USA > Washington > Spokane County > An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington > Part 81
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souri, October 20, 1872, to Annie, daughter of William and Drusilla Ellis, who has shared all the experiences and hardships of his pioneer days in this state. They have two children, Wilbur and Bertha.
PETER DESGRANGES, a pioneer of 1880, was born in Germany September 24. 1826. He was reared and educated in his na- tive land and followed mining there until 1853. when he emigrated to the United States. He settled in New York and was engaged as a farmer in that state for the ensuing twelve years, then, in 1865, went to Iowa, where for fifteen years he followed his former occupation, farming. In 1880 he came to Rockford and took as a homestead one hundred and sixty acres of land four miles northeast of the town. which property he still owns. He also has real estate interests in Rockford. Of late years he has rented his land and has given his atten- tion to preaching for the United Brethren church. Mr. Desgranges is a public-spirited man and has always labored earnestly and faithfully for the upbuilding of the town and the county, and he enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. In politics he has steadfastly adhered to the Republican party. He was married in Germany. June 3, 1852, to Miss Sophia Duschen, who died January II, 1899, leaving ten children: Katie, Sophia. Louisa, Elizabeth. Peter, Caroline, Amelia. George, Margaret and Henry.
ALBERT L. BRADLEY, farmer and stockraiser, son of Eli N. and Elizabeth Brad- ley, was born in Roxbury, Litchfield county,
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Connecticut, April 23, 1847. He was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools of that locality. When twenty-five years old he went to San Francisco on the steamships Henry Chauncy and Constitution, spending forty days on the trip. He remained in and near San Francisco for two and a half years, employed first on a farm and later by the Mar- ket Street Railway Company, then came over- land to Oregon, where he worked for one year. Subsequently he removed to the site of Rock- ford in November, 1877, but there was no town there then, nor any settlers, and he passed one winter without seeing a human face. His farm is located two and a half miles southeast of the town and consists of three hundred and twenty acres, all in cultivation. Mr. Bradley is an ac- tive, industrious man and a successful farmer, and produces fine crops of wheat and oats. He also raises high-grade horses. Mr. Bradley has never been ambitious for leadership among his fellow men and never has cared for or accepted a public office of any kind. He was married in December, 1885, to Martha S., daughter of James and Martha Johnson, and they have a family of three children : Frederick and Seth, twins, twelve years old, and Henry, aged eleven years. Mrs. Bradley died in January, 1891.
ALEXUS LA SHAW is a native of Jef- ferson county, New York, born March 12, 1846. On August 3, 1862, he enlisted in Com- pany C, Tenth New York Heavy Artillery. He was on guard duty at Washington, D. C., for eighteen months, then was sent to the Shen- andoah valley, where he took part in the battle of Winchester and the famous Sheridan ride. He heard the renowned words of that general, "Boys, come on, we'll take it back before
night." They did win back the lost position and the company camped that night on the same ground it had occupied the night before. In this battle Mr. La Shaw was severely wounded, but instead of retiring to the hos- pital he gallantly took a position on the moun- tain back of Winchester and guarded the signal station until his wound was healed. For three years he was a valiant defender of the flag and his war record is one of which his family have just cause to be proud. Upon being discharged he returned home for a visit, then started over- land for the state of Washington. The train to which he belonged was frequently in danger from Indians, but got through safely. Mr. La Shaw lived at Pendleton, Oregon, nine years, engaged in farming. then, in 1877, came to Rockford and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres three miles southeast of the town. He is now engaged in wheat and stock rais- ing. Mr. La Shaw was the tenth settler in the neighborhood of Rockford. He is a highly respected and esteemed citizen of the county and has frequently been solicited to become a candidate for office, but has invariably de- clined. He was married July 22. 1886. to Annie Fuchs, and they have had three children : Carl, born September 7, 1887, and Joseph, born July 22, 1891, living, and John, deceased. Mr. La Shaw is a member of J. B. Wyman Post. No. 41, G. A. R., of Washington and Alaska.
