An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 101

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172

USA > Washington > Skagit County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 101
USA > Washington > Snohomish County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 101

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SWAN CARLSON, a capable and energetic young farmer residing four and one-half miles south of Mount Vernon, was born in the southern part of Sweden, September 2, 1870. His father, Magnus Carlson, who now lives with him, was born October 23, 1834, and remained in his native coun- try, Sweden, until 1891, when he came to the Unit- ed States, locating in Kansas; later he settled in Washington. Cecilia (Nelson) Carlson, the mother, was born November 18, 1836, coming with her hus- band to this country in 1891, where she now lives with her son. Diligently applying himself to his studies, Swan Carlson completed his education at the age of fourteen, beginning then the active work of life on the neighboring farms. Sailing for the United States before his eighteenth birthday, he

landed in New York, thence going to Nebraska. At the end of three years spent in the employ of farmers, he went to Seattle, in 1892, working on a steamboat for a year, following which he moved to Roy, Washington. In 1893 he came to the Skagit delta, making this his home for five years, or until the high water forced him to seek a new home. Mr. Hle moved onto his present farm in 1900. Carlson's brothers sisters

and

are : Charlie M., Edward, Mrs. Hannah Leaf, Otto and Mrs. Lena Moores. Two brothers, Nelse and Peter, and a sister, Mrs. Betsy Johnson, are de- ceased. Mr. Carlson adheres to the Republican party, though he has never taken an active part in political matters. He is a worthy member of the American Order of United Workmen. The Lutheran church claims him as a liberal supporter. Mr. Carlson is farming on an extensive scale, rent- ing one hundred and sixty acres of bottom land which he works in connection with his own farm of thirteen acres. A man of tireless industry, he is very successful in his undertakings, owning a large number of cattle, horses and hogs. His principal crop is oats, of which he seldom fails to have an unusually heavy yield. A young man of excellent habits, ambitious and energetic, of a genial tem- perament, he is deservedly popular among his ac- quaintances.

RICHARD GARLAND, a dairy farmer living four miles south of Mount Vernon, was born in Canada in October, 1847. His father, John Gar- land, was born in Ireland, but emigrated to Canada with his parents when a lad. He served a term as sheriff of his home county and about 1850 moved to Michigan and farmed until his death in 1862. As an earnest of his patriotism for his adopted coun- try, Mr. Garland enlisted in the Union army, but was never mustered into service. Mrs. Mary (Kelly) Garland was also a native of Ireland. She lived with her parents until marriage and died in Michigan in 1886, the mother of nine children, all now dead, except William John, Charles, Samuel, Thomas, Robert, Frank and Richard. Until seven- teen years of age Richard Garland attended school. Then for eight years he helped his father on the home farm, coming to the Pacific Northwest in 1875 and locating on the Skagit river. He followed log- ging for twelve years, though in 1879 he bought eighty acres of land and added thirty-one more in 1881. Mr. Garland has lived on the river ever since coming to Skagit county.

In July, 1886, Mr. Garland married Miss Anna Knight of Skagit City. Her father was Andrew Knight, born in the early days of the development of Indiana. His death occurred in Iowa in 1866, after a useful life as an agriculturist. Mrs. Gar- land's mother, Melinda (Neely) Knight, is a native of Ohio. She is still living at Interbay, Washing- ton, making her home with her daughter, Mrs. May

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Getts. Mrs. Garland was born in 1856, attending school until seventeen years old and living with her parents until married at the age of twenty-nine. Mr. and Mrs. Garland have had seven children, James Arthur being dead. The living are: Elmer Curtis, Warner Samuel, Mary Etta, Laura Ellen, Clarence Richard and George Emil. Mr. Garland is in poli- tics an independent Democrat; fraternally he is a Mason, being past junior warden, A. F. & A. M. Mr. Garland's farming is of general character, ex- cept that he makes a specialty of raising roan Dur- liam cattle, his herd now numbering forty head. Ile has been uniformly successful and as one of the pioneers of his county is recognized as one of the solid men of the community.

