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 138

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 138
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 138

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ANDREW S. JOHNSON, living two and a half miles southwest of Edison, one of the large farmers of that section of the county, has gained possession of his holdings and attained his prom- inent place in the business community by hard work, aggressiveness and commercial acumen. He was born in Norway December 3, 1854, the son of Soren and Annie (Larsen) Johnson, neither of whom left their native land, dying there some years ago. The elder Johnson was a pilot and fisherman. Young Johnson received his education in the schools of Norway, but at the age of seventeen left the land of fjords for the United States. On his arrival here he went to Minnesota and passed two years at farm work there, then moved to Wisconsin and worked as farmhand for four years in that state. In 1880 he went to Norton county, Kansas, where he passed two and a half years. Returning to Min- nesota at the end of that period he worked on a farm there for one summer, then went to Duluth, where he followed the Lake Superior fisheries for a number of years. In 1883 he made a trip to the old country, returning the next year. In 1888 he came to Edison and went to work for Nels Richard, from whom he took a contract to clear five acres of land. On the completion of this Mr. Johnson en- tered the employ, successively, of William Gilmore and Daniel Sullivan, for short terms, and in the fall of that year he bought one hundred and twenty acres of land of Will Gilkie, near Edison, which he at once commenced to clear. The whole tract is now in cultivation. Later Mr. Johnson bought forty acres of F. W. Conn and this tract also is cleared. Afterwards he acquired forty acres of Mr. Ames, and still later he bought of Mr. Watson the place on which he now lives. After clearing about eighty acres he slashed cighty more and evidently desiring a still larger field for his teeming energy he has, since coming upon this place, increased his holdings by the purchase of twenty acres that formerly be- longed to Curtis Loop. It has been only since 1903 that Mr. Johnson has maintained his home on its present sitc.

In 1903 at Whatcom Mr. Johnson married Miss Louise Ondal, daughter of Swvend and Bertha (Nelson) Ondal, who are still living in their native Norway. Mrs. Johnson, born in 1877, was educated in the schools of her native land and came to Washington in 1902. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are L11- therans and in politics he is a Republican. Mr. John- son's real estate holdings now comprise three hun- dred and eighty acres, two hundred of which are un- der cultivation, and upon which he raises hay and oats principally, but he also keeps forty head of cat- tle. He has mining interests in British Columbia in

addition to his farming. Mr. Johnson was compara- tively a poor man when he first came to Skagit county, but his ability to work, his business fore- sight and his penchant for taking advantage of every opening, have combined to put him in an ex- cellent financial position. He commands the respect of all with whom he had business dealings and is personally popular with those with whom he comes in contact. Not many of the citizens of Skagit county have accomplished so much in the work of developing its varied industries and in making of it a region of comfortable homes and splendid farms, as has Andrew S. Johnson.

RASMUS S. JOHNSON, a farmer just south of Edison, is one of the strong men of that section of the county, and has built up a highly successful farming business there. He was born in Norway early in 1851, the son of Soren Johnson, who was a Norwegian pilot and fisherman. Mrs. Annie (Larsen) Johnson, also a native of Norway, was the mother of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch is next to the youngest. Rasmus S. Johnson received the education afforded by the common schools of Norway in the middle of the last century, and when but fifteen commenced the life of a sailor. He continued to follow the sea until twenty-one years of age, then came to the United States and settled in Waseca county, Minnesota, where he was engaged in farming for two and a half years. He then returned to the old country and again entered upon the sailor's life, remaining for four years, but in 1878 he came once more to the United States. That same year he took a pre- emption claim in Norton county. Kansas, where he remained for two and a half years, going thence to Duluth, Minnesota. For the eight years ensuing he followed fishing on Lake Superior. In the fall of 1889 he came to Washington and settled on the Samish flats, where he was engaged in fishing and farming alternately until 1898. He then joined in the rush to Alaska and remained in the North min- ing for a year and a half. when he returned to Skagit county and embarked once more in the fish- ing business, which he followed until he bought his present place in the fall of 1900. It consists of one hundred and fifty-five acres of the original purchase and twenty which have been added since. His spc- cial crops are oats and hay.

