The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 91

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

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"The village of Wittenberg, in the state of Wisconsin, was founded on the 13th day of February, 1880, by Rev. E. J. Homme. It happened in the following way. The Nor- wegian Synod, to which Rev. Homme be- longed at that time, had for several years discussed the great need of a home for orphan children and homeless old people, as no such institution existed at that time among the Norwegian Lutherans in America. Rev. Homme declared his willingness to take the lead in this move toward the establishment of such a home, on the condition that he be at liberty to select the place for it. To this the synod agreed, but declared that he should consider this as a private enterprise, and not undertake the erection of buildings with the idea that the synod should be obliged to pay for them. On the other hand, the synod promised to lend its support to every honest means that he might make use of in further- ing the cause. On the 27th of January a number of German Lutheran clergymen re- solved to forman association for the pur- pose of establishing a high school (an acad- emy or progymnasium) for the congregations in this section of the state. Rev. Homme was a member of this association. The Ger- man brethren resolved to locate their high school in the same place where Rev. Homme thought of building his orphans' home. At the same meeting it was decided to select a location between Clintonville and Wausau, on the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railway, now the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, which was then being built through the western portion of Shawano county. Upon the selection of a place a request should be made to the railroad company to have the nearest station called Wittenberg. A com- mittee was elected to inspect and choose a site, said committee consisting of Jonas Swen- holt, of Scandinavia, Wisconsin, John Uvaas, of Winchester, Wisconsin, August Kraenke, of Reedfield, Wisconsin, and Rev. E. J. Homme, who was at that time stationed at Winchester, that state. The committee ac-

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complished its mission the 9th and 10tlı of February of the same year, and chose this region for the founding of Wittenberg. Rev. Homme immediately wrote a petition to the railroad company, that the station which was then in contemplation of establishment might be named Wittenberg, to which the railroad company responded favorably. The railroad had at that time not reached this far and this whole region was a dark and lonely wilderness, devoid of the habitation of man. The first sign of civilization in this burg was a log cabin made by the railroad company for some of its laborers. The first frame building in the town was a store, built in the spring of 1880 by Jonas Swenholt, of Scandinavia, this state. The following year Rev. Homme built his residence here and moved hither with his family, November 4, 1881. Throughout the winter and succeed- ing spring work was pursued upon the foun- dation and building of the Orphans' Home. On the 26th of August, 1882, the Orphans' Home was opened with an enrollment of four children and one aged man. Mrs. Ingeborg Johnson and her eldest daughter Mathilde, now Mrs. Rev. L. M. Biorn, of Spring Prairie, Wisconsin, stood in a motherly relation to the children. Jacob Lunde, a graduate from the Seminary of Stordoen, Norway, having lately arrived from New York, was engaged as instructor in religion and other branches of study. During the same fall the German Lutherans also commenced with their high- school classes in Homme's Orphans' Home. A "candidate," Feuchter by name, became in- structor in Latin; Rev. Purzner taught Ger- man and religion, and Jacob Lunde was in- structor in English. During the next sum- mer, 1883, Rev. Homme built a second build- ing, a schoolhouse for the use of the orphans, and on the 31st of October the whole institu- tion was solemnly dedicated, Rev. A. Mikkel- son, of Chicago, officiating. This institution was located in the southern part of the vil- lage, on blocks 30 and 31. The same fall of 1883 the German Lutheran clergymen had their high-school building completed and school began on the 1st of September. After a course of six months, however, the build- ing was utterly consumed by fire and the instruction was again given at Rev. Homme's Orphans' Home. In the summer of 1884 the building was rebuilt by Rev. Homme but the school was not continued any longer. The next year the school was converted into an orphans' home, the Martin Luther Or- phans' Home, and continued as such until 1898, when it was discontinued. In the fall of 1901 it became the Wittenberg Academy under the principalship of Professor E. J. Onstad. In 1882, on motion of Rev. Homme, a committee was appointed by the Nor- wegian Synod to investigate as to the ad- visability of founding an Indian mission in this vicinity. This committee consisted of Revs. I. M. Dahl, T. Larson, M. P. Rulı and E. J. Homme. As the synod did not take any steps to realize the Indian mission, this committee went to work independently to establish such an institution. It selected a place three and one-half miles west of the

