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 107

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 107
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 107

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In 1893 he traded this town property for forty acres of farming land and on this tract he now makes his home. IIe has cleared it of the forest, placed it all under cultivation and erected a handsome residence and substantial barns and other outbuild- ings.

Mr. Olson was united to Miss Salma Lindfors in 188%, the marriage taking place in Kansas. She is a native of Sweden, born in 1862. Of her par- ents only one, her father, is living, his home being in the old country. Mrs. Olson was reared and educated across the water, coming to this continent in 1883. Six children have blessed her home, all of whom, with one exception (Clara V.), were born in Kansas: Carl B., born in 1888; Clara V., in Kansas, in 1890; Lillie, 1892; Edna, 1896; Jose- phine, 1900, and Earl, 1902. MIr. Olson attends the Lutheran church, though not affiliated with its membership, is a member of the Grange, and at the polls votes independently. His thrifty farm is well stocked with cattle and horses, modern machinery, etc., in keeping with the position of their owner as a progressive agriculturist.

RICHARD H. PETH, one of the successful and substantial farmers of the country north of La Conner, is a native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, born April 23, 1861. Like many another of the solid citizens of the American states, he is of Swiss extraction, his father, Jacob, and his mother, Bar- bara (Burg) Peth, being both natives of Switzer- land. They immigrated to this country quite early in life, settling first in the Badger state and later in Nebraska. In the former commonwealth Richard H. grew to man's estate. Being one of six children he necessarily had to assist his father on the farm as soon as he was able. but he nevertheless acquired a good common school education. At the age of twenty-two he left the parental roof, came to Ska- git county, whither his brother John had preceded him, and began there an earnest struggle for a com- potency. He worked a short time on the farm of D. L. McCormick, then was associated with his brother for a year and a half at the end of which time, having secured the necessary start and the necessary knowledge of marshland farming, he rented a place from Mr. McCormick and began operations on his own account. Three years were thus spent, then, in the fall of 1888, he bought a quarter section on Samish flats, which he retained a year. His subsequent operations consisted of farming a ranch rented from his brother for eight years, then one he bought on Whitney island for three years, then one rented from Peter Downey for two years, then the sale of all his interests in Skagit county and a return to his old home in Wis- consin for a four-months' visit, and finally the rent- ing and subsequent purchase of the splendid place upon which he now lives.

With the thrift and industry which are charac-

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teristics of his race, he has devoted himself untir- ingly to the improvement of this property and the installation upon it of everything in the way of buildings and facilities which could make it more homelike or its operation more convenient and profitable. He has a fine home and his efforts and labors in Skagit county have been so well reward- ed that he is not likely to suffer in the near future for want of worldly wealth. His land holdings ag- gregate 11? aeres all in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Peth was married in 1891, the lady being Miss Carrie E., daughter of Martin and Wilhelmina (Myer) Koenig. Her father was a wagon maker of Germany, who came as a young man to Wis- consin where he died November 25, 1903, and where her mother still lives. Mrs. Peth was born there in 1867. May 18. was educated in the local schools, and lived there continuously until the time of her marriage. She was the seventh of eleven children, five of whom are still living. She and Mr. Peth are parents of three children : Hazel, born in 1892; Fremont R., in 1896, and Milburn M., in 1898. The last mentioned died at the age of six months. In fraternal affiliation, Mr. Peth is a mem- ber of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and in politics an active Republican, while his church membership is in the local Methodist Episcopal body.

ROBERT GUNTHER is one of the self-made men of Skagit county. Coming as a young man into that distriet his industry and foresight have won him an enviable position. He has gained a competence within a few years and holds the re- spect of the entire community in which he lives.

Mr. Gunther is the son of a German millwright, Charles Gunther, who came to the United States in 1871. He settled in New Jersey, living there for thirteen years. and it was in that state that the sub- ject of this sketch was born, the third of eight chil- dren. After their stay in New Jersey the family spent a number of years in Minnesota and there Mr. Gunther's mother, who, like her husband, was of German birth, died. From Minnesota the fam- ily moved to Washington in 1891. Charles Gun- ther died six years later in California.

