An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 122

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 122
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 122
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 122

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sioner of the First district. His property interests consist chiefly of his finely cultivated farm and the stock, implements and buildings with which it is abundantly supplied.

RICHARD M. RAFFETY, a well-known farmer residing half a mile south of Jersey post- office, Klickitat county, Washington, was born in Greene county, Illinois, June 9, 1838, the son of James and Arthanussa (Sage) Raffety, who were among the earliest pioneers in Illinois. James Raf- fety was a farmer. He was born in Nashville, Ten- nessee, in 1814, and after attaining manhood went to Illinois, arriving there in 1833. Later he went to Missouri, and thence returned to Pike county, Illi- nois, residing there till the time of his death. He was of Scotch extraction. Arthanussa (Sage) Raf- fety was a native of Illinois, born in 1821, and mar- ried Mr. Raffety, the elder, in that state. She died in Pike county, in 1853. She was of German ex- traction.

Richard M. received his education in the com- mon schools of his native state. He remained at home until he was fifteen years of age, then began working out for wages, and was thus engaged much of the time until he reached the age of twenty, at which time he rented a farm. Later he bought land in Pike county, which he farmed till 1872, then go- ing to Madison county, Montana. Here he farmed and raised stock until 1891, in the spring of which year he arrived in Klickitat county. During the first four years of his stay here he lived on rented property, but in 1896, he filed on his present home- stead. Upon this place he has ever since farmed and raised stock, achieving success in both lines.

Mr. Raffety was married in Pike county, Illinois, November 2, 1858, to Miss Nancy E. Hinch, a native of Illinois, born in 1841. Her parents were John M. and Nancy (McIntire) Hinch, the former of whom died in Montana, and the latter of whom is at present a resident of that state. Mrs. Raffety died in 1870, leaving four children. In 1877 Mr. Raffety married Mrs. Ella M. Gilman, a widow, liv- ing at the time in Montana. She was the daughter of Osgood Paige, a New Hampshire farmer, who lived his entire life time in that state, passing away several years ago. Her mother was Nancy (Boyn- ton) Paige. This Mrs. Raffety was born in New Hampshire, January 12, 1839, and in that state re- ceived a common school education. She married Isaac H. Gilman, her first husband, when twenty- one years of age. Her children by this marriage are: Osgood H., Larett, Clara L., Leroy H., Alice, Rosia B. and Leslie G. Mr. Gilman died in Mon- tana in 1876. Mr. Raffety's children by his first marriage are: Charles, born in 1860, Mrs. Emma Harris, in 1862; Oren L., in 1864; Mrs. Mary A. Harris, in 1866, and Ethelda, in 1870, and those of himself and the present Mrs. Raffety are: Mrs. Lula A. Coleman, Mrs. Maud A. Mason, Lillie B.

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and Estella M. In religion, Mr. Raffety adheres to the Presbyterian church, and in politics, he is a stanch Democrat. While hardly to be classed among the oldest pioneers of Klickitat county he is one of its most highly respected citizens, and an enthusiastic supporter of all measures that conduce to the welfare of the community in which he resides.

WILLIAM C. RAFFETY is a prominent farm- er residing two and one-half miles north of Jersey postoffice, in Klickitat county, Washington. He was born in Greene county, Illinois, October 19, 1841, the son of James and Arthanussa (Sage) Raffety. James was born in Nashville, Ten- nessee, in 1814. He was a farmer.) From Tennessee he moved to Kentucky, and later to Illinois, where he established himself perma- nently. His parents were Scotch. Arthanussa (Sage) Raffety has been dead many years, her de- mise occurring in Pike county, Illinois. William C. attained early manhood on the home farm in Illinois, and during his youth was educated in the common schools. He remained at home the greater part of the time until he was nineteen years of age. In 1863, when twenty-one years of age, he crossed the Plains to California with an ox team, making the journey in company with six other westward-bound home- seekers. During the first few years of his stay in California he worked for wages, then, in 1871, he and his cousin opened up a butcher shop in Galt, Sacramento county, where they remained for two years. After leaving the butcher shop he worked for a railroad company for six months, and next went into the sheep business, forming a partnership with his cousin. This occupation he followed for ten years, after which he sold out, moved to Fresno, and there engaged in the transfer business, which vocation he followed for six years. His final move was to Klickitat county in 1890, where, three years later, he filed on his present homestead.

