An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 105

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146

USA > Washington > Kittitas County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 105
USA > Washington > Yakima County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 105
USA > Washington > Klickitat County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 105

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).

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

odist church. Mr. Spoon is a Republican to the backbone, and very active in all political mat- ters of local concern. He was first elected county commissioner in 1886 and held the posi- tion for three terms of two years each, and in Igor he was re-elected for a four years' term. During his first term of office the town of Gold- endale was almost wiped out by fire and a por- tion of the town records impaired and partly destroyed, together with the courthouse, and Mr. Spoon was one of those who made the ap- propriation for the new courthouse. To his op- position to the liquor business and the fact that the other members of the board uphold him in this regard is attributable the scarcity of saloons in Klickitat county. It has no saloons outside of the county seat, saloons being permitted in neither Cleveland nor Bickleton. Mr. Spoon owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in one tract and six town lots with a good residence. His fellow citizens speak highly of his integrity and honor, and he is popular with all classes.

WILLIAM T. MITTY, postmaster and one of the most influential citizens of the town of Bickleton, is a member of the mercantile firm of Clanton, Mitty & Company. He is a native of California, born in Sonoma county, September 2, 1866. His father, Nicholas Mitty, was a na- tive of Ireland, and a farmer by occupation. He left home in 1852, crossed the ocean and came around the Horn to California, in which state he remained for a period of ten years. During this time he took up mining. In 1862 he removed to Oregon, and located near the John Day river, where he mined for some time. He then re- turned to Sonoma county, and this time followed farming for a number of years, finally coming to Klickitat county in June, 1883. He took up land near Bickleton, but some years later removed to the Willamette valley, Oregon, where he and his wife now reside. The maiden name of the latter was Emma J. Middleton, and she was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1848. With her mother and two brothers she crossed the Plains in 1853 to Sacramento, California, where she met Mr. Mitty. Their marriage was solemnized at Santa Rosa, California. The subject of this article was educated in the public schools of California. He has been engaged in the sheep business the bet- ter part of the time since completing his educa- tion. Coming to Klickitat county with his par- ents when seventeen years old, he worked on his father's farm for two years thereafter, then for a period of twelve years was in the employ of George McCredy, a large sheep owner of this district. After leaving his service he went to the Okanogan country, but, soon returning, be- gan operating a hay baler here. In 1900 he or- ganized the mercantile firm in which he is at

present a partner. Some time after the organi- zation of the firm R. E. Clanton disposed of his interests to the McCredys, but the firm still re- tains its original name. A large volume of busi- ness is annually transacted. The firm carries a stock of goods valued at $15,000, and expects to increase its stock at a rapid rate as the excellent country surrounding the town develops.

On June 20, 1902, in Klickitat county, Mr. Mitty married Ella B. Baker, a native of New Jersey, whose parents, John and Mary Baker, still live near Cleveland, Washington, to which local- ity they first came in the late seventies. Mr. Baker has followed farming since his arrival. Edward, George and Mary E., brothers and sis- ter of Mr. Mitty, live in the Willamette valley, George being a bookkeeper at Salem, Oregon. Another brother, Walter C., now makes his home at Wenatchee, Washington. Two children have been born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Mitty- Mildred Grace, born March 20, 1903, and Jesse William, born May 21, 1904. Mr. Mitty attends the Presbyterian church and belongs to Excel- sior Lodge No. III, I. O. O. F. He is a Repub- lican in politics, but not a partisan. He is held in high esteem by all as an upright, conscien- tious man and a substantial, thrifty citizen.

JOHN T. McCREDY, a stockman, residing at Bickleton, in Klickitat county, Washington, owns, with his brother, Leland, a band of twelve thousand sheep, which he grazes on his own prop- erty, consisting of ten thousand acres of Klickitat county land. He is a native Oregonian, born in the year 1863 in the fertile Willamette valley. His father, William A. McCredy, now living at Cleveland, Washington, also a stockman, was born in Ohio in 1830. When twenty-three years of age, he crossed the Plains, settling in Yamhill county, Oregon, where he took up a donation claim and engaged in the stock business, raising sheep principally. Some years later he removed to Washington, locating opposite the mouth of Willow creek, on the Columbia river, and there too engaging in stock raising. His mother, Eliza- beth (Beaman) McCredy, was a native of Mis- souri, born in 1833. She crossed the Plains with her husband in 1853. Mrs. McCredy is now dead, having passed away in the month of August, 1894. Mr. McCredy, of this article, spent the first seven- teen years of his life in Oregon, attending the McMinnville Baptist College for two years. On coming to Washington he engaged in stock rais- ing. He was with his brother George at first, but later went into the same business for himself. In 1891, he, with his brother, Alex. E. McCredy, leased a band of sheep, soon after purchasing an- other band, and for the ensuing seven years they continued in partnership. This relation was dis- solved in 1898, Alex. going to Yakima county and

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John remaining in Klickitat. Two years later the latter formed a partnership with his brother Leland, which is still in continuance. Besides sheep, they also handle some horses, though they have now disposed of the greater part of the band.

