An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 107

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 107
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 107
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 107

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).

464

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

ing the first few years of his residence in the dis- trict, conditions being then unfavorable to settlers on account of the enmity of the cattle men, and for a while he had to work in the car shops at The Dalles to make both ends meet. He has since done well, however, and is making a suc- cess of his business from both a financial and an agricultural view-point. He is one of the most popular citizens of the locality, standing high in the estimation of all with whom he is associated.

JOHN JACOB GANDER, now deceased, was a stock raiser and lived on his well kept ranch, about five miles northeast of the town of Bickleton. He was a native of Switzerland, descended from an ancient family that fought for liberty in their country among its cantons and mountains. He was born in Canton de Berne on the 4th of April, 1854. His father, John Jacob Gander, by occupation a farmer, was a native Swiss, born in the year 1819. At the age of seventy-eight he was living in the south- ern part of French Switzerland, where he died in the year 1897. His wife, whose maiden name was Anna Marie Müllener, was also the daugh- ter of an old Swiss family of means, and distinc- tion as patriots, and was born in the year 1824. She passed away at the age of sixty-seven. John Jacob, of this review, was educated in the schools of his native country. He was of a stu- dious disposition, bright, quick and eager to learn. He came to the United States in April, 1884, being then a few days over thirty years of age. He did not stop in the eastern part of the country, but came direct to Washington, and settled near Bickleton, where he bought some land, built a house and engaged in stock raising. He had some capital when he came to this coun- try, and he succeeded, after some years of diffi-

culty, in a financial way. For the last few years of his life he was very sickly, but, assisted by his family, he continued to farm his land and raise his stock until his death, which occurred April 13, 1901. He was a very careful farmer, and one of the first successful wheat raisers in this locality. He spoke German and French Au- ently, and English quite well.

Mr. Gander was married two years before coming to the United States, at Geneva, Swit- zerland, on the 18th of March, 1882, to Leah Berney, who survives him. She was a well- educated lady of Swiss parentage, born March 17, 1860. Frank Henry Berney, her father, a watchmaker by trade, was born in Switzerland, December 29, 1829, and belongs to a well-known French (Huguenot) family. He still lives in his native land, in the Canton de Vaud, and still fol- lows his trade. Her mother, whose maiden name was Zelie Rochat, was also of Huguenot parentage, and born in the Canton de Vaud, in

1833. She passed away in 1900. Mrs. Gander has raised a family of nine children, all living but her daughter Mary, who was born March 9, 1891, and died while a young child. The eldest boy, Samuel, was born in Switzerland, March 16, 1883, and the next of age, Fred, was born at Bickleton, September 23, 1885. Elizabeth was born on the 3d of February, 1887, and Martha, April 16, 1888. George was born in 1889, Sep- tember 30th, and Mary on the 8th of April, 1893. The two other children, Harry and Joseph James, were born on the respective dates of De- cember 31, 1894, and July 20, 1897. Mrs. Gander and the children attend the church of the Breth- ren. The boys run the farm, which consists of an entire section of land. They had been raising cattle, but a few years ago sold the great- er part of the band. They still have, however, some good Percheron horses. Last year they harvested over six thousand bushels of grain. Mrs. Gander has two brothers living in the state; one, Michael E. Bernev, who came to this coun- try before her husband, resides at Walla Walla, engaged in the market gardening business; the other, Frank Berney, is a cattle man and farmer at Mabton, and has been in this country since 1884. Her cousin, Ulysses H. Berney, a native Swiss, is at present one of the leading business men of the city of Walla Walla, Washington. Mrs. Gander is a woman of good education, speaking both French and English, as do also her children. While Mr. Gander was alive, he held the respect and esteem of the entire community, and his fellow citizens greatly regretted his de- mise, and sympathize with Mrs. Gander in her bereavement.