THOMAS GOOD had some very unusual ex- periences while getting settled in Skagit county, but he mastered them and is now owner of one of the successful stock and dairy farms in the western part of the county, his place lying seven miles south of Mount Vernon and three miles northwest of Fir. Mr. Good is a native of New Brunswick, and was born in 1848, the son of William and Rebecca (Eddy) Good, both of whom came from Ireland when children and passed their mature years in New Brunswick. Until twenty-one years of age Thomas Good attended school and worked, his chief employment during the last few years of this period being at loading vessels in the harbor. In 1869 he went to Oconto county, Wisconsin, and engaged in logging. He later developed a contract business in loading lumber. In August, 1891, he came to Skagit county and bought his present place, though he did not take up his residence there, passing the first seven years at farming leased land. The farm at that time was in no condition for cultivation, there being no road up Dry slough and no dikes. In clearing his land, Mr. Good has made use of explosives, as well as cables and teams. One of his unpleasant experiences came in the spring of 1894, when he was living on leased land across the slough from his present home. For six weeks he was compelled to wade in water up to his arm-pits to get to the barn to feed his stock, and he had to bring hay a mile and a half in a canoe from the Olof Polson place. This was a necessity in order to preserve his stock. At times his cattle would travel out on top of the dike to browse on the tops of the partly submerged bushes growing on its sides. On his own place Mr. Good has proved to be so successful in diking that he was selected as a member of the dike commission, and was serv- ing in this capacity when the land was secured along the Skagit river from Fir to Skagit City for the present dike, in the construction of which he took an active part. His district lies between the Skagit and Dry slough, some twelve miles in length.

In 1868, before leaving New Brunswick, Mr.

Good married Miss Hannah Good, a native of New Brunswick and daughter of Robert and Margaret (Simons) Good. Edward and Jonathan Good, brothers of the younger Mrs. Good, are pioneers of Skagit county and live in the vicinity of Fir. To Mr. and Mrs. Good have been born fourteen children, seven of whom have died. The living are : Adalecia, William T., Ethel May Gates, Arthur Al- len, Edward John, Ella Maud and Etta Elizabeth. Mr. Good has forty acres of his land under culti- vation, and a great change has been made in the property since he first commenced operations in dik- ing and clearing. In politics he is a Republican, participating actively in all conventions and public meetings. In fraternal circles he is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. While nature presented serious obstacles to Mr. Good in his efforts to establish himself on his farm, he has persevered until he has successfully reclaimed his land from forest and flood, and is now in a fair way to reap the benefit of his years of struggle and economy by the enjoyment of a substantial home and a competency in the declining years of himself and worthy wife.

FRANK BARTL is one of the old time re- spected citizens of Skagit county. He was born in Bavaria in February of 1843, but came to the Unit- ed States with his parents when a lad. His father, Francis Bartl, born August 15, 1815, came to this country in 1853 and settled in Wisconsin. After three years in the Badger state, he removed to Mis- souri and passed eighteen years in farming. He came to Skagit county in the early seventies, dying soon after establishing himself here. Mrs. Mary (Weir) Bartl is a native of Austria. She is still living near Mount Vernon. Frank Bertl, ten years after his arrival in the United States entered the federal army as a member of Company B, Thirty- ninth Missouri Infantry. He was honorably dis- charged and mustered out in July, 1865. He came to Skagit county with his parents and worked on the farm with his father and mother until 1889, when he purchased his present farm a half mile south of Mount Vernon, which is chiefly devoted to fruit growing. While yet living in Missouri Mr. Bartl married Miss Elizabeth Tauvel, a native of that state. Mrs. Bartl did not live long after marriage and died in 1872, leaving two children, Mrs. Mary Gibson and Eliza Bartl, the latter of whom is dead. Mr. Bartl has never remarried and is sustained in his advancing years by a granddaughter. Hle is a Republican in politics and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In church affiliation he is a Catholic. Mr. Bartl's worldly possessions consist of three acres of excellent fruit land which he oper- ates himself. He is a genial gentleman, taking a delight in his fruit trees and his granddaughter. Ile is highly respected in the community as an up- right and conscientious man.

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SKAGIT COUNTY

LEANDER PALM is one of the prosperous and financially successful dairy farmers of the Skagit valley, his ranch of forty-five acres, three and a half miles south of Mount Vernon, being appraised at $200 per acre. It is all cleared and constitutes one of the attractive properties of the county. Mr. Palin was born in Finland in 1860, the son of Matthew and Sophia ( Hill) Palm; the former died October 22, 1894, and the latter in 1883; they were likewise natives of Finland, and passed their entire lives on the farm in the old coun- try. Leander made his home with his parents until he was fourteen years old and then hired out to neighboring farmers. His nineteenth and twentieth years he passed in the city, and when twenty-one years of age left Finland for America. In 1881 he was in Ehnira, New York, for several months, and then went to work in the woods of Michigan. He remained there for two years and a half, when he came to Washington and the Skagit valley. The first twelve years of his life in this state he passed as a farm hand, working for established pioneers in the valley. He settled on his present place in 1894 and has remained there ever since, improving the farm land and bringing it to its present state of perfection.