Robert Gunther was educated in the schools of New Jersey and Minnesota. When seventeen years old he took up the trade of carpenter follow- ing it for four years in Minnesota and Washington. In 1893 he went to the La Conner flats and worked on a farm the three following years for Isaac Jen- nings. Then the young man leased the Gaches farm and worked it for six years. In 1900 he bought his present eighty-acre farm four and a half miles northwest of Mount Vernon. At that time only ten acres had been cleared. Now the entire farm is under cultivation, and, with its modern home and two large barns, constitutes a valuable holding.

On New Year's day, 1892, Mr. Gunther mar-

ried Miss Martha Singer, daughter of William Singer, a native of lowa. The Singer family moved to Oregon in 1882, and after living there seven years, went to La Conner in 1889. Mr. Sing- er at present lives at Avon, Skagit county. Mrs. Singer, who is also living at Avon, was Miss Rose Paul, a native of Minnesota. Mrs. Gunther was born in the same state in June, 1881. As she was still young when her family moved to Skagit coun- ty, she obtained her education there, and there, too, was married at the age of sixteen. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gunther, Ernest, 1892 ; Ralph, 1899, and Paul, 1901.

Mr. Gunther is a Yeoman and a Granger. He is active in the Methodist church, being steward, class leader and superintendent of the Sunday school. In politics he is a Republican. He is one of the trustees of the newly organized co-operative store at Mount Vernon, in fact, is recognized as a man of varied activities, having the confidence of all who know him. His home is one of refinement and culture.

NELS ANDERSON is one of the most popular of the Swedish-American citizens of the western part of Skagit county. He has developed a mod- ern farm from heavily timbered lowland and is one of the well-to-do agriculturists of his section. Mr. Anderson was born in Sweden in 1866, the son of Anders and Sophia ( Bangtson) Carlson, both na- tives of Sweden, who never left their native land. Mrs. Carlson was the mother of twelve children, of which Nels is ninth in order of birth. Mr. Ander- son received his education in the Swedish schools and remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age. On attaining his majority he came to the United States and chose Kansas as the place and farming as the means of making a livelihood. Two years on the plains followed, Mr. Anderson work- ing on farms. In 1889 he came to Washington and passed about three years working on farms in the vicinity of La Conner, deciding in 1892 to pur- chase a place of his own. He bought forty acres of timber four and a half miles west of Mount Ver- non, which he has converted into his present farm- stead. In addition to removing the timber, Mr. Anderson has had to dike and drain his land in order to bring it into its present high state of cul- tivation. Ten acres are in grass and the remainder for the most part in oats.

In 1898. at Tacoma, Mr. Anderson married Mrs. Anna L. ( Johnson) Anderson, daughter of John and Hannah (Carlsted) Johnson, natives of Sweden, who passed their entire lives in the old country. Mrs. Anderson was born in Sweden in 1862 and received her education there, coming to Tacoma, Wash., when sixteen years old. On the death of her first husband, a brother of Nels An- derson, she and her children were cared for by the subject of this sketch, to whom she was later mar-

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ried. Of the first union there are four children, Rudolph .A., Nora, Robert and Herman. In poli- ties Mr. Anderson is affiliated with the Democrats. but is not very active. The Andersons attend the Mission church. In fraternal circles Mr. Anderson is a Yeoman. In addition to raising hay and oats Mr. Anderson has a herd of twenty-two cattle. He has been uniformly successful in business and is recognized as one of the sterling citizens of his com- munity.

WILLIAM R. WELLS has had a career marked with success, whether as merchant or as farmer, and is looked upon as one of the best citi- zens of Skagit county. He was born in New Brunswick in 1858. His father was Judah Wells, a farmer who left New Brunswick for Skagit coun- ty in 1883, and died here in 1899. The Wells are of Norman-French extraction and trace back to William the Conqueror and the feudal barons, who turned the tide of English history at the battle of Ilastings. Mrs. Wells was Miss Hannah Starratt, a native of Nova Scotia of Scotch-Irish ancestry. She is still living at La Conner, the mother of six children. William R. Wells obtained the education afforded by the New Brunswick schools, remaining at home until twenty-five years of age. He, in com- pany with his parents then came to Skagit county in 1883. For one year young Wells helped his father clear his farm and then accepted employment in the general store of B. L. Martin, in La Conner. Here he continued for four years when he formed a partnership with his brother and bought a gro- cery in La Conner, which was operated under the name of Wells Brothers. After successfully con- ducting this business for four years the firm sold out and William R. Wells accepted a deputyship in the office of the county treasurer, which necessi- tated his removal to Mount Vernon. At the close of his term he returned to La Conner and resumed the grocery business. After three years he removed to Sedro-Woolley and entered the dry goods busi- ness of Coddington & McGowan, where he re- mained for two years. In the spring of 1902, leav- ing the mercantile, he took up agriculture, remov- ing to the farm which he had acquired in 1891, the present home of the Wells family, four and a half miles west of Mount Vernon.

