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 201

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 201
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 201

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BIOGRAPHICAL

brave wife to care for the little ones while he worked for the Machias Shingle Company. During the three years thus spent he encountered many re- verses that would have proved fatal to many a man's hope and courage. He first met with a severe acci- dent that nearly cost him an arm, and incapacitated him for work for some time. When at last he had resumed his position, and had a credit of one hundred and forty dollars on the com- pany's books, the firm failed, leaving him al- most destitute, and with no work in view. Thus he faced the hard times of the nineties. Cutting shingles at seventy cents a cord, wages to be taken out in trade, was the only occupation he could find for some months. Little by little he was able to make a clearing in the forest that covered his claim, his wife aiding him even in the arduous work of felling trees and cutting underbrush. When they had succeeded in clearing five acres and were able to keep a few cows, they congratulated themselves that the worst was over. Many of the settlers in that neighborhood who had expected to become rich in a brief space of time became discouraged and sold out about that time. Mr. Bengtson had no thought of leaving until on account of the small number of pupils the schools were closed. To de- prive his children of educational advantages was out of the question, hence he, too, disposed of his property, realizing two thousand five hundred dol- lars from the sale, a sum which enabled him to pur- chase the one hundred and sixty acre farm on which he now resides, and to build his neat comfortable home. Later he sold eighty acres. With the exception of a couple of acres this land was then covered with timber and brush, but he now has forty acres in cultivation, devoted principally to dairying. He has a fine herd of cattle numbering twenty-four, also several horses, and the first pony he ever owned in this state.

Mr. Bengtson was married at the age of twen- ty-five to Bengta Johns, whose parents were well known farmers in the vicinity of his boyhood home. She was born in Sweden in 1851. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bengtson, as fol- lows: Mrs. Annie Walters, of Monroe; Matilda, at home; Mrs. Sadie Tevebar, of Monroc: Aaron, at home: Hilda, Olga, Emma and Lester. The children who are not at home are all living so near that they can make frequent visits, and thus the family circle is unbroken on festive days. Mr.

Bengtson is a Republican, but has never taken an active part in political matters, though he has al- ways manifested a deep interest in educational af- fairs, and was one of the organizers of the first school at Lake Rosegar and served as director for four years. Mr. Bengtson is in the truest sense of the term, a self made man. When a mere boy scarcely more than eight years old, he began work- ing out for his board and clothes, and from that time till the present he has employed his time to

the best possible advantage, often overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

ELMER E. ODELL, a thrifty agriculturist re- siding two miles north and one east of Monroe, Washington, was born May 25, 1863, in Erie County, Pennsylvania. His parents, John and Laura . 1. (Dibble) Odell, were both natives of New York. The father died in 1864, at the age of fifty- five; the mother, in July, 1901, aged seventy-six. Elmer E. Odell acquired his educational training in the schools of his native state. He was the eighth of a family of nine children, and as means werc somewhat limited he began to support himself at the age of fourteen, working out for ten dollars a month and board. In 1891, after farming for several years in his native state, he crossed the continent to Seattle, and in a short time took up his residence in Monroe, where he opened a hotel. Eight months later he purchased a homesteader's right in King county, situated between Index and Skykomish, and he made that his home for the following seven years. Disposing of this property, he then invested in the forty-acre farm he now owns, a tract of land so densely timbered at that time that it was impossible to find room on it to turn a wagon around. Dur- ing those early years while he was clearing the land and getting it in condition to cultivate, it was often necessary for him to work away from home to pro- vide the family with food and clothing. He now has a fine piece of property, five acres under plow, and twice that number in pasture, and he intends in the near future to engage extensively in raising hogs, believing that to be an especially satisfactory branch of the livestock business.

Mr. Odell and Lucy N. Hayes were married October 27, 1885. They were playmates in child- hood, having lived on neighboring farms in Penn- sylvania, in which state she was born June 30. 1860. Her father, Henry P. Hayes, is deceased; the mother, Sally ( Brown) Hayes, is now living with her daughter, Mrs. Odell. Mr. and Mrs. Odell have seven children, Arthur A., Hazel L., John H., Law- rence A .. Floyd E., Elmer D., and Elizabeth L. Mr. Odell holds membership in the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America, and both he and his wife are Rebekahs. Although a firm believer in the doctrines of the Republican party, he has never actively participated in political affairs, and has no desire for office. An earnest, energetic man, of good habits, he is winning success in the work to which he is devoting his best energies.

