The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 95

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

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E. M. Leever, whose name introduces this record, was a resident of Jackson county un- til he settled in the Wood River valley, in Klamath county, October 15, 1898. He worked for wages for a number of years in early manhood, spending two years in Port- land but most of his life upon a ranch. He lias here a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres, having homesteaded eighty-two and a half acres and purchased the remainder. His place is pleasantly and conveniently lo- cated on Anna creek, two miles north of Fort Klamath, and has been greatly de- veloped and improved by him, many modern equipments and accessories being added. In addition to his farming interests Mr. Leever is a stockholder in the Home Building & Realty Company, of Klamath Falls, and a stockholder in the Wood River Cream and Butter Association. He has a stock and dairy ranch, milking twelve cows, and he is closely associated with dairy interests in this part of the state. He does his banking in the First National Bank of Medford, making trips over the mountains ninety-three miles with teams. In the early days of his resi-

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dence here Medford was his trading point. He is likewise a stockholder in the Aransas Pass Deep Water Harbor of Texas.

In 1894 occurred the marriage of Mr. Lee- ver and Miss Lizzie J. Nicholson, who was born in Jasper county, Iowa, April 20, 1868, and in the fall of 1891 came to Oregon. She is a daughter of C. T. and Mary (Norton) Nicholson, who were natives of Indiana. The father still resides at Medford but the mother passed away there in March, 1909. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Leever are three children, Fern, Mamie and Russell. Mr. Lee- ver is a republican in his political views and somewhat prominent in the local ranks of the party, having for the past four years served as a central committeeman. The cause of education finds in him a warm friend, as is indicated in his service as school director for a number of years. Fraternally he is connected with Medford Lodge, No. 83, I. O. O. F. He has many friends in that part of the state as well as in the Wood River val- ley, where he is most widely and favorably. known.

CHARLES APPLEGATE, a prominent rep- resentative of a family whose history is closely interwoven with that of Douglas county and the state of Oregon. took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres adjoining the present site of the town of Yoncalla, in the spring of 1850. There he continued to reside until called to his final rest in 1879, when in the seventy-fourth year of lis age. He was a Kentuckian by birth, while his wife, Melinda (Miller) Applegate, was a native of Tennessee. All of their fif- teen children grew to manhood and woman- hood. In 1843, in association with his broth- ers, Jesse and Lindsay, Charles Applegate formed the Applegate Company and with about eight hundred people crossed the plains to the Sunset state. Jesse Applegate, one of the most dominant characters in the pio- neer settlement of western Oregon, was cap- tain of the company. Our subject had two wagons, each drawn by four oxen, and brought with him ten cows and one horse. Leaving his cattle at Walla Walla, Washington, he built a boat and made the journey by water to Oregon City, later going to Marion county. The following winter he worked for a Mr. Burr, "the mission blacksmith," whose shop was situated about fourteen miles from Sa- lem. In 1844 he went to Polk county and settled on a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres about four miles north of Dallas, continuing to reside thereon until he disposed of the property in the spring of 1850. At that time he brought his family south to Douglas county, taking up a dona- tion claim of six hundred and forty acres adjoining the present site of the town of Yoncalla. His brothers had already settled in the Yoncalla valley.

It was in 1851 that Charles Applegate and his brothers built the first schoolhouse in Douglas county, installing James Apple- gate as teacher and conducting the in- stitution independent of outside aid. At the cost of one thousand dollars they pur-

chased from Harper's Publishing Company, of New York city, a library which was shipped by water around Cape Horn. James Applegate, the first teacher of Douglas county and the son of Charles, was later chosen county judge and subsequently served as county commissioner, while for several years he was a member of the state legislature. In 1864 he enlisted for service in the Civil war and was made sergeant major of his regiment, acting. in that capacity for one year or until the close of hostilities. Charles Applegate, who passed away in 1879, was survived by his wife until 1888, the latter reaching the age of seventy-six years. Thus the community lost two of its most highly respected and valued pioneer settlers.

