An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 204

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 204
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 204
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 204

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).

JAMES S. DYSART, living five miles east of Cle-Elum, Washington, on his farm, was born March 22, 1839, in New York state, where he re- ceived his early education and worked on a farm until he was eighteen years old. In 1855 be came to the coast and spent the next six years in Califor-

nia, being engaged in the sawmill business. He spent about five years in Nevada, and in 1860 came to Washington. After prospecting a year he took up a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Yakima county, near Ellensburg, and later bought an adjoining tract, of similar size, from the railroad. He sold the railroad land in 1901. In 1876 he put in the first sawmill on Yakima river, which he ran four years. He has devoted much time to raising cattle and horses. Mr. Dysart is the son of Duncan and Elizabeth Dysart. His mother's maiden name was Shaw. Both parents were natives of Scotland, and died in New York state. Their other children were Euphemia, of Nebraska, and Elizabeth, now deceased. Mr. Dy- sart is a member of the Blue lodge of Masons, and belongs to the Presbyterian church. Politically he is a Republican and is active in all matters of im- portance. He served four years as county commis- sioner of Kittitas county and was the only Repub- lican elected at that time. His present home is on his well-improved farm of eighty acres.

JAMES M. McDONALD, who is farming five miles east of Cle-Elum, Washington, was born in Missouri, Franklin county, December 31, 1843. His father, William McDonald, was a farmer in Mis- souri and started across the Plains in 1852 and died on the trip. The family came on and located in Willamette valley, Oregon. His mother, Jane (Cal- well) McDonald, died at the age of eighty-four years. Mr. McDonald was nine years old when the family reached Oregon. He went to school there and worked on his mother's farm until he was twenty-two years old. In June, 1874, he moved to Washington and engaged in farming. In 1882 he spent some time in the mines and then took up a homestead on Swauk prairie, where he lived seven- teen years. He sold out and in 1890 bought the Seaton place, on the Teanaway river, where he now lives. His brothers and sister are: Jess W., of Ellensburg; F. S. McDonald, of California; O. R. McDonald, of Spokane; Fenton R. McDonald, of Spokane Indian reservation, and Mary Hanna, of Ellensburg. Mr. McDonald was married in Oregon in 1870 to Sarah Davis, who was born in Silverton, Oregon, July 14, 1851. She was the daughter of Leander and Mary (Cox) Davis, who had the fol- lowing other children : Albert, Emma Montgomery, Clinton, Lucinda McClure, Clorinda Ames, Forrest, Grant, Lincoln, Valina and Albin Davis, all living in Oregon, and Armilda Philbrick, who is dead. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have two children, Jessie Wright, born October 26, 1872, and Lavilla Hoxie, born January 18, 1881. Mr. McDonald is a Demo- crat. He has a fine ranch of one hundred and sixty acres under a high state of cultivation, much of which is devoted to grass. He is a prominent and prosperous farmer, well liked and highly respected.

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GEORGE S. PRIEST, who was born in Little- ton, Massachusetts, in 1833, is now engaged in farming two miles east of Cle-Elum, Washington. He is the son of Nathan and Mercy (Robbins) Priest, natives of the Bay state, both of whom passed away at the age of ninety-three years. His three sisters are: Lucy Johnston, of Troy, New York; Mrs. Sarah Gilson and Ellen Priest, of Mas- sachusetts. Mr. Priest was educated in his native state and worked with his father until sixteen years old. He spent four years in the shoe business and then began to learn the trade of a machinist. After three years in the car shops of Troy, he went to California in 1858, by way of Panama. He spent six years mining in the Golden state and in Nevada, and in 1864 went to Montana with a pack-train. He then returned to California to look after the es- tate of his brother and next year went home by the steamer route. He later moved to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and bought a half-interest in a planing mill. He sold out after nine years, moved to Texas and engaged in the sheep business. He then came west to California once more, bought a schooner and went to Cocos Island in search of buried treas- ure, but without success. He returned to Califor- nia, made some mining investments and lost his money. He then mined for three years in Arizona before moving to Grays Harbor, Washington, where he engaged in the sawmill business. He next moved to Ellensburg and ran a planer for the mills and in 1886 located the place that has been his home for over seventeen years.

