The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 78

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 78

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).

Politically Mr. Merchant was a radical. pro- gressive republican. but at no time ever al- lowed his name to be used as a candidate for political office. His wife, who is still living. at the age of sixty-nine years. maintains her residence at Oakland. California. Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Merchant became the parents of a large family. of whom ten children are still living.

W. T. Merchant was reared at home and received his early education in the public schools of this state and later pursued his

studies in the University of Oregon and also at the E. B. Hill's Business College of San Francisco. He started in life as a traveling salesman and later established himself in the general mercantile business in Marsh- field and has since continued to devote his entire attention to its interest. He is pro- prietor of the largest dry-goods and clothing establishment at Marshfield, located in the First National Bank building. He is the owner of a beautiful home on one of the principal residence streets of that city and is also heavily interested in real estate.

Mr. Merchant was united in marriage to Miss Elizabethi Preuss, a native of New York city. She was reared at home and received her education in a seminary of that city and removed to Oregon in 1890. Her father, while on a trip to Europe, died and was buried at sea. The mother removed to Oregon in 1892 and established her home in Marsh- field where she now resides at the age of seventy-four. To Mr. and Mrs. Preuss three children were born of whom Mrs. Merchant is one of two now living. To Mr. and Mrs. Merchant three children have been born: C. H., born in 1894, who is a graduate of the high school of San Francisco, California; John W., born in April, 1900, who is a pupil in the public school; and Helen, born in September, 1905.

Mr. Merchant is affiliated with the republi- can party, but has never sought political preferment. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Marshfield, and he and his wife are members of the Episcopal church.

WV. T. Merchant is one of the well known citizens of Coos county and a man whose enviable success in life is entirely due to attention to his business interests. His merchandising establishment is one of the most complete and up-to-date of its kind in this portion of the state. He is an enterprising and public-spirited citizen, always to be depended upon to do his part to ad- vance any measure of public interest, intended to improve the educational and civic condi- tions of his county and state.

DR. P. H. FITZGERALD, a physician and surgeon, in charge of the State Tuberculosis Institute at Salem, was born in Woodburn. Oregon, in March, 1858, a son of Thomas and Mary (O'Laughlin) FitzGerald, both natives of Ireland. The father, the only child of his parents. came to America at the age of thirteen, settling near Dubuque, Iowa. He crossed the plains in 1847, locating on a dona- tion land claim -one mile east of Woodburn, Oregon, where he remained until 1861, having improved the land by clearing it. developing and cultivating the fields, and by erecting good buildings. This claim is still in posses- sion of the family. Thomas FitzGerald was twice married. His first wife was Miss Permelia Eldridge who became the mother of four children: Honora, who is the widow of John Murphy a former resident of Portland and also of Mount Hood, Oregon; Mary M .. deceased, who was the wife of J. J. Murphy. of Portland; Julia, who died at the age of thirteen: and a child who died in infancy.

525

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON'

For his second wife Thomas FitzGerald chose Mary O'Laughlin, who came to Oregon in 1852, where she lived until the time of her death, in 1908. By this union were born four children: Thomas, a judge of the munici- pal court at Pendleton, Oregon; Edward, de- ceased; P. H .. of this review; and Catherine, the wife of. N. S. Sentter. of Woodburn, Ore- gon. After the death of the father of our subject his second wife was married again, her second Imsband being Jacob Hershberger, and one child was born of this marriage, Mary E., who lives with Dr. P. H. Fitz- Gerald.

P. H. FitzGerald attended the common schools of Woodburn, Oregon, and began the study of medicine at home. In 1884 he entered the office of Dr. M. A. Flynn, of Port- land, where he remained for one year. He then became a student in the Willamette University, from which he was graduated in 1886. In 1888 he went to eastern Oregon and became a physician on an Indian agency, where he remained six months. Then going to Vale, Oregon, lie engaged in general prac- tice for one year, after which he continued in general practice at Huntington for another vear and at Gervais for sixteen years. On the 1st of April. 1911, he entered upon the duties of the office which he still fills with the State Tuberculosis Institute at Salem.

Dr. FitzGerald has given much time to the study and practice of medicine and of recent years has devoted his attention largely to tuberculosis. His work along this line qualified him for practice in that department and was responsible in a large measure for his selection for the position which he now fills. His opinions concerning tubercular ail- ments are freely accepted as authoritative. He is a member of the State and County Medical Societies and of the State Pharma- ceutical Society. He is also a loyal member of the Roman Catholic church.

