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 105

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 105
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 105

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SAMUEL SCHIDLEMAN, whose career is a fine illustration of what a young man with health, energy and ambition as his only capital can ac- complish in this splendid country of ours, was born in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, near McConnells- burg, March 11, 1867. the son of Peter Schidle- man, a farmer who was born in Germany and died in Pennsylvania thirty years ago. The moth- er. Kate (Lutz) Schidleman, also of German de- scent, now resides with her son Samuel, at the age of seventy-five. Her other children are as fol-

lows: Henry (deceased), Katie (deceased), Peter, David (deceased), Daniel, John, Mary, Lizzie and Philbena. His father having died when he was only eight years old, Samuel Schidleman and the other children in the family early took up the bur- den of life, acquiring an education in the common schools in the meantime. The farm was sinall and yielded only a meager living for the large family. It was therefore decided to move to Knox County, Illinois, and thence the mother and children went when Samuel was sixteen. He and a brother did the work on the farm which they secured for the mother, and he also worked for a man who owned a farm of one thousand acres. Two years later he, in company with his brother, David, started west, driving the entire distance to Utah in a top buggy, locating at Askley valley, just across the Colorado line, where they took up farming. His brother having gone on to Pocatello, Idaho, and later to Whidby island, Mr. Schidleman joined him there in 1888, and after working out for a time, began farming for himself. Seven years later he shipped his stock and other goods to Skagit county, rent- ing a farm on Beaver Marsh, and in 1899 pur- chased his present place, farming both ranches. He moved on his own farm in the fall of 1903.

Mr. Schidleman was married October 24, 1900, to Jennie Willis Adams, a native of Oregon, born near Roseburg, the daughter of an old pioneer family who came to that locality in the early fifties. For a number of years Mrs. Schidleman was a professional nurse. Mr. Schidleman is an enthusi- astic member of the Independent Democratic party. He is a progressive citizen, thoroughly con- vinced of the wisdom of maintaining excellent schools and churches. He owns a fine farm of eighty acres, nearly all under cultivation, upon which he has a good home, modern in all its appoint- ments, and surrounded by neat grounds that evi- dence both the owner's taste and thrift. A nice home which he has built next to his own for his mother's use, is a proof of his thoughtful kind- ness. Largely interested in dairying, he has a fine barn and thirty head of cattle of the Guernsey breed, the milk product from which after separa- tion is disposed of to the creamerv. He also is a breeder of fine Berkshire hogs. He came to the sound with but five dollars as the sum of his pos- sessions, and had only his cattle and team when he settled in Skagit county. But with that indomi- table courage and perseverance which accept no defeat, Mr. Schidleman has multiplied those meager possessions until he now stands as one of the well- to-do farmers of the county, easily worth twelve thousand dollars. It is small wonder that he is a most loyal and enthusiastic resident of his coun- tv, believing it to be the best on the face of the globe.

GEORGE H. LAWSON, one of Skagit coun- ty's most successful farmers and dairymen, residing

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six miles southwest of Mount Vernon, was born near Cambridge, in Henry County, Illinois, Janu- ary 15, 1858. His father, Charles MI. Lawson, a native of Sweden, was born in 1828, and came to the United States in 1853, locating in Henry coun- ty, Illinois, where he engaged in farming until he came to Washington in 1897. He has now retired from active business, and makes Seattle his home. His two brothers, August and John, served in the Civil War. Anna Charlotte Lawson, the mother, was also born in Sweden, and now hale and hearty at the age of eighty years, is living in Seattle. Spending the first years of his life on his father's farm, and acquiring his education in the common schools of the state, Mr. Lawson reached his ma- jority in his native state. Employed for a time by a brother-in-law, he later bought a farm and began life for himself. Six years later he sold this property and invested in another farm. In 1897 he came west to visit a brother, Alfred J. Law- son. living near Edison, and found the country so desirable that after careful deliberation he decided to sell his property in the East and make this his permanent home. He reached Seattle March 15, 1901, came thence to the Skagit country and to- gether they bought the farm where he now lives, the consideration being seventeen thousand dollars for the one hundred and ninety-one acres.