In 1889 at Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Johnson mar- ried Miss Johanna Lund, daughter of John and Christina Lund. She passed away after having borne him two children, and in 1902 at Seattle he married Miss Anna Benson, daughter of Ben and Carmelena (Orneson) Benson, natives of Norway. Mrs. Johnson was born in the old country and re- ceived her education there, but later came to Wis- consin, and thence to Seattle. She and Mr. John- son have one child, Berger, born October 17, 1903.

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Mr. Johnson's children by his first wife are Ruth and Samuel, both natives of Skagit county. In pol- itics Mr. Johnson is independent. He takes a lively interest in the cause of popular education and has served as school director of his home district. He has a fine eight-room house and excellent outbuild- ings and in all respects his place is well improved, furnishing not a little satisfaction to its owner. Mr. Johnson is recognized as one of the sterling citizens of the county, a man who may be depended on to do the right thing, and to contribute his share to- ward the promotion of the common weal whenever opportunity offers.

NELS ANDERSON, farmer and stock raiser two miles and a half southeast of Edison, has dem- onstrated his capabilities by going, within compara- tively few years, from the position of farmhand to that of proprietor of a large and successful farming and stock raising business. He now is recognized as one of the wealthy men of his community. Mr. Anderson was born in Norway May 9, 1871, the second of the seven children of Anders and Hannah (Nelson) Sorneson, both of whom are still living in the old country. After attending school until he was seventeen years of age, young Anderson deter- mined to come to the United States. He stopped for a short time in Minnesota and put in eight months fishing on Lake Superior; then came to Washington and the Samish flats. Here he worked for Charles Motson and Michael Myers for nearly two years : then he went to Whatcom county, where he followed the fisherman's occupation for nine years. In 1898 Mr. Anderson bought his present place of three hundred and ninety-four acres, which was covered with heavy timber. He has now one hundred and fifteen acres of this cleared and is raising hayand oats and giving much attention to live stock

In 1899 on the Samish flats Mr. Anderson mar- ried Miss Celia Benson, daughter of Altag Benson, a native of Norway, who is now making his home with his daughter, her mother having died in the old country. Mrs. Anderson was born in Norway in 1873 and attended the schools there, coming to Washington when eighteen years of age. She and Mr. Anderson have two children: Helen, born in 1903, and Carl, in 1901. The family attends the Lutheran church, and in politics Mr. Anderson is a Republican. His farm is one of the best in this section of Skagit county and is being operated ac- cording to modern methods. While the chief agri- cultural crop consists of hay and oats, Mr. Ander- son has gone in quite heavily for raising Hereford cattle for the markets. His herd at present consists of two hundred and twelve head of that breed. Mr. Anderson is wide awake and active in watching his business interests. He has done much toward sup- plementing his early education, becoming one of

the well-informed men of the community, while his business methods are honorable and such as to win him esteem. In short, Mr. Anderson is a striking illustration of the immigrant of a score of years ago developed into an aggressive and public spirited American citizen,- a man of intelligence and integ- rity who has succeeded because of inborn strength of character and native ability to remove obstacles from his path and to choose well the road to inde- pendence.

FLETCHER W. CONN, farmer, two and a half miles south of Edison, is one of the prosperous agri- culturists of Skagit county. He was one of the early settlers and his career illustrates the possibili- ties in Skagit for a man of energy and application. Mr. Conn is a native of the province of Ontario, Canada, born February 14, 1850, the son of Wesley Conn. a Canadian carpenter, whose father was one of the pioneers of Ontario. Mrs. Hester ( Black- burn) Conn was also a native of Canada and passed all her life there. She was the mother of eleven children, of whom the subject hereof is the second. Fletcher W. Conn received his education in the On- tario schools, remaining at home until he was six- teen years old, when he went to New York state and spent a year in farm work. The ensuing twelve- month was passed in the lumber woods of Michigan, then Mr. Conn went to New York city and engaged as a sailor. He followed the sea for the next six vears, reaching San Francisco in 1822, where at a later date he bade farewell to a scafaring life. He remained in the California metropolis for some time, but in the Centennial year came thence to the Puget sound country. His first summer in this region was spent on Whidby island in the lumber trade, but in the fall he moved to the Samish flats and took up a homestead, upon which he lived for the eight years ensuing, eventually selling out to Mr. Shumaker and purchasing his present place. Mr. Conn had his first farm in a good state of cultivation. His new place was wild when he bought it and the pro- cess of clearing and putting the land into shape had to be gone through once more by him, but he bravely faced the task and now has it in excellent condition.

