USA > Washington > King County > Seattle > A volume of memoirs and genealogy of representative citizens of the city of Seattle and county of King, Washington, including biographies of many of those who have passed away > Part 54
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William Stanley was but six years of age when he was brought by his parents to the United States, and his education was obtained in both Canada and New York. He became proficient as a blacksmith and machinist, fol- iowing liis trade in Canada and many cities of the United States. When he was but seventeen years of age the great Civil war was inaugurated, and in the defense of his adopted country he enlisted in Company D. Tenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but was shortly afterward transferred to an engineer and machinist's company and sent to Chattanooga, where he remained until 1867, at which time he received an honorable discharge. After the close of the struggle he returned to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked for a time at his trade, and for three years thereafter was engaged in setting up machinery in Memphis, Tennessee. Removing thence to St. Louis, Missouri, he there purchased land and received contract work from the Northern Missouri Rail- way Company, after which he was employed by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company at Burlington, Iowa, continuing work along the line of its construction to Lincoln, Nebraska.
In Montgomery county, Iowa, in 1869. Mr. Stanley was united in mar- riage to Miss Sarah E. Baker, a native of that county and a daughter of Judge Samuel Baker. After their marriage they removed to Phillips county, Kansas, where our subject acquired and improved one hundred and sixty acres of land, and there made his home for eighteen years. On the expira- tion of that period, in order to give his sons better educational facilities, he removed to Odell, Nebraska, which continued as their place of abode until January, 1890, when they came to Seattle. After his arrival in this city Mr. Stanley at once resumed work at his trade, thus continuing for the following five years, when the family removed to Honolulu, where he received the con- tract for grading the road bed from that place to Wynona, and after a resi- dence there of eighteen months they came again to this city. In March, 1896. Mr. Stanley and his son followed the gold seekers to Alaska, going by the Chilkoot pass, thence by sleds to the foot of Lake La Barge, where they erected boats and went down the Stewart river, and later to the month of the McQuestin river, where they worked the bars for a time, but without success. In the following August they resumed the journey down the river to the Klondike, where they immediately staked claims, their nearest supply point being at Forty Mile, fifty miles distant. The thermometer then registered
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from sixty to eighty degrees below zero, and they built large fires in order to thaw out the ground, which was so frozen that it was unnecessary to erect props and they drifted to the bed rock in safety. They took out large quan- tities of gold, and in June, 1897, they began the homeward journey, bringing with them their treasures. They still own their mines there, which have ever since been profitably worked, and it will be many years before their rich de- posits are exhausted. Forty men are employed in working their claims and iwo large steam plants are used. Mr. Stanley is a man of exceptional busi- ness ability, and in all life's relations he merits the confidence which is so freely accorded him.
The marriage of our subject and wife has been blessed with eight chil- dren. namely: Margaret, the wife of John Price; William C., who is en- gaged in business with his father and brother in this city; John the time keeper for the firm of William Stanley & Company; Elizabeth, the wife of Mark Finney, of Seattle; Sarah, the wife of William Murphy, of Dawson; and Ida and Joseph, who are attending school in Seattle.
Samuel L. Stanley, the junior member of the firm of William Stanley & Company, was born in Phillips county, Kansas, in 1874. He learned the machinist and blacksmith's trade under his father's careful guidance, and since then he has been his father's companion and partner in all his business undertakings. He is one of Seattle's bright and promising young men, and the success which has attended this firm is due in a large measure to his intel- ligent and untiring efforts. He was married in September. 1899. to Miss L. M. Robinson, and the family are members of the Roman Catholic church. They have a beautiful summer home on White Point. at the Port Orchard Narrows. They have a wide circle of friends in this city. and wherever known they are held in the hightest esteem.
HENRY A. BODE.
The great German empire has contributed a vital and significantly val- uable element to the complex fabric of our social makeup, and as a worthy representative of this sterling class we refer to the gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph and who is now living retired in the city of Seattle, where he was for many years a representative and honored business man, being engaged in the merchant tailoring business here. He is a man whose integrity has ever been beyond cavil and his entire business career was one which reflected credit upon him and showed the dominating elements of in- flexible honor, steadfastness of purpose and marked ability. Such men are
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certainly worthy of consideration here, and this brief review will be read with pleasure by the many friends and acquaintances of Mr. Bode.
