An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 108

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 108
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 108
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 108

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).

In the month of July, 1899, Mr. Schaefer mar- ried Anna Stuhr, a native of Nebraska, born in 1881. Her father, Henry Stuhr, died in 1891. Her mother, Katie (Stegeman) Stuhr, is the daughter of Theodore Stegeman, the pioneer sheep owner of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer have a family of three young children : Clarence, born on July 10, 1900; Theodore, born two years later, on the 5th of March; and Alvina, born October 13, 1903. Mr. Schaefer has one sister, Maggie, who lives with him, and two brothers, namely, Jacob, residing in Ritzville, and Henry, in Klickitat county. Fraternally, he is connected with the Bickleton camp of Modern Woodmen of America. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he favors the Republican party. He is an energetic farmer and a thrifty, capable young man, speaking the English as well as the German language with facility, and withal an excellent citizen.

WILBUR C. S. NYE, proprietor of the Grand Central hotel, at Bickleton, is a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, born July 5, 1858. His father, a Christian minister, was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, a descendant of the ancient Nye family, one of the oldest in the Quaker state. His people have a historical society of their own. His name is Seth S. Nye, and he was a soldier in the Mexican war, but was discharged for disabil- ity. He made two attempts to re-enlist, and was rejected in both instances on account of heart

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trouble. He was a Methodist circuit rider for almost twenty years, and later became a minister of the Christian church. At present he lives in the city of Corydon, Indiana. His wife, whose maiden name was Kate Christley, is a native of Harrison county, Indiana, born in 1838. Her mother be- longed to the Kendall family, noted for the num- ber of steamboat and flatboat men it furnished for carrying on the Ohio river traffic, and her uncle, William Kendall, ran the blockade at Vicksburg, for General Grant, during the Civil war, taking the "Reindeer" through with supplies for the Union army. He was pilot of the vessel. . Mrs. Nye was a scion of an old Pennsylvania Dutch family that lived for many years in Mercer county. She removed from the Keystone state with her husband and child in 1863, settling in Trumbull county, Ohio, for a residence of five years, then going to Harrison county, Indiana, where they bought a farm. Wilbur C. S. was about ten years of age at this time, and he grew up in the neigh- borhood, attending the public schools in the win- ters and helping with the work about the farm when not in the school room. He afterwards took a two years' course at Marengo Academy, prepar- ing himself for the vocation of a school teacher. Graduating early in life, he taught his first term of school when only eighteen years old. He con- tinued to teach in the state for twelve years, then moved to Cass county, Nebraska, settled in the town of Murray, and once more took up teach- ing for a number of years, also farming on a small scale. He continued to reside in Nebraska until the year 1901, at which time he came west to Bickle- ton, Washington, and engaged in the hotel busi- ness, which he still follows. Since taking the hotel he has enlarged it considerably, also has built a large livery barn near-by, the only one in the town. He has a number of excellent teams and spirited horses, and they are kept busy most of the time.

Mr. Nye was married in Indiana in the spring of 1880, to Emma Eckart, a resident of Harrison county, that state, born June 5, 1859. Her father, William Eckart was likewise born in Harrison county, in 1840, but belonged to an old pioneer North Carolina family. His grandfather, Levi Gilham, served in the War of 1812, and he was a member of the Home Guards in his native state during the Civil war. He still resides on the family place in Harrison county. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Neely, was born in Indiana in 1839, her parents being formerly of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Nye have a family of six children, namely, Virgil Lee, born April 23, 1884; Olive H., born March 26, 1886; Edna E., on the 27th of February, 1888; Kate W., Ruth and Wil- liam, born November 1, 1891, January 30, 1894, and October 26, 1897, respectively. Mr. Nye has two brothers living, Austin A., in Georgetown, Indiana, and William S., with his father in Cory- don, Indiana; also a half-brother, H. M. Nye, in

Nebraska, and a sister, Mrs. Helen S. Keller, in Corydon. Mrs. Nye has two brothers and two sisters, namely, Charles, Lafayette, Anna and Adeline Eckart. Mr. Nye is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, belonging to a Nebraska camp, and politically, he is a Democrat. In former years he was active in all campaigns, but now he does not take much interest in poli- tics. He formerly served six years as assessor in Nebraska. At present he devotes his whole atten- tion to his hotel and livery business. He is a generous, genial citizen, highly esteemed as a friend and neighbor, and successful in his busi- ness enterprises.

