USA > Washington > Walla Walla County > An illustrated history of Walla Walla County, state of Washington > Part 57
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and resourcefulness of those carly pioneer women by driving a four-mule team all the way. She now resides in a comfortable home in Walla Walla, and is supported by the rev- entes from over one thousand acres of farm land and some valuable city property.
JOSEPH H. McCOY, a farmer on the Tumalum, eight and a half miles southwest of Walla Walla, a pioneer of the valley of 1859, was born in Linn county, Oregon, on January 15, 1856. When a small child he was brought by his parents to this valley, and he now re- sides on the place which his father homesteaded on coming here. He received his education in Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain's private school, and in the old Whitman Academy, which he attended two years.
His first business after leaving school was raising Norman Percheron horses in Umatilla county and later in Wasco county, Oregon, in company with his brothers, E. O. and John D., a line of activity which he followed until 1884. He then sold out, returned to the pa- ternal homestead and took charge of the farm. While thus employed he received an appoint- ment from Mr. Zoeth Houser as chief deputy sheriff of Umatilla county, Oregon, and for two years thereafter he was engaged in the performance of his duties as such officer.
Returning then to his farming, he devoted the summer and fall seasons to that industry, but as soon as harvest time was passed he in- dulged his passion for travel, visiting every state and territory in the Union except those along the Atlantic seaboard. Latterly he has given his entire time and attention to his farm, and is now one of the most successful diversi- fied farmers in the valley. He enjoys an en- 26
viable standing in his community, the natural consequence of his uniform fairness and in- tegrity in his dealings with his neighbors. His fraternal connections are with the Damon Lodge, No. 4, Knights of Pythias, of Pendle- ton, and with Lodge No. 23, F. O. E., of Walla Walla.
Mr. McCoy was married, at Cowl's Cross- ing, of the Walla Walla river, October 26, 1882, to Miss Mary A. Cowl, a native of Illi- nois, who was brought by her parents across the plains in 1866. They have a family of four children, Joseph O., Kate M., and George T. and Mattie A., twins. Mr. McCoy's father was a prominent man in the early pioncer days of this valley. He has the distinction of hav- ing started and for a time operated the first meat market ever established in this section, and one surprising thing in this connection is that the market has been maintained contin- uously as such ever since, though started in 1858. It is now the property of Mr. Chris. Ennis.
When the family first settled on the farm here they were neighbors to the Cayuse In- dians, but by uniform fair treatment they kept the good will of the red men and experienced no trouble with them. On one occasion an In- dian stole a horse from Mr. McCoy. but the other Indians followed the thief to Idaho, over- took him, beat him unmercifully and compelled him to bring back the stolen property.
Mr. McCoy tells many amusing anecdotes of the false Indian scares of early days, one of which is to the effect that a neighbor, while on a mad drive to Fort Walla Walla to alarnr the soldiers, lost one of his children out of the wagon, and when the others set up a cry of alarm his imagination construed the turmoil to be the shouts of approaching red skins and he drove all the harder. Mr. McCoy's father
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died in Menard county, Illinois, February 19. 1877. while back there on a visit. and his mother passed away in October. 1896, and lies buried in the Walla Walla cemetery. While Mr. McCoy's farm is just over the Oregon line, he considers Walla Walla his home town and always has his mail directed to that post- office.
MERTON E. BREWER, lately book- keeper for William Jones, was born in Walla Walla county in 1875. He lived in this vicin- ity until 1891, then went to Seattle, where he completed a high-school course and graduated. He also took a complete course in bookkeep- ing in one of the business colleges of that city, after which he returned to Walla Walla. He taught in his brother's business college during the winter of 1898-9. but in the spring re- turned to Seattle to accept a position in the Board of Education building. At the outbreak of the Philippine war he enlisted in Company D. First Washington Volunteer Infantry, with which he went as far as San Francisco. He remained there until shortly before they left for Manila, then, his father being ill, he was dis- charged by courtesy and allowed to return to Walla Walla.
For. about three months after coming here he was employed in the county auditor's of- fice, then he became city assessor by appoint- ment. In the campaign of 1898 he was a candidate for the office of city clerk, but failed of election. On July 14, 1899, he accepted the position in which he was until quite recently engaged. taking charge of Mr. Jones' books and accounts. Mr. Brewer is a young man of ability, energy and force of character, and his reliability and integrity have never been ques- tioned. His standing in this city is in all re-
spects one of which he has just reason to be proud. Fraternally he is connected with the Foresters of America, the Artisans and the Good Templars.
