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 122

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 122
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 122

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Most noteworthy of Mr. McGlinn's public serv- ices were those which he rendered subsequent to his election to the Territorial Council in 1878. Dur- ing his term he drew up, introduced and defended with marked ability in a hot debate the celebrated

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labor lien bill, which finally commended itself to the good judgment of the law makers and found a place on the statute books of the state. He also introduced and carried through a measure provid- ing for the removal of the federal court from Pierce to Skagit county, thereby rendering an incalculable service to northwestern Washington, which service was so thoroughly appreciated by his constituents that they presented to him a handsome gold watch. In 1888, he was again nominated for membership in the Territorial Council, but, popular though he was, he could not stem the Democratic tide which swept the territory that year, and James Hamilton Lewis, his opponent, was elected. He had, however, the very great satisfaction of having carried Ska- git and Snohomish counties, something that no other Republican on the ticket was able to do.

On Christmas day, 1844, Mr. MeGlinn married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Barbara ( Fox) Benn, natives of Ireland and Canada respectively. Her mother was, however, of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction. Her father forsook his fatherland for America when eleven years old and was a farmer and contractor in Canada and Missouri until 1874, when he came to Washington. Mrs. McGlinn was educated in the state of Missouri. She and Mr. McGlinn are parents of six children: Thaddeus, born in 1826, now living in Bellingham: Leo Eu- gene, born in 1879, now living at La Conner ; John G., born in 1881, clerk in the state penitentiary at Walla Walla : Robert E., in 1884, a graduate of the State University at Seattle, now professor of his- tory and mathematics in the Washington Academy in Spokane; Mary E., in 1886, and Winifred. in 1889. In religious belief the family is Catholic, while in fraternal affiliations Mr. MeGlinn is a member of the United Workmen ; in politics he is a Republican. lle is greatly interested in the pub- lic schools, to which he has given efficient service as a member of the local school board. He has prop- erty interests in Olympia, Anacortes, Whidby island, and he owns the whole of MeGlinn island, near La Conner. So long has he been active in public life, coming in contact with men from all parts of the country, that he is unusually well posted on the his- tory, resources and prospects of the county of Ska- git in particular and the Northwest in general and it is always pleasant and profitable to converse with him about the interesting events and conditions of the days gone by.

Before closing this sketch, a quotation from an article by Edmund S. Meany, Professor of Consti- tutional History in the University of Washington, published in the Post Intelligencer, October 8, 1905. in relation to the Swinomish Indians, their history, traditions, etc., is pertinent to our subject. In re- ferring to Mr. MeGlinn, Professor Meany writes : "Mr. MeGlinn is thoroughly acquainted with In- dian traits. He was in charge of the Swinomish

reservation years ago, and at one time he was in charge of the Lumini reservation. During the ad- ministration of Benjamin Harrison he was Indian agent at Neah bay. While there he was required to visit the villages of Hoh, Quilayute and Ozette and to lay out small reservations for them. When Cleveland was elected to succeed Harrison, effort was promptly made to oust MeGlinn that the office might be liad for another. Daniel Dorchester, superintendent of the Indian schools, was sent to investigate the case. IIc made an extensive report, dated May 16, 1893, which concluded with the fol- lowing words: 'Finally, I believe I may say, after having visited forty-two Indian agents during the past four years, that Agent McGlinn impresses me as one of the best I have found. He is progressive, a firm administrator, a good economist, a thorough- ly honest man. This is the universal testimony in this region. He is a liberal Catholic religiously, unobtrusive officially and very exemplary in life. Individuals who have sometimes been restive under his authority, on frankly talking over differences, have found him reasonable and conciliatory.'

"Because of this splendid indorsement and be- cause of my own regard for the pioneer proprietor of Hotel McGlinn, at La Conner, I made it a special point to inquire about his work on those reserva- tions during my visits a dozen years later. In every instance I found his name and his work held in high esteem."