REUBEN LEE CAVANAUGH is one of the enterprising and respected citizens of East- side where at present he holds the position of city engineer. He was born in 1879, and is a son of Abraham and Minerva (Buck) Cav- anangh, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Canada. In 1891 the father with his family, moved to Oregon and settled in Coos county where he purchased land. seven miles from Marshfield. There he established his home and continued to be engaged in the cultivation of his farm until the time of his death, which occurred in 1904 .. The mother maintains her residence at Eastside. this state. at the age of seventy-three. To Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Cavanaugh the following children were born: Mrs. Emma Kittson. a resident of Eastside. Oregon: Herman, who makes his home in California; Milton and Fred, both of whom are residents of Canada : William, a resident of Portland, Oregon : Reu- ben Lee, the subject of this review; and Wil- kinson. a resident of Eastside, Oregon.

Renben Lee Cavanaugh was reared at home and received his early education in the public schools of Canada. After passing through the lower grades he was later graduated from the high school of Marshfield. He afterward took

a mathematical course in Chillicothe, Missouri, and later pursued a complete course in civil engineering in San Francisco, California. In 1904 he engaged in the occupation of engi- neering and surveying in California and de- voted his attention to that business for three years. In 1907 he returned to Marshfield where he established himself in business as a civil engineer and some time later accepted the position of city engineer for the east side of Marshfield. He owns a beautiful home in that city and also a ten and one-half acre tract of valuable business property in the heart of the Eastside business district.

Mr. Cavanaugh was united in marriage in 1907, to Miss Edith Miller, a native of Kan- sas, who as a child removed with her mother to Washington. The father died many years ago in the state of Missouri and the mother at Montezuma, Washington. Mrs. Cavanaugh was the only child born to her parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Cavanaugh two children have been born: Muriel E., born January 4, 1909; and Robert Lee, who was born May 22, 1910.

Mr. Cavanaugh is affiliated with the demo- cratic party but has never sought political preferment of any kind. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church of Marshfield. Mr. Cavanaugh is one of the enterprising and useful men of his county and state. His well known ability as a civil engineer has brought him in contact with many of the leading business men of the city in which he lives and the surrounding county. He is ready at all times to give his assistance to the advancement of every enterprise in- tended to further develop and advance the interests of his part of the state.

HENRY G. KERN is one of the successful business men of North Bend where he is en- gaged in the foundry and machine business, being the owner of the largest shop of its kind in that city. He was born in Coos county, in 1875, and is a son of Henry' and Mary Kern, both of whom were natives of Germany and who emigrated to America where they celebrated their marriage at St. Louis, Missouri. Immediately afterward they established their home in Missouri and later removed to Illinois. In 1873 they came to Oregon, settling in Coos county where they remained until 1902 at which time the father retired from active business and es- tablished his residence at Eureka, Califor- nia, where he now resides.

Henry G. Kern was reared at home and received his education in Coos county. At the age of seventeen years he started in business for himself as a cooper and for one vear successfully operated a cooper shop in Marshfield. He later engaged in work in a blacksmith shop where he remained for three years when he enlisted in the Second Oregon Volunteer Infantry and with his command went to Manila where he continued in the army for fifteen months. He then went to Nome, Alaska, and was engaged in mining and also worked at his trade for three years. In 1903 he returned to Coos bay and took up work as a blacksmith for the Simpson I.umber Company with whom he remained

526

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

for one year. He then established a foundry and machine shop at North Bend and has since been successfully engaged in the opera- tion of the business, his shop being the larg- est of its kind in North Bend. He is the owner of twelve lots in North Bend and eight lots in Glasco, Oregon. He also has stock in the Millicoma Mining Company, of which he is vice president, the mining prop- erty being located at the month of the Coos river.

Mr. Kern was united in marriage Octo- ber 15, 1903. to Miss Winnie Chapman, a native of Salem, Oregon, and a daughter of John and Lucy Chapman, who are among the old pioneers of Salem. Both are living in Washington county, this state. To Mr. and Mrs. Kern two children have been born: Harry H., in September, 1904; and Lucille, whose birth occurred December 28, 1910. Mr. Kern belongs to the republican party and is a member of the city council of North Bend. He is a member of the Woodmen of the World and also a member of the Hoo Hoos, a lumbermen's organization.