He was married in 1867 to Miss Harriet Beers, who died nine years later. He was again married, in 1884, to Mrs. Ella Benjamin, a native of York state and daughter of Charles and Sarah (Groat) Perkins. His wife was a school teacher, and was the widow of L. J. Benjamin. She has two sisters, Jennie and Mary, both married. She has one child by her first marriage, Estella Harvey, born August 16, 1871. His child by his first marriage is Willie H. Priest, born November 5, 1871. Mr. Priest is a Mason, and politically, a Republican. Mrs. Priest belonged to the Presbyterian church. She died August II, 1903. Mr. Priest has eighty acres of land in alfalfa, a modern home in Roslyn, and is highly spoken of by all.

J. C. O'CONNER, a farmer, near Cle-Elum, Washington, is a native of New York, born Octo- ber 18, 1846. His father, Chester O'Conner, came of Irish parents, but was himself a New Yorker by birth. He was a farmer and miller and lived and died in his native state. The mother, Laura (Par- sons) O'Conner, died in New York when her son was but three years of age. Mr. O'Conner was reared in New York until he was seventeen, when he struck out for himself, going to Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming for a year. He then en- listed and served in the Civil war until its close;

then returned to Wisconsin and the same year went to Minnesota, where he engaged in farming. He remained in the state seven years, then started for the west, landing in Seattle in 1872. He rented a farm on Lake Washington, and the next year pre- empted a tract of land on the same lake, where he also farmed for a brief period. He worked for the New Castle Coal Mining Company for a time, and then bought another farm on the lake, where he made his home for sixteen years. In the mean- time, in 1884, he bought a steamer, which plied on the lake for a number of years. In 1893 he removed to Snohomish, where he continued steamboating until 1897. He then sold the steamer and built a shingle-mill, which was later destroyed by fire. After this disaster he returned once more to Lake Washington and three years later traded his farm for his present place near Cle-Elum, on which he- settled in June, 1902.

He was married in Minnesota, September 19, 1869, to Miss Eva K. Tannehill, a native of Ohio, born February 8, 1850, and a resident of the state until seventeen years of age. Her father, William Tannehill, was a Virginian by birth, born in 1809. The mother, Sarah ( Harner ) Tannehill, was born in Ohio in 1816. Both parents are now dead. Mr. and Mrs. O'Conner have had eight children, five of whom are still living: George L., in Seattle, and Henry, Maude, Clarence and Catherine at home. Fraternally, Mr. O'Conner is affiliated with the G. A. R., I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W. and Knights of Maccabees. Religiously, he is a Spiritualist, and politically, a stanch Republican. His diversified business pursuits have given him an extensive ex- perimental education, and a wider conception of men and things than most men enjoy.

EDMUND TAYLOR, an Englishman by birth,. but an American by choice, both in spirit and prin- ciple, is one of the well-to-do and respected farmers residing in the Cle-Elum country. He was born November 4, 1845. His father, Charles Taylor, who departed this life when our subject was but a small boy, was a farmer in England, which was also his birthplace. The mother, Sarah (Holt) Taylor. was likewise of English birth, and died in that country. Edmund resided in England until twenty- seven years of age. His education was acquired in his native country while he worked upon the home farm, where he continued until eighteen. At that time he engaged in railroading, which line of occu- pation he followed continuously for ten years, when he decided upon a change of scenes and occupation. In 1872 he took passage for the United States, lo- cated in Pennsylvania and engaged in farming, which he followed with success for some fifteen years. He then became possessed with the desire to try the much talked of Pacific coast country, and disposing of his holdings, he, in 1889, settled in the Puyallup valley, Washington, where he resided for

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three years. In 1892 he came to Kittitas county, and after looking about for a time, purchased of the railroad company his present farm of two hun- dred and forty acres, located five miles east of Cle-Elum, on the Teanaway. Mr. Taylor has one brother, James, living in Pennsylvania.

He was married in England, January 2, 1868, to Miss Alice Woods, a native of England, in which country she was brought up. Her father, Charles Woods, was also of English birth, and died in his native land at the goodly age of seventy-seven. He was in the employ of one firm for fifty-two years. The mother, Ann ( Pierpoint ) Woods, was born and died in England, where she lived to see eighty-four summers come and go. Their other children are: Joseph, John, James, Elizabeth and Samuel, all re- siding in England. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have .three children : Sadie A. Robar, born in England, Novem- ber 2, 1871, now a resident of Colorado. She has two bright, winsome children, of whom their grand- parents are justly proud : Alice, born in Cripple Creek, Colorado, February 28, 1897, and Grace I., born in same place, October 5, 1901. Charles W., the eldest of the children, was born in England, Jan- uary 6, 1869, and now lives on the farm, and Kate H. Hall, the youngest, was born in Massachusetts, and is now a resident of Cle-Elum. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are connected with the Episcopal com- munion. The husband is an avowed Republican, and is at present serving his community as road supervisor. He is recognized as a public-spirited citizen, and an enterprising business man.