SAMUEL CHAMBERS is one of the pioneer dairy men of Skagit county, having established him- self in 1889 near La Conner. By skilful manage- ment of his work and careful attention to details of business Mr. Chambers was able to purchase a few years ago the farm on which he had made his repu- tation as a successful dairy man. He is a native of New York, born in 1843. His parents, Chester L. and Rhoda A. (Waterman) Chambers, lived in Broome county in that state until their deaths. Mr. Chambers is the next to the youngest of eight chi !- dren. He received his schooling in the New York schools, and at twenty-one years of age was farin - ing on his own account. He came to Washington in 1888, reaching Seattle in April of that year. Re- maining there but a short time, he came to La Con- ner and worked at the trade of carpenter until he leased a piece of ground and commenced his dairy business. By industry and fair dealing he built up a good business and in 1893 purchased the land he had been leasing for thirteen years. The place comprises seventy acres of excellent land, of which seven acres are in grass and six devoted to the busi- ness of raising cabbage seed.

In 1867, while still a resident of the Empire state, Mr. Chambers married Miss Eliza J. Dwight. daughter of Roswell and Olive (Johnson) Dwight,

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both of whom were native New Yorkers. Mrs. Chambers was born in Tioga County, New York, and there educated. Eight children have been born of this union : William Chambers: Mrs. Cora Summers, of Marysville; Clinton Chambers ; Mrs. Ollie MeGlinn ; Rhoda ; Clarence : Harley, and Mil- dred Chambers. Mrs. Chambers during her life was a member of the Methodist church. She died in 1903. Mr. Chambers has always been a Repub- lican in politics. The home place consists of seventy acres of carefully tilled land, a general farming business being pursued in addition to dairying and raising cabbage seed. The dairy at present comprises seventeen head of selected cows and is the chief department of the farm. Mr. Chambers is recognized as one of the sterling men of the community, a man of the best character and respected by all who know him.

JOSEPH F. DWELLEY is one of the re- spected pioneers of Skagit county, having lived here since 1570, holding public office and enjoy- ing the respect of the people who came in to settle up and develop the country. Mr. Dwelley was born in Kittery, Maine, and so has crossed the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. His father. George W. Dwelley, a descendant of the Dwelleys who came over in the Mayflower. was a ship carpenter of Marshfield, Massachusetts, who later settled in Wisconsin and died there. The mother was Narcissa Spinney, a native of Maine and the daughter of a privateer in the Revolution- ary War who lost his life at sea. He was from the north of Ireland, of Scotch descent. Mr. Dwelley received his education in the schools of Boston until the death of his mother. when, at twelve years of age, he was bound out to a shoe- maker. Two years later the lad ran away and commenced work in an iron foundry, remaining there until 1859, when he went to Calumet Coun- ty, Wisconsin, and followed farming and car- pentering. At the outbreak of the Civil War. Mr. Dwelley enlisted in the Fifth Wisconsin, being the first man to enroll from Calumet county. He served with the command until 1864. when, hav- ing been promoted to a lieutenancy, he resigned. returning to his home state with the object of rais- ing a company for the remainder of the war. Not meeting with success, Lieutenant Dwelley went to work on a farm and ultimately leased farms for operation. In February, 1820, he came to Wash- ington and Whidby island and worked at the trade of carpenter in the vicinity of Coupeville. Cross- ing to the mainland and the Skagit river valley, Mr. Dwelley filed on a pre-emption claim, on a part of which the city of Mount Vernon now stands. By the year 1875 he had cleared much of his land and on selling it took up his residence

in La Comer. At first he worked at his trade as carpenter and then embarked in the furniture business, which he conducted until 1886 when he was appointed postmaster, holding that office for eight years. In 1876 he was appointed justice of the peace to fill an unexpired term and has filled that office ever since. Mr. Dwelley continued in active mercantile operations until several years ago, when he retired and began the work of building and operating boats.

Mr. Davelley, at Stockbridge, Calumet County, Wisconsin, in 1865, married Miss Angeline E. Wells, daughter of Alonzo and Martha ( Bing- ham) Wells, natives of New York who had moved to the Badger state. Mr. Wells came to the Skagit country in 1811 and has been living at Coupeville for a number of years. Mrs. Wells is still living. Mrs. Dwellcy was a native of New York, but received her education in Wisconsin. She is a pioneer school teacher of Skagit county, having taught the first school at La Conner in 1826, which was established by subscription. Three chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Dwelley are living in Wash- ington: Mrs. Kate Maloy, born on the Skagit river in 18:2. the second white child native of that section of the country ; Charles L. Dwelley, a clerk in the hardware store of Mr. Hayton, at Mount Vernon, and Mrs. Edna M. Taggert. living in Bel- lingham, where her husband is city ticket agent for the Great Northern railway. Mr. Dwelley is one of the prominent members of the Grand Army of the Republic, a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and an Odd Fellow. In church affiliations he is a Presbyterian. In politics he has been a lifelong Republican. He has been a con- stant friend of every movement which had as its object the upbuilding and betterment of the schools, and to his efforts is due much of the development of the La Conner schools from the day when Mrs. Dwelley inaugurated the first school down to the present time. Mr. Dwelley is held in the highest esteem of his fellow townsmen, an honorable man, full of good deeds and interested in every good work.