Henry G. Kern is one of the popular and successful business men of North Bend and a man whose activities have added mate- rially to the upbuilding and improvement of the city in which he has established the well known "Foundry and Iron Works" of which he is the owner. 4

JOHN WESLEY CLINTON is a man who during the thirty-nine years of his life in Oregon has constantly stood for all that is progressive and scientific in modern agricul- ture and for all that is honorable and worthy in business activities. He was born in Craw- ford county, Missouri, November 10. 1848, and is a son of James A. and Perlina (Lamb) Clinton, the former a native of Missouri and the latter of Kentucky. The parents had the following children: Catherine, who is deceased; J. DeWitt, who is a rancher of Gravel Ford. Oregon, where he resides with his family; Margaret E., the widow of Elzie Wolverton, of California; John W. and Mary Ann, twins, the former of whom is the sub- ject of this sketch and the latter of whom is deceased; Joseph E., a rancher of Eugene. Oregon; Robert J., who has now retired from active life and is living in Myrtle Point. Oregon. with his family; George W., who is also retired and resides with his wife and children in Myrtle Point; Sarah E., who is the wife of Thomas W. Johnson of North Yakima. Washington; Henry I., James A. and Nancy J., all of whom are deceased; and three children who died in infancy.

Jolin Clinton was reared upon his father's farm in Missouri and received his education in the public schools of that state. When he was nineteen years of age he married and bought one hundred acres of land in his native state where he carried on general farming with gratifying success. In addi- tion to his agricultural pursuits he took contracts for railroad construction and be- came a prominent figure in this line of activ. ity. His residence in Oregon dates from 1873, in which year he located in Coos county

and purchased forty acres of land on the Coquille river near Norway. Retaining his property, he again resumed railroad con- tracting in which occupation he was sulc- cessful for two years. He returned to Coos county in order to engage in the logging business and he made this branch of activity his work for twenty-six years. He has the distinction of having, during the period of his connection with the lumber business, sent eighty-nine million feet of timber down the Coquille river and has furnished logs to all the sawmills in Coos county. He was active in all phases of the lumber business, buying and selling cut logs and dealing in uncut timber. All this time he kept the farm which he bought upon his arrival in Oregon but did not cultivate it himself, turn- ing over its management to his son and during the twenty-six years in which he conducted his logging enterprise had almost entirely severed his active connection with agriculture. In 1903 however, he sold out his business equipment including his horse and ox teams and three donkey engines and in 1908 returned to Missouri to visit his boyhood home. He remained in that state a short time and on his return settled upon his forty acres of land on the Coquille river. He has to some extent retired from active life but still operates a dairy on a small scale and does general farming.

On April 8, 1867, Mr. Clinton was married to Miss Eliza Ann Russell, a native of Ken- ton, Ohio, and a daughter of David and Mary (Martin) Russell. Mrs. Clinton is one of six children born to her parents. The others are: Dorlisca E., the wife of George R. Garry, of Ohio; Clinton and Milford, who are now deceased; Riley, who is a resident of Chicago, Illinois; and Cinderella, the wife of Richard Dick of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Clinton have been born twelve children: James David, who is a rancher in Norway, Oregon, and the father of five children, Della, Theo, Olla, Elita and Silva; Marion Thomas, of Arago, Oregon, and the father of two children, Les- ter and Thresa; Jesse DeWitt. of Norway, who is the father of three children, Lilas, Lawrence and Ardice; Mary C., the wife of IV. H. Schroeder of Coquille, Oregon, by whom she has three children, Earl, Leslie and Loran; Dorlisca E., who married Walter V. Schroeder of Gravel Ford, Oregon, of whom more extended mention is made elsewhere in this work; George H., who is living in California with his wife and one child; Al- bert R., who is in the lumber business in Coquille, Oregon, and who is married and has one child; Edward O., who is postmaster of Parkersburg, Oregon. and the father of one child: Samuel H., also of Parkersburg. who has two children: Clarence A .. of Co- quille; John R., who is associated with his father and resides at home; and one who passed away in infancy.

In his political views Mr. Clinton is iden- tified with the republican party and has served as county supervisor, judge of election and central committeeman. He takes an intelligent interest in public affairs but has never sought office and the positions which

MR. AND MRS. J. W. CLINTON

529

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

he has held have been literally forced upon him. He is a high-minded, clean-cut man of exemplary morals and habits and has never tasted a drink of intoxicating liquor, played a game of cards for money or been involved in a lawsuit. He is upright and honorable in all his relations in life and seeks his greatest success in conquering him- self.