In the summer of 1877, at Whatcom, Mr. Conn married Miss Ida A. Gilkey, daughter of Franklin E. Gilkey, a Pennsylvania farmer who subsequently left the Keystone state, farmed in Kansas for a time, came to Washington in 1875, and now is a resident of Snohomish county. Mrs. Eliza ( Bowen) Gilkey was a native of the Keystone state and married there, but died in Skagit county in 1898. Mrs. Fletcher W. Conn is likewise a native of Pennsyl- vania, but went to Kansas in childhood and was educated there, preparing herself for the teaching profession, which she followed for a time after com- ing to Washington. She is a member of the Metho-

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dist church. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Con: Mrs. Maud Streeter of Skagit county ; George, at home; Mrs. Annie Kerr, living near her father's home: Frank, recently re- turned from a sojourn of eighteen months in the Philippines, followed by a year and a half in Ari- zona: Bert, in the Okanogan country of British Columbia ; Clifford, at home: Raymond, in the British Columbia Okanogan country : Charles, Will- iam, Ralph, Fred and Bessie. In fraternal circles Mr. Conn is an Odd Fellow and a past grand; in politics an independent, choosing candidate, not party. He served as county commissioner in 1891-2. The Con homestead now contains ninety acres of excellent land, all but fifteen of which are under cultivation. Mr. Conn has twenty head of cattle and other live stock. He is one of the prominent men of the vicinity of Edison and has made a great success on the Samish flats; is capable as a man- ager. honorable in all his dealings with others, actu- ated always by worthy motives ; and possessed of the esteem of his fellow citizens.

BERENT A. BENSON, one of the leading farmers of the Edison section of Skagit county, his place being three miles southwest of town, has made an unqualified success since coming here, through application to business and watchfulness for oppor- tunity. He was born in Norway June 12, 1860, the eldest of the six children of Aleck and Carlen ( Sor- enson ) Benson. The mother died in Norway, but the father is living with a daughter, Mrs. N. Ander- son. in Skagit county, though now seventy-five years of age. Young Benson received his educa- tion in the schools of Norway. He remained at home until twenty years of age, then came to the United States and the first five months of his stay here were spent in the employ of an uncle in Min- nesota. Two years and a half followed in the fish- eries of Lake Superior. then in 1881. Mr. Benson came to the Puget sound country. After a short stop in the Hood's canal, section he came to the Swinomish flats, where he worked on the farm of John Ball for three years, then leasing Swan John- son's farm on the Samish flats. Next he took up a place on the Olympia marsh, where he remained until 1896. The succeeding five years he passed in fishing, his ventures proving successful financially, but in 1901 he sold out his interest in the fishing business and bought his present place, at once going extensively into oat raising. For him to reap a hundred bushels to the acre of this cereal is no un- common thing.

In 1901 on the Samish flats Mr. Benson married Miss Clara Boe, daughter of Olaus and Enger (Orestad) Boe, both of whom are living in Nor- way. Mrs. Benson was born in Norway in 1881 and received her education there. She and Mr. Benson have two children, Carl, born in 1902, and

Enga, in 1904. In church membership the Bensons are Lutherans; in politics he is a Republican. He has served as road supervisor of his district and is now dike commissioner. In addition to his two hun- dred and ninety-seven acres of Skagit county land. one hundred and seventy-five of which are under cultivation, he owns one hundred and sixty acres in Oregon. In live stock he has ten head of cattle and eight horses. Mr. Benson is considered a wealthy man, his success in the industrial world be- ing due solely to his business ability in putting through his ventures both in fishing and in agricul- ture. He is personally popular and highly esteemed by those who know him, and the results he has ac- complished in the development and progress of this section of the Northwest entitle him to enrollment among the substantial, progressive men of the country.