SIDNEY G. DORRIS, publisher and editor of the Bickleton News, is a native of Oregon, born in Lafayette, Yamhill county, March 18, 1861. Felix G. Dorris, his father, was a stockman by occupation and a resident of Illinois, born in Knoxville, Knox county, that state, on the 4th of February, 1823. Some time before reaching man- hood, he moved to St. Joe, Missouri, and on the 13th of June, 1845, was one of a party consisting of Daniel D. Bayley, "Old Sol" Tetherow and others to cross the Plains by ox teams to Port- land, Oregon, where they arrived exactly six months after leaving home. They crossed the Columbia river to the Washington side, while traveling in bateaux from The Dalles to the Cas- cades, the Indians having made numerous friendly overtures, and thus induced the party to remain. The treachery of the red men was soon made ap- parent, however, as they pilfered everything the settlers possessed in the line of eatables. Mr. Dorris finally settled in the Chehalam valley, where the following spring he was united in mar- riage with Caroline Bayley, a member of the party. He died in the year 1901, a week before Christmas. Mrs. Dorris was born in Springfield, Ohio, March~2, 1827, the daughter of Daniel D. and Betsey (Munson) Bayley. She is of Scottish ancestry, and can trace her family history back to the fifteenth century. Mr. Dorris was the first settler in Oregon to introduce Texas cattle into the state. Sidney G. Dorris, of this review, started to learn the printer's trade when eleven years old, his apprenticeship being served with the Lafayette Courier. After several years' hard work on this paper, he removed to Salem, Ore- gon, and during the ensuing two years he was employed in the service of the Statesman. His next newspaper work was on the Oregonian, at Portland, whence he removed to Albany, on the papers of which city he wrought for the ensuing fifteen years. In 1896 he removed to The Dalles, going thence to Arlington, Oregon, for a short stay, and finally coming to Bickleton on the Ist of August, 1902, where he has since taken up his residence. The News has been a success from

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the start, and has done good work toward the upbuilding of the town. It also has the distinc- tion of being the first newspaper venture launched in the eastern part of the county. Mr. Dorris has two children by a marriage, in 1885, Albert, em- ployed on his paper, and Ione. Fraternally, Mr. Dorris is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, the A. O. U. W. and the Order of Wash- ington. He attends the Evangelical church, and in politics is a Republican. At present he is serv- ing as constable of the Alder Creek precinct. Besides his business property, he owns a home- stead some nineteen miles southeast of Bickle- ton. He is an enterprising business man, held in high esteem by the people of the surrounding country.