HENRY SCHAEFER, owner of a ranch of over eight hundred acres of fertile Klickitat county land, situated four and a half miles east of the town of Bickleton, was born in Saransk, Russia, on April 13, 1868. His father, Jacob Schaefer, who is also a farmer, was born in Russia, to German parents, in the year 1835. His people have lived in the domain of the czar for nearly two centuries. He (Jacob Schaefer) left his native land in 1891, emigrating to the United States, and settling in the state of Washington, near the town of Bickleton, in Klickitat county, where he still lives on the land he bought origi- nally, situated near the home of our subject. His wife, Elizabeth (Kip) Schaefer, was likewise born in Russia to German parents, in the year 1839, and is still living. Henry Schaefer, of this review, was educated in a German school in Rus- sia, where he spent his early youth on his father's farm. He came to this country four years pre- vious to his father's arrival, and for four years herded sheep for Theodore Stegeman, near Bickleton, where he had settled. At the expira-

------ - ---

465

BIOGRAPHICAL.

tion of this period, he bought his present place. He has raised considerable stock during the years which have since elapsed, hogs, cattle and horses, also has farmed the land to some extent. His place is all fenced; not a little of it is under cultivation, and among the improvements on it are a good orchard and a fine barn, 56 by 90 feet, built in 1892.

On May 16, 1891, Mr. Schaefer married Kate Stegeman, the ceremony taking place in Klicki- tat county. Miss Stegeman was born in Prussia in October, 1864, the daughter of Theodore R. and Anna (Stegman) Stegeman. Her father, who is also a native of Prussia, came to this country in 1872, and was one of the first settlers in the Bickleton district of Klickitat county, where he has followed the sheep business ever since his arrival. He now lives near Mr. Schae- fer's place. Her mother, whose maiden name was almost the same as her married name, was also a native of Prussia. She died in the year 1895. The subject of this article has two brothers, Jacob and George, living in the state, the former at Ritzville; also a sister, Margaret, living near his home. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Schae- fer have been born five children, Henry, Oulis, Nicholas, Ludwig and Benjamin, the last named a baby of a few months. Both parents are mem- bers of the M. E. church, and politically, Mr. Schaefer is a Republican. An industrious, care- ful man, awake to all the interests of his busi- ness, and at the same time possessed of all the qualities of good citizenship, he is looked upon as one of the most substantial and worthy men of his community.

JOHN M. HENDRICK, a progressive and well-to-do stockman and farmer of Klickitat county, resides on his well improved ranch four and a half miles east of the town of Bickleton. He is a native of Missouri, born in Carroll coun- ty, June 4, 1857. His father, Thomas Hendrick, who is likewise a farmer by occupation, is a native. of West Virginia, born in the year 1830. He crossed the Plains to California in the days of '49, during the gold excitement, and mined some, then returned east and married, coming west again in 1859 with his wife. After spend- ing a year in the Golden state, he removed in 1860 to Oregon, where he resided continuously for eighteen years. He came to the Bickleton country in November, 1878, becoming one of the earliest settlers in this district, and he has fol- lowed farming and stock raising principally since. At present he resides near the city of Golden- dale. His wife, formerly Miss Mollie Hawkins, was born in Kentucky in the year 1836, and be- longed to a pioneer family of that state. Her father became a merchant in Missouri, and she married in that state, coming to California with

her husband on his second trip across the Plains in 1859. John M. Hendrick, of this review, is the oldest of a family of five children. He crossed the Plains with his parents when almost a baby, and grew up in Polk county, Oregon, whither his parents moved from California when he was three years old. His education was ob- tained in the common schools of the Webfoot state, and upon completing it, he worked on his father's place until he had attained his majority, then removed to Klickitat county, arriving in the fall of 1878. He took up a homestead about three miles south of the present town of Bickle- ton, also purchased some railroad land, and en- gaged in farming. The town of Bickleton was started in the spring of the year following that of his arrival in the district, by C. N. Bickle and Lee Weaver, who then opened a small store on the site of the present town. Mr. Hendrick proved up on his land, and worked hard to im- prove it. In 1894 he disposed of it to good ad- vantage and bought his present place, to the cul- tivation and improvement of which he has since devoted himself assiduously. His father lived near him for some years, then removed to the Goldendale district and there bought property. Of our subject's five hundred acres of land, he farms three hundred and sixty acres, raising various farm products, besides his stock, which consist of cattle, sheep, hogs and horses. He has set out two orchards of plum, apple, pear, apricot and other trees, and they are both bearing ex- cellent fruit. At present he is starting to raise strawberries and also raspberries and black- berries on irrigated land, the water being taken from a spring. On his land there are two sub- stantial barns, and his residence is supplied with all modern conveniences.