JAMES NEELY, farmer, four miles south of Edison, is one of the respected men of his commun- ity and though not one of the large land holders is successful and prosperous in his business. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Clarion county in 1847, the son of Jacob Neely, a native of the Key- stone state and a potter by trade, who eventually settled in Illinois. When the Civil war broke out the elder Neely enlisted in the Thirty-seventh lowa volunteer infantry, known as the gray beard regi- ment, and he served until sickness overtook him. His death occurred in Alton, Illinois. Mrs. Neely, whose maiden name was Priscilla Walters, was born in Pennsylvania and died in Iowa, the mother of twelve children, of whom the subject of this review is the youngest. James Neely attended the schools of Iowa after his parents removed to that state. At sixteen years of age, his father having just died, he started to do for himself and he passed the next four years at farm work, then went to work in the coal mines at Flagler and continued there until 1886, when he came to Washington. His first em- ployment in the new state was furnished by John Polson near La Conner and later he worked for Charles Elder. In 1888 he moved to Edison, where he was engaged in the Howard saw-mill for two years, leaving to enter the McCoy logging camp, in which he remained one year then and later two and a half years. Upon leaving this camp he bought his present farm. Of the eighty acres in his original purchase he has cleared twenty and sold twenty. For the two years from 1896 to 1898 he operated a leased farm on the Olympia marsh, then he went to Sedro-Woolley, but in 1899 he moved back to his own farm.

In 1816 at Pella, Marion county. Iowa. Mr. Neely married Miss Mary E. Horn, daughter of Elas and Mary ( Blodgett ) Horn, natives of Ohio, whose lives were spent as farmers in Indiana and lowa; they passed away in the latter state. Mrs.

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Neely is the third of their ten children. She was born in Ohio in 185%, but received her education in the common schools of lowa and in Central univer- sitv. Mr. and Mrs. Neely have had two children: Edward, born in Iowa in 18:1, died in Skagit county in 1900 : and Lois, born in Skagit county in the sum- mer of 1901. In politics Mr. Neely is a Republican. He is an active member of the Methodist church at Bayview and at present one of the trustees of that organization. His home place consists of sixty acres, upon which he keeps a considerable number of live stock. He is highly respected in the com- munity, being an earnest, efficient man, active, in- dustrious and capable and a forceful factor in the promotion of every cause which appeals to him as worthy.

ANDREW J. MOORE is one of the prosperous farmers and successful business men of the district just to the south of Edison. His chief occupation is logging and in that he is accumulating money read- ily and has been doing so since he was twenty years of age. Mr. Moore was born in Ontario, Canada. in 1876, the son of Andrew D. Moore, a native of Ireland, who was brought when an infant to Can- ada, where he grew to manhood and became a farmer. He migrated to Washington in 1888, set- tled in Skagit county and is still living there near Bayview. Mrs. Isabella ( McGillivray) Moore, who was born in Scotland and brought to Canada by her parents when she was very young, is also living near Bayview. Andrew J. Moore was twelve years of age when he came to Skagit county with his par- ents, and he received the most of his education there. At twenty he commenced work in a logging camp and tliereafter he was employed in various localities until 1900, when he went into the logging business for himself on the Joe Leary slough. He continued there two years, then bought a place of three hun- dred and twenty acres, for the sake of the timber standing on it. Having moved onto this place in 1902, he has since logged off mueh of the timber and has cleared about half the land.

In 1901 at Vancouver, British Columbia, Mr. Moore married Miss Maggie Young, daughter of George Young, who was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1844, to Scotch parents, and on reaching young manhood became a mechanic. He is now living with Mrs. Moore. Her mother, Mrs. Jessie (Mc- Gillivray) Young, a native of Canada, is living at present in Montana. Mrs. Moore was born in Canada in 1877 and was educated in the schools of Manitoba. She and Mr. Moore have two children, William J., born in 1902, and John W., in 1904. In church membership Mr. Moore is a Presbyterian and in politics a Republican. While heretofore he has directed most of his attention since the purchase of his place to the timber upon it, he has cleared enough to start an excellent farm. His stock at

present consists of ten head of cattle and eight horses. Mr. Moore is a level headed business man, as is shown by his career, and is possessed of those sterling qualities which command the esteem of all classes of citizens. In the history of Skagit county his name will be associated with the development of the greatest industry of the Northwest, and with those of the men who have been most active and successful in its upbuilding.