Mr. Wells has been twice married. The first wife was Miss Ella J. Calhoun, a native of New Brunswick and a cousin of Dr. Calhoun, well known in Skagit county, Seattle and Port Townsend. Of this union there were two children, both of whom died and are buried with their mother in Mount Vernon. In 1899 Mr. Wells married Miss Ruth Guenther, daughter of Henry Guenther, a native of Germany, who on coming to this country lived in Buffalo, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was employed by the Great Northern rail- road until his death in 1899. The mother, Eliza-

beth (Batsle) Guenther, was a native of Germany. Mrs. Wells was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1866. Her early education was obtained in St. Paul, but after coming to Washington she took a three year course at the Ellensburg State Normal School. Obtaining a life diploma for teaching, she taught school for five years, abandoning an educational career for married life. Two children are the issue of this union, Dorothy B., born in Sedro-Woolley in 1902, and William R., born on the farm in 1903. Mr. Wells is a Republican in politics and in addi- tion to his teri as deputy county treasurer has served several terms as city clerk of La Conner, be- ing a popular and efficient public servant. In church circles he is a Baptist and in fraternal rela- tions a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the Woodmen of the World. While many friends have regretted the retirement of Mr. Wells from public life, he is well satisfied to operate his farm, which consists of twenty-two acres, all under careful cultivation. He makes a specialty of his dairy and stock, having fifteen cattle at the present time. Mr. Wells is deservedly popular and is a man of ability along any line which he chooses to pursue.

JOSEPHI E. EWING has by sheer force of character and self-training advanced himself from a farmer boy of Ohio to one of the successful and respected citizens of Skagit county. With only the rudiments of an education possibly while a boy, Mr. Ewing has supplemented the slight foundation thus gained by liard private study and has been a suc- cessful school teacher as well as a successful farmer and capable public servant. Mr. Ewing was born in Preble County, Ohio, in 1864. Ilis father, Wil- liam A. Ewing, was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1829, and came to East Hampton, Massachusetts, when a young man. He settled on a farm in Ohio later in life and is still a resident there. Mrs. Ew- ing, who was Miss Margrett T. Thompson, a native of Greenock, Scotland, came with her parents to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when but two years old. Her parents died in Philadelphia, victims of cholera. Joseph E. Ewing attended the common school in Ohio when a lad and for several years, while working on his father's farm, found time to pursue his studies further. He was eventually suc- cessful in passing a teacher's examination, and taught school there for some years, living at the old home. In 1889 he came to Washington, and worked on a Skagit county rauch for two years. In 1891 he purchased his present place of forty acres, four miles west of Mount Vernon. The three subsequent years were devoted to clearing his land of timber and ditching the low places. He also worked out for money with which to improve his holding. In 1895 he had cleared enough of his original purchase to commence farming it. In 1897

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he added twenty acres, and in the following year forty acres more. Mr. Ewing now has two hun- dred acres of land, 195 of which is cleared and under cultivation, constituting one of the fine farm properties of the county.

In Seattle in 1895 Mr. Ewing married Miss Mary A. Osborn, daughter of Henry H. and Eliza- beth ( Burnett ) Osborn. Mr. Osborn was born in Ohio of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and before his death in this state in 1899 was a pioneer farmer of Indi- ana and Illinois, later living for eight years on a Kansas farm before coming to Washington. Mrs. Osborn was likewise an Ohioan, dying in 1872, the mother of five children. Mrs. Ewing was born in Cumberland County, Illinois, in 1864, and received her education in the schools of her home vicinity. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ewing: William, in 1896 ; Frank, in 1898; Helen, in 1901, and Riley on Christmas dav, 1902. Mr. Ewing's public service in Skagit county consists of seven years as dike commissioner and as member of the school board. In fraternal circles he is a Mod- ern Woodman of America. The Ewings are Pres- byterians. Mr. Ewing is extensively engaged in raising stock on his ranch, as well as carrying on general farming. Mr. Ewing has been successful in whatever he has undertaken and is popular with his fellows and respected by all.

