USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 46
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 46
USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 46
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 46
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Fieldon was educated in the district schools, then completed a course in Whitman College. In 1889, he took a homestead near where Odes- sa now stands and shortly thereafter came to re- side with his family here. He owns four hun- dred and eighty acres of fine wheat land, which is well improved with buildings, orchard, fences and so forth. He has a good residence in Odessa and a one-third interest in the mercan- tile business mentioned above.
In 1887, Mr. Logsdon married Miss Clara E. Ridout, who was born in Jasper county, Iowa. To them, four children have been born, Alva H., Elsie H., Violet T. and Madge D., deceased. Mr. Logsdon has held various offices of public trust and is now state councilman at Odessa. He is vice grand of the I. O. O. F. at Odessa and is a popular and respected man.
GEORGE W. NASH resides about eight miles north from Govan, where he owns one section of fine wheat land. He has a valuable residence, plenty of buildings, large estate and full equipments for the operation of the same. The farm is all under cultivation and is one of the excellent places in Lincoln county.
George W. Nash was born in Indiana, on November 13, 1866. His father, Thomas H. Nash, was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and served all through the Civil War, being un- der Logan and Grant. He came from Pennsyl- vania to Indiana in early days and did good work in the settlement of that section. The mother of our subject, Martha (Dolans) Nash. was born in Indiana. She had three brothers in the Civil War. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Missouri whither he went with his parents when quite young. Later he worked in sawmilling for a number of years,
then came west, settling on his present location in 1889. He increased his holdings by pur- chase until he owns a section of land, as stated above. Mr. Nash remarks that when he came to his homestead and invoiced his property, he found that he possessed just nine dollars in cash which was the larger portion of his entire holding. He has been prospered exceedingly in his labors on account of his wisdom and as- siduity.
In 1893, Mr. Nash married Miss Clara La- Follette, whose parents, Harvey and Susan (Fullerwider) LaFollette, were natives of In- diana. Mrs. Nash was born in Wisconsin, reared in Indiana and came to the Big Bend country where she took a pre-emption in 1889. She had two brothers, pioneers of Lincoln coun- ty, W. J., deceased, who had a pre-emption and homestead here; Grant A., who took govern- ment land which he has increased by purchase to an estate of eight hundred acres ; and one, Hon. William L., the fruit king of the northwest, who now resides at Wawawai, Washington. She is a cousin of Governor LaFollette of Wiscon- sin. Various other members of the family have held prominent positions. Mr. Nash has two brothers, John D. and H. M.
RICHARD CONNELL. M. D., needs no introduction to the people of Odessa and the surrounding country. In addition to his large medical practice, he owns a drug store as a necessary accessory. He is also postmaster, having been appointed to that position, Janu- ary 7, 1891, and holding it continuously since that date.
R. Connell was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, on April 5. 1856. being the son of Martin and Johannah Connell, natives of Ire- land. The father came to New York when a young man and began his career as a laborer on a railroad. He rose to the position of assistant road master and was a trusted official. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Ohio and Nebraska, where he went with his parents when a boy. It was 1888 when he en- tered the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville, Kentucky. He here pursued the study of medicine and graduated in 1889 re- ceiving the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Im- mediately subsequent to that he went to Cali-
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fornia and began practice. In 1890, we find him in Tenino, this state, following his profes- sion, and later he was at Fairhaven, where he remained four years. After that he went east and took a post graduate course, being deter- mined to keep thoroughly abreast with the rap- idly advancing science of medicine. After this, he returned to North Yakima in this state, and practiced there for one year. Thence he re- moved to Spokane and practiced there until 1900, the year in which he located at Odessa. It is interesting to note that Dr. Connell started in life without a dollar. He learned telegraphy and used it as a stepping stone to his profes- sion of medicine, and by his own labors the entire expense of gaining his education was paid. He has now a lucrative practice and has won the respect and confidence of all.
In 1882, Dr. Connell married Miss Mary A. Israel, a native of Iowa. She died in 1892, leaving three children, Fred R., Hazel and Sarah, deceased. In 1897, Dr. Connell married Miss Nina Hall, a native of Maine. They have an adopted son, Henry. The Doctor has held various offices of trust in the places where he has resided and is a progressive and well in- formed man. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., of the Foresters and also of the Spokane Medical Society.
