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 156

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 156
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 156

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Selma, all of whom are still with their parents. In politics Mr. Hawkinson is a Republican, though his chief interest in public affairs is along the line of improving educational standards, a cause in which he takes a deep interest. In fraternal circles he is a member of the Foresters of America and of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Mr. Hawkinson still retains title to his original homestead, which, to- gether with his city residence, constitutes a valtı- able property. He is one of the respected business men of Snohomish, a man of the highest character and of public spirit.

CHARLES F. MOEHIRING, shoe dealer of Snohomish, is one of the pioneer shoe men of the county, having been connected with this line of mercantile business since coming here in 1888. Mr. Moehring was one of the proprietors of the first exclusive shoe house in this city, which was also the first one in the entire county. Mr. Moehring was born in Pekin, Illinois, September 11, 1859, the youngest of three children of Frederick C. and Helena ( llelwigs) Moehring, natives of Germany who came to the United States in 1858. The elder Moehring died when the subject of this biography was only six weeks old. The son was reared by the mother, who was remarried to H. O. Otten, by whom she had three children. She died in Illinois in 1900. Charles F. Moehring received his educa- tion in Illinois, having the advantage of a private school. At fourteen he was learning the trade of shoemaker and for several years alternated between using the last and clerking in stores. When he became of age he had completed his education as a craftsman and at once opened a shoe shop on his own account in Pekin, 111. He managed this busi- ness for three years, selling out and becoming shoe salesman in a large establishment. In 1888 he came to Washington and at Snohomish in company with a step brother opened the first exclusive shoe house in the city and county, under the name of Otten & Moehiring. This business was continued until 1893, when Mr. Otten withdrew and left the trade in Mr. Moehring's hands. In 1896 he established a branch store in Everett, but after six months of experiment removed the stock to his Snohomish store.

In 1882 at Pekin, Illinois, Mr. Moehring mar- ried Miss Clara Fauth, daughter of John and Eliza- beth ( Morgenstern) Fauth. Mr. Fauth was a Pennsylvanian by birth and a descendant of the old Dutch stock for which that state is noted. He was a blacksmith and miner, dying in 1888. Mrs. Fauth was born in Germany, coming to the United States when a young lady. Mrs. Moehring was born in Pennsylvania Jan. 30, 1861. When she was four years old her parents moved to Illinois and located in Pekin, Ill., where she received her education. To Mr. and Mrs. Moehring have been born nine children: Henry F., who is head clerk in his father's store : Frederick C., bookkeeper in the P., Julia II .. Luther H., Albert T., Ellis H., and Esther E. In politics Mr. Moehring is a Democrat, but not an office seeker. He is a member of the Lutheran church. In addition to his shoe store Mr. Moehring has property interests in both Snohomish and Everett. He is a man of sterling character, of business ability of a high order and of citizenship of the best kind. He is highly respected both as a merchant and as a man.

CHARLES H. BAKEMAN, furniture dealer and undertaker of Snohomish, is one of the thor-

851

BIOGRAPHICAL

ough business men of the city and one of her lead- ing citizens. Mr. Bakeman has been intimately connected with the business and public affairs of the city since he came here in 1883. Mr. Bakeman was born in Marinette county, Wisconsin, in Octo- ber of 1861, the son of John and Louise ( Bartells) Bakeman, natives of Germany who came to the United States when young and settled in the Badger state. Mr. and Mrs. Bakeman came to Washington in 1884 and are living on a farm about a mile cast of Snohomish. Charles H. Bakeman received his formal education in Wisconsin and after leaving school learned the trade of carriage maker, serving a three years apprenticeship at Green Bay. He then spent some time in the woods of northern Wis- consin and for two years worked at his trade. In 1883 he came to Washington and settled in Snohom- ish. His first engagement was teaching school, after which he was employed in a general merchandise store. In 1885 he opened a furniture store, and later added an undertaking department. He also worked some at his trade, turning out the first buggy made in Snohomish county, a vehicle which is still in use. In 1893 Mr. Bakeman's establish- ment was destroyed by fire. He reopened business on a smaller scale and sold out two years later to James Hall, and left the undertaking work in the hands of a brother while he went into the Monte Cristo mining district. For two years he worked the O. & B. mine and took out considerable valuc. The flood of 1897 tore away the railroad and dam- aged the mine workings to a large extent, so that Mr. Bakeman retired once more to Snohomish and assumed charge of the undertaking business, his brother going to Alaska.