MARTIN L. BEST. Left an orphan at the age of four years, the subject of this narrative was thrown upon the sea of life at an early age with no guiding hand but his own, but that he has suc- cessfully stemmed the adverse currents no one who knows him now and sees his well kept and pros- perous farm can deny. Mr. Best was born in Blount County, Tennessee, in the early part of 1865, the son of Jacob and Nancy (Taylor ) Best. The elder Best was a North Carolinian by birth and lived in that state until he went to Tennessee, where he followed farming for many years and later passed away in peace. He came of Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Mrs. Best, likewise a native of the hills of North Carolina, the mother of thirteen children, of whom Martin was the youngest. His father dying when the lad was but two years old, and the mother only two years later, Martin was reared by an elder sister, attending school until he was sixteen years of age. He then cut loose from relatives and native state, going first to Alabama, where he passed a year. He spent the following year in Indiana. At this time he heard of the new Northwest and the wonderful opportunities offered to energy and push and facing westward, in the early part of 1884 found himself on Fidalgo island. He was here employed for a number of months at farming, and then went to California for a year ; but the view he had obtained of Skagit county still lingered in his memory, and wooed by the irresistible charm of its sweeping rivers, forest covered hills and rich, ex-

pansive flats, he once more returned to its precincts, resolved to cast his fortune with its future, weal or woe. Ile experienced some difficulty in getting an independent start in life, and continued to do farm work for a number of years, making the vicinity of La Conner and the Beaver Marsh the field of his labors. However, in 1895, he leased eighty acres of school land and, bent upon winning a deserved competency from reluctant Dame Fortune, he be- gan clearing and ditching the same. It was a tedious process, but with that pertinacity of purpose which is the dominating factor in the life of every successful man, he persevered in his fixed purpose until the reward came.

At La Conner, early in 1895, Mr. Best and Ro- wena Dunlap, daughter of the pioneer. Isaac Dun- lap, were united in marriage. Mr. Dunlap was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he learned the iron moulder's trade. This occupation, however, he later abandoned and sought employment in agri- cultural pursuits in Iowa and Kansas, in which lat- ter state he was eminently a pioneer. Not satisfied with conditions there, in 1863 he started across the plains and mountains by the ox team route to Cali- fornia, the golden Eldorado. After a residence there of fourteen years, he came to La Conner in 1842. where he has since resided. Mrs. Susan ( Maxwell) Dunlap, the mother, a native of Iowa, of good old Scotch-Irish stock, is still living in peace and contentment at her comfortable home near La Conner. Mrs. Best, who is a native of California, came to Skagit county with her parents in 1822, in her sixth year. Here she received her early edu- cation, which was later supplemented by a course in the Seattle Female College, and at the age of twen- ty-two she was united in marriage to Mr. Best. To this union have been born three children, of whom only Myrtle, the eldest, born in 1896, is living. Mr. Best is a zealous Odd Fellow, and has been honored by every official position within the gift of his local lodge, Delta lodge No. 32, of La Conner. He is also an active member of the Woodmen of the World and Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mrs. Best is a prominent member of the Rebekahs. Politic- ally Mr. Best is an earnest exponent of Republican principles, ever active in furthering the interests of his party. The Best home consists of eighty acres of well tilled rich bottom land, improved by a substantial residence and commodious farm build- ings surrounding, which stand as a monument to the enterprise and thrift of their worthy owner. His Jersey cattle are Mr. Best's special pride.

PETER E. JOHNSON is one of the successful farmers of the rich lands to the west of Mount Vernon. He began life on his own account when but fourteen years of age and by sheer hard work and the steadiest application to business has forced himself to his present position of success. Mr. Johnson, a native of Sweden, was born in 1861, the

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son of John and Christine ( Pearson) Johnson. The elder Johnson was a farmer and passed his life in the old country. The mother is still living across the Atlantic, the mother of three children, of whom Peter is the oldest. Peter Johnson's boyhood days were those common to all Swedish farmer lads, at- tending school and doing chores about his father's place. At the age of twenty-six, he came to the United States. He crossed the continent to La Con- ner and remained there for a few months, working as a farm hand. The following winter he went to California and engaged in railroad work. Return- ing to Skagit county in 1889 he did farm work un- til he took up a homestead in Chehalis county in 1892. Mr. Johnson lived in Chehalis county for two winters and before he had proved up on his land had a chance to trade it for ten aeres near Bay View in Skagit county. He made the exchange and has made Skagit county his home ever since.