HON. ISAAC NEWTON CUSHMAN. Certainly the Big Bend country is favored in having such a large number of wealthy and capable citizens. Not least among these is the substantial gentleman of whom we now have the pleasure to speak and who has shown him- self a man of principle and energy. He resides about three miles south from Wilbur where he has an estate of eighteen hundred acres. Twelve hundred acres of this are devoted to the produc- tion of the cereals while the balance gives pas- ture to his herds. The place is well improved and handled in a skillful manner and is one of the choice properties in central Washington.
I. N. Cushman was born in Hartland, Ver- mont. on July 7, 1851, being the son of Clark and Abagail F. (Tucker) Cushman, natives of Vermont. The father was born on the same farm where our subject was and in 1838, moved to Illinois but returned in two years to Vermont. In 1864, he sold the old homestead
and went to New Hampshire, where he bought another farm, which was his home until his death in 1869. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Holmes Cushman, was in the Revolu- tionary war and on the staff of General La Fayette. Robert Cushman, the ancestor of the Cushman family, came to the new world the next year after the Mayflower. He was of Puritan stock and the family has always been prominent. The primary training of our sub- ject was received in the district schools of Ver- mont and New Hampshire and in 1871, he en- tered the state normal school at Normal, Illi- nois, taking there a two years' course. Im- mediately subsequent to that, he taught a dis- trict school for six months where they had seventy-five pupils. Then Mr. Cushman turned his attention to engineering, learning the trade and that of the machinist, thoroughly. In 1876, we find him in Nevada, a mechanical engineer in the mines and he also wrought in Idaho and California. In 1882, he came to The Dalles, Oregon, and entered the employ of the O. R. & N. railway as a machinist. The next year, 1883, he came to his present location and took a homestead and timber culture claim. Two of his sisters took homesteads here and like a large majority of the other early settlers, they were obliged to go to other portions of the country to earn money to improve their land. Mr. Cushman has labored steadily along until the present time, winning an excellent success in financial matters. He has always manifested a studious spirit and surrounded himself with good books, the result of which is that he has a very well informed mind.
Mr. Cushman had one brother, Oliver, who was captain of Company E, First Vermont Cav- alry, during the Civil War, and was killed at Cold Harbor in 1864. He has three sisters, Mrs. Jennie Bridges, Mrs. Abbie C. Hine, and Harriet E. The last named sister has always made her home with her brother and is inter- ested with him in their large estate. She re- ceived the degree of A. B. in Oberlin College and has taught in a number of the leading col- leges in this country and also in Honolulu. She spent sometime in teaching in the University of Idaho.
Mr. Cushman has always taken a keen in- terest in political matters and has held various offices, among which may be mentioned that of representative in the state legislature.
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES G. GERLACH
ISAAC N. CUSHMAN
THOMAS WALTERS
JOHN NICHOLASON
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
CHARLES G. GERLACH, one of the well-to-do farmers and stock men of Lincoln county, resides now about eight miles south from Wilbur. He came to this country in 1883 without means and immediately selected a homestead which he improved in the usual man- ner, having to go abroad to earn the money to do it with. From that time until the present, about twenty years, Mr. Gerlach has been one of the substantial and progressive men of the county. His labors have been crowned with success on account of having been directed by wisdom and a keen foresight. He has a large estate which is well improved. besides other property. It may be said of Mr. Gerlach that wherever he is known, he is esteemed as a re- spected and hospitable man. No one can ever say that he left his door hungry or uncared for.
Charles G. Gerlach was born in Monroe, Michigan, on March 3, 1863, being the son of John and Mary ( Erdinger ) Gerlach, natives of Germany. The father came to America when very young and settled in Michigan and fol- lowed mechanical work and engineering. The mother died when our subject was very young. He had a very poor chance to gain an education but was so industrious and painstaking in his research that he soon came to be a well in- formed man. When twelve years of age, he was bound out to a farmer to labor until twenty-one at which time he was to receive a sttit of clothes and one hundred dollars in money. So well did he perform his labor, that the suit of clothes and the one hundred dollars were given when he was twenty years of age. That money paid his ticket to Walla Walla, where he worked for wages one year. The next year, as stated above, he came to his present lo- cation where he now owns eight hundred and twenty acres of land. The farm is one of the typical ones of central Washington and is very valuable.