JOHN U. STRAHM. deceased .-. An early and respected pioneer of the county and one who has contributed his full share toward its development, the subject of this article has earned the right to be counted among the bene- factors and builders of the county, and it is clearly incumbent that he should be accorded representation in a volume of this character. He was born in Berne, Switzerland, on July 30. 1837. but was reared and educated in the state of Ohio, whither his parents brought him when he was six years old. In 1853 he crossed the plains with ox-teams to California, where for three years he was engaged in the endeavor to find a key to nature's vaults and to win therefrom her hidden treasure.
Returning to the middle west in 1856 he farmed in Iowa and Missouri for about eight years, after which he again crossed the plains, his objective point this time being Walla Walla county. He located a homestead two miles southeast of Dixie, upon which he resided con- tinuously, engaged in farming and stock rais- ing until February 11, 1895, when death over- took him. He had a fine farm of two hun- dred acres and upon this his widow and some of the children are still living.
Mr. Strahm was married, in Princeton, Missouri, in 1864. to Miss Mary J. Farley, a native of that state, and to their union four- teen children were born, namely: Josephine, widow of the late John Byrd: William H .; Sarah E., wife of D. F. Strohm, of Pendleton, Oregon; Rosa B., wife of Thomas B. Hast-
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ings, of Thornton; Mary E., wife of Eldon Buroaker, of Waitsburg; Nora J., a resident of Walla Walla; John U .; Nannie, wife of A. W. Brown, of Walla Walla: Lucretia R., Viola, Edna and Alma.
J. FREDERICK KERSHAW, railroad agent at Dixie, is one of the comparatively few who can claim Washington for the state of their nativity. He was born in this county April 8, 1878, and here he passed his early youth and was educated. Reared on his fa- ther's farm near Dixie, he acquired habits of industry and thrift which are invaluable to any ambitious young man, and his career thus far, though so brief, gives promise of his becom- ing a prominent railroad man and a powerful factor in the carrying trade of the coast. As soon as he had completed his education he set vigorously to work to learn telegraphy, and soon found employment with the Washington & Columbia River Railroad, for which he is now agent at Dixie. Mr. Kershaw is a son of Mr. and Mrs. William G. Kershaw, well known and highly esteemed pioneers of Walla Walla county. His father died April 5, 1891, but his mother still lives on the old home place near Dixie. IIer real estate interests in the county are very extensive. Besides the sub- ject of this sketch, she has two other children, Emma Kershaw and Mrs. J. H. Fuller.
MILTON E. BRYAN, proprietor of a livery barn, corner Second and .Alder streets, was born in Van Buren county, lowa. in 1859. For the first twenty-five years of his life he lived in the neighborhood in which he first
saw the light, receiving the advantages of a public-school training, and later engaging in agricultural pursuits. In 1884, however, he moved to Walla Walla and turned his atten- tion to the livery business, an industry to which his energies have been given ever since.
For the past twelve years he and his part- ner, Mr. T. N. Bryan, have been in business together, and during the past two they have occupied their present quarters. By their in- dustry, judicious management and careful at- tention to the wants of their customers, com- bined with a degree of progressiveness, which has kept them always fully abreast of the times in equipment and stock, they have secured an excellent trade, and a reputation of which they may well be proud. They have seventy-five head of horses and run hack lines, baggage and transfer wagons, etc., besides performing all the other functions of a first-class livery. In fraternal affiliations Mr. Bryan is identified with the I. O. O. F. He married, in Iowa, ir 1890, Margaret E. Chalfant, a native of that state.
JOHN G. COCHRAN .- This prominent pioneer farmer of Dixie was born in Missouri in September, 1839. He grew to manhood and acquired his education in the state of his na- tivity, and when the time came for him to initiate independent action, and to begin the struggle for existence on his own account, he engaged in the business in which he had been reared, namely, farming. He continued to prosper in that industry for many years, but thinking he could do better on the Pacific coast came to Walla Walla in 1871. Locating at Dixie, he resumed the occupation in which he had been engaged while a resident of Missouri. and he has been among the progressive and
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HISTORY OF WALLA WALLA COUNTY.
respected agriculturists of that section ever since.