Mr. McCredy was married in 1896 to Eliza Flower, a native of Illinois. She came to Klicki- tat county in 1884 and previous to her marriage, kept house for her brothers, Samuel and Charles. Her father, Cornelius Flower, was also a native of Illinois and died in Bickleton, January 7, 1904, at the age of seventy-nine. Her mother, Edith (Col- lier) Flower, was brought up in the state of Illi- nois, and now resides in Bickleton. There have been three children born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. McCredy, namely, Harold, Rosamond, and Noble. Mr. McCredy has a number of brothers and one sister. Mrs. Pauline Varner, the sister, resides at McMinnville, Oregon, and Leland and George live in Bickleton. The other brother, Alex. E., is at present living at Wapato, Yakima county. Fraternally, Mr. McCredy is a member of the A. O. U. W. A Republican in politics, he attends all caucuses and conventions. Besides his interest in the ten thousand acres above referred to, six hundred of which the brothers cultivate to provide hay and feed for their stock, Mr. Mc- Credy is the owner of an interest in a mercantile firm in Bickleton, also, in company with Dr. Brockman, of forty acres of the townsite, and he has one of the best residences in Bickleton. He is quite enthusiastic over the surrounding coun- try and its adaptability for the raising of stock, grain, fruit, etc., having great faith in its future. An estimable man in every respect, he enjoys the confidence, respect and good will of a large circle of associates and acquaintances in central Wash- ington.

RICHARD BUCKLEY, a farmer and stock- man of Klickitat county, lives two miles north and nearly a mile west of the town of Bickleton. He is a native of the Quaker state, born in Philadel- phia, September 16, 1862. His father, Reuben N. Buckley, is a wholesale cabinet maker and finisher of interiors, employing one hundred and twenty men in his factory, which is located at Philadel- phia. He was born in Manchester, England in 1829, and came to this country when eleven years old. His wife, Emily J. (Flickinger) Buckley, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, comes of good old German stock, though her ancestors settled in this country as early as 1680. She is still living. Richard Buckley attained the age of seventeen in Philadelphia, receiving his education in the public schools of that city. He came west in 1879 to San Francisco and after a short stay there took the boat to Portland, Oregon. from which he soon removed to Benton county in the same state. He was in Spokane, Washington, in

1879, but the town was then a mere hamlet and not liking the looks of things there, he returned to Oregon. In November, 1884, he came to Klick- itat county and engaged in the sawmill business, taking a Mr. Flickinger into partnership, the firm name being Flickinger & Buckley. This business continued until 1892, when the mill was burned to the ground and another firm was organized, of which the name was Warren, Flickinger & Buck- ley. They built a new mill and continued in busi- ness until 1898, at which time Mr. Buckley dis- posed of his interests and bought seven hundred and sixty-five 'acres in the Bickleton country, where he has since lived, engaged in farming and raising stock.

Mr. Buckley was married in Klickitat county, in 1891, to Fannie Shattuck, a native of Lake county, California. Her father, Dickson P. Shat- tuck, is the son of an eminent California jurist, one of the first judges in the state. Dickson P. grew up in California, but in 1880 moved to Klick- itat county and engaged in the sheep business. He still resides there, as does also Mrs. Buckley's mother, Nancy (Bones) Shattuck, a native of Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Buckley have one child, Edwin Norris, a boy of twelve, and they also had a gırı, Hazel, who died at the age of seven and was buried in the I. O. O. F. cemetery at Bickle- ton. Mr. Buckley has one brother and one sister, the former, Reuben N., residing in Philadelphia, and the latter, Laura Jane, named after Dr. Jaynes, of proprietary medicine fame, also a resident of that city. A prominent member of the Knights of Pythias and the A. O. U. W., Mr. Buckley has passed through the chairs of both orders. He is the present keeper of records and seals in the K. of P. lodge, which he represented in the grand lodge at Spokane, in May, 1902. In politics, he is a Democrat. His extensive farm, which is all in a body, is well fenced. As it lies along the reser- vation, he is able to use that for outside pastur- age, and encouraged by the excellent opportuni- ties thus offered, he is turning his attention to cattle raising. The improvements already made upon his place include a substantial residence, a fine barn, just completed, and a good orchard of apple, plum and pear trees. Being a man of energy and ambition, he is rapidly adding to the value and convenience of his already valuable home. His neighbors admire his business ability and thrift, and they esteem him no less for his sterling quali- ties as a man and citizen.