On April 3, 1881, in Klickitat county, Mr. Hendrick married Olive M. Hopkins, a native of Washington county, Oregon, born in 1865, the daughter of Edmond S. and Mary S. (Flack) Hopkins. Her father was an Oregon pioneer, and also a pioneer of Klickitat county, where he settled in the early seventies. He took as a homestead land near the site of Goldendale, thereby acquiring title to realty which was after- ward laid out in lots and denominated the Hop- kins addition to Goldendale. He died in 1878. Mrs. Hendrick's mother belonged to a family of Ohio pioneers. Mr. Hendrick has one brother and three sisters living, namely, Budd; Mrs. Susan White, whose husband, R. D. White, re- sides near Arlington, Oregon; Ellen, now Mrs. J. H. Sellers, living near Goldendale; and Mrs. Louise Moulds, at Moscow, Idaho. Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick have six children, all at home with their parents, namely, Thomas E., aged twenty-two; Charles H., three years younger ; Pearl, slightly over sixteen; John, fourteen years old; Emma, aged twelve; and Laura, who has

466

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

lately passed her seventh birthday. Mr. Hen- drick is a Republican in politics. He takes an active interest in educational matters, and is, in- deed, a public-spirited man in all other respects. Upright, conscientious and not slothful in busi- ness, he has acquired and still retains the con- fidence and esteem of a large circle of people in Klickitat county and its vicinity.

HARMON TRENNER, formerly a school teacher and now a Klickitat county farmer, re- sides on his ranch east of the town of Bickleton. He was born in Santa Rosa, California, on the 5th day of January, 1875. His father, Henry M. Trenner, a native of Ohio, born in the year 1835, came west to California the first time in the fifties, crossing the Plains, and for some years he mined in the Golden state, then returned east. About 1857 he again came west and for some years thereafter he followed mining in various parts of the Pacific states. He went to the Sal- mon river country in Idaho, during the rush to that section, also was one of the first to join the rush to the Montana gold fields. On his trip to the Idaho country, he passed along the south border of Klickitat county, Washington, where he settled in 1878, years after he had first seen its shore. At present he lives at Washougal, Wash- ington. His wife, whose maiden name was Mat- tie Helstrom, was born in Sweden, in the year 1837. She came to this country with her parents, who were also Swedish, in 1840 and settled in Illinois. Her father served in the Civil war and after the cessation of hostilities returned home to Illinois, where he later died. The man whose name initiates this article was three years old when he came to Klickitat county with his par- ents. The family arrived during the Indian scare of 1878, but he was too young at the time to remember any of the occurrences, although his parents in after years often spoke of those exciting times. The family settled near Golden- dale, and young Harmon grew to manhood in that locality, attending the Goldendale schools, and working on his father's farm at times. Going later to Forest Grove, Oregon, he completed his education in Pacific University, of which that town is the seat. After leaving school, he taught a term, but not finding this vocation to his lik- ing, he engaged in farming, taking his brother Oliver into partnership. The two bought a place a mile east of Bickleton, in which our subject recently purchased his brother's interest, and lie now continues the operation of the ranch by himself. He has several brothers and sisters, namely, Arthur, who resides with his father at Washougal, Washington; Oliver, his former partner, now farming near Bickleton; Mrs. May R. Hadley, wife of a Methodist minister; Willis, an electrician in the city of Tacoma; and Emma,

living with her father at Washougal. Mr. Tren- ner owns a homestead six and a half miles east of Bickleton, besides his three hundred acres of land near the town. He is now engaged in im- proving his homestead property, sinking a well, putting up a residence, breaking up the ground, and otherwise developing it. In politics he is independent. He is a young man of good abili- ties, energetic and successful in business and in all respects a worthy citizen.

JOHN DUCEY, one of the earliest settlers in Klickitat county, is now the owner of a well improved farm located about four miles east of the town of Bickleton. He is a native of Cork, Ireland, born July 7, 1849. His father was also Irish and likewise a farmer by occupation. He died in his native country several years ago. His mother, whose maiden name was Abina Welsh, was Irish, too, and she is also deceased. Our subject was educated in the schools of his native land, likewise on his father's farm, where he learned the ins and outs of a farmer's life. Be- fore becoming of age, he heard of the many op- portunities a young man would have in the United States, and wishing to better his condi- tion, he early emigrated to the United States, settling first in California. For ten years and more he lived in the Golden state, engaged in agricultural pursuits, but in the year 1879, when he was thirty years of age, he removed to Klicki- tat county. He immediately took up land as a homestead, and on the tract to which he thus ob- tained title he has since made his home, im- proving the property and raising both agricul- tural products and live stock. This locality was wild and practically unsettled when he first ar- rived, and it was not considered a good grain country, but he believed it would become adapt- able to grain raising in a short time, and his be- lief has since turned out to be correct. The culti- vation of the surrounding country has increased the rainfall, with the result that the entire dis- trict has become a fertile and productive land. He had to start in the cattle business in a small way at first, but he increased his stock rapidly, and now has over two hundred cattle, also many hogs of the Poland-China species. He takes pride in the breeding of Durham cattle and sturdy draft horses. His place is well improved and his outbuildings are ample for the storage of his farm products. His land consists of a sec- tion and a half, all in a body, six hundred acres of which are in cultivation and employed in part in producing feed for his stock; he also has two orchards in full bearing. He is greatly im- pressed with the country from an agricultural standpoint and has implicit faith in its future as one of the most productive wheat and grain sec- tions of this western country. Mr. Ducey was-