In 1861, in the state of Missouri, he mar- ried Miss Elizabeth Eagen, and the issue of their union was eleven children, nine of whom are still living, namely: James W., in Ore- gon ; Jasper, in Oregon ; Charles L., postmas- ter and merchant at Dixie; Jesse D .; Robert L .; Ida Pearl. wife of F. M. Marks, of Dixie ; William, Mamie and Edison. The deceased children were named Luvina and Minnie.
Their son. Charles L., a merchant at Dixie. who also serves as postmaster there, is one of the leading spirits of the place, and an effective force in its upbuilding. He was born in Mis- souri on September 13, 1868, but was reared and educated in the Walla Walla valley, whither his parents brought him when he was about three years old. After completing a course in the local public schools and in Em- pire Business College, of Walla Walla, he en- gaged in farming, but in 1892 he opened a mercantile establishment in Dixie, and in 1893 he was appointed postmaster.
Mr. Cochran is a public-spirited man, ever ready to contribute his share toward the gen- eral progress, and always among the leaders in every forward movement. He is quite prom- inent in the I. O. O. F., being a charter mem- ber of Welcome Lodge, No. 117, all the chairs of which have been occupied by him, also identi- fied with Sunshine Rebekah Lodge, No. 56.
HON. JAMES H. LASATER, deceased. -No work which purports to review the lives of those who have taken a prominent part in the upbuilding of the west or any section of it could escape the imputation of incompleteness should it omit to make due mention of such
men as the one whose name forms the caption of this article. While Mr. Lasater's character was too positive and aggressive to render all men his friends, his sincerity, unimpeachable integrity and uncompromising devotion to his convictions of right won for him the respect even of his opponents and gained him the sin- cere regard of all who admire true force of character.
Born in McMinn county, Tennessee, on October 19, 1823, he spent the first twenty- seven years of his life in that locality. His early desire was to become a physician, and with characteristic energy he applied himself to the mastery of that profession. He graduated with the degree of M. D., but after practicing a short time and discovering that he had mis- taken his tastes abandoned the profession and set out for California. Returning to the east the following year, 1851, he began the study of law under Judge William Kellogg, his places of residence during the years of his law read- ing being Canton and Bloomington, Illinois.
In October, 1852, Mr. Lasater arrived in Oregon City, Oregon, and on February 22, 1855, he was admitted to the bar of that state. Ile continued in practice there until April, 1863, then came to Walla Walla, of which city he became a representative citizen, taking the same unselfish interest in promoting the wel- fare of this locality which had characterized him in his relations with Oregon affairs. One of his first public acts after arriving here was to assist in the organization of the Democratic party, of which he was a prominent and influ- ential member, and which, shortly afterward, elected him to the office of prosecuting attorney. He, however, refused to qualify.
In 1869 Mr. Lasater was elected to the ter- ritorial legislature, and it was here that his deep-seated sincerity and uncompromising
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HISTORY OF WALLA WALLA COUNTY.
fidelity to what he conceived to be right was brought into full relief. He had previously served in the Oregon legislature, and the ex- perience there gained enabled him to maintain a place of leadership among his compeers and to become an efficient force in shaping legisla- tion. As indicating in some measure the ex- tent of Mr. Lasater's achievement after com- ing to the west, we may call attention to the fact that when he landed in Oregon his worldly wealth consisted of just one dollar. This he expended for bread. He managed to secure a job at manufacturing rails, then found employ- ment as a teacher, afterward working into the practice of law, in which he became very successful. For a number of years before his demise he was compelled to devote his entire time and attention to his real estate interests, so extensive had they become, and when he died he was possessed of some nineteen hun- dred acres of land in this county and in Uma- tilla county, Oregon, besides valuable realty in Walla Walla, the whole being worth probably forty thousand dollars.
As a man, as a lawyer and as a legislator Mr. Lasater deserves the highest distinction, and posterity will accord to him an honored place among the builders and moulders of the northwest.