ELMER A. WALTMAN, farmer and stockraiser, son of Abram and Hannah Walt- man, was born in Pennsylvania December 12. 1864. When fourteen he accompanied his par- ents to Kansas and he received most of his edu- cation in that state. In 1882 the family came to Spokane county, locating at Rockford, and
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the father purchased and remodeled a saw and grist-mill there. Subsequently Elmer also en- gaged in the lumber and milling business, forming the firm known as Waltman Brothers & Company. After some years they dissolved partnership and Elmer purchased a one-third interest in a new mill, which his father had bought, and they did business together under the name of the Waltman Lumber Company for four years. Mr. Elmer Waltman then sold his interest, purchased eighty acres of land and engaged in farming. He is also interested in Spokane real estate and has some renting prop- erty in Rockford. He takes an active interest in all local affairs and has held the office of school director in his district. Religiously he is an active member and a class leader in the United Brethren church. He was married Jan- uary 24, 1892, to Miss Minnie, a daughter of James and Frances Moore, and a native of Iowa. They have one adopted son, Elum A.
GEORGE W. DARKNELL, farmer and stockraiser, was born in Watertown, Wiscon- . sin, January 28, 1855. At the age of seven he accompanied his parents to Rochester, Min- nesota, where he received the greater part of his education. In 1868 his parents moved to Goodhue county, Minnesota, and purchased a farm of six hundred acres, upon which Mr. Darknell resided until 1880. On February 10, of that year, he was married to Miss Clara Hayward, who was born March 9, 1860, in Goodhue county, Minnesota. Accompanied by his wife, he then started for Spokane county, Washington, arriving March 13, 1880. Soon after they secured the homestead (situated three miles southwest of Rockford on the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company line ),
upon which they still reside. His farm con- sisted originally of one hundred and sixty acres, but he subsequently added another quar- ter-section and in 1897 purchased a third, so that he now owns four hundred and eighty acres. He has good buildings and improve- ments and raises fine Durham and Holstein cat- tle. His principal productions, however, are wheat, of which he raises about twenty-five bushels per acre on the average, and oats, of which he has raised as high as seventy-five bushels per acre. He is president of and a director in the Fairfield Farmers Alliance Warehouse & Elevator Company and was for two years president of the organization after which the warehouse was named. Mr. Dark- nell has been a director of the school district in which he resides for the past fourteen years and has ever manifested a deep interest in the cause of education. He has always been an active Republican, has attended most of the conventions held since the territory was ad- mitted to statehood and was the nominee of his party for the state legislature in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Darknell had four children born to them, all of whom are now living: Anna Maude, born November 22, 1880; Walter Watts, born July 31, 1882; Ralph Milton, born October 26, 1884; Grace Hayward, born July 18, 1886.
WILLIAM B. McFALL, a pioneer of 1877, was born in Iowa, July 22, 1848. At the age of eight he accompanied his parents to Missouri, where he received his education and when twenty-four he again moved with the family, coming to Junction City, Oregon. He first engaged in the lumber business, then fol- lowed farming for a number of years. In 1876 he removed to Whitman county, Washington,
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and the next year he came to Rock creek valley, passing his first night in that region in his own cabin, which he had only just erected. He was one of the very earliest settlers in the valley, there being no white people there except Messrs. Rounds, Stan, Watts and Gilbert be- fore he came. He homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, but subsequently sold out and purchased a tract of forty acres five miles northeast of Rockford and he now owns one hundred and twenty acres. He raises wheat principally, but has a fine young orchard. Mr. McFall has seen much of the hardships and dangers of life in a new and unsettled country and has had considerable experience in Indian warfare, having participated in both the war against Chief Joseph and that waged against the Bannocks. In later years he has taken an active interest in everything pertain- ing to the welfare of his community. He has faithfully discharged the duties of road super- visor for two years and those of school director for the past twelve. He was married March 12, 1876, to Calista, daughter of William and Margaret Howell, and they have had four chil- dren : Jessie M., Cora and Samuel R., living. and Lena A., deceased.