CAPTAIN JAMES B. MAGEE for many years has been identified with the shipping interests of the Pacific coast, having for a long period of time been the master of boats which he owned and engaged also in the building and operation of schooners and tugs used on Coos bay and on the navigable streams of Oregon. He was born in Ireland, November 19, 1841, and is a son of Bernard and Mary (Mackan) Magee, both of whom were natives of that country, who emigrated to New York in 1854. In that state they lived for a number of years and then returned to Ireland. In 1858 they settled in Queens- land, Australia, and there continued to live until the time of their death. The father died at the age of eighty-eight years and the mother at ninety-four. They were the parents of eleven children, five of whom are still living, namely: James B., of this review; and Bernard, Ellen, Agnes and John, all of whom reside in Queensland.

Captain Magee was reared at home and at the early age of thirteen commenced his career at sea, becoming a member of the crew on the brig Hope, of Dublin, Captain Simon Carvin commanding, which sailed be- tween ports in the British isles. In 1857, while he was on the bark Catherine, of Thomaston, Maine, sailing from Cardiff to New York, with coal, he was cast at sea after a collision between his ship and the bark Malla, of Liverpool. The Catherine sank immediately but the crew succeeded in clear- ing the bark before she went down. They were taken aboard the bark Malla and after remaining three days aboard her were trans- ferred to different fishing schooners on the banks of Newfoundland and Captain Magee was put aboard the schooner A. Freeman, on which vessel he staid for one year. Leaving this ship, he signed on for the schooner De Soto, which was engaged in fishing for cod on the banks of Newfoundland. In 1859, after sailing on vessels of all rigs, he decided to learn something of their construction and went to New York, where he thoroughly learned the art of shipbuilding. In 1863 he sailed from New York on the ship Webster, bound for Liverpool. Arriving in that city, he left this ship and proceeded to London, where he took passage on the clipper ship Flying Cloud, bound for Australia, and, arriving in that country, was placed as foreman of a gang of men engaged in the building of bridges and the Cleveland jetty at Morton bay. Leaving Australia in 1866, he took passage on the ship Nimrod, bound for San Francisco, and, arriving there, engaged in various em- ployments. In 1867 he was sent to Coos bay to assist in building a sawmill and three

vessels, including the tugboat Escort, for John Pushbaker at Marshfield.

On the 8th of May, 1870, he took com- mand of the tugboat Escort, which was employed in bringing vessels over the bar. He was so occupied for a number of years and especially in 1870 and 1871 showed his skill when there was strong opposition be- tween the tug of which he had command, owned by John Pushbaker, and the Fearless and Merrimac, belonging to the Simpson Lumber Company. During the time of the strenuous competition between the three ves- sels Captain Magee showed himself to be a fearless navigator, always keeping a cool head in time of danger. In 1882 he was transferred to the tug Escort No. 2, of the E. B. Dean Company, and again ran his boat in opposition to the Simpson Lumber Company's tugs Fearless and Sol Thomas. During 1883 he took the tug Escort No. 2 to the Columbia river and Puget sound, towing at both places. In 1885 he resumed command of the tug Escort and remained in command of her until in 1887 she blew up in Coos bay. After the loss of the Escort he entered upon employment with the Simpson Lumber Company as master of the tug Columbia, towing on Coos bay and Umpqua river bars. He was transferred to the tug Hunter in 1889, remaining master until 1894, in which year he left this boat to take command of the steamer Wescott, belonging to the C. P. Doe Company of San Francisco, sailing her successfully between San Francisco and Eel river. In 1896 he left the steamer Wescott and took com- mand of the steamer Czarina, running be- tween San Francisco and Coos bay. In 1897 he gave up this command to take charge vi. the tug Columbia, towing at San Francisco. going from there to Seattle and towing be- tween Seattle and southeastern Alaska ports. In 1898 he returned with the tug Columbia to Coos bay and staid on her and the tug Astoria for awhile. Both of these vessels belonged to the Simpson Lumber Company. At the present writing he is master of the tug Columbia. During all his career at sea he has been faithful, fearless and cool- headed during the many thrilling experiences he has undergone.