On February 22, 1856, our subject became the husband of Mrs. Emily Scudder, nce Moore, a most estimable lady, possessed of the qualities of heart and mind for which pioneer women are famous. She crossed the plains with ox-teams in early days, experiencing many difficulties with Indians, and more than once narrowly escaping the cruel vengeance of the red men. The train discovered the remains of a dwelling that had been burned by the savages, after all the inmates had, as was supposed, been cruelly massacred. Search showed, however,
that a baby and a girl about fourteen years old, whose scalp had been removed, were still alive, and these were brought west with the emigrants. Mr. and Mrs. Lasater became the parents of six children, of whom three are still living: Julia A .; Alice M., now Mrs. Elron Edgerley ; and Harry, all residing near Walla Walla.
Mrs. Lasater died in December, 1875; her husband followed her to the tomb on August 20, 1896, and their remains lie side by side in the Walla Walla cemetery.
WILLIAM H. MANN, one of the enter- prising young farmers of the vicinity of Eureka Junction, is a native of Indiana, born April 12, 1878. When only six years old he started traveling with his invalid father, and was a constant attendant upon the latter for four years. On July 13, 1888, at Hot Springs, Arkansas, the father died, and William H. then came direct to this county. Before long he lo- cated at Eureka Junction, where for several years he has been engaged in farming. He is an industrious, thrifty, self-reliant young man, and possesses those traits of character which insure success in any calling. He is at present farming six hundred and forty acres, raising wheat principally.
His mother, now Mrs. George Struthers, is at present residing in Walla Walla. She was born and reared in Indiana, but came to Cali- fornia as early as 1879, and has lived in this state since 1882. She has six children living, three, Maude, Bessie and William H., by her marriage with Mr. Mann, and three by her union with Mr. Struthers, namely, Harry, Guy and George.
Mr. William H. Mann was married on De-
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HISTORY OF WALLA WALLA COUNTY.
cember 24, 1899, to Miss Lanna McElhaney, a native of Walla Walla county. Mrs. Mann is a graduate of the Walla Walla high school.
B. F. BREWER, a clerk in Tallman's drug store, was born in Walla Walla county in 1879. He lived in the vicinity of this city until about eleven years old, then accompanied the re- mainder of the family to Seattle, where he con- tinued his public school studies. He was in the high school there a while, but before com- pleting his course the family returned to Walla Walla, and he continued his studies in the high school of this city. He organized the High School Cadets, a military company, and was their captain as long as he remained in the in- stitution. Upon completing his education he entered the drug store of Mr. Tallman, where he has been clerking and studying pharmacy ever since. It is his intention to take a course in! a pharmaceutical college, so as to make him- self thoroughly master of his chosen profession. He is a very bright and capable young man, already possessed of an excellent education. and he needs but a course of systematic pro- fessional training to insure a successful career as an apothecary.
HARRY LAS.\TER .- Born on May 18, 1865, in the county with which this volume is primarily concerned, the son of one of the old- est and most prominent pioneers of the west, the subject of this brief biographical outline has grown up to be a credit to his illustrious father and to the noble valley in which he was nurtured and educated. Though his tastes and disposition inclined him to adopt the independ-
ent life of an agriculturist, he realized that whatever his calling it was advisable that he should cultivate to the extent of his abilities the powers of his mind, so continued in study until he had completed a thorough course in Whitman Academy and passed through the freshman year in the college.
He thereupon engaged with his brother Wiley in managing his father's farm, contin- uing in this employment until 1890, when the farm was divided equally between him and his sister, Julia, the brother, who had been his co-worker for the first few years after he left college. having died December 1, 1885. Mr. Lasater has been giving his undivided atten- tion to agricultural pursuits on his own account ever since, and has long been regarded as one of the eminently successful ranchmen of the county. His place, which is known as the old Mullen farm, and which consists of three hun- dred and fifty-four acres of excellent wheat land within about three miles of the city of Walla Walla, is one of the first farms that were cultivated and improved in the valley, and it is now well supplied with buildings, fences and equipments, while its fertile soil has been developed to the fullest by careful and intel- ligent tilling.
While Mr. Lasater is a thrifty and assid- uous farmer, he never neglects his duties as a citizen, but takes an active interest in politics, local and general, manifesting a willingness to contribute his mite toward the general wel- fare. and to bear his portion of the public burdens. For three years he discharged the duties of road supervisor, which duties were imposed upon him by the suffrages of his neigh- bors. Fraternally he is prominently identified with the I. O. O. F .. of which order he is a past conductor.