In 1890 at Snohomish Mr. Bakeman married Miss Nine Bakeman, daughter of George and Fran- cis (Eddy) Bakeman, natives of Maine and now residents of Snohomish where Mr. Bakeman is a contractor. Mrs. Bakeman was born in Bangor and received her education in that city and in the high school at Oakland, California. She taught school in California and at Snohomish prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Bakeman have been born four children: Inez. Guy, Francis L. and Charles T. In politics Mr. Bakeman is a Republican. He has been coroner for a number of terms, city treasurer for one term and for twelve years a member of the city council. He has also served as a member of the school board. In fraternal circles Mr. Bake- | man is an Odd Fellow and a past grand of that order, a member of the Knights of Pythias. of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of the Red Men and of the Eagles. In addition to his business in Snohomish Mr. Bakeman owns 200 acres of timber land and is also engaged in breeding fine horses. He is considered one of the representative business men of Snohomish and a man of sterling character.

ELHANAN BLACKMAN .- There is no one familiar with the history of Snohomish county but recognizes the immense debt of gratitude that is chute the Blackman Brothers for their contributions to the art of logging or will deny that to them is due a large share of the credit for the fact that the Sound country (as is asserted by United States government publications) leads the world in the perfection to which that art has been brought. Mechanics by nature and training, they have in- vented more improved ways of doing things in the woods and studied out more appliances than any other firm in the entire state, and it can hardly be doubted that the introduction of their logging car in the eighties paved the way for the development of logging railroads. To them also belongs the honor of having first introduced Snohomish red cedar shingles into the markets of the East, thereby laying the foundation for the splendid industry which has sprung up since, bringing great wealth to the entire Sound country. Their own milling operations, carried on in spite of adversity, for they have suffered overwhelming losses by fire, have contributed very materially from an early date to the prosperity and progress of Snohomish county. The courage, devotion and business ability displayed by this firm has merited a better reward than has been meted out to them from the hand of fate, but they can enjoy the consciousness of having accom- plished a good work in their line of endeavor and won the admiration and respect of those with whom they have been associated, even though the mone- tary reward for such work may have in large meas- ure escaped them.

Elhanan Blackman is a native of Bradley, Maine, born in 1844, the fourth of the six children of Adam and Mary (Howard) Blackman, both of whom were born in the Pine Tree state. The par- ents both passed most of their lives in the common- wealth of their nativity, deriving a livelihood from agriculture and the lumbering industry, but a few years before their demise came to Snohomish, the scene of their worthy sons' operations. Elhanan received the customary common school discipline, then worked on the parental farm until 1865, when he and his brothers A. A. and Hyrcanus embarked in a general lumber manufacturing business at Bradley. After seven years of successful endeavor, they started for Washington, leaving the morning of Grant's second election. Our subject's first work in the new state was in a Port Gamble saw-mill. but he soon came to Lowell, where he was engaged in logging and working in the woods for a twelve- month. In the spring of 1875 he came to Snoho- mish and with his brothers opened a logging camp on the lake which bears their name. For nine years their operations were confined chiefly to that lake, though in 1882 they commenced operations at Mukilteo, where they had a partner named W. W.

852

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

Howard, and they were at work there also for four years. Other camps operated by the brothers were those at Cathcart, where they were engaged for three years; at Marysville, where they spent four years, selling out in 1892 their outfit and a large body of timber ; and at Pilchuck, the last mentioned camp being operated at least part of the time con- comitantly with that at Marysville. In 1892 the brothers incorporated under the laws of the state.

The Blackmans built their first mill in Snohomish in 1884, including shingle, sash and door factory, and continued to operate it until 1889, when it burned down, entailing a loss of $150,000. Nothing daunted they soon after erected another mill the same as before. It fed the flames two and a half years later. the loss this time being $100.000. At Granite Falls in 1892 they built a saw and shingle mill which, three years later, met the fate of its predecessors, and the Blackmans had the mortifica- tion of seeing $20,000 more go up in smoke. With a courage that was truly remarkable they built a fourth mill in 1892. a large saw and shingle plant at Everett, and this time the fates were kinder for they were permitted to operate the mill in peace for four years, and though it finally burned it did not do so until it had passed into the hands of Wheeler & Osgood, of Tacoma, so the loss fell upon others.