ALBERT EUGENE ELDER, secretary of the Klamath Water Users Association and also identified with agricultural interests in Klamath county, was born in Lewisburg, Wayne county, Iowa, March 29, 1875, his parents being John J. and Martha Agnes (Kerr) Elder. His father was born in Cos- hocton county, Ohio, in 1847 and when but three years of age was taken by his parents to Monroe county, Iowa, where the family home was established in 1850. There he was reared to manhood amid pioneer scenes and surroundings and in 1872 he wedded Martha A. Kerr, who was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, in 1851. He has since resided in the Hawkeye state and for many years followed farming and merchandising but is now living retired. To him were born three sons and a daughter who reached adult age: Albert E .; Claude H., who was born in 1877 and was killed by a boiler explosion in 1900; Alma Jeanetta, the wife of Hallie Duncan, of Allterton, Iowa; and T. Harley, of Tor- rington, Wyoming.

Albert E. Elder was reared at the place of his birth, remaining on the home farm until sixteen years of age, during which period he attended the public schools and then entered the high school, from which he was graduated with the class of 1894. For one year he engaged in teaching and then ma- triculated in the Iowa State Agricultural College, in which he had pursued his studies for a year and a half when the Spanish- American war broke out. Enlisting in Com- pany A, Fifty-first Iowa Volunteer Infantry at Des Moines, he went to the Philippines and was on active duty until honorably dis- charged at San Francisco in November, 1899. He then returned to the State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa, and was graduated with the class of 1903. During the summer months he was employed in a law office at Des Moines and in January, 1903, entered the Iowa College of Law, from which he was graduated in 1904. He afterward engaged in teaching for one term in South Dakota and then opened a law office at Allison, But- ler county, Iowa, where he continued in practice until 1907. In that year he came to Oregon and spent about a year in look- ing over the state in search of a favorable location. He decided upon Klamath Falls and has made his home here since March,

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1908. He was admitted to the bar in Oregon but has not engaged in active practice, de- voting the greater part of his time during the past three years to his duties as secre- tary of the Klamath Water Users' Associa- tion, having closely studied irrigation. He owns a tract of land eight miles southeast of Klamath Falls, which is under the United States ditelı.

Albert Eugene Elder has won a wide ac- qmaintance and gained the warm friendship of many during the period of his residence in the northwest. While residing in Iowa he held a major's commission and he has taught military tactics to school children since coming to southern Oregon. His politi- cal allegiance is given to the republican party and he is an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is also a member of the Shakespearian Club and broad reading has kept him in touch with a wide variety of literary subjects and with topics of general interest. His military service, his business affairs, his literary and social activities all bespeak him an enter- prising, progressive man, popular with the citizens among whom he makes his home.

EDWIN BAKER is the owner of a valuable farm located on the south fork of the Coquille river and is bringing it, by scientific and progressive methods of agriculture into a flourishing and highly productive condition. He was born in Iowa on the 21st of Febru- ary, 1866, and is a son of A. J. and Joanna Baker, the father a native of Indiana and the mother of Missouri. The parents were married in Iowa and spent several years in that state. The mother died in 1873 and the father removed to Kansas, sixteen years later. He took up a homestead near Norton where he was prosperous and successful as a farmer until 1907 when he removed to Seattle, Wash- ington, and there he is now living retired. To him were born seven children: H. M., Annie and Clotilda, all of whom are deceased; G. A .. who maintains his residence in California; Edwin, the subject of this review; and James B. and William, both of whom are deceased.

Edwin Baker received his education in the public schools and laid aside his books at the age of fifteen in order to earn his own livelihood. He learned the trade of black- smithing and followed that occupation with success for two years. He later be- came a fireman on the Burlington & Missouri River railway. He gave up that work in 1889, in which year he established his resi- dence in Oregon. He settled first in Port- land where he was employed by the Wolff and Swigger Machine Company for six months. He resigned that position eventually and spent two years engaged in various lines of activity. He operated a steamboat on Coos bay for three years and later worked in the ship yards of North Bend. Finally he determined to devote his attention to agri- culture and bought one hundred and fifty acres of land, four miles south of Myrtle Point. in the valley of the south fork of the

Coquille river, and there he is conducting an extensive agricultural enterprise, operated along modern and scientific lines.