Mr. Raffety was married in Stockton, California, March 19, 1883, to Miss Hannah L. Wristen, the daughter of Milton and Jane (Harris) Wristen. She was a native of Hancock county, Illinois, born August 14, 1861. Her education was acquired in the common schools of her native county, where she attained young womanhood. Her marriage occurred in California. Milton Wristen, a native of Illinois. was a farmer by occupation. He is now living in San Francisco, as is also his wife, Jane (Harris) Wristen, who was also born in Illinois. One child, Lalita W., has been born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Raffety, the date being June 12, 1886. Frater- nally, Mr. Raffety is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics, he is a stanch Democrat. During his life he has sought chiefly an unofficial career, though in Nevada he made an honorable digression from his preferred manner of living by accepting the office of sheriff for a time. His present farm comprises three hundred and

twenty acres of land, some of which is the best in the community.

JOSEPH AERNI is a prosperous farmer and stockman residing one mile west of Guler postoffice in Klickitat county. He was born in Switzerland, September 27, 1850, the son of Joseph and Rosena Aerni, both now deceased. Joseph Aerni was a native of Switzerland, and of the hardy race of Alpine mountaineers whose achievements in war constitute a very interesting part of the history of continental Europe. The elder Aerni devoted his life time to vocations of a pastoral nature, not being favorably inclined to such pursuits as wood-carving, watch-making or other of the small industries which in quality of workmanship have made Switz- erland famous throughout the civilized world. Mrs. Rosena Aerni passed her life in Switzerland amid environments similar to those of her husband. Both parents were very well educated along such lines as were then considered useful by the Swiss people. Joseph Aerni, Junior, during boyhood acquired a very good education in the schools of Switzerland. He remained under the paternal roof until seven- teen years of age, then accepting work on a dairy farm. Afterwards he was manager of a large farm in Switzerland for three years. In 1882 he came. to the United States, finally locating near Portland, Oregon. For a short time after his arrival he was employed on a dairy farm, but later he bought a piace of his own near Portland. After a residence of three years on this property he moved in 1885 to the Trout Lake region, in Klickitat county, where he filed on a homestead. Seventy acres of this tract have since then been cleared and put under cultiva- tion by Mr. Aerni.

Mr. Aerni has been married twice. The first marriage took place in Switzerland, July 22, 1875, Miss Lizzie Boehi being the lady. She was a native of Switzerland, born in 1848, daughter of Abraham and Lizzie (Deuh) Boehi, both of whom lived in Switzerland all their life time. She grew to woman- hood in her native country, there receiving a very good education in music and languages. She mar- ried Mr. Aerni when twenty-six years of age. She died in December, 1889. Mr. Aerni's second mar- riage occurred March 22, 1892, in Klickitat county, the lady being Miss Mary Stalder, also a native of Switzerland. John and Mary Ann Stalder, her par- ents, were both natives of Switzerland. Miss Mary was educated in her native country. She came to the United States when sixteen years of age, and at the age of thirty-one married Mr. Aerni. Mr. Aerni's children by his first marriage are Lizzie, now Mrs. Smith; Joshua, and Mrs. Hannah Englett, both natives of Switzerland; Joseph and Jacob, na- tives of Oregon, and Mary, a native of Klickitat county. His children by the second marriage are Lettie, Ernest, Martha, Carl and Henry C., all born in Klickitat county. In religion, Mr. Aerni is an

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adherent of the Baptist church, and in politics he belongs to the Republican party. He is one of the most industrious farmers of Klickitat county, and though a Swiss by birth and descent, is as patriotic an American citizen as if his forefathers had as- sisted in the making of the American republic rather than the Swiss.

