An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 175

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 175
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 175
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 175

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).

Mr. Carter received his educational training in the common schools of Illinois. Leaving home at the age of eleven, he then began working out, and he has ever since supported himself by his own unaided efforts. When sixteen he moved to Eureka, Kansas, where for the ensuing three years he worked at various occupations, but the call of the West was ringing in his ears, and in Septem- ber, 1888, he alighted from the train in Yakima county. For the first two years he worked out, but he was wise enough to realize that that was not the easiest and best way to gain the start he was seeking, so as soon as the law would allow liim, at the age of twenty-one, he filed a home- stead claim to land seven miles south of Kiona. Upon this tract he made his home until 1901, put- ting one hundred and fifteen acres of the land into cultivation, though his main business was horse raising during all these years and continued to be until the spring of 1904. In the year 1900 he purchased a section of land four and a half miles southeast of Prosser, and this tract is his liome at the present time. Already five hundred acres of it are in cultivation, but the energies of Mr. Carter are too great and his ambitions too exacting to permit his confining himself to such limits, and he therefore rents eleven hundred and eighty acres more, upon all of which he raises wheat. Mr. Carter has one brother, Havilla, and one sister, Mrs. Olly Eastwood, of the town of Gas, Kansas.

At Prosser, Washington, on the Ist of Jan- uary, 1901, Mr. Carter married Laura, daughter of James E. and Mary (Collins) Carter, both na- tives of Oregon. The father's parents crossed the Plains in 1849, and eventually settled in Benton county, Oregon, where James E. was born in 1854, and where he grew to man's estate. In 1883 he came to Klickitat county, and he is now living ncar Bickleton, as is also his wife, who was born in Polk county, Oregon, in 1856. Mrs. Carter, wife of our subject, was born in Benton county, Oregon, February 22, 1881, but as she was only* two years old when her parents moved to the Bickleton country she was reared and educated there. She is a communicant in the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics, Mr. Carter is a Republican. Though a public spirited man, he has so far manifested no special ambition for po- litical preferment, but has given most of his en- ergy to his business, in which he has won, by his well directed efforts, a degree of success of which a much older man might well be proud.

FELIX T. SWAN, the subject of this biogra- phy, one of the later settlers in the Horse Heaven region, and yet one of its most successful young farmers, is a native of Rock Island, Illinois, born in 1879. His parents, Jolin and Clara (Carlson) Swan, were born in Sweden. John Swan, whose occupation was farming, came to the United States in 1871, and settled in Illinois. He lived there until 1885, when he removed to Portland. His death occurred in that city. Mrs. Swan crossed to America in 1873, was married in Illinois and now lives in Portland.

Felix T., of this review, was educated in the public schools of Portland, Oregon, and supple- mented his general education by a course in the Portland business college. Upon' reaching man's estate he went to Coos bay, where he resided for six months. In 1900 he came to Washington, and was so deeply impressed with the prospects of Yak- ima county's great wheat belt that he settled upon a homestead ten miles east and three miles south of Prosser, upon which he is now living.

Last year (1903) Mr. Swan and Miss Sena Peterson were united in marriage at North Yakima. Mrs. Swan is of Danish birth and descent, the daughter of John and Christina (Nelson) Peterson. Her parents came to Yakima county in an early day, and in the public schools of this county Mrs. Swan was educated. Mr. Peterson is dead. Mr. and Mrs. Swan are consistent members of the Methodist church, and are highly esteemed for their commendable personal qualities. Mr. Swan is af- filiated with the Modern Woodmen, and in political matters casts his ballot usually for Republicans and Republican policies, although as a believer in good government, he considers the fitness of the

776

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

party's candidates. By hard work and perseverance Mr. Swan has placed his entire place in cultiva- tion, and now owns one of the most thrifty looking farms in the community. He also handles consider- able stock, having at the present time about two hundred horses. He is winning deserved success, and belongs to a class of energetic young men that is changing the face of the West by well di- rected industry. He enjoys the respect and good wishes of all with whom he is associated.