GEORGE W. HAYES, a prominent pioncer of Snohomish county now residing three miles northeast of Monroe, was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1850, the son of Henry P. and Sallie P. (Brown) Hayes, both of whom

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were born among the hills of Vermont. The father now has twelve acres in cultivation, and an addi- tional two acres in orchard. He intends in the fu- ture to devote the larger share of his attention to clairying. spent his boyhood in Pennsylvania, but in later life came to Washington, and he died here August 16, 1899, aged seventy-four. The mother, now in her seventy-fifth year, is living in Monroe. George W. Mr. Hayes was married August 12, 1883, to Addie Moore, of Chautauqua county, New York, born April 4, 1868, the daughter of Nathaniel and Philinda ( Williams) Moore. The father died many years ago; the mother is now living on the old homestead in New York. Mrs. Hayes' grand- father on the maternal side owned a home in Chi- cago when it was but a trading post, composed of only a few rude dwellings. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes have one child, Leila H., born April 4, 1896. In political belief Mr. Hayes is a Republican, but while loyally upholding the party he has never taken an active part in its campaigns. He is inter- ested in educational matters, and is one of the school directors, while in religious persuasion, he and his family are Methodists. Mr. Hayes is a man of remarkable energy and perseverance, and these virtues, combined with an upright character, have won for him the respect of all who are acquainted with him. He is rich in pioneer recollections, and to hear him recount his experiences is to have a greater reverence for those brave men and women who left home and friends to settle in this vast wilderness. One amusing story which he tells is as follows: Having loaded a mowing machine in a wagon he started for the mainland, and had only reached the middle of the stream when a tug broke, frightening the horses, and causing them to break away. Thus he was left to his meditations, which possibly were not as pleasant as they might have been. Fortunately his wife, who possessed the true pioneer courage. succeeded in rowing a canoe out to the scene of the disaster, but the swift current ran the canoe into the wagon and filled it with water. Just how she got into the wagon and thus escaped drowning neither she nor her husband ever knew. The wagon and machine were eventu- ally towed to land by stretching a cable from the shore. and hitching horses to it. Hayes secured his education in the schools of Watts- burg, Pennsylvania, and at a very early age, al- though handicapped by a severe injury, started out for himself. After farming for a time in his native state, he went to Michigan in 1820, and he spent the ensuing four years in the pineries of the state. He then found employment on the railroad at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he remained for a year. Returning to his old home for a brief visit, he next took a trip to Illinois, going down as far as Cin- cinnati, Ohio, in a skiff. From there he went to East Saint Louis, where his home was for a few months, but for some time he had been thinking of locating in the Northwest, and in 1887 he started for Washington. He reached the present site of Monroe October 23d, of that year, and took up a thirty-three aere island near there in the Skykomish river. He came expecting to live only a short time as the physicians of the East held out no hopes of his recovery from the severe bronchial trouble which had been steadily undermining his health for years, but the change proved so beneficial that the disease wholly disappeared in the succeeding months, and has never returned. Mr. Hayes was a passenger on the first emigrant train ever put on the North- ern Pacific railroad. His supplies were purchased in Snohomish, and brought by canoe to his claim. In settling on the island the possibility of having his home swept away by floods had been over- looked by him, and, indeed, all went well for the first five years, but then, very unexpectedly, the water began to rise at the alarming rate of a foot per hour. Prompt action was necessary if any- thing was to be saved, so with the assistance of his wife he loaded his five hogs, which he could ill af- ford to lose, into a canoe, and brought them to the barn where he transferred them to an empty wagon. Here the family were also obliged to seek refuge when the water that covered every foot of their land, drove them from the house. The fences that had been built at such a cost of both time and labor HENRY D. WALTERS. Among the thrifty and industrious farmers residing in the vicinity of Monroe, Washington, is found the one whose name forms the caption of this biography. He was born in 1840, in Hanover, Germany, the son of Daniel and Hannah ( Rodewalt) Walters. Immigrating to the United States with his parents when only nine years old, he grew to manhood in Pope county. Illinois. In the full flush of youth he answered the call of his adopted country when the Civil War broke out, enlisting in Company A., Fifty-Sixth Illinois Infantry, and during four years of active service he was found in the thickest of the fight. having participated in the battles of Corinth, Vicks- were all swept away, and much other damage was done. This occurred in November, 1892, and fol- lowing as it did the fires of the preceding June that had occasioned them heavy losses, it somewhat dis- couraged Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, who decided to go East, but a longing for their little home on the isl- and soon seized them and at the end of seven months they returned. They resided there until 1904, when they traded it for the forty-acre farm known as the "Hillery" property. located in a beau- tiful, secluded valley. In recent years the buildings and the farm itself had been neglected to sich an extent that Mr. Hayes has been kept constantly busy in putting them into good condition again. He ; burg, Champion Hill, Lookont Mountain, and a