GABRIEL LONG is a prosperous farmer, thirteen miles northwest of Arlington, Oregon. He was born in Linn county, Oregon, March 24. 1857, the son of Lewis and Sarah A. ( Hesser) Long, who were among the early pioneers of Oregon. Lewis Long was born in Greene county, Virginia, March 10, 1814. He moved to Ohio in boyhood, and was married there; to Illinois in 1844; thence to Iowa in 1853, and in 1854 he crossed the Plains to Linn county, Oregon, with a team of oxen. A few months after his arrival, in 1855, he filed on a homestead, where he resided till the time of his death in 1894. He was of English and French parentage. Sarah A. (Hesser) Long was born in Ohio, September 22, 1822, and was of German and English descent. Her people were among the pioneers of Ohio, not arriv- ing, however, until settlement was to some extent begun. She was married in Ohio when eighteen years of age. Gabriel Long attained early manhood in Linn county, Oregon, and during boyhood was educated in the common schools. He remained at home until nineteen years old. At this age he went to Baker county and accepted employment on a ranch, where he remained for a year, then returned home, and after a stay of one year engaged in farm- ing on his own responsibility. In 1880 he bought a ranch in Lane county. This he farmed for two years, then sold out. and went to Baker City, where, for four years, he worked at the carpenter trade. He sold out his home and real estate there in the spring of 1887 and went to the Willamette valley, Oregon. where for the following five years he farmed. In 1895 he filed on his present farm in Klickitat county, which has since been his residence.

On July 14, 1878, in Lane county, Oregon, Mr. Long married Miss Emma Jordan, the daughter of John and Mary (Worley) Jordan. John Jordan was a mining man. He was born in Greene county, Virginia, in 1818, and after attaining manhood moved to Illinois, where he lived for several years. In 1850 he crossed the Plains with an ox team to California, but after a stay of three years returned east via the Isthmus of Panama. He again went to California in 1855, crossing the Plains with ox teams as before. He moved thence, in 1872, to Lane coun- ty, Oregon, where he put up a sawmill which was operated for ten years. His next and final move was to Klickitat county, arriving in 1885, and in this county he resided till the time of his death in 1892. He was of German and Irish parentage. Mary (Worley) Jordan was born in Missouri, June 3, 1838, and is now living in Bickleton, Washington.

Emma Jordan, now the wife of Mr. Long, is a native of California, born October 8, 1861. She re- ceived a common school education in California and Oregon, and was married when sixteen years of age. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Long are : Saralı A., born May 9, 1879, Marion C., May 9, 1880, and . Lewis L., March 26, 1892, all natives of Linn coun- ty : D. Smith, May 9, 1879, east of Bickleton ; Phoebe M., October 29, 1881, now Mrs. McMurry, residing in Bickleton; Charley, born in Baker county, Ore- gon, January 5, 1888, and Dewey, born in Klickitat county, August 14, 1898. In religion, Mr. Long is an adherent of the Methodist church, and in politics, is a stanch Democrat. He is prominent in com- munity affairs, having served as road supervisor with credit to himself and satisfaction to the public. His land holdings comprise nine hundred and sixty acres, six hundred and forty of which are under cul- tivation, the balance being used as pasture. These property interests have been acquired by Mr. Long through his efficient management and well-directed industry.

MURDOCK McDONALD is a sheepman of Arlington, Oregon, his ranch being situated seven and one-half miles northwest of that place, in Klickitat county. His family lives in Arlington. Mr. McDonald is a native of Nova Scotia, born July 22, 1855. His parents were Malcolm and Margaret (McRitchie) McDonald, both natives of Scotland. Malcolm McDonald was born in 1814 and lived in Scotland till 1834, at which time he came to Nova Scotia, where he died in 1894. Margaret (McRitchie) McDonald was born in 1830 and is still living, her residence being in Nova Scotia.

Murdock grew to the age of sixteen on the home farm in Nova Scotia, then left the paternal roof to see more of the world. His first move took him to Eureka, Nevada, where he accepted employment as a miner. For the thirteen years following he mined, being at different times in the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colo- rado, Utah and California. He finally went to Oregon, later to Seattle, Washington, and in 1883, he landed in Klickitat county. Upon his arrival, he took up his present ranch and engaged in the horse raising business, getting a start by purchas- ing horses at sixty-five dollars a head. He has since continued in the horse business, though not extensively since becoming interested in sheep. At one time he started in cattle raising, but gave this enterprise up in favor of his sheep interests, and he now has a herd of wool-bearers numbering nearly six thousand. His land comprises a tract of six thousand acres, all in a body. His Arling- ton residence. which has been in use by his far- ily for the past five years, is one of the most attractive homes in that city. In addition to his

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other stock, he owns about a hundred head of horses.