467

BIOGRAPHICAL.

one of a family of four, of whom only one, be- sides himself, is still alive. Her name is now Mrs. Abina Shaw. In religion, Mr. Ducey is a Catholic, and in political persuasion a Repub- lican. He held the office of school director in his district and is greatly interested in good schools, and willing to pay taxes accordingly. Mr. Ducey is an energetic and successful farmer, a good business man, a public-spirited citizen, and a forceful factor in the upbuilding of his community and county.

HANS C. TRANBERG, one of the many well-to-do farmers and stock raisers of Klicki- tat county, owns an extensive ranch of one thou- sand three hundred and sixty acres situated three and a half miles east and one mile south of the town of Bickleton. He is a native of Denmark, born in the town of Varde, July 7, 1846. His father, for whom he was named, was also a na- tive Dane, and likewise a farmer by occupation. He was born in 1810, and died in his ninetieth year. Our subject's mother, Ingeborg (Knut- sen) Tranberg, was of Danish parentage. She died many years ago. Hans C. Tranberg grew to manhood in his native land, acquiring a com- mon school education, and receiving many valu- able lessons in the art of farming. He later moved to the town of Varde and engaged in the live stock business, which he followed for the en- suing six years. He owned considerable land in his own country. Coming to the United States at the age of thirty-three, he settled in California for a brief stay, then removed to Klickitat coun- ty, arriving in October, 1879, and settling on land adjoining his present property. He did as most homesteaders do in a new country-remained on his land part of the time only, being com- pelled to gain a livelihood by following various pursuits at intervals. For some time he was employed in a sawmill. He also herded sheep, thus gaining experience that proved of great value to him afterwards, for he soon purchased five hundred. He continued to increase his flock until he had in the neighborhood of four thou- sand head, when he sold a portion of the band. The remainder, however, were allowed to in- crease as before. In 1899 he sold all his sheep except a few for his own use and turned his at- tention to cattle raising. He gives much atten- tion to the breeding of Percheron horses and Shorthorn cattle, raising both successfully and profitably. Mr. Tranberg has seven hundred acres of his mammoth farm in cultivation, and some of the rest is leased to good advantage. Among the numerous improvements on his ranch is a splendid, beautifully furnished house, with books, pictures, piano and many other things to render it attractive and pleasing to the esthetic sense.

On June 19, 1900, at Goldendale, Washington,

Mr. Tranberg married Mrs. Christine (Sorensen) Matsen, a native of Denmark, who came to this country with her first husband, John Matsen, in 1887. By that marriage she had eight children : Mrs. Edith Jensen, Meta, Mrs. Martha Martin- sen, Soren, George, Nelson, Rosa and Henry. Mrs. Tranberg's father, Soren Rasmossen, and her mother, Mata Marie Jensen, were both na- tives of Denmark, and are both deceased. She has two brothers now living, Chris and Rasmos Sorensen. Mr. Tranberg is a Republican in politics. That he is a firm believer in education is evinced by the fact that two of his step chil- dren are attending the business college at North Yakima, and four are in the high school in that city, Mr. Tranberg bearing the expense of their maintenance at so great a distance from home. The success he has had in building up so large a property and so excellent a home speaks vol- umes for his thrift, energy and business ability, while his neighbors bear testimony to his integ- rity and worth as a man and citizen.