Henry A. Bode, whose residence is located at 927 Seventeenth avenue, was born in the beautiful old city of Hanover, Germany, on the 15th of April, 1848, being the son of John H. and Dorothea ( Buchholtz) Bode, both of whom were born in Hanover, as was also John A. Bode, the grand- father of our subject. John H. Bode held a position under the crown, hav- ing been inspector and overseer of government roads; the duties involved the construction and care of the public roads and the planting of trees along these thoroughfares. He passed his entire life in the fatherland, where his death occurred in the year 1878; his wife passed away when Henry A. was a lad of fourteen years, he having been one of ten children, of whom only four survive, namely : Dorothea, who is the wife of John Hagen, of Ham- burg, Germany; Franz, a resident of Davenport, Iowa; Henry A .; and Mary, the wife of August Struck, of Davenport, Iowa.
Henry Bode remained at the parental home until the death of his. mother, when the members of the family became separated by the breaking up of the household and he was thus early forced to assume the individual responsibilitet of life at the age of fourteen years, his educational advan- tages having been such as were afforded in the schools of his native city. For two and one-half years he was employed on a farm and at the expiration of this interval he entered upon an apprenticeship at the tailor's trade. He thus served an apprenticeship of two and one-half years, becoming a capable workman, and thereafter he was employed as a journeyman until he had at- tained the age of twenty-one years, when he entered the German army as a member of the Second Guard, with which he served three years-from 1869 to 1872-in the city of Berlin, having been an active participant in the Franco-Prussian war. He was then discharged and thereafter was em- ployed at his trade in Berlin until the 26th of April, 1873, when he took passage from Hamburg to New York, from which latter city he proceeded to Davenport, Iowa, where his brother and sister had previously located. He there worked at his trade for one year, within which time, on the 14th of September, 1873, he was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Drebusch, who was born in the province of Brandenburg, kingdom of Prussia, Ger- many; in the spring of 1874 they removed from Davenport to Wisconsin, where they remained six months and thence to Keokuk, Iowa, where they made their home for an equal period. thereafter passing a year in Iowa City, another year in Council Bluffs and thence removing to Dunlap, Iowa, where Mr. Bode was employed as cutter in the merchant tailoring establishment
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of M. Barrett. He next came to the Pacific coast and accepted a position as cutter in the house of John Reed & Sons, of Market Place, San Fran- cisco, where he remained until September, 1882, the date of his arrival in Seattle.
Here he engaged in the merchant tailoring business on his own respon- sibility, establishing his headquarters in the Mayham building in Front street, where he remained several years, securing an excellent supporting patronage. He then removed his business to the Drew building. between Marion and Columbia streets, and thence to the corner of Madison and Front streets, where he remained until the memorable and devastating fire swept the city in 1889, and at this time, as was the case with most of the busi- ness men of the city, he met with heavy loss, his fine stock of goods being destroyed and the business being left in chaotic order. Not disheartened by this disaster, Mr. Bode resumed business, opening the same in a tent. which was located in Spring street, between Second and Third avenues, and this constituted his store and shop for a period of one year. during which he transacted an extensive and lucrative business, having taken in as high as nine hundred dollars in a single month. He catered to the most discrim- inating and representative patronage, producing only the best class of work and employing as many as twenty-six workmen. at wages of from twenty- five to thirty dollars each per week. The showing, considering the rather primitive headquarters maintained, was certainly noteworthy, and the pres- tige which Mr. Bode enjoyed gave evidence of popular appreciation and confidence and offered distinctive testimony as to his abilities in connec- tion with the sartorial art. He eventually secured more available quarters in Columbia street, between Second and Third avenues, where he remained about four years, then removing to the Kenyon block, in Front street, where he was in control of a large and profitable business until the failure of the Seattle Savings Bank, in which he met with the loss of ten thousand dol- lars which he there had on deposit. the outcome being that he was com- pelled to sacrifice other interests, involving a total loss of fully forty thous- and dollars. Since that time Mr. Bode has not been regularly engaged in business, though he has still retained valuable property in Seattle and con- tinned to make this his home. He has passed some time in Colorado and other sections of the west, was for one year engaged in business at What- com, Washington. but for the last year he has been practically retired from active business.