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score of others less familiar to the student of his- tory. A special Providence seemed to protect him, for although his clothes were often pierced by bul- lets from the ranks of the enemy he never sustained the slightest injury, and was never captured. He was mustered out at Springfield, Illinois, August 18, 1865, and at once engaged in farming. Several years later he went to Kansas, and after spending a winter there came to Washington in 1887. His residence in Snohomish county dates from the fall of that year when he came by team from Seattle. The following year he took up 160 acres where he now lives. Here in the dense forest he built a rude cabin for his family, and he and his eldest son worked in the various lumber camps to procure the necessary means for purchasing supplies. Snoho- mish was the nearest town, and the roads to it were at times almost impassable. Nearly four years elapsed before school advantages were secured for this locality. In later years Mr. Walters sold a part of his farm, retaining, however, forty acres. most of which is now in good cultivation. Dairy- ing claims a large share of his attention. He has a fine herd of Jersey cattle, and understands how to make them yield the largest returns. He also is very successful in raising poultry and vegetables.

Mr. Walters was married in December, 1865. to Katherine Platter, who died in 1875, leaving motherless a family of four children. In 1876 he and Christina Barkmann, a native of Ludbergen. Germany, born October 31, 1842, were united in marriage. Mrs. Walters found a home in Ohio in 1860, and later, in 1869, became a resident of Illi- nois. Mr. Walters has seven children, as follows: Millie; George and Mrs. Annie Pearsall, married and living in Monroe, Washington; Fred, of Col- ville, Washington ; Julius, of Monroe; Mrs. Carrie Houston, Leavenworth, Washington ; Mrs. Lillian Holly, of Tacoma. Mr. Walters is an honored inember of the Grand Army, and in political belief he adheres to the doctrines of the Republican party. Uulike many men who allow themselves to become absorbed in business affairs to the exclusion of all else, Mr. Walters, although a keen, practical man of affairs, is an carnest Christian worker in the Christian Apostolie Union. His life and character are such as to merit the confidence of his fellow men.

FRED E. FERGUSON. Few residents of Snohomish county have achieved a more enviable success in life than has he whose name forms the caption of this biography. He was born in Waupa- ca. Waupaca county, Wisconsin, September 12, 1858. His father, John R. Ferguson, of Scotch descent, was born in Pennsylvania, and after se- curing his education took up farming in his native state. In the carly fifties he migrated to Wisconsin with his family, making that his home until 1861,