village of Wittenberg, where in the fall of 1884 a small school was established, and engaged a teacher for some Indian children. In 1885 the committee resolved to move the Indian Mission School nearer to the village. A large building, the erection of which was superintended by Rev. Homme, was com- pleted, and dedicated by Rev. N. J. Ellestad in the summer of 1886. Rev. T. Larson, of Harmony, Minnesota, was chosen by the com- mittee as principal of the Indian mission. Rev. Homme made an application to the national government for financial assistance for the Indian Mission School, which was complied with. In 1887 the Norwegian Synod obtained full possession of the institution and continued it for several years, when it was leased to the government and became an Indian government school, and later pur- chased by the government. Through the exertions of Rev. Ellestad and Rev. Homme a Normal School was established here in' 1887 in connection with the Orphans' Home. This school was continued for three years till the establishment of the United church, in 1890. In 1885 Rev. Homme built and equipped a printing office in connection with the Orphans' Home. From this institution 'For Gammel og Ung' has been issued every week and has reached at the present writing -1902-its twenty-second volume. Out of this institution were also sent forth for many years two weekly Sunday school papers- Sondagsskole Bladet and Sunday School Helper-the first Norwegian and English weekly Sunday school papers issued among the Norwegians in America. Sondagsskole Bladet is still issued at the Orphans' Home, but the Sunday School Helper was in 1900 sold to the United church and the name changed to 'The Children's Companion.' In 1901 the Christian Youth was purchased by Rev. Homme and son William and is also published from the Orphans' Home Printing office. In the course of years it was deemed advisable to separate the orphaned children from the aged people by erecting another building to be occupied by the orphans ex- clusively. This new building, a large im- posing structure, is located one and one -. half miles from the old home, a short dis- tance from the Embarras river. The cor- nerstone of this new home was laid the 23d of September, 1894, by Rev. G. Hyme, the late president of the United Norwegian Lu- theran church, and the building solemnly dedicated August 27, 1899. The Orphans' Home has been in existence for twenty years and during this time hundreds of children and aged persons have at different times had their home here." Rev. E. J. Homme's long years of active service as a clergyman of the Lutheran church in Wisconsin resulted in leaving a monument to his memory of which his surviving family have every reason to be proud, and the state of Wisconsin will cherish and honor his name long after his immediate relatives have passed to their reward.

William E. Homme at the age of nine years removed with his father's family to Shawano county and received his early edu-

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THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON

cation in the institutions of learning founded by his father at Wittenberg. He later be- came a student at St. Olaf's College, North- field, Minnesota, and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1894 with the degree of B. A. Immediately following his graduation he returned to his home at Wit- tenberg, where he soon afterward received the appointment of postmaster for that place and continued for several years to fill that office of public trust. His last appointment as postmaster of Wittenberg he received from President Mckinley but having tired of the close confinement, he tendered his resigna- tion and made an extended tour of the world. He sailed from San Francisco in Feb- ruary, 1903, and on his journey visited the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, England, Norway and all of the principal countries of Europe. He finally reached New York safely and thence went direct to his home at Wit- tenberg, having completed the entire circuit of the globe and traveled a distance of thirty-five thousand miles. In September, 1904, he with several of his relatives settled at Glendale, Coos county, Oregon, where for some time he was engaged as publisher of the Glendale News. In March, 1907, he re- moved to Marshfield, Oregon, and shortly after settled down on the east side of Coos bay, naming the place Cooston and has ever since worked for the upbuilding of that com- munity. Shortly after his arrival at Cooston he built a commodious merchandising store, in which has since been located the govern- ment postoffice and he also built other struc- tures for business and residence purposes. On May 13, 1908, he received the appoint- ment of postmaster for Cooston and in that office he is now serving the government in the interests of the people of that com- munity.

On October 15, 1903, Mr. Homme was united in marriage to Miss Laura Nass, who was a native of Wisconsin at the time of her marriage and a trained nurse by profession. Mr. and Mrs. Homme are the parents of three children: Frances Rosalind, who was born July 2, 1905; Franklin Fernando, born De- cember 2, 1906; and Chester Cooston, born May 20, 1908. William E. Homme although comparatively young in his citizenship in Oregon has established his reputation as a trustworthy and eminently successful busi- ness man. Like father like son is an old adage that in many respects has found its fulfillment in the life of this young and enthusiastic citizen who is devoting his at- tention to the development and improvement of that portion of his adopted state in which he lives.