RICHARD WALSH, one of the prosperous farmers of Kittitas county, resides on his farm six miles east of Cle-Elum, where he owns six hundred and forty acres in a body. His father, Richard Walsh, Sr., was a native of Ireland, born in 1820. In early life he went to Liverpool, where he learned the trade of shipwright, and had the dis- tinction of having assisted in building the first iron ship constructed in that place. He is now a resi- dent of Philadelphia. Mary A. (Bovard) Walsh, his wife, was born in Scotland, and died when her son Richard, Jr., was but an infant. He was born in Liverpool, England, August 13, 1849, and after attending school, he, at the age of fourteen, en- gaged as solicitor on a newspaper, which position he held for two years. He then started to learn the trade of shipwright, at which he served four years. In 1869 he took passage for the United States. He landed at New York, and after working for a brief time in the shipyards of that city, went to Philadelphia, where he and his father engaged in the business for themselves, in which Richard, Jr., continued for three years. He then entered the employ of the great ship-building firm of Cramps, and continued with them for seven years. In 1880 he went to Texas, there built a cotton mill and gin, which he continued to operate for several years

with success. In 1889 he came to Washington, set- tling first in the town of Roslyn, where he remained for one year, and then purchased his present place. He has made this place his home continuously for thirteen years, improving and developing it, and, incidentally, prospering. He makes a specialty of alfalfa, of which he has some two hundred acres. His brothers and sisters are: William, Francis, Mary E. O'Brien, and Alice Walsh, all of whom make their homes in Philadelphia.

He was married in Philadelphia, May 20, 1879, to Miss Elizabeth Gibbs, a native of Chester, Eng- land, born June 17, 1849. She learned the dress- makers' trade at the age of fourteen and followed it for sixteen years. Her father, Thos. Gibbs, was a railroad man, and was in the employ of the Lon- don & Northwestern Railroad Company for thirty- six years. He died in 1901, at the age of seventy- three. Her mother, Fannie (Davis) Gibbs, was a native of England, where she died in 1877 at the age of fifty. Mrs. Walsh has one sister, Alice Hartley, living in Roslyn. Their living children are: Joseph F., Thomas A. and Richard J. The father of the family is fraternally affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, and his wife with the Rath- bone Sisters. Politically, he is a Democrat : relig- iously, a Catholic. He is interested in educational matters and has held the office of school director for thirteen years continuously.

AUGUST HASSE is one of the pioneers of the Cle-Elum country, where he filed upon his present farm May 24, 1883, and has since made it his home. He is a native of Germany, born February 3, 1843. His father, Charles Hasse, was also a native of Germany, and a soldier in the German army, serving forty years and making a record unsurpassed for faithfulness and soldierly qualities. He died in that country at the age of sixty-five. The mother died when her son was quite young and he has a very indistinct remembrance of his maternal parent. Mr. Hasse started out for him- self very early in life, and has continued to make his own living ever since, taking the ups and downs of life in a philosophical manner. At the age of fourteen he engaged to learn the harness maker's trade, at which he served four years' apprenticeship, and then started out on a three years' tour over the country, traveling almost constantly. At the end of this time he settled down and worked at his trade for seventeen years in his native land. The spirit of roving once more possessed him, and he this time crossed the ocean to the United States, landing in Buffalo, New York, in 1878. He here worked one year and then moved west to Denver, Colorado, where he worked at his trade for two years. In 1882 he went to Ellensburg, and one year later pre-empted his present farm. Mr. Hasse has one sister, Lena Hadden, who lives in Germany.

He was married in Germany in 1872, to Miss

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Eliza Schultz, born in 1847, and a native of that country, where she was reared and educated. Her parents were John and Areka (Able) Schultz, her father being a German farmer. They were the parents of four children : Ernest, in Whitman county, Washington ; Johanna Carstan, in Germany ; Mary Calf, Germany, and Mrs. Hasse. His first wife died in 1877, and he was again married, in June, 1886, to Miss Louise Schlomann, a native of Germany. This wife passed away on December, 20, 1902. To this second marriage were born the fol- lowing children: Augusta Rosner, in Germany ; Karl; Johanna ; Ernest, and Mary (deceased). Mr. Hasse politically, is an ardent Republican, and he and his wife are connected with the Lutheran church.