DICKSON P. SHATTUCK, a prosperous farmer and stockman of Klickitat county, lives on his hundred and twenty acre farm, three miles north of the town of Bickleton. He was born in North Carolina, on the 2nd of November, 1829, the son of David O. and Elizabeth (Sanders) Shattuck. His father, a lawyer by profession, was

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born in Connecticut in 1800, to which state his parents came from England. He embarked on a steamer for California in 1850, landing at San Francisco, after a voyage of ordinary length, and for many years practiced law in that city. He was elected superior judge for two terms, and was a noted man generally. His wife, Elizabeth, a native of North Carolina, died in 1898, her husband hav- ing passed away six years previously.

Dickson P. Shattuck came to California with his father and two brothers in 1850, and settled thirty miles north of San Francisco, in Sonoma county. Three years later he went east, and brought his mother west with him, coming by way of the Isthmus of Panama. In the fall of 1850 he, with his father and brothers, bought land and worked it jointly, though the greater part of the time his father and brother, F. W. Shattuck, were in San Francisco, their time taken up with their law practice. This method of life was fol- lowed until 1864, when Dickson went to Mexico for a stay of three years. At the end of that period, he returned to Sonoma county and disposed of his interests in the farm. The next twelve years were spent in Lake county, California, whence, in the fall of 1879, he came to Klickitat county, where he took up land south of the present town of Bickleton. The country was then very wild and unsettled. He devoted eight years to farming and sheep raising, running the wool-bearers in the Rattlesnake country in Yakima county. He dis- posed of his stock in 1887 and since that time has devoted himself to agriculture chiefly. His land is all well improved and he has a good orchard. He also owns a number of head of horses on the range.

In California, in the year 1857, Mr. Shattuck married Nancy Bones, a native of Missouri, born in® 1840. Her father was also a native of Mis- souri and died in that state, but her mother, Ann (Patton) Bones, came across the Plains with her children in the early forties to California. Mr. Shattuck has a number of brothers now living, and also three sisters, but his brothers, Frank W., David O., John S. and Nicholas, have died within the last ten years. A sister, Mrs. Mary McLaugh- lin, still resides in Sonoma county, California, while his sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, also live in that state. One brother, James W., makes his home in Louisiana, and one, Robert Perry Shat- tuck, lives in California. Mr. Shattuck has seven children: Mrs. Gertrude Bickner, residing at Seat- tle: Edward Lee, living in Bickleton; Lewis H., in the Glade, near Bickleton; Hardy S., proprietor of a butcher shop two miles east of the town; Mrs. Fannie Buckley and Mrs. Florena Coleman, also residents of Bickleton, and Dickson P., Jr., who lives at Blue Light postoffice. In politics, Mr. Shattuck is a Democrat in the full sense of the word. He is hale and full of energy and vital- ity, notwithstanding the burden of his seventy-

five summers, and is highly esteemed by his neigh- bors and thoroughly respected by all.

JOHN CALVIN COLEMAN, an enterpris- ing stock raiser and farmer of Klickitat county, resides about three miles south and two east of the town of Bickleton. He was born in Sonoma county, California, May 22, 1869, the son of Ly- cander I. and Frances (Epperly) Coleman, of whom due mention is made in another place. When eleven years old, he came to Klickitat coun- ty with his father and mother, and here he almost grew up in the saddle, riding the range after cat- tle and horses, or giving himself to the more hazardous work of breaking in broncos. He ac- quired a common school education, however. Upon reaching his majority he started to work for himself. Buying some railroad land in company with his brother Joe, he began keeping sheep on the tract, leasing a band at first, but later purchas- ing some. About 1899 the brothers sold their sheep and started in the cattle business. He owns a section and a half of land in a body and now has about one hundred and fifty-five head of cat- tle, having recently traded away sixty head. He is breeding Hereford and Durham cattle and Per- cheron horses, being the owner of a fine, imported Percheron stallion. He and his brother also raise wheat and wheat hay on their land. They have the largest and best steam threshing outfit in the county.