when he returned to Erie county, Pennsylvania, his home at the present time. The mother, Alvira (Gleason) Ferguson, a native of Vermont, traced her ancestry back to the Emerald Isle. She died in 1880, leaving behind her the memory of a long useful life, spent in the service of others. His an- cestors on both sides of the family being of dis- tinguished colonial stock, Fred E. Ferguson natur- ally inherited a full share of the energy and dauntless courage that enables his forefathers to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties in making a home on the wild, desolate coast of the Atlantic. He acquired his rudimentary education in the common schools of his native state. Leaving home at the age of seventeen he took up railroading in the oil regions of Pennsylvania for two years. then he decided to go to Leadville, Colorado, and engage in mining. Four years later, having fol- lowed his guiding star to Seattle, Washington, he completed his scholastic training by a thorough course in a business college there, that he might be well equipped for a business career. He then ac- cepted a position in a grocery store, and for the next two years he worked along this line, but de- cided at the end of that time to seek another open- ing. Desiring to resume his former occupation (mining) he went to Juneau, Alaska, in 1885. Hav- ing spent the ensuing six years in the famous Treadwell mines, he then returned to Seattle and purchased the Merchants' Hotel, which he con- ducted until 1900, during that time establishing a splendid reputation for careful attention to the re- quirements of the traveling public. He disposed of his holdings in the year mentioned, and coming to the beautiful valley of Tualco, became owner of his fine estate comprising three hundred and sixty acres of fertile river bottom land situated three and one-half miles south of Monroe, Washington. Of this estate one hundred and eighty acres are in a fine state of cultivation, and are devoted to diversified farming, which Mr. Ferguson considers the most remunerative for the average agricultur- ist. The neat, comfortable home surrounded by tasteful grounds bespeaks the owner's thoughtful consideration for the comfort and happiness of the family, and the taste of both husband and wife. In addition to his splendid ranch Mr. Ferguson also owns the Ferguson Block in Monroe.

Mr. Ferguson and Mrs. Eleanor Fitzmaurice were married in Seattle, March 13. 1901, Reverend Jolin Damon performing the ceremony. Mrs. Fer- guson spent her childhood in Ireland, her native land, coming to the United States when a girl of fifteen. She soon married her first husband, Mr. Fitzmaurice, and settled in the Tualco valley in 18:4, becoming the mother of a family of bright. happy children as the years slipped away. In that wild. lonely country, miles from the nearest set- tler. the brave girl-wife encountered hardships and trials sufficient to tax the endurance of the stoutest

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heart, but throughout all those years no word of complaint ever fell from her lips. When in the course of time other settlers came to this locality, her little log house overlooking the Tualco valley came to be known as "Blarney Castle," and was the center of the social life of that primitive period. All the diversified amusements and entertainments of village life, socials, literary societies, debating contests and spelling schools took place under its hospitable roof, the graceful, charming young hostess being the leading spirit of all these gather- ings. Mrs. Ferguson has thus an extensive ac- quaintance throughout this locality, and is esteemed and loved by all. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson have one adopted child, Doris Vivian. In the Knights of Pythias fraternity Mr. Ferguson is a prominent member, being identified with the Queen City lodge, Number 10, of Seattle. He is also affiliated with the Elks of Everett. Politically, he adheres to the doctrines of the Republican party, and is always willing to advance the cause in every possible way. Climbing the ladder of success step by step from the lowest round he has reached his present posi- tion by his own untiring efforts. His splendid busi- ness ability combined with his upright character renders him one of the most prominent and influ- ential men in the county.

H. M. MEREDITH. Among the foremost citi- zens of Sultan, Washington, is numbered the one whose name gives caption to this biography, H. Meredith, the popular mayor of the town. Like his parents, Bradford and Raechel ( Meredith) Mere- dith, who are now deceased, he was born in Kentucky, the date of his birth being July 9, 1840. His grandfather, William Meredith, is known to have been one of the earliest settlers in that state. H. Meredith is the oldest of a family of seven children, four of whom grew to maturity. He re- ceived his education in the common schools of his native town, Litchfield, and when a mere lad of thirteen began to support himself, remaining at home, however, till he was thirteen. Responding to his country's call for volunteers at the breaking oui of the Civil War, he enlisted in Company I .. Third Kentucky Cavalry, under Captain Mercer. serving as sergeant for several months. A year later he raised a cavalry troup, Company G., thir- ty-five Kentucky mounted infantry, of which he was captain until he was mustered out in January. 1864. He was actively engaged in the battle of Murfreesboro, and also in many engagements of minor importance. Previous to this time he had been stationed at Fort Donelson. He was with the command that succeeded in forcing General Bragg back into Kentucky, and thus relieved the situation for the Union forces. Although only twenty years old at the time of liis enlistment, Mr. Meredith soon distinguished himself as a brave soldier and