The Blackman Brothers have also branched out into other lines. In 1881 they opened a general store in Snohomish which was placed under the supervision of HI. Blackman: in 1891 they pur- chased as a speculation thirty acres of land under ditch at Wenatchee, to which six acres have since been added ; this land they held without ever going to see it or ever having seen it in the first place until 1901, when they recognized its value as fruit land and converted it into an orchard. It is now in charge of a manager and one of the owners makes a visit to it spring and fall to look after it. The brothers are also interested in the Bonito Min- ing Company at Slate creek, Whatcom county, owners of a free gold proposition to which they are giving much attention. The company has twenty- three claims, developed by 1,550 feet of working tunnels besides the underground working tunnels, and supplied with a ten-stamp mill. To date the mine has produced over $100,000. Since 1903 Mr. Blackman has prospected considerably in the Cas- cades, one result of his explorations being the loca- tion in the Sultan basin, of the Shamrock and its extensions, in which the three brothers and William Brown of Snohomish are all interested and which they all consider a very valuable property The brothers also own considerable realty in Everett. They have achieved a success in the industrial world such as comparatively few men have the ability to win, starting with nothing, and fighting their way step by step, conquering in spite of losses which would utterly crush men of ordinary pluck, so con-

ducting their enterprises at all times as to retain the highest respect and good will of those with whom they have been associated and to confer the greatest possible benefit upon the community and county. None has a more exalted place than they in the esteem of the people of Snohomish and ad- joining counties.

In 1868 Mr. Blackman married Miss Frances Osgood, oldest of the six children of Joseph and Mary ( Archey) Osgood, natives of Maine and Missouri respectively. Mrs. Blackman was born in Buffalo. New York, while her parents were en route from Missouri to Maine, and she acquired her education and spent her life until her mar- riage in the last mentioned state. She and Mr. Blackman are parents of one daughter, Mrs. Edith Morris, wife of the cashier of the Oregon Savings Bank of Portland. In fraternal affiliations, Mrs. Blackman is identified with the Order of the East- ern Star, while Mr. Blackman is a Mason : in poli- tics he is a Democrat, in religious belief a Christian Scientist.

HIYRCANUS BLACKMAN is a member of the celebrated firm of Blackman Brothers, which has been so frequently referred to in these pages and whose extensive and praiseworthy operations have been briefly narrated in the article under the head of Elhanan Blackman. It is fitting, however, that brief mention be made of Hyrcanus Blackman per- sonally. He was born in Bradley. Maine, Janu- ary 4, 1841, and was educated in the public schools of that state and in Westbrook Seminary, also took a full course in and received a diploma from the Charles F. Wells Business College, at New Haven, Connecticut. His first occupation was teaching but after spending a term as head of the school room he concluded that practical pedagogy was not the pro- fession for him. No doubt the larger opportunities and greater possibilities of a business career at- tracted him and the promptings of a restless ambi- tion made the limitations of the school room irk- some ; at any rate he soon joined his brothers in the lumber manufacturing business and he has been associated with them continuously since except for a brief period after first coming to Snohomish county when he worked for E. D. Smith at Lowell.

Our subject has, perhaps, given more attention to politics than either of his brothers, discharging with credit to himself the duties of several respon- sible offices. When the city of Snohomish was in- corporated he was the choice of the people for their first mayor. He was a member of the territorial legislature in 1878 and had the honor to serve as delegate to the Democratic National Convention which nominated Parker for the presidency.

In May. 1869, Mr. Blackman married Ella E., daughter of Cyrus and Phoebe A. (Foss) Knapp. Her parents spent most of their lives in Maine but

853

BIOGRAPHICAL

they went to California in 1854 and spent the en- suing six years in the Golden state; both are now deccased. Mr. and Mrs. Blackman have two chil- dren, Clifford A., born October 19, 1884, now a student in Puget Sound Academy, and Eunice L., born May 12, 1882. In fraternal affiliations Mr. Blackman is a Mason, having joined Centennial Lodge No. 25, of Snohomish, as a charter member, and he is also a charter member of the Knights of Pythias.