Mr. Lawson was married October 9, 18SS, to Tilda Anderson, born in Henry County, Illinois, the daughter of Swedish parents who settled in that state in 1852. Her father was Anders Anderson, a farmer, who died many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Lawson have two children, Charles, aged 15, and Grace, aged 13, both attending school. Mr. Law- son is a trustee in the Pleasant Ridge Swedish Methodist church, of which his wife is also a mem- ber. The fifth of a family of nine children, two of whom died in infancy, and one, Emily, in later life. MIr. Lawson has the following living broth- ers and sisters: Minnie Gustafson ; Ellen Peter- son, of Scattle ; Alfred J., of Edison, Washington ; Phebe and Augusta, at home in Seattle. Mr. Law- son is a member of the Republican party. Since his father's retirement from active duties, Mr. Law- son has had the entire charge of the large farm, and the fine condition in which it is kept is a con- vincing proof of his skillful management and ex- cellent judgment. One hundred bushels of oats and four tons of timothy hay per acre is the rec- ord of production that he has sometimes made on his farm. Situated as it is right on the bank of the Skagit river, he has the advantage of being able to ship his products from the granery without the trouble of hauling them to the market. He has large stock interests to which he devotes much at- tention. He is now breeding short horn cattle and English shire horses, while also raising Berkshire hogs. He believes this to be a much better farm- ing country than Illinois, or any country with which he is familiar, having made more money

in his four years residence here than he did in the previous ten spent in Illinois. Lending the strength of his influence to educational matters, he was for six years school treasurer of his township in Illi- nois, and has just retired from service on the board of directors in his district. Thoroughly familiar with all the details of farming, industrious and en- ergetic, he is reaping the success and honor that he so justly merits.

NELS CHRISTENSON, a pioneer farmer of Skagit county, and a prominent member of the Pioneers' Association, living five and one-half miles southwest of Mount Vernon, was born in Lolland, Denmark, September 15, 1835. His par- ents were Peter and Mary Christenson, both na- tives of Denmark, in which country they also died. Coming to this country in 1865, Mr. Christenson settled at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, but soon removed to Salina, Kansas. He later took up a homestead in Riley county, near Clay Center, upon which he resided until he came to La Conner, Washington, in 1875. He purchased two hundred and four acres in Skagit county, paying one thousand dollars for the farm which to-day would be worth twenty-five times that amount were it still in his possession. It was then, with the exception of twenty-five acres, covered with water, logs and brush, a typical "Beaver Marsh," as this section came to be called in later years, entirely worthless until diked, after which it is the finest land to be found in the world. To him belongs the distinction of being the first man to build dikes on the river front. Some few had been constructed in the marsh to keep out the salt and fresh water, but he was the first man of sufficient courage to attempt to "fence out the river," as his undertaking was tauntingly re- ferred to by some of the less enterprising men of that day. Succeeding as he knew he would, it was not long before others followed the same course, and that tract of wonderful fertility was year by ycar reclaimed. It was an arduous task to construct the dikes, and even then the work was often destroyed by the floods that would sometimes sweep everything before them. The dikes had then to be repaired, by planking them and throw- ing in sacks of dirt to keep them from washing away. Such a flood came while Mr. Christenson was building his first dike, endangering his wife and little ones, whom he rescued by rowing them in a boat to the other side of the river, landing them at the Charles Tolber placc. The pioneer women, as well as the men, had need of brave hearts that would not be daunted by experiences of this kind. It was a wild. rough, desolate coun- try then, no wagons or roads, and a horse was a rare sight, the work being almost entirely done by oxen. Trips were made to La Conner and Ska- git City either by boat or trail, and in this way the few products the settlers had to sell were carried

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to market, and exchanged for the necessities of life.

Mr. Christenson was married in Kansas in 1811, to Miss Matilda Swanson, a native of Swed- en, born in 1849. Having shared with her hus- band the joys and sorrows of twenty-two years, she died April 12, 1893. Seven children were born to them as follows: Robert, living near Everett ; Laura Armstrong, near La Conner: Amanda Sharfenberg : Anna, at home; Albert and Clifford, near Everett, and Edith, at home. Mr. Christenson is an honored member of the Swedish Methodist church, in which he holds the office of steward and class leader. For many years he was promi- nently identified with the educational affairs of this locality, serving as director at the time the pres- ent school-house was built, and also many times before and since that time. Of late years he has suffered many reverses. In 1895-6, his crops were an utter failure, having been drowned out by seep- age. Prices were low, and he was forced to lose his fine farm. only saving the small remnant upon which he resides. As the result of unselfish care bestowed upon another, he has also suffered much from ill health. Mrs. Christenson had barely re- turned from a trip to Kansas whither she had gone to recover from a severe attack of typhoid fever, when a man in whom they were interested fell ill, and together they nursed him, Mr. Christenson bearing as much of the responsibility as possible that his wife might not be overtaxed. The strain, however, proved fatal to her, and her death to- gether with the long weeks of nervous strain proved too much for even his fine constitution. Un- able even to walk to the carriage, he made a trip to Napa, California, for his health, but has never entirely recovered. A man of sterling virtues, his long residence has endeared him to the citizens of the county that proudly claims him as a pioneer.