In polites Mr. Bode gives his allegiance to the Republican party so far as national issues are concerned, but in local affairs he maintains an
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independent attitude, supporting men and measures as his judgment dictates, rather than being guided along strict partisan lines. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in both busi- ness and social circles he is honored as one of the worthy citizens of Seat- tle, where he has maintained his home for a score of years. Mr. and Mrs. Bode are the parents of three children, namely : Elsie, who is the wife of John Bayne of Seattle; Martha, who remains at the parental home; and Henry A., Jr., who learned the tailor's trade with his father and is now engaged in business in Whatcom, this state.
SAMUEL LAFROMBOISE.
From the age of thirteen years Samuel Lafromboise has made his own way in the world and he has truly won the proud American title of a self- made man and deserves the credit and distinction which this term implies. He was born at Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, January 3, 1858. His father, Nicholas Lafromboise, was a native of the same province, born in 1811, and was engaged in the lumber business in Canada from 1854 until 1864, when lie removed to Winnebago county, Wisconsin. There he took out natural- ization papers in 1865. thus becoming a citizen of the Union. He bought a farm there and continued in this occupation until his death, which oc- curred in 1869. In early manhood he had wedded Mary Jane Blakely, who was born in Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, and is now deceased.
Samuel Lafromboise was only about six years of age when the family removed to Wisconsin, and there in the public schools of Winnebago coun- ty he continued his education until he reached the age of thirteen years. Upon the death of his father it was necessary that he should begin earning his own livelihood and he secured employment in the lumber business, by which means he was enabled to support his inother, his sister and his young- er brother. After reaching manhood lie held responsible positions, such as foreman with the Pioneer Lumber Company at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, also foreman with the Doby Brothers Lumber Company of Haywood, and the Chipaway Lumber Company. In this way several years were passed and he became thoroughly conversant with the lumber trade and contributed not a little to the success of the firms which he represented.
When Mr. Lafromboise arrived in Washington he was employed as timber cruiser for the St. Paul Lumber Company of Tacoma for one sum- mer. Later he came to Enumclow, and secured a timber claim near the town. This he proved up and later sold it to the White River Lumber Com-
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pany. In January. 189 ;. he built a small hotel, and in December, 1898. he erected a large two-story building, which is now used as a public hall and a saloon. In 1902 he erected a handsome three-story hotel building which under his management has proved of benefit to the place of his residence. He was a stockholder and an active member of the Enumclaw Improvement Company, which existed from 1802 until 1894, and had an option on sixty acres of the town site for a number of years. This company erected sev- eral buildings, including a large creamery. On settling up the affairs of the Improvement Company, when it went out of business, the creamery building was purchased by k. O. Nickerson and Mr. Lafromboise, but in the spring of 1902 this building was destroyed by fire and our subject soon afterward sold the ground to the White River Lumber Company. His principal business of recent years has been dealing in realty and he has owned and is still the possessor of valuable property here.
On the 3d of September. 1891. in Enumclaw, occurred the marriage of Mr. Lafromboise and Miss Susan Calhoun, who was born in Scotland No- vember 1. 1871, and came to this place in 1889. Her father. James Calhoun. was superintendent of coal mines in Scotland, and filled similar positions. but he died in Enumclaw in 1895. His widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Calhoun. after residing for eight years in Enumclaw, returned to Glasgow, Scotland. where she died in 1901. To Mr. and Mrs. Lafromboise have been born four children, namely. Guy Nicholas, James George, Arthur Adams and Samuel Blakley. Mr. Lafromboise endorses the Republican party, believ- ing that its principles are best calculated to conserve the general welfare of the nation. He is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Red Men of this place. His success in life may be attributed to a determined pursuit of business and to the fact that he is a man of hon- esty and integrity.
JOHN W. PETER.