On October 29, 1897, he married Miss
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Jessie B. Crawford, also a native of Walla Walla, and a member of a respected pioneer family. They have one daughter, Thelma May, now about two years old.
WILLIAM N. WISEMAN, a farmer, is a native of Washington, born February 5, 1860. He had the distinction of having been the second child of white parents to be born in Walla Walla county. He received his edu- cation in the local schools, then engaged in farming. renting his father's place. He also embarked in the livery business in the city of Walla Walla, following that for two years. He was, however, ambitious to become a farm- er on his own land, so, as soon as he con- veniently could, located a homestead and turned his attention to its development. He is thrifty, energetic and ambitious, and is now one of the successful and prosperous farmers of the county.
Mr. Wiseman's father and uncle were old pioneers of the valley, and the first to home- stead lands on Eureka flat. The former was for many years one of the leading agriculturists of his section of the state, but he has now retired and is living in Walla Walla.
Mr. William N. Wiseman, whose life his- tory we are endeavoring briefly to outline, has long taken an active interest in the political and industrial well-being of the county, ever manifesting a willingness to do what he can for the general progress. He was a delegate which was held in Spokane. So earnest was he in his convictions and so skillfully did he rep- resent the sentiment of those who sent him that he was chosen for the next convention, and le has been honored by being elected delegate
to every convention since. He once served in the capacity of deputy county assessor.
Mr. Wiseman was married in Walla Walla, November 1, 1888, to Miss Lizzie A. Wight- man, also a native of this state, born June 17, 1865. She was educated in the St. Paul school, of Walla Walla. Mr. and Mrs. Wiseman are the parents of two children living, namely : Ada A., born August 12, 1890, and Grace L., born April 26, 1893. Mr. Wiseman is a mem- ber of Clyde Lodge, No. 8896, M. W. of A., of which he is clerk.
R. G. CLANCY, a fruit grower at Dixie, a pioneer of 1863, was born in Missouri Sep- tember 23, 1850. When he about two years old the family crossed the plains to Oregon, located in the Willamette valley and remained about a decade. When thirteen, however, he accompanied them to Walla Walla, and here he received the greater part of his education. His first occupation after leaving school was freighting to Lake Pend d' Oreille and various other points, but he afterwards engaged in farming. He gave his attention to agricult- ural pursuits in general until 1884, then bought his present place and confined his energies to fruit raising. He has a magnificent orchard of sixty-five acres, the second largest in the coun- ty, and is producing excellent fruit of all va- rieties.
to the last territorial Democratic convention . nity, though apparently not ambitious for per-
Mr. Clancy is a very active, energetic man, deeply interested in the welfare of his commu- sonal preferment of any kind, and not an as- pirant for any public office. His standing in the neighborhood is of the highest. He is quite prominent in the 1. O. O. F., has passed through all the chairs in the subordinate lodge, and is
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now a member of the grand lodge. lle also as registrar for two years, and then as assist- affiliates with the K. O. T. M.
Mr. Clancy was married. in Walla Walla county. November 22. 1875. to Miss Sarah J. Sanders, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of pioneer parents. They have five children, Albert C .. John Floyd. Alice .A., Paul B. and Elva D. Mr. Clancy's father, Cornelius, who crossed the plains with ox-teams in 1853. and who became identified with Walla Walla coun- ty in 1863. died at Dixie in 1897. His wife had preceded him to the grave by about five years.
PROFESSOR WALTER .A. BRATTON. .A. B., teacher of mathematics in Whitman College, was born in Stamford, Vermont. in 1874. Hle resided in his native state until twelve years old. receiving the advantages of the local public schools, then went to Drury -Academy. North Adams, Massachusetts, a classical preparatory school, where he was a student for four years. Subsequently he matriculated at Williams College, completed the course and graduated, receiving the degree of A. B. in 1895. He then came to Whitman College to accept the chair of mathematics, and has been discharging the duties of that posi- tion ever since.
ant treasurer and purchasing agent. He ex- pects to receive the degree of A. M. as soon as he returns to Williams College. His Greek letter fraternity is the Phi Beta Kappa, and he also belongs to the Washington State Phil- ological Association.
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