BEN TJERSLAND, a well known farmer and stockman living eight miles southwest of Mount Vernon and five miles southeast of La Conner, is a native of Norway, born in Lyngdal on the place that had been in the family for generations, known as Tjersland, August 31, 1856. His father, Hans Berenson, was a farmer in Norway till his death in 1890. Gunnel (Olson), the mother, was also born in Norway, and died there on the old home place in 1901. Here Mr. Tjersland grew to man- hood, enjoying rather unusual educational advan- tages as, in addition to those afforded by the com- mon schools, he had two terms of private instruc-

tion. Having reached the age of twenty-two he decided to seek his fortune in the United States where earnest efforts such as he was prepared to put forth secured such abundant rewards. Cal- mar, łowa, was his first location, where he spent two years, after which he went to the pine forests of Wisconsin and followed logging and milling for some time. On May 27, 1884, he came to La Con-

ner, and was here employed by Mr. Currier for one year, when he purchased a wild claim on the Olympia marsh, paying twelve hundred dollars for it. The following three years were occupied in ditching and improving his property which he sold at the end of that time, leasing one hundred and sixty acres on Beaver Marsh at that time almost a wilderness, there being not more than two hundred acres of it cleared. Three years later he bought his present farm of eighty acres on the installment plan, he agreeing to pay seven hundred dollars each year for seven years. He had just made the last payment when the hard times of the early nineties set in. On account of the financial depression, he was enabled to build his present commodious house and barns at a nominal sum. Moving on his place in 1896, the succeeding years have been full of unre- mitting toil in clearing, draining and diking his land, but the marvelous transformation wrought in its appearance has well repaid the cost. Prosper- ing as the years slipped by, he has added two hun- dred and forty acres to his original farm, thus owning at the present time three hundred and thirty acres.

Mr. Tjersland was married January 6, 1892, to Miss Lena Olson, born in Norway December ?. 1869. She came, in 1890, to the United States. where her brother, Tom Roseland, resides in La Conner, following the blacksmithing trade. Mr. and Mrs. Tjersland have the following children : Oscar, born October 26. 1894; Hilda, born Au- gust 16, 1897: Elmer, born March 30, 1899, and Henry, born March 11. 1902. Mr. Tjersland is a member of the Woodmen of the World at La Con- ner. Though not an adherent of either church, he contributes very liberally to the support of the Lutheran and Methodist churches. He has a brother, Mat Hanson, living in Milwaukee, Wis- consin. When the two brothers came to this coun- try they changed their names, the one taking the name of the old homestead, the other the father's first name, with the accustomed addition of "son," which fact accounts for the apparent disagreement. In political belief Mr. Tjersland is an adherent of the Republican party. He is at all times an advo- cate of the best educational opportunities, believ- ing education to be a matter of vital importance. He is giving especial attention to thoroughbred Durham cattle, and is one of the men who assisted in introducing the first good draft horse into this section of the country, for which the stock com- pany formed paid twenty-five hundred dollars. A progressive citizen who has won his success wholly by means of his untiring energy, he is held in the highest esteem.

HENRY SUMMERS, whose career is a con- vincing proof of the Shakespearian philosophy that men are masters of their fate, is a farmer, resid- ing eight miles southwest of Mount Vernon, and