ALANSON A. BLACKMAN, of the firm of Blackman Brothers, Inc., has been associated with his brothers, Elhanan and Hyrcanus, throughout practically the whole of his business career, and the doings and fortunes of that well known firm have received extended attention elsewhere. Mr. Black- man was born in Bradley, Maine, May 26, 1840. He received the advantages of a common school and academy training, then started in the lumber busi- ness, a line which has demanded a large share of his time and energies ever since. He is the patentee of the Blackman logging truck, heretofore referred to, and he and his brother. Elhanan, are the in- ventors of the Mitchell Clipper Shingle Machine. Although an enthusiastic Democrat, Mr. Blackman has never accepted office, preferring to give his whole mind to his busines and to inventing better methods and appliances for carrying it on success- fully. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, his name being on the charter of Centennial Lodge No. 25. In November, 1866, he married Miss Eliza J., daughter of Willard and Triphena Howard, well known residents of the Pine Tree state.

GEORGE W. KIRK, scenic and portrait pho- tographer of Snohomish, is one of the well known citizens of that city and a man who probably knows as much about the landscapes of Snohomish county as any other one individual within its borders. Mr. Kirk was born at Port Deposit, Maryland, ir: Sep- tember of 1848 of Scotch-English and Welsh-Eng- lish parentage. His father, William Kirk, was the son of Elisha Kirk, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and a lincal descendant of Roger Kirk, well known in the colonial days of Maryland. Mrs. Jane (Williams) Kirk was also a native of Cecil county, Maryland. George W. Kirk grew up on his father's farm, and attended the common schools until fitted to enter the West Nottingham academy. Upon leaving that institution he came west as far as Iowa, where, at Pulaski, Davis county, he en- gaged in mercantile business for four years, return- ing to Maryland to care for his father in his old age. While here his attention was drawn to pho- tography and he commenced to learn the art, com- pleting his preparation with William Chase, a noted scenic photographic artist of Baltimore. Mr. Kirk then went to Huntington, West Virginia, where he

followed his calling for thirteen years. In 1888 he came to Chehalis, Lewis county, Washington, and engaged in growing fruit. He later removed to Puyallup and for two years engaged with un- usual success in producing small fruits. In 1891 from one and a half acres, Mr. Kirk marketed 8,321 pounds of raspberries, receiving $840 there- for, while disposing of $200 worth of plants grown that year on the same tract. Mr. Kirk had still held his farm at Chehalis and in the fall of 1891 returned to that place. Five years later he re- sumed, to some extent, the photographic profession, and in 1898 came to Everett and purchased a gal- lery. This he continued to manage for four years, closing out to come to Snohomish.

February 6, 1876, in Chester county, Pennsyl- vania, Mr. Kirk married Miss Eliza J. Pennypacker, first cousin of Governor Samuel Pennypacker and daughter of Washington and Eliza (Wright) Pen- nypacker, both of whom came of the old Holland stock for which Pennsylvania is noted. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirk three children have been born: Thomas Leston, Sherman E., who is employed at Williams' saw-mill near Monroe, and a daughter who died in infancy. In politics Mr. Kirk is a Republican and active in the caucuses, conventions and councils of his party. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His church affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal society and have been for thirty-three years, in which or- ganization he is holding official position. Since coming to Snohomish, Mr. Kirk has engaged also in fruit growing to a degree, he having a predilec- tion toward fruit culture just as much as he has for nature and the camera. Mr. Kirk is highly esteemed, is prosperous in business and a man of influence in his home town and surrounding com- munity. On October 9, 1905, Mr. Kirk took up a homestead near Darrington, to which he will soon remove, his health having been impaired by a para- lytic stroke some years ago, which has recently been causing him trouble again. The Snohomish business will be continued by the son Thomas Les- ton, who is also a photographer of ability.

LOT WILBUR .- In a work of this character special attention is always paid to the pioneer, the man who came to the country while it was yet in its wilderness state, had the perception to appre- ciate its undeveloped resources and the persistency to "stay with it" until he had demonstrated its worth to the world in general and, with the help of later comers, forever won it from the domain of savagery to that of civilization and liberal en- lightenment. But among pioneer peoples as else- where there are always men who are distinguished above their fellows on account of the special abund- ance of their contributions to progress, the large- ness of the mold in which they are cast, the magni-

854

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

tude of their success. Entitled to not a little of this special distinction even among a distinguished and honored class is Lot Wilbur, the pioneer drug- gist of Snohomish county, the victor in a long, hard battle with opposing forces in the industrial and commercial world. Fortune seems to have frowned upon him in carly life but the buffeting of adver- sity only strengthened him for the struggle and he has won where the less resolute would have gone down to defeat.