In 1895 Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte C. Eckhoff, a native of Coos county and a daughter of Charles and Charlotte Eckhoff. Mrs. Baker's father died May 10, 1911, and her mother is still living at North Bend, Oregon, in the sixty-ninth year of her age. The wife of our subject is one of eleven children born to her parents, ten of whom are living. To Mr. and Mrs. Baker has been born one daughter, Charlotte C., whose birth occurred on October 8, 1896, and who is attending school.

Edwin Baker is a republican and has never sought public office. He is one of the repre- sentative and successful men of Coos county and has borne his part in the development of his section by unremitting industry.

REUBEN W. ENSIGN. Although Reuben WV. Ensign has lived only seven years in Ore- gon, he has gained a distinct place in agri- cultural circles of Coos county by his able management of two hundred and forty acres of land in that section. He was born in New York state in 1846, a son of Richard and Sabra (Bush) Ensign, natives of New York. In their family were four children: Otis. Bertha and Martha, all of whom have passed away; and Reuben, of this review.

Reuben W. Ensign received his education in the New York public schools and when he was eighteen years of age began his active life, working at various occupations until he was twenty-eight, when he went to Penn- sylvania and began working in the oil fields. He was successful and became the owner of valuable wells in that state. Eventually, however, he disposed of his holdings and re- turned to New York, where he farmed for fourteen years, abandoning this occupation in order to go to Ohio, where for ten years he was identified with the Standard Oil Com- pany. In 1905 he came to Oregon and bought two hundred and forty acres of land in Coos county. The land is in two tracts, one of forty acres and the other of two hundred and upon the smaller of these Mr. Ensign las erected a modern home, in which he resides. The two hundred acre tract fronts the Pacific ocean and is almost entirely timber land.

Mr. Ensign married. in 1867, Miss Susan O. Miller, a native of New York, and a daugh- ter of John and Philena (Baldwin) Miller, who were the parents of eight children: Wil- liam. Adelbert, and Clarence, all of whom re- side in New York; Alice, the wife of Winfield Scott, of Findlay. Ohio; Eunice, Mary, and Florence, all of whom have passed away; and Susan O., the wife of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Ensign have three children: Her- bert, a resident of Findlay, Ohio, who is mar- ried and has six children. Sidney, Leon, Les- ter. Francis. Marion. and Bernice: Grace. who resides with her parents; and Fay M., a resident of Findlay, Ohio, who is married and has two children. Florence L. and Kenneth. The family belong to the Presbyterian church. Mr. Ensign is a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a

EDWIN BAKER AND FAMILY

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stanch democrat and although he never seeks public office is yet interested in the progress of his section and always willing to aid in promoting it.