ROBERT M. GRAHAM, a well-known stock- man, residing in the town of Bickleton, is one of the very earliest pioneers of eastern Klickitat, to which he came in 1872, and one of the few re- maining early settlers in the county. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, May 18, 1845. His father, William, was also born there in 1818, and also followed farming and stock raising. He crossed the Plains to Oregon in 1852, settling in Benton county, where he took a half-section donation claim. In 1859 he moved east of the Cascades to the Des Chutes river, and for the ensuing fifteen years he followed stock raising. In 1874 he moved to Day- ton, Washington, where he resided until his death, twenty years later. He furnished considerable data to the Washington Historical Society at various times during his later years. His people originally came from Scotland, and his wife, Harriet (Dun- can) Graham, was likewise of Scotch descent, but by nativity a Pennsylvanian, born in 1822. She crossed the Plains to Oregon with her parents in 1852, and from that time until her death, in 1891, continued to be a resident of the west. The subject of this review was one of a family of eleven children. He was between six and seven years old when he came to Oregon with his parents, and the edu- cational advantages he was permitted to enjoy were such as the pioneer schools of that state afforded. However, it was his privilege to finish his education under the tutorship of a good in- structor in The Dalles, Oregon. He taught two terms, but between the ages of twenty and twenty-three he gave his time to freighting from The Dalles to Canyon City, Oregon; then until 1872 he was in the cattle and horse raising busi- ness on the Des Chutes. Coming to the Alder creek district of Klickitat county in the year men- tioned, he gained the distinction of being the second man to file on land in that section, B. D. Butler having made the first homestead entry. At that time various cattle men, including Fisk and Walker, Ben Snipes and Allen, ranged their stock over the country, unmolested, and he was

told that the winters were too cold for anyone to remain, and that the uplands were of no value but for ranges; in fact it was many years before the uplands were fairly tried, and still longer before etforts to farm them proved successful. Mr. Gra- ham brought his horses and cattle into the country and began raising stock, combining farm- ing with this industry. He busied himself thus until 1878, when he sold his cattle, and embarked in the sheep business with his brother, John. After the formation of this partnership both the brothers enlarged their places and farmed more extensively. In 1885 our subject sold his sheep and engaged in the mercantile business at Bickle- ton, which town had been started in 1879 by C. N. Bickle. Mr. Graham bought out a Mr. Chamber- lain, who had been in the mercantile business at Bickleton two years. April 29, 1887, his estab- lishment was burned, and he did not rebuild, choosing rather to return to farming. He and his brother, John, had the first threshing machine ever owned in eastern Klickitat county, and the second that ever threshed there. This was in 1883, previous to his entering the merchandise business. After taking up farming again, Mr. Graham gave special attention to the rearing of horses, though he kept some cattle. He contin- ued to farm until a few months ago, but in 1902, he took a mail contract to carry the mails between Mabton and Bickleton for four years, and recently he has been giving much attention to the opera- tion of a stage line between the two points.

Mr. Graham was married on May 30, 1875, to Almeda Lancaster, and to this union eight children have been born, seven now living, namely: Mrs. Edith May Burnwell, born in No- vember, 1876, now living at North Yakima; Robert M., in April, 1878, at Toppenish ; William I., in January, 1881, and Roy S., born in May, 1883, both at Bickleton; Ruth Mabel, Greta S. and Edna Marie, born on June 27, 1892; April 3, 1897, and January 6, 1900, respectively. Mr. Graham's brothers and sisters are: John D., at Nez Perce, Idaho; Thomas B., at Dayton, Wash- ington ; Mrs. Mary Bailey, at Cleveland ; and Mrs. Marie L. South, at Prosser, Washington. Mr. Graham belongs to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and he is at present correspondent and deputy organizer of this fraternity. He attends the Methodist church. During the eighties, lie served. as county commissioner for a term of four years, and after his term of office as a commis- sioner, he was nominated by the Republican party for the state senate, but was defeated in the elec- tion, his opponent getting a majority of only thirty-two votes. For six years he served as jus- tice of the peace, and so satisfactory was his dis- charge of the duties of this office, that pressure was brought to bear upon him to accept it for a longer period, but he declined. He was census enumerator in 1890. Many times he has been

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called to serve as central committeeman of his precinct, and in numerous other ways his party has honored him and expressed its confidence in his abilities. Indeed, he stands well among all classes in the county. Mr. Graham has devoted considerable attention to an investigation of local history, and to him the author of the historical part of this volume acknowledges indebtedness for much valuable information and assistance.