GEORGE N. SHUMWAY. until recently a prosperous farmer of Belfast, Washington. was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts, October 13, 1841, where his forefathers had lived for about a hundred years, the son of John R. and Mary ( Hol- land) Shumway. The father, of French Huguenot descent, was born in Massachusetts in 1823, and died at the age of fifty-eight. The mother, also a native of Massachusetts, was of English extraction, and was proud to recall the fact that her parents were pioneers in the state of her birth. The oldest of nine children, Mr. Shumway grew to the age of twenty on his father's farm, there laying the foun-

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dation for a sturdy manhood, and receiving his edu- cation in the common schools of the state. In re- sponse to the call for volunteers at the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in Company H, Forty- Sixth Massachusetts Infantry, in which he served one year. After a year spent at home, he went to I'linois and thence to Michigan, where he worked three years in a saw-mill. The longing to revisit his native state caused him to return, and the next twelve years were spent there operating a pitchfork and garden tool factory of his own. But the West promised greater advantages, so in 1881 he came, first to Oregon, then to Washington, working at various occupations for the first year, at the end of which time he took up his present property as a homestead claim.

At Belchertown, Massachusetts, in 1881, Mr. Shumway and Mary M1. Barrett were married. Mrs. Shumway was born in Massachusetts, October 5. 1844, the daughter of Silas and Hannah ( Pomeroy) Barrett, both natives of that state, in which the mother also died. Mr. Barrett, a blacksmith by trade, came west with his daughter in 1882, and continued to reside here until his death in 1890. His ancestors were pioneers of Hinsdale, Massachusetts, coming during the era of Indian wars. Mr. Shum- way is a Mason and a member of the Grand Army. Ile belongs to the Congregational church, while his wife adheres to the Methodist faith. By dint of hard work he converted his farm, which was orig- inally timbered heavily, into a comfortable. home- like place, with forty-five acres in hay and much of the rest in shape to furnish pasture for his fine herd of Jersey cattle. But advancing age has made it impossible to give the place the attention it should have so he has recently sold out to good advantage and purchased a pleasant little place in Anacortes, where he expects to live in future.

JOHN HI. ROCK, of La Conner, is the pioneer harness maker of Skagit county and since 1889 he has established a most successful business and gained an enviable reputation for the quality of work turned out. Mr. Rock was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1829, of Scotch parentage. Ilis father was also a native of Pennsylvania and a potter by trade. Mrs. Rachel ( Bard) Rock was the mother of twelve children of whom John was sixth in order of birth. Young Rock attended school up to the time he was eighteen years of age and had picked up a know !- edge of the printer's art outside of school hours. But when it came to choosing his trade he selecte 1 that of harness maker. In 1856 he moved to Illi- nois and worked at his trade for sixteen years, going to Iowa in 18:2 for a couple of years. He then returned to Illinois and ran a shop for six years. In 1882 he went to Dakota, took up a homestead and followed farming until in 1888 he came to

Washington and settled in La Conner. He opened a small shop, enlarging as the growth of business warranted. This was the first harness shop in Ska- git county, and the present shop was erected in 1902.

In 185%, while a resident of Il'inois, Mr. Rock married Miss Annie Miller, daughter of Jacob and Mary ( Hoover ) Miller, Pennsylvanians who had moved to Illinois. Mrs. Rock was born in the Key- stone state and received her education there. Of this union five children have been born. Mrs. Mary F. Irvin is living in Seattle, the wife of a success- ful painter : Ilarry W. Rock is a first-class harness maker, having learned the trade of his father : Wil- liam L. Rock is also a finished harness maker, hay- ing been schooled in the trade at his father's bench ; Mrs. Emma McDonald is living in Seattle, the wife of a fish market proprietor : Edwin M. died in early youth while his parents were in Illinois. In fra- ternal circles Mr. Rock is an Odd Fellow and in politics a Republican. During this time he has made investments in real estate and owns both residence and business property. He is well established in his own building with a growing business and a repu- tation in the community for honesty and upright- ness.