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five miles southeast of La Conner. His father, Samuel Summers, was a weaver in England, where he died in 1854. The mother, Jane ( Hussey ) Sum- mers, was born in Bradley, England, and died in 1853. Born in England in North Bradley Parish, a suburb of Trowbridge. April 9. 1848, Mr. Sum- mers was left an orphan at the age of six years. There were five other children in the family, Ellen, Sarah, Samuel, Joseph and his twin brother Ed- ward, who, with himself, found a home with an unele. Child labor was not then prohibited by law in that country. hence at the age of eight, hie en- tered a cloth factory where he changed shuttles in the hand looms. Two years later he entered Brown and Palmer's factory, employed as a roller joiner. The long hours, from six in the morning till six at night, must often have been very weari- some to the boy of ten, but the small hands wrought faithfully at their tasks, and when the day was over the night school found in him a diligent student, whose education thus acquired surpassed that of many a one enjoying far greater opportunities. Later, having spent seven years in the sizing de- partment of the factory, he went to London at the age of seventeen, entering a warehouse in which, after the first year, he was a packer for the foreign trade, handling many an invoice of goods destined to be carried on camels across the Isthmus of Suez before the canal was built. He was manager for a time of the T. J. Redate firm, located in Lawrence, Poultney Lane, N N street, London, export- ers of provisions. He also worked on George street, close to Mansion House, and later in Tower street. Two brothers, Edward and Samuel. hav- ing come to the United States in 1871, locating in La Conner, Mr. Summers followed them three years later. sailing from Liverpool, England, in the fall of 1874. Having landed at Philadelphia, he crossed the continent to San Francisco, thence to La Conner where his brothers had taken up land and were farming. In February, 1875. he took up a quarter section one mile south of Fir, bringing his family there two years later. To him belongs the distinction of having been the first bona fide settler in that locality. Here in this lonely wilder- ness with only Siwash Indians for neighbors, he remained for six years, improving the land, con- structing dikes, planting and harvesting his crops, only at the end of this time to see all these fruits of his toil swept away by flood. When the log jam above Mount Vernon was cut out the logs were borne down the river and formed another jam two miles in length, where his land lay, thus caus- ing the river to overflow and completely devastate his entire farm. A man of less resolute will would have been overpowered by this disaster, which but spurred him to renewed effort. The fol- lowing three years he worked out to get means sufficient to construct buildings on his present farm on Pleasant Ridge, for which he had traded eighty acres of his former claim.

Mr. Summers was married in Melkshaw, Wilt- shire, England, June 3, 1823, to Sarah Cleverly, the daughter of John and Johannah Cleverly, of Melkshaw. She was born in March, 1819, and died at her home in Pleasant Ridge. December 9, 1889. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Summers, all of whom are natives of Skagit coun- ty except the oldest one who was born in London. Their names are as follows: William Joseph, Henry, Annie Bessner, John, Emma Graham, Ed- ward and Alice (deceased). Mr. Summers was identified with the school board for twenty years. and hired the first teacher in school district num- ber sixteen, when Skagit county was still a part of Whatcom county, and has always been deeply interested in educational matters. Just nicely set- tled in his new home, prepared, after all the years of trial and hardship to thoroughly enjoy these more prosperous days, his brave companion fell by his side, leaving to his care the family of little ones. Always a devout believer in the Bible and in Jesus as a personal Savior, his faith stood even this su- preme test. Ilis unfaltering courage and brave, earnest life have won the admiration of his fellow men, who recognize his sterling character.

ALBERT SHARFENBERG, a successful young farmer of Skagit county, residing five miles east of La Conner and seven miles southwest of Mount Vernon, was born in Hastings, Minnesota, January 13, 1874. His father is Joseph Sharfen- berg, a native of Germany, who sought the advan- tages of the United States, settling first in Michi- gan, then in Minnesota, and later in Washington, where after a short residence in Nooksack, he located permanently in Skagit county in 1887, which is still his home. Sophia Sharfenberg, his mother. also born in Germany, is living. Mr. Sharfenberg's residence in this state dates from the time he was three years old, when he came to La Conner with his parents. Here he attended school as he grew older, completing his education by a two years' course at Coupeville, after which he returned to the farm where he worked till he was twenty-two years of age, acquiring a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of all the details of the work, thus fitting himself for his present position of manager of his father's extensive ranch.

Mr. Sharfenberg was married February 22. 1896, to Miss Amanda Christenson, born in Skagit county, July 3, 1872. She is the daughter of Nels Christenson, a well known pioneer of this county, whose biography appears elsewhere in this history. Mr. and Mrs. Sharfenberg have two children, Joe and Gladys. Mr. Sharfenberg is an enthusiastic advocate of good schools, and was for six years director in district number eleven. On the fine one hundred and sixty acre ranch of which he has entire charge, he has thirty head of cattle : he is milking eight cows, and selling the separated ercam to the

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Pleasant Ridge Creamery Company. Possessed of ambition, industry and thrift, he is meeting with ex- cellent success.