JULIAN BUTLER, of the French family of Bouthiellier, a farmer, was born in Mont- real, Canada, November 26, 1824. He grew to manhood in the city of his nativity, but when twenty-two years old went to Lockport, New York, and remained two years, then lived in Wisconsin six months, following the trade of a wagonmaker in each of these states. He then worked at the same business in Iowa for ten months, but in the spring of 1852 moved to California, where for the ensuing six years
he was engaged in mining. In 1858, influenced by the gold excitement, he set out for the Frazer river, but was forced by the Indians to turn back after a three days' fight in which six of the party were killed. The remnant made their way to Fort Yakima, then to The Dalles, Oregon, thence to Portland, and Mr. Butler worked at his trade in Oregon City three months, but afterward opened a wagon shop at St. Louis, Oregon, where he lived until 1860. He then worked for the United States govern- ment on Warm Spring reservation three months, after which he spent three years on the Clearwater river in Idaho. Subsequently returning to his old shop and business in St. Louis, Oregon, he passed the ensuing seven years of his life there. He then was engaged for nine years as a wagonmaker for the govern- ment at Pendleton. Oregon. In 1880 lie came to the vicinity of Rockford and from that date until 1887 he was engaged in farming there. but he then moved over onto the Coeur d'. Alene reservation, where he still resides. He is ex- tensively interested in wheat raising and farms about one thousand acres in all. He was mar- ried in January, 1863, to Miss Mary Chamber- lain, a native of Willamette valley. Oregon. They have a family of nine children : Adolph. Jerry. Virginia, Alfred. Clarence. Pauline. Ernest. Josephine and Frances.
J. M. GRIMMER, a pioneer of 1881. was born in St. Stephens, New Brunswick, in 1843. and there he resided until about seventeen years old. For the ten years succeeding 1860 he followed the sea, the first three of which was spent in the Indian ocean and later coming around the Horn as mate of the ship Cowper i11 1868. After sailing the Pacific ocean for a
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year or two, he located in Eureka, Humboldt county, California, where, until 1880, he was engaged in lumbering. He then came to Ains- worth, Washington, and thence later to Spo- kane. Upon his arrival here he embarked in the hotel business in the old Northern Pacific Hotel, corner of Howard and Main streets, fol- lowing that until 1885, since which date he has been engaged in building up his extensive and prosperous trucking and draying business. He has the distinction of being the pioneer in that line of enterprise in this city. Mr. Grimmer is well and favorably known in Spokane, having resided here for many years and having taken an active interest in its political and social wel- fare. He has ever proved himself a worthy citizen, meriting the esteem and confidence of all. During 1882 and 1883 he was a member of the city council. He is a prominent fraternal man, being at present identified with the I. O. O. F .. the F. & A. M., the K. of P. and the Elks, and he is president of the Pioneer Society. In September. 1876, while residing in Eureka, California, he was married to Mary C. Hadley, and they are parents of five children : Edith, employed at the stamp window in the postoffice ; Fred, chief clerk for the superintendent of the G. N. Express Company; Hazel; Harry, de- ceased ; and Ethlyn.
JOHN ELLINGER, a pioneer of 1881, was born in Warren county, Illinois, July 5, 1849. He received his education in the public schools of that county and when twenty-three years old emigrated to Kansas, where he took up one hundred and sixty acres of land and fol- lowed farming two years. He then returned to Illinois and remained with his father one year. In March, 1881, he came to Rockford 36
and purchased a farm of eighty acres four and a half miles northwest of the town, to which he subsequently added eighty acres more. He gives attention principally to wheat raising, but is also on orchardist of extensive experi- ence and has a fine collection of young trees of many varieties. Like other expert fruit growers, he is of opinion that the fruit indus- try will become very important in this county in the near future. Mr. Ellinger's mother died when he was twelve years old and his father passed away about five years ago. so that his only immediate relatives now living are two brothers, one near him and the other at Leav- enworth, Washington. Mr. Ellinger was for- merly quite extensively interested in Spokane real estate and he still retains one lot in East Spokane.
MARTIN L. STARR, a pioneer of March I, 1878, was born in Iowa July 2, 1843. When ten years old he accompanied his parents across the plains to Benton county, Oregon. They traveled with ox-teams, ferrying in their wagon boxes across most of the rivers. Martin drove the loose stock all the way. The father died before reaching the promised land and his body was laid to rest at the foot of the Cascade . mountains. The remainder of the family ar- rived at their destination August 10, 1853. The mother filed on a donation and Mr. Starr and his two brothers farmed it for sixteen years. In 1869 he came to Pendleton, but in 1872. for the benefit of his wife's health, moved to California. He worked as a carpenter and builder in that state two years, then in Walla Walla until 1878. In February, of that year, he removed to Colfax; in March he came to Rock creek valley and homesteaded one hun- dred and sixty acres of land and afterward pur- ·
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chased one hundred and sixty acres more. He is engaged in wheat raising. Mr. Starr as- sisted in building the first Methodist church north of the Snake river and also superintended the erection of the second, located at Farming- ton, and the third at Rockford. He is quite a prominent man in the county, has served as school clerk and director for many years, was . one of the first councilmen at Rockford and has been constable, town marshal, justice of the peace and deputy sheriff. He was married, first. in January. 1867, to Miss M. E. Belshee, who died in November, 1878, leaving one daughter, May. He was next married, in Oc- tober. 1880. to Miss Amelia Desgranges, and they have eight children: Clarence, Clara J., Ira, Nora E., Nellie, Miles, Samuel F. and Amelia.