HENRY A. HUSSEY, proprietor of the bil- liard hall in the town of Bickleton, was born in Bradford, Maine, March 15, 1838. His father, Rob- ert Hussey, was a native of Maine, and by occu- pation a farmer. He belonged to an ancient American family, and his father, grandfather of Henry A., was in the War of 1812. Robert Hus- sey was born in the year 1815, and died in his native state in 1880. The mother of our subject, Susan (Clark) Hussey, was born in Lebanon, a city in the Green Mountain state, and died in August, 1900. Had she lived three months longer she would have reached her eighty-sixth year. Her grandfather was a soldier in the Revolution. The subject of this review grew to manhood in his native state, at the age of eighteen starting out in life for himself as an operative in a cotton mill at Lowell, Massachusetts, where he remained until the spring of 1861. When the war broke out he at once volunteered, becoming a member of Company D, Twenty-second Maine volunteers. He served his year's time, then re-enlisted for a term of three years in Company A, Veteran Re- serve Corps, under Captain Hill. This time he did not see the field of operations, having been detained in Washington, District of Columbia, as messenger for the President. At the close of the war he returned to Maine, whence after two years he came west to Boone county, Iowa, going thence, after a year's residence, to Kansas, various parts of which state were visited by him. He then moved to the Indian Territory and passed four years in Stringtown. Going next to Colorado, he located at Canyon City, where for some time he was engaged in freighting and running a grocery store. In 1883 he came to the Bickleton country, took land two miles south of the town, and en- gaged in farming. It was a wild country at that time, with little grain growing and hardly any fences, the stockmen being in almost absolute con- trol of everything. He continued farming until the year 1901, then sold his place and moved into the town, where he has since lived. In 1902 he opened the billiard hall in which we now find him.

Mr. Hussey was married April 30, 1859, at Lowell, Massachusetts, to Josephine L. Gordon, who was born in that city in 1834. Her father, Samuel F. Gordon, a merchant tailor, was a native of New Hampshire, where his family settled in 1860, his ancestors coming from Scotland orig- inally. Her mother, Dorothy G. (Beede) Gordon,

was also born in New Hampshire of English par- ents, and died in the year 1853 at the age of sev- enty-six. Mrs. Hussey's two brothers, George and Henry Gordon, were both soldiers in the Civil war. She and her husband have had seven chil- dren, two of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Florence E. McClain, residing at Bickleton, and Arthur S., a sheep man at Mabton. Mr. Hussey is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and since 1902 has drawn a pension from the gov- ernment. In politics, he is a Republican. Besides his business, he owns some town property and two residences. He is a respected member of the community.

CHARLES W. McCLAIN, partner in the firm of Miller, McClain & Company, blacksmiths, Bickleton, Washington, is a native of Oregon, born near the historic town of Jacksonville, Octo- ber 6, 1855. William J. McClain, his father, was of Scotch descent and a native of Kentucky, born in 1822. He came of a pioneer family of the Blue Grass state. For a time after leaving Kentucky he lived in Iowa, then crossed the Plains by ox team in 1852 to Oregon, taking up a donation claim on Little Butte creek, near Jacksonville. As a volunteer, he served under Major Lupton in the Indian wars of 1855-56. He came to Klickitat county about 1872, and died at Columbus in 1898 .. His wife, Martha A. (Tuttle) McClain, the mother of Charles W., was born in North Carolina in 1827, and came of English and German parentage. She crossed the Plains in 1852 with her husband and two children, and is still living at Columbus. Charles W. McClain was educated in the common schools of Oregon and worked with his father until 1872, afterward traveling extensively throughout the states of Oregon, California and Idaho. He learned his trade in Boise, Idaho, and owned the second shop erected in Spokane, estab- lishing it in 1879. Two years of his life were spent in railroad service on the Southern Pacific in Texas and the Mexican Central. In 1886 he es- tablished a shop at Cleveland, Washington, and later one in North Yakima, the latter of which he · operated six years with good success. He finally sold the North Yakima shop and invested the pro- ceeds in a ranch situated near Roseburg, Oregon. However, in 1894, he returned to North Yakima, where he labored at his trade until 1899, then spent two years in Seattle, and in 1901, with Charles Flower, opened a shop at Bickleton. This they sold in November, 1903, to Wommack & Richard- son, since which time Mr. McClain and George Miller organized the present firm. Mr. McClain was married January 4, 1887, to Mrs. Florence E. (Hussey) Miller, the ceremony being performed at Goldendale. She is a native of Maine, born in 1860, and the daughter of Henry A. and Josephine L. (Gordon) Hussey, brief biographical mention of whom is incorporated in this work. Mr. and