Mr. Wilbur was born in Lapeer County, Michi- gan, August 29, 1846, the fourth of the six children of Marvin W. and Jane (Gregory) Wilbur, both of whom were natives of New York state, but passed the greater portion of their lives in Michi- gan. The father settled in the latter common- wealth when nineteen years old, took up the pur- suit of the lumber business and followed that and farming for years. He and his worthy helpmeet have both passed away. Mr. Wilbur. of this article, acquired a common school education, though he had to work hard all the time he was getting it, and was in the midst of a high school course when adverse circumstances called a peremptory halt and forced him prematurely into the industrial whirl. His first employment was on a farm, his wages nine dollars a month. After having worked long enough to earn the munificent sum of forty-five dollars, he became an employe in his father's lum- ber camp and he was thus engaged for the ensuing six years or until his legal majority was reached, whereupon he went to Minnesota. His ambition for professional life had never left him and he re- solved that if he must give himself to business he would at least devote a portion of his time to study. so he bought a drug store at Mantorville, and be- gan, in his own establishment, an effort to master the theory and practice of pharmacy. For nine years he conducted this business successfully, then he disposed of his interests and headed for the far West. His first home in Washington was Olympia, where, for a few months, he was engaged in log- ging operations on his own account ; then he worked a month in a drug store in Seattle, then, in Decem- ber, 1875, he came to Snohomish and opened the pioneer drug store of the county and the only one within its bounds until Andrew B. Klaeboe estab- lished one at Stanwood in 1888. Snohomish City has been Mr. Wilbur's place of residence continu- ously since his first arrival thirty years ago, but he is widely known throughout the sound country and wherever his celebrated Puget Sound remedies have been advertised. He has spent much study and effort in perfecting these, many thousands of dol- lars in introducing them to the public, and he has reason to believe that in so doing he has conferred a real blessing upon suffering humanity.

In 1868 in Calhoun County, Michigan, Mr. Wil- bur married Miss Jennie Moore, whose parents, John and Betsy (Grenell) Moore, were natives of

New York state but became pioneers of Michigan. Mrs. Wilbur was born and reared in the last men- tioned state, the date of her birth being 1846.

Mr. Wilbur is a member of the A. O. U. W. and the I. O. O. F. fraternities, and in politics a Repub- lican. While giving close attention to business, as every man must who makes a success of it, he has not neglected the social or intellectual sides of life, nor has he been derelict to his duties as a citizen. On the contrary he has been in some measure a leader in political matters, serving with efficiency as county treasurer for two terms and as probate judge for one, while the municipal government of Snohomish had the benefit of his ripe experience and sound judgment during the earliest years of its corporate existence.

THOMAS PHILIPSEN, expert in dairy pro- ducts and at present the sole proprietor of the Sno- homish creamery, is one of the men who was quick to see the advantages of a specialty which had as its basis one of the staples of the small farmer and small dairy farmer. After three years of experi- ence in farming in the vicinity of Snohomish he concluded that a depot for dairy products would be a paying investment, and on putting his theory to the test found that he was not wrong in his esti- mate of the possibilities. Mr. Philipsen was born in southern Denmark, near the line of Schleswig- Holstein, April 6, 1871, the son of Jerry and Cecelia (Smith) Philipsen. The father was a musician and dancing master of wide repute in Denmark and was in a position to give his son an education of more than usual advantages afforded the young of Jutland. A part of young Philipsen's formal edu- cation was obtained in Germany, where he took a business college course and qualified himself for details of a commercial life. He also became thor- oughly familiar with dairying, as that branch of farm industry is carried on in the old country. Un- til 1898, Mr. Philipsen was connected with com- mercial farming and with dairying in the old coun- try. but in the year mentioned he came to the United States in quest of openings for an expert dairyman. He first settled in Elwood, Clinton County, Iowa, and worked on a dairy farm. Soon after he became known and his qualities became recognized, he was engaged as manager of the Farmers' Union Creamery Company at Maquoketa, the county seat of Jackson county. After a success- ful career in this capacity, Mr. Philipsen came to Washington and for a year worked in connection with the Monroe Creamery Company at Monroe, Snohomish county. One year later he had leased a farm and was operating a dairy establishment on his own account. A short experience as a pro- ducer indicated to him that there was lack of facil- ity for the profitable disposition of the produce of the average farmer of the vicinity engaged in dairy-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 156

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