On December 7, 1887, Mr. McDonald married Miss Kate Day, a native of Vancouver, Washing- ton, born in 1861, the daughter of Andrew and Margaret (King) Day, both natives of Cork, Ire- land. Andrew Day was a farmer. He was in California at the time of the discovery of gold that led to the well-remembered sensation throughout the country. Later, he moved to Vancouver, Washington, and thence to Klickitat county, arriv- ing before Goldendale was more than a townsite. His death occurred January 12, 1891. Margaret (King) Day came to Charleston, South Carolina, when six years old, having been sent to that city to a brother on account of the death of her parents. She was educated and married in Charleston. Her death occurred in Portland, Oregon, May 16, 1902, when she was seventy-one years of age. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have six children, all living,

namely: Ethel Clara, born February 25, 1889; Florence, June 30, 1890; Violet, May 14, 1892; Bernice, February 5, 1895; Margaret, February 22, 1897, and Laura, October 16, 1901. Fraternally, Mr. McDonald is affiliated with the Masonic or- der, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Woodmen of the World and the Maccabees. Of the ancient Order of United Workmen and the Maccabees, he is a charter member in the Arling- ton lodges. In religious matters, he holds to the Presbyterian faith, and in politics, he is a Repub- lican. In educational matters, Mr. McDonald has always been found ready to serve his community. For the past fifteen years he has been a school director, and his services in this line are said to have invariably proven satisfactory. His property interests are among the most valuable in the county, and they have all been gotten by honest effort, their owner being a man of integrity and high moral worth.

YAKIMA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY

Walter at Grang.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES YAKIMA COUNTY

WALTER NORTON GRANGER, of Zillah, Washington, general manager of the Washington Irrigation Company, has been a resident of Yakima county for fifteen years, the greater portion of the time connected with the management of the big Sunnyside canal. Mr. Granger is a native of the state of New York; was born in Buffalo, March 4, 1858, the son of Warren and Mary (Norton) Granger, both natives of New York. Mr. Granger spent his youth and early manhood in the state of his birth, and in its common and high schools re- ceived his early education. He afterwards contin- ued his studies in Brown University at Providence, Rhode Island, remaining there for two years. At the end of the second year he became afflicted with cerebro-spinal troubles, and was compelled to discon- tinue his course of study. He crossed the sea, and, after two years of travel through European coun- tries, his health being in a great measure restored, he returned to this country, in 1882, and began the study of law in the office of a prominent attorney of Buffalo, New York. He pursued the study of the law for two years, but, his health again beginning to decline, he decided to try the West, and in 1884 located in Montana, where, for a time, he was en- gaged in mining, eventually, however, becoming in- terested in various irrigation projects. While a resident of Montana he built and put in operation the Gallatin canal in the Gallatin valley, the Flor- ence canal and reservoir in the Sun river valley, and the Chestnut canal in the Chestnut valley. These canals are all in successful operation to-day. In 1889, Mr. Granger came to Washington, and the same year was given by the Northern Pacific Rail- road an option on all their lands in the Sunnyside district, with the understanding that an irrigation canal should be constructed through that part of the county. He at once began surveys for, and in a short time the construction of, the big ditch into which the water was turned in April, 1892, and with the management of which he has ever since been prominently connected. A detailed history of the

great canal will be found in the general chapters of this volume. It is fifty-seven miles long, with nearly 600 miles of branch and lateral ditches; waters 68,000 acres of land, on which were produced, in 1903, crops valued at one and one-half million dol- lars. The subject of this article is the next to the youngest in a family of seven children; three sisters and one brother are living ; their names follow : Mary (Granger) Hodge, St. Paul, Minnesota ; Virginia, Anna V. and Harrison (real estate dealer), Buffalo, New York. The marriage of Mr. Granger and Miss Maud Thomas was celebrated in North Yakima in 1891. Mrs. Granger is a native of Missouri and the daughter of Captain James H. and Lucy B. (Guyer) Thomas, residents of North Yakima and pioneers of Yakima county. The biographies of her parents appear on another page of this volume, where will also be found mention of her four brothers. To Mr. and Mrs. Granger have been born four sons and one daughter : Walter, Warren, Thomas, James R. and Maud. Mr. and Mrs. Granger are members of the Episcopal church. Mr. Granger supports the principles of the Democratic party, and his fraternal connections are with the Modern Woodmen. His name will ever be inseparably connected with the Sunnyside canal, probably the largest, and directly benefiting the most extensive agricultural area, of all the canals thus far constructed in the great arid West. He is a man of exceptional executive ability, of courage and strictest integrity, and commands the confidence and respect of all with whom he comes in contact in a business or social way.