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Mrs. McClain have two children: Llewellyn, and an adopted daughter, Ethel J. Mr. McClain is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Brotherhood of American Yeomen ; politically, he is a Republican, and he has served as constable at Goldendale. He bears the repu- tation of being an industrious, capable workman and a good citizen.

GEORGE MILLER, a blacksmith residing in the town of Bickleton, in Klickitat county, and a partner in the smithing firm of Miller, McClain & Company, was born in Gibson county, Indiana, November 6, 1852. Alcana Miller, his father, is a German, and a pioneer of Indiana, born in Gib- son county, in the year 1827. He was a soldier in the Civil war, serving with the Indiana volun- teers. In February, 1878, he moved westward to Klickitat county and took up his present farm north of Bickleton, where he still resides. Eliza (Kontz) Miller, mother of our subject, who was born in Knox county, Indiana, to English parents, is still living in their Klickitat home. George Miller, of this review, remained in his native state until he reached the age of eighteen, attending the public schools and also working on his father's farm. In 1870, he moved to Greenwood county, Kansas, where he remained for a space of seven years, following farming and stock raising, re- turning then to Indiana, and again engaging in farming. He followed this business uninterrupt- edly until 1878. He then came to Klickitat county and took some railroad land joining the town of Bickleton on the north, and he has since devoted himself to the development of this farm and to cattle and grain raising principally. In 1892, he homesteaded a place near Mabton, which he still owns. When he came to this locality the country was almost given over to coyotes, Indians and the stockmen, they ranging their cattle promiscuously over the entire country, there being no fences at that time to prevent the practice, and only about seven or eight settlers in the section surrounding what is now the town of Bickleton.

Mr. Miller married before coming west, the marriage being solemnized in the state of Illinois, in August, 1875, and the lady being Susanna Jones, a native of Knox county, Indiana, born in 1857. Her father, Thomas Jones, a native of the same state, was a farmer by occupation, and had the honor to be a Civil war veteran, having served three years and been with General Sherman on his famous march to the sea. He passed away in 1902. Her mother, Sally, was also born in Indi- ana; she died in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four children: Ezra, a stockman on the Yakima river ; Ira, Byron and Vesta, at home Mr. Miller's sister, Rachel, resides in Kansas, while another sister, Mrs. Sarah Bemis, lives near the Cowlitz river, in Washington. His brother, Clark Miller,

lives at Sunnyside. Mr. Miller was school director at Bickleton for a period of six years, and has also held the same office at Mabton. He is inde- pendent in political matters. His present black- smith shop was opened by him alone in 1900, but be- iore the year was passed Mr. McClain bought in with him, forming the present firm. They are now putting in a machine shop, all the machinery being ordered and part of it already on the ground. Mr. Miller, besides his half interest in the business, owns the building, and three hundred and sixty acres of land; also a number of cattle. He is an industrious, hard working man, popular with his fellow citizens and respected by all for his industry and many manly virtues.