SAMUEL E. WHITE, of Prosser, farmer and stockman, until recently residing fourteen miles southeast of Prosser, is a native of the Willamette valley, Oregon, born September 1, 1863, to the union of Samuel M. and Elizabeth ( Jones ) White, two of Oregon's early pioneers. Samuel M. White was born in Michigan territory in 1835, and went to Iowa at the age of seven. From there he crossed the Plains by ox team to the California mines and for a number of years followed mining success- fully. In 1859 he came north to Oregon, purchas- ing an immense herd of stock, which was destroyed by the severe winter of 1861-2. Then he spent two years in the Idaho mines, purchased a farm in Ore- gon and resided upon it until 1878, when he moved to his present home at Easton, Oregon. The mother of Samuel was born in Iowa, crossed the Plains with her parents, who were among the first in the Willamette valley, and was there mar- ried ; she died in 1877. Samuel E. lived at home, attending school and assisting his father, who was an invalid four years, until the fall of 1885. That year he came to Yakima county, and settled upon a homestead in the Horse Heaven region, the land being his present hime. As a boy of sixteen, Mr. White turned his attention to fine racing stock, rid- ing as a jockey for a considerable time, and by the time he was ready to settle in Yakima county he was an experienced horseman and owned- several head. With these as a nucleus, he commenced breeding fine stock, and has met with excellent success in this line, as also in farming.

He was married in Yakima county, 1889. to Miss Minnie Anderson, the daughter of Lowiens and Christina ( Nelson) Anderson, natives of Den -. mark. The father was a farmer and lumberman ; he died in 1875. Afterwards Mrs. Anderson was married to John Peterson and subsequently to James Rasmusson. She is living in the Horse Heaven community, which has been her home for the past sixteen years. Mrs. White was born in Denmark. 1872, attended school in her native coun- try, and came to the United States with her mother and step-father in 1889, the year of her marriage to Mr. White. Two children have resulted from this union: Flossie E., born in Milton, Oregon, January 27, 1891, and Jesse E., born on the Horse Heaven homestead, March 4, 1896. Mr. White is

connected with the Methodist church, and his wife belongs to the Lutheran denomination. He is an ardent admirer of President Roosevelt and loyal to the Republican party. Mr. White has prospered exceedingly since he came to Yakima county, now owning eight hundred acres of land, of which two hundred and seventy acres are in cultivation, the remainder being grazing land at present. Upon his place he has four large cisterns and a very com- fortable dwelling, besides other farm buildings. His stock interests consist principally of about three hundred range horses and some other stock. Mr. White, as is seen from the foregoing, is an ener- getic man, who has seized opportunity with a strong, skilful hand, and met with gratifying re- turns. He commands the confidence of all with whom he is associated, and the respect of his com- munity.

WILLIAM B. MATHEWS, whose home lies a few miles south of Prosser in Yakima's great wheat belt, is one of the county's best known citi- zens, having resided in that region since 1886 and served four years as a county commissioner. There are few people in the southeastern part of the county who do not know and esteem him. His native state is Pennsylvania, which was also the home and birthplace of his parents and many of his ancestors. Into the home of John and Phebe ( Mitchell) Mathews, William B. was born in the year 1858. His father, a blacksmith by occupa- tion, enlisted in Company C, Eighty-fourth Penn- sylvania volunteer infantry, during the Civil war. After three months' service he was seized by a serious illness and within a short time was sleep- ing the sleep of death-a sacrifice to his country's cause. The mother lives in Wisconsin at the ad- vanced age of eighty-one. When nineteen years old, William B. left Pennsylvania to make his way alone in the world, after having secured a fair education in the Keystone state and Wisconsin, where he lived eight years. For two years he devoted himself to learning the carpenter's trade. Then he attended school four years, finishing his education by a three years' course in the Wiscon- sin state normal, in the meantime following his trade at times. With the opening of the year 1886 he went to California. After remaining there only three months he drove to Washington, where he settled upon a homestead. This claim is now his home, and upon it he has successfully farmed and raised stock for nearly eighteen years.

In 1886 Mr. Mathews was united in marriage to Miss Anna Erickson, a daughter of Eric and Betsey ( Anderson) Nelson, natives of Norway, and farmers by occupation. Both parents lived and died in the old country. . In 1880, at the age oi nineteen, Anna Erickson came to America with one of her brothers, and she was married at the

777

BIOGRAPHICAL.

age of twenty-four. Mr. and Mrs. Mathews have been the parents of seven children: John C., born March 22, 1887; Eric N., November 22, 1889; Elizabeth, July 11, 1892; James W., October 7, 1894; May (deceased), November 24, 1896; Myr- tle, December 28, 1898; Mitchell, January 1, 1902, all born in Yakima county. Little May, when about four years and a half old, met a tragic death which cast a gloom over the whole com- munity. One day she strayed away from home, whither no one knew. For a whole week the com- munity searched for the lost child, at last finding her, cold in death, near Lone Spring, eighteen miles from home. The end had come, apparently, only about two days before her body was discov- ered. Mr. Mathews has been prominent in the political affairs of his county for many years, and was elected on the Fusion ticket in 1896 as county commissioner for his district for a term of four years. He is a liberal man in his views and be- lieves in good government rather than party dom- ination. Mr. Mathews' property interests consist of his well improved ranch and a considerable number of cattle and horses, besides smaller in- terests. Industrions, capable, upright, loyal to his private and public responsibilities, he is a force in his community and an influential citizen of his county.