In 1898. Mr. Gerlach married Miss Eliza B., daughter of Moses and Susan ( Stauffer) Brown, natives of Canada and now dwelling south of Wilbur. Mrs. Gerlach was born in Ontario on August 23. 1866. To this marriage one child has been born, George R. Mr. Ger- lach has one brother, A. F., who was in the stock business with him here for five years. He is now an engineer on the Great Northern. So far back as Mr. Gerlach is able to obtain in- formation, the entire Gerlach family were me-
chanics. Our subject is a blacksmith by trade, but only to a very limited extent has he ever labored of others.
THOMAS WALTERS is certainly to be classed as one of the earliest pioneers of the Big Bend country. There were probably not more than two or three settlers in the whole region when he selected his home place and entered the field of stock raising on these broad prairies. He now dwells about eleven miles south from Wilbur on a farm of four hundred and eighty acres which is well stocked and in a high state of cultivation.
Thomas Walters was born in Fulton coun- ty, Illinois, on March 13, 1835, the son of John and Elizabeth ( Borker) Walters. The father was born in Tennessee and raised in Alabama. He served in the Black Hawk war and was a prominent and well-to-do citizen of Illinois in early days. The mother was born in Illinois, descended from Welsh parentage. Her father, John Borker, was one of the earliest settlers in Illinois. He was a prominent and wealthy citi- zen and was widely known for his philanthro- phy and generosity. Our subject received his education in the common schools of his native state and worked for his father on the farm, until 1859, when he crossed the plains with ox teams ., Walla Walla, arriving in that town in August of the same year, it then being com- posed of a few dwellings, two stores, and one saloon. Although many poor emigrants were slain by the Indians on the road in 1859. our subject and his train came across safely. Mr. Walters immediately hired out freighting and continued the same until 1861, when he went to Orofino and began mining. He made lots of money there, and in 1863 went to Boise in com- pany with his brother, John Walters. They did well, mining, making as high as eight hundred dollars per day. In 1865, they sold their min- ing interests and put forty thousand dollars into freighting outfits. They transported goods into the mines. receiving twenty-five cents per pound and it is interesting to note that twenty- five cent pieces were the smallest change in that part of the country. In 1865. Mr. Walter bought a farm in Walla Walla and after freighting some years went there to reside. In 1874. he came to his present location and no
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
neighbors were nearer than twenty miles. His trading was all done in Walla Walla, one hun- dred and twenty miles away. The brothers of our subject were John W., who was in partner- ship with William for years and died in this country, in 1900 : Joseph,a farmer in Nebraska; Tanney, a wealthy farmer of Illinois. Mr. Wal- ter has certainly experienced the hardships of the rough days of the early west and has shown commendable effort and wisdom during his long and eventful career, and is now the owner of a comforable and valuable property. He is well known all over the Big Bend country and is as highly esteemed as he is widely known.
JOHN NICHOLASON is one of the ex- tensive real estate owners of Lincoln county. He has nearly two thousand acres of land about four miles south from Wilbur, which is de- voted to general farming and is one of the very valuable estates of the Big Bend country.
John Nicholason was born at sea, under the Norwegian flag, on March 7, 1854. His father, Newton Nicholason, a native of Scotland, was the owner of a schooner with which he coasted along the shores of Norway. On one of these trips, he met Magline Larson, a daughter of a prominent Norwegian family. who later became his bride. Mr. Nicholason then went to Nor- way to live except what time he was at sea. He did business until the ship went down and he was lost. Our subject was educated in the com- mon schools of Norway until eight years of age. then shipped on the steamer Bergan. He sailed to various parts of the world on Nor- wegian, Spanish, and English ships and after- ward came to Quebec whence he went to De- troit, and worked as a common laborer. He wrought through Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa. and Missouri. In 1871 he was a teamster for General Custer, on the Musselshell. He was one of the pioneers to the famous Black Hills country and from there went to Montana, then to Colorado and afterwards, in 1878, to the Pacific coast. He was in business in Seattle for a while and then went to mining. In 1882. Mr. Nicholason came to his present location and settled on a homestead. The land was in dispute and for fourteen years the controversy continued with the result that he finally won out. His labor and business ability have gained
a fine competence and in addition to the magnif- icent estate mentioned, he has considerable other property.