JACOB MORRIS, farmer and stockraiser, a pioneer of 1882, is a native of Illinois, born September 26, 1844. He received most of his education in that state. although he was only fourteen when, with the rest of his family, he emigrated to Kansas. They followed farming there until 1882, then Mr. Morris came direct to Rockford and engaged first in the meat mar- ket business and later in a livery stable enter- prise. He was the pioneer of the town in both these lines of industry. He next tried the lum- ber business for six months, but subsequently engaged in farming. He first bought one hun- dred and sixty acres of land six miles south- east of Rockford, known as the Braman place, then the Adams place, then the Stark place, then the Hurd place, and he now owns the M. O. McCoy and the Fisher places, four hundred and twenty acres in all. Mr. Morris is an in- tensely energetic and industrious man and has done more fencing, breaking and improving
land than any other man in this community. He was married. August 6. 1865, in Leaven- worth, Kansas, to Miss Cassinda, daughter of Evan and Rebecca Reynolds, a native of Mis- souri. born January 16, 1850. They have nine children living, namely: Laura, now Mrs. Manchester; Villa E .. now Mrs. Gilless: Ida M., now Mrs. Hamilton; Maud D .. now Mrs. Wolf: Eva E., wife of Mr. McDowell ; Stella : Pearl; Jennie and James ; also four deceased. Evan, Andrew. Jacob and one that died in in- fancy.
JOHN I. MELVILLE. attorney-at-law. son of Thomas R. and Janet, was born in Fife- shire, Scotland, September 14. 1868. He was educated in the Madras Academy, at Cupar, Scotland. After serving for some time in the Union Bank of Scotland, he began his legal studies in the office of J. Oliphant Watt, where he continued for three years. In 1888 he left Scotland and came to the United States on the ship Furnessia and ar- rived in Cheney, August I. His first position was with the bank of Cheney; serving as the first bookkeeper. then shortly afterward was appointed cashier. He remained in this posi- tion until June 30. 1893. after which he took a vacation in California and resumed his profession, returning to Cheney in 1894. He was admitted to the supreme court in 1896 and has since been very active in his profession. being the only attorney in this section of the county. He was the receiver of the bank of Cheney, a notary public, and has served as justice of the peace for this precinct. He was married, August 30, 1893. to Daisy C., dauglı- ter of William M. and Martha E. Deane. of Cheney. They have three children: Gladys E., born May 20, 1895: Kenneth M .. February
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8, 1897. and Janet I., November 9. 1898. Mr. Melville is a member of Spokane Lodge, No. 34, F. & A. M., and Rathbone Lodge. No. 47. K. of P., at Cheney.
AMOS C. STRINGHAM, son of Samuel and Abigal, was born in Cayuga county, New York, January 4. 1844. In 1862 he enlisted in Company G, Seventy-fifth New York Infantry, which was sent to Fort Pickens, Florida, in December and remained until the following May. Subsequently he took part in several skirmishes in Louisiana and New Orleans, was at the battle of Camp Brisland and was one of a party which destroyed a Confederate gunboat hidden in a bayou. He also participated in one of the Red river expeditions and was under fire for forty-four days at Port Hudson, where he received a bullet wound. He next went to Donaldsonville, Louisiana, and took part in another battle, then he and eighty of his regi- ment were detailed as sharpshooters on the gun- boat Clifton and sent to destroy a fort at Sa- bine Pass. The boat grounded and all were captured and sent to prison at Houston, but later were paroled to Shreveport, where they expected to be exchanged. Instead, they were marched back and held in close confinement for ten months and fourteen days. He was, how- ever, at length exchanged and allowed to re- turn home on a furlough. In November, 1864, he was honorably discharged and at once went to the vicinity of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where his family lived, bought a farm adjoin- ing them and followed farming for several years afterward. He then farmed for five years in Newaygo county and five near Reed City. In March, 1889, he came to Rockford, purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and later
eighty more adjoining, nearly all of which is now under cultivation. Mr. Stringham is one of the leading citizens of his community, takes an intelligent interest in all affairs of public concern in the neighborhood and has served as road supervisor for the past five years. He was married, February 28, 1870, to Marion C. Cornell. a native of New York, and they have seven children : Arthur L., Bertin H., George A., Fred H .. Robert W., Bernard E. and Lotie M. Mr. Stringham is a member of the J. B. Wymer Post, No. 45. G. A. R., of Washing- ton and Alaska.