CHARLES VALENTINE, painter and paper hanger of La Conner, is one of the successful young business men of western Skagit county and is rec- ognized as one of the best artisans in his line. He is in reality a product of Skagit county, though born in Peru, Indiana. He was only twelve years of age when his father came to the sound country, and he has received his education and business train- ing here. Ilis father, Samuel F. Valentine, living on a farm near La Conner, is a Virginian by birth. lle followed the trade of tinsmith until he ventured into the hardware business here, which he con- tinned for some time. Selling out later, he has since followed his trade of tinsmith with the Polson Hardware Company of La Conner. Mrs. Emma ( Ilolman) Valentine was a native of Indiana, the mother of two children of whom Charles is the younger. Our subject received the rudiments of his education before leaving Indiana and for six years after coming to Skagit county continued his studies. When eighteen years old he became ap- prenticed to the trade of painter and paper hanger and upon becoming master of the same, three years later, at once took up his calling. He passed one vear in the Port Blakely shipyards, but has since lived at La Conner.

In 1899 Mr. Valentine married Miss Clara O'Loughlin, daughter of James O'Loughlin, who came to this country from Ireland when a lad, lived for a time in Michigan and came to Washington in 1822. Mlr. O'Loughlin has served as assessor of

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this county and three terms as sheriff, being the first official in that capacity the county had. He is still living on Beaver marsh, near La Conner. Mrs. Adell (Huff) O'Loughlin is a native of Michigan, and is living in Skagit county. Mrs. Valentine was born near La Conner in 1879 and received her edu- cation in the home schools. To this union have been born four children, Charles T., Richmond E., Ivan J. and an infant, Lewis P. In politics Mr. Valen- tine is a Republican. He is a man of good educa- tion, upright and honest and respected in this com- munity. Mr. Valentine has a house and two lots in townl.

SAMUEL M. LOCKHART lives on a small ranch about three miles northeast of La Conner. having made his home there since coming to Wash- ington in 1887. He is the son of Thomas G. Lock hart, a native of Ohio, born in 1814, who settled in Cedar County, Iowa, in 1842. His claim there was jumped and he moved to Linn county, becoming the first settler in that section of the state. On this new place he lived until his death in 1891 at the advanced age of 78 years. He was of Scotch-Irish ‹lescent. Lettie (Osborn) Lockhart, his wife, was a native of Indiana. She was the mother of eleven children, of which Samuel was the fifth in order. Samuel M. Lockhart attended school in Jowa and when twenty years of age leased a farm for a term of five years. At the close of this period he went to California and passed six months, thereupon go- ing to lowa and purchasing a small farm, where he resided until 1887. In that year he decided to come to Washington and having sold out in Jowa, moved to and settled on the La Conner flats, where he still owns five and one-third acres of land, in- cluding an orchard. Here he has made his home since becoming a citizen of Washington.

Mr. Lockhart was married in Iowa in 1868 to Miss Mary M. West, daughter of John West and Sarah E. (Howe) West, natives of Ohio who moved to łowa and closed their lives in that state. Mrs. Samuel M. Lockhart was born in Ohio but at the age of six years accompanied her parents to lowa, where she received her education and was married at the age of seventeen years. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart-Thomas G., residing with his family in Skagit county ; Mrs. Winifred Dunlap, Roland and Alice, living, and Effie and Eugene who died when quite young. Mr. Lockhart is an active Democrat, taking a keen in- terest in the campaigns of his party and contribut- ing his share toward their success.

PETER REGENVETTER, one of the men who have been forceful and efficient in the agricultural development of the La Conner country, is of the

great multitude of the sons of Germany who, by the exercise of their characteristic industry, patience and sound judgment, have won success in the new world with its abundant opportunities for those with eyes to see them and courage to grasp and utilize them. A pioneer of Skagit county, he has wit- nessed its development from a time when civilization had made but slight inroads upon primeval condi- tions to the present day and he has the satisfaction of knowing that the transformations which have been wrought since then are in some measure the result of his own labor and planning.