September 29, 1893, in Seattle. Leander Palm married Miss Sophia Jacobson. Miss Jacobson was born in Finland, July 14, 1866, the daughter of Jacob and Brita (Anderson) Jacobson. Jacob Jacobson was born October 8, 1831. Brita Ander- son was born February 20, 1834, and in 1853, at the age of nineteen, was married to Mr. Jacobson. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson never left their native country, Finland. Mrs. Jacobson died March 27, 1895 : she was the mother of twelve children, ten of whom are living: their names follow : Johana, John, Andrew, Mary, Matts, Sophia (Mrs. Palm), Greta, Lucy, Simon and Jacob. Mrs. Palm's father still lives in Finland. Mrs. Palm left home when eight- een years old and for seven years worked out, in Finland. In 1891 she came to the Pacific North- west country, having brothers in Seattle, and passed two years in that city. She then married Mr. Palm and. removing with him to Skagit county, has since lived near Mount Vernon. Mr. and Mrs. Palm have one child, Roy Axel. Mr. Palm is a Repub- lican in political affiliation and a member of the Lutheran church. In addition to his splendid or- chard, he has considerable live stock, chief in im- portance being a herd of twenty-one cattle, mostly milch cows.

CHARLES G. WESTLUND was born in Sweden October 1, 1866, and came to the valley of the Skagit in 1890; he has lived here since that date. His father was John M. Westlund, who was born in Sweden in 1818. Coming to the United States when sixty years of age. he settled in Kansas and died there in 1893. His wife was Annie Mag-

nuson, who died in the old country in 1812, the mother of seven children, of whom only one, Lena, is dead, the others being Christina, Louise, Sophia, Hannah, John M. and Charles G. At the early age of six years Charles left home to work for rela- tives, in whose employ he continued for eight years. Ile then went farther from home and worked for various Swedish farmers until 1885, when he came to the United States. Going direct to Kansas he farmed there four years; then came to the Pacific coast, spending the first two years in Oregon. From Oregon he removed to Skagit county, of which he is still a resident. The land holdings of Mr. West- lund, situated three and a half miles south of Mount Vernon, consist of twenty acres of rich bottom land, which he operates as a dairy and hay farm, and on which he has a fine and profitable herd of dairy COWS.

Mrs. Westlund was formerly Miss Adla Eng- stron, daughter of Erick and Mary K. Engstron, natives of Sweden. The mother is dead ; the father still lives in his native country. Mrs. Westlund was born in Sweden in 1861; after receiving her education in the common schools of that country she came to America in 1900, going direct to Bal- lard, King county, where she made her home. She was married to Mr. Westlund in the fall of 1905. She has two brothers and one sister in this section of Washington: Mrs. Laura Anderson, John Eng- stron, of the Skagit valley, and Gust Engstron, of Ballard.

Charles G. Westlund is essentially a self-made man, a hard worker and one who has little taste for the lighter sides of life. He is a much respected citizen and a man of influence in his home com- munity.

ALFRED JOHNSON was born in the central part of Sweden in May of 1862, the son of Johannes Anderson, a successful farmer, who retired a few years ago to spend the remaining days of a long life at Forshaga, Sweden, where he still lives. The mother, Mrs. Lisa Eleanora (Anderson) Johnson, was likewise of Swedish birth: she died in her native land in 1882, the mother of four children, Alfred, Herman, Edwin and Miss Ida Johnson. Al- fred attended the Swedish schools until fifteen years of age, and for the following six years worked on his father's farm. Upon the death of the moth- er, the home farm was rented by Alfred, who ran it for five years, when he came to the United States, leaving his family in Sweden until he should send for them. In 1888 he located in Mendocino, Cali- fornia, working as a laborer until 1890, when he reached Tacoma. A year was passed there, during which time he sent for his family. He then came to Skagit county and worked at clearing land until in 1893 he bought and moved on his present place three and a half miles south of Mount Vernon, where he has since lived.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONE

WILLIAM GAGE

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BIOGRAPHICAL

While living in Sweden in 1883 Mr. Johnson married Miss Augusta Peterson, daughter of l'eter John Erickson, who remained in the old country until he joined his son-in-law on the Skagit in the spring of 1905. Mrs. Johnson was born in the old country in 1856 and attended school until twelve years of age, marrying fifteen years later. Of this union are the following issue: Hannah Elizabeth, born in April, 1884; Simon Peter, April, 1886; Isaac Emmanuel, April, 1888; twin boys, Elmer Henry and Albert, February, 1892 ; Clarence, May, 1894; Carl Oscar, July, 1892, and Ester E., July 1900. MIr. Johnson lost his first wife in Skagit county in July, 1903. He returned to Sweden in the fall of 1904, where he met a former schoolmate. Elizabeth Olson, daughter of John and Kiza (An- derson ) Olson, who returned with him to the Uni- ted States, where they were united in marriage February 21. 1905. Mrs. Johnson was born in Sweden in 1862 and on the death of her mother was cared for by friends until she was fifteen years old. She then supported herself by laundering and cared for her father until his death, keeping up the old home until her marriage. Mr. Johnson is a Republican and with his family attends the Baptist church. His farm of seventy acres, forty of which are cleared, is devoted to dairying and cattle rais- ing. the herd including eighteen milch cows and ten head of stock cattle. That Mr. Johnson takes an active part in the affairs of his community is evidenced by his having served four terms as road supervisor, one term as director of the school dis- trict and one as supervisor of ditches. It has been only by hard work that he has placed himself in the position of honor and esteem in which he is held by his neighbors, but that sacrifice has been well repaid.

WILLIAM GAGE. Even in the Pacific North- west, where there are hundreds of men who have had more than the allotted average of adventure and strife before success and quiet came, William Gage stands out as a man who has been through all the roughness of life in pioneer days and now, in the evening of life, looks serenely on his past and congratulates himself on his attainments in the face of hardship and endeavor. Mr. Gage came of stock which has always given sturdiness and forti- tude. ITis life embraces the span which lies between the birth of a farm lad near Montreal and the mel- low days of realization of things accomplished where experience of others counted for little. Born near Montreal, Quebec, on September 15, 1842, Mr. Gage inherited the traits which made the Irish- Canadian immigrants of that day a marked racc. His father, George Gage, born of Scotch-Irish par- ents, was a farmer until he cast his fortunes with those of the Western World and settled in the early part of the last century in the valley of the St. Law- rence. His closing days were spent with his son

in Skagit county, where he died in 1822. The mother of William Gage, Agnes (Eaton) Gage, also a native of Ireland, accompanied her husband to the coast country. She also died in Skagit coun- ty. William, the seventh of her ten children, left his Canadian home at the age of seventeen, having received whatever of schooling he was destined to receive before he left the parental roof. His first stop was in British Columbia where he engaged in mining ventures. The year 1863 found him in Cali- fornia, still hunting fortune in the mining camp. but one winter there sufficed, for in 1864 he was back in British Columbia at the mines of the Cari- boo district. Two years of wavering fortune fol- lowed, after which he decided to come to the States. settling on Whidby island in 1867. Three years later he took up as a preemption the land where he has since made his home. The establishment of that home was accompanied by all the labor and self denial common to the men who would wring from the huge forest a place for cabin and crops. The trees were large, the stumps hard to uproot, but at last perseverance won the day, converting the tract into the fine farmstead now to be seen where William Gage first swung an axe thirty-five years ago. Instead of the big pines, firs and spruces. one sees one hundred and twenty acres of cleared land, including fifteen acres of hop yard, two acres of orchard and other acres devoted to farming in general. William Gage has made his home on that land near Mount Vernon.

Mr. Gage's helpmeet, Emily E. (Whitford). whom he married in Skagit county, is a native of Alaska territory. They have one adopted son. In politics Mr. Gage is a Republican, in church affilia- tion a Baptist and in fraternal connection a Mason. Mr. Gage's live stock and farm proclaim him to be one of the prosperous agriculturists of the county, while his deeds entitle him to a lasting place in its history.

CHARLES E. STORRS. Living on his farm two miles south of Mount Vernon is Charles E. Storrs, one of the progressive young farmers of Skagit county. Mr. Storrs was born in Benton County, Iowa, in 1872, the son of Dennis Storrs, one of the leading citizens now of Skagit county, and Mary A. ( Dobson) Storrs. Young Storrs has spent nearly his whole life in Skagit county, re- ceiving his education there. At fourteen years of age he commenced independent experience in life by working in the woods. However, he made his home with his parents until twenty-five years of age. In 1895 he purchased his present place, where since marriage he has made his home. Aside from his pasture land, on which he grazes his flocks of sheep, and a sufficient acreage for fodder, he has seven and one-half acres of hops and two acres of excellent orchard. His home is a six-room modern house, one of the most attractive places in the vicin-

548

SKAGIT COUNTY

ity of Mount Vernon. At one time Mr. Storrs spent several months in eastern Washington, but returned to the familiar scenes of Skagit after one season's absence.