daughter of William and Ann (Able) Perry, the former a native of Connecticut, and the latter of South Bend, Indiana. After their marriage Mrs. Schroeder's parents removed to Michigan, where they lived until 1840, AUGUSTUS H. SCHROEDER is a man who, in a quiet and unassuming way, is contributing much to Coos county's agricul- tural prosperity. He is cultivating hundred and sixty acres of land three miles below Myrtle Point, on the Coquille river, and has gained success. He was born in Bal- timore, Maryland, March 8, 1843, and is a son of Henry and Dorothy (Dietz) Schroe- der, both natives of Germany. His father came to America when he was seventeen going at that time to Muscatine, Iowa, where the father followed carpentering and con- tracting for two years. He was among the earliest Oregon pioneers and was a force in the development of the state. His residence in Oregon dates from 1842, in which year he settled in Oregon City, with a cash capital amounting to fifty cents and no other as- set except a team of horses and three pack mules. He met with success and in 1843 he erected the first gristmill built in Ore- years of age and his mother was fifteen . gon City and operated this with gratifying years old when she crossed the Atlantic. Both settled in Baltimore and in that city their marriage occurred. They lived in Maryland until April, 1859, in which year they came west by way of the Isthmus of Panama as members of a colony organized by Dr. Henry Herman. They settled in Coos county, Oregon, where the father took up a preemption claim, which he brought to a high state of development. He later added to his holdings by the purchase of adjoining acres and was a large landowner at the time of his retirement. The last years of his life were spent with his son, Augustus, with whom he resided until his death in 1895. His wife survived him for three years, dy- ing in 1898. They were the parents of six children: Judge J. Henry, who is now de- ceased; Augustus H., the subject of this sketch; John F., who resides in Coquille, Oregon; Louisa, the wife of Orvil Dodge; William, who was accidentally drowned when ten years of age; and Charles Edward, of Brighton, Washington. success for a number of years. He later removed to Clatsop plains, where he lived until 1851, and during this time built the first schooner sailing vessel, named the Pio- neer, operated between the mouth of the Columbia river and San Francisco. In 1851 he transferred his residence to Roseburg, Oregon. He built the first mill in the city which was also the second in the county. He took up a donation claim near Roseburg comprising one hundred and sixty acres and was personally identified with its develop- ment until 1859. In that year he came to Coos county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land near Norway, Oregon, and here he died in 1881 after a long and useful life spent in activities which always had for their object the welfare of his adopted state. He had long survived his wife who passed away in 1876. To their union were born six children: Vale M., of Kalama bay, Washington; Mary, the de- ceased wife of J. F. Schroeder, of Co- quille; Emily, who is now Mrs. Henry Schroeder of Arago, Oregon; Dora C., the wife of our subject; Kate L., who married D. Hobson of Marshfield, Oregon; and one child who died in infancy. Mrs. Schroeder received her education in the public schools of Douglas county, Oregon, and remained at home until her marriage. She and her husband have become the parents of twelve children: Edwin F., born August 3, 1869, who now resides on the south fork of the Coquille river; Thomas A., whose birth oc- curred in March, 1871, and who is a resident of Marshfield, Oregon; Eugene A., born Au- gust 26, 1872, and who died November 26, 1889; Charles E., born November 12, 1873. who now lives near Bandon, Oregon; Jo- hanna L., born January 3, 1875, who is now the wife of Frederick Linegar, of Coquille; Fred W., who died August 2, 1898, when he was twenty-two years of age; Arthur B., who died February 11, 1881; Ada E., born March 5, 1880, who is now the wife of A. H. Bender, of Myrtle Point; Percy G., born August 21, 1881, who is living at home; Henry A., whose birth occurred on the 12tl of February, 1884, and who is now living in Myrtle Point; Edna May, born May 15, 1885, who married John B. Carl, and re- sides near Norway, Oregon; and Chester W.,. born October 28, 1890, who is now living at home. All the children received a good

Augustus H. Schroeder received his early education in the public schools of Baltimore and supplemented this by a short period in the high school of that city. He remained at home until 1862 at which time he formed a partnership with Vale M. Perry in a large placer mining enterprise which they operated in the mountains near Johnson creek in Coos county, whither Augustus Schroeder had come with his parents in 1859. He continued with this gold mining enterprise only a few months, and later worked at various occu- pations until 1864, when he purchased a tract of land near Bandon, Oregon, and did placer mining on this property for four years. He then returned to the Coquille river, bought one hundred and sixty acres of comparatively unimproved land and began its development. He has resided upon this tract since that time, has made extensive improvements in his barns and outbuildings and has made his acres productive to the fullest extent. He is now one of the representative agricultur- ists in Coos county and is numbered among the enterprising citizens of that section.

In October, 1868, Mr. Schroeder was united in marriage to Miss Dora C. Perry, who was born on Clatsop Plains, near the mouth of the Columbia river. August 15, 1850. She is a

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education in the public schools of Coos county.

Mr. Schroeder is a democrat in his poli- tical views but is extremely liberal in his interpretation of the party doctrines. He has served for ten years as justice of the peace in Coos county and is known as an upright and conscientious public official. He seeks no success beyond attainment in a purely agricultural walk of life and has made his farming career honorable and upright, and in doing this has achieved prosperity.