GEORGE VAN NOSTERN, a farmer and stage owner of Klickitat county, resides in the town of Bickleton. He is a native of Oregon, born in Linn county, February 7, 1872. His father, David G. Van Nostern, was a native of Virginia, born in the year 1843, and was left an orphan in early life. Crossing the Plains from his native state in 1853, he settled in Linn county, Oregon, near the present city of Albany. He bought land there on which in after years the city was located, but which he had given to the family with whom he crossed the Plains. He came to Klickitat county in the fall of 1883 and took up land near the town of Cleveland, where he died January 13, 1891. His wife, whose maiden name was Melissa J. Thompson, be- longed to a pioneer family of Oregon, in Linn county of which state she was born. She died in the year 1882. The subject of this review was twelve years old when his father moved to Klickitat county, to which place he followed the older Van 'Nostern after an interval of a few months. He grew up in the locality, helping his father on the farm until the death of the latter, and attending the public schools. He also rode the range for a number of years for Cal. Cole- man and Leland McCredy. His father was in the habit of keeping horses upon the range and, following his example, George eventually se- cured a band of his own and started in the busi- ness in which we now find him. He was one of the bidders for the government contract for the transportation of the United States mails from Bickleton to Arlington, Oregon, and he fortu- nately secured the contract and now runs a stage between these towns. The mail and passengers are ferried across the Columbia to Arlington,

468

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

which is on the other side of the river froin Klickitat county. He has lately bid for another mail route contract.

Mr. Van Nostern was married at Cleveland, Washington, December 12, 1897, to Lulu Beck, a native of Kansas, born in Linn county, Au- gust 4, 1878. She came to Klickitat county with her parents in 1883 and settled with them on the farm adjoining the home of her husband's family, so the two children grew up together. Her father, Charles Beck, is a pioneer of the state and a merchant at Cleveland, where her mother, whose maiden name was Etta M. John- son, also resides. Mr. and Mrs. Van Nostern have a family of four children: Lila, born No- vember 4, 1898; Lela, born the following year on the 28th of December; Charles, born April 5. 1902 ; and a boy, born March 1, 1904, not named. Mr. Van Nostern has . three brothers: William, Isaac and James, all residents of Cleveland, Wil- liam being a farmer, Isaac a merchant and James the proprietor of a store. He also has three half-brothers : John, David and Rodell Van Nostern. Fraternally, he is connected with the Knights of Pythias, Simcoe Lodge No. 113, and politically he is a Democrat. Besides his prop- erty and stage line he has a hundred head of horses on the range. He is among the most pop- ular of the young men of the community and enjoys the esteem of all who know him inti- mately.

GEORGE SCHAEFER, an up-to-date farm- er and stock raiser of Klickitat county, lives with his father on a farm five miles east of the town of Bickleton. He was born at Saransk, Russia, on the 18th of July, 1880. His father, Jacob Schaefer, also a farmer by occupation, was born in the same place in 1834, and is descended from an old German family. His ancestors set- tled in Russia one hundred and seventy-two years ago, at the time of the German coloni- zation, the settlers being given a grant of land at Saransk with the understanding that their sons were to be exempt from service in the Russian army for a period of a hundred years, and that at the expiration of that period every other boy only was to be demanded by the government for army service. Mr. Schae- fer, the elder, came to the United States in the year 1891, bringing his children with him, the principal reason of their immigrating to this country being to evade army service, though he was also attracted by what he had heard of the possibilities for settlers in this land. He settled in Klickitat county, where he still resides with his son. His wife, whose maiden name was Lizzie Kip, was also born in Russia to German parents, and still lives at the family home with her husband and two children. George Schaefer,

the subject of this sketch, attended a German school in Russia until he was eleven years old, at which time he came to this country. His father sent him to Walla Walla for a two years' course in the schools soon after settling here, but he evidently did not like the school, for he ran away and went to herding sheep. His father did not find this out until the following fall; then young George came home. He has since that time been engaged in business with his father, farming and raising stock and hogs. Part of their land was bought in 1897, but they later purchased a half section adjoining, and at present own four hundred and eighty acres to- gether. They have built a commodious house and a large barn, and otherwise extensively improved their property. They own a num- ber of horses and cattle and one of the best Percheron stallions in the country, also over fifty hogs. A year ago a two-legged colt was born on their place, and this freak was exhib- ited at the state fair held at North Yakima, where considerable money was obtained from the gate receipts. It was also placed on exhibi- tion at Spokane, where, unfortunately, it was in some manner poisoned and died. Mr. Schaefer has it mounted, and intends to place it on exhi- bition at the World's Fair in St. Louis.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 107

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