ENOCH W. CONYERS was closely asso- ciated with many of the events which figured on the pages of the early history of Oregon and the northwest. Moreover, he is en -. titled to representation in this volume as one of the few surviving heroes of the Mexican war. He has passed the eighty-second mile- stone on life's journey, his birth hav- ing occurred at Carlisle, Nichols county, Ken-

tucky, December 2, 1829. His parents were Enoch and Mary (Williams) Conyers, who were also natives of Kentucky, living there in pioneer times. The father engaged in farming in the Blue Grass state. Later he removed to Adams county, Illinois, in com- pany with Abraham Lincoln in 1830. At that time Enoch W. Conyers was but a child and Mr. Lincoln, being a bosom friend of his father's, often held the lad upon his knees. In Adams county, Illinois, Enoch Conyers carried on farming until 1835, when he be- came a resident of Quincy and, prominent in the early history of that state, was elected mayor in 1837, filling the position for three terms. During his last term the cholera epidemic occurred and after furnishing aid and funds to scores of his stricken townsmen, he himself fell victim to the dread disease. He also owned two brick yards there and likewise became proprietor of a sawmill which he operated to the time of his death. He was filling the office of mayor when called to his final rest and in his demise the city lost one of its representative and honored men whose worth was widely acknowledged by his fellow townsmen. He was married three times and became the father of fourteen children. His first wife was Mary Williams West. She became the mother of eight chil- dren, of whom the subject of this record and Mrs. Millicent A. P. Burns, the widow of William P. Burns, of Portland, are the only survivors. Mary W. West was a direct de- scendant of Lord De Lewore West and Mr. Conyers has in his possession an ivory and silver-mounted walking stick brought to America by him in 1618. The mother of our subject died in 1833. Having lost his first wife, the father married Katherine Parsons, a native of New Hampshire, and they had two sons and two daughters, of whom Wil- liam Henry Conyers, an attorney of Clats- kanie, is the only one now living. For his third wife the father chose Elizabeth Archer, a native of Kentucky, who died in Illinois, and the two children of that marriage have also passed away.

Enoch W. Conyers attended school until about sixteen years of age and then started out in life for himself. He became deputy postmaster, which position he filled for a year, and then resigned in order to enter the service of his country as a soldier of the Mexican war. He enlisted in Company A of the First Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, his captain being James D. Morgan, while John- J. Hardin commanded the regiment as colonel under Brigadier General Shields. Mr. Con- yers served for one year and was honorably discharged at Comargo, Mexico, on the 17th of June, 1847.

When the country no longer needed his military aid Enoch W. Conyers returned to Quincy, Illinois, where he attended school for six months and also assisted as teacher in class work. In the meantime he began the study of medicine, which he continued for some time. After coming to Oregon this knowledge was a great boon to the pioneers as he was for years the only man with any medical knowl- edge between Astoria and Portland and at-

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tended hundreds of the settlers of the early days without charge. In 1848 he opened the first telegraph office in Iowa, at Burlington, and remained as operator there until June. 1849. He then returned to Quincy to assist his father in operating the mill and carrying on other business interests, being thus engaged until his father's death. He learned the brick-layer's trade which he followed until 1852, when he crossed the plains with ox teams. California was his original destina- tion but on account of trouble occasioned by the Mormons he changed his course, taking the Oregon trail and eventually reached Ore- gon City. Later he made his way to Port- land, where he remained for a short time, and then proceeded to Hillsboro, where he engaged in brick-laying for one winter. He next went to Oak Point, on the Columbia river, and in the fall of that year was mar- ried. He resided there for two years and then came to Clatskanie, where he acquired a donation claim of three hundred and twen- ty acres which now constitutes a part of the town site. Here he has resided contin- uously since with the exception of a period of six years spent in Yamhill. Most of the time he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits but in 1907 he retired. His has been a busy, useful and active life and success · has rewarded his labors. He still owns a business block in the central part of the town but has divided much of his property among his children. When he came to this section of the state it was a wild and uncul- tivated district, the work of progress having been scarcely begun. With the early devel- opment and upbuilding he has been closely associated and his name is connected with many of the "first events." He owned and operated the first steamboat running from Clatskanie to the Columbia river and con- necting with the steamers on the larger stream. He was also the originator and pro- prietor of the first postoffice route to Clat- skanie and by presidential appointment served as postmaster here for many years.