Mr. Regenvetter was born in Luxemburg, March 28, 1847, the son of Peter and Margaret (Wolf) Regenvetter, both of whom were likewise natives of the Fatherland. The former was a tailor by trade, but he gave much of his time and attention to agri- culture. Coming to America in 1822, he settled first in Minnesota, but after a half decade had been spent in that state he removed to Washington, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died in 1883. Our subject's mother passed away in Gilroy, California, in the year 1892.

During the first thirteen years of his life, Mr. Regenvetter of this review remained at home with his parents, attending the excellent public schools and acquiring a better education than could be had in the same length of time almost anywhere else in the world. He then determined to add to his knowl- edge by travel, and the ensuing eight years were spent in journeying over the different countries of Europe, all of which were visited by him, though he passed more time in France than in any other one country, remaining in Paris for several months. On his return to Germany he spent two years in the army. At the age of twenty-five he came to the United States, settling first in Nautria, Dakota county, Minnesota, where he farmed for three years, then, in 1825, he came to Whatcom, Washington. He moved to La Conner flats a little later, worked there for two years then spent two years farming on Whidby Island near Coupeville, after which he came again to the Swinomish country. This time he purchased forty acres of uncleared and undiked marsh land and began in great earnest the battle for a comfortable home, independence and a com- petency. He worked in season and out, diking, ditching, clearing and cultivating until he had this tract fully redeemed and yielding crops, then, am- bitious for new fields to conquer, he bought forty acres more adjoining which he treated in the same manner until it too had been brought to a high state of cultivation. He has added to his holdings from time to time since until he is now the owner of nearly two hundred acres of land, all in cultivation and all equal to the best in the county. The past season he raised fifty-five acres of oats which yielded in the neighborhood of one hundred bushels to the acre, and twenty-five acres of hay which gave a

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proportionately large yield. He has a good, seven room house, good barn and other outbuildings and keeps a fine little herd of cattle as well as plenty of horses for the convenient operation of the farm. A two-acre orchard furnishes abundant fruit of all kinds for home use. Mr. Regenvetter is certainly to be congratulated on the splendid success he has achieved in the years of his residence in Skagit county.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1875, our subject married Miss Christina, daughter of Peter and Christina ( Slater) Reiter. Her parents were born and died in Germany, and she too was a native of that country, but came to America at the age of twenty-two. She passed away at her home near La Conner March 3, 1904, after having borne to Mr. Regenvetter eight children, namely, Frank and Peter, twins, born in La Conner December 15, 1876 ; Annie, in Coupeville in 1881, now at home; Mary, deceased : Jack, born in La Conner April 20, 1883, now justice of the peace of La Conner precinct ; John, Katie and Emma, deceased. The last three died of diphtheria about three years ago, the dread disease taking them all inside of two weeks. In politics, Mr. Regenvetter is a Republican and in religious faith a Catholic.

ISAAC JENNINGS, one of the best known and most successful farmers on the rich Swinomish flats, has the distinction of being numbered among the very earliest pioneers of his part of the country, his family being the seventh to settle in what is now widely celebrated as the La Conner oat belt. When he arrived the general aspect of the country was un- inviting enough, but the practicability of reclaim- ing it had been proven, and Mr. Jennings was not the kind of man to overlook an opportunity even though it might wear a forbidding mein. His was the mettle of the true pioneer. Homesteading a piece of the soil, he gave himself to its reclamation from the sea with a whole heart, laboring in season and out of season, diking, ditching, clearing, culti- vating, and investing his surplus earnings in new fields for the exercise of his enormous and teeming energy, until he is now numbered among the wealth- iest residents of a section of country far famed for its abundant wealth. His industrial success has been fairly and honestly earned and none will be- grudge to him any whit of it, even though it has been much greater in degree than he could antici- pate or expect when he began the struggle. On the contrary all readily accord him the admiration and respect which of right belong to those who do some- thing worthy and do it well.

New Jersey is the state of Mr. Jennings' nativity and the date of his birth is 1834. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Carter) Jennings, were like- wise natives of that commonwealth and lived there

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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 122

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