In 1892, Mr. Nicholason married Miss Car- rie H., daughter of Jacob and Katherine (Jolinson) Anderson, natives of Norway and Finland, respectively. Mrs. Nicholason was born in Wardo, Norway, on July 18, 1878. To this marriage five children have been born, Rolf, Nina, Lena K., Edna, and Bjorn.
Mr. Nicholason started in life with no means and after he was eight years of age, his labors supplied the means to support his wid- owed mother. He has traveled very exten- sively, having visited various portions of the globe, and his inquiring mind has given him a vast fund of information.
WILLIAM S. HURLBERT, who resides at Hesseltine, was born in Lake county, Indiana, on April 13, 1842. His father, William H. Hurlbert, was a pioneer of Ohio and Indiana. The mother, Catherine ( Bean) Hurlbert, died when our subject was a child. William S. went to Missouri with his parents when very young and there received his education in the common schools. He worked on his father's farm until 1861, when he enlisted in the Sev- enth Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, under Gen- eral Steele, and was west of the Mississippi in the service. He had many exciting adventures with the bushwhackers and in general fighting and was one of the party who chased Quantrell and his party for three days. Our subject cap- tured that leader's horse with saddle, bridle, saber scabbard, and overcoat but Quantrell suc- ceeded in getting away. Mr. Hurlbert was mustered out in 1865 and nine years later came to the Willamette valley in Oregon. He farmed there until 1877, when he moved to the Palouse country. Later he farmed in the vicinity of Colfax and there continued until 1884 when he took a homestead where he now resides. He kept a small hotel for a number of years and is well known all over the country both to the residents of Lincoln county as well as travelers.
In 1866, Mr. Hurlbert married Miss Mary J., the daughter of Robert and Rachel (Dun- can) Dixon, natives of Germany and well to do farmers. Mrs. Hurlbert was born in Ohio and went to Missouri when a child. To them
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have been born the following children, Robert D., William H., George R., Sarah J., Mrs. Lealı R. Nygren, Levi, and Adah G.
Mr. and Mrs. Hurlbert are highly esteemed pioneers of Lincoln county and number as their friends all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. In the early days he was one of the leading freighters of the northwest and in 1886, he was the heaviest transporter of goods to the Okanogan mines.
ROBERT R. NEAL is perhaps the most extensive fruit grower in Lincoln county. He certainly has done considerable work and is de- serving of great credit. His place is about six miles north from Hesseltine and consists of two hundred and forty acres, forty acres of it being irrigated. Mr. Neal has shown great wisdom in laying out and handling the place and has made himself a master of the fruit business, as will be discerned by the results he has achieved.
Robert R. Neal was born in Franklin coun- ty, Illinois, on March 29. 1852, the son of Aaron and Elizabeth (Clumpet) Neal. The father was born in South Carolina and moved to Illinois in 1818. He fought in the Black Hawk war and was a prominent and well to do man. The mother was born near where the battle of Cowpens was fought. Our subject received an ordinary education from the public schools of Illinois and upon the completion of the same, spent six years in buying and selling cattle in Kansas. In 1882, he came to Sherman, Wash- ington, and first filed on land in township 27. range 33, it being the township in which Sher- man is now located. For four years, he re- mained there, meeting and overcoming the ob- stacles and hardships incident to a pioneer life. Then he remained in his present location, tak- ing a homestead and bought eighty acres. Since that time, he has given his undivided attention to the study of the fruit industry, and carrying on the same. He has a large orchard of all leading varieties of apples, both winter and fall, a fine peach orchard, and also raises many pears, prunes, plums, cherries, grapes, strawberries, and so forth. Mr. Neal has never had a failure in the fruit crop in his section and in addition to making an undivided success himself has done an untold amount of good to the commun-
ity in stimulating worthy efforts in this very im- portant industry. He raised in 1893, thirty thousand quarts of strawberries on three acres and cleared nine hundred dollars on them. He also raises cotton, tobacco, and sweet potatoes, and in 1888 raised one yam weighing fourteen pounds. There were enough others in the same hill to make twenty-five pounds. He irrigates his land from a large spring on the farm.