LEWIS C. RUDOW, who is a partner in the firm of Rudow & Schweikert, conducts a hardware and furniture store, with undertaking parlors at- tached, at Kennewick, Yakima county, Washing- ton. He was born in Henderson, Minnesota, the county seat of Sibley county, in the year 1855. His father. Lewis Rudow, of German parentage, was a government contractor, and also ran a steamboat on the Minnesota river. He died when his son was ten years old. His mother, Wilhel- mina (Swant ) Rudow, was also of German de- scent. She married in Henderson, Minnesota, and is still living in that state. Her' son was educated in the common schools of his native state, though at the age of twelve he went to Montana with a government freight train to look after the loose cattle, being away from home six months. The following year, in the spring, he made the same trip again, and he has since crossed the Plains twenty-one times. In the winter months it was his custom to work in the store, these trips being made in the spring and summer time. When he was eighteen years old he took a contract to drive cattle to supply the Indians farther west, and con- tinued in this line of work for seven years. He then returned to Henderson, Minnesota, and for the next fifteen years had charge of a local store, being in the employ of the same firm for a period of twenty-one consecutive years. After leaving the firm's employ, he conducted a hardware store in 50

his home town for twelve years more, the store being his own property. In 1900 he took charge of another hardware store in northern Minnesota, and continued in charge for a year and a half, then, selling his interest, opened a general mer- chandise store at another point in the state, sell- ing out at the expiration of a year's time. In April, 1901, he came to Kennewick, Washington, and with his present partner opened a hardware store, which he is conducting at present.

At Henderson, Minnesota, in 1882, he was mar- ried to Emma Conmick, whose father, Adam Con- mick, was of German birth and immigrated to this country in 1858, settling in Minnesota, where he died. Mrs. Rudow was born in Germany in 1857, receiving her education in the public schools of Henderson. Minnesota. One child has been born to this couple, a son, Lewis A. Rudow, born in Minnesota, June 20, 1884. Mr. Rudow is frater- nally connected with the Masons and Knights of Pythias, and is also a member of the Lutheran church. In politics, he affiliates with the Repub- lican party. He is the owner of a tract of land watered by the Kennewick ditch, this land being partly improved. By his strict attention to busi- ness he has won the esteem of his fellow towns- men, and is highly respected by everyone with whom he comes in contact.

HOWARD S. AMON, a banker of Kenne- wick, Yakima county, Washington, was born in Umatilla county, Oregon, August 18, 1877. His father, William R. Amon, was a native of Mis- souri, born in 1845, and a farmer by occupation. When six years of age he crossed the Plains to Oregon with his parents, and there grew up and received his education. He was married shortly after reaching his majority, removed to Umatilla county in the same state, and followed the stock business on the Umatilla reservation for a num- ber of years. He was the first one to break land north of Wild Horse creek; that country having leen previously considered worthless for any pur- pose except as a range for stock. He lived there until the year 18go: then moved to Lincoln county, Washington, and located near the town of Har- rington, spending eight years in that neighbor- hood. He next removed to Waitsburg, Washington, where he now resides. His wife, and Howard's mother, Nellie (Wilder) Amon, was a Wisconsin girl, who married in Umatilla county, Oregon, and died when her son was three years of age. The subject of this article received his education in the public schools of Oregon : later taking a business course in the Western Business College at Spo- kane, Washington. He remained at home until reaching the age of eighteen ; at that time he be- came connected with a ditch company, remain- ing in their employ two years. In 1897 he en-

778

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

gaged in the livery business in Waitsburg, Washing- ton, disposed of his interests at the expiration of twelve months time, went to Harrington, in Lincoln county, Washington, where his father was resid- ing, and bought his entire interests in that neigh- borhood. Some four years later he induced the Great Northern Railroad Company to put in a siding on his property, and when this spur was completed it was given the name of Downs by the railroad company. This improvement greatly enhanced the value of his land, and he later sold the townsite and some of his other real estate in the vicinity to John O'Connor for something like thirty thousand dollars. The next year he disposed of the balance of his property holdings near Downs, and moved to Kennewick, there opening the first bank in the town, the institu- tion being called the Exchange Bank of Kenne- wick. From the very start of this enterprise its success was assured, and its volume of business is rapidly increasing.