John W. Peter was born at Metropolis City, Illinois, November 4. 1851. His father, R. A. Peter, was born in Kentucky, but for sixty years has made his home in Illinois, where he is now living at the advanced age of eighty- four. Through a long period he carried on merchandising and to a con- siderable extent followed farming, gaining a good living through these pur- suits. Upon the breaking out of the Civil war he raised the One Hun- dred Thirty-first Illinois Infantry and with the command served almost un- til the close of hostilities, when the regiment was consolidated with another
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and he was discharged on account of disability. Throughout his connec- tion with the army he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and was a brave and loyal officer, whose own valor inspired his men to deeds of courage. He has served as justice in Massac county, Illinois, being the first one to occupy that position there. While in Kentucky Colonel Peter was united in marriage to Miss Amanda C. Proffit, a native of Tennessee, and they be- came the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters. of whom five sons are yet living. James .A. was a captain in the war, being commis- sioned before he was of age.
John W. Peter pursued his education in the public schools of his na- tive state, and with the desire to enter professional life he determined to engage in the practic of law and began reading in the office and under the direction of Judge John R. Thomas, who is now serving on the bench in Oklahoma. Mr. Peter was admitted to the bar in Mount Vernon, Illinois, in June, 1877, and there began practice, continuing a member of the Illinois bar until June, 1889, when he determined to go to Washington. He had been quite prominent in public affairs and had served for five terms as city attorney in Metropolis City. In 1884 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Massac county and filled that position for four years in a most creditable and satisfactory manner. Believing that there were good opportunities in the west lie came to this state in 1889, locating in Dayton, where he opened a law office and engaged in practice for the following seven years. Again he was recognized as a prominent local leader of the Republican party and was made the party's nominee for the office of prosecuting attorney. but that was the year of the Populist successes and he failed of election by ninety- eight votes, although he ran ahead of others on the ticket.
In 1897 Mr. Peter came to Ballard, where he has engaged in practice continuously since. He made a specialty of criminal law while in Illinois, but since coming to the west has engaged in general practice. He has gained a good clientage here of a representative character and has con- ducted important litigation. He has also done considerable real estate and insurance business and has bought and sold considerable land and improved property. both on his own account and for others. In 1901 he erected his present residence at 26 East State street, and in 1902 he erected the Peter-Lucas building in connection with J. D. Lucas. Mr. Peter was nominated on the Republican ticket for the office of county assessor for King county, and at the November election in 1902 he was elected by a majority of 5,862 votes over his opponent, and is now serving his first term of assessor of the largest county in the state of Washington.
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While in Illinois Mr. Peter was married on the 4th of November, 1872, to Frances MI. Loving, and to them were born two children, but both are now deceased. Mr. Peter has always voted with the Republican party and . has attended many of its conventions, his influence carrying weight in its councils. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Wood- men of the World and the Knights of the Maccabees. From the age of fif- teen years he has been an earnest and devoted member of the Methodist church, and has held all of the offices in the church, serving as steward and class leader at the present time. He has also done much to aid the Epworth League and to promote Sunday-school work, having excellent success in interesting the young people in the cause of Christianity and its promotion.
JESSE K. WHITMORE.
The ancestry of Jesse K. Whitmore, both lineal and collateral, is dis- tinctively American, for through many generations the family has been es- tablished in this country. John Whitmore, a native of England, left that country in 1635, and braving the dangers incident to an ocean voyage at that time, he sailed for the new world and became the progenitor of the fam- ily in America. The family record has ever been a most honorable one. The maternal great-grandfather of our subject, Captain Silas Nash, was a captain in the Revolutionary war and proved a valiant officer, leading his men into many an engagement which contributed to the splendid victory that uitl- mately crowned the American arms.
Seth Hayden Whitmore was born in Oneida county, New York. He married Miss Mabel Nash, and in order to provide for his family he fol- lowed the brick and stone mason's trade. In 1837, shortly after the Black Hawk war, he left his native home and settled on the plains of Illinois. In 1873 a bridge on which he was standing fell, and he was killed, being then in the fifty-ninth year of his age. His wife survived him and departed this life on the 3d of July, 1900, at the age of seventy-eight years. In their family were six children, five of whom are yet living.