EMERY L. TUBBS, owner and operator of a sawmill five miles east of Cle-Elum, was born in Pennsylvania, October 3, 1853. His parents, Hiram and Altheda (Segears) Tubbs, were also natives of the Quaker state. In 1862 the husband enlisted in the service of his country, and was killed at Peters- burg, in the early part of the war. The widow and family moved to Minnesota, and here Emery grew to man's estate, receiving his education at the dis- trict school house. When he was eighteen his mother also passed away and he was left an orphan in the world. He continued to follow farming in the state until he was twenty-three. He then cut loose from the old moorings and started out to see the country, going first to Texas for one year, where he worked at carpentering; then to Kansas, and a year later he returned to Minnesota. Here he located and remained for ten years, working at the carpenter's trade and also operating a shingle-mill. He finally came west to Spokane and went to work in a sash and door factory, and later became fore- man in the construction of various buildings in the city, at which he was employed two years. See- ing an opportunity to buy a sawmill in Mead, he took advantage of it and moved to that place, where he operated the mill for two years, then moved it to Cle-Elum, Washington, selling it shortly after getting it well established. He bought his present mill in 1894, has continued to run it ever since, and has built up a good business. Mr. Tubbs has one sister, Mrs. Nellie Cheesman, who resides in Penn- sylvania, her native state.

He was married in Minnesota, December 19, 1876, to Miss Evaline Pace, who was born in Min- nesota in 1861, and there grew to womanhood. Her father, William Pace, was a native of Ohio and a farmer by occupation. He served through the Civil war with credit, and at its close again took up his residence in Minnesota, where he continued to re- side until his death in 1901. Mrs. Tubbs has two brothers, Charles and Newton, living in Minnesota, and two sisters, Elizabeth Nichols and Alice Skin- ner. living in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs have

the following children: Elma Taylor and Nellie Davidson, living near Cle-Elum; Hazel and Bertha, the latter deceased. Their father is an active Re- publican, and deeply interested in the success of the principles of his party, for which end he is ever ready to exert his influence. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F., and his people are members of the Methodist church.

WILLIAM H. H. KNIGHT, born in Harrison county, Ohio, March 8, 1841, is now a farmer re- siding nine miles east of Cle-Elum. His father, Immur L. Knight, born in Virginia in 1815, was by trade a farmer and miller. He was a pioneer in the state of Ohio, and from there removed to Missouri. From the latter named state he removed to Ne- braska, where he was a frontiersman. In 1857 he made his home in Kansas, where he later died. He was of French descent, and his wife, Rachel ( Ross) Knight, was also a native of Virginia, born in 1820, and married at the age of sixteen. Mr. Knight removed to Nebraska with his father while in his fourteenth year, and there received his education in the common schools. Until arriving at the age of twenty he worked on the parental farm, then enlisted November 20, 1861, in Company G, Kansas volunteer cavalry, under Captain A. W. Mathews. He fought with this company all through the Civil war, and was mustered out of service in Fort Leavenworth, January 13, 1866. He then returned to his Nebraska home and again fol- lowed farming until 1877, when he emigrated to Washington. After a year in the Evergreen state, he removed to Umatilla county, Oregon, where he took up land and remained four years. After sell- ing his interests there, he came to Kittitas county, August 5, 1880, and located on the farm he now owns. He has his ranch in a high state of culti- vation, has one hundred and twenty acres in grass, and his land is watered by six miles of irrigation ditch. In all, he has three hundred and twenty acres in one body. Mr. Knight has three brothers and one sister: Thomas P., of Kansas, born in Ohio, 1843: James, of Nebraska, born in Missouri; George, now of Oregon, born in Nebraska, 1851, and Milisa A., now living in Kansas, born in Ne- braska. Besides these named, he had five brothers and two sisters who are now deceased. They were: Albert, born in Ohio, 1839; John, also in Ohio; Amos I., in Missouri; Amos, Martha J., Mary K., and Benjamin F., all born in Nebraska.