a skilful leader of men, retiring from service with a record of which he might well be proud. Two months after the war closed he went to Bozeman, Montana, and later spent several years mining and prospecting in the vicinity of Helena. Failing to meet with success there, he participated in the White Pine excitement of '6%, with similar dis- couraging results. He then started on a prospect- ing trip that lasted several months, during which he visited Los Angeles County, California, and finally drifted to the Ralston mines in New Mexico. only to find that they, too, held out promises that were never realized. A like experience awaited him in Silver City, New Mexico, whither he soon went. These years of fruitless search for gold, thoughi seemingly wasted, afforded Mr. Meredith an excellent opportunity of becoming familiar with the various rock formations. This knowledge that he had rapidly acquired led him later to take up a claim in Georgetown, New Mexico, which had been pronounced worthless by other prospectors. Lack- ing the necessary funds for sinking a shaft, he suc- ceeded in interesting a man in the project, and a partnership was formed. A ninety foot shaft and a sixteen foot crosscut tunnel brought them to ore running 3,600 ounces to the ton, the best of which netted $100 per sack. A stamp mill was soon in- stalled, and within two years Mr. Meredith sold out his interest for $160,000 in cash. Deciding to abandon mining and invest his fortune in other ways, he returned to Silver City and opened the Silver City National bank and also engaged in mer- cantile business. For five years, from 1883 to 1887, lie did a general banking business there and also in Georgetown. At the end of that time he closed the doors of his banks, realizing that he must again start at the foot of the ladder. Undismayed by this disaster which would have proved the ruin of many a man, he borrowed $200 of a friend and started for Washington, fully determined to retrieve his fortune. He carried with him a ten dollar bill bearing his signature as president of the bank, as a souvenir. Coming to Snohomish county he man- fully faced the new conditions that he met, and was soon employed by a Boston company as repor- ter on the iron and coal deposits at Hamilton. His next location was Seattle, and having realized on an insurance policy that he carried he was able to start a brickyard. The destructive fire of '89 that swept over the city bringing ruin to so many, proved a blessing to him, as it created an increased demand for his material. His residence in Sultan dates from February, 1890, when, having sold his brickyard in Seattle, he moved here, and began prospecting. He and his father-in-law, D. Bunn, built the river boat. "Minnie M .. " operating it until the railroad was built in 1892. Mr. Meredith was also interested in the mercantile house of T. W. Cobb & Company, which failed soon after, leaving him practically penniless. Meeting this reverse

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with characteristic fortitude and courage, he at once took up real estate business, and in 1893 re- ceived the appointment of United States Circuit Court Commissioner, and postmaster at Sultan. Unable to purchase the postoffice fixtures valued at sixty dollars, he gave his note for the amount. and borrowed forty dollars to buy a small stock of cigars and tobacco to sell in the office. The en- suing years were full of toil, and often the carly morning hours found him still at his desk employed either at his work as commissioner, notary public or postmaster. Year by year his business increased. until when he sold out in the summer of 1905, he could congratulate himself that he was once more free from financial anxiety.

Mr. Meredith was one of the organizers as well as the first Secretary and Treasurer of the Com- mercial Trout Company, Incorporated, one mile north of town. a home industry.

Mr. Meredith was married in December, 1880. to Minnie Ml. Bunn, a native of Colorado. Her father, who died in Sultan in 1903. was an honored pioneer both of Colorado and New Mexico. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith have two children, Mrs. Jose- phine Fowler and Mrs. Luella Mayhall, both resi- dents of Sultan. Mr. Meredith is a prominent mem- ber of the Fort Craig Post of the Grand Army at Silver City, New Mexico. He is also a Thirty- Second Degree Mason. hokling his membership in the lodge of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In political belief. he has always heartily endorsed Democratic principles, and has taken an active interest in county, state and national affairs. While residing in New Mexico he was one of the committee op- posing the division of Grant county, and he still recalls with pleasure the fact that his party won on the issue. That he was unanimously elected Sul- tan's first mayor in June, 1905. is of itself abundant proof of the unique position he holds in the hearts of his fellow citizens. Hle was one of the most en- thusiastic members of the Snohomish county ex- ecutive committee for the Lewis and Clark Exposi- tion, rendering valuable assistance in planning to have the county fittingly represented. Possessed of sterling qualities of mind and heart, the vicissi- tudes incident to the life of Mr. Meredith have but contributed to his strength of character, and made him worthy of the honor so freely accorded him. by his fellow citizens of his town and county.

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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 201

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