EDWARD REED, whose farm lies two miles east and two south of Edison, is one of the young men who have made an unqualified success since coming to Skagit county. Beginning his industrial career as a boy in the logging camps, he is now operating with ability a farming venture of his own. He was born in Sweden March 5, 1872, the sixth of the twelve children of Charles Reed, a native of Sweden, who is now living in Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Frederika (Anderson) Reed, the mother, also a native of Sweden, died in her Iowa home. Young Reed obtained his education in the schools of his native land, but has added much thereto since com- ing to this county. At seventeen years of age he began working in the logging camps of Skagit county and he remained at that employment ten years. In 1901 he purehased his present place of eighty acres, which was all in timber at the time he acquired it, but he now has ten of it under eultiva- tion, and the timber has been removed from the re- mainder. He has made his home on the place since he purchased it.

In 1901 while on a trip to Iowa Mr. Reed mar- ried Miss Emma Linderson, third of the six ehildren of Otto R. and Ida ( Johnson) Linderson, natives of Sweden who came to the United States and set- tled on a farm in Iowa in 1866 and are still living there. Mrs. Reed was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1875 and was educated there, teaching sehool for several terms prior to her marriage. She and Mr. Reed have one ehild, Earl, born in Skagit county. February 27, 1902. The family are adher- ents to the Lutheran faith and in politics Mr. Reed is a Republican. He has eight head of cattle and one horse. Though one of the less extensive farm- ers of the community, Mr. Reed is just now begin- ning to get good returns from his place and the fu- ture looks bright for him, as he is a young man of thrift and character and possesses the qualifications which will enable him to win his share of the good things the rich Skagit country has in store for men of application and energy.

JOHN W. JACKSON, whose farm lies five miles southeast of Edison, is one of the early settlers in this part of Skagit county, having been identified with the Samish flats and vicinity since 1888. He was born in Harrison county, Indiana, May 15,

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BIOGRAPHICAL

1853, the son of Silas Jackson, whose people were among the carly settlers of that section of the Hoosier state. Mrs. Lewene (Horner) Jackson, a native of Indiana also, who died in 1873, was the mother of eight children, of whom John W. is the oldest. Our subject received his education in the Indiana schools. Ile remained at home until reach- ing his majority, then went to Illinois, but after spending a year at farm work there he went back to his native state. He worked in an Indiana coal mine for a time, then rented a farm and he con- tinued to till the soil of the Hoosier state until 1887. after which he spent sixteen months in Elk County, Kansas. In 1888 he came to Washington territory and located in the Samish country, and he worked as a farm hand on the river and flats until January of 1903, when he bought his present place. The entire farm is slashed and a part of it is in cultiva- tion.

In 1875 in Indiana Mr. Jackson married Miss Ellen Colegrove, daughter of James C. and Martha (Mason) Colegrove. New Yorkers who came to Indiana in their early years, but passed most of their lives in Kansas, where they are still residing. Mrs. Jackson, born in 1860, was a native of the Hoosier state and received her education there. She died in Kansas May 12, 1887, leaving four chil- dren : Mrs. Martha Moore, now in Kansas; Mrs. Maiemie Easley, now of Skagit county; Mrs. Cora Anderson, of Kansas, and Mrs. Lizzie McCoskey, also of the Sunflower state. In politics Mr. Jackson is a strong Republican and an active party worker, but for himself has sought no preferment, though he has served as dike commissioner of Samish flats district No. 5. He is a type of the men who came to Skagit county in the early days to carve for- tunes from its forests and river valleys. He pos- sesses in a marked degree those personal traits of character which lead to ultimate success in whatever field of endeavor the possessor chooses to expend the energies of his mind and body. He has won the esteem of his fellow-men by the exercise of a spirit of fairness in all his dealings, and by the application of correct principles and sound judgment in all matters pertaining to the advancement of the gen- eral interests of the community.

MICHAEL SPAULDING, whose pleasant place of eighty acres lies four miles south of Edison, is one of those carly Skagit county settlers who have seen the wilderness changed into a land of rich gar- dens, waving grain and well fed cattle. In this transformation he has done his share. He was born in Switzerland April 23, 1865, the son of John and Annie Spaulding, both citizens of the Alpine re- public who came to America while he was still an infant and found a home in Erie county, New York, not far from Buffalo. The father had been a farmer in the old country and continued to till the

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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 138

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