Mr. Storrs was married at Mount Vernon on January 2, 1898, to Miss Lottie Morley, one of Skagit county's estimable young women. Mrs. Storrs is the daughter of Albert J. Morley, one of those sturdy pioneers who crossed the plains in the early days of the influx to California. He still resides in California. Mrs. Storrs' mother was Miss Etta Payne. She is a

resident now of Mount Vernon. Mrs. Storrs was born in California in 1877 and received her educa- tion in that state and in Washington. She learned the dressmaking business and pursued that avoca- tion until her marriage at the age of twenty. Of this union there are two children, Carl E. and Rollo, both born at Mount Vernon. Mr. Storrs is a Demo- crat and has been honored by the members of his party with nomination for office, but his Repub- lican opponents have outnumbered him at the polls. In 1903-4 he served as county game warden. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Storrs has recently taken up the subject of raising sheep for the market and for the wool, and has a well selected flock. The Storrs place is a modern farm and with its convenient buildings and improved farm implements constitutes one of the most invit- ing farmsteads of the Puget sound country.

MARSH MILLER furnishes an illustration of what may be accomplished in these United States of America by a man of foreign birth, if he have energy and application, and the home of Mr. Miller, southwest of Mount Vernon indicates in a temporal way the sureness with which he directed his energy. Mr. Miller is a native of Denmark, born on April 25, 1857. Anders Miller was his father, but Marsh was left without fatherly guidance at the age of six months. His widowed mother still lives in Den- mark. She was Mattie M. Christenson. Marsh Miller received his education in the Danish schools until he was fourteen years of age, leaving school at that time to come to America in 18:3. For three years he worked by the month in Pennsyl- vania, but the Centennial year found him in Kan- sas working as a farm hand. He worked in the coal mines at Osage City for three years and then spent four years at farming. In 1883 Mr. Miller came to the territory of Washington, stopping for eight or nine months in Seattle, after which he took up a ranch in Kitsap county. Eighteen months of life on this preemption had been passed when he decided to abandon his rights and go to Skagit county. That was in 1885. For three years Mr. Miller lived on Pleasant Ridge, leasing his place. Early in September, 1888, Mr. Miller decided to own a farm. He purchased his present farm of 110 acres of which at that time but five acres had been

cleared. He now has 75 acres cleared and he uti- lizes the remainder of his place as woodland pastur- age for his herd of forty-five cattle. In 1898 Mr. Miller, falling a victim to the mining fever which raged in Washington at that time, spent a year in the Alaska gold fields. On his return in 1899 he again took up the work of developing his farm and has since lived there.

During his stay in Kansas Mr. Miller met and married Miss Christine Anderson, daughter of Au- gust Anderson, a native of Sweden. Mr. Ander- son removed to Washington in 1888 and is now a resident of Skagit county. Mrs. Miller's mother was Hannah Anderson, now deceased, a native of Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were married at Osage in 1881. Mrs. Miller was born in Sweden and educated in the schools of her native land. Five children have been born to this union: Frank, Es- ther. Mary, Herbert and Hazel, all born in Skagit county and all living there at the present writing. In his political associations Mr. Miller is a Socialist. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the Methodist church. The sub- ject of this sketch by his thrift, his integrity and his earnestness has won for himself a place high in the esteem of the community. His life work is an in- dex of the possibilities in store for the foreign born lad in this country of the Western continent.

JOHN C. NELSON, born in Sweden, March 27. 1862, came to America with his parents in 1870, and has been a resident of Skagit county for the past twenty-one years. Swan J. Nelson, the father of the subject of this sketch, settled as a Swedish immigrant in Iowa, entering the employ of the rail- roads, in which he continued until his death in 1882. Mrs. Nelson was also a native of Sweden, her maiden name having been Christine Norby. She was the mother of four children of whom John C. is the youngest. He was educated in the schools of Iowa and after the death of his father continued to live at home until he reached the age of twenty- one. Then he took up railroad work, as his father before him had done, but after spending two years thus went back to the farm, remaining there until he left Iowa in 1884 for La Conner. There, with his brother Charles, he leased the well known Leamer place and operated it four years.

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An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 101

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1906 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1172

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172