Mr. Coleman was married in 1896 to Lavell Kays, a native of Oregon, daughter of William R. and Olive (Price) Kays. Her father is now a sheep owner at Prosser, Washington, but her mother died in 1888. Elton Kays, a brother of Mrs. Coleman, lives with her father at Prosser, and is engaged with him in the sheep business. Mr. Coleman has one sister and three brothers, namely, Mrs. Sarah Emma McCredy, living in Bickleton; Joseph F., still his partner; William Thomas and Hiram I., also residents of Bickleton. He and Mrs. Coleman are parents of two children, Leo C., born February 19, 1898, and Emma, Sep- tember 17th of the following year. Mr. Coleman is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the Demo- cratic party, and Mrs. Coleman is a member of the Presbyterian church. A successful man in his various lines of endeavor and a man of ability, progressiveness and good principles, he has won for himself a high place in the esteem and respect of his fellow citizens.

STEPHEN MATSEN, director and vice-pres- ident of the Bank of Bickleton, and a farmer and stock raiser in Klickitat county, where he owns an improved one thousand and eighty acre farm three and three-quarters miles east of the town of Bickleton, is a native of Denmark, born March 2,

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1853. His father, Matt Jensen, who was a farmer near Varde, Denmark, died in the year 1868, at the age of fifty-six. His mother's maiden name was Ida Petersen and she was also a Dane. She died in the year 1859, at the age of forty-two years. Stephen Matsen, of this article, attained the age of nineteen in his native country, and re- ceived his education in the schools of that land, at the same time putting in his spare time with his father on the home place. He came first to this country in the year 1872, and settled in the state of New Jersey, whence at a later date he moved to Chicago, going from that city to Wisconsin. In the fall of 1874 he went westward to California, locating at Truckee, and for the ensuing four years he was engaged there in the ice business. He then returned to Denmark for a six months' trip. Upon his return to the United States, he once more settled in California. In the fall of 1878 he first came to Klickitat county, and took up the homestead on which he still resides, making a trip the same winter to Oregon, but coming back to his property the succeeding spring. At the time of his arrival in the county of Klickitat, the only settlers there were Robert Graham, John D. Gra- ham, George W. McCredy, M. J. Embree, L. G. Bailey, Ben D. Butler, and a Mr. Holbrook, there being no town of Bickleton, which was founded the next fall by C. N. Bickle and Lee Weaver, who opened a small store on the present town- site. The Indian scare in that locality was at its height a short time previous to his advent into the country, and the stockmen at that time were putting forth their best efforts to discourage set- tlement of the district, in order that they might continue to range their cattle over the entire country undisturbed by settlers and their inevita- ble fences. From a small start in the beginning, Mr. Matsen gradually raised more and more stock and grain each year, and a full measure of success has crowned his efforts. His land will permit him to keep less than a hundred head of stock and he has cattle and horses up to the limit, or nearly so. He is now making a success with shorthorn cattle and has some fine horses of Percheron blood. His land is all fenced and mostly in cultivation, and he has a modern dwelling, ample barns, a fruitful orchard, etc.

Mr. Matsen married Mrs. Mary (Gundersen) Brown, in Klickitat county, January 15, 1887, this lady being a native of Denmark, born on the 3rd of March, 1855. She came to America when twen- ty-nine years old. Her father, whose name was Gunde Gundesen, died in the year 1885, and her mother, whose maiden name was Maren Sorensen, is also deceased. Mr. Matsen has one brother, Peter, living in Klickitat county, and one sister, Mrs. Margaret Hensen, residing at present in Den- mark, Stephen being the youngest of the family. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Matsen four children have been born, named in order of their birth, as

follows : Ida M., Mary G., Annie J. and John P., while Mrs. Matsen, by her first marriage, has one child, Nels J. Brown. Fraternally, Mr. Matsen is connected with the A. O. U. W., and in religion he is a Methodist. He is a Republican in politics, though he has never been ambitious for prefer- ment, accepting no office except that of school director. Mr. Matsen is one of the substantial and highly esteemed men of his locality, successful in business and a forceful factor in the promotion of the general progress.