In 1873 Captain Magee was united in mar- riage to Miss Sarah Gigar, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Gigar. The father was a native of Buffalo, New York, and emigrated to Oregon in 1837, settling at Salem, where he took up a donation claim upon which has since been built the city of Salem. On that land he lived for one year and then donated his rights in the property for mis- sion purposes, after which he removed to Honolulu and was there engaged in teach- ing school for several years. He later re- turned to California, where he maintained his residence for a number of years and then settled at Forest Grove, Oregon, upon a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres. He filed upon that land in the early '40s and there continued to live during the remaining days of his life. He passed away at Forest Grove in 1902, at the age of

530

THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

eighty-five years, and his wife's death there occurred in 1904. To them nine children were born: William, who resides on the old homestead; Sarah, now Mrs. James B. Magee; Charles, a resident of Forest Grove; Millard, who died at the age of twenty- six years; Lincoln, of Hillsboro; Walcott, of Salem; Ella, the wife of S. B. Huston, of Portland; Mrs. Lanra Wells, of Salem; and Hugh, of California. Captain and Mrs. Magee are the parents of five children: Mrs. Edna Jerrett. whose husband is a civil engineer of Eldorado county, Cali- fornia; Charley, who is engaged in car pentering and contracting at Portland; James, who is first mate on one of the boats belonging to the Pacific Steamship Company; William, who is a captain on the steamer Radonda, plying between Coos bay and San Francisco; and May, at home.

Captain Magee reserves independence of judgment on political issues, having no con- neetion with any political party. He has never been an office seeker although he has served as a member of the school board and also as a member of the council of Empire. He is a member of the Catholic church and his wife of the Presbyterian church. He is one of the well known and respected men of Coos county and has been identified with many of its important busi- ness enterprises. He is justly entitled to be numbered among the early pioneers of his portion of the state and has always been an enterprising, active and useful citizen of Oregon.

A. E. LINDSEY. The business interests of Gresham find an able representative in the person of A. E. Lindsey, junior partner of the firm of Shattuck & Lindsey, one of the more recent but thriving mercantile en- terprises of the town. He is a native of Kansas, his birth having occurred in Kirwin on the 21st of January, 1876, and a son of E. C. and Miranda S. (Drake) Lindsey. The paternal grandparents were Ebenezer and Re- becca Lindsey, and unto them were born six children, of whom their son, E. C., the father of our subject, was the youngest. In order of birth the others are as follows: John, who is a resident of Atchison, Kansas, and the father of five children: Alta, the deceased wife of George Doebler by whom she had two chil- dren; Dora, who is also deceased; William, also deceased, who has three children living in Iowa; and Warren, of Boise, Idaho, who has three children, Clyde, Guy and Lola. The mother is also the youngest member in a family of six, as follows: Robert, a resident of Kansas, who passed away leaving two children; Frank; Joe, also living in Kansas; Mattie, the wife of Abraham Drake and the mother of four children, Maud, Jessie, Ernest and Ada; and Jessie. E. C. Lindsey was one of the pioneer business men of Kirwin, Phillips county, Kansas, and there he es- tablished the first drug store. He qualified as a pharmacist under the capable direction of his brother, a well known druggist at that period of Pataskala, Ohio, in which state he was first granted a license. In his

early manhood he went to Kansas and en- gaged in business, but he later sold his store and bought a farm in the same county. Dur- ing the succeeding three years he devoted his entire time and attention to the cultiva- tion of his land. but at the expiration of that time he removed with his wife and fam- ily to Ogden, Utah. There he resumed his agricultural pursuits and for two years cul- tivated rented land. From there he went to Eagle Rock, Idaho, and again went into the drug business. Three years later, in 1888, he went to Portland and became associated in business with his brother, a painting con- tractor. After following this for two years he turned his attention to general contract- ing, which he followed for a similar period and then came to Gresham. During the first five years of his residence here Mr. Lindsey was connected with the drug business, but he subsequently withdrew from this and en- gaged in contracting and building, which line of work he still follows. At Kirwin, Kan- sas, in 1874, Mr. Lindsey was united in mar- riage to Miss Miranda S. Drake, and there they passed the first six years of their do- mestic life. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey, our subject, who is the eldest and only son, and two daugh- ters. Mabel Grace, the older daughter, first married William Metzger, by whom she had one child, Helen. Later she became the wife of John Quick and they are living in Quincy, Oregon. Pearl May, the youngest member of the family, became the wife of Oscar Erickson, of Warren, Oregon, a merchant of that place.

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 78

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