Mr. Conyers was married in Clatskanie, in October, 1853, to Miss Hannah C. Bryant, who was born in Montgomery county, Indi- ana, a daughter of Elihu G. and Nancy Bry- ant, both of whom died in Clatskanie. In their family were nine children but only two are now living: Mrs. Mary C. Lockwood, the widow of R. L. Lockwood; and Elihu S. Bryant, who is living retired at Clatskanie. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Conyers have been born nine children: Mary Ellen, who passed away ; William Elihu, of Clatskanie; Enoch George, who died at the age of four years; Nancy Ann, the wife of W. K. Tichnor, of Clat- skanie; Charles Lincoln; Millicent Sarah, at home; Hannah Edna, who is living with her brother in Clatskanie; Margaret Azelie, of Clatskanie; and Mrs Lillian Albertha John, the widow of Wallace A. John, now residing in Clatskanie. She has three children, Wal- lace, Olive and Maxine. The wife and mother passed away on the 14th of June, 1909. For over a half century Mr. and Mrs. Conyers had traveled life's journey together and the

loss of his wife was an irreparable blow to him.

In his political views Mr. Conyers is now a republican but was formerly a Douglas democrat. He was the first in the town to act as justice of the peace and filled the position for four years. He was elected to the legislature in the first and second regu- lar sessions of the state of Oregon, serving from 1860 until 1864, and again this honor came to him in his later years, making him a member of the general assembly from 1908 until 1910. He has always been most efficient and faithful in the discharge of his duties of citizenship and his record has been characterized by devotion to the general good that none has questioned. Long connected with the Masonic fraternity, he was a charter member of Tualitin Lodge, No. 6, and also of Rainier Lodge, No. 24, and he now be- longs to Clatskanie Lodge, No. 133, A. F. & A. M. The respect and veneration which is usually accorded honorable old age is freely given him, for all recognize that the prin- ciples which have governed his manhood have had their root in noble purpose and that his life work in many of its phases has been of intense value to the community in which he has resided.

EDMOND O. LAMB is one of the well known sheep raisers of Paisley, carrying on an extensive business and owning valuable ranch property in Lake county. He was born in Cadiz, Henry county, Indiana, May 6, 1860, and is a son of Thomas E. and Helen M. (Blair) Lamb. The father was born in Henry county, February 22, 1834, and the mother was born in Deersville, Ohio. The death of the latter occurred in Pittsburg. Kansas, in 1876. The parents were married in Henry county, Indiana, whither Helen Blair went with her parents when about twelve years of age. The father first went to Kansas to investigate the possibilities of establishing a home there and a year later was joined by his family. His son Edmond came to Oregon in 1887 and six years ago was joined by his father, who removed from Kan- sas to this state and has since made his home with his son. For thirty-five years the father followed the carpenter's trade, but after- ward he engaged in farming. In his family were eight children, five of whom are living: Edmond O .; Mabel, the wife of Joseph Daugh- terty, of Henry county, Indiana; Elmer B., a farmer of Sears, California; Mrs. Rose Scott, of Boise, Idaho; and Lorenzo D., a coal miner of Pittsburg, Kansas.

Edmond O. Lamb resided at home until twenty years of age and afterward worked in a zinc smelter at Pittsburg, Kansas, for several years. He then engaged in farming in that state for two years, subsequent to which time he came to Oregon. Here he was connected with the sheep-raising industry in the employ of others and finally began run- ning sheep on his own account. He has about forty-five hundred sheep leased out and is a well known representative of that industry. thoroughly informed concerning the best methods of breeding and caring for sheep.

EDMOND O. LAMB

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He is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres in Chewaucan valley where he now resides and he also owns mountain land and a ranch a mile east of Paisley which he de- votes to the raising of hay and which is headquarters for his stock. His ranch is all under ditch and produces about two hundred tons of wild hay annually. He has free water from the Chewaucan river and his property ranks with the leading sheep-rais- ing ranches of this district. He and his father reside alone and the former has passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's jour- ney. The son is active and energetic in promoting his business interests, has studied sheep-raising in the northwest from every possible standpoint and is meeting with suc- cess in his undertaking.