THOMAS H. HOOKER, a Klickitat county farmer and stock raiser, lives on his four hundred acre ranch two miles east of Bickleton. He was born in Wayne county, Georgia, November 8, 1864, and named for his father, who was engaged in the lumber business and manufacture of tur- pentine. The elder Hooker's people came orig- inally from North Carolina to Georgia, and in the Civil war, he sided with the South, serving in the Confederate army. He died in Georgia in the year 1884. The mother of our subject, Delaina Elizabeth (Harris) Hooker, who was likewise a Georgian, died in 1882. Thomas H., of this re- view, was one of a large family of children. He remained in his native town until seventeen, dur- ing this period attending the public schools. Be- ing of a studious disposition, he continued to study by himself after leaving the class room, notwith- standing the fact that as he was the oldest boy, much of the work about the family home devolved upon him. At the time of his father's demise, Mr. Hooker was living in Klickitat county with his sister, Sarah, and the old gentleman was mak- ing arrangements to join them when death over- took him. Owing to this unfortunate occurrence, it devolved upon our subject to take care of the younger members of the family and he proved equal to the emergency, bringing them all west, except one brother. At this time he was work- ing for various sheep men in the locality, one of his employers being Frank Lyons, one of the larg- est sheep owners in this part of the country.

About a year after his father died, Mr. Hooker married Ada Johnson, a native of Iowa. Her fatlier, A. C. Johnson, was an early settler at Cleveland, Washington, to which town he came in 1883. but he returned east later and now lives in Iowa. Mr. Hooker had a hard tussle of it with his own family, and his brothers and sisters to look after also, but he took good care of them all. In 1890 he purchased a part of his present place and three years later the property on which he now, resides. He raised some hay for his horses and cattle, of which he has always kept a number, and finally went into stock raising on an extensive scale. He is now breeding Percheron horses, and thoroughbred Poland-China hogs, some of which he has had shipped in from California. He has

STEPHEN MATSEN.

THOMAS H. HOOKER.

JAMES E. STORY.

LYSANDER COLEMAN.

MRS. LYSANDER COLEMAN.

ALCANA MILLER.

CHAS. E. FLOWER.

RALPH COSENS.

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

two brothers, Edward and Lee, who reside at Dot postoffice, and a brother, Henry, living at Tampa, Florida. Charles, another brother, lives at Bickle- ton, and William and Joseph J., reside at Cleve- land. A married sister, Mrs. Julia Strickland, is living at Gardi, Georgia, and his sister, Sarah, now Mrs. McCredy, makes her home at Cleveland. Mr. Hooker has two children, Thomas H. and Ed- ward H., both at home. Fraternally, he is con- nected with the Bickleton lodge of the Knights of Pythias, and with the A. O. U. W., while in politics, he is a Democrat. At present he is one of the members of the school board of district No. 28. He has about three hundred acres in cultiva- tion, raising wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and fruit. He is well spoken of by his fellow citizens as an enterprising, industrious and worthy man.

JAMES E. STORY, a farmer and stockman of Klickitat county, residing about two miles north of the town of Bickleton, was born in Dutch- ess county, New York, April 5, 1855. His father, James E. Story, who was of English and Scotch descent, was also born in the same state, Decem- ber 18, 1823. The family is one of the oldest in New York state, going back to Joseph Story, the eminent jurist, who also had the distinction of being a participant in the "Boston Tea Party" affair. William Story, grandfather of our subject, took part in the War of 1812, distinguishing him- self for his valor, and his wife afterward drew a pension as a recognition of his bravery. She lived to be ninety-seven years old. The maternal grand- father of our subject's father, William Ellsworth, was an officer of the Revolutionary war under General Van Rensselaer, and in compensation for his losses, caused by the war, was given a grant of land. Jedediah Ellsworth, our subject's great- grandfather, on his mother's side, was also an officer in the Revolutionary war, and won distinc- tion in that conflict. The singular fact that both these distinguished progenitors of the Mr. Story of this sketch 'had the same surname is explained when we state that his grandfather and grand- mother were second cousins and both named Ells- worth. James E. Story, Sr., came to the Bickle- ton country in 1881 and died there in 1900. His wife, Electa L. (Ellsworth) Story, the mother of our subject, was born in Ulster county, New York, January 15, 1831, and also died in 1900, three months before her husband's demise. Her par- ents were of old English and Holland Dutch de- scent. The family settled in New York when it was still known as the New Netherlands, and held a large grant of land there. They were involved in the Revolutionary war, and somehow lost their land, although they were patriots and fought for independence.

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An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 105

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146