peak, Colorado; Rachel I., who is living in Davis county, Missouri; and John Milton, who lives in Joplin, Missouri. The family al- ways attended the Presbyterian church, of which the mother was a member, and the father accorded his political support to the democratic party.

As he was the eldest of a large family. of very limited circumstances, Hugh R. Grant had but meager schooling. He remained at home with his people until he had attained his majority, his energies being enlarged in farm work. When he was twenty-one he was married, and he and his bride located on a farm in Missouri, where they resided

until 1852. In that year they started for the northwest with a wagon and two yoke of oxen, the first division of their journey being to Elizabeth, Missouri. They crossed the Platte river at Fort Kearney, where our subject was met by an uncle, Jackson Grant, who told him that they had kept account of the teams going across the plains and sixty thousand had been recorded. It took Mr. and Mrs. Grant six months, with the ex- ception of one day, to cover the distance be- tween their Missouri home and their desti- nation in Polk county. Upon their arrival here they took up their abode with a pater- nal uncle, David Grant, who was living a mile east of Dallas. They remained with him from October 24th to the 3d of January, 1853, then removed to their own ranch eight miles northwest of Dallas, near Falls City, upon which Mr. Grant had erected a log cabin sixteen feet square, without either floor or windows. They lived for some time thereafter in true pioneer style, their bed being made of boughs and twigs, as they had no furniture save what they brought with them when they crossed the plains. Their ranch contained three hundred and twenty acres of land in the cultivation of which, as well as in the raising of cattle, sheep and goats, Mr. Grant met with such lucrative returns that he was able to ex- tend his holdings at various times until he owned five hundred and five acres of land. Later he engaged successfully in breeding and raising high-grade horses. Through his industry and the intelligent direction of his various undertakings, Mr. Grant acquired a competence sufficient to enable him to re- tire in 1903. He then went to Falls City, where he resided until 1907, when he came to Dallas, and here he made his home until his death, April 3, 1912, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-one years.

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 73

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