JOSEPH SHARFENBERG, a prominent citi- zen of Skagit county for the last thirty years, now resides on his ranch situated four and one-half miles southeast of La Conner and eight miles southwest of Mount Vernon. Born in the state of Mecklen- berg, Germany, July 9, 1833, he is the son of John and Mary ( Foss) Sharfenberg, both deceased, his father's death having occurred in 1854, the moth- er's, three years later. Mr. Sharfenberg, the young- est of a family of four, attended the common schools when he could be spared from home, mak- ing the best possible use of the advantages afforded. His father being in somewhat straitened circum- stances, he began life for himself at the early age of fifteen. In 1861 he decided to immigrate to the United States where he had a brother, John, re- siding in Michigan. His first employment in the new country was railroading in Michigan, and later farming in the same state. In 1865 he removed to Dakota County, Minnesota, where he rented land and engaged in farming for the following ten years, barely making a living. Convinced that the North- west offered larger returns for earnest labor, he came with his wife and four children to La Conner in 1875, arriving with just seven dollars in money. Undaunted, however, by the low state of his finances, he at once found work with the Port Gam- ble Company, diking the Swinomish flats, and was employed here for two years. At that time there were only five or six farms with dikes, on all this vast area, Mike Sullivan having been the first man to raise a dike and harvest the first bushel of oats. Bea- ver Marsh was a waste of water, impassable save in a few places. Later Mr. Sharfenberg rented a farm in Dodge valley, there remaining for fourteen years, and in the meantime investing in land on the Beaver Marsh which was covered with logs, stumps and willows that were twenty feet high. He em- ployed a force of twenty Chinamen for two years to clear the land and get it into condition, while he was prospering on the rented property, selling oats for thirty-two dollars, and hay for eighteen dollars per ton. He purchased his present ranch in Pleas- ant Ridge in 1894, and has since made it his home. Owning now two hundred and forty acres, one hun- dred and sixty acres in Beaver Marsh and the re- mainder on the ridge, the wisdom of his judgment in selecting the Northwest for a home has certainly been demonstrated.

Mr. Sharfenberg was married in Michigan, Sep- tember 23, 1861, to Mrs. Sophia Gross, of German nativity, whose former husband had been an ac- quaintance of his in Germany, where they had work- ed together for four years. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sharfenberg, as follows : Rachel Eddy, living near Avon; Mary Stacey, of

Bellingham: George and Albert, living on Beaver Marsh, and one other (deceased). Mr. Sharfenberg is an active and faithful member of the Odd Fel- lows, which fraternity has honored him by electing him to the various offices and as delegate to the Grand Lodge. In political belief he adheres to the principles of the Democratic party, is always in at- tendance at the caucuses and conventions where his earnestness and loyalty make him a prominent fig- ure. The cause of education has always been a matter of great interest to him, and he has ever lent the strength of his influence to every advance- ment in this direction. Four years ago he was par- tially paralyzed on the right side, being unable to speak for two days. That he has so nearly recover- ed from it is a matter of great joy to his wide circle of acquaintances, who recognize in him a man of rare strength of character, worthy of the highest respect and honor.

EDWIN JOHNSON is one of the Skagit coun- ty Swedish colony who has wrested an excellent farm from the wilderness of forest with which na- ture endowed the western slopes of the Cascade mountain range. He was born in Wermeland, Sweden, in 1871, February 2, and came to Skagit county as a permanent resident in 1895. He is the son of Johannes and Liza Leonora (Anderson) Johnson, who remained in their native land until death. Mr. Johnson was one of four children of whom one brother is dead. The living are: Al- fred Johnson, a successful farmer of Skagit county, and Miss Ida Johnson. Mr. Johnson attended school until he was fifteen years of age and remain- ed with his parents on the home farm until eight- een, occasionally putting in time for his brother. After leaving Sweden he went to Mendocino Coun- ty, California, working there in saw-mill and log- ging camp for a year. He then came to Tacoma and was employed in a sash and door factory for a year and a half, leaving for the Skagit valley. Reaching here he put in a short time working, then went back to Tacoma and worked in the railroad shops there. One year of that labor sufficed and he came back to Skagit and in 1895 purchased his pres- ent place of twenty-five acres, three miles south of Mount Vernon. He moved on this place in 1895 and has remained there ever since, acquiring also twenty acres one-eighth of a mile west of his home farm.

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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 105

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