Jesse K. Whitmore, one of these five children, was born in Dixon, Lee county, Illinois, on the 27th of September, 1856, and is the only member of the family living in Washington. Ile was educated in the schools of his native state and after completing his studies he turned his attention to the machinist's trade. Thinking he would have better opportunities on the Pa- cific coast, he went to California in 1882. locating in Oakland. He also re- sided for a time just across the bay in San Francisco and was engaged in
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cement work there. Coming to Seattle he continued in the same line of business in this rapidly growing and developing city and is the founder of the Whitmore Concrete Company, which is now controlling a large and constantly increasing business. This company was established in 1893 and he has since been engaged in contracting and constructing cement sidewalks. and all kinds of concrete work, having his full share of the business. He has met with gratifying success, the secret of which lies in his reliability and the excellent work which is done under his direction.
In 1883 Mr. Whitmore was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Beasley, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, and they have an attractive home in this city. Mr. Whitmore is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in his political views is largely independent, although he has usually voted the Republican ticket. He has no desire for office and the demands of his increasing business would leave him no time for political work even did he care to seek political preferment. In his business career he has always fol- lowed the golden rule, and his enterprise and energy have been salient fea- tures in his success and prosperity.
JAMES HART.
Through nineteen years James Hart has contributed largely to im- provement and progress in King county, his activity being carried along many lines of business that make him worthy of the gratitude, confidence and respect of his fellow men. His home is "Summerfield," in Chris- topher, but he maintains his office in Auburn. Mr. Hart was born in Staf- fordshire. England, on the rSth of July, 1848, but no native son of America is more loyal to its best interests that he. His father, George Hart, was born in Lancashire, England. March 15, 1816. For over twenty years he was a railroad inspector, and later a prominent railroad contractor and for years had charge of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway under the famous Thomas Brassey, the father of the present Lord Brassey. Later Mr. Hart engaged in railroad contracting on his own account, being thins engaged until he retired from active business, in 1880. In that year he retired from busi- ness and removed to Southport, Lancashire, England, where he became a leader in public affairs, serving as a member of the city council from 1880 until 1884. On the Ist of June. 1885, he arrived in the territory of Wash- ington, and made his home with his son. James, at the present "Summer- field" farm near Auburn. There his death occurred in April, 1888. In early manhood he had wedded Louisa Dainby, who was born in Stafford-
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shire. England, in 1812. their marriage being celebrated in that country about 1845. Mrs. Hart still survives her husband and makes her home with her only child, James.
In taking up the personal history of Wr. Hart we present to our read- ers the life record of one who is widely known and favorably regarded in King county because of what he has accomplished for the general good. He was educated in the common schools of his native district and in college near Manchester. After leaving school in 1862 he served for two years as a clerk in the canal department of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railroad. Ile was then articled to Mr. Maxwell, an architect and civil engineer of Bury. Lancashire, serving five years as a pupil. during which time he ac- quired a thorough knowledge of the profession. He then entered the office of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railroad, where all of the plans and specifi- cations for the stations, ware-houses machine shops and engine houses, etc .. were drawn. He remained in that position for several years, having charge of the office under Sturges Meek. Esq .. chief engineer. Mr. Hart was then appointed to take charge of the building and sanitary improvements in the borough of Salford. adjoining the city of Manchester, and was also appoint- ed district engineer of the largest division, Pendleton, under the direction of the Salford town council. During the seven years in which he filled that office he had entire charge of the drainage and sewer system. the paving and flagging of the highways of that district, the construction of new streets and the repairing and maintaining of the roads, the town improvements and the sanitary reconstruction throughout the entire borough of Salford. fle was next appointed borough engineer of St. Helens. in Lancashire, having control of the streets and highways and of the construction of a large sys- tem of tramways, besides repairing an entire system of sewage and drainage and town improvements. He served for seven years in the latter position. after which he became an applicant for the office of city engineer of Liverpool. was one of the six candidates selected, and was the one finally chosen by a special committee for the appointment. but in the ratification of the appointment by the city council he was beaten by a small majority. He was then offered the appointment by the crown agent of the colonies to go to Lagos, on the west coast of Africa. as chief civil engineer. Ile passed the necessary government examination, but owing to the objection of his father to this move he declined to undertake this service because of the unhealthful conditions of Lagos. In 1880 he was admitted as associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers of England. and still holds his membership in thet organization. He was also a mem-
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