In politics Mr. Lamb is an earnest repub- lican and while he does not seek nor care for public office he keeps well informed concern- ing the salient questions of the day. He is identified with the various departments of Odd Fellowship, including the lodge, camp and order of Rebekah, and he is also a Master Mason and a member of the Eastern Star.

LINSY C. SISEMORE is extensively and successfully engaged in the live-stock busi- ness as a partner in the Pelton-Sisemore Company, owning twenty-eight hundred acres of land in Klamath and Lake counties, in addition to which Mr. Sisemore has other property. He was born in Jackson county, Oregon, July 12, 1869, and is a son of John and Mary (Rowe) Sisemore. The father was born in Kentucky, December 14, 1835, and in 1853 became a resident of California. There he engaged in mining and in the live- stock business until he removed to Jackson county. In 1881 he purchased a ranch on the present site of Bend, Oregon, on the Des Chutes river, the place being known as Fare- well Bend. He made his purchase from John Y. Todd, one of the old-time pioneers. Prine- ville, thirty-five miles away, was their post- office and the nearest railroad station was at The Dalles, one hundred and fifty miles dis- tant. The family spent the summer of 1881 in Wood River valley, when there were only two homes in the entire valley. From 1882 until his death John Sisemore resided con- tinuously in Crook county, Oregon, and al- ways carried on general farming and stock- raising until the last few years of his life, when he lived retired. He died in a hospital at Grants Pass, Oregon, December 16, 1910. He married Mrs. Mary (Rowe) Pelton, the widow of Enoch C. Pelton and a daughter of Joseph Rowe. She had three children by her first marriage: Horace, now living in Jack- son county; James, of Fort Klamath; and John. whose home is in Douglas county.

his birth until 1882, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Crook county, Oregon. He worked as a day laborer for seven or eight years and was afterward em- ployed in various places and in various ways. He was married at Jacksonville, Oregon, in 1893. to Miss Anna Orth, whose birth there

occurred in 1874, her parents being Mr. and Mrs. John Orth. The young couple began their domestic life in Jackson county, where they remained until 1900, Mr. Sisemore de- voting the greater part of his time to the ranch. He then removed to Fort Klamath and has since engaged in the live-stock busi- ness in connection with his half-brother, James Pelton, under the firm style of the Pelton-Sisemore Company. They are en- gaged in ranching and stock-raising and own cighteen hundred acres of land in Klamath county and one thousand acres in Lake coun- ty. In addition to the twenty-eight hundred acres which are in possession of the com- pany Mr. Sisemore owns individually a ranch of one hundred acres, eight miles southeast of Klamath Falls, and city property in Bend, Oregon. He was engaged in general merchan- dising at Fort Klamath for some time but sold his store in December, 1909, and is now concentrating his energies upon his live-stock interests, which are of growing importance, bringing him a substantial financial return.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sisemore have been born three children, Emmett, Roland and Orth. The family are well known and enjoy the friendship of many with whom they have come in contact. Mr. Sisemore has been a life long democrat and is interested in all that pertains to the welfare of the commu- nity at large whether accomplished through political lines or otherwise. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic and Elks lodges at Klamath Falls and is loyal to their teachings and purposes.

EDGAR BOSSEN. Progressive agricul- tural interests in Curry county find a worthy representative in Edgar Bossen, who since 1876 has been carrying on general farming, stock-raising and dairying in this section. From a tract of wild timber land he has evolved an excellent farm, well equipped and well managed and his attainments along this line have added something year by year to the development and improvement of agri- cultural methods in Oregon. He has four hundred acres of productive land, one hun- dred of which are under cultivation. Upon a portion of this property he operates a brick yard and his able management of this enterprise indicates that his business ability equals his agricultural knowledge. Mr. Bos- sen was born in Germany in 1851, a son of Edgar and Mary (Benning) Bossen, natives of that country. He received his education in the public schools of the fatherland and was eighteen years of age when he crossed the Atlantic. Coming to America he settled in Chicago where he finished the study of the brick-laying and plastering trades, which he had begun in Germany. He followed these occupations for seven years through- Oregon, settling in Curry county where he took up one hundred and sixty acres of land to which he has added until his farm com- prises four hundred acres. The homestead was a wilderness, covered with a heavy growth of timber and the trees had to be felled before the work of cultivation could

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 91

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