MARK CRIDER, a prosperous sheep man of Klickitat county, lives on his ranch five and a half miles east and four and a half miles south of the town of Bickleton. He was born in Knox county, Ohio, at the city of Mt. Vernon, Septem- ber 13, 1853. His father, Robert, was a black- smith by trade, and also a farmer. He was born in Pennsylvania, in 1828, and died in 1886. He served in the Mexican war, under Generals Scott and Taylor, and was one of the soldiers who cap- tured the City of Mexico. His wife, Lavina (Townsend) Crider, a native of Malone, New York, died when our subject was very young. Her father was in the War of 1812. The man whose name forms the caption of this review started out in life for himself at the age of thirteen, going to Illinois and working on a farm near Rochelle. He then visited Kansas and Texas, and finally moved to Colorado, where he worked in the Bas- sick mine, and later in the Ouray mine at San Juan. Leaving Colorado in 1888, he came to Klickitat county and took a homestead, also bought a section of railroad land. He devoted his energies to agriculture, principally, until 1903, when he engaged in the sheep business also. His holdings include eight hundred acres of land, all under cultivation, and about twelve hundred sheep. Recently he has given some attention to locating homesteaders.

In 1878, at Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. Crider married Lizzie Smith, a native of Iowa. Her father. M. M. Smith, came to Klickitat county in the year 1886, and there engaged in the dual occu- nation of farming and preaching for the Method- ist church. He passed away in 1902, and his wife, Sirilda (Ralston) Smith, a native of Iowa, died two years previous. Mr. and Mrs. Crider are parents of seven sons, namely: William, Walter, Charles, Lloyd, Carl, Jewell and Calvin, all of whom live with their parents. Mr. Crider has two older brothers, Joseph and William, and three sisters, Hattie, Roxina and Sarah, all living in the east. Mr. Crider has served as road over- seer in the Bickleton district for several terms,

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and at present is an active member of the school board of district No. 60. In politics, he favors the Republican party. He is a public-spirited, liberal man, fully awake to the best interests of his community ; in business, he is energetic and suc- cessful, and in all the relations of life he so de- means himself as to merit the esteem and re- spect of those with whom he is associated.

GEORGE W. JORDAN, a carpenter residing in the town of Bickleton, was born in Shasta county, California, in the year 1859. His father, John S. Jordan, was a minister of the Methodist church, and also a farmer, born in the year 1818, in the state of Virginia. He crossed the Plains to California during the first gold excitement there in 1849, and mined for three or four years in various parts of Placer county, then returned east and married, coming west again in 1859. After spending the years from 1859 to 1871 in Califor- nia, he settled in Lane county, Oregon, where he engaged in farming. He also built the first saw- mill in the town of Wendling. Coming to Klick- itat county in 1886, he took up a homestead near Bickleton and followed farming there until his death, in 1893. He was of German-Irish descent, as was also his wife, Mary M. (Worley) Jordan, who was born in Iowa in 1836 and crossed the Plains with her husband in 1859, and now lives at Bickleton. Mr. Jordan, of this review, attended school in California and Oregon, also learned the business of sawyer. In 1886 he removed to Mos- cow, Idaho, where he worked in a sawmill, going then to Baker City, Oregon, where for two years he rode the ranges. He next came to Klickitat county, and worked a year for Bickle & Flower, then going to the Willamette valley, Oregon. There he again went to work in a mill, also hunt- ing for the logging camp and supplying the camp and mill hands with game. At this he remained for a space of two years. The three years from 1889 were spent in Eugene, Oregon, as head saw- yer in the Upper Willamette Lumber Company's mills, then he conducted a butcher shop in Eugene for the ensuing five years, after which he removed to Seattle and put in another year at the same business. Returning thereupon to Eugene, he once more accepted employment in the mill, re- maining until 1897, when he came to Bickleton and engaged in carpenter work, an occupation he still follows. He also leased some school land. In June, 1889, at Creswell, Lane county, Oregon, Mr. Jordan married Emma F. Reed, a native of that place, and he and Mrs. Jordan are parents of three children: Vivian D., Lena L. and Gladys Thelma. Fraternally, Mr. Jordan is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and politically, he is a Republican. He has held the office of jus- tice of the peace since coming to this locality. He attends to his business closely, which he thor-

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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 108

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