In Waitsburg, Washington, in 1900, he was united in marriage to Miss Belle Roberts, daugh- ter of David Roberts, a native of Wales. Her father crossed the Plains from Illinois in the early seventies, and died in Waitsburg in 1800. Her mother is also dead, passing away when her daughter was very young. His wife was brought up in Waitsburg, and received her education in the academy there, marrying at the age of twenty- three. She is one of a large family of children, and six of her brothers and sisters are still living. Her married sisters, Mrs. Emma Morgan and Mrs. Maggie Hutchins, reside in Waitsburg. Her brother Arthur also makes his home there, and is now operating the electric light plant of the city. Another sister, Jennie, lives in Kennewick, and Bessie is engaged as a school teacher in Wil- bur, Washington. A brother, Richard, is at pres- ent living in the vicinity of Waitsburg. There has been one child born to this family, Arthur H. Amon, born in Lincoln county, November 22, 1901. Mr. Amon is fraternally connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World. He is a member of the Methodist church, and politically, is a Republican. He is the owner of seventy-seven acres of land in the town of Kennewick, and also four sections of unimproved land in the Horse Heaven locality. In 1903 his father acquired a controlling interest in the Sunnyside Bank. Mr. Amon is a thor- oughly reliable, wide-awake business man, and has a brilliant future before him.

JOHN S. SHERMAN, vice-president of the Exchange Bank, of Kennewick, and prominently identified with the real estate interests of his home town and Yakima county generally, is al-

ready widely and favorably known in this section, though he has been a resident of the county only two years. He is a native of Michigan, born in Sanilac county, October 18, 1872. Henry Sher- man, his father, who was a native of Pennsyl- vania, was for a long period heavily interested in the lumber industry of the Peninsula state, be- ing a pioneer of that commonwealth, to which he came in 1849. He was of German-Irish de- scent. His wife, whose maiden name was Caro- line Rich, was of English parentage and birth, coming to this country with her parents when fourteen years old. The family settled at Lex- ington, Michigan, where she was married four years later. The subject of this review received his education in the public schools of Michigan and when fourteen years old entered the employ of Wellington & Lloyd, general merchants of his birthplace. After four years of service with this firm, the young man accepted a similar position with a firm in the northern part of the state and worked for it a year. In the spring of 1895 he came west, locating first at Reardon, Washing- ton, where for the ensuing three years he was engaged in the general merchandise business with John Wickham as his partner. Then he be- came receiver of the W. S. Willis Company, of Palouse City, capably filling this responsible po- sition for eight months. From Palouse City he went to Rathdrum, Idaho, entering the service of M. D. Wright. He remained in Mr. Wright's employ for a little more than three years and a half. In 1902 he came to the growing little town of Kennewick, and with H. S. Amon opened a general hardware store and the town's first bank- ing institution, the Exchange Bank. Mr. Amon took charge of the bank, while Mr. Sherman de- voted his time and energies to the hardware es- tablishment. However, October 26, 1903, he sold the hardware business to H. A. Burr, dissolving partnership with Mr. Amon, and since that date he has devoted his attention to his duties as vice- president of the bank and to his rapidly expand- ing real estate business.

Mr. Sherman has two brothers, Frank A., of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Augustus H., living in Michigan, and two sisters, Mrs. Luella Lloyd and Mrs. Vira Rice, both residents of Michigan. Fraternally, Mr. Sherman is identified with the Masons and Odd Fellows. He is a regular at- tendant of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics, he is an active Republican. His real estate holdings are large, including a half interest in one thousand four hundred acres in the Horse Heaven country, forty acres in section sixteen, and a number of small tracts near and in the town of Kennewick. He is a progressive and an energetic business man, commands the good will of his fellow men and is one of the most active workers in the development of his community.

779

BIOGRAPHICAL.