CHARLES A. RATCLIFFE, agricult- ural implement and lumber dealer, son of Lynn and Margaret, was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. July 16, 1854. When he was eight years of age his parents removed to Lansing, Iowa. He was educated at La Crosse, Wis- consin, and returned to Lansing, where he en- gaged in the lumbering business for seven years. From there he went to Denver, Colo- rado, and engaged for three years in the lum- ber business, and then went to Portland, Ore- gon, where he was engaged in the auditor's office of the Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany for one year. In 1884 he came to Cheney as the representative of Frank Bros. Implement Company, of Portland. After several years of successful business he took the business in his own name, and conducts a fine, prosperous house, the trade extending a radius of fifteen miles, and being the only general house in this section of the country.
The business averages over five thousand dollars per annum, consisting of a complete line of farm implements, machinery, buggies. wagons and lumber of all kinds. Mr. Rat- cliffe has many interesting reminiscences of
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the early days of Indian troubles, having taken an active part in the defense of Cheney, when the settlers were threatened by Indians. He has served with perfect satisfaction to the peo- ple in the offices of assessor, city clerk, school clerk, school director and city councilman. He was married in St. Louis, Missouri, De- cember 24, 1884, to Louise, daughter of George and Caroline Bresler. They have six children : Lynn, born December 5, 1886; Benjamin, Jan- uary 9, 1889; Ruth, October 14. 1891 ; Louise, September 12, 1895; Kent, July 29. 1897, and Mark A., born December 22, 1899.
EDWARD A. MCCLELLAN, a farmer, was born in Tennessee July 9, 1846. He was reared and educated there and when fifteen en- listed in the Confederate army, Company B, Fourth Tennessee Regiment, his father, Captain McClellan, commanding. He participated in the engagements at Fishing Creek, Murfrees- boro, both battles, Nashville, Bowling Green, Atlanta, Shiloh, Franklin and Missionary Ridge, and in every battle from that one to the last engagement at Bentonville, North Caro- lina. He was then discharged to attend his brother, who was wounded, and returned to east Tennessee, where he remained for the en- suing fifteen years. He then was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1888, when he came to Rockford, Washington, and worked at the carpenter trade for a while. Subse- quently he again engaged in farming. He is one of the leading and influential citizens of his community, ever willing to contribute his share toward the general good, and he has filled in a satisfactory manner the offices of justice of the peace, road supervisor and school director. He was married, first, December 28, 1869, to Mary
E. Rhea, a native of Tennessee, born December 28, 1848, who died May 25. 1882, leaving six children : Samuel D .. James N., Elizabeth M., John L., Abraham R. and Edward. He was next married, October 24. 1886, to Lissie Den- ton, a native of Virginia, born July 20, 1865, who passed away in April. 1893.
WEBSTER B. WEBB, mining man, son of Theron and Sarah A., was born in Essex county, Vermont. February 28. 1834. He was educated at the Newbury Seminary and engaged as a school teacher three years in Bureau county, Illinois. During the Pike's Peak excitement of 1860. he removed to Colo- rado and took an active part in the early set- tlement of that state. serving for three years as a member of the Elbert Guards. He spent some time in Salt Lake City, in mining inves- tigations, and went to Placerville. California. where he engaged in mining. Later he was very successful in the celebrated Alder Gulch of Montana, and with the money thus obtained engaged in the cattle business, which he suc- cessfully conducted for eighteen years. Hepur- chased, in Illinois, large numbers of blooded Clydesdale horses and stallions and came to Cheney September 23. 1882, being one of the pioneers. He engaged in farming and stock- raising and has been very successful. He now owns a nice home and is devoting his en- ergies to mining, owning the Jupiter, in the Florence mining district, in Idaho. This mine shows an eighteen-foot ledge. free milling ore. very rich, and is bonded for six hundred thous- and dollars. Mr. Webb is a member of the Cheney Pioneer Society, and a much respected citizen. He was married. April 29. 1872, to Annetta, daughter of Charles and Eleanor
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