In 1893 in Seattle Mr. Johnson married Miss Selma Martin, daughter of Morris Johnson, a na- tive of Sweden. Mrs. Johnson was born in the old country and received her education there. She come to the United States when she was twenty- five years of age. Of this union are three children, all born in Skagit county, Emma, Herbert and Wil- liam. In politics Mr. Johnson is a Republican. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Work- men and of the Lutheran church. The home place of ten acres is all in a wild state. He raises cattle and horses, having sixteen head of the former and nine of the latter, all good stock. He has lived on a leased farm of Peter Doney's since 1894.

WILLIAM J. CORNELIUS, a well-known farmer, stockraiser and dairyman, residing in the Pleasant Ridge distriet between Mount Vernon and La Conner, is one of the oldest and worthiest pio- neers of Skagit county, though comparatively a young man. He was born on Whidby island, Sep- tember 10, 1861, when the region now constituting Skagit county did not boast a single postoffice, his parents being John A. and Bessie J. (Wallace ) Cor- nelius, two of the Northwest's early pioneers. John A. Cornelius, surveyor by profession, was born in the Green Mountain state in 1839, and when only twelve years of age crossed the plains to Oregon City. Three years later, or in 1855, he came north to Washington and on Puget sound established his home. Mining and surveying occupied his attention during the next few years, but he ultimately devoted himself almost entirely to his profession and farm- ing. Late in the sixties he commenced the survey of the sound's northern shore line and before this task was finished had surveyed nearly all of the islands, the Samish, Swinomish, Skagit and Stilla- guamish regions and other detached sections, thus enabling the pioneer settlers to obtain title to their claims. It is in connection with this extensive work that Mr. Cornelius is best known in Skagit county

history, though he is also eredited with becoming one of the first half-dozen settlers in the Swino- mish flat region, his claim at Pleasant Ridge hav- ing been taken late in 1868. After an unusually active and useful life, this pioneer surveyor and hardy frontiersman, in 1884, passed away at his Pleasant Ridge farm. Mrs. Cornelius was born in Oregon in 1849, only a year after that isolated outpost of the American union was admitted as a territory. She was reared on Whidby island and there married Mr. Cornelius. After his death she became the wife of J. (). Rudene, and is at present residing at Pleasant Ridge. To her is due the honor of being the first white woman to make per- manent settlement on the Skagit mainland or out- lying islands, she having come with her husband in 1868.

William J., therefore, was brought to the Ska- git country when a mere infant and was reared and educated there, participating personally in the ree- lamation of the wild wastes of tide marsh and dense forest jungle. The life of the frontier appealed to him naturally. Hard, unremitting toil in subjugat- ing the land had no terrors for him, and hardships were but commonplace incidents to the young pio- neer. After finishing the common school course, he attended the university at Seattle, taking a busi- ness course, then returned to his mother, with whom he lived until he reached the age of twenty-two. That year he began farming on his own account, renting a place from his step-father, which he has since continued to occupy, gradually transforming it into one of the excellent farms in the locality. Mr. Rudene and he are also the owners of a threshing outfit, which is operated under the management of Mr. Cornelius.

Miss Jennie R. Williams, the daughter of Charles H. and Ellen (Crandall) Williams, became the wife of Mr. Cornelius at Seattle in 1888. Her father. formerly a mechanie, but now engaged in farming, is a native of Massachusetts. He came to Skagit county in 1885, where he still resides, but Mrs. Williams died in Massachusetts. Born in the Bay state in 1872, Mrs. Cornelius was early taken to Pocahontas county, Iowa, where she lived until the removal to Washington in 1885. Three years later, at the age of sixteen, she was married. Five children are the fruit of this marriage: John A., born in May, 1889 ; Charles H .. in 1890: Philip R., in 1892; Vera, in 1895, and May, in 1903. Fra- ternally, Mr. Cornelius is affiliated with the I. O. O. F., in which order he is a past grand ; and with the A. O. U. W., and politically. he is an ardent Re- publican. The family are attendants of the Metho- dist church. Of his sixty acres of land, forty are in cultivation, while the stock consists of seventy- five head of cattle. Jerseys predominating, and four- teen fine horses. Mr. Cornelius is a man of force in the community, successful in his business enter- prises, and held in high esteem by his fellow citizens.

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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 107

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