HERBERT A. HOVER, the president and business manager of the Kennewick Land Com- pany, Incorporated, and also a real estate agent in Kennewick, Washington, was born in Madi- sonville, Ohio, March 9, 1868. His father, Aaron S. Hover, was a native of New York state, and a real estate agent. He moved to Ohio in 1860, and became a commercial traveler, with headquarters in Cincinnati, traveling out of there for five years. He then went to Kansas City, Missouri, and en- gaged in business for himself, remaining there until 1876, when he returned to New York for a three years' stay. Again moving west, he set- tled in Lawrence, Kansas, making that his home for eight years; then removing to California, where he still resides. His mother, Amanda (Hollenbeck) Hover, was born in Pennsylvania, her father being a pioneer steamboat man on the Ohio river, and owning one of the largest river craft afloat. She was educated for a music teacher, which occupation she followed several years. She married at the age of twenty-one. Herbert A. Hover received his early education in the New York schools, and also attended the pub- lic schools of Lawrence, Kansas. He started out to make his own living when fourteen years old, and obtained a position as commercial traveler for L. K. Scotford, handling rubber stamp goods. He continued in Mr. Scotford's employ for six vears. In the fall of the year 1887 he removed to California and enlisted in the regular army. He served three years and was discharged, on his application, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In the latter part of 1890 he went to Seattle, Wash- ington, and entered the employ of the Singer Manufacturing Company, remaining with the company one year. The ensuing two years were spent in the service of a firm handling school and bank fittings, and other furniture and supplies. He then re-entered the office of the Singer Man- ufacturing Company, being with them an ad- ditional four years, and then engaged with the New York Life Insurance Company in Tacoma, Washington. He was with them until 1901 ; then came to Spokane and was employed by the branch office of the same company for another year and some months. During his stay in Spo- kane, he bought and sold considerable real estate. He moved to Kennewick in the fall of 1902; bought the townsite from the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, and incorporated the Kenne- wick Land Company, of which he is still presi- dent and business manager. This company have since transacted the largest real estate business in that section of the country, Mr. Hover buying and selling, in his own name, during 1902-3, over one hundred thousand acres of land.

Mr. Hover was married in Spokane, Washing- ton, in 1893, to Miss Mata C. Purviance. Her father, Nathan Purviance, was a lawyer, brought

up in New York state, of French parentage. He died when his daughter was but a child. Her mother was Emma (McGregor) Purviance, born in Illinois. Mrs. Hover is a native of Kansas, born in 1877. She was educated in Spokane, Washington, her mother removing to that city soon after her father's death. Mr. Hover is allied with a number of fraternal organizations ; being a Mason, a member of the Knights of Pythias, an Elk, a Red Man, also a member of the United Commercial Travelers' Association. In matters political, he casts his lot with the Republican party. He is a large land-owner, holding seven hundred acres irrigated by the Kennewick ditch, one hundred and sixty acres of this land being in cultivation. He also owns two thousand acres of unimproved land in the Horse Heaven country, and is the possessor of an additional five thousand acres scattered throughout the state. He is con- sidered a capable business man, and is very pop- ular with his associates.

WILLIAM A. SMALLEY, a farmer by occu- pation, residing in the town of Kennewick, was born in Mitchell county, Iowa, in 1870. His father, John Smalley, was of German parentage, but a na- tive of the Green Mountain state, born in 1848. He removed to Iowa with his parents when seven years old, becoming one of the pioneers of that state. In the summer of 1885 he came west and lo- cated at Wallula, Washington, in which locality he spent the next nine years of his life, but coming then to Kennewick, he lived there till the spring of 1901, at which time he removed to the Horse Heaven country, some ten miles southwest of Pros- ser, where he makes his home at the present time. His wife, whose maiden name was Martha Jackson, . was of English and Scotch descent, but a native of Illinois, born in 1852. Her parents early removed to Iowa, then still in its pioneer condition, and she grew up there, marrying at the age of seventeen. William A., of this article, attended the common schools of Iowa for a time, but completed his edu- cation at Wallula, Washington. When sixteen years of age he started to ride the range for S. Smoot, and he continued in his employ for two years; then entering the service of J. B. Switzler, for whom he rode during the succeeding four years. He then started in business for himself, taking up farming and stock raising near the town of Wallula. In 1894 he removed to Kennewick, and opened a livery stable, establishing a business to which his best energies were given for a year and six months, then two years were passed in teaming. In 1900 he took a homestead in the Horse Heaven country, where he has since lived, though he has made a practice of moving to town in the winter months, in order to afford his children better educational fa-

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 175

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