He was married in Nebraska, 1867, to Miss Mary B. Skeen, and to this union four children were born: Dora, March 24, 1868; Nellie J., June 2, 1870; Alexander L., January 5, 1873, and Lulu E. Vanwinkle, born in 1876, and now living in Cali- fornia. They were born in Nebraska, and only the latter two are now living. On Swauk Prairie, Sep- tember 18, 1884, Mr. Knight was again married, his bride being Miss E. E. Kessler, daughter of Wil-

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

liam and Diantha (Sharp) Kessler. Her father was an architect, native of Virginia, and died in 1870. Her mother was born in Indiana and died in Tacoma, Washington. Mrs. Knight was born in Wabash county, Indiana, May 17, 1867, and re- ceived her education in various localities, owing to the roving nature of her step-father, by whom she was raised. Her parents came to Washington in 1883, and settled on Swauk Prairie, where she taught the first school to be held on the prairie. She was married at the age of seventeen. Mrs. Knight had one sister, Luella, born in Indiana, now deceased. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Knight, with dates of birth, are: Dora M., July 13, 1885; Edna, August 19, 1887; Edith, May 17, 1889; Bessie, February 22, 1891 ; Vesta Z., May 27, 1893; Glenn, July 25, 1895; Nellie K., January 3, 1898; Gertie, July 21, 1900, and Rachel D., Feb- ruary 27, 1903. All were born on Swauk Prairie, and are now living at home, with the exception of Vesta Z., who passed away January 6, 1900, of typhoid fever. The family are members of the Christian church, and Mr. Knight belongs to the Republican party. He is a prosperous farmer, and universally respected for his many sterling qualities.

JOHN HANSON. John Hanson is a prosper- ous farmer living ten miles east of Cle-Elum, Wash- ington. He was born in Sweden, November 18, 1850, the son of Hans Peter and Johan (Stevens) Hanson, both natives of Sweden. His father was born in 1813, and died in the land of his birth. Until reaching his majority the son worked on his father's farm and attended common school. He came to the United States in 1872, locating in San Jose, California, where he worked in a tannery one year and in a paper-mill a year and one-half. He also farmed in the state for nearly eight years. In 1883 he came to Yakima county, took a pre-emption claim, upon which he resided for a year, and then came to the Teanaway district, in Kittitas county. He remained here four years, after which he pur- chased the farm upon which he still lives. When he became the owner of this farm but four acres were under cultivation, but he now has every acre in crop, and his land improved with the most mod- ern and convenient buildings. Mr. Hanson has one brother, Nelson, living in Sweden, and two sisters: Ellna Jenson and Tilda Hanson, also living in the same country. Besides these, a sister, Christena Jenson, is dead. All were born in Sweden.

Mr. Hanson was married in Ellensburg, Octo- ber 12, 1888, to Miss Sarah Piland, who was born in Missouri, March 20, 1867. She was educated in the common schools of her native state, came to Washington in 1888 with her brother, and located on Swauk Prairie. She is the daughter of Joseph and Nancie (Peden) Piland; the former born in North Carolina, 1828, and the latter in South Caro- lina, in the same year. Her father was a farmer,

and a veteran of the Civil War, dying in Missouri in 1884. Mrs. Piland preceded her husband to the grave in 1881. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Hanson are: Martha E. (deceased) ; Elisha T., of Missouri ; James A., Yakima county; Samuel R., living in Missouri; Mary J. Clark (deceased) ; Per- necia B. Blankenship (deceased) ; Joseph P. and William H., twins, living in Missouri; John S. and Nancy A. (both deceased, the latter dying in in- fancy). All were born in Missouri. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hanson are: Lillie C., born Octo- ber 28, 1889; Walter C., September 29, 1891 ; Al- fred J., January 28, 1884, and Beulah, March 31, 1896, all born in Kittitas county. Their father. po- litically, is a Republican. He is greatly interested in matters pertaining to education, and has held the office of school director almost continuously since coming to the county. He is a member of the Lutheran church, while Mrs. Hanson is a Baptist. He is one of the substantial and prominent citi- zens of his locality.

MARTHA A. PILAND. Mrs. Martha A. Pi- land, who lives on a farm ten miles east of Cle- Elum, was born in Virginia in 1844. She is a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Stiner) Ruth- erford. Mr. Rutherford, a native of Virginia, was a blacksmith by trade, and a veteran of the Indian wars of 1835 and of the Civil war. After the former struggle he assisted in putting the Indians in Indian territory. He was of English stock, his father having come from England, as a boy of seventeen, in company with General Howe, during the Revolutionary war. His father died in 1850. Mrs. Rutherford was born in Germany in 1822 and received her education in Berlin, marrying soon af- ter completing her course, or to be more specific, in the year 1840. She passed away in 1864.

Mrs. Piland, whose life record forms the sub- ject of this review, received her school training in Athens, Tennessee, whither her parents had taken her when she was one year old, and where she lived for thirteen years, going then to Missouri. In this state she lived for thirty-five years, and here she was married to Mr. Piland.

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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 204

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