Mr. Granger has ever been a leader in all the enterprises for the advancement and development of the Sunnyside country since his advent into it. His latest undertaking is in the line of railway con- struction. Already a corporation has been formed "to build, construct, equip, maintain and operate, by steam, electric or other motive power, a railway line on such route as may be selected by the board of trustees of this corporation, from a point of con- nection with tracks of the Northern Pacific Railway

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Company, at or near Toppenish, Washington, run- ning thence in a generally easterly direction to the town of Sunnyside, and thence in a southeasterly di- rection to a point at or near Prosser, all in Yakima county, Washington," also "to construct, maintain and operate a telegraph and telephone line in connec- tion with said railroad." The trustees of this com- pany are Walter N. Granger, president ; George P. Eaton, Norris Sisk, A. B. Flint, S. J. Harrison, Naa- man Woodin, C. E. Woods, F. L. Pittman and F. H. Gloyd. No one who knows these men, either person- ally or by reputation, will doubt their entire good faith in this undertaking or their ability to carry it to a successful issue.

HON. WESLEY L. JONES, one of the rep- resentatives-at-large from the state of Washington in the national house of representatives, is one of Yakima county's most popular and highly esteemed citizens-a comment which speaks volumes for his personality and of which any man might well feel proud. Not only Yakima county claims him as her own, but the state in which he lives takes a pardon- able pride in the man who for five consecutive years has ably and faithfully represented the interests of his constituency at Washington. He belongs to that type of true Americans which, plain, unassuming, energetic and substantial, yet forms the bulwark of the nation's life. He was born at Bethany, Illinois, October 9, 1863. His mother's maiden name was Phœbe Mckay, who is still living at the age of sixty-eight, in Illinois. The father was a Union soldier in the Civil war and died from lung trouble in 1863, three days previous to his son Wesley's birth. Upon the broad, fertile plains of his native state, tilling the soil and learning other branches of husbandry and from the age of ten attending the dis- trict school, Wesley Jones, Jr., grew to manhood, giving what money he earned toward the support of his mother. At the age of eighteen he began teach- ing school, having secured a second grade certificate, thus strengthening the foundation already laid for a long, useful life. With commendable industry he secured a higher education at Southern Illinois Col- lege without other aid than his own individual ef- forts, and, after graduation there, went to Chicago, where he began to read law. While acquiring this legal knowledge he supported himself by teaching in the night schools of Chicago. In the spring of 1886, he was rewarded for his perseverance by being admitted to practice before the appellate courts of that city. Two years longer he taught in the schools of Illinois, and then, early in 1889, he sought a broader and a riper field for the practice of his pro- fession, choosing the Pacific Northwest, and to North Yakima he came. At that time this embryo city was enjoying all the excitement of a boom period. and so, after carefully looking over the pros- pects. Mr. Jones decided to settle there. For the first year of his residence, he was employed by Good-

win & Pugsley in their real estate office, but in 1890 he formed a partnership with two other lawyers, and, under the firm name of Rochford, Jones & Newman, began his legal career in Washington. In 1892, the firm lost one of its members, Mr. Rochford, and five years later Mr. Newman's place was taken by Mr. Jones's half-brother, William P. Guthrie, a bright young Illinois lawyer, who came West in that year. Since his arrival in the state, Mr. Jones had taken an active interest in politics, being a Repub- lican of pronounced views, and so rapid had been his rise in the councils of the party that in 1898 he received at the hands of his fellow Republicans of Washington the nomination s congressman-at- large. He was elected by a most satisfying ma- jority and entered national life March 4, 1899. Again in 1900 he was renominated and re-elected, and still again in 1902, his majority the last time being one of the largest on the ticket. He carried every county in the state. As a public officer his record has been without a flaw, and each session of congress has witnessed his promotion to more and more important committee work and to a higher standing in the party councils. He was one of the committee of seventeen that drafted the irrigation bill and was active in securing its passage. He was also on the committee in the Fifty-seventh congress, which had in charge the famous Ship Subsidy bill, and was one of the Republicans who could not agree to its report from its committee. No measure of especial interest to the West is introduced but that he is its friend and zealous advocate. Mr. Jones has never held but one public office-the one he now fills -and none other is spoken of as his successor.

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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 122

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