In 1878, Mr. Neal married Miss Louisa Van Dusen. She died in 1894. In 1898, Mr. Neal married Mrs. Tinnie (Park) Beers. He has the following children, William R., Ollie E., Fred O., Frank L., Roy R., Nora E., Mat- tie M., and E. Alice. He also has one step-son, Joseph Beers. In 1895. Mr. Neal was appoint- ed fruit inspector for Lincoln county and held that office for six years. He is a man of pro- gressive ideas and good sound judgment and the success he has gained is one of the choice bits of Lincoln county history.
EDWARD J. KRIEGLER is at the head of one of the largest mercantile establishments of Odessa. The firm name is The Kriegler- Page Mercantile Co. and Mr. Kriegler is secre- tary and treasurer of the same. He was born in Bohemia, on November 27, 1871. His par- ents, Joseph and Rose ( Pechacek) Kriegler, were natives of Bohemia, and the father is a prominent and worthy merchant and land owner in Austria. This son received his early edu- cation in the common schools, then later com- pleted a course in Landskron college, graduat- ing with especial honors as leader of his class. In 1886, Mr. Kriegler went to Waterville, Min- nesota, where he was engaged on a farm for three years, then he turned his attention to the mercantile business there and in Dakota and in 1899, located at Mohler in this county. He operated a general merchandise establishment and lumberyard there until 1901, in which year he disposed of his property and located in Odessa. He handles all kinds of general mer- chandise, hardware, lumber, coal and wood. In 1902, a stock company was formed in which he is now general manager and they own the largest establishment in this part of the country.
In 1900, Mr. Kriegler married Miss Louise Kanne, a native of Minnesota. Her father,
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
August Kanne, is a wealthy farmer in that state. Mr. Kriegler was the first town treasurer of Odessa and has held many other offices of pub- lic trust in the various places where he has resided. He is a sterling business man and has won the confidence of the people in this section and is the recipient of an extensive patronage.
ROBERT JAMISON, who lives about one mile west from Tipso, came from the Emerald Isle. His forefathers migrated from Scotland to Ireland and lived in the immediate neigh- borhood of President Mckinley's ancestors. Our subject was born in Antrim county, Ire- land, in 1845. His father, William Jamison, was born in the same place and was a promi- ment and upright man. He was a warm sup- porter of the Presbyterian church. His mother, Nancy (Smith) Jamison, was born in Ireland. Our subject studied in the common schools of his native place, then worked for wages on his father's farms until he came to America in 1883. One year thereafter he spent in searching out the country and finally in 1884, he settled on his present farm. His brother, William, came to this section with him. Like most all the other pioneers, Mr. Jamison was forced to go out to work in the Palouse country and Spokane to secure money for food and with which to improve the homestead. He la- bored along patiently, gaining ground each year, until the land began to produce and since then he had devoted his entire attention to farm- ing. He has now a half section, well improved and productive of fine annual dividends. In 1903, Mr. Jamison married Miss Elizabeth Hale, a daughter of James C. and Fannie (Craig) Hale, natives of Ireland and worthy farmers. Mrs. Jamison was born and reared in Ireland and has the following brothers and sisters, William, a retired farmer in Wilbur; Samuel and James in Ireland ; Jane, in Ireland ; and Margaret, deceased.
HENRY MENKE, who resides four and one-half miles northwest from Hesseltine, was born in Germany, on October 25, 1867. He is a son of John and Mary (Ahlers) Menke, na-
tives of Germany. The father was a prominent contractor of his country. Our subject was educated in the public schools of Germany after which he went to work for wages for two years. In 1884, he came to the United States and set- tled in Nebraska where he worked for wages for nine years. Then, it being 1893, he jour- neyed to Washington and after due investiga- tion, selected his present location and took a homestead. He has bought various pieces of land since until he now owns four hundred and forty acres. Nearly the entire estate is good wheat land and is well improved, having resi- dence, large barn, orchard, and other equip- ments. Mr. Menke has a number of horses and gives his attention mostly to raising grain. Like many of the pioneers, he started with very little capital aside from two good strong hands, but now is a wealthy man.
In 1897. Mr. Menke married Miss Lucinda Delimlow. She was born in Nebraska, the daughter of Henry and Sophia (Will) Deh- mlow, pioneers to Nebraska. To this union, four children have been born, Marie S., Fred- erick J., Paulina A. M., and an infant, unnamed.
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