ALBERT L. PERKINS is a native son of Oregon. His boyhood was spent in its outdoor pleasures, his youth was spent in its logging camps and he is now, as manager of the Umpqua Co-operative Packing Com- pany, prominent in one of its representative industries. He was born in Douglas coun- ty, December 24, 1869, and is a son of Solomon and Catherine (Elliott) Perkins, of whom more extended mention is made on another page in this work. Mr. Perkins was reared at home and acquired a primitive and inadequate education in the common schools of his native district. He pursued his studies for three months in each year, spending the winters from the time of his early boyhood in the logging camps in the northern part of the state. He was iden- tified with this line of occupation until 1900, gaining during the period knowledge of the business. His industry did not allow him to be idle even during the summer months when the logging occupation was not open to him, during the five years of his identification with this line of activity, for he worked constantly through his vacations in the fishing industry. In 1900 he engaged in buying and selling cattle throughout the state of Oregon, making his headquarters in Gardiner. He continued for five years as a successful cattle dealer before he moved to Portland where he dealt in real-estate for two years. When he returned to Gardiner he became identified with his brother in the hotel business having purchased an interest in the Old Gardiner Hotel, in 1896. He re- tained his holdings up to the time the build- ing was burned in January, 1911. For a short time after his return from Portland Mr. Perkins engaged in the saloon business in connection with the conduct of his hotel, but he later abandoned this and has never since returned to it. In 1910 Mr. Perkins was one of the organizers of the Umpqua Co-opera- tive Packing Company and is one of its chief stockholders and a director. In March, 1912, he was made manager of the plant, and his industry and good business sense have been factors in bringing the enterprise to its present flourishing and prosperous condition.

In February, 1911, Mr. Perkins, was united in marriage to Miss Anna Varrelmann, a daughter of Frank Varrelmann, a prominent and substantial citizen of Gardiner, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins have one child, Oliver Raymond. Mrs. Perkins is a devout mem- ber of the Episcopal church. In his political views Mr. Perkins is a republican but takes

very little part in local affairs and has never sought office. He is one of the representa- tive business men in Gardiner. He is en- dowed with a natural industry and business judgment of a high order which qualities have bought him success.

J. A. BOWMAN is a member of the firm of Cheever & Bowman, of Langlois, conduct- ing the only general hardware and imple- ment store in Curry county, and is num- bered among the representative business men of this section. He is a son of a pio- neer in Oregon, and is a native of the state, born in Marion county, October 4, 1864. His parents were P. H. and America (Allphin) Bowman, the former born in Lafayette coun- ty, Missouri, in 1828, and the latter in Ohio, in 1830. Both crossed the plains with ox teams in 1847 and settled in Linn county where they were married the following year. In 1849 the father went to California, at- tracted by rumors of easy wealth to be found in the gold mines of that state. After one season he returned to Oregon and took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres, five miles northeast of Albany, upon which he lived for some years, remov- ing at the end of that time to Marion coun- ty, and later to Springhill, Benton county. There he purchased the Allphin donation claim upon which he resided until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-two years of age. His wife is still living on the old homestead at Springhill and is eighty-two years old. In their family were seven chil- dren, six of whom are still living. Mrs .. Eliza - beth Reese, whose birth occurred in 1851, and who resides in Benton county; N. A .. who was born in 1852, and who is a resident of Alaska; Mrs. Nancy E. Miller, who was born in 1854, and is residing at Miller Sta- tion, Linn county; W. H., whose birth oc- curred in 1858. and who makes his home in Albany; Mrs. Maria L. Jones, who was born in 1860. and who resides in Marion county ; J. A., the subject of this sketch; and Mary, who has passed away.

J. A. Bowman received his education in Benton county and remained at home until he was eighteen years of age. He learned the blacksmith's trade and followed that oc -. cupation from the time he was eighteen until he was forty-six, spending three years in Civil Bend, Douglas county, and a similar period in Independence, Polk county. For three years he worked in Albany, Linn coun- ty, and then went to Bandon, where he work- ed for wages for four years. At the end of that time he came to Langlois and started a blacksmith shop, which he operated in- dependently for nine years. When he aban- doned his trade he established himself in the hardware and farm implement business in association with E. H. Cheever and is still active in the conduct of this enterprise. The concern has grown to a gratifying ex- tent since its establishment, Mr. Bowman's industry and ability having brought him an excellent business. He has invested judi- ciously in local enterprises, being a stock- holder in the Langlois Hotel and a member

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The centennial history of Oregon, 1811-1912, Part 95

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